Fractured Soul

Chapter 37: Crossed the Line

Urgent pounding on the door pulled Mella from her latest nightmare. They were getting worse. People were dying, Rin and the mystery woman were everywhere and the nothingness that followed was so absolute it was terrifying.

The knocking stopped and the door burst open, showing the frazzled, sleep-deprived and scared looking brothers.

"You guys have to get out of here. Now!" Dilan said.

Wesley was finally coming awake from his spot at the table. Half of his face was red from using his arm as a pillow. "Wuzz'appening?"

"Soldiers. They're searching the city." Kev said urgently.

Wesley was instantly awake. "Mella!" he yelled towards the walled off bedroom as the prince gathered their things.

Mella sprang out of bed, jerking her boots on. Why were soldiers in Ryn? They had just been there a month ago. The only reason was...

"How did they find us?" Mella said panicky, running into the next room. She grabbed her cloak off a chair and took the bag Dilan offered her.

"I don't know. It should have been impossible with the storms. Dilan, how do we get out of here?" Wesley was casting an enchantment on himself, his hair growing lighter, his eyes becoming darker. If Mella hadn't seen his appearance changing, she wouldn't have recognized him.

"Same way you came in, if Mella can disguise herself." Dilan replied.

Wesley turned to face her. "Shouldn't take too long. It's a simple earth spell, one of the only ones that I know."

Mella took a step back. "I can't. That would be worse."

"How could it possibly be worse? Mella we don't have time to discuss this."

It was too early to argue with anyone, especially with the danger getting closer and closer. Thankfully, Kev saved her from the headache, literally.

"Memory triggers. You teach her that, Princess'll go glowy-eyed or pass out. Then you'll have a bigger problem on your hands." Kev seemed proud that he remembered that, for as much as he slept, his ability to recollect information was better than any of the other boys.

"Crap. Well, then what? I'm out of ideas, and we're running out of time." Wesley ran a hand through his short, spiky hair.

Mella thought for a second. "Distractions. Send them anywhere but where we are."

Dilan looked at Mella. Despite the tension, he managed a grin. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Kai is down in the tree belt on the other side of the river. He has your horse, Highness." Dilan whispered to Mella and Wesley. Farther away in other parts of the city, there was a slight amount of chaos as soldiers chased specters that vaguely looked the pair of fugitives. They literally melted when anyone got too close. Kev was having fun with this. Mella was sincerely glad that she had come up with the idea for water golems when they had all been practicing what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Alright. Let's get out of here." Mella threw the hood of her cloak over her head and followed Dilan through a maze of back streets and alleys, slowly making their way to the edge of the city.

The wall loomed ahead of the trio, and Mella stopped. "How are we supposed to get through? This wasn't where we came in."

"Mella, relax. It's perception. Parts of the wall aren't real. Come on." Dilan calmly walked up to the wall and walked into it, vanishing from sight.

Mella and Wesley cautiously stepped towards the wall when shouts were heard behind them.

"It's the fragment and Roxas! Stop them!" It sounded almost like Rin, but not quite.

Kev's distraction didn't reach this part of the city, or it had failed. The pair of them sprinted at the wall, orbs of fire and something else sailing over their heads. The false part of the wall enveloped them, and then it felt like they were running through a cloud.

The fog let up and they were on the bank of the river. Kai was on the other side, holding the reins of Wesley's horse. Mella and Wesley splashed into the water, fighting through the currents.

"Hurry!" he called. The magic attacks had slowed as Kai threw up a wall of water to protect the fleeing duo. They staggered up onto the opposite bank, soaked from the waist down, and ran towards the tree line.

"You have everything you need?" Kai asked as Wesley helped Mella up onto the horse.

"Too late to check. What we have will have to do. Kai, I'm so sorry. I don't know--" Mella stammered, but Kai cut her off.

"Don't worry about me. You coming to Ryn was one of the best things ever, even if the circumstances you came and left under were crap. Now get going!"

The water, which Kai had frozen into ice, was beginning to crack ominously under the strain of the magic being hurled against it. Wesley adjusted the last bag and moved to mount the horse. He stopped and turned to Kai.

"Thank you. For everything. I'm sorry--"

Kai waved him off. "Look, you two do not have the time for apologies or regrets. It's you they're after, not the trees next to you, or--"

The rest of Kai's tirade was drowned out in the clattering, cacophonous noise of shattering ice as the river wall and part of the huge city wall collapsed. Shards of ice flew towards them, along with a fresh barrage of magical attacks. The three of them shielded themselves as best they could. Thankfully, the magic missed.

"Mella, remember: you're going to give them hell. But you have to be free to do that. Now go!" Kai turned back to the city and the soldiers swarming through the chunks of ice. Mella watched, horror creeping up on her as her friend pulled out daggers and started fighting back. Soldiers fell around him as he spun, slicing and stabbing through them. This was the first time Mella had seen Kai really fight. What she was witnessing had nothing on practice with the others.

Time stood still, the noise fading to silence, as one of the fallen behind Kai staggered back to their feet, knife in hand. It took a lifetime to fall, glinting in the lights of the magic storm and the sun, before it hit its mark.

And Kai of Ryn fell.

The moment faded, and the sounds of people yelling at them to stop filtered back in to Mella, until she realized she was screaming.

"Kai! No!" Not Kai. Not her friend, the one that had understood her the most. The hole left in her heart which had just barely begun to heal was ripped open even wider as Kai lied on the ground, unmoving.

Wesley tore his eyes away from another magic attack he averted and turned back to his horse. One of the strange magic orbs that followed them through the wall slammed into his side. He stumbled but pulled himself onto Dawn and sent the horse streaking through the trees, away from soldiers, away from Ryn.

Away from Kai, who wouldn't laugh or smile again.