***NEED WORK

Cold icy wind bit at Ava’s cheek as she sped through the rough terrains that bordered the area of Sylersland, Zeik trailing closely behind. It was still light out, the sun not yet set. Yet the sky was dark in a long stretch of angry looking clouds looming overhead in an unforgiving shadow. Something in the air bothered Ava, forming a tight knot in her throat. Maybe it was the surrounding scene and tense weather that seemed to reflect the current situation all too perfectly. Maybe it was the fact Ava knew close to nothing about what was going on.

Maybe it was because she knew she had no control or a grasp on what was going on as it continued to unravel out of control.

Ava drew in a deep breath and kicked off the rough ground with a great shove, shooting her effortlessly into the thick forest. Zeik followed his mission leader, keeping a steady distance just a few feet behind. Broad tree trunks seemed to fly back in a blur as the pair silently slipped through the deep forest shadows in great speed.

It wasn’t too long before they saw a great cliff wall, looming almost completely vertical to the ground. They didn’t try to slow as they flew towards the cliff head on. Without half a second of hesitation, they leaped. Neither Slayers spoke; the tension only seemed thicker with every passing minute as they fluidly made their way up the steep slope. Ava gave a final kick off the cliff, shooting herself lightly over the edge and floated gracefully onto the flat top of the cliff, only to start off again towards Sylersland. Zeik was right behind her, not missing a beat as he darted after her.

Suddenly, Ava stopped, holding still as a statue. Zeik skidded to a halt, making a little more noise than Ava had. He looked down at her, silently waiting for an explanation.
Ava’s dark eyes hardened, reflecting annoyance.
“It’s too quiet.” she said, her tone matching her expression.
Zeik looked around his surroundings, automatically searching for some sort of threat.
Great scenery spread out before him as he stood on top of the bare cliff, his sharp eyes picking out every little detail. He scanned over the mountainous land, sweeping his eyes over every rough contours and the great sea of green of the forest trees. Everything was still as if he was staring at a perfect snapshot, but it was not a peaceful scene.
Just as Ava pointed out, the silence was heavy and thick; filling the air with an eerie tension that was cold and lifeless. It was unsettling, and it made his skin prickle every time he inhaled.

Ava remained silent and still as she stared far into the horizon, her eyes following something that was invisible to Zeik. Her expression gave nothing away as she seemed to be focusing intently on whatever it was that she was doing. Her eyes flickered rapidly as she scanned the landscape over and over again.
“Their trail disappears,” she murmured, her irritation growing more pronounced.
“‘Trail’?” Zeik echoed, curious.
“Sarvwen and Darvien’s trail. I’ve been tracking their Energy trail they have left up until this point. It just breaks off.” Ava said.

Zeik mused and nodded as if he understood, though he was far from that. He didn’t want to annoy her even more by asking her to explain every little thing.
But Ava continued, explaining anyways without waiting for a question.
“I suppose the best way to describe it as is sort of like fingerprints. See, our Energy Pulses do more than allow us to use Wards and keep us alive. It also acts as a defense mechanism, a natural, involuntary action our body has. It keeps us concealed from human and animal eyes of a normal level. Our Energy radiates around our body like an aura and that aura leaves faint traces on whatever it touches. I’ve been following the trail Sarvwen and Darvien’s Pulses had left, tracing it to the exact route.” she said, not taking her eyes off the land.
“But I don’t see anything,” Zeik said, trying to see this trail.
“That’s nothing unusual. The traces are so faint that even Immortals have trouble finding. We need to have an open 7th Sense to see any of it, and even then it’s troubling.” Ava said.
Her frown grew deeper.
“But the most peculiar…”
She kneeled down to the ground, brushing her fingers on the dusty ground.
“There’s nothing else to follow, a complete dead end. If this is correct, it should mean that this is where they should be.”

Zeik looked down at Ava and then around him, a feeling of loss creeping in his chest.
“That can’t be,” he said, trying to shake the feeling off.
There had to be something, anything Darvien had left behind. Something that had triggered that vision collapse…

“Ava, not to add to your burden but I have some bad news for you.” A bell like voice flowed into his ear.

Zeik turned to look at the speaker, only to remember about the communication phone clipped to his ear.
“Joyous, something different for a change.” Ava said in a dry sarcasm. “What’s the news, Thya?”
Thya drew in a long breath, as if she was choosing her next set of words carefully.
“Ah…well, we can’t seem to find your…um…mission anchor. He’s…ah…nowhere to be seen.”
Zeik saw all trace of kindness disappear from Ava’s face. She didn’t speak, but the dark expression said more than enough.
“…And we believe he is somewhere out there…in the Living…” Thya concluded, her voice wary.

Ava closed her eyes, her breathing deliberately slow and controlled.
“How long has he been gone for?” she asked in a flat voice.
“Umm…we’re not exactly sure, but if he’s still the Zavius I know, he probably left right after the red-flag went up on Sarvwen and Darvien’s mission.” Thya said.
Ava’s eyes shot open, her eyes taking on an irritated edge.
“He can be anywhere by now.” she said incredulously.
Thya clicked her tongue, her matched irritation sounding clear over the speaker.
“Don’t you think I know that? More than likely, he went to go help but without knowing where Sarvwen and Darvien are, he can be anywhere within---hmm, about 70 mile radius of Sylersland.”
“But why did it take so long to report this?” Ava growled.
“Hey, I’m in charge of the whole ATRU, the operation going in and out of Galiasis from the Stranaglastre gates and another whole beautifully organized, mile-long list of things to do so don’t you dare pull that card on me!!” Thya snapped back, her voice dangerously sharp.

Zeik winced, remembering her rage she had unleashed at the Monitoring Center when he asked if she was okay. He saw Ava allow herself to roll her eyes. He began to wonder if she was the only one to dare cross Thya this way or if she was crazy.

“Since I can’t leave my station nor can I deploy any more parties to assist this situation--which you can thank Zavius for, by the way--,” Thya stated dryly. “I’m asking you to go find Zavius and kick his ass back to base, no exaggeration.”
Ava sighed in aggravation, shaking her head to herself.
“Don’t you think---“

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew in a cutting blow at the cliff, shutting Ava off mid-sentence. Zeik tilted his head to the side to avoid the wind from stinging his eyes. He saw Ava bristle as if she had been slapped in the face. She stood there completely frozen, her irritation forgotten in an instant. He watched as her expression shift from blank to confusion, and then to shock.
With sudden alertness she snapped her hard gaze back to the scenery, this time not searching but glaring harshly at an invisible target hidden in the forest trees.
“Thya, I’m afraid that we’ll have to trust Zavius to take care of himself for now,” she said steely.
“What is it? Hey you, scan the area coordinate of Sylersland and the surrounding 100 miles perimeter to the main city.” Thya commanded one of her workers, leaving her question unanswered.
“Zeik,” Ava called authoritatively.

Without a pause, she leaped off the cliff.

Zeik shook himself out of his confusion and leaped after her. It wasn’t a complicated jump; the cliff was completely smooth and vertical, leaving a clear way all the way down. He fell through the air at great velocity, but not a single shape, movement or color escaped his eye. Instincts took over and he leaned forward in a slight crouch, preparing to land. Ava landed lightly on her toes and dove right into the forest. Zeik landed half a second later, his knees bending softly to absorb impact. Then he, too, slipped into the forest, swiftly catching up to Ava.

“Ava? Ava, are you there?” Thya demanded, slightly panicked.

“I’m fine, Zeik and I are moving forward, about three minute away from Sylersland borders,” Ava replied, her tone sharp and almost angry.
“What’s going on, Ava? You and Zeik just disappeared off our monitor without a trace!”

Zeik listened, questions after questions forming in his mind. Ava didn’t stop, not answering Thya as she continued to dodge the trees in fluid motions. The sick lump in his stomach returned. What happened? What’s going on? What was wrong?
“Ava,” he called after her, his voice coming out hoarse as he looked at his mission leader for answers. “What is it?”
Ava hissed though her teeth, her expression severe against the biting wind.
“Blood,” she growled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zeik’s POV

The metallic scent burned my throat like acid even before we broke through the trees that touched the border of Sylersland. I almost gagged; my stomach twisting painfully at the smell. I clenched my teeth together and wrestled against the nausea that crawled its way up to my chest,
Ava didn’t even seem to be disturbed by the intensity of the sick burn her expression frozen in that cold expression of hers. But then again, she never really did look happy. It was that this expression was more…darker?

The ground under my feet tilted in a steep incline as we started to skip up a small mountain. The stench grew worse as we went---as if that was possible.

Ava halted, her stops abrupt as ever. Her body shifted in a blink of an eye, her posture now in a defensive crouch. I followed her lead, trying to keep up with every movement. We were looking down at Sylersland now, not even a mile away from the closest district. And somewhere in there Darvien was, I hope with Sarvwen, in an aftermath comatose from his Crash, no doubt.
Subconsciously, I started to lift myself off the ground.

The response was immediate and came in a form of a full-control tone.
“Zeik,” Ava said, her hand gripping my shoulder firmly. She looked at me slightly sympathetically while still managing to keep her authoritative posture.
“I know it’s hard, painful even to have to keep up with this slow pace, but I can’t let you go off quite yet.” she said.
I felt myself scowl but I couldn’t get angry with her.
“I’m ready and Darvien needs help,” I muttered lamely.
Concern reflected in Ava’s eyes as she studied the city right below us.
“I know, for both. Patience, Zeik. If you go out now, we could both end up dead well before we can get to Darvien and Sarvwen.” she murmured, her tone almost aggravatingly soothing.
I snorted, my mood growing more and more impatient.
“And Darvien dies, because we do nothing,” I said flatly.
Ava turned back to me and gave me a tight smile.
“Stay,” she commanded.

And that was that. It’s hard to believe someone that’s a whole foot and a half shorter than I was could have so much power and control, just in her tone.

I fumed to myself, a little pissed that I was so easily controlled. All I wanted to do was run in, get Darvien, and run back out. What was so damn hard about that?

I was rambling and fuming inside my head, fidgeting impatiently when I heard Ava sigh. I thought I was starting to annoy the living hell out of her but when I looked she looked like she was frustrated with something. She got up from the ground and glared steadily down at Sylersland.
“Zeik, no matter what, don’t let your guard down. And whatever is waiting for us down there, try not to let it get to you.” she warned.

I didn’t like her tone. It was too calm and soothing. Except it didn’t aggravate me this time; it scared me. It was as if she was warning me that it may be too late. Or maybe she knew, maybe this rescue had turned into a retrieval mission.

Ava breathed out, her eyes closed. If she was breathing, I couldn’t tell. When she opened her eyes, her face was in that hard mask. She looked back at me and I just nodded, not trusting my voice.
And we were off, skipping down from our hiding place towards Sylersland.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The West District was empty. Vacant. A hollow shell.
It was creepy, seeing a human community like this. There was no trace of disasters, no burning cars, no bloodstains on the concrete and no dead bodies. Everything was pretty much in place in exception of one thing.

It was as if the humans just disappeared off the face of the earth.

Ava continued down the broad street, her slow careful steps in no hurry. I followed, trailing about ten feet behind. It was just too quiet to relax. My skin was crawling like bugs and the smell did nothing to help. The blood in the air was stronger and thicker than ever.
Ava stopped her already slow pace and looked up at the tall brick buildings that stood around us in empty walls. She inhaled deeply as she looked around. I realized then that I was avoiding breathing in from the nose. But I didn’t try to go back to breathing normally. I knew if I tried to tough it out and beat the overwhelming smell it would just push me over the edge. I caught up with Ava and stood next to her, a bit shaky and anxious. It was already tough to just stand there and not fidget.
What was she doing, taking her dandy old time?
I tried following her hard gaze but it led me to an empty window.

“Ava,” I growled frustrated.
I was annoyed, edgy, uneasy and another whole wave of feelings that just kind of sat there and bubbled in my stomach. I was just so steamed that I wanted to scream.
“What are you doing? We’re not here for sight seeing! There’s nothing to see here! The more time we waste here, the more Darvien is closer to---“
“Quiet,” Ava cut me off in a sharp, double layered tone.

I felt my mouth snap shut and my lips seal together. My cut-off rant got caught in my throat under her controlling tone. Just as she ordered, I was instantly completely silent.
So I stood there silently as Ava sniffed the air again and kneel to the ground. She pressed her palm to the pavement, her expression in deep focus. Then she was a statue again, unmoving and really, really, aggravatingly calm.

“Mmm-hmm!” I…hummed?
I frowned, confused. I had tried to say ‘Come-on!’ in more of a demanding tone. It was just that my lips didn’t come apart like they should have when I was talking. I tried, soundlessly to open my mouth. My lips stayed sealed as if they were glued shut. Wow…weird.
I thought back to Ava’s last command with irony. Now even if I wanted to or tried, I can’t make a sound. She told me to keep quiet and I automatically responded…oh.
Well wasn’t that unnecessary!! I would have shut up just as quick if she had asked nicely…okay maybe not as quickly or quiet but still, she could have asked! Either way, there was no need to use that tone on me.

I poked at my sealed lips experimentally. It didn’t budge, stiff and frozen under my finger. Damn, I don’t know how to counter this kind of bind.
I heard Ava sigh and I looked down at her. She was looking up at me with an exasperated tone. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
“Zeik, have patience with me, could you at least---”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence.

Suddenly, the air was heavy, the pressure pushing against my skin from every direction, squeezing me tightly. I gasped; Ava’s spellbind hold vanishing. Ava’s eyes grew wide and she looked to the east in bewildered expression. She didn’t see that coming either. The tension that was squeezing me grew tighter.
“They’re everywhere!!” I hissed, my skin crawling in discomfort against the pressure.
“No,” Ava murmured, her face horrified.
“They’re getting stronger.”

Suddenly without a warning she got up and darted forward, her direction facing east. I followed immediately, hot on her heels. We continued through the empty streets, turning sharp corners and racing past more empty buildings. Seeing more of the emptiness of this place just made it more real and eerie.
“What’s getting stronger, Ava? What are they?” I demanded, not slowing.
Ava was silent for a while, as if she was deliberating on some sort of decision.
“I don’t know what they are,” she admitted.
I stared at her incredulously but she didn’t turn around to see me. She went on, her words coming out fast and rushed.
“I don’t know what they are but I’ve felt these Flames before, and very recently at that. It was when I was on my last mission last night, I was a bit careless and I almost had a run-in with some sort of creature and another group of these…creatures. But it can’t be just some ordinary group of Dark Creatures; they aren’t made to coexist. And the way they were so organized should have been against their very nature.” she hissed back, taking another turn.
“Organized?” I asked, bewildered.
She didn’t explain, instead, she went on.
“My assignment was to hunt down a Soul Predator who calls himself Viper. A very smart target, with unpredictable feeding patterns,” she spat in contempt and disgust at the word feeding.

We took another right turn and charged at the wall of the building that formed a dead end. Without slowing down Ava kicked off the ground and shot herself high into the air, landing on the roof. I was right behind her, following her every move easily. We darted across the rooftop, leaping from one roof to the next.
My footing slipped as I stepped down for the next push. Quickly I gave myself an extra hop to regain my rhythm and momentum. As I launched myself forward, I caught a glimpse of Ava’s expression. It was only a second but I saw enough that it made me look away. There was some sort of dark resolve in her expression, something that went beyond hate. I dropped my gaze back to my footing.
“What’s up with his feeding pattern?” I asked, trying to keep my tone more casual.

Ava didn’t answer. She veered off to the left, running down slope of the roof. She then dived, twisting and falling four stories. I followed, falling feet first.
Ava landed smoothly on her toes in a low crouch on the ground. I landed on my toes, my knees absorbing the impact. I straightened and we were off again, back on out original route.
“It’s not much the feeding pattern that bothers me as its feeding habits,” Ava said.
I glanced at her, surprised.
“Feeding habits,” I echoed, studying her expression.
Ava’s lips were pressed together in a hard line, her brows sent in a severe scowl. But it was the eyes that burned dark with fierce emotions.
“Viper’s diet. Its choice of prey.” she said.

A gust of wind blew and scattered the loose stray pieces of paper and other litter across the pavement, blowing cold air straight into our faces. Automatically I held my breath before I could breathe in any of the gut-wrenching smell. I saw Ava stiffen and her jaws lock into place.
“I was hoping I was wrong about this,” she breathed in a strained voice.
I went cold and stabs of panic hit my stomach. My limbs felt heavy as lead as I continued after her.
“Wrong about what?” I rasped, unable to breathe.
Come on, suck it up, dammit! I thought. Stop being a wimp…

Another turn to the right…and I froze.
We were in the Four Corners Plaza, a wide-ring area where the four sections of Sylersland met. But it was not in the state it should have been. Every fiber of my being bristled to stand on its end with crazy energy, and my whole body reacted as it was assaulted by indescribable emotions. As disgusted as I was, I couldn’t look away.
“Ava,” I snarled. “What. Is. This?”

Ava didn’t move, not looking at me either.
“The feeding ground,” she said coldly.

It was everywhere.
Blood was splattered in every direction, seeping into the ground in a permanent stain. The plaza’s bordering buildings were in a similar ravaged state, the store windows shattered and dotted with the evidence of the bloodshed.
And there it was, in the very center of the destruction.

The great number of human remains was laid in separate mangled mound, carelessly disposed. Most of the bodies were completely torn apart, almost completely unrecognizable and beyond identification. But something about the pile was too organized. Ava started forward, walking towards the dead bodies.
“Found either empty or torn apart,” she muttered, maybe more to herself. “Revolting.”
I scoffed, and Ava turned, giving me a dark gaze.
“There’s no word to describe this…this massacre,” I snarled.
Furious rage burned through my bones and muscle, hungrily burning every ounce of oxygen in my lungs. I was shaking, my vision taking in what was displayed in front of me. I returned Ava’s gaze with a stabbing glare.
“Where’s Darvien?” I demanded in a low voice.

Ava turned away and continued on forward, stopping at the closest blood-drenched mound. A torn up face stared unseeingly at me, its neck in an impossible angle. My jaw clenched shut in disgust.
“I can’t promise you anything about Darvien or Sarvwen’s status.” she said in that calm tone of hers.
It pissed me off even more.
“What are you saying? That we were too late? Too slow?” I growled, my tone doubling.
“As impossible as it seems, you need to try to calm down.” she ordered.

I threw my head back, laughing humorlessly at the top of my lungs.

“Numbers of humans were killed, and you want me to stay calm?” I bellowed.
Ava was still calm, kneeling down closer to the mound of bodies, studying them while I seethed. She was going to ignore me, just let me rant; I know it.
So I went on, just to yell.
“I KNEW it!! We were too slow! If I had just hurried up and came here, I could have saved them. ALL of them! Now why---“

I stopped when I saw Ava disappear from her spot. The next half second, she was crouched in front of me, ready to pounce in my direction. Her face was unreadable, her eyes wide in bewilderment almost. I didn’t have time to react before Ava’s left shoulder crashed into my ribs, sending both of us up into the air.