^^;  Thanks Loki, I hadn't quite realized that I had forgotten Shante, but she will be making an appearance now and I, too,  like the Shuu/Shante pairing.  ^-^  Though my eternal favorite character will always be Arc!  

Do Not Own Any Arc The Lad Character…..drats….

Chapter Two: What Darkness Falls

The balcony window was suddenly shattered as an explosion erupted from the room beside Elc's, blowing the entire outer wall to pieces.  A chimera's head peered from around the exploded balcony, it growled when it saw Elc and Leiza.  With one powerful leap it shot across onto the balcony claws raised.  Elc drew Leiza behind him and held out his hand, shooting out a blaze of fire at the chimera.  The hideous creature let out a shriek as it was incinerated in the wave of fire.  From out of no where, five more chimeras flashed into sight and leaped onto the balcony.  Three  chimeras rushed into the room before the others, who had been waked by the loud explosion could run out to aid Elc.  Elc turned, he couldn't use his power anymore for now.  He was afraid that his lack of control would hurt the others.  This would get ugly fast.  He saw a flash of metal then found Arc by his side, sword brandished.  He tossed Elc his Hunter spear.  Elc nodded in gratitude then rushed into the fray.  Every time they destroyed a chimera, two would appear in its place.  They were scaling the building.  That's when Leiza screamed.  Elc turned quickly, he could have sworn that Leiza was right behind him!  He saw that a winged chimera had grabbed her and was about to take flight.  Elc whirled about into the mass of chimera and started to slash his way toward her.  He found his path blocked by three chimera, of the type he had never seen before.  He slashed at them trying to break through them; he could only hope that he wouldn't be too late to save her.  Guilt rushed over him.  How could he forget about her like that?  He watched helplessly as the chimera unfurled its large awkward wings and take to the air.

"No!" he shouted and redoubled his attack to the blocking chimera.  There was no way around them.  He couldn't lose her!

Then, for some reason, he saw the chimera stop its upward flight though its wings still beat furiously.  It flapped harder then it turned its head back and shrieked.  Killing one of the chimeras before him, Elc opened a small hole so he could see what was happening.  Arc was stretched across the balcony.  His ankles were wrapped around the balcony railing and he was holding tightly to Leiza's waist trying to pull her back to the stone and out of the air.  However, he was starting to lose his grip.  Panicked, Elc raised his hand, shooting out a burst of flame at the chimera but it dropped to the side dodging.  Its sideways movement, on the other hand, caused Arc to lose his grip entirely.  The chimera took to the sky with both of them.

"Leiza!" shouted Elc.  Angrily he threw another blast into the sky after the chimera.

The chimera flew above the blast enough to dodge but also to hit Arc instead.  The young man lost his grip of Leiza as well  and plummeted toward the street below.  Dazed for a moment, Arc heard the wind whistling past his ears.  His eyes opened to see the street growing closer, if he hit it at this speed he'd be splattered across the block.  He held out his hands and cast a blast of wind directly down to slow his descent, however, the blast caused such an opposing force that it spun him around like a falling leaf.  His fall was slowed enough to be non-fatal but he hit the ground back first forcefully and did not get back up. 

Elc yelled as the chimera disappeared with Leiza then turned his anger to the other chimeras.  He slashed and hacked with a vengeance, as more appeared, his anger grew.  Toshuu and Shuu fought the chimeras that had entered into the room, protecting the others.  They both looked up as they heard Elc yell in fury.

"Aw, hell.  Everyone get out of here!" shouted Toshuu holding off the chimeras as the others ran for the door.  They barely made it through the door before a huge blast of flame erupted through the whole room followed by another shout.  They stood on the staircase waiting for Elc when he suddenly rushed past them in a wave of anger.  Toshuu and Shuu ran after him.

Elc ran out to the street then searched the sky furiously, his eyes those of a wild man.  He started to run in the direction that he had seen the chimera fly in when he stumbled over something.  Getting to his feet, he turned to see what he had tripped over.  It was Arc's body.  Elc quickly looked back to the sky for any kind of sign of a direction.  There was none.  He started to rush off when a firm hand grabbed his shoulder.  Shuu frowned at him and shook his head.  Toshuu frowned at the unconscious Arc and carefully picked him up from the ground.

"Come on, Elc.  We're going back to the Silver Noah." said Shuu holding Elc's shoulder tightly.

"No!  We have to find Leiza now!" shouted Elc in a craze only to receive a knockout punch to the face from Shuu.

Shuu slung the unconscious boy over his shoulder as the others walked out, "Come on, before he wakes."

"Arc!" cried Kukuru as she saw Toshuu with Arc.

"He's injured his back, but he'll be fine after we pop a few things back into place." said Toshuu.

The group made their way back to the Silver Noah to hide from any other chimera that might be inclined to attack them that night.  No one was in the mood to try to figure out where the chimeras had come from.  Toshuu and Kukuru took Arc to the infirmary.  Shuu put Elc in a room, locking the door behind him.  They would start looking for Leiza tomorrow when they had more light.  The chimeras obviously wanted her alive for some reason.  After Kukuru finished slipping Arc's bones back into place she would start trying to divine Leiza's whereabouts.  Passing by the infirmary, there was hear a loud pop followed by a shout.  Shuu frowned, why did all of this have to happen on Elc's birthday.

Elc woke a few hours later and jumped out of bed.  He recognized the interior of the Silver Noah.  Rushing to the door, he pulled on the handle.  Locked.  Elc reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of metal and began to work on the door.  He didn't train under Shuu for nothing.  After an unsuccessful few minuets, Elc was rewarded as the door swung open.  Checking to hall, he darted out and quickly made his way to an airlock.  He could tell that the Silver Noah was not in flight yet.  All of a sudden, there was a figure between him and the door.  He drew back, it was Arc.

"Out of my way, Arc.  You're not going to stop me.  I've got to save Leiza." said Elc looking for a way around Arc.

"I'm not here to stop you, Elc.  I'm going to go with you." said Arc.

"You are injured, I'm going alone.  I'm leaving right now, Leiza needs me." said Elc raising his hand threateningly.

Arc raised his hand as well, "I am going with you if you chose to pursue this course of action, unless you would like to test your power against mine.  Beside you have no idea where Leiza is.  You'll be wasting your energy."

"And you do?" demanded Elc.

"Kukuru traced her, I know where she is." said Arc calmly, "You are worried about Leiza, I know, but being reckless won't help you or her.  If you insist, we'll leave tonight.  The others will follow in the morning."

"Please,…I already failed her once…" said Elc looking down.

"Then let's go." said Arc opening the door.

End CH2

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  Any suggestions on how it should go will be great.  BTW: Shante will make a grand appearance in the next chapter.