Chapter 74-Capture

"AHCK BWAH ARGHFF!"

My eyes shoot open and I let out a wicked cough.

"What…happened…?"

Looking around, I find myself in some sort of underground prison cell which is nearly pitch-black.  Only (and barely) being illuminated by the miniscule amounts of sunlight filtering in through the thick iron bars above my head from the setting sun.

I must have been out for a while, huh?

Ahead of me, are thick iron bars that look pretty difficult to smash through.  But I can do it.  I already managed to cut steel, last time.  My arms and legs are bound in a star-shape by thick shackles and chains.

Other than that, there are eerie dark red stains splattered across the ground and walls around me that appear to be a dried, coarse liquid, causing me to gag.

But then, I hear some rattling of chains behind the concrete wall to my right.

"Old-Man F!"  I whisper-shout, "You there?"

"Ohh…I'm up…" a voice that sounds like Master Flint groans, "That you, Noah?"

"Yeah."

"Alright…how do we get out of this mess?"

"Don't worry, I can slash through these bars with my water."

I close my eyes and concentrate.

When I open my eyes again, faint sparks of blue energy flicker around my right arm.

Slowly, the sparks of energy begin to mold together and take a physical form; water.

The water surrounding my arm slowly begins to make its way over to the shackles bounding me, as beads of sweat from across my forehead.

Once close enough, I slash the water outwards, but…nothing happens.

"Crap…" I let out a defeated sigh as my miniscule amounts of water splash to the ground.

"What's the hold up?!"  I hear Old-Man F bark.

"Shut up, Old-Man!"  I bark back, "I don't see you helping, Mr "I'm Useless Without my Charge Stance"!"

"Oh please, E-Charging without my Charge Stance is easy!  "I just can't use any powerful spells.  Not that I can really use many spells to begin with, without any sand around us…"

"During my days as a Rain Bearer, I was able to control water all the time without E-Charging.  However…that was only with a water source nearby, whether it be physical water like a puddle, or the water in the atmosphere that I can command and take control of.  Without either of those two things, it's hard to create any water without focusing my element through E-Charging."

Old-Man F lets out a simple grunt.

"Water is all around you, Noah, you just have to find it."

My eyes widen.

"Th-that's right…"

I close my eyes and concentrate again.

The beads of sweat forming on my forehead due to concentration, the dried sweat drenching my body from my previous battle, even my blood…there is water…all OVER me!

When I open my eyes again, my sweat and blood rises off of my body, forming a dull-red torrent of water.

"Water Charge!"  I shout, using my blade of water to slash through my shackles, and this time, they break!

"Did it work?!"  Old-Man F excitedly exclaim as he hears my chains clang to the ground.

"It did!"  I answer as I use my blade of water to slice through the final few chains, dropping me to the ground and last, and then finally, the bars of my cell.

I exit my cell then take a few steps to the side, where I find a hanged and bloodied Old-Man F.

"How's it hanging, master?"

"TCH," Old-Man F snorts, "This is no time for jokes, Noah.  Just get me free."

"Whatever you say, master."

Using my blade of water, I slash through Old-Man F's shackles and cell bars, too, freeing him as well.

"Great," Old-Man F says as he takes a step over to me while rubbing his red wrists, "Now let's find the other-"

But before Old-Man F can finish, we hear a voice say: "We knew that you'd be able to escape, Water Charger," followed by some footsteps.

Old-Man F flinches.

"Again?"  I groan.

"We knew that you'd be able to escape, that's why they stationed ME here."

Old-Man F and I turn to where we heard the voice, watching as a man in that same red cloak with orange sun decals approaches us.

The man is TALL, tall, around six foot three, even taller than Gaia and Old-Man F, and is impressively jacket.  He has a faint, almost non-existent reddish-brown buzzcut and matching left eye.

His right eye, however, is discolored, just like that masked-guy Old-Man F and I fought earlier today(?).  Using those insane muscles, he is wielding a GIANT six foot tall hammer.

His right eye has a black sclera with a dull-pink iris.  Their pupil takes the shape of a weird, pale-gray symbol.

"So he has a Devil Eye too, huh…?"  I growl.

"Two in one day, strange," Old-Man F comments, "Devil Eyes are supposed to be incredibly rare."

"Oh, this?"  The man taunts as he pats his left eye, "This was given to me by the Lord.  'Comes in handy 'cause it fits in well with my fighting' style!"

"So this guy must be an E-Charger as well as having a Devil Eye, huh?"  I grumble as I enter my Charge Stance, "Should make for a tricky opponent…"

"You go on ahead and find the others, Noah," Old-Man F orders as he enters his Charge Stance as well, "I'll hang back and take care of this guy."

"A-are you sure?"  I ask as my Charge Stance falters, "This guy seems tough."

"I'm your second in command, remember?"  Old-Man F smirks as he peers over his shoulder at me, "It's my duty to shoulder your burdens.  On top of that, as the leader, it's YOUR responsibility to gather the team back together."

I give Old-Man F a stern nod, "Right," before turning around and hustling away.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"  The tall man roars as he draws his mighty hammer, but before he can strike, Old-Man F aims a wand towards the tall man, and fires off a tendril of sand, using it to bind the man's arms.

"Sand Charge, Level Three: Sand Whip!"

The tall man grunts as he struggles against Old-Man F's grasp.

"Master Flint!"  I cry as I turn and peer over my shoulder towards the Old-Man.

"Don't look back, Noah!"  Old-Man F grunts as he struggles against the man's hammer, "Just keep running!"

"Right!"  I shout as I turn forwards and push onwards.

"Just don't die on me, old man…"