War ONature 05

SOUL DRAINER

He grabbed his collar from the back.

Merle's arms lay on the wall as his head, his throat silently screaming for air. There were shouts for the fight. No one thought of stopping them.

When she walked in, Elizabeth saw a boy in grip, waiting to be rescued. It took her point one second to launch towards Merle and Roan.

"What are you doing, Roan leave him!"

Her scold finished with a teacher approaching the classes. Roan released Merle. Merle left for his class that was next to class A while Roan and Elizabeth entered their class with Mrs. Rapp so they could study about the smelly sulfur which they were going to prepare in the upcoming day.

As soon as the class ended and Mrs. Rapp left the class, Roan ran to class B. Merle was about to leave. He halted, shocked to see himself facing his newfound enemy. His enemy pushed him to the wall again. Merle felt really stupid, pinned on a wall in front of the whole class and specifically in front of Elizabeth.

She had seen Roan walking into the class and followed him to see why Roan would be going to that class.

Merle pushed Roan back, now his turn to hold a collar. It was not that proficient since Roan was stronger than him. Though, he was not giving up that easily. Both the boys had blue shirts' collars in their firm hands until Elizabeth had to intervene again.

"Enough!" she thundered.

She was between the two of them, facing Roan. She took his arm.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Don't stop me, Liz. I won't spare him today."

"What has he done?" she asked.

She turned to Merle who was having a guilty face. Merle was cute but shy. It was easy to make any allegations against him with his intimidated look.

Amidst everything, Elizabeth felt uncomfortable, stuck between two boys, and caught in Merle's gaze. Yes, he was looking too cute at the moment, she thought. She got her attention back on Roan, again holding his arm.

"Roan, let him be."

"Let me handle it on my own."

"A teacher will come. You will get yourself in trouble."

"School hours are over."

Elizabeth was thinking of adding a request when she stopped. It was of no use. She knew how adamant Roan was.

"Stay where you want to," she said. She told Merle instead, "let's leave."

"What!" Roan was left saying, Elizabeth and Merle already at the corridors.

His first option was to run to them. But he stopped himself. How was he facing her, with what words to say? He wanted to crush Merle just because Elizabeth had said hi to him and at the time she walked away from him. He was very angry.

Normally, Merlin used to go pick up Elizabeth from school with which she told Merle that she decided to be walking with him from that day since she was interested in walking to school and the only thing stopping her was being alone.

Adding, she said, "if you are okay with it, of course."

"Okay? That's heaven!"

"Erm, alright."

"I mean you are very nice to hang out with. To walk with."

Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head. They passed a store where Elizabeth requested to stop. She grabbed five pizza boxes. They were just enough.

They walked home and it was fun at the start, until when Elizabeth felt exhausted. She was thinking to herself, how many miles were from school, all the way to her house. A thousand or something? But she pretended she was fine in front of Merle. Even when the water fairy came there to help, she told her to go away. Air fairy needed her more.

She marathoned from her door to get the couch and rest her legs, breathing deeply.

"Why did you stop me?" the water fairy asked her.

She was having electrons playing rounds with her veins but for the fairy, she sat straight. She was concerned.

"How is air fairy?"

"She hasn't woken up yet. Her blood has turned silver. We can lose her anytime. But serving you is my responsibility. I account no excuses."

"What? Why are you here then?"

"Serving you is my first priority."

"Air fairy's life is more important."

"No one is as important as you. Except for Mother fairy."

"What are you saying? She is unconscious."

"You do not know how much we devote you. We are nothing without you."

"I don't know what you are saying and I don't want to understand. Go and take care of air fairy."

"I will. But first, your throbbing feet."

Air fairy went to her knees. She took Elizabeth's feet in her hands.

"Let me cool them," she said.

"Please leave my legs. You are wasting time."

She used the exact time she was told to be wasting, to heal her mistress' feet. In a second, Elizabeth became able to stand straight without pain. She was shocked, in a good way. But that did not change her opinion.

"Mother fairy will bring her life. We have a celebration to plan."

"What? I cannot party while a fairy is unhealthy. You know what? I'm going to help you cure her. I'm coming with you."

Air fairy was laid on the round fluid bed, surrounded by seven pillars. She was floating on silver shining water. All the fairies had stood between the pillars. Elizabeth stood at the pillar that should have been air fairies.

Mother fairy appeared. They paid respect to her. She then turned to Elizabeth.

"Mother fairy, why is she not waking?" Elizabeth asked, "please do something."

Mother fairy's reply was in her head, she was badly hurt. But she had no courage to say those words. She gave Elizabeth an empty stare. She walked to the remaining spot between the pillars.

"What should we do? How do we bring her back to life?"

The five fairies screamed in pain. The dots on their foreheads were glowing. Except for one dot, it had turned white.

The fairies dropped down on their knees. They were sweltering. Elizabeth was so confused, she did not understand what was going on. She could not even help.

"What is happening to them?" Elizabeth asked, scaredly looking into Mother fairy's eyes.

"They are connected. Whatever happens to one of them will gradually happen to all of them."

"You mean if air fairy..."

Her voice had paused in every letter. She could not even finish the word 'die'.

"But it has a benefit. If she is surviving till now, it is because of that."

Elizabeth quietly stared at the helpless fairies. She did not know what to say.

"Elizabeth," Mother fairy called her. Her voice was frail but firm. "Now only you can save them."

"Tell me, Mother fairy. How? I will do anything to save them. What do I do?"

"A few years ago, a fairy died in the same way. Her soul was drained. Air fairy's soul is being sucked out of her. As soon as it completely leaves, she will dissolve."

"We cannot let her dissolve."

"The soul drainer controls everything. If we have it, we can return her soul to her."

"Then let's do it."

"We don't have it. You will go to the Real Apache."

"Real Apache?"

Elizabeth was shocked. She looked scared. You could tell that Real Apache was reminding her of terrible things she would not want to encounter. Real Apache was dangerous.

"Will I have to meet them?" she asked.

"Most likely. They are the ones who have the soul drainer."

"Does it mean they did it to her?"

"Nothing is definite. If air fairy wakes up, we will know."

"I will make sure she does. I will not let them kill her."

"I wish I could come with you."

"Don't worry, Mother fairy. I can do this. I will take your leave."

Elizabeth did not waste any more time. The fairy promised her support. She was wishing her luck. She wanted her to come back victorious.