Dawn broke the silence, daylight creeping along the tops of the trees. Birds chirped and flew off. Deer trotted to a halt near the clearing where Holly’s group last lay. Many lay upon the ground asleep, David and Milly included, all resting. Flapping wings moved overhead, feet resting on Holly’s cheek.
Slowly her eyes drifted open and her head moved, the bird flying off. With a few blinks she looked around, viewing everyone at once, well, almost everyone. At once she shot up and looked quickly around. Laying against a tree was Sora, eyes wide open and somewhat bloodshot, a cut on the side of his cheek with dried blood. He breathed though he did not move.
Holly crawled forward quickly, placing a hand on his head. Her eyes narrowed to see his spin around, “Alice!”
Alice shot up quickly and looked to Holly, “Wha-what huh? What’s going on?”
“Something’s wrong with Sora, and I don’t see Elise. Quickly, fix him. I suspect that he’s been drugged.”
Alice crawled over quickly and sat up, her right arm extending until her palm rested upon his head. Darkness moved around her palm which then turned a light blue. At once Sora began to twitch, slowly the bloodshot look of his eyes fading. With a mighty gasp for air he heaved forward, “Ugh. Oh sweet lord, thank you Alice, oof, thank you,” he coughed quickly.
“Sora, what happened?” Holly questioned, “Where’s Elise?”
“Ugh, tried to stop her. She cut me with one of her damn daggers and poisoned me with a paralysis drug. She said she was going to go take care of Azala and Clan Vulfax.”
“What? Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I tried. I was going to wake you guys, then she hit me before I could yell out or do anything.”
“She doesn’t stand a chance, like an ant up against a hornet’s nest,” Alice muttered.
“It’s too late now. She’ll have to be taken out with the bombing, right Holly?” Sora muttered.
Nothing.
“Holly?”
“Alice, contact Wesley. Tell him to order a delay on the bombings, and reroute all available units to the desert region.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve had faith in Elise so far. She’s a smart kid who knows what she’s doing. Let’s hope that it all goes right. Ready ourselves to move out at once.”
“Yes ma’am!”
“But, Vulfax is a threat, they need to be taken out as soon as possible!”
“Sora, there’s a reason why you’re not captain of a squad. You’ve much to learn yet.”398Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMo9bBTBUQ
398Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2H3f5xsPeS
Rock crumbled, the smell of blood in the air that slowly drifted. Behind stretched a forest and in front the mountains. Elise stood, looking straight ahead. A coat wrapped around her with the hood down. She looked up, nodding with narrowed eyes, “I’m ready to face you, Azala.”
A rip could be heard, hair quickly flying off in the wind in thick strands. Her arms raised, one hand holding the length of her hair behind and in the other a knife. The hair holding hand released, letting long strands blow off. Forward the knife moved, up and over, again slicing through hair. More danced off as the length of her hair shrunk short.
The back of her head was cut short while the sides remained slightly flowing, the front’s bangs also cut. Her eyes moved to watch as the wind took what had been her own, “I’m going to miss the long hair, it took forever to grow out. But against what’s ahead of me, I can’t go in with such a weakness.”
Ahead she moved again, the rock crunching beneath her feet as she then went in. Her steps began to echo as she entered, the walls reflecting the sound of her walking quite well. She moved with a hand on her sword with the bag in the other, turning down the hall going right. A yawn was heard up ahead, an individual visible in the entryway to a room.
The individual rubbed their eye and ran a hand through their hair, “Mmm. Another day, another- huh?”
Elise strolled right by the individual without so much as a passing glance, her facial expression oozing determination and nothing more. The individual blinked, “Was that-?”
“No way, Elise?” another individual murmured from another entryway.
“Why is she back here?”
Elise ignored all and pressed ahead, turning right once more as the sound of murmurs echoed behind her. A few paces, a turn to the left, another right, and after some time one last turn left. Forward she moved, a large cavern before her filled with voices.
“And so Belama, I want you to investigate the happenings at the border with Clan Aldaeren. You will go there and report back once you-” the voice of Azala was commenting, though quickly it died off.
“Once I what sire?” came the voice of Belama as Elise entered the room.
Stationed around were several individuals, all looking up to Azala. His expression puzzled looking forward, looking at the entryway. Elise pressed on as people began to turn, some quickly looking shocked.
“It’s Elise-”
“What is she doing here?”
“I thought she was dead.”
“What even?”
Off to the right stood Rusty, Britt, Melony, and many others in a circle. All turned as the mention of Elise filled the air, Rusty and Britt showing signs of shock while Melony appeared immediately disgusted. Elise stopped in the middle of the room, her eyes deadlocked immediately on Azala as she stopped, “Azala, it’s time that we settled this!”398Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gi3TcKhbh
