SPELLBOUND

Background music: When it all falls down by Audiomachine. Or check my playlist on spotify titled 'Spellbound war arc'

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As the light fae opened her mouth to speak, what emerged was a shrill scream. r

"Kei!!!" she heard Queen Evie's yell. And then she found herself looking at Queen Evie and Zolan who were in shock, as she was flying further away from them, her body being pulled horizontally. Wait... why is she moving backwards? She had only seen her world spinning as she felt herself flipped and pulled. Twisting her head back with much difficulty, she saw the problem. There was the same dark tentacle she had avoided, now wrapped firmly around her ankle. And she was being pulled towards the black core.r

Evie could only watch as she watched. Her hands still held out but holding nothing. Kei was gone. It happened all so fast. Too fast they didn't have any moment to save her. r

Slowly, Evie's face crumpled as she fisted her hand. Letting her head fall down, as her hand returned to her side, Evie said in a monotonous voice, "Onyx, turn back." They needed to regroup. This thing was dangerous. They needed to find a way on how to deal with this thing first. Or else they will be doomed. r

"Your Majesty..." Zolan started but trailed off as he saw and felt the cold aura that had washed over his Queen. He had no words of comfort. What was there to say? This was truly unexpected. Instead, he kept silent, clenched his jaws, and increased his guard. He would not let anything happen to Queen Evie while she was under his watch, even if he had to die trying.r

As Onyx turned around, what greeted their sight was another big blow to them. It seemed that their intention for warning the rest might be too late. There were other dragons and their riders who were already caught and battling the dark smoky tentacles that had been shot out from the black core. The entire sky scape was a picture of chaos.r

As Evie looked around, trying to decide who should she go help first, she then heard a piercing dragon shriek. Turning to the direction where that shriek came from, she saw Fir trashing around as he was trying to get free from the dark smoky cords that was coiled around him. r

"Luc!!" Evie called out and Onyx, hearing her cry, sped over to his direction.r

There were no others on Fir's back. The other three people whom she had assigned to be on Fir were nowhere to be seen. She immediately reasoned that they must have been thrown off due to the frantic flailing of Fir trying to get free. r

As they got closer, Luc was ultimately thrown off Fir and was free falling through the air. Zooming faster, Onyx managed to get beside him and Zolan grabbed onto Luc's shirt before pulling him to safety atop Onyx – albeit in a rather unflattering position with his face down and rump in the air. However, he was saved. That was all that matters.r

"Thanks, Zolan. Thank you, Your Majesty!" Luc heaved out breathlessly as he got up.r

Evie had no time to respond to him as she was looking helplessly at her other dragon being pulled rapidly away from their grasp. Refusing to just watch like this again and let that thing take away her dragon, a strong beam of light shot out from Evie's palms. It hit the tentacle pulling Fir. r

As Evie's attention was fixed on saving the dragon, another dark tentacle came at them. r

"Look out!!!" Zolan yelled. He and Luc jumped in to protect the queen. r

Onyx breathed an inferno of fire colliding at the coming tentacles. r

Soon, a blast of light spread out. Fir was freed from the tentacle and immediately flew back. r

Evie stumbled a little as she let her hands fall to her sides. That had scared her. She thought she'd fail and won't be able to save the dragon. r

"My Queen! Are you okay?" Zolan looked at her over his shoulder worriedly so Evie smiled at him. r

"I'm fine." She assured even as she felt her fingers trembling a little. r

...r

"Azure! Hang on... don't give up!!" Vera was screaming as she raised high the dagger that she had whipped out from its sheath tied to her waist. Frantically slashing at the dark tentacle that had shot out of nowhere and caught Azure unawares, Vera knew that it was futile as the dark cords dissipated and solidified on and off when she tried slicing through it. But no matter how pointless her attempts were, she still continued as she did not know what else to do. It was times like this when she felt so useless and wished that she had magic like Evie or supernatural strength like Queen Beatrice.r

They were initially progressing well as their whole second division army were fighting and supporting each other well. Those on dragons were fiercely slicing down and eliminating the flying monsters in the air while those on the ground were bravely pushing their way through the swarm of monsters that came at them in a seemingly never-ending stream. r

Their whole second division were close to the darkest core and Vera had gotten reports from the vampires atop the dragons that they had caught sight of the first division army led by Queen Evie in the forefront. That had sent a wave of thrill over their division as they were looking forward for the entire army to unite and fight as one again. But it was then that there was a sudden flood of flying monsters attacking their aerial troops, making things descend into confusion for a short moment.r

It was then when Azrael had proved his mettle in warfare and experience in dealing with this sudden attack and had shouted out a series of commands that had the aerial troops falling back into formation. But just as they were about to get things under control, that was when panicked shouts echoed all around, sending things into chaos.r

"Vera!! Watch–" Queen Beatrice yelled out, but her warning got cut off as she and Vera were almost thrown off Azure's back if not for them holding on tightly to their mount. Azure had been jerked forward due to a dark tentacle that had managed to wrap itself around the base of his neck. r