Trevor and Coleen stopped walking when they noticed how the walls of the maze began acting strange.
The two looked at each other. Specifically, they are glaring like they're ready to slit each other's throat.
"It seems that the maze will change." Coleen spoke nonchalantly.
Soon. They watched as the walls of bushes drifted along with a strong gust of cold wind.
A scent of decaying bodies and dusting bones greeted the two. Causing the two of them to groan in disgust and quickly covered their nose.
After a few minutes. What once the dark maze had now turned into a vastness of land of bones. It's like they're back in the wasteland earlier. But with bones this time.
"Atleast it's not the ocean of blood!" Trevor sighed while looking around.
"Tch. That would have been better. I won't have to see your face if so." Coleen spat as she looks around with a glare.
Trevor didn't bother to fire back. He knows it will only be pointless to fight with her knowing it's a losing fight.
The two stopped looking at a certain direction. Seeing the bones started forming up a bump.
None of the two made a single move and just watched as the bump grew bigger and there were now three of them.
A few more minutes. Familiar heads started poking out from the pile of bones. Too familiar that Trevor felt his body froze.
How can he ever forget those creatures.
Those hounds that he saw Yalex pushed off the cliff while saying 'wife and husband should stick together even in death.'
"Oh sh*t! We are so doomed!" He heard Coleen shrieked and started panicking.
He wanted to help calm her. But he can't even help himself now that the fear is now incharge of his entire body.
"What the fu** is wrong with you! We have to run!!!" He heard Coleen yelled at him. He wanted to look at her but he couldn't because of his gaze fixated on the three hounds that are almost out of the pile of bones.
"Argh!!! Whatever! I'm not killing myself just to save a murderer!!!" Coleen yelled before she started fleeing for her life.
Trevor wanted to run after her. He wanted to escape too.
But he was too scared. Too unmoving. And all he could do was cry and cry as he watches the three hounds pulling themselves out of the bones that buried them.
"Y-Yalex...." it was all the boy could utter in his shaky and trembling voice.
He was obviously shivering in fear. And it may be the very first time that he instinctively called for his mate no matter the circumstances.
Trevor managed to make a step back. But that only caught the attention of the three hounds.
They had a long staring contest at each other. Before the hounds charged to dash after him while the boy bolted away while screaming the name of his mate with sheer desperation and fear.
Trevor made cards appear on his trail in attempt to distract the hounds. But it was useless because his mind wasn't focused and are a mess. So the cards only flew carelessly and didn't exert any effort to scare the creatures a bit.
He couldn't make an illusion either because of his mind not being in the right condition.
"Heeeelp!!!! Yalex!!!! Help me please!!!"
"I'm scared! Somebody help!!!"
"Yalex!!!"
The boy was calling desperately.
His voice were cloaked with nothing but pure fear.
Soon. Trevor stumbled and tripped on his feet. Causing him a twisted ankle and it made it harder for him to even stand up properly.
He could only scream when one of the hounds lunge itself on him. He tried to protect his head from getting bitten off by blocking with his left arm.
Trevor screamed louder while the hound tries to bite off his arm. It was so painful that he wished he could never feel it like Blue.
It only made everything worse when another hound took advantage of his legs. They started dragging him back to the holes where they came from while the sorcerer could only cry in pain.
He didn't know what to do. His mind is a mess and all he can think is that everything hurts.
+×+
It has been half an hour since the maze changed into a land of bones. Yvel had been walking for a while now with the dragon proudly standing on her shoulder.
Unlike earlier or the others who are still having a terrible experience. Yvel and Kitsch are somehow prepared and strange enough. The two are searching for anything to fight.
Yvel felt like she needs a fight to satisfy her still undying anger for that weird creature at the maze. Because she wanted to avenge her dragon for getting hurt.
And so here they are. Searching for a fight with a chill and relaxed bubble around them.
Yvel just won't stop teasing Kitsch because he looks obviously disgusted seeing all the bones and how the place smells.
"If you can talk. I bet you're gonna be a loud mouth!" Yvel said as she laugh. Kitsch started hitting his small head on hers and it was literally obvious that he doesn't like being teased at the moment.
"You're really moody Kitsch! You act like a girl!" She teased again and the dragon decided he have enough and decided to ignore her.
Yvel had to waste her time by trying to get the dragon to notice her again as they walk in the endless land of bones.
+×+
Ysabella had flown away quicker than lightning. She didn't even think twice of abandoning her friends as her mind was clouded with rage.
The image of her dead brother had now imprinted in her still shallow mind.
The only thing she wants now is to kill and avenge for his death. Nothing more.
She surveyed the whole area from her aerial view. But the maze suddenly changed into the land of bones.
Ysabella would have gaped at how amazing it changed in front of her eyes. But her emotions are way stronger than that now.
And the fact that her friends disappeared. Including Yvel and Kitsch. She couldn't think more about it and just went to search.
She flew and flew. Hoping to find Yalex whom she believes as the only one who can help her avenge her brother.
But as she was searching for only less than an hour.
She could hear a familiar voice of someone who was just with her earlier.
He was calling for the same person she's searching for.
But he sounded more desperate.
He sounded in pain.
And most of all. He sounded so afraid.
Ysabella briefly forgotten of why she was looking for Yalex and quickly searched for Trevor through the fell voice.
And soon. She found the boy getting dragged by three hounds helplessly. The trace of his fresh blood are visibly staining all the bones he was dragged at.
The phoenix squealed before she breathed a wild fire on one of the hounds. Careful for it not to reach the sorcerer. She then carried the burning hound with her strong claws and threw it further from the other two to burn and die.
The remaining two hounds had stopped dragging Trevor and attempted to catch her instead.
And because Ysabella was still in rage. She did not hesitate of releasing another strong wave of fire. She didn't care if it might hurt Trevor. She just wants the hounds dead.
And as she watch the hounds and the bones burning. The sound of it left a satisfying feeling to the phoenix as she drifts back to the ground, morphing into her human form.
And maybe...
If Trevor hadn't cried in pain. Ysabella wouldn't realized he was still alive.
The phoenix quickly bolted towards him and waved off any fire that was near him. Leaving the hounds to continue to burn into ash.
Ysabella checked Trevor and saw many injuries. And it seemed like she only added up to the pain with the fire she made.
"Trevor..." she called out to him but all he could do was cry and shut his eyes close.
"It's okay. I help you. You are safe now." Ysabella said to him with an assuring tone.
For a phoenix. She can only heal others with her own tears. So she had no choice but to go back to the image of her little brother being dead.
The tears were quick to form in her eyes. Alongside the regret and resentment to herself.
"Sorry I left. Iam angry. My brother is dead. I did nothing, only fly. Not protect him. And now. You are hurt. Because I left only to kill who did it to brother."
The phoenix mumbled as she ruffles the boy's hair. He was starting to have shallow breathes. And Ysabella could see that he's dying.
And a few more seconds. Tears had started pouring out of her eyes. Ysabella used her tears and put it on the boy's wounds. She started humming too. And it helped the boy to relax a bit as he was also falling deep into a sleep trance.
"There. You are good now. No more pain." Ysabella whispered. Watching the boy sleeps comfortably as if there isn't a wall of fire around them that are now burning all the bones into ashes.
Ysabella stayed beside Trevor. Watching and protecting him.
She knows Yalex is very protective of Trevor. He may not be showing it to anyone. But Yalex told her that he really cared for his nephew. Not just because they are mates or family. Because he knows Trevor deserves it after all that happened.
She wanted to protect Trevor too. Not just for Yalex. But it also helps her to remember Kitsch. It's like a way that she can help herself accept that she failed to protect him. But not too late to protect their friends. Because Kitsch would also do the same if it was her who died.
"Anyone try hurt you. They will fight me first."
I hope you liked the chapter.
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