?
Emery's heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in short bursts. Annoyance was a mild word for what he felt. After surviving a nightmarish battle and losing so many comrades, they were now faced with betrayal from within their own ranks.
The ship was in a delicate position between layers of the atmosphere. Every creak and groan from the hull was a stark reminder that it was too fragile to withstand any kind of fight within.
With Atlas's attention entirely consumed by piloting the ship, Emery found himself the one to deal with this unexpected crisis.
"Senior… tell me why? Why did you want to return to the elf ship!?"
The usually calm Captain Kenzo's face was pale, his eyes wide with a mix of fear. He was trembling slightly as he stammered, "I don't want to die… I have a guarantee of safe passage with me… I'm going to get my freedom."
His reference was the pouch that was currently filled with more than 40 dark elves' spirit souls. According to the dark elves' twisted promise, 50 of these would grant a prisoner safe passage home, out of the Demon's Pit prison. Magus Kenzo was planning to gamble his life on their word.
Emery's stomach twisted at the realization, and he heaved a heavy sigh. "Senior, why do you believe the elves' promise? It's definitely a lie. Drop your dagger. We can get out of here together."
Kenzo's eyes widened, and he seemed to falter for a moment, the blade in his hand wavering. But then, his fear and desperation overpowered reason. His face twisted into a mask of anger and frustration. "Huh!! How far do you think we can go with this junk?!" he spat, his voice tinged with hysteria.
The insult was a slap in the face to Master Borin, the creator of the said junk. His face turned a shade redder as he bellowed, "You're calling my Firefly junk? How dare you!"
A standoff had been reached. The tension within the ship reached a critical point as the two agitated figures glared at each other, a lethal blade poised dangerously in the confined space. It only took one slightly harder bump on the ship and then the worst possible outcome happened.
The blade accidentally pierced a hole in Master Borin's neck, and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Blood spurted and his hands clutched at the wound, a gurgling sound escaping his throat.
"No... I didnt mean to..." The Magus was as shocked as the rest of them.
At the same time, the ship lurched violently follow by alarms that screamed in response, red lights flashing and drowning the interior in a chaotic glow. It was unclear whether the sudden tremble from the fight or the pressure of the atmosphere itself caused the alarms. What was clear was that Master Borin was in no condition to speak, give any answer, or take control.
"Do something!!"
Only a few agonizing seconds passed before the ship tilted back, losing its battle with gravity. It began a rapid descent towards the planet, pulled by the relentless force that sought to drag it down.
"Pull it up! Pull it up!" the magus shouted, terror in his voice. He looked to Atlas, hoping against hope that he could regain control of the ship. But Atlas's attention was elsewhere.
With a swift and decisive movement, Atlas grabbed Emery, who sat next to him and blasted out of the ship.
The ship broke apart just a second after their departure, the shockwave split Emery and Atlas apart.
Falling from the atmosphere was an agonizing experience, the heat and friction of re-entry scorching them. The pain was intense, enough to make both of them winded and disoriented as they plummeted downward.
Emery's mind raced, and he managed to recover enough to cast [light wing], slowing his fall just in time. His whole body ached as he crashed into the sandy plains, sliding across the ground and leaving a long mark as evidence of his violent descent.
Atlas, on the other hand, hit a rocky mountain with a deafening crash, his mechanical body scraping against the unforgiving stone.
As for the ship, a large chunk of it fell several miles to the north.
Emery's mind was a whirlwind of emotions – grief for Master Borin, rage at Kenzo's betrayal, concern for Atlas, and a lingering sense of guilt that he couldn't prevent the disaster. And now he was once again stuck on this planet.
He push himself up, the sinking feeling had to be pushed aside. He needed to find his Machine friend, Atlas.
Looking at the dark rock that Atlas fell into, Emery was reminded of one of those spider creatures, Drider's lair. Emery was afraid the crash would undoubtedly attract their attention, and he had to act swiftly.
Emery scrambled towards the mountain cracks, his feet finding purchase on the jagged terrain. The impact of Atlas's crash had left a clear path.
There, laying amidst rocks and debris, was the half-machine magus, Atlas. He was still in one piece, but the sparks and erratic movements of his mechanical parts told Emery that all was not well.
"Atlas! Are you alright?!" Emery shouted, his voice filled with concern.
"I… er… need time… repair…" Atlas's voice crackled a clear indication of internal damage.
Emery's senses were on high alert, and the distant roaring of the Drider was heard, there were hundreds of them. Those monstrous creatures were closing in, drawn by the noise and chaos. There was no time to waste.
"We need to go now!" Emery urged, quickly grabbing Atlas and heaving him onto his back.
As they began to move, Emery's mind raced, simultaneously processing the crash's whereabouts and the energy signature of Magus Kenzo. The treacherous magus was moving at speed, clearly fleeing from the crash site.
"He's running," Emery murmured, his senses tracking Kenzo's movements. A decision loomed before him, whether to pursue Kenzo or investigate Master Borin's fate. But his thoughts kept returning to one crucial detail.
The pouch that Magus Kenzo held contained something precious, the captured essence of a hundred human spirit souls. A cold fury began to brew within Emery's heart afraid that Magus Kenzo would do something extremely foolish.
The enormity of Kenzo's betrayal, coupled with the potential loss of human spirit souls, cemented Emery's resolve. The chase was on, and he would not rest until justice was served.
"Kenzo!!"
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