Diamondlot

Friend in Need

Jiyah nudged both Nadya and Reina until they woke up. She started softly but steadily increased it to violently shaking them awake. Nadya and Reina eventually came into consciousness and were still in a bit of daze. They were both greatly relieved when Jiyah gave them the great news that she was able to knock out their opponent thanks to their efforts.

They slowly got back up to their feet and as they did, Cole’s body that was lying on the ground began to move. He pulled back up into a sitting position which startled the girls and immediately caused Jiyah and Nadya to jump into a fighting stance. “Relax, I’m not going to fight you anymore.” The girls were still vigilant as they couldn’t bring themselves to trust the fire mage. He raised his hand into an open palm, ready to unleash another fire spell but as he tried, a very small flame came out and flickered away.

“As you can see I’m basically out of magic. I would be absolutely powerless and wouldn’t stand a chance against the three of you.” He announced to them. Jiyah let down her fists and Nadya sheathed her swords away. Once Cole was sure that they calmed down, he began to share his motives for following Kabir who had been possessed by Dragkonis.

Cole revealed that the reason he had been following Dragkonis’s order was to find a way to save Kabir. He explained that although Kabir could have his moments of anger, he was a very good person. Unfortunately Dragkonis sensed darkness within his heart and the power he possessed and sought him as his host. Cole wanted to make sure Dragkonis wouldn’t do anything drastic with Kabir’s body so he had to stay around him as much as he could. Cole looked for every opportunity to relinquish Dragkonis from Kabir’s body but he never succeeded. Dragkonis even threatened Cole that if he ever tried to betray him again, he would destroy Kabir’s body.

After that day, Cole realized that there wasn’t much he could do on his own to save his friend. Instead, he hoped that one day he would be able to find someone who would be strong enough to help. He traveled to different places following Dragkonis’s order and battled many warriors but never found anyone strong enough to face him, until now.

He admitted that he never expected much when he first saw Jiyah, Nadya, and Reina. In terms of raw strength, none of them should have beaten him. But together, they did and he acknowledged that watching them fight gave him hope and belief. Still in pain, he asked the girls, “Could you please save my friend, Kabir?”

Nadya, Jiyah, and Reina stared at each other after Cole had asked them the question. Without saying a word, they smiled simultaneously knowing what their answer would be. Reina turned back to Cole and in a child-like manner yelled, Okay!

Cole was surprised that they accepted so easily but also relieved. As the girls were about to help Cole up, a dark gust blew across their face giving them a shivering sense that danger was near. A squad of dread knights had appeared to finish the job the fire mage had started.

Nadya and Jiyah immediately prepared themselves for a fight but before they could engage in battle Cole stuck his hand out to tell them to conserve their energy. The fire mage slowly pulled himself up and told the girls to go on ahead as he would take care of his former allies. The three girls showed concern for the mage but he assured them that he wouldn’t need much energy to finish the goons off.

They decided to trust Cole’s judgment and turned the other way to find Kabir. As they were about to depart, Cole interrupted them one last time. The girls halted and were each thrown a vial containing some mysterious liquid. “They are revitalization potions. They should give you all some energy back for your battle with Kabir.” He informed them. The trio thanked the fire mage for his kindness and made their way towards their comrades.