Chapter 14 - Whispers

13. Whispers


“No, you'll never be alone
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars
Hear the whispers in the dark”


“What do you mean?” Umi asked Camry, her blue eyes were a strange swirl of hope and fear as she paced the floor in front of the throne room doors.

“They won’t kill your friend for now” Camry was sitting across the room, his voice was calm but there was something about him that seemed apprehensive, fretful even, but it also seemed to not be connected to the current topic of discussion.

“How do you know they’re not going to kill him?” Presea turned sharply, her pony tail whipping out around her.

“Because he’s more useful alive. They can use him to get to you in a way they couldn’t before.” He turned his sharp red eyes to the blond woman, almost daring her to disagree. Apparently Camry was not in the best of moods, to his credit no one else really was either.

They had gathered into the throne room and Camry had confirmed their suspicions about who had taken Eagle. Though as he had so pointedly said, Eagle maybe alive but that didn’t mean the danger for him was any less.

“So why did they take Eagle?” Clef spoke, “The woman you spoke of, Impreza, what reason would she take him? I mean, if they could have taken anyone why didn’t they try to take one of the knights or someone who’s actually from Cephiro?”

“Perhaps it was opportunity?” Fuu suggested.

“That’s possible but it’s more likely they decided to take him for another reason. He is a failed Pillar candidate after all.” Camry glanced from Fuu when he answered her to the water knight who’d paused in her pacing.

“Such senseless hatred…Why do they keep attacking us? What does that woman really want? I mean, I know she apparently hates us and wants to kill us and ect,” Umi rolled her eyes while waving one hand in a vague upward gesture, “but what does she actually want?”

“She has a wish, a wish that she is willing to go down any road to achieve. Even if it’s the road to hell.” Camry stood, stretching his long legs.

“What kind of wish?” Hikaru asked as she gently threaded her fingers though the end of her braid.

He was silent for a moment, contemplating something and then spoke, “There is a way”

“What?” Umi stared at the man in front of her.

“Excuse me, could you explain?” Fuu asked softly from her place next to Hikaru.

“There is a way…for you to cross over to where they’ve taken him. Though it’s not something to be done lightly.” He smiled ruefully, knowing they would want to go, no matter how dangerous it was.

Lantis glanced deliberately in his direction; the Cail had noticed his dodging of Hikaru’s question. Camry made a mental note to speak the man when given the chance.

“How?” Hikaru asked the sensible question, bringing Camry’s attention back to her.

“I can take you across, but I feel I must warn you it’s not going to be a pleasant experience. At its best, done properly, it’s painful and at its worst it’s deadly. It’s a miracle your friend didn’t die, as he was forced though.” Camry walked over to the girls, “But that’s not going to stop you is it?”

“Of course not.” Umi said crossing her arms as she forced herself to stand still, her foot tapping the floor in anxiousness.

“Never has before,” Hikaru added smiling weakly.

Shaking his head in defeat Camry sighed, “There is a slight problem though.”

“What now?” Umi glared at him, her forehead wrinkled in aggravation.

The elder man shot her a reproachful look but her sharp blue eyes didn’t flinch under his ruby gaze. “I can only take two of you safely to the other side; three would push me to my limit and put you in unnecessary danger.”

Umi’s gaze turned from aggravation to surprise as she gazed worriedly at her fellow knights.

“We’ll have to leave someone behind…” Hikaru voiced softly.

“I don’t like it” Presea sat down next to Clef who remained silent. “Just two…”

Lantis didn’t seem to like the idea that much either but he remained silent, although he did send a meaningful glance to Hikaru.

“If I tried to take more than my limit it could end badly, it could severely injure you…or kill you and then where would we be?”

“Who should go then?” Ferio asked.

“I’m going” Umi answered sharply, her tone left little room for argument.

“If I maybe so bold as to make a suggestion?” Camry looked for any objections and then continued when he received none. “Though she may not like me after I say so I think it would be best for the Lady Wind Knight to stay behind. If she were to go with you and become seriously injured and unable to use her healing magic we might have a slight problem. I know the Guru has healing abilities but still…and there’s also the fact she’s still not quite herself yet.” He smiled at her apologetically.

Fuu’s face wrinkled a bit in dislike but she sighed and nodded reluctantly, though she didn’t like it. “May I ask something?” she studied the man with her sharp green eyes.

“I bet you’re going to ask anyways no matter what he says…” Ferio joked a little from his place next to her, trying to lighten the somber feeling that hung in the room.

Fuu glared at the Prince, apparently not amused, as Camry chuckled a little, “Of course.”

“If this crossing back and forth is so dangerous and painful, how is it that you seem to do it quiet effortlessly. That is what you do, when you disappear into the shadows when you leave, is it not?” She sat back waiting for his answer.

All the eyes in the room settled on the red eyed man as he shifted a bit uncomfortably, “Perceptive of you. Yes, that is what I do when I leave but it’s a bit more complicated to take someone like…” he rubbed his chin wondering how to explain. “I guess it would be better to just show you.”

He pulled gently at the fingers of his glove, removing the one from his left hand that held his pearly colored glove gem, looking a little closer Lantis noticed that he had a gem on both hands and not just one.

Glancing up Camry looked to Umi who was closets to him at the moment. “Umi if you would,” he held out his hand to her as if to shake.

“What?” she stared at him blankly.

“Just take my hand, nothing will happen to you, you have my word.” He extended his open hand out to her.

“I don’t see what this has to do with…” She reached and took his hand but the second they met her words stopped. She stared down at her hand clasping his for a moment as if she doubted her senses but then yanked her hand away quickly as if she’d been burned.

“Umi?!” Hikaru stood and walked over to her also confused, “What is it?”

The blue haired girl stared at Camry and didn’t look away as she answered, “He’s cold…”

“Umi his hands being a little cold is nothing to worry about, really what is it?” Fuu question also confused.

“No.” Umi stated firmly, studying Camry with seemingly new eyes, “I mean he’s cold.”

“Hum? Are you sick Camry?” Hikaru tilted her head to the side quizzically.

“No, I’m not ill.” He raked a hand though his pale white hair, “Truth of the matter is I’m not alive, well not technically, though I’m not dead either. I guess you could say I’m somewhere in-between.” He smiled, but there was nothing happy or playful behind that smile, a humorless, dark smile, more a grimace actually.

Fuu blinked a few times, trying to process the information, she failed miserably. “Could you…repeat that…?”

Very bluntly, “I’m dead, basically.”

“What!? So what are you a ghost? What’s next?! Do you have anything else you’d like to share?!” Umi exclaimed, unceremoniously sinking down into an empty chair. “By Selece….” This was just too much for one day.

“I’m not completely dead, as I said before. More like in-between. I’m cold as you so poetically pointed out, I don’t eat and I can’t sleep. Cold blood flows in these veins.” He grinned a little pointing to his chest as he sat back down resting his head in one hand.

Fuu stared blankly, “You can’t sleep?”

Camry nodded negatively, “Never.”

This fact seemed to boggle Fuu completely.

“Uh…” Hikaru seemed to be trying to formulate a question, “Why…why are you like that?”

“It’s an effect of being on the other side for too long, another reason we should hurry to retrieve your friend as quickly as possible, if he were to remain there for too long…well…” he left the rest of the sentence for them to fill in.

“That explains why the crossing for us will be difficult, being as we’re not…dead…” Fuu seemed to be taking a moment to swallow down that rather difficult pill of information.

“Then what are we waiting for, let’s go now!” Umi demanded.

“Hold on, I’ll cross over first and find a safe place, well…a safer place for me to pull you through at.” Standing once more Camry headed for the door, “Be ready when I return and dress warmly, the cold on the other side is not only the cold of the world but also the cold of the dead.” With that final warning he was gone, into the shadows once more.

O

O

O

“Do you feel that?” Impreza asked, “There’s a stirring in the air. I do believe we are about to have guests.” She absently stroked her white glove gem, “But I do believe we’re ready for them, are we not?”

“Yes milady, he has been given the armor and sword you requested be made for him.” Sentra responded.

“Good, then perhaps we should call him.” She waved her hand and a tall figure came though the doorway instantly. Pale hair stood out in stark relief against the heavy black and green he wore, the man came and kneeled in front of Impreza. “Hum” she murmured her approval.

Solara remained silent, hiding her emotions well. Not even her sister saw the sadness in those icy blue eyes as she stared at the man that kneeled in front of Impreza. ‘Forgive me’ she begged silently of the Magic Knights, for she had done nothing to spare them of the grief to come.

The man stood and stepped to the side to stand by Impreza’s throne; golden eyes stared forward without seeing, like a beautiful, terrible, deadly doll.

“The board is set and the pieces are moving, and with our new knight we’ve only to wait for their next move and then…” Impreza smiled faintly, deeply satisfied with the course of her plan.

“Checkmate.”

O

O

O

Lantis stirred from where he’d been resting in his room while the two knights prepared for the crossing. He’d been waiting for Camry’s aura to come back within the walls of the castle and had just felt the elder man’s distinctive power suddenly appear. It felt quite close actually. Standing, he exited the room to find said man waiting for him motionlessly just a few paces from his door.

“You have something you wish to ask of me?” He returned Lantis’ sharp gaze.

Really looking at him, Lantis wondered at how much this man looked like Eagle. They were both about the same height and build, the same feathery hair too... only Camry’s was much lighter. And the same eyes, yes. Despite the color difference they had the same eyes, eyes that were quiet and gentle, and silently hid the warrior behind them. Gazing at Camry, one perhaps saw a glimpse of Eagle as an older man, if he made it to middle age that is.

“Why did you not answer Hikaru’s question before?” Lantis’ cool voice remained as neutral as ever.

“Because she is not ready to hear the answer, and the answer would make the task ahead more difficult. It will already be difficult enough for one of them as it is.” The same calm tone came from Camry as he answered.

“So what is the answer?” Lantis wondered which knight he meant, but let it slide in hopes of getting an answer to his previous question.

“Everyone has something precious to them and when they lose that precious thing they will go to great lengths to regain it. Everyone has asked it of themselves, ‘How far would I go to get it back? Would I give my life, or take another’s? Would I save the world, would I destroy it?’” The elder man’s voice was quiet, dark, as if he’d thought about this for many hours alone in the snow and ice of the other side.

Contemplating for a moment, he then continued. “Everyone wishes for the wish Impreza has, even I harbor this wish. But to wish for this thing and to try and attain it are two very different things. Anyone can wish for it, but no one can have it.”

There was a strange yearning in Camry’s voice, but also a steely undertone that sounded like determination to deny himself something. “An un-grantable wish…but not an evil wish, for there is no such thing. There are those with desires and those who are willing to sacrifice great things for those desires, nothing more.” He moved past Lantis down the hallway.

“Camry.” Lantis’ voice hardened, demanding a proper answer.

“She wishes to bring back a dream that has already ended, her brother, she wishes to bring him back.” Camry turned sharply after answering and strode quickly down the hall, his voice drifting back to the Cail as he turned the corner, “Have the others meet me in the hallway where your friend disappeared.”

“An un-grantable wish, not an evil one.
To bring back one who has already passed...
Do we all not harbor that wish at least once in this life?”


O

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The hallway with the shattered mirror Eagle had disappeared into was forbiddingly cold. Silence hovered like a thick fog as they all gathered one by one to where Camry waited for them.

Hikaru came first.

The heavy crimson and fur lined cloak that rested on her shoulders made a soft hissing sound as its hem danced a breath above the floor. Both she and Umi, along with Fuu, had decided to morph into their second to last stage of armor. One level below their Mashine armor, hopefully it would be enough.

Lantis was silently at her side as he always was, her hand clutched his tightly and she took comfort in the warmth of his skin.

Fuu was anxious, wide green eyes reflected her desire to go with her friends, but she held fast to her resolve. She’d wait here for them. She’d be here when they needed her, without fail. Ferio gently held her arm in silent support; his coppery eyes were unusually serious.

Camry nodded in acknowledgement as they silently joined him and the others trickled in one by one until all of them had gathered but one.

Umi was last.

The hood of her heavy Prussian blue cloak, a mirror of Hikaru’s, was pulled over her head, hiding her sight. She walked with steady, meaningful steps; her entire posture spoke of her hardened will. Swilling blue eyes looked up to Hikaru, they’re gazes met and they both nodded separating from the others and walked to Camry.

“Knights” Camry held out a hand for each of them; stepping forward each girl took a hand. “Whatever happens don’t lose your concentration as we pass though. The more will you put forward into the crossing the less likely we are to have something go wrong.”

Both girls nodded silently as he led them forward, Umi felt her heart double as they approached the shattered mirror. She glanced at Hikaru who also looked a little nervous but there was no going back. Like either of them would no matter how afraid they were.

Hikaru glanced back at the others once more her eyes meeting Lantis’ for a brief second; he nodded in that gentle quiet way of his. Her hand tightened in Camry’s as he disappeared first into the shattered mirror and she and Umi followed suit.

It hurt. That was the first thing that went though Umi’s mind. It was like being pricked by thousands of sharp icy needles. She gasped to call out in pain but found in this void she could not find her voice, she couldn’t feel Camry’s hand or the heavy weight of the fabric of her cloak. As suddenly as the pain started it ebbed and disappeared entirely. They were somewhere in the snow, nothing but oceans and oceans of snow as far as she could see. “This place…” she wrapped her cloak tightly to her slender frame, “How horrid…”

“Aye that it is.” Camry was suddenly in front of her. “We have to keep moving, can you sense you friend anywhere?” he glanced at Umi pointedly and then Hikaru.

Hikaru’s red eyes slid shut for a brief second, “Yes…I get the sense of…down…” she glanced down digging a heel into the snow and pushed it aside, “but he’s either very far away or very weak…and something else…” her nose wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t know…Umi?”

Umi had followed suit, “I get the same thing you do…I think…somewhere below us…”

“Yes, Impreza’s fortress lies beneath the ground, is there anything else?” Camry stepped closer to her.

“Something seems off…I don’t understand. I don’t like the feel he’s giving off…” Umi’s hand gripped tightly at the hem of her cloak as if to pull it closer for warmth.

“Do you think he’s been wounded?” Hikaru went to Umi.

“I guess that’s possible…but I don’t think it’d feel like this if he was just weak…”

“I was afraid of something like that…” Camry’s lips pulled into a grim line. “Be on your guard, we’ll head underground.”

Umi glanced at Hikaru and raised an eyebrow; the redhead shook her head, also at a loss as they followed the ever confusing Camry.

Their trip remained uneventful as the three crossed the fields of snow. The thing that struck Umi most was the silence, so quiet, as if you were to breath too loud the life would be sucked out of you and be drank up by stillness. The absence of sound actually hurt her ears.

They descended from the empty vast fields into the edge of a large crevasse in the ice. The darkness opened up to meet them, seeming to swallow up everything, like the horrid mouth of a demon. ‘A demon guarding the gate into hell…’ Umi thought as they dropped into the shadows and what little light there was faded into nothingness.

For a instant there was a terrifyingly moment of fear that flittered though both Hikaru and Umi in the pitch black but it passed quickly as they came quiet suddenly into a well lit hallway of smooth grey stone.

Slight motions from Camry and escudo weapons were drawn in silent deadly motions. Exchanging a glance the Knights nodded, Camry fell back behind them slightly and directed them left. Passing under large open door they all froze at the sound of sort of sing song laughter that fell and rose in pitch gently.

“Magic Knights, Magic Knights, why I never thought I’d see the day… oh my it seems we’re missing one, too bad I was so looking forward to meeting all three.” A heavy sigh punctuated the string of chanted words, “But I guess two will have to do.” A head full of chocolate colored curls turned toward them, an angry red line of a barely closed face wound stood out starkly on her pale skin.

“Who is that? Another failed candidate?” Umi glanced at Camry.

“No…unfortunately, she fell through when the barrier was thin during a time without a Pillar. Impreza raised her.” Camry shifted suddenly, moving quickly, both his glove gems flared to life at once and he drew identical double edged long blades. They were too short to be swords and far too long to be knives, truly unique weapons.

Elantra snorted, “You’re no fun Camry I don’t want to fight you…but Lady said that I wasn’t supposed to fight the Magic Knights.” Pouting severely she stood from where she’d been seated; “You always have to ruin my fun.” Crossing her arms she stood a quick sprint away from them as if tempting them to try.

“If you’re not going to fight us then what are you doing here and where is Eagle?” Umi held her sword in a defensive manor as she challenged the pint sized woman.

“If you’re spoiling for a fight don’t worry,” Elantra waved her hand in an assuring motion, “I know someone who’s just dying to see you!” She clapped her hands, “Kill her.”

There was a sudden blur of dark green and black from a separate entrance way, Umi moved instantly to defend herself but froze part way through the action that should have been as natural to her as breathing. Everything went absolutely numb for a brief horrify second as her mind processed and reeled at the figure that advanced at her. “Eagle…?” she stuttered out in a barely audible voice as a heavy broad sword came down in a swinging arc.

A loud resound clang rung sharply though the air as metal contacted metal.

“Hikaru!” Umi called out as her wits somewhat returned to her. Hikaru had blocked Eagle’s swing that would have most certainly taken the Water Knight’s head off.

“Eagle what’s wrong with you, why did you attack Umi?” Hikaru grunted out from between clenched teeth as she held back his blade. “Eagle?!”

Eagle gave no answer it was as if she hadn’t even spoken. Gazing up into his usually warm gold eyes Hikaru felt her heart sink at the pale sharp stare that glared back down. Not even when they had been enemies in the battle for the Pillar had his eyes lost that warm understanding, somewhere within herself Hikaru knew that wasn’t Eagle looking back at her.

“Not her,” Elantra commanded, “Leave the Fire Knight to me, kill the blue one.”

Suddenly Eagle shifted taking advantage of his height and used brute force to throw the redhead off balance, before she could recover his hand came forward and roughly took hold of her using her momentum along with his he slammed her harshly to the floor with a rattling sound of cracking bone, knocking her unconscious instantly.

“Hikaru!” Umi tried to dash to her friend but was stopped by Eagle who she finally met swords with for the first time. The sheer force behind his blow was staggering; ‘I can barely deflect him’ she pushed back taking advantage of her long stride to leap out of striking distance. She whirled to check on Hikaru and Elantra had moved forward after the unmoving girl. Starting to run to her defense she was stopped by Camry’s firm voice.

“Stay there, you have your own task you must accomplish.” Stepping forward the elder man placed himself between Hikaru and Elantra. The tiny woman drew a wicked weapon that was a monstrous cross between a staff and a scythe.

He was going to protect Hikaru, a small part of Umi felt relieved that her friend would be safe, but another part of her dreaded what was about to begin. ‘My task hu?’ she wondered bitterly as she turned to face her friend. “Eagle, I know you wouldn’t do this, you have to fight whatever it is that’s controlling you,” she begged him but he didn’t heed her plea.

Swords connected once again, and then again, Umi losing ground each time. He was strong, no doubt there, much stronger than herself and Umi had spared with Lantis enough to learn how to deal with someone who beat you hands down in brute force, speed and agility. It was a simple equation, the stronger you were the more speed and agility you had to give up and the same was true for the opposite.

Unfortunately Umi belatedly realized that Eagle was strong, but he was also nearly as quick as she was. She felt this burning realization as she darted to deflect a blow and he came in above her defenses and the edge of his sword bit deep into the top of her shoulder and broke her collar bone. Blood gushed from the gaping would and she cried out in pain.

Camry slashed at Elantra’s face causing her to flinch away in fear. “Umi, you must call to him. If you do not reach him no one will. He has spent too long on this side if we do not return him soon he will become like me. After that there will be no point in saving him from the control he’s under! Call to him!”

“How? Nothing I say reaches him!” Umi was thrown back into a corner, she was losing blood quickly. A charge from Elantra brought Camry’s attention back to her and away from Umi. “Eagle wake up, you have to please, Eagle!” she begged once more but it was useless.

Feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood, her mind reeled trying to think of something. She had to stop him, to do something. He wouldn’t kill her, she knew him, he would never hurt her or Hikaru, but what was controlling him? Was Eagle even still in there? Her time to think of something was fading fast as the commander approached her, sword leveled in a deadly angle at her chest.

She couldn’t die this way, if she just let him kill her. If she died what would happen to Hikaru and Fuu, what about Camry and everyone back in the castle, her parents? She couldn’t just die here, she couldn’t do that to them…and Eagle…Eagle. She gazed up at those cold gold eyes and hated herself for what she was about to do.

Her fists clenched tightly, cold reality settling in she felt her eyes sting with threatening tears. She closed them and silently begged for forgiveness, "Eagle" she cried his name as she gathered her magic. Forcing herself to her feet, tears fell like rain as the words came trembling from her lips, "Ice Blade!" and she sent the deadly attack roaring forward toward the last person she'd ever wanted to hurt. 'I'm sorry...'

Deadly splinters of ice shards sailed relentlessly though the air tearing into his clothing and flesh, shredding it to ribbons. Her most powerful magic attack sent him sprawling to the floor in a pool of blood.

With a gulping sob she collapsed back into the corner, her sword clattered to her side. Even Camry and Elantra paused in their fight in surprise at the sudden and unexpected magic attack.

Panting heavily she gazed sorrowfully at his unmoving form, ‘forgive me.’ But then suddenly…movement. Eagle was getting back up.

“Eagle?” she gasped faintly.

“You can’t get your friend back, he’s lost to us now, and even now the parasite within him grows stronger feeding off his despair and guilt. The demons of his past chain him down with each passing second. You should just let him kill you and put you both out of your misery.” Elantra sneered gleefully.

‘Eagle…you’re being controlled by that…?’ If he was being controlled by something from within there had to be some way to reach out to him, there had to be! To expel those so called ‘demons.’

Pale blood streaked blond hair fell to the side and the same cold gold eyes greeted her as he struggled to his feet and retrieved his sword. She couldn’t even move as he came forward the point of his blade hovering above her chest.

So tired from blood loss she only gazed up at him as if she’d accepted her fate. In one last desperate attempt she reached out to him the only way she could think of. “Eagle…” she projected the thought.

He froze.

“That’s it Umi, call him again.” Camry encouraged her and then deflected another of Elantra’s attacks and threw her back along the floor. “Keep calling him!” Camry kneeled and shook Hikaru trying to rouse the girl.

“Eagle, can you hear me? Eagle!”

Somewhere in the darkness Eagle finally heard a whisper.

“...Um…i?”

“Wake up, wake up now before it’s too late!”

“Wake…up?”

“They’re controlling you, you have to fight back!”

“There’s something…inside of me I can’t get it out.” His mental voice weakened a bit.

“Fight it! Don’t listen to anything they say, we need you. You have to come back to us, what will happen to Geo and Zazu? What about Lantis and Hikaru? What about me?” She begged him.

Eagle collapsed in front of her, falling down to his knees. “Uh…” gasping escaped him.

Umi felt relief wash over her as his golden eyes lost that coldness, but her stomach dropped as pain replaced it.

One of Eagle’s hands came up and latched onto Umi’s arm, fingers gripping tightly in a vice like grip. What would happen to the others if he died, if he didn’t come back? He’d just gotten his chance to live again, he couldn’t give that back! “Ah, ah!” breathing heavy he called out in pain as the black wings of the parasite ripped free from his back once more with a meaty ‘splish.’ “Ah-eh!” gathering his will Eagle put forth all the mental energy he could muster to force the creature out of him.

Suddenly they separated and the pale young commander hacked up a mouth full of blood as he fell forward into Umi’s arms.

“kreee!!” The ‘ko’ keened in fury as it detached itself from Eagle’s back.

Umi flinched away from the disgusting creature; it looked like a mass of root like tubers with wings. It had been sunk down into Eagle like the roots of a plant and had left a lot of damage when Eagle had forced it out of him. After falling forward into her arms he hadn’t moved. “Eagle?” she tried to stir him with a rough shake.

Suddenly something sent her senses blaring; she looked up just in time to see Elantra headed right for them. She’d left Camry with Hikaru and come after the two on the floor. Umi dove to retrieve her sword and let Eagle roll to his side next to her. A harsh clang sounded at their weapons met.

“Too bad, I was looking forward to watching him kill you, guess I’ll just have to do it myself. After you’re gone there will be nothing to stop us, its right back to making him into another pretty doll!” A ruthless smile pulled at Elantra’s lips.

Umi glared up at the violet eyes in front of her, anger flickering within her soul. “You will do no such thing; I’ll kill you first before I let you touch him or Hikaru again!”

“Kill me? I’d like to see you try; I don’t think you have what it takes. You’ll end up just like you friend, bleeding to death on the floor.”

That was the last straw and Umi saw red. Adrenalin and rage drove her forward as she drove Elantra back with one strike after another. Taking advantage of her weapon’s extra reach she wounded and nicked the woman with every chance that presented itself.

Elantra began to seriously doubt her own words as she was drove more and more to the defensive at the harsh wrath of the Water Knight’s sword. There was something different about her fighting style from earlier. Before she was protecting, defending, but now a different intent drove the blue knight, the intent to kill.

Umi drove forward harder knocking Elantra down on her back, she didn’t know the murderous intent that seethed in her now, and she was not familiar with such a pure desire, a murderous intent like the empty dark. She drew her rapier back for the killing thrust and watched the fear suddenly grow in Elantra’s eyes; it was mere seconds before she drove the point home. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm from behind and she whirled to attack them.

“Umi stop it!”

Eagle’s words were like a cold slap in the face. Somehow, some way he’d managed to drag himself up to his feet and taken hold of her. He shouldn’t have the strength to even move much less stand. “Eagle…? What was I…?” she looked down at her sword in horror as she realized what she would have done. “I…” she felt Eagle waver and she rushed forward to keep him from crumpling to the floor.

Elantra was just as shocked that Eagle had stopped her but took advantage of the distraction to jump away, “Get them!”

“Kreeen!” The parasite that had been squirming on the floor suddenly came after the two. Neither of them had the time react or doge the creature.

“Crimson Lightning!” A roaring hot torrent of Hikaru’s fire magic roared past them and engulfed the creature.

“Kree-een! Keeee!” It shrieked as it was consumed by it.

“Hikaru?!” Umi glanced to where Camry was and saw him holding the Fire Knight by the shoulders to help her stand. Hikaru stood panting her fingers crackling with the fire magic she’s just thrown across the room.

“Hurry, we have to cross back over!” Camry hurried ahead of them, helping Hikaru along. Umi was trailing behind with a stumbling Eagle who was close to losing conscious.

“We’ll never make it back to where we started!” Umi called to Camry.

“We won’t have to, there’s another mirror this way! Hurry!” They skidded down a long hallway in a different direction from where’d they came in. Turning a sharp left they were in a large room with a huge oval mirror in the floor.

“A water mirror?” Hikaru asked.

“Yes, Impreza’s actually.” Camry grinned, “Now go, concentrate on the mirror we went through and you should reappear in the hallway of the castle.” He lef Hikaru go and went for the doorway.

“What about you?” Umi asked startled that he was going back.

“I’ll be fine my dear, I can look after myself. Go I’ll keep them back and then catch up with you; I don’t have to use a mirror. Now go!”

The girls nodded and Hikaru helped Umi take on Eagle’s weight as the commander was now too far gone to support his own weight and taking a deep breath they plunged forward and down into the water mirror.

There was cold and pain and then light and suddenly all three came though the mirror in the castle corridor, collapsing in a bloody mess to the horror of their friends.

Fuu rushed forward quickly along with the other.

Flares of healing magic filled the hallway; Umi fought her own battle to stay awake. She felt someone pick her up and looked up to see Presea’s worried face. Lantis was looking over Hikaru’s broken arm as Fuu hurriedly tired to stop Eagle’s bleeding with Clef’s help.

After a moment she went over to Umi, she said something to her but Umi couldn’t hear it. Anxiously the Wind Knight cast another healing spell and Umi felt herself slipping, everything became blurry and faces became streaks of color.

Eyes growing heavier and heavier she glanced over to where Clef worked to save Eagle’s quickly fading life. ‘Eagle…please…’ and darkness opened up to greet her, ‘please…don’t disappear.’

Then the darkness closed in and there was only silence.

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