A massive slab of stone pulled apart the grass that had overrun it, creaking open as a white, scaled claw lifted it up with ease. One by one, five cloaked figures clambered out of the underground tunnel. Right in the middle of the enemy's encampment.
There were hundreds of tents set up in front of the Saika Castle and everything from weapons to explosives were littered around every inch of the area that they had claimed.
It was just as Zeno had said. The secret passageway had led from the slums directly into the front of the castle but it clearly hadn't been used for some time.
Kija flailed his arms around, expression contorting in disgust and horror at the many dead and alive insects that clung to his once white clothes. "That passageway was full of spiders!!"
"Pfft, Hakuryuu, you're covered in webs~" Zeno sang casually, dancing around him in a ring despite the numerous soldiers that were looking upon the odd group, puzzled.
"Jae-ha, remove them for me, please." Kija begged with terror in his eyes, raising a trembling arm.
"I rather not touch anything that isn't beautiful." The green dragon replied simply. "I leave it up to you, Shin-ah."
"Ah..." He trailed off quietly and winced, unsure of what to do, feeling like he was caught in the middle of them.
Hak raised an eyebrow at the netting that covered the Seiryuu. "Shin-ah, are you a spider's nest?"
One of the men hesitatingly raised his spear, uncertain of whether or not the newcomers posed a real threat given all their casual conversation they were having in the middle of their camp. "Who... Who are you guys?!"
"Ah... Greetings, Sen Province soldiers from far away." Jae-ha flourished his arm grandly, pairing it with a sly smirk. "We're sorry, but the camp you set up is causing trouble for the people in Saika. Could you please withdraw?"
Kija's distress faded into background noise as the eldest dragon's violet eyes flickered with a hint of eagerness.
"If you retreat without a fuss, we won't have to hurt you."
The soldiers' expressions showed that they didn't care, nor did they believe a word he was saying. After all, what harm could a handful of random guys do to a couple thousand soldiers?
But still, they eyed him warily. "Who are you?"
Jae-ha's eyes narrowed the slightest bit as he drew himself up, a crafty smirk curling further on the edge of his mouth.
"We are monsters."
Meanwhile, Kija had yet to free himself of the monstrous, eight-legged creatures.
"Ao!! Stop it!! Spiders aren't something to eat!!" He wailed in anguish as Shin-ah plucked them off of his robe and fed them to his companion tucked in the front of his shirt.
"You're being too noisy, White Snake!!" Hak yelled over his shoulder.
His head swiveled back as the agaonized shrieking didn't let up and he boredly regarded the men before him, huffing in anticipation. Cobalt eyes turned stormy and the grip on his glaive tightened as he prepared himself for the inevitable.
It was finally time they drove them out of their homeland.
"Now, will you kindly retreat?" Jae-ha repeated, his voice like smooth silk.
It was stark against the deadly glint in his eyes and those closest to him flinched, taking a few steps back before their resolve hardened and they began to shout.
"No way!!"
"Who do you think you are?!"
"Get him!!"
The crowd surrounding them surged in on all sides.
And in that split second, Kija's wailing ceased and Zeno's baby blue eyes darkened, bubbly smile disappearing. The ring of a sword being drawn drowned out the battle cries and Shin-ah immediately dove into the fray. A flick of wrist allowed several knives to appear between Jae-ha's fingers and he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him.
"Oh Hak," He threw the ex-general who had engaged the soldiers a devious glance. "Make sure you put on a good show, Yona dear is watching."
"Shut up, Droopy-Eyes." He retorted, blowing hair out of his eyes as he spun around, cutting down the man attempting to sneak up on a carefree Zeno skipping around.
Jae-ha's wily grin grew as he noticed a change in the Thunder Beast's attacks, a ferocity and power behind it that wasn't there before.
"T-They're monsters!!" The soldiers stuttered from where they had been knocked to the ground by the white one's abnormal white hand.
The green dragon's chest rumbled with laughter as he flew above them, a genuine smile spreading across his face at the familiar rush of wind whipping around him. "That's what I said."
They all were holding their own fairly well but scattering 2000 soldiers was no easy feat. Well, except Zeno who wasn't doing anything besides somehow expertly avoiding all attacks and diverting their attention to something else.
Hak panted, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead as he braced his spear against two swords, gritting with the effort of keeping them at bay. Arms shaking, he finally pushed them off, slicing his glaive at their heads but he misjudged the distance.
It was just supposed to scare them, nothing more, but he was closer than he thought. His jaw locked and he tried to pull back, but it was too late.
A blur of midnight obsidian and steel flashed before his eyes, tipping it up just in time so that the momentum carrying him forward didn't stab them, but rather grazed the tops of their heads.
Twin daggers simultaneously slashed at their legs as she passed, darting in and out of his field of vision at the speed of light.
"Better watch it." Calista smirked at her brother from underneath her mask, breaking him out of his shocked trance. "C'mon, concentrate!!"
He growled at her, but it was playful and his smirk showed acceptance to her challenge. He heaved his weapon onto his shoulders and zipped after her. It dropped down to his side to swipe at the men coming at him, taking extra precautions to not impair any of them fatally.
He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Meanwhile, the assassin had wove out of the crowd, puncturing anywhere but vital points of the body and when she did strike, it was only enough to wound them so that they did not bleed out.
This required more precision and attention that she was used to dishing out during a fight, but her silver eyes filled with determination and her brow knitted at the resolve set in her heart.
Hastily wiping her forehead with the back of her hand to get rid of the sweat beginning to drip into her eyes, she glanced around, assessing the situation in a matter of moments.
She was the only one with mobility like this. All the others were still stuck in the same area, spread out, but contained by the mass still advancing.
Distraction.
They needed a distraction.
Then, a fire arrow came out of nowhere, lighting one of the tents on fire.
Perfect. Yona's archery has improved exceptionally. Calista grinned, sending several knives spiraling towards the line of soldiers closing in on Kija.
He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and ducked just in time. She sprinted towards him, picking up the blades that had missed their mark from the ground, sending them tunneling towards the fresh wave replacing the fallen soldiers.
Shin-ah doubled back, sweeping his black sword in a wide arc to keep them from getting any closer.
This went on for another minute, but it felt like eternity. And they weren't invincible either.
Calista winced as irritating stings popped all over her body, slowly making themselves known and distorting her focus. She was definitely going to feel this tomorrow.
In that distracted second, someone had taken the opportunity to take care of her.
But her body was moving much slower than she commanded.
She raised her arm up to block the sword instinctively, forgetting to flatten her daggers against her wrist to give her some protection. The metal cut cruelly into her arm and she cried out at the pain that vibrated through her entire body, losing her footing and falling to the ground.
The crowd was too thick and somehow, when she wasn't looking, she had gotten separated from the rest of them.
Foolish.
Rolling away from the man that tried to finish her off, she staggered up to her feet, hood falling away as she lost her balance.
All traffic around her froze as their bewildered stares landed on her face.
"Silver eyes..."
"Raven hair..."
"Kill her!!"
"Wait!!" A lone boy blocked his path, no older than twelve years old. "You can't touch her!!"
He wasn't a warrior by the looks of it. Tattered rags barely covered him. He lacked armor and Calista squinted before her eyes widened in disbelief. There was dried blood crusted on his knuckles and a few scarlet scars on his left forearm.
They brought him over?!
He didn't falter despite the nasty looks thrown his way as he got in between the soldiers and their kill. "She has a master. She's protected by the laws of the underground."
The scoff in response sent a chill down her spine. "That doesn't mean anything here, boy."
She tried to take a step forward to defend the slave stupidly standing up for her, but immediately, an arm pushed her back.
"Don't move." He hissed at her with unparalleled rage. "Or they'll attack your friends."
Calista halted at that. But all the noise of their argument faded into the back of her mind as she caught sight of an anomaly.
Shin-ah was standing in the middle of the battlefield, motionless as he gazed at something far away that she couldn't make out.
The dragons and Hak had circled around him, but they were getting overwhelmed. All of the sudden, her brother perked up, spotting something through the army.
Her gaze followed his line of sight and cold dread plummeted into the pit of her stomach.
Her feet were moving before she was aware of what she was doing.
The archer pulled back, nocking a steel tipped arrow and lining up his sights for the one person that was standing completely still among everyone else.
She pushed herself faster, spurring into an even faster run. Fragments of Tae-sik's broken body flashed through her mind without consent and she gritted her teeth as tears of frustration started to stream from her eyes.
Not again.
No. Please!! Let me save him!!
It unfolded before her eyes.
The arrow flew the air, streamlining towards the unsuspecting blue dragon's heart and she reached out for him desperately.
Please!!
Too many things happened at once.
She came closer and closer, starting to turn heads as her comrades looked to see what got her attention. Hak tried to intercept her but he and Kija collided in a moment of ill fated clumsiness and faintly, she registered for Jae-ha shouting for her to stop. She thought she saw golden hair pass by her but it was too quick and then it was gone.
There was a spurt of crimson, splashing onto her face and staining her skin. Her silver eyes grew cloudy and unfocused as she stumbled dangerously on her feet.
A hoarse cry tore from Shin-ah's throat and he was jolted out of his reverie as she took a tumble.
He raced to catch her before she fell, traumatized horror etched in his features as she collapsed in his arms.
The ugly projectile meant for him had portuded through her left forearm, gushing more blood by the second as the previous wound was knocked into, tearing at the seams as it dug in deeper.
"Hak!!" He blurted out in alarm, angling his body so that she was fully shielded by any other attacks.
The only thing running through his mind was to protect her. There was nothing else.
"Get her out of here!!" Hak yelled at Jae-ha preparing to jump to where Yona and Yoon were.
He gathered her up, being careful of her injury as her brother and Kija took care of the stray troops who were loitering around, hoping to finish her off but to no such luck.
The two went as far as to push back, relataliating with such vengeance that had the remaining troops shaking with fear.
Shin-ah couldn't feel his fingers, heart pounding too loudly in his ears from the shock as the feeble girl was passed on to the safety up above. "Hold on, Calista... Hold on..."
Please... You're going to be okay...