The thief melted into the dark. One with the shadows, he pressed his back against the cold brick wall. Today he was a thief; already an ally with the darkness that covered the badly lit chambers, the job came easily to him. Concealed in its cover, he would wait for the time to strike, silent and sure. And now he was almost there. He had traveled all the way to the top floor of the annoyingly tall tower without the slightest bit of detection, despite the numerous guards everywhere. The few guards that were in his way, he simply knocked them out and hid them. They clearly weren't expecting his visit tonight.

    But there he was; in the air, at the very corner of the tower's ceiling. His toes balanced against a wooden ledge of the tower's ceiling frame. Below he looked at the group of guards, about five standing around the center prize. The small wooden chest. In the shadows like the prowling predator he was, the thief's sharp eyes were fixed on the prize, he knew exactly what laid in side that chest, the crystal.

    He watched one guard shifted his weight boredly, while another fought to keep his eyes open. Though they were hardly ready, each of them, he knew, where elite to at least a certain extent or else they wouldn't be here.

    Still the thief grew impatient; his body was aching and fatigue was weighing on him from the past busy and restless days. To get here at this time, he had to hardly sleep on his travel. By the time he would get out of here and meet at the planned rendezvous point, it would take at least a day. And to be done here soon, was his plan. He wanted to finish now.

    Debating on where he would drop in, the thief inched his feet a few steps to the left. There was a lose board nearby in the corner of the ceiling's construction that he could use to distract them, bring the wood down on their heads. Or he could just wait; most likely one or two would leave in a few to go to another post and switch with another guard, not that anyone would be found since he found them first. But that way he could get the prize with less racket and he could avoid a fight. He could take them out now, but truthfully a spare from chaos was what he wanted.

    He waited about two more minutes, and nothing. As his patience dwindled down, the less violent plan was becoming less likely. Plus, his tired muscles were beginning to strain as he balanced himself against the shallow ledge.

    The thief shifted his foot to inch more along the wood, when the wood below his foot gave in. He hadn't noticed the rotting wood he had stepped on, normally he analyzes everything but this was clear evidence of his fatigue and how much he just didn't care anymore.

    The wood chipped underneath his foot and fell below. It hit the stone floor with a clack. Just as the guard closest to the fallen piece of wood looked up, the thief had already jumped and swooped down on him like a hunting bird.

    Down he came from the ceiling's ledge. His feet came down on the guards shoulders, slamming him to the ground. He was sure he heard a crack of a bone below his feet. That guard wasn't getting up, he was fragile.

    The thief rolled from the guard and came up with a side kick that blasted the next closes guard to the wall.

    "A thief?" One of them exclaimed.

    The third guard glanced at the impact his companion suffered, before he refaced the thief. This man would be sharp, and faster than his allies, the thief could tell. But as the guard readied himself, he then looked up at the thief with shocked eyes.

    The guard spoke with a shaky voice. "Th-th-those eyes. Their red!" he said in terror.

    The two other guards behind him froze. "No, he's much more than a thief. We need backup!" One shouted.

    The third one continued to stare. Right now he was the only thing standing between the thief and the wooden chest.

    The thief stepped forward.

    "The legends!" he said out of fear, fist at the ready but he clearly wasn't. "His eyes; their very irises are the c-c-color of the hundreds of warrior's blood whom he spilled!"

    "Th-The-"

    Crack! The guard was knocked out. The thief had punched him hard enough against the head to cause a possible concussion. The guard might have been elite, but his performance was poor when faced with real fear. The thief never did understand why some people tended to babble when terrified; it only puts the guard down, and distracts the senses.

    There was the chest in front of him and the crystal was inside. The fourth and fifth guards were still stunned. But they'd get over it soon; they would attack head on once they snap out of it. They now knew that they were going against a traveler, a trained warrior. Apparently, one of legends if they heard their unconscious friend's rambling.

    Meanwhile, the sound of rushing feet was coming forward from down the hallway; it could be at least twenty of them coming now. The warrior-thief rolled his red colored eyes and sighed. He was going to have to fight them all too, and in this old rotting tower.

    His night just got a bit longer.

2: My Future

        A smile can go a long way, my grandmother always told me. And I listen to her as often as I can, when I can. But in general, I've learned that it helps people. The smallest thing can generate a good mood and then change the course of someone's day. On some days, just smiling can either help or boost the people around you. And as much as it helps the external world, real smiles come from an internal source, and honestly I can't say that I have a real internal source. Well I'm not exactly sure anymore, I can't quite feel it. But that source, fake or real, must make a good enough smile because it genuinely fools enough people. But I don't want to sound as if I have nothing to really smile about, I do. It's not that I've been through some type of hardship or anything. I'm thankful for my life. I just feel distant from it. Or more so I'm not a part of it, even though it's supposed to be mine.

        If I disappear, would everything around me be completely the same: unmarked and undisturbed? I want to have a sure reason to smile, really smile. I mean have a bright smile, with a known purpose. The kind of purpose that contains real power. I need that. I don't know what that current power is. I guess it's that fake power of mine that I use to make my smiles. Again, my life isn't bad…only dull. Maybe empty is the word? Actually, I'd just call it colorless, grey.

        My mom's always complaining about how my head is in the clouds, but that's where I do feel the most color, when I'm not here around this place (as I'm probably doing now). It's much better then dwelling through the greys of school and the detached environment that surrounds me. I'll be graduating high school in only a few days. It's great to be done, but also scary to start that new step forward in life even though I don't quite know where I am going. My mom says that the way I am going, that'll be nowhere. She demands that I pursue law, afterwards. Since she has such a high title, as well as strong connections, she already has the way paved for me. I'm pretty sure the connections and recommendation of Julia Rivers was the strongest influence to the spot that was somehow opened for me at the University Of Maryland Francis King Carey School Of Law (UM Carey Law). And I'm sure the same idea and the very close client and friend of hers that works at John's Hopkins University, one of the top medical schools in the nation, factored into my gaining an opportunity to also start at JHU as a part time student. The two options are her way of making me feel more like I have a choice. Still, I know she has more favored plans with Law school. That's right; the daughter of the well-respected Julia Rivers was going to be a huge law success. II know, I'm very fortunate and lucky, so I should be happy about this shouldn't I?

        I know Mom's road is smart, but is it really worth it if that way will be even greyer than what everything already is? It might even turn black. And then how will I ever see color? Until I figure that one out I'd have to keep smiling. I guess… At least somehow that still comes naturally. That is, if acting is natural. Because naturally I-

    Screech!

    Shay's pencil slid hard across the desk as her paper was snatched from under her hand. It lay clutched and crumpled in Dennis's fist. He leaned over the desk and waved the paper in her face before snatching it away again.

    Ugh, does he have nothing better to do? Everyone else in the classroom was busy talking and minding their own business. It was the last day of class for the seniors and everyone, including Shay, was ready to go. All she wanted was to simply sit in the back of the class in peace and recap the thoughts that were itching at her head.  If only she could enjoy that peace for the last few minutes until the bell rings and she would be out of high school for good, minus the returns for graduation and prom. She had already said her goodbyes to her favorite teachers earlier. Her day here would be done in simply a matter of minutes.

    "Give it back Dennis." She growled.

    "What's this?" he waved the crumpled paper around in her face.

    "I said give it back!" She snapped. Her hands on her desk balled into fists.

    Dennis leaned casually at the edge of her desk and straightened the paper in his hand. "You're always so weird Shay. You stay to yourself a bit too often."

    "I don't remember asking or ever caring about your opinion." She muttered. He was always annoying, and somehow Shay had managed the entire year without punching him in the face. He was one of Troy's friends, her ex-boyfriend, though he was hardly called that in Shay's mind. The relationship was too short, only a few months and there was never a true connection. Troy, who was all about image, only wanted one part of her. After she dumped him, all his friends that followed him around, Dennis included, either shunned or taunted her after each of them first tried convincing her on a date and was rejected. Troy and his friends were the type who depended on popularity and image for everything. Too bad it wouldn't count for crap when they walked out of those high school doors and into life.

    Dennis just avoided another swipe from Shay and then his sleazy eyes began to slip down the paper.

    "Dennis! I'm not playing," Shay got to her feet. At first Shay didn't want to cause a scene, but now she no longer cared.

    "My grandma always told me…ha!" he read aloud and began to laugh. "Aww, how cute Shay, what is this? A diary page? You were always a weirdo."

    Shay snatched his wrist holding the paper, but Dennis simply switched hands before she could get it. Her patience was wearing; this was a page filled with her own thoughts that she was working out within herself, not for other eyes. And he was flaunting it in her face.

    He scrunched his face at the handwriting. "Or maybe its poetry… Really bad poetry." He scanned the paper more. "If I disappear things will be completely the same I wonder." he read and laughed more at Shay's face while she gritted her teeth. "Who does that? Well I'll answer for you: Yeah if you disappeared I'm sure no one would give a damn." He laughed.

    Shay knew that even through her bronze brown complexion, her face was showing red. But her embarrassment quickly melted into a molting lava of anger. After continuing to taunt her, Shay was fed up.  Shay seized the collar of his shirt. "And I'll say again, give it back!"

    His eyes narrowed challengingly. Was it because it was the last day of school that he was determined to get his and Troy's revenge from earlier in the year? Or just his last chances to humiliate her? She was pretty sure the rest of the class was watching now. She heard a few of their snickers but Shay wouldn't let her eyes stray from their lock.

    Dennis sucked his teeth. "Or what?" He began mocking her voice in a high pitch girly way and read another line. "Aww My mom's always complaining about how my head is in the clouds, but that's where I do feel the most color."

    There was laughter following his own. "Hahaha! Wow Shay! Really? You are one-"

    Shay's fist came across Dennis face in a punch so hard that it snapped his head to the side. He was so stunned at the surprise that he stumbled backwards a bit and dropped the paper. Shay snatched it from the floor.

    "Next time you'll just do what I tell you." Shay grumbled as she stomped back to her chair and into her seat. She stuffed the crumpled letter in her freshly cleaned out binder and attempted to sit as if nothing happened; silent but fuming inside.

    The class was dead silent. Dennis who still leaned against the desk behind him, straightened himself up. He looked as if he was still processing what just happened while the side of his face burned with red.

    Then finally another senior, Damien, was the one to crack the silence with a snicker that turned into a roar of laughter before the rest of the class joined in. But all the laughs seemed to be directed towards Dennis who stalked angrily back to his seat after glancing at the teacher.

    But Shay wasn't laughing; hot from embarrassment and still furious she sat with her arms folded and kept her glaring eyes at her desk.

    Sometimes it just helped to write things down, when itching ideas or thoughts were weighing in her mind. It just made her thoughts more clear and she often felt better. She refused to write anymore at the moment, though her mind was buzzing with other thoughts to finish her mind reflection. Another thing that comes natural for me but can also be problematic is acting on my emotions. And my most problem spot, I admit: my temper. Yeah, that gets me into trouble sometimes…

    Followed by that thought, she heard Mr. Orwell, the teacher sigh. "Shay now? Really? Do you want to get written up for fighting just before you're done with school? You know this can dock points off your privileges at prom or even your graduation."

    Shay was silent. She didn't care.  The burning sensation on her knuckles felt good.

    Damien chuckled from the front of the class. "Well technically it wasn't fighting. It was only one swing Mr. O. That's just how shay communicates." He laughed. "And, she did warn him right?"

    Damien was an acquaintance, taking up for her in an indirect way. He was like many other kids in the school; fine with Shay, tended to like her and her attitude, only they'd probably never hang out past class. There wasn't enough in common and Shay never ran with the crowds unless it truly was for her liking. She might go to the school football game and have fun there, but she could care less about the party at one of the football player's house that most of the seniors would go to afterwards. Went to a few gatherings, but wasn't thrilled.

    She was never one to feel pushed under peer pressure. She did what she felt. That along with her respected, yet sometimes taunted attitude, kept her neutral with many. People tended to like her for some reason, but just kept their distance. And Shay was fine with that.

    Mr Orwell, did like her; he had also been her English teacher for 11th grade, so he knew her fairly well. Besides her fall-outs with other kids occasionally, and her often daydreaming in the class, she always was a decent student. Shay didn't exactly favor English classes, but Shay always did her work with no problems. And she knew he wouldn't suspend her for something he saw as Dennis's fault. But for the other kids he had to put on a show.

    "No," she answered. "You won't get any trouble from me. I'm just ready to leave now."

Finally the bell rang.

 

 

    "I know Bria, I know." Shay wined at her friend's lecture. "You already know what happened. It was the usual. He just pissed me off." She tightened her hand around her backpack sitting on her lap when the speeding bus hurled over more bumps on the road.

    Sitting next to her, Bria sighed and shook her head. "Figures…" Another giggle escaped. "Well it was a great end of the year laugh. I almost died when I heard it. But Dennis had to know that was coming. He'd been asking for it all year."

    Bria had been a friend to Shay since they were in middle school. More often they hung with different crowds, when Shay hung with a crowd at all that is; but their loyalties always remained to each other. Shay only kept a few people close that she would call friends and preferred it that way. Though she was always opened to others, she was always careful of who she allowed in her small circle of real trust.

    Bria belonged in the crowd with most of the other students. She fed form socialization. She went to every school event, she knew where the best parties would be, even some of the college ones, and she had the best fashions, in Shay's opinion, and just loved talking. She knew every rumor but was able to fish out the true ones, for the most part. Gossip was her thrive. Shay, on the other hand, hated dealing with all the superficiality of most the others. She hated all the pig-headedness, the stupid things they did, and the lies they told to appeal to a certain image. It all required useless energy that Shay didn't see a true point in using. She preferred to act like she felt, and tell it like it was, no shame. Still, that was a feature that Bria appreciated in her. And to Shay, Bria was the only one who ran in those crowds that still appeared to be a real genuine person at the same time. Perhaps that was a power of hers.

    "Oh, I almost forgot." Bria said pulling out her phone. "Did you know that Laya and Marcus might be something now?"

    Shay's jaw dropped, then she cracked a smile. "Really?"

    Bria laughed. "Yeah girl! I know right? Big surprise."

    "Yeah real big." Shay agreed. "I knew it! They were always fighting with each other. But every time I asked Laya about it she'd tell me no. So I left it alone."

    "But you believed her though?" Bria snickered.

    "No." Shay said instantly in defense. "Well…maybe. I-I just didn't really think about it after she seemed so sure."

    "You would Shay." Bria laughed. "You always take everything so simply."

    "I guess I can't argue with that. Still, I need to talk to Laya."

    Laya was another friend of theirs. Between Bria and Laya, they were always a breath of fresh air when she did need to be around someone. And they were also two people who accepted her for exactly who she was and still liked to be around her. That's why they were real friends. She trusted them.

    "We'll three-way tonight and she can tell you the details." Bria said, yanking the yellow cord to signal the bus to stop. "I'll call you later Shay." She got up.

    "Okay. See ya." Shay waved. Bria scampered off through the bus doors, while Shay stayed on for a couple more blocks.

    Once the two of them had left school, they had taken two buses, all the way out to the farther east Baltimore county area. The area where Shay spent more of her childhood, where about three years ago, her parents decided to move away from while her grandmother remained there in the same house for about then years, when she came to live near them.

    Shay hadn't been by her grandmother's house all week, which was different. Usually it would be at least twice a week, usually three lately. She'd often come straight form school when she didn't want to return right away to her house and her mother. It was another bus ride to get back home which was back towards the city, in Fells Point, a beautiful and also expensive area in Baltimore city that she moved to about four years ago. But Shay didn't mind all the riding, she enjoyed the extra time to herself before she had to get back home.

    Her mother, Julia, never liked her going all around Baltimore so often. But Shay never told her until she asked. It seemed the only thing she was satisfied with was when she was either home or at school. Well summer was starting and that meant school was now out the equation and she wasn't planning on staying home the whole time. Between working at the library as she did seasonally, seeing her grandmother, hanging with Bria and Layla, and just going out on her own adventuring, she would hardly allow herself to be cooped in her room. And with her mother always running off to meetings and court dates with clients she could hardly stop Shay anyway. She would sneak out as soon as her mom left.

    Her father, Eric Rivers, hardly had much say; being an important assistant chair business man, he was always gone all day and often away on trips with his job. He'd been away in Philadelphia since yesterday. Though he didn't always used to be wrapped up in work. And when he did get the time to talk it reminded her of those days. But now, when he wasn't away on a meeting, Shay hardly saw him during the day unless she caught him before she'd go to bed. So when Shay did ask for his opinion against her mother's he hardly ever knew what was even going. Not with his daughter or his wife that much either.

    Shay had given up trying to verify the idea that her dad was doing more than just work when he went away on those business trips. Wrapped up in work yes, but his distraction form Julia had to at least do with more than that. She and even her grandmother figured it was true. Shay would be more mad at him if her mom had actually seemed to care. But it never seemed to bother her. Her parents were so detached and consumed in their individual work that there was just a cold household left in between.

    Julia, who tried to control everything around Shay when she was home, never mentioned it. Her and Eric would check in with each other when one was away from the house, most likely just to make sure that the other was at least alive. Shay could never understand how her mother was so content about it. Julia would never talk about it with her about it though, she didn't feel the need. Between her close co-workers and other friends, her daughter was the last person Julia Rivers would confide in about that. But rather, if it was her busy schedule or just an affair of her own, or maybe both; Julia seemed happy with her very nice home, career, and even her husband's career and all its perks that they got from it. If Julia had one focus, it was making a good comfortable life; strive for luxury. Shay always did respect her ambition. But the truth was that the mother and daughter just didn't see eye to eye.

    One thing that drove Shay crazy was her over-cautiousness. Being careful was one thing, but it was different when a person was outrageous with it. But for a time, Shay had understood after what happened a few years ago. In which Shay didn't blame her for a while, but the past was the past.

    After three more stops Shay got off at the bus stop right in front of the old suburban neighborhood. To the left of the houses were clusters of trees that ran into woods. Here, she used to go on plenty adventures on her own as a kid. Imagining and exploring, all away from her parents knowledge. No rules, where she could be and pretend what she wanted. The other kids used to follow, and together the place and the neighborhood provided many childhood memories. Now that she were older, it wasn't as easy to be transported away from reality as she could with her childhood imagination. Everyone and everything eventually grew up. And now that she was about done with high school, life was going to kick in. The issue was finding her feet in reality. She would have to find a new source to bring color into her life. Unfortunately, she didn't think that law school was her way to find it.

    Shay walked out into the old neighborhood passing rows of single homes. She also passed the old house that she and her parents used to live in and kept going until she reached her grandmother's a few blocks down.

    She and Sophia, her grandmother, were close. She was one of the few people aside from Bria and Laya, where she felt most comfortable, more than anybody. Her grandmother shared her love for whatever "weirdness" that ran through them; always offering knew books, showing her stories and pictures of her old exploring and experiences around the world and encouraging Shay to take her own adventurous path in life. Her grandmother had always been the most to understand.

    Shay ran up the steps and knocked on the white door. The first thing she heard was barking that grew louder until she was pretty sure, Missy, the German Shepherd was right at the door. Soon the barking stopped and there was only the sounds of whines and excited scratches at the door. Missy knew exactly who was there.

    A few more minutes the door swung open and there was Sophia.

    "Shay!" her bright brown eyes lit up and she embraced her with a tight hug, her usual honey perfume strong.. She wore an apron around her waist with gardening gloves on. Her grey hair, a few streaks of remaining dark brown color was worn in a tight bun that let loose into a small bundle of silver curls. It was complete evidence that her own massively tangled coily hair came from her genes. "There you are. I haven't seen you in about a week now."

    "I know Grandma. Well this is my last day of school. And you know I'll probably be out here a lot too."

    "Oh yes. I know you'll be down the street at your friend's house, right? Just make sure you come by to see me here and there."

    "Of course," she bent down to pet Missy who's paw kept hitting her foot, tail wagging wildly. "And I'll be here to make sure I give Missy her walks too. Isn't that right girl." She said in a baby voice to the dog as she roughly pet the dog behind her ears with both hands.

    Lately Sophia's house was feeling much more like home then at her house with her parents. Here things were still warm and always the way they were growing up the last ten years of her life. It was colorful and full of memories down to every chair, table, ornament and picture. Being here was just what she needed.

    As soon as she got settled, Shay went to the backyard to help Sophia with her gardening. As they worked, they talked about what's been on the news, their family, about school and how it felt to graduate. It showed on Sophia's face that she didn't believe her granddaughter's claim to be excited on the graduating, and moving on part, but she decided to hold any prying for now. And for that Shay was thankful. For the moment she didn't want to talk about it or her real fears.

    She was sure that Sophia was already aware of her mother pressing her to study law. Julia had always said that Shay had the spirit of a debater and with enough focus and study she saw good qualities in her as a lawyer… Sometimes Shay wondered if her mom really knew her after all or not.

    Instead, Shay directed her attention to the garden. It was always so lovely and vibrant. Plant filled beds ran along the side of the house and along both sides of the yard. She never knew the names of the flowers, only that they were beautiful. After refilling one of Sophia's tin water cans, Shay chugged over to the beds along the fence. Here there were bushes and flowers with long petals from flowers of different colors; blues, yellow and purples.

    "Make sure you give them the right amount Shay." Sophia told her. "They've been pretty thirsty lately and we haven't been getting a lot of rain."

    Shay leaned the can forward and started sprinkling. After a moment of getting the leaves and soil wet throughout the box, she raised and stopped the water.

    "Not yet Shay." Sophia said walking over to her, she pointed with her gardening gloves on. "Look at them they still want a little more, especially these orchids over here."

    "How do you know Grandma?"

    "Just watch and listen to them, they'll tell you what they need. You just have to learn their language." She grinned. "You see how their leaves didn't completely perk up yet?"

    Their language, listening to flowers; Sophia always said funny things. Sometimes she spoke like an old wise person or wizard you'd see in fantasy movies. Shay laughed at the thought. And the fact that such a person was her grandmother, made it cooler. Sophia spoke about everything as if they were alive and had feelings, as if there was a deeper meaning in everything. Even with inanimate objects, she made the smallest things sound important. Still, every odd, empathetic thing she said, Shay adored.

    "Okay Grandma." She said. "How 'bout you just tell me when to stop? I don't want to drown them either."

    She chuckled. "You'll know before you do that Shay."

 

 

    Back into the house Sophia eased herself into a kitchen chair and turned on the small TV that sat on a tall cabinet stand that stored all of her spices and things below; Missy laid by her feet. Shay went passed them and into the living room. It was where she remembered leaving her key to Sophia's house last time she was here. She took it off to switch her keys to her knew key chain that day. But when Laya, who lived down the street, called her ranting about a new car, Shay sped out the door and left it.

    And there it was sitting on the small lamp table where she left it. She grabbed the key and put it in her pocket; she'd attach it to the rest of her keys in her backpack later. That's when Shay's eyes wondered to the box next to the table. She recognized it, but hadn't seen this box in a very long time. Sophia must have just pulled it out of the attack or the basement. It wasn't a box but more like a chest of wood, with carved geometric designs along the rim and on the sides.

    The chest belonged to Joe, her grandfather. He had been gone from them for more than ten years now. Before the time Sophia came to live near Shay's parents so that she could have family around as well as a new area during her grieving. Joe had been a good woodcarver; many of his treasured or trusty items were carved in his own wooden handiwork.

    "You remember that box Shay?" Sophia said walking into the living room. She was holding a picture frame in her hand; she had just replaced its frame with a new one.

    She nodded. "Yeah I used to call it PopPop's treasure chest." Shay always saw her grandfather as a strong adventurer though he was most likely just a simple man with a strong spirit and always had time to play with his young granddaughter.

    "Mmhmm." Sophia nodded with a smile. "I pulled it out to look for a few things. Go ahead and look in it if you want." She said turning to place the picture frame with a table that was already cluttered with many others.

    Shay opened the chest and looked around. It had a couple of his old things: His pipe, a folded jacket that belonged to her PopPop and a few more carved goodies inside.

    "Oh what about this one?" Shay held the object up to her grandmother. "You used to take this away from me first before I could play with it."

    "You know what type of destruction you would have caused? Aside from the destruction you already caused with your bare hands."

    Shay laughed, agreeing with her and remembering some mischievous childhood memories.

    It was a pocket knife she held. Shay always thought it looked pretty because of its carvings, though she was only allowed to look at it for a few seconds as a kid. Now for the first time, she held it in her own hands and looked at it more closely.

    She admired its artwork. On both sides there was a small dark circular hole carved into the center and from it sprouted swirly elaborate designs. On each side were two small blue painted circles lined diagonally with each other through the center; at the top left and bottom right.

    "I think this was one of PopPop's best carving designs. It's beautiful."

    'You think so?" Sophia asked. "That old knife, I think there's others in there I favor more."

     But look at the shapes and the colors it's so cool." Shay wished she could carve a design like that. But artistically, she was no good with cutting or gouging.

     She flicked the side switch and the knife popped up swiftly and soundlessly, without even a click.

    The blade itself was smooth but still pretty sharp for its age, and somehow still shiny underneath the sheet of dust. The entire piece that her grandfather made was pure art as a whole.

    "If you like it that much Shay, you can keep it."

    "I can?"

    "Sure, a little something you can keep that your PopPop made with his hands. And now I trust you won't do anything reckless with it my little explorer." She chuckled.

    That was the name she referred to her since she was six when she would explore and explore around her grandmother's house and using any trinkets she could find as treasure. Her imagination was her best friend then, and thinking of some of those memories now was even a bit embarrassing for Shay to even bring up herself. But her grandmother always treasured it. If she or Joe didn't get down and play with her she would direct and add to whatever wild story Shay had made up for the day. It used to tickle her grandmother so much then that she would constantly bring up the memories all the time anyway.

    She found her backpack in the corner and stuck the pocket knife in its front pocket along with the keys. "Thanks a lot Grandma."

    At least this put a spark in her day. Small as it was, the knife could be useful somehow, but it was mostly pretty, and made by her grandfather that she missed.

    She could imagine what her mom would say about it, not that it would matter. What did your grandmother give you that for? What on Earth would you do with it anyway? She's always pumping your head up with even more of the foolishness than you already have! Any higher and you'll finally float off into orbit! Shay rolled her eyes at the idea.  Ladies weren't supposed to carry one around. 

    Oh well. Shay thought. As "barbaric" as it might be, I like it just fine. Shay thought with a smile.

    Shay gave Missy a walk around the neighborhood, her usual routine when she came here after school. And after another hour of talking and lounging, reading a few of her grandmother's old books and snagging one to bring home herself along with a few of Sophia's blueberry muffins, Shay was finally off to go home.

 

 

    "But Mom I w-"

    "You what? Were you ever going to do what I told you?"

    Shay couldn't get more than three words out before her mom cut her off each time. Instead, Shay folded her arms and tried her best to hold her tongue.

    Shay rolled her eyes only when she turned away so that her mother couldn't see.

    Julia went on. "I told you Shay, do we have to go over this again? You're going! Unless you have a plan?"

    Shay didn't answer.

    "Like I thought, as usual, your mind isn't here. You just graduated from high school, you're going into the world now."

    "I know Mom." She said facing her again.

    "If you know then why do you still not get it?"

    Shay was silent, her nose flared, but she said nothing. She was tired of hearing this, and she knew better than to even speak, even if Julia would let her get her words out, she never listened, she'd only be wasting her breath. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to school, but she'd rather go to a liberal arts one, where she can find her way. Even just a two year college would do her better than jumping straight into law school. She hated everything about law and court careers, the rules the bickering, the stiffness and that was just the beginning. It was cool for some people, but not her. But Julia knew what a success it would be to go straight to law school instead of wonder around in a liberal arts one; to her it was incompetent.

    Shay wanted to ball the UM Carey Law letter up in her hand and throw it out. She would at least do it once her mom left the room. It was a follow up letter from her acceptance and the spark of the whole argument.

    "Answer me Shay!" Julia yelled. "Do you want to actually become something with yourself?"

    Shay hesitated, having plenty to say in her mind and trying her best to keep it restrained.

    "Exactly!" Julia "You wouldn't know."

    "What if I don't want to become like you." It slipped through her gritted voice.

    "What?" she snapped.

    "I'm nothing like you and I don't want to be like you. Why do you always have to think that things can't work out unless it's your way?" Shay's voice spoke up venomously.

    "Shay Lianne Rivers, you betta watch your tone! Obviously my way is the smart way, seeing you haven't come up with any plans that seem logical. "

    Shay bit her tongue again, tears of rage coming to her eyes but she wouldn't dare let them spill out. She was too angry; it took everything in her to confine herself. Her fists were balled at her sides. She was tired of hearing that word, she was tired of her mother shooting down anything that didn't agree with her and labeling it "illogical". If she was so illogical then what was she really calling her, stupid?

    She couldn't even make out Julia's words anymore; her voice became muffled into shrieks and ranting in Shay's mind. She was going on again with the usual, about how much she does and how she knows best for everything, she's been through the world, and she knows what her daughter should do and the most rational plan. She tried everything to block her out and stop the building anger inside from boiling over. Shay began counting in her head, thinking of anything to distract her, but her mom was there rising to the challenge and continuing to fuss. She was only pushing Shay's own natural tendency to rise and challenge back.

    Still silent, Shay painfully inched her stiff body to the door. Behind her, Julia's voice kept growing louder. And Shay felt her boiling point reaching the top. Shay snatched her backpack from a chair in a chair that sat by the door.

    "Well if your way is the only logical way to do things than just screw it all." She growled loud enough for her mother to hear and slammed the door behind her. The bit of control she had left stopped her from using the word she really wanted to say.

    She could hear her mother going wild behind the door. Still Shay stormed outside and down the street, eager to escape the noise and frustration in her mind. She had been dreading this the whole day, and yet here she was.

    With rage spewing from her body, anger channeled her feet to move. She stormed down the row of Fells Point houses and passed a small group of people socializing in front of their porch. She went by the small independent gym that had opened five years ago. Shay had been the first to sneak in and become their first loyal customer. For a time it was her outlet, taking up their kick boxing class, and soon a small unique class by a new teacher who taught many different forms of fencing. Maybe it was a strange art to encounter, by the new female teacher but Shay tended to favor her and the class. There, she would let her imagination with those wiry sticks take flight. But the experience didn't reach past last year, when her mom found out, claiming it to be a waist of time.

Now with more of her mom's ranting fresh in her ears, her mind led her to the only place she knew as both calming and safe.

3: Snatched

    Shay stepped off of the bus and began walking. Lucky for her, it was probably the last running bus that would take her here. She began walking through her grandmother's quiet suburban neighborhood. Sophia wouldn't mind if she came by again, and to spend the night. And at this point, she didn't care if her mom got upset about it, at least she was heading to a family members house. It wasn't like she was heading anywhere reckless, but she was sure that her mom would still make it seem that way when she got back.

    The rebellious heat inside Shay finally began to wind down. The feel of the cool night air and a few peaking stars above her were the only thing there at the moment to calm her mind. If only she could escape with them and leave everything else behind in her venture.

    Still her mind bubbled on with the last bit of fire it contained. Everything is my mother's way anyway. Can I take charge just for this one night so that I may keep my sanity? Or…can I really not trust myself to make my own decisions?

    Shay stepped with fury at her last thoughts, until her pace finally drained off all rage. She signed as she listened to the quiet echo of her footsteps on the sidewalk. She heard the crickets chirping in the summer night. A strong wind whipped her curls around her head. The wind had been picking up pretty strongly; strange with their hardly being an ounce of it earlier today. But along with it, she thought there was a sound in the bushes. Most likely a stray cat, she shoved away any suspicions until she heard it again. 

    It was too loud to be just a squirrel or cat, it was something bigger. She picked up her pace slightly and moved passed the strange house and its bushes.  But after five minutes, Shay relaxed and stared at the stars with her arms folded behind her head. It was always calming. And up in the sky there was her favorite star. A bright one, the same one she always recognized almost every night around summer time when she lived here. Now that she was in the city it was much harder to see the stars.

    She missed that bright star. When she was a kid she would stare at it before she went to bed. It looked like a Hope, if hope had a physical form, so that was its name, her seven year old self had decided. And even now, just like back then, just looking on it made her feel a bit more peaceful as she reflected on her thoughts and her day.

    Just then, her phone started vibrating. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the name, it was Laya. But at the moment, Shay didn't feel like talking to anyone, she'd been waiting to get some tranquil alone time and think, and this was the best time she had yet.

    When she went to put her phone back into her pocket, something suddenly grabbed her so roughly that she saw her phone fall from her hand. It was one massive arm that wrapped around her entire torso and smashed her into the chest of the unknown's body pinning her completely still. Then a hand instantly slapped against her mouth drowning her scream.

    Startled, Shay instantly began thrashing herself lose but it was no use. Her captor's body mass was huge and tall. Seeing from her peripheral vision, this man was in the shape of a solid blob, with muscles underneath no doubt, but most likely making a round shape all together. There was no one she could think of that she could run into to fit the description this wasn't a prank, this was…real! An ambush?

    Shay's heart sped into panic. Not again. She should have been more careful. I thought that around here it would be more safe…

    A memory sliced through her mind and flooded her with fear. This was just like three years ago, when an insane man grabbed her into an ally and tried to kill her with his bare hands as she was walking home one night. This was when she had freshly moved then to Fells Point, which after all was an area in the city that was deemed a good community and fairly safe, unlike other areas. She had only been a few blocks down from her house and was caught completely off guard. If it wasn't for, Missy who they had been watching that weekend while Sophia was visiting family out of town, she might have been dead by then. The dog had somehow pushed her way out the door of the house that was miraculously left unlocked and unclosed. She came scaring off her attacker right when his hands had her pinned by the neck against the brick wall. She didn't even see the man's face in the dark, half his face was covered by a sheet the same color as his dark green clothing.

    With her adventurous mind willing it, she had eventually conquered her fear of walking alone after a couple of months. Now she was thinking that she should have kept that fear as images of that night flooded her mind and intensified her terror. Sophia's house was still two more blocks away, Missy wouldn't be able to sense her.

    Then a slinky man dressed in dingy grey colors stepped into her vision. A rather pale skinned guy with dusty hair and squinting pale eyes walked up to her. A twisted grin stretched across his face as he looked her over with slimy eyes.

    "Good job Grob." He said in a sleazily voice. "This is the one."

    Shay knew her bones were shaking now. They were following her, these two men. She used all her strength and pushed away any ideas of what their sick motivation for kidnapping her might be. Trying her best, she quelled her trembling and attempted to keep a clear head, she had to get away. And despite what she felt inside, she kept her bold face on.

    The pale one stepped closer to her, lifting a hand with jagged nails rather long for a man's, and wrapped bony fingers around her jaw to lift her face for a view.

    "Yup. We got her." He grinned at the bigger man. Then his slithery voice spoke to Shay. "You were a lot of trouble girl. But we have you now."

    "For what?" Shay snapped.

    He jerked her face up to his. "Who said you had any right to talk human? Shut up if you know what's best for you." He sneered.

    Shay couldn't quite measure up just how dangerous these men might be. It took everything to hold her tongue from what he said, but instead she just met his sneering face with a heavy glare.

    "C'mon Leak." The large man holding her boomed. She felt his voice rumbling through the core of his chest. "Let's finally get out of here."

    "You don't have to tell me twice." Leak spat. "This pathetic world makes me sick."

    Okay…Shay thought. So there's a chance these guys have a few loose screws in their brain. What is up with me running into crazy killers? But it's always these kinds of kidnappers that are the most twisted and does the most horrific things to their victims… I really need to get away.

    The big man, Grob, bellowed a sneering chuckle and then focused his attention on Shay, gripping her ribs tighter. "You're not goin' anywhere little one."

    "I got her." Leak said and he began wrestling into the dingy backpack he wore that was something like a draw string. Out of it he pulled a rope.

Rope? Shay thought. What is this?

    "That's the rope yeh packed Leak?" Grob boomed.

    "Yeah, it's strong enough. She is just a little human girl after all. I didn't feel like buying a new one."

    Grob twisted her body around in a hard spin and Leak began roping the twine around her wrists.

    Okay. Shay thought. These two are at least half out their minds. And they're one of those freaks who literally think they are something supernatural. Great. And this Grob guy is pretty strong, and Leak may be able to catch me if I run.

    Leak led them on in a walk while Grob kept a huge hand on her shoulder to steer her forward.

    She was starting to doubt that they even had a weapon on them. Who even used rope? What type of kidnappers were they? Well at least that might have meant they didn't have a gun.

    They pushed her along with Leak leading the way and Grob most likely kept a steady eye behind her. Lucky for her, he didn't seem too observant. And another advantage was height being somewhere over six feet. And for some reason, they never took her backpack from her; her arms were simply tied around it. Maybe they were also that dense as well, but didn't they expect her to maybe have some type of tool in there? Or at least money? And for that they couldn't be robbers.

    With her hands at the bottom of her backpack, she slowly unzipped the small end pocket and slipped her hand inside. Fishing around she found her grandfather's pocket knife. She knew she didn't come across it for nothing. Discreetly, she slid it on the inside of her palm so that it was covered by her hand. Slowly she flicked the blade up and began sawing at the inside of the rope.

    All the while Leak continued talking, or more like complaining. "And did you taste some of that food they had? It was disgusting. Never take from humans again. You'll find absolutely nothing of value." Leak went on.

    She no longer paid the psycho much attention during the walk. Her heart raced with every piece of losing twine she felt on the rope.

    They led her to the end of the neighborhood, and even then there was still no car to get away in. In fact, these guys were walking pretty casually. Not even afraid of ducking out the cops. If only it wasn't so dark and if there were people actually up and walking around at this time, someone would have spotted them.

    But then Shay realized where they were taking her. They wondered off the sidewalk at the end of the last row of houses and towards the woods. They left the last street light behind and darkness began to swallow them up.

    The woods? Their taking me here?!

    She quickened her knife work as fast as she could without making much noise. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face. And soon they stepped into the wall of trees.

    "Keep her close Grob." said Leak. "You don't want the rat slipping away."

    His massive hand gripped her shoulder. "Got it Leak."

    They walked farther into the trees, leaving only light to shine through from the streets behind them. It was getting darker, but her bonds were also tearing away.

    Leak finally made a stop. "This should be good Grob." He stood at a small gap with a clearing of trees. He took his own backpack off and began shuffling through it. "I- I can't…"

    "Oh I forgot." Grob boomed behind her. "Yeh put it in my bag 'cause yehs was full."

    Leak shot an irritated look his way and then put his bag down, while the large man behind Shay released his grip on her to fumble in his own bag.  He handed Shay to Leak, who wrenched a grip around her arm, While Grob searched.  Sizing Leak up, Shay noticed that he was even skinnier close up then he looked. In fact he looked almost sickly, with a very faint hint of green to the shade of his pale skin. Impatient, he glared at his companion.

    Finally, Grob held up a stone item with what looked like a gem stuck in its center. Around it were golden twines of metal of some type. Was this some type of crazy ritual they were about to perform? Was she the sacrifice?

    "Found it!" Grob grinned. As he held up the item triumphantly, the last twine of Shay's rope snapped underneath her knife. Instantly, she swung her elbow up, bashing Leak in the face. She followed it up with a hard punch to the side of his face that sent him stumbling backwards.

    And Shay was off.  She ran like never before through the trees. She faintly already knew their positions from when she used to take shortcuts through as a kid. And now she broke into the hardest track run she could muster.

    "Get her!" she heard one of the two shout behind her. She even heard footsteps; probably Leak's running behind her. But she already had a head start and she was losing him as she went straight for the light.

    Suddenly the sounds of footsteps then reappeared. Only the sound was much quicker, lighter, though she could barely hear them over her own panting and snapping of twigs under her feet.

    Then something hard gripped her shirt and yanked her backwards. The force was so hard that she stumbled and fell backwards along with the help of an extra push.

    Shay's back slammed hard into the ground. And before she could get her senses together to get up again, Leak leaped over her and pinned her down with one hand. He sneered and lowered his head to lean over her face to face.

    Shay continued to struggle against him. Then he pushed down on her harder and left her completely immobilized. She then glared up at him and what she saw scared her. The face that stared down at her was the same skinny man's but at the same time it wasn't. She only had the backlight of the streetlamps peeking through the branches to see, but she couldn't believe what it revealed; mutant face glared back at her.

    His eye pupils were no longer circles but skinny diamond like ovals, like a serpent's. They stared down at her with piercing hate. The sneer of his twisted mouth spread with canine teeth hanging out the corners. And his pale skin had a shade of green to it.

    What the hell is he?!

    Shay hated to show fear to anyone. Even if she knew they could beat her. But this time, she couldn't help the look of shock and fright that displayed loud and clear. She'd never seen anything like him. Was this real?

    "I've got your attention now human," he growled through his sharp teeth. He raised one hand and pointed it towards her face. His nails were long and jagged, like daggers on the ends of his fingertips. He held them in plain view before her.

    "Look, we aren't from around here so you'd be real smart to do what we tell you human." He spat the name with disgust. "In my real nature, I can rip you apart. Now try something like that again and you'll be sorry."

    Real nature? She couldn't even respond to his threat.  And she had no more time before the mutant man yanked her up to her feet and pushed her forward.

    Walking along, Shay wondered if she had somehow fell into a horror movie. So what next? Where these even people? She wondered what the big one turned into to. She hoped she didn't have to see. She was trying her best not to shake in fear right now but it was difficult with Leak's clawed hand tight on her shoulder steering her back to where Grob waited for them.

    When they reached the opening Grob had placed the stone in the middle and had a circle sloppily drawn out into the dirt around the whole small clearing.

    Yeah, they ARE crazy. They must know some type of voodoo stuff or something… I can't be a sacrifice!  Right now Shay knew she was about to panic.

    Leak pushed her forward. "Ready Grob?" He asked.

    "Yep. We are all set to go and return…Leak!" he exclaimed when he faced his companion.

    "What?"

    "Your ari? You used it?"

    Shay then saw the hand on her shoulder shrink down. The jagged nails receded and the pale skin gained a little more of life in it. He was normal again.

    "Yeah, yeah I did. This bug was about to get away."

    "That's dangerous here. Yeh know you can tire yourself out that way. Even with that stone around ya neck. This isn't home-"

    "Shut up." He cut him off. "I know, I know. Your right. Just get the thing going, we have the human back so let's get out of here."

    Grob turned back around and crouched down in front of the stone.

    "Okay." He held his large fist on the stone and squeezed it. "That should do it right?"

     "Yeah, now direct it."

    Grob stood up. Below him, the dark green gem in the stone began to glow. "Dezaria!" he boomed loudly and he backed away a few steps.

    Leak pushed Shay forward and they were all standing in the drawn circle.  And she stared at the glowing stone, not knowing what to think. An eerie breeze began to pick up. And it only became stronger. That's when she noticed that the wind was only circling around them as she watched the blowing leaves and twigs. It roughly followed the circumference of the circle drawn in the dirt.

    Shay's curls began to whip around her face. And panic was now hitting and it told her to run. She had no idea what was happening but it wasn't good. The wind increased its intensity, beginning to lift even heavier objects. This was her last chance.

    Shay made her move suddenly and tore herself form Leak's unsuspecting clutches. He wasn't in monster form now, he wouldn't move as quick. She just needed to at least avoid whatever this was that was happening. She needed to get out of this circle.

    She ran the opposite way, away from Leak. Then from behind, Leak dove for her but her feet just missed his hand when his body hit the ground. She was both surprised and relived he didn't change to a monster again. But with no time to put more thought to it, she planned to pass Grob with a sprint.

    She evaded the swipes of the large man and dodged away to his side. At the same time the wind lashed like a whip. The entire time its strength had been building incredibly by the half second. She found that the raging cyclone was now beginning to push her down with force. Still Shay willed her legs forward, in slow struggling motions.

    Leak latched himself around her arm.  Instinctively, Shay's free hand launched him away with all the might she can muster, while snatching back the arm he grabbed. Still, he wasn't in monster form and her push managed to send him stumbling backwards. And with the help of the strong wind, he fell to the middle of the clearing and his left arm tipped over the stone.

    At the exact moment the stone fell over, the wind suddenly burst in angry gusts. The power was far stronger than what they were a second ago. The cyclone whipped tears out of Shay's eyes and suddenly she felt her feet rise off of the ground. The end of the marked circle was inches away from her, but on the outside of the line, the air was calm!

    Dirt whipped and swarmed in the vortex of wind and Shay saw the ground begin to shrink. She cringed, preparing herself to be blown into a tree, but she simply rose higher in elevation. She raised over branches, over top her head, she just avoided Grob shooting over her head. He was also in the air, probably Leak too, everyone who was in the circle. And they seemed a bit surprised as well, though not nearly as much as her.

    Absolutely terrified, Shay could only glance at him, at the trees and then at her feet again that should never be in the air in such a way. Her heart was caught up into her throat, aching in fear.

    Soon the tops of the trees were now below her. She saw houses, and bright lights through the darkness. Pebbles, sticks and objects collided with her in the vortex.

    She screamed as the wind flipped her body around in the wind, though the winds surely drown her voice out. At any moment the wind would give out and she would fall to her doom.  In all her heart aching terror, at that moment one thought came to mind: I hope my family knows that I love them. As much as I complain, I hope they know that.

    She watched the petrifying sight of the earth spin round and round, flip and dive and spin again in the most fearful moment of her life. They were so high up that she was sure that they'd run out of oxygen eventually. Through all the spinning, Shay even sworn she began to see starts. This was impossible.

    Then something hard hit her head, it may have been a rock trapped in the wind with her. A blend of pain, dizziness and fear gave her the luxury of letting the world darken around her before she would feel or see the plunge to her death.

4: Is this Real?

     The night was dark. The winds blew hard. Even the tall thick trees were forced to dance at the mercy of the winds while the fragile leaves quivered at its sheer power.

    Below these tree tops, a young man walked on the narrow pathway. He paid no attention to the angry winds whipping at his hair. He was not at its mercy or not intimidated; no fear would stand in his way. He didn't fear nature, he didn't fear the powers of others, and he didn't fear death. Too often, he looked death in its face, he ran with it near him; his only frequent companion that always stood faithfully around the corner almost everywhere he went. He waited for the time this companion may finally embrace him, only an internal voice of strength fought it away rather than welcome it. But over all of this, what he did fear was himself and his own power.

    What will ever become of me but this curse? 

    The man shook away the depths of his thoughts. Instead, he stared at the crystal jewel clutched in his hand. It fit directly in his palm. As he observed it, he saw the reflection of his deep ruby red colored eyes gazing back at him. That was another cursed sign of his power.

    He'd never seen anyone else with eyes like his own. Along with his eyes ran deep streaks of the same red in his hair, only the red wasn't as bright. There was no one else that looked like him; his identity had always been obvious. At times, he hated this, for he could never hide who he was. For him to be recognized was instant, which also meant to be feared was instant.

    Again, he pushed away such thoughts for the moment since he lived most of his life dwelling in their darkness. And each day they dragged him down. It was only the constant action of his missions that kept him going. But this life was for his own good; for what else could he deserve being such a person...no, such a creature, with such power locked inside of him?

    The sparkling crystal he held was beautiful to him, not because of its value or even its look, but because it meant a break for him, an escape. He fought hard in his mission to retrieve it, with that in mind. After this mission, would be a weak f peace, as agreed.

    His limbs ached, but he dared not show an ounce of it as he carried himself; it was always best not to show the slightest vulnerability. But none the less, his last fight took out the last of the energy he had. This crystal was so heavily guarded, and he had numerous opponents, but he did it on his own, as usual. Perhaps he wouldn't have battled so much if he didn't slip up at the end. It was the only time he was truly detected at all in the tall towered building that was long berried behind him by trees.

    But it was hard to stay a hundred percent on edge after all, when your body ached and trembled for rest. Prior to this mission, there were others, back to back. He traveled to each destination on foot and had to keep a strict timed pace for these, which also meant an extreme sleep minimum. But he was used to pulling rounds like this, still lately there had been much more missions assigned than usual.

    It was unclear what exactly it was that his master was planning, but he didn't care. It was of little concern to him either way. It usually never was. In his years of servitude and slavery, he was never informed why, only told to do. He was just a working tool. It was what he was born to do; his emotions and everything else were unnecessary and irrelevant.

    The man flinched slightly at an invisible pain he felt strike through his head. It was a sign that meant his master was here. He spotted a tall figure half hidden under a hooded cloak; the other half hidden by the darkness of the night. He stood there at the side of a tree trunk.

    The servant walked to his master. No words were exchanged as he handed him the crystal. Then he stared at the tall figure, awaiting a command.

    "Very good." the tall man said. His voice spoke in a whisper, the voice was smooth yet eerie, a voice that no one would trust by the sound alone.

    "I am proud." He continued "You have served excellently these last few weeks."

    He smiled, exposing yellowed pointed teeth. He wore a twisted grin that reminded him of some type of gluttonous animal. The venomous voice hissed again. "Very well Shezearin, you have earned your time off. An entire week you won't hear from me. You can do as you wish. Now be gone."

    Without a word Shezearin turned his back on the master and headed down the pathway.

    "Oh, and Shezearin," his master called from behind.

    Shezearin stopped at the call and only turned his head slightly enough for his sharp eye to catch the figure.

    The master continued. "Be prepared for when you get back. There will be much more work for you, when my current plans are finished. You should enjoy this little break while you can. Believe me," he paused lowering his voice. "You will need the rest."

    And with that the tall figure vanished. Shezearin walked on, without any sign of response. Was that some sort of threat? Shezearin thought. He wouldn't warn me any other time.He rolled his eyes, giving up on the thought. Whatever then…

    Shezearin continued down the path on his way. The winds didn't calm down one bit. If anything, they whipped harder. Now that he put some distance between the encounter with his master, Shezearin decided to search for shelter for the night. The trees in this part of the wilderness were gigantic.

    Shezearin wondered off of the pathway, and into the towering walls of green. He grabbed a hanging vine and hoisted himself up a trunk that wasn't too far from the path's edge.

    He heard a crack of thunder and the rain began to pour. Thankfully he was already covered by the thick canopy of leaves above that only allowed a few drops down.

    Reaching the mid-height of the tree, Shezearin walked along one of the wide branches. These tree branches were wide enough for at least three people can line up across without touching each other.

    He sat and nestled at the base of a branch and leaned his back against the trunk. Shezearin stared off at the rest of the trees in his level of vision as the rain drops slipped through crevasses to land on the dirt path below. As he watched the cool scenery, he began thinking on his next move. He was as free as he'd ever be right now.

    He had one village in mind, the only town that was as close to accepting him as he'd get. He hadn't visited the place in so long. But it was his only true option for a village. As long as this week went easy it was fine wherever he went.

    After that thought, he fell unaware of the world darkening around him. Not until his vision was completely gone did his mind finally drift off in sleep, where he was always free of his harsh realities.

 

 

    A bird was heard chirping from afar. It blended with the rest of the faint sounds of the wild life in the distance of the fresh morning.

    A warm drop of water ran off of a leaf above and plopped onto the center of Shezearin's forehead. He steadily opened his eyes to stare up at lush green leaves surrounding his every direction. Golden morning sunlight glowed through their green.

    Things were much calmer; the winds were completely still, unlike last night. Even the aches in his body had lessened by a lot. Shezearin sat up and stretched his arms, not sure how long he'd been sleep. As his keen senses returned, he noticed that something around him felt different.

    He stood up and gave a quick scan of the surroundings. All across the tree level were nothing but other branches and leaves that led into a maze of green with gold shining through them. Rays of sunlight broke through the canopy from above. He saw a few birds here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Still, he didn't feel settled. There was something here that wasn't when he was awake last and it bagged at his senses. But his skimming red eyes detected nothing.

    He crouched to look down below him. In the spots of sunlight on the ground, were only loose leaves, tree roots, a few small scurrying animals, wild plants, and...a girl?

    Shezearin didn't believe his eyes at first. Looking down, there was a tangle of leafy branches blocking most his view, but what else could it be?

    Dark brown curls sprawled on the ground, shoulder length; they connected to the half of the girl's head that he could see. She lay on her stomach, collapsed it seemed, on the forest floor.

    Shezearin's curiosity rose. He quickly scanned down the tree trunk to stop at the lowest branch to give himself a clear view of the girl. He froze and stared at the sight.

    Scattered rays of sunlight shown on her face and some of her body to brighten the strange cloths she wore. A few leaves lay spread along her back with light sprinkles of forest debris. She must have been there for a while; perhaps at some point in the night as he slept through that raging weather.

    A million questions erupted in his head. But most of all, how did she get here? There was no town or village nearby at all. Plus, this was deep in the wild where only the advanced travelers came alone. And even those travelers usually came in groups of four.

    He noticed her breathing slowly, she wasn't dead. She could have been fleeing from some sort of danger. But it was strange that she would have collapsed there on the open forest floor, under little protection, where she would have still been in danger of whatever drove her. But even stranger, he had slept through the noise of that danger. He was hardly ever a heavy sleeper; maybe it was from his exhaustion.

    Still, this wasn't any of his business to begin with, and there for, was none of his concern. He should continue on his way. But his mind wouldn't stop its wondering.

    Shezearin jumped down from the branch to land gracefully to a crouch on the ground. He stood, eyes steady on the girl.

    Maybe it was just because of the bizarreness of the situation or how unexpected this was, but whatever the reason, he found he couldn't look away. He slowly walked closer.

    This creature lying so helplessly before him, seemed to glow, and the radiance pulled him in. But it wasn't just the sunlight, though it gleamed like gold on her soft brown complexion. He wasn't sure where the glow came from but there was something about her that was different, something he'd never seen before. He practically felt it, though he couldn't quite place what that was either.

    Her hair was tied back, but the wavy dark brown hair lay spread across the top of her shoulders.

    Her face looked peaceful in her sleep during her slow steady breaths. Her nose had a soft curve at the end, with lips that he'd restrained himself from touching. Strands of wavy hair hung loosely across her face and small, angled jaw. A piece of ripped green leaf lay on her cheek.

    Shezearin kneeled down in front of her while his eyes still never left the trance of her face.

    The girl must have been in danger indeed and helpless, seeing that she was alone. She showed no signs of possessing any strong ari power either. She had to be among the other practically powerless civilians. Those who did have a useful enough ari power showed at least small hints of its color; if not in there dress attire, there were already hints in their skin, hair, or eyes. Though of course none compared to his own display of power.

    Shezearin hesitated first, but he slowly reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder careful not to damage someone who already seemed so fragile at the moment.

    "Hey," He managed to say through his trance. He gave one shake with his hand. "Are you alright?"

 

 

    Everything was dark. Shay could feel nothing as she sank deeper and deeper into the dark oblivion. It was cold and it seemed as if time had stopped.

    Is it all over? Am I dead? Shay thought to herself.This didn't look like heaven, unless it was...No, I can't be there. But why do I feel so lost, and trapped?

    Shay was helpless to the slowly engulfing darkness. It was like she was drowning, doomed to forever sink. The dark hugged heavily on her, as if its goal was to slowly and painfully crush the air from her lungs.

    She fought it. But it was useless. Despite her struggling, the dark only continued to swallow her more.

    She felt empty, distant, trapped as well as the cold dark pressure that pressed on her mind, her body, and maybe even her soul. She could hardly feel herself or even her own existence. She was losing...everything...or everything was already lost.

    Then a voice was heard, it was so faint that she couldn't make out the words. It only lasted for a few seconds. But though the voice was muffled, Shay could tell it was strong, for it broke through the consuming oblivion.

    The sound was comforting, and she followed it. The path of darkness seemed to be thinning at every note. Her ears found the chirps of birds. It sounded of a tropical breed but they were too faint and far away to tell.

    "Hey," the voice repeated itself in an echo. "Are you alright?"

    Shay heard it clearly this time. The voice was smooth and low. It had a soft deep ring to it, and obviously belonged to a male. But it was soothing.

    She wasn't sure where it came from and why it came for her, but she kept following. The weight began to lessen and a small hint of light was ahead. She was getting close to the surface.

    "Wake up." the voice said once more. It was clear. It was close. She reached for then the light came for her.

 

 

    Shay opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred at first. She laid face down, the side of her face rested between grass and dirt. Trees and shrubs were glowing in bright sunlight. And they all spun dizzily in her vision.

    Two firm hands were placed on her shoulders and helped lift her from her stomach. She twisted and sat up slowly. Slouching, she stared into her lap and tried to keep her mind from spinning. And when she finally lifted her head, her vision cleared.

    Shay looked up into a man's face, young like her but was thrown off by it; she may have still been in a daze from her sleep.

    The first thing she noticed was a pair of intense eyes staring back at her. They were piercing and…red. Different shaded lines of strong ruby red, along with hints of brown and burgundy reds, ran deep into the irises to meet his dark pupils.

    They were the oddest thing but yet, they were mesmerizing, beautiful and...real-looking. How did he get his contacts to look like that? They were so focused and true, she could get lost watching the brilliant streaks of red in his eyes. They broke her gaze for an instant to roam her face before the pair of red came back to meet her eyes again.

    "Are you...hurt?" Shay heard the now familiar voice speak. It was his, this man with red eyes and it still sounded just as smoothing.

    "Umm." Her voice crackled when she tried to speak, due to its long time without use. "N-No. I don't think so." She cleared her throat. "At least not seriously anyway. Just a few aches." Not to mention her head was still spinning.

    Holding her forhead, Shay closed her eyes for a minute then reopened them and took in the sight. He had a natural dark golden brown complexion that was tanned even darker from the sun. Numerous dark locks of twisted hair that could be some form of thin dread locks hung down to rest at his shoulders. They swung across his upper back like a proud mane. The coils of a few of the twisted dreads held small glints of a dark ruby red, though the red was nothing compared to his fiery eyes.

    In all his strange features, he was still unmistakably attractive.

    "What happened?" he asked her.

    "Umm. I'm not sure..." Shay rubbed her head as she tried to think.

    "Well, who did this to you?"

    "It was...these two guys. They...k-kidnapped me...One…was really weird, like a mutant or something. They had this stone and…In a sudden click her memories all flew back. "There was this giant t-tornado!"

    The man raised a curious eye brow at her, but stayed silent.

    Her words erupted in a race to keep up with her sudden recall. "It sucked me up; all of us up! It was so strong, I was so high! I thought I was going to-" She cut her words off and looked around realizing where she was for the first time.

    Slowly, Shay got to her feet and brushed the dirt off the front of her shirt. She then stopped all movement and slowly raised her hands to her face to stare at them. "I'm...I'm alive."

    The man stood up too, watching her.

    "I'm alive! Oh my gosh! I'm ALIVE!" She shouted feeling an instant rush of energy. She jumped up and down and then through her head up to the sky. "Thank you!" she told it.

    The red eyed man only watched her with an almost concerned expression on his face.

    "I'm still only in the woods." Shay rambled to herself. She'd never seen them look so green and beautiful in her life! It all was a miracle.

    She turned to the strange-looking, but handsome man. "Thank you so much my friend for finding me!" She sang and smothered him with a wrenching hug.  On contact, he froze. But Shay kept squeezing him anyway.

    "I gotta go now," She released him. "I know where I am after all. My Grandmother's house isn't far from here! So thanks again!"

    And with that she sped off past him to where the trees thinned towards light.

Behind the ecstatic Shay, the man with red eye-contacts was left without moving an inch from when she touched him.

 

 

    Shay ran as fast as she could toward the end of the sea of trees. She didn't know how she possibly could have survived, but she wasn't going to stop to figure it out, not until she was safe at home!

    She flung herself around the corner of a very wide tree-trunk in the way. Coming back around the side of the trunk, she ran into something, something large and sturdy enough that she bounced off of it and was knocked on her feet.

    After landing flat on her bottom, she looked up to see the last person she wanted to in the universe, the very last one that was possibly on her mind: Grob. Her world crash and crumble before her eyes.

    The very wide man, even more massive than she remembered stood there laughing. "Ha! There you are! See Leak, I told yeh she wouldn't be far! She came back runnin' like a lost puppy!"

    His large belly rumbled in laughter, which already hadn't stopped jiggling from when she ran into it.  

    Leak came from behind her before she could react. Snagging her arms, he yanked her to her feet, in his tough grasp.

    "Grob kept laughing. "See I knew that once you found that pack of hers that she wouldn't be far." In Grob's hand was indeed her backpack. It must have gotten pulled off her back in the wind.

    "Yeah whatever, just hurry Grob before she slivers away again." he hissed with the same attitude as before.

    Once again, Shay found herself bounded by ropes, and with the same two abductors. She could have kicked herself for running straight back to them. How was she going to escape now...again?

    Shay took a good look in front of her, where the trees had appeared to be thinning and light was coming in. Past them were a few cleared trees, or rather knocked over ones. Their missing space in the forest let in extra light through the canopy. But behind it was only a deeper abyss of trees.

    More trees? They should have been houses by now! These woods don't run that deep. Shay looked around again, this time really taking in the scene for the first time.

    This was not the woods. The trees were extremely high. Everything was much greener, water dripped from leaves, vines hung everywhere and the shrubs were wild and colorful. She even noticed the bird sounds now; they were long screeches and cawing, not your average robins, seagulls, or pigeons. She wasn't in Baltimore, she wasn't even in Maryland.

    Where the hell am I? She shouted in her head.

    She felt like an idiot after realizing how far off she was from what she thought she knew a minute ago. She had been completely wrong, and if only she had realized that a little while ago, she wouldn't be sitting here tied up and feeling this utterly stupid.

    "I think we're doing pretty good Leak." Grob chuckled from behind Shay. They were once again on the move; dragging Shay along in the middle of their three person line where they could watch anything she was up to, like two hawks eying both her sides.

    "We got the human back, we've made it back to Dezaria and we're on our way." Grob continued jollily. "See, yeh worry too much."

    Leak hissed from the front of the line, not losing a bit of his bad mood.

    "I'm just happy to get out of that retched human world! It took so much to call on our ari in a world with none. If it wasn't for these special stones, we couldn't have done it." he snarled. "And I'm about done with this human wench! She put us through way too much trouble than it should have been which is why we're going to keep a closer eye on her."

    He turned around enough to flash a threatening glare at Shay, who of course, couldn't help but return the cold stare. He faced forward again and continued. "If it wasn't for her messing things up, the transfer process back there wouldn't have landed so rough and we wouldn't have landed so far away from where we should have!"

    So Dezaria is the name of the place I'm in? She never heard of it but again, these abductors had mentioned a human world. Could she really be in some other...world? Or secret land somewhere where people don't know about it. Well reflecting on these two men when they attacked and threatened her, they didn't seem all human themselves.

    Man, I must have really fallen into one of my dreams. Shay thought. I should wake up at any moment now...any moment at all.

    She tried to think to herself over and over, that this was a dream. This was far beyond realistic right? But Shay had never been much of a realist to begin with. In some part of her mind, she considered it to be logical, but that was supposed to be the weird part about her. She would have to be crazy to not think this was too crazy.

    Her parents were always such realists. What did her mom always tell her? Get your head out of the clouds Shay! You're on Earth.  They wanted so much for her to be like them and drill logic and realism into her head. Did that fail so much that she was crazy now?

    Truthfully, it seemed she really was a dreamer. Places like this only existed in her head. But now, all the rest of her senses pointed to this being real, and that was how she had to take it. Plus, she felt too much aches and pains in her body for it to be a dream.

    This is real…

    It was also real that she was in a bad situation. What else her senses screamed at her was that she needed to escape. Though there was no telling where she would go. Right now she couldn't panic.

    Still, she was curious to know why two super beings would go as far as jumping to the "human world" just to kidnap her and bring her back. Who or what could she possibly be to them? Why her? Whatever it was, something told her that where they brought her was where she did not want to be. Judging by the character of these two guys, she was certain. She'd have to wait and plan.

    Hours passed adding to the sun's height and then it's descend soon after. Besides the silent boredom, the walk hadn't been too hard along the narrow but clear dirt path. It took a while for Leak to figure where they were, but once he found out they steadied on in one directin.

    For maybe the first hour Shay's mind roamed the surroundings breaking down the fact that she was not at any normal place on Earth, if she was on Earth at all. Somehow it kept her mind a bit more grounded, and not in a panic. But the rest of the way, her attention was spent observing Leak and Grob, thinking of ways to escape, but still no opportunities came. Neither let down their guard on her this time. And her bag was still clutched in Grob's hand along the way. She was sure they raided it, but still decided to bring it along, perhaps to sell it later, she heard Leak mention.

    Mostly the walk was easy from their slow and steady pace. They seemed to be drained. The men had taken several stops, mostly to eat, or to rest after Grob complained enough about the heat or the walk. And during each break, Shay could only watch them eat. It was strange fruit and wrapped meat that was once cooked. But it all was enough to tease her empty stomach. Lucky for her, they were smart enough to give her a few swallows of water from a jug they carried in a bag, if they wanted their captive to survive such a long walk with them.

    She picked up on Leak's mention that a...talisman had worn out their energy.  The one they used in the human world to sustain their ari. But she still didn't pick up on what that exactly was.  But she kept quiet the whole time, careful not to anger them more. Now that they were back in their own homeland, she didn't know what they were capable of.

    The sun's light faded and it grew more difficult to see in these dark woods. Luckily, Leak and Grob were at least smart enough to stop. A fire was made and Shay's arms were tied to her back around a thin tree, while her ankles were also bound. It was the first small tree out of many flimsy ones that began growing ahead of her. They all grew close together in clutters. It was such a sudden terrain change from the trees on the other side of their small camp, the ones they'd passed through where the trees were enormously huge. The sea of these new trees also grew tall but they looked as if they could snap if pulled hard enough, almost like rubber.

    She clearly didn't understand the plant life here, and probably never would. But the few paths that led through these flimsy rubbery trees were very thin, it looked barely used. With Grob's wide body, it looked impossible. Shay dreaded to think of what type of irritation she might have to deal with if she stayed with them tomorrow.

    After Leak and Grob scarfed down some sort of weird very black piece of meat that seemed like jerky; the two talked for a while and then lay around the fire to drift to sleep. Like a waiting predator, Shay watched them in silence.

    This was her best bet to escape. Shay racked her brain for some answers but there was nothing useful that she could see around the camp. No sticks in reach, no sharp rocks or anything she could use to free herself. She squirmed around and pulled at her bonds as hard as she could but they were tied together pretty tight, tighter than last time. Her bag lay uselessly next to Grob's sleeping back.

    Frustrated, Shay sighed and looked up at the sky. Now that the treetops weren't as dense with leaves as the larger trees, she was able to see a little but more of the stars in the sky. She watched them and allowed her tension to loosen.

    What an adventure... Shay thought sarcastically. Just what I wanted right? Something interesting to happen to me, something different, well I got it.

    Thinking of the amazing insanity of her situation wanted to both laugh and cry but she kept her mind together and on the sight of the stars. Though most her view was still patched off by tree tops, they seem to cover the sky in a glittery blanket. She'd never seen them so clearly in her life.

    Still, passed a branch she spotted one star that was brighter than the rest. It reminded her of the Hope star she used to see outside of her old bedroom near her Sophia's house. Was it the same star? Was she not far from home after all?  Or maybe she was just at the opposite side of the spectrum and the star she gazed at now was really closer to home for her?

    As she watched the sight, a small feeling stirred within her.  As small as it was, that was the only thing she could use to remind her that she had to keep going. It was her stupidity that brought her back to this situation.

    But she couldn't blame her reason for being blind earlier today, she was just happy to be alive at the moment. Shay almost laughed at the thought of how silly she must have looked then. And she was still going to protect this life that she was so thankful to have kept somehow.

    Then a sudden noise startled her. A rustling sound came from some bushes near the flimsy trees. It stopped but she soon heard it again. Soon out of the thick of the bushes a pair of small glinting eyes appeared beneath the leaves to stare directly at her.

5: The Zeome'

    Shay stared at the pair of eyes. They were bright blue and silent. What kind of creature could this be in this place? When the eyes disappeared, Shay braced herself for anything.

    Then out of the bushes climbed a small furry animal. Though it was the size of a squirrel, it looked exactly like a chipmunk with silver fur, only its small tail was shaped as a fox's with a silver tip to its end. The animal seemed harmless enough, even cute.

    With caution, it stepped through the camp, keeping its bright eyes on Grob and Leak still fast asleep. It sniffled around as it crept forward, scavenging for any leftovers it could pick. Finding little luck, it continued to sniff until it eventually reached where Shay sat tied up.

    "Aw. You hungry little guy?" She whispered softly to it. Her stomach was probably just as negelected as his, maybe more.

    Instantly, the creature looked up at her as if realizing she was there for the first time. It's gaze stayed on her while it sat itself down directly in front of her. Its eyes were large, a beautiful light colored blue. Looking into them was almost like peering into a vast tropical sea.

    She remembered one of Sophia's blueberry muffins she still had lefy in her backpack. And the bag was lying next to Grob. What if...

    Shay began to think, watching the small creature get to its feet and begin to rub its head on her leg. Hopefully, it was a sign of like. There was no telling the possibilities of the place she was in. And the animal certainly seemed intelligent. What did she have to lose? Though the idea was crazy, for her world at least, she decided to talk to it.

    "Hey I have some food." She whispered and made a clicking noise with her fingers. "But you have to free me."

    The silver chipmunk's large eyes stared at her for another moment. Then it finally led itself around to her back. And to Shay's amazement, it began to gnaw on the ropes!

    What a smart creature!

    She hoped the ropes weren't too tough for the guy. But she soon heard small crunching sounds of the untwisting rope. The bonds loosened until there was a snap.

    He did it! Shay quickly brought her free hands forward to untie the ropes on her ankles. It took a few moments but then those bonds too, were broken. The animal reappeared next to her and sat patiently. She couldn't believe her luck.

    "Thanks little guy." she whispered and stood up. Nerves prickling, she crept to the heavily snoring Grob, who wasn't too far. She snatched the bag from the ground and then backed away. Leak slept on the other side of him.

    Shay stood still for an instant to see neither of them stir. Then she felt through her bag and found the muffin wrapped in aluminum foil. She peeled off the foil, and couldn't help to snatch a few fast bites for herself before she tossed the rest to the creature.

    With squirrel like reflexes he snatched the bar up and shoved it in his mouth, licking up the crumbs that fell. It was just enough to suffice her small hero.

    Shay took another glance at the two loudly snoring men. On their side laid the easier route, where the large trunks were spaced but still, the risk of passing those two scared her, she didn't forget that Leak had sharper senses. Instead she turned toward the crowd of slim trees in front of her and went for it with the small creature trotting at her side. The fellow must have found her interesting, not that she minded, she owed it after all.

    Shay began her climb into the thick woods. Underneath their tangle of cover any starlight from above was beginning to darken. But unlike the more massive trees, they still allowed more trickles of starlight to flow through their thin cover. Only within a few steps, she noticed how much branches really hung in her way, starting at her waist level and a few even leaned down below. There was no straight path. She would have to feel her way and climb through them silently while moving each branch out of her way. Patience would be the key.

    Shay went in carefully, with the animal right at her ankles. After a few minutes of climbing and maneuvering, Shay pushed a thick rubbery branch behind her and then a twig snapped under her foot with a crack.

    Shay froze.

    Heart thumping, she glanced down at the broken twig by her foot. Maybe I should've risked the other way after all.

    The even snores behind her were interrupted with a snort but they soon evened out again. Though her palms were shaking, and she allowed herself to look behind her.

    Branches already covered some of her path, though she had barely moved away from the camp. Through the branches she saw a peak of Grob's big shape still breathing. He was mainly the source of the snoring.

    Relieved, Shay exhaled the breath she found she was holding and turned to face forward again.

    There was Leak, perched on a strong branch in front of her. It hung slightly above her head so that he was clear in her line of vision. A streak of moonlight revealed a clear view of his face: pale, fangs and sharp reptile eyes, it was his monster form again. He crouched down and leaned forward, giving the image of a dangerous predator locking in on its prey.

    Shay's heart sank into her stomach. The small animal once at her ankles had vanished.

    Alone, Shay couldn't move or speak; her bones were starting to shake. She was in for it now. Shay swallowed, as she tried to pull herself together and will her mind to stay in control.

    Leak hissed, leaning down to inch his head closer to her face. Danger reeked in his eyes as he breathed heavily, the sound dripping with blood thirst...like an animal going for the kill.

    "I've caught you, human scum." his voice dragged in a hiss as he inched closer to her with a killer's eye. Shay crept backwards in the same gradual pace, pressing back on the thick rubbery branch that crossed behind her.

    Leak's gaze sucked in Shay's intimidated look. He was enjoying this. Feeling the power, he leaned in closer, latching onto the next high flimsy branch with his hands. He moved like a slimy lizard, a chameleon. If anything, he just wasn't human.

    He continued. "But this will be the last time you become such a menace."

    He raised his hand; the long claws glinted in the catch of the faint star light. They were incredibly sharp and continued to inch forward, while at the same time, Shay continued to back up.

    "This isn't your human world; I can sustain my power much longer now. So maybe you just don't know how serious we are. But now, I'll be glad to show you." An evil grin stretched across his green shaded face.

    He pointed his daggered fingers to Shay's face. The middle claw was an inch from her nose. "I'm sure our client won't mind if you have a few scratches on you when you're delivered." he snickered. "A little damaged goods won't hurt."

    He then pulled his hands backwards for his strike and launched hiself for her.

    Shay dove away to the side and the strained branch that she had been pushing behind her, flung forward with power. It collided with Leak midair, and sent him shooting far backwards and to the dirt, most likely hitting other branches along the way.

    â€‹Bullseye!

    Shay immediately darted out the cluster of trees and back into the camp clearing.

    Yes! She thought to herself in total relief. It worked, perfect timing too! But this wasn't time to celebrate. She sped past the camp, past Grob, who groggily lifted his head, and back in the direction of the giant trees.

    Shay sprinted with all the power she could muster, barreling blindly into the dark woods. She was sure Leak would get up soon. But she couldn't allow them to catch her again. She needed to get as far away as she could.

    A distance behind her she heard Leak shout "Get her, you idiot!"

    She hurtled over bushes and shot through and around a few trees trying to change her pathway as much as she could without losing speed. With adrenaline pumping, she tore through all of it, taking in scratches and all.

    But she couldn't ignore the echoes of footsteps sounding in her head. She knew that at least Leak was gaining. Shay's heart pounded through her ears. She knew she took a crazy risk by running out here but letting them catch her was not an option this time. Or she may really be in for doom.

    I can't let them catch me! I can't let them catch me! Shay screamed in her head.

    Branches snagged at her shirt and plants poked at her ankles. Shay stumbled and almost tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground all while sounds of snarls crashing bushes and thundering feet behind her exploded from faint to loud. The lead she had on them was indeed shrinking.

    It was from the rushing air, or maybe just fright that caused thin tears to form in her eyes. She scrunched them closed through the tears as she continued to barrel frantically through the forest.

    Suddenly, Shay's body rammed hard into something solid, it was solid enough that she was thrown backwards to slam into the ground. Dirt sprawled in the air around her.

    â€‹What did I hit this time? She raised her dizzy head. Her vision was slightly blurred, but through the dim light and clearing dust, she saw a figure of a man standing strong and still in front of her.

    When she looked into his face, she realized it was familiar. She could still see the faint red of his eyes glaring through the light darkness of the early night.

    Between fear, surprise and the near knock-out, left her incapable of moving. Sitting frozen, Shay stared at him. His body hardly budged a bit from the impact. He recovered form a faint look of surprise, but his face soon smoothed back into blankness.

    Leak and Grob would appear in only a matter of seconds. Now that she was off her feet, there was no way to get back ahead of them. She was caught. But more frightening at the moment was this man. Unlike earlier, his entire appearance now reeked of danger. Standing tall and stiff in the darkness, he looked like he came out of a murder movie as he stared down at her with glinting red eyes; one of those strong and silent killers. Was this entire forest full of them?

    And just what was he about to do? She had the feeling that her fate might be decided by it.

    She watched his eyes harden; his eyebrows slightly creased as his gaze seem to cut through her very soul for a few seconds that seemed like a lifetime. Was he growing angry? Still, Shay found herself unable to move or break his frightful gaze, but she did feel her body began to shake.

    His silent stare looked heavy with thought, though his entire face was still unreadable. Then his red eyes flickered above Shay's head, behind her.

    Free from his gaze, Shay's attention shifted, and she turned behind her to see Leak emerge behind her to the clearing, followed by Grob a few minutes afterwards. But they both halted at the sight of the man standing in front of was Leak, of course, who stepped up first.

    "I don't know who you are," he started off slowly. "But thanks for stopping the little runaway here. Now if you don't mind we'll be taking this scum back." he snarled the insult and began walking forward.

    Shay saw him coming closer; coming to take her. Horrifying images of what his angry claws could do now circulated her mind. Paralyzed in fear, she mindlessly began to scramble backwards on the ground but stopped as she remembered the man who stood directly behind her.

    Shay wondered if this was what the start of a heart attack felt like, it could have fooled her if it was with the painful way her heart hammered.

    Every second Leak stepped forward, another pound of her heart boomed. It echoed in a painful vibration through her ribcage. In helpless ache, she watched the space between Leak and herself lessen. Her thoughts then went to her knife and she wondered how fast she can draw it from her book bag before he would get there. Any sudden movements on her part might make him sprint.

    "No," a smooth and low voice sounded. "Leave her be." The red-eyed man dragged each word to make the message slow and clear. The mere sound of his voice had paused everything, Leak, the heart beats, even Shay's breathing.

"What?" Leak spat irritably.

    Shay turned her attention back to the man, his face stern and serious.

    "I said." The man paused to indicate the danger in his low voice and then spoke slowly. "Leave her be."

    The young man stood motionless, yet everyone felt a threat as strong as if he was already on Leak and wringing his neck.

    His red glare flicked down to Shay. The quick and unexpected switch startled her. With the nudge of his head, he beckoned for her to get up. Shakily, she made it to her feet.

    "Wait a minute!" Leak exploded, though despite his anger, he hadn't moved from where he stopped. "And just who the hell are you!? Who do you think you are to tell me what I'm going to do?" He huffed in frustration, throwing his arms out. "No, this girl is mine and I don't care who you are!" He finally took two angry steps.

    Should I just run now while they argued? Just as she considered the thought, the red eyed man stepped forward and passed her.

    His voice rang slow and cold. "You dare to cross paths with me?" The weight of each word hung with power. His stern red eyes seemed to glint under the few sprinkles of starlight. The glint looked beautiful in its own way, but deadly at the same time.

    Leak stopped at those words and grounded his teeth in a growl. He paused and turned behind him. "Grob! Do I have to do everything? C'mon lets show him who he's messing with."

    Through all of Leak's rage, Shay had almost forgotten about Grob. He had stood so quietly for so long; in fact he didn't budge since they first entered the clearing.  Grob was not only frozen but looked...scared, petrified even. He stared straight ahead at the anonymous young man standing in front of her, her possible protector.

    "Grob!" Leak called again.

    "Leak," he finally answered in a nervous voice. "Th-this is a bad idea."

    "What are you talking about?!" Leak about looked ready to explode; he contained red in his pale face.

    "D-Don't you see who that is?"

    "I don't give a-"

    "Those eyes!" Grob cut him off.

    Leak whipped around in irritation, and stared at the stranger as if really seeing him for the first time.

    "Those eyes..." Grob spoke on. "They're j-just like the rumors. It's him! I-It's got to be him, the zeome'!"

    Grob's terror made Shay stiffen. She glanced at the mysterious man in front of her. She watched him at a side angle from behind; he stood as calm and still as ever. By running into him did she just put herself in more danger? But right now at least he wasn't her main threat.

    She returned her attention to the ones that were the clear enemies. Leak didn't show the same fear as his partner, but his face shifted to an angry frown.

    "He must be then." he agreed in a calmer tone than before, but his anger never left. "But they are just rumors after all."

    "But Leak-"

    "Yes I know the eyes are true! That doesn't' mean the rest is."

    "Leak the zeome' is dangerous!"

    "And we are too!" Leak yelled back at him. "We are pythorn's Grob! The only ones we fear is our own superiors and I'm not about to run scared from some rumor."

    Grob sulkily fell silent.

    "With both our power I don't care who he is or appears to be. He will be the one to be afraid of us! Come on!"

    Leak charged forward. After a small moment's hesitation, Grob charged in behind him.

    Now Shay tensed up. Here they come!

    The man in front of her still didn't move a muscle. "Get back." he said smoothly. It was low and directed for her even though he didn't turn to look at her.

Wordlessly she quickly took several steps back.

    Then the man finally moved his body. He spaced his legs a bit and leaned forward in a ready-position, his fists were balled. He waited for them in silence, red eyes narrowing.

    Leak came first. Dagger-like claws exposed he lunged forward, aiming for the target's head. But his foe's movement was so light and fast, it looked as if he barely moved but yet he was already standing completely to the left of the strike as if he'd been there the whole time.

    Before Leak could even draw back his hand, Red Eyes used the side of his fist to chop down on the middle of his extended arm, forcing it to bend upward.

    Then with the same swiftness, Red Eyes added a quick kick to his side and Leak's body crumpled from the blow. And before Leak could even hit the ground, the man fiercely grabbed the limp arm and yanked Leak's whole body in his direction. He spun Leak around in a quick U shape. When he came around at the end of the U, he let go.

    With force, Leak was tossed into the air and rocketed straight into Grob just as he came forward. It was a perfect impact and the two battered to the ground with a loud thump.

    To knock Grob down, that had to be a lot of power, he's a big guy. Shay thought staring in awe. This is unbelievable. It had only been a matter of seconds. After all Leak's talk of being dangerous, ha! This guy makes them look like toddlers.

   He stood silent again, waiting for them. After a moment, Leak rolled off Grob and to the side, clutching his arm. Still on the ground he hissed at his partner. "Get going you fool! I'll be behind you."

    â€‹Grob didn't look so sure, but soon stood up with strength. He couldn't be tossed around like Leak. His power and advantage was in bulk.  His large body came charging forward. In reaching distance, he raised his powerful fist and swung down at the Red Eyes.

    With lighting reflexes the warrior met Grob's strike with his foot in a high kick; it stopped fist's motion completely.

    This caught Grob by surprise, and he quickly cocked back his free fist. But before he had time to even strike forward; the Red-eyed fighter kicked his supporting foot off the ground and into the air with a spin, releasing the blocking foot at the same time. In his jump, his body had spun in a sort of aerial role, landing a forceful flying kick straight to the middle of Grob's gut.

    So cool! Shay couldn't help think. His body had looked like a soaring arrow in that attack.

    Grob gasped with his wind was knocked out of him. To give that effect, the kick must have been very strong as well. This man was clearly stronger then he looked, even though he looked strong enough already.

    Maybe he has some sort of super strength power. Shay thought. People apparently have powers here right?

    The red eyed man landed, graceful on the ground in a crouch. As soon as he did, Leak hurled himself at him, like a furious swiping lion...or more like a panther. But the warrior was on guard. When Leak came close, like lighting, the man fired a powerful punch at his jaw. Then he whipped around to add a strong kick to his ribs right after, launching Leak to the side.

    By now Grob had recovered, but Red Eyes was already set for him. In the middle of Grob stepping forward, the warrior dropped low to the ground, extended his leg and tripped him. When Grob went tumbling, Red swooped up to give a quick kick to his back, and pushed him harder into the dirt.

    It was amazing how he was moving so fast. He had done all of that just in the process of Grob falling. He made those two look as if they were moving in slow motion.  And now they both were on the ground groaning in pain.

    The powerful warrior stood there at ease, watching them. In fact, he looked rather bored. 

    "Is that all?" his deep voice spoke just loud enough to hear as he lifted an eyebrow.  But his tone wasn't mocking, but more absent of emotions and with a hint of boredom. "Come now, this was just a warm up.  I haven't even used my ari."

    Leak struggled to turn his head towards him and stared. Grob did the same. For the first time, they both wore matching defeated and fearful expressions.

    "What's the matter?" the warrior said, his face blank. "Too much pain for you?"  

    In his last comment, Shay thought she heard a hint of emotion emphasized on the word pain. It was almost in a teasing manner, but there was nothing funny about his tone. It was more of a dark taunt.

    No one answered him.

    "Then save your senseless talk to someone on your level, which is far below the helpless ones you terrorize."

    Ones? …They've terrorized people before.

    "Am I clear?" he added with a bit more edge in his calm tone.

    Leak snarled. "C'mon Grob." With struggle, he stood up. Grob slowly did the same. "This mission isn't worth it. No one told us that he would be included."

    â€‹Grob swallowed, as they both began stepping backwards. He became a steady nervous wreck again. "Th-they must be true, the rumors. Just look at his eyes, they reflect the blood he craves to spill; and the hundreds he already has. It's like staring into the eyes of a demon...the deadly Zeome'."

    As Grob's terrified words died. They both scurried off into the dark. Shay watched and listened, hearing their footsteps and ruffles through the wilderness fade into nothing.

    They were gone. Grob and Leak were gone! It was over….They were at least.  Her joy faded when she remembered that she was still in a huge predicament. But at least those abductors had failed. They didn't get her. They couldn't drag her into whatever pit of torture, or trouble they had waiting for her. And for that, she owed this...stranger, her thanks.

    She glanced at him. He stood still with his back to her; staring after the path Leak and Grob had taken.

    She wasn't sure what to say to him at first. "Umm" She began as she walked towards him. She wondered if he even paid attention. "Thanks." she paused and cleared her throat. "Thank you so much. You saved me."

    Finally, he turned around and looked down at her. Shadows covered half his face that still wore the same emotionless expression.

    "I didn't come to rescue you." the low, almost quiet voice finally spoke.

    Shay couldn't tell if he meant that with venom or if he was just being straight about it. "Well thanks anyway." she said, still friendly.

    He nodded very slightly to her then he looked ahead and stepped past her without a word.

    Shay stood there, staring at the ground and listening to his quiet footsteps. She thought to herself weighing the options of her next move. She didn't want to let her only choice walk away.

    Shay silently inhaled then turned around before the man could get far. 

    "Hey, wait!"

    To her surprise he stopped, though he didn't face her.

"Well, are you ah… busy or...Would I be bothering you if..." she took another breath and started again. "What I'm trying to say is would you mind if I tagged along with you for a while, at least 'till morning, when there's light? I mean, I don't mean to be any trouble or anything."

    He then turned to face her, walking up to her. Only inches away, he towered over her. His red eyes seemed to be burning, his face was more tensed. His appearance, again, looked dangerous.

    "Aren't you scared of me...human?" there was expression on his face now, a scowl.

    Shay looked at him. She wasn't sure if her face showed, but at the word human she felt a spark of irritation. She was tired of being referred to as the little frail human, because that did not describe her. Yes, that's what she was, but from these people it sounded degrading...and was most likely meant to be!

    "No." she said with a twinge of attitude.

    His eyes betrayed him slightly. This seemed to catch him off guard. Then they quickly formed back to his cold look but now even harsher.

"Well you wouldn't know anything anyway human." he spat. His words were icy. "Didn't you hear him? I'm a demon. I'm the last person you should come with. You are probably better off with those two dogs." He took a powerful step closer. "I can burn you to ashes." his tone only became colder. "If you have any sense you'd stay away from me human."

    Is he trying to intimidate me? This only drove Shay to her last bit of patience. And her stubborn attitude didn't help. Does he expect me to cringe away, with him being in my face like this? And while he talks to me like I'm something beneath him?   The fire in her pride flared.

    She glared at him just as intensely, "Look man, I'm not deaf, I heard what they said loud and clear, but I still asked didn't I? Obviously I wasn't scared off by you.  And I would appreciate it if you would stop telling me what I should and shouldn't do! All I needed was a yes or no answer.

    "And I also have a name, okay? So stop calling me 'human' like I'm some sort of thing crawling underneath your toes!" She folded her arms, but lowered her tone. "Now if you didn't want me to come all you had to do was say no."

    There was silence. Shay eyed the man. He stared at her back with...a bit of surprise on his face. An actual hint of emotion surfaced. But it soon cooled back to blank and his eyes studied her for several more seconds.

    He breathed out and his eyes returned to their normal unreadable red steel. He quietly turned back towards the direction of the tall surrounding trees.

    "Come if you like." He told her as he began to walk.

    Shay stood there staring at him.

    â€‹I can't believe I snapped like that. She thought to herself. He deserved it though, but...it worked? And I'm alive? She pictured the two men he just beat the brick's off in less than a minute. And that wasn't her. I guess I did then.

    Before she could lose the sight of him as he stepped out of the clearing, Shay ran to catch up.

    "Hold up!" She called after him and caught up to his pace. "One more thing,"  He showed little signs of listening or even acknowledgement but she was sure he heard.  "So, out of proper thanks, I want to know your name."

    He waited for a moment. "Didn't you hear-"

    "Yes I heard what they called you." Shay cut in, impatiently. "It was...the zeome' right? But it sounds more like a title. I want to know your name." she tried to soften her tone. "C'mon. There must be something I can call you, something that you go by."

    Still no answer yet. Was it so hard to tell someone your name? Whatever this zeome' title meant it couldn't be all of who he was. Was anything beyond that side of him, was just a side he wasn't use to showing? ...Or maybe he just wasn't used to people even wanting to know?

This man was confusing, but he was very interesting still. And now that her nerves and adrenaline were calmed down, he didn't seem half as scary as he was when she bumped into him.  Now, he seemed like just a person after all.  A serious ass-kicking person, but yes, just a person.

"My name..." he answered slowly. "is Shezearin."

6: Alone in The Ruins

    Shay stared at the flickering flames of the campsite. Her mind had just returned from roaming the most bizarre but eventful, adrenaline-pumping day of her life. Crackling, the deep red and orange hues glowed and danced under the tall tent of trees and their branches overhead. The orange tones provided a soft illuminating bubble; they made a sense of peace and, for the first time for her in this strange land, safety.

    She raised her gaze above the flames and settled on Shezearin sitting across from her. He too seemed just as lost in the blaze of the fire; its reflection in his eyes seemed to make them sparkle like two glittering rubies. He looked to be deep in thought.

    Now that he was more in the light, she passed his face and skimmed down the rest of him. She didn't take a good look when she had saw him for the first time, too dazed and then over excited about her discovering she was alive. The only thing she had truly remembered about him then was his face and his exclusive pair of red eye contacts. That is, at that time she thought they were contacts. But in this Wonderland place, they could be his.

    â€‹Shezearin sat in a crouch at the base of a tree's trunk with his back wedged between its ridges for a backrest. His right arm rested on his knee while the opposite arm stretched to the ground.

    In the orange firelight each feature of his body was shadowed and defined and almost glowing like gold off of his brown complexion. The sparkle stretched over his pure and distinct muscle of the bare arm that rested on his knee. They were powerful, and, from what she's seen, even deadly.

    The sleeveless black shirt he wore was made of a light but leathery texture. And there was a reddish or orange short sleeved shirt that stuck out from underneath the black. Directly below his left shoulder, there was a golden ring tight around his arm. It was metal and fit perfectly under the curve of his shoulder muscle. Exotic...but cool.

    Around his waist was a loosely hanging belt with a flat yellow-kaki color filled with compartments and slots. Some sort of high tech utility belt?

    His pants were black. They were lose and seemed like they could be made of a material with a silky shine, but it was still tough like a light form of leather. The ends of his pants folded up to reveal their double layered reddish orange tone underneath that matched his thinner short sleeved shirt.  His shoes were also black, a thicker material that had straps going across them in no particular pattern.

    The entire style of what he was wearing actually looked cool, in a high tech-other worldly-secret spy-kind of way. In a way, it fitted and looked cool on this gloomy looking guy. And everything hung or clung to his body perfectly. His entire physical build was not bulk, but very muscular, lean, and fit. Even the tight zipped black shirt, traced the perfect shape of his upper body, outlining the frame of his muscled chest.

    Then something else caught her eye; a chain.  It hung around his neck to stop at his mid chest, thin and gold.  At the end of the chain was a small jewel. It was a brilliant red ruby-like jewel that matched his eyes perfectly.

    Its red caught the intense blaze of fire reflecting through it, flickering in dazzle. Its shape was a flat diamond, roughly cut and small, about two inches in length, half in width. It was beautiful.

    It had to be valuable, no mistake. She wondered why he wore such a jewel or what it could possibly say of his character. But he was rather a silent person, very silent.  As she watched him, she also wondered what he could be thinking about. His face always wore that blank but yet tensed-looking stare.

    As if hearing her thoughts about him, his eyes lifted towards her. He watched her silently, not leaving his thinking position in front of the fire.

    "Are you hungry?" he said. His voice barely raised above the crackling of the fire.

    This caught Shay by surprise. At the thought, Shay remembered that she hadn't eaten all day. By now her hunger pains had long gone and her body only felt weak, even tired after all the adrenaline.

    He was offering food!  The thought reminded her stomach of its neglect and she felt it stir and rumble. He must have heard it as well, he glanced down and then back at her face.  Shay was embarrassed at her stomach's betrayal. "Well...somewhat." she lied.

    Shay thought she spotted a curve come at the end of his lips, a small crack of a possible grin. But it straightened up after a brief moment.  He then snatched something from a compartment on his belt.

    "Here." He tossed it across the fire to her.

    Shay caught the item in her hands. Sitting in her palms was a small and rubbery orange ball. It was barley transparent with something dark at its center.

    "Squeeze it." Shezearin stated. "Tighter." he added after her weak try.

    She cramped the small ball with the pressure of her hand. Then, to her surprise she felt it push against her skin inside her grip. She released it to watch the small ball grow right before her eyes. It expanded like a recovering nurf ball.

    Its black center grew even faster until it seemed ready to burst out of its orange layer. Consuming the orange, the growing center then began to take a larger shape. Shay watched it curiously, in the end, the black color had faded and now sitting on her lap was a bundle of cloth folded up.

    It was like magic. She looked up at Shezearin and he nodded for her to go on.

    Shay unfolded the cloth and inside were a couple of circular fruits and slices of a chopped reddish meat that looked similar to ham.

    "How did that happen?" Shay asked still in awe. "That was amazing."

    A small smirk appeared at Shezearin's lips again. "It's not a magic trick human." his tone was not cold but casual. "An advanced way of transportation that has little size limit for traveling items. It's called a CS, a compact sphere."

    "Oh." was all Shay managed to say. But once she reran all of his words in her head, she snapped from her state of fascination. "Hey! Didn't I tell you about that?"

    He looked at her, an eyebrow slightly raised.

    "Stop calling me that." She spoke in an annoyed but more patient voice. "I do have a name."

    He sighed silently, and looked away then back again. He spoke plainly. "Okay." His piercing red eye looked straight into her face. "Tell me, what is your name?"

    "Shay."

    He nodded and looked back into the fire, uninterested.

    "And...thanks." She smiled glancing at the food. "I haven't really eaten all day."

    "I suspected that."

    "So how are we going to split it?"

    He raised his head, and looked at her strangely for a moment before speaking. "I've already eaten. I have a few more bundles anyway."

    "Oh. Okay. Well...thanks again."  She couldn't hold out on her empty stomach any longer and tore into the meat. At first she thought it might be awkward eating in front of him, while he just watched. But she relaxed after Shezearin looked off to the side in thought, clearly not paying her any attention.

    The food was different of course, but tasty, but then again, she was starving after all. When she was done she was left more than satisfied and decided she wouldn't ask what the food was, not that she might understand the answer anyway.

    Shay returned her attention back to Shezearin to see he was already looking her way.

    "So." He started in his smooth voice. "Shay... I'm curious." He paused. "How did you get here?"

    She was hoping this question would come up. He was a stranger, but she had to take a chance and maybe he could help her make more sense of things. She gave a brief description of her story, her kidnapping. In it, she had given no details of her own world, just that two men had appeared to grab her on the way to her relative's house.

    Shay felt a saddened feeling quelling at the bottom of her stomach. This left her thinking hard on her predicament, which seemed ultimately hopeless. Or maybe it was just the fact of being so ignorant to this place or world and what was happening to her that had her feeling ridiculously helpless and scared.  She swallowed the building lump in her throat.

    "Shezearin," she added in a more quiet voice. "I really don't know what to do next. …Would you know anywhere that I can go at all? I mean, in the morning I can set off on my own but...I really have no idea..."

    Thoughts trailing off she whispered to herself. "I guess I really wouldn't belong here either." But she wouldn't let any more emotions slip to this stranger. Instead she patched up the fear she knew had tricked into her voice. She couldn't remember the last time she allowed herself to feel so vulnerable. She looked back up at him with strength in her voice.

    "How can I get back to my world?"

    Looking at him, she noticed the gaze of his eyes looked different somehow. Their steely guard had vanished, for the moment.

    "Well," he started, speaking a bit louder than usual to be sure that she will hear. "You are human. You do belong in the human world after all. It's a fact of nature." he paused. "And you say it was a wind twister that transported you?"

    Shay nodded.

    "And the stone they used, the ornament you said was there, is a powerful device. I'm sure it was green. It sounds like they borrowed the power from the Voice of the Winds…Or maybe they stole it somehow."

    "Voice of the Winds?" It sounded like a big title.

    "Yes. Perhaps the only one of the ancient spirits that's known to still be open and active in Dezaria. The Voice is known in some areas of the land to consort with the wishes of travelers. The spirit is broken into pieces those parts of him are scattered across the lands like the wind. Each piece lives deep within different jungles and forests; ancient fortresses were built around them and the wishers go there."

    Shay tried her best to follow and understand. Spirits? Was he telling her she would have to approach a spirit? It sounded creepy even for her.

    "So this...spirit, grants wishes?"

    "Only at its choice, if it's for a true reason or better for Riavn kind. Which is why chances of a request being fulfilled are very slim. Few even try. Those that do usually go to him for a single question of knowledge. He only accepts if truly necessary, and if the question is, through his eyes, wise to ask. So you must explain yourself when you do."

    Shay took in this information carefully. But she was stuck on one thing.

    "Riavn kind?"

    "That is our world, our existence, Riav." he paused. "In other words, you are human, I am Riavan."

    Shay nodded. Riav, this is where she was; world of powers, great spirits, and rude human hating kidnappers. I'm really not even on Earth after all. This is…another planet.

    "The Voice of the Winds," Shezearin continued the subject. "Is also known as the Wise Spirit or Wise Voice. He's known for his knowledge and oneness with our nature, it is his focus. Like the wind, it surrounds and is open to all; a sort of guardian."

    "Then I wonder how Grob and Leak's request get granted."

    "That is a wonder." He agreed. "If they did, someone higher in their group ranks may have mingled well enough with the spirit, sometimes you can offer deals. Or as I think, it may have been stolen somehow, though that is very difficult to do."

    "So...then I have to go to this wind spirit. And wish to go home."

    "You must ask him to consider your request since it was his power that brought you here. In the hands of those two imbeciles it was an unfortunate mistake. They've created an imbalance of nature; a misplacement in that which he values. He would agree to it. A human does not fit in the equation of Riav. It is the same for any human who has entered."

    "Have there been other humans here?"

    He nodded. "In the far past. A clear mistake; which is why most of those here would not welcome the likes of you once they realize what you are."

    Shay wanted to hear more about this story of humans coming here; at least she wasn't the first. And how was it that these people knew humans but not the other way around? But she didn't want to push this guy with too much questions now that he was talking, so instead she stayed on subject.

    "So where can I find this Voice of the Winds?"

    "In his ancient ruins. It's not far from here."

    Shay thought for a moment. "Was that where we were supposed to return to when we left my world?"

    She remembered when she was recaptured. Leak mentioned that if it wasn't for her almost escaping when they transported, the landing wouldn't be so rough and they wouldn't have landed so far away.

    "Yes." Shezearin responded. "That's how it works. When you had interfered with the ornament you had thrown it off course, which also explains how you were separated at first."

    "So how do I get there?"

    "It's northeast of here."

    "How do I know which way is north?"

    "Just know that if you..." he trailed off and sighed. "Never mind. You don't seem that coordinated. You might not understand."

    "What does that mean?" she said defensively.

    "I'm not talking about you being a human. It's common for anyone. You'd have to be taught how to identify signs of direction. I'm always moving, so I know."

    Shay wondered just what he did. But she probably would never know. He seemed so…secretive and impenetrably closed off; though he was a bit more open at the moment.

    "I..." Shezearin's voice started. "I can take you there tomorrow."

    Hope grew in her. "You would do that?"

    His blank face nodded a yes.

    "Oh thank you!" She wanted to hug him, but thought about the distance he kept the whole time. Physical contact was a "no" for him. She restrained and wore a smile instead, speaking sincerely. "Thank you so much."

    A flick of emotion may have crossed his features, but Shay couldn't tell in the fire light. But like any other emotion she might catch on his face, it vanished in a second.

    "Sure." He said tonelessly. "We should get some sleep." and he stood to put the fire out.

 

 

 

    "Wow! What is that?" Shay said in astonishment.

    "A needle monkey." Shezearin replied form in front of her. He hardly glanced at what she pointed at. By now he could already guess whatever it was that caught her interest as they walked. She'd exclaim it each time.

    "Oh." She said slowly. She watched the creature that looked like a monkey but its fur stuck out in many directions like short needles of a porcupine. It settled itself on a branch chewing on a fruit. It stared down at the two travelers curiously but did nothing else.

    â€‹Shezearin was indeed a traveler. He carried on unmoved by any of the sites or colors. He even looked bored of them. But still he answered a few of her questions flatly while leading them sure and clear down a path that may have once been clear, but was steady disappearing under mushrooms and wild green growth.

    She saw tall, short, thick and thin shrubs of many shapes. They were in deep greens but most had a bright neon color at their tips or a light colored stripe going down the long strands. They were bright and eye catching, but she dared not touch. Plants like these in the human world were usually signs of poison, at least in movies and a few TV shows it was. Shezearin never gave a warning, but still she didn't trust him enough to tell her if they were.

    Everything, from the trees, to the bushes, to the bright colored tall plants, and vines hanging down, to the strange noise making creatures swinging past her in the trees was like nothing she'd ever seen. It was green, beautiful and exotic. And she wanted to capture every image in her mind before she returned home.

    The animals they had passed were all small and reminded her of an animal she already knew, but with a slight difference. It was as if everything here was given its own magical Riavn flavor.

       "We're here." Shezearin spoke.

    â€‹Shezearin pointed ahead, telling her to go on. She walked past him and stepped through a few closely standing stalks of plants and out into a wide, clear opening. Her mouth dropped at the sight.

    The trees circled around a huge building in a tall protective wall. The building looked old and made of dusty stone bricks. Its shape, at first, reminded her of pictures of a Mayan or Aztec temples, with stone plateau-like rectangles stacked on each other, largest at the bottom.

    There were about two layers of very wide square plateaus, and in the center of the top plateau towered a large dome. The large trees surrounding it had barely beaten its height by maybe seven feet. The only entrance door was high up at the top of a large staircase that ran down to stop right in front of her.

    As Shay stepped into the clearing, she first felt the powerful sun that beamed on her. She never noticed how strong it was now that she was out of the trees protection.

    The sunlight sparkled on the ancient building made of grey stone; ancient but sturdy. Long and thick vines spread all over the buildings outside along with moss and small plants. They grew scattered across the walls and some crept up the sides of the dome. Tree debris that blown in from the forest, provided an extra green sprinkle, adding to the ruins' look of obvious age and abandoned appearance.

    Shay had pictured in her mind that this grand building was probably once very active and involved with people. She could only guess at how long ago that possibly was. Shezearin said it was ancient.

    She stepped forward and gazed at the large stare case of stone steps that ran to the top. From this angle below she couldn't even make out its entrance at the top with it being so high. She felt as if she just walked into a live Tomb-Raider video game, and because of that she gained frightful images of what was to come. She wasn't Tomb Raider and she had no guns, only an old pocket knife.

    Taking a breath, she stepped forward. Before she could take another step, she heard the faint footsteps of Shezearin's move away. She wiped around to see his back turned to hers.  He's leaving!?

    "Hey! Where are you going?" she called after him.

    He stopped to face her with a blank stare. "Here are the ruins of the Wind's Voice."

    "Well yes, I see that. But are you just going to go?"

    "I agreed to take you to the ruins. Here you are. I trust you know where to go."

    "B-But I don't! Wait!"

    He ignored her panicky calls and continued to walk. So suddenly she was abandoned. And Shay's fear boiled to anger as she stared at the back of his head.

    "You can handle it human." he said waving the back of his hand, without even turning around or glancing back. "The spirit won't bite." She even picked up a hint of a chuckle through his flat tone. He was teasing her.

    Shay's blood boiled. He really wants to get away from the human that badly to leave me like this?

    "Hey!" she called one last time but he was gone.

    Shay growled loudly. "Jerk!" she called. "I know you hear me!" Her fist balled together.

    Still no answer.

    "Bastard!" She shouted as one last verbal knife to throw at him, the only thing she could do.

    She glared angrily at the spot where he vanished behind trees. But the only response she heard was a wild growl from an animal in the wilderness.  Shay jumped, anger instantly turned to fear. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to call out. She didn't know what exactly was out there. 

    In defeat she faced the large empty ruin that apparently was home to a powerful ghost. Scared, frightened, and now alone, she'd have to face it.

    Shay gulped. "I can do this." If she wanted to see her parents again, her home, she would have to be brave. In one deep inhale of breath, Shay called up all the courage she could muster and walked toward the stone staircase.

    

 

    The first stone was loose, wobbling when she stepped on it, but the rest felt fine. It was old and covered in debris but as she guessed, sturdy. There were indeed more steps then she thought. Each step higher only brought her closer to the hot sun, but also closer to going home.

    As motivation, she imagined a picture of her house. With a second thought, she changed it to her grandmother's house. She pictured the light blue walls covered in pictures. Missy sleeping on the rug. And then the bed in the guest room that was practically hers. It was warm and safe, unlike this place. She pictured the window next to it, where she often spent time gazing out of.

    A thought cut into her vision, of her mother: angry and fuming over her disappearance. Or did she notice her gone? When she last talked to Julia, she was preparing for another business trip of her own. She may have assumed her being with Sophia and already left. And he was still away in Philly for his business trip or whatever he was on. Possibly none of them may notice her absence. But she would miss them regardless; they were her family after all.

    Shay was at the top of the stairs before she knew it. She looked down the way she came to see she was a fair height from the ground; as high as a five floored, house maybe.

    Directly in front of her was a tall dark and door-less pathway into the ruins. Inside she could only see black. But what Shay stared at was the stone statues on either side of it.

    She studied the one on the right. It was about eight feet in height and geometrically shaped to resemble a man's body, having arms, legs and hands. Its joints were made of rectangular stone squares. Even its hands had five curving fingers made of them. The torso was the only shape more like a cylinder. And the head was a rectangle and in the middle of its face where eyes and a nose would be was a visible half of an oval shaped orb sticking out from the rock. It was a dark dead emerald green covered in dust.

    But what was most bizarre was the carved in lines that ran throughout its body and seemed to start at the orb at its face. They ran in patterns of swirls and squares that had to be some sort of symbols or writings. The statue on the right was exactly the same.

    Shay wanted to touch them but thought better of it. She wanted no surprises. Still, an uneasy feeling prickled at her skin.

    She came closer to the entrance, glancing nervously at the statues. The way they posed straightly, arms at their sides, they looked like silent stone guards. She paused when she heard a soft hum. It was the wind. This was the strangest thing, considering it came from inside the tunnel.

    It sounded like a moan. She felt soft breezes pulling her in from inside the entrance. Heart beating hard, she took another reassuring breath and stepped forward into the pitch blackness of the ruins.

 

 

 

    Trees blurred by in the background. Shezearin's feet moved in a stride much faster than his usual walk. But his pacing was subconscious, he felt anxious and unsettled, a reaction due to the two sided battle in his head.

    Why is she of any concern? The dominating side forced on. She will be gone, the human could at least go the rest of the way for herself. Humans can't be that pathetic and helpless.

    But in this place they can. The weaker side added in.

    Then she has no business surviving here.

    â€‹Of course she doesn't, it's not her world. To have at least seen her out would have helped.

    â€‹It's not my job. In fact, nothing is; I'm off all duties right now. Why bother? It will be a waist to even stress the mind about it. The same side continued to dominate.

    But truth was it didn't really matter now. His action was already made, she had to be inside, and he was far enough from the ruins already. A turn-around was unreasonable.  Now that he was a bit less filled with tension, Shezearin walked to a steady pace. Though his mind was calmed, after forcing it to resolve, it did not empty. Instead, it lingered on one thought, one subject.

    That human girl...

    What was it about her? Strange, she was. Though he'd never met a human before, he expected one to be lifeless, with nothing flowing through them but a solid greedy mind. That was according to rumors. But that wasn't her at all. Yet, even if all humans did not fit that description, why was it that she seemed to stand out more than anyone he's encountered, any Riavn at that.

    Still, he reminded himself that it doesn't matter. She was no one to him and definitely of no concern. Nobody was or should be, and that was it. His mind was made.

    â€‹Shezearin froze suddenly. He sensed something. It was coming this way, fast.

    Normally, he wouldn't dare detour or even hesitate his path to avoid others, they could go around him. But this was a group, a large one. They were headed this way in a rush. This sparked his curiosity.

    He stepped back off the dirt path, just behind a growth of tall spiky shrubs and trees. He crouched down out of sight, still and quiet as a tree's shadow.

    The noise of many running footsteps grew louder. Then emerging in a solid group, passed what felt like a stampede of men. Shezearin recognized these men. Not by their faces but by their wardrobe. They were all dressed in gray colors.

    â€‹Pythorns. He recignized.  They were a dangerous bunch that are all menaces to their own town, the core reason for the Pythorn village's rough reputation. They were always up to smothering dirty, underground work to gain power and whatever benefited to their title.

    But why so many, rushing through this usually deserted area like this? They were obviously on a mission.

    â€‹Shezearin watched each one run pass him, completely unaware of his presence. They all traveled recklessly without notice of anything else. The men were too focused on getting to their destination, like their fates depended on it.

    He estimated a mid-twenty number in there tight traveling group. After several seconds they were gone and headed in the exact path that Shezearin came. They were headed to the Wind Spirit's ruins.

    He then remembered the two characters he had fought off last night. They had the same attire, they too were pythorns. One had even mentioned it.

    They're going after the human. But why so persistent? Of course, to annihilate her, a human. But that can't be all. They're the ones who brought her here to begin with.

    Whatever they're plans, he knew it wouldn't be good.

    â€‹Shezearin slowly stepped out onto the path again, watching the group of pythorns running farther away. He rolled his eyes and continued on his way, opposite of them.

    Not my concern. He thought.

    After a while he noticed his feet were almost dragging subconsciously. They moved slower than usual, until they soon dragged to a stop.

    â€‹Shezearin slowly turned his gaze behind him, where the path back to the ruins lay.

    Suddenly, an image in his mind over powered his sight, stopping his train of thought. He gazed at a mental image of the human girl...Shay, was her name. It was when he first saw her, lying helplessly on the forest floor, rays of sun glittering on her skin, on her face.

    The image faded, but still he turned away again, watching his feet stand in the dirt.

    Then his mind darkened to the visual memory of her frightened face in the night when she bumped into him. He remembered the emotion he suddenly felt, sympathy, he supposed. But also the feeling was tied with something familiar, a memory. It was of when he was once in a similar situation as her. And that night he did not care to see the same outcome as the time when he was in her place.

    The image blurred out. Instead they were replaced with short flashes of recent memories. He saw her irritated face after he had called her human, at the camp. He saw her saddened expression when she asked him to help her as her feelings leaked into her pleading voice. He saw her when she offered him the food he gave her. He saw the enthusiastic, but unexpected hug she had given him early yesterday, when he froze at the uncommon feeling of contact.

    But last was a clear picture of her angered face she had given him just over fifteen minutes ago. He saw her angry expressions, her tone, her words. And he remembered the angry insult he heard shouted form behind him when he decided to leave her,

    Bastard! He heard it ring in his head as if it were shouted at him again. Her fury and anger directed boldly at him, no one else.

    He felt the small tingle of a smirk form on his lips. But he erased it.

 

 

 

    There was nothing to possibly see but black. If it wasn't for the light from the exit way behind her, any senses of direction would be lost.

    She had no idea how much space she had, rather if the room was wide or narrow. She could bump into anything at this rate. It was like she walked into an abyss of nothing.

    Maybe someone was watching her, and laughing at her stumbling in the dark.

    Is this one big joke? Shay thought to herself. Well I hope this "wind spirit thing" is entertained 'cause this is far from funny to me.

    Now it seemed almost pointless to continue on, in fear of being lost forever. As she took another step, she was startled by a low rumbling sound.

    Like shutting out her only feeling of comfort, she heard a heavy sound of sliding stone and the small source of light from outside was gone.

    I'm locked in!

    Shay started to panic. She looked in every direction nervously, not that anything looked different in the pitch darkness. She took a step backwards she tripped over the edge of a stone sticking from the floor. After stumbling twice, she finally caught her balance then noticed a warm green light that appeared in the room. The single light source pulled her in closer. The glowing ball of light floated at the height of her waist.

    The green light was soft enough to look at directly. She saw it was half of an orb sticking from a stone. The orb was wide enough to stretch both hands around it. And the stone it sat on was a rectangular stand of rock. A stone seal with symbols on it circled around the orb's edge to hold it in place. The symbols looked similar to the ones she saw outside on the stone men.

    She reached out hesitantly to touch it. And just as the tip of her middle finger made contact with the sphere, its green light gave an almost blinding flash, forcing Shay to close her eyes for a moment. When the flash faded she watched as the symbols around the orb's rim were already glowing with the same light.

    Soon after, a path of similar symbols around the stone stand glowed as well. Starting from the orb, the green light seemed to be pouring down the rectangle, running on the writings, as if it were water.

    When it reached the floor, it instantly lit up to reveal a clear circle carved around the stand. The light spread into the circle revealing more glowing symbols inside of it as the light lit any path of pattern it came in contact with.

    This spread along the entire floor as well as the extra carved details inside the circle. This process went on until the entire floor was lit with green writings inscribed in the ancient floor.

    Shay's jaw dropped in awe. It looked amazing.

    "What soul is this that stands in my presence?" a voice boomed through the walls. The first word seemed to make the stones rumble. It sounded of an elder man's and it rang deep and great. At the end of it sentences the sound faded into a hissing sound similar to blowing air.

    Startled, Shay turned around to face the orb. She saw it blink as the voice spoke. It might have come from the orb, but at the same time the voice...or it's spirit, seemed to come from all around the room. Shay could feel sweat starting to form on her head. "Come closer." the voice ordered. "Who is it that wonders into my domain?"

    Shay nervously did as she was told. Walking up to the stand in the center of the glowing circle. She managed to get her voice together. "I-I am Shay."

    "Your full identity!" The voice boomed.

    Shay took in a breath and added strength. "My name is Shay Leanne Rivers."

    "I am the Voice of the Winds. The wise voice and overseer of these lands of Dezaria." the voice boomed again. "What brings you to this place?"

    â€‹"I ask t-to make a request." she said in a forced voice.

    "A request?" the walls vibrated.

    She tried to gain as much strength of her own as she could so that she wouldn't at least appear to be so pathetic. Still, there was a tingling feeling of eyes, power in the room that made her feel very insignificant.

    "Yes." She said with a bit more strength. "You see… I wish to return to my home."
    There was silence.

    "Hmmm." the voice thought to itself, which sounded like the groan of a heavy wind. "Interesting. I see...human."

    At the sound of her identification, a shiver of fear crossed through her body. The name didn't sound as degrading coming from this voice but at the same time the tone pointed out her obvious difference. She wondered what its feelings where towards humans.

    "I realize your predicament and..." he paused. "Strange...You appear to be human, but yet there is something most peculiar about you."

    He talked as if he knew her story without it having to be told. Shezearin had explained to her briefly during their walk that the spirit had the ability to see in a person.

    For Shay, it was aching seconds of silence that passed by.

    "I am considering your request." the voice said finally. "But you are a hard one to see indeed. I must look into you a bit more, for there is much more in you then there appears."

    And just what does he mean by that? I'm hard to see? Is it a human's characteristic? Shay wondered.

    "Go to the center of my domain where the object you seek lies. I will see into you as you progress. By the time you reach your treasure, you will be completely judged, and my decision will be made."

    When his words ended, the light of the orb as well as the glowing symbols on the floor started to dim.

    "Wait," She called out. "Where is-"

    "Follow the trail of my power." The voice rang out in the dimming light.

    Things were starting to pick Shay's patience but she dared not show it. How come nothing he says makes sense? She thought. It's obvious I'm not from here so why do I still have to prove it?

    Soon she was completely in the dark. After a few seconds another green light appeared ahead. It came from the very end of the dark room, revealing a glowing pathway.

    Stepping into this tunnel she saw that small pieces and shards of green jewels where implanted without pattern along the stoned ceiling. They glowed in the dark and provided a light source along the tunnel.

    Shay went along watching them, or perhaps it was them watching her. All of this green light, she figured to be the spirit, or at least the spirit's power.

    Behind her as she left the entrance room, the entrance from outside silently and slowly reopened for whoever would enter next.

7: The Wind's Decision

    There was no telling how long Shay had been walking. The tunnel made rounds and turns and crossed paths with others. Those paths also had shard covered ceilings however they weren't glowing. She was completely dependent on her lit path, while any sense of direction she once had was gone.  There were most likely other treasures inside and so without the spirit's guidance anyone could get lost; a clever safety mechanism.

    She guessed that it was almost ten minutes since she'd been going through here. At least she wasn't in a rush; though she did wish that the prickling feeling of being watched would end soon.

    Then a small sound caught Shay's attention and she stopped to listen. It was a tapping sound. It grew louder, and she could tell they were sounds of… footsteps.  It was more than one pair, a lot of them in fact. Their echo on the stone sounded in many directions. Some footsteps were in halls next to her with only a wall to separate her from them. They were literally all around.

    She heard one deep male's voice carry through the stone a distance down.

    "I found the green path!" It shouted. "She has to be this way! You over there, take the other paths to cut her off. Hurry!"

    Shay choked on her breath while at the same time her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

    Shay ran. Sprinting down the hallway she heard footsteps from further down her own tunnel grow even louder. The tunnel was running one way now with no more intersections. It may mean that it was coming to an end. That was all she could hope for. Get to the center, get the object, and go home before she would have to deal with these guys again.

    The path ran on a long curve now. She heard the footsteps gaining more. Keeping this pace, the path soon straightened and Shay saw light at the end of it, a dim soft light that actually wasn't green. She ran straight ahead to it and the glow brightened.  Soon, she reached the hall opening where a soft natural light filled her vision.

    All Shay had seen was that the room was extremely huge and circular. This was where the entire circle dome that she saw on the outside had to be. At the very center and highest point of the gigantic domed ceiling was a wide circle about ten feet in diameter cut through the stone to reveal the outside sunlight.

    Vines of green grew along the dusted stoned floors where there were more carvings of symbols spread in a large circular design. And in the middle of the dusty circle, at the room's center was another lonesome stand. The ray of light coming from the dome ceiling's opening covered it directly in a natural circle of spotlight.

    That's it!

    Just as Shay's foot pushed off the ground in a run, two orange glowing ropes came at her from her left side. On contact, they lassoed around her shoulders like coils.

    â€‹Noooo! Shay screamed in her head.

    The ropes seemed to be made from some sort of energy. Energy wasn't supposed to be solid but somehow this was, and it held her tight. They didn't burn but she felt the prickly flow of its force strict on her skin.

    With her eyes she followed the coils to a man walking towards her. The energy coils were connected to his glowing orange hands. This ability had to be his power. The way Leak had the lizard-formed power. He also was dressed in grays, similar to Leak and Grob's.

    A darkened entrance tunnel stood behind him; there were five entrances spread across the walls of the circular room, while in between each of those five stood a statue figure identical to the two outside the main entrance.

    "Got you." the man grinned menacingly, several feet away from her he kept his arms out and the energy coils around her tight.

    Shay couldn't bring herself to utter the large range of foul and angered words that hurled in her head. Her teethe grind together in her rage.

    Soon, another man emerged from the hall behind her. And before she knew it, she found herself surrounded by a whole group of people dressed in grays from different directions. They were both men and some women, ranging in age from teenage to even middle-aged adults. In total, she saw maybe a little over twenty people.

    Looking through the crowd of people, passed arms and over shoulders, she saw a clear view ahead of the jewel on the stand. It taunted her, sitting still and open. Shay just couldn't accept this, not when the way to get home was right there in front of her.

    Infuriated, she struggled against the glowing coils, the only thing she could. She would rip and tear until she got lose!

    "We are the pythorns." one man chuckled. "You can't escape us little human."

    Still, the group kept a steady distance as if she was a freshly caught wild but diseased animal.

    "Keep that human still." the man with the energy rope power growled.

    On Shay's left, a young woman with wild hair, held in a tight ponytail, stepped up close to the rope holder. An evil grin stretched her face. Shay turned around to face her, the ring of energy still tight around her shoulders.

    "My pleasure." her ugly voice sounded like a witch's. She raised a bony hand out towards Shay. All the space of her eyes began to glow a thin purple-ish light, but only for a second, in a slow flash. Weird.

    Then starting from her wrist, her hand started to glow the same purple color, they lingered at the ends of her crusted fingernails like lit matches. It made Shay thrash and struggled against her bonds all the more once she heard the witch-woman snicker, before she charged directly for Shay.

    In the next second, something quick bolted across Shay's vision and rammed directly into the woman, knocking her straight off of her feet.

    When the woman flew far to the side of the stone floor, her attacker halted at the spot of the impact with legs spread, knees bent in a ready position. He stood dreads swung over his shoulder, back facing Shay, but on first sight she knew exactly who it was.

    "Shezearin!" she couldn't help but exclaimed.

    As expected, he ignored her exclamation. But Shay felt consumed in wondrous relief.

    "How..? Why..? You came b-" before she could get a single confusing sentence out, an enemy charged furiously towards him.

    Some of the pythorns stood angry, others terrified, more of them confused. No one expected the extra visitor. Maybe they didn't consult with their two fellow kidnappers, Leak and Grob.

    But Shezearin reacted instantly to the one foolish enough to charge at him on his own. He met the man and caught his punching hand by the wrist. Then he followed it with a lightning high kick to the man's chest that sent him flying backwards to tumble on the ground far past the ring of people.

    Yes! Shay cheered in her head. Get them!

    Half of the group still didn't look too sure about attacking him. Others, the dumb ones, looked more eager. They clearly weren't ready to deal with Shezearin.

A line of three decided to attack next. As that group came after Shezearin, Shay noticed the gap they left behind: an even clearer way to jewel in the room's center.

    Shezearin held his ground in front of Shay. His body was focuses; still he stood with fists up and ready. A piercing glance of his eye went to Shay.

    "Go for the center." he spoke just loud enough for her to hear. "I'll handle them."

    Shay considered he forgot the fact that she was tied up, but she listened.

    When the first man in the line came, her rescuer waited to the last possible second to move. But faster than Shay's eyes could capture, Shezearin's arms went out, palms up. Then his entire body motioned forward in a thrust to the man's chest.

    The victim blasted backwards into the two behind him giving a full domino effect. They all landed on the ground outside of the circle of pythorns, re-clearing the path to the jewel.

    â€‹Shezearin stood still for one second, arms still extended in perfect form from the push. Shay awed at the beauty of his warrior like body. The pose of his strike was like art.

    The other pythorns hesitated for another second. Seeing the distance the three men flew, Shezearin's obvious power could have left anybody frightened. Now she was absolutely certain that super strength had to be a power of his, or maybe just the ability to focus his body at least.

    Suddenly everything resumed, including Shezearin's speedy movements. He may have even taken down two more people, Shay wasn't sure. When her eyes caught up to him, Shezearin struck another person in the same mind blowing fashion, all without moving an inch from in front of her. After thrusting another man, his stiff outstretched arms locked in form. Without bending them back, Shay watched him lift his arm directly above his head.

    Then with muscles tensed, she watched him bring the arm down full forced to the other side of him in a sort of wind mill move. With a grunt, the side of his hand and straightened fingers chopped down at the energy rope that bound Shay. And as sure as Shezearin was strong, they broke.  The energy rope ripped in half where he hit it and it all instantly vanished as if were never there. The glow around its owner's hands had faded.

    So a strong amount of force breaks the energy? Shay did not stop to wonder more. As soon as she felt her free body, Shezearin's words rang clear in her head, his simple instructions: go for the center. It had been a head's up.

    And without hesitation she bolted forward to the room's center, also remembering his following words I will handle them. With no choice but to have confidence in the plan, she ran straight for the path he had cleared, down the opening where the three pythorns were knocked down. She rushed past those very men still lying on the stoned floor.

    Shay pushed her legs hard. As confident as she became in Shezearin, he was still one person...against twenty or more. There's only so many one could fight at a time. And what about the one's he couldn't reach in time, the ones closer to her?

    As if answering that question, she caught a glimpse of Shezearin running at her side. But in the next second, he was gone and she heard a colliding sound, followed by someone tumbling down.

    She kept running and dared not look behind her as the sound of a battle erupted. She heard shouts, snarls bangs and soon weird buzzing or blasting noises that she assumed was the firing of powers. Everyone must have had powers here.

    A thin ray of white energy flew just past her head from behind. It was close enough to have almost glazed the beads of sweat flying off the side of her face.

    This was chaos. And she ignored the heat she felt coming off her own pores or the pounding sounds of her heart throbbing in her ears. Whatever was going on, it was all a frightening blur, only the jewel stood in her sight and focus. It was only several feet ahead. But another figure soon appeared running on her right.

    It wasn't Shezearin, but a gray figure instead. Soon after, Shezearin seemed to glide from the left, crossing in front of her to strike down the enemy. When he did, out of reaction, she slowed her run, thinking she might collide with him. But then realized that was a stupid idea, considering his speed. He was already on her right side, clearly out of her way.

    "Go," He commanded, and turned to face whatever was left of the army still behind.

    Shay bolted again to the jewel that was just barely in her grasp.

    But suddenly, coming from her left came a large man in the middle of a lunging jump toward her. His fists were balled and ready to clobber.  Shay went to duck down before he could touch her and then caught a glimpse of Shezearin, who zipped up beside her.

    In a matter of long drawn out seconds, she caught the whole sequence: Shezearin's entire eye sockets glowed a deep red color for an instant, just like the witch-like girl's did before she came to attack with freaky glowing fingernails.

    It only lasted for an instant and the light at his eyes faded to normal. But his arm was raised and from it, ignited a rigid shape of energy similar to a streak of lightning, only thicker and all red. The energy fired through the air with a zapping, shrieking sound. Time then seemed to resumed to a fast pace as the red beam of energy shot with speed to directly hit her coming attacker.

    She heard the cry of pain and she saw his body shoot up along the air driven by pressure of the energy streak. He landed far off across the room where Shay couldn't see.

    What the hell? She was wrong about both the super strength and the speed; that had to be Shezearin's super power.

    "I'll have your back." She heard Shezearin's voice not a far distance from her. "Touch the prize." He turned away from her and faced whatever enemies were left.

    Shay bolted for the jewel in front of her. The jewel was a deep emerald green. It was a wide diamond shape that stood on a gold stand with thin gold tentacles, like wrapping vines, holding it in place. 

    She was in its circle of sunlight now. It was hypnotizing the way the light made it dazzle in brilliance. Trying to not to knock into it, Shay reached two shaking hands out. And with a wave of relief and hope, both hands slapped on the top of the jewel.

    Instantly, the jewel sprung to life, bursting with bright green light. Just as the orb had done in the entrance room, the glowing treasure poured its green lit power down the symbols of the stand and to the deep carvings on the floor. Behind her, every head must have turned but she heard nothing from them. The light had quickly spread into the huge carved circle on the floor that contained so many symbols and writings.

    Shay couldn't remove her eyes from the jewel's green, her hands either. Physically she couldn't budge sat all. Unable to do anything but stare, she began to even feel detached from her body, while her mind plunged helplessly into the depth of the glowing jewel.

    An illuminating flash of green light came to overpower her entire vision. But it was surprisingly painless and somehow, Shay's eyes didn't flinch. She watched as the light drowned out all surroundings. The sounds of the people, their voices, their movements; everything, had faded away into nothing. After about three seconds, the light had dimmed.

 

 

    The first thing she saw was the crystal jewel resting in her cuffed hands somehow. Able to move again, she saw that everything disappeared, even the jewel's stand. There was literally nothing. There was no time, no space, and no sense of atmosphere. Everything around her was brushed into white, blank as white paper.  Soon she began to hear the eerie whispers of wind all around her, even though the air was still.  T

    "I have peered deeply into your soul." the crystal spoke. It was the spirit's voice, strong and majestic but smooth like the wind. Shay felt the heavy sounds shift and vibrate through her insides.

    The glowing crystal's light blinked matching its voice completely. "And so I have found the answer to the question of which you speak." he continued. "Yes," he said slowly. "You are indeed human after all. This is not your place of birth, not a familiar home to you, or home to your kind."

    He waited for a painful moment while Shay's anticipated heart raced. "But your appearance is very deceiving." He continued. "Now that I've had a chance to see within you, I can say there is something inside you that you yourself are not aware of, something that changes the circumstances. Something that will leave everything greatly unbalanced if you were to return to your world that you know." His voice began to grow strength, not quite as smooth as before. "There for human, my decision has been swayed but now decided! I cannot grant you your request and use of this crystal. You're wish has been denied!"

    The last words repeated in echoes around her far more loudly than the other words. It continued to rampage in Shay's head, around her mind, her ribcage and her heart.

    Cracks formed on the crystal as the same word still echoed around. The cracks spread dividing the entire crystal into hundreds of small sections. And then the crystal shattered. Thousands of pieces came exploding before Shay's eyes before her still hands.  Her entire body had not moved an instant sense she heard the last word, denied. It rang until it was finally drowned out by clattering crystal falling to the floor like a rainfall of daggers.

    The white background had somehow broken away too. And the stone filled room with glowing green, along with everyone there had all reappeared.

 

 

    â€‹Shezearin watched another enemy drop to the floor before him. It was one of the few left standing and the only willing to oppose him. As his body straightened up to relax, he heard the sound of shattering jewel to the stone floor and he turned around.

    A faint emotion triggered within him. It was a low and unpleasant one that sank in his mind when he looked at what he saw.

    The human girl stood there. Something had happened and the crystal was now in pieces on the glowing floor. And she just stared unfocused at her empty hands. Rejection; that was what happened.

    He watched as she lifelessly sank to her knees and a glassy glaze built over her eyes. She finally moved, only to slump forward, leaning down and letting her palms touch the stoned floor. He couldn't see her face now, but the ray of sunlight caught the few drops of liquid that fell from her face. They sparkled in the ray of sun before they hit the floor.

    He wasn't a fool, though this was unusual, he could at least admit to himself that sorrow was the identity of this feeling that broke through to him. He then decided to leave the very logic that he knew, and follow this...feeling.

    It was a risk. There was something about this human, this girl that continued to confuse him since they'd met. Around her, she seemed to nudge him into making these kinds of choices. It happened again today when he decided to come back to the ruins.

    With his mind made, he came to her side. He stood there for a moment looking down at her, not very sure what to do next.  But seeing those sparkling tears and her shivering shoulders made him see just a hint of what she needed repaired. He realized just what was extinguished in her, the thing that made her glow so much before. It was her spirit, and it was breaking.

   Strangely, it was something he wished he could see fixed, rather than watch crumble. So blind and recklessly, he decided to act on this inkling he felt.

 

 

    Shay heard nothing around her, felt nothing around her. Nothing else processed in her mind except for the last words she had heard. The pain she had felt as she watched the crystal, the beautiful hope of returning to her world, her home, her parents, her grandmother, her friends, her life, her belonging, had all shattered in her very hands.

    Inside she ached, as if her heart were broken into pieces just the same.

    Everything was gone.  

    Her life was gone.  

    The hope was shattered.

    She wanted to shrink away. Attempting to break down these cold facts, iced away all other awareness. Her mind was far away. She couldn't even command herself to move. All she could do was watch the stone floor and the few drops of tears that hit it.

    A shiver went through her spine from the cold within. Inside of her was hallow; no push or strive, only empty defeat.  Her body twitched when she felt something warm touch her shoulder.

    A hand was there. It felt almost soothing against the cold of her body. Still, she was too lost in icy thought to react, even as the calm heat of someone's body came close beside her. Each second that passed stretched out. But through those long seconds, the warmth stayed there with her. And it began to ease her somehow.

    "Shay?" The voice spoke slow and smooth.

    Shezearin.

    She felt her mind snap back to her senses. Back to the despair of broken. Gloom quelled inside her and it pushed up from her chest and surfaced more tears, though she tried to hold it back. Trying to stop it, she buried her face in her hands.

    She felt the warmness of Shezearin's second hand on her other shoulder. Still, pacing tears came down her face. But she kept her head down. She didn't want him to see her like this. Such weak emotions must be very strange to him, maybe even shameful.

    His voice spoke her name again. And she noticed it lost its usual cold edge. "Shay...Look at me." He spoke as a soft command, odd coming from him.

    His hands on her shoulders turned to a gentle grip and pulled her to sit up. Shay lifted her head and turned to see Shezearin stooping next to her. She looked up into his hypnotic red eyes. They looked much different now; no longer a hard flaming barrier. Instead, they were softened, even sincere. They studied her face, along with the tears leaking from Shay's eyes despite her efforts to hold them.

    "Everything will be fine."

    Anyone could have said these words. But everything Shezearin said was often simple and straightforward, no sugar-coding. And maybe it was because of this that Shay felt a bit of truth to them.  She studied his face. Everything in his expression was true...and sincere. Shay's tears began to slow.

    "You hear me?" he asked her.

    Shay nodded her head silently and allowed her face to ease.

    Something caught Shezearin's attention and he looked off to the side. Shay had forgotten about the enemies surrounding them all lying on the floor. One farther away had stumbled to his feet. About half of the grey dressed enemies were starting to move and recover slowly.

    The half that was able to bring themselves to their feet only looked her way but dared not move. They most likely reanalyzed the choice of trying to capture her again with the Zeome' still here. Their plans had been a complete failure.

    Before any one of them made up their minds, a deep rumbling was felt through the floor. In addition, strong winds blew into the room from the sun roof above. They howled and whipped through the air in a moaning sound.

    The wind only settled enough for the voice to be heard throughout the walls of the large room.

    "You intruders will not carry out your deeds here." The deep voice spoke. "You came unannounced into my presence, violating this place. I will tolerate you no more. There for, either by pain or by cowardice you will now leave!"

    The glowing carvings on the floor intensified its brightness. At five points on the outside of the floor's circle were also carved straight line that had never been lit with green, being beyond the circle. Now the glowing power spread along each of them. The lines ran all the way to the ends of the room where, standing at the very end of each, was a stone statue, identical to the two outside.

    As the green light spread to their feet, the power instantly shot up each of their bodies, enlightening each and every bit of the carved symbols on it along the way. When the lights reached their heads, the dark green orb on their faces lit with life like the rest of their bodies.

    And each one took a step forward out of their standing place and into a scary image that Shay could hardly believe right now. She turned completely around to view each of these gigantic magnificent statues all walking forward and alive.  Being at the room's very center, they all seemed to be coming in her direction, though she didn't intrude; it wasn't her that the statues were after.

    The pythorns started shouting as the stone men slowly closed in from different angles. And then the five stone guards started to attack. Some stomped at the pythorns, smashing anything in their way with a heavy foot.

    Most of the pythorns used their own powers in defense. But whatever beams or sparks of energy Shay saw fly through the air to hit the Wind Spirit's guards had no effect. Not once did the stone men flinch, they only kept moving.

    Chaos erupted at every corner and Shay and Shezearin were stuck in the middle of it. And with him also intruding in order to save her, the statues were most likely coming for him too.

    â€‹Shezearin quickly lifted himself to his feet, pulling her with him. Now that Shay stood, it was obvious she was more prone to being hit by a stray blast of power. She glanced around the violent room nervously ready to dodge anything that came her way. Just then, the sounds of the room dimmed down as if someone turned down the volume in her head.

    She heard a soft but deep voice blow like the whisper of a breeze. "Achieve your duty... Find the treasure...It will be yours to protect." the voice faded away. Just as it came, it vanished.

    The chaotic noises around her all turned back up to normal like a TV volume.

    Am I going crazy? Shay thought. Was it only in her head? No one else seemed to notice or hear. She didn't quite comprehend what just happened, or how it happened, or even what it meant. But she knew exactly whose voice it was. But in all the danger, there was no time to think about it.

    "Shay!" Shezearin's voice spoke sharply.

    She snapped her head towards him.

    "When I say so, grab on to me!" he raised his voice over the noise.

    She nodded. Her eyes didn't leave him as he took a couple of steps back from her; a spark of flying light purple energy just missed his right shoulder.

    His eyes were completely filled with red light again, but it wasn't just a quick flash like before. The energy stayed glowing in his eyes and from them it seeped and over flown like thin trickles of smoky fire.

    He held his head back and suddenly the same red energy erupted all over his body. It looked as if he stood in the center of a huge fireball, though he was the source of the fire.

    Shay didn't back away, only stared in astonishment. Her attention was cut as she was forced to duck her head just in time as she heard a streak of power come toward her from behind. It happened so fast she fell over and went down to her knees.

    "Now Shay!" she heard him shout.

    With perhaps insane trust, she bolted towards his torched body. She embraced him and locked both her arms around his neck, pinning herself to his muscular chest.

    "Hold on." Shezearin spoke. And his arms locked around her back.

    Her heart raced for an instant when a silly thought triggered in her head. But she pushed it away, reminding herself how dangerous her situation and how far this should be from her mind.

    The fire-like energy fiercely intensified, making Shay feel light weighted.  And then the ground left her feet. They were off of the ground and lifting higher!

    The sensation startled Shay and she tightened her grip. But soon she welcomed it, looking down at the room below her. Some people paused their fighting to look up at them, but it did not stop the stone men who kept attacking. But both began to shrink beneath her feet.  Some of the pythorns below began to make a break for the doorway. Others, those more serious about completing their task, came closer while shouting commands.

    Next thing Shay saw were a few streams of energy fired at them from below.

    One zipped passed them only a few feet away. Just then, she felt Shezearin's chest expand as he took in a deep breath. When he pushed the oxygen out hard, the two of them immediately shot upward.

    They fired like a rocket up the dome's center. Shay clung to Shezearin for dear life. With her head ducked down from the wind, her eyes still watched the action below shrink fast.

    Then there was a big flash of sunlight and their altitude gain finally slowed.

    Shay raised her head. She saw the gigantic dome beneath her; they were about twenty feet above the sun rooftop that they just flown through. The sun blazed as bright as ever and the trees sat like clutters of green umbrella tops below them.

    Shezearin's arm swooped up her legs and placed the other hand on her back. She loosened her clinging hold she had around his neck only a little bit. And she allowed him to carry her in the air, feeling like Lois Lane in a superman movie.  But she never liked Lois Lane, mostly because she was always the curious but dumb damsel in distress, who needed Superman to save her in every case. But sadly, since coming to Riav, Shay had played that role a number of times. If Shay was still herself, she needed to ditch that role as soon as possible, even if she was in another world.

    But this view was amazing, the only other time Shay could recall a sight like this was for the several seconds she would sit at an incredibly tall drop ride at a theme park. But then again, the view was always interrupted by the adrenaline pumping knowledge of being plunged down.

    In the steady seconds of changing momentum; instead of plunging down, they flew forward with the use of another blast.

    The force of the energy blazed in Shay's face. They had to sound like a rocket, she felt like a rocket. She imagined from afar they must look like a fireball shooting across the sky. She wondered if anyone below pointed up at it and if this was a casual Riavn sight or not.

    Up here, Shay wished she could be free of worries, to feel free as the wind offered. But she couldn't. If things were fine and her spirits were a little lighter, his whole experience would have been absolutely amazing. The feel of the wind, the speed and the height would be exhilarating, but exhilarating it still was.

    Everything below her sped by. The dome and the wind ruins along with the pythorns were all left behind. But sadly her home and her world, was left behind too.

8: The Natures of Dezaria

    Shay relaxed her hold around Shezearin's neck as his flying pace started to slow. The whipping fire-like energy began to die and weaken in their aerial descend while the small ruby chain that Shezearin wore around his neck dangled in her face. The wind must have pulled it out from being tucked underneath his shirt.

        In complete control, Shezearin carried Shay back towards the ground again in a slow and steady drop. Even the red energy seeping from his eyes began to lose its power.

    They weaned through the tree tops and different levels of branches until Shezearin's feet finally met the dirt of the forest ground and lowered Shay down.

    Shay took a minute to regain her footing and then looked around at their new surroundings. Everything seemed the same, still just as amazing and beautiful. There were colorful blasts of plants and animals in a tangle full of green.

    She suspected that unlike her world, the lands weren't as developed and industrial.

    She remembered in her sky high view from just minutes ago she had seen mostly a stretch of trees. There were a couple of spaces far down but it was hard to tell because of the tall umbrella like branches. This made her curious of just where they were headed now.

    She turned around to ask Shezearin just that but she didn't see him and for an instant fear struck her. He was just there a minute ago. Then she quickly spotted him several feet away.

    He stood leaning toward the side of a thick tree trunk. He was back to normal; the energy he summoned was gone, even his eyes were normal again, normal for him that is. But his breathing was ragged, as if he needed to catch his breath, but more than that, it was almost as if he was in pain.

    She stepped closer.

    "Shezearin?" she said carefully.

    He straightened up immediately. Before she could get another word out he spoke. "We shouldn't stay in one place for long right now. Let's move."

    Silently, he walked passed her as Shay stood watching him suspiciously. After a few seconds she broke into a walk fast enough to catch up with him.

    "Shezearin," She hesitated. "Umm. What you did back there… that was amazing! You-you can fly?"

He let out a faint breath that sounded almost like a chuckle.

    "No I cannot." he paused, thinking of an explanation. "What I just did was not a natural function of my ari. It took a great amount of power and control to harness enough ari to hurtle us out of there. To go up was the only escape, so I took it."

    Ari, Shay heard him refer to it before, it had to be what they call their powers.

    "Wow." Shay said half to herself. "It had to be really difficult then."

    "Yes and no. It is difficult. But I have a lot of experience in controlling my ari."

    "Then with enough practice something like that could be manageable for people here?"

    "No. I said power and control. Most...almost all, lack the power to do something like that. Not unless it is the natural ability of their ari, which would be rare since the power level required for something like that would be uncommonly high."

    Shay also listened carefully to his voice as he talked, feeding answers to her suspicion. His voice, though slightly hidden, still contained the raspy pained sound in his breath. It wasn't quite his usual cool and even sound.

    As she guessed, he was hiding the pain. Rather if it was for her specifically, or it was just that he didn't like to show weakness, she didn't know why.

    To clear anymore questions, he continued to speak on the subject.

    "Everyone here has ari, it…is what makes a soul. But by now your view of the average ari abilities in Dezaria are probably distorted. That is because all the people, or Riavns, you've encountered have been picked, trained and chosen for their gift of powers.

    "The ari ability for the average civilian is actually very low. Weak compared to those you've encountered. The average person who wishes to defend themselves is trained more on their physical fighting ability, and then may be able to use some ari for tight situations."

    "I see..." Her mind processed the information. Though she had many more questions, she knew she would have plenty of time in Dezaria now to get the rest of them out.

    "By the way," She spoke up keeping pace with the man who rescued her twice now from the pythorns. "Thanks...again really, for saving me. Before you came I wouldn't have been able to even reach the crystal, and I would have no answers. Even …if all that effort is really wasted since I-I didn't go back." she tried to keep her voice steady now. "And you still ended up kind of stuck with me after all." She joked weakly to cover the pain, though he didn't show a crack of a smile.

    She also reminded herself that he didn't owe her anything. He was as free to leave her like he did at the ruins front entrance. He had made no promises and could do the same thing now.

    "But anyway, I owe you a lot now. Probably even my life."

    There was still no answer. Is he even listening? I'm trying to be sincere here.

    Just as she glanced at him, his solid gaze dropped directly to her face. She felt a small shiver in her spine that almost locked her feet in place. After his eyes held her captive for three extremely long seconds, searching her face, his voice hummed quietly. "You're welcome."

    That did stop her feet. Usually, his closet response to a "thank you" had been just the nod of his head.

    "And you don't owe me anything." he added without looking back at her as he walked on.

    Shay recovered quickly and returned to his side with her curiosity ever rising about this stranger. And still, she felt no danger from him despite the warnings that everyone she'd met so far, including him, had given her.

    "So," she hesitated. "Can I ask you why you did change your mind after all? Why you came back for me, I mean?"

    He didn't answer right away but Shay was used to not getting an immediate response from him by now. "You had your mind made up before." She pushed on. "Don't tell me that the all scary zeome' is all about doing good heroic deeds now huh?"

    He groaned at her teasing and a faint smirk appeared on his lips. "That's not it." And for once his voice didn't sound as icey and tight. "My decision wasn't based on morals. It was only a thought. After I saw the pythorns going for the ruins, I decided to carry it out."

    "So what was the thought?" Shay didn't want to push too hard, but she had to take advantage of the slightly more social mood that he was in.

    "It was something that grew...complicated." He answered. "But originally it was triggered by your mouth." His voice was toneless.

    My mouth? Then Shay remembered the insults she threw when he abandoned her at the front of the wind ruins. "Oh..." she said slowly.

    "Bastard, was it?" he glanced at her raising an eyebrow.

    Shay's shoulders shrunk. "Sorry about that." It felt embaressing now that she lashed out that way, especially now that he had come back for her. After all he was right about what he said; he never did promised or said anything about staying with her, just to take her there.

    â€‹Shezearin lifted a leg over a fallen tree branch that, which actually equaled the same size as a normal tree trunk to Shay. It reminded her again that these trees were ridiculously huge. "Don't worry about it." He said barely phased.

    Shay copied him, climbing over the trunk, though a bit less gracefully, and continued along the small dirt trail they followed. Despite her angry insults, the bottom line had been that he came back for her. She couldn't see how that could add up or even be the reason for his coming back. But whatever had gone through his head, he was here and she was so glad that he did.

    "So this means you're letting the human tag along with you afterall?"

    "I am." He paused, and the pace of his steps began to slow slightly. "Your lost, I'll at least point you in the right direction. There is a place where you can go. I will guide you there. But remember, afterwards I cannot stay with you, my time will be limited." Then his gaze turned to her and the weight of his intense eyes fell on her face. "But you have my word this time."

    Shay almost stopped walking. A bit stunned at the assurance of his words, and she didn't doubt their truth, though she wondered why now he was so certain. Perhaps somehow, their was now a sense of trust among them. And perhaps there still might be hope of her old life again; home.

    The thought triggered moisture to her eyes, but she pushed it back and the word "home" out of her mind. She had to be strong and Shezearin was watching her.

    She nodded her head. "Thank you." it came almost at a whisper.

    He gave a nod of his head as he continued to walk. "Our next destination will be difficult. We have to stop and resupply at the nearest town, the Pythorn village."

 

 

 

    Countless hours went by in the winding forest. Thankfully, Shezearin agreed to take a few short breaks, more than he usually would, for the sake of the less experienced hiker at his side. He told her that it was always a risk to travel through the wilderness exhausted.

    Now, on their fifth break of the day, Shezearin informed her that it was their last; the village was near. Sitting on a large rock, the two of them took down a scrap of meat Shezeain was carrying, his last store of food. While Shay choked down the food, her mind wondered nervously to what was to come.

    Though it was comforting to know today's travel was almost over, Shay also realized how insecure she really felt about going to Pythorn village. Especially when considering all the trouble that came from these people who call themselves pythorn. Shezearin, silent but observant, seemed to have already guessed at the reason for whatever tension had shown through on her face. And he spent the last ten to fifteen minutes of their sit explaining the village a bit more.

    According to him, the place wasn't all full of pythorn thugs; it was also a regular village. But as the gang was formed they made the town's reputation to outsiders and so were given the name after the village. The uninvolved civilians had to just live with the constant violence and scare. And so violence and attitude was the only way to survive there, gang affiliated or not.

    The sadder part was that moving was hardly an option, the town was the only in this area of the deep forest until yo clear the plans. To afford the materials to move a family's belongings and worry about the safety of the trip was a lot to consider.

    "I was told that an upcoming person in that town who displayed any exceptional level of ari ability would be immediately recruited; most likely forced." Shezearin explained.

    The gang was like an underground organization of power that performs dirty services, deals and trades with other organizations for gain and riches. Like drug dealers, Shay immediately thought. Their overall goal was power and reputation.

    Soon the two of them began walking on their way again, but Shay's head was still spinning with questions as she stared down at the dirt trail they walked on. Shezearin marched ahead of her, as her unfocused eyes fixed on the back of his black shoes smashing the dirt.

    Why was she involved with the pythorns at all? Was she apart of some sort of deal? Shay remembered Leak constantly referring to her as cargo for a mission. But what could she possibly mean to anybody here?

    She knew how everyone here seemed to hate humans; maybe it was some type of secret human torturing sacrificing ritual. Maybe she was just one of many to go. Shay shuttered at the thought.

    Suddenly Shezearin stopped ahead of her again.

    "What's the matter this t-"

    "Shhh." He raised a hand to her without turning around.

    "What is it?" she whispered.

    She watched his knees bend slightly in a ready position. Then out of nowhere, a cat-like creature the size and shape of a small wild cat (like a cougar with very sharp eyes and whiskers) jumped out of a tree ahead of him in a pounce. Claws extended, the creature hissed as it came down on him.

    â€‹Shezearin was ready. With the whip of his hand his red power cut across the air and caught the cat's belly, smacking it to the side and out of the air.

    â€‹Good hit! Shay thought, as she watched the creature tumble into a shrub with a hiss.

    Shay took a few steps back while watching the ca thrash around on its back until it managed to whip back over to its feet to take another growl at Shezearin. All around them Shay was beginning to hear growls echo around the trees, but with all the green coverage, she couldn't pinpoint where.

    Then there came a growl she heard fairly close to her. She wasted no time. With Shezearin focused on the one ahead of them, Shay tore off her backpack ripped it open and pulled out her grandfather's pocket knife. It wasn't exactly a sword but it was the most she had. Luckily the predator hadn't lunged at her yet. But soon the sound of a second hiss grew louder.

    Shay whipped around to see another cat step from around a tree's trunk creeping towards her with a growl. Shaking, her hand held the blade out in front of her. It faced her alone, the rest of the pack of cats were all behind her. But soon, after the zapping sounds of Shezearin's power, she heard those wild cats from behind disappeared; he must have frightened them off. Yet, here this one stayed to challenge her.

    At any sudden movement she would swing. In intense drawn out seconds, she eyed the creature with her heart racing. She backed another step.

    Then the cat released a growl flinging forward. Shay wanted to scream, she focused her fears towards the one weapon she had pointed to the cat. Instead, a streak of jagged red light slashed through the air and hit the creature from its side, launching it into a tree.

    The cat yelped and sprinted off into the trees. They were all gone.

    She turned around "Thanks Shezearin."

    He stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "What were you going to do with that?" he said glancing to the knife in her hand.

    "Oh," she said slightly embarrassed. "Well it's the only thing I have." She flipped the blade back in.

    "Only thing you have of what?"

    She groaned. "It's the only weapon I've got okay?" She waited for him to look amused but instead he just stared at her strangely.

    "Oh that's right, you are a human." He then said dryly.

    "Yeah, so what does that mean?" Shay snapped.

    He said nothing and started to walk. But Shay kept an angry pace along side of him. "So what does that mean?" she repeated.

    "Make sure you put that away."

    She gave him a look but put it in her pocket instead of her bag.  "Look, I'm not a zeome' like you. What if there's more attacking animals out there?"

    "Well you are right about that. Zones outside of towns are usually considered dangerous. That is why most people desire an escort of travelers to get back and forth from different towns, especially in thick terrains like this."

    "And what if I need to defend myself while you're busy?"

    "I won't be, not with these animals."

    "Well, I still feel better with my knife."

    "Things are different here than in your human world. Riavans don't need or use what you call weapons. Its weakness; a thing humans may have to depend on to survive, but not us." He said with a bit of a sneer. "Don't let anyone see that or they will think you spineless and untrustworthy, perhaps they will identify you as a human if they know of them. Weapons of strength here is whatever ari you have in your body in whatever form it may be, along with whatever outside training you have with your body. Objects with blades on it are just utensils for work, never something to attack with."

    Arrogant much? She thought. She wanted to roll her eyes and ignore his words, but if that was the truth than that's the truth. At least she didn't have to carry the "human world" fear of someone confronting her with a knife, or worse a gun.

    "I'll remember that." Shay mumbled.

 

 

 

    Before Shay knew it, she noticed the day getting older because the sun had started to gain a very slight shade of orange in its light.

    "Okay Shay." Shezearin started. "We will be entering the village soon."

    This didn't seem likely to her, since she saw no difference in the surroundings. The trees were still tall and thick. The sounds were still heavy with the usual birds, and animals chirping, cawing and singing of the wild everywhere, giving no sign of civilization nearby.

    "Just stay behind me." he warned.

    Shay did so right away, slowing her pace to walk behind him. They had already went over the rules, not too make eye contact with anyone, and for her to stay close to Shezearin. Every civilian is always expecting a fight. The best thing to do if you don't live there is keep your eyes to yourself and don't socialize.

    Okay, so just don't start anything. She thought. Not too different from some areas in Baltimore. But he also reminded her that by being with him, no one would give her too much trouble. He was known by his appearance just about everywhere. His eyes, of course, were a dead giveaway. But what it was that Shay was really nervous about was looking like an alien and being spotted out instantly as a human.

    But during their walk, Shezearin had also reassured her that there wasn't much to worry about unless she practically announces her being human. He had given them a brief description of the world of Riav along the way.

    What Shay took in first was that Riav, somehow, wasn't too different from the human world. It's as if they were different dimension but still somehow sisters. What alters and makes Riav different form her world was the element of ari.

    That explained why creatures, fruits or things of nature here could seem similar to what she knew, but with a single or more intense twist to it. Ari was circulated like a bloodstream into their world… similar to or like the Earth's water cycle, not that this planet didn't have that either.

    Though she may be in some sort of different dimension right now, at least it wouldn't feel too much like a different planet. Knowing this, maybe her encounter with her first Dezarian town wouldn't be so strange. Maybe she wouldn't be so much of an alien.

    The once narrow dirt path they followed was now beginning to widen. Other smaller pathways began to appear, winding around the many dense trees until they merged with the widening main one.

    But the trees around the path seemed to multiply, even cluster as if they were deliberately planted that way. Strong and tall they stood, with hardly any mid-branches but a few that pasted themselves along side a neighboring tree trunk. It seemed odd even for this strange forest.

    Then she saw it: wedged between two huge tree trunks was a large black gate standing below the shade of the high branches. It was made of some sort of iron, formed by bars shaped in curving patterns. Its double doors hung ajar, but seemed rusted with enough age that it probably never budged from its stance.

    She heard the sound of people, talking, walking, and the squeaky wheels of slow wagons. The life of a town waited beyond. And the unlikely companions, Zeome' and human, walked through the grand entrance. Though Shezearin walking directly ahead of her, Shay felt her body tense; they were finally entering Pythorn village.

9: Pythorn Village

    Stepping past the gate, the first thing Shay noticed was the tight wall of trees that ran down both sides of the gate and rounded off into a curved path to circle and tower around the entire village. That explained the cluster of trees; they were deliberately positioned that way somehow, probably conjured up by some crazy "ari" force, she'd guess.

    There was no way for a person to even squeeze through the tree trunks, having no branches but at their tops. In between any possible gaps that this wooden wall left were tightly molded clumps of stone. It provided a protective wall; a fort from the sides and even possibly from the sky. It only left exposure of the sky to the center, the edge of the town sat under shade. It explained why she couldn't see the village from the sky. Discretion was maybe part of having a society in the middle of such a jungle. And this completely natural fence, at least to her, was pretty impressive.

    Peeking past Shezearin's arm, Shay took in the village. The dirt path spread forward branching off into many others, but left the widest to run straight ahead towards a busy bunch of buildings and people.

    On the outskirts of the village's busy core sat simple houses made up of grayed stone. They were scattered homes placed in no particular pattern and all having a fair distance of space between each other. The stone of the houses was made of a material that looked to maybe once have a glazed bright shine but was now dull and dusted. They were small humble homes that it the description of what Shay thought to belong in a story book.

    Farther down, the houses ran tighter together until it formed the most clustered and busy part of the village; the place in which each main pathway led to; the town core. The market place, Shay assumed. The houses and buildings there were taller, and consisted of different shapes that peaked out above the small cottage homes that surrounded it.

    The village itself was large. In fact, village was probably a degrading title, since it made her think on smaller scales, she would call this a town.

    Shay stayed close to Shezearin as he led her towards the town's core.

    People with loads of dingy bags on their backs or with no baggage at all drifted back and forth past them with soft murmurs of casual conversation. Nobody seemed to pay her any mind. She caught a few intimidated and some angered glances towards Shezearin, but most tended to shy away or ignore him; careful to avoid eye contact. A definite sense of space was kept around him as he walked.

    Shay remembered the look of fear on Grob's face when he recognized the zeome'. The people probably thought a person would burst into flames if he looked them in the eye. If not, they sure acted like it.

    When she could, Shay would glance at the villagers, though careful not to stare too long. Most had varying textures of brown or dark hair. And they all had deep ranges of colored skin that started at either a very tanned white or a light brown and went to dark.

    Just about everyone had on dingy colored clothing that was either gray or brown. Each had a good layer of dust on them. And almost everyone wore a face that read unwelcome. Eyebrows were lowered, faces frowned, there was not even a hint of a warm homey feeling from the entire town; Shezearin didn't exaggerate a bit.

    As beautiful as the few pieces of Dezaria was that Shay saw so far, she was disappointed that a town looked so sad and colorless. It seemed empty of the feel of magic she'd witnessed in the jungle. But everything couldn't always be sunshine and rainbows after all. She only hoped that they wouldn't have to stay here long.

    The two silently made their way down the main pathway to the village's center while the smaller buildings began to blend closer together. Some of these houses were made of strong wood instead of stone, or just any natural material that looked pretty sturdy.

    Now she could tell they had completely reached the town business area. Booths began to form outside of tight rowed stores. Trinkets and chains hung from them and any other strange materials all to be sold.

    The people around her quickly turned to a thick hustle and bustle, each person fiercely focused on their own objective. Some hauled bags or pulled wooden wagons stacked with goods. The crowd was much louder now with trade and action going in every direction and things were finally a bit livelier in the fairly populated town.

    Shay and Shezearin passed by two men in a heated debate standing outside the front of a store. A carriage of orange fruits sat in the middle of them.

    "You cheated me out by a dozen," one of the men growled. "I paid for way more than this!"

    The other man snarled something loud and their argument had risen. Shay mechanically stared ahead of herself, trying hard to ignore their viciousness. Everyone else, however, carried on with their business, unfazed, including Shezearin.

    Following quickly behind him, she noticed new scents coming into the air. They were now in the food marketing area and on the outside booths set fruit and some even held pens of small feathery animals. And their food-resupplying began.

    â€‹Shezearin's shopping process was pretty simple. Inside one of the food stores he'd grab a bundle of fruits without using much time to examine them. He was quick and to the point. The opposite of the grocery shopping Shay was used to with her mother, and even her grandmother.

    Shezearin dropped the bundle on the counter and then pulled out a small pouch that was once shrunk into a compartment of his belt, using the same item that he used to store the food that they ate; the CS, compact sphere.

    "Fifteen shells." The salesman said.

    â€‹Shezearin pulled the draw string and tumbled a few pieces of silver looking clumps of metal into his gloved hand. They were small round objects of silver, like sparkling small marble balls. Some looked like small pebbles, and a few others were in larger dazzling chunks. One was perfectly smooth, the most valued one, she guessed. He put that one back in the bag.

    He counted out a few, starting with the larger chunks and then the smaller. He handed over three pieces of them, two middle sized and one small.

    The seller, weighed them in his hand for a moment, and then nodded, giving Shezearin the freshly bought goods. The process was done all the while no words or smiles were even exchanged.

    The salesman was brave compared to the other people who avoided Shezearin. He never held Shezearin's red gaze for too long either, but he didn't fidget or appear nervous, he was only eager to get his business done.

    Time may have been passing by in the busy town center, but the bustling business stayed just the same. The only difference was the dimming orange sun. During the time they had gotten done food supply and purchased other strange nick-knacks that Shay assumed was used for traveling. The entire time she just followed quietly behind whatever Shezearin did and observed. Answering her very few questions she spoke was the only time Shezearin would speak as well.

    "There is something else we will need to take care of." Shezearin told her quietly as they walked to their next destination. "We need for you to blend a bit more in." he said as his eyes did a quick scan of her up and down.

    Shay looked down at her jeans and shirt. She forgot about the fact that she did stick out.

    "It doesn't matter too much in this town." Shezearin explained. "Strange people often show and leave. The village is always used as a stopping point for travelers since there's nothing else nearby. That's where their business comes from. So the people can care less what type of traveler you are. You just appear like you're from a powerful foreign town." he did a quick scan of her again. "A very foreign town. But it will matter later in other towns where people are a bit more knowledgeable of things outside their own home."

    "Oh." Shay said slowly.

    Soon she found herself led into the doors of another store, one that was more spacious. Inside were numerous wooden tables and baskets. Placed on them were folded clothes with colors that ranged from mostly grays and blacks and a few other low earthy tones. The store was divided in half by gender.

    There were only, perhaps, three other customers in the store, who all seemed to be in the middle of rounding up their shopping.

    "D-do you need help?" A small woman, a store clerk, crept up to them; her gaze timidly lingered on Shezearin.

    â€‹Shezearin answered. "A new trainee." he gestured to Shay. "Is preparing herself for an official team travel, though her ari is very minimal."

    "Yes." the woman nodded and turned to Shay. "Follow me."

    As she turned to follow the woman, Shezearin caught her by the shoulder. When she turned around to face him, he held out a small brown bag with a draw string.

    "This should cover two pairs of full traveling clothes for you." He saw her face of uncertainty to the money. "Just give them the whole bag; they'll sort out the change. I need to take care of one more thing first. When you are done meet me outside this store."

    Shay nodded and before she knew it he was gone.

    Nervousness prickled at her heart. Alone, she had to keep up this charade that she was an official new traveler. But she hardly knew what anything was here. Have to take care of something? Does it have to be now? She whined in her head and caught up with the store clerk down the aisle.

    "So this is your first official travel then?" the woman spoke as she sorted through a pile of folded clothes on a table. Now that Shezearin was gone, the woman seemed to have relaxed. She was the friendliest person she'd seen so far in the village, she didn't wear a face of steel and she had spoken, though it was part of her job afterall.

    "Uh, yes." Shay said weakly.

    "Nervous?" the lady smiled, more as a statement than a question. "It'll be fine. As long as you have accomplices to help and look out for each other...it's not as scary."

    The woman hesitated, most likely wondering if one of the accomplices included the zeome' because if that was the case than her words were more than true. But thankfully, she didn't ask.

    "Measurements are a little different in the travel compartment, they're a bit more precise." the clerk said, giving her a good look up and down. She then walked over to a boxed section of clothes. "These look like they will fit you, but let's check first."

    Shay stood patiently as the woman spent the next ten minutes sizing her up with measuring tape she grabbed from another assistant. When she was done, the clerk was proud to say that she guessed right.

    "It's important to have clothes that fit right when you're traveling." the woman said. "You wouldn't want to get slowed down in a battle with a wild pantheon because your clothes are too big." she laughed.

    Shay wasn't sure if she even wanted to picture what a wild pantheon was. With a fake smile, she pretended to understand the joke then followed the clerk to the section that she pointed as her size. Each selection only looked like different types of sweat clothes to her.

    They started with the pants. Just talking with her, Shay learned that there was a lot to the wardrobe of travelers. Some travelers pants stopped after their knees, but the woman advised not to expose too much leg when traveling in the outside's thick forest to avoid scratches and other surprising natural attacks. This was especially wise for the inexperienced. But for the upper body, it was more suited to account the hot climate.

    After some time of looking and taking in suggestions, Shay had finally found everything she needed.

    In the end she had two pairs of dark colored pants that were like sweats, only with a shiny metallic-like glaze to the surface. Though they were incredibly light, the outside was strong and, according to the clerk, not easy to tear.

    And with her lack of ari, or secretly none of, she was thankful to stick with black, and not have to go through even more of a hassle by deciding a color to match her ari.

    The two shirts were black with a stretchy material that clung. One was half sleeved, one was short. She also had two new simple black pairs of shoes that zipped up the middle.

    The clerk insisted that it was also essential to get gloves for protecting hands in the wild. Somehow, Shay took a liking to the gloves. They were a lightly weighted material that folded short at the end of her palms. They had oval shaped slits that went long ways across the back of her hand. The inside that flipped up from the fold was a shiny silvery gray.

    When it was time to pay, Shay did exactly what Shezearin instructed and simply handed over the money bag. It took care of the entire total and the clerk slipped a few small spheres or 'shells' back into the bag as change. She then thanked the sales lady for her help.

    "Good luck," the sales lady waved as she grabbed a broom and began sweeping vigorously at the floor.

    Shay was the last customer to leave the store, and relieved to be done. Since there was no bag offered, she shoved the new clothes in her back pack and stepped out the door to see a dimly lit sky leaving a faint purple. The stars and dark were visible.

    She peered down both ends of the long alley stretch. The crowd had cleared and now there were only a few people that were out wondering the streets. Of those few people were mostly men either standing in quiet discussions or just finishing their last rounds of stores.

    Spaces were emptying, stores were closing. And Shezearin was nowhere in sight. Things were a little too quiet for her liking in this place. Shay took a nervous step out towards the street.

    Where the hell is he? She thought. He couldn't have forgotten about me, could he? Maybe I could wonder just a little farther from here and see if I can spot him. I need to at least act like I have an objective so that I don't look so helpless, which means I won't be targeted.

    Across the alley were two men standing behind a booth packing up their goods as they conversed. They stopped and eyed her, lowering their voices to murmurs. Shay briefly hesitated when she glanced at them, but then continued on her pretend walk. Now she really didn't want to look helpless.

    Leaves scurrying against the alley in the quiet wind, there was the murmurs of the men across the alley and... footsteps; two heavy pairs of them coming close to her.

    Shay's heart sped uncontrollably. Then she saw the man passing by her. It was a large man, with a long scar down his face, dressed in heavy grays. Walking towards her, his, dark eyes dangerously rolled in her direction.

    She could feel her shoulders shrink up in uncomfortable nervousness. She almost stopped as he appeared to approach her, but luckily, he passed right by.

    She felt his eyes follow her back from behind her. He was staring. But Shay told herself not to turn around. She managed to restrain herself from doing so, and kept forward.

    This place was too creepy and she didn't even know where she was going.

    I should turn around. She thought. This was a bad idea.

    The sounds of the men behind her suddenly stopped, or rather disappeared, Shay wasn't sure which of the two it was. When Shay stopped to turn back towards the clothing store, she saw for certain that the man was gone. There was only the dark empty street and the two chatting men across the alley. But yet there were those footsteps again and she had no idea from which direction they came. And oddly the sound disappeared again. This only aroused her panic.

    Well don't just stand there! She told her feet. Somehow she got them to move, and she walked on nervously.

    Then there went the steps again, only this time they were much fainter, like a ghosts. Her hands clenched in a tight fist swaying in her stride. Someone could be sneaking up on her. And she didn't know the streets here half as well as whoever it might be. The pythorns ran things here and everyone in this town could be looking for her. Her pounding heart warned her for anything.

    A sudden shock ran through her shoulder. A cold hand was placed there, a tight grip.

It's them!

    On instinct, Shay spun herself around whipping the back of her hand around in a full powered strike.

    As she felt and heard the loud impact, she knew her next move. Ready to turn and run, she turned the rest of her body around, and during so, glanced at the culprit that hadn't moved an inch.

    â€‹Shezearin stared, eyes wide while the side of her hand still rested there by his face where she hit. An almost red mark shone through the brown flesh of his cheek.

    For a long instant no one moved, Shezearin's red eyes where motionless and so was Shay. She stood frozen, jaw dropped and speechless.

    Shocked, Shay quickly retrieving her hand all while taking a few steps back. "O-oh…" she started. "I'm really sorry!"

    She wanted to move several yards away from him, not knowing when or how far the explosion that should erupt form him might be. It should come any moment.

    "Ah..." Shay said nervously, voice almost shacking, "Shezearin?"

    There was still no reaction. Should I run?

    His blank eyes then seemed to defrost as they dragged dangerously to focus on Shay's face. His hard stare was so intense that they made Shay's legs lock.  So much for running now.

    He took a step closer to her without breaking his glare. He towered over her head, as she looked up at him motionlessly. After a few fearful seconds, his gaze flickered behind her above her head, and he stepped passed her. "Follow me." he said his voice sleek like metal, yet a bit calmer than she expected.

    Shay stared after him as all relief flushed through her body. I just smacked the zeome'… She thought shakily.

    She turned around to follow him down the alley, still taking in the rattling fact.

    All the while, the two men standing at the food booth across the alley watched in stun.

    The man on the left managed to break from his shock and moved his face towards his companion. "Ha! Hand over the coin!"

    "Wait," his friend held up a hand. "Wait 'till he gets passed the last store, it's all a part of the strategy. Ten more pieces says we'll be scrapin' a body up off the streets tomorrow."

    "Yeah if there's any body left to her." The first man shook his head. "Poor girl."

10: Trust and Wisdom

    Shay stretched herself out on the small one-person bed that seemed nothing less than glorious to her. Of the last two days, this was the first inside shelter she'd had. The small inn the village had to offer was humble but comfy enough.

    The lamp was a vase like lantern with small energy crystals glowing a dim light inside. Apparently, plucking its glass brightened the crystals somehow. But no one had bothered to brighten it. Overall dark shades of blues and purples covered the walls, with a few streaks of oranges trickling in from the sun's remaining light.

    A total of four small beds filled the room, instead of the one next to hers he chose one of the two by the opposite wall. According to Shezearin, a total of four travelers was the average size and it was also the minimum, which was exactly all the town's resources could provide. Every town is accustomed to tending to travelers. In fact, many towns depended on providing for travelers, it was always a business that would never fail for some regions in Dezaria.

    Shay spread her arms and sighed with her eyes closed. After three long relaxing seconds, she sat up and glanced at Shezearin sitting silently on the edge of his bed. He was again, in one of his silent modes wear his eyes stared off into some deep pondering thought. He crouched forward, facing the window with his hands together. Depressing.

    Watching him, Shay began to think of how significantly she grew to trust him over the last two days; it was faster than she ever trusted a stranger. But he had become her only security in Dezaria so she didn't have much of a choice. If he really did plan to eventually do harm to her, she was after all, at his mercy.

    "Shezearin." she spoke,  breaking the silence.

    His red eyes broke from the depths of his thoughts and shifted up to her, shimmering through the darkening room. He hardly raised his head up an inch.  She had to admit that sometimes the strong, silent, yet mysterious act from him caused a shiver through her insides. But Shay was careful not to show an ounce of that thought.

    â€‹"I'm not holding you up from anything am I?"

    He raised his head slightly along with an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

    "Well I know that I'm taking up a lot of time from you. You could be doing anything else right now. Were you busy before I sort…of dropped in on you?"

    She watched his eyes rest heavily on her face for an instant. An emotion passed through them that she couldn't quite identify; one of confusion? Maybe thoughtfulness? With him she always had to guess.

    "No. I wasn't." he said calmly. "Actually, your timing was decent. I'm entirely free for a week from my…usual duties. That is why I said before that my time with you will be limited. Afterwards I must go. But today is only the second day of that week. We will have already reached the village before I go."

    "Oh. Okay. Well, as long as I'm not taking away from anything." And she realized it was funny how she made it sound as if she had a choice; she knew that if he decided that he was busy, she'd have no chance out here. Still, a bit of guilt pushed her.

    "But you haven't gotten a week of free time for nothing. I don't want to take that away from you. I…feel bad about that." So it sounded as if he had vacation time, from whatever his job was. It was hard to imagine him in any job, and she'd been wondering what that was. What did most people do here?

    Then she answered her own question. They survive. But with his power, and apparently money, it was hardly a concern, so what did he do? Still his vacation time was being wasted on her, and he didn't even know her.

    Shezearin sat up straight. He moved to the end of his bed in order to face her head on. "There's no need for feelings." He said in a blank tone. "I was headed the same way to begin with."

    "You were?" she raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes. The fact that you're coming with me only makes things...different, from the original plan but the objective is still the same."

    As usual, he seemed straightforward and truthful with his answers.

    She smiled at him. "Good then."

    She looked at her book bag on the floor, now reloaded with new the clothes. She began to mindlessly fiddle around with her things in her bag in an attempt to occupy herself. She ruffled, to the bottom and touched her grandfather's knife, but she didn't grab it. It was left at the bottom for a reason.

    Shezearin watched her charade with interest. His voice rang smooth and deep. "I suppose there is something else on your mind?"

    Shay froze, dropping the bag. She was embarrassed at how well he saw through her.

    "Well..." she started.

    "Yes?"

    "Well I didn't want to keep asking questions, especially when it's really not my business."

    â€‹Shezearin was confused by her hesitation. "You're…nervous about it?"

    She nodded her head defensively. "And why is that surprising?"

    "To question me enough as you had already, to speak to me as you do, to even strike me..." his eyebrow raised. "I haven't come across someone around here who confronts me as boldly as yo do in years. How could you possibly be scared of anything now?"

    Embarrassment shrunk Shay's shoulders when he mentioned her hitting him. She was still surprised that she wasn't lying dead in a hole somewhere or just left in the street. He hadn't said a word about it the whole way to the inn until now. Judging by the lack of ice in his tone now, he was over it.

    "Well I'm just respecting the space for once I guess." She grinned.

    "Respecting...my space?"

    Shay ignored his question. Sometimes he acted as if he'd never heard of things like consideration. What type of manners do they teach here?

    "Well then, I was wondering what is it that you do? Do you live close by here?"

    Any trace of a somewhat content expression he wore a minute ago was completely erased.

    "As I my have mentioned before, I'm usually on the move, but as for the place I go back to that you might label as…home," he hesitated. "Let's just say I live in a very big place ran by a very big person. And my job, my part, is to do the laborious work in order to keep it running, the work that no one else might be capable of: to work in a one-man-army and come back in one piece and then be sent on the road to do more all over again."

    His face had receded into the shadows as he brought his head towards the hands in his lap, the same melancholy position he was in before Shay had spoke to him. His chained jewel around his neck had been pulled from out of his shirt at some point and hung down to his chest. It twinkled there in the dim light that it still managed to catch.

    Keeping his eyes to the floor, his hand slowly rose to grab the jewel and allowed his thumb to slowly stroke its surface. The way his hand moved to the jewel seemed to be a subconscious habit.

    She was positive that this job had something to do with him being the Zeome'. She wondered what type of things he actually faced on the regular. But the way he fought, she was pretty sure that danger was part of the job description.

    As she suspected when she met him, there was a lot of debt to this guy, pain definitely included, and most of it she would probably never know. And for causing him to tap slightly into that mode just now, made her feel a bit of guilt for asking.

    "You look uneasy." He watched her expression. "That's just how things are. But I am build to handle it."

    Translated, he was saying not to worry. She didn't answer all while her mind roamed the possibilities of how his life might really be. When she looked back at him, she'd noticed his eyes had never left her. He was observing her, the way he usually did whenever he was actually focused on her and not in his moods where his mind seemed locked from the world.

    "What?" she said. "And I'm guessing there's something on your mind too? You stare like that a lot; that is, when you're paying attention to me."

    "Yes, you can say that. There's a lot of things that's been… bothering me lately; things that doesn't make scene. And they've especially come around since you've shown up."

    "Well, why me?"

    "You're strange."

    "Well thanks." she said sarcastically. "And how's that?"

    "The things you do and say, its…different. I'm not familiar."

    "If you were around people more often you might be."

    "No, it's not that."

    Shay sighed. "Another human difference I guess."

    "Well you are different from what I expected in a human too. But I consider it's that either. It's just you."

    Shay didn't know what to say to that. Okay, is this good or bad? His face didn't give an answer; he just stated it as a blunt fact. Shay rolled her eyes and began to unpack her bag instead, rather than answer him.

 

 

    "I know it may be difficult, but I need to ask you." Shezearin started. He had decided to wait to ask her this question, now that hours had past, all the while he reorganized and equipped all the new acquired supplies for the day. Now that time was up.

    "Ask me what?"

    "What was it exactly that the Voice of the Winds said to you?"

    "Oh." Shay's back was turned to Shezearin. Through her hesitation, Shezearin could tell the memory had seeped back into her mind. She had laid her traveling clothes on the dresser next to her bed and waited until her gloves were pressed on top before she sat back onto her bed.

    "He said that there is something inside me." She answered slowly.

    Her gaze found her feet. Coily strands of hair hung by her eyes that Shezearin couldn't see too clearly from the fading lamp crystal. "It's something that would be unfinished if I left. So he didn't let me go home."

    After silence, she finally looked at him. There was a break in the small voice she spoke in now.

    "What does that mean?" It was a question he couldn't answer, and she didn't expect him to.

    "I'm not sure." He said. "You may find out or you may not, either way you'll get back home. If the Wind won't bring you, there are still other great powers here."

    "But how? How much would that take?" her voice rose in sudden anger. "I'm sure powers like his aren't everywhere you turn! You said yourself that he was the only spirit that openly consulted with travelers."

    "It will be hard. But it will be done." He stated.

    She looked up at him, but it was hard for him to stare back at her eyes now. The moonlight of the window made them sparkle like brown crystals as they began to build with diamond liquid. And that strange feeling was returning to him again. The same sympathetic feeling he couldn't turn away from in the Wind Ruins.

    "Look at me." He said. He took in her sight and locked her eyes until he was sure she listened. "Even if I'm gone by the time you find a way. I have absolute trust in the people I'm bringing you to. I messaged their leader today when I left you. They'll be able to help. It may be a while before they find your answer, but I guarantee they will do it."

    "How do you know they will?" Shay's voice was weak again and more unsteady. "I'm a stranger, even worse, a human."

    "I've encountered many kinds of people in Dezaria, despite my identity. Their job is dedicated protecting people in need. And their leader is a person who takes that role to heart. I've me no one else like him. In fact, he'd find your case...interesting. A challenge that I'm sure he'll take. And he'll help you find a way." he shook his head slightly. "Trust me; you won't be stuck here in this place." He noticed those last words came out in bitterness.

    Shay was watching him as if testing his assurance before she gave a slow nod of her head and made a weak smile. He began to see, or more so sense her spirit regain some of its light.

    "It's getting late and we have a long traveling day tomorrow. You'll need sleep."

    "Your right." Her voice sounded fatigued.

    Shezearin rubbed his palm on the light lamp which turned down the light crystals inside and left the room in darkness except for the moonlight outside. He then sat down on his bed and faced the window. He ran his thumb over the jewel hanging at his chest a few more times as his mind turned.

    What am I doing? He thought to himself. Is this entire decision even wise at all?

Shay's voice carried out across the room and disturbed his thoughts.

"Thanks Shezearin, for the talk." She spoke. "Good Night."

"Night." he barely responded in a whisper.

He listened to her rustle around her bed until she was still. After a moment he heard her whisper softly to herself, maybe to him, or just in half sleep. "Trust...you." she shuffled slightly in sleep. "I trust you."

 

 

 

    With the cool night air upon her, Shay ran through the endless fields of tall dark green grass. The air, the sky, the world seemed to swirl before her in a painterly atmosphere. Everywhere from the moon, to the winds, trees, and blades of grass seemed to have a voice. They either danced or sang their own song, proudly displaying their own gift of soul.

    But they all passed by one by one, unnoticed in Shay's rush. She kept her eyes focused on one goal, to reach her home that lay dead ahead.

    The house she knew all too well sat right there, fields ahead of her. It was a long distance off but gave a small but clear view. Shay was more than eager to close the distance and finally reach what she searched for. She pumped her legs as hard as she could. She pushed so hard that she was surprised she didn't tire.

    She ignored everything as she focused; every distraction, and every sound. The wind was even calling her name. It moaned in a soft whisper. Still, she paid it no mind and ran fixated on her mark.

    Time was passing, she'd been running for so long and as for progress, she'd seen none. Her home seemed just as far away as it had been from the beginning.

    Will I ever get there? Her pace slowed to a halt. She stared at the house far off, the windows lit and warm. But cold and lonesomeness was all she felt while the grass around her continued to sing in soft hums. She was about to start running again but paused as a gust of wind blew at her back with force. Shay sighed and stood up..

From behind, the wind coiled around her and the breeze wrapped around her face, her body, and then turned around to leave in the same direction from which it came.

    "Shay..." the breeze whispered. The voice was familiar but she didn't know why. It was a soft faint ring and a woman's voice. The voice sounded as if it were made of nature. It sounded just like the hum of the winds, mixed with the soft rustle of the tree leaves and the trickle of raindrops.

    "Shay..." She heard it again.

    Shay searched around but saw no one, only the long field that she stood directly in the middle of. She looked left, right, then up to the sky where something caught her attention.

    There was the bright star. Was it the Hope star? The star in her world that stayed outside her window or the one shinning in Dezaria? Her house was still a far ways in front of her, but behind her a thick layer of untrustworthy fog had appeared.

    Gazing up at the star, she noticed how the swirling night sky seemed to spiral around that star, centering it. The wind pulled at her again from behind, whispering. From all around Shay heard the voices call her. Was it the wind, the trees the clouds, the stars?

    She closed her eyes tight as they all continued to whisper from all directions. Everything seemed to spin even inside her mind, inside the dark of the back of her eyelids.

    They're calling for me. But why? I-I can't even make out their words.

    But one voice managed to rise slightly higher than the others. "See through your own eyes." it whispered.

    A force seemed to overcome her and Shay felt her eyes start to close while she stared into darkness.

    In the dark, an image formed in the air right in front of her face. It was of the house she had just seen; her home. Her hand reached out to touch the image. When it did, the picture rippled like a reflection in the water and her hand went right through. It was just an illusion.

    To the left of that picture, another formed. The second image was the star.

Again, she heard the female voice whispering ever so faintly. "See through your own eyes..." she repeated. "What are you looking for?"

    Both images began to illuminate in the darkness. In a silent visual explosion, both images disappeared, erupting in a light bluish color. The dark faded and she was in the field again, her eyes were open. And she felt the tiny tug of the breeze once more. Everything was quiet and still, even all of the whispering and singing had ceased. They were all watching. Shay looked out towards the fog and then glanced back at her warm home. She reached out to it but lowered her hand. Her mind was clear.

    Whipping herself in the opposite direction, she sprinted towards the fog that lay at the end of the field, away from the house. Speedy and graceful, the run felt like a glide. Waiting for her at the field's end was the thick cloud of fog. And she charged right into the blind zone with no hesitation.

    Then something bright appeared through the thick of the fog just ahead. That's it!

    It glowed like a light silvery star through the dense air. She reached for it as she ran.

    By the time she was only several feet away from the object the fog had thinned into clear air. That's when she realized that her feet were running through air. The ground had already ended passed her, but yet she never fell, she was still moving forward.

    I'm flying! Her thoughts exclaimed.

    Now aware of this, her legs stopped moving in strides and her body stretched out as she reached for the object that floated in the night sky. The thought of the drop below didn't even scare her. Her finger tips confidently had reached the object. But she felt nothing. Instead, her hand went right through the bright object and it faded from sight.

    Before she knew it the air changed, and a flash of black overcame her vision followed by a loud splash followed by the sound of bubbles. Shay was now underwater, and sinking!

    But somehow, she was able to breath, but at the same time, she couldn't move her body to swim, it was strangely too week. They began to decrease until the blue abyss was completely still.

    Where did the light go? She thought. It just vanished. And…I can't even move now.

    "Shay..." she heard the voice again. Was it the water this time? It was the same female voice she heard in the field. "Can you see through your eyes? Really see through yourself?"

    "How can I see?" Shay spoke back to it for the first time. Her voice came out through the bubbles, just as she could draw breath here, she could speak.

    "Feel..." it answered.

    "Feel? Is that the answer?"

    "You must see as you feel. See through what you feel." The voice grew too weak for her hearing now and left Shay lost.

    Instead of pushing the futile effort to swim, she tried to figure things out with her mind. But she was running out of time. The waters became heavier and darker. The blue went to a dark blue and finally to black.

    Then something had changed.  All of a sudden Shay couldn't breathe. It was as if she was stuck in a heavy black gunk. Shay started to struggle, kicking, gasping, and flailing her body. She     feared that she would die.

    She heard the voice once again speak softly to her through her struggling.

    "In order to find, you must see as you feel."

    Before she could register the voice in her mind a flash of silvery light blinded her "See." the voice ordered.

    Everything had vanished into a blinding white and then she was nowhere again.

 

 

 

    The blinding white light faded into the soft glaze of the morning sun that peaked through the window. Shay's vision was blurred at first but they immediately focused on a pair of ruby red eyes staring at her.

    "Shay, wake up." Shezearin's voice was urgent.

    She jumped as her vision sharpened on the unfamiliar place. There was the small inn room with four beds and Shezearin standing right above her next to the window. Her memories came floating back.

    It was just a dream. She thought. I'm not drowning.

    "Come on. Get up." Shezearin urged.

    Shay wearily sat herself up; trying to shake off the remains of her deep sleep along with the fresh feelings of the lively dream. "I-I'm up." she said in a weak crackling voice. She cleared her throat. "What's up? Time to leave already?"

    "Yes." he said quickly while collecting the last bit of items he left sitting out and stored them in and small drawstring bags and in his belt compartments that held the CS's. "Get your bag." he ordered.

    Shay practically stumbled out of her bed as she tried to move faster than her sleepy body could follow. "What's going on?"

    "They know you're here."

    "What?" Shay exclaimed. "How?"

    "A pythorn must have found or guessed somehow. Though, I doubt the ones that were at the ruins returned this quickly. I thought we'd be gone by the time this happens. They must have been really pushing to find you, and so sent some type of message in time. And i they had used a message, there's a possibility they've identified you as a human as well, which makes things dangerous."

    Shay stared at him, mouth half way hanging open.

    "I'm not sure if word spread to this area yet. But talk of a human among the town will move quickly."

    "But I thought you said I wouldn't stick out."

    "You don't, I overheard. They don't have a description on you but strange clothes, which isn't the problem now. But the unknown will have them crazed. Accusations will be made everywhere. But the problem is there is also a small spreading rumor that you are with me."

    Indeed he was the one that was easy to spot. This was bad.

    "I will go to check out and return the key, along with keeping an ear open. I'll be back. Change into your traveling clothes and be ready when I return."

    Shay nodded and he was out of the door.

    After she heard the door squeak shut, she scrambled around the room for anything that needed to be thrown into her bag.

    Once the clean sweep was completed she started to strip off her clothes, her human clothes, and pulled out one of the newly bought Dezarian outfits. She rushed on her clothes but was careful to make sure everything was put on the way it was supposed to. She pulled on her gloves and every trinket and part the woman at the store had told her she'll need.

    Now finished, Shay took one glance into the mirror carved out of a thick sheet of crystal hanging on the wall outside the bathroom door, it was body length. She was grateful that there were many similarities after all between Dezaria and home. At least common household needs were still the same here, only worked or was made differently.

    She watched herself put the finishing touch of retying her hair into a curly ponytail that left a few coily strands in the front of her face at both sides. And now she gazed at her first attempt to fit into Dezaria.

    The sweatpants were a dark gray with an almost silver sheen to it. They were loose with large pockets on the sides like cargo pants. Around each leg were a few black bands pinned, unevenly to the other legs. They seemed to hold the pants from poofing out of place. Two rings of the same ties held the end of the pants that stopped down at her shins.

    Then the pants' loose baggy size joined together to wrap around her hips in a tight cling, while her silk-like belt hung on a slant. The cling had ultimately added a more shapely reveal to the curves of her hips and the shape of her bottom a bit more than she expected.

    The shirt was secure and unmoving. It stopped just below her belly bottom. It made her thankful for her last school year between volleyball in the fall and softball in the spring. The sports had kept her stomach flat and with a slight bit of muscle definition on good days. But still the shirt it was cool and sleeveless, helpful to the hot air outside. And on her hands were her pair of black gloves that she took a liking too.

    She weighed her look for a few passing moments and decided she approved. Though the look was different then how she ever dressed, in a way it looked...cool, even fashionable to her in a strange way, though the colors were mostly black and plane.

    Just in time, she heard the room door open and Shezearin walked inside softly, closing it behind him. She stared at him feeling embarrassed for being caught sulking in the mirror. But he didn't pay her attention; his face seemed tangled in a million thoughts or calculations. His mind must have come to a decision and he looked up to her, about to speak, but he paused.

    His eyes did a scan of her entire image before quickly shifted back to her face and blinked. "We need to go. Are you ready?"

    "Yeah." Shay said putting on her backpack and followed him to the door. He placed his hand on the nob but did not open it.

    "Shay, when we get out of the inn, you will have to go on ahead of me."

    "What?"

    He continued as if not hearing her. "The only way out the village is the same way we came in. Just go straight in the direction you came."

    "By myself?"

    "I will be behind you, but at a distance."

    Shay felt her nerves prickling at the idea of her walking through this town without Shezearin next to her.

    "By doing this they will pay less attention to you." he said to reassure her after glancing at whatever facial expression she wore for her thought. "To some, their only clue is that you are with, me remember?"

    "Oh, right."

    "Those who know about the clue will raise their suspicions once they see me, and look for whoever's around. If you pass before I do, they won't give you a second glance."

    "Okay." She agreed, feeling only slightly better. "You're right."

    He opened the door and held it out for her.

    "Remember," his deep voice spoke low. "I will be right behind you."

    She walked out into the hallway and went on her way down the stairs to the small and empty lobby and through the exit. She concentrated on keeping her eye contact straight ahead of her; though she hoped that her attempt to not look suspicious wouldn't just give her away in the end.

    She walked outside into the sunlight and out into the dangerous, yet unaware, hunting ground. And she was the game.

11: The Human Hunt

    Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the market place again, Shay peered ahead and into the crowd. It looked like there were a lot more conversations among them than yesterday.

    Men took occasional glances her way, but she wasn't sure if it was out of suspicion or just normalcy. After all, she was dressed like an official traveler! And from the looks of it, it seemed she was pulling off the disguise pretty well.

    She held her head straight and proud. Travelers were supposed to be at least decently strong, so they must carry themselves in a prideful manner. At this rate no one would give her any trouble, unless she ran into a pythorn of course. From what she heard they seemed to think they ran everyone else in the town.

    If it wasn't for the real danger of the situation, she could admit to herself that it was sort of fun to pretend to be someone else. At least someone other than the dull human she'd been all her life. It was like being in a Halloween costume again. It was just like when she was a little girl and how she acted the role of whatever female superhero or warrior princess she dressed up as the entire night. Never did she remember being a princess for Halloween, like more than half of the girls she knew her age then, the type that wore puffy pink dresses and crowns; that was never her cup of tea.

    She spotted a few pythorns here and there wearing their notorious gray colors, to alert the villagers of who they were. And despite their tough mugs, the people avoided them almost like they avoided Shezearin. She knew why they feared Shezearin, but just how badly did the pythorns terrorize these people?

    She thought of the sales lady that helped her in the clothing store last night and how nice she had been. But what if she stepped out of the store, in her familiar surroundings; would she transform into one of these harsh looking people? The angry persona was a survival mechanism. But did that mean it all started from these pythorns?

    Each pythorn in the crowd peered and dance their eyes around the market place. They were clearly looking for someone: her.

    Shay's heart began to beat fiercely. She hoped Shezearin wasn't too far behind her but she dared not look back to see. Several minutes had passed by now.

    "It is the Zeome'!" She heard someone close by exclaim with reassurance.

    "Shut up." Another voice responded. "I told you to whisper."

    There was a woman talking to a skinny boy, of about a pre-teen age. They both stood to the left of Shay, three people down.

    Shay paused, as all the people near her were just as alarmed. She turned around to follow the crowd's line of vision and saw that about four stores down was Shezearin glaring at the people near him giving him new attention. He hadn't been that far behind her after all.

    More people passed her by to take a look at what human they could find around him. To Shay's horror, a tight crowd began to form around him before she knew it. Though there was still a cautious perimeter of space was kept from him, all staring at him like a dangerous attraction.

    Shay ran towards the heated crowd. When she tried to squeeze close she was only roughly pushed back out. Stuck in the back of the crowd, she lost sight of Shezearin.

"Where's the human?" A man barked.

    She was sure that the question was more directed to the people instead of the Zeome'. She tried harder to push around and see, even though things could get dangerous for her now, she needed to see. What will these people do to him?

    The crowd was now thick enough to fill in the width of the street. They stopped at the edges of the store strips. People were now even crowded behind her, and Shay pushed passed them and sped over to the left of the crowd. There was a strip of steps that ran in front of the row of stores, almost like a porch. It reminded Shay of the type of scene she'd see in an old western movie.

    She flew up the three steps that gave her a few inches of extra height to see and blocked the front of a store window. There were a few others who had the same idea, who were already standing against the walls of the stores.

    Over the tops of a few heads, past a taller man's shoulder and a few more heads there was a clear shot of Shezearin. He stood there, calm and unphased. His eyes skipped around the crowd blocking his way. Shay wondered how long it would be until his patience ran out, until he enough with these instigating pythorn villagers, until he would blast them away from sight with one sweep of his power.

    Thinking of pythorns, Shay hadn't forgotten about the gang, the most dangerous part of this problem. She saw a few in the crowd. They only sat and watched with sly smirks on their faces. But it could very well be their plan to allow these rowdy villagers start all of the drama and distraction of Shezearin, while they waited silently to scope out the human.

    Murmurs rose, a few shouted things and others continued to whisper amongst themselves. And then she heard it.

    "There! That's the human!"

    Shay froze in her steps, scared to move and terrified to look up. After a bead of sweat trickled down her face, she raised her head, but none were turned to her.

    Huh? she thought and peered back through her small tunnel of vision to Shezearin and saw that everyone turned to a young girl not far behind him. She had very plain features, dusty brown skin and a thick tangle of brown hair. Shezearin only seemed a bit annoyed, he didn't even glance back, only folded his arms with boredom.

    Shocked, the girl's eyes shifted around at the angry faces. Her words of denial fell out in stumbles, but she was too shaken to respond strongly. But then a tall man stepped out in front of her.

    "Have you lost your mind?" he exploded angrily to the accuser. "My sister has lived in this town for weeks now!"

    "Only weeks? Very suspicious if you ask me."

    "You callin' me a liar?!"

    The two men erupted into arguments, shouting across the mob at each other. More people joined in, splitting to defend either side.

    There is too much noise going on! Shay thought frustratingly. How could anyone understand anything that's happening? Oh that's right, they don't! They're a bunch of mindless idiots…

    And just because no one really knew what was happening, more accusations were shot at young girls with no extraordinary features that may have been standing too far near the inside of the circle around Shezearin.

    Out of all the arguments, Shay only heard one person bold enough to actually speak to Shezearin. One angry and confused man, whose daughter had been accused, "Then you tell us Zeome'! Where are you hiding that abomination? As if you already weren't enough destruction around these parts!"

    "Yeah!" agreed another brave but stupid soul.

    A few more senseless people turned to help argue at the silent Shezearin, from a distance of course. Others continued to dispute amongst themselves on who the human was.

    How could anyone stand to live here? Shay thought. These people are ridiculous and any little thing turns to chaos.

    â€‹Shezearin would have probably told her to stick with the plan and continue on. But these people were so crazy, when would she see him, where would she even meet him?

    Wishing she could get his insight, she stared undecided at his blank face.

    "Shezearin..." she mumbled out of frustration.

    Then she saw his head turn casually to land exactly in her direction. Was he looking at her past all these people? He couldn't be, it was way too far back, but still, he was on point and she felt the heavy connection of his red gaze lay directly on her. She saw give a faint nod with a nudge of his head and eyes that gestured in a direction; to the gate.

    He stared her way for a long moment, and then turned away with unfocused eyes to look amongst the crowd again. He had to be talking to her. He was telling her to go, that this was a great distraction for her to slip away.

    Shay slowly backed up until her back pressed against the store window then slipped away from the crowded circle. The arguing was beginning to even reach her side of the mass; the noise was growing hectic. I better get moving.

    She casually walked away from it alongside the walkway in front of the row of stores. She dared not walk down to the open street yet. All the while she kept the pose of a proud traveler who had no interest in the scrambles of the town. Behind her she heard the noise grow louder, and she tried her best not to appear as nervous as she was at the departure with Shezearin.

    Everywhere else was mostly empty compared to ten minutes ago before the zeome' was spotted. A handful of people kept their distance to watch whatever was happening in the mob of people and even less just walked away not wanting the trouble in general.

    She was nearing the end of the market strip row. She passed a group of men lingering next to the walkway strip, not far from another store. They were laughing and carrying on at whatever spectacle was happening now from the noisy crowd; from the sound of it, it was a fight most likely.

    "Hey sweetheart." One of the men in the group said from behind her when she passed. Rather if he was talking to her or not, Shay completely ignored him and kept walking.

    "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he called after her.

    "Hmph, these traveler girls…" he mumbled. "Come on." And to her dread, she heard their steps following her.

    Really? Right now? Shay thought. I might as well just call this entire town Baltimore City. Pretending she didn't hear them, she walked faster.

    They weren't pythorns but these men could be just as dangerous for her. And Shezearin, her Dezarian protector, was busy at the moment. Shay was getting in way to many situations where she needed his rescuing. She hated playing a repeating damsel in distress role, but she sure wouldn't have minded another rescue about now.

    A strong grip caught the back of her arm to stop her. She whipped around and glared at the man holding her, while his accomplices snickered behind him.

    "I don't see the rest of your travel squad anywhere." He smirked, menacingly. "So what's your hurry?"

    "Get off of me!" Shay snapped and yanked her arm away.

    "Well that was rude." Another man said, walking up to her with a devious smile.

    Shay glared at him and kept a sharp shifty eye to each of the rest.

    One man in the back of the group eyed her silently, and then spoke. "Hey aren't they searching for that human out there. You wouldn't be one would you girl?" he teased.

    Even if it was just a joke, Shay was scared of where this was headed. Her body started to step away. By now she was in front of the second to last shop of the market strip. Two more shops and there would be clear space. She considered running.

    She was a pretty fast runner, but she wasn't sure on pressing her luck with people who, in this world, depend on their physical survival and strength more than in her own. All these guys might already been in very good shape and would very well catch her.

    Two of the men quickly moved behind her to block her way from both directions.

    Heart pounding, Shay was careful to show any fear on her face, instead she allowed an angry defensive look.

    "She's feisty." It sounded like one of the men behind her was grinning.

    "Maybe." said the man closest to her. He continued to creep forward gradually picking away her personal space. "Yeah, she's a little too feisty to be a human. So that question's answered. However…" a grin curved up his face to reveal teeth that looked almost canine. "Human or not, I can tame her."

    Shay's eye-level was only at his chest and he stood just five inches away. But she stood her ground, fists tight by her sides.

    The they all turned around at the screech of a rusty door forcefully swinging open. "Get the hell out of here you filthy bumblers!" A woman's voice squawked.

    A woman dressed in bright yellows and orange storm towards them. Her long and wildly curled orange brown hair bounced with her forceful stride. The bangles up and down her arms jingled as she flapped them with angry clenched fists.

    "You boys need to get out of here! I'm warning you! And I told you about that foolish racket and ruffian nonsense better never take place in front of my shop!"

    The woman was loud and furious, but Shay wondered what threat she could possibly pose. To her surprise, and despite their irritated faces, the men began to back away.

    She turned a pointed finger to Shay. "And you! I told you I need your assistance today. You're late!" She grabbed Shay's wrist then whipped her head to the rest of the men. "You heard me! Get out! Get out! Get out! Or suffer MY FURY!"

        Shay saw one give her a quick angry glance. "Alright, alright." he said sounding shaken.

And the men started almost at a run, scattering in different directions until they all vanished from view.

    A few lone bystanders, who watched the men go, just starred at the woman. She saw one lady shake her head and grip a young child's hand as she walked away.

    Who is this woman? And what is she talking about?

    Shay turned to her and before she could open her mouth, the lady interrupted her impatiently. "Well come on child. We haven't gotten all day! Come with me."

    She pushed Shay into a bright shining stoned shop on the end of the market row. The door slammed shut and locked behind them.

    "Uh...Miss-" Shay started but the strange lady shushed her quiet and walked over to the window beside the locked door. She pulled the light blue curtains to the side and peaked out.

    "They're gone." she said more calmly. "No more of those characters are lingering about now. Why, they're all just a bunch of no good buffoons that cause nothing but trouble! Why I have a right mind to teach them a lesson! Bunch of dirty, rotten, lava-leach-sucking..."

    Shay began to tune out the woman's grumpy babbling, and look at the room.

    It was a humble little place with white walls. Cramped around the walls of the room they stood in were bunches of bookcases and shelves. And each of them was filled with endless books and bottles of strange shapes with different colors of liquid inside. There were long and huge green exotic plants growing over thick flower pots and were placed in every corner. And in the middle of the floor was a small oval rug that pointed along the walkway of the next room.

    "About time you showed up." The woman turned to her in her strict voice. "I've been waiting for a while now."

    "Actually, I think you've got the wrong girl."

    "No, no, no" she shook a finger. "You're just the one."

    "Ok..." Shay said. This is weird. "Well I'd like to thank you though. You've really saved me there. You came at just the right time."

    "Of course, of course!" the woman said strong and joyfully. "I had to do something. If it wasn't them it would have been someone else eventually, especially with this village going wild over every little thing. Oh, I can't wait till I'm out of here!" She huffed walking around the room to straighten plants and books on shelves.

    She continued as she worked. "It's funny how an entire town could be scared of a human girl don't you think? Too bad those halfwits don't realize the simple truth that without the technology of the human world, your kind is actually much less of a threat against us."

    Shay nodded but then rethought the woman's words.

    "Your kind?" she repeated.

    "Yes of course your kind. You really don't recognize the difference between us yet?"

    "But-but how...? Who t-?"

"Oh calm down child. It's fine." The woman cut her off. "Yes I know who you are. And no, I will not hurt you."

    Hurt me? Shay thought.

    "As you can see I just scared off those ruffians out there."

    "Yes, and thank you. But-"

    "Yes, but don't think that was just any regular good deed. I do have a purpose for you. As I said, I've been waiting for you."

    Shay watched the woman curiously. Pretty weird alright. "Who are you?" she asked.

    The woman smiled. "I am Elszka, a herbalist that drifts from town to town after time." she announced herself with extended arms to presenting the room. "As you can see for the town I concoct herbs and potions. The best around I'd say. Many people anywhere know to come to me for any type of remedy, healing, scents, aromas, the list goes on. But of course the reason I am that good is because I connect with the herbs, I am a great listener and understander of nature; of the Dezarian lands.

    Shay didn't quite understand that last part. Elszka read Shay's face and grinned. "So what is your name then?"

    "Shay."

    "Shay." she paused speaking her name slowly. "Well it's nice to finally meet you Shay."

    Shay hesitated first, and then spoke. "Yes nice to meet you too but...But what is it that you want from me?" She asked slowly, bt non-offensively. "And besides, I can't really stay for long."

    "Oh my dear girl," she said in a chuckle. "You shouldn't go back out there until the stir goes down." She waved off the idea with a hand. "But anyway, what makes you interesting is both the fact of you being human and the fact of you being here. You should already know that. Do you think it's normal for humans to just drop into our world like you did?"

    Shay shook her head silently as she listened to the strange woman.

    "But what is it that I want from you," she continued. "Is the chance to see you for myself; to study you."

    Study me? Is being human some fascinating species of animal now too?

    "I felt a very sudden and unusual feel in the air two days ago. I had ignored it at first, but now I can assume it happened when you arrived in our world, yes? But I sensed it; sensed you more strongly as you neared the town. A sense of a certain power that neither me, nor many of Dezaria have seen in a very long time, it seems so familiar...and yet it's not. I was curious. And so now it's my chance to finally see it for myself."

    Shay said nothing, a confused look on her face as she wondered how crazy this lady might actually be…and maybe if she was better off with the crazies outside.

    "You see Shay, I can help you." she said more tamely, no longer talking as if she was a scientist's obsessive experiment. "I know what you are."

    This caught Shay's attention. She stared at the woman as her voice gained a serious tone. "You are like a locked safe; possessor of something great. And it's stronger than you would have ever imagined in your human life. I have my guesses, but I cannot be sure of what it is but there is a light, a presence within you. It's tucked deep inside. And I, child," she smiled. "I can help you release it."

12: Awakening

    Shay sat quietly in her chair at the small round table in the dining room. She wouldn't take her eyes off the strange creature she saw laying on a soft pillow, Elszka's pet.

    The large animal lay curled up in its corner. Its size and lean body shape had reminded her of a king sized Doberman Pinscher dog. Its short fur was a light sky blue shade that turned to green at the end of its limbs. While at its paws, tail, elbows and jaw line grew short green feathers. What was most bizarre was a pair of tucked wings connected to its shoulder blades. All together it looked half canine, half bird.

    He glanced at Shay when she first saw him, but soon lost his interest and curled into a fast sleep.

    "Oh, pay little attention to Tal." said Elszka. "He's a very rare species indeed, but he will do no harm...Unless I tell him to." she cackled a laugh. "He's quite loyal."

    Shay couldn't find the humor to laugh back. Elszka seated herself in a chair across the table from Shay.

    "So then..." Shay said slowly taking one more look at the creature before focusing back to Elszka. "You're seen as the village wise person then?"

    "Not exactly," She spoke fast while twirling her fingers. "Some of these people recognize my talents in wisdom of the Dezarian natures; actually they are all aware but most just fear me. Those who do see me more as an odd village person that's best to stay clear of since no one's really sure of my true abilities." Her last sentence was spoken as if it was an insignificant but laughable subject.

    How does she stay so excited and talkative around here while this village was so dingy? Shay wondered.

    "So then what exactly can you do? I mean with your power...er, ari?"

    "Oh I see you've picked up on its correct name." she said approvingly. "To you humans, I believe you might label our ari as what you would call magic, something to you that defies science. But here it is science, a simple fact of nature. To have a strong ari is to have a strong talent. As you may know, ari is the very thing that makes our world different from yours." she explained leaning forward in her chair.

    "It's a sort of energy that flows through our lands that makes our nature different from your home's ari-less one."

    Shay felt like a small student, being taught the simple facts of life around her. But she listened intently in hope that Elszka would make adjusting to Dezaria clearer. She didn't mind how the aging woman carried on. Shay tried her best to soak up every bit of knowledge about this world that she could.

    Elszka continued lost in her talk, she obviously was a person who enjoyed the teaching of her knowledge, even the basics like this.

    "As every person is different, every ari is different. Ari is tied to a person, creature, and any living thing. It makes them who they are, part of an identity. The color often helps to verify that. For us people, aside from the rest of the creatures of this world, our ari runs more diversely instead of just according to our species. It is to do with us being more developed in the brain, being the dominant species, and so on. But our ari abilities fall under four different types. In some cases, one can have a gift of two types, but their soul would still be more connected to one ability type then the other."

    "So what are the four types then?" Shay asked before Elska might have went on about something else.

    "The four ability types are energy, physical, heal, and mind."

    â€‹Elszka paused and let Shay's mind envision what a display of each of these abilities must look like.

    "Can you explain them to me?"

    "Of course, I was just getting to that." Elszka grinned.

    She pulled out a piece of green toned paper from a shelf at the side of the wall and slapped it on the table. She then grabbed what Shay assumed to be a pencil. It seemed like a skinny brownish toned led wrapped with a brown coding.

    Shay watched her sketch something down in quick preciseness.

    Elszka flipped the paper around for Shay to see. There were four symbols drawn.

    The first picture was a symbol of a round shape with various points on it like a rounded star.

    "Energy," Elszka said pointing to it. "The most common, most power ranging and direct display of ari. For those that do not possess a strong ability, usually with extreme concentration, will summon a small energy form of some sort which is usually a dull color. But anyway, the energy ability is the ability to draw out and manipulate the energy of their ari from within your center. The energy stays in its same form, but can vary to how it is drawn out and how it is able to be generated and displayed. But it is always able to be summoned off and on at the possessors command."

    She moved to the next symbol. It was a square surrounded by wave marks.

    "Physical; ones whose ari acts through their body alone. This gives them physical abilities. But these aren't a matter of turning off and on like energy types. It is part of their physical features however; it can be concentrated to different levels."

    The next symbol was shaped in a tear shape.

    "The heal ability." She pointed. "One who can summon healing powers, whatever they may be through physical contact, or for some through energy. This may resemble the energy, but there is a difference; most healing energy forms are similar. This ability is pretty rare too. A person with this gift can find themselves in a high position in a village. The village would consider themselves very lucky."

    The last symbol was a circle with a filled circle in the center.

    "And this one is the most rare, the mind ability." Elszka smiled with pride. "These are ones who have the ability to communicate or connect in some way with a type of natural environment. But usually for those gifted enough to have two abilities, this is the common one to own as the small extra addition."

    "So then which are you?" Shay asked after taking and picturing the explanations in her head.

    Elszka sat up with pride. "I, my dear, have a mind ability, a very strong one at that. I can mentally listen to nature; sometimes even talk to it. And when there is a strong bond with natural things, at times I can even allow them, to do my bidding." She said with a deep grin.

    She stood up. "For example." she said moving over to one of her many plants. "I can tell that this plant is ready for more water."

    She smiled pouring a pot of water into the flower pot.

    The once perfectly looking normal plant twitched once and then suddenly its color seemed to turn from dull to a deep lush green in less than a minute. Its vines tightened into coiling springs.

    "Do all plants do that?" Shay asked.

    "No." Elzska laughed. "That plan is its own breed." She eased herself back into her chair. "By listening to feelings of the land that means I can listen and feel strong clusters of ari. My gift is an inspiration to what I do. I dedicate myself to understanding our world. And the way to do that is study, listen and connect."

    She paused and continued. "Which brings me to the reason I felt your arrival. There is a presence you are not aware of inside of you. A presence I've been longing to meet if I am indeed correct about what I feel. So I've been waiting to seek you out."

    "What could possibly be inside me?" Shay only slightly raised her voice but what she wanted to do was shout it. By now, she was tired of being left in the dark about her own self. And now some random ranting stranger can come and tell her about something so significant?

    The wind spirit had mentioned the same thing; it was his reason for keeping her here. Whatever this thing was locked up inside of her, she just wanted it to get out and be gone.

    â€‹Elska stood up holding a hand out to Shay.

    "I can feel it. It is interesting that something like this can be so concealed and it lies in you."

    Shay stood up too. "What are you saying?" she felt her impatience fueling but she kept a cool lid. "You said you can help me right?"

    "Yes." The elder lady smiled. "And I'm saying my dear one, that there is a reason that even to me and my senses that you almost appear as a Riavn, rather than human. There is no one in your world quite like you." she spoke her next sentence slowly. "I'm saying that you are more like us than you know."

    Shay fell silent staring at her. As far as she knew there is one thing that makes humans and Riavns different. But her idea was too wild to except, could she really trust this bizzare woman that she just met? Nothing in her senses, that Shay grew to trust in her judgment of people, told her she was dangerous, just strange.

    â€‹Elszka went on in a soft tone. "If I'm sure of something my senses are never mistaken. You've been in the human world all your life but yet I'm sure that inside you lies a stored power of ari."

    Shay didn't answer; she only stared at Elszka.

    "Give me your hands Shay." all humor and excitement left her voice. Her face was stern and serious.

    Shay placed both her hands in Elszka's.

    "Close your eyes." she commanded, with her hands still gripping Shay's.

    Shay did this and heard Elszka's voice clear in the wall of black she saw under her closed eyelids.

    "This will take great concentration." she explained. "The source of the ari is located at the body's center. But your power appears faint. It is tucked down very far; far from your consciousness and even its own consciousness. In order to activate it, I must pull it to your surface."

    Shay waited, heart beating in nervous anticipation. But she didn't know why, the whole thing still sounded too crazy to be real. Or was it really?

    "I'm about to try to reach it. Shay, I need you to relax yourself and every limb of your body. Hmm, how 'bout this, try to picture things as if you were floating."

    It was difficult at first. Calming down her nervous heartbeat, Shay found she was able to relax only when she thought about the relief of the possibility of having answers and knowing it will help to point her home. Her mind slipped into clouds.

    "Good." Elszka's voice spoke softly, even soothingly in her own way as she concentrated. "Now I need you to think deeply Shay. Focus on your values, your treasures in your life even your passions. And what it is that you strive for. Let these thoughts revolve around your head. "

    This is unexpected. Shay thought. My values?

    She allowed herself to roam through her own mind. Any outside awareness she had left had slipped away...

    Black and dark blue swirls began to form in her vision like a dream. Shay almost felt like she couldn't open her eyes if she tried. Her thoughts rang in her mind as clear as a single drop of water in the quiet.

    Umm…My values, right…. So what is pushing me? She thought.

    A picture of her grandmother Sophia and her mother and father appeared. Her Aunt soon popped in her head and the faces of a few of her cousins that she grew up around.

    My family. She thought, hearing herself echoed through her head. Then the faces of Bria and Layla, appeared, her friends who have also been around her. I love them all, and I miss them. To see their faces again is what drives me.

    The movement of the swirls of color strengthened slightly.

    But that isn't all. I feel there's something else too. But it's hard to place what that is exactly.

    I was never really satisfied with what was around me at home; it was like there was a space of emptiness there. My grandmother tells me that everyone feels that way until they start fulfilling the task their life had prepared them for. I guess that does make sense. So you just have to keep going. That type of hope…serves as a drive for anyone.

    And everyone does seem to have a drive. My parents both found what makes them "happy" apparently. The lives that they are so amped around, and for that, they ignore each other. It seems that everyone has a little of that type of ambition.

    â€‹I know that I do want to make a difference for people somehow. I like to help people, with their small problems on the surface, because that is all that can usually be done. However, inside people will always abide by their own wills anyway, all in regards to themselves. People usually just abide to themselves. At the heart they're not really trustworthy; that's just nature…for most people. And for that, I usually prefer not to be too close.

    â€‹And...if that applies to everyone... Maybe I'm just the same. I can't be sure…

    I guess I was always a bit different anyway. Still while I felt so empty and distanced myself from all the untrustworthy things and people ... my closes satisfaction was turning to my escapes from reality. Books, lots of daydreaming, and sports that gave me something close to a sense of adventure I suppose. And through all my pretending, I never did feel quite satisfied. I know I was strange… Her mind continued to float in the quiet place.

    And my dreams...maybe they captivated me, stayed with me all my life and it played a part in making me who I am. The worst part was waking up. And now I find myself here, in Dezaria, where I cant wake up.

    So now is the time to chase them. That's why I found myself in this place I never thought existed. The truth is that nothing is truly by accident, that's what the wind spirit basically told me. And maybe from spending so much time in my dream world at home, it made it easier for me to accept all of this. Maybe it prepared me.

    The swirls began to lighten.

    To see my family again, is my dream now. To see them…and to understand where and why I am here is my new goal to follow… It's the only thing I can do, and what I will do.

    Something warm began to buzz at her insides, it felt like power, and they corresponded with her thoughts.

    This is what I will hold on to and run after.

    A sudden flash of an image from her dream came to mind. The bizarre one that she had just last night. It was the moment in the dream where she stood in the night field with the unreachable home in front of her while a field of mist stretched behind her. But that simple image just came and went in a blink. And vision returned to the dark swirls.

    The warm buzz inside turned into a fiery stir within her, as her mind lingered on her last thought.

    In my situation, I'm going to have to be strong. She told herself.

    The swirling fog suddenly sprung away. Instead a light overpowered it. Shay saw a light blue light all around mixed with a bit of green. The hue was a specific color she recognized; cerulean. As she felt it circle around her mind, she felt the blue light cool her, as if she floated underneath of a soothing pool of water.

    A faint, but familiar voice sounded throughout her head.

    Follow...yourself. Your strength is my sustainment as well as my essence.

    Shay wasn't sure what to make of the voice but it faded out of her head as a dream, as if it were only a subconscious sound. She was only able to focus her mind on its awareness for a short period of time. And like a dream it seemed as if it would drift form her memory.

    But one strong thought remained and pulsed in her mind. And she literally felt energy and power light her body.

    Strength...dreams... feeds the fire.

    The cerulean light lit until pure white shapes began to form.

 

 

 

    Shay opened her eyes to the plant filled room; nothing had changed, except for the fact that everything in sight had a blue tent to it, like she looked through a film. She waited for her eyes to readjust but it never changed. It was the same blue cerulean color that she saw in her mind seconds ago.

    "Great Spirit..." Elszka whispered. She still held Shay's hands with her own, but the bold and talkative woman seemed oddly at a loss for words. "Shay...Look at yourself."

    "Wha-" Shay stopped her words once she looked down at her palms in Elszka's.

    Lingering in a complete layer over her hands was a blaze of fire, harmless fire. She could feel its warmth, but no pain. Even stranger, this fire was the same blue color she'd been seeing, cerulean. The blue flickered like fire but at the same time moved in the silky movement of relaxed energy.

    Elszka pointed a finger to the body length crystal mirror behind her that lay wedged between two bookshelves.

    Shay slowly turned herself to face it and looked. She was surrounded in a field of a silky cerulean colored energy, burning painlessly. Shay stared at herself awestruck. She was like a walking fireball. And the layer explained her blue tinted vision.

    This was her makil.

    "The form of your gift is obviously energy." Elska said with a hint of pride.

    "And I am amazed and fond to say, That my suspicion and my hope are indeed correct. You possess the cerulean ari power."

    Shae didn't answer right away, she continued to stare at herself.

    "So this was a part of me?" she barely spoke.

    "Yes, this is a part of you." Elska corrected. "It is a part of your identity and a part of your soul."

    "So this is what's been…in me?" Shae spoke aloud in awe. "So it couldn't be brought out in the human world because it was not the world to be. With no ari then I guess it was compacted and sealed away instead...but h-how did this happen to begin with?" she asked outstretching her fiery arms and watching the mirror.

    "You are correct." Elszka answered. "That is the question: how."

    The question lingered in the air for a few silent seconds until Shay turned around with a rush of excitement. "We did it!" excitement that she could no longer contain burst through. "Wow, I-I never imagined...that thi- well, I… This is incredible! You've got to tell me all about this! You said you suspected it right? Tell me about it please!"

    "Shay," she smiled calmly. "That is why I wanted to see it. There is little I know about your ari beyond the open legends. The only thing really known about it is that it is a great but ancient energy that had one day vanished from our lands. And here is the surprising return.

    "It's mystery is for you, my child, to find out as you serve as it's possessor and protector. Are you ready to take this?"

    The wise woman was now placing a noble responsibility to Shay right then and there, not that she had a choice. "Yes I am. I believe I was ready a long time ago."

    And she was. She practically felt a new and resolved peace of mind for the time; a major difference versus the confused, panicky person that she became when she believed she was stuck in a world that was even more not for her then her own.

    "Yes you are ready." Elska agreed. "You've been ready ever since you became the energy's owner, which was the time your living soul began."

    Suddenly the shield of energy faded down like a dying fire until it disappeared.

    "What happened?" Shay said alarmed.

    "The energy will only sustain itself like that for so long, shorter when you're losing focus. But do know that this isn't its ability. Your ari was only simply displaying itself a second ago because I pulled it out. It's ability may very well function much differently."

    "So then how do I use it?"

    â€‹Elska sighed. "It may be difficult at first, but a person's ari is a part of them. That means when you get used to using it, it will be like another extension of yourself, as simple as moving a li-."

    â€‹Elska paused. "What's that? Do you hear it?"

    Shay wasn't following. But soon after, she heard the sound of grumbling people from outside the house. The sound was, of course, very angry and bitter, the core characteristics to these pythorn villagers.

    â€‹Elska peaked past her curtain. "It's those town idiots. Things must be getting worse outside. They've appeared to take this to the next level, those fools…It looks like a large mob of them are going around! They're splitting up and are starting to inspect houses for any hiding of the human."

    She turned back to Shay sighing. "Thank the Great Spirit I will move from this town soon. Whenever they find any cause, small or big, they always pick a fight out of it. Must everything in this village result in outrageous violence! These people wouldn't know the meaning of peace if it bit them as hard as the same dog fights that they're so used to starting."

    Shay stayed silent.

    "You look worried child." Elska commented looking at her face. "Don't be. I will make sure those fools don't get to you. But do you even know where you're going after this?"

    She turned from her nervous thoughts. "No I'm not worried for myself. I'm worried for my friend." She said in a quiet voice.

    "You have a friend out there?"

    "Yeah. Though I'm sure he was able to handle himself...But, I wonder what happened and where he is now… I just hope he's okay."

    â€‹Elska raised an eyebrow. "So it was true." she paused. "I knew I felt his presence as well though I'm not as sensitive to him as you... But you wouldn't be talking about the Zeome' would you dear child?" Her tone grew suspicious.

    "Yes..." And I'm not exactly a child. She wanted to add. Her question sounded as if Shay had made a childish mistake in befriending the zeome'.

    "Well if you know him even a little, I don't have to tell you that he's completely fine." Elska hesitated. "But Shay..."

    Shay already knew where the woman was headed. Her vibe became that of a safety-concerned parent. It was a sense she knew all too well from her own mother. And because of that, if these words were from anyone else, she wouldn't bother to listen. But Elska, as odd as she was, knew what she was talking about. And despite her appearance, she'd proven to be quite the knowledgeable one she claimed, not the nutcase Shay feared that she would turn out to be at the start. So if so if Elska was feeling concerned, it was smart to listen.

    â€‹Elska sighed. "I cannot tell you what to do; act as you wish. But I must warn you," her tone lowered and her gaze became stern. "Don't let your guard down around him. He of most people cannot be trusted. I'm not sure how he managed to gain trust from you but you must beware. As you may know, he is far stronger than many. Thus if he decides to be a danger to you, not many people around here can stop him or will even attempt to. You'll be on your own."

    "I understand." Shay nodded her head slowly. "I just don't see it happening…"

    "Yes you may not see it now but you won't know until it's too late. He's always lived a very shadowy life.

    "But I do know one thing about him that's not common knowledge to everyone. You see, he does not entirely act on his own accord. He bids for someone else, though it's unclear who it is. Perhaps those more involved with underground affairs know."

    "What type of underground affairs?"

    "Feuds, trades, and battles of power. Why, that's about the main reason why the pythorns exist in this village. In darker times these feuds were in the open and on a much larger scale. Things were once on the brink of war because of this, like in the ancient times when there was, but that is another history lesson.

    "Though things are a bit more peaceful now, they have not died. While harmful things appear and happen for what it seems as no reason, it is more likely due to some underground affair. I'm sure these things are what he's tied to.

    "I know nothing of who he really bids for, but they must be powerful to have such a player. As for the Zeome', he is simply an all-too-powerful tool in someone else's hands. And if he knew what you really are all along, it would not surprise me."

    "But he…doesn't." Shay whispered to herself quietly more out of reassurance as she thought of the chances of being right.

    â€‹Elska sighed and put her hand on Shay's shoulder. "Just be careful young flower bud. I see he may be helping you now, or as you believe, but as soon as you get the opportunity to individually part with him, do not hesitate." she spoke her last words slowly. "I am warning you."

    Shay was silent.

    â€‹Shezearin was the closest thing to a friend she had in the entire Riavan world that she dropped in. And she didn't want to believe that he could be anything like those pythorns that had been giving her so much trouble the last two days she'd been there.

    â€‹Elzska studied her expression. "Don't fret young one" she perked up a smile and her tone became a lot softer then it was a minute ago. "Be warned. But I do have some faith in the choices made by the cerulean wielder."

Cerulean wielder? A weird title, but I guess that would be me.

    "But I'm afraid I've talked too much now. And it's time for you to go." Elska said. "If you had plans with the Zeome', I trust that you would need him to get out of here. The people outside will be coming near soon. What you need to do is go out the back way while I take care of them in the front."

    Shay nodded. "Got it. Will you be okay?"

    "Huh? Oh, of course I will." She said with a chuckle as if the question was ridiculous. "Don't think my age means I'm helpless."

    "Oh yea, you're right." Shay said with a laugh as she remembered how this woman alone scared off the group of men outside her front door.

    Right on time, a loud knock was head at the door mixed with the sound of loud voices. There was a small group of people out front right now. Others, most likely were investigating other houses.

    "There is a door back there." Eszka pointed through the other end of her house "Go."

    She started towards the door, and looked back.

    "First I wanted to tell you thank you. Thank you so much for everything. You've truly helped-"

    â€‹Elska held up a hand to silence her, giving a quick grin. "Oh somehow you would have found out eventually. I'm sure it was fate that we crossed paths. I consider this my job. It's what I wanted to do"

    "Well I'm glad it came to you. Thank you."

    She nodded. "Yes, yes, now off with you. And perhaps I'll see you again sometime in the future. And maybe then your petals would have bloomed a little more, flower bud." The herbal lady smiled and waved her off.

    Shay smiled back, and then took off to the back door. It wasn't hard to find it in the small house. As she passed the dining room, she saw the winged dog like creature, Tal again.

    He yawned and stretched, getting up from his pillow. The people outside must had woken him up. A low growl grumbled came from his chest, and he stalked up to the front living room to join Elska's side. With her very scary pet, Shay felt more than confident that Elska would be fine against the crowd of people.

    Seeing the little blue door, the piles of old broken pots and knickknacks clattered around it made it clear that the door had not been used very often.

    She quietly weaned her way around all the junk in the way until she reached the door. She opened it carefully, in case of a squeak while at the same time she heard the front door open and Elska's fussing began. Anyone who lived in this town with her would know that she wouldn't take kindly to letting anyone just go searching through her house without a fight.

    "This is my property and who gives you the right!" she heard her voice shriek.

    Shay grinned and slipped out the door.

 

13: The Cut Off

    Shay looked around in the quiet deserted back alley. Along the row of houses were other back doors. The alley was filled with what seemed to serve as dumpsters or loading areas to the stores. And in one direction further down the alley she could see the outline of the tall town gate entrance.

    For the most part, not a soul stirred. Everyone was busy in the fronts of the alleys. Things were safe here for now.

    Shay quickly crept along the walls of the houses. She reached the corner of the last house on the row when she heard a loud noise from around front. A blast of ari of some sort maybe? She pressed against the wall until she thought it was clear to cross.

    The buildings ahead were a broken row, splitting into single and separated buildings and away from the town center. There, it seemed a bit more empty, a relief from the swarm of people still in the market place.

    She quietly removed her back from the stone wall and jogged her way down the rest of the alley.

    Soon she stopped behind one empty house casting a strong dark shadow. She had made it unnoticed so far. Beyond this point the strip of street alley disappeared and the small randomly placed cottage houses stood. There were slinking paths that ran through them in no straight direction.

    But she was far passed the market place now. Things seemed quiet and calmer, now she wouldn't have to creep as much. It was still best to stay off the main pathways though her traveler get-up should be safe enough now. She took one last glance towards Elska's home and then moved forward.

    Just then, something emerged from the shadows. And all in one second, someone grabbed her: restraining her arms as a body pressed against her back and a hand clasped around her mouth to block her squeal.

    It was so sudden that she stayed still, but after a moment she was released except for the hand that stayed over her mouth. Shay spun around and laid eyes on Shezearin. Not until then did he uncover her mouth.

    She gasped. Shezearin! The finger he lift to his lips reminded her to be quiet.

    He looked completely fine and unharmed; whatever happened, he'd escaped and was already waiting for her. The relief she felt from seeing him again made it easier for her to push the suspicious thoughts Elszka put in her mind to the back. Truthfully, she was so relieved that she could have hugged him at that moment. Her friend was fine, and seeing him also meant they were about to get out of here now.

    He stepped ahead and motioned for her to follow. Together they ran quietly down a path through the backs of more houses.

    Their path curved around the homes on the very edge of the village where the town's great wooden wall circled. By now they were in the very front corner of the village, and with a sharp turn right they were headed to the main gate.

    Before passing one last bundle of houses, it was decided again that Shay would go first in order to draw less attention to the few people passing through.

    As Shay looped around the last house, she neared the giant gate with exhilaration filing her heart to finaly leave.

    As she came closer to the gate, she saw a figure there, a person leaning there lazily against the iron. The man was dressed in all greys; a pythorn. And just like that the excited feeling vanished.

    Another came into view standing at the end of the gate. Then she realized there were more all around quietly. They had been waiting for her. And the gate… it was closed! Pulled shut with only a small trickle of space in between. This was a trap that she was running into.

    Plants and vines that had once grew around the gate, lay there on the ground cut. The metal poles that hardly ever budged had closed for the first time in obviously a long time. And in front of it formed a line of grey dressed pythorns all walked into their positions now that she came into view.

    More and more stepped into the clearing form the shadows. There had to be over forty of them, what looked like the entire pythorn band was blocking the entrance and it was just for her. Their orders to catch her must be pretty extreme after all. And she had a better sence of now why, it was about her cerulean ari. And here they were altering the town in whatever way they needed, as if they owned it, in order to catch her.

    Behind her, she heard a few gasps, from lagging bystanders. Fright was growing in the air.

    By now Shay had stopped dead in her tracks, but she was already to far out in the open from being in such a hurry before. She turned to warn Shezearin who now appeared in view. Pythorns walked out from building corners to block him off as well. He too was closed into the circle of pythorns.

    He could have walked deliberately into their trap or maybe he failed to notice them right away like she did. She couldn't tell. He seemed cool about the situation. But strangely his eyes changed once she met his. And before she could figure out why, a strong painful grip wrapped around her neck and snatched her breath away from her. Her arms were wrenched behind her back.

    A tall and rather thick middle aged man had stepped into the side of her view. She only saw a glimpse of his tanned brown face who owned a scar that ran from his cheek all the way down to where his shirt covered his collar bone.

    "Gotcha girlie." he said in a deep hoarse voice.

    In pain, she could only stand and shift her eyes to see not forty, but about fifty, pythorns begin to close in with her and Shezearin trapped in the middle. This had to be their entire gang.

    â€‹Shezearin didn't move yet, but his body readied in a stance to fight. And as for Shay, she was being held hostage...again.

    Her captor held her tightly, and with still lots of space between them and Shezarin, the two of them eyed each other down.

    "Don't come any closer Zeome'." The man rumbled in his throat.

    He tightened his arm and it pressed farther into Shay's neck. His skin was hard and leathery and so thick that it just barely fit underneath her chin. She could hardly move an inch with his hold so tight, let alone breathe. In this position, this man could easily crush her neck or snap a part of her body all with a fast twitch of his arm. And the realization of it caused fear to slowly sink into her.

    Knees at slight bend, fists balled, Shezearin eyed the man. He was ready to take action, but budge he didn't. The moment felt so tensed and quiet that Shay thought she could hear the grinding of his teeth.

    His red eyes flicked around the circle, lingering longer on the enemies closer to him, but returned to land heavily on the one holding Shay. Did he have a plan?

    On the outside of the circle of pythorns, flocks of timid villagers gathered to watch the spectacle. To see such a scene was frightening, even for them.

    "It's nice to finally be meetin' you, my friend. I've been hearing so much about you and for so long too." the man spoke smugly to Shezearin, but danger reeked in his rough voice. His tone dropped to a harsher sound. "But I've been hearin' a little too much about you lately." He pushed out a deep scary chuckle. "You see I've heard that you've been interferin' with one of our greatest deals yet, a very powerful but classified client. And these sorry excuses for pythorns have been continuin' to let this scrawny human slip away."

    His arm across Shay's neck tightened again. "So I made sure to participate this time myself and make sure it's done right." The sound of a grin appeared on his face. "Let me introduce myself, I am Clawn, the leader of the pythorn clan. You may find yourself under a great honor. I usually don't make public appearances."

    At the mention of his name, Shay felt the stir in the air from the bystanding villagers all the way in the back. She felt the fearful chill that ran through them at his introduction.

    This guy is full of himself. Shay thought. What an arrogant leader. But he's oddly confident talking to Shezearin like this. He must not value his life then...

    C'mon Shezearin, she cheered in her head.Take this bastard down!

    Still nothing happened, only an intense stare down. Shezearin hadn't moved a muscle yet or spoken a word. If only she wasn't being held hostage! Then maybe he wouldn't hesitate.

    Helpless was what she'd mostly been in Dezaria. It wasn't like her and she hated it.

    A thought then came to her head; it was the new discovery that she didn't get the chance to tell Shezearin; her ari power. Except the issue was that she didn't know how to use it, not even where to begin or what it will even do.

    But what if I managed to...ah... light myself again? Would it hurt him? Or would it be just as harmless to him as it was to me? Even Elska was able to touch me. But wait, she did say that the power was only displaying itself, not functioning.

    "But I must say Zeome'," the arrogant boss continued. "I do question your motives. You see, I've done a little bit of research on you myself. I might be wrong but I had thought that you've worked with our client before... maybe not, judging by your actions. You're a curious one zeome', and unpredictable. But no matter; for some reason you've decided to get in the way and I ain't allowin' it. This girl is ours and we will fulfill this mission."

    He's researched him? Shay thought. A concern trickled in her mind had those words. These pythorns all seemed much more confident than they should. They were still nervous, but confident. Did Shezearin have a weakness?

    "Pythorns!" Clawn then spoke his next words with a happy softness. "Get him."

    Immediately, half of the pythorns stepped up on command. Those who left the circle left it evenly, so that no one side was left with a large gap. In the next second she saw a brief glow of eyes by every pythorn in the charging half, each with their own light, their own color.

    Each person has their own color in the identity of their ari, she remembered Elszka telling her. She also recalled seeing eyes do a quick flash of a glow before she witnessed a use of ari power from anyone. She noticed this during the fights in the wind ruins. These were the energy using pythorns.

    In the following half second, her theory had proven right; each of those pythorns fired some sort of energy towards Shezearin. Streaks and crackling noises sounded through the air. There were so many lights and colors mostly ranging in whites, greys and some tanned and dark colors, all blinding. An explosion came once they all collided into each other and smoke filled the air.

    Shay gasped at the sight. "Shezear-!" she started to call his name, but the choking arm on her neck only cut out her breath.

    But then, bursting airborne above the thick smoke was Shezearin. His body twirled in an acrobatic jump as he descended down to the ground to land in clear view at the side of the smog.

    Shay guessed he had shot himself into the air somehow before the hit because he had not a scratch on him.

    The moment his foot touched the ground, multiple pythorns from every directions, the ones who didn't launch an attack, charged him head on. They were the close ranged fighters...maybe some being the physical ari fighters.

    One man approached his side and another from in front. It was too quick for Shay's eyes to keep up. Shezerin evaded the head-on attack and then struck down the side attacker with his fist. Each single clean hit he delivered made his opponent drop instantly.

    When he turned to the next three people inches ahead of him, Shay managed to catch a glimpse of his eyes. They flashed a full red light for an instant and faded away.

    That was the sign. The Zeome's ari was up and burning through him. And she was right; he was moving faster, blocking, evading, and striking down each opponent that came towards him even more effectively. His hits were like lighting, and with each thunderous strike, more pythorn bodies rained to the ground.

    Some pythorns seemed to have a super effective hit, if it would have landed, while others fought with a speedy agility. But whatever their physical skill seemed to be Shezearin was superior.

    This couldn't just be a physical ari ability of his, but the fighting style and the endurance he to take out at least twenty physical combatants already had to require many years of developed skill. Each movement was so clean, cut and perfect. Shay wondered just how long he had to train to get like that.

    Still, even with these skills, how long could he keep this up? With this many enemies one mistake could cost him the fight.

    But the pythorns continued to fall. Two, three four more were knocked out. Soon she heard the electrical crackling sound of Shezearin's energy and it shot down more. But he only allowed his power to fire in small clear, increments.

    By now, only half of the close-ranged pythrons were left. and when he could, Shezearin aimed for the distant ones too when an opening allowed his energy streaks to reach. with his energy. In retaliation, the long rangers attempted to fire back when they could, which wasn't a good idea for them. They were a bit clumsier and only hit their teammates across the clearing as a result if Shezearin didn't evade it already.

    The fight was growing chaotic, but still Shezearin was winning. Shay heard Clawn make a small chuckling sound behind her.

    "Now I wonder..." he whispered to himself and gave a soft whistle. "Mar," he barked.

    A young pythorn in the circle line, Mar, turned to look at his leader. There was a silent exchange between the two and Mar nodded, face slightly tensed. A white energy began glowing around his fist.

    Shay's breathing stopped as she watched his glowing fist point directly at her. Sweat dripped down the side of her face as she watched his fist glow brighter before the attack launched.

    But a zap of red energy struck Mar in the back, knocking the aim of his attack off before he fell to the ground. The white energy zinged upward and hit the top iron bar of the entrance gate instead. Shezearin had stopped him; he'd fired just in time.

    As Shay turned her gaze to her only ally, she saw there was already a white energy attack coming his way. It went all so fast that the attacker had to know he was going to make the move when he did.

    Before Shezearin had withdrawn his extended arm from his attack, the white energy struck his arm at the same time. It was followed by three more attacks of the same white energy in the blink of an eye.

    The first one to hit his arm gave no exploding or sizzling impact. Matter of fact it didn't look painful at all, but instead left a silvery colored energy substance around his arm. And the rest of the beam of energy continued in a smooth line back to the pythorn who fired it. It clicked in Shay's mind that this ari acted like a sticky lasso. And it clung to his arm while the pythorn held the reins. The other two strikes landed and stuck to his upper body and back, doing the exact same as the first. This all happened in only a second.

    It was definitely a pre-planned attack.

    In the following second, came five more of the same type of attack, all from different people. Shezearin's entire upper body was now frozen with the silky silver substance. He stood there bound in the middle of the clearing. The battle had stopped and the pythorns also stood still and quiet waiting for orders.

    But there was something different about these wielders. As Shay scoped out each one, she noticed that all of them wore identical gloves that had glowing jewels on them. Was this a coincident? No.

    "Well done men." Clawn said. Shay could tell by his voice that he was grinning.

    She wanted to punch in that smug face of his, after breaking the arm that was choking her first that is….if only she could.

    "So zeome'," Clawn started. "I've heard tales of your power, which I indeed don't doubt. Especially after the display you've shown just now without even usin' much of your ari."

    Shezearin was silent but his red eyes glared at him like acid.

    "You might be familiar with this technology that you're now bounded with; our source has promised a handsome pay for the successful exchange of the human.

    "So I'd suppose you know how these little trinkets work. I see that you're not strugglin', so you must at least know that only a strong blow of power can break these bonds, so it's useless to move.

    "But as I said before, I have no doubt in your power. So then zeome', why don't you break free?" The tone of his last question was extremely mocking.

    Anger burning, Shay grounded her teeth, but then brought her attention back to Shezearin. Still he didn't move. His usual cold expression returned on his face, but intensified. His eyes were a sheet of fiery steel.

    Man this Clawn-guy is really playing risky. Shay thought. He might really be in for it now. But why isn't Shezearin moving? Shay didn't understand. He definitely had the power to break the bonds. What is he waiting for?

    "You see I have studied your habits, from what little sources of info I could find." Clawn gloated on with a smirk.

    "But I must say, because of this little weakness of yours I am disappointed in you. You have strong ari power but you surly don't have the same strength of soul that a pythorn possesses. Even you don't match up to us, which is why we are the commanders of this villages, and soon to be a powerful force known throughout Dezaria! And once we make this exchange, that is sure to happen."

    His voice had gradually grown stronger during his talk, like some ruler-to-be. He was set on this and it made Shay sick. This guy was a loony.

    Commander of the village, really? How does he think he could claim a title like that in this town? She growled in her mind. He's just some underground criminal; fear is his one and only card! He's the very reason this place is so chaotic. People shouldn't have to put up a front in order to survive at all. This guy is pathetic!

    Shay raised her gaze past Shezearin and the pythorns to the villagers behind. Though they still kept their distance, so many people were watching, at least half the village now maybe more. But this wasn't like the riots in the marketplace where people bunched around each other as if watching a sport. Families stood by each other, some even began to cling. On each of their faces, fear and bewilderment started to show. Such a spectacle was never seen. All of the pythorns here, even the feared leader and the zeome' were here and in a bind. Each person here knew that this could be a turning point for their village. And the townspeople could very well be caught up in the outcome.

    She watched Shezearin's stern unmoving face. Whatever the situation really was between Clawn and him, he was thinking and analyzing everything. She was sure that even the townspeople fit somewhere into Clawn's puzzle, since he took so much planning into this. He was using every person here, especially her.

    She despised a bully and a tyrant.

    She watched Shezearin and tried to read his face for any trace of hope that he had the situation in the bag like usual. The cold sheet of steel over his eyes, his face, was stern but unreadable. This was the way he presented himself the most when she first met him. Lately, she had seen a little less of this until now. It always seemed like Shezearin had some deep burden or sorrow to him. And whatever this "weakness" Clawn was pursuing in him was getting to him slowly. That dark place seemed to be returning.

    Shay's eyes, shifted from the immobile zeome', to the villagers, and then to the despicable group of pythorns that had been a menace to her theses last few days. She looked at the ones knocked out on the ground and the ones standing, watching and grinning. Not only had they been a menace to her but to the people as well. They were the reason behind the gloom and poor conditions of the town. The villagers deserved to live as people, not in constant fear of these losers trying to run them. Because of Clawn, they could never be anything close to peace.

    Infuriation scorched like fire inside her. And it all started with Clawn using her, the defenseless human as bait; and causing their defeat; the defeat of her, Shezearin, and this village. She could no longer stand it.

    Shay closed her eyes tight to keep herself from screaming, in rage.

    â€‹He thinks he won. He thinks he succeeded in his quest to hurt these people and Shezearin. And to drag me away to some doom in order to get more power. All for power…

    Shay felt the grip around her body tighten.

    "What's wrong with you human? Stop struggling." Clawn's disgusting voice laughed. "Watch Zeome'," She heard him say, "As I teach you how to really deal with a human. It's no different than training a dog." He laughed.

    â€‹Stop taunting him! Shay shouted in her head, but couldn't find her voice in her dark angry bliss.

    â€‹Clawn's arm under her neck then stabbed into her throat. Shay gagged as the air was cut from her grasp. She was chocking. She scrunched her eyes closed, while her physical pain only fed her angry fire.

 

 

  

14: Cerulean Blue Ari

  Shezearin pondered over his decision, the risk it would be to break himself free. Was that something he was willing to take? But maybe because of that, he was weak after all. Clawn was right, maybe he didn't have the heart that a person of strength should; however, Clawn was wrong about labeling themselves as people of strength. If it wasn't for this little surprise attack, he alone could have crushed their entire pythorn force. Now he couldn't think of anything more appealing.

    His eyes grew wide as he watched Clawn begin to gag the air from Shay.

    Why did she deserve this? She didn't. Another innocent soul...taken for someone's quest for power. Why did they even want her? It couldn't be over the same cause that he witnessed other innocent lives be taken or controlled...as his was.

    He fought against the urge to break free now. He had to remind himself that he couldn't do that. Not here. That was why it was always better being alone.

    It cut into him to watch the girl suffer as he sat here bounded pathetically.

    Then something else caught his attention. He felt something growing, a force...What is Clawn doing to her?

    A light started to grow from Shay's squirming form. It was a light layer that formed around her, a soft blue color; a blue ari he hadn't quite seen before on anyone.

    Soon smoke sizzled from Clawn's hands. The pythorn leader retreated back, letting the human drop to the ground. He stared at her, so did Shezearin, and every conscious pythorn and villager.

    Shay lay cringing on her hands and knees gasping for air. But the blue light sustained around her. Clawn couldn't have done this? What was going on? Nothing was making sense at all.

    Someone must be attacking her, Shezearin thought. He glanced around to see no possible ari user doing any manipulation, not that anyone here would have such a power.

    But the blue light around her grew in strength and in color. Cerulean blue, was it? Now it blazed like fire around the human's body and it only grew larger. What ari is this?

    Then the ari turned less fiery and instead formed a smooth sphere around her. It was coming from her and it continued to expand when she sat up calmly with breath back in her lungs. She stared blankly ahead, expression flat, and eyes filled with the cerulean light. Impossible.

    She slowly got to her feet in a lifeless way. But then he saw how her eyes squinted in hate at the sight of the pythorns. So her consciousness was there. And she turned her attention to Clawn.

    On eye contact, he quickly backed away like the coward that he was. He had no more idea of what was happening then Shezearin did.

    "Wha-Wha-What is this?" his voice appeared high now, a squeal that was close to a young girl's. "What do you want!? You-you can't be human!"

    The strange ari controlled Shay swiped her arm across the air and a wave of cerulean energy erupted from it.

    â€‹Clawn was hurled backwards. He flew far enough to hit the gate behind him with a loud clang. He grumbled a whine of pain but immediately sat up to face the human still coming his way. He scrambled backwards until his back squeezed against the iron bars.

    But she stopped short of him and turned to face the rest of the pythorns. She then, spread her arms out as she inhaled a deep breath and the energy sphere spread out along with it.

    The circle turned into one large wave, like rounded wall of energy. It started off slow then fired forward, expanding in every direction.

    The ten pythorns closest to her were hit first. They shouted from the burning impact and were thrown to the ground. And the wave continued to bowl forward knocking down more pythorns in its way. Soon it was upon Shezearin's still bounded body. He saw nothing but the coming blue light and his body cringed to embrace the impact.

    The first thing Shezearin felt was…coolness. Like a breath of air. No burn. And before he knew it, he opened his eyes to find it had passed him. There had been no effect. But the white bonds of ari that bound him had burned into nothing at the contact of the wave. Meanwhile, the pythorns beside and behind him were blown to the ground, he heard their shouts even though they were hit at the same time that he was.

    He quickly looked behind him. Soon, each pythorn standing was instantly taken out to the ground. And the wave kept going. It was nothing but power...

    Upon seeing this, some of the villagers screamed and started to run. But the wave came to fast. To their surprise, it harmlessly passed them too. As clear as it was on each of their relieved faces, the power had no effect on them.

    Did this ari have a mind? He'd never seen this before. He watched the tall wave as it passed far off into the town and didn't die out until it reached mid distance to the market place.

    Speechless, Shezearin turned his attention back to Shay. The force of ari still burned harmlessly on her skin. He still couldn't figure out which was the influencer, the ari or her? Was she really controlling this?

    Painfully for Clawn, Shay turned straight to him and came closer in slow agonizing steps. Furry still burned through her blue lighted eyes, and Clawn stared up at her in fright.

    "Clawn!" Shay's voice spoke. The pythorn boss flinched at his name. "You and your filthy pack have now been defeated by a human. You have no bragging rights. So now I don't want to EVER see or hear of you terrorizing this or any town! Your names will be officially whipped off of the map." she snarled. "Or you will be hunted down and I will personally burn every piece of your miserable hides apart. You will pay for the lives of the people who you bonded."

    She raised a blue blazing fist to him. "I'm warning you!" As she yelled, the blue energy blazed in a furious sync with her emotion.

    "Now, we will walk out of this town with no further trouble from you. And you fix the gate back to the way it was. Your fate will be left to these townspeople who you've intimidated for so long. The town is theirs, understand? Now step aside!"

    â€‹Clawn almost couldn't react right away. "Pythorns." he finally said in a high voice. "We withdraw."

    Those who were able to, shakily got to their feet. Others rolled in pain, in their attempt to get up. Fidgeting, Clawn slowly got to his feet and walked passed Shay, towards his fallen men and the watching villagers. They were all silent, eyes on the former town terrors.

    â€‹Shezearin analyzed majority of the pythorns passing by; he sensed the defeat in their bodies, they would do no last foolish acts of retaliations. They were done. He made his way to Shay and watched her ari start to soften.

    Behind them, began shouts and cheers of triumph from the villagers. And the sound was soon mixed with the fearful screams of the pythorns who were all too weak to fight off the citizens. The people were making their decision and wishes on the gang who dragged the town's name pythorn through the mud to the rest of Dezaria. The rest of the outcome was their decision now.

    A warm smile came across Shay's face as she watched the response of the village. She knew just as well as he did that they had fully reclaimed their home.

    At the same time the ari that had oddly been conducted by the human completely died away and her eyes turned to normal. She held her arms out to her face, inspected herself to make sure she returned to the self she knew.

    She then glanced up at him in a somewhat shy way. "Ready to go?" she asked.

    He nodded. All the while his mind tried to make sense of what just happened. There had to be an explanation. What type of person did he stumble upon? Who is this girl really? Is she even human?

    "Well," Shay started. "You see... I wanted to tell you that I discovered this when we got separated. But there was no time."

    He kept silent as they walked through the gate of the pythorn town that would be forever changed, and back into the wilderness.

    "And well, I found the answer to what the Voice of the Wind's meant," she said as they walked. "It happened when I was hiding from the villagers…Someone helped me. It turns out something's always been there and now that I'm in Dezaria, the ari home, it was able to be awakened."

    â€‹Shezearin stared at her. He had no response to this. He only nodded once. "I see."

    But the truth was that this changed everything. He didn't know the reason behind how this happened, how could a being like her exist? Something more was tied to this puzzle.

    â€‹Clawn had said that he once thought that Shezearin was already affiliated with their client. Now it was obvious to him just who was behind this, which meant that things may very well be already sealed for Shay.

    This new and unexpected piece just complicated everything. But he could be certain that the future, at least for Shay, would not be good at all.

 

 

 

    The canteen was filled to the top. Shay still couldn't believe how crystal clear the water from this stream was. It was actually drinkable and had tasted so refreshing. This was incredible!

    She poured some of the sparkling liquid into her palm and splashed it across her forehead. It felt so cool too. It definitely helped under this hot sun; if it wasn't for the trees blocking some of its light, it would be torturing. She sat kneeling over the water, watching the gentle stream run past her and to join a river a ways farther down from here. Its water glittered in the sunlight.

    Behind her, Shezearin rose up from the bank. He must be ready to go.

    It was starting to get on her nerves that she had to read so much of his body language instead of hearing any word. He had been much too quiet since they had left the pythorn village, more than usual that is. Though this was probably normal for him, she had gotten him to talk a little more on the last day of their travel to Pythorn. Now there was nothing. He was extremely distant. But the frustrating part was that it was pointless to ask him what the matter was. Like he'd tell her.

    Shay stood up from the stream, screwing the top back on to the canteen and then clipping it to her bag.

    "I'm ready." she told him. And they started on their hike again.

    They had been walking through the forest ever since they had left the village, only stopping occasionally for resting points. During the travel, Shay would ask questions intentionally for her traveling partner to talk. Each answer he'd give was very minimal if there was one at all.

    But Shay was well aware of at least a part of the problem. So if it could help Shezearin's peace of mind and for the sake of allowing time to pass, Shay cut the small talk and began to recite everything she could about her encounter with Elzska to him and all that lead up to the wakening of her powers.

    Here too, Shezearin gave very little response, but he listened intently. And where she was hoping for an answer from him, he had none. She knew he must be just as spooked about her new discovery as she was. And maybe she was just taking this too lightly herself. After all, this was unusual.

    She could contemplate about it all day. But if she learned one thing from being dropped in Dezaria, it was that in order to keep sane, it was best to take in one surprise at a time but not exactly ponder over it, that is, if you wanted your mind clear for the next surprise.

    If anything, since discovering she had ari powers like every Riavn here, gave her more of a drive. As bizarre as it was finding this out, things made a bit more sense now for her. Now she knew she had some sort of a purpose here; it even sort of beat the way she used to feel at home, feeling so distant and out of place and walking a life forged by parents.

    "Shezearin," she spoke, walking beside him.

    He turned his head only enough to show her his attention.

    "So what do you think this means?"

    "I can't say I know." he said slowly.

    Shay let a silent moment pass first before she continued. "Then may I ask you a favor?"

    He paused. "What is it?"

    "Can you teach me to control it? At least the basics?"

    His walk slowed to a stop.

    Shay stopped with him and continued. "I don't know anything about this. And I must serve some purpose with it if I own this ari. I think it's fair that I at least understand a little about how to use it." she crossed her arms and spoke confidently. "And you're probably the top master of controlling power. So...will you teach me?"

    She felt his familiar heavy gaze on her, but this time he didn't hold it as long. Instead they softened from their coldness a bit.

He nodded his head. "I will. Only the basics. You can have lessons while we are traveling."

    "Oh thank you SheZeein!" she put her hands together in excitement.

    His red eyes unemotionally watched her for a few more seconds before he turned to continue walking. And she followed him on their climb through the narrow path surrounded by tangles of green vines and branches.

    "You will have your first lesson at our next rest point. But for now, you must know more about yourself and your ari."

    The trees continued to tower over them like a sea of umbrellas. The green became even lusher. Things looked as tropical as a rain forest, but minus the dripping rain.

    "So you do know that your ari is a part of you?" Shezearin asked. "It's as if it's linked to your soul, and in a way it is. It is a part of you, triggered by your mind as the rest of your body is."

    "Yes, Elszka did mention that."

    "Yours seems to be very connected to your emotions. I'm not sure how you conjured up that much energy back there but you wouldn't be able to do it again anytime soon."

    "Huh? Why won't I?"

    "Well your ari is freshly flowing through you now. Upon just being released, its power is critical but it will die down to what will be its normal state for you as it adapts to your body."

    "Oh." Shay said with disappointment. She didn't even know how she did everything she did back there. It was half of something else was driving her, and half herself. It was almost like she absentmindedly watched herself act; like watching herself in a dream. But then again, if she had that much power every time she used her power it could be overwhelming, especially if she was going to learn how to really control it.

    "You were also able to tap into that much power because of the life or death situation." Shezearin went on. "And it was amplified, because your power was already roughly getting used to your body. In times where your body feels it's in trauma or mortal danger it isn't unheard of to have your powers become stronger. Though I doubt Clawn wanted to kill you, it was a close call just the same.

    "But do understand, you have no ordinary power. And what you did is part of its potential. But it will take years of training to get to that level again.

    Still, from the looks of it, you have a strong but unusual ari inside you; which makes it most odd that someone like you would carry it."

    "Hey," Shay cut him a defensive glance. Someone like me? But he was talking about her being human after all; a fact, not insult this time. She relaxed her face though Shezearin ignored it entirely.

    He continued. "But as for the basics you need to know now, when you use your ari energy you must summon it, to get it alive and flowing in your body. To do that you must call on it."

    "How will I know when I do?"

    "You will know. You'll feel it, the power in your body when your ari is active. It'll be pumping with strength. It feels similar to adrenaline. And once you have it summoned it will be ready to fire anytime."

    Shay was thankful that Shezearin was being more explanatory now and breaking away from his silent mood. He talked more with her about it. As a summary in her head, she knew that in order to call upon her ari, she had to focus and find what feeling she has to use to initiate it.

15: Stars in the Sky

    "Again." Shezearin ordered. "Forget your surroundings. Reach in again and this time, pull it out."

    This was much harder than Shay thought. They had found a nice clearing to rest and Shay had scarfed down her snack of fruits and was ready to start. She was so eager to summon her ari again that maybe the excitement was getting in the way.

    Shay clenched her shut eyes tighter and tightened her fists by her side.

    "You're doing too much." he spoke again. "Relax yourself. You're just moving a part of yourself; it doesn't require bursting your brain."

    As flat as his tone was, Shay couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny or making a blunt statement, but she listened to him. Eyes still closed, she straightened up.

    Relax. She thought to herself.

    She took in a slow breath, relaxed her entire body and allowed her tension to ease.

    â€‹Shezearin was silent. Steadily, she heard wild birds along with the chirpings and croaks of bugs and small animals rise all around.

    She breathed again and pictured the fire that she felt burn inside her during her two previous encounters. She needed to fuel it, pull it out, and let it burn through her body. It was already there, but to bring out a fire, one needed to feed it. How did she light it before?

    Fire felt like fury. Judging by the last two times, it seemed for her it was passionate furry. And that's exactly what she should be thinking of now; furry for answers and venturing towards them. She saw her goals clear in her mind.

    She then felt her lungs inhale but this was on its own. This air she took in felt strong, she tasted its power. Opening her eyes, she saw a very quick flash of cerulean blue light like a translucent glass across her vision. She only saw it for a second, but the feeling of power stayed.

    First her breath quickened but then adjusted to the change. Each inhale sent strength through her lungs and it circulated through her body. Her vision became slightly sharper, more focused; allowing her to see the finer details in her surroundings. She saw it in the enhanced patterns in the passing bugs to intensified colors of the plants around her. She spotted a very vibrant blue, green and orange caterpillar slinking across the branch of the long shrub next to her. Her ears even became a bit more aware of the small extra forest sounds that were usually blurred out of focus.

    I did it! She felt it; her fire burning through her. It gave her bursts of energy. She wanted to run more than anything. She was eager to and ready to go for miles! Right now, she could physically do anything. Run, jump, cartwheel… Right now she could do each better than she'd ever done in her life.

    She jumped up and down in excitement. "Look Shezearin! I did it!"

    He gave his half smile and nodded in approval. "Now let's see your energy."

    A bit of nervousness instantly rushed through Shay at the challenge. But remembering how invincible she felt right now, she would very well rise to it. I can do this!

    "Alright." Shezearin said backing to the side of the small clearing to give her space. "Focus your ari more, as you did a minute ago. I don't know what form it takes so just focus and let's be ready for anything."

    "Okay." Shay mentally willed her fire to burn deeper. She felt it grow inside her body. In the next few seconds, she began to feel a prickle at the end of her arms and to her hands.

    Shay remembered the fire burning on her hands before, how they flared when she embraced her power at the village. Of her whole body, it seemed to concentrate there the most.

    She glared at her outstretched hands and commanded her fire to burn more fiercely. Then like a match, her cerulean colored fire-like energy appeared to engulf her entire hand, only dying at her lower arms. It all happened in one snap.

    Shay couldn't help but allow a clear smile to push across her face while she watched her blazing hands. But Shezearin didn't leave her to admire it.

    "Now push it harder, see what it can do." He ordered.

    She knew what he was asking for now. He wanted to see if she could shoot the fire the way she did the pythorns, or was that just something she could do on that level.

    She fed the fire inside herself. She embraced the thoughts of her adventurous purpose even harder. The fire at her hands intensified but nothing more. She glared at them and pushed harder. As if in response the fire only rippled and roared with every attempt, but nothing else.

    "Ok that's enough." Shezearin said as he walked up to her.

    "No, I can do it! I can shoot the fire, I did it before."

    "Shay you have to take it easy when first acquiring your ari power. It's still possible to be a normal feature. But as your body becomes more adopted to the change more abilities may appear. Now draw in your ari and you can practice again at the next stop."

    "But, Shezearin…" she started.

    "Now. Before you tire yourself out."

    "Okay, okay." Shay said with a sigh.

    She let go of the thought of her fire and the flames reduced. But a few flares of blue fire still remained on her hand.

    "You must order its silence." Shezearin said. "So it can retract."

    Shay wasn't sure what that meant but perhaps its meaning was literal. It is my ari, my soul…and I can order it. She reminded herself.

    Ari cut off! She thought loudly in her mind. And in a flash, the fire disappeared. She willed the thought more and soon another forced inhale of breath came, but it was softer. In it, she felt her power, her ari, silence. Now she was completely normal, the way she always was her entire life.

    "Well I think you've done well." Shezearin said. His deep voice held a livelier tone than its usual flat emotionless sound. Ifhe was proud, or even went as far as too compliment her, Shay knew she had done good.

    "Now let's get moving." he said.

 

 

 

    The sun had turned orange and was finally beginning to sink. The day had been long. They had successfully stopped and practiced her ari summoning two more times that day. Shay felt that she was getting the feeling of calling it off and on faster. She just had to remember that she was the controller, the owner of that power and she must be able to use it at will. When she grasped that concept, she didn't have to force it out as hard.

    As for actually using the ari, Shay still only found herself able to hold the energy on her hands. Nothing close to what she did before just by pushing her arms forward. And when her fire was on, it burned anything else that she came in contact with. It wasn't like before when somehow the ari knew who was an ally and who wasn't. Shezearin had told her that to perform that ability again had to include complete mastery. And even then it may not happen again. It was an ability hardly ever seen. It was clear that almost everything she pulled off in that village would remain a once in a life time act. That figures. She thought.

    In front of Shay and Shezearin now, was a large hill made up of earth and mostly rock that form a steep cliff top. The entire forest trail seemed to point to this giant rock in the trees. And it was tall enough that she couldn't quite see the end. It stuck out above the tree tops.

    Shay stopped. "Uh..." she looked at Shezearin.

    His eyes glanced her way, he already knew her question. "C'mon." He started forward and hoisted himself up on a big boulder. Then he looked down at her and held a hand for her to grab. "Need help human?" he grinned faintly.

    Shay scrunched her nose at him and pushed away the hand he held out for her. "No thanks. I can do it myself."

    Head high, she walked up to the boulder and put her hands at the top and quickly found an indent in the rock's rough surface that she used as a foot wedge. She then hoisted herself up to meet him on top of the boulder.

    â€‹Shezearin looked at her with an approving half smile, it was faint but she caught it. Then he turned around to lift himself up another rock. "To the top." he called.

    And Shay quickly began her climb right behind him. Flashes of the nature hike trips her grandparents took her to as a child flashed in her mind. Though she'd been there less since her Grandfather's passing, the familiar image and feel ran through her mind. She was no expert at all, but it was thanks to those experiences as well as the days of maneuvering and climbing trees and rocks in the woods as a kid to know at least the basics of what she was doing.

    â€‹Shezearin skimmed up the rock side gracefully. He took a few glances her way to see if she kept up. And that she did, even with less grace. But she kept moving at a steady, bold pace, and didn't look down.

    The heat of the air intensified as they went higher. With sweat breaking through she kept up the speed, eager to show him how much of a strong this human could be too. Confidence burst through each pushing muscle.

    Shay reached a ledge beside ShaZeerin when he stopped. She took that time to look out at the wide canopy of trees that was now several feet below them. She didn't notice how high they had climbed.

    She looked back at him and he flashed a small grin at her that was both cocky and a bit acknowledging. He then gave a silent gesture for her to go up the rest of the way ahead of him.

    Shay went ahead and lifted herself up to the ledge that was just above them. She hoisted herself up to a flat plateau of stone. Shezearin came up right after.

    Raising to her feet, Shay saw that half the plateau was taken up by a rock made den that had the rest of the stone hill continuing above it. It left a ledge in front of it wide enough to fit maybe five people. The den itself was a circular shape with a small one-person-entrance that opened up into a wide room inside. Its inside had just enough room for a light group of travelers.

    "Shelter." Shezearin explained.

    "How'd you know this was up here?" Shay asked.

    "Been here before. The best shelter point in this area. It has a good view so no one can sneak up on you."

    Shay took in the view of the great green trees, in one direction they went on for miles until its horizon line touched the orange sky. A flock of birds flew by in the distance with long feathers that trailed behind them in the air.

    Among that view of trees was the pythorn village, where they came. But then at a ninety degree turn from that sight was another path. The lush green trees there grew shorter and stood on a long slope of downhill land. There, she also spotted a trickle of a stream, but the rest of the treetops blocked the rest of the view.

    "That's where we'll have to go next." Shezerain said from behind her. "That stream grows to a small river then turns to a waterfall. There the river continues, but we won't follow it that far."

    "Then which way are we going after that?"

    "The path of that river wraps around the plains at the end of the forest. We will cut through the plains and see the river on the other side. That's where our destination lies, Surai Village is its name."

    "Oh." Shay said staring in the direction of their next travel. She envisioned the way with the land points Shezearin described. Without much reason, she wanted to remember them. Stream, waterfall, plain, river.

    â€‹Shezearin walked passed her to climb a bit down the side of the hill. "I'm going to get wood for a fire." He told her. "I'll be back."

 

 

 

    Shay decided to let him go ahead with his task alone, it was what he preferred anyway. So she waited there for him on the cliff top, while she watched the remainder of the sun. Where she counted all the different flocks of birds she passed. She counted about ten, of all different colors and sizes. In little time afterwards, only a slither of light was left. Shezearin returned with plenty of wood and then set to his next task.

    About the time when the dark began to thicken and the moon and stars became completely visible outside the den, Shezearin had successfully lit a strong fire using only sticks or maybe he used a bit of ari, Shay hadn't completely watched him. But a fire was built in no time. Soon after, a dinner was started using stored meat from his packed supplies, and with a couple pieces of green fruit to add.

    Shay was definitely hungry from the day. She had no idea what she was really eating but the meal tasted great. The fruit juicy and the meat sweat like ham. Shezearin seemed busy demolishing his own food as well.

    Together, they made a few exchanges about the day's travel and training. But it was silent again by the time they were done with their food. She suspected with nothing left to do, the next move for them was to go to sleep, but Shay was far from sleepy at the time. There was at least one more thing she wanted to see.

    "Shezearin,"

    "Yeah?"

    "Could you come with me?"

    He lifted an eyebrow, but still, he got to his feet, and followed her outside the den, leaving the small fire behind. She led him to the half circled plateau ledge where they were exposed to the beautiful dark night. And it was indeed dark; she would hate to be lost at night in that thick forest below them. But that wasn't what she came out to look at. Her attention was on the great sea of night lights above her. The stars looked incredible here.

    Shay remembered trying to look at them when she was tied up under the capture of Leak and Grob. But the sight was blocked by the many branches above. Now, with the tree tops mostly below them or at least at the ledge level, the sky was clear, and it went on forever in limitless space. Having such a full view, it was almost as if she could reach up and touch them. She'd never seen so many stars all at once. She'd only witnessed twinkles, but they spread through the sky like powder almost. And each one burst with light.

    "What is it?" Shezearin asked from behind her.

    "The stars," she said slowly. "They're so beautiful here. Do you ever watch them?"

    "They're there every night." He folded his arms. Then added hesitantly. "Sometimes, but not for long."

    Shay sat down at the edge of the cliff ledge to let her legs dangle over the end and continued to stare up at them.

    â€‹Shezearin came next to her and stood, looking at the stars as well, but not nearly as fascinated. He went to kneel down beside her. "I don't get it." he mumbled flatly.

     Shay couldn't help but grin at him. "Sit." She offered.

    He did as she asked and sat down next to her. He allowed one leg to hangover the cliff's edge while his other foot planted itself on the stone so that his knee could bend up to let his arm rest on top, copying her carefree posture.

    "You might be used to seeing them," Shay started. "I used to sit at my bedroom window and watch them at least a few minutes every night if the sky wasn't cloudy. I would watch them and reflect on my day before I went to bed. It may sound funny but...in a way I almost talk to them. It puts me at ease."

    She figured there was no harm in confessing some of her slightly embarrassing secrets to Shezearin. He hardly had any social skills at all and who knew if she'd ever see him after this anyway. A short moment passed. "You know Shezearin, you should try it sometime. I think there's so many things around, simple things, that people take for granted. That's a real problem in my world."

    There was silence and he turned to her. "What do you see when you look at them?"

    "What do I see? Well…I don't really think about it. I guess it's almost like looking at a bright piece of art that God puts together each night for you. It's a gift. And...When I look at the really bright ones like that one." she pointed to the star that stuck out as the brightest. "Don't laugh," She hesitated, though a smile crept across her face. "but I see hope." She felt his puzzled eyes on her. "It makes me feel hopeful, how it shines."

    "Why would I laugh at that?" he asked.

    "Well because, it sounds a bit strange doesn't it? At least, I know it does to everyone I know at home, except for my grandmother that is." she chuckled. "Sometimes I can only laugh at the things that tend to come out of my mouth. Most people in my world look at things a bit differently than I do. Well, except old people that is…"

    "Oh." he said quietly.

    "What do you think about them?"

    "Well I don't really think of stars much. But...what you said makes some sense."

    "You should consider yourself lucky that you get to see stars like this here. In my world the stars aren't anything like this. They're far less bright and a lot fewer are visible."

    She heard a quiet exhale come from him, he sounded relaxed. She took a quick glance at him to see that his red eyes were tangled deep into the starry sky. It was funny to see him look at something in such an innocent and curious way, almost like a child.

    A cool night-breeze passed and the two of them looked at the sky silently for a while until Shay broke the silence. "Shezearin, did I ever tell you thank you for everything." she smiled.

    "You have." he said plainly.

    "Well I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate any of these things in Dezaria if it wasn't for you. I might not have even been breathing the air right now." She added with a chuckle. "You may not have been here every moment, but through whatever strange, dangerous, or down-right scary event happens you came through. Even now," she looked at her hands. "After such a discovery about myself, I actually don't feel as nervous about it, knowing that I can rely on a couple of tips from you. And you've still decided to help me get to this next village where I can get on my feet. Thank you." She raised her head again, as a breeze raised the frizzed curls of her pony tailed hair. "It's nice to have had a friend here."

    His ruby eyes stared at her for a moment. Still silent, he looked away for a second then returned with a light expression.

    "You're not so bad after all."

    "Oh yeah, for a human right?" Shay laughed.

    There was a low chuckle in his voice, his lips curved into a faint smile. "No. You're just...not bad."

    Shay smiled back. Friends we are.

    "Hey, Shezearin," Shay said in a normal tone.

    His eyes looked up at her.

    "You know what?" she grinned. "I think you need a nickname."

    "What for?"

    "Well since I would be sticking around for at least a couple more days we might as well be better acquainted as friends."

    His brow wrinkled a bit, confused with where she was headed with this. But Shay enjoyed this. "Your name could be a bit much if you gotta say it often."

    "So I need a shorter name?"

    "I'll give you one."

    "Like what?"

    She looked up putting her hand to her chin. "Well let's see...Sh-e-zeeeear-rin." she said in a stretch. "I'll drop the 'sh' and the 'e'. Zearin. That sounds good actually."

    "That's not that much of a difference."

    "True, which is why I'm gonna mostly call you Zee." She smiled. "Zee...I like that. What about you? You mind it?"

    His red eyes held hers again, their cold sheen had been gone. He gave a carefree smirk then looked back up at the sky. "Sure, whatever."

    Shay laughed. "Okay. Then that settles it." she didn't mind his way of coolly covering his emotions, she still understood them. But she also wondered if Shezearin even understood his own emotions at times.

    They stayed in their spots and spent more time looking and pointing out starry pictures in the night sky.

    "I have a question for you." Shezearin's smooth deep voice spoke.

    "What's up?"

    "You seem a bit more adapted to Dezaria now. But how did it feel to just leave something you've always known?"

    "Oh, you mean like coming to another world and accepting that it's all real?"

    He gave a nod.

    Shay lowered her chin to her knees and returned her sight to the sky. "To tell the truth, Yeah I was a little freaked out at first but it wasn't too hard to accept that my world isn't the only. While I was there in fact, I was always daydreaming, reading books, and having my mind outside of my own reality. I was more…at ease that way. Though I knew worlds weren't probably the fantasies I imagined, but I always thought that far out there maybe even in other parts of the galaxy or in other galaxies somewhere, where we can't reach or interfere with, there are other worlds of life."

    â€‹Shezearin watched her with curious eyes. "Really?"

    "Yeah. It's just a theory of mine I like to believe. Because if God had went and made us at Earth. Why would he just stop at us? And all that space in the universe that he made? He probably made others too in worlds that could be held together differently or just the same, who knows? Maybe each one of those stars, or suns, have their own world, at least one, circling around in their solar system with life."

    â€‹Shezearin was silent. "That's interesting. Well youre right about there at least being on other world. We know that there's yours and mine. And your theory makes sense; the power of the Almighty spirit is infinite after all."

    "The Almighty spirit..."

    "Yes, that's what we refer to him as. I believe it is the same one that you speak of, the nameless creator and seer of all and everything in existence. He is everywhere at the same time and yet invisible…to every eye…" He couldn't quite find a way to finish his explanation.

    "But not the spirit." Shay finished his sentence softly. "He is invisible to the eye of a person, but not the spirit of a person."

    â€‹Shezearin thought of her words then looked at her. "I presume you're right." He said.

    "But I'm confused about one thing," Shay said. "You call him a spirit, but people here call other things spirits too." She said thinking of the wind spirit's title and the mentioning that there were more.

    "No, he is the real spirit. The others we call spirits are short names for ari spirits, that's completely different from the one spirit of everything.

    "Ari spirits are alive and do not contain physical form, but they're only a product of an incredible cluster of ari, they are powerful and are a great deal of influence in our nature. They were born in Dezaria's earliest days, dwelling as ari spirits of the land, they take it as their job to watch over the land in their own way by following their own philosophies and wisdom they've learned from being born in such an age."

    "I see." Shay said slowly. It made sense.

    "They may be tremendously powerful as well as respected beings of ari that have helped shifted the land over the time; and even governed Dezaria in ancient times. They don't quite age, and it is possible for them to die. But they aren't gods, everyone knows that, they're more like powerful leaders. The only god is the creator."

    As he spoke, she noticed the air of melancholy he usually held around him had been lifted for the moment. She returned her view above.

    "You know he is not only a creator, but he's also a listener too right?"

    â€‹Shezearin waited a moment as he watched the sky too. "Yes, I guess you are right." He said slowly. "I think he stopped listening to me a long time ago."

    "He never stops." she shook her head. "Well, I've been told... It just includes patience." Words from Sophia, which Shay spent her entire life hearing, floated their way to the front of Shay's mind. "But also you have to listen to him too. That's the thing people forget sometimes. But I have a feeling you have listened to him at least a few times." Perhaps very recently at that.

    â€‹Shezearin voice was soft now, almost at a whisper. "Even if I have, There's still good reasons that he wouldn't listen to me."

    "Shezearin, no one is perfect. He knows that, that's why he is forgiving."

    "But what if change just isn't possible. And…" his sentence trailed off, and never picked up. He only sighed quietly.

    "Well… he'll know the answer." Shay said to him. "Just ask for the help. My only advice is to keep listening. And answers will show up, I'm sure. Until then, hold on and appreciate what is around you; the things you do have to get by. Which goes back to what I said before, about appreciating the simple things. That's something my grandmother had always taught me."

    There was silence for both of them under the glittery light filled sky.

    Shay spoke softly. "And if you do look at the stars, it would be like talking to him, like viewing some of the artwork he made especially for you as you sit at this very time and place. My grandma says that there's beauties like this that he's made everywhere you turn. We just need to see them, instead of overlooking. If you pay attention to them, they can help you."

    "I'll remember that." He said coolly.

    Minutes had passed while the two of them sat in the night air and enjoyed the view a bit longer. Finally, Shay's yawn broke the silence.

    "Well maybe it's time to rest up." She said. She stretched and rose to her feet. "Okay Zee, ready to call it a night?"

    He stood and followed her into the den.

    "Good night." She told him as she curled up on the thin roll-up sleeping mat, one of the newly packed traveling resources. She had also a change of soft sweat pants to sleep in. Her sleeping spot was right behind a large rock that lay close to the stone wall of the den.

 

 

 

    â€‹Shezearin put out the fire in the den's center and then went to the wall across from Shay. He preferred to sleep on the elements around him instead of the sleeping mats. He rested with his back against the stone wall.

    He couldn't make out Shay's face anymore in the pitch blackness but looked in her direction. Soon enough he heard the light breathing of her sleep.

    The girl he found himself accompanied with did nothing but puzzle him. And stranger, he felt the difference in himself each moment he stayed with her.

    Something else didn't seem to fit into the way he had always knew the world around him to be like. People weren't supposed to act like her, human or Riavn. Most were spineless, fearful, irrational, and just about all were driven by whatever would benefit themselves. He's truly only encountered a handful of people in his entire life similar to her. But there were things about her, he believed even surpassed them.

    And he was sure that now that he'd met her his perception of things would never quite go back to the way he saw them before, not after his encounter with this girl, with Shay.

16: The Cloaked Visitor

    â€‹Shezearin awoke to see the glaze of the early morning lighten the den. The sun had freshly risen, and only the very early birds were heard singing outside. Across the den from him lay Shay near the wall with her back turned to him, still deep in her slumber.

    â€‹Shezearin stood and quietly stepped to the den entrance. He expected most of the forest to still be asleep along with Shay. He stood at the cliff's edge and stared out at the clusters of green trees below seeping in an early morning mist.

The stars faded from view in the peach shaded sky. Though all he'd learned to admire last night was just about gone, the sky was still just as appealing.

    He could say that "soothing" was the morning's atmosphere.

    His mind, after all, had woken up to feeling more relaxed then it usually ever did. Maybe it was really thanks to the human. He was spoken to as an equal, as a person not a monster, weapon, or dog of some sort. There was no fear from her, ever. With her, the air always felt a bit…lighter, he noticed. And it always seemed to slightly nudge away his melancholy mood. She even tried to inspire him, as if she was aware of his feelings.

    So this is what a friend feels like. I'd almost forgotten. The memory of them had almost faded from his mind. He always felt it best to not be attached to the memory of anyone he previously labeled friend in his life. They'd all eventually vanish, for the best, for his and for their sake.

    Suddenly, a sharp pain sliced through his head. It lingered and scourged through his skull.

    â€‹Shezearin cringed; his hand gripped the side of his head as the pain ripped through him. But he already knew what it was, who it was. But the pain came much harsher than usual.

    Not now. Not now. He thought. Why now?

    Through the throbbing, his keen eyes skimmed the area. The pain increased with a jolt and Shezearin's head faced the ground. Soon, the pain vanished just as suddenly as it came.

    A shadow appeared before him. But he didn't want to raise his head to the disgusting face that he knew was in front of him.

    "Hello there Shezearin." said the cold slippery voice. It was deep and icy enough to make a person shutter, like sharp icicles that dripped with poison.

    â€‹Shezearin recomposed himself and stood to the creature before him. Every time Shezearin had to lay eyes on that hated face it brought a whole other type of misery to him. And the peace that he felt only minutes ago was all but pulverized out of him.

    Dressed in a draped black cloak with his hood down was his master. The man floated in midair a few feet away from the cliff's edge in front of him. It was part of his many abilities, to levitate.

    "Ahh. no words?" he grinned his disgusting grin. "No greetings for your dear Master Kavothar? Aw Shezearin I'm hurt." he mocked. "And after so many years of being like a father to you."

    I'm not sure what you're definition of a father is…But you are no damn father! However, Shezearin's face may have slipped slightly, portraying that thought. He had grown too used to the freeness of that over the last couple of days. But this now, was a mistake.

    "What's the matter Shezearin?" Kavothar cocked his head to the side. His amused expression was of a hungry tyrant; the type who always waited for the weaker person to slip in order to have an excuse to smash them. "Oh I know what it is, I did signal you a little harsher than usual didn't I?"

    "You should have a better way to contact me." Shezearin managed to speak through his swelling anger. It came through his voice in a hiss.

    "Oh?" Kavothar raised an eyebrow. "Getting a little testy are we?" His voice lowered and began again in a whisper. "Maybe you need to be reminded, of your place!" the last word was raised into a bark of a voice and at the same time Shezearin felt an invisible force push him hard from his feet, tossing him backwards to smack into the outside rock wall of the den behind him.

    A small grunt of pain slipped out when his back hit the rock. As the force faded, he fell onto his hands and knees at the rocky ground.

    â€‹Kavothar slinked closer to Shezearin's crouched form, landing his feet on the ledge and only inches away from the den's entrance.

    He hissed to Shezearin. "So I was gliding by and spotted you but was curious so I stopped to watch you for a moment. You seemed so caught into your sweet daydream that I figured I had to wake you. So I signaled you a little stronger than the gentleness I usually use." His tone spoke as if he was explaining himself to a toddler. He was mocking him again.

    He continued in an almost playful tone. "Tell me Shezearin what were you thinking of?" He looked out at the cliff scene. "There was something close to an actual smile on your face. It seems my prized tool is growing feelings is it?" he laughed. "Soft feelings at that?"

    He moved back from Shezearin to lean on the rock wall and look down at him. "It's a pity though. Such a feeling is meaningless for something like you. Something who can't get close to anything sweet without putting it in danger." he giggled like a child. Then hovered back to the cliff side. "And just think; a thing of your power when pushed too far can destroy at least half of this forest you see before you!" he laughed and spread his arms out. "Boom!" His voice cackled with each chuckle.

    "I can control my power." Shezearin barely spoke up as he tried to contain his angry self.

    "Oh can you now? Well I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." He chuckled again before dropping his voice to a calmer whisper. "Yes, perhaps a monster can learn to become a house pet." he spat sarcastically. Perhaps you're much better than the last time I've seen you lose your cool. No, I mean the last time you really lost it. Do you remember that Shezearin?"

    â€‹Shezearin didn't have to look at his face, to know his master wore a grin. He stayed silent despising Kavothar more for the reminder. He closed his eyes after staring at the ground and swallowed the thought of the memory quickly before pain could slip through.

    He gradually rose to his feet and stared at Kavothar with eyes glazed with compacted fury. But thinking better of it, he instead iced over his emotions to what he knew was a cold stare. It was what he usually did, his default, where he felt no emotion inside; the easiest way to cope with his own reality. In Shay's view she'd call it being lifeless.

    "Well now." Kavothar grinned calmly. "Now that we have our loving greetings out of the way, let's get back to business."

    "Well then master." he said coldly. "Why are you here? Your word was that I would not hear from you."

    "Yes, Yes. I know what I said." he waved a hand. "This news is urgent. And don't fret; you still have your break. I decided to drop you the message personally since I was passing through the area, and of course being able to track you helped as well." he sneered.

    â€‹Shezearin noticed Kavothar was a bit more careless with his presence at the time. Unless he was trying to make a grand appearance somewhere, he would at least have his hood up. Perhaps he showed his face just to annoy Shezearin and remind him of his power over him. He must have known by now how he hated to even hold the man's face in his gaze, let alone his mind.

    The morning sun draped Kavothar revealing a clear image. The light brightened his tanned and aged but once barely brown skin and his black grease-like hair tied in a small ponytail in the lower back of his head. It brightened the long pointed nose of his, and glinted the cold black pupils of his eyes. But most of all, the sun revealed his two tattooed dark purple lines that ran down either side of his face to skip his eye sockets and continue down his cheeks, neck and probably to his chest. The tatted lines had all begun at his forehead, where a shard of a dark and perfectly cut diamond shaped jewel was placed directly. Its black rim around it held it in place. Two other lines ran from the diamond's two upper sides, probably to run through his scalp and to the back of his head and down the rest of his back. He was told that those tattooed lines ran in patterns all around his body.

    "Shezearin," The detesting face spoke. "Since I gave my word you still have your vacation. However, a small unexpected, miscalculation has occurred. I figured your sharp eyes could at least help as a lookout as you carry on your way."

    "What am I on the lookout for?"

    "It's a very important piece to my plan, in fact, a vital yet fragile piece that threatens its entire success. And I've been waiting for some time to complete this. It's what I've been working on for months now, after finding it was possible."

    Shezearin waited silently, expression blank.

    "What is this piece?" Shezearin finally asked, concealing his irritation.

    "Shezearin, a human, a human has escaped my own grasp. The wretched group I've hired for the job managed to screw it up somehow. They've fared to get her here, from what resources I've provided, but that was all, and now the rotten little bug is crawling about somewhere. But it can't have gone too far in this area."

    â€‹Shezearin's breath froze when he heard his master's words. His suspicions were right after all. Though he had hoped that he was wrong, all the pieces were adding in his head and he found himself slapped by the obvious truth. The kidnapping...the powerful demanding client of the pythorns who ordered it, and not to mention the technology he'd given the pythorns too. The binding ari weapons they had were things similar to what he saw was recently developed in Kavothar's lab. And then of course, there was Shay's ari power.

    And now, little did Kavothar know, his very piece lay in the den right behind him.

    "If I might ask..." Shezearin began slowly in a smoothed voice, covering the nerves within him. "What would a human have to do with anything?"

    "Hmm." Kavothar signed with a grin. "Perhaps to let you know the importance of the situation, I could at least enlighten you." he folded his arms. "That's no ordinary human. It possesses an ancient power that I have been searching a while now for, one that most of Dezaria thought to have completely vanished and never to return. But I've found it; the power has been hiding in something that wasn't even in Riav at all, but in a different world, the human world. And in that measly human itself!"

    Shezearin heard the squeak of Kavothar's black gloves as he released his balled fists under his folded arms.

    "The human should be unaware of it, but somehow she's managed to escape from the people I thought could handle such a simple job." he scowled.

    â€‹Shezearin suspected that his master had been in the area originally to pick up the cargo that was Shay, but instead learned different news. And like himself, she was going to be a tool to his master because of something she had or was. But he wasn't sure just what job that tool would have since the "superior tool" title was Shezearin's, as he called him in the past.

    â€‹Kavothar continued. "I didn't stay to hear their pathetic excuses..." he grumbled half to himself. He was never a man of patience, which was most likely the reason he was still unaware of the human awakening her powers at all.

    He looked back at Shezearin with stern eyes. "I need that girl." his voice rose dangerously and his fists tightened again. "I need that power. Everything else is intact and ready. She is the last piece for me to gain that power."

    "How will you do that?" Shezearin's voice spoke slow as he tried to imagine what his masters might be talking about. He spoke as if he would really possess it himself, instead of simply owning the power as he did Shezearin's. "How will you gain the power in another person?"

    A sly smile crept up the side of Kavothar's face. He was happy to answer the question. "Well I've never removed ari from a soul's body before. But after your last mission I've now acquired the last piece I need to power what my new creation for this very job. My grand invention, the Ripper, and it will rip the ari straight out of the human. So I will need you to keep your eyes open, she should stand out as a human; strange cloths, no sense of active ari around her… If you see her anywhere, bring the wretch to me and you will have an extra reward."

    He lifted one finger and lowered a stern eyebrow. "But remember, I need the girl alive. Her soul must be present in order to separate the ari."

    Shezearin nodded slowly. "This procedure, it's unheard of to me. How does this work?"

    â€‹Kavothar lifted a curious eyebrow. "You're showing interest in an assignment? This isn't even a focal mission for you." He flashed an evil grin, happy to rant on about his proud invention.

    "But very well, this contraption I have has its name because it will literally rip the ari from the body of anyone tied down to it. And to do that, to detach the ari, it tears the soul which tears the life in it. When the soul is torn out and gone and the human dies, the power will be completely unattached from the corpse and be preserved for me to take. But without the soul to begin with, there is no ari, which is why it's vital for her to be alive first."

    â€‹Kavothar exposed his canine teeth in a smile as he became lost in the thought of his greedy fantasy. He paid Shezearin's possible shocked expression no mind.

    "But I must be on my way." He said when he snapped out of it and stepping towards the cliff. "Take this."

    He tossed a small devise at him.

    â€‹Shezearin caught it in his hand. It was a circular device that looked like a compass. But instead there was a small light in the center.

    "That light blinks when it is faced with a life force without an ari connection. Though the human has ari, it isn't awakened. It'll be as if it doesn't exist. So use it to tell if you are in front of the human.

    "Now I take my leave. I need to send my strongest trackers as soon as I can to aid on the search for her. And as for you, I'll see you at the end of the week. Unless however, you do this and receive your extra reward."

    Without another look back, Kavothar raised his black hood over his head and then took off into the air, robes rippling hard into the wind. And then he was gone.

    â€‹Shezearin's thoughts were paralyzed by the picture that his master just described. He'd been wondering what it was he'd been cooking up the last few months and now he knew and it was hard for his mind to get passed it.

    Disappointment he should be used to by now, but this time it hurt more and at that it wasn't even for himself, but for the human girl, for Shay. Why was it that any attachment he had with anyone was sooner or later crushed? And the pain of the harsh detachment was always more painful than any blow he could suffer on a mission.

    He stared harder at the device he held and tightened his grip, red eyes burning with fury.

    What type of wedge am I forced into now?

    He took in a deep breath then took one look at the cliff sight that seemed to have lost its pleasant glow and turned around to face the den.

    It was a relief that Kavothar didn't go in or notice Shay either. But in truth, Kavothar was all power, and had very dull senses, enough that Shezearin would label him as practically blind, he hadn't a notice that someone was inside. To add, he'd hardly ever go inside a place such as a den anyway, he was far too luxurious.

    But since Kavothar was gone, than for the moment he had a decision; though at the pit of his stomach, a pain reminded him that it didn't matter. He knew this man, Kavothar, all of his life, as far as he could remember. And he always had his way.

    â€‹Shezearin allowed the human device to fall from his hand to drop and roll on the ground and stop in front of him between his foot and the den. Walking ahead, he stomped directly on the device with an angry crunch.

    It wasn't needed either way. He left the device in pieces behind him. That invention may have cost a bit, but he was sure, Kavothar had copies. And his fury allowed him not to care.

    He walked through the dimmed cave and leaned his back against the stone wall where he had slept that night. Against it, he sank down to his knees, mind heavy with thoughts and decision.

    Releasing a deep sigh, he looked across the den at Shay. Her back was still turned from him, she hadn't moved a bit. But something caught his eye. Observing further, he noticed that her body was shivering. But it wasn't from cold.

    Somehow, something in his chest felt like it sunk. As he came to a realization:

    She had been awake.

 

 

 

    Though Shay stared at the rock wall, she saw nothing in front of her. She only saw a projected image in her mind...of her dying. She was going to die.

    That strange icy voice she heard on the other side of that wall repeated in her mind. And her entire body was taken over by the feeling, the knowledge of the fate she overheard... that waited for her. And there was no way for her to escape it. That was his master. And there was no way to escape him.

    A memory fogged her mind. It was Elszka. When Shay was at her house before she left, and the elder woman had warned her to get out of the zeome's company as soon as she could. She had called his life shadowy and untrustworthy.

    She remembered Elszka's words specifically: I know nothing of who he bids for, but they must be powerful to have such a player. As for the Zeome' is simply an all-too-powerful tool in someone else's hands. And if he knew what you really are all along, it would not surprise me.

    Shay shivered and felt tears building in her eyes. But she kept quiet and hadn't moved since she had awoken at the sound of the rock wall being impacted and then everything that followed.

    She heard his footsteps coming towards her. Immobilized with fear, her heart was beating fast.

    "Shay." said his deep cool voice. "Shay?"

    She didn't answer, but heard his cautious footsteps come closer. His hand placed itself on her shoulder. And she cringed under the warm touch, conflicting with the cold she felt inside her.

    "Shay." he said again slowly. "Look at me."

    Upon hearing his voice, her beating heart slowed only slightly. The sound of his voice sounded soothing as usual.

    "How much did you hear?"

    Finally, Shay sat up slowly. Her back still faced him and she stared at her feet.

    "I heard enough." she said tonelessly. Cautious, she still didn't face him.

    Behind her, Shezearin sighed and hesitated. "Shay...I'm sorry you had to hear that."

    Shay whipped herself around to look fiercely at his face. She knew that tears boiled over in her eyes from her tangle of frustration.

    "Did you know?" she demanded.

    There was silence.

    "You had to know then." Her voice cracked a little bit. "I woke up when I heard something hit the cave wall outside. I looked around and you were gone, I heard that man and I heard you." she paused. "To anyone else, this would look like a set up."

    He looked into her eyes, studying them, the emotion in his were not hard, or lifeless; they actually for the first, time looked weak. Rather they were filled with pity, sympathy, sorrow, or just broken strength, she didn't know.

    "Shay," he said slowly. "You know I didn't know who you were when I found you."

    "Yeah well did you know after the pythorn village? You knew something about my powers, about my fate, didn't you?" Her accusation forced her voice to gain more strength.

    A moment passed. "I suspected." he answered her. "First clue was when I chased those two pythorns off for you."

    â€‹Grob and Leak…

    "The hunch grew the more the pythorns showed such dedication to capturing you. I know firsthand that when someone would go to such great lengths to try to capture and own a single person in these lands, there's someone who wants your power. But I thought it was impossible for you, being a human.

    "When you showed up with those powers yesterday I wondered how this could even be. It proved my suspicions true, though I didn't want to believe it. And I didn't know what it all meant. But my fears…came true today. My master fit the description; Clawn was right when he asked about being familiar with his client even though he didn't know my true role to Kavothar. Still, I hoped that he was wrong, but there were hints that that client was him. But Shay, I wasn't sure until he came this morning to find me. And the conversation from then on is what you heard."

    "So that terrible man," she said with disgust. "Is who you work for?"

    "Yes."

    "But you call him master. So then you are...?"

    "His servant."

    "How could you serve such a man?" she snapped.

    His eyes trailed to the side, away from her. "I am a slave."

    "But how is that?" Shay's voice gained an angry rage. "You are Shezearin, the zeome'! You're feared throughout the entire land! Doesn't that mean anything?"

    Shezearin's calm demeanor remained but his gaze did not return to her. "It's not that simple. It's because of who I am and what I possess, that I am a slave."

    "But how!?" Shay stood up as her voice grew to a shout; tears began to cloud her sight. "It doesn't make sense! Unless you're letting him do it; you're too powerful!"

    "No." his eyebrows lowered, still avoiding her eye. "My life has always been this way since I can remember, against my will. He seeks power and captures it for his own use. I became shackled to him long ago when I was very small, too weak to fight it off. It's some type of bondage power he used and now it's deeply rooted within me and I can't escape. This is a power that only he has, I've never heard of anyone else with such ability.

    "And now he chases after your power... I didn't want to believe your ari could be that strong. Even if you may not be able to reach its full potential, you're still carrying it, like a package. It may not even be destructive like my own; it may be a different type, but its power and can possibly rival mine…Possibly." He repeated. "And he wants it."

    "So you're telling me this guy just goes around taking people?"

    "No. You don't understand how. Everyone else at his base works for him freely and believes in his pay and in his rule, but no one else is under my situation because of the value of my power. And now he finds you to be just as valuable, though he wants you to serve a different purpose."

    As hard as it was too imagine, Shay considered he might be right about her power. She remembered how Elszka was so excited to see and study it.

    "A-and he's that powerful too, huh?" Shay's voice squeaked out.

    He looked at her dead in the eye. "Too powerful." His voice rang. "It'll be hard to even escape him Shay. I'm…sorry. I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. Maybe I could have helped you avoid it."

    They both fell silent; inside so many emotions overwhelmed Shay that she couldn't identify the current one. And Shezearin's eyes revealed more from him than she'd seen. This was the first time she had seen him look in complete defeat, even weak. He'd been her invincible warrior sense coming to Dezaria but now the armor had vanished.

    But watching his eyes, all her senses told her that there wasn't a lie in them. Like her, he'd been ignorant of the whole situation set up by his…master.

    Shay's teeth gritted together.

    She was still angry; angry at herself at how often she'd felt trapped in this world, and now she was stuck in a cage, a crab trap snapped shut. And no matter what corner she'd run to, she was still trapped in a madman's grasp. Just when she thought she escaped the pythorns that he'd hired, it turned out that she'd been with his right hand henchmen, his servant, the entire time. And most of all, it hurt to picture even trying to fight this servant of his off. As if she could…

    She looked away, not wanting to explode, at least not at him. She released it with a sigh and her angry fire lost its fuel. There was only defeat left in her now.

    "You couldn't have seen it coming." She finally said, in a soft voice as she starred at the ground. "There was no way you could have known, and there's still nothing you can do but to follow your orders." It pained her to say the last words. There wasn't a choice left for neither of them. Maybe she could at least get a good head start when she ran.

    Run where? She then thought, remembering they were on a cliff top. Like that even mattered against him.

    "No." Shezearin spoke up his face a bit more confident, as if he had a choice. "No Shay, I can't do that. Could you honestly believe I could?"

    "What?" she looked up at him with frustrated eyes. Why was he playing with her? She felt the burn in her eyes continue as she tried to hold back the pressure of more tears. She couldn't find the energy to raise her voice so she spoke low. "What are you talking about?"

    "Shay,"

    "You heard your orders."

    "I know, I'm still on a week off, as rare as it is. Which is why my instructions were only to keep an eye out for you," he sighed and added. "Though it shouldn't even be that. I'm still considered to be on my break. He won't know unless I turn you in."

    "And what about when that ends?"

    "You will have made it to the village already where you'll be safe. If timing's right, we will be there in two to three days. And my time is for four more days."

    "But if I'm still with you until then, can't he just track us down like he just did?"

    "He can locate where I am in his head, because of the bondage power he has on me. And he can only track me when he is trying to summon me; he only summons me for a purpose. And he no longer has any purpose for me until the week is up."

    Shay shook her head. Too many possibilities of failure were around this. And the consequence was her life. Her fears again were turning into a whelp of frustration and anger. Shay hardly noticed that she was already at her feet and started pacing.

    "And what if he just sends you after me when you get back?"

    "And you think he would send me in that area? Surai is far off from where you started. There's no way a human fugitive would come that far in this amount of time and survive. Any normal non-traveler wouldn't cross both the jungles and the Great Plains this fast. And besides it's a small town and it's often overlooked during wide searches."

    Shay didn't answer yet, still pacing back and forth. Her fears were driving her to a crazy panic.

    "But still!" Her feet finally planted themselves. "This won't work! He's gonna send others looking for me while you're out. And what if-?" There were so many what-if questions in her head she didn't know which one to say first. So she left the sentence alone. "That man; he was so certain of himself. He even sounded scary powerful, as if he could order anything to happen with the snap of his finger! He's gonna send more."

    She shook her head and her words grew louder. "And I'm sure they'll be way more serious than those pythorns were! He might not stop 'till however long it takes me to get home! Will I be ducking my head from battles every second until then?" Her voice broke at the end, though her anger hadn't completely melted yet. She turned her back to him and held her arms to hug herself.

    After a silence passed Shezearin spoke softly. "Shay."

    She didn't answer.

    He touched her shoulder, "Look at me."

    She whipped herself around to face him, not caring anymore that he will see the fresh new wave of tears in her eyes. "Shezearin I'm scared." she admitted a bit loudly. She lowered her head and looked down. "I'm scared, I'm scared," her voice dropped to a whisper as she shook her head. "I need to go home."

    Her body shivered and she folded her arms.

    "This place is beautiful." she continued so quietly. "I believe it is what I've been dreaming of, but not this part...I'm tired of being hunted like an animal...Most of all...I don't want to die." she said the last sentence in barely even a whisper.

    Tears streamed down her face in quiet sobs. She tried her best to force their stop, the noise quelled but the tears didn't.

    A mid-finger length gloved hand, Shezearin's, then touched the bottom of her chin. He used the side of his finger to gently lift her chin up to where she looked him directly into his ruby eyes. There was strength in them now, but without the usual emotionless steel.

    "Shay," his voice spoke. And the sound of it both comforted and ordered her attention. "Listen to me." She stared at him, the pair of rubies locking her into their warm pull.

    "I will bring you to Surai, the town that will help you. And even after, I will do all that's in my power to stop him from seeking you until it is too late for him and I've heard you went home. I promise I will try my best.

    "He will very well set obstacles to get you on the way to Surai that is if he's starting to get a lock on your location. But I'm here. Think of how you've managed to escape him already."

    "With your help."

    "Yes, and I will still be here. And unlike when I first helped you, you can count on me to be dependable this time." He paused for a minute staring at her, the red in his eyes grew in warmth.

    "I've never asked anyone to depend on me, but I will ask you. Though it's been a short time, I think you're the closest to...a friend in a very long time. And as a friend, I will do my part when I promise to help you." He searched her eyes as he let his words sink in. "Trust me."

    Carefully, he placed both hands on her shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

    Shay's tears had slowed as she stared at him. At the moment a strange and perhaps irrelevant thought came into Shay's mind: Shezearin had never seemed to be accustomed to much physical touch at all. She noticed he always froze before any type physical contact. Unless he was fighting, he treated touch like it was foreign. The last time he had done it willingly was the light touch of her shoulder when he attempted to comfort her at the Temple of the Wind. It was even stranger how he wore gloves all the time, except when he slept.

    Looking at him, he had come away from the unattached person she met. And still, he decided to help her and promise to continue to help her despite what risks he may be taking on himself…

    She embraced him with a sudden hug. She knew he wasn't expecting this, but she held on to him tight. "Of course, I trust you Zee."

    He hesitated at first but then slowly wrapped his own arms around her in return.

    "Thank you my friend." she whispered to him.

    Maybe it's not that bad, She thought. To have someone stand for me when, as much as I might hate it, feel weak and helpless as I've been most of Dezaria. After all, that's when a friend, someone you trust, is usually there to take over for you when you need them. And as a good friend, she would be strong for him in return.

17: Shezearin's Past

    Shay was more than relieved to hear Zee announce a stopping break. He'd been leading them at a persistent pace ever since they climbed down from the cliff top hours ago; and now the sun was raising high in the sky for the early afternoon.

    After this morning's encounter with his "master", Zee had been aggressively pushing their pace. Something was bothering him. It was written on his cold face, the face he wore while his mind was detached from his surroundings, leaving him to be driven by whatever he was thinking about.

    He was practically power-walking. And that, plus his common knowledge of maneuvering through the thick jungle terrain, only made it more difficult to follow him. Shay had to drag herself through it all to keep up with him. They only managed one quick stop during the time and it had been an ari practice session for Shay.

    During those practices, Shay had gained an all new level of focus now that she found her need to defend herself in Dezaria becoming more dire. Even with Zee's capable abilities, she had to do something and the plane human world fist fighting she knew was not going to cut it in Dezaria. But no matter how much more she tried, the results were still the same as yesterday; the flame would only sit on her hand. But on a good note, she was becoming more familiar with the relationship of her focus along with her ari fire. She slowly found herself being able to at least manipulate the fire that she called to her hands. That alone, was progress.

    Zee leaned himself quietly next to a tree in the small clearing while Shay climbed onto a large rock that stood as tall as her lower waist. She sat, letting her aching feet dangled down and she made herself comfortable on their long needed break.

    After a gulp of water from her canteen, Shay took a good look at her surroundings. Vines hung from the trees and the explosions of lush green were everywhere here too. But the trees weren't quite like they had been since they left the pythorn village; they no longer reminded her of large oaks. They were a tad bit shorter, but had skinnier trunks in comparison and they began to space out just a little more. To add, she was beginning to see more rocks and boulders. The change of terrain proved that they had clearly made a good distance and she hoped that the end of the jungle wasn't far.

    Shay waited until she completely caught her breath and took several more long minutes of gulping water to talk. "Hey Zee," she started.

    â€‹Shezearin looked silently in her direction.

    "You noticed we covered a pretty big distance for it still to be this early."

    He looked up and back in the straight direction of which they came. The clifftop stood small in a fogy distance. "I guess we have covered a fair deal without yet completing the day."

    "I say more than fair. So why don't you relax?" she kicked her feet. "Even sit down for a minute. We don't have to be long but we could take about twenty minutes out of the day to just rest."

    Staring, he looked at her. "I guess there's no harm in that." He slid down to the base of the tree that he leaned on and sat. "Happy?"

    Shay grinned. "Much."

    "I see you've now gained a much lighter outlook on thing."

    "If you mean everything as in the discovery this morning, no they still worry me. But yes, it's not bothering me now; I did some thinking on the walk so far. And it's also 'cause I know I have the world's most determined man traveling with me." she laughed. "Zee I know you're worried too but take it easy on yourself. Don't stress yourself if the situation is well under control. You were confident when you told me your plans. And you've never had doubts in your skills of getting us to the next village before. So what's different now? What's really eating you?"

    He smirked. "What would give you that notion? Don't I usually act like there's a lot on my mind?" He repeated what she'd told him a few times already since they'd been traveling together.

    "Well," she said slowly, through a laugh. "I just do. So are you going to tell me?"

    His smirk faded. "There's nothing much to tell."

    "Hmmm." Shay thought and looked at him. But decided to go into another subject first. "Hey is that stream nearby? Is that why there are more rocks around now? The landscape's changing."

    "You've grown more observant, I see." Zee commented. "But yes. Actually the waterfall I spoke of before isn't far from here. Very close actually."

    "Oh. So we're even closer than I thought."

    "Well then if I have pushed us as far as you say, at least it's better that we will reach the village sooner."

    "Yea, can't argue with that."

    It had been several quiet minutes listening to the forest as she was thinking. There was a lot more she wanted to ask him about the visit with this…Kavothar, his master. But she wasn't quite sure how to start or approach it. The topic could be really sensitive, especially if it pushed him to be this troubled by it all.

    "Zee." Shay spoke softly.

    He turned to her. "What is it?" his cool voice was slightly drawn out. He must have recognized her own tone of voice, and knew she was going to ask a question that may require a long answer.

    "I trust you already," she started out, though that fact was obvious. "But I think in order for that trust to grow stronger we need to know more about each other. And you..."she paused to get her words together. "Are like a big mystery to me. And if you have any questions at all about me, I can answer them too. You did mention before how strange I am to you."

    â€‹Shezearin looked at the ground, with an unreadable expression, but soon his red eyes returned to her. "That's only fair. I do owe you at least a few explanations. But for you, I can hold on questions for now. It was just your actions and personality that is strange to me, but I see it may be something to understand over time."

    "Well if you have any questions feel free to ask."

    He nodded. "So what is your question for me?"

    "I need you to tell me a little about your life. How did you become...a slave?"

    Zee sighed, as if he knew this question was coming. "It's a story I don't remember ever reciting." He said to her. "But very well, I will try my best."

    He closed his eyes briefly then slowly opened them to stare ahead into the trees, as if he literally gazed into a dark memory that he was now forced to pull out after so many years of hiding it away from his mind.

    "I can't remember anything before his face invaded my mind." he said quietly. "I was very young when he came, at least six years of age." he paused, and took another deep breath. "All I know is on that day I had lost everything. Whatever it is that I had before, I'm sure that included any family I may have had...

    "I remember being afraid that night; there was fire. I was told to run from something, though I didn't know what. I think it was some type of monster beast. I never saw what it was but I felt it's danger in the air as thick as the fire's smoke. I ran through the forest, completely alone. And I stayed out there until morning and returned to what was left of my old home, what was once a humble lone forest house. Everything was dark and filled with ash, a burned lonely pile of nothing. Surrounding, I remember was nothing but scorched trees and broken branches. But in the rubble I found this; pure and unscratched."

    He raised the chained ruby colored gem out of the neck of his shirt, where it usually stayed tucked.

    "I think I knew what it was, or what it meant to me then, but now it is only a blurry memory. I just remember that it was special somehow. And that somehow…it felt comforting towards me, even now as it accompanied me on every life threatening day I had faced since then."

    Shay stared at the ruby crystal that matched his eyes. Deep reds ran into the cut jewel. It was beautiful, but like its owner, a mystery.

    "When I had first found this, it also used to help me remember some of what I had before Kavothar. But with each year, more of it faded from my mind. And now everything about my past seems blackened. It's just gone."

    "So then you don't know anything of your family...your parents?" Shay asked gently.

    He shook his head staring at the ground. "No. I don't remember...anything about them, who they were, what they did, even what they looked like."

    Shay stared at him. It was hard for her to imagine such a thing. Though her parents were busy most the time, having not much to do wither or even each other for that matter, they were still her parents and she knew of them and their love. But this man knew absolutely nothing of his, or of any family at all for that matter. A chill of sadness went sank in her insides at the thought of how lonely that must have been.

    "I'm so sorry Shezearin."

    "There's nothing to be sorry about."

    After a silent moment Zee continued.

    "He...Kavothar had found me visiting the spot of rubble that was left of my home one day, the third day since that fire. He walked up to me, looked me in the eyes and held his hand out. But I ran from him, something told me to run.

    "Unfortunately for me, he had a few of his minions with him, a pack of them actually. Not that I even knew that they were with him. I just knew these people were after me.

    "I knew my way maneuvering through those woods but after a long and, for them, a difficult chase, they had found me. The whole time I wondered why so many men would try to hunt me down. I was small and posed no threat. Still, they tied ropes around me like an animal and brought me to a giant building full of towers and shapes, the very lair Kavothar resides in now.

    "That's where I saw him again, sitting on his great chair. He told me that I would be safer now, and I would be able to live and to survive out here with his help, if I do everything he says.

    "I didn't answer him though, I never talked then when I first came there. So I neither agreed nor disagreed. And then they carried me away." He stopped.

    "How was it when you came there?"

    "Well I was given my own small quarters and food. The first few days I was even allowed to explore around the home at times though there were workers everywhere I went that had or wanted little to do with me. The following day my training began. I was given beginner's training sessions by different teachers for combat and different techniques of survival."

    "All at six years old..." Shay said to herself with a slow shake of her head.

    "At first it didn't make a difference to me. I felt noting at the time, the training seemed to help numb my mind of nightmares from the time of that fire and the attacking monster that night. But as months passed and I completed each simple task I was given to learn successfully, Kavothar had assigned more difficult skills to me."

    "And what if you said no?"

    "If I refused or acted difficult about it, I had to fight. At that time, one of his minions would be ordered to fight me without holding back. I was able to fend for myself but I was still no match. And I didn't know the potential of my skill then either. I was beaten each time."

    "Before I knew it, I was given tougher trainings, if I did not complete them well enough I was made to do them again and again with either no food or pushed to do them in fear of a beating. The nightmare of that night was far from my mind and instead I focused on the one at present."

    He paused. "Kavothar had said that I wasn't accelerating as fast as I should be. Though I was just getting through trainings, he wanted to see me do more. Soon he backed off on the pushing because he was convinced by an adviser that my ari was simply not developed enough yet. And so I was continued to have more advanced survival and combat training at the age of six and seven. Skills that did not require any ari power, and put what should be etched into my head as common knowledge."

    Shay stared at him, horrified. "And was it all training? What about...learning?"

    His eyes were closed and he swallowed. "I was without any at first, mindless but had no choice but to continue other training. After some time of being there, at least a year, that same adviser I spoke of that told him to hold down my training had come to confront me one day, alone."

    He continued with his voice gaining a flat tone. "He told me that he'd been wanting to meet me in person. Up 'till then, I had hardly ever crossed paths with him in the castle. He was usually in the labs."

    He stopped again, seconds turned into a minute. His voice rose quietly. "He was also a trusted long term worker of Kavothar's. He had advised Kavothar that it best I do become educated, it may help, and that he would do it himself...and so he-he became my teacher."

    Zee was silent. His fingers tangled between his locks of hair as he leaned his head down into his lap. He stayed in this position.

    Shay got up to sit beside him. "Zee, are you okay?" she asked gently. She wasn't going to push him anymore. "I didn't mean to give you pain by bringing this up."

    He didn't say anything but she couldn't see his face. He sat there, completely still.

    Maybe he couldn't hear her, and his mind was trapped in a bad memory.

    "Zee?"

    No response.

    She placed a hand onto his bare muscled shoulder that his thick black and sleeveless shirt revealed.

    "Zee?" she repeated. "Shezearin. I'm sorry for making you think about this."

    He sighed and looked up at her. There was no sign of tears or breaking down. They were only cold again, and numb from emotion now. But at the same time they held the weight of heavy thought. "You shouldn't be sorry. Besides, the story only reminded me of something. It was only a thought."

    "Alright," A hint of worry still slipped through her voice. "Well by now you'd be saying that we should get moving. We've stayed here for a while. And my feet feel a little better."

    He agreed, and finally stood up. Shay started walking, expecting Zee to speed ahead of her as he did all today. But he didn't. Shay turned around to see that his feet didn't move yet; he was lost in thought again.

    "There's still something bothering you." she said walking up to him. "The real thing that's been bothering you all day." She stated. "So c'mon, what is it?"

    "Shay I'm sure the sooner you do get away from me the better."

    This caught her by surprise. "What do you mean?"

    "I'm just not a person you should be around."

    Shay recalled hearing these words from him before. A memory played out in her head, it was from when she had first asked if she could stay with him, the first day she met him: If you were smart, you would stay away from me human, he had said to her.

    "Zee, I want to travel with you. Besides the fact that I probably don't have a choice." She added a chuckle. "And I've been enjoying it… You're the safest I could travel with anyway. And I just wanna add that you're the first person I've met here besides that lady Elszka, that hasn't minded me being human."

    "Shay, I never understood the fact that after you found out even a small idea of the potential of my power, you never feared me like any Dezarian here would. I figured you were just ignorant of the real danger that you put yourself into by being around me."

    "Zee what are you really talking about?"

    "Didn't you say you heard the conversation between me and Kavothar?"

    "Yeah." She folded her arms.

    "How much?"

    "Since I heard something collide with the cave. What was that anyway?"

    "That was me. He had slammed me into the wall as punishment for me speaking out with a sharp tongue." he said quickly as if it didn't matter and continued. "But so that means you heard what he said after that."

    "What part?"

    "Right after he slammed me, he explained why he had signaled me harder. He's able to do it with that bondage power I mentioned before. Since he first captured me as a child he put the link on me somehow. It acts as a chain. With it he can discipline me by triggering pain and sometimes even disabling my body and that's how he can track me when he wants to. When he signals me I can feel the aching buzz in my head. I also believe some of it has to do with my missing memories." he added quickly. "But my point is his explanation for it."

    "That it didn't suit you to have sweet thoughts?"

    "Yes. It was because, as he said, it didn't fit someone like me, a monster, a baleful mindless tool."

    "Shezearin," she said in a disappointed tone.

    "But it's true." he told her, a bit more edge to his cool voice. "I am. Me and this cursed power to destroy. To contain all of this, takes a lot."

    "You've had training."

    "Yes, but there has been slip-ups. I'm very destructive when too much of my power is summoned."

    "But when he said that, you told him that you could control your power."

    "I can. But honestly, there are occasional slip ups."

    She remembered hearing their conversation. After Zee had said that he could control his own power, Kavothar had mentioned to him something about a last time he had lost control. That must have hit him hard.

    But the Shezearin she knew was always constantly watching himself when he was around innocents.

    "Zee you don't seriously believe what he said?"

    He didn't answer.

    Shay sighed and went to sit back down at the rock again. She offered him a spot on its other half. Though not right away, he eventually came to sit quietly beside her.

    "Zee nothing about you is like a monster. If you really were such a mindless tool, would you have gone to save me all those times you did? He has you under some type of control to have you thinking like that. I don't know if it's part of that mental chain or if your mind is just that conditioned to hearing it, that you believe it. You are a person not some catastrophic weapon thing!"

    "But Shay, there has been mistakes before." he said calmly.

    "That was then. And now you seem plenty controlled to me, too much actually. It's not like you go around recklessly hurting people. You only fight when needed, and you hold back every time you do. I've seen you in a couple fights where you don't even use your ari energy. When you do, and even then you still hold it back. You fight so reserved..." She stopped as a realization ad occurred to her. "In fact, I see now why you were trapped back there in the pythorn village."

    He looked up at her as she went on.

    "It was because, as they said, the only way to break those bonds that you were held with is by a strong blow of power, right? Well your power is destructive so you refused to break free. Matter of fact I bet it didn't even come across as a possible action in your mind. Because your power is and has no mind to harm or spare as mine managed to have somehow then. It would have harmed the villagers and me...That's why you prefer to travel alone so much, just in case you have to use it."

    Zee was silent.

    "Shezearin," she looked at him straight on. "Look, you're not only strong but you're thoughtful, selfless…Might I say very kind, when you want to show it. You shouldn't doubt it. You're among one of the most thoughtful people I know, and trust me there are a few.

    "And I owe you my life on countless occasions, and so do those pythorn townspeople back there."

    "That was you who saved them."

    "Not all me, and I wouldn't have found myself in the position to do it if you were not there to help me push in the first place.  And I bet this isn't the first time that-"

    "Shay..." He cut her off after a sigh, not wanting to hear anymore. "Perhaps your right. Or at least partly. But it does not erase what I've-" He stopped dead in his words. His head turned out towards the trees.

    "Zee, wha-?"

    Zee shushed her and took several slow steps ahead.

    He then whipped himself around to face her. She only saw him reach his hand out to her but before anything else, a loud and terrible snarl ripped through the air from behind. Then something very large burst through the trees behind her and at the same time, she heard Zee shout for her to duck.

    The crashing sound scared her so bad she couldn't help but stumble off the rock and to the dirt as she heard that large thing leap over top of her. She had just avoided it by an inch.

    There was another crash as the large mass landed several feet in front of her. It gave an awful screeching roar. What the hell is this?

    "Stay down!" Zee shouted.

    Shay stayed at the grass but looked up to see a four footed creature stand about eight feet tall. But she faced its back end and a giant serpent like tail whipped above her head and forced her to stay low to the ground.

    She raised her head again, just enough to look at the beast.

    What she saw reminded her of a wingless dragon, in fact a giant komodo dragon, except for its long raised neck and horned scales going down its back that also gave her the idea of a dinosaur. It had even stood straight instead of dragging its belly. Its scales were made of dark colors that just blended into black. It had long fierce claws and fangs with two pairs of horns on its head.

    The worst part was that it looked angry. It roared and hissed its long serpent tongue. Then after its last howl, it lowered its head with a growl.

    She was able to see Zee through the standing legs of the creature. He was facing its front and he stood there as still as can be. Zee kept eye contact with the beast while it stared at him for a moment without a sound.

    "Go from here." she heard him speak. He's talking to it?

    "Away with you!" he hissed louder, slicing an arm across the air.

    The creature quelled its sneers as if it considered his words. As if it was able to understand. Was it able to understand?

    Shay stared. She'd never seen such a deadly looking terrible thing. There was death written all over it. She wasn't even sure if she could move if she wanted. Her body was too frozen with terror.

    The giant serpent creature then moved away from Zee, and too her horror, faced directly to Shay.

18: Fangs, Claws, and a Clifftop

    The giant beast's pair of skinny yellow eyes stared Shay down for long agonizing seconds.

    Now Shay knew she was unable to move. Even thinking, was hardly doable. She felt her body begin to quiver as she waited for the response of those serpent eyes that was only a few feet away from her.

    Its wide jaws opened up slowly revealing it's pointed jagged teethe with dripping siliva stuck between them. A grumble started from the depths of its throat and turned to a loud and fierce snarl that made Shay jump.

    Before it moved, in a blur she saw Zee come in to the side of its head with a flying kick through the air. It was as if he glided. His entire kicking leg was covered with his ari, leaving hot red electric-like streaks of red energy trailing behind him.

    With a blast, his foot collided into the side of the beast's face. And on impact, he kicked off of the monster's scaly face with a sizzle, jetting himself backwards to land on his hands first and then back flipping to his feet.

    The creature shrieked and then snapped its jaws in his direction. With lightning reflexes, Zee dodge and rolled out of the way. They both performed this continuously.

    "Shay move!" he shouted. "Get out of his range!"

    She had to command herself to move. After several tries, her mind clicked in reaction and carried out the order. It was terror that powered her feet.

    She turned around and darted behind the nearest tree. But it was as if the beast had her located on earshot, because as soon as she came to her hiding spot, the animal snapped its head around, forgetting about its assault on Shezearin.

    Next thing she knew, it came charging towards her.

    Run! Her every instinct screamed. She was already running. She dodged every tree and heard the crashing sound of the beast behind her. It was gaining and she made a sharp turn to the right to change the path.

    "Zeeeeee!" she screamed in panic.

    She heard the zapping sound of his power slicing through the air but she didn't bother to turn around and see.

    Trees speeding by her, the noise of the monster's footsteps began to die. Maybe she was losing him. But instead, it was replaced by the sound of fierce crashing water nearby.

    The waterfall.

    She must have been running in the right direction after she had made that turn.

    She remembered the travel directions Zee had told her,Stream, waterfall, plain, river. They had already been close to the stream the whole time.

    After passing a few more trees, she came to a clearing where she saw the edge of a rocky cliff. On sight of it, she halted before she got any further to the end.

    At her side was the river flowing to meet her in this small rocky plain where it ran its end at the waterfall. She dared not stand at its edge to see the bottom, the mist that she saw was enough.

    On the right of her was the angry river flowing to crash down the cliff.

    She stood there still as a rock, waiting to hear any sign of Zee or the giant creature. She didn't know what she would do, when they came. She huffed to catch her breath. All the while her heart pounded painfully with every millisecond. But now as she saw no sign of the beast, her heart began to slowly decline, though her nerves stayed on end.

    She found herself able to think a little more clearly, as the fog of fear slowly thinned from her mind.

    â€‹What am I doing? She thought.  I'm supposed to be this brave thrill-loving person, and here I am, being a coward at the sight of danger. The former Shay in the world I knew would shake her head, but then the former Shay and the former life was much more stable and naive. Was the bravery I always thought I'd have, just a thought? She wondered. This was reality she was in now.

    But the truth was that she was defenseless again, she realized, but this situation was different. No she was acting defenseless. She balled her fist, bent her knees, and leaned forward a bit in a ready stance. She watched the trees.

    Okay, focus Shay. You got this. She focused on evening her breaths.

    Shay remembered once during their walk, Shezearin warned her to be careful not to use too much of her ari in one session while starting out. She will have to build her stamina with it or it will exhaust her more; she figured it was the same as building stamina to run; only difference is that it takes much more time for ari stamina to recede, even without use.

    But the point Zee was trying to make when he told her this was to explain the importance of summoning ari only at the moment when you need it right away, to conserve energy. Even with strong stamina, it was a smart habit for every Riavn to do.

    So then, Shay stared down at the trees for the monster to appear. When it does, she would summon her ari at first sight and then fire. She steadied herself, knees bent and ready; her target could shoot out from any point in front of her.

    But it was Zee that burst from the trees and into the clearing first.

    "He's coming now, be ready!" he shouted to her. He had stopped short of the clearing to turn around and face the monster head on. "He's after you, I couldn't sway him from coming to you, and so I figured I'd beat him here."

    "Th-That thing is after me?!" she said, not caring how scared she knew she sounded. Kavothar sent it then, not that it should be a surprise. "He owns things like that?!"

    "Yes," Zee responded calmly. She heard the footsteps trudging louder. "It's called a kivorg. They're clever beasts, some of them. He's pretty fond of them actually."

    Right on cue, the kivorg burst from the trees in the same direction Zee had come.

    It stood still at the sight of them in the open and stared them down, yellow eyes switching from one to the other. The damage Zee had done was apparent, gashes and burns wrapped on a few sides of its scaly sides. The beast was furious. And then its gaze landed back to Shay, who stood again, petrified.

    After a hard moment of staring her down, it snapped its neck up with speed then brought its head back down to spit something at Shezearin. Shay expected a dragon's fire breath, but instead she saw a silvery glowing light of thick liquid-like energy, it came out in a glob.

    â€‹Is this some type of radioactive spit? Nasty...

    It fired in a flash towards Shezearin, but in fast reflexes he managed to dodge roll out of the way. Strangely, the zeome' eyes widened a bit, as if caught by surprise.

    The Kivorg snarled in defeat and swung its claws at him. He seemed to be growing frustrated with Zee for constantly getting in the way of his target. Now it only wanted to get rid of him.

    It fired repeatedly at the zeome', with only a few seconds of time in between before another one of the balls of the gooey substance came. But in all its effort it still failed to even touch Shezearin.

    By now, with each dodge of attack, Zee was forced a great space away. But suddenly, the kivorg fired an unexpected launch of the white glowing energy in Shay's direction. Seeing the giant sphere of white hurl towards her, she panicked and did what her mind had told her.

    "Duck!" Zee shouted at the same time.

    She already dove to the rocky ground. The ball of energy flew right above her and into the air over the cliff until it burned out.

    "Shay!" she heard Zee, in a little less of his calm-and-in-control voice. "Don't let the white energy touch you!"

    â€‹Well I figured that. She thought irritably.

    The kivorg charged ahead but Zee jumped in its way. He sent two flying blasts of his ari by punching the air with his fists, one after another. They both hit the kivorgs square in the front of its chest.

    The beast felt the attack as the energy sizzled on its scales, and this infuriated it. The worst thing about this large animal seemed to be its bulk. It was able to take more than a couple of hits.

    Now it was on a rampage, charging and stomping around everywhere. Its gleaming scales on its face reflected its fury. They had to be at a major disadvantage, being so small compared to this huge beast. They were going to need more fire power.

    â€‹Come on! Shay pushed her mind. With a deep breath, she attempted to exhale her fear and focus on her ari. But in the next second another white ball was hurled at her. She chose to run out of the way this time in order to stay on her feet.

    The kivorg moved itself around, stomping on the stone and at the same time firing numerous balls of energy anywhere it could. It was like dodge-ball, any time it came she would be sure to dodge or duck out of the way. This was a game she could not afford to lose!

    Meanwhile, Zee kept working to take the attention of the beast from her. After striking it again with a quick streak of energy, the kivorg turned to him. It fired and Zee evaded and this process repeated. Shay only wished she could be that agile. She, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. She was jumpy but still managed to avoid any white glob fired at her.

    Frustrated, the monster launched a line of them at Zee. Using all types of flipping maneuvers, he dodged each one. Back flips, front flips, side flips, anything but regular running away. But the kivorg kept going until he forced him back towards the line of trees.

    After its long assault on Zee, it whipped its head in Shay's direction, she was ready. But the creature didn't open its mouth; instead she saw it lower its head and charge. Shay's scream choked within her throat and allowed nothing to come out.

    She couldn't move to the side and what was behind her was the cliff. The only path of escape was ahead, through the kivorg. Her heart seemed to skip as all she saw was a huge mass of black scales, fangs, claws, and coming fast.

    Then the kivorg abruptly stopped five feet in front of her and roared, lowering its head to her level. Trembling, she saw its yellow flashing eyes, and its extended jaw open wide. The pit of its mouth glow white and out fired the glowing white energy straight towards her. Its force was coming and the sweat trickling down the sides of her face. Shay was paralyzed.

    A hard push then came from her side, hard enough to knock her down off of her feet. Shay crashed and rolled to the rocky ground. As she landed, she looked up to see Zee standing in the place where she was, but frozen.

    Somehow he managed to run all the way around, fast enough to just barely get her out of the way, but in the process there hadn't been enough time for him to escape the shot.

    He stood in the outstretched position he used when he pushed her. Around him was glossy layer of white energy.

    Now she knew what this was. It was the exact substance the pythrons used on Shezearin before. The white energy glowed in a layer around him like it did then. Somehow this creature was able to conjure them out of his mouth, or from its belly. This even further explained the fact that this particular power was affiliated with Zee's master, perhaps made. This Kavothar guy was really a mad scientist!

    But this meant Zee was caught. He had said the only way to get out from the inside was to summon a large amount of power at once to break it. But he wouldn't do that, not while she or any bystanders were around to get hit in the process...

    â€‹Maybe I should run! I'll go far away, back through the woods where his wave of power won't reach me and he could break free.

    She stopped, about ready to do just that. But a horrible roar reminded her of the hardest part of that plan, to get pass the kivorg.

    â€‹C'mon Shay, be brave. Do what you have to!

    The creature snarled and snapped its teeth in her direction. Shay managed to move back out of the way as fast as she could. And the fangs avoided her by a fair distance.

    But this was too easy to dodge it. The beast wasn't really trying to hurt her, at least not kill her. It was only trying to capture her, which explained why it was chosen for the chase since it was able to use the freezing goo stuff. The master wanted her alive.

    Then, with a triumphant look on its ugly scaly face, the kivorg prowled up to the frozen zeome'. Unlike her, maybe the kivorg would try to kill him; it had no orders to restrain itself on anyone else. Shay felt her anger at the possibility of the beast considering this.

    Shay sprinted forward. She needed to beat the monster to him. The kivorg was getting close but she ran hard. Zeeee! She called in her head.

    In a flash she made it to Zee first, standing between him and the monster.

    "Get away!" she screamed.

    A flash of blue energy shaded her vision for only an instant. And before she knew it, cerulean colored fire energy surrounded her entire body. She stood in a giant fire ball, flames thrashing and flaring angrily.

    On instinct, she lifted her hands up toward the monster to stop its charge. The fire around her channeled through her arms to concentrate itself at her hands that now blazed with the flame.

    With all her stubbornness, she kept her arms up, still demanding for the giant lizard to stop right there. There was a sound that sounded like both fire and liquid combined. Then she watched as the fire projected out from her arms just as she willed to force the giant animal back. It blazed from both hands creating two powerful beams of energy that rammed into the monster's chest.

    But the beam never ended, more fire kept coming, even when Shay realized what she had just done, it didn't sway her concentration. It pumped out of her hands, body, or soul (wherever it came) like a powerful fire hose and this beast was the fire that tried to scourge her ally. It had to be put out.

    The creature screeched in pain. It backed up slowly to escape the pressure of the fiery energy streams.

    Shay let go of the fire, ending its stream and charged forward. The energy flames still ignited her hands like raging fireballs. As she came closer she extend her arm again as well as her power and she pushed it to fire from her body.

    A short blast of energy shot at the creature again, in a ball of blue fire. Then another one, and another one. They sparked off of his scales but the damage sizzled into its flesh. The beast snarled and swung a clawed hand to swat at her.

    Shay was ready, she ducked as it came and then rose up again to throw another short streak of fire that struck the side of his exposed belly.

    In response, this time the creature decided to try to force Shay back. It performed a furry of swings, between fang and claws. But Shay stayed focused and evaded each attack. She ducked, rolled, jumped and dove. Whatever came to her she kept her head on and made a move.

    She was forced to move back a bit to avoid its swing. Soon she was backed with Zee frozen not far behind her. But still she was blocking any attack that could hit him, but she was running out of room.

    She stood her ground, eyes on the creature. It spat up another silver ball of energy, but she was ready. She quickly moved herself to the side, where it flew past her, past Zee and into the air over the cliff's edge.

    It took more from her to avoid that fast shooting attack then the others. And as Shay refocused on the creature, another attack came hurling towards her.

    She saw only a glimpse of its lasso like tale whipping her way. It came horizontally across the clearing space, blocking any side evasion room.

    Shay felt a blow flat across her midsection. Her breath choked from her mouth, and she was off her feet. The swing continued and even when the tail recoiled, the force of the great impact left her sailing backwards through the air.

    She landed on the ground with a hard tumble that kept her rolling. Dried rocks and dirt scratched underneath. And just as her roll began to slow, the ground beneath her disappeared and she was in the air, over the edge of the cliff.

    As soon as Shay realized she was falling, a heart stopping panic hit, but instead she forced it down to keep her head. She knew she wasn't far from the cliff wall.

    Her gloved hand stretched out and the dirt slipped right past her fingers. Falling, she clawed for anything to grab. Then something rough crashed into her hand on the wall of earth and rock. She gripped it hard and it caught her fall.

    It was a loose tree root that grew in a loop from the side of the dirt wall. It created a perfect loop for her hand to clasp onto. The waterfall roared only several feet away.

    Relief swept over her and she looked down. The water was dark below and looked pretty deep. At least it sat calmly at the bottom before it continued on its way in a quiet stream.

    Right now Shay was more than thankful for the gloves that she wore, or else her hands would have received way more damage just now. Every muscle on that side of her body strained to hang to the tree root. But her grip was like iron.

    Above, she saw the cliff top along with the tips of the tall trees and the white clouds in a blue sky that filed the rest of her sight. The top was about eight feet above her head now but she couldn't judge how well she could climb back up.

    The kivorg's loud roar sounded close, he was by the cliff's edge. Shay could feel the vibrations of its stomps through the tree root that she clung too, along with the few pebbles that fell on her head from its weight.

    But then a great disk shaped wave of red electric energy blasted over top the cliff above with an extremely loud crackle. It was a wave of power that continued to project over her head through the air. It came so fast, but the cackle sounded powerful, like thunder.

    That was Zee's power. He'd just freed himself.

    There was the sound of blasting energy, the kivorg's claws slicing through air, and the occasional combos of physical blows to its scaly skin and sizzling electric like energy.

    Without having to worry about having her in the way, Zee must be letting out a pretty good fight. But what he needed to do was hurry up! She couldn't judge how far the drop might be because of the mist below. Though she clung desperately, she felt her fingers were beginning to weaken.

    "Shezearin, hurry up!" she shouted. She swung her feet up to towards the wall for support but they found no grip and only kept slipping.

    Another big blast of energy was heard followed by the crashing of a falling kivorg's massive body and the ground shook. The vibrations made it more difficult for her hand. Large pieces of rock at the cliff's top broke off and rained down. Shay ducked her head to the wall when a large chunk of it fell past only about a foot away from her. It landed with a big thunk when it splashed below.

    "Shay," she heard Zee call. He was near the edge. "Hold on."

    She heard his footsteps on the rock above coming closer, along with a few other thud sounds. The kivorg was back on its feet and Zee's were again planted to the ground.

    â€‹Ugh, if he doesn't hurry up! She screamed in her head. Her hand slipped another inch. Sweat poured down the side of her face and her hand began to tremble.

"Zeeeeee!" she screamed.

    Her hand slipped again and she gave a loud growl in frustration. In the following second, Zee's head peered down while her upper fingers were left straining to hold on to the tree root. Immediately Zee flung a leg over the edge and started his descend.

    But soon came the beast's pounding feet. With each stomp, Shay felt the cliff side rattle with more pebbles escaping down. She heard its loud and angry roar.

    It was on a gallop, and ended with one last pounce in an attempt to get the Zeome' before he disappeared beneath the cliff. But Zee had already started scaling below and escaped the deadly fangs.

    But when the angry collision of its front legs hit the ground at the already broken edge, there was a great vibrating wave that shook everything. Like an upset baby, there was another stomp of the creature's legs that triggered yet another wave through the ground. The violent tremor was sharp and painful, and it had shaken Shay's last grip as it rang through her body.

    Next thing she knew the pain in the grip of her hand drastically lessened, because there was nothing there. The winds whistling in her ear and she saw Zee and the monster above him shrink farther and farther away.

    As her mind managed to process the situation, something popped in her memory. Images tangled in her mind of movies, adventuring and survival shows, and her swimming lessons. In a diving situation, the best thing to do was the pencil drop.

    Her legs and the rest of her body came together straight and firm, at the same time she folded her arms together across her chest. With her heart still high to the point of her throat, she clenched her eyes together, and sucked in a deep breath.

    Shay's legs cut into the water's surface first. There was a quick shock of cold that pierced through her body along with the hard sting of water shooting up her nose. Ignoring the sharp tingle, she felt millions of hard small bubbles engulf before her plunge far below the surface finally slowed to a stop. The many small bubbles rush pass her face and race to the water's top.

    The water turned out to be pretty warm after all. The cold she felt must have just been in her mind. Shay opened her eyes to see the blurry dark bottom far below her and the faint light of the surface above. She was pretty far under. Immediately she began to kick her legs and ascend.

    Shay had grown to be a pretty good swimmer by now. When she went swimming she always loved the feel of the water and its calm tranquility. She taught herself to swim to a fair degree any time she managed to get away to a pool during her summers.

    She made steady progress towards the surface and watched its light grow brighter through her blurred vision. But up ahead, a huge dark shape grew from above, blocking the light outside the water. And then it plunged into the water. It looked like a large piece of rock. Shay swam to the side to avoid it.

    The boulder passed by, followed by smaller rocks that rained down. They were numerous pieces of land; the cliff was breaking apart and was soon followed by the largest shape, the shape of the one that caused the downfall.

    The shape of the kivorg broke through the water's surface, back first. Luckily, Shay was already out of the way of the kivorg's fall. The cliff must have collapsed due to its overwhelming rampage. Stupid beast.

    As soon as the huge monster sank past her, Shay wasted no time starting on her swim to the top again, focusing on the light above.

    Suddenly, something thick lassoed tightly around her legs, pulling them together. Through her blurry vision, she realized that it was the end of the monsters tail. Below her, the sinking monster was faithfully sticking to its task, holding her as it dragged her down as well.

    Desperately, she tried prying it off of her but it wouldn't move. The kivorg simply floated in one space, making no attempt to swim up and perfectly capable of holding its breath long, Shay however, could not.

    She looked down and saw the jaws of the kivorg open up and between its fangs the light began to build. It was about to fire and freeze her first before letting her resurface for air. Shay struggled uselessly against the massive creature, while at the same time; her lungs were beginning to burn along with her building panic.

    Then she saw a glimpse of red light speeding through the dark water, energy trailing behind. It then crashed directly into the stomach of the kivorg. The kivorg's tail released Shay's leg as the creature was hurled to collide into the water's floor.

    The red light that tackled faded to reveal Shezearin floating in the spot below where the beast was only a second ago. He floated there awaiting the monster to get up.

    Not a second longer, Shay swam up as fast as her legs could kick. Her lungs were screaming, everything in her body forced for her to reach the top. Eventually the blue around her began to lighten.

    She barreled above the surface that held her lungs prison. Water splashed everywhere as Shay reached the top and gasped in air. Taking in the sensation of breathing, she stayed, treading the water to catch her breath. On the surface things were quiet. The sound of the waterfall several feet from her roared steadily. But below, she knew a battle was erupting.

    Shay felt her ari still working through her body. Zee was still underwater as well; the least she could do was help, if she could get her fire to shoot again that is.

    She took in a breath, ready to dive, but paused as she noticed that behind her a large area in the water in the shape of a circle was glowing with red light. It was Shezearin's energy.

    Right after the light faded, in that same spot the kivorg blasted directly out of the water. A red electric textured energy beam drove it high into the air pushing on its belly. When the energy beam faded after pushing the enormous beast over fourteen feet in the air, the kivorg flipped over to land backwards head first back into the water below him. Well, so much for helping.

    Its landing caused a giant wave that reached Shay and pushed her enough to flip her forward and bring her head underwater. After resurfacing again, and coughing out the water that she chocked on, she looked back at where the monster fell. Not far from the spot, she saw Zee there treading water. He was alright...as usual.

    As if feeling her gaze, like he often does, he turned around to face her and waved for her to go. "I'll handle it," he called.

    Shay turned and headed for the shore.

19: Ari Heaing

    Shay coughed a bit on her swim to the shore. Her lungs were hurting from when she choked and the swimming wasn't quite helping either. After some time, driven by pure will power, the water's color became thin. Finally, she felt rock hit underneath her knee and she found herself crawling on land. The weight of the water ran off her back as she entered the much lighter force of air. Climbing completely onto shore, she collapsed in the dirt, dripping wet.

    As she heaved in the air, a screeching sound pierced her ears. It came from the creature along with the huge splashes from its claws beating the water. The beast was in pain, she saw when she turned around to see, but Zee was nowhere in sight.

    Underneath the water a streak of red energy sliced across the creature's midsection. Once the light from the streak faded, the monster stopped struggling. Its eyes sagged shut and it began to sink. When the kivorg was completely submerged underwater Zee popped up, taking in a breath. It was done; the monster was dead.

    Zee is amazing. She thought as she watched him swimming so strong and gracefully towards the shore. He had finished the battle so cleanly. All her tension felt eased at the sight of him coming unharmed and in one piece, they both were. At that time she felt the air uncontrollably release from her lungs at the same time she felt the release of her ari power. It was as if she just breathed it out. It meant it was back to her regular state, back to normal.

    Shay leaned back in exhausted relief from the fight and the adrenaline, not to mention her close call to drowning. After a moment she sat up in a slouch. But as she happened to look down, she noticed a long red cut on her shin that dripped with runny blood mixed with water. It soaked the bottom of her black sweats that stopped passed her knee. And now that she took notice of the injury, the pain came sharply aware to her conscious mind.

    "Ugh." she hissed in the pain. She rolled up her sweat capris to expose the entire cut, it ran up her leg. It must have happened when she was sent flying off of the cliff side. The rocks on that ground were pretty jagged.

    "Your hurt," spoke the cool rumble of Zee's voice as he climbed out of the stream with water dripping down his body, over his soaked clothing and running off the now sleek cords of his hair. It was more a statement then a question. He knelt down in front of her. His hand touched the side of her leg while he examined it, but this time it was Shay that flinched from the contact, but this was from the pain of the injury, she told herself.

    The water seemed to run right off of the sleeveless shirt he wore instead of weighing it down. His dark golden shoulders shinned through the dripping wet as the sun beat on it. Each sharp muscle of his arm glistened in the light. Even the small glints of ruby color in his locked hair glittered. And his eyes, his keen eyes, weren't even aware of her observation as they concentrated on the wound.

    "It's pretty deep but nothing too threatening." he said to her, not taking his eyes off the cut.

    Shay felt a surge of the stinging pain that snapped her mind back to the injury. "Well that's good to know." she said with a grunt. "Hopefully it won't be too hard to walk."

    She put her palms on the ground to hoist herself up but Zee raised a hand to stop her. "You're not going to travel like this." he stated flatly.

    Shay wasn't sure what to make of his sentence. Maybe his tone was an attempt to show concern which, failed from his lack of expression, or was he just ordering her around? It just about sounded that way. She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand up to stop that too, as if he already knew it was coming.

    "Wait here," he held her eyes with a stern gaze long enough to make sure she would listen.

    He got up and Shay watched him walk off toward the water bank to stand there silently. Back facing her, he breathed in slowly. And he just….stood there.

    And how is this going to help anything? She thought sitting irritably with the pain stinging her hard.

    After a moment his head rose and he walked off to the left and came to a small curved tree that leaned closest to the bank. That is, small as in a normal size tree to Shay. He kneeled down to its base where she could no longer see him. And in the next minute he returned.

    "This will help." He sank to one knee in front of her.

    He flipped up his left palm to reveal a flower picked from its stem. It was in the shape of a lily but larger than what she'd known them to be. It's curly `petals extended to the tips of his fingers. It was covered in a greenish tint that blended with streaks of light blue at the center. The bulbs that grew out of the center were a glowing light blue. The entire flower seemed to have a light sprinkle of yellow and white.

    "Oh, Zee it's pretty." Shay started. "But I don't understand."

    Was he giving her a flower; a sweet thing to ease the pain? But what for? This was Zee, she reminded herself and the last thing he knew how to do was be sappy.

    Shay dropped her mouth as she watched him pick the bulbs, and then crushed the rest of the flower with one ball of his gloved fist and grinded it. He had to prove her last thought true.

    "Grab something to wipe the blood." he said.

    Holding back any questions, she grabbed one of the fallen scattered leaves sitting close to her. The leaf was soft and lush and with it, she wiped the dripping blood from her shin, cringing slightly at the contact. She then dropped the bloody leaf to the ground.

    Zee then lifted a hand that held the crushed yellow bulbs of the flower and spread it along wear the deep cut ran down her shin. Its glittering yellow rubbed off, leaving a trail behind. It tingled a bit; cool and mushy. Soon it began to override the pain until it became numb.

    Next, he took one hand around her calf muscle to pull her leg closer. He then began to apply the smashed purple and blue left of the petals. He slowly rubbed the goo on and around the cut line.

    Shay watched his concentration on the wound as he caressed it with the mushed plant. Then her eyes carried back to her leg where she saw that the first layer of worked in flower began to glitter.

    Is it the sun light? No, this was more unnatural; its colors sparkled with tiny twinkles. At the same time she felt an odd sensation in her leg. It wasn't just the numbing of her cut underneath the cool plant being applied, but the wound seemed to be less and less...there.

    When most of the plant was worked in, Zee pulled his hand away and observed the rest of his work. With the last layer of purple starting to break down into sparkles, it was the brightest of all. And when its light simmered, it left a thin transparent layer of the flower's color on her leg. Seeing through the layer, Shay saw that her cut was closed.

    This is crazy. She thought. There was only a small tingle from what was left of the cut. But the inside was actually... healed.

    "Don't touch it." Zee ordered. "The inside is still mending. You should rest your leg for a little while longer."

    "Zee…H-how did you do that?"

    His red eyes flickered up to her face. "There are many healing powers in our nature. Just as you've been told of healing ari-type individuals, these abilities are found in nature as well. That is what healed you."

    He looked out towards the smooth running stream. "There are ancient legends of great powers found in Dezaria with amazing healing abilities as well. But its true limit and what each of those powers are, really isn't clear. That's why they remain legends. There's been great legends of power, even some that can revive the dead, the very recent that is. But those legends are ancient, and very rare."

    "You'll learn that a lot of places of water, springs especially, are pure to these lands. As everything else, ari flows through it, but there is something much more pure in water, its flow of ari can often possess powers of healing in its qualities."

    He sat himself down to the ground next to her to make himself comfortable. "Commonly, they're not so strong, but can still be rejuvenating somehow. Those that are filled with an incredibly strong ari aura are said to be able to heal you on the spot when submerged in it; sometimes even if you may be an inch from dying. I've only encountered one before, one with strength like that." His last sentence he added in a bit of a lower voice, but then he recovered to his normal tone.

    "But for the normal area of water, you can usually find healing plants. They are usually few. And hard to find usually, the amount depends on how strong the water's ari is.

    "But you can find them easier in these lands than others. Dezaria is a prosperous and strong land thriving with ari. If you listen to the land enough, you can feel a sense of it."

    "Is that what you did?" Shay asked. "When you were standing by the water you looked like you were meditating or something."

    "Yeah." he smirked. "But not so much meditation; I just expanded my scenes."

    "Wow! Would I be able to do that too?"

    "Well it takes experience, its more common among long time travelers. Anyone can learn, but it's a skill that you can only acquire after you become more acquainted with your own ari, and the familiarity of the presence of ari. I was taught a long time ago and then it also helps that my senses are slightly keener then the average."

    "That seemed useful to learn." she said looking at the water. "So you were taught a lot, along with the combat skills too then."

    "Yes. Kavothar's focus was my combat and power training...along with brutal survival. But one person, the same one that I mentioned about the teachings, taught me this along with other peaceful and useful qualities. Perhaps because of him, everything I learned wasn't all just to become a…well, never mind."

    He was quiet. Shay glanced at his melancholy expression staring out at the water. "Well then, good thing for me that this water's ari had a pretty strong flow then right?" she said.

    After a moment his expression became lighter again. "Yeah, it is fairly strong." he paused. "That last attack used on the kivorg required a lot of ari. It takes a very big blow to completely take down a kivorg. Their defenses are something extraordinary."

    "Jeez, there's not a bunch of them stomping around here is it?"

    "No. They're very uncommon. But it's never good to cross paths with them. In any other situation the best bet is to fight it off enough to make it away alive."

    "Oh." again, she realized how fortunate she was that she was with him over anybody else in this crazy place.

    "So do you feel tired now? From using that much power?"

    "No. But I feel a difference in the power that I usually hold. I don't like it; I prefer being fully prepared on a travel. And you used a fair amount of ari yourself...It was impressive." His approving eyes then turned to a stern slate. "But a very reckless move to jump in front of a charging kivorg."

    Shay shrugged her shoulders, without another response. Now that she thought of it, it was a pretty crazy move after all. She clearly wasn't thinking at the moment. And she had been terrified of that creature before. How'd I even get myself to do that?

    Zee continued, softening his harsh look. "But anyway, this water should help you as well. It seems we could both use the replenishment. And the ari fluid in this serene place should do it."

 

 

 

    On a rock, Shay sat at the bank with her feet submerged up to her ankles in the water under the stream's smooth passing current. It was complete relaxation. Zee told her that it was her energy recollecting due to the water's natural healing force. It was like the water's power was even healing her mind.

    Though her cut had already felt just about fully healed, Zee instructed that the plant's power was still working internally, so it was best to rest her leg for a while. And this he made sure of. He had helped her himself to move to the very rock that she sat on now.

    And since Shay was forced to stay there, she let her mind wonder about this friend. There was so much to Zee, Shezearin, the zeome'. Yes, as lethally trained and as straight up powerful as he was, under all of this she sensed a core of goodness from him. That's what mattered; and the fact that he had control of course.

    And as for his "master"...Slavery really?

    Though her fantasy right now was for Kavothar to be mauled as badly as possible like he deserved, she told herself not to think so violently. As good as the idea was, none of those thoughts would help. In fact, the only answer was a little more peaceful: The only thing she could do was pray that somehow Zee could get away from it all; the slavery. And prayer was what she would do and definitely what was needed…for both their sakes.

    A faint flick of the water splashed against the rock and disrupted Shay's thoughts. Next to her own shoes lying on the bank were now Zee's. She looked up to the side of her to see him only a few feet away trudging past her and into the water.

    Just as she opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, she watched him reach for the bottom of his shirt. Shay choked on her words and froze as he gripped it and peeled the fabric up and above his head in a flash.

    The shirt ripped from his skin to reveal a dark golden brown skinned upper body glistening in the sunlight. She stared at the distinct warrior muscles shaping his bare back. He then turned around to toss his shirt passed her and onto his shoes. The red crystal dangled at the center of his chest.

    Shay stared at the shining golden view of his front torso. It was everything that his clinging shirt had always teased at, but way more. The defined muscles of his arms ran to his broad shoulders which fit into a sharp harmony with his strong and solid chest, followed by a row of rock hard abs that were like shinning bricks running down his stomach in four rows. Light, marks and scratches covered some of his body but they were faint, healed, and didn't affect the glow one bit. His flawlessly lean and muscled body made him appear as the perfect idealized athlete, a warrior. And the golden metal ring that he wore underneath his shoulder muscle only enhanced the look.

     She could have sworn he was even sparkling. Hypnotized she couldn't remove her eyes even as he leaned down to pull up the draw strings at the end of each pants leg and tie them right below his knees. It wasn't until Shay felt her lungs burning, that she realized she hadn't been breathing.

    "W-what are you doing?" she managed to gag out after finding her breath.

    His ruby eyes flicked towards her, completely unaware of the heart racing effect they gave to her when they did.

    "I'm going to a better spot to take in the water's ari." He stated as if it was obvious. "Since your still healing, you're better off staying where you are."

    With that, he trudged to the water until it became deep enough for his fighter body to break into a swim in the water. He headed toward the waterfall.

    Shay sat watching him with a growl of frustration and folded her arms.

    â€‹A warning would have been nice. She thought and snarled. He is so hopeless.

    The man had no idea of the effect or even the display he had just put on. He really has no idea…

    But even regardless of the golden Greek god athletic body that she didn't want to think about, she was still frustrated that she had to stay here at the sideline. She loved to get in the water, and here was a nice opportunity, at least to float around and not have to worry about a fang filled monster trying to drown her in it.

    â€‹Oh why did I have to be so clumsy and hurt myself! She huffed.

 

 

 

    Shezearin made it to the waterfall's bottom. Faint clouds of steam surrounded him, but it wasn't too thick to not keep an eye on Shay at the bank. If anything would happen while he was here, he would know.

    He dived past the falls and to its back wear a wall of boulders crammed up into a wall behind the roaring waterfall that tumbled overhead. Streams of weaker water past over the rocks but were less powerful then the bulk of water spraying down from the top.

    He picked a boulder at the bottom that was just above in the water and hoisted himself up.

    On the rock, Shezearin sat down, crossing his wet legs. He let the smoother water behind run down his body. Sitting his back against the wet running rock he let the cool water spill down his back and passed his shoulders. As the water ran, he felt the tension in his muscles begin to relax, while the bulk of the waterfall rained down in steam only a few feet in front of him.

    He inhaled, allowing the moisturized energy to seep into him. He felt strength returning through his body. Any pains and aches he previously felt were numbed. After sitting like this for several minutes his head cleared, free to sort any thoughts that were lingering in his head.

    From the discoveries of the last two days, things grew more complicated than he could imagine, Shay was no ordinary human. And whatever it is that she has, his master, whom he was forced to serve, wanted it. And in Kavothar's hands that light of hers would surly extinguish. And for her own safety to escape the danger of his master also meant she needed to escape the link of servant and master as soon as she could. That was simply the truth; he was still a danger to her because of that also.

    Still, he wondered what this feeling that's been starting to buzz and nag at him was. It had to do with her, he was sure. And it wasn't something that he could just swat away. He couldn't quite explain it, it was too strange. She seemed to be more than just another person. And the last few days made him feel as if he was… a person too. He'd always remember this time.

    He paused as he realized how strange his thoughts were headed.

    No, this is the same as anything else in my life. He thought shaking himself back to reality. This is a mission.

    It was just a mission he assigned to himself to get her to Surai village and that was it. And like any mission, he must form no attachments on the way. This, here was attachment enough. Yes she was a friend, but a temporary one…an extreme temporary one.

    Shay was back on her leg, which worked good as new. Her clothes were dried, and her backpack was only damp. And her natural curly hair had tried into tight shrunken coils in retaliation of the watery encounter. And her hairband was lost in the water. But luckily, Shay kept a few extra spare ponytail holders in her bag; two extras. She had quickly pulled out her curls a bit more into the frizzy mass of coils that it was. Then rebound it into a fresh ponytail of puffy curls. That was all she could do for now. Not that it mattered how she looked in this forest, not to her and certainly not to Zee. She wasn't worried.

    The rest of their walk took them alongside the calm stream. Zee seemed to be feeling a bit better now. He was still traveling with the usual speed, but not as hard as earlier. Shay kept up right beside him. But now as they moved, one thing was bothering her, which she admitted was starting to make her nervous.

    This guy, Kavothar, was strong enough to send a monster like a kivorg her way. And then he was strong enough to come into possession of Shezearin. What kind of person was she really dealing with? And just what were her chances of escaping?

    Chills went through her skin as she remembered the sound of the eerie voice that startled her when she woke up that morning at the den. Kavothar was a monster alright, a monster with power.

    What was he capable of for the next time? Some giant fire breathing dragon with two heads? And in this world who knew what the equivalent to that earthly imagined creature would be like.

    "Something troubling you?" Zee's smooth deep voice slipped to her awareness.

    Shay looked up at him. "Why?"

    "It's shows on your face."

    "Oh." She said, wondering if she was that obvious or he was just really observant. "It's nothing really."

    His piercing eyes studied her face for only a few seconds. "Okay." He said turning forward again. Shay almost forgot that, unlike her, he wasn't one to push things. "Just so you know, we're not too far to the jungle's end." He said. "After we get across the plains we'll be at the village."

    "Good. This village isn't organized by a gang too, is it?"

    He gained a half smile. "No. But they do have protectors instead, the ones that are going to help you. They're nothing like the pythorns. And it is a far smaller group in comparison, but in my opinion, stronger."

    "Oh, I see; quality over quantity."

    "Yeah. Each member has great talent and is trustworthy. They're the strength of the Surai town."

    "You'll like the village I'm sure."

    "I'll take your word for it. So…" she said dragging her hand alongside the trunk of a giant exotically green tree covered in moss. "You thought it was good when I fired my ari back there huh?" she couldn't help herself.

    A faint smile curved the end of his lips. "Yes. As I said, it was impressive."

    She laughed. "Good! It felt great too! I actually felt ...strong, I mean stronger than I've ever felt." She considered the moment she used her power at the pythorn village, though that was stronger, she was really only half conscious when she did it; that didn't quit count as much. But against the kivorg, she was all there. "I don't know how to describe it but it felt like real...true strength that poured out with that ari blast."

    Zee nodded. "It was something you did at that moment that helped you to connect with your inner ari. After a while you will come to understand it. But that quality in you, whatever it was that you did, I guarantee is part of the key to your personal connection with your makl. That is what you need to tap into in order to really use it and realize your strength."

    "Oh." she said slowly.

    His curved smile rose to what Shay could actually call a grin. "In fact" he said. "That was more than impressive; maybe even incredible considering it was done by a small human." he snorted "You're lucky you didn't receive any worse injuries than what you did."

    He was teasing her about the weak human thing again, knowing it would get under her skin.

    "Well I guess it was then," she said with her own grin. "Incredible enough that I saved your butt with it for once."

    Zee stopped walking and glared; a challenging grin on his face. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes for once, but you do know that I was only in that predicament from saving your butt first." His usual emotionless tone held a bit of mockery in it.

    She rolled her eyes and started to walk and Zee resumed walking next to her.

    "Well then Shezrearin, tell me something." She said crossing her arms. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. She wasn't going to let him win this one. "Then why did you put yourself in that predicament for the small human." she mocked his words now. "If you really put yourself in that much of a risk, that is."

    "Trust me, I didn't risk myself." his words began to sound colder. "It was a necessary dive for you only to keep you from getting blasted. If you were frozen, that means you'd be captured; game over and I would lose."

    "Oh, so you mean it was a block to stop the team from scoring the game?"

    "Yes you could put it that way. But that's all. And I never lose at any game on a mission." the teasing tone was completely lost. His answers were emotionless and straight forward almost harsh. He continued, staring only straight ahead. "Even if you would have let the beast charge me I would have been fine. Regardless of what you did, I was at the mercy of no one."

    "Oh," Shay said weakly. So it's like a mission. That was his reason.

    She had no more to say for or against this. Him probably not really needing her help at all, she didn't doubt was true. She should just be happy that he acknowledged her move as a good one. Still, for some reason his words cut something inside her. She didn't understand it, but she suddenly felt less of an importance to him then she did a moment ago.

    Shay stared at the ground trying to remember the moment when he pushed her out of the way of the kivorg's attack. At that time, she didn't even realize what had happened until after she was on the ground and he was frozen in her place. Now, it wasn't clear rather if it was a desperate move by him or just an action he saw necessary to win the challenge.

    Being so unsure made Shay not want to think of it anymore. As she tried to cast all thoughts of the topic out of her mind, she hoped Zee didn't notice any emotion on her face this time. Luckily, he wasn't paying much attention at all. He wasn't even looking her way.

    "So do you go to Surai a lot?" she filled the silence with a change of subject.

    "I used to make occasional visits." He spoke coolly. "But I haven't been back in a very long time."

    "Oh." She nodded her head. "Well the way you talk about it, I guess I can't wait to see it." She said softly.

    "We're already a step closer." he pointed ahead. "Look."

    Shay looked hard ahead and saw how the trees began to thin ahead of them. Through those few trees, she saw what looked like fields.

    "Is that the...?"

    "The Great Plains."

    She breathed. "It is!" The idea of seeing a different landscape outside of this forest, and to get to the next mark on their quest to this Surai village, gave her excitement.

    "I want to see it." She said eagerly before gunning off through the few trees left that blocked her way. She left Zee behind to who probably found her kid-like behavior odd but she didn't care. She even laughed at herself for it.

    Coming past the last gigantic tree, she stopped to take in the sight of the plains.

    The land sank down in front of her where green grass ran below. Farther down the green grass blended into yellow to make what looked like an endless sea of golden fields. The grass was long and silky blowing in the wind. The hills carried on like vast ocean waves whose gold enhanced in a blend of brightness from the sun. There were small and occasional trees that curved in funny shapes and burst with feathery leaves; a blend between yellows, reds, and oranges. The entire scene held a fiery color mixture.

    The stream that they'd been walking aside curved off to the left to travel down the side of the terrain that was still bright and green. It was beautiful yet bizarre the way the landscape changed so abruptly.

    Beyond the minor waves of hill was a small village that lay perhaps a mile away from them. There was no barrier wall like the Pythorn village had, it was completely open. In the small group of buildings she made out a few wooden houses.

    "That can't be Surai can it? I thought it was farther away." she asked herself out loud, scrunching her face.

    "It's not." Zee said emerging from the trees behind her. "But that's where we're going next. I said we have to cross the plains remember?"

    He started down the hill and Shay followed right after him.

    "How long are the plains?" Shay asked him.

    "Long. We have to cross its complete width to the other side. By foot, it would take about three days."

    "What? Are you serious?" she said quickly, walking up from behind him. He said they'd reach the village in at least two days. Would he even have that much time? She hoped that in this case, the "great zeome'" had a plan.

20: A Heart's Promise

    At first arrival they visited a resting house, another common thing among Dezarian towns, Shay learned. These often replaced inns in smaller towns, but they provided rooms to sleep, rest, food to buy, and baths. Here, the two companions split into the gender divided walls, were there were squared off showers. Shay went straight for the showers an enjoyed every second of it. The spaces were clear, clean and the water was warm. The entire place was shaped like an inn, and was fairly big compared to the rest of the few buildings around. Though small, this town was professional and more well put together than Pythorn

    "What is this place?" She asked Shezearin quietly the five minutes that it took to walk through half of the stretch the main pathway. There were stores on either side of them, but besides those, the rest house and a few lone houses was all there was. Was it even considered a town, let alone a village? The few people that she did see coming through were in a rush under the cooling and lowering sun.

    "This is Yellow Port."

    "A Port."

    "Yes, more than a town. I did say this was how we were going to get across the plains didn't I?"

    "Oh yeah you did...So how exactly are we going to do that?"

    He pointed to the side with a nudge of his head. She looked to see a building that they were coming to at the very end of the pathway, and past its corner to its right was a … train station?

    There was a small shaded entrance where a train rested, though it was a little different from the train that she knew. It was almost shaped like a locomotive but it was boxier and was made of a glazed polished stone with colors of gray black and blue while dark windows ran on its side.

    There was no pipe for smoke, perhaps smoke wasn't necessary and it didn't run on coal. But there were also no wheels either. The boxed locomotive only had sides that swallowed the single tracks that ran down its middle like a Light Rail. It looked as if it would slide over the track instead of roll on wheels.

    The train track was a line of what looked like a light purple stone that formed a perfectly long strip of non-gapping rectangle. The track continued forward past the town and probably through the endless fields of grass on the outside. But it was so sleek and thin, it was hard for the eye to follow it down the grassy distance.

    â€‹All this stone and no wheel...what powers this thing?

    "We would both call this a train." Zee said to her. "Correct?"

    "Yeah, but the train I know looks...matter of fact runs a lot differently."

    "I'm sure it does. What powers it is a newly discovered type of ari stone. They are shoveled into the train's engine and it powers it to slide along those tracks."

    Shay pictured in her head that instead of shoveling coal into the engine, the engineer piled ari stones, whatever they looked like.

    "It's only recently been built here and in a few other parts of Dezaria." Zee continued. "With this technology it beats crossing on foot or even using beasts for that matter. We just need it to get across, but the train does continue farther north.

    "Oh." Shay said observing the train. It reminded her of the old smoking trains that began to form in pictures of America's expansion to the west. Except this machine was far less dusty and made of a smooth polished stone instead of steal.

    "So there's no smoke or anything?"

    "Smoke? Nothing is being burned. The stones that power it only shrink to dust after a while and then to air when its energy is used up. And these particular stones are useful because, from what I know, only a handful of it takes hours before it burns out."

    These…new ari stones sounded like the invention of coal. But it seemed a lot more atmosphere friendly then the human inventions she knew. Everything they did here in Dezaria seemed less rushed and more natural all together; at least from what she'd encountered so far.

    "Come on." Zee spoke walking past her. "It's a little busier than I thought. We better catch a ride now."

    She followed him into the station. Some people had bags. Others unloading wagon and carts full of crops of all sorts. Shezearin paid their way in and the two of them waited in a short line with other people who were extra careful not to look in the way of the zeome'. There was a simple pay of money at the door and they were in.

    Shay wondered then how it must seem to the civilians to see the zeome' just hitching a ride with them among regular people since he was so famous for the wrong reasons. But the answer was simple; they felt exactly how they did seeing him anywhere else, paranoid fear and suspicion. She thought she caught sight of a man that left out of the train line as soon as he spotted him. Shay guessed he really didn't have to leave in such a hurry afterwards if he'd miss his ride to avoid being near Zee. Spinelessness, she thought to herself.

    On the train's insides were cushioned seats with rows of two on either side of the aisle of carpet with geometric patterns on them. The seats weren't too packed and with empty seats skipping almost every other person. Things were calm and quiet.

    Shay and Shezearin sat down beside each other. It was a good thing that they carried all of their belongings on them for light travel rather than the hassle of loading bunches of packed goods in the back like others taking the train. This seemed to fuel a big business exchange between towns.

    "So you've taken this before?" Shay asked.

    "Twice before." Zee answered flatly slouching back against the seat. "These tracks were made three years ago. But usually, I avoid the social contact. I'd take it only when there's a matter of speed and little other choice then foot."

    "Oh. I've never got to ride a train back in my world. I've only seen them. So this would be my first time I guess." She smiled. "When's it supposed to leave?"

    "It should soon. There's usually three times a day you can catch it from here: morning, afternoon, and evening. No other specific time than that."

    Shay looked out of the slightly ajar window at her left, staring out at the passengers in the station going back and forth with luggage. The people here were different form the pyhtorn civilians. There was more life to them, more spunk and movement, and they wore different colors other than gray, though none as vibrant and bright as Elszka. Among them, she wondered if any were travelers. There was a group of four she glimpsed walking tightly together that she thought might be. They were dressed with personality, sticking out with different colors. And they had gear on and some had utility belts and wrappings like what she wore. They were travelers. But the group disappeared before she could see more of them.

    By now, they had to be waiting for at least twenty minutes. The sky outside the window had now switched from an orange to a growing light purple. Through the air of the early night the train finally began to start on its move. The sound of rubbing stone was heard at a rough start.

    When it finally got moving, the sound smoothed, leaving only a light humming noise of a rock sliding on the outside. More comforting than what she pictured a loud old-time locomotive must have sounded like in her world. The ride felt very smooth without a bump as the train station, and the small town of Yellow Port was swept away behind them.

    "How long will it take?" she asked Shezearin.

    "We will get there by morning. I know the stop."

    â€‹Wow, how long was this field?

    She turned back to the window. "It feels good to be riding right now." Though she was much more relieved than what she'd expressed. Not that she minded that much but they had been walking after all for the last two days, and half of the day before that. And worst now, her muscles were burning and her sides were aching, probably a few bruises. After the adrenaline, fighting, and moving of the day, she knew that she would be sleep as hard as a rock tonight.

    "Yeah it will help to rest. Not used to so much traveling on foot, I see. Not that you were a burden," He added smoothly before she could object. "You've proven yourself pretty well so far for a first time traveler human." He smirked when she folded her arms at him. "You did well, anyone would need to rest now."

    "Even the great zeome'?" she said raising an eyebrow.

    He gave a half chuckle. "No, except me." He said relaxing himself into his seat.

    "Oh yea, not you of course not." She said laughing before she nodded off against the soft hum of the train.

 

 

 

    Shay opened her eyes. The first thing she saw out the window was night time; a starry sky passing over fields of grass. She had been in and out of sleep maybe every half hour. She usually didn't go to sleep that fast on a car ride, but her exhaustion and the smooth sound of the ride got the best of her.

    So the ride was supposed to be until morning? These fields were incredibly long. Crossing it on foot with little trees around in the open to whatever to attack you must be brutal.

    She came to realize part of the reason for the long ride were the stops, similar to why riding the MTA bus at home took so long. There were randomly placed villages out in the huge plains. Why they would be built here in the middle of nowhere and no communication? Shay wouldn't know. But during these stops were long resting points where people loaded and unloaded products and goods. These isolated towns probably grew to depend on the train now, being a hell of a lot easier after all. Just as Zee had said, it always beats riding by beast.

    Shay didn't want to imagine what it must be like for those same business people to carry all those things on a wagon pulled by whatever large crazy creature they could use around these parts. It would take forever. And unlike the forests, there was no shade.

    She looked across to see Zee watching the window too, thinking to himself as always.

    "Hey Zee, if you don't mind me asking, what are your missions like?"

    She considered any listening ears around just in case the answer was more on the classified side. With a quick glance, she noticed then that the only people sitting around them were two sleeping elderly people sitting in the back of this train car, rows away and out of earshot.

    Zee hesitated of course before answering such a question; perhaps she shouldn't have asked but it was in the air now. He lifted his head and his gaze flickered towards her. She wondered if he had any idea how piercing his eyes were, even in the half-darkness that they sat in now. Not just piercing but the power she felt from them were hypnotizing as well. Never in her human world did she think red eyes could ever look like his. If anything, the one or two people she did see with contacts of it looked creepy. But maybe it was because his was natural, and looked like jewels, rubies instead of blood. She had to admit that those unique and somehow beautiful eyes were actually full of strength…and heart in their intensity. That's what she saw in them behind the cold that he so often tried to freeze them over with.

    "Fighting...mostly." he answered and sighed. "I'm usually sent into areas to retrieve extremely valuable but lost items. They are usually jewels of power, if they are young jewels they are usually created by nature from a swell of ari power running deep in shifting parts of land. It's very difficult to find and reach them, let alone get out when you retrieve it. Because when they are disturbed and taken out of their place of creation, that area will usually become unstable.

    "These locations are usually deserted places because of the large ari armored creatures that live on the desolate parts of the land. A month ago I had to go near and scale the inside of a volcanic mountain far off to the west of here."

    "Wow and you really do all this by yourself?"

    He nodded looking at the back of the seat ahead of him. "Sometimes it involves stealing from other secret powerhouses such as Kavothar's. You see everyone's on a quest for power here." he said flatly.

    â€‹Except him. Shay thought to herself. The one given power but never asked for it.

    Zee's low voice spoke on. "And jewels, if you figure them out, are the way to gain more. If not that, I'm usually sent in to take down army's defenses, or to simply break in to take a valuable. My stealth and senses come in handy for that. Kavothar considers me unstoppable when it comes to things like that. That and sometimes I am assigned missions that Kavothars men, who are voluntary and loyal to him, are fearful or doubtful of their survival."

    "So then," she started slowly. "You're sent as a spy, a one man army and ...even a guard dog."

    He nodded again. "I am Kavothar's secret weapon."

    "But most people don't know about that right?"

    "Correct. They only know the rumors of my power and those defeated when opposing me. Those who are more affiliated with the underground fights for land and power in Dezaria are a little more aware...some of them."

    "But that's so dangerous. And what about the people that do know? Since you help …Kavothar gain so much things what if they all come up with a plan to stop you somehow...kill you even."

    "So far that hasn't been the case, at least none that were successful at all. And until I'm too broken to live then Kavothar's missions for me won't stop. If anything, I feel that they will intensify." He sighed. "And I think lately he's really been trying to take things to another level. He'd told me that after my break, things may be a bit different."

    He half rolled his eyes at the thought of his master's warning.

    Shay slowly shook her head. But an expression of her horror was probably written on her face, but she hoped Zee's keen eyes didn't catch it this time.

    "How old are you exactly Shezearin?" she asked him quietly.

    An eyebrow of his rose slightly. "This would be my twentieth year of life."

    Only two years older than me. Shay stared ahead at the back of the seat in front of her. She had no words to say.

    "I've always been able to handle myself Shay." Zee told her with bit of a softer voice. "I've had a share of tight situations, but I made it."

    He both turned their gaze ahead, careful not to look directly at each other. "Well, the tight situations happened more when I was younger...when I was just surviving one mission after another. But all the incredibly intense training I had, forced me to endure such things. And with all the experience, my fighting became a bit smarter as time moved on."

    Shay glanced his way, though she hid her face. She knew he didn't want her to feel bad for him, but she couldn't help it. It was hard to imagine such a child hood or even teen years to be like that and now Zee had finished both of those periods of life doing nothing but working as a weapon.

    "So that's why you felt it's better for you to get hit with the kivorg's attack than me? You've been trained to endure."

    He nodded. "That and because of course, you would have been captured. But still there was no telling what upgrades a monster of Kavothar's could have. He finds ways to make them stronger. But you see, I am more immune to pain, so whatever was going to happen, it was better I take the hit."

    "Is that part of your ability?"

    "Well." he paused. "Somewhat but it's more due to training."

    "Training!" she half exclaimed. "How the hell can you train for that?"

    Zee raised a sharp finger to his slips to shush and remind her of the sleeping passengers before he answered. His tone was normal but faced forward in his chair, eye stilled as he looked into the memory. "That also became a part of my, almost daily survival exercise. To see how long I could last without complaint in a chamber where I was chained down and hit with constant pulses of energy. I had grown to withstand it for long periods of time. He called it endurance training."

    He mentioned before to her, that his survival training was brutal. And that detail he wasn't joking about. It was horrific to her to picture this torture being a constant in a child's life. She wondered how young he was when these started, but she was too afraid to ask. She also kept her eyes ahead. She felt light wet pressure forming at her eyes.

    "That can't change the feel of pain." she managed to say.

"It's purpose was for me to learn to tolerate it. I had to know the feeling enough so that I wouldn't fear it. I'd be less likely to be slowed in battle or even hesitate when having to risk something that may result in pain. He wanted nothing to hold me back when shaping the perfect battle servant." he paused, still not looking at her. "And yet he still speaks of a weakness in me. Even though I took on any type of training he ordered...and survived the dangerous missions he'd assigned. I had little choice, but I had completed it all."

    Despicable, Shay thought. Just despicable.

    A sadness Shay couldn't describe weld inside her for the one she sat next to, who didn't deserve the life that he was forced into. And yet he still contained a heart after such brutality his entire life. How was that possible? It was a miracle he wasn't burning with hate and harm towards everything and everyone. But somehow he wasn't, she had never once sensed it from him.

    Still, she admitted there was something in him that she sensed from the beginning, though she couldn't quite identify it before. And it had nothing to do with his physical power. Perhaps it was the extra power that she felt from him but never could identify. It was the power that reflected in his eyes, it was an inner strength of some sort. It was bold and passionate, but well hidden, and it survived all these years of torture and compression. And he didn't even know it existed.

    No one else knew it was there, because they never got close to him. Except for maybe that less than dirt of a man that Zee was forced to call master. She was willing to bet he senses it in him too, and that was what he mistook for weakness. And tried everything he could to eliminate it but failed.

    She remembered hearing the words from the bastard's mouth at the cliff top. He told Zee that feelings were meaningless for something like him. The nerve; he said something. Brainwashing was the tactic he used to help keep him under control. He was afraid of Shezearin.

    "Zee..." she said softly. "You're incredibly strong, you know that?"

    The ruby eyes finally turned to meet hers. "What?"

    "You just don't know..." she shook her head, but came to look at him, feeling the possibility of tears in her eyes. "Any person taking in that kind of torture and deterioration would have died a long time ago. And I don't just mean that literally. What I mean is, for you to survive that and be the type of person you are...is amazing."

    His eyes squinted as he tried to understand her. He looked down while his chest rose in a sigh. The moment he looked back up at her, she saw the same dreary lifeless look he often wore as a mask, when he felt defeated within himself. Opening his mouth to speak, she immediately cut him off.

    "Don't say it," she snapped at him. "You hear me Shezearin?" She couldn't help raising her voice a bit. She placed her hand at the side of his face to keep him facing her steaming glare. "I don't care what you say but you need to hear this! You are strong and I… admire you for it. I mean just look at yourself!"

    He glanced to the side to remind her again of the few sleeping passengers.

    But he was being overcautious, and Shay considered her voice but kept going. "Shezearin, you're here helping me for crying out loud. For someone you didn't know, who wasn't even from the same freakin' dimension as you," she remembered to whisper the last part. "And you came with me fight after fight. Not only that but from just seeing you and the way you act, there is an obvious value for life in you. There's courage, and heart, a lot of heart. And what's pure about it is you've stayed like that all this time. You didn't even come close to becoming some cold life-hating destructive freak like that asshole wants! Forget what he says. You're not some weapon, or-or monster or whatever he called you, so get it out of your head. And my goodness, if you don't believe it then start seeing it, Or I'll have to be the one to beat it into you myself!"

    Reaching the climax of her rant, the furry inside of her melted down a bit and she took a breath. She knew the tears had escaped her eyes and, in her frustration, she roughly whipped them off as she settled back down in the seat. Sometimes she wished her emotions didn't explode so much at once. But tears often escaped her if she was really upset about something, even if she was mad at the same time. More together and composed she looked up at him and added in a soft voice.

    "Shezearin you're greater than you think. Remember that." She closed her eyes and breathed out as she spoke in a voice slightly higher than a whisper. "And you don't deserve...this, this slavery." Shay hesitated on her next words, but then decided that she wasn't going to hold back. She felt the need to speak any words she felt might help him now. "You can break out of this. I know you can."

    "Shay," he hardly rose his voice to speak. It looked difficult, as he was still somewhat stunned from her outburst. "You don't understand. He has a link to a piece of my mind remember?" he said calmly. "That's how he signals me with this pain in my mind. No matter what I do he has me in chains."

    "Yeah, to a piece of your mind...Not the rest of it. Not your body. Not your soul...Shezearin this is your soul, not his. Only you are in charge of it. I know I don't know much about the science of this world, but from what I've learned everything seems to draw natural power. And your soul is the most natural thing to own, and there for it is your own power right? You control and decide everything with your own strength. And the will of your strength can push and beat that chain. It will fight...You need to fight Shezearin!" the last sentence in her voice rose too high, and Shay calmed herself.

    "You need to fight." She repeated in a lower voice. "And don't tell me that you can't do that either. If you had some confidence in your own strength and I'm not talking about your ari power, then you would see it. Then I guarantee it'll help you find a way out."

    Zee looked as if he was going to say something again, but Shay crossed her arms and glared at him with one intense eye. "Your strength is in your own hands...Do something for yourself."

    With that, she fell completely silent. There was nothing left but the smooth hum of the train and a slow exhale of Zee's breath in the dead quiet. Apparently he had been holding it while she ranted; surprised at the verbal strike, his slightly widened eyes gave it away as well.

    Now, he seemed to be debating on letting her first calm down more or not. "Shay..." he murmured finally, she never looked back up at him but he went on anyway. "Thank you...for telling me that, your opinion."

    Shay looked up at him, surprised that he accepted what she'd said so easily. She then gave a silent nod but returned her gaze to the window.

Minutes passed took Shezearin never took his attention from her. "Shay." he said softly. "How about I ask you a question now?"

    "She raised her head and looked at him, curious. "Okay…What's up?"

    "What were you like back in your world?"

    Taken by surprise she paused, but then laughed softly. "What was I like? Well the way I am now, I hope."

    "Were you always this…expressive of yourself?"

    "Umm… somewhat. I knew who not to waste my breath on. And well, most the time, I just kept to myself from people, unless they pushed me, that is. I'm more about action when I'm trying to get a point across, and if words are required for the action I see fit then, well I go for it if I can. But I think I just always acted first and thought more…sensibly about it later. But er… that doesn't always quite turn out right." She laughed. "Especially when my actions turn out a bit more…on the aggressive side."

    Zee chuckled. "That's not hard to believe about you."

    She hesitated a bit, "Sometimes I can't help it. I think I trust my senses a little too much at times. And it's not always good, actually not good at all. You think that's a bad habit to have? My mom tells me that a whole lot actually." She gave a weak chuckle.

    "No," Zee answered, red eyes glancing at her. "Maybe for you, it could be…sometimes." he added. "But I don't think it's bad at all."

    Shay looked up at him, she couldn't tell if he was serious or not, about his words. There was a smirk, no actually a bit further than a half smile on his face through the dim darkness of the train. The moonlight reflecting through the window caught some of the red glints at the ends of his dark dread locked hair. She couldn't deny it, his smile, and just he, as a whole, looked beautiful.

    "Well that's good to know." She smiled back with a chuckle.

 

 

 

    â€‹Shezearin enjoyed the next hour or two when time escaped him. The two of them were talking about each other's worlds. Shezearin just couldn't picture what the human world looked like. How could people depend on inventions and things other than themselves so heavily? He didn't understand it, but wouldn't mind seeing it for himself one day if he could. The way Shay described everything to him, the tales of the lazy greedy people he heard of, still seemed to fit. Though of course Shay, as he realized before, was far from fitting the description. She may have been right at feeling different from them. She was not Riavn either, though of course the one similarity is ari. She was just different from everything, but unlike his different, it was a good thing.

    He remembered the question that started to bother him only two days ago. The question where he asked himself was this wise at all, what he was doing? He allowed this human girl to accompany him and he wasn't sure why. Was that still a question, why?

    â€‹Shezearin's eyelid's grew heavy. He only allowed himself to give in to them, after it had long taken Shay and along with all the passengers on the train.

 

 

 

    Shezearin snapped his eyes open. Sweat poured down his face, breathing raged and eyes wide at seeing the image that still played freshly in his mind from the nightmare.

    He glanced next to him at Shay to see that she was still sleeping sound and unstirred, leaning against the window. Around them, all the passengers still slept as well. Passed Shay and through the window, the dark outside seemed to be thinning, daybreak would come soon.

    He swallowed and caught his breath, relieved to be released from the dream he'd just had. Still the fresh image of Kavothar's face burned in his memory. He had watched him emerge from the darkness unexpectedly, taking him by surprise...and Shay too.

    He remembered the fear in her eyes and the doom he'd felt as he witnessed his master take the girl to her torturing end. In the dream, he couldn't even move his body, and all he could do was watch. But the truth was that it would be the same outcome in life: if Kavothar came, he could do nothing.

    He recalled the terrible pain that had throbbed in his chest during the helpless sight. It choked his lungs and he couldn't bring himself to breath as Shay was dragged off into the darkness and he was left there alone, just standing. The lack of air and the terrible ache in his chest erupted and he had dropped to his knees until he found himself here in his seat on the train and pulled out of the nightmare.

    Zee leaned into his lap, bringing his hands up to grip the locks of his hair as he hung his head down. He clenched his eyes together to let the lasting images of the dream pass.

    Even as the physical hurt faded from his awareness, the memory didn't. It was still there. He was trapped; helpless. Both he and Shay were helpless.

    A dark melancholy fell on him. And now was the time he'd tried his familiar process of icing over his emotions. Like usually he could, push them far back until he was numbed from the pain of his life, his fate, and now the conscience of someone else's fate. But this time it was more difficult. These feelings wouldn't quite go away; he was left to dwell in them.

    He paused when he heard Shay stir next to him. Without looking up, he sensed her head shift slightly. She gave a very quiet moan through her voice before her breath evened out again and she continued her slumber.

    The thought of her in his mind, outside of the nightmare, triggered a brief feeling of peace. The feeling he'd felt so much more of ever since she'd been here with him. Shezearin could now even admit to himself that he felt better with her around. But the question was is it worth it? It isn't? She'd be in danger the longer she'd stay with him. Who knows what would happen next.

    He relaxed his closed eyes a bit, embracing what small feeling of calm that he could grab. As he did this, starring at his lids, he saw the last of the images in his nightmare. And from it he saw Shay's face. But it wasn't from the dream he'd seen, it was her usual image. Smiling, cheerful, curious, and ready for whatever she'd have to face with him in Dezaria next.

    She was brave, that was something she didn't realize. There was beauty there. And it was in her eyes, the ones he could so easily picture staring at him in fascination as he saw them do so often.

    Through it all, shined her spirit. He noticed it from the beginning. It was a unique aura of hers that seemed to radiate off of her skin. He could feel it, just by being near her. Maybe that's what also attracted the cerulean ari power to reside in a human.

    He opened his eyes to stare ahead of him at the back of the next seat. His fingers touched together in a bridge under his nose.

    Then, a burst of sunlight rose to hit the side of his face. From the window across the aisle, they must have been riding past a hill where it lowered to let the fresh morning sunrise come up and over it. It shined deep rays of bright and golden.

    â€‹Zee... You're incredibly strong, you know that?  Shay had told earlier on the train ride. He heard her voice through his mind. It was clear that she looked up to whatever strength she saw in him. And rather if it was really there or not, she depended on it. What he had to do was be strong, for her.

    As the light of the sun climbed higher past him and into Shay's direction, he raised his head to glance at her. But the glance turned to a stare. The sun glittered on her sleeping form as she leaned against the window, lying peacefully. He couldn't help but observe the beauty of it. In his chest, he felt a feeling he couldn't and didn't want to identify.

    But it was different, it was strange. It felt like...a sense of longing as if, he had been longing for something, but he knew he hadn't been. He didn't understand it. In all his missions in life, each objective was clear, but this was frustrating.

    â€‹I guess I have no choice but to use the strength that she believes so much that I have.  I promise to do everything in my power, to make sure she can make it...Whatever it takes.

    The only thing he could really do for her now was to get her to Surai, and that was what he was going to do.

    He'd regret what he'd told her earlier that day. What he said about saving her from the Kivorg's attack and how it was nothing more than a mission, that he didn't care beyond that. He was only telling her what he was trying to get himself to believe. He knew now and even then that it was only a lie. But it was already done.

    He was beginning to feel a small power inside him. Whatever was present in him at the time, maybe it was what Shay believed so much that was there.

    That feeling that pulled at his chest from time to time. Whatever it was, this blind pull that he had felt and even followed since the day the girl had come into his world, he was beginning to trust it a little more.

    â€‹Shezearin raised his hand and gently brushed the side of Shay's hair.

    "I promise." he whispered.

21: The Great Plains

    With ease, the train slid to a sleek halt. The late morning sun had rose high in the treeless plains and Shay felt every power of it when she stepped out the train with Shezearin right after her. But the sun gave her energy and after a long ride and surprisingly such a nice sleep, she was re-energized and ready to move.

    Shay and Shezearin were just leaving the port that, like the first, had nothing close to a town surrounding it but a few stores when getting off of the station and past that, of course, nothing else but stretching open fields of long golden grass.

    "So how much more we have to go?" she asked Shezerin.

    "We should reach Surai in about a day's walk." his deep voice spoke in its usual murmur, but this time it was raised more, just clear enough to sound almost open and social.

    "So we'll get there by tonight?"

    "Maybe." he said stretching his strong arms as they walked. "It depends on the weather."

    "Wait..." she paused. "You're not gonna try to push us through the night so we can get there as early as possible are you?"

    He chuckled slightly. "No. When I was pushing so hard before I was...troubled then. But I'll b rational this time. Remember I told you before that it was bad to travel weary? That's a definite especially in these open lands while at the same time you're wanted. We can't risk vulnerability."

    She nodded at him. "Good call then." Somehow, he seemed a bit more resolved within himself now. Perhaps in the time between he worked out something in himself. Whatever he did, Shay was liking the outcome.

    He didn't notice her watching him as he stood adjusting his gloves and the straps and travel accessories he wore around his body. He looked just as ready to get out and stretch his legs as she did.

    "And you're also telling me that after that whole train ride we still have another day's worth walking?"

    He smiled a brief moment. "Yup. As you might be able to see, further down, the train eventually turns. It curves around the plains. We need to cut straight north."

    "Oh. Alright. Well I'm not gonna complain. Besides, as you already know I can handle anything."

    He chuckled again. "I see. You might have shown at least something like that so far."

    "Something like that?" she made a face at him as if offended, half laughing she repeated. "Something like that?"

    It forced another chuckle from him, almost a laugh. "Yes, something like that. But don't fret, coming from me, that's pretty good."

    She laughed. "Yeah you have a point."

    "You're doing an awful lot of talk right now." A smirk slowly raised on his lips. "It's time you back it up a little more. It seems to me that you need a pressing situation, like with the kivorg, to actually shoot your fire."

     He looked up at her and she caught a glimpse of his eyes flash red.

    "Think fast." He rasped and the next thing she saw was a sudden blaze of fire form in a spiral around his forearm. He flung it at her in a sleek horizontal chop.

    â€‹What the heck?!

    On instinct, Shay focused on the sight of the coming strike. Her own ari color flashed across her eyes the same time she jerked her body backwards enough to have the attack go over her head and miss. Her ari had activated instantly, and her now keener eyes locked straight on Zee's fiery hand. Before he drew his arm back, she noticed then how his knee was bending forward. She saw it before it happened: he was about to lunge forward.

    Doing just that, he came at her again and again, using both hands to swing with red electric power covering both of them.

    Prepared, she dodged one swing that came vertically passed her to the right of her shoulder. Another went across, escaping her face by inches.

    "Do something." He grunted.

    Coming at her again, Zee pulled back an arm. In that instant, Shay focused on it and became aware of the angle that the tip of his fingers pointed. She could predict it would come at her left, but up near her shoulder.

    In his arm's catapulting, it met and collided with Shay's own forearm. She had it raised to block him, and ignited with her fiery blue shaded ari energy.

    On impact, the air filled with sparks of color and repelling zaps. But with each of their arms blocking each other in a wide X, both fighters stopped in their tracks. They locked eyes. Expressions unreadable until, Zee's lips then curved into a challenging smirk at the ends. He was waiting for her next move.

    â€‹Oh, I've got something for you then. Her eyebrows lowered, she couldn't help but put her grinning game-face on, the same one she brought at the heat of any sport that she had in the bag.

    Next, Shay did a complete spin away in the direction of her free hand, causing energy sparks to fly out. When she whipped back around she stretched forward the same blocking arm with energy blazing at her fist. That's when she managed a few flares to shoot forward from her knuckles.

    Zee had stepped backwards to avoid the short energy flame before they died out. But Shay repeated the action again, but without the spin. Punching the air with her other fist and shot more flares. Zee also repeated himself, moving backwards a step to avoid them by inches. His expression was calm; he wasn't frazzled or nervous at all.

    â€‹Show off...

    She pushed for a series of punches. A jab left, right, left, left, right. After her last punch, she brought back both her fists and her left leg jolt up in a diagonal kick. And blue energy spewed from the tip of her foot even farther than it did with the punches.

    Zee moved to the right and avoided it by inches, just as she expected. Bingo.

    As soon as she saw his motion there, instead of a straight jab, she threw a right hook as hard and fast as she could. Blue energy spiraled out from the curved punch and covered the entire side. It trapped him from escaping any farther to the right. In the heat of it, instantly she flung her left fist forward and a forceful blue fireball hurled forward.

    For a quarter of a second, Shay thought she was able to glimpse a look of surprise on the Zeome's face, but it disappeared. When the fireball came for him less than a few feet away, Zee kicked in the same type of super speed she saw him use a few times before, and ducked.

    What would have been a direct hit blasted over his head. It went through the air over the golden grass, yards away before it burned out of sight.

    Zee, stayed to the ground, on one knee as he glanced back at the fired blue energy himself. The size of the fireball had been larger than his head.

    "Ha!" Shay grinned, chin in the air, fists on her hips.

    Bad move. Zee's leg made a clean sweep beneath both her feet. Before she knew it, she was air born, seeing nothing but the blue sky and its clouds. She cringed her eyes shut, ready for the ground's hard impact. But instead, a secure arm caught her fall.

    Zee had already been on ground level, but managed to stretch his body up in time to catch her.

    He has some nerve; He only had to catch me because he knocked me down in the first place!

    Zee looked down on her for a moment, face blocking the sky. A few of his dark, red glittering locks escaped passed his shoulders to dangle at her neck.

    "Good attack...and strategy." he said, slowly letting her go. They sat next to each other in the grass. "Never let your guard down to admire your own work."

    She scrunched her nose at him, he wanted to tease her, but she already knew her mistake was obvious. "That was a cheap shot." She muttered stubbornly.

    They both chuckled at that. But Shay's chuckle turned into a laugh, feeling the embarrassment of her mistake.

    She looked back at his face; they sat there in the golden grass so close to each other. His eyes had caught hers at the same time, and her laugh faded. For some reason, Shay couldn't find herself able to move. It felt like the oddest time for her to fall in a trance into his eyes, it was even odder that she would ever picture them this close besides the time she forced a hug from him.

    The sun above glittered on his features while he simply watched her. Though she couldn't help but return the action. The handsome expression on his, golden brown face, under his dark eyebrows, his complex eyes...his lips.

    Shay stopped herself, right there. And backed away, now even more embarrassed. She leaned back in the grass and looked away awkwardly at anything but him. The grass, the clouds...the grass. Dag is there nothing else out here?!

    Nope. There was nothing at all. Nothing...or no one around but...

    Shay shook her head and just started talking instead.

    "Er…" she stuttered. "So...yeah, like I said, cheap move...so I guess the lesson of the day is don't get cocky huh?"

    He chuckled. "Yeah I think you can say that." He looked her way. "You're becoming more in tuned with the focus of your ari I see. Like I said before, you have to figure how to fuel it and become more familiar when y-"

    Zee cut his own words off. He brought his hand to his head, with a slight cringe.

    "Zee? What's wrong?"

    After a short moment, he raised his head. His red gaze did a quick sweep of the surroundings left then right, before returning to her anxious face, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

    "What was it to begin with?"

    He shook his head, "I..." he sighed. "I don't think it was anything. Don't worry about it."

    She gave him a long look first. But he gave no farther answer and she let it go. "So what made you do that whole sudden attack anyway?"

    The tenseness left his eyes, and his features seemed to relax. "I want your defense to be ready. The human fighting skills you know won't be enough here, you must depend on your ari too. You're becoming better with it, much better. You responded well." he picked a blade of grass twiddling it with his finger as he stared out at the field. "When I leave, I want to make sure you have at least that down."

    "Will the uh…lead guy, help me train too?"

    "He may, if he sees it fit for his plan. And if he does, I have no doubt in his ability, but I want to make sure myself that you're decent enough first before I leave."

    "And I guess you're serious about that. You even used your ari on me. You're usually pretty cautious about that."

    He nodded slowly. "It was necessary for a good reaction from you. With it simply surrounding my arm, I can control it; I didn't shoot it at you. But I did pinpoint my strikes enough to give a slight miss if you didn't catch them in time. And then of course, I didn't-"

    Shay cut him off before he could finish. "Yeah, yeah, I know, move as fast as you normally would." She mocked his voice. She then leaned back against her elbows, carelessly and chuckled. "But you still were fast enough, fast on a normal level. And it was exciting! Is that how our practice sessions are going to be now?"

    "Well, that's not a bad idea, maybe they should and maybe I'll go a little faster next time." Shay shuddered at the reminder that until the end where he ducked her energy blast, Zee was moving nowhere near his usual speed, but he did move at a normal person's perhaps.

    "Just remember," Zee murmured winds blowing through his dark locks. "The real fights aren't going to be that exciting."

    "Maybe not always for me. But they could be for you. It's not like a lot of stuff could really take you down. You might as well embrace the thrill a little bit. It could be fun."

    He shook his head. "I can't see it that way."

    "You really need to loosen up sometimes Zee."

 

 

 

    â€‹"Do the animals around here ever attack people?" Shay asked as she watched a heard of large wild animals come storming across the plains ahead of them. The animals were running birds the size of an ostrich. The colors of their feathers had orange and greenish hues. With clawed feet much sharper than an ostrich and large beaks that curved at the ends even farther than an eagle's.

    The heard and all their loud squawking passed right in front of her and Zee taking a walking rest under the shade of a lonely tree. They ran through the grassy grounds, that Shay started to notice begin to get more hill filled in the distance they headed.

    Shay sat at the base of the tree while Zee stood leaned against the trunk and facing away from the scene, uninterested. In each of their hands was a red fruit with the size and skin of an apple but the juiciness of a plum. The fruit was all picked from the very tree they were under and served as their afternoon snack, after Zee's inspection.

    Turned away from the passing heard, instead he watched a few lonesome trees separated by long outstretched hills in the direction that they were headed. He finally returned his mind from wherever it had roamed after he finished chewing a mouthful of the plump fruit without glancing away. "Not so much unless they feel threatened." He answered. "Just don't bother them and they won't bother you."

    "Sounds fair enough." Shay said gnawing at the core of the fruit that held seeds like an apple's.

    "But some animals may become easily offended or challenged and won't hesitate to attack if they see fit too. That's all a part of the dangers of traveling. Just stick with me, do what I say and you won't find much trouble...mostly."

    â€‹Mostly? Danger really is around every corner here. Which I guess is the reason people hire travelers to accompany them outside of towns.

    But it all seemed survivable as long as one keeps their head on. And that was something Shay was sure not to lose the next time they face a threat. If anything, Shay invited the next challenge.

 

 

 

    Night fall began to creep on them. With hardly any trees as coverage they were at full exposure to the starry blanket that covered them from above. Things weren't nearly as pitch dark as it was when night time hit in the jungle. The millions of bright stars above each served as night lights in the purple blue sky. It didn't reach complete night yet, but it would be still just as light all the same.

    They had made great coverage over the fields during the day. But as for Zee, it was obvious to her that he had sensed danger at some point during the day. Though they moved fast, she often noticed Zee's shifting eyes around each new area. The look in his eyes was even more focused and sharp, being more than cautious. Which meant it was more than your average danger.

    He never mentioned to her what it was about; just that his senses told them to move. But she knew it had to be Kavothar, the only one that ever made him nervous. And whatever monster the jerk might have sent this time, perhaps it was better that a fight was avoided and they saved their energy. Another fight like the kivorg could slow them down, not to mention Kavothar might grow suspicious of his missing monsters.

    Now they had been walking for hours since there last stop. They already did so much pushing already, and still from the looks of it carry through the night. The joints in Shay's legs were aching and it was now that the one thing she missed the very most from her world was the invention of cars, even a bike.

    She knew her pace had slowed considerably. Zee's had too, though she wasn't sure if it was from his own fatigue or just making sure he didn't leave her behind as Shay began to bitterly drag her feet through the grass behind him.

    Even the chirping noises of crickets and the lazy floating lightning bugs around seemed to only be mocking her and her long and painful walk. They happily chirped and sung merrily and watched her pass.

    Shay huffed as she pushed herself behind Zee up another large hill. By now the hills in the land were much more numerous as well as large. She held her head down and pumped her legs, trying not to slip on the smooth green grass below her shoes. They had to have definitely past the ending line of the plains. Now there were only fields, hilly fields.

    When they reached the top of the hill, she considered the nice view, it gave an almost hawk's eye view of the rest of the land below along with another hill lying in front of them Standing about the same height. Looking ahead downhill, Shay felt she'd much rather roll down the hill than walk. It might give her feet a break and a much way easier to go down.

    "We'll make camp here." Shezearin's smooth voice rose alongside the silvery sleekness of the wind.

    "Sure thing!" Shay said quickly as she collapsed to the grass and instantly began unpacking a sleeping bag from the CS she wore on a compartment on her belt.

    After camp was set, fire going, and the two desperately consumed a meal of packed food, they sat in silence aching from the long walk...at least Shay was.

    "Did I push too hard again?" Zee asked.

    â€‹Too hard? Is that an understatement?

    "Well...I guess you can say that," Shay said lightly. "I mean we survived right? I survived." she chuckled. "And besides, I can take it." Ha! Who am I kidding?

    Zee gave a slight smirk and raised his eyebrow, seeing straight through her, but he said nothing and looked out ahead.

    "Besides." she continued. "I understand anyway. It was better to avoid another fight against whatever danger might have been around. And at least you did let us camp for the night. Now we can just chill." she said laying back into the grass.

    Zee didn't reply, only stared at the fields. "The river isn't too far from here." He stated.

    "C'mon Zee." She sat back up to meet him. "You stress yourself too much. We'll make it in the morning."

    She placed her hand on his forearm. He flinched slightly, but then he relaxed his arm. She had forgotten how unaccustomed he was to simple touch. But she kept her hand where it was.

    "Breath and relax Shezearin." She said. And finally she saw his shoulders lower down a bit, and his muscled chest expanded in a breath.

    "Good." Shay said calmly. "Okay, take your mind off of things… Remember what I told you before?"

    He nodded and moved his head to the ever starry night sky, and the tension in his posture seemed to ease. The air was mostly quiet, leaving the steady sound of chirping crickets all around.

    "Doesn't it make you feel so small? Seeing all these stars go so far and cover so much." She spoke softly. "That shows you how little we are to the world. Yet each of us are significant in playing a part to hold it together." I sound so old right now. She thought after listening to herself. It was as if her grandmother Sophia was here right now speaking through her. But Shay felt it necessary for her friend, so she continued.

    "My grandmother had told me that. And that the role given to us, it's never be revealed right away but we just have to follow our instincts. And well…the Great Spirit gives us those instincts…the true ones, they often nag and pull at you… but when you follow them, things usually turn out right in the end."

    She sighed, watching the sky. "I've worried about my role a lot, where I fit in. But I think about that less now, sometimes you just gotta act, you know? That's it. I mean who has time for worrying anymore?" she chuckled, but Zee didn't.

    "Our instincts..." Zee mumbled, but it sounded disbelieving.

    Shay moved her hand to the top of his that lay on the grass. He stiffened again on contact, but turned to her.

    "You have strength Shezearin." she said to him, holding his eye. "And no one else directs that but you." Shay knew she was repeating herself to him. But she had to make sure he heard her. But Zee was silent and it stayed like this for another moment.

    â€‹Where does this come from? She thought to herself. And why can I never come up with all these words of wisdom for myself? If I did then just maybe I wouldn't find myself in half the trouble I always get into...

    "Uh…my grandmother tells me lots of things." She explained. "I just take a lot of it to heart that's all. And as strange as they can sound they're all kind of true."

    Zee finally cracked a very small smile. "If you say so."

    The next thing she heard Shezearin say was that it might be best to try to get sleep in order to get an early start and still reach Surai by morning.

    As tired as Shay felt after today, she didnt need to be told twice. And instantly after she laid herself down, Shay felt her mind slip from her grasp just as she closed her eyes, shutting out the stars and the purple, not yet-fully-darkened sky.

 

 

 

    The colorful swirls in Shay's dreams began to ripple and disappear; interrupted by the hard shake on her shoulder. Her mind snapped to reality and her eyes slowly opened to the star filled sky above. It was still only a darkening purple, from the small amount of light from the day still left. It couldn't have been that long ago since she had first went to sleep. Only now, there were clouds in the night air and she felt drops of rain start to fall on her.

    â€‹Aww man, does it have to rain now?

    "Shay, get up." She heard Zee's voice speak urgently. "Shay!"

    She sat up, half startled. "I'm up, I'm up. What's wrong?" she said as he began to pull her up by her arm. "Zee what's the matter?"

    "It's not safe here, I can feel it. C'mon, get your things. We gotta move."

    "But wha-"

    "Just go." he said in a struggled whisper waving her off as he already shrunk his sleeping bag and travel gear into his CB from his belt compartment. But in the middle of this, he froze and a low grunt escaped from his chest. He knelt to the ground, eyes shut tight and hands clutching his head.

    "Shezearin?" Shay rushed towards him.

    "Sh-Shay…Listen to me." he said between ragged breaths. "You have to go. Even if you must leave me, you have to go now." He spoke through his teeth. With another grunt of pain, he was brought to his hands and knees. Shay watched him horrified and helpless. She heard lightning in the distance and rain started to come down.

    "Shay!" he urged again.

    "At least let me help you move!" she said almost panicked. She had to try to keep her nerves together. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him behind.

    Shay grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. With a face full of pain and a few aching moans he stood on his own. "Hurry." he whispered.

    Shay nodded with no more words as she snatched up her backpack, the area was clean. But just then, she spotted the weirdest thing. There was a moving dark spot on the ground. It looked like transparent liquid, almost a puddle, but it didn't wet the grass that it passed over, it didn't look at all solid or but it wasn't quite fluid either. It slid across the grass until it stopped right in front of her.

    "Uhh Z-" before she could say his name, she heard him shout for her to be on guard. When she turned to look at him she realized there were several other similar dark puddles surrounding them. And before she could ask any questions, she faced front again to see that the answer rose directly up from the dark puddle.

    The dark color seemed to just stand up and form into the shape of a person. Once it stood, the dark liquid shape hardened out to form a solid being.

    Was it even a person? The thing that stood in front of her had the shaped body of a man, wrapped from head to toe in dark ragged clothing. The cloth even covered across its mouth and most of its face, to only expose a strip of face for its eyes. The skin was light purple and scaly, and its eyes, including the whites, where entirely orange, with dark slits for its pupils. On its forehead, which was also wrapped was a small dark purple diamond shaped gem.

    It stood about five-foot-ten. Shay glanced down at its hands, also wrapped, but the wrapping looked to be fused with its skin. Its hands were long and skinny with sharp pointed claws at the ends of them that grew on top of the wrappings.

    â€‹What the hell? Shay stared.

    Now in a completely solid form, the creature rushed at her. Instantly, Shay raised her fists, and she saw the flash of cerulean light layer her vision for a half second. Her ari was now up and fired.

    The thing launched her way, claws extended. But Shay stepped to the side and dodged its thrust.

    "What are these things?!" she shouted to Zee.

    "They're minions of Kavothar's. They abide by his will. But they're not as tough as they look. They're ari only lies in the physical."

    "Okay, so I don't have to worry about any secret energy beams or something?"

    She said moving closer to him so that they stood back to back as seven of these dark minions gathered around them.

    "No. They are basic soldiers. You can handle them Shay. We have to take them out as quick as we can. And as soon as you get a break, you run."

    "Got it."

    Shay eyed the four she saw in her sight line. The first one came for her and swung twice with its clawed hands. She dodged each one and after the second she swung her own fist with her ari burning around it. The enemy was struck in its face before it could move and fell backwards and out of the way. In its place two more came in.

    Shay realized that she was moving much faster than usual; her reflexes were up to par. It was because she was in her ari powered state. Cool! Holding her ground and exhaled, allowing her now sharper senses to expand.

    Two dark minions rushed in at her. She stopped the first with a direct ari-kick to its chest. Watching that one fall away she spun out of the way of the other just in time to avoid a full scratch, instead its claws only grazed her shoulder.

    As soon as she refaced the enemy she clasped her hands together and aimed at the target. In a natural chain of reaction, cerulean energy erupted from her hands and struck the being clear in the mid-section.

    She had managed to launch her energy again! I'm getting this down after all!

    But Shay didn't stop there. Having her hands heated, she fired again at the next minion, but it moved out of the way and started at a run to the side. Shay followed its turn and fired again just as the creep almost reached Zee's side of the fight.

Direct hit.

    The creature blasted away and from that angle she took a quick glance at Zee. He seemed to be struggling to focus with whatever painful battle was going on in his mind. He was hardly moving, and there was still more enemies coming his way.

    With her side clear of opponents, Shay whipped around, pushed passed him and fired at the remaining two dark minions with all the force she could muster.

    Darts of blue energy rained from her hands. It fanned out and hit both targets repeatedly along with any other of the minions getting up from being knocked down the first time.

    The cerulean darts burned and sizzled on impact of its targets. Eventually the rest of the minion didn't get back up and instead melted back to their previous liquid substance and then completely faded away.

    Shay turned around to Zee zapping away one last minion on her other side that was getting up. It also reverted back to its liquid state and faded.

    Then When Zee attempted to stand straight, fear rushed through Shay's chest as she saw his eyes roll up and close. And then he lost his balance. He fell down backwards and tumbled down to the hill's bottom.

    "Zee!" This is bad, really bad, terribly bad!

    "Zee!" she called again as she practically stumbled her way down the hill herself. At the bottom between this hill and the next was almost like a gap in the land. Shay dropped down next to his cringing form.

    "Sh-Shay..." he barely whispered.

    "Shezearin. I'm here. I'm going to-"

    "No." he breathed. He struggled to sit up on his knees, while he still held his head down, clutching it with his hands.

    His voice rose just enough for her to hear. "Shay...Listen to me. You need to go back...G-Get out of range."

    She placed a hand on his back.

    "In range of what?" She was scared for her friend and to find out what was happening now.

    "I feel him. He's t-trying to order me... I won't l-let him."

    "Order you to...?" She knew what it could be. It very well dealt with her. Kavothar knew where she was. But if he knew Zee was here with her, then what was he really about to do?

    "Shay!" his voice rose before it weakened again to a whisper. "It's not safe...Shay...he's coming. He's coming. Go back...You...have to go back."

    Shay felt her body began to shake. And the last thing she wanted was to abandon him.

    "Just go away from me. He knows my whereabouts. He's coming for me not you..." Zee said more strongly.

    Trembling, he raised his head to look at her. "Shay, I'll be alright. Go. A-At least go back to the camp past the hill, h-his senses are weak. He won't see you...You need to go."

    Holding his gaze, Shay saw something she'd never thought she'd ever see in those invincible ruby eyes. They were pleading with her and deeper than that, she saw fear.

    Not him, he couldn't be scared. That had been her job.

    Terrified, she listened to him and nodded a yes.

    "Hurry." he said lowering his head again to his lap to curl up in his pain.

    Shay turned around and headed for the camp hill, heart heavy and pounding. But then, right in front of her, another dark minion suddenly formed on the ground to block her way. Shay gasped and stopped right in her tracks. Another appeared form the side. Oh no.

    Before she could raise her fists in a fighting stance, there was a curving electrical red streak of energy flying through the air to hit first the minion at her side and then it curved to blast the one in front of her. Both hits sent the enemy gushing back into the liquid to melt away.

    Shay turned around to see Zee standing up, arm outstretched from firing. But surrounding him now was more minions, a lot more. Almost twenty was what it looked like.

    Shay started to charge down and fight but stopped once she saw Zee already holding his hand up to stop her. He'd already predicted her action. "Shay!" he said just loud enough for her to hear him over the rain.

    "Bu-"

    "I'll handle this! And whatever happens, don't come down! Understand?"

    He didn't wait for her reply before he whipped back around to face the rest of the enemies. Ignoring all his pain, he fired a few more attacks then pushed himself halfway up the hill to stand between Shay and the rest of the minions.

    Zee's eyes then flashed red, even though his power was already activated. Shay remembered him doing that before in the wind ruins, merely meaning that he raised his power to another level.

    He outstretched both arms and instantly a gigantic wall of red energy exploded from the ends of both arms. There was a loud crackle as the large wall of energy spread through the air and blocked her view from all of the minions.

    He was giving her the chance to be out of sight. She had to take it now. Shay turned up the slippery hill and sprinted through the rain. It was now beating against her shoulders and her soaked curls hung heavy on her back.

    She made it to the top where the camp had been and laid her body flat down where the tall grass surrounded and blocked her from sight. She watched Shezearin through the grass strands. He had now lowered his tremendous display of a wall of energy.

    As he stood facing his opponents alone, she noticed a streak of black color rocket through the sky above her. The black streak angled downwards and landed down in the clearing of the battle. It was like a floating orb that settled right in the center, where all the dark minions cleared to make room.

    Then, from the orb expanded a dark shape until a tall man formed in its place. He was dressed in black, with robes or…a cape, Shay couldn't tell from here, flapping in the windy rain. A menacing grin stretched on the man's face. Though she had never visually seen him before, somehow she knew exactly who it was. The presence was unmistakable.

    It was Kavothar.

22: A voice in the Light

    There he was, the man who was the start of his nightmares, the start of his torture, the start when his life was taken away from him. And who now stood to take and kill the one who gave him the only piece of simple life he'd experienced in such a long time.

    But he wouldn't have it. Not this time. This man had taken everything away from him but he won't do the same to this girl, not if he was going to be a part of it.

    Shezearin forced himself to stand straight ignoring the pain that he felt throbbing through his head that pulsed through the rest of his body. He ignored the minions surrounding them and glared at the soul he despised.

    "Shezearin." Kavothar spoke. "Are you really disobeying my orders? My, I haven't had to give you a disobedience lesson in a while, my servant. I thought by now you had the concept of your life broken down."

    Shezearin snorted but said nothing in return. He owed no explanation. Why should he have to explain his own actions? His own actions were never his; but Kavothar's, that was why. He was only his tool, his weapon. That's what's been nailed in his head all these years.

    It was funny that after remembering that, the next image that came to his mind was a picture of Shay telling him that his life was under his control. But then again, she knew him as the person, and nothing else; not the weapon.

    â€‹Kavothar huffed lazily. "I see my pet has lost his place then." he grinned with yellow canine teeth exposed. "Oh what could have come over him? Is it the human then?" he spoke lightly and stepped closer to Shezearin who didn't move an inch. "It couldn't have been the measly human that you've been hiding all this time..." He finally looked down at Shezearin, now directing his words to him. "Rebellion? You slippery serpent...ignoring a direct order how dare you!" though his voice started at an icy low it rose to a yell at the end.

    When he shouted, Shezearin felt his body stiffen by a force, the chain linked to Kavothar's mind. With him standing in front of him, the chain had more effect. And Kavothar squeezed and tightened them with tremendous force. It almost disabled his entire body.

    The master then raised his hand and a beam of energy ignited in a flash. It was dark purple, almost black and Zee felt the impact pierce his body numb with pain as it shot and electrified every limb of his body.

    "Argggg." Zee gasped before he clenched his teeth together to silence himself.

    This wasn't new. It was nothing he hadn't felt before, due to the very "training" Kavothar, himself, bestowed on him. It was full of pain, but he would get through it.

    Through his tightly clenched eyelids he heard the slithery voice speak again. "And after I'm done with you I can go sniff out that little human. I know she can't be too far. And for the fact that you've been covering for her, I will keep you alive just enough to enjoy a front view sighting to watch while I kill her." He spat with detest in his voice.

    Shezearin hated the reality Kavothar's words. As if with the say of one word he'd control whatever Shezearin did, when, and how it would turn out in his life. As if he had all the strings and he was only a puppet, a tool.

    But that was just what he really was. And it infuriated Shezearin to his very core. For a moment he wasn't sure if the pulsing pain in his head was from Kavothar or his own frustrations.

    His master's shouts thundered on. "But that will only be after I make you suffer like a dog. You are only a weapon of mine, what makes you think you have the right to disobey an order?!" At Kavothar's last roar, more pain surged through Zee's body. It left him crumpled to the ground.

    "That means you've lost your place! I the worthless scum that I see before me is mine to command! A creature that has no right to live." he said stepping towards him, his boot near Shezearin's head. "Do you know how many people have wanted you dead before I came? Knowing what you are? A senseless creature like you can't be let to roam around. And I have a right mind to remind you of how important that is!"

    "Ghnaa!" Shezearin grunted through his teeth as another agonizing surge jerked up his spine and through his body.

    "You are nothing but a dog that needs a leash in order to have the right to breathe." he hissed, standing over Shezearin's curled up form. The tattooed lines that ran up Kavother's face and to the diamond at his forehead were electric trickles of dark purple. It pulsated around the diamond and ran along the tatted lines. The energy intensified as the man unleashed his fury.

    He was transferring more power through his body, from the diamond. Zee was able to figure out that much about him over time, that those tattoo lines served as a power system, which was why they started at that diamond at his head. It's only been a few times that he himself lifted his hand to discipline him.

    "Do you hear me?" he shouted as he lifted thick gloved hands and another shocking zap of dark purple energy erupted from them. As it hit Shezearin, Kavothar let the energy continue in a steady constant assault. A twisted grin curved up his face while he watched the pain inflicted on his servant. While the energy continued to shock through his body, Shezearin was forced to bite back a cry of searing pain.

    "What makes you think that your mind is capable of these decisions? You wouldn't want the human to end up like the others, I should say, that get close to you?"

    Despite his torture, Zee snatched his head up to glare at Kavothar. The asshole had tried to use this strategy before at the cave. He knew exactly what kind of effect it would give him. Shezearin's rage boiled over. And seeing it brought a sly smile to slither even farther up Kavothar's face.

    "Yes, you know it Shezearin. And what are you going to do about it? Ha!" he barked a laugh. "I OWN you!"

    "Shut up!" Through all the physical and mental pain that buzzed through his brain, through his body, and in his chest, Shezearin's voice ripped through. "Shut up!"

    Surprised, Kavothar stopped and glared at his servant who didn't back down his own glare of defiance. "You know what happens when a dog defies his master." Kavothar said through his clenched teeth. "You, slave, will feel…my...wrath." he said slow and dangerously.

    The master's outstretched hand then slowly balled into a fist. And as his fist clenched together more sparks of energy began to swarm around Zee's body. He was tightening the wrench of power over the servant. "Next perhaps I should gouge those demon eyes of yours out. I will teach you, boy, to fear and respect my power!"

    His fist completely shut in a ball and a yell tore from Shezrearin's throat, gashed by the throbbing pain.

    "Suffer!" Kavothar hissed through his teeth. He balled his fist as tight as he could, enjoying and taking in every agonizing scream of his too-proud slave. "That pride of yours is what I'll really break!"

    â€‹Shezearin ceased his scream with grounded teeth, though the pain never receded. "You can break nothing of me!" he yelled back raising his head. He turned every ounce of pain he felt inside him into quaking fury.

    Body trembling violently, Shezearin rose up on one knee through intense tremors of dark purple energy.

    â€‹You're an incredibly strong person, remember that Shezearin. He heard the memory of Shay's voice appear in his head and he followed it.

    He thought of the small voice of conscience that he had started to follow lately; the conscience that told him to come back for Shay, to save her. It was a sort of instinct before he had denied but now was bringing himself to trust. This time he took it full force and willingly. That strange strength, whatever it was, immersed him until he stood strongly on his two feet.

    There he stood, against the power of his chains he was bonded by. And when he stood, Shezearin felt some of those very bonds of power snapping from his brain. He had severed a few of them, and it was by his own will.

    "This is my soul, I decide my fate. I am my own master!" Zee shouted and his eyes flashed red light.

    He raised his hands through the storming daggers of pain and fired his own energy ari back at the very man who had always tyrannized him since he could remember.

    The sparks of red energy hurtled towards Kavothar. It collided with a cluster of electrifying purple energy that rose instantly around Kavothar's body just in time to block the attack.

    And in the next half of a second, the only thing Zee saw was a blurry image of Kavothar coming straight for him. Feet, gliding over the ground by an inch with his levitating ability, he zipped forward. Still gripped by painful power, Shezearin could hardly tell his body to move. He physically could not evade him.

    A powerful hand locked around his neck and his feet were taken from the ground. Zee's vision refocused to stare down at Kavothar's small furious eyes.

    "You damned fool!" He snarled, holding Shezearin in the air with one arm. "Instead now I'll crush every bone in your body and leave you barely alive to breath. That's your punishment now. Though you don't deserve even that you piece of scum! For this, I should KILL YOU!"

    His grip wrenched harder around Zee's neck. Electrifying dark purple energy exploded and zapped in every direction from the man's gripping hand. It would have looked like thunder from afar, and Shezearin was the main target taking its impact. "You are nothing compared to my power!" He half yelled but half laughed in an almost insane way.

    "You wanted to choose right? You spoke of choosing your fate. Bu it looks like you've chosen the wrong one. Your fate is sealed." He shrieked with crazed laughter again. "And now for the last command I will give you. Die."

    â€‹Shezearin could only let his voice squeak as the pressure around his neck closed in on his throat all while the pain surged even harder through is body.

    He felt his mind's consciousness begin to slip.

 

 

 

    Shay watched completely horrified at what she was seeing.

    â€‹NOOO! She screamed in her head when she watched the scary bastard grab Zee by his neck and raised him in the air right after he reflected Zee's attack.

    She had already been so close to coming down and fighting. She would have first taken out the annoying henchmen that circled around and watched the ordeal between Shezearin and Kavothar.

    Zee wanted her to promise to stay hiding no matter what happened. But she hadn't given her word on it. She had never agreed that she would at that moment. And even if she did she just might have had to break it now.

    But what could she really do? This guy scared the hell of her. He seemed crazy-loaded with power.

    But still, her blood boiled to do something. And the way it looked now…there was no mercy in his cruel hands; Shezearin might die. He was trying to kill him.

    If only she was able to do what she did at the Pythorn village. But Zee made it clear she was only able to do it then because her powers were just awakened. Now that it simmered more into her body, it wouldn't happen again until she got to that level herself, which if that was even possible, it was far off.

    She watched in terror as Zee's body seemed to go limp and his head slowly arched back weakly. As of that moment, all of his strength had dropped.

    â€‹That's it.

    Shay rose up from the ground and tried her best to focus up her energy. Maybe she could shoot from here. It will give away her position but she would find a way to escape. Though intense panic blurred her reason for sure, she had to act now.

    Without thinking, Shay jumped to her feet, legs shaking, summoned her ari to sustain on her hands as she fired at the first henchmen she'd seen. She began to charge down.

    "Shezearin!" she screams as loud as her lungs could carry. "Fight him! C'mon!"

    Half the henchmen turned from the center scene to face her and charge into attack.

    â€‹Kavothar hadn't turned or even seemed to notice her at all. His angry stare was concentrated strictly on Shezrein. He still held him by the neck, dark purple energy surging out of his hand like electricity and it circulated around them both. It formed a complete force field of power. It seemed strong, and Shay questioned if she could even blast through it.

    As the dark power surrounded them like a sphere, Shay looked at Shezearin begin to weakly close his eyes.

    â€‹"SHEZEARIN!"

 

 

 

    I won't let him control me... Shezearin's consciousness fought.

    You're right, I shouldn't have to live this life...I won't do it anymore...

    It's my life...my fate...

    I'll fight back...I'm fighting… I'm losing. But I have to be….strong.

    He saw nothing, only darkness, but felt the grip around his throat tighten. And so did all its pressure and the very real storm of dark purple lightning that stormed around him. Holding the wrist of the chocker was the only defense he could muster at the time. It was incredibly hard to move. At first he couldn't do it at all. It was as if his body couldn't hear him, unable to feel the connection to his brain.

    The only time his body reached his mind was for the moment when he brought himself to stand against the bond, just before Kavothar grabbed him. A fight he was still in, but at an incredible disadvantage. With the bondage power storming through him, it felt like a civil war raging within his body. Though some of the chain had broken, the rest was still too much for him to overcome. It ran so deeply inside him from all these years of linked servitude. He feared it to be as close to his soul as his own ari and with that thought alone, he was terrified.

    "Shezearin!" he thought he heard Shay's voice scream from the outside of his dark realm. Of course she didn't listen to me. She gave herself away...

    But there was absolutely nothing he could do now. And at the same time, Zee felt his mind slip away more. His own grip around the arm that choked him start to loosen as his consciousness only began to slip away further.

    â€‹He will not own me. I am my own master. His thoughts still fought on, even though he felt himself slipping. This is my soul...my being.

    But he could hardly hear even himself anymore. He began drifting away from everything and the darkness swallowed even his thoughts.

 

 

 

    "SHEZEARIN!" Shay screamed again.

    She stood on the side of the hill as the rain now began to beat down hard. She blasted another dark minion across a field of grass. Three of them had met her before she even got a chance to run down the rest of the way.

    â€‹Kavothar continued to glare sternly at Zee without a single blink of an eye. There must have been a fight going on. Whatever Kavothar was doing to Zee with his power, the evil man still seemed to be struggling with it. Zee was fighting back!

    But soon his movements started to lessen; he was starting to lose. A hard shiver pierced through her chest as she witnessed the grip Shezearin held over Kavothar's arm begin to slip and then drop limp.

    "SHEZEARIN!" She screamed to him once more as tears began to form in her eyes. They ran down her face to mix with the rain drops that plopped down in unison.

    Shay then started on a sprint down towards Zee. But in the middle of her run, Shay felt a blow across her lower legs that sent her to land hard on her stomach. Shay chocked at the impact. And she stayed there as pain rang through her bones.

    It was one of the many minions around. Lesson number one; never let your guard down on the enemy. Zee had reminded her of this in their last training session. But at the moment there was too many of them. Even if she made her way down the hill, there were still about twenty more of his men surrounding him down there, plus the big boss himself that was giving even Shezearin havoc.

    Shay lifted her head through the rain to look up at the very weak zeome'. The impact to her stomach knocked too much breath out of her to even call his name again.

    â€‹Shezearin!

    As she stared at his nearly unconscious form, hanging in the air by Kavothar, Shay noticed something. She peered at the ruby chain that Shezearin wore. Are my eyes tricking me?

    Shay blinked again, but still saw the same image; the jewel was glowing. Through the mist of the rain it was light soft and red. What does this mean?

    She watched the red amulet not only rise but begin to lift up from his chest completely on its own. But yet, Shezearin was unconscious, he couldn't have been doing it, could he? It rose passed the hand at Zee's neck and stopped when it was about eye level between the two of them.

    Then the soft glow ignited to a bright shine. Kavothar's eye concentration broke when he turned to look at the glowing gem. His face first wore a look of disbelief. Just what is going on?

 

 

 

    â€‹Shezearin.

    â€‹Shezearin. A voice called through the thick blackness. You've followed your own power.

    The voice, however it came, sounded soothing. It was of a woman's, but a very familiar one. You've reached me. It spoke.

    â€‹Shezearin knew that he'd heard this voice before, a very long time ago. And now, it was as if it came to rescue him from the darkness he sank in. A minute ago he was sure that he wouldn't have resurfaced from the abyss. But now, the numbness of his mind began to thaw as he opened himself to listen to its sound.

    â€‹Shezearin... I can help you now. But you must continue to follow your power.

    The darkness around him then turned to light as the voice continued.

    And remember what I have told you before Shezearin. Remember, your true power...It doesn't lie with your zeome power, but rather in your own heart...

    â€‹You are strong Shezearin. Remember all of this...And remember it when you remember me...my son.

    The light faded and Shezearin opened his eye. In front of him, his eyes focused to see the glow of his red crystal now floating up in front of his face. Behind it, he saw Kavothar's eyes widen right before the red light of the gem blinded him and everything around.

    When the shine came, in correspondence he felt a strong vibration of power erupt from inside his chest. His breath ripped out of him through a shout as the power was then released through him in a wave.

    Layers upon layers of red energy exploded from his body and the gem held up in midair by the power. He even felt the surge of the waves as each one struck Kavothar full force.

    The hand around his neck dropped, but Shezearin's own body hadn't moved as the pressure of the exploding waves of red power kept him sustained in the air, floating by raw ari power.

    He trembled as each wave of it passed through the whole of him. His own voice was echoed in a yell when the last power wave forced its way out from within him. Then he felt his battered body drop and he crumpled to the ground weakly.

23: Struggle in the Rain

    Shay couldn't believe what she just witnessed. Half of the dark minions in front of her were vaporized by the power. But Kavothar was the one who suffered most. She heard his wails. Once the waves of red power finished he fell to one knee sizzling with smoke. He clutched his right arm, the one he used to choke Zee with, it was black and tarred, and he continued to yell in agony. Blisters were all around his body.

    When his screams finally stopped, the man looked around unable to process what just happened. He took one angry glance at Shezreain who lay collapsed on the ground. By instant reaction, Kavothar looked ready to grab him, but his leg gave out as soon as he tried to stand. He was too injured to continue anything at all. And he knew it.

    "Grrrrraaahhhhh!" the man howled and growled, in fuming fury. He whipped his head to the seven henchmen that were left, and managed to avoid extreme injury by the wave only because they happened to be behind Kavothar who took the direct hit.

    "Get them!" He said. And then the defeated master allowed his form to change and ripple away until he completely transformed to a ball of a gas-like substance and then whisked away.

    On her feet, Shay slid her way down the rest of the slippery hill and sprinted under the darkened, rain-pouring-sky towards Shezearin. And the dark minions left over attempting to get in the way only angered her. She heard them right behind her on her trail.

    With a burst of power, she blasted away the two minions that caught up to her. Irritated she turned around and used both hands to throw a blitz of flames at all of them. She flung her cerulean fireballs everywhere with no particular target. There was too many of them to choose, but hit them she did. She shouted, pouring with frustrations for passing minutes. And she forced any close enemies back.

    With plenty of distance from her and the remaining enemies, she then dropped down next to the zeome's unconscious form.

    "Shezearin!" she knelt down next to him, slapping her wet palms on his shoulders and shook. "Shezearin! Shezearin! Wake up!"

    She stopped when a low moan came from his voice.

    "Shezearin?"

    His eyes opened slowly and stared up at her unfocused. "Sh...Shay."

    She let out a breath of relief. "C'mon. I need to get you out of here. Can you get up?"

    Zee nodded weakly as he began to stand, Shay quickly came to his side. As soon as they did, the rest of the minions were beginning to surround them again.

    Shay knew she needed to get him some place fast to rest, he was at least standing on his own but he was still in bad shape and even vulnerable if his strength couldn't hold.

    "Take this!" She fired a ball of ari energy, one fist at a time at whichever target she saw. She managed to take out two then whipped around quickly to her left and shot a strong stream of energy to a minion charging near Zee.

    She turned to her other side to meet another one at the last minute with a kick. She followed it up quickly with a punch of an energy covered fist to send the thing tumbling to the ground.

    Another came from her right again. And just then, when she turned around, the enemy caught her at the side of the face with a punch. But she managed in time to avoid its full impact, and allowed the rest of the impact to slip across her face.

    Recovering fast from the blow, Shay refaced the enemy as it launched its claws towards her. This too came too fast. She raised her forearm just in time to block and avoid the attack, but her arm burned from the scratch it received instead.

    "Ahh!" she sucked air through her teeth, absorbing the pain. Blood rose from the three lashes across her arm. She looked up in time to see the henchmen coming again, with another attack. She quickly raised her unharmed arm and fired a blast of ari.

    When she did, the enemy had been right on her. It was close enough to have collided with her hand when she fired. Her fire blasted a hole right through its chest and it fell down. The anger and the close call must have intensified the power of the blow. Any second later the thing would have caught her.

    She was sure these creatures were made of something weaker than flesh. She was sure it wouldn't have put a hole into any regular person. But nonetheless she did it to this creature, and the minion then dropped to the ground to melt in the rain.

    But this only revealed the rest of the minions behind him. At least a dozen; they had multiplied. And to add, she knew that she was beginning to slow down, judging by her close calls. Her ari still had her senses sharp, but her body was tiring just a bit, maybe more than a bit.

    Still standing, Shezearin's body was beginning to quiver. He wasn't going to be able to hold himself up any longer.

    She then held both hands up towards the coming minions, with the rain beating on her face. Letting all the anxiousness pour out, Shay shouted a cry as the fire spewed out. Mirroring the scream of emotion, the energy erupted forward in two beams of powerful pressure.

    It lasted for a long drawn out minute. Shay couldn't tell how many she hit, but she knew all of the minions were forced back far. Then the energy in her attack finally died out. When it stopped, for a moment she felt a slight sense of fatigue. But she couldn't stop at all. She ran to Zee's side, catching him before he completely fell.

    "I've got you." She put his arm behind her neck and over her shoulders. He leaned some of his weight against her, but he was on his feet.

    "I know your weak right now Zee." Shay said. "But you have to work with me now. C'mon Shezearein do you hear me!?" He was going in and out of consciousness. The slow response frightened her but in time the weakened zeome' began to move his knees enough to walk.

    Satisfied, Shay wasted no time to move. She realized she'd driven all the enemies as far as back past the hill where their campsite was. This was the best head start they could get. She turned the opposite way and moved, half dragging Zee.

    The next and last hill wasn't quite as high. They had already reached the top by the time she saw the henchmen start perusing when they saw that it was safe to come out.

    Shay could feel her body begin to tire inside, the travel of the day and the battle was weighing on her. Zee had told her before that using her ari was like moving her body, and for her it could be tough since she hadn't developed a strong endurance yet. Even inside, the warm sensation of the ari source didn't burn as nearly as strong as it usually did. She felt like a dying flame. But she kept her panic down, and her mind clear.

    Side by side, they stumbled down the next hill. Fortunately, it turned out to be the last one of the giant field's terrain, form what she could see through the dark and pouring rain. Ahead of them now was the start of a bundle of trees.

    Shay didn't even know if she was leading them in the right direction or not but this was the best cover they could afford right now, because fleeing was going to be their only option. And so she hauled and dragged Zee's partly conscious, weak and battered form over her shoulder and into the trees. Desperately, she pushed him as hard as she could.

    Shay was careful to avoid tripping over anything as she guided Zee into the trees. But behind her, the creatures were gaining.

    In the next second, a minion appeared at her side, claws at the raise.

    With her free hand, Shay fired another stream of blue energy. But she heard at least two more behind her. She whipped around to face them though they were already too close for her even to stop them.

    A zapping shock filled the air and she immediately saw the two creatures fly through the air, hit by an electrical red energy blast. Shay glanced at her side, to see Zee's head slightly raised enough and his hand extended. He had awakened enough to help fight those two off. It took a lot, maybe even the last of his energy to push the attack. After hearing a few of his deep, tired and ragged breaths, his eyes started to close again and his weight increased.

    "Stay with me Shezreain!" Shay called. There was still a few behind her and this wasn't looking good at all.

    As the leaves and branches started to grow thick and in the way, she hastily pushed through them, struggling to keep Zee up with his arm over her shoulder.

    Fear urged her the most. She moved faster and even tripped but avoiding bringing Zee or herself to the ground. She bustled through more branches and plants until she came to a hard stop that almost caused her to really fall this time.

    In front of her was a sheer drop. She was now standing a few feet above a strong stream of rushing water, exploding through the raining night.

    â€‹The river. Shay remembered. Zee said it would wrap around the plains. We've reached it. She'd been so busy focusing on the enemy that she didn't even noticed the sound of rushing water close by until she ran into it.

    Two seconds after her sudden stop, the very remaining three dark minion came bursting through the trees. The edge must have startled them too because their abrupt stop was so close to her and Zee, the swinging claws of the closest one had just missed Shay by an inch.

    The close call threw her off balance. And then she felt Zee's weight shift too far backwards.

    Nooo!

    Struggling to hold him up, but he was too heavy, and her balance was already too faltered. Still she never let go of him, and together their bodies fell.

    The ugly purple wrapped face of a dark minion was the last thing she saw before everything disappeared behind the cliff's edge. A warm shock of water followed as she felt herself being plunged beneath it. Luckily, she managed to hold her breath in time.

    The instant she sank under the water, she felt Shezearin's body tear away from her and they were scrambled apart by the water's force. The river was more narrow then wide but it seemed very deep; her feet never touched the bottom. As soon as Shay regained herself she immediately began paddling up before she could hit the bottom.

    Shay burst through the surface to the dark rainy air. Water splashed all around her. She was hardly able to keep herself up through the stormy current, let alone even see.

    "Shezearin!" she called.

    â€‹This is bad! He was still unconscious, lost and unable to swim.

    Shay flailed around desperately in the water, struggling to keep her eye sight clear over the splashing river that rammed against rocks and the sides of its confinement.

    Water filled her mouth when she tried to call for him again. Suddenly, something caught her eye, a glint of a gold ring half peeking out of the water next to a patch of black floating locks of hair. It was up ahead, down the current of the river.

    Shezearin! The glinting gold was the ring he wore below his left shoulder. The left upper side of him floated above the surface while the rest of him sank under.

    She launched herself forward alongside the current and seized Zee's his arm. Again, she wasn't the best swimmer, but she knew enough to keep both her and Shezearin afloat. It helped that his completely unconscious form floated a bit already. But now she had to reach the shore, which thankfully, wasn't too far away. It was fighting the current that was the problem.

    In the pouring rain, the river moved in a rush, to the point it almost felt like a water ride, a deathly one. Shay held on tight to Shezearin, doing her best to keep his head above water, all while hers was forced under by the hard current more than once.

    Then something else caught her attention above the chaos of the moment. From up ahead she heard the water getting louder. Oh, no.

    A water fall was up ahead. Even if it wasn't a high one, the landing in their already exhausted states would be bad. Plus there were the jagged broken things that floated with them in the river. Colliding with them in the landing could even be fatal!

    Shay screamed though she knew no one could hear her. No one could come and save them. It was just the two of them. And Zee, the strong warrior was out cold. She complained to herself before that it was against her nature to let someone save her all the time right?

    A hard turn of the stream made her slam into a rock planted in the water, but she kept her grip firm on Shezearin, refusing to let him go. She swam harder and harder. Her breath was out of control, her heart felt about to burst, she knew that in any minute her body might give out on her.

    Coming up quick she spotted a log, a sturdy one. It was a fallen old tree trunk up ahead next to the river, it was old and half buried into the ground. And one of its thick and leafless, remaining branches, stretched out across half the river.

    The force of the river made Shay go faster than expected. But she reached out, and grabbed what she could reach, a smaller branch attached to the larger one, in her other hand she held onto Shezreain by his shirt.

    Praying that the limb wouldn't break, she pulled in closer, wedging herself. She wedged herself in the rest of the branches that stuck out against the current from the fallen trunk.

    She exhaled a painful breath as she heaved Shezearin closer, pulling against the current with all her might. The current pressed them both against the log. But holding on and pulling little by little, Shay made their way along the branch across to the rest of the river's side.

    Finlay, her hand reached dirt above her head. With her back against the log, she pushed Shezearin up first, sliding him on his back. Inching him up for she was able to get his whole back on land. Then she put all her strength into one strong shove to secure him onto the bank.

    As she fell back in recoil from her push, Shay's head barreled under more water. But she quickly pulled herself up to the surface again, using the trunk's branches.

    Coughing and hacking she pulled herself up with her arms and let the water run down her back. And slowly, she crawled the rest of the way out of the water. Her breath came heavy, chocked by her coughs. Her lungs felt as if they were burning from complete exhaustion and her body ached terribly. Her arm muscles tightened hard from their overuse.

    Completely on solid stable ground, she collapsed next to Shezearin's still form, coughing and spitting up water from when it went down to her lungs.

    She hit the ground hard with a wet splat and felt every last bit of energy drain from her. As her chest heaved trying to recover, her heart was on an intense race of its own. All she could do was lay there.

    Completely exhausted, she hardly had enough strength to raise the side of her face from the ground. So she arched her neck up, angling herself to take one look at Zee.

    He was still breathing. He was okay after all and they were away from their chasers. Better yet, Kavothar was gone. And they seemed to be away from all possible danger...for the moment.

    Her vision turned blurry. She moved her gaze up past Shezreain as she saw green grass start a couple inches away where the dirt ended.

    â€‹We did it.

    Shay coughed again, through ragged breaths as she listened to the rain and felt its wet blotches beating on her face.

    Then for a second Shay thought she saw the side of what might be a shoe boot step out of the grass before it disappeared into darkness along with the rest of the world.

24: The Warmth of a Friend

    â€‹Shay...

    Shay...

    â€‹I-It's that voice again. Shay thought in the darkness. The same one I've been hearing.

    It sounded like a world around her that spoke in one voice, as nature. She heard the smooth sound of the wind but also the current of a stream. As it drew Shay's awareness forward she heard and felt the voice begin to leave and drift away.

    Remember what you must do. Do not forget me...

    The voice had faded. Very faintly it added as weakly as a trickle of water. In order to find, you must see as you feel. And Shay felt the presence of the voice leave her in the darkness.

    Wait! She wanted to call out to it, but she didn't know its name. What was this...this voice she kept hearing? Each time she heard it, it felt just as familiar as it always did. Matter of fact, she couldn't recall when the first time was? It went back as far as childhood where she'd hear it occasionally in her sleep.

    Shay had always thought it was just a strange reoccurring dream, but by now it seemed hardly the case anymore.

    What is it exactly? Am I really just crazy?She thought to herself as she sat there alone, trying to remember time and space and where she was in it. She refused to stay there by herself, and pushed forward through the darkness. She pushed enough until light started to come.

    Shay opened her eyes and felt her mind slowly return to consciousness. Her vision was blurry at first but then it cleared as she found herself staring up at a brown wooden ceiling with a polished sheen. Her mind felt slow as she tried comprehending what was going on and where she was.

    Shay then realized she was lying in a bed underneath fresh white sheets with plain squared patterns on them. She was in a small room made of wooden walls. The decor of the room was simple with a small table and a lamp.

    â€‹Where the heck am I?

    She wracked her sleepy brain for her last possible memory. The last thing she remembered was...

    The river! Zee and I made it...

    Wait, Shezearin! Where is he?

    Shay slid from the bed and jumped to her feet. She looked down to see that she wore a lose baggy pair of sweats, but luckily she spotted her clothes, including her gloves, dry and folded and placed on the dresser while her shoes were placed neatly next to the bed. Her backpack lay next to it on the floor.

    Glancing up, there was a small mirror hanging on the wall over the dresser. Shay's hair was frizzed thick and curly from the last night's dip in the river. She quickly rebound it back into a pony tail of puff and curls, using the second tie holder she decided to keep around her wrist under her glove. She stopped then to realize that her forearm where she had been slashed was now wrapped and bandaged. Even her cut shoulder had been treated with some sort of strip of cloth.

    Her entire body was incredibly sore; she felt it when she stood up, it was in her muscles and with every movement. She was probably even bruised, especially at her stomach, where she fell on it. But this didn't stop anything. She quickly resumed her haste, ripping off the sweats and scrambled into her clothes all while thinking of the possibilities of the new situation.

    Wherever she was right now she was thankful for the care that was given to her, but that didn't mean she could let down her guard, it could still very well be a trap! She learned to treat everyone in Dezaria with instant suspicion. The only exception had been Elszka but she was different, an out of the normal encounter. What were really the odds of running into another old wise person again?

    And even if the owner of the house was nice and hospitable to her they were sure to not do the same to Shezearin. Everybody treated him like an inhuman thing. And they were sure to find him if they found her. Even Elszka held prejudice against him. And the idea of any more harm to him of any type angered her. Shay flung open the brown wooden door and jetted out.

    Outside was a long hallway. It was narrow with a small white carpet running down. In a line along the walls were separate small glass lamps with dull light crystals inside them, Dezarian lamps. But they were off; it was the day light that shinned instead from the row of tall windows above. She passed them as she ran down the hallway.

    She whipped around the sharp corner. But just as she ran around, there came a hard impact that knocked her off balance. It was a body that she hit, the chest of a man that also shifted from their collision. And for that, Shay first knew that it wasn't Shezearin; he never budged when she ran into him.

    "Whoa there girl." The man laughed in a way that instantly sparked an angry nerve in her.

    She straightened her balance and before she could look up to him, a hand in leather gloves wrapped around her arm. She raised her head to the man, he looked about her age, and stood taller than her but maybe two or three inches shorter than Shezearin.

    His skin was brown, but light and with orange straw like hair pulled back to fan out loosely at the back of his head. Besides the orange hair, he could resemble the look of a Native American, in Shay's mind. Arrogance seemed to boast from this guy, it practically radiated off of him and the cocky smirk he wore on his face matched the vibe completely.

    He wore an orange and yellow short sleeved shirt, with gloves and the gear wrappings around his arm in no particular pattern with the usual Dezarian black sweat pants. He almost looked like he jumped straight from a video game; he reminded her of somebody from Street Fighter.

    "Well it looks like the sleeping beauty has finally awakened." he grinned, still holding her arm.

    She wondered for a moment if he meant that literally or was actually quoting the story he'd somehow knew here in Dezaria. But Shay backed away from him, a look of suspicion on her face instead of a smile.

    The man only stepped closer again, as his eyes overlooked her up and down.

    Shay finally yanked her hand away from him. And he smoothly slid both hands back into his pockets as he stared at her with a smug grin on his face. This is uncomfortable…

    "That damn Zeome' is lucky to have accompanied you." He spoke half to himself, as if she couldn't hear him.

    "Where is he?" she said firmly, there was strong distaste in his voice when he referred to Zee. And the sound of it made her ball her fists.

    He glanced at her hands and widened his smile. "Down kitty cat, there's no need for that. Your uh….friend is right down that hall and to the left." he gestured behind him, though he blocked the hall with it already not being too wide.

    Shay eyed him. She didn't like this guy and none of this made any sense. "And what do you want with him?"

    The man laughed. "Oh me? Absolutely nothing. It wasn't me that brought him. If it was up to me the chump would be still lying there at the edge of that stream." he stopped carelessly to think to himself, not even noticing Shay's angry growls. "Hmmm. I would've still saved you though."

    She exploded before he could say anything else. "Watch how you talk about him." she growled through her teeth. "You don't know anything! So let me pass and I'll just take him off your hands for you then!"

    The man stared at her hard but soon recovered his sly smirk and stepped to the side. "Be my guest." he said amused. "But you'd have to take it up with Raijen. He's the one that rescued you two after all, not me."

    Shay trudged past him and ignoring the watching eyes that she felt continue to sweep her from behind.

    But then she froze both her movements and even her anger as she just realized what the arrogant man behind her had just said. You'd have to take it up with Raijen...

    Raijen. She'd heard that name before. Shezearin had mentioned him...it was the leader of the village they'd been traveling to; Surai. Could it be-?

    "Zairick!" a small voice called, stopping her thoughts.

    Around the corner, tiny footsteps came closer until Shay faced a little girl about eleven or twelve years old. She had dark cocoa brown skin and two low ponytails of thick massive wavy hair that stopped passed her shoulders. Her large clear emerald green eyes stared up at her.

    "Hi I'm glad you're awake." She said sweetly with her tiny voice. "How are you feeling?"

    "Oh uh... I feel fine."

    "Good. I'm Sa'li it's nice to meet you. And that jerk over there is Zairick. You'll have to excuse him." she gestured to the man behind her. "Sometimes he just can't help it I guess."

    "Hey!" he spoke. "Why do I have to be a jerk?"

    "Because!" the girl's voice squeaked with annoyance. "You are one! I heard what you said! You do nothing but talk bad about Shezearin! You're just jealous of him."

    "Jealous?! I have no reason to be jealous! I'm just being honest." he snorted. "Well I'm sorry I upset his biggest little fan."

    The girl ignored his comment. She forced her anger down and looked up at Shay again with a smile. "I promise he is the only pig-headed one around here. But don't worry; he's not so bad once you get to know him."

    Shay nodded smiling back at the pleasant little girl "Thanks. I'm Shay."

    She held out a hand and Sa'li shook it happily, then began pulling her along by the hand.

    "C'mon. I'll take you to see Shezearin! And I gotta tell everyone your awake!" she squeaked cheerfully.

    The girl moved ahead excitedly, dragging Shay behind her.

    "So this means he's alright?" Shay asked, her aching body struggling to keep up with her even at a jog.

    "Yes he's fine! He's been drifting in and out of sleep. He woke up earlier this morning and came to check on you, but just by doing that he used a lot of strength. He's still really weak, you know. That type of overexertion plus the damage he received was really hard on him."

    Her information was a lot more useful than she thought would come from a kid this age, Shay considered.

    "If we hurry, we can still catch him while he's awake." Sa'li finally let go of her hand, blasted around another corner and burst open a door.

    "She's awake! She's awake!" she bounced.

    Shay walked in behind the eager girl. The room was small and similar to the one she woke up in. And lying in the bed was Zee.

    "Oh." She heard Sa'li speak. "S-Sorry to disturb you Shezearin. I thought Raijen was still in here. I didn't mean to burst in like that."

    Zee sat up in his covers he paused as his eyes stopped on Shay.

    "It's Okay Sa'li." he said. "I wasn't sleep at the moment."

    She nodded shyly. "O-Okay. Umm I'm going to go get Raijen and tell him the news."

    Shezearin nodded to her and the girl was out the door.

    Alone, Shay stared at him. "Shezearin. I'm glad to see you're okay." She tried to strip her voice of at least some of the emotional relief she felt inside. It was Zee she was talking to anyway; it wasn't his language. There was no need for anything sappy.

    He padded the side of the bed for her to sit down. "And are you?" His eyes carefully went over her.

    She sat down next to him. "Yea, I'm fine."

    "Shay you…did it. You made it the rest of the way on your own. And you…"He glanced down before his eyes returned to her. "Saved me."

    "Well, I didn't make it the whole way. I passed out by the river too."

    "They told me." He said quietly.

    "Yeah. And well as far as saving you goes; it was you that took down the big one. I only got us out."

    "That still helped. And you still saved me."

    "I guess," A weak save, she thought. All I did was escape. It had no brave glory in it, the way he had in the way he shined every time he came to her rescue. "Well that's only one against the countless times you saved me." she laughed then smiled at him.

    But he didn't smile back. Instead he looked down at the sheets. "I never felt...so weak; not as weak as that in so long. I was hardly able to walk...I became useless."

    Useless was a term he probably was never used to even associating himself with.

    "Zee..." she only started. But the frustrated look on his face when he looked up at her made her stop.

    He watched her silently. He then lifted his hand to her cheek. The bare fingertips that stuck out of his half gloves brushed the side of her face gently.

    She felt a bruise there. She remembered being struck there by one of Kavothar's minions. Though she managed to escape the full punch and so it wasn't a large bruise, it had to be more red than purple; but of course Zee would pick it out anyway.

    "It's okay Shezearin. It's nothing bad. It'll go away in a few days."

    But next, his eyes fell to the side of her shoulder where claw marks had faintly grazed her then to her lower arm which was now wrapped up.

    "It's nothing threatening." she assured him again.

    "It shouldn't be there at all." he said plainly, face unreadable.

    "Shezearin, if you're blaming yourself don't. You can't be invincible you know." She crossed her arms and held a stern look. "So, stop." she ordered. But looking at him, she couldn't hold her strict look for long, and she lost it.

    Shay wrapped her arms around him. Ignoring his slight freeze, she held him in a tight hug and buried her face in his shoulder.

    "I'm so glad you're okay." she whispered with her eyes shut tight. She heard her voice cracked just a bit. "You scared me so much."

    There it was. She said it; the emotion had broken out of her but she didn't care. She just held onto him as she let the frightening memory of last night flood through her mind and prickle her skin once more before it could completely wring out.

    Zee gently placed his hand on her back, and he hugged her in return.

    She felt the warmness of his breath past her ear and to her shoulder. Perhaps the memories of last night were coming out of him a bit too. "I'm fine now." He mumbled in a low voice. Then his body shifted, and he moved back enough for his ruby eyes to lock her into his stern gaze. "Thank you...Shay. For everything. "

    A long second past and his eyes seemed to be taking in the image of her face. Who knew what he was thinking behind those pensive eyes.

    "You are also a lot stronger than you realize." His deep yet cool voice spoke to her. "Whatever happens next on your journey back to your world. You'll be fine, I have confidence."

    Shay could only give a slow nod for a thank you. They had made it. Right now she felt strong, just as he said, and warm some how too. She lowered her head back to his shoulder and he returned the hug once again.

    They stayed like this. Shay didn't want to move from the warm security of his body. And even now, every solid muscle of his felt incredibly strong against her, even if he was still weak at the moment. He was her support, and somehow, maybe to an extend, she had become his.

    Then a thought then struck her mind, she let go of him and sat up with a start. "Shezearin!"

    He looked at her, curious at her sudden change of mood. "What?"

    "So...Does this mean…?" She was scared to ask.

    "Mean what?"

    "That you're...free? Did you...break the bond? Wasn't that where that burst of light came from? It fired back at Kavothar."

    Zee stared at her for a moment then looked away to the floor then back at her face again, recalling the events that happened last night in his own head.

    "Yes...I'm free," he sounded almost disbelieving. "The bond is broken."

    "Yes!" she clapped her hands together. "I knew you could do it Shezearin! That's how you got us out of that mess too! It was with that light wasn't it?"

    He continued in his calm tone. "I think that's most of what nearly drained all my ari along with the energy in my body; that and Kavothar's attack. But it is…broken."

    "Well, with some rest, you'll be well on your feet soon. And that means…you have your own life now."

    He looked as if he was still trying to believe this fact himself. Zee shook his head slowly. "Well yes…But it's not that simple."

    Shay stopped, her excitement drained down. "What's wrong?"

    "I am no longer bonded as his servant. But he is still alive and around. Kavothar won't forget about this...It was a heavy lose on his part and he won't accept it, he'll just be more brutally determined, plus our problems are still here. He's still after you and he'd probably just want me dead." He stated bluntly.

    â€‹What a way to bring down a victory.

    "True." She said sadly, but then perked her voice up a bit more. "Well, at least he's not forced to be a part of your life anymore. That is still the battle that you won. Now you can focus on yourself. You get to live Shezearin. And maybe even possibly finding answers, about yourself I mean."

    "Yes you're absolutely right about that. That will be my next goal, to find out about my past and...myself. There's so many questions, why am I the zeome', let alone what a zeome' even is, besides a legendary power of the Dezarian lands.

    "Yeah. There's a lot you'll be free to do now. You'll be just like me." she chuckled. "Not knowing what the heck I am to Dezaria and why. I guess we're both misfits then."

    He looked at her with a half-smile on his face, "I guess you're right."

    His gaze returned to the floor with a sigh.

    "And I am glad that I'm free." He said slowly. "It's just that...in a way, it feels too good to be true. That darkness in my life, it's always been there. So now it just doesn't feel real."

    His fist balled slightly against the sheets of the bed. "That man has haunted me in my life for too long now. I know it's not over yet. He'll be back."

    "And I'm sure you'll be ready." Shay said watching him. "I have full confidence in you as well." And that she did. Right now, after what they'd been through, Shay felt that the two of them could probably accomplish anything.

    But before she could say anything else, the sound of footsteps grew louder, someone was at the door. The leader of Surai Town's team she'd heard about was about to walk in.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you so much for reading! :) I hope you've enjoyed!

The Spirit Fire story will continue in a second book that I will be posting shortly! I hope you'll be interested in it as well!

And please feel free to leave reviews or message me for suggestions, comments, and just feedback. Thanks!