The tension existing between Corvan and Zion was undeniable. However, the first-ranker, like everyone else, knew how manpower was crucial in every assignment. The non-ranker was forced out of his tantrums to help in the luring of Cifaro's pack.
The group was divided into a total of three, with each performing the different stages of the plan. Thanks to Charles's meticulousness and brainstorming with the help of Rowe and Corvan, they were able to set out the plan nicely enough for it to work. However, since it wasn't exactly polished, there was no guarantee of success.
With time to kill, Valeriana visited the tent in which the drivers and the other survivors of the recent attack were staying in. Genevieve just came out of the tent, seeming to have aged slightly after going out of her way to help and heal the others. The exhaustion was clear on her face but she still sported that same, enthusiastic smile. Valeriana gazed at her aura, which was fluttering around docily. Worriedly going over to the younger twin, she lightly touched her shoulder.
"You've done a lot, Gen." She told her. "I think you should rest before the final preparations are done."
"We still have ten minutes and Charles's still busy trying to get the familiars to cooperate. They're a rambunctious lot." Genevieve answered thoughtfully.
"Yeah, they are."
When the ninth-ranker tripped herself with her own feet, Valeriana was convinced she wasn't well. Throwing herself forward to catch the other girl, she hoisted her up to help balance her back.
"I really think you should take your rest!"
Zevlin had seen the recent display and seemed to have been irritated at the sight of his sister overworking herself. Of course, as the oldest of the two, he was sure to feel protective. Jogging over to them, he speedily went to Genevieve's side and responsibly began to take the role of an escort.
"If you aren't as stupid as a bird!" He exclaimed. "I told you so many times not to push yourself like this."
Genevieve pouted and looked down to gaze at her feet. "You know this is the only thing I could do without having to rely on you to help me."
"I know!" Eyes darted from the tent towards the girl. "But that doesn't give you any reason to work yourself out like this! You aren't a healer, Gen."
"I'm fine, alright?"
Zevlin's eyes were firm as he gazed down at her. "You will be, alright. Especially after you spend the rest of the day and maybe the next few doing nothing but resting."
"What?" Shock was evident on Genevieve's space. "Are you telling me to--"
"I'm not just telling because you're going to do it!" With that, Zevlin steered her towards their makeshift camp and started walking away. "I'm telling Charles you won't take part in this."
Genevieve calmly, but frantically, followed. "You can't do that!"
Zevlin stopped, turned, and gave his sister a glare. "Maybe you thought twice and told yourself that before. I'm sorry, Gen." He turned to an innocent bystander. "Valeriana, can you please look after her?"
"S-sure."
Genevieve fell on her rear and sulked. Valeriana knew what she felt, having to go through that part often.
"He's annoying." The healer muttered. "He's overprotective. I hate it!"
"He's only looking out for you." Valeriana interjected. "You pushed yourself a bit too far. It would've endangered you if you went there like that. Trust me, why don't you sit this one out?"
"I'm not really hell bent on taking a credit." Genevieve said. "I guess I will."
'Apparently,' quipped Cifaro as his form towered over Genevieve's balled one. 'You are to look after each other.'
Valeriana was nervous about the upcoming commencement, although she had to just sit back and watch. Technically, she had a job entrusted to her, and it was having to look over the guardian beast. Cifaro was alright, though.
Genevieve seemed curious as she gazed at the beast.
"You can speak to everyone else, unlike the familiars." She commented, glancing sidewards at the panther-like creature.
'Thou must know the significance of a connection between a familiar and its contractor.' Answered Cifaro. 'Their conversations are very confidential, especially in battle. If ever the opponent hears of incoming commands, it would jeopardize everything. Though it is quite surprising.' His golden eyes twinkled as he gazed at Valeriana. 'Although Direct Users in general have strong connections with auras, they cannot intervene with the telepathical colloquies between the two. To be quite frank, although these people are qualified under one category, they still have specific distinctions.'
"Like . . . ?" Valeriana trailed off.
'An altruistic direct user, and a manipulative one.'
Valeriana was dumbfounded from the newlyfound information, but Genevieve seemed as though she knew all along. She somehow got the gist of it and what it meant since it was quite obvious. Even so, the girl was quite unable to comprehend the situation properly.
"In which category do you think I belong to?"
'The altruistic ones. This type specializes in 'tapping'. They can only see but not directly interfere. The manipulatives, on the other hand, are for 'twisting'. They cannot see, but can 'poke their noses', in a sense. Telepathy, for example, is a type of manipulation, however, being able to hear a telepathical communication between others is an ability of an altruistic. Generally, these two have very little but clear boundary and the rules limit the ability of both. Their capabilities has far more consequences than indirect users. After all, wielding the elements only require physical energy. But auras require more than that.'
Valeriana sat silently on the snowy terrain as she watched the Twelve move. Charles was barking out the last of the order--which he had been doing for the past ten minutes--until Zion brusquely walked out on them to head for his designated waiting spot. It was about time they move. After all, the sun was not patient. It was getting harder to see around with no light.
"So I won't be taking part . . . I guess I'll watch for once." The younger twin seemed disappointed as she gazed at her older brother.
Cifaro pulled himself to his feet limberly and made his way over to the team. Since it was Valeriana's duty to be beside the beast, she followed after him.
There was something about Cifaro that did not seem right. After Valeriana gained the ability to see auras, the guardian's had been terribly unsettled. His presence was powerful, so were the familiar's. In fact, it was hard to ignore them all. Even from a mile away, she could feel them and could somehow pinpoint their location. One could say she was a bit overwhelmed that, unlike before, she found a hard time getting 'comfortable' around them.
"Is something wrong? You don't look good at all." She told him.
'It is time I do my job properly.' Cifaro's voice was firm and his conviction was flagrant.
After the entire group had scuttled to their positions, with each member occupying a specific side of the lake to guard, Charles, who was looking over the farthest point in which Valeriana and Cifaro were, gave a brief nod to the beast as a sign they were ready.
"We're ready, Holy Beast."
The positions resembled a siege, only the fourth-ranker used the king's banquet hall as an example. Much like the rectangular table which symbolized the lake, Charles and Tamara would occupy both ends seeing as they could wield water. Other than that, the others were asked to spread out and take whichever spot they were comfortable with so long as they occupy the crucial spots they had to take. Everyone eventually came to an agreement which part would be taken by who, showing that they were strangely cooperative.
It was more uniform than that though. In fact, the Twelve decided to break up further after having done the first part. They decided to partner up according to their element. Valeriana wasn't sure what they were up to, but perhaps she was going to see later on.
Cifaro put one, heavy step forward. Dropping his powerful jaws, he inhaled sharply and released a tremendous roar that echoed until miles away. Echoes bounced throughout the vicinity, Valeriana and everyone else's ears ringing at the sound. He sent another wave pulsing through the field, as if alerting--calling. He then roared once again, for the second time. This call carried a different feel from the last.
"If there is a pack and one of their own calls, they shall all come forth. It's in their instincts." Said Charles. "It is also the same reason why the beasts were driven away. It was all because of Cifaro's unprecedented call."
Valeriana stood stiffly, the hair on the back of her neck rising. So this was how they planned to lure all of them out?
"Just watching seems strange." The other girl commented.
Every member took a fight-ready stance, each unsheathing their preferred weapons. The atmosphere changed drastically, seriousness taking over like a possessing spirit. Valeriana felt the tension washing over here, forcing her to clench her toes and hands as a bunch of presences came to her radar.
Genevieve noticed the look on her face and gave a sideward glance. "Do you feel them?"
Valeriana was disoriented. "Oh, yes." She dazedly answered.
Cifaro looked amused.
"I get the feeling that your ability to see auras is actually a level-up of your soul sensitivity." Genevieve said.
"Now that you say that, maybe it is." She answered.
Valeriana literally got the chills. Her physical body reacted weirdly this time, a bit worse than before. She found herself, in a sense, more unnaffected. That would be thwarthing the previous statement, somehow. And though it was ironic, words never felt truer.
"Valeriana, Genevieve, do you have your weapons with you?" Charled inquired, bringing out his glaive and planting the blunt end in the snow.
"After that incident, I always keep mine with me." Valeriana answered, tapping on the sword strapped around her waist.
"I'm always ready." Genevieve quipped.
"Good." He told them. "It is more likely they'll have this whole place surrounded. I want you two to help and guard those people over there just in case. I'm placing all the familiars on guard in all directions to help, closing the entire vicinity."
'Perhaps that will be sufficient.' Said Cifaro. 'I'm counting on thee.' He said to the other familiars, though they were a bit distant.
'Thou canst rely on us, old friend. We shall bring them back.' Replied Iolani.
Marius rose quietly above Charles, forced not to make a single sound and behave quietly on his waiting spot. At Charles's quiet nudge, he went to his new jurisdiction and started guarding, simultaneous with the other familiars. Valeriana and Genevieve quickly started to move.
"Valeriana," said Charles. "Do you feel them?"
"Uh," she paused for a moment. "Yeah."
"How many?" He asked.
"Twenty-one." The words came robotically from her mouth. She shocked herself knowing their specific number.
"Where?"
"Everywhere. They're all in groups. Five on the south, five on the east, five on the west, five on the north."
"Where is the last?"
She was silent. Instinctively, she found herself pointing to the direction ahead, on the farthest end of the lake. A dark figure showed itself on the only path open before them. From a distance it looked small, but its aura was bigger than the rest. She managed to easily pick out the presences and it surprised her how quite aware she was of them. In fact, she could look deeper if she wished. Being able to do so gave her a new information which made her ponder. There was something latching on to them somewhere. It was the main source of the darkness that only spread out--like an infection.
'So he has shown himself.'
She squinted, and for the first time, Charles looked impressed.
"So this is the 'upgrade' they were talking about. We shall see to this later." With a scheming smirk, he stepped forward and gave Tamara the signal.
"Valeriana!" Genevieve waved.
With a last, doubtful glance, she ran up to her new partner and guarded the tent. However, Cifaro refused to move. He was supposed to remain by them as he did not say he would take a direct part in the fight. They understood that he did not wish to directly hurt his brothers, however, whatever his plans were, he refused to tell.
"Cifaro?"
Charles gave a sideways glance to the beast, that smile never fading from his face. "You did say you do not wish to take a direct part in the fight. We somehow figured you meant something deeper than that. You wish to fight your brother one-on-one."
The holy beast gave him a short-lived glance before stepping forward slowly to meet the gaze of the dark panther a few miles off. At the same time, the others showed themselves. Some stood high up on elevated lands, glaring down like hunters for their preys below. Some gazed through the gaps between a layer of trees. The others hopped above rocks, tails gracefully flicking behind them. All the while, the look in their eyes were the same.
'If thou wishest to take down a pack . . .' Cifaro started.
"You must target their leader." Valeriana continued.
"No one was sure whether he would respond to this call. But if his position was being challenged, of course he would come." Corvan whispered to himself as he gazed at the beast and the other coming forward to meet each other. "And no challenge had been issued the same time with another."
"An issue of challenge?" Aneeka was dubious as she and Rowe watched from their respective positions.
"He did call twice. Both had different intentions." Tamara concluded. "No time sitting around though. Gotta get to work."
As though in cue, the familiars appeared from their hiding spots, releasing ferocious sounds in chorus. The panthers were startled from their sudden appearance that they all ran like hunted sheeps inside. Alva, Iolani, and Cheveyo, who all had sizes which weren't very fearsome, had problems at first.
'Oh, this is not the best I can do!' Iolani sqawked at them. After a second, she suddenly grew in size and took the shape of a gigantic bird. Alva and Cheveyo followed suit. At the same time, the elements they wielded spewed around them tauntingly.
Alva's body was zapped with electricity, the currents dancing along his scales as his tail curved behind him. He bared his sharp teeth and threw out his tongue with a poisonous hiss, glaring down at the panthers with his sharp eyes.
'Thou daresssttt underesssstimate thisss one?'
The panthers were like scared cats, scampering away towards the lake and clawing at the snow frantically to get away.
'Hihi . . .' The now giant snake cackled.
Similar scenes occured with Iolani and Cheveyo. Both birds were daunting in both appearance and sound. The only difference was Iolani's iced waters circling her body. Avaro was more effortless in his job and only had to pounce and growl at them once. Of course, Marius was not about to be pale in comparison. His original size was enough to scare the wits out of the enemy. Only that they ran in the opposite direction.
'Come back in here!' The beast roared. 'Thou art supposed to head in here!'
"Idiot!" Charles exclaimed, his face flushing with anger. "They will run to the opposite side because you scared them away, not lure them in!"
'This one got carried away.' He chuckled. 'I shall bring them back.'
Marius flew up and speedily dashed like lightning towards the path his preys took. Valeriana was horrified at the sight of him opening his mouth. Sure enough, he scooped all five panthers into his mouth and spat them just before the frozen lake. The panthers resembled wet, traumatized cats.
'My preys got there first!' He victoriously cried. 'I win!'
And while he was rejoicing doing the beast version of a happy dance--which included flying around in circles that left spring-like curves in his body--the other familiars looked displeased with his actions.
'We aren't done yet, fool.' Iolani reminded him. 'Tis time to create the barrier.'
After they had barricaded the entire place and ensured the entire pack had gone inside the area, the familiars formed walls with their elements. How this was done gave a show.
Water from both Marius and Iolani shot out from their bodies. The silky liquid grew in size, spiraling until converging with one another at the very top. It formed a dome-like roof above that sparkled and continuously moved like a smooth waterfall in between glass. The fire from Avaro displayed pure wildness. At first it seemed impossible for it to combine with the others until the flames melted and formed lava instead. Forming another part of the wall, it connected with Alva's electric currents which all seemed like long, forever-moving purple strands. Cheveyo, with no element to wield, shed light from his body, the beautiful brightness spreading until fully closing the remaining gap in the dome. With the sky no longer in view, the setting sun in the horizon was no longer plausible.
"It's beautiful." Valeriana commented, gazing at their makeshift roof. Even the injured people they were guarding over insisted on seeing the sudden burst of lights.
The tension still continued between Cifaro and Amril. With no time to breathe, Tamara and Charles stomped on the ground to gain momentum as they threw their hands in front of them, cracking the ice with their ability and breaking it off. The ice was lured down, narrowly forming a path that led to the bottom of the lake. This was the path both Cifaro and Amril followed, leading them to a center where their battle would occur. The waters had parted and formed huge walls of waves that heavily rumbled liked thunder. The accursed ice was slowly eating away at the surface, hardening the current form both Tamara and Charles hammered into the body of water. While the ice finished mending itself for the second time, each and everyone else formed walls around the other beasts with their elements to keep them caged in, coercing them into short corners.
Standing guard, the entire twelve faced forward to watch the duel between Cifaro and Amril.
Valeriana was unable to swallow. "He's planning to fight?"