War Has Come

Aedan didn't get the chance to respond to Zac's warning. Because that was when it all happened- lightning crackled from Adriana's skin, the arcs of light dancing between her wide-eyed form and the walls of the barrier. Where sparks separated to lick at Zacs skin, small strands of darkness emerged. Like the two powers were calling to each other, light clinging to darkness.

Cece cried out, when they exploded in a blinding flash. The barrier cracking with a sound akin to shattered glass. A grinding squeal that rose the hairs on the back of her neck. Her muscles twitched and jumped, of their own accord, charged as they were with electricity, and the spots from whatever that had been she couldn't quite blink out of her eyes. Every thing was a shadowed silhouette.

One shadow separated from the darkness, moving towards them with surprising speed. Cece flinched- and immediately let out a sigh of relief as Joel stumbled into her limited vision, carrying Ana.

"Cece- she's hurt. you have to help her!" She didn't even have time to question where Zac, Adriana, and Aedan had gone.

~~~~~

Adriana coughed- choking on the bile she could feel rising from her throat. After the explosion- there had been this gut-wrenching, dizzying moment of pressure, and everything had gone dark. Now that she was conscious again... She had no idea where they were. Certainly not in the building anymore.

The sky was a dull grey- not like clouds were shielding the blue from sight, but like all of the color had been leeched out of the world. There wasn't even any foliage to be seen- just endless plains of grey stone and sand.

Purgatory. That was the first word that came to mind. Even the sun had ceased to exist, in it's place a black void hung in the sky. Like the sun had been replaced with a black hole.

"God fucking-" Adriana scrambled to her feet, turning around full circle. She was completely alone.

"Lance? Anna? Adriana?! Is anyone there?!"

Adriana perked up at Zacs call, her lips parting to call back. But it was echoing strangely, every repetition growing in volume until it forced Adriana to her knees- her cry joining the explosive echoes of Zacs voice. Her hands clapped over her ears, but it did nothing to keep the overbearing sounds out.

Where in the seven dragon realms were they? Scrambling to her feet caused sand to fall, dislodging even more sand until the small avalanch was echoing like static. At least that wasn't painful.

"Zac?" Adriana risked a whisper, the sounds becoming indecipherable before they were loud enough to hear. She held back the swear she could feel at the tip of her tongue. It would only back fire on her anyways.

"little Adriana" Aedan. Shivers traveled down her spine as the low mutter enveloped her. She couldn't tell where it had come from. Her heart picked up- panic clouding her senses.

"Zac!" She ignored the pain, fighting to get to a high dune so she could see the area around her. She needed to find him, before Aedan found her. She needed to get out of here, and however they got here, get back. And hopefully leave Aedan behind.

There. She could see him in the distance, a small speck of black- like an ant climbing on a drab wall. She didn't even hesitate before starting her stumbling, sliding descent. She wanted to call out- but experienced kept her lips firmly pressed together. She couldn't give their position away, though the strange echo might help. She wouldn't pu it past him to have brought them here.

For all she knew, he was capable of anything. It had been years since they... since he...

She didn't slow, not even as she reached zac- colliding with him full force, her arms wrapping around his torso. Electricity arced between them, throwing Adriana back with a yelp. Black lightning sunk back into her skin.

"Zac-" Adriana whispered, reaching out once more. The sparks flared against her skin, scuttling over her the hand she'd reached towards him. She pulled back before she shocked them both again, eyeing the lingering traces of lightning. "What the hell...?"