“Commander Ghedong. The Trainer of the female Aimon we chased off is fighting near the entrance, a horde of the Draconda Males.” A scout called back and Hana’s heart seized.

Kenrou looked at her, eyes trembling.

Ghedong did not miss that exchange. He turned and smiled; a slimy smile that brought bile to the front of one’s mouth. “Scared for your friend? Losing all hope? Are you willing to talk now? Maybe we’ll spare him.”

The pair did not answer, causing Ghedong’s face to scrunch up.

“Are they winning or are they losing?”

“Winning, but they’re distracted. The Female Draconda that attacked our prisoner’s Aimon seems to be docile around them as well. Helping.”

“You think that schmuck bonded with a Dragon? A female one at that? How do you suggest he even got the Tether to connect in that chaos? When the thing can just fly away?” Ghedong smacked his scout lightly on the cheek and laughed.

“Don’t get scared now; boys. We’ve got a parcel to deliver to the Lord. This Inheritance won’t be earned by itself. Promotions, money, whores, and sweet alcoholic jam awaits us brothers.” The men snickered, fire entering their lungs, and their loins. Some sent vile looks Hana’s way but she ignored them completely.

They doused their torches and moved silently through the remaining twists and turns. Killing the few Native Aimon remaining in the temple easily. Hana and Kenrou had cloth stuffed in their mouths and down their throats, constantly gagging them. Tears flooded her eyes as her stomach churned again and again, its toxic liquid burning her esophagus.

{Boom!} A terrible wind exploded into the hall, a howling torrent of cutting wind that pushed her down to the ground. A Hounguine trampled over her as it rushed forward and used dark energy to shield the soldiers. Kenrou remained standing, his eyes firm and glowing brightly.

“We rush out.” Ghedong said and rounded the corner first. His Second Tier Hounguine standing on all fours tall beside him.

“For Lord Natsuki!” Swords clattered out of seethes and bloody hounds howled. Rushing forth as the vanguard.

The light blinded Hana, she was forced to close her eyes as roped bound to her and Kenrou pulled her forward. “Stop resisting you bitch!” A soldier shouted.

His gloved arm reached for her and she bit down. So fiercely that she felt her teeth chip. The crack of bone vibrated through her jaws and the soldier pull his mangled fingers out.

She pushed her wait atop of him, and the both of them fell down. Tangled in the three-way intersection.

The soldiers rushed out, and the sound of battle reached them. A punch landed on her face, blood bloomed from her lips. She scuttled back, kicking at his feet and he stumbled on a loose stone.

His nose cracked down, blood spilling out and running down his face. He reached for her and she rolled away, shoving her body to the wall and trying to stand. The ball of cloth clodding her throat fell out. Breath came to her in a rush.

Her skirts tore up but she managed to stand only for her throat to be clasped in a vice-grip.

“Hlp” She tried to shout but a mere gurgle came out.

The soldier rested his face on her cheek, sticky blood migrating to her skin. He spat at her, the foul smell of his mold filled mouth burned its way through her nose.

Vomit threatened to rise up her throat, yet it was closed shut. A punch found her gut, and then another.

She found her chance and kicked the soldier hard. The bottom of his breastplate cut open her shin and bruised the bone. “Bet your balls have seen better days.” Hana growled and smacked her forehead on his nose, leading to a splatter of blood on her face.

The soldiers fell, after a stumble, his helmet smacking on the wall opposite to Hana. She rushed forth stomped on his face.

His hands which had been covering his aching nuts rose to grab her foot. Hana, biting on her lip, vitriol burning in her eyes, let herself fall to the ground as she took her one stable food and brought the tip of its boot to his family jewels once more.

She smacked on the hard stone, groaning in pain. Everything ached.

The labyrinth then begun to tremble. A deep rumble that moved the displaced pebbles on the ground. A Shaking came about it.

“You filthy bitch. I’m going to show you alright. Fuck Company commander’s orders. Enough is enough.” He placed his weight on her. His legs pinning her own. His hand to her throat, her arms caught behind her, squished to the floor.

“I’m going to ruin you.” He promised with a slimy smile.

The rubble intensified. Like an earthquake it cracked stone and from above, just a few steps to the side, the ceiling opened up. Light fell down, a mighty burning pillar. Hana closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

“You’re here.”

“Get your filthy hands, off my wife!” Rhamon shouted and his booming voice socked the soldiers still.

The next moment the soldiers was dead, chopped like a loaf of bread. Hana whimpered in the arms of her beloved. “I was strong.”

“I know you were. I’m so proud of you.” He whispered back.

Dakini and Mery fell down from the ceiling too, but the crumbling of the stone only intensified.

“We have to go!” Dakini urged, while Mery had already taken off for the exit.

“Finally!” Hana smiled.

Lighting stroke, a thick pillar that burned through the atmosphere. It crashed onto the pyramid and thundered into the halls, silencing even the incessant cry of the critters that called these dark halls; home.

The exit cracked and fell apart. Dakini’s tails stretched and pulled Mery back as the roof fell over her head.

“NO! We’re so close! Myron!” Mery screamed and Dakini bit her lip. Hana felt her smile burn away to ash. Rhamon picked her up.

“We need to leave now, or else we will be overrun.” He told the girls and took position to support their getaway under hole he created.

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Mery and Dakini looked at each other, then nodded. Listening to Myron’s words through their bond. Then turned around and sprinted off.

Hana for the first time since meeting Myron and his Aimon, could feel Rhamon appreciate their special Bond, instead of being jealous of it.

Behind them, a horde of native Aimon descended, to the dismay of the foundations of the building, which begun to tear themselves apart. More and more stone falling in between the helpless group and their freedom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The [Petal Dance] stopped. The winds ceased and quiet came over the collapsed valley.

The Draconda, those that survived uninjured, chose to quit while they were ahead. Many remained on the ground, crying out their pain, broken limbs, torn up scales and flesh. Others where dead, truly, and many where simply obedient.

Then, a rush of clanging pots from inside the Pyramid’s dark hall reached Myron.

“Myron, stand back.” Syl stepped forward. He stumbled back, his wounds open, bleeding still.

“Big bertha, help out will you.” He said to the Female Draconda whose eyes bore into him. He winced as she nudged him, taking a hissing breath as pain pinged through his mid-section.

“… Natsuki!” He caught the name in the shouts and barks, as soldiers came pouring out, Kenrou bound and chained behind them, their Hounguine’s ready to strike. Vines rose from the ground right as a roar silenced them all.

The female Draconda stood tall on its two stumpy legs and waved of Dragon Aether boomed out of her gaping maw.

The vines grabbed a hold of the Aimon and their Trainers, [Leech Seed] burst into the scene and dug into their flesh. Many screamed as their life energy was sucked out of them, racked with pain, their veins pulsing.

Other’s continued their charge, over the corpses of Draconda. Syl rushed in, a storm of blades and cutting edges.

Dodging, weaving through sword and fang. Blood spears shot down, and she turned back into a Humanoid, dodging and gaining new footing. She floated across the battlefield, using her Plant Aether at the same time to bind and to confuse.

‘[Shrieking Mandrake]’ Myron said through the bond.

Right as a Quartet of Hounguine where ready to unleash a unified barrage the shrieking root stopped them, blood losing its hardened shape and washing over them.

Roots grew from the ground and pulled them all away, throwing them, or those that stood in the way, down the cracks in the earth on either side.

Myron stepped back, a sword whizzed past him. “You little fuck.” The Company commander said through greeted teeth. “I’m gonna kill you. I don’t need you.”

A tail, with a few feathers spread out like an arrow’s fletching wrapped around him.

“Have a safe flight.” Myron saluted as Ghedong was thrown to the sky, his sword leaving his arms. Myron grabbed it and then looked back up to see the man disappear over the hill and far away. Twinkling like a star in the night sky, from his armor’s reflection.

“Two in one day.” He patted the female Draconda’s snout; which came close to him, seeking praise.

Then, another turn took place. From behind the Ancient pyramid, and above its shell; which is the shattered hill; a group of Aimon riding warriors showed up. Bathed in the dying embers of the setting sun.

A war cry sounded out, the descended. The crack of thunder followed.

One second they where atop the hill, and the next she was next to him. The low growl of the canine Aimon upon which she rode was the first thing Myron felt.

The second was her spear, digging into his back. “Kneel, hands up and behind your head.” She ordered.

A magnificent woman, with luminous cyan eyes, much like her brother’s. Hair with too much volume, and muscles that rippled under her few clothes.

Myron did as ordered. “Syl. It’s fine.” He said to her as she snapped around. “We’re all good. This is Kenrou’s sister.”

“How do you know of my brother?”

“We just met a while ago. Sadly he was captured and taken into the Pyramid. But look, they came to us on their own.” He pointed with his chin over to Kenrou, fallen in a pile of Draconda corpses, his bond unable to manifest, a golden light thumping inside his chest.

“Kenrou?”

“MHM!” He kicked like a worm in the dirt.

In quick succession his chains where shattered and his gag undone. “Kahali, what are you doing here?”

“Saving you, it seems.”

“It was fine. Myron had it. I still have Netek with me anyway.” He said and Kahali shook her head. She pulled out from his chest the four-legged artifact.

His blood pumped out of those holes and in the same moment Netek appeared next to him, letting him lie down on his small hands. “I’m sorry, Kenrou. I shouldn’t have returned within.”

“It was the best we could do. Otherwise we risked getting you separated and lost in that maze as well.”

Kenrou’s words brought Myron back to the matter at hand. He felt them with a pulse. They were approaching.

“Syl they’re getting close. Rhamon is with them.” He called out. Then a thought lit up in his head.

“Kenrou, wasn’t Hana with you?”

The boy turned around, flabbergasted. “She’s not here?” He scanned about, looking at the captured soldiers, most dead.

Their commander still actually alive, triple bound and gagged, bleeding all over with a limb twisted the wrong way around. Myron noted that he had been given special care by Kahali’s company.

The Hounguine sat docile a distance away, herded by a few of the older men and women in the group. Their Trainers ignoring their whimpers as their tethers where shattered.

“She’s not here… She’s still inside? How? Why?” Kenrou stood.

“Syl! She could be in danger.” Myron made to stand but a paw pushed him forward and sharp claws dug into his back. His chin scraped against the ground. Syl rose and blasted off.

Kenrou did the same. “Netek, rush in. She could be in danger.” He called out but Kahali grabbed Netek by the tail. The Draconda pushed but Kahali didn’t even need another arm to stop her.

“Sorry. Little bro. This is unfortunate.” She said and clenched her jaw. She stomped the ground and lightning rippled out. Syl was singed, her muscles spasmed and she fell down.

The barking Hounguine quieted down, and even the Aimon in her Company of warriors pulled away.

“You all saw something that you shouldn’t have seen.” She said and shook her head.

“What is your name?” She turned to Myron and asked.

Myron didn’t respond. His eyes peered through the half collapsed hall, from small holes in the wall of the Pyramid beetle looking Aimon poked out, with their black shells shimmering in the golden light of the setting sun.

More rocks collapsed as the ground shook. The Air filled with the smell of ozone, and burning paint. Myron felt his hair stand on end as static traveled through him.

“You can keep your name to yourself.” Kahali said and walked forward.

A loud crack rumbled through the hall and out into the open air. Rhamon’s rage filled voice echoed. More cracks thundered through the structure, causing more and more of the Aimon living inside of the dark maze to pour out of small openings.

“You are all probably going to die. The Choice will be left up to the Chief. Even you Kenrou. Despite that. I can understand your sorrow, Foreign Man.” Kahali’s cyan eyes stared into Myron’s soul.

“Losing a Bond is as grave a horror as losing your life ten times over.” She said and lighting pulsed out. Form her and her Aimon both.

“Mysl. Bring it down.” She called and the sky split open, the world rumbled whole, and the pyramid hidden in the hill, crumbled like the shell did before it.

Ash and burned stone splattered. The lightning hot enough to turn them into fiery water.

Mery and Dakini called out to him, their turbulent emotions blasting into him; finally; through their bond.

“Myron, what’s happening?” Dakini asked.

“We’re Stuck! How did the whole building collapse?!” Mery worried, her mind burning furiously; hoping to figure out an exit plan.

“Girls. It’s fine. Calm down. You’re still in more danger than I am. I’m certain you can overcome this. There is a way to get out, no one builds a single entrance and exit to a building so large and important. You have your food. Drink blood if you can’t find water. Keep quiet, and keep your distance. Mery, it’s time to put Surge to the test, truly. Dakini, become one with the shadows around you. If Mery and the rest don’t know where you are then no one will.”

“Use that nose of yours to lead the way. If there is an exit there might be a difference in the smell of the air. It will be less stale. Keep Hana safe, so Rhamon can focus on dealing damage. If he’s injured let him focus on spells, you take the role of tanks. [Healing Soak] will be of immense benefit. Use it more.”

“I don’t like it. I got the ability because of all the beatings my Tribe used to give me.”

“And now it’s time to make that past your bitch. Own it. That’s how you came to be, it was that behavior that lead you into taking a risk, taking me away, and earning your freedom.”

“Myron, are you going to be okay?” Dakini asked, her worry flooding his soul. A dark purple mist.

“Dakini, I’m safe. Syl is by my side, and I have a little helper as well. Kenrou is here, and he’ll vouch for me, he’s a good kid. Their leaders seems like a reasonable person.” Myron lied.

“We’re leaving. We won’t be able to communicate.”

“Go, stay safe. Our bond will always be there, never broken. Shining a beacon through space-time to always mark our locations. We can always find each other, no matter where we are in the world.”

“That’s a comforting thought.” Mery said, and the connection squeezed back down.