As Alexis stumbled out of the trees at the very edge of the battlefield, she listened to the chaos of thoughts from the other Sol on the link. It seemed she wasn’t the only one with little idea of what was going on now... Except for the few voices yelling about Dragons and medics, her head was filled with the chatter of hundreds of voices asking the same question as her. She walked further into the battlefield as she listened, looking around and trying to piece together the scattered bits of the puzzle as she did. The black flames she’d seen before had died now, leaving a path of total destruction in their wake. Looking at the scorched area.. She figured out one piece of the puzzle. 
 
Standing in pretty much the center of the destruction was Suleykaar, who by the look of it must have been the Dragon that all the people on the link were talking about. Honestly, Alexis was relieved to see him, even if at the moment he looked [i]absolutely terrifying[/i]. He was a familiar face in the chaos. She started moving towards him, noticing as she did the opponents he was fighting. An old man wearing a cloak, and the other one was the same man she’d tried to shoot at earlier… the one who’d caught her arrow and fired hundreds back at her and the other archers without even looking. 
 
She slowed her pace as she drew another arrow from her quiver, walking through a patch of embers as she watched the man’s path. He ran right past Suleykaar, and then towards the line of soldiers still standing around the Guardian. Alexis drew back the arrow on her bow. She was close enough, but he was moving so quickly that she doubted she’d hit him before he got to the soldiers. Still, she let the arrow fly, and sure enough she missed as the man seemed to disappear for a moment, only to come crashing down within the Soldier’s ranks. Voices and calls of warning flared out across the link, as soldiers tried to land a hit on the intruder. Alexis watched and listened as she saw the man make his way to the guardian, wondering just what was going to happen next. 
 
Honestly, when the Guardian’s fist came down and obliterated him, she was surprised. This man had done some seemingly impossible things many times already this night. He couldn’t have gone out so easily... unless she was underestimating the power of the King’s Guardian. A few voices came through the link, relaying what happened as the Guardian stood as it ever did, a new bloodstain on its fist the only proof that any man had been there just a moment before. Alexis shook her head slightly, looking around her to notice that a few of the cultists who were still standing had decided to come towards her. She shot a couple of them down before she had to dodge out of the way of their weapons, retreating in an attempt to gain a little more distance. As she turned back to try and take another shot at the group, an arrow flew by her and hit the one she had been aiming at, and another came and hit a second cultist, bringing him to his knees only a few feet from where Alexis stood. 
 
There were other archers on the field, and they helped her make her way to the rest of the soldiers who were still standing in formation around the guardian. She nodded at one of them in thanks as three of them came up to stand next to her, picking off cultists before they could even get close to this spot in the barrier of spears and shields. After looking around for a moment she realized why. This part of the barrier was weaker, after the man from before had come charging through like he did to get to the guardian. People were still trying to pass shields up to the front as they regained their spots in the line. She raised her bow as well and shot down three or four cultists before something strange began. 
 
She’d lost focus on Suleykaar and his fight with the old man, what with the other one making his way to the Guardian so easily taking everyone’s attention, but now she caught sight of the old one again as he hobbled his way across the battlefield. He walked only a few steps, as far as Alexis could tell, before just as it looked like he might collapse he began to yell at everyone near enough to hear him. “You.. Fools.. You cannot know what you do not seek.” He stepped forward one last time, looking every bit the tired old man he seemed to be, before he began to raise his hands up to the sky… and float. He dropped his staff, shouting again while pointing to the Guardian now. “Our lord adorns his armor. For the battle has just begun. WITNESS YOUNG AND OLD A TRUE CHILD OF OUR CREATORS!”
 
Alexis was one of the ones who turned to look at the Guardian as the old man spoke, and after a few moments she regretted that she did. At first, nothing seemed unusual about it, but as a cool wind began to blow across the battlefield she remembered how she’d been surprised at the ease with which the Guardian had seemingly killed the other man. The impossible man. Not even a second after she thought this, she noticed the change that was beginning to take over the guardian. As the black blood spread over its surface, she was one of many who called out across the link for everyone to get away from the guardian. She watched in fearful awe as the change took place; somehow it was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Yellow light turned to blue and then it all looked as if it were trying to mirror the brilliance of the night sky, though that’s where the beauty stopped. 
 
Panic spread through the link as people finally began to listen to the warnings of others- as they finally began to back away from the powerful thing that was once their Guardian. Alexis stepped back too, though she was still far enough away that she shouldn’t have needed to. People began to run, and then the Guardian attacked those who hadn’t yet realized the need to flee. She watched as people ran past her towards the treeline... she stood and [i]watched[/i] the Guardian begin to rip people to pieces. Her mind seemed to have her frozen in disbelief, but she was also aware of a nagging voice in the back corner of her thoughts- a voice that told her she should be running too. It told her that she’d been right to be surprised at the impossible man’s quick demise. He’d wanted to die like that so he could corrupt the Guardian. and now he had.
 
The Guardian roared. That was what broke Alexis from her frozen stance. She began to back away from the chaos still unfolding around the Guardian’s form, still watching as she couldn’t seem to make herself simply run away. She’d started analyzing it, she realized. She was trying to figure out exactly what it was doing. More dark tendrils shot out from the Guardian, and Alexis flinched as they impaled another round of unlucky soldiers. But still, she saw the lights that they dragged back into the Guardian after those soldiers had died and thought, [color=696969][i]Dear god, those are their souls, aren’t they?[/i][/color] She shook her head to try and convince herself that it couldn’t be… but she could sense that she was right. The guardian wasn’t just killing, it was making itself stronger. 
 
“Yes now you know.. now you know..” The old man’s voice rang out again, and Alexis saw him making his way towards the Guardian, soldiers just stepping out of the way as he did. It seemed like no one wanted to deal with him now, or at least, no one was willing to try anymore. The man stopped in front of what once was the Guardian, which had stopped attacking people now, for the moment at least. He bowed to the thing, before crying out once again for all to hear. “Master.. I am unworthy.. WE ARE UNWORTHY!” Alexis shook her head at that. She didn’t want to witness whatever worshipping the old man would do. She knew there was only one true god, and this [i]thing[/i] that has taken over the King’s Guardian certainly wasn’t him. 
 
“Your road is commendable one. Rise my trusted servant.” She heard the words as they seemed to echo through the battlefield, the voice emanating from the Guardian’s changed form. “You have much to do and this is only the beginning.” This was wrong. The Guardian never spoke, never reacted to anything at all except anything that posed a threat to Sunfire or its people. Everything about it was just, wrong. People still ran from the spot where the Guardian stood, and Alexis wondered for a moment why she hadn’t already run far, far away. She heard a few voices on the link, a few people who were still pulled well enough together to think that they had to figure out what to do next. She also heard a few people talking about how all hope was lost, blah, blah, etc. 
 
Looking at the Guardian, Alexis was beginning to think that she agreed with the second group more. What could any of them do against a thing that was made to wipe out every conceivable threat? The Guardian would erase the town before anyone could even get close enough to try and stop it… any plan they could possibly come up with was useless.
 
A loud booming sound from above snapped Alexis out of her hopeless thoughts, and she looked up just in time to see a giant Red Dragon in the sky over the battlefield. It wasn’t until he spoke that she realized that it was Suleykaar. [color=9e0b0f][b]“Alexis up here!! You’re coming with me!”[/b][/color] She just looked up at him stupidly for a moment as she processed what he said. [color=696969][i]Go with you? Okay, I guess.. But I can’t fly, dumb-dumb.[/i][/color] Her thoughts didn’t mean to be mean, they were just pointing out to her that she couldn’t go with him if she couldn’t even get to him.
 
Well, unless she jumped. 
 
[color=696969][i]Don’t be stupid, no way can I jump [u]that[/u] high.[/i][/color] She began to argue with herself. [color=696969][i]But… well, I’ve never tried to before either.[/i][/color] She nodded at Suleykaar and closed her eyes, taking a breath as she made her decision. It couldn’t hurt to try, right?

She'd done something similar with telekinesis once, pulling on the cliffsides to keep herself from falling off due to the wind during her travels. This time, she just needed to push the ground away from herself. Simple. She vaguely heard someone near her ask “Who the hell is Alexis?” before she jumped, hoping that she was right and that she actually could do this. She kept her eyes closed, she didn't want to see it if she started falling. 

For a few moments she felt entirely weightless. Too long. She was falling wasn't she? [color=696969][i]Oh no, ohno ohnono..[/i][/color] She still kept her eyes closed even as her thoughts began to turn to panic. Though, it wasn't much longer until she felt Suleykaar's claws wrap around her. That shouldn't have been as comforting a thought to her as it was, but honestly she was a big fan of not going [i]splat[/i] on the ground. 

She opened her eyes, and immediately wanted to shut them again as she was tossed up into the air and then grabbed again. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she began to yell at the Dragon. She'd thought he was going to drop her [color=696969]"Hey! What the h-"[/color] Suleykaar interrupted her as she met his eyes for a split second before he spoke. 

[color=9e0b0f][b]”Hold on!”[/b][/color]

[color=696969]"To what, your toes?"[/color] Alexis muttered quietly to herself as she did actually try to find a grip of some sort. Suleykaar had his claws wrapped around her midsection, so she was pretty sure she was okay, until suddenly the air and everything else she could see started moving [i]way[/i] faster than should ever be possible, and a deafening BOOM filled her ears. She tried to curl up into a little ball, but Suleykaar's grip on her didn't really allow her much movement aside from her arms, which she now had firmly wrapped around what was probably Suleykaar's ankle. She tried to resist the urge to scream. She couldn't really hear anything but [i]wind[/i] so she wasn't sure how well she was doing. 

After what felt like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, Alexis started to calm down a little. If she was going to die, she'd have done it by now. Right? She still held on to Sulley's leg for dear life, but as she focused on her heartbeat and what air she could get into her slightly-less panicky lungs, she tried to calm her mind as much as possible. Emotions were swirling around in her head, dancing to the still-rapid beat of her heart but becoming clearer with every passing second. There really wasn't much else to focus on, so she tried to separate her own emotions from whatever she might be sensing from her Dragon friend. 

Fear, confusion, a sense of urgency, worry, grief, anger... Well, she knew at least one of those wasn't her. Why was Suleykaar so angry? She glanced around, for the first time actually looking at what was around her as they flew. The ground and everything below them moved by so quickly, so far down.. She had to tear her eyes away and look at the sky, or literally anywhere but down. Another figure in Sulley's grip caught her eye, though it didn't look like Soron was awake right now. Actually, the more Alexis looked at him, the worse he seemed. He didn't look like he was just.. sleeping...

[color=696969]"Oh."[/color] 

The word was lost to the wind as she spoke, and so were the tears that began to well up in her eyes. That explained a lot. Alexis looked towards Sulley's face, he was completely focused on what was ahead of them as he flew. She wondered what to say, if she should even say anything. Would he want her sympathy? She shook her head at herself, asking herself what she had wished for someone to say to her when Clara, or Genos, or Ryba.. or Aster...

The list was getting bigger, wasn't it? [color=696969][i]"Suleykaar?"[/i][/color] She tested her mental voice, wondering if he'd pay any attention to her or even notice she spoke to him. [color=696969][i]"You're not alone, okay? I'm here with you. I'll stay with you."[/i][/color] Whether or not he answered her, she didn't want to say anything else, in case he didn't want to hear it right now. She did think to herself though, [color=696969][i]You shouldn't be alone right now. Or ever.[/i][/color]

After a while longer, Alexis began to notice that the ground was getting closer to them. Not in a bad way, she supposed as she tried to keep herself from looking down. They must be landing soon, or something. After another obvious drop in altitude though, Alexis began to get a little panicky. [color=696969]"Suleykaar?"[/color] She tried shouting, forgetting for a moment that the wind would just whip her words away uselessly. After a second, and another drop, she switch back to mental communication. [color=696969][i]"Suleykaar? Are we-? Dear lord."[/i][/color]

It was impossible not to look at the ground now. They were falling. She was sure of it- or at least she was sure she wasn't freaking out for no reason at all this time. Looking around, there was a mountain ahead of them, and the ground rose up steeply to the top of the peak. They were almost level with the top of the peak now, and still going very, very fast from what Alexis could tell. Was Suleykaar going to land, or..?

[color=696969][i]"[b]Suleykaar[/b]?"[/i][/color] She tried to talk to him one more time before she realized. They were going to crash. She was going to die, crushed by about a billion tons of Dragon. Great... [color=696969][i]No, wait. Don't panic.[/i][/color] She told herself as she took a deep breath. She still had some energy left.. she just needed to time it right. 

As the ground got closer, Alexis counted seconds as they passed. [color=696969][i]One..... Two.... Three... Four.. NOW.[/i][/color] As she thought she concentrated hard on the area around herself, forming a bubble of space in her mind. Reality mimicked her thoughts, and a thin layer of perfect gold light began to melt into existence around her, from the air itself. She couldn't breathe now, but if she counted right she wouldn't need to hold her breath for long. Just as the bubble completed itself, they hit the ground. 

The bubble held, to her surprise. The one thing she hadn't considered though, was that Suleykaar would lose his grip on her because of it, the solid golden light coming between his claws and her delicate body. So, just after they hit the ground, she was still moving, the bubble rolling across the ground for a second before it finally gave in to the force of the impact it had just taken. There was a popping noise as the entire bubble shattered at once, the golden glitter falling down around and over Alexis for a second until it returned to the air as light particles. Alexis' body rolled a little ways further even after the bubble was gone. She only knew because it hurt, and she couldn't really move her arms to help protect her head until after she came to rest on her side, facing where Suleykaar was passed out right where he'd crashed. 

She had lost count of the seconds, though she was sure that the force field broke before she would've run ovt of air. So her vision going blurry wasn't because of that. She tried to count her heartbeats as they passed, but they were too fast.. or was it that they were too slow? She couldn't tell anymore as her vision went out completely. She thought she heard a voice, but when she tried to answer it felt like her tongue had turned to stone. 

This wasn't so bad. She couldn't see or hear, or even feel anything anymore, but that was fine. She was just falling asleep. 
[color=696969][i]I'll stay like this for a bit...  goodnight moon.[/i][/color]