Hana sat there in a daze as she watched everything unfold. Tears unconsciously streamed down her face, and her body trembled in agitation.
'I… I… H-How…?' She stuttered but failed to form any coherent sentences.
She wanted nothing more than to get up and free Dominique, but…
But she knew she couldn't. Not only was she not strong enough, but she had no idea how to fight. She didn't even have a weapon to attack with!
Thus, she could only watch as Niko dragged the unconscious Dominique out of the cave, guilt written all over her face as she cowered in the tall grass.
'D-Dominique wouldn't want me to try anyways. S-She… She's the one that pushed me away…'
She tried to justify her cowardice but clearly didn't believe her own words as the guilt written on her face became more severe.
'B-But…B-But what am I supposed to do? That man is too strong! I'll end up dead or captured if I try to do anything!' Hana sought an answer more than anything else in the world.
She even put her dream of returning to her mother on the back burner. Dominique was the first real friend she's ever had, and she wasn't willing to watch that bond shatter right before her very eyes!
The last few months she's spent here in the Battle Maiden Sect have been some of the most enjoyable and relaxing times she's had in a long time, and the one she had to thank for that was Dominique.
They were like two peas in a pod, doing everything together while Mira was away. Whenever she was sad, Dominique was there. When she was happy, she shared those emotions with her friend.
If she were anxious, Dominique would calm her down, ensuring she was okay.
Clenching her fists so hard, her nails dug into her hands, Hana's eyes turned resolute, 'Even if I can't do anything to him, I can find someone who can! I don't know too many people in the Sect, but Nova and Eden would sometimes visit us over the last few months to make sure we were okay. I'm sure they'd help me if I asked!'
Hana thought but soon shook her head, 'How am I supposed to do that? It'll take me hours just to reach the Inner Court, much less the Core Disciple Court! That's not to mention that I'll still need to find them.'
Suddenly her eyes shone as an idea came to mind.
'If I can't find help, then the least I can do is find the place where they're taking her!'
Hana stood up and crept toward the exit of the cave, doing everything she could to stay as silent as possible. Her hands shook, and her legs trembled, but she worked up the courage to try and help her only friend.
After taking a deep breath, she walked out of the cave and dashed in the direction the man had left.
'H-Hopefully, I can keep up with him.'
***
A few minutes later, as Mira approached the Battle Maiden Sect on Rhydian's back, her eyes widened at the sight that unfolded before her.
The sect, which was situated along the length of a towering mountain, was under a brutal siege by the Unorthodox Faction.
Its disciples and their ferocious beasts swarmed the sect's defenses like a relentless tide, intent on destroying everything in their path.
The sky above the mountain was filled with a chaotic whirlwind of activity. Unorthodox Faction disciples flew in the air and circled the mountain, launching devastating aerial attacks on the sect's buildings and fortifications. Fiery projectiles rained down upon the mountain, attempting to destroy everything and anything in their way.
However, the Formations and Arrays that surrounded the Sect weren't something to scoff at. Not to mention, the Battle Maiden Sect disciples weren't weak. All of their attacks were blocked, with the women returning fire.
After a few short exchanges, Mira noticed that the Unorthodox Faction was actually on the losing end, despite being the aggressors.
The mountainside itself had become a battleground of epic proportions. Unorthodox Faction disciples, dressed in dark, sinister robes, clashed with the Battle Maiden Sect's warriors, who fought fiercely in their vibrant, battle-worn armor.
The two sides clashed with swords, spears, and other weapons, their Qi-infused strikes creating shockwaves that reverberated throughout the mountain.
Mira was now able to get a good look at how strong and skilled the disciples of the Battle Maiden Sect were, along with the actual Sect itself.
'No wonder nobody dares to mess with the Sect. Even when we're being sieged, there's almost nothing they can do to us.' Mira thought, nodding her head in satisfaction, happy about her decision to join the Sect.
However, just as that thought came to mind, another one quickly overwhelmed her, as it was one of the only reasons she returned to the Sect.
'Dominique!' As Mira looked around and fully took in the battle before her, her heart clenched with a mix of growing angst and rage.
Normally, she wouldn't care too much about what happened to the Sect. In fact, even if it disappeared tomorrow, she would, at most, think that it was a pity and move on with her day.
There was plenty she could learn here, which was great, but she enjoyed exploring the world, fighting, and getting stronger more than reading a bunch of manuals and books. She joined mainly to make life a little easier for herself and, thus, didn't have some profound loyalty toward the Sect.
However, since her disciple was living here, she had no choice but to care.
After watching the battle between the two sides unfold for a few seconds, Mira ignored it and had Rhydian fly over to the Outer Court. Right now, more than anything, she had to make sure Dominique was alright.
'And I suppose Hana as well.' Mira thought, but for some reason, she had a bad feeling.
Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest; the closer she got, the worse it became.
Mira knew that her instincts had always been sharp and bordered between the line of divination, but this time, she refused to believe them.
Instead, she gritted her teeth and urged Rhydian to fly even faster, the wind howling around them as they raced towards the Outer Court.
As they neared the Outer Court, Mira's heart thumped harder and harder in her chest. Her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong, but she pushed it aside, ignoring it.
Finally, they reached the valley where her residence was. The lush green valley was still peaceful as if nothing had happened.
However, as Mira's gaze swept across the area, she noticed something that made her blood run cold and her eyes glow with a dark crimson light– there were people in the valley, but none were Dominique or Hana.
Mira swept her Soul Sense, which could only sense around a kilometer from her, over the area but still didn't find Dominique or Hana. Though, she did find traces of battle in a nearby cave.
"Rhydian, land!" Mira commanded, urgency filling her voice.
Rhydian swooped down, her massive wings stirring up gusts of wind as she touched down on the valley floor. Mira leaped off her back and sprinted towards the cave, her heart pounding in her ears.
She could feel her rage slowly bubbling, but she refused to let it overcome her and forced herself to remain stoic.
The cave was dark and quiet, but it was clear that something had taken place there. The grass was trampled, there was blood on the cave walls, and there were signs of a struggle. Mira's heart sank, and the rage she suppressed reared its angry head within her.
It was becoming harder and harder to keep a cold head, but she knew she had to if she wanted to find Dominique in the shortest possible time.
She quickly searched the area, hoping to find a clue where the girls might have gone. Her eyes landed on some faint footprints that led away from the cave. Gritting her teeth, she decided to follow them, hoping they would lead her to Dominique and Hana.
However, she noticed a few people outside the cave before she could get far.
"Over there! Look! Someone has entered the valley!"
"Really?! Then we need to get the fuck out of here!"
"Run!!"
Mira heard the voices of the people she sensed in her home, and her eyes narrowed coldly, killing intent leaking out of her.
She flashed out of the cave, circulated her Qi, and shot dozens of ice vines, which quickly caught the intruders.
Walking up to one of them, she crouched down and lifted his chin to stare him in the eye, rage bubbling within her.
"Where… is she?" Mira asked in a deep, hoarse voice, almost like a growl.
The man gulped in fear, the killing intent leaking out of Mira's eyes scaring the shit out of him. However, even as he felt death looming over him, he didn't back down.
"W-Who? W-What girl?"
Clearly, that was the wrong answer as Mira jammed her hand in the man's stomach, grabbed onto his spine, and yanked it out of his body.
"AHHHHHHHH!!" The man screamed in absolute agony, his body turning to jelly before he died a few seconds later.
"Don't lie to me. I want to know where you took the girl. You have 3 seconds to answer before you suffer the same fate as this man." Mira's eyes glowed with rage, with immense killing intent leaking out of them, which kept on increasing as time passed, causing the men to shudder.
She didn't have time to waste on these fools, but if they could directly answer where they took Dominique, she wouldn't need to spend so much time tracking her down and could just go there directly.
