Eternity Through Sacrifice

Chapter 35

Cassandra glanced at this so-called "Prince" who kept glancing back and forth from Mireille. Mireille, herself also seemed as if she wanted the annoying boy gone. The group of twelve walked around the ruins and found numerous old monuments and temples crumbled to the ground. To Elaine, Cassandra, and Mireille this trip was long and dull. Though the are was fresh and filled with mana the three still couldn't bring themselves to enjoy it.

Cassandra put her arms around both her friends and whispered. "Wanna ditch?"

"Huh? Won't we get cau-"

"I'm in." Mireille replied nonchalantly. It wasn't exactly ideal for her to be around all of her death flags like this.

"Wait- But!" Elaine protested in vain as she was dragged away from the rest of the group by her two friends.

"No buts!"

"See! Isn't this better?" Mireille said as she soaked her feet into the lake. She watched as Elaine threw herself into it and splashed around in glee. As expected of a high ranking water spirit. She just adored the mana filled lake.

"WOOOO!" Cassandra screeched as she landed in the lake. "Man this is great! Way better than sticking with those jerks!"

MIreille relaxed herself. The previous uneasiness she had felt melted away at this lake. She leaned back, wanting to lie on the grass. When she opened her eyes she saw a familiar golden color. She closed them again, hoping it would be gone when she opened them one more. They were not. "Why're you here?" She asked, not hiding her slightly disgusted tone. Kian la Reial. Kian la Reial. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be with the rest of the group?

"Oh, I, uh... Came to look for you guys? Am I unwelcome?"

"Precisely." Cassandra answered from the lake, soaked from head to toe. Elaine chuckled awkwardly from the lake.

"Why'd you guys leave the group anyways?"

"Why not?" Elaine giggled. She liked it here better than with the rest of the group anyways. Kian pouted slightly. Why were all three of the girls giving him such evasive and round-about answers. He insisted on bringing them back to the group while the three girls just shrugged him off. In the end, Kian la Reial ended up staying with the small group.

"Go back to Pinkie and Grasshead, won't you?" Cassandra sighed as she got out of the lack.

"Wha-"

Mireille snapped her fingers to dry Cassandra off, and nodded slightly. "You probably should."

"Agreed." Elaine smiled as she climbed out of the lake.

None of the girls really wanted Kian la Reial around. Truthfully, it was they were being monitored. The three girls kept giving each other shifty glances, paying close attention to the boy behind them. Should they ditch him? The answer was without a doubt "yes".

Mireille weighed the options. First, they could politely drop him off with the teachers, however, they'd likely question why they weren't with the rest of the group either. Second, they could return him to the group. Or third, they could just straight up leave him in the woods. After a quick and silent vote, the second option was surprisingly chosen. 

Though they didn't appreciate the boy's presence, the three girls also weren't cruel enough to leave him, stranded in thick woods of the ruins. Cassandra quickly used tracking magic and found the other group quite far from their own. "C'mon! Let's go this way!"

"Could you guys at least tell me where we're going?" Kian sighed, with a displeased look on his face.

"Back to Pinkie and Grasshead's group, duh?"

Mireille and Elaine gave slight smirks to Cassandra's sarcastic attitude. However Kian la Reial's face simply  bloomed with relief, and he encouraged everyone else to quickly head back. They walked directly to the other group and they soon met at a open grass field in the middle of the forest. Kian quickly ran towards the other group, waving as he ran.

However Mireille quickly pulled him back into the shadow. Elaine and Cassandra immediately put their guards up when they ominous miasma in the air. Even Kian and the other group quickly retreated into the shadow of the trees. The wind violently beat around them as a large figure landed in the open field.

A man? Mireille didn't even need to scan whatever it was to figure out that it wasn't human. Horns, large wings, and scales which covered its arms, face and legs. Mireille shook. She didn't know if it was fear or fury.

"Dragonia."

The figure disappeared in an instant and appeared by Marie Fylan's group. Her shrill scream pierced everyone's ears. Mireille grabbed Kian and whispered, "We're getting the hell out of here." To Cassandra and Elaine.

"Wait! We have to go and get the others." Kian protested.

"Do you want your life or theirs? Our numbers alone won't bring us victory." Mireille knew. If her parents couldn't survive a massacre of a single Dragonia, there was no way a bunch of kids could handle one.

Silence. Marie Fylan's screeching stopped and the large man stood over Mireille. She whipped out a magic stone and threw it on the Dragonia. At the same time the group made their getaway. "Tempest." She mumbled to activate another magic stone. The group then reunited and Mireille gave out quick instructions.

"We're getting the hell out of here! Back to the inn!" Going back to the Headmaster was their best chance of survival. The group acted quickly and ran as quickly as they could. Mireille felt a push on her back and stumbled, creating quite the distance between her and the rest of the group.

She looked onto Marie Fylan who's smirk turned to repulsive tears. "MIREILLE!"