"Your welcome." Evan responded with a smile, knowing something new about Mayari, something he would never forget about her.
...
Boom!!!
Something suddenly exploded just behind Mayari, she was blown away by the impact but Evan caught her on time before she hit hard on the wall.
Mayari break away from Evan and fixed her stare to the damage area of the hallway. Smoke of dust floated in the air covering the object that have roughly landed. Shards of broken glasses, and ice where scattered in the floor. It was like something exploded but Evan and Mayari knew better.
Everything was silent, Evan step forward holding the handle of his sword, readying himself for any attack to come.
Suddenly, out from the dusty mist a ball of solid ice was thrown to them. Evan slash his sword, slicing the ball into half while Mayari stood behind him unfazed.
The smoke of dust instantly dispersed, from within a head of an icy dragon was viewed. The dragon has glaring ruby eyes, it has a pair of pallid sharp horns standing upright in the sides of its head, its teeth were razor-sharp and it growled towards them. Rage and fury is visible in its expression and aura, but something is very disturbing.
"Aria!?" Evan gasp.
The dragon winced, then roared like she was in aching pain even though Evan hadn't lend any attack on her. It shook its head rapidly, hitting it to the wall, to the floor, and to the ceiling making the hallway quake in its odd behavior. The floor beneath them cracked and both Mayari and Evan quickly jump to the other side before it collapsed.
"Do you know this dragon?" Mayari asked, keeping her balance from the trembling floor.
"Yes, she's Xera's dragon, Aria." Evan answered, "There is something wrong with her."
Chandeliers and pieces of ice are falling from above, and Aria is still shaking her head rapidly. Then she stopped, still closing her eyes in pain, she exhaled an air full of blizzard and snow that frost everything that it touched.
Evan stabbed his blade to the floor before the wind hits them. A barrier suddenly showed up protecting them in this hazardous blizzard.
Aria stopped, screamed again, then withdraw her head. Evan retreated his barrier as well and turned to Mayari.
"This is very dangerous Mayari, you should go downstairs and alarm the others" Evan demanded, "I'll try to confront Aria"
Mayari nodded and swung to run to Helen but before she could go farther a large tail suddenly wipe the entire hallway. Evan cast a barrier on Mayari but the tail was too strong that the barrier along with Mayari got blasted out.
Mayari blink and in an instant she is now up in the sky. In this height Mayari could see the entire appearance of Aria; she has a long body covered in icy scales, her two pairs of wings flapped vigorously against the air, and from her head to the end of her tail is spikes of solid ice.
Aria is out of control frosting the castles tower with her breath.
"We need to get you somewhere safe." Evan suddenly came behind Mayari, floating in midair.
He tightly hold Mayari's hand and waist to keep her from falling, and with the winds support Evan and Mayari glided in the air, a swift strike and they have arrived in a certain tower in the palace where Helen, Xera and Carlos waited for them.
"Are you two alright!?" Helen asked as both Evan and Mayari landed.
"We're alright," Evan replied, "we just need to know what is happening to Aria, have any clue Xera?"
"No, I don't." Xera answered in confusion, "She was totally fine yester-" Xera was cut off by Aria's frustrated scream, followed by a trembling floor.
"Ms. Helen, Xera, Mayari you should get out of here!" Carlos demanded, "Me and Evan will try to calm Aria."
"No! I will come with you, Carlos." Xera refused, "Aria is my dragon I shall be the one taking responsibility."
"But-" Carlos tried to argue but was cut off short.
"No buts! I know Aria better than anyone."
Carlos sighed in defeat, "Alright, you could come but don't get yourself hurt or I will never forgive myself."
Xera nodded to her husband, and together with Evan they flew out of the tower to confront Aria.
"Mayari, I want you to run far away from here." Helen clasp both of Mayari's hands, "Go to a safe place."
"What about you?" Mayari asked.
"They need my help so I need to join them." Helen's hand suddenly glowed and a barrier suddenly appeared around her, "This barrier will keep you protected so head quickly to the exit." Helen let go but Mayari quickly grabbed her.
"I'll come with you."
"No, dear. You should go" with that Helen broke their entwined hand and fled to the window to join the others.
Mayari look through the window, there she saw Helen and the others flying in midair luring Aria away. Aria is truly enrage whipping her tail precipitously like being pestered by flies, she's frustrated and blindly followed them away, chasing them in fact.
When they have reached the great ocean of Myrim, they then enclose Aria. In a sync movement they motioned their hand all together, and the ocean water followed. They extended their hand in front and the ocean then surrounded Aria, imprisoning her in a sphere of water.
Their hands are forward front, glowing blue and abide by the water from the great ocean. They need to seal her before she cause more harm. With their own will they give all they got just to confine her, it will be better that way than killing her.
Aria budge, screamed and breath frost fighting the water that will bound her to confinement. With Aria's burning fury and will to breakout Evan and the others are having a hard time sealing the great icy dragon.
Even though far away, Mayari can clearly see their distress. Mayari can't tell if their plan will work or fail but she knows that she needs to help them.
With her great fearless courage, she stepped on the window. She looked down, the height from the tower to the ground is totally terrifying, it even zoomed out in her sight but with Mayari's experiences in heights this tower is nothing.
With a stare of pure calmness, Mayari lift her head forward, analyzing her plan. If they could fly, maybe she can. If she failed Helen's barrier will protect her from death so there is nothing to lose.
She focused deeply, channeling her spiritual energy in her entire body, believing in herself that she could fly. Relying on herself to do well like every mission she had accomplished.
Mayari slowly inhaled and exhaled---then jump out!!!
She didn't fly!... But she didn't fall either. Standing on a large snowflake that suddenly burst out from thin air, she slowly rise up.
Her feet was glowing so as her hands, knowing the snowflake's source she sighed in relief.
"Better than nothing..." she whispered, then run ahead.
Every stepped in the air, large snowflakes would pop out preventing Mayari from falling. And once left will disperse into glistening glitters of vibrant snow.
Aria was now half-way trap, she scream sharply louder than before hurting their ears but they still didn't stop, they really need to seal her.
Their eardrums is like exploding in her cry but they can't retreat. Finally, Aria stopped but still keep on budging the watery sphere that's surrounding her. Then she started firing balls of ice, it went through the sphere in different directions but none hit Evan and others.
Abruptly Aria stopped and look through the distance in irritation and fury. Everyone followed her gaze and saw Mayari running fast with frosty snowflakes beneath her.
Everyone couldn't believe their eyes. When did she learn this?...Well, to answer their question, she learned this just minute ago.
Snapping out of her amazement, Helen shouted; "Mayari, go back! Its dangerous here!" She warned desperately, "Please, go back!" still holding her hands forward to keep the confinement sphere balance.
Helen's warning reached Mayari but she didn't listen. Aria then shot four balls of ice to Mayari.
"Mayari, watch out!" Xera alerted.
The first ice is upon Mayari, she exhaled and jump dodging the first ice, and with a triple twirl in midair she then burly kicked the second ice to the third giving a loud explosion as she landed safely in her snowflake.
She continued to run rushing forward to the fourth ice, and with a punched the ball of ice crack, break, then disperse.
"Oh my..." Xera was speechless while Evan was dumbfounded.
"Who the heck is that girl, Ms. Helen?!" Carlos is very surprise.
Helen really want to chuckle right now and praise her apprentice, but her anxiety is devouring her alive, "Turn back right now young lady!" now Helen is mad.
For some reason, ever since she accepted the black wolf mask her strength had increase beyond normal, it's like she has the power of a werewolf. She's very confident in herself more than before and right now she knows that her power is the missing piece to complete the seal.
She's close to the seal now just a little bit farther and she would be able to help the others.
"Mayari, Aria's gonna attack! Watch out!" Evan shouted to inform.
"Mayari, please turn back!" Helen cried but fell on deaf ears.
Not so far away, Mayari could see Aria readying for her attack. Just above her forehead, snow and blizzard are lining in a spiral creating a massive ball of ice, it is just like earlier but bigger. Aria screamed and with it she shot away the massive ice to Mayari.
Everyone was terrified for the outcome, they want to help Mayari but they couldn't, they need to balance the seal or Aria will surely bring havoc to the country. All they could do is watch and hope that Mayari can miraculously dodge the colossal ball of ice.
Mayari narrowed her eyes and with a grunt she lifted her feet from her snowflake and landed upon the solid orb of frost with her knee. She raised her head above sighting at the top of the sealing sphere and with a split second she leaped high above.
As her feet left, the colossal ice cracked then exploded into thin glitters of ice.
Her jump brought her high above the sky that she could touch the clouds with her bare hands. It was like she's a bird soaring high, then the gravity started its function, forcing Mayari down. Mayari didn't resist and dive in clutching a fist to her side.
When she got closer to the sphere she then let out a blow from above. The sealing sphere became solid ice in an instant from Mayari's hard touch, then it let out a perfect ring of smoking blizzard and fell out of balance giving a big splash in the big body of ocean.
Along with the sphere the ocean also froze, the big splash of waves was frozen like an icy mountain. Moreover, Aria was frozen in the bottom, the seal is a success.
Mayari safely landed in the middle of the frozen sea where the seal sunk. Helen landed first in front of Mayari followed by the others. Her face was as angry as a lion then she roared; "What are you thinking Mayari?! Do you know how dangerous you just did?!".
"Of course, I do." Mayari calmly replied.
"Then why did you take the risk?! Why didn't you listen? I'm your teacher you must listen to me what ever the cost." Helen scolded.
"My instinct is telling me to help so I followed."
"Not every instinct is right, Mayari, so you should stop following your instinct and start following my orders"
"My instinct hadn't been wrong, just like now." Mayari boldly replied.
"Errr... That's it! Your grounded for a month, young lady!" Helen roared again.
"Wait Ms. Helen, I think that's not right she did great helping us." Carlos spoke.
"I agree" Xera nodded.
"No, what I said is final." Helen replied.
"Looks like you passed as an over protected mother, Ms. Helen" Xera giggled.
"That's better than being a careless one." Helen replied.
"You do have a point" Xera nodded in agreement.
"You should have adopted Mayari, Aunt Helen, that way you could have a daughter and an apprentice." Evan advised.
"Now you mentioned it..." holding her chin Helen gave a thought, "that's not too late to be done." Helen agreed, "What do you think, dear? Will you agree to be my daughter?" Helen proposed with a smile.
Mayari predicted Helen's question so she wasn't surprised to be asked. The problem is will she agree or not.
'I give up my old life for a new one so a change must be done.' Mayari have decided, 'I must accept the good things that comes in this world to be able to live my new life'
Then a memory flashed in her head: an image of a woman in her 30's, she had long black hair tied in braids, her skin was smooth and even: nor fair nor dark, her eyes were similar to hers but livelier and her smile is as gentle as a moonlight, she isn't a beauty but to Mayari she's as beautiful as a goddess.
'Come to Mommy, Mayari.' her voice was soft as a melody, it ringed in her head like a flute.
Abruptly, the flute's soft melody changed into an ear-piercing tune. It hurts... painfully.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!---then instantly followed like an echoing thunder are the gunshots... that brought the flute into a deafening silence.
Sadness and disappointment clouded her thoughts, she hesitated and her decision was affected.
With a cold stone face, "I'm sorry Ms. Helen but I must decline your offer." Mayari replied, the coldness of her tone brought shiver to their spines and they were shock to her answer.
"Are you sure Mayari?! Maybe you just need some time to think." Xera tried to pursue Mayari.
"Xera is right you must think about this, Mayari" Evan also tried.
"I agree." Carlos too.
But Mayari shook her head in disagreement; "No, I won't consider it."
"You mu-" Xera tried to reason again but was cut off short.
"I understand..." Helen sighed in disappointment but she needs to understand Mayari, letting go of the past isn't easy.
"But Ms. Helen-"
"She had made her decision Xera and its final" with that everyone didn't reason again. They fell into an uncomfortable silence, everyone was lost for words and Mayari didn't dare to speak.
"Come on let's go back." Finally, Helen broke the silence and smiled at everyone.
They nodded in respond, still wearing their long faces, and started to lift their feet to walk.
Suddenly, the floor of ice cracked. When the cracked got bigger, Helen quickly pulled Mayari and run ahead to the city wall with the others.
"What is happening?" Xera asked, as soon as they reached the outer wall.
"Looks like the seal failed..." Evan replied.
"Impossible! Even though Aria is a powerful dragon there is no way she could break away from that seal..."
The cracks opened, revealing a light violet glow from inside. Then a roar was heard---Aria's roar. Just from the mountains of frozen waves where the first crack appeared, a dragon emerged.
From the dragon's head to her tail, appearing like cobwebs in her icy skin are veins of purple, green and red, she's drooling an unknown toxin of tint plum like a hungry dog, and her eyes is as fierce and red as a fire ready to devour. Aria is now a savage beast.
Aria opened her wings and screamed, the frozen sea break and whirled around the wind turning into a colossal tornado of blizzard and purple thunder. It pulled everything near and throw spikes of ice.
The city wall is enchanted, it blocked every attacked from outside to protect the people, but Aria's attack is stronger than they thought.
"If this keeps going the barrier will not withstand it." Carlos informed.
"We need a plan, quick." Evan stated the obvious.
"We need to get near her," Xera spoke.
"All the citizens are evacuated, your majesty!" A knight suddenly spoke from above the wall, "Where here to help!"
"Are you all alright, prince Evan?" With them is Nino, who look very worried.
"We're alright." Evan answered.
"Good timing, lads!" Helen spoke, "Me and Evan will jump to the tornado and go as near as we can to Aria in the center and try to force her to come out. Meanwhile, All of you will focus your magic on us to support our Shield Barriers to protect us from the blizzard, with the great power of the tornado, all of your magics can only hold two persons. And once Aria comes out get ready to seal her."
"No! we must attack her first, weaken her before we do the sealing magic," Carlos spoke, "Aria is stronger and more malevolent than before, if she had manage to broke our seal I'm sure she could do that again if not weakened."
"You do have a point Carlos but... are you alright with it, Xera?" Evan asked.
Xera with a down cast head sighed; "If it is the only way to capture her and stop this havoc, I agree." Sadness is embed in her tone and it is very clear that she don't want Aria to get hurt but she stayed strong for her people and for Aria.
They nodded on each other, agreeing to the plan they have come up with and hope that it will work.
Helen and Evan step near the force field while the others are readying their magics to support.
"On three." Helen informed and Evan nodded as a respond, "1, 2, 3-"
Suddenly, Helen was push back and Evan was grabbed out of the force field by Mayari. Instantly ball of barriers transparently appeared to them and they were suck to the rampaging tornado.
"Mayari!!!" Mayari heard Helen called out, as she became higher up to the tornado.
"Retrieve them!" The King ordered.
"Where sorry your majesty, the tornado is to strong, we can't!" a palace guard answered.
"We can only keep moving!" a knight answered.
"That girl is a headache..." Helen muttered extending both of her hands in front, it glow and she joined those who are keeping the barrier steady, 'You have a reason for doing this, dear, make sure you succeed.' Helen thoughtfully supported.
---
"What in the world are you doing, Mayari?!" Evan asked.
"Helping..." she simply answered while looking ahead to the tornado.
"What do you mean?"
"It's complicated so just shut up and follow my lead."
They finally entered the inside of the Tornado, ice and blizzard are whirling like bullets, thunder of lightnings are striking everywhere, and Aria's scream is louder than outside.
"I want you to create an opening." Mayari instruct.
"What are you really gonna do?" Evan asked.
"Just watch, prince charming."
Evan truly don't understand what's her plan but he'll follow her anyway, "Alright" he replied.
"And one thing..." Mayari said, then she suddenly brought her hand between them; his hand is holding hers, "could you please let go already."
Evan's cheek turned pink, he instantly let go and bowed apologetically, "I'm very sorry, I didn't notice-"
"Don't blush in front of a woman, your too innocent for your structure as a strong man and a crowned prince." Mayari commented.
"I'm really very sorry for holding you without a permission." He is still bowing, Evan don't really get it for himself, he is fine with other women around, but if Mayari it is different. He always get nervous, his heart beat pumps faster, he always felt warm and happy around her.
"I hold you first when I dragged you out of the force field so no need for apologizing," Mayari wave it off, "and more importantly we still have a dragon to confront."
"Right! Aria's in the center of his havoc, we need to go deeper." Evan stated the obvious and Mayari just nodded as a reply. Then both of them went deeper to the spinning mass of destruction.
"Evan, behind you." Mayari informed in a low calm tone, as a big pointed solid of ice came whirling at Evan's back.
Evan quickly notice the ice and cut the ice in half with his sword. Then a lightning suddenly strike at Mayari but with the barrier on the lightning had no effect.
As they got deeper the bigger the ice they dodge and the stronger lightning gets. Mayari basically dodge on her way, while Evan slash and swing his sword.
"Mayari! Aria is close!" Evan informed as he sighted Aria's horn through the blizzard.
Mayari just had dodged a lightning strike in a twirl when he heard Evan, this lightning truly is a workout in increasing her sense, speed, and reaction of time.
"Good, now you must make an opening in her head – and don't asked questions." Mayari read Evan's mind he was about to asked again 'what is really her plan'.
With that Evan raise his sword upon his head and closed his eyes, as he focus his magic to the sword, readying to strike vibrant glow of light surrounded him like white flames.
"May the mighty wind bless my sword and cut through this massive blizzard of destruction!" Evan chanted as he opened his fierce eyes and slash his sword in a diagonal manner.
With the sword's wind, a cut was through the whirling blizzard but unfairly, it didn't reach slightest to Aria and a whirl of blizzard continued and devoured the unreached opening.
Evan raised he's sword and tried again, "May the mighty wind bless my sword and cut through this massive blizzard of destruction!" this time Evan's attack was much stronger but the result is still the same.
Evan didn't give in and tried again, this time he's giving all he got. Raising his sword he chanted again; "May the mighty wind bless my sword and cut through this massive blizzard of destruction!" the result is still the same, it didn't cut through for an opening to Aria.
Evan is now panting for breath and running low of spiritual energy, even though how hard he thinks he couldn't make a plan for an opening, every angles he look into everything he could see is ice, snow, blizzards and lightnings. The only way to get through is a hard slash to open.
Still trying again and again, Evan raised his sword with an inhaling breath, he glowed once again as he focused his magic to his blade. Evan felt tired and weak in this hindrance of a storm but he still keeps on going, the feeling of draining is truly uninviting.
Then abruptly he felt a surge of great powerful energy flowing in him and more likely he felt someone's hand behind him, he took a glimpse in his back and saw Mayari behind, burning in white flames with him.
'This spiritual energy is great and powerfull, I never felt an energy this strong before even father's and aunt Helen's cannot be compared.' Evan thought as he saw Mayari.
"Look ahead and strike an opening." Mayari spoke, with that Evan nodded and look ahead, he is very positive an opening will be granted with this surge of energy.
"May the mighty wind bless my sword and cut through this massive blizzard of destruction. Save us from havoc and let the blade of protection succeed!" The pale flame of silver became bigger and bigger, then Evan didn't waste time and slash the sword to the mist.
With the swish of the wind, the whirling smoke of blizzard forcefully made way. A way of opening to where Aria could be seen still screaming a loud shattering cry. Thunder roared and lightning struck everywhere.
"Mayari!" Evan called out as the fog of blizzard is threatening to isolate the window to victory.
In a split second Mayari then step forward and extended both of her hands forward front, it is glowing red, and you know what that means.
Crimson blood instantly burst out from Aria's mouth.