The Winged

18- Disaster

I leapt off the roof and landed beside him, breaking into a run the very second my feet hit the floor.
"Az!"
He didn't turn, and neither did the other boys, each so fixated on the feel of the weapons in their hands that they didn't seem to notice my voice over the crowds around us. Well, notice wasn't actually accurate; with the sheer level of noise around us they probably hadn't heard me at all.
Heart hammering as my legs carried me closer, I summoned all my strength up in my chest and tried another shout, "Hey, Aspen!"
This time he glanced over his shoulder. There was a look of confusion on his face before he saw me and almost fell over.

"Azure?" Aspen cried, voice going high with panic, "What are you still doing here?! I told you to leave!"
The group hadn't stopped their sprinting, but my brothers had lost just a little of that unbreakable fixation on the gigantic invader. Now, Aspen included, they were throwing their eyes towards me.
I glared at the boy, struggling just a little to keep up with his charge, "Leave and do what? I'm not running away without you!"
Aspen's glare became fiercer as he shook his head, "Azure!"
"I'm not leaving you!" I repeated. Obstinate.

All of us were sent to a skidding halt in the middle of the path, the sounds of people's panic only just louder than our own panting. It took all I could to keep my eyes away from Sam and fixated on my friend's pink cheeks. On nothing but the growing scowl in his expression. My eyes narrowed, but so did his, and it seemed that neither one of us was about to break the fierce stare. Or change our minds.
Aspen spoke, and though I didn't hear his low snap over the mobs, I knew all too well what he had said.
Go.
Neither one of us was about to let the other face that monster.

This is ridiculous! Every second spent glaring at each other was a second that Aspen and I were wasting, and more helpless people were disappearing into the brown fabric.
"Look around!" I yelled as my chest took in short breaths, "He's got Rosin! There's no time for this!"
The scouts around me could only ogle at the terrors ahead before desperately looking back to their Captain for guidance. I too turned to Aspen, face scrunched up, waiting for him to answer. Because he seemed to be having trouble with that.

He could only stare back despairingly, head shaking back and forth. He still wanted me to leave, that much was painfully obvious, but I remained rooted to the floor.
"Zuri!" He pleaded, "You saw what just happened! Rosin's stronger than both of us put together and she could barely scratch him! Please go."
"No!" I cried, then snatched his hand, "No! What about you?!"
I was about to point out how useless we were all being by standing around when there was a sudden pressure spiking on my shoulder.

I turned on my heel to see the hand of a boy, his face firm in the frown that he bore.
Hair like orange peels, curled and mad— It was Ronnie, eyes alight with resolve.
"The hell are you still doing here, huh? You can't fly!" His hand remained where he had taken my shoulder as he yelled over the crowds, "You think staying here is a good idea? Really?"
I let out a hopeless groan, "No! But I won't leave you!"
Ronnie frowned for a few seconds. Then without warning he had thrust something into my hands; something smooth yet sharp, heavy yet not overweighted. A... I blinked in amazement, looking down at the green blade with awe. A sword?
Beside me, Aspen gave a yell of surprise.
"What in th- what are you doing?!" He fumed. He probably would have snatched the sword from my hand had Ronnie not stood between us.
The boy retorted with a scowl of his own, "What am I doing? What are you doing, Aspen? We need all the help we can get. Azure's the only one that's seen this thing before."
Aspen was just as quick to fire back his own argument, "She can't fly. She's hurt."
With a shake of his head, Ronnie was locking eyes with his friend, "You know she won't leave us here."
And for that, the only answer Az could give was a breathless scowl. He knew. He refused to accept it, but he knew.