Sitting her doing nothing was driving her crazy. Mireen took a long breath to try to still her mind like Jazun had taught her but it didn't help. She stared down at the black smoke below them as it drifted slowly in the wind, blocking everything below them from sight. They were never going to find each other in this. As soon as Analie had noticed they had lost Bannon and Rizu she had ran back to find them leaving her alone with the Diaelee. Mireen had wanted to go and help but Analie had made her promise to stay hidden with Duatta until they returned. Duatta had begun climbing the closest tree without a word so Mireen followed her up. The young Diaelee had moved up the trunk of the tree effortlessly, her claws sinking into the soft tan bark. Mireen had never climbed a tree before but there were so many branches it was easy, albeit slow going. They were nearly thirty feet in the air when Mireen found herself sitting on the same branch at Duatta. The Diaelee was clinging to the tree under the leaves above.
"Why did we stop?" Mireen had asked her.
"Not safe at the top."
Mireen turned around carefully on the branch so she could look out to the edge of the fog below, the line discernible even at night. It was as if an invisible box held the smoke from spreading anywhere else, the top of which stopped about ten feet below her. Its sudden appearance had scared her at first but the realization of who was behind it made her grin. Jazun must have done this to cover their retreat. Mireen looked over to Duatta, who was perched just above her in the shadows, her gold eyes the only part of her still visible.
"I'm going down." Mireen whispered up.
"What? That blackness is down there! And she said to stay hidden until she comes back." Duatta replied back pleadingly.
"That was before! She won't be able to see us now. No one else will either so I'll be hidden. You stay up here and I'll go down and check."
Duatta told her to stay but Mireen wasn't going to listen. She was already climbing down the branches, finding this much harder than climbing up.
Mireen told herself not to be scared as her feet got closer and closer to the fog but her heart was pounding by the time she started to enter it. It ran over her legs as she swung down to a particularly wide branch, Mireen bracing for anything. She had expected it to feel at least colder or something but it was as if nothing had changed, except it was hard to see through. Mireen descended completely into the apparently harmless fog and found she was hardly able to see the next branch.
"This is crazy."
Mireen froze when she didn't hear her own words, repeating herself to the same effect. Apparently this fog did more than just limit her vision. She continued carefully downwards anyways until she recognized the rotting branch that she had grabbed onto first. Mireen hoped she was right, grabbing onto the dying tree limb and swinging down to the ground. She landed on her feet, smiling at her successful decent as she held her arms out to regain her balance.
Being out of the tree wasn't as helpful as Mireen would have hoped. She could only see the closest few trees before the fog took over, nearly walking right into a thorn bush before finally spotting it a few inches from her face. She stepped back against the tree she had came from, mentally confirming in her mind where it was. It was going to be hard to avoid getting lost in here. Mireen took a determined breath, her hand reaching inside of her worn orange cloak to the handle of her knife. She kept it there as she took a step further in. Her feet hardly left the ground as she shuffled forward, ready for anything to jump out. Despite her vigilance her heart leapt into her throat when a hand came out of the darkness.
Adrenaline and fear flooded her senses as she backed up, giving her just enough room for her to pull her weapon free. Mireen grabbed it tightly and stabbed forwards. A big armored arm followed the hand before a body came into focus through the heavy smog. It was a soldier, the huge muscled man running nearly full speed into the extended blade. His momentum carried him right into Mireen, knocking her off her feet. The narrow end of the dagger's handle rammed back painfully into the center of her chest as the soldier tumbled down on top of her. His weight took the air from her lungs, the man wheezing loudly as he pushed himself back, the dagger sticking in his sternum up to its hilt.
Mireen looked up at him, seeing that he had been in pretty bad shape before the knife. His left ear was missing and four wide cuts covered most of his face. The open wounds had left him red from the shoulders up, his blonde hair matted down flat against his head with sweat and blood. Mireen locked onto his light blue eyes, their intensity reminding her of Jazun. His reached towards her again, this time going right at her throat. She grabbed onto his wrist with both hands, pushing up with a shout but all she heard was a whisper. His arm came down anyways, her scrawny arms bowing out as his fingers wrapped around her neck. The soldier squeezed and stars flashed in front of her eyes, Mireen hammering his bicep. His armor was rock against her soft hands, his fingers digging deeper into her throat. She gasped for breath, the pain radiating down to where the dagger had hit her chest. Mireen tried to reach his cut face but her arms were too short, she couldn't stop him. Her vision started to narrow as his hand closed off her windpipe.
Everything was fading now. Her father's face drifted into her mind's eye, his warm smile welcoming her. NO. Mireen was going to be the best water elemental to have ever lived. She was not going to die here. That was not part of her plan. Mireen lifted her feet up off the ground and kicked forward. Her feet hit his chest, her right foot pressing against the knife handle. She pulled her feet back and kicked again, this time hitting the dagger with the middle of her foot. The soldier grimaced in pain, air rushing into her lungs as his grip on her neck loosened. Mireen kicked the weapon repeatedly now, his hand letting her go as he tried to get away. The bloody soldier sat back, his blue eyes wide as Mireen sent out one last kick. His face softened and his eyes glossed over, the dying man opening his mouth wordlessly before he fell backwards. Mireen dropped as well, landing on her back as she tried to keep her focus on the muscled soldier.
Mireen breathed heavily, her throat still throbbing as she got back to her feet. She watched him carefully, making sure that his chest was still before climbing on top of him to get her dagger back. Mireen took the handle with both hands and pulled but it stayed buried. She looked around for anyone else as she tried to get the blade free, feeling it scraping against his ribcage. She rocked her whole body back and forth for leverage but it still wouldn't budge.
"Damnit." She cursed, the fog taking away all the volume.
Mireen jiggled harder, feeling her desperation lift when the dagger finally budged inside the dead man's torso. She put her feet on either side of the knife and yanked with a grunt but it was still stuck. She yanked again, feeling the blade shift further. A flash of movement made her pause, maybe Duatta climbed down after all.
It wasn't the Diaelee girl but two more soldiers. They were both women, a smaller brunette and a tall blonde. One of the blonde's legs was badly mangled from the knee down, the brunette helping her fellow soldier along. Mireen froze when she saw them, watching them hobble through the fog. The blonde had lost her weapon but the brunette was still holding her rifle in one hand, the end of the barrel almost dragging on the ground as she struggled to keep the other woman from falling.
"Don't look over. Don't look over." Mireen repeated, knowing it wouldn't matter.
She subtly pulled on the dagger now, freezing again when the brunette started to turn her head. The armed soldier's gaze passed right by Mireen to stare behind her. Had she seen her? Mireen was pondering pulling on the knife again when the soldier turned her head back. This time she spotted Mireen right away, stopping dead in her tracks as she stared at the young girl. Her eyes went down to the dagger sticking out of her dead comrade, the girl's hands on the weapon.
Mireen watched the woman's lips form the word 'shit' while the blonde obliviously used the pause to look down at her mostly eaten foot. She would have to let go of the blonde to bring her weapon up which would give Mireen just a few seconds. Her mind raced through her options; fight or run? If the knife didn't come free right away Mireen would be facing the soldier unarmed. She gripped the weapon with white knuckles; even if she did get it free could she kill the other woman? Mireen didn't know how to throw a dagger and she doubted she could close the five feet between them before the soldier could get her gun up. That left running. If she could get a few steps ahead she should be able to lose them in the fog. She moved her eyes left to the path she would take, looking back at the brunette and hoping she hadn't noticed her quick side glance.
Mireen pulled on the dagger one last time, not wanting to leave the weapon behind but it stayed firmly in the corpse. That triggered the brunette to make her move, taking her arm off the blonde's shoulder and shoving her out of the way. Mireen's legs flexed as she pushed herself off the dead man, not daring to look back at the soldier and her gun. She took a few strides but faltered when saw the trees ahead of her, the sounds of the jungle echoing loudly through her ears. The fog had vanished. In its wake the light of the moon and stars were blinding while animal calls of the night deafened her.
"Stop!" The soldier shouted at her.
Mireen took another step but she knew she couldn't run now.
"You couldn't make the smoke last any longer?" She murmured under her breath before turning around to look the soldier right in the face.
Mireen clenched her fists and stood up straighter; she would show no fear, just like Jazun had. The soldier was aiming her rifle directly at Mireen, her arms shaking slightly as she looked down the sights. Mireen glanced at the dagger, wondering how that would have played out. Meanwhile the blonde was lying at the other soldier's feet, not paying either of them any attention, instead clutching her leg in pain and breathing loud enough for Mireen to hear.
"Where are they?" The armed solider screamed, her tone wavering as she said it.
Mireen gave her a smile, taking another step closer to the soldiers and the dagger.
"Where are the others?" She screamed with even more force, backing up to maintain the same distance between them.
Was she shaking more than before? Mireen took another, larger, step forward. The soldier quickly followed with a side step around a small bush to get back, moving further away from her wounded comrade. Mireen almost let out a laugh, putting her hand over her mouth to stop it just in case. The armed adult was scared of her. She was scared of her because she was an elemental. The thought made her proud for a brief instant before anger came crashing in. If she had been taught how to use her element she would have justified this woman's fear.
"Tell Me Now! Where Is The Princess?" Her voice cracking as she screamed out each word individually.
The brunette soldier took a step forward this time while the blonde in the middle looked back and forth helplessly between them.
"I Will Kill You! Now tell me where Princess Vorza and the other elementals are Right Now!"
Mireen wanted to bluff her way out of this but her heart was beating so hard she couldn't speak. Looking down the barrel of the gun in her last moments she thought of her father again. He had always had a positive thing to say about everyone, even stupid selfish assholes like the High Regent.
"Shoot her!" The blonde gasped between grimaces, her face pale white.
"I have to say that would be ill advised." A familiar voice called from Mireen's right.
She grinned at the soldiers in earnest now as Jazun led everyone into sight through the trees, his black cloak torn to shreds. Analie was next to him with her own plasma rifle in hand, Bannon and Rizu behind her along with what looked like Neee. Mireen wanted to run over to them but the trembling soldier was still pointing her gun at her.
"Princess Vorza please come with us!" She pleaded as she looked over all of them before ending up back at Mireen.
"She holding a gun at you. Obviously that's not the plan here." Jazun chuckled as he headed over to the soldier Mireen had killed.
He calmly reached down and took hold of the knife, pulling it free with a sickening snap.
"I'll kill her!" The soldier shouted, shaking her gun at Mireen to emphasize the words. "Surrender now!"
Jazun ignored her, holding the dagger out on a flat palm as he walked over to Mireen, a grin on his face.
"Put down your gun and I won't tear the two of you to pieces." He demanded without looking, holding the bloody blade out to Mireen when he reached her.
Jazun was standing right in front of the soldier, blocking Mireen from the rifle, his face still warm even after the icy words.
"I believe this is yours." He smiled.
Mireen snatched it back and held it near her chest, her fear gone now as she looked up into his gleaming blue eyes.
"Thank you." She smiled back.
"Don't lose it again."
"I won't."
Jazun held a cautionary finger out towards Mireen when the crack of a plasma weapon filled the jungle again, the rounds hitting the ground by Mireen's leg. That didn't scare her but a chill ran down her spine when the irises of Jazun's eyes begin to swirl in towards his pupils at a dizzying rate.
"Put your gun down." Analie chimed in authoritatively, her finger on the trigger as she said it. "We're not your enemy."
"I don't have time for this." Jazun said curtly.
Mireen was staring right at him but she still didn't see him grab the knife from behind his back, only seeing a glimmer of the blade for an instant before a flick of his wrist sent it at the armed soldier. The dagger hit the soldier in the corner of her left eye, going in nearly to the hilt before coming to a stop, her rifle falling from her hands.
The blonde screamed in terror as she watched her fellow soldier drop to her knees, her head slumping down against her chest. Jazun strode over to the two of them and grabbed the lifeless brunette by her hair, twisting the knife free from her head with a hard pull. He let her body fall, blood geysering out of her wound before splashing back down onto her corpse. The other soldier screamed even louder, still crying out as she rolled over onto her stomach and tried to crawl towards the rifle. Jazun dropped down on top of her so he was sitting on her back with his knees digging into her shoulders. She started to openly weep as she gave up, laying her face in the dirt with her arms extended out in front of her. She was less than two feet away from the gun.
"Oh you were so close!" Jazun mocked.
"Please, please don't kill me!" She sobbed.
"I never tire of that one."
An instant later he stabbed the blade into the back of the soldier's neck. With her sounds of despair abruptly cut short Jazun retrieved his weapon and stood up. He wiped the blood off on the edge of his cloak; having to grab onto it and clump it together it was in such shambles.
"Now then," He said to his companions while sliding the knife back into its sheathe. "Let's get to this damned ship."
"Come on down, we gotta go." Mireen called up into the trees.
Duatta appeared in the branches above, climbing down to the jungle floor in just a couple of leaps before anyone can question who she was talking to. Mireen expected her to join Neee but she hardly looked in the Diaelee's direction before hurrying over to her. The two girls shared a smile as Analie joined to them.
"I'm glad you two are okay." She said happily looking down at their faces.
"Let's move." Neee interrupted. "We're close now."
Analie put a hand on Mireen and Duatta's shoulders before moving ahead to join Bannon.
They followed the others through several minutes of silence broken only by the sound of twigs snapping as they went by. Mireen noticed that Duatta kept glancing back towards Jazun and Rizu. She took a look herself back at the two men but they both just looked tired, Jazun with his raggedy clothes and Rizu struggling to keep up. Mireen caught Duatta's gaze as she stared back at the two elementals while ducking under a tree branch.
"What is it?" She asked the young Diaelee in a low voice.
Duatta took another look before turning to Mireen.
"He's the one who beat Serneee?"
"Yea. You didn't see the fight?"
"My mother and father wouldn't let me see it. They were afraid I'd get hurt."
Duatta wiped a tear away with a pointed claw.
"They were always scared of the wrong things." She said distantly.
No one spoke after that as Neee guided the seven of them through the night. Other than avoiding the thorn bushes that grew everywhere Mireen found it was easy going. Duatta never strayed far from her side and she was always looking around as if she expected to find soldiers behind them at any second, or maybe she just didn't trust Jazun. Thankfully Mireen didn't have to dwell on the thoughts for long as they reached the edge of the clearing in just a few minutes. Neee was already up by the two ships that sat in the unkempt grass. The ships were surely Loordanian but Mireen didn't recognize either of them. They looked old.
"The blue one should be ready to go." Neee said stopping and looking around the clearing.
"We made it!" Duatta cheered, running up ahead to the bulky ship.
Mireen started to chase after her, smiling at the other girl's laughter and feeling hopeful for a fleeting second. Then she saw the door to the ship was already down, Duatta heading towards the metal ramp without slowing. Someone was already here.
"No, Stop!" Neee shouted before sprinting after her.
Duatta kept going, jumping forward to land on the metal platform with both feet. Red bursts of light hit her in midair, taking away her momentum and sending her down onto her stomach, her head bouncing off the grated metal ramp.
"Noooo!" Came the passionate scream from inside the ship.
Mireen ran after the shooter but Neee flew by her as he sprinted into the back of the cruiser with his sword in hand. There were only a few seconds before Mireen made it to Duatta's body, everyone else hot on her tail. She dropped down next to her, looking for any movement but there was none. Duatta was dead. Mireen's eyes headed up the ramp to find another Diaelee next to Neee. He was kneeling in front of Neee's with a sword sticking through his shoulder, a plasma rifle lying by his knees. As she felt Analie's hand gently grab her shoulder Mireen realized that the Diaelee with Neee was the same one that had been scowling after Serneee and Jazun's match. His face was twisted in pain now, Neee pulling his sword free and kicking him onto his back. Bannon and Rizu hurried into the ship while the other Diaelee put a hand over his bleeding shoulder.
"Akoiren, you dim shit! What are you doing here?" Nee screamed down at the Diaelee, holding his sword an inch away from his face.
Everyone stopped at Neee's angry words, waiting for the response. Then Duatta lifted her head up, gasping for air before gagging loudly. Mireen knelt back down and took her hand as the young Diaelee coughed up light green blood onto her face. Duatta looked up at Mireen, her gold eyes wide as she tried to take another breath. Mireen almost vomited at the gurgling sound of Duatta's lungs filling with blood but swallowed the bad taste and forced a smile instead. Duatta gave her a weak smile back before setting her head back down on the ramp. Mireen felt Duatta's hand go lax, watching the pained expression on her face fade into peace. She let go of the dead girl's hand and stared down at her disbelievingly, rage taking over her thoughts.
"Is she?" Akoiren asked softly.
Mireen's hand went inside of her cloak to her knife as she stared back at Duatta's killer. Her fingers gripped the handle as she rose to her feet, feeling satisfaction at seeing the man pull away from her unflinching glare.
"She's dead." Mireen answered icily.
"I didn't know it was her!" Akoiren begged to Neee while tears ran down in between the grooves of his scales. "Neee you have to believe me! You know I'd never hurt my own kind."
"What are you doing here? You're my father's hand; you should've been at his side."
Akoiren stared up at the other Diaelee with an open mouth, snapping it shut before responding.
"Serneee asked me to make sure the ships were ready to leave if we had to evacuate. I just came in to make sure the power cells were charging." He explained, wincing a few times while trying to stop his bleeding with the palm of his hand.
"So you just got here through the jungle?" Neee followed up.
"Yes. I've only been here for a few minutes."
Mireen watched Neee look carefully around the ship, following his movements while trying to see what he saw.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." Akoiren answered obviously.
"Then perhaps you could explain why the controls have been tampered with?" Neee asked with a frown.
Akoiren didn't know what to say to that as he sat up painfully, being very careful not to look anyone in the eyes now.
"You never did learn to fly did you Akoiren?" Neee stated, pointing his sword back down at the other Diaelee. "All that time programming missions but never once in the pilot's chair."
"How could you bring them here?" Akoiren replied, anger replacing the fear and pain in his voice. "These fugitives? You and your father are fools for putting your trust in that brute!"
Akoiren was yelling by the time he finished talking, his gold eyes glaring at Jazun. Neee kicked the other Diaelee in the face with his bare foot sending Akoiren's head cracking against the side of a control panel.
"You're the one who called in the Loordanians!" Neee screamed down at him. "You killed us all!"
Akoiren started to reply but Neee's sword plunged into his chest before he could utter another word. Akoiren grabbed onto the blade and tried to pull it out but Neee forced it deeper.
"This is for my father." Neee cried out as he twisted his weapon inside of Akoiren's chest before ripping it out.
The traitor gasped loudly, his labored breathing reminding Mireen of Duatta's last moments. She watched him give one shudder and die.
The ship was silent again, Mireen looking over everyone's somber faces before turning around to see Jazun staring out of the back of the ship into the jungle.
"We should go now." The dark elemental said calmly.
Neee grabbed Akoiren's body and drug him down the ramp, clearly being careful not to let his corpse touch Duatta's. He tossed the dead man into the grass without a second look before kneeling down over Duatta. A sad reverence fell over the ship as he slid his arms underneath the girl and picked her up, his gold eyes squinting like he was trying not to cry.
"They're almost here." Jazun said as Neee passed him by down the ramp.
Neee continued outside, holding Duatta in his arms before setting her tenderly down on the ground. The last Diaelee strode determinedly back into the ship, hitting the button to close the door behind him.
"Let's go." He said flatly while heading to the pilot's seat, stepping over the pool of Akoiren's blood.
***
The Regent fell against a tree with a groan, almost dropping his gun in the process. He tried to catch his breath as he realized his luck, the tree he had hit was the only one around not covered in giant curved thorns. Tillin readjusted his grip on his rifle and pressed his bloody hand harder against the sword wound Jazun had given him.
"I got you Regent." A strong voice said as a large hand wrapped around his side, pulling him upright.
Regent Torno turned to see Romenessen looking at him with a concerned look. Romenessen was one of the largest soldiers he had ever commanded, the brown haired man at least 6'5" of all muscle but not very outstanding otherwise.
"Thanks." Tillin nodded to his soldier as he stepped back, scanning ahead to see Ilenat waiting impatiently for them.
She was the absolute opposite of Romenessen; a thin elegant woman with long black hair and a plain face. Thank the sands she had survived. Ilenat was a marvelous scout and could shoot better than practically anyone he had ever trained.
"Move your asses." She whispered loudly back at them, her rifle ready at her shoulder.
Tillin smiled despite the pain and headed after her, Romenessen staying right behind him to stop his next fall.
Once the elemental fog had dissipated Tillin had gone after Jazun; he didn't know if he could catch up to them, or if he could do anything if he did, but he had to get the princess. Luckily Ilenat and Romenessen had found him before long, Ilenat already following Vorza's trail through the jungle. Tillin couldn't see any kind of path while moving through endless thorn trees but he trusted the skilled tracker, following her as fast as he could manage. He got increasingly dizzy as they went on, trying to shake his head to clear his mind but he almost fell again instead. Romenessen yanked him back to his feet, Tillin's whole chest burning with every breath. A blue light ahead made him perk up, Ilenat already running silently towards it to investigate. Tillin and Romenessen stopped to wait for her return but when the light got brighter Tillin couldn't wait.
"Come on!" He panted.
Tillin only got a few strides before Romenessen's hands came around his waist, picking him up off his feet and driving him forward. As they got closer Tillin could see that there was a clearing up ahead, Ilenat already inside of it.
"Get out here!" She screamed as a loud whirring began, shaking the leaves around them.
Romenessen and the Regent broke through the tree line just in time to see a small and worn blue ship rocket away into the night.
"DAMNIT!"
"Another ship!" Ilenat shouted, pointing across the clearing.
Romenessen grabbed Tillin roughly and scrambled forward after Ilenat. Tillin held his weapon against his chest as he looked at the other ship. He almost didn't believe his eyes. It was an old Loordanian scouter like the ones Tillin had used when he first joined the military.
"Where's the open?" Ilenat yelled as she reached the back of the cruiser.
"Left side." Tillin answered.
Ilenat sidestepped left and spotted the tiny black button on the side. She slammed her fist into it, the door dropping down onto the grassy field as her fellow soldiers caught up to her.
"I'll drive." She directed, moving past Tillin and Romenessen up towards the small metal pilot's seat.
Romenessen let go of the Regent and followed his superior officer into the military craft. The huge soldier plopped down into one of the four other seats while Tillin dropped down to his hands and knees. He pressed his free hand against the thin piece of metal covering the side of the ship and pushed it aside. The piece of metal slid over with a rough grating sound and Tillin's last shreds of hope left him.
"The power won't kick on!" Ilenat said concernedly, hitting the various controls repeatedly.
"Stop." Tillin said disparagingly, his voice too quiet to be heard.
He cleared his throat, grimacing at the pain caused by the simple action.
"Stop!" He said again, this time loud enough for Ilenat to turn and look at him in the dim cockpit of the ship. "There're no power cells."
Ilenat's passionate cursing filled the cabin for the next few minutes as Tillin laid on his back, staring up at the ship's curved metal ceiling. Now with a moment of rest a mournful anger consumed his psyche. He had failed. The Desert Sand had been decimated and Princess Vorza had still escaped. He thought of Jazun and his seemingly endless power. Tillin was somewhat surprised to find he felt no animosity towards the elemental. Jazun was exactly as he had expected him to be; a force of destruction. All of Tillin's anger was aimed at High Regent Vorza. Vorza. He had said his daughter had been kidnapped by elementals not fled with them by choice. And where had the warning about Jazun been? The High Regent had to have known that he was on Loordania. Now Tillin was to be left with nothing because she had teamed up with the most powerful elemental alive.
"Born with nothing, die with nothing." He murmured to himself, taking his hand away from his chest.
His blood eagerly bubbled out of his wound, a cooling calm spreading through his body. Peace.