TO CUT A TURNING TAIL

39). 100

MARUBI'S POV, this man is standing at the top of the escarpment, Connell lying on the ground next to him. The stranger opens his arms and announces "I'm alone here, you thought you'd find three, right? Well, I'm not interested in the fighting of any sort, it's completely against my ideals. The only thing I knew was ventriloquism. I taught it to many others. [by this, he means many other friends, or maybe hiddenstones of his]

Unfortunately, two of my friends, who you might know as Tridaily and Burma, are long dead. And though lying is healthy in a battle, I'm not lying. I don't want to waste my time lengthening this war. Besides those two, I just loved animals, the ones who had to be protected the most from this world of cruelty and chaos. My poor friend wants to bring it back to all of you, but I have different believes I must confess.

Anyhow, with these animals dead as well, I guess the only people who I can help are you fellas. By telling you what a world of chaos would bring, and then you would have more will to fight those three. The world is a line of prophecies, think of my latter as one. Oh, they are here", with this, he bends down, and Connell witnesses a flash passing above him.

[Though not the real Zenith, since we do not know the stranger's name. We will refer to him as Zenith]

From the same side, Marubi is coming running with a bold black color all over him. Marubi leaps into the air and all the black color spread over his body submits on his left hand. It morphs into a hand chain with a minesweeper ball attached. He swings the ball at the hiddenstone, but this guy has other work to do. So, to substitute him, a koala takes its place and bears the indefinite smack.

Zenith on the other hand is engaged in fist combat with Connell; just a distance away from Marubi. Marubi's eyes start searching for Jon who is nowhere to be found.

Complacent as their plan seems at the moment, it all changes for Marubi in a second, "don't run towards the forest", comes a voice to him, it's a teleportative message from Jon.

With that being said, Marubi is still unable to understand what is about to happen, so he continues to shoot his arrows at Zenith who is constantly doing them amidst a fight with Connell.

Zenith and Connell are engaged in a sword fight no one thought would be so well matched that the chances of it ending are indefinite. Marubi had to jump in to save the fighting spirit. Both the swords clang each other, they are both looking into each other's eyes with imploring fierceness.

Zenith is showing a very low spirit yet Connell is not getting carried away. So, he abruptly brings his sword forward and locks his hilt-held hand with her elbow; his sword hanging in the air, he swings it to Connell's neck from the back.

As Connell tries to free herself from this lock, Zenith slowly starts turning to her right. His hand is still on the hilt, now that Connell's back is facing Marubi, Marubi doesn't want to do anything at the moment. He just stays there and observes them both as if he has a suspicion to detach first.

Zenith glissades to Connell's front, his hand still fixated to her neck.

At the very far end, Jon is standing with the back support of a cave's wall, the bare part of his robe waving because of the flashing air. It's an exquisite cave made of tree logs rather than stones.

Trees and defrosted logs are hidden behind the cave that he is merely aware of. But he is well informed of the thuds and growls that lie there. A detonator in his hand; it looks like a few centimeters long sword replica but is just a red inch long cylindrical explosive that can obliterate plenty.

Suddenly, his uniform changes back to a Strine suit.

In front of his eyes is a hologram only he can see, the heading of it is written in italics RUBBER TREES. It's pretty absurd and uncanny how his dress changes easily and infinitely. At times he is wearing a proper Strine suit, at times it's the robe and at times it's both! And sometimes it's just his cool little sweater.