Vanishing Tides 11 (Separated)

SEPARATED:
Red and Almond sat for a long time in the balcony talking about what they both had seen through the day. Before Red could go to sleep, Takshak came to her room and told her that she was the best daughter one could ever have and that she had given his life a purpose. Red thanked him and said, "Have confidence in me, dad. I’ll do you proud." Takshak wished her sweet dreams and then with a heavy heart left her. He knew the time to leave that child was near. He had been entrusted with Red’s up bringing when all the spirits were sealed, including his. As everybody understood that they may never have a tomorrow, Takshak’s wife who had been married to him just a year ago had asked him to run away with the baby princess. His wife converted into a dead spirit the moment she sacrificed herself. She was the last one to be sealed off. Takshak was brought to Earth in the form of a dead spirit but for Red he had to live. He was glad he would be meeting his wife after seventeen years but the worry that Red would not take the shock in a balanced way was eating him. He had no idea about how he could save Red from that. Almond was the only person who knew all his plans and Takshak decided that he would be the only one to handle Red through that part of Red’s life. He walked straight into Almond’s room, talked to him for some time and with Almond’s consent gave Almond a part of his power, a very small part which Almond would need for Red in the end. Red met Phoenix in her dreams and saw how by her own behaviour she had made a lot of distance between them. In the morning when she woke up, tears were streaming down her face. She had a long bath and took her canvas backpack to load it with supplies. The others were there too, with bags of different shapes and sizes. All the warriors busied themselves with packing food for the whole day and then checked their weapons. Sherry and Red would not be in the same world together. They could communicate between each other even beyond the portal. Red and Almond were to go first followed by Tess and Zhi. It was 11 a.m. when Red and Almond stood on the portal and waited for the tides to vanish. Takshak and the others were watching as they sank inside. Red had her sun sword and Almond had his air shield ready. Tess and Zhi watched with bated breath as the waves came back over the portal. Only after Red would inform Sherry, the twins could be sent.

Almond landed first. It was as if sinking through water and then landing on the sea bed. He landed on a grassy plateau. Red landed on top of Almond knocking him to the ground. He stood up as Red showered him with apologies. He said, "We’re supposed to be partners. Any ways, we have to find the palace…." He was cut short by Red who screamed and jumped on top of him making him lie flat on the ground. She whisked out her sword and defended them both while shouting at Almond, "Al! You dork! Build a shield." Luckily there were only two of them and Red just had to disarm them to defeat them once and for all. On the other hand, they just had to kill her to defeat her, for good. With Almond protecting Red and moving like a backpack with her, they were not able to wound either of the life warriors. Red disarmed one of them after almost four blows while the other scooted upwards. She felt the shield disappear as Almond held her shoulders to prevent her from sagging down. He said hurriedly, "Red, squat down, we’ll travel through the air. Hurry! To the palace." Red glad to sit down though her mind was very much alert answered him, "Any idea as to how many death warriors are there?" She got a negative for a reply and made a mental note to ask Sherry to find out the exact number. As they flew past the empty villages and towns in that land, Red reminded Almond, "Al! We’ve got to set up base somewhere near the palace so that the portal opens there." Almond nodded, concentrating on his flying air bubble. Red glanced down; everything was there, the fruit stalls, the electronics shop only nobody manned them. It was as if the whole place was stilled by a timeless curse. The houses seemed empty. Not a dog on the road. Almond halted at a hill top saying he felt the presence of a death warrior around. Red focused a bit roving her vision from one side to another and said, "It’s definitely there but right now he’s in hiding. We have nothing to fear. Let’s move on." Almond said a reassuring ‘Right!’ and they lifted off again. The palace was in close vicinity so Red and Almond decided to set a temporary camp right there. Almond and Red stood up on a solid piece of land as the shield once again dropped and both became much more alert. They signaled Sherry to allow the other two to join. Red looked at Almond, caring always there to hold her tight when she felt she would break into a million pieces if it had not been for him. Almond saw her day dreaming and asked, "What?" Red did not say anything except a smile that passed at having found a splendid palace. They felt a cold rush of breeze as two small blotches appeared in the sky. The two blotches crash landed on top of Red as she fell yelling in pain. Tess helped Zhi and Red to stand up and then said, "This is our base?" Almond said with a lopsided grin, "Well, that’s what it is! Come on, you three we have a mission to accomplish…." Almond was cut short by Red who said, "There are seven death warriors and six of them are headed this way." Almond looked at her disbelievingly as he remembered that Sherry was there communicating with them. Red said, "One death warrior has been banished, I mean he has lost his power. She asked me to pass this message to everyone – Trust." Red felt her concentration waver. There was danger lurking nearby and Red could feel it was a death warrior but where? And what power did it have? Almond gathered them all closer and decided it best to carry them all. Red said to him standing in front of him, "You can’t do this, you are too weak." Almond realised she was right. Tess and Zhi would travel by their powers. Very soon, roaring tides moved along the hilly area towards the palace seated on it were Tess and Zhi. Almond and Red used their normal mode of transport. As they moved along, a fog surrounded them. Still a madly flowing river could be seen up front. Zhi would have to be careful as he wasn’t as friendly with the water as Tess. The fog swirled menacingly below the air bubble. Red strained her eyes to check on the twins. She was unable to. Her connection with Sherry broke as she dropped a few feet below and saw that Almond too was falling down. She took out her sun sword and steadied it, she had to use the light rays to cut through the frog. Almond hurriedly made another shield and both of them were balanced once again. Red was slashing through the winds and the fog. All of a sudden they both heard gushing water and a scream probably from Tess, "ZHI…!" Red escaped out of the bubble and shot downwards to reach the other two. Almond raced after Red with his shield, feeling desperate to save her from hitting the heavy rocks below. She entered the fog and tore through it creating a path for Almond. Red landed on the rocks as expected but was unhurt. Almond slowed down and stood back to back with her. He said, "You’ve got some nerve, jumping off from such a height. What if you would have landed head first?" Red answered him, her eyes searching Tess or Zhi, "I do know a bit of physics and a bit of aero – gymnastics, part of my training you see." Almond nodded and continued looking around. It did not take him more than half a minute to recognize the motionless body of Zhi floating in the still rough waters of the river. Almond said, his voice exposing the fear that had gripped him, "Red! It’s him, Zhi! He’s flowing away with the river." Red turned and grabbed his arm as they both raced on foot to reach the river. The current was fast. Zhi went on being pushed further downwards. Almond took off his backpack and jumped into the river protected by a shield. He swam quickly to reach Zhi but the river had other plans. As Red stood guard on the bank looking for Tess, Almond fell off guard and flowed past Zhi. His head bobbed up and down the water as he held on to a protruding piece of rock. As Zhi’s legs came nearer he let go of the rock and caught Zhi by the waist. Changing the density of air around him which was as easy as moving an eyelash, he brought Zhi to the bank. Red came running with their backpacks to where Almond laid Zhi down and pumped his chest to revive him. He coughed up the river water and flailed his arms in search of Tess. Red took off her wind cheater and put it around a shuddering Zhi. Meanwhile she re –established her telepathy with Sherry. He went on asking for Tess. Almond said to him in a brotherly way, "She would want you to search for her. So stop being panicky. Calm down. She is somewhere out there. We’ve got to find her." Red communicated this to Sherry who said, "I don’t think so it is a good idea for you to use your telepathy and search for her. In the world where you are some warriors can intervene and locate her. That’ll put her in even more trouble. Zhi has to be strong. Tell him I’m combining with our lord to look for her. You guys better keep running in the direction of the river and check both sides of the bank. Got it?" Red replied, "Right! Thank you Sherry. Thanks a tonne." The three warriors ran along the river further away from the palace. Zhi was losing hope as the day wore on. Red and Almond forced him to have something for lunch saying that he would need it to look for his sister. Zhi felt a crying lump in his throat as he said, "I’ve never eaten without her eating anything", and Almond patted his back as he cried clinging on to Red. The river had calmed down considerably. Zhi was feeling much tired owing to lack of energy so Almond encased him in his shield as he and Red jogged along the right side of the bank. Zhi stepped down after sometime and joined them. All the while they were shouting for Tess but in vain. Where was Tess? Was she even alive? Did a death warrior destroy her? Did she drown in the raging river? She possibly couldn’t. Still, Zhi’s heart ached to see his sister safe and he saw bare minimum chances of that. Where in hell was she? Zhi thought exasperated as he realized they were running off the schedule. Tess was their priority….