I watched, as the automated soldiers I thought I had disabled, all looked in my direction. The anger which I could feel pointed in direction, I knew that they were not going to stop till I was dead. I turned, and sprinted away from the cliff. I wasn't sure if they could get up that cliff, but if I stayed I would be in danger.

I heard a loud explosion behind me, followed by lots of tumbling rocks. With a quick glance I could see the part of the cliff which I had once stood, as all collapsed and fell where those machines were. I could then hear their metallic bodies grabbing onto the rocks as they climbed up the cliff side.

I thought taking out the one that controlled them would stop them. Turns out it was the one holding them back. Now they are beasts off their chain, on a hunt. I am their prey.

Sprinting, I had a few options. I gathered up the fire spirits in my hand holding onto the last spear. I turned and with as much effort as I could muster I threw it. I watched it fly through the air as it pierced through the first few which had climbed up over the cliff, but stopped on the third one bouncing off its armor, after denting it. I cursed at how futile this seemed. I gathered up all the fire mana I could call too in both my hands, condensing all of them. I brought my hand down to my right side as the flames swirled and condensed. Even though the flames were not burning me the heat was so unbearable.

I thrusted both my hands forward as I let the fire mana go in a blast and a large flame shot out. Blasting the automated soldiers. The first few metal shells started heating up and melting before their core began to glow which then started absorbing all the fire mana. After what I had gathered ran out I saw their cores take in all the mana, before they started sprinting in my direction faster then before.

“That's not fair!” I shouted, turning to run away.

I sprinted for the trees, I could see how close I was, yet I could hear how the machines were getting closer to me. I threw a few fire balls into the forest, as I sprinted headlong in it. The dry forest easily catches fire.

Running deep into the forest I could still hear the machines crash into trees, and crashing through the bushes. The blaze I had started spreading as the wind picked up. I could see sparky fly past me, as the forest I keep running through the fire starts catching up, as does the robots. The heat radiating and spreading. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. The uneasiness gnawing at my mind. My entire body burning, my legs tired from the running, lungs, nose, and eyes burning from the thick smoke filling the air.

***

I felt a shiver run down my spine. My head jolted up from where I was resting, and looked outside my cave. I could see the large cloud of smoke stretching from the ground to the sky. It's dark clouds, full of ash. I know that fire is not natural.

I jumped onto my feet, and ran out of my cave. Without breaking stride, I jumped into the air and flew out into the sky. My eyes locked onto where the fire was eating up the forest. I could see flashes of light within the bright flames and dark smoke. I pushed forward with all my might. I wasn't sure why my anxiety was so high, but I could just tell that something was not right.

Stolen story; please report.

Soaring over the fire, I could see a lone human running from the flames. Experience has told me that only one would be doing something this boneheaded. I spotted Hickory, but right behind him was these weird looking metal humans. They seem to be able to push aside trees, and not worry about the flames licking them. They did not seem right.

Recalling all experiences most humans could not stand to be so close to flames, Hickory being the exception with his fire mana. These shiny humans are not like the ones I had seen before. I called forth mana creating the ice serpent which I used to slam down on the shiny humans. They didn't seem capable of getting back up, but when my mana got near them I could feel how they absorbed some of it before they were crushed under the sheer weight of the ice serpent. These might not be humans. They look like them for sure, but they are not. No blood was left behind.

These are like the shade equivalent of humans. I growled without even meaning to, I just hated the idea of different shapes shades could take. These might not be shades, but they deserved to be treated as such. I gathered up my ice mana around me, before diving down into the trees, folding my wings in tight as I crashed through the trees to get to Hickory.

“Hickory!” I yelled loudly.

I stretched my arms out and grabbed him, before leaning up, and pushing off the ground with my hind legs. Taking to the air, I spread my wings once again, to have a large stone hurled up and tear through one of my wings. I roared in pain, but the tear, very threatening, didn't take me out of the air. It did cause my wing to be blinding amounts of pain, as I closed the hole with ice, to stop further damage from developing.

I summoned forth tens of ice and water serpents and started having them slam and smash through the forest, crushing every shiny human within the trees. In a short amount of time, the fire was snuffed, and the forest leveled. There were no more functioning shiny human beasts. I had crushed all of them. Flying over to the spot Hickory pointed out and setting him down, I looked over at the princess.

“So, this is why you had me do this then lied about the 7th march being at the other 6 armies. You didn't want me here for this.” I said, demanding an answer.

“Lost, it's not lik-” Hickory started.

“It is very much like that! Now I am hurt. All the armies have been crushed. I want to rest in my cave.” I took to the air, looking back once to see Hickory and Aiko watch me as I departed.

“This will be what decides our bond is worth Hickory. Who is more important, me or those humans?” I mumbled to myself flying back to my cave.

I landed at my cave, and walking inside I covered myself in water mana, as I watched the hole in my wing heal up. I never used it often but the healing from water mana is really nice. I still couldn't get over how they both lied to me. What if I had ignored hickory’s fire. He would've died, just because I wasn't there.

Huffing, and laying down, I tried calming my mind. It was too much to try to think about all that has happened now. Maybe I should just rest. Tomorrow I will see if Hickory is here. If he isn't then he clearly chose her.