Kiera's POV

I looked back as the tower we were just in collapsed. The Fey were still flying around it, trying to fight the Flamen Grandes, but not having much luck. "I hope Cale and Quinn made it out alright," Zia said. Flint looked up. "Look out!" He yelled we all jumped away avoid being hit my molten lava from a Flamen Grande. More rained down on us and we ran. It wasn't until I paused in the forest that I realized I was away from the others. "G-guys," I whimpered. There was no answer. Suddenly, a small child ran up to me and grabbed my hand. The child had darker skin and shoulder length dark red hair. "Hurry! Hurry!" the child urged, pulling her deeper into the woods. "Wait! Where are we going?! And what about my friends?!" I asked. "No time to check. We go now. Falrons coming," the child said, voice heavy with a South American accent. "Falrons?" I asked. "Falcon people. Bad. Come strange girl. I take you to to safety," the child declared. "Wait, I don't even know who you are," I protested. "No able to pronounce given name. So I called Maggy," she told me. She pronounced that Mag-ee, with a pause in the middle. "Well I'm Kiera," I told Maggy. "Key-Rah. That is beautiful name," Maggy told me. "Thank you Maggy," I told her. "Let's go," Maggy said. I nodded. "Lead the way," I told her. We ran until something landed in front of us. "Falron," Maggy told me. It was a human like thing with wings for arms and hand like talons at the end of each hand. It had a falcon head, and its eyes were looking right at me. It cawed loudly and ran after Maggy and me. We took off running. It was a much faster runner, but we were gaining because it's wings kept getting caught in the branches. Maggy's foot got caught on a tree root. The falron lunges at her. She screamed. No, I thought desperately. I looked at the vines on the tree, and something snapped inside me. I reached out instinctively. Then the vines from the trees grew and shielded Maggy from the falron. I helped Maggy up and I kept running. We reached a small clearing. "Thank you, Key-Rah," Maggy told me. "No problem," I told her. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the trees nearby. I got in position, ready to fight it off, whatever it was.

Alan's POV

I ran into the woods. I didn't see anyone else. Where could they have gone? I hear cawing in the woods around me. I focused on running. I looked back and saw something pursuing me. Darn, what was that thing? A half human half falcon hybrid, it ran with startling speed. But I was the cross country champ in our school. I left the poor thing in the dust. I burst into a clearing, and saw Kiera, poised, and ready to fight. "Oh, Alan! There you are! I was getting worried," she told me. I looked at the little girl beside her. "Who are you?" I asked. "My name Maggy," she said. "She helped me escape the falrons," Kiera announced. So that's what they were called. I nodded at Maggy and she nodded back. "What now?" I asked. There was a loud caw from above. We looked up and saw three falrons circling above us. They dove at us. "Run," Maggy commanded. Then the little girl took off into the forest. Kiera and I took off after her.

Zia's POV

I took off into the woods. We were split up. Worst of all, falrons were pursuing us. I wasn't sure Kiera and Alan could handle them. I wasn't really worried about Flint. And I hadn't the slightest clue where Quinn and Cale went. Quinn I figured would be fine on his own. But if he was still in the tower looking for Cale, I doubted he would survive the destruction of the tower. And if Cale was in there still, well he was dead. There was nothing else to it. I hoped they'd gotten out. I wasn't sure how Cale would do by himself, even if he did get out. The best chance they had was to have gotten out of the tower and to be together. But I wasn't sure how likely that was. And there was no way to know. A falron swooped down at me. I jumped out of the way. Four more followed the first. Darn, I'd have to use my Aku. I grew cold and my body shifted into something long and serpentine. When I was done, I was a ice serpent with a two foot diameter and 45 feet long. I breathed ice at them, freezing them. I lifted up on my tail and looked around. I noticed several falrons converging on a single spot. I bet that that was where at least someone I knew was. I became human again and ran after them.

Alan's POV

Kiera and I ran with Maggy. Kiera was somehow able to move the plants that were in the way. Was that the Aku Quinn was talking about? Had she developed hers already? Unfortunately, I could see that whatever it was clearly was draining her. A small swarm of falrons descended on us. Kiera lifted her arms. Vines started rising from the ground to block them but they were growing too slow. I looked for something I could fight with. I saw a fist size rock, sitting by my foot. Then something happened. I don't know, it was like something... clicked inside me. I reached down and grabbed the rock. I hurled it at the falrons. As I did, dozens of other rocks around the same size flew up with it, bombarding the falrons. They were forced to retreat. One charged at us from the forest, before I could do anything, a large snake made of ice burst out and froze it with its ice breath. Kiera, Maggy, and I all backed away. The serpent shifted into the form of a girl. "Zia! That was incredible! You were too, Alan!" Kiera exclaimed, cheerful as always. "Thanks," Zia and I said at the same time. "We go now. I take you to Ship Master," Maggy told us. We nodded. "Let's go," I said. We took off running. "Who's she?" whispered Zia. "Maggy. She helped Kiera," I whispered back. She nodded. We continued running to find this Ship Master.

Flint's POV

I, unlike literally everyone else in this chapter, did NOT run into the forest after the Flamen Grande attack. As a Flamen, I was basically immune to their fire. I looked up at the Flamen Grande. "Talon Vestow?!" I yelled up at him, recognizing the giant. "Flintstone Furnace?" he asked in disbelief, using my full name. "Yeah. What are you doing here Talon?" I asked him. "I am obeying orders," Talon said sadly. Talon had been my friend for a long time, before the Flamens and Flamen Grandes stopped working together. Centuries ago, the Flamen were a new tribe, living in volcanic caves. The Flamen Grande, or Kazan, as they were known then, came to the Flamen. The Flamen agreed to allow the Kazan into their tribe, giving them the name Flamen Grandes. A few years ago, the Flamen Grandes had broken off from the Flamen and there had been no community between them since. The Flamen had never learned why. "Who's orders?" I asked. "I don't know, I'm not high up enough to be told. But rumors are the Grandes are working under a Fey who bribed the Grande elders. I don't know, but I'm too scared of my general to disobey his orders," Talon told me. "This is bad. This is really bad," I said to myself. Talon nodded. "If we are working for a Fey, this could start up another Fey-Sapien War," Talon elaborated. I paled. The fist Fey-Sapien War nearly destroyed all of Kurea. "Then this is worse than we thought. Do you know how many people died in the last war? Neither do I, because there were to many bodies to flaming count!" I ranted. "It would definitely be bad," Talon agreed. "I have to go. See you later, bud," I told him. "Goodbye old friend," Talon said, "And good luck." I nodded. Then I ran to find my friends. Who knew what kind of trouble they could have gotten into now.

Zia's POV

Maggy led us towards the Ship Master. I knew about him. His dock was the closest to Dairiseki and could take you almost anywhere in Kurea. He was a bit eccentric though. One of the Kougans has once told me two things about him. One: It got bigger each time. He hadn't elaborated on WHAT got bigger but something got bigger. And Two: Never correct his spelling. When we arrived at the dock, a middle-aged man greeted us. "Hello!" called the Ship Master. He didn't look unusual, which was what was so unusual about him. He wore blue jeans, a straw hat, and a T-shirt with a bird on it. I wasn't a bird expert, so I didn't know what bird it was. "The need to leave here. Quickly. Take them to Furui," Maggy told him. "Alright, all I have left is a small five person boat. I'll get that ready for you now," the Ship Master told us. "Wait!" Kiera cried, "We can't leave!" "Why not?" Alan asked. "Cale, Quinn, and Flint still aren't here," Kiera explained, close to tears. "All I have is a five person boat. It'll be days until another boat returns, with the commotion," the Ship Master told her. "We could squeeze. There's only six of us," Kiera pleaded. I put my hand on her shoulder. "It'll take about 6 hours. Yes we could squeeze but it would be pretty uncomfortable. And Quinn would not like being that close to everyone," I explained gently. "She's right," a voice agreed. Flint stepped into view. "Flint!" Kiera exclaimed. She hugged him, but had to let go because he was hot to the touch. "Ow," Kiera complained. "Guess I'm too hot," Flint said, grinning. I breathed ice on him. "Hey!" he complained, "That's cold." "Enough," Alan told us. "Take it or leave it, the boats ready," Ship Master announced. We nodded, and climbed on the boat. "Hey, if your friends come this way, I'll have them follow you," Ship Master told us. "Thank you," Kiera said. The boat left the dock and we were gone.

Howdy!
   -Dell