I AM BACK, MY FELLOW DRAEYERS!

I know I said I'd be back in November, but that's because my stupid brain forgot October exists. I kid you not. I really thought it was November after September. My brain did not process anything that was not related to my exams. Hopefully, I pass and get my license by December. But for now, let's write!!!!!!

IMPORTANT!!!!!!

For this chapter, you might want to reread the last part of Chapter 40. I made changes because my dumbass made plotholes and accidentally turned Alec and Areisha into a bunch of idiots. 

PS. I think you got notif for updates. Those were false alarms because I accidentally pushed the published button on some draft ideas.

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They spent the next few minutes pulling down vines and braiding some together. The draelings helped by biting down on some parts to keep it from unraveling. It did not help much, but the cuteness of it all still helped Areisha calm her mood. She watched Alec's fingers move delicately and quickly to create makeshift slingshots. He finished his quickly, before taking over her much slower progress.

Moments later, two slingshots made of braided vines were ready. Lucky for them, there were plenty of perfectly small stones that could do the job.

Alec wasted no time and loaded a stone on the slingshot. The weapon started spinning over his head, quickly picking up speed. Then, with a throwing motion the stone flew, hitting the head of the moon wolf he injured earlier. A keen whine escaped its mouth before it fell on its side writhing and pawing its head in pain.

The other wolves quickly scattered at a howl from the pack leader, moving away from the rock formation they stood on. "How long have you been using a slingshot?"

"It was my first long-distance weapon when I was eight. I was too young to use a bow," Alec said. There was a faraway look in his eyes as he glared at the wolf leader. "If you can't hit the head, aim for the side. It's much easier that way," Alec said.

Areisha knew that Alec was so focused on the pack leader that he was not challenging her at all. But she could not help the competitive spirit that burned inside her at his words.

She loaded her sling and spun it over her head. With a swing of her arm, the stone landed on another wolf's head. It did not fall, but she managed to blind one of its eyes. Blood dripped down the fur on its face.

Alec briefly snapped out of his staring contest with the wolf leader and looked at her from the corner of his eyes, a contemplative look in his gaze.

"What?" she asked.

"Good aim."

She resisted the pleased smile that started to form on her lips and coughed and nodded her head. The smile quickly died down when Alec aimed at the wolf she hit and finished the job. It went down with a cry. Areisha did not know if it was dead or alive.

Including the leader, only three wolves were left. She looked towards the pack leader, quickly noting how it stood there...glaring up at them.

It was so creepy.

"It's strange," she said. "Wolves are pretty smart animals. Normally, these guys would've run away by now seeing as they have no advantage over us."

Alec did not say anything and loaded another stone. Hearing no answer, Areisha pushed a little.

"What's up with the red crystal?"

He visibly flinched at the question. A bite of his lip told Areisha that it was a hard subject for him to talk about. If he did not answer, she would not ask further.

But Alec opened his mouth.

"It's a strange crystal that allows a person to take control of another creature. Whether it could control humans, we still don't know," he said.

Areisha recoiled at what she heard. A crystal with the power to take away your autonomy was like a nightmare come true for her. "Then that means, someone could be around here...."

Kosmos above, what shit did I get dragged into this time?

"If that's the case, then why is it so easy?" she asked.

Alec stopped, lowering the arm that was about to spin his sling. She could see from his eyes the whirl of thoughts that took over his head. A moment later he slowly looked at her. There was a look in his eyes that told her he realized something. He cursed and pinched the spot between his brows. "How could I be so blind and stupid...?"

She only grew confused when he spun and swung the slingshot. It hit one wolf on the stomach, blood spurting from the wound.

"We have to go," he said. "Now!"

"What? There's still two..."

"I'd rather face a known threat than a hidden one."

"What is going on?" she shouted. "Tell me!"

Emera, affected by her emotions, growled low. Midnight and Cerulian growled back. Glacia tucked herself against Alec's neck.

She took a deep breath to calm her frustration. It was unbecoming to lose her composure and vent it out on another.

Alec looked conflicted for a brief moment before he turned around. She could assume he was looking for another way down. "Gael and Kreis found some cases of Draeyers and their draelings going missing for the past year," Alec began. "We suspect that you and the twins' kidnapping from last time was related. A group named Whispers seems to be behind it."

"You called that guy who helped kidnap us Whisper.That's the only time I've heard of them."

"They've been mostly active in Arktis. An extremely dangerous and deranged lot."

Areisha noted the tightening of his voice and body language as he talked more about Whispers. "You're familiar with them?"

Silence fell between them at her question, before Alec spoke in a quiet tone. "I've fought them...and I lost my...friend to one of them," he said. Although quiet, there was a great anger in the way he said it. "I refuse to let them take another life in front of me."

The conversation was over, she could sense. She then helped in looking for another way to escape the mind-controlled creatures. Her head turned to Emera when the draelings roared. When she and Alec reached her, they found her looking down at a narrow ledge that led to a couple of trees.

"Should I go first?" she asked.

Alec's eyes narrowed at the trees on the other side of the ledge. "Something feels off...I can't shake the feeling that we're being cornered."

A loud wolf howl caused them to look back at the two remaining wolves. They turned just in time to see the second wolf run and jump on the rock formation a few feet below them. Another howl came from the pack leader as it jumped and...used the second wolf as a stepping stone.

It was still too far away to reach them, but an ominous feeling took over Areisha. The red crystal on the wolf's head glowed.

Alec pushed her towards the ledge, snapping her away from the menacing glow of the crystal. "Run!"

She had just managed to run a quarter of the way when the stone trembled from a loud explosion. Cracks appeared beneath her feet, stones sliding and falling to the ground. An arm wrapped around her waist and her feet met nothing but air. A moment of panic passed before Alec landed on the other side with a loud thud.

"What just..."

"The crystals can explode on command."

Areisha looked back to see the crumbling rocks that they were standing on a few moments ago. Continuous loud rumbling occurred as the stones fell, causing more birds to fly and scatter into the air. She was pretty sure that sound could be heard from a mile away, so people would be coming soon.

"You said it was kidnapping. This feels more like they're trying to get rid of..."

A sixth moon wolf, with a red crystal like the pack leader, stood just above Alec. Areisha's hand moved, calling on the power she shared with Emera. Her green Flames blazed from her hand and shot at the large animal. Emera was only a draeling, making her Flame weak and small.

But it was enough to delay it a bit.

Strong hardy vines held its hind legs back, allowing Alec enough time to be out of the wolf's line of sight. A moment later, the vines broke and the wolf pounced on her.

Using her sentiral power had weakened her, and now with the added fatigue from her Flame, she had no energy to move. She fell to her knees, in pain and out of breath.

A green blur of fury charged the wolf from the side, biting and clawing at its face and eyes. "Emera!" she shouted. It was followed by three small draelings of varying shades of blue.

"You four! Get back!" The draelings were thrown off by the larger creature, slamming them down on the rocks and stones with painful cries.

The sight of the furious wolf was quickly joined by an equally enraged Alec. With a loud shout, he kicked it from under the jaw and followed with a blow to the chest. The giant wolf cried out as it slammed on the stone.

It was a tenacious thing as it got up and pounced on Alec, this time going low. Alec fell to the floor, hands straining as he kept the wolf's jaws from closing on his neck. Blood started to flow from his hands.

Blood Blazen!

Alec could die at his rate. All Areisha could do was curse. If she moved in the slightest, she'd end up completely unconscious.

Why? Why does this keep happening to me?

So weak. So powerless to do anything. Useless.

From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the draelings get up. Cerulian, the ever-sleepy little guy had a completely different look about him. His teeth were out and bared, his gummy smile gone. With a swoosh, he flapped his wings and shot towards the wolf.

A tiny roar came out followed by a ball of icy blue Flames. Jagged ice covered the wolf's face, causing it to rear back and howl in pain. Alec rolled away and escaped, quickly breaking off a shard of ice. He spun, driving the ice shard so deep into the giant wolf's jugular over and over.

The creature froze and shuddered as blood covered the entire ground beneath it. With a last shudder, it fell to the ground. Alec fell to his knees, still holding the ice crystal shard as he caught his breath.

"I...am never leaving...my weapons behind ever again. I...don't care...what Gael says."

Areisha was so relieved she started to laugh, even though nothing about the situation was funny. Her laugh was cut short when a red glow appeared from the crystal on the wolf's head.

"Fuck!" Alec shouted as he grabbed Cerulian, shielding him from the upcoming explosion by tucking the draeling beneath him.

"Arden!"

"Alec!"

A shout, loud flapping of wings, and gushing of air overlapped with her own. A ball of black Flames appeared in her vision, which grew and devoured the entire wolf in a second. It turned the creature into nothing but ash.

Immense relief filled her at the sight, that she felt her body relax. She fell back, her vision slowly turning black from exhaustion. Before she lost consciousness, she managed a small laugh.

"Why...do you always appear at...the last minute?"

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At least Gael saved Alec when he needed saving so no dramatic convos this time, just Alec grumbling about his pride. HAHAHA...Gael's going to be even more overprotective now.

Also...HOORAY for our baby draelings! You're all so badass today.

With this development, what changes will Alec's trip to the temple will undergo? Find out next chapter.