Arad red forward, seeing spiders and ants rush from between the grass des, bearing their fangs and mandibles.


    "I''m the only one big enough. Get on my back," Arad growled, lowering his wing.


    Everyone rushed to mount his back, escaping the hordes of ants.


    ***


    "Hehe!" Zephyr giggled, flying through the cracked window and zipping across the rooms.


    "Let me go! Let me go!" Ae shouted, trying to reach her bow.


    "Don''t bother. Projectiles can''t fly through the air around me." Zephyr smiled, "I only need to fulfill my contract with your mother. Calm down."


    "What contract? Let me go. They will die!" Ae shouted, trying to gather her magic but failing.


    "The humanoids might die, but not that dragon. I wouldn''t have sent the bugs after them if he wasn''t there." Zephyr sighed, "The hell is that thing? Could feel a tingle down my spine when he red at me."


    "The others shouldn''t die!" Ae red at Zephyr, enraged, "Let me down, now!" She pulled a dagger and shoved it beneath her toenail.


    "GRWAAAAAAAA!" Zephyr cried, dropping Ae to the ground. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Ae fell, she pulled a rope from her pocket and threw it toward a desk. The rope entangled around a drawer handle, and she swung across,nding on the chair.


    Zephyr red at Ae, holding her bleeding toe with tears in her eyes, "You''re as fickle as your mother."


    "I don''t care, die!" Ae pulled her bow and aimed at Zephyr, "What are you?"


    "Me?" Zephyr stared at her, confused for a moment. "Ahem, then let''s do it like your mother."


    BAM! BAM! BAM! Ae fired three arrows at Zephyr, targeting her eyes and stomach.


    SWOSH! The arrows stopped mid-air, and Zephyr looked at Ae with a smile. "What am I? A friend, probably. An enemy? Conceivably. A power, that''s for sure."


    "I don''t care. You attacked us, so you''re an enemy." Ae fired three more arrows, sending them toward Zephyr''s face.


    "Those are useless against me," Zephyr stopped the attack, "You''re a slow learner, aren''t you?"


    Ae grunted, looking for something heavy to drop on the flying humanoid Mosquito.


    "A spell can explode and kill your friends. Does that mean that magic is an enemy? It doesn''t." Zephyr red at Ae with a smile, "You brought them here to a sacred ce where spirits could make contracts. Their blood is on your hand, not mine, nor the bugs."


    "You''re the one killing!" Ae shouted, her face red with anger.


    "I''m not," Zephyr stared at her, eyes glowing green. "You''re a spirit master, a soul that controls spirits. It''s your responsibility to make sure I don''t cause trouble." The room started shaking, books flying into the walls as a gust of violent wind broke the window.


    Ae grasped onto the chair, resisting the wind.


    "A woman who defaults her responsibility to someone else would never control me in a thousand years," CLANG! Arge wind bow emerged in Zephyr''s hand as she aimed at Ae, "Die or take control!" She fired one arrow.


    Ae released her grasp on the chair, getting swept by the wind before the arrow hit her. She looked down, seeing the table before her. She red up, seeing Zephyr aiming another strike.


    Thud! She pulled her bow, aiming up.


    "Told you arrows are useless," Zephy said as his body started getting transparent, disappearing into thin air.


    "Where did you go?" Ae gasped.


    CRACK! As Ae looked, Zephyr hit with a kick, sending her smashing onto the wall. CRACK! Ae hit the wall, feeling her ribs shaking inside her chest, half broken and the other shattered.


    BAM! Ae fell and hit the ground, unable to breathe as blood dripped from her head. Getting kicked by a giant had drained all life from her body.


    Thud! Zephyrnded a fair distance from her, staring down, "When that dragon got kidnapped by the griffon, you released all your restraint and went on a killing spree in the forest. When danger shows up ahead of him, you always forget about your guilt and pick violence." She smiled, "That''s the only time you look like your mother,"


    Ae could barely hear Zephyr speak. Her mind slowly melted into darkness as she stood at death''s door.


    "No reply?" Zephyr sighed, "I guess this is the end of my contract with the Deianira." She turned to leave.


    ^No, I should probably give her onest chance. Poke her tail and see if she''s going to wake up.^ Zephyr looked back at the dying Ae.


    "Listen, girl." Zephyr smiled, "Since this is the end of my contract, I will kill that dragon brat since he''s the reason you aren''t suitable. You''re happy with that. You would get to meet him in the afterlife." She flew, giggling, "Head there first. I will send him soon," She got out of the window.


    Aey on the ground, bleeding as her eyes dried open. The wind slowly swirled around her dying body.


    She can''t breathe, and soon her brain will starve to death, and it will be over.


    The wind changed direction, flowing into her mouth and nose, pushing deep into her lungs and forcing her chest to expand.


    PUSH! Ae''s chest expanded once, causing her body to flinch. PHISH! The wind then exited out.


    PUSH! And again and again, a faint green light burned in her dead eyes.


    ****


    Arad ripped his way through the hordes of spiders and ants. They were no match for a dragon, even if his power got reduced with his size.


    Lydia brandished her sword, [Holy Smite]. She sent a bee into the afterlife with a single strike. "There is no end to them!" She shouted on top of Arad.


    "I''m nowhere near exhausted, but this would take hours to clear." Eris conjured her spear, throwing it from above Arad to the ground.


    BOOM! The spear exploded in a magnificent pir of purple mes.


    "I can clear them quickly, but you get into my mouth," Arad growled.


    Lydia stared at him and then looked around, "We won''t fit. You have to swallow some of us."