Dreados struck the barrier with the back of his hand, launching it into the sky. "Beily, catch that."
Above, Beily sprang into action with unerring precision. His form blurred as he leaped, his movements swift and calculated. In one fluid motion, he snatched the barrier mid-air, its shimmering glow casting fleeting shadows across his sharp features. Balancing effortlessly on his floating energy disk, suspended high above the chaos, he stood as a formidable silhouette against the fractured skyline. The disk hummed faintly beneath him, stabilizing his imposing stance as he surveyed the scene with a smirk of satisfaction.
On the ground, the Elven man dislocated the siblings' legs with precise, brutal efficiency. Eryndor gritted his teeth in pain, but Valerius screamed. With a disdainful glance, the man knocked Valerius unconscious. "Such a crybaby, you wont survive in yilheim like this."
Turning to Eryndor, he smiled coldly. "I am Dreados."
Dreados raised the device in his hand, his tone calm but laced with authority. "Open the portal."
As the swirling energy vortex appeared before him, he grabbed Eryndor and Valerius without hesitation. Despite Eryndor's defiance and Valerius's unconscious form, Dreados threw them both into the portal with effortless precision, as if discarding mere objects.
Turning his gaze to his right, Dreados noticed Gustein, trembling within the protective barrier. A sly smile curled on his lips as he approached. "My team has a pressing need for someone with your... unique talents," he said, his voice dripping with mock courtesy. Without waiting for a response, he delivered a powerful kick to the barrier, sending it careening through the portal.
Above them, Beily, who had been keeping watch, observed the scene. Seeing Dreados step toward the portal, he acted swiftly, hurling the barrier he had caught earlier into the vortex. Beily then landed gracefully in front of the portal, his towering frame casting a shadow over the chaos. Turning back, he smirked, his voice carrying a taunting edge. "Come and get us."
Without another word, Beily stepped into the portal, the energy swirling violently as it began to shrink.
As the portal collapsed, sealing the escape of Dreados and his team, a faint shimmer illuminated a nearby crevice. Silvie, hidden in the shadows and clutching the Sulstice Gloves tightly, felt a sudden pull beneath her. A second portal materialized, its energy latching onto her. Before she could react, she was swallowed by the vortex, disappearing into the unknown.
The area fell eerily silent, the aftermath of the events leaving the ruins even more desolate.
---
The King's Wrath
As the king arrived at the dissipating twister, his presence radiated power and fury. With a single, commanding gesture, he conjured an immense blade of glacial ice, its form towering above the remnants of the storm. The blade shimmered with deadly elegance, dwarfing the twister and casting a chilling glow across the ravaged landscape.
Sumshus, standing amidst the dissipating vortex, trembled as the blade loomed over him. His voice quivered as he muttered, "No, no, no, I don't want to die…"
Before the king could unleash his wrath, a swirling portal materialized beneath Sumshus within the twister. Relief washed over the orange-skinned figure as he exhaled sharply, muttering, "Oh, thank the heavens."
In a sudden burst of confidence, Sumshus turned to face the king. With a mischievous grin, he raised both arms in a dramatic flourish, and the twister vanished entirely, revealing him in all his insolent glory. He met the king's seething gaze and mockingly protruded his rear, tapping it with exaggerated flair. "Kiss my rear end, Your Graciousness! You magic users are so slow." he taunted, his voice dripping with audacity.
As he fell backward into the portal, his laughter echoed through the air, a defiant sound that lingered even as the portal snapped shut, leaving the king's icy blade to slash through empty space.
The king, now standing amidst the ruins, trembled with rage. His voice thundered, regal and furious. " These cursed Unbound!I will tear apart the very heavens if I must, they will pay for their atrocities!"
As silence fell over the remains of the city, only the sound of crackling fires and distant weeping remained. The once-proud skyline of Ignir was a jagged silhouette against the ashen sky.
The king looked around and saw a young girl stood in the middle of the street, look down at her impaled mother with tears in her eyes. She turned to her brother, her voice trembling. "Where is daddy?"
He embraced her as their tears fell like rain onto the broken earth.
As the Elfen kings eyes scanned the city, all he saw was blood and destruction.
The survivors of the city looked on, fear and awe etched into their faces as they awaited the storm they knew would follow.
The king's fists tightened, his voice low but filled with promise. "They think they've won," he muttered. "But they have no idea what storm they've unleashed. I will see them shattered before this is done." Above, the smoke curled into the heavens like a silent warning, the winds carrying whispers of vengeance yet to come.
---
A Restless Calm
Several miles from the city, amidst a vast expanse of barren land, the Velphraxis children rested near the colossal stone they had caught earlier. Festron, lying lazily on his side with his head propped on his palm, idly picked at a piece of food stuck in his sharp tooth. A half-eaten meal lay before him as he muttered to himself.
"I think they've forgotten about us," he said, chewing slowly. Stretching his free arm, he gestured toward his sister. "Hey, Lisa, pass me the bowl of sowsi."
Lisa, lying nearby, gave him a look of disgust. "Why do you even like that stuff? It's gross."
"That's because you've got a taste disorder," Festron shot back, his tone teasing. "How could someone call this delicious sowsi disgusting?"
Lisa sat up and squinted at her brother, unimpressed. Before she could retort, her eyes caught movement in the distance—a faint trail of dust rapidly growing closer. She tapped Festron urgently. "Festron, Festron! Something's coming."
Festron, entirely unbothered, turned onto his back, resting his head on his interlocked fingers and crossing one leg over the other. "Don't worry," he said with a yawn. "It's an ally."
Lisa frowned. "Who is it?"
"I don't know. My sentinel range isn't that strong."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's you who doesn't know how to use it."
Festron smirked. "If you think it's so easy, go ask Dreados to train you. You'll come crying back to me after one minute of his 'lessons.'"
Before Lisa could argue, the trail of dust revealed itself as Anuel, the tall Elf woman, carrying Ziraiah securely in her arms. As she approached, her speed decreased until she gracefully landed near the stone.
Festron glanced over without moving from his reclined position. "It's Anuel."
Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't tell?"
"She was too far earlier," Festron replied nonchalantly.
---
Anuel's Arrival
Anuel leaped onto the stone, placing Ziraiah down carefully before turning to Festron. "Well done, Festron," she said with a nod. "I didn't think you'd actually catch it."
Still sprawled out, Festron smirked. "It was easy."
Lisa snorted, sitting up straighter. "He's lying. You should've seen him—his eyes were bulging, and he was trembling all over."
Anuel chuckled, sharing the laugh with Lisa, while Festron scowled, his annoyance growing as he turned onto his side. "Hilarious," he muttered.
Ignoring his grumbling, Anuel looked around. "Festron, where's the bag I gave you?"
With a lazy thumb, Festron pointed to a nearby spot on the ground. "Over there."
Anuel's sharp eyes narrowed as she spotted the bag. She jumped down, grabbed it, and held it up, her tone shifting to exasperation. "Festron, how could you be so careless? These are artifacts!"
Festron, now lying on his stomach with his chin resting on his hands, smirked. "Really? I thought they were toys."
Lisa groaned, folding her arms. "You were there during the briefing! We told you they were artifacts."
"Oh, sorry," Festron said with a mock shrug, clearly unbothered.
Anuel ignored his antics as she rummaged through the bag. In her mind, a single thought lingered: Why am I always the one babysitting these kids?
---
Preparing for Departure
Anuel pulled out a small, intricate object with wheels. With a quick motion, she tossed it to the ground, and the artifact expanded with a faint hum, transforming into a sleek vehicle adorned with glowing runes.
"Get in," she ordered, stepping into the driver's seat.
Lisa hesitated. "What about the stone? Are we just going to leave it here?"
Anuel tapped a small device on her wrist and spoke into it. "Hey, why is the stone still here? The mission ended a while ago."
After a brief pause, a frustrated voice responded. "Do you think transporting all of you across such a large distance is easy? I almost passed out from exhaustion!"
Anuel sighed. "Well, since you're feeling better, open a portal for the stone."
The voice replied, "I don't know where you are."
Anuel's tone sharpened. "I'm where Festron's team is!"
Silence followed for a few seconds, then Anuel called out again. "Daiel? Daiel?" She groaned. "He hung up on me."
Just then, Festron, still lying on his stomach, pointed toward the glowing stone. "The portal's open."
All three watched as the monolithic stone slowly sank into a swirling, dark portal edged with faint blue light. As the portal disappeared, Festron stretched and yawned. "So, what now?"
Anuel glared at him. "Seems like you weren't paying attention. Get in the cruiser."
Lisa rolled her eyes as she climbed into the vehicle, muttering under her breath. "Babysitting. Always babysitting."
---
The Final Order
Once inside, Anuel strapped herself in and placed a helmet with glowing cables over her head. The interior of the vehicle hummed to life as runes lit up across its surface, pulsing faintly with energy.
As the kruiser roared to life, Anuel's voice cut through the noise. "This is our last mission for the day," she said, her tone steady but resolute. Her gaze turned toward the horizon, her eyes sharp with determination.
"Free the Earthers."
---
To Be Continued...