Chapter 29
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The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when the four of us took off, each one of us heading in a different direction. We were still fairly lost, and being able to get an idea of which way to go would prove more useful than picking a random direction and starting to travel. So, Marco, Ax, Rachel and I would find out which way to go, and we'd report back to the others after a certain amount of time.
The others would try and stay in around the same area, making sure that they kept out of danger as much as possible. Mihra would do her best to try and keep in contact with us, at least until we were out of range, in case we had to make a trip back to help.
We had decided that if we hadn't found the right way to go, by the time was above us in the sky, that we would head back. I knew this area was bit, but I just hoped we'd be able to at least find the right direction in which to lead the others. And after that...
Well, I didn't know exactly where Ithiell and the others were, but I knew where to head towards. He had mentioned it when we had our little talk that evening, and made me swear not to tell anyone else. Probably for good reason too. I figured, if we could at least get moving in the right direction, it would make all our lives easier. And together we might find a way out of this mess.
I watched as the sun crept up, feeling the warmth on my feathers as I flew, my sharp eyes trained in front of me. I was glad I was facing to the left of the sun, hoping Ax wouldn't get too blinded, knowing he was the one flying towards it. I knew the others would have to stop and demorph after two hours, which worried me a little. For that time, they'd be vulnerable...
I tried to shake the thoughts from my head, hoping we'd at least find something by the time we were to head back. And not the something that involved fighting more Yeerks...
I was so over those guys.
I really just wanted it to be over, and to be able to live my life like I wanted. Complete high school, graduate... and then move onto something else.
Maybe go with Donnie to-
I sighed inwardly, remember the fight we'd had. The tears on his face when I looked back, knowing...
Then the last moment I saw him. The panic in his eyes, screaming my name...
I think it was driving me insane more, not knowing if he was okay. If he was hurt... or...
But know, I would have seen some blood, or his-
(Don't even Jade) I muttered to myself, knowing I now had alot of time to think ahead of me. The thought of Donnie on the ground, lifeless, was just too much for me to think about right now.
So, instead, I watched the horizon, trying to keep focused on anything on the ground that might take my interest.
The hours passed slowly, the sun slowly creeping upwards in the sky, now finding there were better thermals, so I could climb higher.
And when I did... I saw something far ahead of me.
As I climbed the thermals, my hopes climbed with me. Of all the times to go in the right direction, it had been now.
(I found it!) I yelled, not knowing if anyone could hear me but also not caring.
I angled, turning myself back to the others, hoping they'd be on their way back soon too.
Thankfully, I managed to make it back without much incident, finding only that I was absolutely wiped from flying for so long without a break.
"Jade" I leaned against a tree a little as I shifted back, seeing Raph and Mikey coming up to me. Kristiana and Serah weren't far behind.
"I'm all right" I felt Raph put a hand under my arm, but I shooed him off, getting my bearings again and going over to sit with the others, who were just outside the cave.
"Did you find anything?" Serah sounded worried as Splinter and Mihra both turned their attention to me as I leaned back against a tree.
"Yeah, I did" I nodded, then turned to Mihra, who was in her human form "Anything from the others?"
She fell silent for a moment, almost staring blankly at me, before she blinked, shaking her head.
"No, there is no response"
"Guess we'll just have to wait" Serah sat down next to me, and I nodded.
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Another hour passed, and Raphael started to pace. I couldn't blame him, waiting for them to come back was making me nervous as well. The sun was just hitting the peak in the sky, so it could still be hours yet before they returned.
I looked over to see Mikey and Kristiana in the cave, talking quietly with Mihra and Splinter doing what I thought was meditating together. Both had their eyes closed...
"Hey" I looked up to see Serah, sitting beside me and turning her eyes towards the still pacing Raph.
"Hey, how you doing?" I asked her, wanting to go stop Raph, but knowing it was the only thing keeping him from probably going completely insane right now. He was worried about Rachel, I knew that much.
"Well" She scratched her nose a little, turning to look at me "I've been in better situations"
I frowned "I know, but we'll get through this. I've been in tough situations before, too, but Ithiell..." I trailed off, and image of him going through my head. Strangely, it was one where he was sitting on that chair, typing away and smiling as he told me he wanted to marry my best friend...
Amanda, was she okay? They knew about her...and Robert...
"Jade?" Serah's voice brought me back to the present, and I looked at her. Those dark eyes of hers looked so worried...
"Sorry, I just... thinking of other friends"
"I see that" She put a hand on my shoulder, smiling strangely at me.
"I might... take a fly around. Be back in a sec" I got up, pulling away from her and closing my eyes as I shifted.
"That is still so amazing" I heard her say as I finally opened my eyes, looking up at her with the intense gaze of a red-tailed hawk.
(We'll teach you too, then you can be amazing as well) I chided, opening my wings and flapping hard, rising above the treetops. I couldn't help but feel almost free as I caught a thermal, riding it upwards and looking around.
(Guys, can you hear me?!) I called out as loudly as I can to Rachel and the boys, finding I still got no response, knowing they probably wouldn't be in range for hours yet. I did hope they were okay as I angled my wings, taking in the area surrounding the others.
I started to circle outwards, looking around and seeing various other animals in the forest, climbing higher and going in a random direction, gliding over the treeline, continuing to climb higher and higher.
Something glimmering far off got my attention, and I glided on another thermal, my attention now on that spot.
(What the...) Even as a predator, it was still far off, and I couldn't quite see what it was. From what I could guess, it was an hour or two away from the others, moving slowly...
(Oh... no no no no) I could only guess what it was, but I knew whatever it was, it wasn't good.
(GUYS!) I angled my wings back towards them, shooting above their heads before turning, almost running myself into a tree as I turned to land.
I landed on the muddy ground, seeing they were all now looking at me.
"We gotta get moving, from what I can see whatever is coming from" I pointed "That way, is large in numbers and not something we want to hang around for"
"But... what about Rachel?" Raph arced up, and I put a hand on his arm, squeezing a little.
"We'll leave a message... and I'll make sure they understand it"
"No! We can't just..." He threw my hand off, pacing angrily now.
"My son, we must leave quickly"
"I'm not leaving with-" Suddenly an osprey swept above our heads, almost crash landing in the middle of us.
(Guys, I got-) He stopped, demorphing as quickly as he could.
"A strange troop of possibly Yeerk soldiers headed our way?" I put my hand out to help Marco up when he was done "Yeah, I kinda saw"
"Not possibly, are"
"Do you know how many?" Raph was now listening intently. Marco looked up at him, then shook his head.
"Oh, dude, you don't even wanna know"
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So, the decision was made. We waited another hour, before setting off towards the direction I'd come back from. The sun was now past the highest point in the sky, and we hoped Ax and Rachel would be making their way back by now.
I left a message high on one of the trees, just in case we didn't encounter them while we traveled, although I hoped they would at least see me or Marco in the sky, and know we'd set off.
My message read Go My Way, J.
I figured it was easier than a riddle, and the Yeerks would have no idea which way was "my way".
So I took to the skies, with the others walking below me, and Marco taking up to the skies behind us. Raphael was walking alot slower, and I knew he was hoping that we would walk slowly enough for Rachel to catch up, but I knew if he fell too far behind Marco would make sure we didn't loose him.
As we went, Marco and I kept calling out to both Ax and Rachel, keeping our eyes peeled for them as well.
"We should have stayed" I heard Raph say, and I looked down to see his fists clenched.
"Raphael, it was not safe-"
"I don't care! I... Rachel could walk straight into...and..."
(Raphael) I said to him privately (Please, listen to me when I say I don't like it either)
I continued to fly, pulling myself back a little as he looked up at me. He looked genuinely worried.
(But Rachel and Ax can morph, and they can get themselves out of there if they need to. Kristiana and Serah really can't, and they have no way to defend themselves, and there is only so much you guys, and us, can do, against a whole army of these guys. Look what happened to the lair)
He seemed to consider, then sighed a little.
"You okay bro?" Mikey piked up, moving back and putting an arm around his brothers shoulder. Raph shrugged him off, smiling down at him then and grabbing his neck with an arm and rubbing his head with the other. I heard Mikey let out a strange yelp, then a whine as he tried escape his brothers hold.
Soon, we were all traveling a little faster, with Marco and I keeping an eye out for any other surprises. Another hour passed, and We both thought we would try again.
(Rachel! Ax! If you can hear us, we're on the move! Head towards the direction I went! There are-)
(I can... barely...what... problem?)
I think Marco and I both jerked, looking down to see if the others had heard. They had all stopped, and were looking up.
(Rachel!) I called again, landing on the closest branch, with Marco landing beside me.
(Yeah... me... where... what... going... on?) Her voice was faint, and I couldn't pick up some of her words, but it meant she was now close enough for us to communicate with her, which I think was a relief for everyone.
(Marco, try Ax, I'll try and get the message to Rach) I told him, and he did a strange kind of nod.
(RACHEL! YEERKS AT THE CAMP!) I yelled as loudly as I could to her (COME IN MY DIRECTION, WHERE I WENT!)
(I... barely... your... where...went?)
(MY WAY! MY DIRECTION LEFT OF THE SUN!) I tried again, hoping she'd understand and hear me.
(...think...coming...direction... same... you...)
"What's going on?" Serah looked anxious now. To her, we were just two birds sitting in a tree and looking around.
(Rachel is in range of our thought speak. I think she's coming our way)
I saw Raph relax a little, and I turned to Marco.
(I think I heard him, but I'm not sure)
(He's probably just out of range) I looked down at the others (We have to keep going, otherwise that army is going to catch us)
"Jade is correct. We must make haste" Splinter now took up the front, and Kristiana and Serah followed. Mihra started to walk again, and the boys took up the rear.
I just hoped we could get the message to Ax before we got out of range of him.
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Thankfully, after a couple more hours, and another stop, we had finally managed to get the message to Ax, and Rachel had caught up to us. She and Marco had demorphed, and were now walking with the others. Ax wasn't too far off us, as he had to demorph and remorph since we had last spoke.
"Do you think we're safe" I heard Serah ask, turning to her mother as I swept over them, moving to fly behind them for a little. All this flying was starting to wear even me out.
"I do not think we will truly be safe until we have found Ithiell" She responded, looking up at me.
(I think we're making good progress) I told her, feeling myself waiver in the air, then trying to catch a thermal to get myself a little higher again.
(Ah shit) I muttered, now seeing the blue streak coming through the trees behind them.
"What is it?" Rachel asked.
(I dunno, I think it's...) I peeled away, angling my wings and seeing a flash of blue fur.
(Visser Three?!) I couldn't believe it! How could he...
(Guys, run! I'll distract him!)
I raked my talons forward, diving straight for him and seeing him look up-
FWWAP!
The flat of his blade hit my side, and I went tumbling, hitting the dirt hard and blacking out for what seemed like a few minutes.
When I came to, arms were now picking me up, and I could hear Rachel screaming in my head.
With still focusing eyes, I managed to look up at the creature that now had me, seeing blue-
(Wait...)
(Oh, Jade. I am sorry) Came Ax's voice, mere seconds before something large crashed through the treeline, letting out a horrifying roar.
(Wait! Guys!) But I saw them stop, and Ax soon put me down, where I started to shift back.
I looked up to see both Raph and Rachel had come through the trees, ready to fight. The looks on their faces now...
"Ax, you scared the bejeezus out of us!" I said, turning to him, suddenly getting dizzy and starting to tip backwards.
"Whoa" I felt strong arms catch me, and I looked up to see Raph's worried face.
(I did not mean to) He looked a little sheepish as I managed to right myself, feeling Raph stay close.
"Come on, we need to get back to the others" Raph pushed me a long a little, and we all converged finally.
"We need to keep going" I finally said, feeling a hand on my back as I started to tip a little again. I didn't realise how exhausted I actually was until that moment. The sun was once again now starting to dip, realising it was now early evening again. I had been going almost non stop for hours now.
(I believe I may have bought us some time)
We all looked at Ax, who did a funny little gesture, shaking his head a little.
"What did you do?" Marco folded his arms, narrowing his eyes.
Ax looked at his hands with his main eyes, his stalk eyes looking behind him, obviously avoiding looking at us.
"Do I need to deck you?" Rachel asked, bringing up a fist.
(I...accidentally...demorphed when they were close. I ran... and I lost them in another direction. I only demorphed again a few moments ago, as I hoped to catch up to you)
"Hang on" Marco morphed, taking off into the sky, and disappearing from sight for a few tense moments.
"He better not be seen" Rachel grumbled, balling her hands into fists. I took that moment to collapse onto my knees, unable to stay on my feet any longer.
"Whoa, Jade" Mikey was suddenly there in front of me, Kristiana and Serah beside him.
"You okay sweetie?" Serah asked, and I nodded.
"Shifting... takes alot out of you" I half explained, my eyes trained on the sky, relieved when I saw and osprey shoot over us.
"So, what is the situation?" Mihra called up to him.
(Well, good news, is that Ax was right. From what I can see they're all moving off away from us, in the opposite direction. Not sure how long that'll last, but it's bought us some time at least)
"Thank goodness" I sighed, hands on my thighs as I tried to stay upright. I was suddenly swept up in strong arms, finding Raphael had me, and was now holding me against him.
"Raph"
"Don't. You are too tired to walk"
I grunted, deciding to not argue with him as I saw Marco flash above us again.
(Oh, and there's more good news, knock on wood girls!)
"Uh, why?" Kristiana wondered.
(Just do it... just in case)
I saw Serah go up, knocking on a tree, then we all looked up again.
"So, gonna tell us now?" Rachel asked, and I heard Marco almost giggle.
(Better news is... we've almost hit the base of the mountains)
The mountains. Where I guessed Ithiell had headed. Where he said he had decided to build a small emergency base, just in case.
Now... the next step was finding where the hell he was.
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Sorry if this was a kind of boring chapter, but I am nearing an important part of this story!
Please read and review! Yummy reviews! :D