Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

164 - We'll Do It Ourselves!

"Oh shit," I muttered, knowing just how bad of a situation we were in.

"Dagan! Make a dirt figure, around the same build as Xyder!"

"Huh? Um... okay," I said, following her demands. She threw two cloaks over Xyder and the hollow statue respectively.

"Guys! Take Xyder and go! Don't let anyone get him!" Alva declared, creating  a blinding pillar of light as a distraction before picking up the statue and shooting away with it.

Understanding her plan, Storm and I held onto the actual heir and rushed out of the stadium with him in tow.

"Gah! Chase them both! Get back Xyder!" the patriarch instructed some of his underlings whom gave chase. Escaping through the busy streets of Zephyr City was hardly an option. Pedestrians and vehicles barred us from moving freely at every turn and they couldn't offer much cover when we stood out like sore thumbs. With no other choice, we took to the alleys and backstreets, hoping we could shake our pursuers. In the end though, they were adamant and they tailed us through even the darkest and most obscure of paths.

"Hey, wait! My aunt's place is near to here!" I exclaimed as I recognised where we'd run to, "Two corners from here! We could get in through the back alley window!"

"There they are!" one of our pursuers cried out as if perfectly timing our moment of hope just to eliminate it.

"Shit!" Storm cursed beneath his breath.

"Don't worry. I have a plan. The second we round this corner, you'll take Xyder and hide in my room. I'll act as decoy," I explained.

"No, you take him. For one, it's your family's house. Secondly, if they do catch one of us, you would suffer more than I would," Storm rationalized.

I nodded to him hesitantly but in understanding. As decided, the second we broke the line of sight between us and the enemy, I formed two hollow, human-like earthen statues which clung onto Storm, and shrouded them in Xyder's robes as well as my own. As we approached the window, I slammed my foot into the opposite wall, propelling the Zephyr heir and myself inside while Storm marched forward.

I pressed us both up against the corner, holding my breath as the ones tailing us flew by, none the wiser to our scheme.

I breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to relax after this bizarre and hectic day. After laying Xyder down on the bed and shutting the blinds, my mind wandered to my younger sister. She'd been incredibly excited about seeing Xyder's resurgence in the tournament and after much begging, she finally got the chance to go to the arena herself to see his final match live. I could only hope that she was okay and that she'd been safely evacuated along with everyone else.

She and I would often share this very room when we visited our aunt... a fairly common occurrence to be fair as our mother was incredibly close to her sister. Being in here offered me a sense of assurance. Perhaps it was because I felt at home... or maybe it was just the idea of Jacqueline always beimg an arm's reach away for me to keep her safe when we were here together. Regardless of the reason, I quickly found myself on the ground, leaning against a wooden beam as my consciousness faded.

****

"Hoot! Hoot!"

"Hoot! Hoot!'

I jolted awake, startled by the distinct call of an owl. The pitter-patter of a light drizzle could be heard outside accompanied by the chirrup of crickets basking in the cool night.

"Shit! I let so much time pass!" I spat as I rushed to my bed. I breathed a sigh of relief as I looked at Xyder stretched across it, yet in his still state. After confirming that his vitals were intact and he was still breathing, I pulled his arm over my shoulder and carried him to the window where we could depart once more. As i slid the glass open, a soft creak caught my attention.