Until We Fly

Chapter 37: Into The Storm

-James-

"Köleil, move!"
I screamed, pulling her back as a sharp clawed hand missed her arm by less than an inch.
Everyone was fighting with all their might.
But without their powers, the Guardians were finding it much more difficult.
There were too many Darks.
Too, too many.

You couldn't stand still for even a second or your arm, leg or anything else would get attacked.

Jake and Nim joined us pretty quickly.

"Where were you guys?"
I called out, shielding my eyes from the harsh wind and rain.

"We're here now. Come on!"
Jake began charging, slicing his way through crowds of Darks as the rain beat his body and the wind pushed him back.
But that didn't stop him.

Jūx was in the sky, floating on what looked like a mass of black sparks.
He'd stay in one place for a few seconds but then his body would flicker, almost glitch to either a few feet away or over a completely different building.

There was no way we'd be able to catch him like that.

The Darks were completely tearing the place apart.
Cars, houses...people....

It was horrible.
I almost couldn't even recognise my own street or house in the midst of so much chaos.

Everyone stayed close together, following Jake's lead as we made our way across the city.
But he paused.

"Quick! This way!"
He called out, diving under my old Willow tree.

"How's that going to help?!"
I shouted, just before seeing the circle of light surrounding the tree.
Nim smiled.
"It's the First! She must be helping us again!"

"Call her Kaîlei. She doesn't like that nickname."

"Uh...what?"
Nim frowned as we all scrambled beneath the trees protection.

Jake panted, his hair dripping wet.
"It's a shield. This'll have to be our safe spot."

"What now? Do we even have a plan?"
Myrora asked, peeking through the hanging branches at the scene outside.

"...this is never going to work. We should have thought it through."
Jake mumbled, leaning against the trunk as he desperately thought.

Köleil shuffled over to my side and took my hand.
"James...what happens now?"

"I don't know, Kö. Just let Jake think."

Jake raised his head, looking around at everyone.
"...he's moved. I can tell. He keeps switching between...five locations, I think. It looks like we'll have to split up."

"Wait, how do you know that?"
Poppy snapped, crossing her arms.

"No time. Nim, you go to Garvân. Lumai and Nabu, you two go to Kakadelia. Myrora, Baîk, go to the Greenlands. Poppy and Charlie can go to the other human area and James and Köleil can stay here. That way we'll be in all his locations. One of us will catch him for sure."

"What about you?"
I asked, watching as he tore rifts for the others.

"I'll use my last few rifts to try and match his exact location. Perhaps I can catch him."

"Alright. We'll try."
Nim nodded, giving Jake one last, sad look before stepping through her portal.
The others went too.

Before me and Köleil could head out, Jake stopped us.
"Hey, stay together. Watch where he is and try to get high enough to attack him. Here, give me your phone."

Jake took my phone, putting his number in.
"Keep me updated. I'll let you know if I can help. Good luck."
Opening another portal, Jake disappeared.