One World, One Enemy

Here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it as it is a little extra long.

.............................................................................................................

The people were afraid. Soldiers closed in around the royal families.

"How dare you invade these lands!" Zubeia roared. "Unless you wanna get hurt, leave at once!".

"We'll leave," the one in charge said. "But we want something in return".

"What do you want?" Ezran shouted up to them.

"We want the High Mage you call Caroline,".

The crowd gasped. Caroline shuddered. Quickly, Soren and Tua nudged her under one of the four dragon's wings to hide her. Ghost whimpered in her arms, and she hugged him and Felix. Across the canyon, Murtagh reached for his sword, and Thorn growled. "We are not letting them take her,".

"They haven't seen us. So, we have an advantage," his dragon said.

.............................................................................................................

Raylan's heart accelerated. He became scared. But courage burned in his eyes. " He reached for a butterfly blade. "Stella, Thaisan, get ready,".

Stella's paws glowed purple, and Thaisan glowed white and disappeared.

.............................................................................................................

"Never!" Ezran shouted. "You are not taking my sister!".

"Leave now, or we will strike you from the sky!" Zubeia threatened. Caelus raised his fist, and the dragons breathed to shoot lightning. "You are outnumbered and have no chance of defeating our might,".

"Our leader told us you Archdragons are as arrogant as you look, and he was right. For too long, you have underestimated us, and we have overestimated you. But not now. We gave you a chance to do this the easy way, but now we'll have to do this the hard way. " The leader scanned the stone platform in front of where the Dragon Queen was and saw a scared boy holding his pink dragon. "Perfect," he clicked his fingers. Poof! Benji disappeared, and Pliph dropped to the floor.

Benji! He roared.

The crowd gasped. Benji reappeared again, a dark blade under his chin.

"Benji!" Carol screamed, coming out of her hiding place. Her friends tried to hide her again, but it was too late.

The leader smirked. "Just as the leader of our Cult said. You'll never let anyone, even a child, get hurt on your account,". As he said 'cult', Caldor turned pale, and so did the king, seer, vizier and dragon prince glancing worriedly up at her.

"Carol, no!" Zym begged.

"It's your choice, young mage. Either come with us, or the boy gets it!".

Carol cringed at Benji's screams as the cruel man pulled on his hair. "Alright! Alright!" she shouted. "I will come with you! Just don't hurt him!"

"Carol, no!" Soren begged.

"You can't!" Tua said. The others pleaded with Carol to reconsider, but she could not bear to see her new friend be hurt on account of her.

"Please don't do this!" Willow begged in tears.

"I have to, guys. There's no other choice. It's me that they want, and it's me they'll get. Soren, please take care of Felix and Ghost for me,". She lifted her fox to Soren, who took him with wet eyes, and she passed Ghost to him, too. "Bye, guys,".