SPELLBOUND

Hopelessness and despair began to get to them as they could feel the severity of their situation the longer that they fought against the three vicious tentacles. They could almost feel the determination of the tentacles that were attacking them. Levy and Luc were doing their best to hack at these infernal things. But every time they managed to rid themselves off one tentacle and moved on to the next, the previous one would have regenerated and resumed attacking them when they were done with the next.

This pattern continued on, but both the men could not do anything else but to fight on. The only other option was to stop a�" but they obviously would not a�" which would spell certain doom for them and the dragon they were on. The dragon was also getting exhausted and slowly being strangled the longer they tried to maintain the status quo. All Levy and Luc could do was to keep themselves from getting caught by the tentacle themselves.

"Shit!!! Seems like this is the end of the road for us!!!" Luc yelled as he viciously sliced at the oncoming tentacle. But another tentacle had shot in from Luc's blind side and wrapped tightly around his thighs before pulling him with a strong yank. Luc screamed in pain as he felt as though the tendons connecting the bones in his thighs to his hip tore. A sharp piercing pain flared up at the base of his hip. That sudden pull had sent him off balance and he nearly fell off the dragon's back. "Damn it! These things just don't quit, do they?!" he yelled exasperatedly through his pain, eyes watering slightly.

Levy caught him just in time before he dropped off the sides. "Damn it, you, dumbass! Hold on to me, will you?!!! I'll pull you up! On three!" Levy called out and counted while creating momentum to swing Luc back onto the dragon's back. Levy had to put in almost all of his strength to swing Luc as Luc was in so much pain that he could only focus on holding onto Levy so he would not fall off.

The moment Levy pulled Luc back onto the back of the dragon, a sudden movement jolted them both, causing Levy to fall over this time around as Luc cried out again. That jerk had aggravated his injury just as he was about to check on it.

However, though in pain, Luc managed to catch Levy. The both of them were grasping at each other's forearm, hanging on for dear life. But due to Luc's utterly weakened state, he could not even lift Levy back up onto the dragon's back. Sweat dotted his forehead as he was on his belly, one hand clutching onto the seat harness that was attached to the dragon for the riders to ride on while his other hand tightened his grip on Levy's forearm. His eyes that were looking at Levy who was dangling over the side of the dragon were filled with panic and worry.

"Just hang in there, dumbass." He smiled and Levy saw that his smile did not reach his eyes. But Levy smiled back in his usual silly way before winking. It was then that they realized the dragon was somehow free from the restraining tentacles and had already turned in the opposite direction and was flying away from the dark core.

Eyes wide, the duo looked at each other in surprise. Both had the same questions in their eyes. What had happened in that split second? There was no way their dragon mount would have been able to free itself from the clutches of those tentacles-like things. So who was it that had saved them from the tentacles?

Levy did not know why, but the first thing he did was to look down. And it was then that he saw her, and his heart felt as though it had fallen into a deep dark icy well. Down there, she was all by herself. Laiza... was she the one who... No, it should be her that had saved them!

"Luc... Laiza is... Laiza is left behind!" Levy immediately turned back to look at Luc, his eyes quickly filling with panic and fear. However, the panic and fear were only for the little female that was left on the ground and growing smaller as the dragon flew further away.

Luc knew what Levy wanted to say. Before Levy could open his mouth, Luc cut him off with a shake of his head. "We can no longer go back Levy. We... even we just barely escaped! Our dragon is barely hanging on too!"

Levy's eyes shook a little after hearing his friend speak. He pressed his lips together as he lowered his eyes. No one knew what was going on through his mind at the moment. But in the next second, he lifted his head and Luc saw his eyes. It was clear and unclouded, as though he knew what he wanted to do.

"I'm sorry Luc... I... can't bear to leave her alone there..." Levy spoke slowly and apologetically.

"L-levy..." Luc had a bad feeling. Though Levy was smiling and looking like his silly self from before, something was still off.

"I'm sorry. Please convey my apologies to Queen Evie. Please tell leader and everyone else too..." Levy laughed in his usual silly manner. But there was a gleam of regret in his clear eyes as he did not say the next words. 'I would miss you guys...'

"Levy... please don't... I know you care about her but..." Luc tried to persuade him. But Levy only shook his head.

"No... I love her, Luc." Levy said it simply, his eyes shining bright with that confession and a gentle smile crossed his lips.

"You... dumbass. You two had just met..." Luc's weak voice tried to deny his friend's claims.

"I know. I'm a dumbass after all." He grinned and laughed good-naturedly at himself. "But this dumbass really loves Laiza. I'm sorry..."

"You, dumbass..." Luc teared up. The pain at his hip seemed to have been magnified somehow. A bitter feeling filled his chest and his nose felt stuffy.

"It's okay, Luc. Perhaps, there might be another miracle like Zolan? I can't allow him to be the only hero there is, right?" Levy cracked a silly joke, hoping to lighten the blow. "But it is goodbye for now, Luc."

"Levy..." Luc could barely choke out his name.

"Thank you for everything. And I love you, Luc! Please tell everyone and Queen Evie that I love them. Bye!"

"Levy!!!" Luc frantically clawed with that one free hand, trying to grab onto whatever part of Levy that he could.

Levy had let go of Luc's hand and was falling down, smiling.