Devil's Knot

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Someone taps my shoulder. I bolt upright and slam into something.
"Ow..." I groan. So does the something. I click on my lamp. Doe stands back, running her forehead.
"Ouch." She states plainly. I laugh a little, but then Doe looks at me with a frown. So I stop.
"What?" I ask, my voice low and scared.
"Come on." I jump out of bed and follow her, not bothering to change clothes, because I slept in my clothes from yesterday. We walk down the hallway, our brisk footsteps echoing through the halls. Lights flicker in the distance and a small commotion comes from Cier's room. I start jogging and eventually I run to the doorway, pushing people out of the way. But before I can see inside of the room, a hand grabs my wrist, jolting me to a stop.
"Wait." Says Doe. I turn with my heart in my throat.
"I just had to tell you, that whatever happens we will find the top ten and win this war, okay?" I nod. How can she be so calm, when Cier could be in danger.
Maybe nothing happened. Or maybe she's so shocked that she can't be anything but blank. Calm.
She lets go of my wrists, and I turn back to face the wall of people. I push through, sometimes shoving people aside. Once I get through everyone and clearly see what happened, I fall to my knees.
I clutch my stomach in a desperate attempt to calm myself down. A hand, warm and familiar, rubs slow circles on my back. I time my breathing with each circle, and cal m down enough to look up.

Up on the wall, pinned with chains. Cier's face frozen mid scream. She was petrified in her sleep. Turned to a real life statue. Her face is pale and bloodless, but still hers. At least she's not stone. That would be worse.
But it's still bad. I back up slowly, but I stumble as I walk and fall backwards. Someone catches me. They take me by the waist and turn me around, leading me down the hallway and out a doorway. The fresh air of the "real world" in this fake world somehow calms my nerves. I walk over to a bush and throw up in it. There's a rustling of grass and I turn around to see Rin standing in the clearing.
"We're you the one...who...?" I can't finish my sentence. He hold out a water bottle. Not sure where that came from but I'm sure glad he had it on hand.
I gulp down half of it, and then remember my manners. But then I think, to hell with manners! And chug the rest.
"Thirsty?" He asks softly. I smile weakly,
"A bit." He nods and warm, soft silence fills the air. Even the fake birds are quiet. Rin sees my expression. That or ye can read my mind. His arms are out tentatively in front of him. Inviting me into the comfort of his embrace. My face falls and the first tear if many that day does too. I walk into his arms, shaking.
"Shh," he comforts me. "She'll be okay, alright, Kenta?" Tears fall freely marking my cheeks with hot salty tracks, tracing my face and falling onto his shirt. I break down in tears after that.
"But what if she's not okay, Rin? What then?" He sighs, as if he hadn't thought about it.
"Well, I should have you know, that anybody who's ever been petrified before has come back, Kenta." I keep crying and stands me up holding my by the shoulder.
"Cier feels nothing, and she felt nothing." He says. I nod.
"Okay." I whisper.
"Are you good now?" He asks me. I shake my head.
"Okay...well, hop on." He says and turns around crouching down a little bit. I choke back another stream if tears and climb onto his sturdy back. He stands straight, his arms grasping underneath my knees. My arms hug his shoulders and he starts running. I've never felt anything like to before. The wind in your face and the chill of the air running over your head. It was like bliss. And Rin kept warm underneath me, and he made sure that I never even slipped. His hands held steady underneath me.
It wasn't untill we arrived that I realized he was taking me somewhere.
The green had just blurred together untill I closed my eyes and put my head down on his shoulder. His heart bet a steady, yet faint rhythm. His body didn't even jostle under me, it stayed smooth. I guess that comes with being a messenger. I tap my shoulder and my wings materialize. They cut through the wind and I flap them. I think Rin gets the idea. He lets me go and I fly. I spin around and around in freedom, keeping pace with him. I guess I've grown pretty strong. I remember when he had to pretty much jog in order for me to keep up. and even then I couldn't go for long. But now, it's a piece of cake. He glances up and see me flying. His face lights up in a smile. I fly down next to him and then it's just me, Rin and the wind, all the entity. We come up to hill and the climb gets steep, even for Rin.
We near the top when Rin grabs my waist and pulls me down on the ground. I frown, everything rushing back to me. I hadn't forgotten, I had just let the wind become stronger. I'm still holding in on myself, but with Rin, I can keep myself standing just a little longer.
"Close your eyes." He tells me. I abide and close my eyes. His hands hold mine and he leads me up to the top of the hill. I'm tempted to peek, but I won't. I smell something different though. It smells like...oh what is it! I sigh, and decide to let Rin take his time.
He lets go of me eventually and then softly tells me to open my eyes.
The sun glitters off of the wide lake, underneath this high cliff. And then I realize, I recognize the lake. I've been here before. Months ago, when I was camped with all of my other Flyers, before we lost the three of them. Before everything seemed impossible. When anything was possible.
The lake near the capitol city, or the plaza, or whatever it was. When this whole thing turned out to be a trap after all. I step back a little bit, and then sprint forward, past Rin's outstretched hand, past the treeline, and off the cliff. I dive down and skim over the water, spray coming up and getting my face wet. The sun is high in the sky now and I dive under water. Somehow, my wings keep working, and the propel me through the water. I pop out from under the water and fly around, letting the fear, and the anger, and the sadness free. I fly until my back aches and I'm cold from the wind. Rin shouts for me to come to him. So I do. He smiles a small smile.
"Too tired to take me for a dive too?" He asks.
"Never!" I breathe and stick my wet hands out.
"That probably won't work." Rin says, laughing a little. I chuckle too, and then tell him to hold onto my belt. He does as I say and I tighten it a notch.
"Okay?" I ask.
"Yeah!" He yells and starts running as I fly. He leaps off the cliff and with the help of me, Rin flies too.
"Yeah baby!" He yells. Then he starts to cry. I guess he was string for too long. So I fly faster and faster until the world is just a blur. I dive down and shout to him.
"Under water?" He nods. I could t to three and then dive under. The water becomes a storm of bubbles and I come up after a couple seconds.
"More!" He shouts like a kid.
I comply, and go under for as long as he can. When he needs air he'll tap my side and then I propel ourselves up and out. He and I gasp in the cool spring air and we let ourselves go. Under the water and up in the sky.

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Hey guys! I know not much happened this chapter, but I hope you liked it. Considering I have had writers block all week, but I have an idea for next chapter, so get excited! Alright, that's it for now, bye friends! =]