The Fallen Queen~[✓]

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 44

After much of the arguments, we finally came to a consensus. I reminded people that fighting wouldn't help the fact that the entire Etis was in danger.

'I'm sealing borders and alerting all the warriors to be at their best. Officers? All of them shall permanently be work-ready at Pentatox.' Cecila declared as she typed something on both her laptop and her phone.

'Yes, we should ban inter-realm transportation and movement for some time, we'll be safer that way. We're also sending some of our best warriors here.' The Air Realm ruler said, facing towards Cecila. I didn't remember her name and I didn't want to, honestly. 'I hope you're ready with yours.'

After all three of them discussed and immediately started their duties, Mrs. Roy came over to us. 'I think for tonight you should all be staying at Ryan's place. Varya, you can join them too. I've talked to Prakash.' Mr. Roy was an integral part of the Pentatox, and hence they were very closely related to the official proceedings. In no time the hall filled with Officers, each doing a different chore.

'Yes, we'll go. Mom and Deisy may walk with us.' Aspen smiled weakly. I saw everyone's face darkened already. This is what happens when you do not pay attention to threats.

We left for the apartments on our Zephads. It was raining heavily, so much so that it was difficult to know what was in front. It was foggy too, so the cold pricked like pins. Our Zephads had rain cover, but we chose not to operate them. Varya was more than happy to experience some water, and we were really enjoying the heavy monsoon rain. We were all laughing at Ryan's very lame puns.

'Okay, Riya di, when did you start writing?' Varya asked after she finished coughing multiple times at Ryan's intentional lameness.

'I still remember I wrote a shitty poem in grade one, and then yeah. I wrote a lot of short poems and stories since then, and finally, in grade six, my script got selected for Middle School Annual Day back in Mumbai, and then yeah, I'm a school-level professional scriptwriter, short-story and songwriter.' I narrated. It was good to talk about normal things, and it was a fairly good conversation, with occasional speeches of coming back to reality by Mat. Deisy shortly left us, and we zoomed ahead.

Good experiences generally turn bad for me. That's how my life is.

'Kashi.' Ryan shouted as he knocked down a huge man. As I tried to look in more closely through the thick fog, I noticed about a dozen men like that heading towards us. I heard muffled screams from apartments with closed windows, who saw through them. They were tall and huge and had many cuts on their face. Their eyes were black, void, black and their teeth were sharp. One of them shapeshifted into an eagle.

Shapeshifters.

Varya instantly got into warrior mode. She swung her hands as a heavy gush of wind knocked one of them. She again swung her hands, but slight water came out. She hadn't mastered that art. She went back to her wind powers. Matilda summoned creepers and chocked two of them at once, helped by Aspen who did the same. Mat somehow had a sword in his hand, which he sliced through the eagle cum human. Ryan used his eyes, which sent electric shocks into the men's bodies.

Everyone was nicely prepared, except me. My magic? It was limited to setting dry leaves to fire and picking up and throwing a shot put ball far and wide.

But the Eagles were so powerful that they just kept fighting even if they were affected by the best forces. Some turned to eagles and started pecking at our flesh. I screamed as I drove one away with the swatting of my hands, its beak pierced through my arm, tearing my shirt.

'Get off me!' I cried. And I think they knew I was a powerless, tiny teenager, all of them except the ones fighting the others rushed towards me. I jumped off my Zephad as I ran with my eyes closed, towards I don't know where. When I opened them, I saw a blanket of Eagles with black eyes trying to pounce at me at once.

I prefer Mom's tantrums over this anytime.

As I was about to be devoured by Eagles, they suddenly stopped inches away from me, as if they were confused about whether to attack me or not. They instantly seemed puzzled, and then I swatted my hands again. Ryan came to my aid. We got a lot of bruises.

After almost fifteen minutes of trying to fight, finally, a warrior came to our aid and we were able to reach home. All five of us were bruised and Matilda had decided to go to the village, while Aspen and Mat stayed. Varya refused to leave too.

'Children, take care. All the forces have been rightly alerted.' Matilda said. 'Nature will protect us, don't worry. Just stick together and be vigilant. Don't come out of Ryan's place tomorrow until one of us comes to pick you.'

I looked around. Varya sat on the couch, trying to produce some water but not being able to do it greatly, with a sharp cut on her face. Aspen had her hair in such a mess like I had never seen before and Mat was bleeding at multiple places. Ryan had a cut over his eyebrows, and his t-shirt was ripped a bit too badly. He was trying to protect me and himself at the same time.

And I?

My arm was worse than ever. The cut from the Eagle's beak seemed to hurt a lot and even turned a color a bruise should generally not turn. My shirt which I was wearing, had a big tear in it. I gathered some heart to go pour some hot water for everyone and it was really helping all five of us.

I don't know for how long we stayed silent, Varya desperately trying to improve her magic, Aspen looking towards the window and the sky beyond and Mat staring blankly at the wall, sipping hot water. Varya abruptly stood up and walked towards the bathroom. I heard the tap water running and stop at the same time. She was using the bathtub and had taken her mermaid form. I heard her weep with a small voice, I decided to leave her alone.

Ryan and I looked at each other with painful eyes too, and then I slowly walked towards him and buried my head into his chest. I looked up and gave him a small kiss and he returned me with a prolonged forehead kiss. He then hugged me, wrapping his arms around me protectively, I didn't weep, but I just stayed there. We were hurt, and we need some time to process that.

His heat was my haven.

All of us had one thought in each other's mind, I'm sure,

Life had taken a big spin.

It was high time we addressed that.