Cairo

They were like piranhas. Deadly, attacking in swarms. Cairo could do nothing against the onslaught snapping at his feet. He leaned against the wall, his head pushed back hard enough against the brick wall he was starting to have a headache. Sweat dripped down in forehead as he called to Demitros. The Kleptos waved his tail as he looked back.

Cairo nodded his head to the approaching wave of assault, and Demitos crouched. His claws dug into the ground around him. He lifted his hands with a barreling scream, the earth around him creating a large hole where it came from. Sand swirled around the rock, molding it into a larger crater. With one last battle scream as the crater reached maximum size, Demitros threw it into the group of rebels.

Some of them barely managed to dodge, but most were taken aback by the massive size. The group pulled back as Demitros bent down, sand swirling at his fingertips to refill the hole. A small line of clouds stretched in front of Demitros. He raised his eyes to it, then stretched his neck out and chomped a piece off.

Yun called from beside Cairo that he wasn't supposed to eat it. He only waved back at the other Kleptos to shush him; he did what he wanted. The ground reformed, and just as Demitros was pulling the dirt up again, he was taken aback.

From up under him, something pulled at his feet. He pulled back, but it was too late: he was flat on his back. Another Kleptos flew over him. Dressed in ivory, it pulled it's hand back and twirled it to Demitros. The ground under him shook, and in seconds a groove of large branches weaved together over him. Demitos banged on the branches, used his magic relentlessly. But even if he managed to break a way through, it was only seconds before the branches were filled over by new ones.

He was stuck. And so was Cairo.

Around him were a group of black-clocked rebels. They each charged at him, thrust blades at him in coordinated fashion. Yun had escaped back into his card, and all Cairo could do was tirelessly dodge.

One pulled a rope and threw it at Cairo. He caught it from the corner of his eye. By then it was too late. It wrapped around his ankle and, just like Demitros, pulled him flat to the ground. Cairo flinched, the pressure cracking something in his back that made him try to curl backwards.

The group surrounded him quickly, a few murmurs between the members with words Cairo couldn't understand. He took a breath, trying to ease the sharp pain he was feeling, but even that feat was a hard endeavor when he was exhausted from using his Kleptos.

Death was certain as Cairo looked up into the clear blue sky. Only seconds ago it was raining bullets, but now it looked beautiful. Like the world was blessed. Even though everyone knew that it was a lie. If anything, the land had been cursed. By who knew what, but cursed nonetheless.

Cairo closed his eye as one of the rebels stepped forward and bent down, pulling out his blade aimed directly for his heart. The darkness was a comfort—a cold embrace.

At least he thought. Until he heard Aerie's voice. His eyes snapped open, unsure of it was reality or an illusion created to tease him in his final moments. But it wasn't. Right in front of him stood Aerie, blood staining the side of her ripped shirt. From the stain stuck out the hilt of a dagger, and Cairo knew exactly what it was from: she had blocked the attack for him.

Aerie pulled the dagger out of her like it was nothing, even though the blood gushing out that leaked down her leg said otherwise. She gripped the knife in her hand and swung it, hitting the rebel in front of her. He didn't move even though his eyes had watched the whole time she had possession of the weapon. The rest of the rebels took a step back.

"What are you doing?" Aerie yelled at him. "Get my card."

Cairo reached in his pocket and quickly pulled the card out. He ordered Aerie to save Demitros as her card glowed a bright crimson red.