269 High stakes (2/2)
Detra gazed at her with a confused look, ”It's just as I said... The last months while hiding and running away from the demons we all have been harnessing our combat abilities non-stop.”
”What are you talking about?? We just saw each other a couple of days ago!!” Leona claimed.
”A couple of days?? My dear lady, your group has been missing for nearly half a year” Detra explained.
Daren and Leona immediately stopped walking and looked at Detra while acting like two people frozen in time.
”A year...??” Daren repeated, ”We have been stuck in Ria's portal for a whole year?? How- What- When-”
Daren looked like he was about to pass out. He had once again been forced to travel into the future and almost had a panic attack after remembering the first time he was released from his prison as a metal statute and found out that nearly everyone he knew had already died.
”No... No, no, no... This can't be happening again!!” Daren murmured while shaking with Lance in his arms, ”Please tell me this is not happening again!!”
”Daren, calm down!!” Leona tried to say, ”Everything will be fine...”
Detra gazed at her with a cold look, ”I'm afraid that might not be entirely true...”
”What's that supposed to mean?” Leona wondered.
”A lot of things happened while your group was missing... Our friend Knucker has been pretty busy in these last few months and has started to run out of patience with our beloved crossbow mage...”
Detra then pulled a piece of paper from a small bag that she was carrying and delivered it to Leona who just stared at it with a look of absolute loss.
”Hello, Evlin...” Leona began to read the text of the paper, ”It seems that our last encounter sacred you more than I expected. I know you are probably enjoying hiding away like a scared street rat, but as you might remember, you have something I want, and I want it back...” Leona looked at Detra for a moment, ”What's he talking about? What does he want from Evlin??”
Detra shrugged, ”Hell if I know... I never understood what's everyone's obsession with this one particular girl of all things...”
Leona returned to reading, ”I grow tired of playing with you, it was fun at first but I feel like it's time for both of us to put an end to this little tale. As such, I make you an offer, I challenge you with my demon dragons against you and your best warriors. Winner takes it all. We shall fight in a tournament two months from now on the city of Emerald Dawn, and finally, decide who will live and who will die. Bring your top seven fighters to face me, any weapon is allowed. If you manage to defeat my seven demon dragons...”
Leona paused for a moment as she read that next part.
”I shall face you myself with my real body...”
Daren looked at Detra, ”Is he serious?? After all this time he expects to just end things with some silly game like this?? Why would Evlin ever accept his proposal?”
Ellie stepped forward at that moment, ”Because my aunt doesn't abandon people...”
Daren and Leona looked at each other not sure of what that statement was supposed to imply.
Ellie continued, ”While you guys were away... Knucker has been using his dragons to take over every single kingdom for himself... All of the kings and queens are terrified of him, he's pretty much taken over the world as hostage...”
Daren gasped, ”What...?? But- But... How??”
Detra rolled her eyes, ”What do you mean 'How??', dragons can only be defeated by terminal energy, and two of the only four users of that power just vanished from the face of the planet!! What were you expecting? Nobody can oppose these guys right now.”
Claire began to talk as well, ”Except for Ellie, and you have no idea how much trouble we had trying to keep her from jolting into battle with the dragons... There were so many times where we had to hold her down to avoid getting spotted by them...”
Daren dropped on his knees, ”This can't be happening... Are you saying we lost? Knucker won in the end??”
”No! He did not!!” Ellie shouted, ”Did you not see the invitation? He's challenging us for a final battle! We just need to beat him and his dragons!”
”More like, we HAVE to beat him and his dragons...” Xadi noted, ”If we don't, he will kill... Well... Everyone...”
Daren stared at the piece of paper one more time, ”This said we had two months until the fight... How long has this invitation been out for? When is the day of the battle?”
”Five days...” Detra whispered.
Leona began to hold her mouth to contain her desire to cry.
”If we don't face Knucker and his demons in five days...” Detra continued, ”He will kill every single human on the planet...”