A/N: A very long chapter ahead! Remember I said something MAJOR is gonna happen this chapter? Well... don't want to spoil anything so do read on. Just remember that EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE IN THE END! I PROMISE! Enjoy~

They are coming.

All it took was those three words from Kyungsoo, and the running boys came to a screeching halt. Slowly, they could make out the thunderous footsteps and signs of lighted fire coming towards them. “What should we do? There’s no point in aiming for the north prison anymore since Tao isn’t there…” Kai turned to ask Yifan. “To get to the South annex, we need to go pass those guards. It would be a disadvantage to fight with only three of us here. We’ll join up with Chanyeol’s team first then get Tao!” Yifan hurriedly decided. Kyungsoo! Tell Chanyeol’s team that we’re coming to join up with them. With Kyungsoo’s go-ahead, the three turned and ran back towards the direction of the throne room.

“Should we go help the fight?” Sehun asked Kyungsoo anxiously. The latter wanted to, but he knew that they had to keep watching out for Zökr too. “No we can’t! If this is really a trap and they were waiting for us all along, Zökr and Kyrûller might be coming. The three of us need to stay here and guard against him. If he really does come, we keep him away from the other boys understood?” Kyungsoo ordered. Sehun nodded and stared around for any signs of the black dragon. “What’s going on in the castle now?” Sehun tried to hold in his curiosity, but he couldn’t stand not knowing any longer. He needed to know that Luhan and the rest were safe. Kyungsoo sighed and shared the images flashing through his mind.

“They’re boxing us in Chanyeol!” Chen shouted as he, Chanyeol, Luhan and Whisper came back through yet another hallway to avoid running straight into the Guard. “Go back to the big open hall over there!” Chanyeol led the way. It was an ideal location, only three hallways led to this open hall… the lesser the entrances, the harder it would be for the Guard to get close to them. Luhan and Whisper stared at one entrance, Chen at the other, and finally Chanyeol at the last remaining one. The four were back-to-back at the middle of the hall.

Yifan’s team is heading to join you guys! Kyungsoo shouted in their minds suddenly. “Great… we need all the help we can get. We take down the Guard and get to Tao later!” Chanyeol instructed. Three pairs of footsteps echoed throughout the hall causing all four to spin and face the entrance Chen was guarding. Kai, Yifan and Baekhyun sprinted in and they let out a collective sigh of relief. Now that their numbers were reinforced, the six boys and one dragon waited for the inevitable. I sense about a hundred and fifty guards coming your way. A hundred are still at where Yifan’s team was headed. Stay safe. Everyone gulped at Kyungsoo’s warning. A hundred and fifty… against six and a dragon. “Bring it on!” Baekhyun snarled just as the first sign of the Guard emerged.

Whisper roared and released a huge jet of fire into one of the hallways, scorching several of the frontline guards. Slowly, more guards joined and tried to break into the center circle of the ‘Elites’. They flooded the three hallways and all hell broke loose. Luhan and Whisper were stomping all over the place, trying to rip at the enemy. Chen had since shifted to his favorite wolf form and was pouncing at everyone that neared. At least they had a fire-bender in their midst. Yifan was fighting fire with fire, pitting himself against those that had previously stood with him. Forget that he is the Fire Prince and they were supposed to submit to him… these guards had long pledged their allegiance to only one master- Zökr.

“Look out!” Kai shouted and teleported Baekhyun away from a fireball aimed at his head. “There’s too many!” Baekhyun yelled when they appeared beside Chanyeol, who was fighting with weapons instead of his powers. He was limited to not fighting with his earth powers for fear of the castle collapsing in onto them. They ducked another couple of fireballs before running at those that had tossed them.

Just then, Whisper had to jump and roll his huge body to prevent his rider from being scorched. That resulted in Luhan falling out of his seat atop the dragon. The twin proceeded to attempt to bring down guards with his sword. He was always running under Whisper and inviting guards to charge at him. Those that did soon found out that it was a bad mistake, as Luhan would merely lure them in under Whisper whom is responsible for crushing those dumb enough to try.

“Can you teleport us to Tao?” Yifan shouted at Kai when he passed. Kai grunted and shoved two bodies away from him before answering, “I can’t! I can only teleport to places that I have seen before or can imagine… you need to give me a mental image of the south annex or I won’t be able to transport us there!” Yifan swiped at another guard, “Can’t you just teleport to a specific person? I heard that you can teleport to places just by envisioning where a specific person is. I mean you teleport to Kyungsoo all the time!” It took awhile for Kai to answer, as he was preoccupied with helping Baekhyun with a couple of guards. “I can only teleport to people I know! I haven’t seen or met Tao before so I won’t be able to teleport to his side! I don’t know what he looks like…” Yifan cussed under his breath. Seems like they could only make it to Tao via the traditional means.

Kai! Two guards are sneaking up on Chen! Kyungsoo’s warning came just in time for the said man to teleport the wolf away from danger. “Thanks Kyungsoo!” Chen yelled out before jumping onto Whisper and sinking his teeth into a guard that had climbed onto the dragon. Kai continued to act according to Kyungsoo’s warning, saving Chanyeol twice and Baekhyun too. He swept a look across the room and estimated another fifty guards left. Erm, hate to say this but another hundred guards are headed your way! Kai and the rest of the boys groaned when they heard Kyungsoo again.

“We’re not getting anywhere like that! Yifan… you and Kai should go find Tao! The rest of us will handle the guards.” Chanyeol yelled. The Fire Prince considered the Elf’s suggestion and nodded. He ran and tapped on Kai’s shoulder before the two sprinted out of the hall. Whisper roared loudly when a guard managed to land a sword on his tail. Thank heavens it wasn’t a deep wound, Luhan pounced on the guard and didn’t spare any mercy for he had harmed his dragon. The hundred guards that Kyungsoo had warned for finally arrived, and the remaining four tried to buy time for the searching pair.

“No sign of Zökr yet?” Yifan, who was running alongside him, didn’t answer for he knew the question was directed to someone else. None. Sehun and I took down some guards that came our way, but most of them had been deployed to the fight in the castle. But Draken and Kruse thinks that he’s coming soon… we need you guys to get Tao immediately and get the hell out of here pronto! Kai and Yifan exchanged a worried glance before doubling their speed. “I think I know which room Tao and Hunter are being held captive in… it’s this way!” Yifan beckoned. The two encountered some guards along the way, but easily disposed of them.

Soon, they came upon a huge flight of stairs leading to the dungeons. They searched through level and levels of prison cells before reaching a huge set of closed double doors. “This is the torture chamber…” Yifan whispered to Kai with tears in his eyes, as if he expected what he’ll see when he opens those doors. Kai squeezed his arm and took in a deep breath before pushing the doors open. Right when the doors opened, both boys ducked down as a large stream of fire shot out at them.

“Hunter! It’s me… Yifan. We’re here to save Tao!” Yifan stood and raised his hands in surrender. Kai gulped as the huge red dragon stared and growled at him. He too raised his hands like Yifan. “It’s ok. He’s with me… He’s a friend. We’re going to get you two out of here. Please let me help Tao.” Yifan said. Hunter stared at them for a while more before he let out a long moan as if to plead for Yifan and Kai to save him and his rider. “Where’s Tao, Hunter?” Yifan said, voice almost breaking and tears threatening to cascade down his face. Hunter rose to his full height and stepped aside, revealing a bloody and unconscious Tao on the cold hard floor.

Yifan burst into tears at the sight, and ran towards the fallen man. Kai nearly retched at the amount of wounds and blood he saw on the poor boy’s body- practically every surface of the boy’s skin had been marred by cuts and bruises. This was inhumane torture. “We need herbs and potions. We can’t move him like that…” Yifan peered at the gaping wounds. Kai nodded and teleported away and back with Baekhyun in tow. Baekhyun, like Kai, had almost the same reaction before he knelt down and tried to apply some basic first aid. There was just so much blood and Baekhyun tried to avert his eyes from all the red, but it was just not working. “You should go help the fight Kai.” Yifan said and Kai nodded before disappearing.

“Tao-ah. Please wake up… Please. It’s me Yifan… I’m here to save you. Sorry I’m so late. I’m sorry!” Yifan begged for the other to wake up, but Tao was too far-gone in his pain. “We need to seek more professional treatment for him, Yifan. He needs the Elves’ healers.” Baekhyun spoke up. Yifan nodded before cradling Tao and standing up. “Hunter, are you injured too?” The dragon shook his head despite the evident cut on his foreleg and gestured for Yifan to put Tao onto his back. After he did so, the dragon stared at them before Yifan and Baekhyun realized that Hunter wanted them to get onto his back too. “We still need to help Chanyeol and the rest.” Baekhyun said. Yifan nodded and pleaded for Hunter to go help the rest. Luckily, the dragon obliged and with the three on his back, they flew fast and straight back into the action in the hall.

Chanyeol, Chen, Luhan and Whisper nearly attacked the red dragon, if not for them spotting Yifan, Baekhyun and an unconscious boy on him. Whisper and Hunter accosted each other before deciding to work together. With two dragons on their side, it wasn’t long before the rest of the guards were exterminated. The boys gathered around Hunter when all the fighting had ceased. “Tao needs medical attention from the Elves. We need to go now!” Yifan shouted.

But before anyone had processed what he just said, a distant rumbling shook the walls of the castle. “What was that?” Chanyeol whispered in the dead silence that followed. Whisper and Hunter suddenly snapped their heads towards the North direction, causing all the boys to peer after without a single clue as to why. A tensed moment ensued as they all waited to find out what was that that had previously caused the entire grounds to shake. It was then that they heard it. The loud roar from Midnight followed by an even louder one from a hostile. It was then that they kn