The Above

-Twenty Two-

 "We need to get everyone as far away from here as possible," Atlaster hurriedly shouted, urgency prominent in his voice. I couldn't move; I simply stared at the hundreds of soldiers marching towards us, marching towards the place I now knew as home after they destroyed the one I previously had. "Where's Katoka?"

"I told him to go back to the house after seeing the crowd," Kaseko answered, "I didn't want there to be a possibility of him getting hurt."

"Good," Atlaster nodded, displaying the composed facade that only a leader could have in times like this. Yet even as he began to give calm and precise instructions, all I was able to do was listen to the familiar clicking of their armor against stone as the first wave of the battalion made their way into the streets of the Haven.

"We need to fight," I whispered quietly, and all heads turned to face me.

"What?" Atlaster asked, almost surprised at my suggestion. But I wasn't simply offering up a choice.

"I'm going to fight them. I'm going to protect my home like I should've. I'm going to make things right this time." I turned to face the three people who merely watched me in shock and disbelief, as if I were the crazy one for wanting to protect what I cared about.

"Eralyn, we need to worry about getting everyone out. We don't have the time or the numbers to fight," Kaseko reasoned as Calyx slowly began to rise from his cot, realizing that he would have to get up and move as well. He shuffled his way over to me, looking out to the armies that only advanced closer. I wondered if he recognized any of the soldiers.

"She's right," Calyx whispered as they pulled torches from their sides and began to light them. "We need to keep them from burning this place down. We have to retaliate."

"You said that you weren't on their side?" Atlaster questioned, and Calyx nodded. I still didn't trust the bloke, but we needed as much power as we could get. "Fine. Alert everyone near you, tell people to spread the word. I'm going to begin forming the signal."

I complied, rushing from the house and knocking on doors, screaming of the battalion's arrival. People began to file from their abodes, a rush of families fleeing towards the Arena. It didn't take long for the army to notice both what I was doing and who Calyx was, and they quickened their pace in an attempt to stop us from allowing more people to escape.

Suddenly, before anyone could take another step, an explosion sounded quite close to me. The roof of the abandoned healer's house I was in only seconds prior crumbled as a line of ice shot up from the broken boards, a crystalized masterpiece; a sign of destruction. Both Kaseko and Atlaster appeared from the residence, the water user nodding at me—he was ready.

I turned towards the battalion as soldiers at the front rushed forward to face the four of us. Atlaster made the first move, freezing the few that came close to us as Kaseko sent a wave of fire to burn those who hadn't yet been slowed. A few hesitated upon seeing Calyx on our side, as he formed swords of shadows, but they were soon pierced by his blades. Yet the most I could do was merely stand there, overcome by fear. I was surrounded by death, but I had never killed by intention... No, it was an accident. But this time?

As I rushed into battle, channeling light to blind the man that raised his sword to slice me, I decided that if I wouldn't murder, no matter what.

The soldier screamed in agony as his eyes were overcome with a focused beam, his vision permanently gone. I used the burst of speed I had observed from my peers, distributing the energy throughout my body to move out of the way of his weapon. He began to swing his sword around wildly, and I barely managed to clumsily maneuver my way around him.