“There has to be another way.”

A female clad in Legendary armour was pacing around the room of the guardians. Her wings shivered involuntary as the group was discussing what’s going on in the continent.

“We don’t have any other choice, Sulis,” Claven remarked, his face as grave as the others with him. “If we don’t do this, there won’t be anyone left here to defend.”

“Kundun is very powerful,” SulisRaine argued. “Not even with our combined powers can we stop him. Look what happened to Shizen. And he was one of our strongest guardians. He was even a Dark Lord much like you! We can’t stop him…not with our current powers.”

“SulisRaine, we need to do this,” Zhyat replied. “It’s not like we have a choice in the matter. We’ve been given a job to do and here we are doing it. Even Aidan has no choice in the matter.”

“It’s suicide,” SulisRaine answered a matter-of-factly. “We don’t know how many MUtizens were taken by Kundun and who are in his powers. We are already having a hard time fighting them when they challenge us in duels, now that they are under Kundun’s magic, they would be more powerful than ever! And with Kundun fighting alongside them, we can’t beat them. Not even with Serverboy.”

“We have to try, Sulis,” Claven answered. “We can’t do anything about it. We’ve been given an order and we must follow it. And Zhyat’s right. Aidan couldn’t stop XXX from sending us out there. What makes you think we have a choice in the matter?”

“It’s just so wrong…”

Sighing in defeat, SulisRaine left the room. Claven and Zhyat followed her, worried of what she might do.

They found her standing at the balcony of the tower where the guardians reside. Below them the MUtizens were battling out monsters and people who are under Kundun’s control.

“SulisRaine?” Claven softly called to her, touching her shoulders gently so that she won’t be startled.

SulisRaine didn’t look back but said, “Shizen and Zophiel are dead because of that order. I’m just fearful that the next time I will find you both will be in coffins. I don’t want that to happen. There’s too much bloodshed already.”

“I know how you feel, Sulis,” Claven replied. “But like I said, there is nothing we can do. We were given a direct order. We can’t disregard it.”

Both guardians who listened nodded in agreement. All three were silent on the balcony looking beyond the horizon. Finally, Zhyat suggested, “we could leave the continent.”

Both Claven and SulisRaine looked at him with puzzled expressions. Zhyat explained, “we’ll fake our deaths. And travel away from here. We’ll get as many guardians as we can who would be willing to join us.”

“Calling in other guardians might not be a good idea, Zhyat,” Claven remarked. “They have to leave in their own free will. But you are right. Leaving is the best way to solve our current situation.”

“But leaving would mean, leaving the people we need to protect,” SulisRaine added. “Can we be that selfish?”

Zhyat raised and eyebrow at SulisRaine’s direction. “You’re always thinking of others before you, Sulis,” he said. “There are times when we have to think of our own safety. You said so yourself, it’s suicide to actually go out there and fight Kundun without a plan and more power. Are you willing to give your life and everybody else’s for people who don’t even want to be saved?”

SulisRaine remained silent but nodded in agreement.

“If we’re going to leave,” Claven stated. “We have to do it right. There shouldn’t be any loopholes in this.”

Both Zhyat and Claven were thinking of different ideas and plans to make their plan work. All along, SulisRaine kept silent in the background.

“Even if you succeed in this,” SulisRaine said finally after they two Dark Lords finished formulating their plan. “I’m afraid that I can’t join you.”

“Why not?”

For an answer, SulisRaine held out her arms so that both Zhyat and Claven can see two braces clamped on each wrist of the Soul Mistress. Tears started to form in her eyes.

“XXX didn’t allow me to join in the fray,” she stated. “Both me and Suzeri have been given these braces to stop us from going out of the tower. I can’t leave.”

Claven held her arms and tried to pry the braces away but to no avail. Both he and Zhyat even tried using magic but the braces kept. In dismay, both guardians leaned on the wall, defeated.

“How long will the enchantment in the braces last?” Zhyat asked, thinking that he might find a way around the enchantment.

“As long as more than half of the population of MU is under Kundun’s curse,” she answered. “And with the current situation that we are in, I’m afraid that it might take a while before the enchantment wear out.”

“We can’t leave you, Sulis,” Claven said. “We have to think of something. We have to get rid of those braces somehow.”

Sighing in defeat, SulisRaine said, “you and Zhyat are my truest friends here in the continent. I can’t let you suffer anymore. I want you guys to leave the continent the first chance that you get.”

“What about you?” Zhyat inquired.

SulisRaine smiled bravely and replied, “somehow, I’ll find a way out of here. And I’ll find you. But while these braces are stuck in my wrist, I cannot do anything. I’ll stay alive as long as possible and when the time comes when the enchantment wears off, I’ll search for you.”

“We’ll get in touch with your through Airenshkye,” Claven said.

Airenskye was one of their guardians who successfully left the continent without XXX noticing. But she still communicates with the other guardians secretly through all the different means possible for them. Claven and Zhyat will be relying on her when they have already put their plan into action.

SulisRaine nodded in agreement also signaling the end of their discussion. In the following days in preparation for the attack against Kundun, the three guardians never discussed their plans any further. They’ve pretended that everything was running as normal as possible in the tower.

Finally the day came for their plan to put to action. They have already heard news from Airenskye and their plan was already on the move. SulisRaine and Suzeri watch at the balcony of the tower as they viewed the fight before them.

“Do you think they’d made it?” Suzeri asked. He was the only one who knew of their plans.

For an answer, a guardian angel was seen flying towards their direction. It held a note that was made from a bit of parchment.

We’ve made it out SulisRaine!

Airenskye met up with us after we’ve faked out deaths. Two bodies were fashioned to look exactly like us, you wouldn’t even know the difference. We are on an island near the continent and is currently waiting for the ship that would take us far away from MU.

We will be waiting for you and Suzeri. Through Airenskye will be giving you our coordinates. Good luck to you both!

Claven and Zhyat

As if on cue, Legendary barged in on the tower door, severely wounded from the fight. Behind him were two bodies SulisRaine recognized as Zhyat and Claven. Or what appeared to be the body of her friends.

Both she and Suzeri rushed down to meet Legendary. Upon arrival of the Soul Master, he carefully laid the bodies down for SulisRaine to inspect.

“The battle was chaotic, SulisRaine,” he explained. “We really tried our best but it wasn’t good enough.”

SulisRaine knelt down to inspect the bodies and sure enough, she could see the enchantment that both Dark Lords created to fool everyone. She felt herself crying for joy for her two friends. At least they are now free, she thought.

She embraced the two forms before her and cried freely, wondering when she would also be free from her bondage.