His scent was planted firmly in his nose.
Towards the north. He felt in the air, in the cold. The castle's remains scattered around him in large boulders. Behind him, Takabi and the girls lay unmoving. His mind held worry, yet for whatever reason, why is lost on him.
His heart is hurting, but he cannot explain why.
He's in pain, and he knows the source of his pain is a single man. That man's name has lingered in his mind for so long, and now he felt he was close to exacting revenge against him. With a flex and cry, Kairas' voice rang out loud, shaking the oceans around them.
Quickly he came. His massive hands held a small device. It seemed like a collar of some kind. He tossed it, the collar locking perfectly around Kairas' throat. Pulling a remote from his pocket, he pressed a couple buttons, and the collar injected itself into Kairas' veins.
His roars of power turned to pain. He grabbed, pulled, tried to rip it off, but to no avail. The veins in his body bulged, and he clutched his head, fighting to keep his wild mind.
"No, no. Can't have you running wild now." The Father cracked a twisted smile, walking past everyone, slowly petting Kairas as the boy dropped to his knees. "You're my ticket to freedom now, kid. I need a new partner, since your brother and his friends killed my old one."
He scoffed at Kairas' lack of response, then looked towards the mountains in the distance. "The battle has yet to begin. Girston, we're coming for you, and your bitch."
---------------------------------------
Takabi's eyes fluttered open.
He sat up, rubbing his head and groaning at his pounding headache. Nana placed a hand on his chest, watching him closely. They shared a quiet moment, then watched as Shine and Frannie picked themselves up next. The four were silent as the pain lingering through their bodies passed, and they marveled at the fact they survived an explosion of that calabur at such a close range. Moments passed, until Shine asked the painful question.
"Where's Jewel and Kairas?"
Takabi blinked, looking up at her. He stood slowly, brushing the dust from his torn shirt and pants. "It's faint. I can sense them both moving towards the mountains in the north." He took a painful step forward. "Anyone wake up before me?"
"I did," Nana said, standing next to him. "They were gone before I got up. Judging by the sun," She said, looking at the orange marble in the air. "Doesn't look like we were out too long."
He nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. Unsurprisingly, it was completely destroyed. Garuga was going to have a heart attack if they didn't contact him. "Damn it. Someone's gotta go back and report this."
"I will," Frannie suggested. "They'll stop worrying about us at least."
"Nana, can you go with her," Takabi asked her. She nodded without hesitation, but then touched his arm gently. "Wait, what about you and Shine?"
"That's obvious." He said, pointing towards the mountains. "We're going to get our friends back."
"Not with those injuries! Your stamina hasn't recovered either!"
"What do you mean? I'm fine." He said. Nana raised an eyebrow, gently jabbing his chest. He held a straight face, but his eyes showed pain. "Okay… Okay, but we can't leave them. I'll be careful."
"Yeah. Sure." She placed a quick kiss on his lips, then whispered something in his ear. His face visibly turned red, Shine and Frannie looking at each then back. Wind began to swirl around Nana, and she looked at the blonde.
"Take my hand. Hold on tight." Nodding, she jogged over and held Nana's palm tight, then the two took off in the air towards Denver's mainland. Takabi stepped next to Shine, stretching wide.
"What'd she say to you?"
"Huh," He replied. "Oh, nothing you need to worry your kiddie ears about."
She crossed her arms, but chose not to press. Her eyes moved towards the mountains, and her stomach physically dropped. "Are you sure about this?"
"Nope," He replied. "We have to go regardless. Kairas and Jewel need us." He touched his chest. "I can feel it in my heart."
"Am I strong enough to support you at least?"
Again, he replied with a no. "I have a plan though. No idea if it'll work, but it's an idea." He smiled wide, "Let's go get our brother."