Warren threw his arms around Sian encircling her in his warm embrace without paying attention to the potential threats that stood behind him. All he felt now was peace, he had lost a nephew and a comrade and he wasn't planning on losing another just yet. As if being pulled back to reality, he withdrew from the embrace and drew his Tonfas.
"What are they doing here?" Warren questioned.
"It's alright, they're not after me anymore" Sian assured lowering his outstretched arm. "How did you people find us?" She asked
"A man called Nathaniel found us and led us here" Warren replied while sheathing his weapon. "He said you were with him and we rushed over as soon as we could. it's about time we put all this to an end" He added, his pupils fixated on the three men in front of him monitoring their every move
"We could help" Harold offered. The environment fell into silence for a moment, every pair of eyes around focused on him.
"Are you out of your mind?" Edmund questioned in a loud whisper.
"No, haven't you thought of it? He wants cleansing of the Elementals, it's only a matter of time before we are also cleansed after all we are also Elementals" Harold answered. Edmund froze for moment while absorbing the fact that what Harold said made sense. 'Did his father know about this? And still left him to do their dirty biddings?' He questioned himself cursing his father for using his son as pawn in his inhumane acts.
"How do you mean?" Sian questioned, eagerness and curiosity clearly displayed on her astonished face. If this was their only chance of redemption and saving other elementals all over the world from mass slaughter, then she was willing to take any chances. She couldn't even think of any elemental who would loose their families if the enemies had their way, she had walked through hell and she wasn't wishing same for any other person.
"We could take you where you want, even though it means walking into your own death. You people don't stand a chance against Inferno. You are outnumbered and outmatched. But if you're willing to take the risk, then we will take you" Harold informed.
"I'll go with them" Edmund said. He needed answers to all the questions buzzing around in his head and the only person he wanted to get answers from was his father. Was he only a lost cause to him, a means to achieving his goals, or did he ever take him as a son.
"You're not thinking of attacking a fortress with dozens of soldiers almost as skilled as we are now?" Lucas questioned snapping them out of their rage driven obsession. "We need to prepare before we can even think of leaving here" He added. He had been there before, and he knew what it was like. Every corner of the place was swarming with students who are constantly being trained to hone their skills to its peak. In other words, killing machines. It would end badly for anyone who even thought of invading the place. He had Faith, and he was holding onto this faith hoping it would be his salvation.
Weeks had gone by and their preparation had finally been concluded. They had managed to build a steady relationship with the Triumvirates and Nathaniel had agreed to pay his old pals a visit. Everything was falling into line just as they planned. Tonight would be the night that changes everything for them. It will usher in a new era, a stepping stone for peace amongst the nations and Elementals supposed they win.
The edifice was much more than they imagined, the distance from the main gate to the building was more than a mile making their disguise even much more exhausting. Each of them had found their way into barrels of food supply that were being shipped in for the students. Their plan had been carefully orchestrated by Lucas and Harold.
Spending hours in a barrel was not an easy stunt. The uncomfort was much and oxygen was soon running out. The only means of air coming in was through a hole which was meant for peeping and not even for ventilation. They were soon dropped off at the store of the building, luckily before any of them died out of suffocation.
"What next?" Warren asked as he crawled out of his own barrel. They were already warned to keep the attention at minimum. The main objective being to defeat inferno and Alexander as Nathaniel had confirmed. The two beings were a power house.
"The trainees are currently in their dorms, it would be best now since the halls are empty. I know exactly where to find them" Harold said leading the team out to the poorly illuminated hallway. He felt afraid, a feeling he had never had for a long time. Approaching a room where more than dozens of life was taken and people's fate were decided. It was now or never, he was going to put an end to all this madness, he comforted himself as he pushed the door open.
His flaming torch fell out of his grip as he watched in bewilderment the sight before him. It was not what they had anticipated, and things had just gone downhill in a second. They were all gathered in the room they had just walked in, all the skilled instructors and teachers.