The Slayer

13 - Falling

The downpour continued. I was soaking wet now. Lighting flashed in the sky. I stood helplessly in his grasp, gun to my head.

Axel tackled him, and he shot. It happened almost simultaneously. The bullet whizzed past my ear, barely missing me. All of us were visible now. He was lying on the ground. Suddenly, tree roots emerged from the ground. They wrapped around our feet, trapping us.

Airen jumped onto a tree before they could grab him. Lena hacked and slashed at the roots with her knife, but they just grew back. The guy got up, smirking, and with a wave of his hand the tree Airen was on swayed violently, dropping him to the ground too. Roots enveloped his body, slamming him against the ground.

"They're all yours," he told the perilanters.
Just as they were beginning to pounce on us, plant roots grew over their feet and bodies, trapping them.

"What? How- I didn't even use my powers!"
He looked at his hands in utter confusion. The roots emerged again, tripping and binding him. "Wh- what?!" He stuttered in shock as he fell into a pool of mud by the side.

Airen held up his hands and wind concentrated and compressed into one narrow airway hit his head, knocking him out.

Axel raised his hand and said, "Grabbed his hand while tackling him and copied his ability." He smiled.

The perilanters were free. Their claws were sharp enough to slice through the roots.

"Lena, use your knife to cut us free! And Axel, for god's sake just bind those damn monsters again!" Airen yelled. Bossy much?

Lena quickly cut through hers and rushed towards me. Handing me the knife, she removed her earring and took out a sword and a dagger. A sword! Seriously? Where did she even get that? Not that they weren't used, but they were super expensive, and this one seemed enchanted.

Meanwhile, Axel was panting as he tried to keep the perilanters away.

"Quick! I'm running out of mana..." He huffed.

I cut myself free with the sharpened knife. Lena took the sword, moving towards Airen.

"Hey, blondie... Are you sure it's safe to free me with that-" Airen flinched as she cut the roots binding his torso.

"-Sword?!" He completed his sentence, almost yelling.

"Tch. Scared?" She said as she freed him.

I ran to Axel, cutting the roots at his feet, making sure not to hurt him.

"Faster, Rita..! I.. can't.. anymore." He fainted out of overexertion onto the ground.

The perilanters cut the roots with a single slash, jumping on to us. Airen used the wind keeping them pushed back. Axel was free now, but unconscious. I tried to lift him, but damn, he was heavy. I had him half up when Lena helped me and we lifted him together.

"Lena, how on earth are we going to escape?"

"We could try running, these perilanters look pretty short and bulky, I don't think they are very fast. But Axel will slow us down."

"Lena! Can you put him in your... Bag?" I asked, a sudden brainwave lighting my mind up.

"Yes! I know what you mean!"

"Do you want me unconscious too or what?! Do. It. Fast!" Airen yelled.

Lena removed her earring frantically, her hands shaking.

"Uh. Password- Alohomora! Open, open!"

She opened the now large canvas bag. We stuffed him in, bending his legs to fit him in the bag. It kinda looked like we were kidnapping him...