Just as promised, another chapter this week! Hope you'll enjoy! :D Lily xxx

The three girls stepped carefully on the fragile bridge. But despite their envy of walking back, they knew they had no time to waste, the guys counting on them to quickly cross the bridge. Once on it, Evergreen couldn't help but looking down. Big mistake. The bottom of the precipice seemed so far away, dangerously reminding her that there was no way she would survive a fall in its deepness. Swallowing her saliva, she took a few more steps when her leg passed through one of the wood planks in bad shape. The young woman let out a cry before realising only the wood under her feet gave in, the rest of the plank still sustaining her weight... at least for now.

"Are you alright?" Asked Lucy right behind her.

Still trembling, Evergreen nodded before freeing her feet from the wood and keep walking with cautiousness. Her ankle, where the shattered wood at left a deep gash made her suffer but she decided to ignore it the best she could.

"I'll wait until you and Levy are on the other side" said Lucy, look at the passage with apprehension, realizing that the weight of two would maybe be more than enough on the structure.

She nodded once more and, ignoring the bridge that could crumble anytime under her feet, she finally got to the other side next to Levy who seemed frightened... too frightened to her taste. She had to admit, she just had her own load of emotions, but not to be scared the way she was. Then she understood, turning to where the others were still standing, confirming her fears. Her heart tightened as she realized she had been right: a combat had started on the other side. The DFA had caught up to them.

***

Elfman sighed in relief seeing Evergreen safe on the other side. Then Lucy had started to walk again, Natsu not far behind. Could they really pull it through? He barely had his hopes up of everyone getting through in time when a silhouette way faster than the others got out of the woods. The young man felt fear take over him quickly realizing it was a fallen. Without wasting a second, he placed himself at the entrance of the bridge, the only way towards the others. Preparing himself for an attack, his fist collapsed on the fallen's face, but that barely fazed him enough to push him off an instant. He threw a succession of other hits, distracting the enemy. However, his lack of weapon was starting to show. He was indeed about to receive a nasty claw blow in the face when a sword hit brought back the fallen's attention on Gajeel. The latter may not have Elfman's enhanced strength, the power of his own ring allowed him to receive a few additional hits and that not considering his experience in combat.

They that way split the fallen's attention between the both of them, coping once in a while a few blows, happily not severe for now. Then, while the enemy's attention was locked on Gajeel, Elfman took advantage of it by grabbing and iimmobilizing him in his back, locking his arms under his own.

"Do it!" Yelled Elfman, for whom it was difficult to keep the fallen still despite his force.

The black haired young man didn't need to be told twice and took advantage of the situation to plant his sword in the fallen's throat, making sure to miss Elfman right behind. The fallen's body was soon back to its human form before collapsing lifelessly at their feet. They were about to take the bridge themselves, Natsu now on the other side, but couldn't take a step before a few soldiers got to them.

"Shit" he thought. The fallen wasted too much of their time. They turned towards the entrance of the bridge to evaluate the situation. Much to their discouragement, they saw that some more soldiers got to them on the other side. All together, the were about a douzaine, their sword high before them, ready to take care of them in any possible way.

A feeling of helplessness took over Elfman. It was nearly impossible for him to fight against their swords with his bare hands. As for Gajeel, he will never be able to win against all twelve of them. But that was not the end of it, both young men having a had time to control their anger as some soldiers were entering the bridge. As for Natsu, he turned to them as soon as he sae them. 'Even if he's a man, he doesn't stand a chance against them' thought Elfman.

Looking at Gajeel, he understood that the latter had had the same conclusion. A severe look was enough for the men to have a silent understanding and Elfman turned to Natsu.

"Stay where you are and cut the ropes!" He yelled as the pink haired young man did a few steps in their direction.

Natsu gave them a disconcerted look.

"There is no way I'm leaving Fairy Tail members behind!" He opposed. "Even if it includes metal head!"

He started to walk toward them again when Gajeel continued.

"This is not the time to overestimate your strength, Salamander! You know as well as me that there are too many of them!"

"There's no way I'm abandoning you!"

"You'll let me down if Levy gets hurt because of you!" Got impatient Gajeel.

To Elfman's relief, Natsu seemed to now realise the danger in with helping them was putting Lucy, Evergreen and Levy if he chose to ignore Gajeel and Elfman's decision. Clenching his fists, he walked back to the other side.

"I trust you" he said. "You better come back alive or I'll never forgive you" he added before cutting the ropes maintaining the bridge with his dagger, the others only understanding too late what they had planned.

Satisfied, Gajeel could now fully put his attention on the soldiers circling them.

"Salamander is an idiot, but at least he knows what to do when it counts" he said to his remaining fighting partner with half a smile.

Elfman nodded, ready to fight till the end even if their chances of living through the situation where barely existent.

Needing a weapon and fast, he pulled out a large branch from a thee near by and used it to block the blades coming at him. He even managed to send flying a soldier before the branch broke under a final sword blow. He only had time to grab one of the two halves laying on the ground when the cold contact of a blade could be felt behind his neck, ready to cut his head off if he did a single movement.

"Hands up" ordered the one keeping him in respect.

Elfman tried to evaluate his options but other soldiers caught up to him reducing to nothingness his hopes. Clenching his teeth, he let go of his improvised weapon and did as he was told. He was soon shoved on the ground, his arms tied up with some sort of chains with the biggest resistance he ever felt.

No able to do a thing anymore, Elfman turned to Gajeel. Even if he didn't really thought he could win against all of them, Elfman felt his energy leave abandon him as he saw his ally unarmed, kept in respect by many swords. If was only a matter of time before Gajeel was himself chained.

Elfman was expecting to feel the sharpness of a blade in his flew anytime but nothing came. He then understood with surprise that they didn't plan on killing them... not here.

"Why not ending it now" barked Gajeel.

They didn't get any answer, their enemies remaining mute about the orders they had. Even if he should be relieved to have a little more time to find a way out, Elfman however knew that if they weren't sentenced to die here and then, that meant their vital energy was meant to feed the horrible things.

He felt a shiver of disgust thinking about what Evergreen had live at the wall. That bad feeling was at least reduced as his eyes landed on the young woman's silhouette, safe at her end of the precipice as the only close path was destroyed. He could easily picture the girl's anger about his decision, but if he had managed to prevent her from having the same fate as him, it was worth it. Seeing that Gajeel also had his eyes glues to the person he wanted to protect more than anything, the young Strauss thought that, despite everything, they had taken the right decision and did what they must do.