Richtofen went down the steps, not bothering to glance back at the dragon that stared in awe at the incredible structure which surrounded her.

"Holy shit," the marine muttered with bewilderment.

Strong energy radiated from all of her sides as she stood right in the heart of the chamber. "Is this all made out of-"

"Yes. It is believed," The scientist responded as he walked up to one of the pillars that contained a slight glow of orange. "The ancients built this and used the Element itself, creating what they could."

Sila hummed thoughtfully as her claws skidded onto the cold ground. Her eyes darted curiously around. Black, grey stones surrounded but most peculiar, though, was that it contained 115 crystals imbued with elemental power.

"Maxis was in the catacombs one day," Richtofen began, Sila swivelled her head to look up at him. Her eyes followed his movements as he placed the crystal warily and cautiously between the two platforms. "He was working on deciphering the ancient texts, when he found the designs for the Amplification Rod and decided to sketch out the plans. He was certain it was an essential tool for harnessing the element's full potential. Maxis has grown distant in those last few days, right after dumping the plans for the Amplification Rod on me. However, the conversion processes of all the generators seem to create localized energy fields which appear to function as portals, bringing forth objects of indeterminate origins. But it is our hypothesis, however, that this transferral of matter may actually be a crack through space and time."

Sila was too bewildered at the words that came out of his mouth. She sensed anger, frustration and pride throughout his talking. She was too amazed to speak yet she could guess of what had happened after discovering all this. "The undead came in and ravaged the land?"

Edward nodded, his eyes filled a wave of emotions, staring at the floating crystal quietly. He then took a step back from the pillar. His eyes darted around. "We need to find the rest of them and soon enough, the staffs will be ours."

The five reunited, each acquiring their replicas of the Amplification Rods. It didn't take long until each had their own staff. Sila, however, didn't acquire one due to there being only four. But the dragon couldn't care less. She had her own abilities and she could protect herself rather well.

It felt like hours until they were able to retrieve all parts and it was very well worth it. Each staff wielded one element. And as far she could see, the Jap, Takeo, had the Fire Staff, the Russian held the Lightning Staff; Tank held the Ice Staff; The doctor held the Wind Staff.

They stepped out of the mound and entered no man's land. The familiar earthquakes rumbled below their feet, each getting stronger after the other which signaled the arrival of the giant mechanical robots.

Sila was at the back of the group, watching the feet of the mechanical robots bound over their heads before hitting the ground with a groaning noise.

Taking a closer look at the incoming giant from the other side of field, Sila narrowed her eyes at its head. Those straight lines at the top of their heads were bright and glowed just the same color of the undead's eyes. "How do we get up there?" Sila asked curiously.

"The base of their feet, there's an opening. Once entered, we would be right in its head in seconds." Doctor Richtofen answered.

"Why create such things?" Takeo asked.

"Like I have said once before," Edward nodded. "To ensure Germany's victory."

A scoff was heard to their right, making everyone glance at the American whom just walked ahead, listening.

"Yes, American?" Doctor Richtofen asked, his voice spiked of interest yet teasing.

But before Dempsey could respond, everyone froze on their spots as a voice echoed. Sila winced as a new pain shot through her head, making her grip her head.

Can you hear me? The voice echoed through all corners of her head, making the dragon grunt in discomfort and pain. Please. You have to help me. I'm trapped here. I just want to go home. Free me from Agartha and you will be rewarded.

Sila sighed in relief as the wave of pain swept away. It took everyone a few moments to register what just happened.

"What the f-" Dempsey started but was cut off by an angered and inquisitive Russian.

"Who was that?! What on earth was that in my head?!" Nikolai asked furiously.

Jaw tense, Richtofen faced his new comrades. His brows creased very slightly. "Her name is Samantha," he said. "She used to communicate with Maxis ever since we started the excavation. Though, when I found out about their communication, I feared Maxis could have been exposed to Element 115." He glanced down at the circular jar in his satchel before meeting the eyes of the men surrounding him.

"What is this... Agartha which she spoke of?" Takeo asked.

"Possibly trapped in it as well if I do recall correctly," Sila added, shaking her head, as if she had an insect crawling on it.

"I'm not entirely sure but it could be a realm where she may be controlling and reviving the dead," he replied.

Then all became quiet. The cold wind swept by, making Sila's wings catch onto the soft wind. She tucked in her wings to her sides and glanced up at every man.

Still frowning, Richtofen spoke. "We should get moving and be done with all this chaos."

They all shared a glance before nodding and following the doctor.

--

Sila had to admit that flying out in the open brought relief. But the ongoing hell under her as she soared brought nothing but stress and worry.

What if helping the doctor or the child all ends with nothing but more disaster?

What if we're aiding the doctor to something that he's keeping out of our reach?

Are we being lead blindy by an unknown child and a paranoid scientist?

Her thoughts got cut as soon as she found what she was looking for: the final part of the quadrotor needed to place Maxis's brain. It was thrown to a corner of one of the giants' path. How on earth could it have been thrown from one side of the excavation to this side was beyond her. She picked it up before taking off once again and reuniting with the scientist.

As she flew, many meters below her, she saw the undead either crawling or stumbling to the direction of the others. "Yay. More killing," she faked a cheer before hurrying forward, beating her wings harder.

__

As soon as she touched the contaminated mud, Sila swung her tail at one of the dead with great force that it was flung to the other side with its waist bending gradually to the side in a sickly manner. When it stood up, a bullet met its head, sending it sprawling to the mud under it.

"Not bad for a combo," Dempsey said, lowering his machine gun.

"Could have handled it myself," Sila stated in a matter-of-a-factly tone.

"Too bad - You're stuck with us," the American replied.

Sila gave him a look.

"Now is not the time for this," Richtofen intruded, walking over to the dragon. Sila lifted her talons and placed the final part into his bloodied hand.

"How is it possible for the brain to last long without a body?" She asked curiously and followed the doctor into the room that held the first generator. The room the five had met for the first time. The room where they could have met and accepted their fate.

"The fluid within the containment is enough to trick the brain into believing it is in its body," he answered and walked down the steps before turning right to a low table where the rest of the parts were found and ready to build.

Sila was right behind him, casting a glance at the debris that covered a dead body.

The body was gone for sure. The brain wouldn't be able to return to its original body nor will it be able to function properly perhaps due to the lack of a oxygen and no nervous system to respond to its messages.

Frowning, she looked at the machine that was built. Blood stains were here and there on the metal. "Surely you won't be leaving the brain in this containment, yes?"

He nodded.

"I'm guessing it's going into a new body? Won't it be rejected?"

"Element 115 has made it through his mind. Not too much, however, so that it wouldn't consume him like the others," he finally glanced down at the thoughtful creature.

She caught his gaze and shuffled her claws uncomfortably. "I'm guessing you're wondering why I haven't turned?"

He nodded, glancing down at the blue glowing line at her sides curiously.

Sila sighed and shrugged, her wings moving along lazily. "I've never been informed on the exact amount but it's clear enough I was created by it." She explained in a boring tone, as if she had recited this many times before because of how many scientists came to help Watford and Guttfield and continuously asked the question over and over again.

Richtofen chuckled nonetheless, grabbing the drone and began to make his way out, beckoning the dragon.

As they stepped out, Sila watched as the scientist tinkered with foreign object for moments onto minutes. Finally, it was done. Edward flicked a switch from its side and the propellers on four corners began to rotate. The two watched as the drone rose higher, stopped at a certain altitude, within sight, and remained overhead.

I suggest you do what I say, Sila. You wouldn't want to meet your demise just yet.

Her gaze shifted to the circling clouds up above, narrowing her shocking ice blue eyes.

Just yet? Since when can you predict my future?

I see it but I can not control you. Your choices leads to your fate, Samantha said.

Is it ne-

I prefer to keep this out of your reach and allow you to focus on your current task in rescuing me from Agartha.

And what will we be rewarded with?

You'll see. It will be all worth it.

Sila mentally scoffed and shook her head. Another senseless conversation.

"Where are the rest?" She asked, facing Richtofen.

"They await us near the Chamber," he replied.

-

Drip... drip... drip...

The ceiling was leaking from the pouring rain from outside. The sound of droplets hitting the ground echoed.

The five stood underground in a semi-circle before a pile of rocks. Behind them was a dug path into this area that led to the outside, right under the area of which one of the robots step.

"Care to demonstrate this?" Nikolai asked whilst crossing his arms and raising a brow at the doctor that had his back to them.

He glanced over his shoulder before placing the large disc aside for a moment. "It opens a gateway, as Samantha has mentioned before, to an area thats an interval of some sort; ancients and modern time poured into one another." He went back to placing the disc into place over the golden gramphone.

"And that's supposed to help us by..." Dempsey trailed off.

"When do you ever use that head of yours?" Sila questioned, avoiding to look at the scolding American.

Dempsey was opening his mouth to speak, ready to fire back at the dragon until the sound of music echoing about cave stopped him.

Just then, the pile of rocks shifted alone before hovering firmly in a form representing and vertical rectangle. Nothing was holding them as they adjusted themselves. That astonished the audiences that stood before it, waiting for the makeshift gateway to form. Just as it finished, bright light flashed from it, blinding the individuals around it for a moment.

Richtofen stepped forward, beckoning his comrades to follow before her stepped into the swirling yellow light.

Sila didn't miss his amused look before walking off and disappearing.

Every one of them shared a look.

"Go."

"No, you go."

"I'd rather stay back here, y'know-"

"I'll throw you all inside if I have to."

All looked incredulously at the dragon which gave them a bored look.

Dempsey narrowed his eyes threateningly, as if daring her.

"Oh, I will," she grinned.

Takeo silently walked through the portal.

Nikolai followed right after.

The other two were left glaring at one another.

Dempsey opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it shut, fuming at the dragon before grumpily walking through the gateway, muttering whatever curse words he could get out.

Sila snorted, sighing in satisfaction before going in the portal.

She carried the feeling of doubt before entering. But she couldn't do anything and so forced herself to join them.

A wave of regret swept through her as her body contorted into pain for only a few seconds. It started with her head throbbing before reaching all the way to her tail. It felt as if her scales were on fire but she couldn't bring herself to whimper out.

Before she knew it, she was sprawled on cold stone. Her side planting on the ground. Groaning in pain then relief of the pain that seemed to diminish. She shook her head while balancing herself, catching herself on her feet.

The sight before her took her breathe away.

The area was shaped like a circle, with four pathways, or so corners, including hers, had four different colours. The one she stood on was a colour of fiery red. These spots also correspond with the elements: Ice, blue; red, fire; yellow, wind; purple, lighting.

Inside the circle, four pillars of sort stood. Each corresponded to the colour of the corner in which it stood.

Most of all, the blue lights that surrounded were screaming Element 115.

She shuffled her wings uneasily as images poured in at the exposure of the element. She could feel the strong radiation coming off every direction she turned to.

Strange sounds caught the dragon's attention, reminding her to breathe again. Her head twisted around from her left to her right. Small whirls of particles swirled about, pulling the screaming undead to their death.

Frowning, she took to the pillars, hopping one to the other until she stood on the nearest pillar to the swirling wind that began to die down.

Tilting her head with interest, she glanced around her to see an individual shooting away gleefully. His back was towards her. His cheers confirmed that that was the American. Sila gave his back a look before bounding to the nearest pillar and hopped down. As she did, she didn't miss the nearest zombie, swatting her tail at it before using her wings to knock him back.

"Hey! It was mine!" Dempsey huffed.

"I saw it first," She grabbed its neck and pulled it to the ground, immobilizing it and watched it struggle for a few moments. She watched as it's pupil-less eyes looked up at her hungrily.

Not wanting to think further, she used her claws to end its life. She pulled at its head, disintegrating its main body part from its body.

"That was very unnecessary."

Sila gave him a look.

"Its what happens when y-"

Multiple pairs of footsteps cut the dragon off. The two looked back to find the three other men rushing toward them.

"Wha-"

"Get to the centre of the room," Richtofen ordered, the other two defending his six. "Wait for me there, fend off as much as you can."

He could see the questions that etched into their faces.

"We will be ending this chaos soon."

Sila and Dempsey looked at one another with a knowing look before nodding and doing what the doctor ordered them.

"I kinda doubt him,"

"So do I."

"I think we should just see where this takes us."

"Definitely."

Using their replicas of staffs at the hordes, and Sila using whatever she could to aid them, they all stood at the centre of the circle.

Standing here with the men, it felt as if she had known each of them for years, as if they were closest friends to have ever come across. In fact, they were the only people to have greeted after exiting her claustrophobic and lurid facility. It felt better roaming about the world, even if it meant getting killed or experimented on by other organization because of a strange being in the world.

Yes, she did know she was one of a kind. She did question her mentors but all they did was avoid her questions and delve into different topics. At least she found out later on. But it was too late.

Ever since the arrival of the new leader, chaos erupted. Watford and Guttfield asked her to remain as she was until the time has come. And they promised her that they'd be leaving together and onto a new and better place.

Yet, here she was, fighting alongside the men that she had not only met a few hours ago. She felt an empty hole within her heart, moving about with no presence of her mentors but only beginning to be filled by those that stood by her.

How long will they stay with one another if the end of all this destruction is indeed near? Where will they go? She certainly couldn't go back to her own place or else she'll be terminated.

"Maxis!" Edward yelled out.

On cue, the drone appeared into view, shooting away at the undead as it hovered over them.

Ah! Yes! At last! I am to be freed from Agartha! Your reward awaits you, my heroes, Samantha's voice echoed through Sila's head, reverberating around her skull.

You only need to step into the light.

The dragon and the American glance at one another. The two still felt the pit of doubt within them. However, what they have done so far should have removed all the doubt; still, being for whom they were, it was in their nature to not believe everything they hear or see.

The undead surrounding them overwhelmed them, making the group huddle at the centre of the Chamber. Sila looked up to find the drone flying into the light.

Bright light slowly began to creep into her vision. She squinted in response before her whole body, unexpectedly, went numb. She no longer saw and no longer felt.

•••••••

I'm not sure if I should be continuing this story. But I hope the votes and comments are enough to motivate me. 💕