Saria acknowledged his words with a nod, stepping towards the metal caged pot. She was cautious, ensuring her hand found the hook below the pot as Orion had instructed.
Slowly, she began to pull it out, allowing the heated stones and the remaining burning wood to drop into the bottom of the pot.
However, just as she was about to proceed, Stronghold Leader Drakar's figure suddenly appeared beside Saria, his hand gripping her wrist tightly.
With a tight-lipped expression due to the discomfort of the intense grip, Saria's features tensed. She turned her head to the side, her gaze locking onto Stronghold Leader Drakar's fierce eyes. Her voice held a wave of annoyance as she questioned, "What's the meaning of this, Stronghold Leader Drakar?" Her brows furrowed further as she added, "I hardly think we're on familiar terms for you to be clutching my wrist so forcefully."
Before he could reply, he exerted more force on her hand, pulling it away from the metal pot and guiding it downwards. "Considering you're a tree nymph, I'll exercise caution not to hurt you. However, I'd advise you to steer clear of the metal pot," Stronghold Leader Drakar responded. The sound of lightning buzzed and crackled in his ears, attracting his attention as he struggled to maintain his grip on Saria's hand, while she made every effort to break free.
He pivoted his head backwards, catching sight of Orion's hands crackling with brilliant blue sparks of lightning. "Stronghold Leader Drakar, I think it's best you stop whatever you're attempting until we've landed," Orion's words held an undertone of frustration, as he foresaw the potential chaos that might erupt if a conflict unfolded while they were still suspended in the air.
Though Stronghold Leader Drakar might endure a fall from this height, the same couldn't be guaranteed for him and Saria.
He shifted his gaze to the other side, where the newborns remained suspended in the sky above the gathering. If they were to suddenly descend—either plummeting from the sky or descending in a crippled hot air balloon—it could jeopardize the entire plan, disrupting the proceedings and potentially causing harm to the villagers below.
Yet, rather than engaging in a verbal exchange, Stronghold Leader Drakar let out a weary sigh and activated his gift, causing Orion to halt mid-sentence as if frozen in time.
As Saria finally managed to wrest her hand free from his grip, she spun around to glare at him with a fit of fierce anger in her eyes. "You will regret this," she began, her voice carrying an edge of resolve, "I will inform Anara and the other overseers of your actions, and they will—" Saria's words abruptly dissolved as her voice and motion alike were arrested, seized by Stronghold Leader Drakar's gift.
Shaking his head, as though enjoying the newfound tranquillity, Stronghold Leader Drakar finally broke the silence. "Don't worry, I'll drop you two off in the forest for now. Just remain quiet," he instructed, replicating the same procedure that Saria had undertaken, having learned the process from Orion as they embarked on their ascent through the sky.
"If I had the patience to wait, perhaps I would have," he mused, a hint of resignation in his tone, "but I've already spent enough years in this village, and I can't afford to squander any more of them."
Gazing briefly at Orion, Stronghold Leader Drakar deftly adjusted the flow of hot air into the envelope, synchronizing his actions with the wind's direction, and propelling the balloon onward with his gift.
However, just as he was about to angle the craft, a strange sensation seized him, and his vision seemed to slow down.
An ear-splitting scream shattered the stillness, reverberating through the atmosphere like a thunderous roar. "BOOOM!" The scream soared into the sky, creating a shockwave that rippled through the clouds, resonating with the altitude at which they were suspended.
Orion's muttered curse was drowned out by the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he launched himself towards Stronghold Leader Drakar, his lightning-coated blade quivering with his resolve. He intended to drive the blade straight into Stronghold Leader Drakar, who was occupied maintaining his grip on Saria through the use of his gift, his hand covering Saria's slightly agape mouth, which had been left open during their previous conversation.
"RIPPP!!" The lightning-forged weapon sliced through Stronghold Leader Drakar's lower back, causing him to stagger, momentarily caught off guard by Orion's brisk and unhesitating assault.
But, had it been anyone else, the lightning-forged blade would have unleashed a jolting shockwave that could render them momentarily incapacitated, their senses scrambled... For anyone else, the blade's electric fury might have seared their skin as it tore through them, leaving a trail of sizzling destruction. However, in this particular instance, it was not anyone else...
Orion found himself pitted against none other than Stronghold Leader Drakar, the Stronghold Leader of the Rightward Stronghold. The instant the searing blade of lightning pierced through the Stronghold Leader's abdomen, he harnessed his Vylkr energy, channelling it through his body.
With a swift, calculated movement, he thrust his elbows downward and backwards, the sheer force causing audible pops and contorted bends in Orion's bones.
The counterattack propelled Orion backwards, crashing into the basket's edge. Agony surged through him, and his anguished cry filled the air as he clutched his shattered shoulder.
"AHHHHH!!!!" Orion's agonized scream filled the air, his teeth chattering as he battled to control the painful vibrations coursing through his body. Meanwhile, Stronghold Leader Drakar advanced, tauntingly starting a sentence, "You shouldn't have----" but it was abruptly cut short by an onslaught of pure, piercing sound that struck him. "AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII!"
"AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII!" The wave of torment caused him to lurch forward, his grip desperately clutching the basket's edge for support. Before he could even begin to heal the wound Orion had inflicted on him, another soul-penetrating "AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII!" shattered his concentration.
The unrelenting barrage of ear-splitting screams continued as Saria poured her voice into the assault. Her cries reverberated through the sky, as if the heavens themselves were wailing in pain and fury. Despite her throat growing hoarse, she refused to relent, determined to loosen Stronghold Leader Drakar's grip from the edge of the basket.
