On the outskirts of Threnafell, everyone waits and feels that the Queen and the others have taken too long, fearing the worst. The perimeter is heavily guarded. Suddenly, they heard horses approaching. It is a group of Legionnaires guarding Claire, Rivett, and company. Everyone rushed to help them, mainly Grislett, as Lucas had requested immediate assistance. Montecristo and Alistar took Grislett, who is still unconscious, and began to treat her.
"Her vital links are too weak. We won't be able to save her here. We must take her to the sentinels!" exclaimed Zen, who was a master of healing spells. Rivett and Lucas wanted to leave immediately. Sakura approached Claire and Margott.
"Claire, Margott, how fortunate that you are safe, but where are Kiett and Marth?" asked Sakura.
Claire and Margott looked at each other worriedly, as if they were nowhere to be seen, and the Queen had not returned. They were thinking the worst when they heard more horses approaching and saw the group that accompanied the Queen, but they noticed that her horse was stained with blood. Claire's blood ran cold when she saw only Marth with them. Margott began to tremble when they saw who the Queen was carrying and that all the blood was Kiett's.
"Kiett!" Claire screamed as she ran desperately toward the Queen, who was carrying her brother in her arms and laid him on the ground to continue using a healing spell that is remarkably powerful. Claire fell on her knees, taking Kiett's head and placing it on her lap. Margott also approached, crying, and took Kiett's right hand.
"Kiett, please, please wake up, don't leave me, my brother!" Claire cried out between tears, her voice broken, desperate to the point that the sound of the rain and her screamed were the only echoes that could be heard amid so much death. Margott just stared at Kiett's face, frozen, crying silently. Fiora tried everything, but the bleeding didn't stop.
"We won't achieve anything here. Leave everything, take the wounded and head for Averford. Use the rune!" ordered the Queen, and everyone obeyed. Sakura approached Marth and caressed his face. Marth was frightened and recoiled, waving his arms as if trying to free himself from something, but Sakura calmed him down and hugged him, making Marth cry.
"It's okay, it's over, you're safe!" Sakura exclaimed. The two young men, Liliam, Alistar, and Montecristo gave instructions and helped carry the wounded. They were forced to leave behind the bodies they managed to rescue, and everyone began their journey back to Averford as quickly as they could. Claire could not hold back her tears.
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Averford...
Princess Sonia waits expectantly for her mother's return through the runic ark when a young apprentice of the Sentinels approaches her.
"Your Majesty how are you?" asked the young Cosette, seeing the great concern on her face. Sonia looked at the young woman and her voice breaks.
"I'm scared, I fear for my mother and for a good friend!" Sonia replied, then the ark began to glow, a sign that they were about to cross the translation portal.
"Guards, be ready, your Queen is returning!" Sonia ordered. Many people gathered around the runic ark, many parents, mothers, brothers and sisters waiting for the return of their loved ones, but many will not return.
Legionnaires began to emerge from the rune portal carrying the wounded. There are many, and the crowd surrounding the rune chest begins to despair. Princess Sonia was immediately alarmed and sent for the sentries in an emergency call.
"Bring Callaghan! Get the sentinels here immediately! Code black!" shouted the young princess, and she is obeyed immediately.
"Your Majesty, the Queen is here!" exclaimed Cosette.
Sonia turned to see her mother carrying a young man covered in blood. Behind them Claire, Margott, Lucas, Marth, and Rivett, carrying the dying Grislett appeared.
"What has happened?" asked Sonia, terrified. The sentinels quickly arrived, carrying scrolls and approached the wounded, very nervous. Callaghan approached Fiora to attend Kiett.
"Everyone else, create a rune circle, heavenly healing!" shouted Callaghan. "This circle will slowly heal the wounded and nourish their life links."
"It's very bad, the wound is deep and one of his lungs has collapsed!" exclaimed the Queen.
Claire and Margott lay nearby, holding hands and hoping for a miracle. Marth and Sakura also remain by their side. All the survivors who are not seriously injured search for their families and reunite with them. Callaghan cuts Kiett's clothes to reveal his chest and his face turned horrified. Fiora is stunned.
"It's a big wound; he's lost a lot of blood!" Callaghan exclaimed as he began to cast a spell called WOHLWOLLEN.
A blue light came out of Callaghan's hands and enveloped Kiett's chest as if it were water.
"Do you think it will be enough?" Fiora asked. Callaghan looks at her with great concern.
"Please, heal my brother, I beg you!" Claire cried out. Callaghan asked her to calm down. Margott was also saddened and hugged Claire, trying to calm her down, even though she was also very scared.
"What's happening with the rune circle?" Callaghan shouted. The sentinels rushed to finish the circle with symbols that some of them barely understood.
"The circle is complete, begin the chant!" Callaghan exclaimed.
All the sentinels began to recite the chant in unison...
"GESEGNET SEI DER GEIST DES KRIEGERS"
"GESEGNET SIND DIE WUNDEN, DIE ES BEGLEITEN"
"WIR BETEN, DASS DER REGEN IHREN KöRPER REINIGT"
"WIEDERHERSTELLUNG"
As the sentinels recited this chant, the symbols in the rune circle emitted a strong white light, and the circle enclosed all the wounded. Little by little, their gasps of pain ceased.
"It's working, Callaghan!" exclaimed Fiora with a smile.
Claire and the others rejoiced, but suddenly, something began to happen. A kind of black smoke began to emanate from the wounds of all the injured. Fiora, Callaghan, and the others were perplexed. In addition, the blue glow of the rune circle changed to an intense red...
"What's happening now?" asked Fiora, Callaghan, and the other Cantilenas as they step back, Kiett began to scream in pain.
"Little brother!" cried Claire desperately, trying to get closer.
But Margott stopped her. Claire begged Margott to let her go, but she didn't obey. The black smoke emanating from all the wounded began to form a black ball in the middle of the red-light rune circle.
"Everyone, get out of here now! Legionnaires, contain the circle! Use IMMATERIALLE KRAFT!" ordered Fiora.
Immediately, the Legionnaires surrounded them, draw their swords, and stabbed them into the ground, reciting in unison, "IMMATERIAL KRAFT," thus creating a dome that enclosed the wounded within the circle. But before the dome was completed, the dark sphere expanded and exploded. This created such a big shockwave that broke the Legionnaires' swords and destroyed some of the pillars of the rune ark. Due to the powerful wave, everyone nearby was left dazed.
Everyone tries to get up quickly without success. Claire crawls to Kiett, who is unconscious and bleeding from his wound, but she cannot stay on her feet and falls unconscious. A sound is heard, people talking, but it is not understandable. She hears shouting and running, then awakens, Claire found herself on a bed in the center of the Sentinels. She tries to sit up, but her arm hurts and she sees that it is bandaged.
"What happened, Kiett?!" Claire exclaimed, turning to look for her brother, but she only saw Margott, still unconscious on a bed next to her. Marth approached her.
"You're awake! I'll call the doctors!" Marth exclaimed, and as he was walking to look for them, Claire stopped him.
"Where's Kiett? Why isn't he in one of these beds?" Claire asked. Marth looked at her and sat down beside her.
"Both Grislett and Kiett were the most seriously injured. Callaghan and the Queen took them to another place!" Marth replied. Claire asked him why and where that place is, but Marth could only answer that he didn't know their location.
"Where's my uncle? Did he go with them?" Claire asked, and just as Marth was about to answer, he was interrupted by her uncle, Joel Montecristo.
"Claire, I need to talk to you alone!" Montecristo exclaimed, asking Marth to leave them alone to talk. Claire watched Montecristo as he sat down; when he did, Claire hugged him, and Montecristo hugged her back.
"I'm scared, Uncle, I don't want to lose my brother!" Claire exclaimed. Montecristo comforted her by stroking her hair.
"Your brother, like Grislett, is unwell. His Majesty has had him taken to his chambers, along with Grislett and Tanner. They will be looked after differently than here!" Montecristo explained, Claire asked to go with her brother while trying to stifle her urge to cry.
"You'll have to forgive me, but I can't take you with me. I'll go see them. Wait here, I'll come back for you!" Montecristo exclaimed, then he kissed Claire on the forehead before leaving. Claire has no choice but to obey and wait there, her tears and cries falling for Margott, who began to ramble while unconscious.
"Please, don't take them away, don't hurt them, please" Margott whispered, still unconscious.
TO BE CONTINUED...