CHAMPIONS (The Lost Chronicles of Eden, #1) [Published]

23: THE HARDEST BATTLES ARE BETWEEN FRIENDS

The Guardian Force overwhelmed. Defeat. Death. Destruction. Apocalypse.

That was just one possibility. He didn’t follow the thread of another before he rushed towards Xandros, his mace and hammer at the ready.

Solenn wasn’t far behind.

***

When Gabriel arrived, the Gate was torn and demons were already rushing out. Most of them couldn’t get out because the Gate was only partly open.

They were late. Again.

Seriously, how much more failure a Guardian could take? he thought. Give me a break here!

Frantic, he searched for his friends and found them sprawled on the ground, bloody, unmoving. Their arms were stretched towards each other, like they were desperately trying to be beside each other even on the brink of death.

“Solomon! Solenn!” he cried out as he dodged the demons that rushed out of the Gate. The demons rushed to him, but he didn’t see them. They clawed and swiped at him, but he didn’t feel it. They whizzed past  his ear, yelling, bellowing,  shrieking,  cackling,  but he didn’t hear them. His sights were on his two fallen comrades, wishing, praying desperately that they were still alive.

Please, God. Please, let them still be alive.

He heard Joana scream their friends’ name, followed by a frustrated yell when she stopped to fight the demons that flew out.

Gabriel skidded to the ground when he reached Solomon and Solenn. They were only a few feet away from each other. Solenn was sprawled on her back, her broken arm reaching towards Solomon. He went to Solenn first and had to blink furiously to keep from crying.

She was bleeding everywhere. He gently picked her up and felt for a pulse. Praise God, Gabriel whispered when he felt one. It was weak, but there, nonetheless.

Solenn tried to open her eyes, but they were swollen shut. “S… Sol,” she croaked out. “Sol. He… Please, Gael. Sol.”

Something stirred in Gabriel when Solenn called him Gael. The first time he heard it was in a dream. But this wasn’t the time for remembering. He pushed it out of his mind as he gently dropped Solenn to get to the other. Solomon was on his stomach, one arm also stretched towards Solenn. He looked worse, if it were possible. Gabriel could see a dagger stabbed on his side. Hands shaking, Gabriel checked for a pulse.

Hallelujah. There was one. Solomon was alive.

“Lukas!” Gabriel screamed. Lukas couldn’t hear over the noise that the demons were making. “Lukas, please! Help them!”

“N-no.” Solenn raised her arm as if to stop Gabriel, but she could barely lift a finger.

“What do you mean, no? Has your brain been beaten out of you as well? LUKAS!” Gabriel searched desperately for their healer, but he was engaged in battle with two demons. He looked worse for wear, but Gabriel couldn’t care at the moment. Solomon and Solenn needed help. They were dying.

“Heavens, who did this to you?” 

“I did.”

Gabriel’s head snapped up and saw Xandros. He had seen a hologram of him during the briefing, but Gabriel knewthat he had seen him before that. What a screwed up memory he had.