Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

100 - Set Up

A/N - Happy New Year! Have a Chapter to celebrate!

Grisha Astra - POV;

"You're saying that Blaze wants us to convict Xyder?!" I exclaimed.

"It seems that is indeed the case," Aquarius confirmed.

"That's what their team's leader made it seem like," Indira added.

"Why would Blaze be so concerned about that? Is there some personal vendetta between them?" I pondered aloud.

"None of them ever outright said anything about it to me. Although now that I think about I do believe I might have heard them mention it to each other," Aquarius stated.

"At the ball, I felt as if their movements seemed fishy. They all had their attentions on Regulus Duran Blaze. Were they expecting something from them? No wonder they struggled so much against us. They must have thought we were Blaze. Maybe," I speculated.

"Well why don't you just go and ask Xyder directly?" Indira questioned.

"I can't. After I filed the appeal, they forbade me from seeing him so in the event it actually went through I wouldn't be in close touch with the defendant," I explained.

"Shit," Indira growled.

"Your father did so too then?" I questioned Aquarius.

"I didn't know myself but from what Blaze says, it seems so," she responded.

"Damn it. I don't know what's going on here but something is amiss in this whole situation. There is something big at play but I won't let it come to pass. I'll make sure Xyder walks free.

****

Dagan Zephyr - POV;

"Let me go damn it! Take this crap off of me!" Evelynn screamed as she thrashed around, fighting against the cuffs which bound her arms and legs to the bed.

"They're trying to kill Xy damn it! I'll get him out, just let me go!" she squealed.

"I can't bear to see her like this Dagan. It's too painful," Celes inhaled deeply.

"It hurts me too but it's for her own good. She's practically gone insane. If we let her go she'll do something we will all regret," I muttered.

"In the end, it's true though. They are trying to kill him. What are we supposed to do about it? We can't just sit around," Storm sighed.

"I know that. I know. It's just.... I don't know if there is anything we CAN do. I've put in a dozen calls to Regulus Seraphim but not a single one has gone through," I told him.

"What about Nero? He has ties to the World Heirarchy through the business right?" Celes asked.

"I spoke to him a few times. He says he has his father talking to some of their contacts and they are trying to figure out the whole situation. He says they are making some headway but he doesn't know what outcome they will arrive at," I recalled.

"Shit. We're between a rock and a hard place," Sorine grumbled.

"And what are we doing about the final round tomorrow? We're missing a member from one of our teams. Actually, I'm not sure Evelynn can do it either so we may very well be short on two," Jaqueline mentioned.

"There's no need to worry about the tournament. Haven't you heard?" a gentle voice whispered from outside of the room. We turned to find ourselves face to face with Aquarius Neptulus who had been standing just beside our ajar door.

"Heard what?" I inquired.

"Zephyr has been disqualified from the tournament. You aren't a part of the final match any longer," she revealed.

"What?!" we shouted in unison.

"It makes sense you don't know. Apparently they only informed the Regulus of each clan about this and well, Regulus Zephyr is clearly absent from your lives," she continued.

"What the hell... They throw us out just like that? Lord Seraphim must be enraged," I commented.

"Wait, what are you even doing here? Did you come just to rub it in our faces?!" Winter interrogated her coldly.

"Heavens no," Aquarius responded, "While talking to.... acquaintances, I happened to piece together a narrative. The story goes that for some reason or the other, Blaze and Zephyr have been going at each other's throats for a while now, so much so that Blaze is currently plotting to have Xyder executed by the World Heirarchy. I know there has to be something more than this so I beg you Zephyr, please tell me what is going on."

****

Xyder Zephyr - POV;

"Oi! Get up! You have a visitor!" a guard screamed, banging the bars of my cell. I rose groggily, almost falling each time he pushed me during our walk to my destination. Sitting down on a chair, I was greeted by a familiar face on the other side of a glass pane.

"Hey Xyder. How are you holding up?"

"I'm as good as I can be while locked in a prison Nero," I answered sarcastically.

"At least you still have a sense of humour," he snickered.

"Yeah, it's all that's keeping me sane. Have you heard? They sentenced me to be killed," I laughed.

"I have heard Xyder. We're doing everything we can to help you Xyder. I convinced my father to cancel some redundant projects to direct those resources towards figuring this all out. Don't worry about it Xyder. We will find a way to get you out of here. The rest of your friends are all on edge looking for any means to get through this ordeal. Trust us Xyder, you'll be safe," he assured me.

"All I can do at this point is trust you guys," I smiled.

"You probably don't need me telling you this but all of this appears to have been set up by Blaze. On the night of the ball, as Duran Blaze entered the building, he stopped and whispered something into my ear. 'You're having fun with Zephyr now... I hope you're prepared to rot away together with them' is what he said. He must have known that the World Heirarchy would have made their move on you then and I'm willing to bet that he orchestrated and reported the crime you are currently being blamed of," Nero explained.

"I'd expected that to be the case if I'm to be completely honest," I grunted, "The weird part about all of this though is that they haven't even given me any details about what I'm being accused of. I don't know how, when or where any of this occurred. All I do know is that Team Z's official is dead. Everything about this is completely off."

"I've been thinking the same thing. A part of me can't help but feel as if there may be a bit more to this than just Blaze but who knows? All we can do is continue working through this so that you may come through unharmed."

"Time is up, Zephyr!" the guard roars.

"Thank you for everything Nero," I thanked him.

"It's nothing. Hang in there Xyder. We're coming!"