Why was writing this chapter so hard??!! Once again, not a big fan of it, but it's something that pushes the story along, at least.
I could have done so much better ;-;...
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Third person point of view-

The orange glow was rising over the mountain tops, rays of light peeking over onto the cold forest land. They ran hastily, beginning to become sluggish with each step they took. They were exhausted, beaten, and starting to feel ill from the emptiness of their growling stomachs. They tried not to stop to catch any breath, or rest for even just a moment. The blonde ex-commander pushed forward, making sure that everyone followed.
The grey clouds above let out snow in the distance as the wind moved them further north, keeping the group from getting snowed on. Even so, they froze from the weather, their bodies covered in goosebumps. The cave was somewhere up ahead, the trees and the rest of the vegetation blocking the way. The mountain was closing in, their hideout getting closer as they continued with their strides.
Grayson ran in front of them all, pushing branches aside. Unfortunately, those branches moved back into place once his hands were no longer holding, causing them to swing back with force. A branch smacked Luke on his face, causing him to hold his nose in pain.

  "Ow!" He called out, before shaking his head and continuing on, touching underneath his nose to check if it was bleeding.

Finally after what felt like hours, they arrived back to the cave. The ground was still damp, with grass both dark green and brown; dying from the winter temperatures. Endy and Luke collapsed to their knees, the exhaustion taking a hold of them. Luke let go of the unconscious mercenary on his shoulders, letting the teens body fall onto the ground. The injured boy let out a pain filled groan, but had still yet to wake up.

Grayson turned to face them, bending down and putting his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath and rest for just a moment. "Tie him up... Make sure the knots are tight." He said between breaths.

Luke only nodded, taking off his backpack and digging through it. He pulled out a bit of rope, but it was only enough to tie Nathan's hands together. The lavender haired man hoped that it would be enough for Grayson not to get mad at him. He went to work at tying his wrists together, as the others walked closer to the dark entrance of the cave.
There was an eerie feeling in the atmosphere, making Mia and Endy uncomfortable. They looked at each other, but hen looked at the others as they suddenly stopped in front of the cave. Endy gasped, her gaze locking onto the ground, catching Mia's attention. Grayson stood in Mia's way, blocking her view of what everyone was beholding.

  "What are you guys..?" She trailed off, moving aside so she could see. Her eyes widened, as a gasp left her throat.

On the grass, was a large puddle of dark red soaking into the moist soil. Grayson kneeled down beside the puddle, trying to examine it more, although he was already positive on what it was. The red liquid had to be blood, and it looked to be no more than an hour or so old. There were two wide puddles side by side, one smaller with more clumps then the other.

  "This is recent. Something happened while we were gone." He said, standing up straight again.

Lalea's eyes widen and her back straightened as she suddenly something hit her, but not physically. It was a familiar feeling, but it was faint. Her head turned, looking into the darkness of the cave, that familiar sense that she had yearned to feel again. How was it possible that she'd found him here?

"That life force... Drake!" With that, she dashed to inside of the cave as fast as she could.

Grayson looked at Mia, both of them with wide eyes. They turned, and followed the blue haired Mage into the dark, damp cave. Luke gazed up, tilting his head in wonder in why she had called out the hybrid's name. He grabbed the ropes binding Nathan's wrists, and began dragging his body to the cave.
Within the cavern, the hybrid sat with his back against the wall, still yet to regain consciousness. His chest was rising and falling steadily, but his body was shivering violently. His hot breath was visible in the cold, frigid air. The skin on his human side had a tint of blue and purple over the ghostly pale, with his nose and ears red, and the dark circles still around his closed eyes.
Grayson, Mia, and Endy stood there in shock. How did Drake get here? Grayson's eyes filled with tears, ever come with joy that his best friend was back, no longer under the control of a malevolent demon. His aching knees finally gave out underneath himself as he choked on sobs, his tears slowly leaving his eyes.
Lalea slowly walked closer to the hybrid, her body trembling as her own eyes teared up as well. She fell to her knees directly in front of his limp body, her shaking hand rising up, touching his burning cheeks and moving a strand of his brunette hair away from his face.
Her arms almost immediately wrapped around him, pulling him in and almost crushing him in her embrace. She felt her tears slipping out from underneath her eyelids, wondering how he got to this place. Why did that demon give him back control? Her face pushed itself between his neck and shoulder, crying against his body, with only his rising and falling chest and violent shivering making his body move.

"D-Drake? How did he..." Grayson said with his dry mouth. He couldn't even finish his sentence.

Mia spoke, with a soft tone. "Wow. Maybe he regained control and was able to walk or teleport back?"

Grayson slowly shook his head. "But...he had no idea that we were here! Maybe he found this cave by coincidence? And...what about his leg? Is it still injured?" He asked the questions hastily, his thoughts swarming.

Lalea pulled her self away from Drake, wiping the tears away from her eyes and off of her cheeks. She looked over, gently grabbing the ankle that Drake had injured when the imperial mercenaries were chasing them. She tried to feel for any bone that was out of place. He let out a small whimper of pain, stirring but he didn't wake up. Lalea sighed, pulling her hand away and looked up at the others.

"The good news is, it's not broken."

"Thank God!" Grayson gasped out, still trying to catch his breath.

She turned back to look at Drake. "Although, I think it's slightly sprained. It might hurt him to walk for a short while, but..."

Luke finally caught up, resting the mercenaries back up against the stone wall. The assassin stood up straight once more, his joints popping and his chest heaving. He spun around, looking at the rest of the group. His mismatched orange and blue eyes widened, shocked to see the unconscious hybrid. How was he here? Last time he saw him, he was still possessed.
Lalea sniffed, as another tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. At least he was still alive, but his life force was in a critical stability. For all she knew, his heart could just stop at any given moment.

Finally, she was able to speak. "His life force is..not good. With it being so low...there's a possibility that he could be in a coma."

"C-coma? N-no! Not again!" His hand grabbed the sides of his head and pulled his hair.

Lalea tilted her head and lowered a brow. "He's been in a coma before?"

Mia answered for the ex-commander. "Yeah. Twice. He is...not too lucky, I suppose."

Grayson released his grip from the hair on his scalp as Endy laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, more tears falling from his eyes that were becoming red. She looked down at him with a sympathetic look, and small grin on her pale cheeks.

"Grayson, calm down. It's not absolute that he could be in a comatose state. He could wake up at any moment. Relax."

Grayson wiped his eyes, getting back up to his feet. He took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He was just grateful that Drake wasn't possessed any more. Thankful that he wasn't lost out there in the cold and harsh wilderness. He was grateful to have him still breathing and alive.

He spoke with choked up breaths. "R-Right. H-he will be okay... I hope so."

Luke glanced around the cave, noticing that his spy comrade and his family was not present. Everything about what was going on didn't seem right. The blood, Drake, Xavier and his wife and child not being around. It was making him feel just a bit sick to his stomach.

"Where's Xavier?" He finally asked.

Mia and Endy looked around while Lalea and Grayson were still distracted by Drake. He was right. The spy and his family were no where to be seen in the shadowy cavern.

Mia was the first to give some sort of rely. "I don't know. Maybe Sylvia had to help Xavier walk to the trees so he could use the restroom."

Luke shrugged. "It's possible, I suppose. With his concussion, he probably has trouble walking on his own."

He walked back to the cave entrance, looking out into the forest for his comrade. He was worried about him, knowing that with his head injury it was possible that he was still disoriented and ill. At least Sylvia and Jane were most likely with him, but if Mia's theory was true then why would they bring Jane with them?
Luke shook his head, trying not to think of the worries running through his mind. His ears perked up, hearing a faint groan behind him. He spun around looking down at the mercenary as he began to stir. Grayson let out a growl, grabbing the hilt of his sword as he noticed Nathan about to come to.
Nathan's hazel eyes fluttered open, a stinging pain filling his body from his aching wounds. He tried moving his arms, but found that they were bound together. His eyes shot open wide once his vision settled, seeing the group of outlaws standing in front of him. On the ground across from him, his gaze locked onto the passed out hybrid.

  "Drake?" He mumbled out, remembering seeing him possessed before he lost consciousness.

He looked around, finding himself in a damp cave, with many eyes staring at him. Light was ever so slowly beginning to fill the sky as the sun was beginning to rise for the morning. He looked up into Grayson's emerald green eyes, a look of hate in his gaze.

"Drake is none of your business!" The blonde snarled.

Luke stepped up, trying to make the ex-commander back off. "Grayson, calm down! He knows Drake, rather in a bad way or not, I don't care. He told me that he wants to apologize to him for whatever reason."

The blonde didn't relax, his body only becoming more tense. "He probably views Drake as a monster, like all of the others! What makes you think he would care about him and want to apologize?!"

Once again his emerald eyes locked onto the mercenary. He couldn't kill the boy just yet, but if he did anything against them, then he wouldn't hesitate. "If you ever try to hurt him or us or anything, I will kill you!" He threatened the teen.

Nathan swallowed a lump in his throat, his skin sweating. "I won't hurt him, I swear! I just want to get rid of that demon that possessed Drake. I want to help him!"

Grayson looked into his hazel eyes, searching for any signs of deceit. The man had some trust issues, especially anyone associated with the empire and it's army. He growled, seeing a light in Nathan's hazel orbs, almost looking like puppy dog eyes. Did he really want to help Drake with problem?

  "Why should I believe you?" He hissed.

Luke butted in. "Grayson, if he hadn't stepped in before, you'd be dead and probably the rest of us too! Drake would still be like a trophy to the emperor! We need to trust him, at least to an extent."

Grayson sighed, sitting down to his unconscious friend. Lalea sat on the other side of Drake, Endy moving to stand beside her. The blonde's green eyes looked at Nathan, thoughts running rapidly around in his head yet again. Having another person to help would be nice. Another sigh left his throat, his facial expression softening but still a bit harsh.

"Fine. What is your name?" He asked.

The auburn haired boy tilted his head. "N-Nathan. My name is Nathan...Sir."

Endy cheered. "Well, welcome to the group! But seriously, don't try anything stupid."

Nathan nodded, getting a bit irritable. "I won't. Now, if you're okay with me asking, how exactly did Drake end up in this..condition?"

Grayson and Mia looked at each other, then to Endy and Lalea. Mia decided that it would be best to tell him everything from the very beginning. While Grayson was a bit reluctant at first, he quickly gave in. Once more, he brought himself to tell the story, beginning with his first meeting with Drake and Armen. Some parts got the mercenary confused, but he was able to understand quite fast.
As they did so, Luke gazed out into the forest, waiting for his friend to come back. His orange and blue eyes looked down at the blood staining the grass, making a shiver run down his spine. Something about Xavier's and the female's absence made him feel uncomfortable. He waited and waited for what felt like hours, but he didn't spot his injured comrade.
Suddenly, his ears perked up and eyes widened, hearing rustling in the forest bushes. The faint noise sounded like footsteps. His gloved hand slipped over the handle of his sword in the sheath on his back, taking in a deep breath. He hoped that it was Xavier and not an enemy. He prepared himself to fight, readying for the worst.
His eyes widened yet again, gasping as Xavier walked out from the vegetation. In his arms he held Jane, the girl with her arms wrapped around her father's neck and face dug into his shoulders. His body was shaking with burning, staggered breath. The bloody bandages on his head were soaked, slowly falling apart. Tear marks stained his cheeks beneath his bloodshot eyes.

  "X-Xavier? Where were you? What's going on?" Luke asked, his grip releasing the handle of his blade.

The old spy didn't speak, instead he looked down at his girl, then back up at the assassin. Luke could tell that something definitely wasn't right with his friend. He began looking around, noticing the absence of the wife Xavier once clung to. He tilted his head, wondering where she was.

  "Where's... Sylvia?" He knew that he shouldn't have asked. Xavier's silence was the only answer he needed.

The chestnut haired man sniffed, adjusting his daughters body. Luke was able to better see his body covered in dirt, and old dry blood. He took a step back, remembering the pool of blood on the ground, his mind putting two and two together. His different colored eyes teared up, his mouth becoming dry as his heart thumped in his chest.

Finally, the sorrowful man spoke. "She's...gone, Luke."

His gloved hand glided down Jane's hair, trying to comfort her as she silently sobbed and hiccuped, her eyes no longer able to shed tears. Luke could only stand in silence, his mind still processing this information. Yet again, the wife of a friend was killed...because of him. Sure, it wasn't because of betrayal like the last, but Luke couldn't help but put the blame on himself.

"Wh-what? How?" Luke knew that he shouldn't have tried to push it, but the question forced it's way out of his mouth.

Xavier's green but bloodshot eyes looked over to the cave, most of the others not seemingly noticing him, too entwined in their storytelling. The man didn't answer, but instead starting walked towards the cave entrance. Luke watched him get closer until he walked passed him, his vision blurred with tears. Luke clenched his first, gritting his teeth together. They took them here to save them, and one ended up dying anyway. He rose up his hand and bit into his knuckle as he fell to his knees, beginning to let tears flow.

"So earlier something happened and Drake twisted his ankle. I remember looking back behind us, and seeing that he couldn't run any more, let alone barely stand up. So I ran to him, and the next thing I knew, there was a spear going straight through my chest. Then I blacked out."

Nathan looked at the ex-commander in wonder, his eyes bright. It was all so bizarre, yet he believed everything Grayson and Mia were telling him. The stories of their past were so fascinating, and seeing Herobrine face to face in the hybrid vessel somehow made it easier to trust their tales. Finally he was getting to learn more about them, including Drake's deceased friend. He wished he could hear these stories from the hybrid himself.

Mia spoke, finishing the retelling. "Drake gave him some of his life force to save him, and as a result..." She looked over at the unconscious hybrid.

"...He took control of his body. Then, a few things happened and we had to stay here for the night but after we left and came back, he was...here."

Nathan looked at Drake, listening to his heavy breathing. He looked at his more than half severed Enderman ear and the old blood stains covering his body. He felt so guilty for not trusting him, and mainly, he felt guilty for not helping him like he should have done when he was a prisoner. If only he had been brave enough and not so selfish, then Drake would be okay. He looked down at the ground, his eyes tearing up.
The others turned their heads as soft footsteps began to walk on the stone ground. Xavier walked into the cavern, momentarily stopping and looking up to gaze at the group. Luke walked in behind him, both of the men with heavy bags under their eyes. Luke sniffed, a tear falling down onto the stone beneath his feet.

"Xavier! What's going on?" Lalea asked.

Luke gazed back up at them. He took in a deep breath, willing to speak up for his mourning comrade. "Sylvia...didn't make it through the night."

Gasps escaped from almost everyone, their eyes growing wide with disbelief. Grayson stood up, slowly shaking his head. She couldn't be dead... The imperial spy couldn't have lost his beloved while under their care. The blonde knew that agonizing pain. His thumping heart was pounding in his ears, remembering when his own wife was killed.

"You're j-joking!... No, no, no! I didn't want this to happen!" His fingers dug into his scalp.

"I wanted to protect you all... I failed. I always...fail..." His eyes quickly filled with tears.

Xavier chuckled, speaking with a quiet hoarse voice. "None of it is your fault... We couldn't have known this would happen. Though, I guess we should have expected something like this to happen, huh?"

He set Jane down, the young girl immediately going to Mia, clinging to her dress. The elf starred down at her in shock of her move. Slowly her shaking hands touched the back of the girls head, trying to comfort her. Her eyes teared up at the thought that this helpless child had someone taken from them that she needed.

  "W-who...who killed her?" Mia growled out, prepared to kill anyone who would have torn this family apart.

Jane pulled away from Mia, sniffing as she wiped mucus from underneath her nose and on her lips. She moved to the side of Mia's legs, her nails digging into the archeologist's leg. She held up her arm, her small finger pointing to the out cold Enderman hybrid.

  "H-him..."

Once again, everyone's eyes became wide with a few gasps. Their eyes rested on Drake, not being able to imagine him slaughtering the poor mother. He couldn't have done something so heartless! Grayson growled, taking a step back as he snarled.

"Drake would never do that!" He shouted, startling the already emotionally distressed girl.

Xavier stood in front of her, speaking. "It's wasn't really Drake! It was that demon..."

Tears started to form in his aching eyes, his face still red. His hand reached down, grabbing something in the pocket of his tattered brown pants. He pulled out a flower, the exact same one that his wife once wore in her beautiful silk-like hair. His fingers rubbed one of the petals, remembering Sylvia's smiling image.

"Herobrine killed her... That wretched monster!" He yelled, sorrow once again becoming rage. His fist clenched, nearly crushing the flower in his grasp.

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He let it out, his breath warm but still visible like fog. Slowly, he put the flower back into his pocket, wiping away the tears on his burning face. Even touching his eyes made them feel sore, his body beginning to yearn for rest.

  "Say, Mia?" He said, turning to the elf in the pink dress.

Mia hummed, waiting for him to finish. "Watch Jane, please. I'm going to go out and get some food for her and I." His voice was low, completely different from his usual tone that they had grown used to. He sounded defeated, and broken.

Mia nodded, telling him that it was fine. She sat down, letting the little girl sit in her lap. Jane felt comfortable with the elf, not like she had with her mother, but it was close second.

He kneeled down, and placed a trembling hand on her cheek. "It won't take long. I promise sweetheart. Daddy will be back."

The little girl whimpered, grabbing his sleeve and refusing to let go. Xavier leaned down, closing his eyes and placing his forehead against his daughters. Her head touched the bandages, making contact with his head wound. He cringed in pain, but waited a few seconds before pulling away and getting back up to his shaking feet.

  "I love you. I'll do anything to keep you happy. I'll be back." He said, making the girl give a halfhearted chuckle.

Xavier grinned slightly, before his eyes moved to look at Drake, with Grayson sitting by his right side, and Lalea by his left. Looking at the hybrid Mage still gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. The memory of that glowing eye, that ear piercing laugh that didn't sound like his...that blade going through his wife's chest, spilling her blood...
He grunted, shaking his head before he turned and began to walk out of the cave. Luke watched him leaving, an aching pain in his chest. Guilt, despair, pity, and more negative feelings were beginning to eat away at him. He looked at the others, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm gonna go with him, and see if I can find anything for us for breakfast. Besides, he needs someone to talk to right now."

Grayson nodded. "Alright. Be careful."

Luke nodded back, before turning to follow the old spy. He jogged to catch up with him, forgetting how much his legs were aching from using them so much the night before. He caught, his breathing loud as he walked beside his friend. Xavier smiled, glad to have company and someone he could talk to in this hard time. Even when depressed and feeling broken, he still tried to smile to make the people around him happy.
...

Drake's point of view-

I was on my knees in the blackness, one hand holding me up while the other was covering my mouth. Blood was leaking from the sides of my fingers, vomiting the thick red into my palm. I was breathing fast and heavily, my chest and stomach feeling as if they were crushed and my lungs had run out of oxygen. I let my arm fall down onto the floor, letting my blood spill as I gasped and choked for breath.
My tears still continued to fall, the apparitions of my comrades still haunting my damaged mind, their hurtful words lingering. My mind was swarming, scattering in my moment of immense guilt. Still the memories of my best friend's death and Grayson's possible death wouldn't leave, not that I deserve the peace. I screamed again at the intense headache I felt, then continued to dig my fingers and claw at my scalp.
My eyes that I had shut from the pain, opened when I heard footsteps. Slowly I looked up, still choking on my own breath. My tear filled eyes widened, not seeing any of Herobrine's forms in front of me, but instead I saw Grayson.
He looked at me, angered and disgusted. He showed his teeth as he growled and snarled, enraged that I had brought him to his death that could have been prevented.

"You don't deserve anything I sacrificed for you. Armen and I died when it should have been you!"

I gasped, his transparent fist swinging at me, punching me below my jaw. My body flew backwards as pain shot throughout my being, blood from my mouth flying in the air. My body crashed down, and slowly I looked up to see a trail of my own blood leading from me to the infuriated Grayson. I could see my own tooth laying on the ground, that the punch had knocked clean out of my mouth.

  "What? You're just going to lay there and take it? Of course. You can't fend for yourself, can you? Or you just want to watch me die again? Laying there just like you did before."

I didn't understand what he meant with the last part at first, until I saw the scenery behind him change. That d**b forest. I could see the others in the background, waiting for us, but something about them was right. They made me feel...scared. Grayson stood tall before me, his flesh beginning to cover itself in scars, blood and bruises on the same spots they were before he jumped in front of me.

  "You're a lousy excuse for a friend. I'll see you in h**l, b*****d."

A cry lodged itself in my throat, making me choke on it as well as on the blood already dripping down my aching throat. The spear struck him, his blood spraying from his body. I clawed at the ground, my breathing once again becoming unsteady. His body and the scenery faded like like dust in the wind.

All your fault.

Those words wouldn't leave me alone. When it's not Herobrine's mocking voice, it's my own serving as a reminder. This isn't real! It's not real! It's not real! I'll wake up and Grayson and all of the other will be there. They'll still be alive, and we'll continue on our journey like before! These apparitions are not real! Still, when you're inside a nightmare, it can be hard to believe that fact. The mind is strange like that.
I let my mouth hang open, my screams still reduced to silence as the hair on my scalp was roughly pulled. My head was pulled up, tears still streaming down and staining my cheeks covered in raw skin. My eyes cracked open, slowly looking over to see Armen standing there with my hair in his grip. His expression had just as much, if not more hatred within it then Grayson's.

"You're not my brother, nor my friend. I don't know why I stayed with you for as long as I did."

I closed my eyes again, hissing in pain as I spat out blood, my nose beginning to bleed as well. "Ar-...please..."

He chuckled, before he balled his fist. His gloved hand collided with my stomach, making even more blood pour from my mouth. The sick bitter taste felt like it was the only taste my tongue had felt in a long while. He let go of my hair as I fell to my side, my arms covering my stomach as I balled up in withering pain. I hissed, shutting my eyes tightly as my teeth bit so hard onto each other, they felt like they would all shatter.

"Don't wine, or beg for it all to be over. I cried for you to help me for four f****g yeas, and you were never there to help me! You abandoned me to suffer!"

"I...I-I d-didn't..." I coughed, losing the air in my lungs.

"No! Just shut up! I can't wait for when Herobrine takes full control over you...then you'll feel the pain that I did. You're less than worthless to me."

He kicked me, knocking my onto my back and making my arms and legs fall back down onto the floor. His grey boot rose up, stomping on my stomach and knocking the wind out of my. I gasped, the blood gargling in my throat and making regaining my breath even more difficult. My blurry, tearing up eyes opened, looking up at my old friend.
He chuckled, lifting his foot and stepped a few feet back. His cyan eyes closed, silence only broken by my own pain induced gasping and wheezing. The blood was gurgling in my mouth until I spat out as much as I could onto the floor, the red liquid pooling around my head and covering my cheeks. He opened his eyes again, a wide smile of his face showing his teeth that were as white as pure snow.

  "You'll feel pain I felt...the pain you put me through." His left eye rolled into the back of his head, and started glowing white.

  "Now burn, you sorry b*****d..."

I sat up, my eyes shooting wide as the atmosphere got warmer. A lot warmer; like fire in fact. My eyes shot down to look at my feet, seeing flames igniting on the ground from thin air. I watched, frozen in horror as the embers rose, the orange flames licking at my feet and legs.
It gnawed at my clothing and a charcoal like smell spread in the air as it ate away at my flesh. The agony pervaded within my body, as the fire engulfed my form. I screamed in anguish and suffering pain, as my skin burned turned black with my hair burning away from my scalp. It burns! It burns! It hurts! The light was flickering brightly even with my eyes shut as I tight as they could get. My screaming silenced as the pain became too much to bare.
...

Immediately when my eyes shot open, a liquid substance poured from my mouth. My stomach was aching, feeling empty, as well as my lungs. The sickening smell of vomit quickly hit my nostrils, with the gross, warm feeling of the substance on my chin. I leaned back on a rough, cold wall, my body feeling like it could barely move. It heard voices, but it wasn't just in my head.

  "Drake! You're okay!" A familiar voice cheered, joyously.

My eyes shot open again, knowing the person that voice belonged to. One again the memories of the incident in the forest played in my mind, my eyes tearing up at the gruesome details. I looked up, seeing Grayson kneeling down in front of me, a bright smile on his face and tears in his eyes. He's...alive?

  "Grayson!" I shouted in joy, lunging and wrapping my arms around his neck to embrace him.

My tears of pain became replaced with glistening tears of joy. I held him tightly, a part of me not wanting to let him go, fearing that he would disappear if I did. I don't want to lose him again. I don't want to lose any of my friends again! They're all that's keeping me together, and they're all I have. I can't lose a single one of them, especially not to my own hands.
My face dug into his collarbone as I sobbed and choked, blood on my chin soaking into his jacket. My claws dug into his back, but I paid no attention to if I was hurting him. The thought didn't occur to me. His body was tense in my grip around him, both of us shaking as my body kept trembling, but I couldn't stop it from doing so. I sobbed, both from joy and sorrow.

"I thought I got you killed! I'm sorry I didn't get up; that was stupid of me! I'm so sorry. I almost...I-I..."

Grayson gently pushed me away, his hands on my shoulders as he pulled away and looked into my eyes. "Drake, you saved me! You have nothing to be sorry about!"

I shook my head, a sudden anger clouding my joy. Are there feelings truly my own? "Saved you?! You almost died because of me! I sat there and did nothing and you almost died because of it!"

Intense pain spiked in my chest, making me scream and fall back to lean against the stone wall. I was breathing heavily, my breath fogging up in the frigid air, cool against my burning skin. It still felt like my body was on fire. I noticed the level of my own life force; so dangerously low. It even surprised myself that I was somehow conscious. At least I hope that I was, and something nightmarishly horrific wasn't about to happen.

"Drake, calm down." A female voice said, a hand gripping my shoulder.

I looked to my left, seeing Lalea's wide blue eyes. They were filled with shock and worry, her bright orbs also tear filled. Her brows lowered and a frown spread on her face, making her look almost upset, but I don't think she was. In fact, she seemed overwhelmed with joy.

"You shouldn't even be awake! You almost died...but, thank heavens you're alive!"

Her arms wrapped around me, practically crushing me in her surprisingly strong grip. I hissed in slight pain, but quickly grew used to it. Looked down, her head pressing against my chest and the top of her scalp resting below my chin. I could hear a few sniffs leave from her cute nose.

  "You're an idiot, you know that? But...you're a good idiot."

I laughed, causing as small pain in my chest. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She pulled back, sniffing as she wiped tears from her face. She looked at me with a wide smile, something I cherished on the faces of my comrades. I noticed the heavy bags under her eyes and the scleras of her eyes were bloodshot. Was she crying all night because of me? Or did she not sleep? For all I know, the answer could be both.

She finally spoke up again. "Because you saved Grayson, but you nearly got yourself killed too! Just please, be more careful in the future? I... We, can't lose you."

My smile faded, as well as her own. I looked down at the ground below us, remembering the little "talk" we had back at the palace. If anyone dies, including myself, no one will be able to avoid the pain of loss. Either way, someone will be emotionally hurt. We all have to stay alive, including myself. The question is, how long will I be able to handle living when I'm almost constantly being tortured to the point where I'll probably lose the sanity I have left?
I shook my head and was snapped out of my thoughts. My eyes looked back up at her as she still waited for an answer. I forced a smile on my face, but I stayed truthful.

  "I can't make any promises, unfortunately. If my friends need help, I will gladly lose my life for them. So, I guess it really depends on the situation. Otherwise, I'll try being more careful. Okay?"

She nodded, her grin slowly coming back. "Okay."

I smiled again, and looked turned so that I was now facing the other stone wall. I gasped, seeing that familiar face of a little ignorant mercenary. Why was he here? I was sure Grayson would have killed any mercenary he saw, so why was Nathan still alive? More importantly, why is he with us when he was the enemy?

  "Nathan?"

He tilted his head, and seemed to press his back against the wall as if he was a bit scared. His arms were behind his back, so I assumed the others had tied his wrist together. His hat was gone, and his pale skin and clothes were covered with long tears with blood soaked into the fabric. He looked like he was attacked and severely injured.

I continued before he could say anything. "Why are you here? I thought you hated me after...what I did."

  "I don't hate you, and I know that what happened that night wasn't your fault. I just wish I would have listened and realized that earlier. I could have helped you... I'm sorry."

I remembered when he visited me in my cell at the palace dungeon, the night after Herobrine took control of my body and went on a killing spree. He was enraged at me, too filled with hate to listen to me. I guess I couldn't really expect him to believe me back then anyways. Still, I recalled him threatening that he wanted me to be experimented on. It still kind of hurt to remember.

  "It's...alright, but why are you here and...tied up?"

The sixteen year old shrugged. "Grayson doesn't trust me. Can't say I blame him, though. Although this is very uncomfortable."

I looked at Grayson, as he shrugged. "Of course I don't trust him! I don't know him."

Nathan continued. "Anyways, Luke and Lalea found me and brought me back here."

I tilted my head, confused. I turned to the others and asked a question. "Why did you keep him alive? Not that it's a problem."

Mia answered me. "He said that he knew you, so Luke brought him here. He said that he wanted to apologize to you. What did he do to you?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, really. I got possessed at the palace, killed...a few people, and he was upset. He didn't know I was possessed, so... I forgive him."

Grayson grunted, scowling at Nathan and wiping away the joy the boy of me forgiving him and replacing it with fear. I hoped he and Grayson would get along eventually. I remembered yelling at Grayson a few minutes ago, and felt guilty once more.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Grayson. I shouldn't have snapped. At least we're all still alive! That's all that matters, right?"

He eyes became wide briefly, before his expression shifted to one that made him seem uncomfortable. As if he was hiding something from me. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away from me.

He frowned. "Yeah. That's all that matters."

I let out a deep breath, looking back at the auburn haired mercenary. I for some reason felt bad for him having his arms tied, possibly very tightly. I remembered how painful it was when my wrist were tied together when I was captured and being pulled around the palace. The ropes dug into my skin and actually burned me, tearing away at my flesh. It wasn't a fun experience.
I tried to get up, feeling the need to release him from his bounds. Unfortunately as I got up to my feet, my head pounded and a sickening feeling rose up in my stomach. I felt dizzy as my vision darkened, and knees became as weak as twigs. Pain shot up in my leg and made me hiss from the sore feeling. I fell back down onto my rear, grunting in pain. Lalea grabbed me, her left hand on my left shoulder, and her right hand reaching from behind my neck to take hold of my right shoulder.

"Drake, don't push yourself. You're still very weak and your leg is sprained. You shouldn't be walking at all until gets better."

I chuckled, but not from finding it funny. I don't know why I did that. "So what? I should be cripple for a few weeks until it heals? Sorry Lalea, but I can't just sit around when we have a job to get finished."

She grunted. "Fine. If you really need to stand up, do it slowly and...lean on me for support."

I nodded, listening to her advice as I tried once more. Slowly, I stood up in my feet, my legs shaking more violently then the rest of my ill and cold body. I put my arm over her shoulder as we slowly walked. There was pain in my ankle, but I was much more easily able to ignore it. I lead her to the other side of the cave, where Nathan sat, then took my arm off of Lalea to sit next to him. He seemed confused, and slightly alarmed with what I was possibly planing on doing.
As I sat down, my hand rested above the handle of my sword, and unsheathed the diamond blade. The blade looked more stained and damaged then I remembered, but it was probably normal. I started to cut away at the rope on Nathan's arms, the small fibers snapping as the sharp material cut through them. Once the rope was cut, I pulled the remaining pieces off of him, letting me see his red, raw and cut flesh.

  "Drake, what are you doing?!" Grayson barked out.

I looked up at him, not smiling nor frowning. "He'll be no used to us if he can't do anything, right? Besides, with you watching him, he won't be able to pull anything. I trust you to watch him, and I trust him to not do anything to get us caught, for now at least."

Nathan looked at me, a confused gaze. "You...trust me? After working for the emperor and saying those mean things?"

This time, I did put on a small grin. "Why not? While what you said did hurt, I don't blame you for snapping. The first time you see people you care about die in front of you is...painful and sickening. You can go a little nuts when that happens."

I remember when Armen died, that anger I had towards the world for that brief moment before Mia was able to calm me down. That ill feeling in my stomach and the emotional distress from that loss. His death affected me so much, and not for the better at all. I got him killed, and I'm aware that the fact is messing up my mental stability.

"Thanks, Drake." He said, rubbing his wrist that looked like they would be sore.

I began putting my blade back into it's sheath, looking up as I heard a loud whimper. My eyes looked up, looking to the other side of the cave to see Mia sitting by the entrance with Jane sitting on her lap. It was cute...until I saw both of their eyes glistening with tears. The little child seemed to be in a panic, clawing at Mia and whimpering as she pressed her face against the elf. Why did they look like they had been crying?

"Hey Jane. What's wrong?" I asked as I slowly stood up, feeling Lalea grab my arm to keep me up right.

She grunted and moved as if trying to get further away from me. It quite a change from her finding fascination in me, to what now seemed like absolute disgust and resentment. Was I the reason she was acting this way, or did it just seem that way? I remembered the way Grayson acted just a few minutes ago, like he was keeping something from me.
My stomach started to feel like it was tying in a knot. No one was speaking, and everyone had expression that made me feel uncomfortable. My heart started pounding and skin sweating more that it already was. It started to become hard to breath, and the dreaded silence was irritating me. My body started twitching, but not too violently.
Finally, I noticed that three of the members of our group were gone. Luke, Xavier, and his wife.

  "Um, where's Luke and Xavier, and um,..Sylvia? Was that her name?"

Endy started to get jittery, tapping her fingers on the stone. Mia told me that Luke and Xavier went out to get us breakfast, but didn't say a thing about Sylvia. She had a bit of a nervous chuckle in her voice as she spoke. I was going to shrug it off, but Endy suddenly couldn't contain her thoughts. Her voice rung out, echoing in the dark cavern.

  "Sylvia's dead!" She seemed to immediately regret her outburst.

Grayson quickly stood, a blaze flaring in his green eyes as he glared daggers at her. "What the f**k?!"

Endy grabbed her black hood, pulling it to cover her face as her eyes welled up with droplets of tears. "I'm sorry! It just came out! He's going to have to know sooner or later, anyway!"

I froze in shock, my heartbeat pounding in my ears and drowned out every other noise that was possibly making a sound. She can't be dead... This is all just some sick joke! If it is a joke, it is anything but funny! My fists clenched, my lungs hyperventilating. The cave started to feel small, claustrophobia beginning to set in. Anger and anxiety was beginning to consume me, and I couldn't stop myself from lashing out.

  "No. You're lying! That isn't funny so don't say that!" I yelled, pulling my arm out of Lalea's grasp, immediately feeling myself about to collapse. But I stayed on my feet.

Grayson turned to face me, the look of anger in his eyes turning into sorrow. "Drake..."

He let out a sigh, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "She's...not lying. Sylvia was killed last night...uh, by a mercenary."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I really couldn't, at least not the last part. Grayson was never good at lying, and I could easily see through his false tales. His skin was sweating, even in the cold, and he wouldn't make direct eye contact with me. Why would he lie to me about something so serious?!

I shook my head, shutting my eyes tight. "Tell the truth, Grayson! It was no mercenary, was it? You've never been a good liar, so tell me who killed her! I want the truth."

Silence washed over us again, this time feeling worse to me. I opened my eyes, breathing heavily as I looked at him. My chest now ached even more from shouting. Lalea grabbed my arm again as I nearly fell over, but my gaze never tore away from the ex-commander. Grayson swallowed a lump in his throat, still not daring to look me in the eyes.

  "Drake, I didn't want to tell you the truth. It's better if you don't know, okay?"

No. I couldn't stand not knowing. "Grayson, tell me." I was practicing demanding now. I should have listened to him and heeded his warning...

He let out a sigh, finally giving in. "H-He took control of you last night. He..."

Yet again my eyes widened, breath no longer leaving my throat. No...no, no, no, no, no, no!! I understood what he was getting at. I killed her... I lost control and f*****g killed her, didn't I?! My mind almost seemed to stop working for a moment, time seeming to stop briefly. How could I have let something like that happen?!

  "I-I did it... Didn't I? I killed her...I k-killed..."

My knees gave out underneath me, Lalea's hold on me not being able to keep me up anymore. Her fingers slipped away from my arm, freeing me and letting me fall with nothing holding me back. I noticed the blood on the grey gloves covering my burned hands. Was it her's? I stared blankly at them and the stone ground, images flashing in front of my vision.
I saw Sylvia in front of me, and concerned looked on her face as she gently took my hand. Her voice echoed, as she tried to lead me inside of the shelter to care for my wounds and other needs. Everything was white and slightly blurrier than my normal vision. It was Herobrine controlling me.
I remembered roughly grabbing her, and her heart wrenching screams as I placed the tip of my diamond sword on her back. I could feel her warm breathing on my hand as I held my palm against her mouth to keep her silent. I remembered my own laugh mixed with the dark tone of that demonic monster, and pushing the blade into Sylvia's body. The blood, the screaming, the crying...oh God...

You've taken another poor, innocent life. She was just trying to help you, and look at how you've repaid her. How sad for her to lose her life when she was just trying to do good.

I stated pulling at my hair, hissing in pain as I plucked strands of black and brunette from my scalp. She did nothing to deserve that! She didn't deserve to die! I looked over at Jane, her eyes now looking at me with sorrow and fear. Her mother was taken from her...all because of me.

Kill her. Let her join her mother. They must miss each other so dearly.

I growled, shaking my head as I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, fighting back anymore tears. An aching pain in head started to grow, making me feel dizzy. I growled at the menacing voice, not wanting to hear another d**b word for it. Even when losing her mom, she doesn't deserve death!

  "No!" I shouted, feeling myself snap.

A panic attack was coming on. I tried taking in deep breaths and counting to ten, but it was working like last time. My thoughts raced, with guilt eating away at me from the inside. This isn't a nightmare...this is real.

My eyes shot open, looking up at Grayson as he spoke. "Drake, take it easy. Calm down."

I lunged at him, pushing him hard against the wall. He cried out in pain as his back slammed against the stone, and I held him inches off of the ground. I don't know what came over me, but hearing him in pain for some reason felt...amusing. I growled deeply, gritting my teeth as rage flared inside of me. I started to mumble, but half of it wasn't even relevant or made sense. I swore, something I should have known better not to do in front of a child.

  "You calm the f**k down! I killed an innocent mother, Grayson!"

My hands released him, letting him fall down. His legs didn't support him fast enough, making him fall back down into a sitting position. He grunted as he hit the ground, then hissed in pain. His wide green eyes looked up at me, fearfully. My eyes widened, realizing what I had just done. I took a step back, gasping and not taking my eyes off of him. How could I have assaulted my best friend like that?

"I-I'm sorry.... I..."

Once again, feelings I didn't want washed over me, but this time it was the complete opposite of what I was just feeling. My hand covered my left as I started to uncontrollably chuckle and laugh. My other hand pulled my hair, feeling the need to grab onto something to prevent myself from lashing out again. I had no idea what I was doing, but I didn't try to stop myself from laughing or speaking up.

  "What's the use of apologizing anymore? Over and over again I screw up! I can't keep doing this! I'm tired of killing!"

I finally collapsed to my knees, an aching pain shooting up in my legs. I looked down at the skin on my arms, noticing bruises on my flesh that I didn't remember being there before. Maybe I just didn't see them before, but they ached and some of them made my skin feel numb.

Nathan's soft voice hit my ears. "Drake, what happened last night wasn't your fault. It wasn't you who did it!"

I turned my head to look at him, tears blurring my vision. He's the one who made me realize the wrongs I was doing. Who made me think of the lives I was tearing apart. I don't want to keep fighting. I don't want to be a murderer anymore.

"It's not just because I killed Sylvia. Armen, that women that got killed in the lab, all of those people we murdered in cold blood! It's like you said Nathan, many of those people had families and I took them away! I'm a heartless monster."

He shouted, something I honestly didn't expect. "You're not heartless! If you were, you wouldn't care like you do now. You value life, and your caring and brave, and I can say that without hesitation because I now know what you've been through. You're strong, and...your a lot of things I wish I could be."

I couldn't help but look at him in shock, hardly believing what he had said. He's had quite a drastic change of views towards me. I had to debate with my own mind if I accepted his words as being genuine or just lies to make me feel better. How could he know what I've been through?

"Grayson and Mia told me everything. About Armen and Him, and everything else. I...look up to you guys now. I now know that I was fighting on the wrong side. I could only wish that I could put up with half of what you do. I respect you."

I was beginning to feel myself calm down, forgetting why I was mad in the first place. I smiled, a spark of happiness coming back to me. That happiness was once again short lived, unfortunately. A pounding migraine hit me, sharp and heavy in my throbbing head. I screamed and hissed through my teeth as my hands once again grabbed the sides of my head.

He's lying. He'll stab you in the back. Kill him. I knew not to trust the voices in my head. Not for now at least.

I spoke through my clenched teeth. "N-Nathan, thank you. It m-means a lot, but...I just want to be alone for a while. To cl-clear my head, okay?"

He looked at me with a half hearted smile and nodded, but I could tell my condition was bothering him. He knew that I wasn't supposed to do anything on my own, in fact even I knew that it would probably be best if I went back to sleep. Despite that, I still wanted to go out and to be alone. Being outside could help me meditate and cleanse my aura, something magi often do.

"Uh, alright I guess." He said, scratching the back of his neck, his pale cheeks a bit red with embarrassment of his speech.

I turned around, and started slowly walking to the cave entrance, my legs shaking underneath me. Suddenly, an hand grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. My head turned to look at Grayson, with a slight scowl but concern in his eyes.

He said, "I don't think you should go out there, Drake. We both know that it's not a good idea."

My gaze couldn't help but move to look at the rip in his shirt where the spear hit him. It was red with a scar, but my life force kept it from being fatal. I smiled, happy that he was alive and I didn't get him killed. I gently pulled my arm out of his grasp, taking a side step away from him.

I let out a chuckle. "I know. Sure I'm tired and feeling weak but I don't want to stay in here. I feel like the walls are going to close in. I just need to relax."

Our attention was drawn to Lalea when she spoke. "I could...go with you if you'd like?"

I looked at Grayson, then back to her and shrugged my shoulders. "Okay, I guess."

She smiled and practically ran to my side. There was another sudden pressure in my chest, causing me to choke and gasp. My arm rose up to cover my mouth as I started coughing. It was kind of strange when Lalea started patting my back, but it was also somewhat comforting. After the coughing fit, I looked down at my arm, seeing speaks of blood before I wiped them away.

  "Drake, are you sure you want to go out there? I think you should at least sleep." Grayson tried to convince me to stay.

I shook my head. "I'll be fine, Grayson. I have Lalea with me, so everything will be fine."

He nodded, but still had worry in his eyes. "Fine. Take it easy, okay?"

I told him that I would be alright and started walking to the entrance of the cave again. My eyes locked onto Mia and Jane, the little girl still trying to almost hide herself from me. She was clinging to Mia's dress and pulling it, and I could tell that Mia didn't like it. The tears in her eyes made me remember why I was upset in the first place.
...

Lalea's point of view-

Drake didn't talk for most of our walk. He seemed to be in deep thoughts, and judging by his aura, they weren't good thoughts. I turned my head to look over my shoulder, not even being able to see the cave anymore through the thick forest vegetation. I jumped when I heard him beginning to mumble.

  "It's too late...they can't..."

I tried not to let it bother me, but I wanted him to talk to me instead of himself. I tried to think of a good topic, like talking about magic. Maybe that would work, but then again he might get upset because he can't use his own magic. Darn.
Then I remembered Endy wanting me to confess to him. Fudge! This is going to be difficult, but is this really the right time? I want to tell him my feelings when he's happy, not when he's...like this.
I looked over at him as he pulled up his hood, covering his eyes. His hands slipped into his pockets, and I could see him shivering. I was tempted to take off my cloak and give it too him to warm him up, but with his fever he was probably already burning his body up. A heavy pressure filled my chest and my heart started thumping.

"You don't know how much time you will have left with him before it is too late."

I felt like mentally beating myself up for hesitating. My cheeks were warming up and my palms were sweating. I don't want to accept that he's dying, but I can't deny it either. It's like Endy said, I don't know how much time I have left with him, so maybe it is best if I just let my feelings flow out. I took in a deep breath, organizing the scrambled up words in my head. I opened my mouth, but he stopped in his tracks. Before I knew it, he was falling over his feet.
I rushed back to his side and caught him, pushing him back to his feet. He let out shallow breaths, closing his eyes like he was in pain. He stepped back, my hands slipping away from him. I didn't want to let him go, but I brought myself to. He stepped further and further back, putting his fist over his lips as he gagged.
He moved his hand as he started throwing up, mostly blood. He gagged and gasped for breath, leaning back on a tree still a bit wet from the rain last night. I looked down at the red staining the grass, and walked around it. I feel so bad for him. He's going through too much. He slid down on the bark as he wiped his lips, sitting on the wet grass with his legs crossed.

"We could stop here. I just need to meditate and clear my mind."

I nodded, messing with my fingers as my being filled with nervousness. "Okay. S-sure!"

I sat down across from him, leaning my back against a tree trunk. He closed his his eyes, breathing in from his nose and letting air out from his mouth. A few minutes passed in relaxing silence, although I could tell the lack of noise was bothering him. Luckily there was calming sounds of birds in the distance which kept him from freaking out.
Ender particles floated calmly around him, glowing in purple light. It seemed that they only formed when he was calm, but watching them was oddly relaxing, especially with the calming scenery behind him. I smiled, my cheeks getting warm again. He's so cute! Uhh... Maybe now I could tell him.

I took in a deep breath and blocked out the rest of the world. I rubbed my arm, and looked away from him, my face burning hot. "D-Drake, I-"

He suddenly hissed in pain, his right hand grabbing his forehead. Tears were slipping out from under his eyelids as he whimpered, obviously getting a bad headache. I tilted my head, and got onto my knees to prepare myself to get up and comfort him. The Ender particles stopped glowing their bright purple color, and faded to nothing.

"I made my choice...useless... I-I didn't wan-AAHH!!" His mumbling turned in screams of pain.

I swiftly dashed towards him in a panic. "Drake!"

I got onto my knees next to him, holding his hand tightly. I didn't intend to, it just happened. He went into a coughing fit, gasping for breath as blood began to roll down from the side of his lip. I could feel that he was in intense pain, and slowly losing consciousness. Why now?!
His hand squeezed mine tightly, as he cracked his eye open to look at me. His white eye looked at me, a silver iris and pupil hidden deep within the white. His gaze was filled with pain and he gritted his teeth together. Blood started to drip from his nose, I could have sworn he had a bruise on his forehead that wasn't there before as if he was starting to bleed underneath his skin. That's not a good sign.

  "L-Lalea...I need to-to tell...you..."

Before he could tell me anything more, his eye closed and body went limp. I grabbed his shoulders and tried to shake him until he awoke, but it didn't work. His life force was too low for him to stay conscious for this long, and it was a miracle he stayed awake for as long as he did. Still, he had to pass out now of all times!
I let out a sigh, grabbing him to move his unconscious body. I put one arm on his back on the other on back of his legs. It was kind of hard to reach that far with how tall he was, but I managed. I lifted him up, my knees buckling and shaking under his weight. I forgot how heavy he was. What was it he wanted to tell me?!

  "Come on. Let's get back to the cave." I said, pressing his body against my chest so I had enough room to move my hand and wide some blood away from his lips.

I turned on my heels and began walking back to the cave. I hoped that the small amount of time he had to meditate did help him, because I wasn't focusing on his aura like I should have been. Perhaps another time soon I will be able to tell him how I feel... I don't mind waiting, even if my time with him is slowly ticking away.
...

Third person point of view-

The emperor paced back and forth in his room, his palm against his face. He let out an aggravated sigh, dragging his hand down his face as he looked up at the ceiling with decorative carvings in the dark wood. His injured arm ached, the bloody bandages covering where he needed to get stitches from getting stabbed by Xavier. Three betrayals in one day. Luke, Lalea and even Xavier. His feet stopped in front of a fire place he had, and he gazed up at two scabbards on his wall above it.
They crossed over each other like an "x", with red leader and iron on the top. A sword was in each of the sheaths, with iron blades, golden handles and bright red rubies embedded within the gold. They were dusty, collecting up dirt from years of not being touched. It had been years since he needed them; years since he himself engaged in battle.
Next to the fireplace was a set of armor on a stand, but his servants cleaned it and kept it from collecting dust, unlike with his old wartime swords. It was made iron and steel, with leather straps and shoulder guards and chest plate. It was much like old roman armor, with a addition of chai mail on the arms. With that, he had iron pants and boots, with an old iron helmet.
He let out a sigh, putting his thumb and index finger of the bridge of his nose. Hundreds of his men were dead, including the royal scientists, one of the few people he called his friend. He knew he should have had Grayson and the others executed right away. He made one wrong choice... He wasn't planning on doing it again. Grayson needed to die. Grayson, Luke, Mia, Lalea...and if it came to it, the hybrid as well.
He turned his head when the door open, a guard walking in with his body covered head to toe in iron armor. The emperor gave one look at him, growled, and turned away.

  "What is it now?!" He wasn't in the mood to be given anymore bad news.

The guard swallowed a lump in his throat, aware of the fact that his king didn't want to be bothered, but he had to do his job. "A majority of the fleet sent out as wiped out. Only four men came back."

The emperor stood, turning sharply to the other man. "Who?"

The guard looked down at his list with only four names written down. "Um, captain Henry, corporal Joseph, sergeant Arthur, and private Luis. But, Luis was severely injured, and may not pull through."

The emperor growled, turning and walking to the armor stand. He took in a few deep breaths, looking at his reflection on the shinning surface of the iron chest plate.  He clenched his fists, trying to hold in rage, but he wasn't exactly very good at holding back his temper.
He kicked the armor stand with great force, knocking it over. The iron and steel clattered on the ground and sent vibrations through the floor. The helmet rolled on the ground, finally stopping a few inches away from the rest of the armor. The guard flinched from the loud noise, and from fear.

  "All of my men are weak! Pathetic! Were we not once the strongest empire, with the strongest armies in the country?"

The guard nodded, his body trembling with nerves. "Y-yes, sire."

The emperor let out another sigh. "Then what happened to those days?"

The room was filled with silence, not a sound being made. The tyrant turned his head to look out of his widow, gazing upon the new light cast into the room by a newly rising sun. He walked up to the window, putting his arms behind his back. His hazel eyes looked down at his kingdom, watching his subjects both poor and rich walking in the city. He let in and more deep breaths, trying to make his racing heart slow down and blood pressure lower.

The emperor hissed through his teeth. "I want them all dead. Grayson, Mia, Lalea, Luke, Xavier... I want the hybrid dead or alive. Do you understand?"

He looked over at the guard as the man nodded. "Y-yes, sire."

  "Good, now leave...but one last thing..."

The straightened his back, readying for the emperor's words. He just really wanted to leave right now, before things went even more south. The emperor spoke, his voice smooth with no anger within it any longer.

  "I'm going with the rest of the remaining fleet and I'm going to fight them myself. If it's a war they want, it's a war they will get."