: Fall ( Nathan )

"

What the Fuck !! Did that hot girl just turn into a dragon!" I exclaimed like an idiot, but you can't blame me for that. What would you even do when you have witnessed such unexplainable things?? I am not being biassed but why does she have to destroy her beauty for such a scaly, spiny creature?? Can't she just leave us alone..

To be honest, from the first time I saw this magical stuff all around me, I was literally wordless. From that big bubble enveloping Zeo to Elliot disappearing in thin air, then Zeo going out rogue with some shadow-like things around him and, now...now I am riding this huge green bird which that Obrion guy brought out from no where....I mean...just What the Fuck !!

"She is using some kind of transformation technique..." Millia explained above the sound of the whistling winds and ruffling sand. Yeah, I am riding this big bird with this Old Granny by my side. God! Why do I always have to end up with her?? Obrion, with his injuries from earlier attack, was only able to bring these two birds with some Summoning Magic of his..So in the end we were divided into two groups for the ride. And you guessed it right, my bad luck was riding with me.

But the most disturbing part is that Ross refused to come with us.

"I will be the bait to attract their attention while you all make the escape. I will make myself captured. This could also be a good chance for me to know who is after all this." He had said. His idea did make sense apart from one point.

"But it is too dangerous!!" Millia had protested. That was the point.

"Dangers are my old friend, daughter." He replied boldly. This remark really raised my esteem for this old man. Thereafter, he signalled Obrion to leave and we flew away in the fading sand.

I looked back at that dragon girl and white-masked boy. They were not that behind us but what caught my attention was that huge bubble enveloping the place where we once were.

"What's that??" I asked. Millia turned back and her eyes widened.

"Dimensional siege..." She muttered.

"Huhh...What's that?"

"We need to get dad." She declared fearlessly.

"Wait! What?" I asked. But before the dawn of any answers from her, Millia turned the bird in the opposite direction... For better reference, towards our death.

"Hey ! What the hell are you doing?" I yelled.

"We need to get dad." She repeated.

"Yeah I get that much but why so suddenly?? Hadn't he already told us what he wanted??" I asked. But she didn't give a reply..

I peeped from beside her. We were actually moving in the direction of that dragon girl and that white-masked guy.

"Hey! You are leading us to our deaths!! Even if you don't care about your life, I do.." I announced.

"Just trust me..."

"Shit !!" I cried while shutting my eyes close as we were about to crash into them.

I felt a sudden drift as my stomach dropped. I opened my eyes and we were suddenly flying above the dragon girl.

[Skeletal Style - Bony Arrows ]

The white masked guy shot some white arrows in our direction but Millia controlled the bird skillfully dodging all of them in midair. I felt like I was on a jet plane with the ups and downs and twists and turns. How did she learn to fly a bird like this?? I had seen such stunts only in movies and anime and that also with battle planes and spaceships.

It seemed like the masked guy didn't have to do much with us because he actually gave up on us and flew away in the direction of Zeo and Elliot. What do they want from them?? Is it that Walker power that Elliot possesses which they are after?? It could be a possibility. Or is it that rogue power of Zeo? Maybe both of them. Well, it doesn't seem like either Elliot or Zeo has much control over their newly gained powers. He was knocked out when teleported Zeo out of that bubble. You know, sometimes I kind of have a feeling that there is something going on in between those two that Elliot doesn't want to tell me.... I just kind of have an instinct telling me this. I just hope he will be okay...

Out the blue, Millia just suddenly darted the bird in the downward direction.

"Now what?" I interrogated.

"Ohhh... how many times am I going to tell you that we are going to get dad.." She repeated a bit annoyed. Well, I wasn't any less annoyed either.

"And how many times do I give to ask you why we are going back to get him? I thought things were already clear." I said.

"Because of that." She pointed at that big bubble.

"And would you take the pain mistress to tell me how is that bubble any different from the earlier bubbles except for the obvious size?" I questioned.

"It's a Dimensional Siege. It's a technique that enhances the power and accuracy of your attacks. If dad is trapped in one of those things, it's going to be hard for him to fight both of them at once." She finally spilled the beans.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"What plan??"

"I mean how are we going to help him?"

"We go in there, get dad and get out." She announced simply.

"I see. Wait! What? And you think those two masked guys would let you do what you want??" I yelled. She just shrugged.

Fuck this! Fuck this! I am really going to die.

[ Earth Style- Summoning Magic: Earth Giant]

I heard Ross' voice echo through the winds and suddenly. Inside the huge bubble. I saw a gigantic man-like creature made of rocks and stone emerge from the earth. We were hovering over the bubble. Within the bubble the fight of spells and enchantment were going on and as it seemed, Ross was doing pretty well fighting those two masked guys.

I saw that Ross was surrounded by clouds of sand and pebbles while he stood on the head of that Earth Giant. The red-masked guy was blasting streams of flames and fire balls while the other one in silver mask was throwing fast-paced bubble bombs towards the old man. But none of those attacks were even touching him. He is something, I guess.

"I don't even think he needs our help." I said.

"Even if you can't see it, Dad is using up his mana really fast with these strong defence and attack mechanisms. I am not sure how long he will last." She said.

"Well, I am pretty sure he will last longer than those masked clowns." I said. She hissed a little at my remark.

"Can't you see those masked clowns aren't even trying to win this battle? They are just using basic spells. They are actually trying to just prolong the battle. This Dimensional siege will not let Dad absorb any mana from his surroundings. Once he will become weak, they will jeopardise him with their strong spells." She explained.

"Doesn't your dad know this already? Why is he using such exhaustive spells, then?" I asked.

"Because of us." She said shortly.

"What do you mean?"

"He is using his strongest spells because he actually wants to prolong the battle. So..so that we can escape safely." She cleared.

"But didn't he say that he wanted to be captured to find out who was the mastermind of all this fuss?" I said after a few moments of silence.

"He wants to be captured but we don't have any idea of what these guys are planning to do. What if they are here to just kill him? What if they have no intention of negotiations? What if dad will be just assassinated like the last Clan Leader?" She added. I stayed silent. I knew I can't argue with the idea that he might get killed. I can't make her believe that her dad will be alright.

"So...should we go in??" I was a bit scared.

"I guess.."

"Are you scared?" She added. What should I say? To be honest I am hellish scared but I don't wan'na be looked at like a frightened kid.

"Don't worry little guy. I can assure you there are no spiders in there." She mocked as she turned towards me in a grin. My face reddened with embarrassment. Why the hell did I ever mention it?

Suddenly, the bird was disbalanced with a surprise attack. It was a fireball. I glanced down. It had came from that Red-masked guy. Shit ! Now we are in trouble.

The green bird was screaming in pain as the claws of flames gripped around her. I felt sorry for her. Millia couldn't control her anymore. The flames were spreading through the smooth feathers of the bird. She wouldn't last long. In a few moments the bird stopped flying and was falling down into that huge bubble.

Like an instinct, I held Millia's hands while she held mine. While I was falling, I felt like everything had just slowed down. Maybe those slow motion movies aren't that unreal after all. I glanced at Millia as we both fell from the sky like angels. And I...don't know why but for some reason we both were smiling.

[Earth Style - Dimensional Siege ]

I closed my eyes in acceptance. But then I was caught in midair by something rough but at the same time soft. It was like the same sands of our Peace Palace, where Elliot and I used to lay around, rest and talk. I heard crushing sounds. Like there was an earthquake and the huge buildings of a mansion had crumbled into bricks and dust. Most of the memory after that is somewhat blank. But there is one thing I clearly remember. Millia's hands were still entwined in mine.

After that, I woke up to Millia's rough shaking and call. We were under some wreckage of a cave or rocks through the cracks of which a few beams of light poured in.

"Oh finally! I thought you were dead for good." Millia relived and I can't say I was happy to hear it or sad.

"Are they dead?" A stern feminine voice asked from somewhere.

"Probably..who cares about them anyway. Let's get back to the headquarters in the Whispering Forest." Another deep voice replied. We both searched for the voices.

From the few crevices of the rocks, we both peeked with shrewd eyes. There stood those masked clowns with a bubble floating beside them holding in itself an unconscious figure of Ross. He was there still...too still.

Was he really dead?