~~
Trinity
~~
I was just about to leap off of the platform that was closest to that sweet spot. I was just about to attack and possibly kill the dragon. And right before I did that, I heard the sounds of four people screaming at me.
"LOOK UP! TRINITY, LOOK UP!"
"DAMMIT, LOOK UP!"
"PAY ATTENTION AND LOOK UP!"
"OH GODDESS, TRINITY, LOOK UP!"
They were all frantic and scared, for whatever reason. And they wouldn't let up at all.
"LOOK UP! TRINITY, LOOK UP!"
"DAMMIT, LOOK UP!"
"PAY ATTENTION AND LOOK UP!"
"OH GODDESS, TRINITY, LOOK UP!"
I heard it again, only this time it was just repeating the same thing over and over again.
"LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP! LOOK UP!"
The words all came as a rush, they sounded like they were sped up from their normal speed and played back super fast. I couldn't even tell who it was that had spoken. I mean, they literally sounded like chipmunks or something. Still, I decided to listen to them. They were apparently trying to help me. So, less than two seconds after hearing the first warning, I looked up, above the dragon's head.
And that was when I saw whatever it was that was so wrong. There were a dozen nasty looking blades about the dragon bitch's head. She was going to attack someone. She was going to use those to attack me or Edmond so that we weren't able to defeat her.
I didn't know when she had done this. My guess was that she had started the whirlwind in an attempt to distract us and hide what she was doing. She was using it as a blinder and it fucking worked. She was going to attack, and it looked like it was happening now.
I expected the first blade to come at me, since I was closer. But that wasn't where she aimed it. And it wasn't aimed at Edmond either. He would be the next logical choice with what he had been doing to get her attention. But nope, he wasn't her target anymore than I was.
No, it seemed that Hekate's true target was the protected platform where Rudy, Alexio, Zachary, Zander and Zayden were all waiting for me. It was the place where those that I cared about were about to be hurt. This wasn't good.
The first blade smashed into the barrier that Edmond had layered around mine. It was stopped, but I could see visible cracks in the barrier that he had put up. Not only that, but the platform that they were all on shook violently from the blast.
"AHH! MOMMY!"
"HELP US, MOMMY!"
"AHH! NOO! MOMMY THIS IS SCARY!" The boys were screaming while they clung to Rudy and Alexio.
"Don't worry my babies, I am coming. I will save you."
"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Hekate was screeching with laughter as I made that promise to my boys. "YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN GET TO THEM IN TIME?! THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! I WILL STOP YOU! I WILL PUT AN END TO YOU AND THEM RIGHT HERE ARE NOW!"
At that, Hekate sent another blade toward the barriers that were protecting the others while also shooting her head toward me. She was trying to catch me off guard while I was watching the others. She was trying to force me to choose my life or theirs.
Well, I choose them all. I am going to make sure that we all get out of here. She would see. She would find that out really soon. No one threatens my babies. No one tries to hurt my family. And if they did, they would pay for it with their lives.
The third blade hit the platform. The second blade had shaken them violently once again while also cracking Edmond's barrier even more. The third blade broke the barrier completely. His protection for the others was gone. Now it was just the one that I put around them.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth blades hit in quick succession as I ran along the platforms to save them all. I was shooting magic at the blades, doing everything that I could to stop them, but she had poured too much into them. They were too powerful for me to stop that easily. I needed to have more time. I needed to think this through. But I couldn't. I didn't have any more time.
Those hits, those three blades that were breaking my barrier away, they actually hurt me. They caused me physical pain when they slammed into it. And, just like Edmond's barrier, mine was cracking. It looked like mine was hanging in there just a little bit, but it was still cracking nonetheless.
Even moving the platform wasn't helping either. The blades seemed to be trained on the platform and as the seventh, eighth, and ninth blades moved to attack, they moved with the platform, following it wherever it was going.
I tried to stop them, I tried to make it so that the blades didn't hit, but I couldn't. The three of them struck with an immense force and I felt the barrier give way completely. Rudy, Alexio, Zachary, Zander and Zayden were now exposed and vulnerable to attack. And I was still several dozen feet away. With the speed at which those blades were moving, they would get there before me.
DAMMIT! Why couldn't I move at the supersonic, hyper speed when I wanted to? Why did it have to be something that seemed to come and go? Why wasn't I able to use it now? Why wasn't I going to be able to save them? Why? Why? WHY!?
I watched on in horror as the final three blades left their position above Hekate's head. It was almost like everything around me was starting to move in slow motion again, only this time I was moving just as slow. I couldn't speed myself up. I couldn't stop them. Hekate was going to attack them. She was about to kill them. My boys. My friends. They were going to be gone soon. No. No. No. NO! PLEASE GODDESS, NO! DON'T LET THEM GET HURT! DON'T LET THEM DIE!
"NO!" This time I screamed the word as I leapt from the platform and tried to make it to them. I was too far away from them. I wasn't going to make it to them in time. I wasn't going to save them.
I felt the weight of all of this holding me down. I felt like it was literally slowing me down even more and causing me to just practically sit there and watch them all die.
At that moment, the three blades hit and there was a massive explosion of blood and dust. I heard screaming coming from just about everywhere. The boys were screaming and crying. Rudy was screaming. Even Alexio was screaming in fear and pain. The blood was spraying everywhere and came out in an arc toward me.
"NO! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NO!" I felt like my soul was being crushed. This wasn't possible.
"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Hekate was laughing maniacally at what she had just done.
