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"Time isn't the main thing. It is the only thing."
- Miles Davis
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"Wow, this place is...amazing." Ant said looking around. Elise smiled at him, watching him. They're in Laenadur, the Magic Capital, a massive city where the streets are filled with everything magic or mundane. It is a true sight to see with different shops and restaurants, floating islands that fly high above the city that have their own purpose and buildings on them. It is easy to get lost in it...and to spend all the money you have as well. In the very center of it all is the Council Buildings, and with that comes with heavy security. The Mage Knights, are an elite force of protectors that protect the city, stationed at the gates and just about everywhere, it isn't easy to get away with a crime with them watching.

Elise and Ant are heading towards the center of the city, having to grab Ant and pull him along when he gets distracted by something.

"Is this your first time in this place?" Elise asked him. Ant nods.

"Basically, yeah. I have never had a reason to come here until now...Obviously, I have been missing out." Ant said. Elise lets go of Ant's arm.

"Well, humans are exactly welcome without a mage accompanying them...especially Sky Army," Elise said. Ant looked at her. Ant had his hood up, darkening his face, his weapons hidden as well and any sign of the Sky Army covered or removed. Elise had the same thing to her but she doesn't need her hood up since her being a mage is enough reason for her to accept in. Ant narrowed his eyes at her for a moment and relaxed suddenly. He looked away, looking down the street.

"Do you know where you are going?" He asked. Elise nods.

"Yeah, I grew up here, I know this place like the back of my hand. Just stay close, Captain." She said. They walked a few more blocks until a person caught her eye making her stop abruptly and Ant to walk into her. He walked a few steps back.

"What?" Ant asked annoyed. Elise stared at a man, her eyes narrowed. 'It couldn't be...' She thought to herself. She walked to the other side of the street, Ant following her. She tapped on the man's shoulder, they turned around, facing her.

"What?" They snapped. Their eyes widen once he saw it was Elise. "E-Elise!" Elise narrows her eyes at him.

"What are you doing here, Alex?" Elise asked. Ant looked at the man, he stepped beside Elise, shocked.

"Alex?! Is this where you have been this entire time?!" Ant asked him. Alex stepped back, putting his hands up to them.

"Now hang on, Elise, I--Wait." Alex said before looking at Ant. "Why is he here?" Alex looked at Elise. "Are you insane? Sky Army aren't allowed in the city." Elise crossed her arms.

"Where are Master Waglington and his brothers?" Elise asked him. Alex hesitated, he chuckled softly.

"Give it up, Elise. We--" Elise gripped her arms.

"Our Master, Harvey, he's in trouble and General Ellis is dying from a magic disease," Elise told Alex. Alex closed his mouth, staring at her, stunned. He bit his bottom lip back and looked away from her.

"That sucks for them," Alex said. Elise uncrossed her arms.

"Look, you may have given up on him years ago...but I still have faith in him. Can you just tell me where the Fyre Brothers are?" Elise asked him. Alex grinned.

"Why don't you ask Micheal? You two are like the best of friends. He would do anything for you." Alex said making Ant roll his eyes and step towards Alex.

"Listen here, Alex. You better start talking and start talking now!" Ant snapped at him. Alex looked at Ant, scoffing.

"You don't scare me, Captain Venom." Alex scoffed. Ant arched an eyebrow at him.

"You're right...but I know that General Azdel does. And I will personally make sure he knows what you have been up too and I don't think he would be happy." Ant said making Alex stiffen up.

"You wouldn't dare..." Alex said. Ant smirked, nodding.

"Without hesitation." Ant said. Alex scared at Ant, thinking till he groaned, giving in.

"Fine, but I don't know where Master Waglington is. The Council has him out on some job right now, something to do with the Timeless Isle. But the other three are at their tower right now." He said making Elise confused.

"The Timeless Isle? But those islands, especially the Timeless Isle, were written off as restricted areas by Commander Skylen and the Magic Council. No one is allowed there." Elise said.  Alex shrugged his shoulders.

"Apparently something is going on over there, Master Waglington was just sent to look into it," Alex said making Ant put his hand up halfway.

"Wait, how do you know this? Who told you all this?" Ant asked making Alex smirk. Elise rolled her eyes.

"He has...ways. He can't keep his nose out of our people's business. So he has perfected his talent for eavesdropping and breaking and entering." Elise said making Alex lose his smirk.

"The Magic Council is up to something and I'm not the only one who thinks that. The Fyre Brothers have been under lockdown for two months now, they aren't allowed to leave their tower under any circumstance." Alex said making Elise nod a bit.

"Ahhh...so you are eavesdropping for the Fyre Brothers then," Elise said. Alex grabbed Ant's and Elise's arm, pulling them into an alleyway. Ant pushes his hand off his arm and Alex let go of Elise. Alex looked at Elise.

"Master Joyce Withers has returned to the Magic Council," Alex said making Ant and Elise look at him shocked.

"What?!" Elise exclaimed.

"Who in their right mind thought that letting that b*tch be a council member was a good idea?" Ant snapped. Alex looked at Ant.

"They gave Master Azdel's seat to her since he...well he hasn't been heard or seen in two years. She makes it difficult for me to eavesdrop on the meetings, and it was her that had the Fyre Brothers locked up and sent Master Waglington away. Not only that, she has been planning something." Alex said. Elise bit her bottom lip, thinking as Ant spoke, looking at Elise.

"We have to let Commander Stapleton know, right now--" Elise looked at Alex's arm.

"Take us to the Fyre Brothers, please." She said making Ant look at her.

"Elise, we need to go--" Elise looked at Ant.

"But what about Ty? I'm not leaving without a cure for him." She said to him. Ant's eyes soften.

"Elise, you said that you needed Master Waglington and from what Alex said, he's not here." Ant said. Elise grabbed Ant's arm, stepping towards him.

"I know, but Master James isn't the only wizard here that can save him. Laenadur is full of wizards that can do it, the Fyre Brothers are still here—"

"They're under lockdown—" Elise grips Ant's arm.

"Please, please, Captain. Ty can't die, he can't. I can't let him die. Please, do this for me. Please." Elise begged Ant. Ant stared at her, seeing her eyes are watering, he looked away from her. 'Damnit, I hate it when women cry.' Ant thought before he touched her arm.

"Alright, alright. Just...don't cry. I can't handle that sort of thing with women." Ant said. Elise wiped her eyes, smiling. She lets go of his arm and looks back at Alex.

"Lead the way, Alex."

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"Well?" Jordan questioned. Michael stood up straight, pointing down to tracks on the ground.

"This...This is too easy." Michael said. He looked around. Jordan looked down at the tracks on the ground, staring at them before Sonja spoke.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Jordan nods, agreeing with Michael.

"This is too easy, General Jason would never be this careless. Even if he were in a hurry, he would cover his tracks knowing that we would follow him." Jordan said. Michael walks away from the tracks and to a broken branch, he stares at it, he picks it up, looking at the break.

"Over here, those tracks are a decoy," Michael said.

"A broken branch? Could have been an animal--" Michael shakes his head.

"The break was recent, we are catching up to him and the grass is pressed down here to the size of a human foot at well. From the looks of it...he's running." Michael said looking at the grass. He drops the branch, crouching down, moving the grass seeing impressions in the dirt.

"So we should run?" Sonja asked. Jordan shakes his head.

"No, he still has three broken ribs, so if he is running...he won't run for long. Surgery can't fix broken bones, they need to heal on their own. And besides, we are on horses, he's on foot." Jordan said. Sonja nodded a bit, understanding. Michael stood up.

"I think Sonja should talk to him, he probably won't want to talk to the Colonel or me." He said before looking at Sonja. "He knows us too well, he doesn't know you." They mounted their horses and pressed on, the more they went, the more clues that Michael finds as to tracking Jason. And as Jordan predicted, Jason went from in a rush to going slow. After a while, Jordan spots him. Jordan puts his hand up, making Michael stop. They dismounted their horses, tying them to trees and hiding.

"Sonja," Jordan said before looking at Sonja. "Go, talk to him." Sonja nods and before she can make halfway, Jason speaks up.

"I know you three are there, don't send someone out, j-just come here." Jason winced. He's sat against a tree, his hand under his jacket, rubbing his side, trying to rub the pain away but can't. He watches the three come out, he looks away. "I'm not going back, so if that is why you are h-here, don't bother."

"How did you escape?" Michael asked him curiously. Jason smirked to himself.

"I'll never tell," Jason said. Sonja walks past Jordan, going over to Jason, she crouches down in front of him, making Jason look at her. "Who are you?" Sonja gives Jason a smile.

"I'm Sonja, I'm Jordan's friend. You must be the famous General Jason." Sonja said. Jason stared at her, his eyes looked away from her, not speaking. She loses her smile. "We didn't follow you just to take you back, from what Jordan and Commander Stapleton tell me, you are quite stubborn. And...Lieutenant General Hughes was taken by The Iron Crew, we need your help to find him."

"I know and trust me when I say, I don't approve of them taking Mitch...I thought I taught Sid better but apparently, I didn't." Jason said. His eyes looked back at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Jason sighed.

"Sid is Princess Simone, I just call her Sid as a nickname and an alternative name as well...I raised for five years. And I got the teenage years to deal with," Jason said. Sonja smiled at him.

"How do you think you did?" Sonja asked. Jason groaned.

"I'll never have kids..." Jason said making her chuckle softly.

"Oh come on, you couldn't have done that bad," Sonja said. Jason looked at her, about to respond but stops him. He loses his smile, his eyes look at Jordan and Michael.

"I know what you're--Arghh!" Jason groaned clutching his side as pain swelled up in his gut. Sonja moves on her knees, putting her hands up to the pained General but he moves her hands away. "I-I'm fine." Sonja puts her hands down, staring at him, watching him fight through the pain.

"You need a doctor—" Jason's eyes snapped up to her, flashing with rage.

"I said I'm fine!" Jason exclaimed at her making her recoil back. Jordan stepped towards the two, concerned. Sonja's eyes soften at him. 'It's just the pain...pain makes people irritated easily...' She thought.

"Can you stand up?" She asked him. Jason hesitated before trying to get to his feet, Sonja putting her hands up to him to catch him in case he falls. Jason leans against the tree, balancing him, but he only made it halfway before pin rippled through him.

"Arghh!" He yelped as his knees gave, Sonja grabbing onto him, letting him lean into her as she sat him down on his knees gently. Sonja gripped his jacket, she looked at Jordan and Michael for help. Michael spoke up after glancing at Jordan.

"He needs to rest, surgery can't fix broken ribs, they need to heal on their own. He's going to be in a lot of pain until they do heal." Michael said. Jason panted heavily, putting his hand on the ground to keep him upright. Jordan sighed.

"It's getting late. Let's camp out for tonight. We'll head back to HQ in the morning." Jordan said. Michael nods.

"I'll get firewood." He said before walking away. Sonja helps Jason sit down against the base of the tree again, Jordan walked over to them. Jason clutches his side, his eyes looked at Jordan as he spoke. Jordan crouched down beside them.

"How serious are your injuries?" Jordan asked Jason. Jason shakes his head a bit.

"N-Not bad—" Jordan nods, he crouches down in front of the two.

"If your injuries aren't serious, General...then why can't you stand up?" Jordan asked him. Jason stared at Jordan, silent, his eyes then looked away from the Colonel, not speaking. Jordan looked at Sonja. "Keep an eye on him, I know he can't stand but...he likes to escape when he gets the chance." Sonja nods to him.

"I'll keep an eye on him." She said before Jordan walks away from them. Jason looks at the ground, softly rubbing his side, breathing slowly as he got lost in his own thoughts. 'Sid knows better...She knows better than to resort to kidnapping. She should know better, I gotta get there before something bad happens to Mitch.' He thought before he looked at Sonja, watching her get the horses to come closer to where they'll be camping for the night. Jason closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the tree, waiting to fall asleep.