Sorry that this took so long to get out. My bad... I give credit to Note_Block5 for giving me an idea for this chapter awhile back.
(Spoiler!)
I'd also like to give credit to EnderGirlEndy11 for a character that will be appearing that she created. I hope you're okay with some of the character changes I had to make for the sake of the story.
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Mia's point of view-

Before I could even open my eyes, I could smell rain, and the masked scent of burnt wood and flesh. It was sickening. I groaned as my eyes slowly fluttered open, feeling intense internal and external pain and aching throughout my body.
It was dark, with wood scattered everywhere, and part of the ship arched over us, covering us from the harsh rain outside. Drips of water fell from the broken wood, soaking the wood and mud below us.
My eyes widened as I gasped, seeing Grayson's limp body across from me, his back against the wood wall and his hat was nowhere to be seen. I pushed myself up, but let out a cry of pain as I fell onto mud. My entire body hurts... I pushed myself up once more, examining my own body. My knees were bleeding very badly, the blood covering my lower legs. My arms were covered in scrapes and a few burns, and my left cheek was bleeding from a large gash.
I slowly made my ways towards my unconscious friend, gritting my teeth from each pain filled step I took. I fell to my knees once I was by his side. Blood was running down his face from a bad head wound, and I could see some blood seeping through his sleeves. Parts of his jacket now had holes from being burned, and his blonde beard and hair had ash and blood in the strands. His arm didn't look right, like his shoulder was out of place.

"G-Grayson..?" I whispered as I tried to shake him awake, not able to get my voice very high.

His emerald eyes fluttered open as he slowly looked up. I could see in his gaze that he was dazed and in pain. His head turned, his eyes looking up at me.

"M-Mia? Are...are you...?" He whispered, also struggling to talk.

I hissed as I grabbed my arm, even though I knew that it wouldn't do anything, except stopping the bleeding to an extent. His body was shaking, before he started coughing.

"I'm f-fine, Grayson." I finally replied back.

His eyes closed. "What about...th-the others?" He hissed out.

I shook my head, making my neck ache. "I-I don't know. I haven't s-seen them...y-yet." Why does everything bad happen to us?

He tried to get up, but quickly let out a scream. His arm shot up, grabbing his shoulder. He fell back again, his back slamming against the wooden wall. He started letting out deep breaths, cringing in pain. I hoped that his shoulder wasn't broken.

"Are you okay?" I asked, reaching out an arm incase he needed help.

He pushed me away, saying that he was fine. His bloody, gloved hand grabbed his shoulder, pushing it to get it back into place. I cringed again, disturbed by the cracking sound that his shoulder made. It sounded so painful.
Grayson pushed himself up, with a grunt, at first stumbling on his feet. He looked through a large hole in the wreckage of the ship, looking out at the destruction the crash left in it's wake. Trees were torn down. Burnt wood was scattered across the ground, but one thing caught our eyes. Underneath a pile of wood, was Luke's body. I gasped, and immediately ran to his aid, while Grayson made his way to him a bit slower than I. I feel to my knees, placing my hands on the wood and tried to lift a large piece off of him.

"Grayson, help me!" I begged.

"Why? He's used up his welcome with me. We got Drake back, now it's time that I pay my end of the bargain." His hand reached down to grab the hilt of his blade.

I growled at his foolishness. "Have you learned nothing?! He helped us and clearly regrets what he did! Everyone deserves forgiveness, Grayson."

Even coming from my own mouth, it sounded weird. Not because of the way I said it, but just because of the memories of what Luke had done. I shouldn't expect Grayson to forgive Luke. Not now or ever, but throughout this entire time, dare I say that Luke had grown to be a friend in my eyes.
He didn't seem fazed by my words. In fact, he seem p***ed. He opened his mouth, but closed it, as he let go of the blade handle. He let out a sigh, getting down onto his knees next to me, grabbing the wood crushing Luke. It was hard to tell how badly injured the assassin was with his body mainly covering in armor and wood.

"Don't take this as forgiving him." Grayson said, before he began pushing the wood.

I began pushing as well, until we were finally able to get the large piece off of him. I then began moving the smaller planks of wood, feeling the small splinters digging into my skin. I could see his chest rising and falling, meaning that he was alive. Once all of the debris was removed from his body, I moved his head so it was facing straight up, trying to get the rain to wake him up.
He started coughing as his eyes snapped opened. He pulled down his mask, letting the rain wash away the blood that had covered his lips. His cheek was bruised, and I could only imagine how bruised his chest was after being crushed. At least his armor probably blocked most of the impact.

"Luke, are you okay?" I couldn't help but ask, even though I knew that he was in pain.

"I-I..." I could tell that he was struggling to breathe.

He flipped himself over, getting onto his and began coughing once more. I took a step back as he started to vomit onto the ground. It was a mixture or food and blood. He finally stopped, gasping for breath as he pushed himself up to his feet. He let out a groan of pain, before stumbling and falling back down.

"Take it easy, Luke." I said, walking to his aid and helping him stand back up.

I looked back to Grayson, who was looking around frantically. "Where are the others?"

He spun around, looking at me with wide, fearful eyes. "Where's Drake?!"

"We'll find him, and the others. They can't be far."

Luke pushed me away gently, grabbing his arm in pain. I was starting to be able to see the darker stains through his black clothes, knowing that it was blood. There were some tears in his attire, showing some burns and bruises on his flesh. His breathing was staggered and his face was getting red, like he wasn't getting enough oxygen. He started to cough, a bit of blood coming from his mouth.

"Luke, breathe. Does your chest hurt?" I asked.

He nodded, breathing heavily. "Y-yeah." I hoped that none of his ribs were broken.

"Just...stay calm" Was all I could think of to say.

Suddenly, we heard a shout and crying through the loud sound of the rain. Our heads shot up to look in the sounds direction, hearing that it was coming from where the nose of the ship was. There were many trees that had fallen over, which would make it difficult to get to them.

"That has to Jane and Sylvia!" Luke said, before he dashed in their direction, ignoring any intense pain he was feeling.

Grayson and I followed him, stopping in front of the pile of fallen trees and wood left behind from the ship's collision. I placed my hands on the wood and pulled myself up, feeling the tiny moist splinters get under my skin, and blisters forming. I cringed at the stinging pain, but continued to climb, until I could see three figures, two sitting on the muddy ground.
Jane was standing on her trembling legs, slowly stepping away from her parents. Her eyes were wide and red, her face flush. I could hear her faint whimpering, as she stared down at her mother and father on their knees.
Sylvia was holding onto Xavier's arms, shaking him and crying out his name. The spy's head was hung back, blood covering his face, but the rain was slowly washing the thick substance away. I could see his chest moving at an unsteady rhythm. Parts of his clothes were burned with patches of crimson blood, and the lenses to the goggles on top of his head were shattered.

"Xavier!" Luke called, dashing to his comrades aid.

Jane looked up, fear and sorrow plastered in her gaze. She let out a cry as she suddenly began running towards me when I jumped onto the ground. I took a step back, before her body collided onto my own. Her arms wrapped around my legs, as she dug her head into my waist.

"Daddy..." She choked out.

I kneeled down after prying her hands off of me. My arms wrapped around her as I let her sob into my shoulder pad. I cringed as her fingers dug into my back, and her body made contact with my still tender stab wound. Her body was shaking, and she continuously sniffed as she sobbed. She was terrified for her father's well being.

I began patting her back, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. It's okay. You're daddy is going to be fine." I hoped that my words were true.

Luke's point of view-

I ran to Sylvia and Xavier, my chest aching with each breath I took. My legs keep wanting to give out underneath me, but I refused to fall when my friend needed me. It was so hard for me to breath. My vision blurred, but I continued to run.
Sylvia's face was red, with her eyes bloodshot and tear filled. Her body had a few bleeding scratches and bruises, but nothing too serious from what I could tell.
Xavier on the other hand...he didn't look good at all. A large gash was on his head, letting dark blood cover his face. His mouth was slightly open, body quivering, and his pain filled eyes barely opened. I had never seen his green orbs look so dim. I didn't like seeing him in pain or without his wide smile. It was disturbing, more so than his actual smile.

"Xavier!" I called out his name, but he seemed like he was unaware of what was happening around him.

"I-I...I think he has a con-concussion." Sylvia said through her weeping.

I turned back to Xavier when his faint voice began to speak. "...Hurts...t-tired..."

My hands shot up, grabbing his shoulders. My body moved itself, pushing Sylvia aside, but not too roughly. I could hear her sniffing and trying to regain breath from crying so much. How long have they been conscious? It doesn't matter. I looked at Xavier in his dazed eyes, removing his broken goggles from his head. I shoved them into my belt, just incase he would want them later.

"Xavier, don't you dare fall asleep! We don't know how serious this is!"

My eyes widened, filling with tears as he chuckled. "L-lighten...up...L-Luke..."

I started shaking him as his eyes rolled to the back of head and closed, tears rolling down my cheeks stained in rainwater, blood, and mud. He could die... I can't let a friend die, even if he did get on my nerves. My fist tightened around his shoulders.

"Xavier, No! Xavier!" He still didn't respond.

I heard Sylvia weep even louder, and looked over to Jane as she clung to Mia for comfort. I can't be responsible for another family being torn apart. I can't be responsible for my friends death, like I almost was so long ago.
My eyes looked back down, seeing the spy's chest rising and falling. He was still alive, but what if he was in a comatose state? I shook my head, not wanting to think about that. I swore over and over in my head as I tried to shake him again.

"Wake up!"

I gasped as he stirred, his eyes slightly opening. His body was shaking even more in my grip. His breath was hot, and I could smell the scent of illness through the rain. The concussion must have given him a fever. Another sick person on the team, but I'm not complaining. If we have to take care of them, then we will. I could tend to Xavier and Grayson could tend to Drake, if he's still alive.
I put his arm over my shoulder as I pulled him up to his wobbly legs. He had to put all of his weight onto me as he was unable to hold himself up at the slightest. At least I know how Grayson feels when he has to help Drake walk.
I looked over my shoulder, my eyes resting on Sylvia. She stepped forward, getting beside Xavier. More tears slipped from her eyes, as her hand reached up to touch his shoulder.

"Is-is he okay?" She asked my with her voice still shaken.

"He'll be fine." I tilted my head, not wanting to lie, but it wasn't entirely a lie, right?

"We just have to figure out how serious it is and let him rest. Don't worry. I'll take care of him."

She held her fist to her chest, her gaze soft as she bowed her head. "Thank you, Luke."

I nodded, then looked back up at Grayson and Mia. The elf walked forward, prying the child away from her. Sylvia walked up to her child, picking her up and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Grayson ran back over to the fallen trees, as he jumped over them as he shouted for his Enderman hybrid companion. We followed him, the others going up and over before me, as I helped Xavier up.
Once our feet touched soil, I watched as the others dug through debris for their friends. I wanted to held, but I couldn't leave Xavier's side, and he couldn't help out in his condition. I watched as they clawed through rubble, covering their hands in ash and blisters. I hoped that Drake and Lalea weren't dead.

Lalea's point of view-

I groaned in pain as I opened my eyes. The inside of my body ached, and the outside stung from burns on my pale skin. I squinted as I felt rain drip onto my face; covering my flesh and clothing in water.
I flipped myself over before I struggled to push myself up. It was like my entire being was screaming for me to lay back down and test until it no longer ached. I didn't care how much pain I was in. I had to make sure that Drake was okay, since he and I were closest to the blaze that ate the ship.
My hood was down, letting the water fall onto my hair, making it look an even darker shade of blue. My breath came out heavy, as I hissed, looking down at my burnt sleeves that once draped over my hands. Now the gold that was once present was replaced with burnt silk, barely going past my wrists. My fingers were burnt, but thankfully it didn't seem too major. It still stung, though.

My head shot up; images the person I cared for the most flashing in my mind. "Drake!"

Getting no response, I tried again. "Dra-... Drake?"

My head turned, spotting Drake's body laying flat on the muddy ground. His eyes were closed, and his matted down hair and clothes were soaking wet. His cheek on his Enderman side was torn, showing pink flesh underneath his almost reptilian skin and letting blood run down the side of his face. He had multiple bleeding cuts on his arms and legs, and a large gash on his left shoulder. His nose was bleeding, and his hands looked bloody and burnt with torn skin from multiple blisters.
I gasped, seeing a human figure kneeling beside his unconscious form. It was a female with a black hood, and long jet black hair. She had a violet iris in her left eye, with her right eye glazed over giving it a white appearance. She had on a purple and black sweater, with black jeans and boots.

"Lalea?" She said with her light voice and eyes wide.

My eyes widened. How did she know my name? Her life force, and her blind eye were familiar. I know this girl, but how? She had a magic signature around her, giving me knowledge that she was a Mage like Drake and I. I looked down, seeing her hands placed on Drake's chest, like she had been pushing down on his chest to make him breathe. Wait, was he unconscious, or...worse?
I growled as my right hand lit up in blue energy. I don't have much mana left, so if this woman is any threat, I'll need to kill her quickly. I pushed myself up to my feet, wiping away blood from my cut lip. The woman stood up, removing her hands from Drake, allowing me to see his chest rising slowly and falling. At least I knew that he was alive.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Don't you remember me?" She said, pulling down her hood.

I took a step forward, taking in her appearance even more. I need to remember where I've seen her before. My eyes widened, finally recalling my past days with this woman. We were friends back in the day, going to the same school together at the empire before she moved away from the cities.

"Endy?" The energy engulfing my hands faded.

She smiled, giving a tiny giggle. "Yep! I've been living out here for awhile. I saw you guys crash, and I came to investigate."

Her eyes looked down at Drake. "He wasn't breathing when I found you two. I had to give him CPR, but he seems to be okay now, other than his bad wounds."

I looked down at Drake, running and getting on my knees next to him. His aura was in a troubled state that felt like he was in a nightmare, but yet he looked as if he was in a peaceful rest. I wiped away some blood that was coming from his nose, as I lifted his head and rested it on my lap. I was just so glad that she got him breathing again! She better not have put her lips his...My cheeks started to burn and my chest ached from the thoughts.

"Here." I looked up, seeing her hand outstretched to hand me a bottle of pink, glistening liquid. A health potion! Thank God...

I took it, thanking her as I opened the bottle. I didn't think about drinking any of it to help with my own injuries, I only thought about helping Drake. I poured some into his mouth, making sure that he didn't choke on it as it went down his throat. His forehead was burning from his remaining fever, that still didn't feel like it had gone down.
He started coughing before his eyes opened, looking up at me with a dazed look. As he regained consciousness, his body began to shake more violently, and his breathing became a bit more unsteady. He squinted as the rain fell into his eyes, making him push himself up into a sitting position.
He groaned as he rubbed his eyes, before hissing in pain. His hands pulled away from his face, then he gasped at the sight of his badly injured hands. I knew that he wouldn't be able to touch anything with his hands without them feeling pain for a long while. His fingers traced the gash on his cheek, as if he was ignoring the pain.

"Everything hurts." He hissed before coughing, some blood going down his chin.

Wiping the blood away with his arm, his eyes fixed on Endy. His hand shot down to his sword, filled with alarm from her presence as he scampered to his feet. He cringed and hissed when his wounded hand made contact with the handle. Endy gasped, taking a step back in fear that he would lunged out at her.

I jumped out in front of Drake before any physical conflict began. "Drake, it's okay! This is Endy, an old friend of mine."

His gazed softened, but was still a bit harsh. I let out a sigh of relief when he let go of the blade by his side.

"Endy? That's a weird name." He commented.

The Mage now standing behind me giggled. "My eyes reminded my parents of Enderman, so it seemed like a good name." Her smile faded, and eyes looked to the lower left of herself, as if remembering something.

"Well, you're an Enderman hybrid. Now that is strange."

Drake chuckled. "You got a point."

He then growled, shaking his head. "Never mind that! Where's Grayson and Mia? Where are the others?!"

As if on cue, Grayson jumped over a fallen tree, calling out Drake's name as he ran to us. He suddenly stopped, gasping when he saw Endy. He scowled at her as he pulled out his blade that glimmered in the dark. He stood firmly, a twinkle of moonlight in his emerald orbs. His body was bloody, and his chest heaved like he was exhausted or having a hard time breathing. I watched as blood dripped from his face, falling onto the wet mud.

"Who are you?" He demanded quietly as he stepped in front of Drake.

As I got in front of him to defend Endy, my old friend spoke. "Lalea and I were friends in grade school. I mean no harm to any of you."

Grayson's emerald eyes looked to me, as if asking for assurance. I nodded, suddenly feeling unable to speak on her behalf. My throat just suddenly felt too dry. He let out a sigh of relief, as he put his sword back into its sheath. I looked over everyone, seeing them all with bad injuries, especially Xavier who seemed to be a bit out of it.

"Alright then. Where did you come from? Why did you come here?" Grayson said, still having trust issues. He didn't seem like that kind of person.

Endy responded. "I saw the crash while I was out hunting for food, and came to investigate. I live by the shore a few miles away."

Grayson turned to Drake and the others behind him. He pulled out his compass, the glass slightly cracked. We watched as the dial pointed north, the direction to our destination. The place where we could hatch that dragon egg and possibly find something to help Drake. Mia had told me that they were hoping to find something there to get that demon out of his body.

Drake stepped forward, with a slight limp. "If Lalea trusts you...then so do I. Just...make yourself useful, if you're willing to go against the empire and help us."

"Against the empire? Right...you're that hybrid I've seen posters of."

She then looked over to Grayson. "And you're the dragon egg thief. I can feel the eggs magic in your backpack. It's almost...overwhelmingly powerful."

There was a silence for a brief moment. Her violet and almost white eyes looked at me, a small grin creeping on her face.

"You've betrayed the empire for them. You're willing to put your life on the line to get them to safety. They must be important for you to do such a thing."

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I looked at Drake, my cheeks feeling warm. I had said a similar thing to him back at the palace. 'They're family' he had said. He's more than just family...to me, at least.

"Of course."

Grayson interrupted us, looking into the sky. "We have to get out of here. Mercenaries are probably on their way to the crash sight, and a lot of our injuries are severe."

Endy finally answered Drake. "I'll help you guys. I'll do whatever I can."

Drake nodded, before looking back over to the ex-commander. He spoke with his deep, slightly pain filled voice. "So what do we do? How are we supposed to get to the place to hatch the dragon egg without a ship?"

Grayson took off his backpack, hissing as the strap touched his badly wounded shoulder. He pulled out a map, and left the strap hanging on his arm as he unrolled the wet paper. It was slowly tearing and smearing in the rain, and I could feel it's magic slowly dimming as it became damaged. That's not good.

"There's still a big portion of the sea between us and the Drago' hatchery. Unfortunately, we might just have to acquire another airship."

"Great. Again?" I heard Luke complain, taking a step forward.

Xavier groaned, his head falling forwards, and eyes closing. I could sense that he was in pain, and that his consciousness was wavering. His life force felt fainter than before, meaning that his injuries were potentially deadly. I could only assume that he had a concussion of sorts.

"Xavier, stay awake!" Luke lightly shook him.

The man lifted his bleeding head up, opening his eyes that were once so much brighter. "S-sorry."

Before anyone could say anything, he threw up onto the ground, making everyone but Luke and his own wife take a step back. Even through the thick rain, I could smell the putrid aroma that made me want to hurl as well. Sylvia stepped forward,holding Jane in her arms, her eyes red from crying. The child looked to be asleep.

"We have to find shelter, fast. We need to look at him incase it's too serious." She said, turning to us.

"I know." Grayson said, putting his map away, and putting his backpack behind himself.

Endy stepped forward, taking off her own backpack, and pulled out another health potion. She handed the bottle to Luke after she opened it, the liquid bright even in the darkness. Luke took it in his gloved hand, turning his head and lifting the brim of the glass up to Xavier's lips.

"Drink this, buddy. It's for your own good."

At first, Xavier seemed a bit reluctant to drink it, but Luke forced it into his mouth. He gagged as it went down his throat, but kept it within his stomach. Luke pulled the bottle from him, thanking Endy as he handed it back to her.

Xavier spoke with a stutter. "Don't d-do that ag-gain."

My head turned, gazing at the blonde man. I saw Grayson's eyes widen when he looked at Drake, observing his injuries. He stepped forward, grabbing the hybrid's arms and holding them up to look at his hands. Drake hissed as the human gently pressed his thumb on the bleeding flesh.

"Ow. I'd prefer that you didn't do that." Drake said, pulling his hand away.

"Sorry. You're hands are in a bad condition." Grayson said as he took a small step back.

Drake took off his backpack and began searching through it. He pulled out two grey leather gloves that didn't have fingers. He pulled them down on his hands, a cringe on his face from blistering pain.
Grayson stepped back, looking at his friend in concern. He moved some of his soaked hair from his face, before turning on his heels to face the others.

"Alright then. Let's try to find a cave or something to get out of the rain. Once our injuries are taken care of, we'll discuss what to do next."

We all agreed, then followed him as he began heading into the forest. I stayed close to Drake just incase he fell over or anything. Endy stayed to his right, looking at him like he had peeked her interest perhaps. I hoped that she was just fascinated by his Enderman side and nothing more...
Drake pulled up his hood and put his hands into his pockets. He looked up into the sky, his hood remaining in it's place.

"Hey Endy? Forgive me if this is a sensitive subject, but how did you get that blind eye?" He asked, his voice sounding like he was in pain. It seemed like he was asking the question to get his mind off of something else.

Endy looked away, grabbing her arm. I knew the horrible answer to that question. I was around when she had received it. Remembering all of those injuries those disgusting people gave her made me feel sick.

"Um..my, uh...adopted parents were..a bit abusive. They held me too close to fire once and managed to damage one of my eyes. At least it wasn't both."

Drake looked at her, his back straightening a bit, before his shoulders slouched and he looked away. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to make you remember anything so horrific."

She shook her head and quickly replied. "No. It's fine. I haven't been around them in years. I'm not even sure if they're still at the empire or not."

The sound of the rain began to take hold, as silence came between everyone. All of us were in pain and exhausted. I knew that Drake's injuries were more likely to get infected because his life force still hadn't fully regenerated, and Xavier could be at the brink of death. We just had the find shelter fast before things got any worse.

Drake's point of view-

I hate the silence. It only allows the voices in my head to get louder and louder, until my ears feel like they're bleeding.
The pain coursing through my body from the crash somehow felt...good. The stinging from the open skin and burns, was somehow amusing. The aching in my head, on the other hand was a completely different story. The pounding made my eyes fill with tears, and made my head feel like it was pulsating.
My hands stung, sore and blistering. My whole body was covered in injuries, but my hands definitely took most of the beating. The wheel had torn and brusied my skin, while the fire engulfed the wheel and burned my flesh.
I knew that it was wrong to feel joy in the pain. There was more than just two sets of thoughts in my head, I had two sets of physical feelings. One part of me wanted to scream and whimper in pain, while the other found pleasure in the aching. It's not me who enjoys it. It's him.

Ever so slowly, you become more and more like me.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the voices and the splitting headache. I growled at that demonic voice refusing to give up.

It's too late to save you. You are already too far gone for salvation. You made your choice. Embrace your fate...

  "Never!" I closed my eyes and pulled at my hair.

"-ke. Drake!"

As I was snapped out of my thoughts, I found myself walk right into a tree. I held my nose that had already been bleeding, but now hurt from the impact with the bark. As I stepped away from the tree and back onto the path, I saw most of my comrades staring at me. Mia and Endy tried not to laugh. I felt so embarrassed...

"Are you feeling alright, buddy?" Grayson said, a slight chuckle in his voice.

I sniffed as I lowered my hand, looking down at the ground as I sighed, feeling dizzy. "Sorry. I was...spacing out."

"Well...try not to wander away from us. It would suck to turn around and find that you're gone." Mia said.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Suddenly, I felt a tickle in my nose. I tried to hold back a sneeze, but ultimately failed. I sneezed into my arm, looking down and seeing more blood than before. I sniffed as Mia and Jane laughed.

"You sneeze like a puppy!" Jane said, with her usual innocent giggle.

Mia laughed again. "I know, right?"

My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment again. At least Jane was smiling now. I didn't like seeing a youn child saddened and fearful. Lalea, and Endy laughed, agreeing with the two. I pulled my hood over my face, trying to hide my red cheeks.

"It's alright, Drake." Lalea said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up, seeing a wide smile on her face. I smiled as well. "I'm sure Mia sounds like an adorable puppy when she sneezes too!"

"I do not!" Mia objected, making Jane laugh.

I laughed along, before stopping and holding my chest in pain. My hand rose up, grabbing my bloodstained shirt in reaction to the sudden aching. Touching the scar on my chest didn't make the pain any better, but once again, I was welcoming the aching and sore feeling. I guess it was better than being numb, and almost feeling dead inside. Was it truly better?
They continued to laugh as they turned around and continued walking. I wanted to get my mind off of the pain. I wanted to brighten the mood a bit more. My eyes gazed at the backpack that Grayson wore, holding the dragon egg.

"So, Grayson." I said. Grayson looked over his shoulder, but continued to walk.

I continued. "You still never told us what you're going to name the dragon once it hatches. Do you even know what you're going to name it?"

He chuckled, turning his head to look ahead of himself again. "Like I said before, it's a surprise."

I growled, curiosity eating away at the pieces of my mind that wasn't already eaten away be madness and paranoia. Oh well. If he doesn't want to reveal it then he doesn't have to.

My shoulders shrugged. "Fine, but you better not name it something like 'Dragony' or something unoriginal like that."

He laughed, adjusting the straps on his backpack. "No. Why would I name it something stupid like that?"

I chuckled and shrugged again. "You tend to do that, considering what you named your last pet."

"What did he name it?" Lalea asked.

I shrugged. "It was a living slime. He named it 'Slimey'."

"It was a cute name!" Grayson shouted back, looking over his shoulder at us.

I smiled as almost everyone laughed, while Luke only chuckled halfheartedly. Sylvia and Xavier remained silent, but it was understandable. It would probably hurt Xavier to laugh, and Sylvia was too worried about her husband and child to care about anything else.

Once again Grayson turned his head to look ahead at the path. "I wonder what happened to him. I hope that he's okay, wherever he is."

My feet suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. The ringing and mumbling voices returned to plague my ears. My vision was going in and out of focus, making my eyesight blurry and headache worse. The sides of my vision were starting to get dark with my eyes filling with tears of pain. Once again I was getting dizzy and nauseous.

I will have control... You're MY puppet!

Suddenly, a black mist formed from the darkness, beginning to shift and grow into a familiar shape. My heart raced, and I took a step back as I began hyperventilating. The bottom of it faded, but it had long arms with sharp crystal fingers. It's mouth had many sharp teeth, and it's eyes glowed white like Herobrine's.
It lunged at me, a loud ear piercing screech erupting from its gaping mouth. I screamed, holding my ears as I feel to my knees. The ringing in my ears got worse, not letting me hear anything in reality. I took my hands off of my ears, looking down at the new red stains on my gloves. My ears didn't just feel like they were bleeding; they were bleeding.

"Drake!" Lalea called out once the ringing in my ears stopped.

She and Mia ran to my side, pulling me back up to my feet. They both gasped at the blood, stepping back in shock. I let out heavy breaths, my heart racing. It's been a long time since I've seen a Nightmare, even one that was just in my head.

"Drake, what happened?" Mia asked, her voice shaken.

I felt like I couldn't answer. Something else was filling my mind and clouding my thoughts. I tried not to show the panic that I suddenly felt, putting pressure in my chest. I felt other life forces around us, but were they really other people? Or just my mind playing tricks?

"Lalea, do you feel that...we aren't alone? I mean, I feel like we're being followed."

Before she could even reply, an arrow shot out from the vast darkness, shooting past Grayson's head. I turned around, grabbing the handle of my blade. There was rustling in the bushes, then in the dead of the night, a mercenary charged at me with a sword wielded. I gasped in surprise, before swinging my blade to cut his across his stomach. I turned to face my comrades with wide eyes, as the rustling of trees grew louder. We were being ambushed.

"Run!" Grayson shouted as he sprinted down the path, pulling out his sword and killing a mercenary that had jumped out up ahead.

Mia, Lalea, and Endy all ran behind him immediately. Luke lifted up Xavier, cradling him in his arms since the spy couldn't run with his concussion making him weak. Luke pushed Sylvia to get her running, and the two ran side by side. I quickly followed behind, dodging arrows that shot past me. I have to make sure that the others get out of this unharmed, well, not anymore harmed than we already are.

Nathan's point of view-

I swung my blade, trying to practice for a fight for once our ship landed. Our ship was behind a majority of the fleet that had been sent out, but luckily we were above where Drake's ship had crashed. I felt a bit sick at the memory of him. I don't hate him, but it's like the knowledge that he'll possibly go on another senseless killing spree just haunts me. If I do kill him, I'll try to make it quick and hopefully painless. I admit, I still have a soft spot for the guy.
Still, the thought of blood on my hands made me sick. Can I really bring myself to take a life? I honestly don't want to kill him, but I'm tired of having nightmares...
I let out a deep breath, putting my sword back into its sheath. My body turned, looking at Henry as he sat with his back against the railing. His arms were on the back of his head, and his hat rested above his face. I growled. How did someone as lazy and irresponsible like him ever become captain? I guess it will always remain a mystery. I rolled my eyes, walking up to him and hitting him on the shoulder.

"Wh-what?!" His back straightened as he was abruptly awakened from his nap.

I pulled his hat off of him, looking into his hazel eyes glimmering from the moonlight. His chocolate brown hair swayed in the cold breeze. He looked up at me, growling that I had disturbed him.

"Nathan? What do you want?"

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot on the ground. He gets me so frustrated. "We're over the area of the crash site. We're heading in for landing on your command."

He grabbed onto the railing and pulled himself up, his spine popping. I cringed slightly at the disturbing noise. He put back against the railing once more, ripping the hat from my grip.

"Alright. Land the ship as close as you can to the crash sight!" He called out to the man at the wheel as he pulled his hat down on his head.

"Shouldn't you be at the wheel since you're the captain? At least try to take some responsibility and do your own job!"

He chuckled, lifting his hand up and flicking my hat. I growled, grabbing my hat and pulling it a bit down to where it once was. I despised that smug look on his face. I swear, each day I'm with him, I dislike him more and more.

"You don't usually snap like that, Nathan. You've been really on edge lately. Is it because of that hybrid?"

I turned, putting my arms on the railing as I looked down at the forest below. "Is it really that obvious?"

A laugh forced it's way past his lips. "Yeah, definitely. Why do you let the thought of him bother you so much? It's almost disturbing."

I let out a sigh. "I don't know. When I first met him, I let him gain my trust too quickly. I don't even know why. I just...took a liking to him until..."

"Because you're still a child, Nathan." He interrupted me.

I growled at his remark, before he continued. "Don't take that as an insult or anything, because you know just as well as I do that it's true."

I wanted to talk back, and tell him that I'm sixteen and technically not a child anymore, but I bit my tongue. He's right. I have that mind of a child, or at least I did until that night. It's strange how one simple even could change your whole outlook on everything. Could change the way you think forever.

"Let me ask you something, kid. It's a bit of a trick question."

I turned my head, looking at his pale face. "What is it?"

"Well, I'm not telling you not to do your job or anything, but is killing him really going to put you at ease?"

My eyes widened. I honestly don't know that answer. It's impossible to know, really. I turned away from him, looking back down at the trees below us. If I kill Drake I might be able to clear my conscious, but other the other hand, I do the one thing that I never wanted to do. Kill.
Still, just like what that hybrid said, what did I really expect? A mercenaries job is to take the lives of murderers so they never take a life again. Is the killer of another killer still a murderer if they only searched for justice?
The trees grew closer as the rain became heavier. The trees grew until they were above us, the leaves of many different colors swaying above us as rain continued to pour down. The ship rested onto the ground, the wood creaking as it rested onto the damp soil. We weren't too close to the crashed ship, but we were close enough.

"Alright! Head to the crashed ship and search for the escapees or the dragon egg! If you are unable to locate them, then head out and search the areas of this forest!" Henry ordered the mercenaries aboard the ship.

"Yes, sir!" They all called out. I was supposed to do the same, but refused to do so.

I was about to follow the others as they climbed down the rope ladders, but Henry suddenly grabbed me by the shoulder. I turned as he pulled me back. He looked down at me with a cold expression, his breath brushing against my face.

"Don't take anything I said the wrong way. I'm still expecting you to kill the escapees on sight. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good." He hit my back hard, making me fall forward onto the floorboards.

"Now get moving!"

I pushed myself back up to my feet, my knees now slightly sore. A growl rose up in my throat as I looked back at him, a smile returning to his face. He pulled his dark iron sword, and walked past me to the rope ladder. I pulled down the tip of my hat, then followed in pursuit.

Third person point of view-

They all kept running, with the mercenaries in pursuit not too far behind. They gasped for breath, their injuries sending waves of pain throughout their bodies as the chase continued. As much as some of them wanted to turn around and fight, none of them were in a good condition for a brawl.
Drake listened as the speeding footsteps behind him continued to get closer, their boots splashing in the cold wet mud. His ears were ringing again and his breathing was unsteady, but this time it was due to exhaustion. His vision was blurring, making it hard to tell how far ahead his comrades were from him.

"Guys!" He called out, his body beginning to weigh itself down.

He yelped at a sudden pain, then he was forced to fall over into the mud as he felt his foot his foot get caught on something. He gritted his teeth, pushing himself up slightly to look back at his ankle that had been caught on an exposed tree root. His ankle was twisted, damaging the muscles underneath his skin. His eyes widened as the mercenaries only got closer to him. The hybrid tried to get back up to his feet, but only fell from the pain again. This time, that sick feeling of joy in the agony wasn't present, letting him whimper at his suffering.
Grayson stepped to the side, looking back as he watched almost everyone run past him. He just wanted to make sure that everyone was safe. There was one thing he noticed that nearly made his heart stop. Where was Drake?
He turned his head, his emerald eyes growing wide with panic and a gasp leaving his mouth as he saw his best friend vulnerable on the ground. Drake began to vomit blood, after falling from another attempt to stand up. He couldn't. It was like his body was slowly shutting down, refusing to let him keep pushing himself.

Why...Why can't I move?

He gasped, the world spinning and his heartbeat thumping in his ears. He felt like he was going to pass out again.

"Drake!" Grayson shouted, running to his best friend.

Drake's eyes shot open wide when there was a splash directly behind himself. His head spun around, gasping in fright as a mercenary stood before him, a spear in hand ready to throw. Drake turned his head away, waiting for his end.
Death didn't bother him. He remembered that short time in the empire palace when he actually yearned for it. It was leaving his friends behind that pained him to think about his own demise. So many regrets, and so many fears of what could happen when he was gone. Tears filled his eyes.

I'll see you again soon Armen... I'm sorry for everything. Forgive me.

The hybrid's eyes shut tight as he gritted his teeth against each other, bracing himself for the pain. He felt something hit his body, but didn't feel like the head of a spear. The impact felt like a splatter. It was warm and wet, but came from the opposite direction of the rain pouring down upon his stiff body. His eyes shot open, wondering why death hadn't come to claim him.
He gasped, his eyes widening as more tears filled them, going down his cheeks. Blood replaced the tears in his left eye, dripping down from the side of his white eye. His body began trembling again, the world seeming to have stopped for a long moment.
It was Grayson's blood that had covered his body.

"G-Gra..." He couldn't get the name out, his breath feeling like it had been stripped from his lungs.

Grayson was standing with his back facing the hybrid. His cape waved before falling back down, allowing Drake to see the head of the spear emerging out from the blonde's back. His shirt and jacket began to get covered in his own blood from the spear that had gone through him, now stuck in his body.
Grayson coughed, blood spraying from his mouth. He swayed on his feet, looking down at the spear that had gone straight through him. So this was it? His time was finally done. At least he would die protecting his best friend; the one that had saved his life to begin with.
He looked up, almost able to see the clouds opening; his wife and son standing there, waiting for him in the next life. A weak grin crept on the ex-commanders cheeks.

"C-Clar....R.J..." He said with faint breaths.

"See...y-you...s-soon..." With that, he collapsed.

Drake rolled over, letting Grayson fall onto his legs. He stared down in horror, watching blood come out of his friends mouth. His eyes moved down to look at the weapon in his comrades chest, slowly draining the life from him. Grayson struggled the breath, gasping and coughing as his cut esophagus filled with blood.
Everyone stood still, frozen from shock. Luke fell to his knees, dropping the man in his arms. Xavier rolled over, looking at the sight with just as much disbelief in his dim eyes. Luke felt a stabbing pain in his chest as regret once again weighed him down. This was all his fault... His orange and blue filled with tears.
Mia's screams rang through the air, as she charged past the two boys, her lime green eyes full tears and rage. She pulled out her blade, stabbing the man that had hurt Grayson through his chest. His body fell over, bleeding out on the ground.
Before she could kill anyone else, a purple light filled the sky, almost like they were all encased in glass. The elf recognized the magic dome with the purpose of keeping the mercenaries at bay; Drake's magic shield.

"Gr-Grayson?" The Mage choked, sensing the dreadful feeling of his best friend's life force fading away.

Emerald eyes looked up at the hybrid, slowly losing their brilliant color. Drake pulled his body closer, his skin getting pale and growing cold. He was shocked to see a smile on the blonde's face. More tears left his eyes, filled with disbelief. Grayson's eyes slowly closed, his body becoming limp.
This can't be real. It can't... It can't!

"No..no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He screamed into the air.

His head fell, burying his face between Grayson's neck and his chest. Another best friend...dying all because of him. What if this is just another nightmare? Another trick? No. He knew that this was no illusion. This was real.
His fingers dig into the bodies arm, as he sobbed into the soft bloodstained fabric of Grayson's shirt. His right arm moved up, gripping the green fabric below the spear, making his friends blood cover his glove and burnt exposed fingers. He heard nothing but the pounding in his head, and the voices that taunted him...

All your fault...

No! He refused to accept any of this! Grayson wasn't going to die on his watch. His choking and sobs shifted, turning into disturbing laughter. Even when struck with sorrow, Mia and the others were scared of the laughter that broke out from Drake's mouth. Grayson's life force wasn't completely gone, but it was slipping fast.
The hybrid lifted his head up, his eyes still filled with tears and his face red, but now he had a wicked smile with a constricted pupil in his right eye. He giggled insanely, his trembling hand lifting up and slowly wrapping his fingers around the pole of the weapon.

"You're not dying on me, Grayson!" He screamed, yanking the spear from the man's chest, making everyone cringe as they watched from afar.

Blood pooled on the ground, mixing with the mud and rainwater. Drake's laughter grew louder as he tossed it aside, looking down at the limp body. The hybrid lifted Grayson slightly, moving his legs, then he rested his friend on the mud. He had to save him... He had to take the risk.

His hands rose up above his head, magic swarming up his arms, as he continued laughing. "You hear me?! You are not dying!"

His hands came down, striking directly on top of the fatal wound. The world was blurring and he once again began to grow weak and nauseous. The magic went down his arms and hands, covering Grayson's chest like electricity.
Drake's insane laughter finally ceased. He felt an extreme pain in his chest, head, and even his veins. His skin was becoming as ghostly pale as Grayson's. Lalea screamed, knowing what he was doing. He was giving his life force to Grayson. She tried to run towards him, but Endy grabbed her arm, holding her back.
The wound on Grayson's chest and the damage done on his internal organs began healing. He let out a few more coughs of blood, before finally being able to breathe properly. Drake lifted his shaking hands off of his friend, relieved to sense that his life force was in stable condition once more.
His own life force was drained tremendously, to a point where he was now close to death. He didn't care. As long as Grayson was now well and alive. A dreaded feeling tugged at him as his vision blurred again, the sides of his vision growing white. The voices in his head were getting louder and louder, yet still undistinguishable.
Drake picked up Grayson's unconscious form, looking down at his pale face as warmth slowly returned to his body. The hybrid smiled, happy as long as his companions, his family, were okay. Even more tears left his eyes and went down his cheeks, his hood covering his closed eyes.
His legs were trembling underneath himself as he stood, nearly falling with Grayson's body in his arms. Mia finally found herself able to move, and dashed to her friends in need. Tears were in her eyes, and her face was red from strong negative emotions. Was Grayson okay? She hoped that she hadn't lost her close friend.

"Drake, is he-" She shouted as she got close to him, but the Mage suddenly cut her off.

"Take him!" He demanded, pushing Grayson against her chest, making her take the ex-commander from his arms.

She held Grayson close to herself, still unsure if he had any injury or how severe they were. She couldn't tell in the darkness that his wounds had vanished, but his body was still covered in his own blood.
Drake pushed her in the direction where the others stood, all not knowing what to do. Mia looked at him with wide eyes, shocked with his demand. What was he planning? He's always so stubborn... She didn't want to abandon him like she knew that he wanted. The elf refused.

"I'll hold them off." The hybrid said with an almost dead tone, his knees bent and shoulders slouched, making him appear slightly shorter. He was growing too weak.

The elf shook her head, choking from sorrow. "N-no! We can't leave you!"

The hybrid fell to his knees, hissing and growling in agony. His body was in so much pain, yet so exhausted. He covered his white eye as it twitched, his vision getting so white that he could barely see a thing. The twitching got worse, affecting his neck and fingers.
He knew what was happening to his body. They had to leave and get to safety. They had to go, now.

"M-Mia...please...you d-don't...understand..." He hissed through his teeth.

Still, the female refused to abandon him. "Drake, I'm not leaving you!"

The hybrid growled. She's going to get them all killed! Not by the mercenaries... Mia stepped back with a gasp of fear, as Drake uncovered his eye. White light shined brightly in the darkness.

"JuSt gO!"

That was it. Mia knew that she had to leave, as much as it pained her to leave him behind, she had no choice anymore. She held back a sob as she turned her head, then turned on her heels and sprinted down the path. The others watched as she ran past them.
Luke quickly began pulling Xavier to his feet, and began pulling him behind himself as he tried to keep up with the archeologist. Sylvia ran after them, with Jane screaming as she watched Drake get further away. The child didn't want to leave him. Despite being ignorant on what was going on, and the situation, she knew that they were leaving him to face the enemy alone.

"Drake!" Lalea called out as she clawed at the air, feeling her love's aura become shrouded in familiar darkness.

Endy pulled her back, also feeling that presence of darkness. "Lalea, we have to go!"

As much as Lalea hated to admit it, she was right. They had to leave him. Warm tears streamed down her face, as she stopped struggling. Endy began pulling her childhood friend, fearing for both of their lives. Lalea spun around, and the two ran as fast as they could away from the vessel. The blue haired Mage prayed that Drake would regain control, and survive.
As he sat on the ground, he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to keep Herobrine from firing a blast of powerful energy that would obliterate his friends. It was too late. He felt himself slip away, the demon trapping him within his own mind of torturous nightmares. His body was nothing but a puppet.
The demon took control, his vessel twitching and bleeding. His deranged laughter echoed throughout the forest as the magic shield shattered, and lightning filled the sky. The earth rattled as lightning flashed in the sky, crashing down all around the area below. The possessed hybrid stood, looking up into the sky. His head twisted, looking back at the mercenaries with a wide grin showing his sharp teeth.
The mercenaries didn't charge forward, all filled with fear as they watched the lightning crash onto the ground strike after strike. His body turned, his gaze locked onto the mercenaries quivering in fear before him.

"YoU'Re aT My mErCy! BoW beForE yOu're GoD!!"

A white light engulfed his hands, and slowly shined from his chest. His feet lifted up from the muddy soil as the ground around him was torn apart; pieces of the dirt tearing away from the earth and being lifted into the air.
His arm shot out, a blast of white plasma fired and colliding onto the soil in front of a mercenary. The blast destroyed the ground, and burned as well as shocked the human until his heart stopped. The demon shot another blast from his palm, once again breaking the earth, seceding in killing two other men.

"Retreat!" One called out desperately.

The possessed hybrid only laughed, the light around his chest glowing brighter. A blinding light fired all around his body, destroying trees and breaking the ground beneath himself. Mercenaries screamed as the blast hit them, snapping their bones and burning and ripping their flesh. All of the cries of agony and horror were so satisfying.

"KiLl... KILl All oF you pAThetIc MorTalS!"

He teleported, reappearing before the retreating mercenaries. His smile grew even wider, blood on his sharp teeth. His hand wrapped around the handle of Drake's diamond blade, then he pulled it out; the light from his eyes and mouth reflecting off of the blade. White light ran up the blade, ready to be released.
Herobrine swung the blade, and with one swift move, the bright light turned into a wave of powerful energy. The energy cut through the men, bodies splitting in half and blood splattering everywhere.
He began laugh uncontrollably, loving the sheer joy of the slaughter. His hand rose up, grabbing his eye and clawing at it, tearing more of Drake's already torn skin. The screams feeding his everlasting hunger finally stopped, letting only his laughter be heard in the dead of the night.