Alex ran to Malena's cell. What he saw wasn't his usual Malena; she was looking into emptiness. Dried-out tear stains were visible on her cheeks. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were dirty. His heart sank with guilt as he watched the scene.
"Hey Malena! I'm here, don't worry. I'm going to get you out. It's going to be okay." Alex's words were filled with hope, but they didn't seem to affect her.
He tried opening the cell with the same key, but it didn't work. He went back to the guard to get his answer.
"Why isn't the key opening Malena's cell?"
"Hahahahah, I only had your key; one of the other guards must have had hers. Hahahaha! Good luck getting her out now," cried out the guard, savouring every moment of his petty victory.
Alex didn't have any time to waste. He went back to Malena's cell at full speed.
"Another guard has your key. I'll go get it, wait for me. I'll be back as soon as I can," Alex tried to sound confident, but his voice cracked.
This is all my fault. She's a mess because of me. If only I hadn't tried to fight Xander. If we hadn't gone to the archives. If only...
"Bring me my staff." Malena got up and walked to the front of the cell. Her eyes started to glow brighter by the second.
"What are you talking about?" responded Alex, visibly intrigued. "Are you talking about that metal rod you had when you saved me in the library?"
She answered with a single nod while tying her hair in a ponytail.
The guards had left our bags at the prison entrance. The rod was there with the rest of her stuff.
What can she possibly want to do with this?
Alex brought her the rod, and she smiled as she stared at it, coming closer and closer to her.
"Step back."
Malena stood still for a couple of seconds. She looked as if she were measuring the angle and distance from the bars. She took two steps back and started spinning. After a couple of spins, she started coming closer to the gate.
Finally, when she was close enough to make contact, she jumped and hit the gate with a horizontal slash. The bars didn't just break; they melted. It was like she was slashing through the air. She hit them once at the top and once at the bottom while landing. All the bars fell to the ground and made a ruckus that could have been heard all the way at the battlefield.
Right there, when she finished her movement, her rod had a faint reddish glow. The same color as a sunset.
"Ho... how did you do that?" Alex couldn't hold back his shocked face.
"Let's get going..." Malena's eyes had shifted from a state of total emptiness to one of burning determination in a matter of seconds.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The two friends rushed to the stairs, eager to see what was happening on the surface.
As they came out of the stairwell, a horrifying scene greeted them. Smoke was rising from the top of the hill, and the smell of burning wood was assaulting their noses.
As they started running up the road, they crossed a group of disciples going the other direction. " Alex, Malena! Don't go out there! We are to evacuate immediately. Elder Herald's orders," screamed one of them with a panicked face. They didn't take the time to stop. They were running as fast as they could.
Malena and Alex took a moment to look into each other's eyes, hoping to find courage or strength, before doubling their efforts to reach the top.
As they arrived at their destination, they saw a young man lying on the ground in a pool of blood. He had the same red and black clothing as the group they crossed on the way up. His blond hair gave him away; it was Eric.
"Eric! What happened?!" cried out Alex, pressing against Eric's left forearm, where a coin-sized hole was leaking blood.
"A...Alex... turn back, this isn't a place for you, you'll get killed on the spot." Muttered Eric, barely breathing at this point.
"Malena, did you learn those healing spells I drew for you?"
"No... I was supposed to get help from my mom this week, but she didn't have the time..." Melena's eyes were already tearing up. She didn't particularly like Eric, and they've had their fair share of fights, but seeing him die so soon wasn't on her bucket list.
Alex's mind was already brainstorming the second he heard the word "no" come out of her mouth. Without any time to spare, he took out his belt and wrapped it around Eric's biceps. He then squeezed it as hard as he could.
"OWWWWW! What's this?! Let... let me go!" screamed Eric, kicking the ground because of the pain.
"Shut up. I'm saving your life." Alex finished his knot and examined the wound closely. The blood stopped pulsing.
"Alright, you're good for now. We'll come get you once this is over. Don't move. Let's go, Malena." Alex stood up and pulled Malena by her arm. Eric didn't have the strength or will to protest. They were finally ready to join the battle.
Arriving at the top of the hill, they saw Zora and Herald back-to-back, fighting three guards on each side. Firebolts were deflected left and right, thanks to Herald's shields, and Zora barely missed one of the guards with her icespike. Malena was relieved to see that there weren't any other disciples at the scene.
Xander was watching the scene a couple of meters to the right. His typical smile was what angered Alex the most. Next to him was Clan Leader Klutz, who wasn't doing anything as usual when it came to Xander.
Malena grounded her feet, ready to charge into the battle.
"Wait, I have a plan, follow me." Alex caught her by the shoulder.
"What do you mean you ha..." Malena stopped talking instinctively. Alex wasn't looking at her, but his face displayed the pure determination he had. "Okay, I'll follow you this time, but it better involve me coming out swinging," added Malena.