Chapter 7

Kairi weaved her way through the panicking crowd with little trouble, calm eyes taking in everything yet nothing. She did have to divert through several longer routes to avoid the stampede of rushing people, however, and that had caused the slight delay to reach her destination.

The brunette was mentally cursing that fact when her ears picked up on someone’s not-so distant pleas to let them go. She dashed through the alley she was in to get to the once-not clearing, cussing audibly when she saw a lady and child who were cowering from their attacker – a man she and her sister remembered with little fondness. The silver haired, yellow-eyed man looked no different from the one in Kairi’s memories – complete with the same sadistic smile on his face. “Cain,” Kairi hissed with more than just venom in her voice when said person made to strike the defenceless duo with the sword he held.

Remembering the replacement spell Yula taught her just days ago, Kairi hurriedly casted it and allowed her position to switch with that of the vulnerable duo, her Wind-elemental shield raised immediately and deflecting the strike from Cain’s sword. “Run, quickly!” Kairi called to the woman and her child, eyes still focused on the man before her.

“Ah, Kairi Thyride,” the man before her spoke as he angled his sword away from Kairi’s shield, listening to the quickly receding footsteps of his almost victims. “Imagine my surprise when I went looking for you two months ago only to find the people I ordered to contain you dead.” His tone was one of mock-disappointment.

“I’m not sorry at all,” Kairi spat, orange eyes narrowed. Briefly, she wondered if her weapons would answer her summoning – it had been a while since she’d called upon them, and all the times she spent training with Stein they had utilized mere wooden weapons. But Kairi found she had no time to consider summoning them to her aid as Cain did not take her response favourably, launching a vicious spell in her direction.

Kairi flipped away from the incoming fireballs, frowning when she found she could not move beyond the clearing they were in. ‘When did he have time to cast a barrier?’ she wondered, rolling away from a sudden ice spike.

“Reinforcements better come soon,” she muttered under her breath, dodge-rolling under a swing from Cain’s sword and lashing out with a kick.

~*~

Karyme found the weapons shop with ridiculous ease, dashing inside and immediately bumping into the very person she was looking for. Said person blinked at her, confused by the seemingly unnerved expression on her face though his hands remained securely fastened around the package he had picked up for his father. The…quake…the blonde deduced, had not reached this part of the city after all. “Is something the matter, Miss Doyle?” Stein asked. Noticing Kairi’s poncho in her grasp, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Where’s Kairi?”

The older recited to Stein word-for-word of what Kairi informed her earlier. She watched as Stein’s eyes widened for a split second before narrowing once more. He nodded and gestured for her to follow him. As the pair arrived briskly back at the Aitelorn castle, Karyme observed that majority of the town folk, if not all, had already gathered within the sanctuary of a castle.

She continued to wordlessly follow the youngest Aitelorn, watching attentively as Stein marched into the meeting room without any hesitation whatsoever. A hasty but somewhat necessary action, the blonde figured, recollecting beforehand-mentioned instructions that the meeting’s progression was not to be interupted. It seemed the room’s occupants were yet informed of the ill happenings outside either.

“Cain is here,” Stein announced bluntly, steeling a new tenseness within the space’s atmosphere.

~*~

Stein was not all that surprised to see the occupants of the meeting room stand in shock – Cain’s influence and the horrors he brought were beyond infamous, after all. “Are you absolutely sure, Stein?” Seloria asked, her sole eye slightly narrowed. There was a certain edge in the older female’s voice that Stein did not like – it was one of barely concealed rage.

“More than half of the towns folk can testify to that,” Karyme answered instead from behind him, and Stein nodded to her in thanks as he dropped the package he was holding onto the table. Rather hastily, he worked himself away from his parents and brothers’ grasp, silently cursing himself for not being prepared with his weapons – he now had to dash to his room to grab hold of his swords.

“Stein!” Rityu called as he once again evaded their grasps and dashed out of the meeting room hurriedly. He turned ever so slowly, expression one of pure annoyance as he regarded adults who had to ask too many questions when someone was waiting for back up.

“I,” he said slowly, as if talking to children who did not understand why they could not have ice-cream before dinner, “am going to my room to grab my weapons. After that, I’m going to run back out with them. Kairi is currently facing Cain alone, and she specifically told Karyme that she needed back up so I am going to go back. Her. Up.”

Feeling much better now that he had managed to shock them into silence (Karyme was looking at him rather amused, though), Stein made a mad dash to his room. Rather frantically, he strapped his swords to his belt and quickly ran out – Seloria had recovered from her shock fast enough to join him at the door, and he welcomed her help. He saw how Cain had practically single-handedly killed the Thyride family that day via Kairi’s memory, after all. If he was that strong then, how was Kairi going to be able to handle him on her own now, when she was just starting to build her strength back up?

‘You troublesome woman, you had better still be standing when we get there,’ he thought to himself with a growl, unconsciously moving faster in the direction Karyme had told him earlier.

~*~

Green eyes regarded the two within the barrier with a sigh. He had rushed to Destila from Lyma when his informant told him he was going to attack, but it would seem he was still a little late. Glancing almost sadly at the barrier that was set up by him... he sighed; he should really be getting about to breaking it. A Draining Barrier had only ill effects to those not its caster. He shook his head, semi-long silver locks flowing with the movement. He stepped forward and slowly raised his hand to touch the barrier.

Upon contact, the barrier’s own coat of magic lashed out at him with the force of a raging ocean, but he did not care. At least, if his unwavering gaze was any indication, nor did he move from his position. His normally calm expression morphed into a frown – he had the barrier up for quite a while; the girl lasting as long as she had thus far with a Draining Barrier continuing to weaken her was impressive. Perhaps it had something to do with those flickering seals on her right arm… but she did not appear to notice them.

The silver haired man shook his head, refocusing his attention to the barrier before him. The girl was not likely to last much longer.

~*~

Kairi barely rolled away from yet another Ice-based spell that was sent her way. Sweat encased her very being and forced the relatively form-fitting top she wore to cling to her like second skin. She staggered to her feet, one hand quickly pushing her bangs away from her eyes.

‘Something about this barrier’s not right,’ she thought to herself with a quiet growl, breathing heavily. ‘Even during my spars against Master Aitelorn I don’t usually feel half as tired as I do now.’

Before her, Cain smirked. “I see you realized this barrier is no ordinary barrier,” he drawled rather cockily. Kairi’s eyes narrowed at him, suddenly realizing what the barrier was. Yula had taught her about certain barriers types and their effects.

“This barrier… a Draining Barrier,” she growled lowly, pretending not to notice that her legs had started shaking in an effort to keep herself upright. She was definitely a goner if help did not arrive soon. Black was starting to creep into her vision, and Kairi had fallen onto one knee when her legs decided to give out on her.

“Why yes,” Cain responded. “Most people barely manage standing the moment I pull this barrier up, but you…” his yellow eyes regarded her with concealed interest, “you were capable of moving and attacking me for more than twenty minutes.”

The youngest Thyride considered flashing the man before her a rude hand sign at that, but decided against it – no use wasting her remaining energy on something so pointless. Her vision swimming, she did not realize when Cain stood before her and could not react at all when his hand closed around her neck, choking her and lifting her from the ground.

Despite her body’s severe fatigue, Kairi refused to give in, struggling desperately against the vice grip on her neck – however futile her efforts were. Black was starting to consume her vision when the barrier broke (sounding very much like glass breaking slowly) and she was tossed aside like a rag doll – the blade that whizzed where Cain earlier stood to choke her following soon after.

“Kairi!” Eyes squeezed shut while coughing and gasping for air, she felt someone lift her into… his? her?... arms. She cracked one eye slightly open, body heaving with the need for precious air.

“La…late…” she whispered before allowing herself to obey her body’s demand for rest, falling limp in the person’s arms

~*~

Karyme had surprised him, Stein conceded. Despite appearing quite sickly, the slightly older female was fast – as proven when she had ran up beside him out of practically nowhere, and was ridiculously strong too. She threw her weapon, a freaking claymore, in Cain’s direction in a bid to save Kairi. Seloria had immediately gone to her sister’s side with Karyme in tow while he had positioned himself before the two females.

Stein was ready to draw his swords, but Cain’s narrowed eyes in a direction other from his and the girls’ made him glance over. His different coloured eyes widened just the slightest bit at the sight of the man who openly opposed Cain – there was no mistaking the man’s twin, after all.

“Lord Vermios,” he uttered, dumbfounded as his family came up behind him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rityu nod to the aforementioned lord slightly – an action that confused him, though he paid it little heed.

Said lord smiled, though there was no perceivable emotion behind it. “Hello, brother. Here to destroy lives again, are we?” he asked almost casually, as if talking about the weather. Cain narrowed his eyes at him.

“Hello, Abel,” he hissed, spitting the name out as if it were poison. “How nice of you to break my barrier," Cain said rather sarcastically before continuing. “If I did not need you alive, I would kill you right now. You,” he paused, his yellow eyes snaking towards Kairi again (Stein and Karyme fell into defensive positions immediately, while Seloria tightened her grip on her sister), “and that girl.”

Stein watched as a tense moment passed before Cain started chuckling. “No matter,” he said, stance relaxed. “I have other, more important plans right now.” The man barked out a laugh before he disappeared, presumably via teleportation.

The remaining silver-haired man swept his glance over the area before settling on Kairi’s still form. “Let’s get her to your infirmary and let her heal, Lord Aitelorn.” His green eyes – very much alike his mother’s, Stein realized with a start – gazed over at his father, who nodded curtly.

“Of course, Lord Vermios. We have matters to discuss.”