Phoenix (Disconnected)

VIII-XXV

Nhinx

"Slowdown, miss Rose!" Sir Elliot plead as I push myself forward with much speed than a second ago.

"If we didn't hurry, who knows what will happen!" I yelled back without turning my head to looked at Sir Elliot

We approach a woman, who's busy inspecting a huge cauldron. "Excuse me," I called out.

She stands straight and turned around to look at me. "Hmn?" I looked at Sir Elliot for help.

He stepped forward and talk to the woman using the land's language. I looked around to see if I can sense Nicole's presence using an air spell.

I can't seem to catch anything. It's either, she went far or went somewhere with tight security premises.

I flinch when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Sir Elliot. "W-What did she say?" I asked, still surprised.

According to the woman, she saw a girl with short wavy brown hair taken by his guardian in a robe. Turns out they went west.

"It's her, a man got her! Let's hurry!" I frantically grab Sir Elliot and drag him towards where the woman said.

-----

"Are you sure this is the only way?" I asked for the fifth time.

Sir Elliot nodded. "If we want to go unnoticed, blending in is the best way."

These robes make me feel uncomfortable and tight. I'll burn these after we get Nicole.

We found out that the man who took Nicole was a member of a secret organization, the children of Hel...They buy children from black markets and converting these kinds into one of them. The children they bought don't have a choice but to comply, that is if they don't want to be a lifeless bag of flesh.

Sir Elliot fixed his robe one last time and went to the checkpoint entrance. I, uncomfortably, adjust mine too before following behind.

A robed person halted and looked at Sir Elliot. My heart's thumping very fast and my palms started to sweat.

I can't see Sir Elliot's face because of the hood. I can't understand what they're talking about, but the robed man looked at me, and I shrink back behind Sir Elliot.

The robed person's mouth is the only visible part of their face. They smirked and looked back at Sir Elliot. I want to wipe that f**** smirk off.

They stepped aside and let us through, thank goodness. "What did you tell them?" I asked.

Looking straight ahead, Sir Elliot answered me, "I told them that we're here for the meeting and recruitment." I was about to open my mouth to ask again when he spoke again. "Intuition, I have a feeling there's a meeting event with all these believers."

I nodded ever so slightly. As we arrived at the designated place, I saw another robed person on the stage, but their robe is in a different color, darker. He spread his arms and said something in, according to Sir Elliot, a North Ethelunian language.

The next happening made me pale. Two robed person drags a girl, who's struggling within their grasp, on the stage.

"Let me go! You must all know that I have stage fright!" She tries to struggle again but eventually failed.

"It's Nicole, we need to get up there!" I was about to run when sir Elliot grab my arms and shakes his head. "If we do, we can't take them all."

The person who gave the speech holds out a silver knife. "A-Ahahahaha...I'm actually diagnosed to have a silver knife allergy h-hahaha...aachoo! See?" Nicole tries to pry backward.

Time is running out, I look at Sir Elliot. "Then what?! We can't let her get sliced!"

Sir Elliot looked at me and turned his back. "Follow me," I did not question where, now is not the time to ask.

We push our way to the crowd until we reached the other end of the stage. Sir Elliot holds out his palms towards the crowd and mumbles something. The next thing I knew, the robed people starts freaking out.

"Now!" Sir Elliot signals, I ran up to the stage as Sir Elliot follows, knocking out the two people holding Nicole.

"Glad to see you guys!" Nicole beamed, I grabbed her arms and pulled her along with us. "I'll deal with you later, but first run!"

We ran behind the big ruins that we entered earlier. "What did you do them?" I asked Sir Elliot as we ran.

"Tenebric, causing temporary blindness. Hurry, that bridge leads to the town, if we cross that, we will be able to escape them." Sir Elliot pointed at the bridge ahead of us.

"Not to uh, spoil but um...they're behind us and that is one high bridge!" Nicole waved her arms that made her look like a migrating duck and point behind us. I looked behind us and saw them running after us. "Do you have to flap like that?" I asked, she just rolled her eyes. "How am I suppose to get your guys' attention?"

"Less talking more running." Sir Elliot ordered. We're almost at the end of the bridge when some of them appear in thin air on the other side.

"Plan B, anyone?" Nicole stopped running and grab our sleeve to stop us.

The distance decreases in second, trapped in between. "I hope everyone likes water!" Sir Elliot grab both of Nicole and my hands then took off running to the edge and jumped.

All can hear is my screaming and Nicole's cheering. "Woohoo! This is like an action movie!" Then she looked at me like she remembered something. "I can't swim!"

The yell was cut with a deafening splash and cold sensation in my body. I desperately swim on the surface and took a mouthful of air then cough.

The pressure is strong that I barely manage to withstand it. "Miss Rose!" Sir Elliot waved his hand. "Where's Nicole?!" I yelled.

We both looked around to see nothing. "S***." I blurted out. "See the log over there? You go, I'll look for Miss Reese." Sir Elliot swims towards me to guide me towards the log. "Please be quick!" I desperately told him as he nodded and dived.

I hug the log tightly as I can, but my body felt tired. I'll just close my eyes for a second, maybe I can regain my strength back.

"Miss Rose!"