Kathelf, you make me laugh, sometimes way too much. Sometimes late at night when I read your stories, I have to bite my blanket so my parents don't hear me! Miaaaaa.5, no matter what people say about your stories, I still think they make sense and they're awesome! I was the same way when I started, just keep pushing yourself and you get even better than you are now. Roger1119, Violin two for life! Heheheh, I love your work too much as well. Stop trying to kill me by making me laugh too hard or make me cry by reading Escape the Night!
I am the Squirrel! Let's just swoop right into Chapter 4. Let's do this!
"Oh, why did I have the feeling this was going to happen." Abeke sighed.
"Well, it does happen to the best of us." Conor tried to lighten her mode.
It didn't work, though. Nothing could lighten her mode. Not even the boy she loved and if he said no to her about being together, it would make everything worse. It was like she had fallen into a state of depression. It was like she had started to die inside. Maybe it was for the best that Zerif took over her body and…
"Nope!" Abeke exclaimed to herself. "Don't start thinking like that, all of Erdas needs you… the tree needs you."
Abeke flicked a wave of Fire magic around but made sure that nobody saw it and in effort to hide it she did it in her cloak. Meilin started at her in wonder.
"Abeke, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Um… absolutely nothing." Abeke lied. "Just don't worry about it."
Before the Four Fallen and Takoda knew it, they were standing right in front of Zerif who smiled with evilness all in his expression. He pulled the girl's forward and looked into their eyes. The others looked extremely scared but furious at him.
"So, tell me, which one of you has the Dragon Flame?" he asked, well yelled at them.
"Neither of us!" Abeke shouted back. "And if you wanted it, look elsewhere."
"You're so stubborn, you know that Abeke." he placed a hand on the side of her face.
"Take that back…" she started.
"Take your hand off her… NOW!" Conor growled at him.
"Oh yes, the boys why I might add…" Zerif walked back to them. "Conor, why now do you start standing up for the others?"
"Because he's our leader," Meilin smirked.
"Oh my, little brains of the group would like to speak." Zerif laughed.
"Just shut up and don't talk to her that way!" Rollan glared at him.
"Ah, yes, Rollan, I thought you were only here with the others to cause trouble for the others." Zerif flicked him. "I guess you are meant for something else after all."
"Okay just stop this, Zerif, you're falling into the same hole I fell into a little while back." the Redcloak spoke up.
"Since I don't know Takoda well, I can skip him and move on to something more interesting." Zerif smiled, wickedly.
"Hey!" Takoda exclaimed.
"Anyways, you fine Redcloak or should I say… Shane." he took off the Redcloak's mask.
The others gasped as Abeke did a small happy dance since she was correct about the Redcloak this whole time.
"Shane, you should really come back to this side, join me in finding the Dragon Flame and taking over Erdas." Zerif looked at him.
"No, I've changed, and nothing will ever make me go back to the way I use to be." Shane scolded at him.
"Whatever, and last, but not least…" Zerif paused.
"You already did me." Abeke rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'm doing you again." he came to her face and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know you're hiding the Dragon Flame, Abeke, show me your powers, now."
"For the last time I don't have them and if I did, I wouldn't even be with the Greencloaks," Abeke growled at him. "Besides you got four others you forgot."
The Four Fallen's Spirit Animals came out of passive state and started to glow. The others looked at them and gasped as Abeke smirked at Zerif. The next thing they all knew was that four other humans stood in the animals places.
"I swear, Zerif you are so naive," Uraza smirked.
The other three came up to him and stood by Uraza. They each still had a couple animal features left. Uraza had her tail and ears left and same for Briggan. Jhi had her ears and nails left and Essix had her eyes and wings on her back. Each wore something simple. Uraza, Jhi, and Essix wore simple dresses with flats while Briggan wore a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and boots with glasses. They all looked at Zerif with stern faces. All of the sudden water was poured onto Zerif's head.
"Ugh… as I see it Uraza, you have the legendary power of Whispering Waves." Zerif sighed. "It may be legendary, but it isn't the right one."
"Zerif, it's obvious none of us have it, so just let it go." Briggan wrapped his arm around Uraza as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"If that's so then, guards take them to the dungeons," Zerif yelled.
The guards grabbed them and lead them all to the dungeons and separated them. Shane, Takoda, Meilin, Rollan, Jhi, and Essix in a big cage. Abeke, Conor, Briggan, and Uraza in a smaller one. They hung the keys on a wall at the front door so that nobody could reach them.
"Ugh... " Abeke banged the back of her head against the wall and slid down to the ground. "Ouch!"
"What's wrong, Abeke?" Conor slid down next to her.
"I've just been so stressed lately." she sighed.
"What over?" he asked.
"I… Conor, I have something to tell you." she grinned a little at him.
"We'll give you two some privacy." Uraza and Briggan turned into animals and flashed back into passive state.
"Abeke?" Conor cautiously put his arm around her.
"Conor, I think… I think I'm in love with you." Abeke faced him as his face turned extremely red.
"Abeke, I love you too." he leaned in and touched her lips with his.
