I have been extremely busy this past week, working hard to finish some art projects and essays for a few classes, plus I had to fly home (Alaska) this weekend for a funeral, then fly right back, so I've beene xtra exhausted this week. Sorry for the lack of updates. ><
But I'm back now, and turned in my projects, so I'll be trying to draw something else soon, as well as enter a challenge before the due date XP
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Betrayal of the Angels
Chapter 14
"When are we gonna find the friggin' Cathedral??!!" Kalon yelled, turning left and right, looking for a structure that resembled a temple.
"We just found it," Davis said. He pointeddown a narrow street. Barely visible at the end was a Cathedral-looking building.
"About time!" Dimi said happily. "I was beginning to worry for awhile there that Kalon would kill someone before we got there!"
“Keep your voices down..." Jim said quietly, looking up at the buildings around them. "People are sleeping, and we don't need to be acting suspicious..."
"Oh, yeah, right!" Dimi whispered, putting a finger to his lips.
"Screw it! Come on Caza! Let's close this Gate!" Kalon said, and started stomping away towards the Cathedral of Winds.
"What's up with you...?" Caza asked.
"I'm out of my damn cigarettes!" Kalon said through gritted teeth. Caza sighed before reaching into his back pocket.
"Here. You can keep'em." Caza said dully, handing Kalon a full pack of cigarettes.
"Caza, you smoke?" Kalon asked, putting a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.
"No. I just keep them for times like these when you run out," Caza said in all seriousness.
"Huh...you can be a jackass, can't you?" Kalon said, taking a nice, long drag of his cigarette. Caza smiled slightly, but it only remained for an instant before it disappeared again.
The plaza surrounding the Cathedral of Wind was large in the shape of a perfect circle. The stones that decorated the paved plaza were all yellow and light green in color. The colors flowed in harmony, complementing one another and shimmered in the light of the full moon. The Cathedral itself was golden in the dim light, with multiple spiraled towers leading up to the full height of the Cathedral. The towers seemed to out of place at first, but once one looked at them for a moment they appeared more natural and flowed in a calming way. The entrance to the Cathedral had no doors, and the stairs leading up to the entrance were curved outward, giving the whole place a unique touch.
"This is the Cathedral?!" Dimi said, craning his neck to look at the spiraled towers.
"It looks awesome!" Davis said out loud, forgetting to be quiet for the moment. "I wonder if all of the Cathedrals look like this."
"I'm sure they're all different depending on the Element..." Caza said in his deep monotone voice. He slowly made his way to the entrance, then noticed nobody else was following him.
"Can we come in too, since we're not Wind Users?" Davis asked.
Caza shrugged. "It can't hurt to try."
Once they entered the Cathedral they saw that the building had no real ceiling. From inside they could see the spirals clearly, and saw that each spiral tower led to one epicenter in the sky. Suspended in midair around the Cathedral airspace were statues. Each statue was floating calmly with no seem attachments. The statues and carvings on them revealed wounds and deaths brought on by the Great War. Other statues showed people in prayer, and Angels descending the Heavens. The Angel of Wind was clearly visible among the other statues with his golden aura about him. Beside him was the First Descender of the Angel of Wind.
Caza stared silently at the Statues of his Cathedral. They were all beautiful, but sad. Caza walked towards an Alter in the center of the room that was surrounded by pews. Kalon, Jim, Davis, and Dimi all waited by the door, looking around at the golden temple.
Caza stood on the center of the room and looked up. All the spiraled towers above him all circled the Cathedral and all the towers ended above the spot he was standing on.
"Go Caza!" Dimi yelled, breaking the silence and making Caza flinch. "You can do it! I believe you can shut doors! Close that Gate Caza! I believe in you!"
"Shut up!" Kalon, Jim, and Davis all whispered violently at Dimi. Dimi shrugged, not seeing what he was doing so wrong.
Caza went back to looking up at the spirals. They were all shaped perfectly, creating what looked like a tornado above him.
He suddenly realized what he was supposed to do. Caza closed his golden eyes and focused on the air around him. The air suddenly began to move, in a circle around Caza. The wind slowly began to whirl faster around Caza, making his hair and clothes blow gracefully in the wind. As the wind picked up speed, unseen glyphs appeared on the statues that were suspended in midair along with the spirals and walls. The carvings in the Cathedral glowed a brilliant golden color around Caza. Inside his cyclone of Wind Energy, Caza opened his eyes. He stared straight ahead, then focused the power of his storm upward. The tornado grew around Caza, making Jim, Davis, Kalon and Dimi all shield their faces from the violent wind lashing at them. The wind grew to the height of the Spirals atop the Cathedral, and seemed to block out the moonlight.
In an instant the Wind died, and returned to the calm serene air it had been before. The Spirals of the Cathedral all shattered, and fell around Caza, still shimmering with their golden brilliance. The statues that hung in the air suddenly fell to the floor and shattered to nothing but rubble. The remaining walls around the Cathedral lost their glimmer and shine to the moonlight, leaving Caza standing in the center of it all, looking as emotionless as ever.
Dimi cautiously took the first step forward towards Caza, being careful not to touch any of the shattered remains of the temple that littered the floor.
"Caza, you totally just ruined this temple!" Dimi said, finally reaching Caza. Caza had both hands in his pants pockets, and he looked mildly happy with his result.
"The Wind Gate's closed though, right?" Jim asked, looking at the ruined Cathedral.
"It should be..." Kalon said, more calm now that he had his cigarettes.
"You mean each one of us gets to ruin our very own Cathedrals?!" Dimi said, getting excited. "That's so cool! I can't wait to reap destruction with permission! I hope my Cathedral's cooler than this one, tat way I'll have more to destroy!"
Dimi wrapped his arm around Caza's shoulder as he spoke very fast, fantasizing his own Cathedral of Water.
"What is this blasphemy?!" A loud, booming voice came from behind them. The five Users looked past the altar, to the very back of the hall. Near the back, now nearly covered in rubble was a narrow doorway no one had noticed before. An older man with gray hair wearing the white robed of a priest was standing among the rubble, staring at the intruders with shock and surprise.
"This is the sacred House of the Angel of Wind! What did you do to this beautiful Cathedral, sinners?!" the Priest raved, throwing his arms about the rubble.
"Calm down old man!" Dimi said, waving his hand up and down. He still had his arm around Caza's shoulder, and he pointed to Caza with his free arm. "This guy's the Descender of the Angel of Wind! It's okay!"
"DIMI YOU BACKWARDS BLUE-HAIRED BASTARD!!" Kalon yelled, raising his fists at the Priest.
Dimi quickly covered his mouth. "But he's a Priest! I thought he wouldn't---"
"No Dimi, you don't think!"
The Priest's face was now plain shock, and he stumbled backwards, tripping over a piece of rubble that was once the Angel of Wind.
"What do we do?!" Jim asked, looking around at the others.
"We shouldn’t just leave him..." Davis said. "He'll tell someone and the whole city will be on alert..."
"Dimi you punk-ass little bitch! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Kalon was still yelling threats at Dimi, who was now hiding behind Caza, screaming apologies, trying to avoid Kalon's punches.
"The city's already on an alert...but still..." Jim looked back at the Priest. The Priest had picked himself up from the fall and was quickly trying to get through the narrow doorway at the opposite end of the hall.
"Jim!" Caza yelled to his son while fending Kalon away from Dimi. Jim kicked off from his ground, and flew at the Priest. The Priest was almost at the door when Jim flew up from behind and grabbed the Priest.
"Now what?" JIm asked, still holding the Priest down.
"Knock him out!" Caza yelled back.
"Davis! Hit him!" Jim said, holding the struggling old man towards Davis.
"I'm not hitting an old, defenseless man!" Davis yelled.
"JUST DO IT!" Caza and Jim yelled together. Jim tried holding the old priest as still as he could.
"Sinners!" The Priest screamed, "You, the very Angels of this world would turn on your own kind?" Davis stopped his fist. "You are all sinners, and will go to hell! Angels who betray the Gods will be punished!"
Kalon stopped struggling against Caza, and looked down. His last cigarette had been crushed in the struggle to beat Dimi to a living pulp, and he sighed.
"You know what I hate...?" Kalon said. His voice was surprisingly calm. "About your kind I mean, Priest? I hate people like you...thinking you're better than me, because you believe in something that might not exist..."
"The Gods do exist!" The Priest proclaimed loudly. "Their Angels sired you and your kind! You who turn against your creators, you will not be shown mercy when you die!"
Kalon turned swiftly on his heel and slowly walked to the Priest. The Priest lost his religious courage, and shrunk back in fear. Kalon raised one gloved fist, his face was serious.
"No Priest, that is where you are wrong..." Kalon said, his voice regaining its venom. Kalon struck the Priest hard over the head with his iron-knuckled gloved. The Priest fell to the ground unconscious. They all stared in silence at the priest, laying on the ground amongst the golden rubble.
"We should really get going..." Davis said, backing away towards the entrance of the ruined Cathedral. "Before someone else finds us."
"Yeah..." Dimi said. He followed Davis the rest out of the temple, taking one last look back. "I'm sure someone in this town is gonna notice one of their precious Cathedrals is shut down..."
Kaira looked back up at the clock. It read 10:50. They had just under an hour until they had to leave.
"We can't stay in the city after we leave, can we?" Kaira asked Ken. Kyo and Taj were still fighting silently at each other, and Kaira had decided it would be best to not sit with either of them for awhile. She was leaning against the wall next to Ken, holding her sleeping dragon.
"I seriously doubt it," Ken said flatly. "The man at the desk said there are patrols in the city at night, it wouldn't be as safe as out in the fields outside of town."
"Oh..." Kaira said softly, looking down at her Dragon. She had known Ken for several years, not as well as she knew Taj or Jim. She couldn't say she disliked him, but sometimes it was hard to like him. He never gave her any special attention like Taj or Davis, he just treated her the way he treated everyone else; with the respect he decided they deserved. He was never mean to her, just polite enough. Kaira thought Ken had picked up his irritation with Taj from Kalon and Dimi.
"I wish they wouldn't fight..." Kaira said softly, looking between Kyo and Taj. Ken gave Kaira a hopeless look.
"They'll stop eventually..."
"When?"
Ken paused, considering how much he should tell her. "When one of them wins..."
"How do you think everyone else is doing?" Kaira asked. It was the first thing that came to mind when she tried thinking of something to change the conversation.
"Well, the city isn't on fire yet," Ken said sarcastically. "It can't be going too bad yet."
"When they close a Gate, do the Users of that Element lose their powers then, or after when the Seventh Gate is sealed?"
"After the Seventh Gate is sealed." Ken answered. "There'd be no use for the Seventh Gate if it was otherwise."
"You're so smart Ken..." Kaira laughed softly.
"Of course I am," Ken said. He didn't sound fazed by Kaira's compliment. "I was raised by Professor Bob, I know how to think for myself."
"You had Eliazar killed..." Ryo said in his deadly voice. "You didn't seriously think I was going to let you get away from that unpunished?"
"That's all a misunderstanding Demon--Ryo!" Janon resourced to actually calling Ryo by his preferred name. "I had to have the Steward killed! I was under Camaria's orders to take over the throne! Since they thought the Wind, Water, and Earth User Angels were dead, it had to be me!"
"You're pathetic, Ghost." Ryo said. "You killed the Steward, and on top of that, you framed me, so I'd get blamed..."
"I had no choice," Janon said, almost pleadingly. He reached behind his back, drew his bow and strung an arrow. "I was under Camarian orders, Demon, you could never have imagined--"
"Imagined what?!" Ryo yelled, his mysterious green eyes flashing vibrantly. "What could, what would Camaria have done to the last Descender of the Angel of Ice?! Stop making excuses!" Ryo started taking slow, threatening steps towards Janon.
"Demon, let's be reasonable..." Janon's voice was cracking from fear, and slight humiliation. He looked to Steel, his eyes asking for his help. Steel stood aside with Roxanne and Leo, smiling at the confrontation. Roxanne only looked on with worry at Ryo. Leo simply watched his twin, understanding the best he could about what Ryo felt toward Janon. Steel had been Ryo's birth father, but to Ryo, Eliazar was not only Melody's father, but he saw a father figure in him as well.
"Demon!" Janon yelled. He drew the arrow back as far as he could, aiming the arrow between Ryo's eyes. Ryo was unfazed by Janon's attempt at a threat. "Think Demon! What would you have done?! Kill the Steward, or be killed yourself?!"
"I WOULD HAVE DIED!" Ryo's yell echoed in the crumbling Ice Cathedral. "I would have died than have Eliazar murdered!"
Janon released his arrow, powered by Ice. Ryo flashed Eliazars sword, and the arrow was shattered against the blade, falling to the ground in little splinters. Janon had another arrow ready and aimed. Ryo heard Steel laugh behind him.
"You plan on killing me...Demon?" Janon put harsh emphasis on the last word.
"Kill?" Ryo put light on his word. "Kill's not a strong enough word, from what you did to Eliazar...I like the word 'Murder'."
Janon jerked his bow downward and fired his second arrow. The arrow was aimed for Ryo's feet. For a split second, Ryo actually though Janon was just a terrible shot. The arrow shattered in midair, and the splinters landed around Ryo's feet. Instantly, stalagmites of Ice erupted when the shattered pieces of the arrow struck the ground near Ryo's feet. Ryo kicked off the stalagmite of Ice that erupted beneath him. Janon fired multiple arrows, doing the same trick. Ryo saw all three arrows splinter off, then crash into the ground creating more pillars of jagged ice.
Ryo quickly kicked off the pillars of Ice, easily dodging Janon's barrage of Ice Stalagmites. Janon cursed, drawing another arrow. He fired a single shot into the air. The arrow shattered when it reached the climax, and sent Ice needles raining down upon Ryo. Janon found this momentary diversion to create another wall of Ice between him and Ryo.
Ryo scoffed, staring at the Ice needled falling swiftly towards him. He held Eliazar's blade firmly, carefully timing his movements accordingly. Before the first volley of Ice needles hit him, Ryo swung his sword violently, shattering the Ice to harmless flakes.
Janon quickly began manipulating the Ice that had been a part of the Cathedral just minutes earlier to do his bidding. He forged the Ice into blades, and sent them flying at Ryo. Ryo temporarily sheathed his blade, and stood motionless with Janon's Ice blades coming at him. Ryo allowed himself to smirk at Janon's worthless attempts at protecting himself.
"Foolish traitor..." Ryo said softly to himself, his green eyes glowed with his happiness. Immense flames exploded from Ryo's body, instantly evaporating Janon's ice to air. Janon was thrown back from the shock wave emitted from Ryo into a wall. Janon quickly reached back for an arrow, trying to draw another arrow, but a sharp pain inflicted the back of his hand.
Ryo stabbed the very tip of Eliazar's sword into Janon's hand, pinning it into the wall. Janon flinched, but jerked his hand away, tearing his hand from the palm in-between his index and middle fingers. He gripped his bleeding hand as Ryo drew his sword across Janon's throat.
"You should have known this day would come, Janon..." Ryo said quietly, letting the blade slowly sink into Janon's neck, coming centimeters from his jugular.
"No...please..." Janon choked. Ryo let out a laugh, withdrawing his sword from Janon's cut neck.
"You know...if Eliazar had lived, I would have considered letting you live..." Ryo said. "You're pathetic Janon. You're not worthy of being an Angel..."
Janon desperately tried holding his bleeding neck closed. Ryo hadn't cut his jugular, but he had cut it enough...
"No...You’re a...Demon..." Janon choked, trying his best not to tear his wound. "You're a worthy Demon..."
Ryo's eyes narrowed. His brilliant, vibrant green eyes stared into Janon's cold light blue eyes.
"That...was for Melody," Ryo said, pointing his sword at Janon's bleeding throat.
This...” Ryo sunk the blade into Janon's gut, completely through him into the floor. "Is for Kaira..." Janon gaped at his bleeding wounds, but he was still alive. Ryo withdrew the blade from Janon's gut, and forced the blade into Janon's chest, where his heart was.
"And this...this is for Eliazar..." Ryo said with no warmth in his voice. Janon grasped at Ryo's sword, but was too close to death to do anything. He stared into Ryo's eyes until his own glazed over and his head fell forward.
The now destroyed Cathedral was completely silent, save for the few pieces of ice that fell to the floor. Ryo's eyes remained their vibrant deep green, but they lost their emotion. He stared for what seemed like an eternity at Janon's body before withdrawing his sword. With a quick twist of his wrist the blood was flicked off the sword's blade, leaving it as clean as it had always been.
Roxanne knew that Ryo hated Janon for good justified reasons, but somehow, she didn't like watching Janon die. Maybe it was because she never liked anyone dying, even if she did consider them her enemy. Or maybe it was because of the way Janon was murdered in cold blood, with no emotion or regret...
Leo surprisingly found himself not caring that Janon was dead. The only things Janon ever did that might have been considered good was going against Camaria and the rest of the Angels by refusing to make Hollow weak, and closing the Ice Gate. But even then, Leo could never like Janon.
Steel was smiling, but keeping his eyes on Ryo's every movement. Janon's blood seeped from his wounds, making a small puddle around his body that froze against the ice. The crystallized blood had its own light, but its beauty was stripped from it by the death surrounding it. Ryo sheathed Eliazar's sword in silence. His eyes became less vibrant and bright, until they were normal again. But Ryo couldn't notice the difference.
"Ryo...?" Roxanne said quietly. "...are you all right...?"
Ryo took one last look at Janon's body, slumped over on the floor in his frozen blood. "Yeah...I never felt better, actually..."
"We should leave..." Leo said calmly. "You made a lot of noise, and this place looks like it'll collapse at any minute..."
"But what about...him?" Roxanne pointed hesitantly at the fallen Descender of the Angel of Ice.
"We'll leave him. He's of no use to us anymore," Steel said, still smiling at Janon's corpse. Ryo left without another word with Leo beside him and Roxanne quickly following. Steel waited behind, staring at the body. Janon's death had given Steel the conformation he needed from Ryo.
Just as Alera predicted...
~
May and Nayota were sitting on a bench, waiting quietly as ordered by Steel, who was standing near the door. They were all in a larger hallway of the Razada House, waiting outside of a bedchamber that held Alera, Steel's given wife and mother of his two children.
May was two years old, but sat obediently, holding a small ragged doll and kicking her legs back and forth and dangled off the bench. Her brown hair went to her lower back, and her red amber eyes shone with sweet innocence.
Nayota, Steel's oldest son was five with black and white spiked hair. His light red eyes were just like his mothers, and he sat ever silent, not daring to speak to his father.
Steel wasn't looking at his son or daughter, but staring straight forward. His dark maroon eyes were the same as they had always been. His hair was graying, but it still showed brown. Steel couldn't say he cared for Nayota or May. He did hold respect for Kain, but that was a given. Alera though, he had to admit he did feel something for her. It wasn't love, it was something less. Steel simply didn't want her harmed. She had the same affect on Kain. She was the only person who could talk to Kain harshly without being punished. Maybe it was because Kain actually loved his daughter-in-law, or maybe it was because of Alera herself, and the effect she had on people.
The door opened slightly, and Steel lifted his head, expectantly. One of the midwife's apprentices entered the hallway, being careful to shut the door with as little noise as possible. Steel stood, waiting in silence for her report. He knew from Alera's pregnancy that there would be two born.
"The birthing went without any problems Master Steel," the midwife's apprentice said, bowing slightly before Steel. "There are two babies, and they're both male."
Steel dismissed her, and turned to leave. The apprentice took May and Nayota both into the room quickly to see their tired mother.
Kain was on his throne as usual, gently rubbing his temple and mumbling to himself in a dead tongue. Steel let himself in, forgetting the proper introductions.
"There's two male," Steel said. He almost sounded unaffected by the birth of his two newest sons. Kain looked up at Steel. His face showed his pleasure at the news.
"Both healthy?" Kain asked.
"Yes."
"And their eye colors?"
Steel said nothing. He hadn't expected this.
"Didn't you look at them yet?" Kain asked in surprise. Steel took the hint, and left. He walked briskly down the hallway back towards the room with Alera.
When he entered the room, Alera was still lying in the bed; her natural white hair went to her waist. She opened her light red eyes to see Steel come on. She gave him a weak smile before closing them again. May and Nayota were both with the midwife, looking into cribs that held their newly born brothers.
"Get them out," Steel ordered. The midwife ushered May and Nayota out quickly, then closed the door. Steel stood between the cribs, looking down. Both of the babies looked the same, and each had soft brown hair. Both were sleeping, their eyes closed to where Steel couldn't see their color.
"Which was born first?" Steel asked Alera. She slowly sat herself up in the bed, giving her husband a worried look.
"The one to the left..." she answered. She sounded tired. "The one to the right was born two minutes after..."
Steel sneered at the sleeping infants. It's pathetic...Steel thought to himself, how even the strongest being in this world start out weak, to where they can't even lift their own heads...the only thing keeping them alive is the mercy of others...
Steel reached out to the left twin, and used two fingers to lift the baby's eyelids. The baby squirmed slightly in its sleep, but Steel saw its eyes. They were a fiery red. Kain would be pleased. Steel released the infant’s eye, letting him fall back into a light sleep.
"That one will be Lion..." Steel said to Alera. His word was final.
Steel lifted the eyelid of the other twin. This one jerked its small head, and let out a small wail. Steel's eyebrows lowered, annoyed by its sound.
"Don't hurt them!" Alera said, trying to stand. Steel's sneer only grew, but he lifted the second twin's eyelid softer. His eyes grew. The second twin's eyes were a deep green color. The complete opposite of red.
"This one has green eyes..." Steel said softly. Alera slowly and shakily stood. She didn't say anything because she had already known their eye colors.
"He's no different from his other brothers," Alera said, as she slowly made her way to the cribs next to Steel.
"He's a Demon," Steel said. "Kain will want him killed.
"He can't be!" Alera said. "He's a member of this House just like any one else born into it! He's just a baby! He can't do anyone any harm!"
"But he'll grow!" Steel yelled. The room seemed more quiet once his vioce had died. "He'll grow, and then what?! He's not going to be silent forever!"
"Let me read their futures," Alera said, more quiet. Steel glanced sideways at her, considering it. That was the one thing that set Alera apart from everyone else. She was a sorceress, able to tell one's future. It was that ability of hers that made her an eligible wife for the son of the Head of the Razada House.
Steel didn't move. Alera slowly reached out her hand, and gently rubbed Lion's head. He didn't move in his sleep, but Alera saw everything in his life. She smiled kindly at him, before she withdrew his hand.
"This one...Lion..." She said softly. "He's smart...and loyal. He's destined to be blessed." She said no more, and Steel believed every word of it. Never in her life had Alera been wrong in her predictions.
"And this one?" Steel sneered at the one with the green eyes. Alera slowly reached out, but instead of rubbing his head the way she did with Lion, she held his small, delicate hand. She saw him in her mind, and didn't smile. She held onto his hand longer, even though she already knew what would happen.
"Well?" Steel asked. Alera slowly let go of Ryo's hand. Sadness was written on her face.
"This one...Demon," she said in a low voice. "He'll not die...he'll live, but he'll be alone for much of his life...there's very little that I see happiness in..." Her voice trailed off, and Steel thought for a moment, that was all she was going to reveal about him.
"He'll be alone, but..." Alera went on, slowly, making Steel look at her. "In a way, he'll prefer it that way. He's an Angel, but he's also a Demon...he's a threat to the Razada House, Steel..." Steel's dark maroon eyes lowered at the small child sleeping before him. He found it hard to believe this seemingly helpless creature would ever amount up to anything.
"Very few things will ever make him happy...poor thing..." Alera said softly. "And he'll kill Ghost...the last Descender of the Angel of Ice..." Steel scoffed, amused. He found it unlikely his son would ever manage to kill the sons of Angels.
Alera reached down, and picked up Demon. Her face was sad, but it still had hope for her son.
"Before the end, he will lose himself to the Darkness..."
~
Steel had ordered Ryo, Leo, and Roxanne to all run. All the commotion they had caused at the Ice Gate had surely attracted attention. Steel had scanned all the rooftops they passed, but he was still sure they were being followed.
"Where's the plaza where we're gonna meet the others at?!" Leo asked.
"Just up ahead!" Steel yelled back. Steel switched out his metallic hand for a gun that was hidden in his metal forearm. Steel turned, and aimed his arm to a rooftop behind them. His arm made a loud bang that rang in the other's ears. A body fell from the rooftop Steel had been pointing at. Leo stopped long enough to see the man had been a Wind User, and part of the night patrol in Camaria.
"Are there anymore following us?" Leo asked.
"He was the only one I saw," Steel said, switching his gun back out for his metal hand. "But we shouldn't waste any time either way."
Ryo had been silent since they had left the destroyed Ice Cathedral. Roxanne held onto his arm caringly when he allowed it, but couldn't think of much else to do for him.
"Where are they?" Davis wondered out loud. Kalon, Dimi, Caza, Davis, and Jim had all arrived at the plaza at the time they said they would. It was now 11:40, ten minutes past when they said they would meet up with Steel's group.
"You don't think anything happened to them?" Jim said.
"There's three Razada's in that group! I doubt any of them will be dying anytime soon, except maybe Janon..." Kalon said. They were all at the plaza, but had all decided to wait in one of the alleyways overlooking the plaza for Steel to arrive. Waiting in the center of the plaza might have made them too open for attacks.
A loud bang rang out in the night air. It sounded somewhere close.
"What was that?" Dimi asked stupidly.
"Sounded like a gun," Kalon said quietly. "I recognize the sound from when the crazy professor would test them out in our basement...when I was trying to sleep, the ass-backwards psycho..."
"Look!" Jim said, pointing across the plaza. Someone wearing a black skirt with blonde hair had entered the plaza on the opposite side. "Miss Roxanne!" Jim called out, walking out into the open plaza.
Roxanne turned at hearing her name, and saw Jim, followed by Davis, Caza, Kalon, and Dimi.
"They're all here!" Roxanne said, pointing them out to Leo and Ryo. The two groups met in the middle of the paved court, but Steel remained distant, still looking around cautiously.
"Where's Janon?" Dimi asked lousily, looking around Steel's party for someone with greasy dark brown hair that was slicked back.
Ryo smiled. "He's dead..."
"You killed him?!" Kalon asked in disbelief. It was happy surprised disbelief. "You at least let him shut down the Ice Gate, right?!" Ryo nodded.
"Damn it..." Steel mumbled. Ryo looked back at Steel, and saw what Steel had been looking at. On all of the rooftops surrounding the square were Camarian Element Users. They all wore the dark gray uniforms and contrasted their silhouette in the moonlight. Everyone looked up after Ryo and Steel, realizing they were surrounded.
"We knew we'd find all of you in one spot if we followed you!" One of the Users called down. His uniform was decorated in badges and stripes. He seemed to be their leader.
"Do we kill them, or what?" Dimi asked, drawing his twin swords from his back. Caza had his chakrams ready, while Leo and Roxanne had both drawn their daggers and needles. Ryo stood ready with his hand on his sword hilt. Kalon stood almost casually, but his fists with his customized Earth User gloves were ready.
"Wait..." Steel murmured quietly.
"You have desecrated two of our beloved Cathedrals!" The User went on. All of the Users surrounding the group had their own weapons ready, along with their Elements at the ready. "Which means you must be the Angels! Tell us, why do you betray Camaria herself?!"
Steel chuckled at their interrogation.
"If you will not answer, then we will have to assume the worst, and kill you all!!" The User warned. His voice echoed throughout the plaza. "We cannot risk you closing anymore Gates, and weakening our country to Hollow's levels!"
Ryo glanced upward, and saw clouds. They were moving, about to cover the moon and it's light.
"Split up...." Ryo said quietly to the others.
"What?!" Leo said, his back was to Ryo's.
"Split up..." Ryo whispered again, his voice calm and steady. "We'll go in different directions...and close all of our Gates as soon as possible...if we all go in different directions, there'll be confusion among them on who follows which of us. We'll have a better chance of escaping then..."
"Let's do it," Kalon agreed. "This is a waste of my time..."
Steel smirked at Ryo. "We'll meet up at the Seventh Gate, at the Cathedral in the center of the city after we close our Gates," Steel said. "I'll find you after Demon..."
A cloud slipped in front of the moon, making the plaza darker than the rooftops where the Camarian Users were. The Camarians tensed up, as the group of Angels in the plaza disappeared into the darkness.
Without a word to each other, the group of nine ran in different directions, scattering into different alleyways between the buildings. The Camarian Users tried following the fast-moving Angels, but were all lost in confusion on who went after which one.
Ryo ran into the first street he saw. He heard explosions around him. For a second he wondered if it was the Camarian Users trying to attack him, or if it was Leo or Roxanne, setting off their weapons to explode. Ryo wondered if anyone in the party was following him, or if he was alone. He had to time before the building next to him was transformed into a wall of spikes that flew at him. Ryo drew Eliazar's sword, and shattered the spikes as he ran.
Ryo came to a crossroads, and chose to run down the left ally. Ryo turned quickly, and ran as fast as his body would allow. He hoped everyone else had gotten out as well as he did.
