"Master Sorah!"

A chorus of relieved shouts entered Sorah’s ear as Brokk, Plutak, Elara, and the throng of Aerithran prisoners surged towards him. They had witnessed his incredible display of power, his defiance against Warden Poahf and the Imperial Guards, and it had ignited a spark of hope within their hearts.

"You... you saved us," Elara breathed in relief. "You defeated those... those monsters."

"We... we were wrong to doubt you," a young Aerithran woman, her cheeks flushed with shame, admitted sheepishly, "We thought you were just a... a crazy old man."

"Crazy perhaps," Sorah chuckled as he turned towards them. "But not as feeble as I appear." He leaned heavily on his staff, feeling the tremors of exhaustion coursing through his aged body.

"Master Sorah, that was amazing!" Daichi exclaimed. "You flipped around those humongous Titans like they were nothing! And that Air Break attack... it was epic! You got to teach me how to do that someday."

Sorah smiled faintly at his student's enthusiasm, but his gaze remained fixed on the bewildered Imperial Guards and Warden Poahf who were slowly picking themselves up from the ground. They were still in enemy territory, surrounded by hostile forces, and their escape was far from assured.

Sorah said urgently, “We still haven’t escaped yet. We need to leave now before they regroup and attack again."

One of the Aerithrans suggested, “The steel wall has broken, so we can ride the wind currents to safety. But I doubt all of us will be able to make it out alive. Some of us might have to remain behind to deter our pursuers.”

“I would be willing.” Plutak spoke up.

“But I don’t wanna get separated from my papa.” Anya cried as she clung to him.

“Calm down.” Sorah surveyed the scene with a critical eye as he began formulating a plan. The guards, the Sand Devils, and the Pyro Warriors, were still stunned by what they had just witnessed, providing them with a small window of opportunity.

He raised his staff, focusing his intent as he directed a surge of Sage Curse energy into the ancient wood.

"Extend!"

Whoosh!

The Dawn Sky Crusher elongated rapidly outwards until it spanned over seven meters in length. The staff hovered horizontally a few feet above the ground with its tip pointing towards the gaping hole in the steel dome that Sorah had created with his Air Break attack.

"Grab on!" Sorah instructed, gesturing towards the staff. "Quickly, before they recover!"

The prisoners and villagers stared at the elongated staff with confusion.

"What are you doing, Mister Sorah?" Elara asked.

"We're getting out of here," Sorah replied. "Hold on tight, and don't let go."

“O…ok.”

One by one, they scrambled onto the staff, gripping the smooth surface with their hands and legs. Elara held on tight while Anya, still shaking from fear, clutched to her mother's back. Tense with expectation, Brokk and Plutak positioned themselves close to the front of the staff.

Daichi excitedly grabbed onto the staff just in front of Sorah. "This is going to be awesome!" he exclaimed.

“Hold on tight brat, it might get windy.” Sorah instructed.

With her eyes narrowed in suspicion, Warden Poahf, who had somehow covered her lower half with a pair of dusty trousers, observed the proceedings from a distance. She pondered, "What is that old fool up to?"

Once everyone was secured on the staff, Sorah focused his intent on the hole in the steel dome. He poured more Sage Curse energy into the Dawn Sky Crusher, and the staff began to glow with an intense amber light.

"Extend!" he commanded.

Whoosh!

Like a rocket, the staff rocketed forward, its point penetrating the dome and reaching out into the immense chasm beyond. Screaming as they were thrown through the air and pushed up against the staff, the inmates and villagers soared above the prison walls.

"We're flying!" Daichi yelled in amazement.

“Mom, I’m slipping!”

"Hold on, Anya!" Elara cried, clutching her daughter tightly.

The staff continued to extend out for over a kilometre, spanning the chasm like a bridge of light. The passengers marvelled at the breathtaking view of the Terravolt landscape that unfolded beneath them. They could see the sprawling desert, the distant mountains, and the flickering lights of other settlements.

But their awe was short-lived as a sudden gust of wind buffeted the staff, causing it to sway violently.

"Kyah!" Fear and fatigue weakening her grip, caused Anya to lose control and tumbled off the staff.

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"Anya!" Elara screamed in horror while reaching out desperately for her daughter, but she couldn’t reach.

"I got her!" Daichi yelled, lunging forward to grab Anya's hand. But in his haste, he too lost his balance and plummeted from the staff.

"Brats!" Brokk cried out, but it was too late. The two figures were falling rapidly towards the ground far below. From that height, they would undoubtedly become a splattering mess of flesh.

“Oh no! This isn’t fun anymore!”

Shortly after Daichi screamed, that was when a white blur raced through the air, descending towards the falling figures with its enormous wings beating madly. It was Breeze Plume, the Cloud Butterfly along with the Rice Guru clinging precariously to its back.

“Kyuuu!” With a graceful swoop, Breeze Plume caught Daichi and Anya in its silken threads, gently lifting them up and carrying them towards the safety of the cliffside above.

"Ha! Just in time!" the Rice Guru exclaimed with relief.

Watching from the staff, Elara felt tears of joy streaming down her face as she saw her daughter safe and sound.

Thud!

The staff, having reached its maximum extension, slammed into the side of the mountain far above the chasm. The impact sent tremors through the wood, and the prisoners and villagers clung on tightly, fearing they might be thrown off. But that wasn’t the case.

"We're here! Quickly, get off the staff!" said Brokk to the others.

They scrambled off the staff onto a narrow, rocky pathway that clung riskily to the mountainside. They were safe, for now.

Elara rushed towards Anya, who was now standing beside Breeze Plume and the Rice Guru who had just landed. She embraced her daughter tightly. "Oh, Anya, I thought I'd lost you," she sobbed.

"It's okay, Mama," Anya whispered, hugging her mother back. "Mister Daichi and the butterfly saved me."

Elara turned to Daichi and the Rice Guru with gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter's life."

The Rice Guru chuckled. "It was nothing, my dear. Just a bit of quick thinking and a touch of magic."

He then turned to Breeze Plume and patted its head. "And of course, we couldn't have done it without our brave butterfly."

“Kyu! Kyuu!” Breeze Plume chirped happily, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment.

The others gathered around, staring at the elongated staff that stretched out across the chasm, disappearing into the darkness below. They wondered if Sorah was alright. Had he managed to escape the prison? Or had he been captured by the guards?

…

With his staff still sticking out of the steel dome, Sorah stood by himself in the disorganized courtyard of Nathor Prison Camp. He had used the Air Break attack not only to obliterate the Kana Beast Bombs but also to create an escape route for himself and the others. He could feel the staff vibrating, a sign that it had reached its maximum extension and had connected with the mountainside far above.

He peered into the distance, trying to make out the figures of the others on the cliffside. He could just barely see them because they were like tiny specks against the backdrop of the moonlit sky.

"They made it," he whispered, feeling a surge of relief.

He turned his attention back to Warden Poahf and the Imperial Guards who were recalibrating themselves. He had defeated them, but that victory was temporary. The Dune Empire would not give up so easily. They would send more troops, more powerful warriors, to hunt him down and recapture the escaped prisoners. So he better get a move on.

"Sayonara, Warden Poahf," Sorah said mockingly as he motioned his body in a position to retract his staff.

“You dare to flee!” a resounding voice echoed suddenly from above, startling everyone.

Sorah's gaze snapped upwards, and he saw Duke Theodore leaping over the balcony of Sector E and landing on the rooftop of Sector C, which had been partially destroyed by the earlier explosions. The Duke held a weapon in his hand that he aimed directly at Sorah.

"You will not escape me, old man," Duke Theodore growled.

The weapon in his grasp was a rare technological marvel known as Aether Pistol. These were powerful weapons that could release amplified bursts of Aether Steam in the form of energy bullets. They were typically reserved for high-ranking officials and elite warriors.

Sorah narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation. He could sense the potent energy emanating from the Aether Pistol, and he knew that a single shot could prove fatal.

"I have no quarrel with you, young man," Sorah said calmly, but his hand tightened on his staff. "But I will not allow you to harm my students or the other prisoners."

"They are not yours to protect, old man," Duke Theodore retorted. "They are property of the Dune Empire, and they will be dealt with accordingly."

He positioned his finger on the pistol’s trigger. "Now, surrender yourself, or face the consequences."

Sorah's briefly considered his options. He could try to reason with the Duke, but he doubted it would do any good. He could try to fight his way out, but the Aether Pistol was a formidable weapon, and he was already exhausted from his earlier battles.

He glanced back at the hole in the steel dome, at the distant figures of the others who had escaped. He had to get out of here, to rejoin them and continue to safety.

“Retract!” He roared without hesitation.

Whoosh!

At his command, the Dawn Sky Crusher quickly started to retract. Its elongated form shrunk back towards the tip, pulling Sorah upwards and away from the prison courtyard.

"No!" Duke Theodore screamed as he watched Sorah ascend towards the hole in the dome. He squeezed the trigger of his Aether Pistol, unleashing a barrage of emerald energy bullets that whizzed past Sorah's head.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The bullets struck the steel dome, creating a shower of sparks and molten metal. But they were too slow to catch Sorah, who was already soaring through the hole and out into the night sky.

“Damn you!” Duke Theodore yelled in frustration as he watched Sorah disappear into the darkness. He had failed. He had been outmanoeuvred and humiliated by an old Aerithran with a wooden staff.

Seething with anger, he turned to his Imperial Guards, Yamul and Hamal. "You useless fools!" he spat, kicking a piece of rubble in their direction. "I should have known better than to trust you with such a simple task! You let him escape! You let those prisoners escape!"

Yamul and Hamal, still recovering from their ordeal, bowed their heads in shame. "We apologize, Your Grace. We underestimated the old man's power."

"Underestimated?" Duke Theodore scoffed. "You were utterly incompetent! You allowed yourselves to be defeated by a... a windbag with a stick!"

He turned to Warden Poahf who had finally managed to dress herself properly. "And you… you allowed this to happen under your watch! You let those prisoners escape! You will pay dearly for your incompetence!"

Poahf's eyes pulped dangerously as she said with a steely edge, "I assure you, Your Grace. That I will recapture those escapees, or my head will be the one on a platter."

She turned to her subordinates and barked, "Release the Sand Krayt Dragons! Assemble a pursuit party! We're going after them!"

“ORAAAH!”

The prison erupted into a frenzy of activity as guards and Sand Devils scrambled to obey her orders. The Sand Krayt Dragons were massive reptilian beasts that could fly and burrow through the earth. They were elated to be released from their stables.

With a passion for vengeance and a strong desire to prove her worth, Poahf now felt enraged and mounted her own elite Sand Krayt Dragon. It had stunning sharp claws and dusty scales. Tightening her grasp on the reins, she stared out to the far-off mountains that Sorah and the others had fled to.

"They will not get away from me," she vowed.