~Chapter 6- Amethi and Therma~

~Elsewhere~

Amethi traveled through the mountains alongside Therma, a short young Mecarne woman with a magenta tint to her metallic-looking flesh. The two raced through the mountains, bounding through the air at staggering speeds and height effortlessly.

Amethi was a Densius with a relatively stout rocky form; it was even shorter than Therma. This was by choice, Amethi preferred having a small body. Its eyestones had a purple color, derived from the amethyst that was its Heartstone.

The two of them ventured through the mountains before reaching a small and dry town within the canyons, one with a lazily spinning windmill and several small buildings. It was nearing dusk.

As soon as they entered the town, they slowed their steps.

Amethi remarked, "It's been a long time since both of us have been here. I'm sure the townspeople will be happy."

Therma folded her arms behind her head as they walked, "Sure, but it's a bit silly to have both of us here. Either one of us could escort people through the gulch."

"Sure, but it's nice to visit. The people appreciate us. Quells their fears."

"True. I have been trying to train other Mecarne so they could escort people in my place."

"Really? How's that going?"

"Terrible. There are so few great warriors in our time and few that are willing to put in the effort to become one," Therma expounded, clearly frustrated, "I had two pupils who were eager to learn from me, but as soon as they gained a little bit of power, they ran off and started causing trouble."

"That's a shame. I suppose we should just try to set a good example. Maybe that'll motivate people?" Amethi replied, doing its best to try and stay optimistic.

"I doubt it."

Amethi and Therma made their way to the inn. When they entered inside, Therma hollered to the innkeeper, "How's it going, Jimbo!?"

"It's Jim," The innkeeper digressed, "There's been trouble!"

Amethi paused, "What is it?"

"A group of children entered the gulch all on their own! They ignored the signs, and I even told them about the legends of the gulch, but they went anyways!"

"What!? How long ago?" Therma asked.

"A few hours ago."

Therma gritted her teeth, "...they're probably already dead..."

Amethi shook its head, "We need to go now. We might be able to save at least one of them if we hurry!"

Amethi and Therma hurried from the inn and sprinted at unparalleled speeds through the gulch. A fog appeared around them as they ran, but with a flick of her wrist, flames procured from Therma's hand. She lifted it into the air, and the fog dissipated immediately. The two hurried through the gulch to where they knew the manor waited.

--------------------------

Jirro, Ruben, and Nout struggled to survive the relentless onslaught the Ebonheim was assaulting them with. Each of them had many cuts and bruises on their body. More rock figures and projectiles attacked. Jirro fired several Focus Bursts at the amulet, at Ebonheim's Heartstone. But walls of stone manifested to block his attack.

Dozens of stone spears manifested from the ground and were propelled at the kids. They moved so quickly that they had no time to dodge. Jirro winced as they came towards them.

But then, they suddenly stopped in the air before crumbling to dust.

"Are you kids okay?" A voice came from behind them. Jirro looked and saw a purple-eyed Densius standing around his height. Jirro and the others looked at the Densius, wondering where he had come from. Ruben began to smile.

Stone spears were launched at them. The purple-eyed Densius simply looked at the spears, and they crumbled to dust. With a gesture of its hand, Amethi reduced all the stone statues that had attacked them to rubble.

"Get behind me!" Amethi ordered. Without question, Jirro and the others circled behind Amethi for protection.

"Who is that?"

"That's Amethi!" Ruben exclaimed.

More stone projectiles were launched at Amethi and the kids, but with mere glances, each one was reduced to rubble. A large boulder manifested from the ground and was chucked at them. Amethi extended both arms and the boulder stopped in the air. With a flick of its wrist, Amethi sent the boulder careening towards the amulet. A stone wall formed to protect it just in time to protect the amulet.

Earth around the amulet began to liquefy and turn into mud, and it swirled into the air around it. The mud surrounded the amulet before spiraling out of the manor through an opening in the ceiling, taking the amulet - Ebonheim's Heartstone - with it.

"That Densius always runs," Amethi said whilst shaking its head. The purple eyed Densius turned to Jirro and the others, "Are any of you kids seriously hurt?"

All of them shook their heads. "Scraped up for sure, but we should be fine. Thank you!"

Jirro said, "There were more with us, they're probably still in danger!"

Amethi smiled, "Oh, I'm sure Therma is helping them right now."

Boulders were chucked at Temp and those with him, and he did all he could to avoid them. Corri had to run just like him, and Aero was powerful enough to stop the boulders. But even Temp could tell that Aero was exhausted.

Boulders seemed to manifest and catapult out of the ground endlessly. One nearly landed on Temp, but Aero caught it just in time before tossing it aside.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Corri shouted as she jumped out of the way of another careening boulder.

Stone spikes manifested from the earth, rocketed up into the air before descending back towards the ground. There were so many; Temp had no idea if it was possible to avoid them. Even Aero looked terrified at the sight.

But before the spikes could land, lightning appeared as if from nowhere, striking the spikes and disintegrating them. Temp looked for the source of the lightning and saw a short Mecarne woman with a magenta tint to her metallic-looking flesh. The barrage of boulders that had lobbed at them was now being redirected at this woman.

She moved at speeds Temp didn't think was possible, expelling lightning from her hands to destroy boulders. One of them managed to strike her fully but she simply threw it aside as if it were weightless. Could this be the legendary Therma?

The Mecarne woman flourished her hand, and a wick of flame appeared at her fingertips. With a gesture, the fog that surrounded them began to dissipate. Temp could now see they were in another part of the gulch, with a sizable manor near them.

"Get near me!" The Mecarne woman, Therma, ordered. Temp, Aero, and Corri did so swiftly.

From the manor, a spiral of mud careened out of the building, and the onslaught of stone they'd faced ended. But Therma looked mildly disappointed.

"Ebonheim got away again..." She said, "Are you kids alright?"

Corri was still catching her breath but answered, "Thanks to you, yes!"

Therma looked at him from the corner of her eye, "Good to hear. Is it true that you kids entered this gulch despite being warned beforehand?"

Corri grimaced and answered, "Yeah..."

Therma promptly delivered a light bonk to Corri and Aero's heads. She went to Temp, stood on her tiptoes, and did the exact same. Despite having very little effort behind it, it still hurt!

"You stupid kids! If we hadn't rushed here to save you, every one of you would've been killed!"

Aero grabbed the top of his head in pain, "We-We're sorry!"

"You better be!"

From the manor emerged Jirro, Ruben, Nout, Kelvin, and the purple-eyed Densius. Temp figured it must be Amethi, the Densius member of the Four. When he looked at the others, they all looked plenty beaten up as well.

Temp hurried to his hyena and held it, "Glad you're okay, big guy!" He said as he rubbed behind Kelvin's ear.

Corri whistled, and soon enough, her red sparrow Rojo flew down from the sky to greet her.

Therma folded her arms as the kids reunited, "Come on kids, we'll take you the rest of the way through the gulch. Just because Ebonheim ran away doesn't mean it won't come back."

Temp turned and asked, "Who's Ebonheim?"