The dreary bells interrupted Arin’s train of thought. She straightened, scanning the sky for any Others. Arin leaned over the balcony watching Crimsons rush outside, strapping armor onto griffins. Some dragons and mini dragons took off without riders.

Arin backed away from the railing, smiling. The Others did not stand a chance, not now and not ever. There must be a reason for their offensive persistence.

She continued to watch the Crimsons, feeling safe on the balcony. From above spirits appeared, swooping into the courtyard, and fanning out. None looked familiar to her, Orax was not in the crowd.

Arin continued to watch the courtyard clear out. Less and less took to the skies, some releasing their battle cry. Today would be another victory, she just knew it.

Something tugged at Arin’s heart, like her instincts were whispering directions to her. Arin left the balcony, scanning the hallways for whatever was upsetting her conscious.

Scarlet turned down the hall, speed walking to Arin. Some sort of horse followed, keeping its attention on Scarlet. Arin approached the two, curious to hear what they were doing.

“There you are. Everyone is positioned and ready to protect the Crimsons. I know nothing of human strategy but if I must guess our enemies are relying mostly on spirits.”

“If so then we have nothing to worry about,” Scarlet stared at Arin’s sword. “What are you going to do? I was going to fight.”

“You aren’t experienced enough to fight. You could get hurt or die.”

She shrugged turning and approaching a window. “This is my home. I may be young but I’m just as capable as everyone else.”

“You both should stay by my side. I must protect you.”

“Is there anything we can do to chase the Others away faster?”

“I do not know, this is the first time I’ve witnessed humans fight.”

The bells released a single chime, announcing that some Others had landed. The spirit floated away from the two momentarily.

“They are coming. I sense the ones who have sided with your enemy.”

“We should get somewhere safe, don’t you think?”

“No way! This is our home and I’m ready to defend it with everyone else!”

Arin hid her scowl, gazing down the hallways. “I think our room is the safest place, we should go there.”

“Fine. . . Any idea where the Others are?”

“The closest group comes from your left. They still are still far away before they reach our current location.”

Arin and Scarlet fled. The spirit galloped next to Scarlet, focused ahead.

“How do they know where I am exactly? A spy?”

“While a spy is a possible option, spirits can sense energies. You have a bright a powerful energy source. You aren’t too hard to find if spirits are leading the way.”

“That’s not good . . .”

They made a right, picking up their pace. Arin followed Scarlet, the hallway was unrecognizable. There was no time to question it, she had to trust her friend.

“Stop,” the spirit ordered halting its gallop. “There are more coming from ahead.”

The two stopped, facing the spirit. Was there any way to avoid a fight? Scarlet began to pace, folding her arms and rubbing her fingers against her temples.

“I . . . I’m too stressed to think straight. I’m so sorry.”

“You two are capable of victory. I will hold off the spirits that attempt to possess you.” Arin forced a sigh grabbing the hilt of her sword. Scarlet continued to pace, devising a strategy. “They are here, coming from in front.”

Swords pointed at the stone floor, they waited. The spirit floated out of the hallway as footsteps echoed. Arin guessed that there were two Others, perhaps three. Her blood boiled, her mind attentive, reflexes sharp.

Two Others turned down the hallway, slowing their run as they approached the kids, shields and long swords raised. Arin and Scarlet stood their ground, awaiting an opportune time to attack. The Others took their time progressing to them. The agonizing wait finally caused Arin to snap. She jabbed her fist forward, a burst of fire following her smooth technique.

Her foes ducked behind their lanky shields, quickening their pace. Scarlet released a weak beam of green light from her palms. The light struck one of the metal shields, creating a loud clang. As he stumbled in his moment of weakness, Arin released another combustion from her hands.

He cowered behind his shield as the two Crimsons advanced forward. The second discharged a torrent of water, pushing Arin away. The cold liquid numbed her face. Arin fell back but Scarlet remained standing.

“This could end well for all of us if you just stopped, Lost Crimson.”

“Lost Crimson? What?”

“Am I the Lost Crimson or is she the Lost Crimson?” Scarlet questioned, helping Arin stand.

“The blonde.”

“Oh okay, that makes sense. Congratulations, Arin, you have a special name.”

A second surge of water knocked Scarlet over. Arin wanted to help her friend up but the Others distracted her. She focused on their shields, searching for any open point.

One sprinted forward, overwhelming her focus. He swept his sword at her legs. Arin did an ungraceful jump away, falling onto the floor.

“All Crimsons are the same, only rely on the elements, but when it comes to hand and hand combat it only takes a single blow.”

Arin began to crawl away, chest tight with sudden fear. The Other drove his foot into her side, forcing her to stop. Arin released a yelp, placing a hand on her throbbing hip.

“Stay away from them!” Lightning threw the Others back. Loid came charging down the hallway, releasing another discharge of yellow. He halted next to his friends aiming his hands at the Others. “Looks like I came just in time.”

“A little late but close enough,” Scarlet grunted as she hoisted Arin up again.

“You Crimson brats need to learn your place.”

“Our place? You mean above you?”

“Don’t fall for the taunt,” one cautioned aiming his curved blade at the three, “we have to focus.”

As the Other staggered to his feet, the second raised his free hand above him mimicking the movement of pulling something out of the ground. The shadows in the hallway stretched to the Other, swirling beneath his hand.

“Scarlet, what is he doing?” Loid inquired as a grotesque humanoid rose from the ground.

“I—I don’t know . . .”

A shadow rose higher than the three, curled horns almost touching the ceiling. It had a ghastly face, resembling one of a griffin. Long arms dangled by its sides, the beast’s four claws were curled in a tight fist.

“W—is that an Abyssal?”

“I shouldn’t answer but I will. No, this is not an Abyssal, those who can control shadows can make them take a physical form and fight.”

“Be careful, while this is no Abyssal, thankfully, this is still a strong creature.”

“Arin, you and I can burn and electrocute it.”

The shadow monster created a strident roar taking a step forward. Loid unleashed another fury of lightning, stalling the monster from closing in on the three. Arin fired a series of embers as well. It screeched, continuing to shuffle forward.

Scarlet seized her sword charging forward. She leaped forward at her last bound, shoving the blade into the monster’s stomach. It glared at Scarlet, ignoring the attack.

“Scarlet, run!” Loid screamed. The sword was sucked into the monster’s stomach, it growled as the handle disappeared. Scarlet turned, dashing away from the beast. It roared, driving the back of its massive claw into Scarlet, sending her flying into the wall. Loid shrieked rushing forward, ready to avenge his fallen friend.

“No, Loid!”

Electricity struck the beast. It roared, falling to its knees. In its moment of weakness Loid struck the creature in the head with his sword over and over, doing little damage.

“Arin, c’mon! Help me!”

That thing will kill us . . .

The creature stood once more, ramming its head into Loid. He flew back a few feet, crashing onto the floor. Loid tried to stand but his arms kept giving out. It raised its massive foot over Loid, preparing to crush him.

“Arin!” he cried, “please!”

Arin threw her fists forward, a powerful inferno roared as she scorched her foe. The shadow fell back, shielding itself from the open flame. Arin stopped the attack rushing forward to Loid’s side. She tugged on his arm pulling him away from the Others.

“You’re an idiot for doing—”

A jet of water pushed Arin over. She released Loid, using her hands to catch herself. Footsteps thundered down the hallway. Arin opened her eyes, facing the upside-down Others hurrying to the finished skirmish.

“Perfect timing, we were just finishing up here.”

The shadow roared standing over the fallen three. Arin curled her fingers into tight fists. She wished she could see if her friends were okay. Loid screamed, it was obvious that an Other kicked him out of the way.

Before Arin could begin the painful process of standing, a hand seized her neck. An Other hoisted her onto her feet, lifting her a few inches off the floor. Arin reached back, seizing his wrist in an awkward grip and set her hands ablaze. He didn’t react to her fire.

Arin was dragged to the wall before being released. She turned to face them, heart racing. One knelt in front of her, examining her head for any injuries. She tried to push him away but he resisted her weak shoves. The shadow melted into a dark blob. An Abyssal on the floor slinked closer to Arin.

“Just dizzy, a small concussion may be possible. We should probably still have an Abyssal take over, just to accelerate things.”

Arin clenched her hands into tight fist. The spirit would save her, but if she was unable to be possessed would that raise suspicious? The spirit floated back into the hallway, watching Arin.

“This will hurt, but remember that pain is only temporary.”

The Abyssal moved closer to her. She couldn’t see the Abyssal’s eyes in the slithering shadow. The equine made a few cautious steps closer. The two Others shuffled back as the Abyssal stopped in front of Arin. Her body stiffened, eyes glued on the unrecognizable morph.

“Go on, hurry,” an Other pressured, “we are running out of time.”

The Abyssal merged into her shadow. Everything ached as the Abyssal made its way into her mind. It felt like a freakish animal was crawling up her back, sending shivers down her spine. Her body trembled as claws dug into her brain.

The numbing pain grew, her muscles shutting down. The spirit rushed forward, disappearing in front of Arin. The battle for her mind began. The growing migraine caused Arin to release a small groan of pain. She held her head, doing anything she could to fight back.

Her vision blurred as the Abyssal slowly took control, horrible thoughts of failure overwhelmed her attention. The spirit better find a way to remove the Abyssal from her mind soon. Her legs twitched and tingled as they fell asleep.

Hurry. Please get it out of me.

The pain started to subside. While the battle left Arin with a terrible headache, the Abyssal must have been defeated. Arin kept her hands on her throbbing head, her blood rushing in her ears. The spirit reappeared next to her.

“Stall by pretending.” The mare vanished, leaving the Crimsons and Others alone.

I gotta pretend that I’m in their control? Arin gazed at the Others standing over her.

“Did it work?”

What should I do? Scarlet and Loid were still on the ground, immobilized by pain. I have to pretend. If I don’t they may get hurt.

Arin examined her bleeding hands. A little dust caked her blistering skin. She flexed her fingers, none were broken.

“Hey, c’mon. We have to go,” the leader said. “Kill those two brats, we can’t have any witnesses.”

“Stop,” Arin gasped. The Others turned to her, “you are after me—this body. We must focus on our task; shedding blood will waste time. They clearly can’t stop you anyways.”

“You two go find something to do to give us time. The three of us will escort Lost Crimson to courtyard.” He seized her thin arm. “I hope you don’t mind if I hold you like this. You’ll move faster this way.”

Arin nodded as they began to hurry down the hallway. She wanted to look back to check on her friends, but it might arouse suspicion. They turned down a hallway, no Crimsons were lingering about.

“Where is everyone?”

“We have created several diversions away from our path. Everyone is focused on the outside, not here.”

Oh no . . .

They made their way to the staircase. Arin didn’t know where she was being taken, where she would be escorted to. Her stomach twisted in anxiety. They were going to succeed. They would drag her back to Croun. Would he be as terrible as the Crimsons—Mila? Everyone had been so nice to her lately, she would never receive such care from the Others.

An Other opened the door to the staircase, holding it open for Arin. She walked down the stairs moving as slow as possible, hands tight against the cold metal rails. In silence, they traveled to the first floor. Would she receive a sign that would tell her to end the façade?

“Hurry,” the Other snarled, “we are almost there.”

She quickened her pace. I have to run, as soon as I reach the first floor I’m running. I’m not going to receive any sign, I have to rely on myself.

Arin continued to increase her speed, the Others kept up with her. She glanced over the railing, they were at the bottom at last. The Others slowed down as they neared the first floor, but Arin continued, stopping only to open the door. The moment she stepped into the hallway she began to sprint.

“Where are you going?” Arin fled down the hallway, legs weak from the fighting and the descent. “Get back here!”

She would find something or someone to help her. A hand rose from the floor grabbing Arin’s ankle, tripping her. Her forehead smacked against the stone floor. Everything faded as the Others stood over her once more.

***

Arin woke with a jolt, she couldn’t tell how much time passed. An Other was hugging her close to his chest. Wind howled in her ears, a mini dragon’s powerful wingbeats told her where she was.

The sky was a pale blue, empty of clouds. The air was crisp, goosebumps covered her exposed body. The Other tightened his grip around her stomach. No ropes constricted against her body.

“How long . . . was I out for?”

“Not long enough.”

Arin pressed her palm against her swollen head. It was over, she was unable to defend herself. She fought and defeated Croun, but lost to a few minions? No one must have been trying back then, she feared Croun’s true power, whatever it may be.

I have to get out of here. I have to get back to Coyasko. Hawthorne. Kilin. Everyone . . .

A second Other neared the two, the griffin mount glaring at her. “We are nearing the last outpost. If we get past it undetected we should be fine. Everyone is getting tired, we should stop at the mountains if all goes well.”

Arin straightened, below them was the thinning river. She could not see any sort of fort from their angle. A third joined them from behind. Arin scanned the forest for any building that resembled a fort.

The Other pointed to a square building in the distance. The Crimsons were so close, she had to do something to alert them. Arin released her fire, aiming for the trees below. Everyone gasped, he began to crush Arin in his tight grip.

The Others continued to speed away from the last fort. Arin kept her attention fixed on the building. There was no sign of the Crimsons aiding her. Did they not see the fire?

“I think it’s clear. I think we’re safe.”

A griffin rocketed from the fort, escalating above the Others. A few mini dragons followed shouting orders between each other. Arin squirmed in the Other’s grip trying to free herself.

“Sir, we must drop you off. We are far too tired to escape with so much extra weight,” the mini dragon panted.

“What? You can’t make it to the mountains?”

“Yes, but do you think these Crimsons will quit now once we leave their territory?”

Arin continued to thrash, screaming. The Other tightened his grip, crushing her arms. The Crimsons dove to Arin roaring, the two Others flew in the way, blocking the path to them.

The mini dragon swooped to the river. The roaring current churned under them. Water sprayed the mounts.

The mini dragon continued to fly above the river, wheezing. He turned away from the river, directing his flight to a nearby hill. He slowed as he flew over the smooth curve. Suddenly, he tilted his wings, turning into the forest. They dodged a few trees before finally coming to a complete stop. The Other shoved her off the mini dragon before dismounting.

“Why are we here? You could’ve escaped!”

“No, no we couldn’t have. You can either do as we say or I can knock you out again.”

Arin thrust her fist forward, a weak stream of fire followed. The fighting from earlier must have exhausted her. The Other pulled the edge of his cloak in front of him, using it as a shield. The mini dragon growled, pulling his lips back into a snarl.

“For the love of Anolum,” he sighed, not hiding his annoyance. He aimed a hand at Arin, releasing blue lightning. She was thrown into a tree, the back of her head slammed into the wood. All went black as she crumpled to the ground.