276 : 24

All eyes are fixated on Ronan's glowing green crystal which glides across the tattered map laid out across the table before them. They watch on as the gem moves towards the Southern Sea before it pauses for a moment, its light pulsating before it advances to its next destination.

Rather than just relying on the gem to portal you to a spirit's destination, an alternate method that used to be practised was that of tracing- tracing a path out from a map. Naya had only ever done it once before, back when she was training Iuana, but since she was banished to Earth, it was a skill that she couldn't afford to entertain as it took too much energy from her crystal.

But with Ronan here, and with his crystal shining bright, they decided to plan out their hunt this time, in order to maximise their efficiency and to try and prepare themselves for the climate they'd have to battle in.

The crystal moves around the table, stopping off at a barren land in the West, before moving onto the ancient ruins in the North and finally the Southern Seas before its light suddenly fades, going back to its usual deep green shade.

"Well..." Arlen announces once the crystal seems to be stationary, "I suppose that's all were getting today..."

Naya hums as her eyes review the places as to where there are currently spirits lurking, the barren lands, the ruins and the Southern Sea...

"I think it best if we split up" She murmurs, a determined look in his eye as she stands up from the table, breaking the huddle, "That way we can cover more ground"

Ronan scoffs playfully, placing his elbows on the table as he looks up to Naya oh so innocently, "Tired of me already?"

"Yes" She answers swiftly, smiling inwardly as she watches Ronan's face fall at the seriousness of her tone. He knew that she grew tired of other presences quickly, and that she wasn't used to having a companion, but he thought that he had been a joy so far.

A subtle pout makes its way onto Ronan's lips which has Naya smirking in victory.

She was joking... mostly.

"Do you think it wise to split up?" Arlen enquires, his eyes roaming over the different spots that the gem had moved to, "Especially as it would be beneficial to the both of you if you continued training together? Perfecting your harmony, especially in battle as it will surely lead to far more satisfactory results then trying to take on too much alone"

Since their last battle that they fought together in the forest, successfully capturing those three spirits, there hadn't been a day that they weren't training together, spending long hours working on their swordsmanship and their communication... but progress was slow. Each time one of the hunters chastised the other, they would grow too defensive, too stubborn which would either lead them to quit for the day, or the their combat training from that point on to get a little too rough.

They knew that it would be difficult to find a balance between them and work together, considering how different they were from each other, Naya being very self disciplined whilst Ronan was more carefree. A lot went into creating a team, being able to rely on one another and more than once a day Naya began to think, maybe they were just too different...

"If Ice Queen over here thinks she can handle it without me-" Ronan starts, only to get cut off by Naya who sneers at him defensively.

"I have been"

Arlen is quick to break the two up, placing a soft hand on Naya's shoulder as he gets her to look at him, his concerned eyes peering down at her, "You're still injured from your last battle", he utters almost as if the constant throbbing pain wasn't enough of a reminder.

As soon as they'd portalled back from Ferus, three black gems sitting heavy in Naya's crystal, Ronan-much to Naya's protest- had grabbed a hold of her waist and helped her hobble up to her and Arlen's tree house, calling the older for aid.

He was rather shocked at the extra person in the room, but made sure to leave all questions and suspicions for later as seeing the state of the young hunter, Arlen quickly gathered a bunch of garden herbs from the table and began pressing them immediately.

Promptly, the first thing that Arlen had told Naya to do was rest, to take some time for her body to heal naturally and gradually before she began building up her strength back little by little, but she was nothing if not stubborn, especially with her deal hanging over her head.

"I only got injured because he called for me" Naya points to Ronan, her eyes narrowed at the boy hunched over the table, her mind straying back to how he had distracted her whilst she was battling a spirit herself.

"You almost got me injured too with the way that you threw that knife" He yells back, "If I didn't duck in time, it would've sliced me open!"

"Well maybe I was aiming for you" She quips, turning her attention back to the map before then whispering, "I certainly would now..."

Thinking that Ronan didn't hear her last comment Naya traces the path that the gem had shown them with her finger, unaware of what was about to be proposed.

"Alright then..." The Balletor sighs, a mischievous look in his eyes, "if her majesty is so sure she can handle everything by herself then I propose a bet"

"I've already gambled away enough" Naya mumbles, rolling her eyes at Ronan's proposition. The male hunter however, sees an opportunity to push Naya's buttons further, knowing that it would soon turn into a battle of two egos.

"It's okay..." He leads on, tilting his head to the side, shrugging nonchalantly, "...If you're scared"

Sensing the rising tension in the room, Arlen stands up from the table they were gathered around, immediately gaining their attention as he places both of his hands on the wooden surface, a hint of frustration in his voice, "You two should practice training together first, a bet in times like this-"

"Okay fine" Naya huffs, turning to face Ronan, determination etched into her facial features, "I'm listening"

"Twenty four hours" He says with a smirk, "We each have twenty four hours to collect as many spirits as we can... the one with the most wins"

Arlen tuts, shaking his head in disbelief as he can't understand why the two would wager such a bet, "How childish can you-?"

"Fine" Naya laughs, her eyes lit up with amusement, "Just don't start crying when you lose"

"This bet will only be a hindrance to you both in the future-" Arlen sighs, only to be cut off once again.

"Maybe you sould heed his warning" Ronan teases, looking down at Naya's bandaged leg to which only aggravates her further.

"Bring it on"

Arlen's head drops into his hands, feeling absolutely defeated as the two youths keep bickering between themselves. Whether they listened to him now, or realise that they were wrong and listen to him later, it makes no difference, he had sworn that he'd help Naya anyway that he could... but if she didn't listen to him, then he couldn't make her.

Both hunters return to the map, their eyes darting over each destination as their hands fly out to claim where they're going for the bet.

"Okay, I'll go to..." Ronan brings his hand down randomly, his palm covering the first location of which his gem stopped at, "The Westward Rocks"

He sends Naya a saccharine sweet smile just as she rolls her eyes, looking over the map quickly her mind coming up with an instant list of pros and cons for each location. This was a challenge, and yet she had to be smart, her gem wasn't as powerful as it once was.

There was one place, one relatively close by compared to the others- her gem would have enough energy to get her close enough and then she could hike the rest. The ancient ruins, she'd heard a lot about them and about what inhabits the abandoned corpse of a once magnificent castle, despite her hesitation, truthfully the other location was too far, it also involved water which meant that it would most likely be a water spirit she'd have to battle.

From that alone, she'd made her decision.

"The ancient ruins" She decides, placing her hand over the marking on the old map.

At the chosen location Ronan laughs wickedly, "Are you sure you can handle a big ol' scary castle?"

"Are you sure you can handle the rocks?" She fires back, having heard stories of the treacherous place, "You know what they say about the fall, right?"

"Are you sure you can handle this in your state and without my crystal?"

Naya slams her hands on the table top, shakily rising to her feet at the challenge. She may not be in her best shape, but she's still strong enough to take on Ronan- she will win this bet, because she had a cause, she has someone to fight for.

There's no way she's losing this.

"Twenty four hours" Naya repeats, a fire ablaze in her eyes, "After you..."

She holds out her hand in front of her, gesturing for Ronan to take the first move. The boy tilts his chin up, too prideful to grab his gem, "Oh, ladies first"

With her head held high, Naya grabs her own crystal from her pocket, making direct eye contact with Ronan before she then closes her eyes, visualising exactly where she wanted to go.

'Ancient ruins, here I come...'

As soon as she apparats, Ronan wastes no time himself for he picks up his gem and encloses it in his hands, before he too disappears, leaving behind Arlen who cradles his head in his hands, knowing that no good can come from a bet born from pride.

~~~

Ronan lets out a series of coughs as his hands come up to his throat, his eyes squinting at the surrounding mist having collected around him, almost suffocating him as it blinds his senses.

He waits for a moment as the mist begins to settle again, falling to his feet to reveal what looked like stepping stones made from old stone, the surface of these stones looking weathered, like they could crumble if he puts too much pressure on them. However, as the mist continued to fall, Ronan was met with a sudden realisation.

His crystal had transported him to the top of the Westward Rocks, and between the tops of the stones laid out in front of him was a ceaseless descend if he miscalculated his footing. The drop was daunting and it made Ronan's stomach flip.

Curious at to if it had been exaggerated or not, Ronan carefully lowers himself so that he's crouched, however as he moves, he feels his body sway as the winds around him pick up momentarily, orchestrating the rise of the mist once again.

He stays curled up in a ball, bringing his arms securely around his knees as the winds whisp around him. He's completely blind sighted at the minute, his senses feel like they've been muted and he doesn't dare to use his gem to try and navigate his way through the mist right now. Being a Balletor granted you a naturally long life... but it didn't protect you from dangers such as this. If he fell, he fell to his death.

As he begins regretting every life decision that he's ever made that had brought him to this very moment, a distant screech is heard which makes Ronan's blood run cold.

A spirit... it's here...

But how was he suppose to fight a spirit in such circumstances?

"I offer my help and this is where I end up..." He huffs, his body shivering as it desperately tries to climatize to offer him the best possible chance of survival, the icy air around him, having made it impossible to move. Ronan feels like if he stays where he is for too long then he'll turn to stone.

He carefully places his crystal back inside of his jacket pocket, recognising that he's going to need both of his hands for balance and he didn't want to risk dropping his gem, as then there would be no way to return, not to Naya or to Iuana.

He scans the horizon slowly, seeing no figure or even a shadow of any presence except from his. There were no markers, nothing to help him navigate his way.

As the winds begin to calm down again, Ronan understands that he's going to have to be quick. He can't still be out here when the winds pick up again, especially if he's engaged with a spirit.

The thought of returning back to Earth, to Arlen, shamefully crosses his mind, but he quickly dismisses such a thought. He has to do this, if not for himself and to prove his own skill, then for Naya. He had promised to help, he had given his word... and as unnerving as his situation was now, he couldn't go back on it now.

He rises to his feet, rolling his shoulder back as he lifts his chin up, a new found motive pushing him to begin thinking logically about how to approach such a challenge.

"Next time we place a bet..." He mumbles, because although deep down he knows that Arlen is right, that it's childish and counter productive, both him and Naya are strong, both him and Naya are stubborn and so a battle of their ego was only inevitable and there will most likely be a next time, "I'll be sure to pick somewhere on the ground-"

"What bet?"

At the sudden sound of another up there on the rocks with him, Ronan quickly spins round to where he imagined the noise originated from, but in his haste, he goes over on his ankle. Loosing his footing and with his arms flailing, his body tumbles backwards, however before he falls, a hand is reaching out to him, grabbing his wrist harshly and pulling him back up right.

With his heart in his throat from such a rush, Ronan lifts his eyes to the hand on his arm, confused and yet so grateful to his savour, although, as soon as he sees the familiar cursive 'B' mark embedded on their skin, his eyes go wide.

'She couldn't be here... How was she here...'

"Emelia.." Ronan whispers, disbelief apparent in his voice as his eyes go from her wrist to her face, the wild wind rustling her auburn hair and yet her olive green eyes stay fixed on Ronan- they don't shift nor rest. She's stood in a strong stance, her shoulders pulled back as she tilts up her head to address him, "How did you.. why are you here?"

She doesn't speak straight away but she does keep her gaze trained on him, her eyes never once straying almost as if she's trying to read him, "We haven't caught up in a while"

Ronan tries to subtly pull his arm out of his fiancé's grasp, uncertainty etched into his features as he takes a quick glance around, just checking to see if they were still on top of the treacherously narrow rocks, "So, uh, you wanna catch up now?"

"Perhaps not now" She answers shortly, slipping her crystal back into her pocket nonchalantly, "I was just curious at to what you've been doing... where you've been... and with who"

She cared... but it wasn't because she loved him, for she didn't know what it meant to love someone, but more so because she was conscious, conscious of the image they both had to portray. Her family were of great importance in Iuana and so her match had to be someone equal, maybe not in status, but in terms of skill and promise. An image is what's important for their upcoming marriage, not feelings.

With Ronan not being around Iuana in a while, spending more time on Earth than necessary, Emelia grew wary.

"I, er, I've just been fulfilling our duty" Ronan shrugs, choosing his words carefully, "My crystal brought me here"

He knew from her previous question that she had somehow followed him here, that she had been tracking his movements, much like he had done with Naya.

He needed to be careful from here on out, and he needed to tell the banished hunter.

"You didn't answer my previous question" She states, with not one drop of emotion in her voice. Ronan knew that Balletors grew up by very strict rules, Naya was a prime example of that, groomed to play the part, their minds and bodies turned into weapons, and for the most part devoid of human emotions... and whilst he had never truly been able to discard sentiments surrounding empathy or compassion he knew in order to be the perfect match for Emelia, he'd have to grow accustomed to concealing such concerns. But still, looking at her blank expression was rather chilling, to be only a shell of what one could be if they embrace their human emotions, "What's this bet that you have going on?"

"It's uh... it's nothing really" He tries to dismiss the issue at hand, but he knows that if he doesn't answer her directly she'll grow suspicious and if she keeps a watchful eye over him, then he'd have to distance himself from Naya and will be of no help to her mission, "It's just about how many spirits I can catch in, uh, in a certain amount of time"

"Who are you up against?"

"No one" He says rather quickly and as soon as he does, he realises his mistake- by answering hastily she's bound to get doubtful and so rather clumsily, he tries to backtrack, "No one, it's just me..."

She nods curtly, advancing onto another stone, this one closer to Ronan, "So you wouldn't have a problem if I joined in then?"

She draws her own athame, seemingly unbothered by their hunting terrain. Ronan opens his mouth, only to close it again immediately, his words falling short.

"I mean..." He starts, the wind beginning to blow ferociously once again, "We both probably shouldn't be hunting in the same spot with it being a... competition, and all that"

She hums soundly to which Ronan almost misses, "I suppose you're right... Is there a time limit that you've set?"

"Uh.." Ronan flounders at the ongoing interrogation, "forty- eight hours?"

Emelia nods wordlessly, holding out her gem from where it was resting in her pocket. She gives him a quick nod before a blinding green light flashes, Ronan hisses as his eyes sting briefly as a small hurricane of mist picks up around him once more.

He silently curses in his head as he waits for the mist to calm down again, knowing that he had no time to lose. From the sound that he had heard earlier, there was definitely a spirit close by, and so Ronan carefully reached for his belt, his fingers gliding over the blade of his dagger hanging there.

However, just as he was about to pull it loose, the mist picks up again, much like it did when Emelia first arrived and Ronan can't help but let out a groan.

"Emelia, I really need to-"

Something was on his leg.

Something was wrapped around his leg.

Something was moving.

Before Ronan could even comphrend what was happening, there was a sharp pain near his ankle before whatever it was tightens their hold on him.

"Oh fuc-"

A wailing screeching filled his ears as the creature pulls on Ronan's leg, causing him to lose his balance, his whole body toppling over as his chest slams into the stone besides him. He gravely tries to hold on, his nails trying to dig into the stone to try and keep him up but the pain blooming in his ankle only worsens, and as the screaming gets louder, Ronan knows that he's screwed.

~~~

Naya turns on her heel, spinning around to where she thought she heard a sound come from- the wind rattling off of the serrated boulders of which scattered the courtyard, the grass roots almost as tall as the colossal rocks as they have been left to grow wild.

Amidst the haunting whispers carried by the breeze, Naya draws her athame cautiously, taking a moment to scan her surroundings. Littering the ground are shards of coloured glass whose striking tones have muted over time alongside decayed rocks that have been beaten by the merciless wind.

They were catapults once? Maybe. That's the only explanation for their sporadic positioning and the damage of which she sees once she lifts her gaze up a bit higher.

Stood before her, it all it's battered glory, was that of a white stone fortress, gaping holes in its side where Naya can see the physical damages of war. But still, one of its turrets stands proud, towering above the battlefield where she stands on, its peak high enough to just catch the golden glow of the sun, concealed by the thick clouds.

There was a sort of idyllic charm that befell the place, and as Naya carefully placed her hand on top of one of the rocks, using it to help lift herself up and over the boulder stone that lies at the entrance to the stronghold, she couldn't help but wonder what this place used to be like, who she might've found roaming the once lush gardens, the doors open wide for any and every welcomed visitor.

Intrigued, Naya places her crystal in her jacket pocket- zipping it up tight so that it's secure.

Placing one foot in front of the other as she shuffles inside slowly, Naya's eyes are immediately drawn to the high arches of the ceiling, intricate patterns etched into the stone to look like that of Celtic knots or perhaps flower vines that ran from above and down the stained white columns that lined the halls.

Casting her eyes back to where she entered from, Naya then turns so that she's facing inside the building once more, her eyes peering out of the cavernous holes, following the thick vines that had uprooted the marble flooring and have reached out of the window and stretched passed what was left of the courtyard.

She could picture the summer sun shining golden beams through the floor to ceiling stained glass windows, projecting a kaleidoscope of colours onto the polished floor that would echo her footsteps, instead of this mossy floor that now muted them.

She could imagine how those throughout the land would travel here to catch a glimpse of the impressive white stone walls, how they would probably be able to feel the hum of life as hundreds of warm souls would pass in and out of these doors a day, their enchanting laughter carrying throughout the open halls.

Naya's head whips round to one of the Southern archways, a hollow scratching noise resonating repeatedly throughout the antechamber she was stood in. She narrowed her eyes, advancing slowly as she tried to make out the source of the noise.

It wasn't a spirit, she didn't think, for it wasn't a foreboding sound, more so a curious one- probably a mouse or something that had taken refuge in these remains. The moss that had built up on the floors had climbed up the walls, leaving substantial heaps of vegetation that Naya guesses would probably reach her hip if she wandered over to investigate, but alas, she couldn't get distracted.

Turning her back from the small animal, the young hunter makes a move to continue explore the ruins, however when the sound continues, growing increasingly louder, her head beginning to ache at the monotonous noise, Naya figures it best to turn back around to try and find its source- knowing that if was left unchecked then it would begin to eat away at her sanity.

As the mouse continues to scratch at the walls, Naya lets out a huff, turning on her heel ready to confront the rodent, when suddenly she feels a cool breeze turn her fingertips cold, a sound getting caught in the back of her throat as from the foliage, a cloaked figure rises, and as they lift their arms high, a thick pair of feathery wings unfold from the creatures back- its span stretching out so far that Naya feels like she's enclosed by the spirits reach.

Its a wind spirit, Naya gasps, her eyes going wide as the creature peers down at her, the hunter imagining a frightful sneer on their lips.

Being forcefully broken out of her trance the spirit lets out a deafening screech before it launched itself at Naya, shoving her backwards so that her back slams against the marbled floor, leaving her breathless, her body desperately trying to suck in some air as the spirit essentially disappears before her very eyes.

'Where is it...'

'Where the fuck is it..'

Naya's mind is going a mile a minute as it takes her some time for her vision to return to normal, everything going blurry from the sudden impact. Scrambling backwards, Naya is made aware that her dagger is no longer nestled in her palm- she must've let go during impact.

'Where is it?'

'Stay calm', that's what she was taught, 'stay calm and try and think rationally, logically'- but as she hears the thing let out a horrifying scream again, all of her training seemed to leave her.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Naya's eyes scan the greenery for her knife, her eyes immediately lighting up as she spots the blade peeking out to her left. She takes another look around her, scanning the high ceilings and the empty stone walls, not seeing the spirit anywhere.

Realising that her dagger is the only way that she could capture the spirit, she decides to make the decision to lunge for it- praying that she won't be ambushed again.

'That is the best chance I have...', She reasons, her eyes frantically darting around the remains one last time before she deems it time.

Seizing the opportunity, Naya makes a quick move to try and grasp the sharp blade pointed out towards her, however as soon as she manages to make that first move, getting onto her hands and knees, she feels something delicate against her leg, something... feathery.

'Not again--!'

Before she could finalise her thought, the spirit had wrapped its talons around Naya's ankle once again, however this time, instead of roughly dragging her across the floor, the spirit lets out a cry before it abruptly pulls Naya from the floor, suspending her in the air. All the blood rushes to Naya's head, causing her vision to blur once again as she's swung sprightly from the creatures talons as it soars throughout the abandoned passages- up stairways, along corridors, into the forsaken throne room...

Whether it's a smart thing to do or not, Naya beings kicks her legs desperately to try and get the creature to let go of her, her arms are aching as she waves them around trying to find something to grab onto that might help set her free.

Her brain pounds as she tries to lean forwards so that she can try and see what's coming, but ultimately, the creature is going too fast for her to even make out any shapes. Her jet black hair covers her face, making it all that much harder to locate any escape roots or to try and determine where this spirit is dragging her to.

Amidst it all, her hands begin to tingle.

Theorising that the spirit is probably going to try and take her to an open area, Naya tries to latch onto one of the many vines that are dangling against the stone walls, but only her fingertips are able to brush passed them, and she fears that even if she does grab a hold of one, with them being so old, they will only snap.

Still, Naya keeps waving her hands, praying that once they get to an entry way, she'll be able to cling onto the stone work to keep from being thrown into the open air arena of the courtyard.

Entering one of the rooms of the second floor, Naya watches on as the spirit dives towards the open hole in one of the walls- 'okay, here...'

'It's coming up...'

'It's coming up...'

'It's coming up...'

'It's oh... oh- fuck no it's--'

Making a split second turn, the spirit plummets towards the adjacent wall where three open arched windows, separated by thin columns, stand.

'It's going to smash through them...'

Frantically, Naya brings her arms up to her face, doing her best to try and shield herself as the spirit smashes into the stone, breaking the surface, however Naya's body still slams into the falling stone, the hunter letting out an exclamation at the impact.

Just as the scream leaves her lips, Naya feels the hold on her ankle lessen and before she can process what's happening, she's free falling...

Plunging to the ground, Naya squeezes her eyes shut, bracing for the impact, however before she can come in contact with the ground, the creature grabs a hold of her other ankle, pulling her back into the sky.

Feeling like something akin to a rag doll, Naya lets out a groan as her hands reach for her pocket, her fingertips brushing against the metal zip. Managing to grasp it tightly, she brings her other hand up to her pocket, in attempt to catch the gem when she undoes her pocket.

With her hand covering where the zip lies, Naya lets out a sigh of relief as she feels the cool glass against her palm, tightening her fingers around the crystal so that she's cushioning it, secure in her grasp.

The spirit lets out another squawk as it drops lower, however before the creature has another chance to drop her once again, Naya closes her eyes, whispering the name of the ruins under her breath as a green glow fills her vision.

She lets out a laugh, a premature laugh, as she thanks the crystal for saving her, for helping her escape the spirit- however, she can barely count her blessing as before she knows it, her left shoulder is blooming with pain and she's rolling onto her back.

The power of her crystal managed to cushion her fall slightly- transporting her from the sky to just a little closer to the ground- but God, did it still hurt.

Rolling her shoulder back as she grits her teeth in pain, Naya curses herself internally. Injured and with no weapon... how was she going to capture this thing?

Looking to her hand at the emerald gem sitting there, the corners of her lips twitch upwards, all hope was not yet lost.

She could do this, but she had to be smart about it.

'Think Naya, think, think, think...'

Hearing that foreboding squark again, Naya quickly scurries behind one of the many boulders that were scattered around her, throwing her back against the rock as she uses it for shelter, hoping that it'll buy her time to come up with a plausible plan.

'Think, think, think...'

"Look to your feet..."

At the new voice, Naya whips her head around, trying to locate whoever it belonged to and yet there was no one else on the field that she could see.

'Of course there wasn't, why would they be?'

She had heard a voice before- that voice... but this time instead of relief, it was dread that filled her heart. It was Leah... Leah's voice once again that filled her ears.

However just like last time, doubt crept back into her mind, it wasn't really her, it couldn't be... for the last time that she heard her lover's voice, she was almost led to her death... It wasn't Leah... it couldn't be...

"Naya...", The voice calls again, but this time it was accompanied by the spirit's thunderous cries, "Naya, love, look to your feet, you have to look to your feet!"

Confused, and yet sensing the urgency in the mystery voice, Naya throws her gaze to the grass beneath her feet- splinters of glass lying beneath her. What did Leah mean by that?

Naya almost jumps out of her skin as the spirit lands in front of her, elongating its neck so that when it screams at her again, her hands fly up to her ears, pressing hard as she desperately tries to block out the sound.

As the creature, spreads its wings once more, almost as if it was getting ready to push off again, when it's talons reach out for Naya she quickly rolls to the side.

'Fuck that flying shit'

There's no way she's doing that again.

Fumbling with her fingers, Naya picks up a jagged piece of glass, the shimmering blue almost blinding and she holds onto it tightly- not caring about the bitter sting that encompasses her hand as she feels the object slice her palm. The spirit wastes no time in charging for her again, however this time, before the creature could lay a hand on her, Naya thrusts the piece of glass forwards, pushing it so deep within the black shadow of the creature that her arm up until her elbow disappears, getting lodged within the creature's stomach.

She briskly pulls out the glass before pushing it in again, twisting her hand clockwise, and repeating the action when the spirit cries out again. The creature was still struggling, was still fighting for breath, but Naya knew that she had gotten it right where she wanted it.

And so, keeping the shard of glass wedged in the creature, Naya places her other hand out in front of the spirit, before she pushes against its chest, her fingers finding their way to what she assumes to be its heart, and enclosing around the ovoid.

With a victorious grin, Naya pulls her hand back out mercilessly and just as she does, the spirit collapses to the floor, its wings falling limp against the tall grass.

She had done it.

Quickly, placing the creatures heart against her gem, she transferred the smoke, wanting to be safe in the knowledge that she had succeeded. However, just as the black smoke fills her own crystal, she feels a tingle that runs straight down her back, just as a faint pressure is applied to her shoulder.

"Be careful... Don't trust their words so blindly, be careful, my love"

Hopefully to feel Leah, Naya places her hand on her own shoulder where she'd felt something but a moment earlier, however nothing is there.

"Leah?" She calls out, "Are you there? Leah?"

"Don't trust them, whatever happens, just stay away..." The voice whispers, to which Naya furrows her eyebrows.

'What did she mean?'

'Did Leah not want rescuing?'

'Don't trust who?'

"Wait- no, I'm, I'm going to save you- I- I promise" Naya splutters, stumbling as she tries to get to her feet, her eyes desperately searching the empty courtyard, "Leah? Leah? Are you still there... Leah!"

And yet for her questions, she received no response.

~~~

57... 58... 59

Naya looks to the door of their home, a bitter feeling on her lips as it stays shut, no sign of another life form nearby.

Ronan was late.

Their bet was over.

Naya chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes stay cast on the door, waiting for Ronan to return. Knowing how competitive he was, she would've thought that he would've arrived at least ten minutes early, just to brag about how little time he took. To Naya, it didn't make any sense that he was late.

'He wouldn't have left would he? Did he realise that this was a lost cause... that it wasn't worth him to get involved? Did he go back to Iuana?'

'No'

'No, surely not'

Ronan was competitive and they perhaps didn't always see eye to eye, but he gave his word that he'd help... he wasn't the sort of person who would break that promise.

And so she waits that little bit longer, her crystal clasped gently between her hands as she moves it from one to the other, her fingers nervously running over the smooth edges as she begins to grow anxious.

5 minutes...

10 minutes...

20 minutes...

'Where was he?'

After thirty minutes, Arlen comes and sits by her, urging her to get some rest as she waits, and yet she stays stubborn.

'What if something had gone wrong?', She muses, 'What if he needed help?'

"Arlen..." Just as Naya rises to her feet, her mind beginning to spiral with every possibility about what could've happened, there's a subtle knock on their door before it swings open.

Limping in with his arms coated in black, a shaky smile on his face, Ronan's eyes widen comically so as he barks out in a laugh.

"Woah..." He murmurs, his eyes going from Naya's dirtied and bruised face and all the way down to her ripped jeans stained with both red and black liquid. Ronan waits a moment, trying to sift through his thoughts, before he just blurts out, "What happened to you?"

"Me?" Naya repeats, taken back by the sudden questioning. If anything she should be asking about him- staining their floor black, "Me? What happened to you?"

Ronan peers down to look at his own state, a sheepish smile on his face as he shrugs, "Bloody demon tried to push me from the rocks", he explains, digging deep in his pocket to pull out a blackened crystal, the colour of the contents matching that of the dirt underneath his fingernails, "I managed to hold on but I only managed to get one..."

"Tried?" Naya repeats, the word coming out of her mouth before she could properly think it through.

"I'm here aren't I?" He smirks, and there's that flicker of something warm in Naya's stomach that has her convinced that 'yeah, he's here, he really wants to help', "I promised"

She feels guilty, having second guessed his intenions especially when he's given her no reason not to trust him, "Now it's your turn...", he gestures to her appearance she he stumbles further into the treehouse, curses as he puts weight on his left foot.

"The thing had wings" She mumbles, to which Ronan immediately makes a face, "Yeah... but I also only got one"

She pulls her own crystal out of her pocket, the same black smoke as Ronan's corrupting the once pretty green.

The male hunter lets a smile stretch across his face, seeing the two crystals side by side, each of them scoring a single point, "So... a tie?"

"A tie" Naya nods, allowing the ends of her mouth to twitch upwards as well. Maybe being apart of team wasn't as bad as she initially though it would be after all.

"Hey... I actually have something to tell you" Ronan announces, pushing gently passed Naya so that he could make his way swiftly over to the table to place down the spirit's heart, "Before I sited the spirit... Emelia was there"

Naya's eyebrows furrow, unsure if she'd heard correctly or not, "Emelia?"

"Who is Emelia?" Arlen asks, confused about this other person.

"She's Lady Bronwell's daughter" Naya mumbles, which only sees to spark more questions in the older man.

'How could she have ended up in the same place at the same time?'

Usually if a Balletor uses their crystal to transport themselves to a location, then other's will get sent to another site- it was extremely rare to find two hunters in the same place if they weren't in a partnership.

"I think she followed me- or at least she's tracking me..." He explains slowly, shaking his head, "She's growing apprehensive, it's not safe if I hang around here... I think it best if I head back to Iuana for a bit- lay low there and just wait till this suspicion passes"

"Oh... okay" Naya nods in understanding, pushing the slight feeling of disappointment to the back of her mind, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea"

"I'll send you clues and updates on any sightings... but I just won't be able to help directly for a while"

"No, that's fine" She reassures, her eyes drifting to look at the two black hearts on the table, "You've done plenty already, thank you"

They sit there in silence for a moment, just mulling over what had happened as Arlen leaves them be, not yet pulling out the 'I told you so', card at their current states.

Just as Naya is about to speak up, Ronan beats her too it.

"I will come back" He promises, his honey eyes softening, as if to tell Naya to trust him.

She offers him a comforting smile, nodding her head as if to reassure him, "I know"

They may disagree and they may drive each other up the walls...

But Naya, whether she verbally admits it to him or not, is glad that he decided to stay.