Iola watched in horror as the fight goes on, mind still trying to catch up with what has happened. One moment she was laughing along with Jongdae and Tao, then the next moment all hell broke loose.

She heard a noise she’d never heard before in her life; loud, deafening, echoing roars, jarring her down to her marrows. The trees up ahead burned to crisps, revealing three monsters hovering above them; green, scaly monsters with large, pointed beaks and dark waxen wings, a gross mixture of a bird and a lizard, as humongous as a three-storey high building.  It reminded her of a picture of a Pterodactyl she saw as a kid on a fieldtrip to the museum, only she doesn’t think a real Pterodactyl have only one foot with razor sharp talons, or sprouting ice-blue flame.

More than the roar though, her internal hum had grown so loud that she wondered how she could hear the monsters’ roars over the pounding in her head. The explosion of colors behind her eyelids when she blinked were something she’d never experienced before; angry reds and confusing greys and despairing blacks.

But on top of all that, the nagging pinpricks that stabbed her mind were more unsettling; jabbing and prodding her mind that she felt as if it might exploded and she grappled Yixing’s shirt blindly in effort to not lose her footing.

Wufan had quickly flew up to intercept the monsters, and she screamed when the beast swung its tail and threw him through the trees, her dread and fear escalating rapidly by the minute. If they can easily beat Wufan, who was the strongest among these men, than what are the others’ chances?

Up ahead one of the beast shot ice-blue flame that would’ve burned Jongdae alive, had Minseok hadn’t freeze the fire into a block of ice. Luhan swung several huge stones at one of the beast which dodged it, but Tao seemed to freeze the time around the animal so that Jongdae could blast it with his lightning. The beast made a loud pained roar before it crashed down.

Minseok was dealing with the other beast, and Tao leaped over to help him when to her horror, the second rider had jumped out to block him; shadows shot out from underneath them with a wave of his hands, forming a spiked net that caught the surprised man.

“Tao!” Iola screamed as the trapped man fell down howling in pain, numerous cuts and gashes all over him bleeding profusely.

She wanted to run and help him but Yixing quickly pulled her back.

“Let me go! Yixing!” She struggled but he had a death grip on her wrist.

Yixing shook his head, eyes alert as he darted his gaze around at the battle in front of them, moving forward to form half a barricade before her.

His surprise gasp pulled her attention up, where she saw Wufan face to face with the enemy’s leader. Her jaw dropped in shock when the other man multiplied until there was seven of them, three of which begin to attack Wufan.

“What the….” she muttered.

Glancing sideway she could see Yixing was as shocked as she was. Taking a chance while his attention was elsewhere she quickly broke off his grip to run towards Tao, ignoring Yixing’s yell after her. Scrambling to where Tao was lying, she gingerly turned him over, her breath caught in at the amount of blood staining his clothes.

“Tao!” She patted the young man’s cheek gently and he groaned softly, panting out of breath.

Someone slid down besides her and she turned to see Yixing, eyes angry and concerned and worried. He pushed her aside and shouted something at Jongdae, who quickly grabbed Iola’s hand and pulled her to the side.

All around them the fight was still going on. Minseok made long, sharp spears out of ice and threw them toward the second glaistig, as Luhan rolled over to avoid its flame, simultaneously waving his hand and flew some more rocks at it. One of the ice spears managed to pierce through the beast’s belly and it roared painfully, pulling away.

Jongdae kept Iola behind him as Yixing half carried Tao to where they are. Iola caught Yixing’s eyes as they widened; shouting and pointing at something behind them. Before she could react Jongdae had fell down besides her, blood oozing from his head and a pair of tattoed arms grabbed her neck roughly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yixing was livid when he saw Iola running away from him towards Tao.

“Iola!” he yelled even as he ran after her, his heart beating furiously. “Get back here!”

He reached her as she tried to help Tao to stand up and he quickly pushed her aside.

“Jongdae! Get her out of here!” Once he was sure that the other man had taken Iola with him, he put his arm around Tao’s shoulder and heaved him up. “Are you alright? Hang in there, I’ll heal you when this is over.”

He half carried, half dragged the younger man to where Iola and Jongdae were standing, when he looked up and his eyes widened in shock.

“Jongdae! Look out!”

Even before the words left his mouth the shadow behind Jongdae had struck and blew a heavy punch. The young Guardian fell with a thump, ropes of shadow slithering underneath to quickly bind his hands and feet. To Yixing’s horror the shadow retreated back once Jongdae was bound, morphing into an upright, black mass to revealed the second Teima raider, who quickly grabbed Iola.

“No! Iola!”

Wufan must’ve heard his yell because he can see out of the corner of his eyes the blonde leader tried to fly down to them, but was stopped with a punch from the Tieman leader.

“Uh, uh, uh, Guardian,” the Tieman mocked, as two of his copies continued to attack Wufan left and right. “We still have some unfinished business here.”

Wufan grunted as he ducked down to avoid a kick, only to narrowly avoid the glaistig’s flame. Staggering slightly in midair, he raised a hand to block another punch and flipped up to kick one of the Tieman's copy.

“You’re not taking her with you, Tieman,” he hissed.

His opponent just raised an eyebrow lazily. “Oh, I think we will, Guardian.” Immediately all six of his copies attacked him at the same time, and Wufan struggled to dodge the blows that seemed to come from everywhere all at once. A punch to the side of the head left him a bit blurry, and he didn’t see the swung of the giant beast’s tail, throwing him hundreds of meters away feeling breathless as his ribs cracked.

Yixing dropped Tao unceremoniously and ran towards Iola, only to stop in his track when the tattooed Tieman waved a hand and shadows lunged out, forming thick ropes that curled around his neck, effectively shutting off his breathing as he fell down on his knees.

“Just stay where you are, Guardian,” the man hissed, his voice low and soulful. “I’ll just take the Chosen Soul on our way and no one else needs to get hurt.”

Yixing struggled with the rope choking his neck, feeling his face reddened with every panting breath. He caught Iola’s eyes, wide and glassy and terrified, struggling against the shadow muffle covering and Yixing doubled his struggles.

“You’re not taking her anywhere,” he wheezed, even as he felt the ropes tightening even more.

The Tieman smirked. “I think I will.” He threw Iola over his shoulder easily, before running away.

Up ahead Luhan and Minseok were still battling with the other gl