Chase was out cold, his vision blurred and his body in so much pain that he didn't know if his limbs were truly still attached or not.
He remembered being launched back into one of the crater's three meter high walls, and everything just exploded in chaos after that.
He seen everyone in battle with Rider and his men, Chase's friends were losing hopelessly, and the only reason they hadn't been wiped off the map yet is simply because Lithica and Zephyr were forces beyond human comprehension.
Zephyr was being brutally overwhelmed however, as Rider truly was an incredible force as purple energy shot from his body with every attack, ripping apart Zephyr's armor the closer he got.
Then a hand was on Chase's chest, it was soft and radiant as if it was healing him.
Healing magic wasn't supposed to work like that, you needed your own energy reserves as well as the Aether arts of the healer. Which the moment Chase had been struck by Rider, it was like his energy reserves seemed to have automatically been reduced to zero.
"Chase... You need to survive this. Leave, find somewhere and start to build up your forces... He can be killed, but you need to destroy his castle, it is where his power lies..."
"Who?"
Chase groaned, turning his head toward the woman's face.
She was the girl with cloth over her eyes, but two faint green lights were shining through the cloth.
Then the moment, Chase could feel his body again, she bolted off toward the direction of Rider.
Chase did not know who she was, or why she had told him that. But he knew that it must have been quite bad if Rider's own people were betraying him.
Chase growled, turning around and pushing himself up to a kneeling position.
Looking down at his body, he realized just how close to death he was.
Blood had soaked him, and he was drenched in it, his hands were gashed open, and his chest had several spots that had been completely blown open by Rider's attack.
'She saved me...'
He turned toward the dust clouds of battle, and then glanced back toward The Dark Forest.
He searched for anyone who had been injured, and spotted Leo.
He ran over to him, prepping the lion's head up with his broken arm.
"Leo! I need your help... Get everyone you can gather, and meet me at the tree line, I will gather anyone I can as well, spread the word!"
He yelled at a dazed Leo, who seemed to have slightly came back to himself.
"Right..."
Chase helped him up, and instantly ran in the direction of where he had first been attacked by Rider.
He seen Luke on the ground, and slid down next to him, picking him up and throwing the bandit over his shoulder.
He was quite damn heavy, but was wounded badly so Chase just had to make an exception.
He started toward where Neveah had once been, she was kneeling on the ground with her head down.
Chase started to panic, but she lifted her head and for a slight moment Chase took a deep breath of relief.
However, one of her eyes had been completely incinerated, leaving only a bloody hole where it had once been.
In her other eye were tears rushing down, as she seemed to have completely given up.
"Get up!"
Chase yelled, nearly collapsing from the pressure of carrying Luke with all of his current injuries.
Neveah choked on a sob, and tried to stand; however, an arrow shot straight at her.
Chase's heart stopped for a moment, realizing as time stopped...
That he couldn't save her...
But then an arc of blue lighting danced around the battlefield, knocking the arrow out of the air.
Equan had arrived, as he picked up Neveah from her neck and knees.
He nodded to Chase, letting him know that he knew what the plan was.
Chase hated that they had to run, but he also knew that Zephyr would be able to hold Rider off if he didn't have to worry about hurting his own allies.
Chase carried Luke up the crater, and was met with a heavily injured vanguard in heavy steel armor.
"Reinhart..."
He nodded, lifting his mask.
"Hand me Luke... I will take him to the tree line, but the girl... Kaylynn, she is still in there..."
He pointed at the dust cloud that had beams of light shooting through it as it flashed with lightning and fire.
Chase nodded, gently dropping Luke to the ground in front of Reinhart.
He turned back around, and slid down the crater wall, nearly getting impaled with an arrow as he did so.
Rushing through the smoke, he looked around until he seen two figures trapped behind a wall of fire.
One was the healer girl, and the other was Gabriel who was engaged in hand to hand combat with Picto.
Chase ducked underneath of another arrow as it cut off several stands of his hair.
He rushed forward, launched into the air and wrapped his arms around Picto's throat.
He was on top of the general, trying to strangle him as he violently thrashed around.
Gabe took the chance and helped Kaylynn stand, as they quickly got out of the corner and ran toward the crater walls.
Chase was sure that it was just him, Zephyr, and Lithica within the crater now, along with their enemies.
Picto threw Chase off of him, and sent him flying into the closest rock debris.
His back snapped from the impact, as he screamed in pain.
Looking up at the armored Picto with a very reluctant look on his face.
Was it fear?
Chase tried to summon Hero's Fang, but it was no use. The blade had been destroyed by Rider.
He concentrated, siphoning the flames of the battlefield into his hand.
They answered his call, coming forth and forming shape.
A sword of flames began to forge itself in his right hand, and Chase ran forward feeling the pressure of his broken back pull down on his body.
He instantly stabbed Picto in the leg, and grabbing him by the face and pushing him onto the ground with anger laced within his every movement.
Of course he was angry, he and his allies had been completely embarrassed by Rider's power.
Chase would have died if not for the strange girl that had betrayed Rider.
He ran toward the crater wall, but before he got there, an explosion shattered the ground below him and a force struck him in the back so hard he could only gasp as his body lifted from the ground and rocketed into the air.
He was soaring toward the tree line, when his body hit the ground and he slammed into the trees and rocks until his numb body skidded to a stop and his body was soaked with water as the river he landed in started to turn red with his blood.
Before he blacked out, he remembered hearing screaming and calls from the top of the small valley he had flown over.