063 - On The Other Side

[JasonPaul]

Five minutes before Tyne's attack...

Anwyn and Red continued their walk down the dark forest path. The Mystic half expected something weird to jump out at any second. Although this scenery certainly looked like the real world, he wasn't about to make any assumptions after all he'd been through, and he was prepared for anything. Perhaps one of the trees would animate and try to strangle him? Perhaps that big bird that Krivin roasted would return for more? At this point a Jabberwocky could cut through the forest straight for them and it wouldn't make Anwyn flinch. Fortunately, Anwyn got a clear indication he was out of the Spell of Astral Binding when Red's cellphone rang. The felinefolk woman anxiously answered her phone.

"Bluzie!?"

"Sister, are you all right?" came the response from the other end.

"Bluzie! Yes I'm fine! Where are you?"

"It looks like we're out of it," Blue replied. "Our phones are working again, and I don't think I'm very far from where you are. Let me check your transmitter." After about a minute of silence, Blue appeared with Glenn in tow. Actually Glenn had his arm around Blue's shoulder and was barely able to stay on his feet.

"Damn," Anwyn muttered at seeing Glenn's state. "What happened to you?"

"I'm not even sure myself," Glenn said in a weak voice, clutching his ribs. "We had a run-in with some mages, but after that it's all a blank."

"Can you do anything for him?" Blue asked.

Anwyn only shook his head. "I'm no healer. I don't even know a basic healing spell."

Blue only nodded. "It's all right. He'll be fine, but he needs some rest. He definitely won't be fighting anymore."

"That's gonna be a problem," Anwyn said. "One of us is going to have to escort Glenn back to base camp, and I can't do it myself until I've confirmed whether Tyne is a Mystic or not." Red whimpered at those words, not wanting to be separated from her sister so soon after they were reunited. "So which one of you is better at handling a mage?"

"In an actual fight?" Blue asked, raising an eyebrow. "Neither one of us. Whenever we get an order to take down a mage we usually don't do it in a straight fight. Either I use stealth or Red uses a sniper rifle."

That was no good. Tyne would be well prepared for them and there would be little, if any, chance for stealth. "Have either of you ever fought a mage before at all in a straight fight?" Anwyn asked.

Blue raised her hand. "About five minutes ago."

"Good," Anwyn said. "You come with me." He then turned to Red. "Can you take Glenn back to base camp?"

Red nodded, unhappy with Anwyn's decision, but she realized it was the decision to make. Not necessarily because they couldn't just leave Glenn here, but because her employer was currently in talks with the Mystics and the last thing he needed was an angry Anwyn, or angry Freedom Fighters for that matter.

At that moment the four of them turned to the source of a loud explosion. Looking up, they saw a pillar of flame rising through the sky. "Looks like that's our cue," Anwyn said to Blue.

"Be careful, Bluzie!" Red said. Blue nodded to her sister and left with Anwyn in the direction of the pillar of flame while Red helped Glenn to his feet and began walking in the opposite direction.