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Jaden always enjoyed the rain.
The rush of water in his ears, droplets against his face as sailed through the sky using Treasure, or looking up at the ripples of water from below the waves. Storms backdropping the chaos of combat or drizzles on a calm trip. Where the pirate king went, the rain followed.
Fitting that the downpour would be there when he was falling to his death.
He had to distract the Null. He had to distract Spoke. They were focused on him first. Wemmbu could escape with Eggchan, then he would find an opening to follow. The plan was that simple. But when? When would there even be an opportunity to get out?
No. Focus. Jaden dropped down on another one of the soldiers gathered on the ground. Another death message. Another Null gone.
Just keep fighting. He flew high again, then down. The mace found its target. No message. He had to go higher. The rain was starting to soak into his clothes, cold wet droplets pelting him like small needles as he went up. Faintly, he could hear someone calling his name. Was Wemmbu still here? Had he not left? He would’ve thought the dragon would’ve gone to Egg immediately..
Another spin up into the air. Sometimes he wondered if he’d ever get hit with lightning this high up. Unlikely without channeling, but that chance always stuck with him. He spun Treasure up once more, looking down at the Null below. From this height they looked like a bunch of ants.
He would’ve chuckled at the sight if he hadn’t been striked down by a mace from above.
Time moved in slow motion for a split second. A curse from behind lost to the wind as the ambusher fell to the earth. A bright flash of light. Laughter carrying over a crash of thunder.
Then, a blooming pain where the mace had struck, and the rush of water as Jaden dropped from the sky. His limbs wouldn’t cooperate with him. A numb shock almost drowned out the white-hot heat radiating from the injury. He was going to die.
“-aden?”
The fall damage was going to finish him. Or the Null.
“Jad-?”
Maybe he could say hi to Rejoice. And apologize.
“JADEN!?”
Someone shouted his name. No, not just someone. Wemmbu again. Closer this time. Below him? Fighting the Null? He should be long gone by now.
It took a couple seconds for Jaden to realize he wasn’t going down anymore, but up. It took another few for his brain to catch up to why.
Wemmbu was carrying him. One arm wrapped around Jaden, anchoring the pirate to his chest while the other held his trident, flying them both up farther than the army on the ground could see. He hadn’t even noticed the trident slipping out of his own grip. It must have fallen when he got maced. That’s why Wemm was on the ground..
“..Wemm-?”
“Shut up. Don’t waste your breath, idiot.” The dragon cut him off. Wemmbu’s words were harsh, but undercut by the way his voice shook. He looked up at the other. Through the rain and the daze he could almost spot a glint of desperation in his eyes.
Wemmbu had watched him fall. He had stayed despite him telling the other to go ahead, to leave him in the chaos in hopes of at least giving his ally soem time to get away.
And in the process, he just became a liability for them.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion in his veins and the sharp, throbbing pain in his shoulder. A small dip in flight jostled them both, a strangled noise escaping the pirate as the pain spiked.
“Sorry, sorry, fuck.” Wemmbu apologized quickly, the sentence trailing off into muttered curses probably directed at the situation. He’s hardly heard him actually apologize for something. One’s friend almost dying right in front of their eyes can do that to a person, he supposed.
The duo continued flying through the storm. For how long, he couldn’t quite keep track between the pain and lack of energy to try. At one point Wemmbu had put away the trident, simply gliding while holding onto him and occasionally checking if he was still conscious. There was no guarantee that he’d recover considering the lack of resources and the looming threat of Spoke’s army.
Jaden had the feeling he wouldn’t see Rejoice for a while longer, though.