17 The Aftermath

"Centra!" DJ screamed as he crashed to his knees next to his dying beloved. A sob caught in his throat as he grabbed her uninjured hand.

As DJ arrived at Centra's all too still form, Syra jumped from the edge of the arena, through the one-sided barrier, and onto the arena floor. When Syra landed, Kyrie was in her way, blocking her path to Centra and Jasper. Syra ground her teeth, this hero was a murder. He was murdering his own teammates by doing this.

Before Syra could complain, Kyrie reached for her and said, "I'll take you." And he wasn't trying to stop her, like she'd thought. No, he was trying to help like a hero should.

Syra grabbed Kyrie's proffered hand. Because now was not the time for grudges, there were injured people in need of her help.

Kyrie swung Syra into his arms and delivered her to Centra's side. As Syra reached for Centra, she used her ability to sense the extent of Centra's internal injuries.

Kyrie glanced back at the stands and made a hurried come here gesture.

Professor Olson and Liza had arrived at Jasper's side. Professor Olson was checking on Jasper as he waited for the staff running the arena's mini infirmary to arrive.

As Kyrie repeated his earlier gesture with more urgency, DJ asked in a low trembling voice as he glanced from Centra's now closed eyes and barely breathing chest punctured with her own brutal arrows to Syra, "You can heal her right?"

Syra's face was twisted in contraction and beads of sweat had formed on her brow as she focused on Centra's injuries. "I'm doing my best DJ… But she has too many injuries to her vitals. In a moment I might be able to pull out one the arrows and heal a wound… but then I'll have to stop focusing on keeping her stable."

"N-no, no! She, I can't lose her Syra! Y-you have to save her!" DJ shouted as the ground beneath them rumbled and the air started to heat up.

While Syra was explaining Centra's dire circumstances to DJ, Kyrie held his hands up in a why gesture as he looked into the stands flabbergasted and confused. After he received another head shake for no, Kyrie gestured at Centra's nearly still and blood-soaked form.

Another no.

Kyrie growled and stomped the foot he pivoted on into the ground before he locked gazes with DJ. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low steady tone, "DJ you need to calm down or move away from Centra."

"Why didn't you do something!? You were supposed to keep us safe!" The air began to crackle as flames formed around DJ and the ground shook.

Kyrie felt a sting in his heart at that. He didn't want them to get hurt and was supposed to be their teammate, but a blooding had recently come to mean the LegendSlayer lost blood, not the legend. With the same tone as before Kyrie said, "DJ your ability is starting to hurt Syra and Centra. If you don't leave, I will make you."

DJ glanced at Syra and Centra, then at the shaking ground and flames. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He changed the song he was listening to, let go of Centra's hand, slowly stood, and said, "Right. I-I'll go. J-just watch over her for me." When DJ looked at Kyrie his face was the picture of one despairing over the love of their life.

"I will."

At this point, the arena infirmary staff had arrived with two stretchers. Two of the staff members headed for Jasper and one went to assist Syra. Kyrie glanced at Jasper and clenched his fist. He took another deep breath and knelt next to Syra, Centra, and Dr. Kristoph.

"How's she doing?"

Syra briefly closed her eyes, she was overwhelmed in worry and despair for her friend. But she had to focuses. She was all that kept her friend from crossing into the realm of the dead.

Dr. Kristoph glanced at Kyrie, "Can you help move her onto the stretcher?"

"Yeah, we're trying to keep from jostling her too much, right?" Kyrie asked as he moved around Syra and to Centra's head. Kyrie wanted to be certain he was doing this right.

"Yeah, we'll move her on three." After the doctor and Kyrie were in position, she continued, "One, two, three."

After Centra was moved to the stretcher, with Syra maintaining her contact, Kyrie and Dr. Kristoph headed to the arena infirmary.

Unfortunately, it was located below the arena.

It was only after both stretchers were in the elevator and the doors were closed that Kyrie realized down was the only option. Just as Kyrie began to ask to be let out, the elevator lurched into motion. His hands shook as he tried to hold the stretcher steady. Kyrie bit his lip and desperately trying to focus on the elevator wall as his breathing slowed down until it stopped.

Syra glanced at Kyrie in worry and surprise. Was… he having a panic attack? No way. A hero wouldn't be afraid of an elevator, right?

Dr. Kristoph looked at Kyrie and muttered to herself, "Stupid." After which she sternly said, "Kyrie. You need to breathe. It's alright we're almost there."

Kyrie gulped in a breath that caught in his throat.

"We need to get Centra to the surgery room. Can you manage that, or do I need to wait for Dr. Cal to help me move her, so you can go up?"

Kyrie took a breath and tightened his grip on the stretcher.

Syra grimaced and panted, "I'm sorry. I don't have much aura left."

"I-I can do it." He'd already let the team down and didn't want to do so again. Plus, he could go up whenever he wanted.

Kyrie juggled his tasks of breathing, keeping the stretcher steady, and reminding himself that he could go up whenever he wanted. Before he knew it, they had placed both stretchers in the operation room. Immediately after setting Centra's stretcher down, Kyrie left the room, found a set of stairs, and burst into the pink-tinged sunlight.

♢ ♢ ♢

After the staff from the infirmary left with Jasper and Centra, Liza chased after DJ. When she arrived at the inviting and warm colored three-story infirmary, DJ was talking with a receptionist and wearing a silver aura containment bracelet. DJ's bracelet can contain the energy of someone with a Mid-low aura rank.

"Should I wait here or at the arena infirmary?" DJ asked for the third time.

A very patient nurse, who was trying her best not to look irritated said, "Sir, the answer is still the same. They will bring your teammates here once they're stable enough to make the trip. You won't be able to see them until after they've been cleared by a doctor. You can wait here or go back."

"But-"

"DJ lets go back. We can meet Kyrie, and Syra can tell us how they're doing." Liza watched as DJ turned to face her.

"Ok." DJ immediately walked past Liza and to the door. He paused and said, "What are you waiting for? Let's go."

"Right. " Liza followed DJ out the door, while she wondered why she'd just sicked a worried and impatient DJ on herself. Syra, please be out soon.

"How were they when you left?"

"I don't know." They walked in silence for a while, lost in worried thoughts.

♢ ♢ ♢

When Liza and DJ arrived at the arena, they followed the signs leading to the infirmary stairwell and elevator.

"What are you doing here!?" DJ shouted as he grabbed Kyrie's shirt. "You promised to watch over her for me!"

Kyrie grabbed DJ's wrist, looked him in the eye, and said, "I'm sorry."

"You broke your promise! And you let her get hurt!" DJ clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. The hand buried in Kyrie's shirt was trembling. DJ'd let her get hurt too. He opened his eyes and asked, "Why? You're so fast, you could judge what's too much during the other fight and stop it. Why… why didn't you do anything?" DJ unconsciously loosened his grasp on Kyrie's shirt.

"I'm sorry. I miss called it. I thought Jasper's Ice wall would slow them down enough to make them harmless."

DJ let go of Kyrie's shirt, stepped back, and nodded. "Why are you out here?" DJ gave a very sad smile and joked, "Did they kick you out?"

Kyrie smiled, an equally sad smile, and said, "… No, I-I don't like going… down."

"Ah…"

"So, shall we go back to the infirmary?" Liza asked.

"Wait." Kyrie paused for a moment, "There's something I have to ask. When you agreed with Centra and Jasper did you really mean it?"

DJ shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know. I've seen a harpy try to take someone before… but I've also seen them just go by on their own business. So… I was good with it if this was a harpy that wouldn't hurt anyone."

Kyrie looked up at the pink-tinged sky with the fingernails of his right hand digging into his palm, "Let's get our equipment and go wait at the infirmary."

Liza glanced at Kyrie as they went to gather their things. "Why did you ask that?"

"Liza, I'm pissed and tired, let's leave it until we know how they're doing," Kyrie said.

♢ ♢ ♢

As Kyrie, Centra, and DJ waited for an update on Centra and Jasper's conditions, Kyrie was on his hollo watch guiltily browsing through the LegendSlayer Updates app. This app was updated by communication experts from all over Mity. It had public and LegendSlayer only news sections. Kyrie was currently signed into the app and browsing through the news updates reserved for those with an S on their mission rank.

*URGENT:

An influx of legend movements has been reported near the town of Sentry. We are sending in three teams consisting of mostly Master Rank LegendSlayers to monitor the legend movements. A scout team has moved out to investigate the type, quantity, and ranks of the legends. They left one hour ago and have been out of contact for 15 minutes. So far, the legends appear to be intelligent enough to avoid being spotted. If there is an available S ranked LegendSlayer within 6 hours of Sentry, please respond.*

Out of habit, Kyrie checked the distance to Sentry. It would take around five hours to get there outside of an emergency. Once again, Kyrie acted out of habit and changed from the news feed to the communication portion of the app. He selected the Mission Control user ID and began typing.

*I'm located in Laserath and currently available.*

It was only as Kyrie was about to hit the send button that he realized what he was doing. He may be available at this moment but how long would he be stationed there? A mission like this could be anywhere between a few hours and a few days. Plus, he was sort of on vacation right now… but how many people would die because of his decision not to go? And if he went, where would it stop? SDM missions where rare-er, though more of them have appeared after the fall of Avalon, then the SAM missions which were never-ending. Kyrie decided to wait for more information before sending his response.

After a short time, the door to the small infirmary waiting room opened and Centra's little brother Corson walked in. Corson headed for DJ and casually asked, "How's Centra? Is she healed yet?"

DJ grimaced at Corson's question and responded, "We haven't heard anything yet."

Corson frowned and asked, "What about Jasper?"

"He was brought here a few minutes ago and is still being healed. Hopefully, we'll be able to see him soon." DJ glanced at the door leading further into the maze of warm wooden hallways and rooms. He needed Centra to make it. To be here, where he could see her.

Corson thought for a moment before he spoke, "You mean they were hurt so badly they… couldn't be moved from the arena?"

"Yeah," DJ said as he continued to watch the door.

"Why are you waiting here? Did you come because they moved Jasper?" Corson wished DJ'd answer his questions. DJ wasn't a one-word answer kinda guy. He was jokes and never-ending strings of words. Not one word. How badly was Centra hurt?

Kyrie closed his holo-display and said, "It's my fault. I wanted to wait here."

Corson crossed his arms and watched Kyrie with pure loathing. "Of course. I should have guessed it was all your fault."

"It wasn't his fault!" "It was an accident."Liza and DJ spoke over each other in their rush to defend Kyrie.

Corson looked at Liza and DJ with surprise. "What did you say?"

Liza glared at Corson. "I said, it's not his fault. If anyone is at fault it's Jasper, Centra, and DJ." Who did this kid think he was? Blaming everything on Kyrie, when he wasn't even there.

Corson rolled his eyes. Of course, his first interaction with the ice princess would involve her defending his nemesis. It was a classic plot from one of his sister's romance novels. That he'd never read. Never. "Yeah right, like they would screw up that badly in a fight."

DJ's shoulders slumped, and he was staring at his hands as he spoke, "We wanted to let the harpy go." That… was such a stupid idea.

Corson looked at DJ with shock and horrified disgust. "Y-you wanted to let a legend go?! You've been to the tournaments and outside the city. Why the hell would you want to let one go?!"

DJ grimaced, "It wasn't hurting anyone at the time."

Corson shouted with a voice that cracked in disappointment and betrayal, he'd thought DJ was better than this, "They always end up hurting someone! That what they do!"

"Not always," Kyrie said from his spot next to Liza. "Sometimes you or the legend will part ways fast enough that they won't attack. But once they get close enough to a city or in a city they will attack. They'll also attack if you spend enough time around one."

"Oh, my legends! You're defending them!" Corson shouted. Of course he was. Kyrie was nothing but a horrid hero.

"No, I'm teaching you about Legends. I don't agree with what they did," Kyrie leaned forward and looked at DJ as he continued, "releasing one like you wanted is reckless and stupid."

"Hmph." Corson plopped down on the seat next to Kyrie and grumbled, "I guess we can agree on some things."

DJ looked at Kyrie. Kyrie was right, letting the Harpy go was a stupid thing to contemplate. He tightened his fists and promised himself never again. He would never make that mistake again.

The containment bracelet on DJ's wrist beeped a warning that his aura output had increased. He took a deep breath and attempted to calm himself down.

As he waited for news, Corson texted his and Jasper's parents. Liza was, once again, looking for safe methods to increase her aura content. DJ was analyzing the fight for what he could have done differently, and Kyrie had reopened the LegendSlayer Updates app.

*I'm located in Laserath and currently available.*

Kyrie stared at the message for a bit before he decided to rewrite it.

*I'm in Laserath and available for a short mission.* No that wasn't right.

*I'm located in Laserath and can be called in as part of an emergency response.* There, that was much better, Kyrie hit the send button and switched to a different chat.

After several minutes, a nurse entered the waiting room and asked, "Are you the team members of Jasper Glyph and Centra Livence?"

"How are they?" DJ asked as he leaned forward.

"Jasper is resting in his room and fully healed. You can visit him now if you want. Centra has been moved here and is going into another surgery and healing session. You don't need to worry she'll live. This session is just to help speed up her release. She will have several smaller sessions to attend over the next few days. But right now, it looks like she'll be released tomorrow afternoon."

DJ slumped back in his chair and sighed in relief, "Thank you Math."

Corson smiled and spoke, "When is Jasper going to be released?"

"He should be released in a few hours."

"Great!" Corson said, "Let me tell my parents, then let's go see him!"

Kyrie frowned, he did not want to see that stupid magician ever again.