'I AM NOT AN ESPER!'
The shout rang loudly and echoed against the city walls. Claire looked over at Velentham, remembering him instantly from the time she arrived in his plane, but finding herself startled at the glowing silver that came from his eyes and the rage that floated on his features. This did not bode well. He was surrounded. 'You'll be powering Lord Kefka's airships soon enough!' one of the guards yelled.
'I'll take every last one of you down if you try anything, do you hear me?! '
'I'm going to grab him,' Gilean said. 'Help cover me?'
Claire agreed and as soon as Gilean stepped away, her entire body lit in brilliant lavendar flames. 'He's not an esper. If you're looking for an esper, you've found me.'
'There's another!!!' yelled the guards.
Claire smiled and began to chant, around her fingers began to dance the crackle of electricity, the charge tingling within her.
'CASTER! SHE'S A CASTER!!!'
The barely let off the spell before one of the guards arrived with the full intention of knocking her off her feet. Quickly, she sidestepped the blow only to be grabbed from behind. She sent electricity into her assailant and looked over, noting for the first time that the guards had indeed gone into the city for their own caster. The wizard stood well back, chanting as the skies began to darken. 'Gilean! Hurry!!'
Claire watched, horrified, as Gilean and Velentham ran toward her with meteors screaming from the skies. 'Clare, go!' Gilean shouted.
'NO! Not without you!'
It was sudden and swift as Velentham took to the air, gripping Gilean in one arm and sweeping Claire from the ground with the other. They sailed high into the sky at phenomenal speed, dodging lightning as it flashed around them. 'Claire, get us home,' Gilean said.
Only with her full concentration did Claire manage to get the spell to function in just the last moment. The arrived high above the Druid's Grove, staring down at the tiny cottage that was home.
