Rising Dawn: Dreading Darkness

Previous Chapter - Grieving Death: The Search and Rescue

The Final March
The following day, The mages of Blazing Soul and Phantom Breaker who where leading the charge against Nature Hunter had gathered on the edge of Utopia. A eerie silence had fallen over the city; with many of the citizens taking shelter at the Phantom Complex, leaving the only things roaming the street to be the occasional stray animal. A small hooded creature flew down a dusty ally, looking down every side street for signs of stragglers in the evacuation. After a few turns, it returned to it's master Waylind, who dismissed it with a flick of his wrist. "City's clear." He told the guild master.

"What are you going to do once you clear us a path?" Zumma asked. "It'll pretty much take you out of the game after using that sword, won't it?"

"I leave it to you all. I will have to force myself to meditate and keep my simple levels in check, I won't be able to use Nutrient Magic to heal myself due to the food supplies being spread out" Jayapura said holding his giant sword on his shoulder as he looked at the group.

"Come on old man, I mean you gotta have more in you than just that" June said looking at him with concern as he chuckled.

"I will be fine, all that matters is getting you guys over to her territory, she must be stopped once and for all" Jayapura said with a determined voice.

Rift, who was leaning against one of the houses still standing in the area, out on a cocky grin. "Oh, we'll stop her alright, no tricks this time." His eyes stayed hidden behind his dark shades but they could all tell he didn't feel an inch of fear, despite technically losing against their target Sabriel in their last confrontation.

"Let's hope so, come, we must depart immediately" Jayapura said as everyone started heading towards the Nature Hunter guild, located again by Rift and June while the group was getting their barring's. They traveled through the dense jungles as they felt that everything seemed to be normal, no forms of new earthquakes occurring every few seconds, no beasts attempting to attack them, the once eruptive Genosha was shown to be silent and calm.

"Wow, I did not expect this...." June said looking around at the silence.

"Yeah." Leo added, looking around at the landscapes aw inspiring beauty. "Dad always told us that this place was really dangerous. Guess I thought that meant it was baron too." He admitted. "It's actually kind of nice."

"A few months back was the day Genosha would be destroyed, and so far, the magic has keep it under control quite strongly." Jayapura replied.

"Still think your nut's for staying here." They heard Raven shout from the back of the group, standing between Clair and Terra. "You and red skin seem real damn fixed on trying to get this place under control."

Walking behind them, Zumma pushed the back of Raven's head down roughly. Trying to stop him from picking a fight. "Pipe down pyro." Raven grumbled at him while Clair glared, though Zumma ignored them both and looked to the guild master. "How much farther is it?"

"Not much longer from what Rift's report told me, but we ought to be careful, no idea what she may have in store for us" Jayapura said as the others began talking amongst themselves about what possible outcome could come from the war.

True to their information, a large clearing appeared through the trees, big enough to be called more of a plain than a clearing. Most of the ground spewed noxious yellow gas though deep cracks in the earth, and magma occasionally bubbled up and burst over the landscape. Most noticubly of all however was the giant castle like structure that stood at the center of the chaos. Tiny lights in the distance indicated it to be inhabited, though the near toxic terrain made that notion seem impossible. This was a new sight for many of them, though for a few it only stood as a reminder of what they where there to do.

"Looks cozy." Raven joked, finally braking the silence that had fallen over them all. "Though, I'd say it needs more..." He thought for a moment, though he gained a big grin when he apparently had his answer. "Fire."

Jayapura took in a deep breath and unsheathe Grand Shogun, "Be prepared, once I breach the barrier and stabilize the entire area, you will only have four hours, by then you must end her or else the instability will result in it being sunk into the abyss" He said before beginning to concentrate his energy.

Rift violently slammed his fists together and grinned his toothy grin. "All the time in the world."

Jayapura concentrated with everything he had as he began to concentrate, releasing an insane amount of energy from his body as if the area was breaking apart from the middle of the entire continent. However, instead of it being directed into the air, all the concentrated energy was going into the blade itself, causing it to glow golden.

A strange rumbling in the earth drew their attention away from the guild master. Closer to the castle, the earth seemed to have com alive. Molten rock boiled up from the surface, building on top of itself to take on a somewhat humanoid appearance. The outside solidified into a sort of skin, while a jagged jaw formed underneath a single molten eye. It slowly turned to look in the direction of the group, giving off an intense wave of heat despite being nearly a mile away. Zumma stepped up to the edge of the clearing. "Whatever your doing, I'd do it fast guild master."

Jayapura lifted the sword high into the air before stabbing the very ground beneath him, causing the energy to create a loop as it suddenly stopped everything around them, all movements of nature were ceased as they seemed to be in a time stop, "Hurry, you must get in!" He said as the barrier also showed to be down as well.

The Blazing Soul mages took off running in that instant with Zumma leading the charge. Rocks began rising from the ground to form a path under his feet, allowing he and everyone behind him safe passage over the noxious terrain below. The golem appeared frozen in it's tracks, though soon several small black objects began rising from the castle in the distance. Growing closer and closer, the group soon made them out to be a vast flock of flying monsters heading straight at them.

By the time they where half way between the castle and the group of charging mages, Zumma held his hand out over the side of his path, using Gravity Magic to amass an array of rocks, before launching them forwards with a tossing motion. the stones tore through the monsters, though it didn't appear to lower their numbers as he looked back at his companions. "Hope you guys are ready for a fight."

"May the spirits be with you" Jayapura said struggiling to keep everything in control as he allows the others to enter the area.

The flock had nearly reached them, just as Zumma came to an abrupt stop. His fist shot outwards, blasting a clean path through the swarm, while his other hand reached back and gripped the rock behind him. "Hold on guys, kick her ass for me." Everyone dropped to the ground as the ground they stood on was tossed into the air, shooting through the gap in the flock by Zumma's last attack.

Just after clearing through the last of the monsters, Raven looked back and slammed his hand down on the rock just as it began to lose momentum. "4th Spell: Pele!" A burning magic circle cut into the bottom of the rock, which erupted into a burning Jetstream moment's later. The extra boost propelled their stone transport much closer to the castle, while the swarm of monsters closed the gap behind them.

The rock began to fall again just as a flash of lightning shot out from the castles roof, shattering their tiny transport to pieces. The mages flew in all different directions, using their own ingenuity to come to a landing as fragments of stone crashed through the dark guild's outer wall. Though scattered, every one of them made it inside, and Zumma smirked to himself as the monsters closed in on him. "Alright, time to play exterminator." He cracked his knuckles before holding out both hands. "Fall!" He screamed, using his magic to force several of the creatures to the ground, and the noxious gas below. Burning flesh and wounded cries filled the air, and Zumma simply smiled up at his numerous opponents. "Come on you monsters, I can do this all day!"

Meanwhile Back at The Guild

All seemed calm as everyone had been given a room and were now enjoying some peace and quiet, especially the Phantom Breakers as many were all in the lobby, taking a breather from the patrols and helping with the guild's new temporary guests. In the far maternity ward, Kat could be seen cooing one of the babies as she smiled and softly placing it in the crib as she softly closed the door and went to the lobby to search for her young sister.

She wandered through the guilds many halls, occasionally stopping to assist someone when needed, looking for a familiar face. Room after room held only strangers to her; mostly evacuated civilians waiting for the outcome of their attack. She rounded a corner to see Minerva watching over a small group of children, and thought it best to ask. "Hey Minerva?" the children where sent away as she approached. "Have you seen my sis around here at all?"

"Well the last time I saw her was when she went to go check in with some of the new entries up at the entrance, so she might be helping there." She said as one of the kids started to cry with her going to comfort her.

"Oh." Kat replied. "I could have sworn I checked there already." She thought back to traveling though the guild, but had no recollection of running into Fiona at all. small thought formed in her mind, but Kat quickly pushed it away and turned for the door. "Thanks for the help." She waved back at Minerva, who waved in turn, then stepped back out into the hallway. The thought from before returned, the thought that Fiona had run off to try and confront their mother with the others.

She shook her head to chase the thought away, reminding herself that Fiona promised to not do such a thing. The thought persisted however, as Kat made her way through the halls of Phantom Breaker once more. "I have to trust her." Kat reminded herself out loud. "Just like I wanted her to do for me." She thought back to the first few weeks Fiona had spent living with her, and the fight they had one particular day.

Flashback: One year ago

A few weeks had past since the Blazing Soul Guild had been introduced to the long lost sister of Kat, Fiona, but many of their attemts to get her to open up, but were unsucessful as she often only spent her time alone in the corner.

Getting ready to head out for the day, Kat stood in the half open doorway and looked back into the other room. "I'm leaving now. Last chance to come with me Fiona."

"Where are you going... Back to that place....?" She said looking over to her as she waited for a response.

"Yes... Back to that place." Kat repeated somewhat impatiently. "What's the matter Fiona? You were so enthusiastic about being here for the first few days, now you avoid us all like we make you sick." She leaned back against the frame of the door, seeing Fiona wrapped in a blanket in the corner. "What's with you lately?"

"Excuse me if I don't share the same excitement as I did, not like I have anyone else with me, and you always go to that place.... I just find it disturbing..." She said glaring at her sister.

"What's so disturbing about it?" Kat asked surprised. She thought back for a second, trying to remember if something had happened at the guild. "Did Raven say something to you?" Fiona stayed silent, much to Kat's annoyance. "If something happened, tell me already!"

"I try not to talk with any of them...." Fiona said going to sit down on their couch with her back away from her sister.

"So what's wrong then?" Kat crossed her arms, getting more annoyed by her sisters attitude.

"I just rather not go to that place...." Was all Fiona said before picking up a magazine.

Kat grit her teeth. "Fine, just sit their for the rest of your life then!" She screamed, storming out a moment later and slamming the door behind her. Fiona ignored her sister's outburst, even when the sounds of her stomping down the stairs echoed through the building. She stared at her magazine for what seemed like hours; not actually reading, just too lost in thought to be bothered turning the page. She lost track of time, but was brought back to reality when a knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" She asked looking at the door, walking over to see who it was through the hole as she found it to be Jaina as she opened the door, "My sister went to the guild, she's not here".