Three hours passed. Eventually Bast quit trying to rest and walked about the area, eventually finding his fallen Dragon Pendant. When Leria awoke, she taught him how to use it to summon his dragon armor, and once she felt ready, she transformed back into her dragon form, and Bast mounted. “Coming?” Leria asked Aurixel.

Aurixel looked at Leria, part of him unsure and confused as to why she asked. Wasn’t he still tecnally her prisoner? Hense the collar around his neck. “I have a choise?”

Leria laughed, “I was much too weak when I landed. That collar is just a ruse, it isn’t limiting your powers or anything.” She shrugged slightly. “You could have left at any point.”

Aurixel was surprised as he heard that, “Really…” He muttered, thinking for a moment before sighing. “You don’t mind if I come with you…?”

Leria smiled slightly, “Willing to help save Jing?”

Aurixel nodded. Part of him was scared, no terrified about what might happen if he did help save her. Mainly about the rage he would face from his lord.

“Then get on up, we have a long way to go. Aurixel, I need you to guide me.” She said, waiting for Bast to help Aurixel up before soaring into the sky.

Aurixel nodded, glad for the help getting on. Leria was much bigger then Vutia had been, though oddly he felt safer on her then he ever had with the black dragon. Once she was up in the sky the bori explained the direction to head, and where there where places the white might have stopped to rest.

Leria was still in pain from the acid and scrapes Vutia had given her, but she did not complain about the passengers or the additional pain flying at high speeds was giving her. They had two people to save after all, Jing… and Kinu.

They flew on through the night, and it wasn’t until dawn was near that they saw the glint of something upon a mountaintop below them. “That must be them, they must have camped there the night.” Bast pointed. Leria circled down, and they saw the large snowflake with it’s grisley center.

Aurixel had noticed Leria’s pain, though didn’t ask about it, knowing they had to hurry. When they started to fly down he held onto the bronze dragon tightly, something he had learned to do when riding Vutia, ever since the first time she had desided to when landing, lean over enough to make him drop to the still far off ground. When he saw the snowflake his face went pale, unable to speak.

Bast felt a wave of nausea and pain hit him as he saw the snowflake, his grip on Leria tightening in anger and rage at what they’d done to her. “WHY!?” He roared in anguish. Leria felt her heart jump to her mouth, tears sting her eyes as she looked for the white which would be close. Her thoughts were centered more on Kinu, however, than Jing, who would revive any second now, as the sun was about to breach the horizon.

Aurixel was speakless, and felt sick to his stomach at the sight of Jing, unable to look anymore and turned his head away, closing his eyes.

As the sun rose Jing’s body started to glow from inside the ice and she vanished for a split second before reappering just outside the ice, her limps back to normal. Her cloths though, which had frozen inside the ice, were still trapped inside the snowflake. She dropped to the ground infront of the snowflake with a small cry and a quiet whimper, curling up and not looking up. She didn’t realize her friends were infront of her, fear from the events the day before causing her to try and protect herself from the white she knew was close by.

The white appeared suddenly, a blast of ice-breath hitting Leria and her riders from behind. Leria cried out as she felt her wings begin to freeze over, turning to leash out with her electricity. Bast hunkered down low on Leria’s back, trying to not tremble in the cold blast that froze on his dragonarmor.

Aurixel went down low as well at the ice, shivering and his robes doing nothing to protect agenst the freezing breath. Muttering quietly he then looked up towards the white, raising his hand and a wave of fireballs shooting at the chromatic.

Jing’s ears twitched as she heard something off, slowly looking up and shocked at what she saw through already tear filled eyes. “B…Bast… Leria… A…Aurixel?” She said quietly, arms and tail still tightly wrapped around her, starting to shiver. Not more cold!

The battle above Jing was already raging, the white and bronze dragons wheeling and clashing in the sky. Leria was at a disadvantage, wounded from the day before and carrying two riders she had to be mindful of. This was no young dragon she fought either. A wave of blasted cold made the large bronze finally shoot out of the sky, landing with a crash near where Jing was, belly first so as not to crush her two riders.

Jing just watched in horror, trembling and shaking her head a little. This wasn’t good.

Aurixel had a hard time with any spells while on Leria, but when she was forced to the ground he quickly jumped off her, forming more fireballs to shoot at the white to atleast hopefully destract it.

The white dragon wheeled in the air, avoiding for the most part the fireballs, but some struck home, and she cried out in rage, blasting those on the ground with her icy breath. Bast jumped off as well, “Are you okay!?” He asked Leria, landing beside her head. She had her eyes closed tightly. “Y…yeah, I’ll be fine.” She breathed, then struggled up. Some of the wounds on her chest had reopened and bled bronze-tinted amber blood.

Aurixel brought up his hands, staff appearing and he took a strong hold of it to form a barrior. He knew trying to fight agenst a dragon pretty much equaled death for him, but if he could destract her for atleast enough time for Leria to recover and take the white out from behind… More fireballs formed and merged together, before a wave of heat and flames went towards the white.

Jing couldn’t move, just watching confused. Why was Leria here? And Aurixel was helping them?! Her shivering got worse the longer she sat there though, feet already feeling a little numb.

Leria regained her strength before lifting herself from the ground, flying back into the sky as the White was forced to fly away from the heat. She rose higher, and soared after the white.

Bast watched for a few seconds, then dashed towards Jing, falling on his knees beside her. “Jing?”

Aurixel looked towards Bast and Jing, moving closer to thet wo incase he needed to make another barrior, but at the same time kept his distance as much as possible, eyes going back towards the fight above them.

Jing looked up at Bast, tears coming to her eyes. “B…Bast…” She said, voice just a whisper. She moved quickly, arms wrapping around him in a tight hug as she started to cry. Even though he was wearing armor, which was very cold right now, she didn’t care.

He hugged her back closely, and willed the armor to melt into normal clothing. He pulled her closer, into his lap. “I’m sorry..” He whispered, “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner…”

Leria and the white dragon were having quite a spectacular battle in the sky, though Aurixel could tell Leria was loosing.

Aurixel didn’t like the looks of this at all… and there was nothing he could do! “Damn it…” He muttered quietly, grip on his staff getting tighter.

Jing clung to Bast tightly, crying agenst him and still shaking badly from the cold. “K…Kinu… she…” Her voice broke, uanble to get out any words as she cried more.

Bast winced, “We’ll go find her. I’m sure she’s still alive, Jing!” He said, slowly getting his jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders. For the first time in years he wished he wore a cloak.

Jing shook her head a little “S…She… all that pain… and…” She looked at her hands for a second before burying her face back into Bast’s chest. “Its all my fault…”

Bast sighed, “The link between us doesn’t share all pain.” He said, glancing up in worry at Leria. “Or I’d probably be unconscious right now.” He added.

“I was… stabbed through the heart Bast…” Jing said quietly, thankful for the jacket around her, but she was still freezing cold. “I died… when Kinu was already so weak…”

Bast flinched, and could say nothing. He shared Leria’s assumption that the little dragon was most probably dead now.

Jing shook her head more, crying into Bast as she clung to him tightly. “Its my fault….”

There was nothing he could say to make her feel better, so he just hugged her, rubbing her shoulders to keep her as warm as possible in the frigid atmosphere. He looked up at the fight above them, to see Leria roar out in pain, plummeting once more to the ground. Bast flinched, twitching in worry.

Aurixel had moved farther off from Bast and Jing, after setting up a spell to protect them. While Leria was fighting the white he had worked on a larger spell. He only knew one fire one, but if he combined the fire from a couple uses of the spell it worked better. Finally, once Leria was out of the way and the white was watching her he sent out the attack. A large wave of heat and strong flames to try and sorround the white and attack her.

Jing clung to Bast, hearing Leria’s roar, which caused her to tremble more. Kinu was gone… and Leria was being hurt so much because of her!

“She’s… she’s strong, Jing, she’ll be okay.” He said, half to himself and half for her sake. He watched as the spell attacked the weakened white, and smirked in satisfaction at the scream of pain, the white also plummeting from the sky.

Aurixel nodded a little, breathing hard by now. So many spells was draining!

Leria stirred, slowly rising to her feet. She felt drained, and one wing had been torn and a bone broken. She looked for the white, but could not see where she had fallen. Slowly she made her way to the others, limping.

Aurixel stayed where he was, he had seen where the white had landed, and kept his eyes on that area.

Jing cried still, but she was quieter, clinging to Bast and shivering badly.

The white didn’t reappear and Leria eventually was beside them. She made a warm blanket appear and Bast wrapped it around Jing, then Leria collapsed with a small moan, eyes closed. She was bleeding from various wounds.

Jing looked at Leria worried, thankful for the blanket. She was so hurt… she needed healing. “D…Do you have enough energy to t…teleport…?” She asked quietly. “To the lake? You… need healing…”

Leria slowly shook her head. “N..no… not yet.” She whispered. Bast twitched, turning to Aurixel. “You can’t go with us there… what will you do now?”

Aurixel looked at Bast for a moment before looking away. “Go back.” He answered with a small sigh. He knew the fate that awaited him… but… he would still go.

“And get killed?” He said, incredulous. “Why?”

“The same reason I can’t fully betray my lord.” Aurixel answered. “I hope what I did here… makes up atleast a tiny bit for the wrongs I have done as of late. Though I know… I’ll still go to hell once I’m killed.”

Bast scowled. “You’re a fool! What use will dying be to those still trapped in the nightmare!?”

“What exactly could I do to help them now? I go to the island, I will be captured, and killed.” Aurixel muttered, tail twitching beside him.

Bast shook his head. “Find… a way… study your magic, and wait for us at the valley. Come with us.”

Aurixel chuckled a little, looking at the still crying Jing “I’m not going to be a burden to your group. And I know none of you could truly trust me. I wouldn’t expect that.”

“You can always earn our trust… you’re Jing’s friend.” He said, looking at her as well. “You have no idea how she felt when she saw you… as part of the enemy.”

“For what I’ve done… I don’t think I deserve trust or friendship…” Aurixel admitted.

Leria finally managed to sit up. She moved closer to Jing and Bast, picking them up. “We must leave.” She said. Bast glanced at Aurixel. “Are you really that weak and cowardly?”

Aurixel sighed. “No… but I am tired.” He admitted before looking at Bast. “I don’t think I deserve your trust or friendship because I… I’m not a good person. You should know that from this.” He said, showing his burnt hand. The hand he had grabbed Bast’s amulet with. “But… Maybe I won’t give myself up just yet…”

Jing had listened quietly to everything, but her mind was to mixed up to care right now and she just held onto Bast and cried agenst the Kankiru.

“People can change.” He replied. “You already changed once, didn’t you? You can still change again.” Leria smiled slightly, nodding, then the three disappeared.

Aurixel watched as the three dissapered before turning and walking off. For now he would have to find a place to hide.