Chapter 16 - The Return

Seah tried not to sleep, her head bobbing up and down as she fought it. They were back at the camp and she was outside of Ann's tent, where she lay with her eyes a little less diluted, massaging her now bandaged wound, where a branch went through her thigh. Hopefully she can recover from it quickly, or at all for that matter. Fise and Andrew shared a tent, one breathing hard enough, she heard his struggling breaths from here, sometimes sending a shiver up her spine. He fell asleep, it seemed, and the infections in his gut started to affect his body. Instructor Srap emerged from their tent and took out a canteen made from an elastic material and waved it to Seah, who groggily took it.

"Fill it up from the river, number 4 has a fever and he can't fight it. He's in REM sleep already and he ain't waking easily." Seah activated her aura and went over to the river. It barely helped her stay awake. It had been 4 hours since they defeated the wraith, and the sun had already set when they did. It was 12 already. Seah kept a good sleep schedule, sleeping 9 hours everyday, until now it seemed. She could have easily stayed awake if her aura wasn't depleted so much. It'll be back to full strength by tomorrow. She reached the river and dipped the canteen into it, filling it to the brim, put the cap on, then splashed herself on the face with the water. She needed to wake up and that helped. Seah returned and handed over the freezing cold canteen to instructor Srap, who took it and held it against Fise's head. He needed to get them back to base, but the thought of encountering another group of enemies on the way kept him from immediately running there. He had called back to base and gave them a rundown, and they said they'll send someone over, probably arriving in the morning. Srap knows its either going to be Dr. Verto or Nurse Sally, considering their amount of injuries and inability to return with possible safety. He was in deep shit already, if someone in his care died, he fears he won't be able to help anymore.

Seah then headed back to her spot, and awaited another instruction to refill, which came only 5 minutes later. She never talked much, never really had much to say. People understood her fine with only hand signs. But because of this, she never had friends as she never managed to make them, yet in only a day, she made some, saw them almost fie twice, almost died herself and is now fearing that they will die. Was this what friendship was? She knew that in a way, it was, since two parties cared for each other, but was it normal for them to get into these situations? She had been confused when she got to the city, and was now confused again, but she guesses that if she asks her question, they might ridicule her, and maybe thats how friends are? She returned and awaited the next refill.

Joshua has never been in a city, or even outside the orphanage apart from that one time when pretty much everyone went out a hole in the wall. Everything was so technological. Above him, drones flew, they had lights on top that kept blinking,

delivering stuff between buildings, from boxes to paper to coffee and tea. And below them, where he was following Mr. Hunter, his alleged new father, there were so many people he felt he was in a house made of them. He had dressed appropriately, according to Mr. Hunter, since he got the clothes from his new father. They arrived 6 days ago. They entered at the North gate, surrounded by so many buildings and technology and people. A fancy building here, a HyperLoop station there. The roads were mostly clear apart from construction and farming vehicles, making sure to make the city as self sufficient as possible. Most of the other cars just used the streets in the Underground City. Joshua had bought a small booklet since Mr. Hunter allowed it, and he read it saying that Incip used to be a small village, and that what we call Incip was named so after the Underground city, Incip. Most criminal activities, over 80% of its happened in the Overground City since it was less patrolled and harder to monitor than the Underground.

He had read every single word at least 4 times on that booklet on his Interface, even looking at the trademarks and author information. Mr. Hunter, unlike Joshua, seemed to not care less about the city itself, and only that they had to keep going from a 'client' to another. One in the market, some in the farmlands and one was deep within the red light district, where Joshua awkwardly stared at Mr. Hunter's heels for 2 hours, spending most of that inside. Joshua didn't know what or who Mr. Hunter was after, or why, and he didn't care. Mr. Hunter was surprisingly nice if you got to know him! He never ridiculed Joshua, or seemed to care he asked for seconds most of the time. Mr. Hunter also made sure he was washed, hydrated, fed and had enough sleep. It was the best he had felt in forever. He actually ate real food, not the jelly things!

They seemed got to the HyperLoop station and began to descend a level lower than the Underground City. They got onto the HyperLoop, felt the pressure outside become a vacuum and then Joshua swore he saw the magnetic waves push them down the tunnel at amazing speeds. He barely had time to feel it before he was pulled downwards as it stopped. They got off. Joshua followed Mr. Hunter, trying not to look at the Underground city while drooling, as they passed people and buildings. They travelled a long time, and Joshua realised that he didn't see any cars like those from the movies. 'I wonder were they went?'

Mr. Hunter walked inside a building, where he began talking to a woman inside a receptionist office. He gave her details about a meeting, where she told him more information. They conversed for about 10 minutes, which Joshua spent looking at the architecture. Mr.Hunter sent something over on his interface to the woman and then, followed by Joshua, entered a room. It had chairs next to the walls, lined neatly, and another door at the end of the hall. A waiting room, Joshua had seen enough to know they would stay another hour and sat down next to his father. He began searching through his interface, seeing a video about computers and deciding to watch it. It was part of a series.

40 minutes later, Mr. Hunter was called. He told Joshua to wait there and went through the double doors to room A1. He entered the office. A man in a robe sat with his feet on the desk, about 40 years old.

"Ah. Hunter!" he exclaimed.

"Sir." he said as he sat down.

"Ah now, drop the formalities, boss wants a deal."

"I know."

"He's a little busy with his own work so he called me to hire some peeps. Hunter, you betcha you were on my list."

"Whats the mission?"

"Gotta stop an old factory or something. Apparently, just doing something concerning the city but easy to fake."

"How much you paying?"

"How much does a human life cost?"

"Sir?"

The man sat forwards, his feet off the desk.

"Hunter, this mission is to save your sorry ass. Ya lost your team, angered Sagittarius somehow, I think one of your team members was his family member, ya know how much he like em, and ya failed. If boss' plans mess up cause that Andrew kid tells the Radience bout Phoenix, you're not only dead but worse. May whatever save you from that. Listen, ya got 2 missions, ya failed one, ya doing the second, and now here is your third. Go mess up some factory, kill some Radience 'lamps' and come back, and your head ain't gonna roll in his palm. Go back to your second mission in the waiting room, don't mess up this one ya rusted bolt."

"Whats the point of the mission, what will it lead to?"

"I do not know, Hunter. We'll shut down another one eventually. Maybe right after. Boss was vague about it, but we need to clear out a government facility or something, Target X or some bullshit like that."

"When will my mission happen?"

"First one is happening today. Yours in about a week and a bit."

"Why are you telling me so long before the mission?"

"To prepare you. That won't won't be the last, and also," He put his legs back up. "I heard it'll be a real 'blast' at the end! Ha!"

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

The man laughed, louder and louder. Hunter didn't like this. He was getting annoyed. "Goddamn it Sativarg! Fucking tell me!"

Sativarg quietened his laugh to only a chuckle.

"The 'Brian' will show up, haha."

Hunter stood up and turned around, walking towards the door.

"Ohh come on, at least show me ya face! A real 'blast', eh? Hahahaha-"

The sound cut with an abrupt "Bang!" of the door shutting, Hunter walking briskly back to the waiting room.

When Joshua saw Mr. Hunter's face, he immediately stood up, turning off the video he was watching, and waited until he could follow him. Joshua never saw such a complicated face on his father before. It had a hint of anxiety, fear and annoyance? They left

the building and went back to the HyperLoop, taking them back to the city entrance, where they exited and Joshua got to look at more drones before they headed to the residential area, where they got inside their rooms. Joshua ate in silence, taking care as his father's expression was scary. He feared that he might be angry and he didn't want to upset him.

Seah awoke staring up at the sky, which was bright blue and cloudless, feeling the sun beat down on the canopy above her. She sat up from the ground, which was wet, and looked around. The tents were still there, and the breathing from inside told her the other 3 were safe. She could hear their breathing... her aura must have regained its strength. Standing up, she realised that Instructor Srap wasn't here. She walked over to Ann's tent to find her actually sleeping, instead of being in a trance like state staring into nothing. She checked on Fise and Andrew next. Fise was breathing a little sharply, some blood staining the new bandages, while Andrew stirred. His eyes opened and he stood up. He looked around and saw Fise on a sleeping bag next to him and Seah looking in. He stretched his neck and waved to her.

"Goodmorning."

She nodded in response. Andrew got out of the sleeping bag and exited the tent. He stood in the middle of the clearing and began to jog on the spot. Then he hopped a bit, then did 10 push ups, sit ups and squats. He then stood up straight. He began to stretch. Seah hadn't seen someone do that before. She stood opposite him, watching. He stretched his arms and shoulders, then began turning at the waist, then touched his toes, right hand on left, stand up, than left hand on right, feet shoulder width apart. Seah got in the same stance and tried it.

"No, no. You gotta warm up first." Andrew warned.

"No aura either. 10 push ups, sit ups and squats."

Seah tilted her head.

"Just do it after me." and he got down ready to do a push up. Seah followed.

"1, 2, 3..." Andrew started counting.

Instructor Srap was next to the river, drinking from it. He looked up as his interface beeped and began to cross the river. On the other side he walked for a bit before turning. A man with short blonde hair stood leaning against a tree, wearing a white blazer with the Radience pin on it as well as a red cross on the arm. He had a backpack, which looked full, next to his feet.

"Siv."

"Srap!" They shook hands.

"Show me who needs my help." said Siv and he smiled.

"2 idiots." Srap led the way towards the tents.

Seah and Andrew looked up as the 2 men entered the camp, stopping from their stretches halfway through. Srap led Siv to the tent and opened it. Fise lay on his back, his bandages wet from sweat, while Ann was next to him, asleep and looking happy. Siv looked them over and turned to Srap.

"Idiot number 1 got himself shot by idiot number 2. Idiot number 2 looked at a wraith in the eyes."

"Not a Guarded?"

"Art practitioner."

"What type?"

"I don't know, something with finger guns."

"I haven't seen that in the academy."

"Can you fix them?"

Siv stopped to think. Idiot 1 seemed to be missing a chunk, which would take a while to make. Hopefully it didn't hit any bones, and wasn't infected. Idiot 2 just got her soul racked a bit and needed it stabilised, easy enough. She should've learnt how to lock it but seems she didn't go to the academy. He started with idiot 2.

Walking over to her, he pulled her from her fetal position onto her back. He opened his gate and felt the power surge into him. A soul was a room inside someone. It was always inside. But where was the path to it? The easiest access point? Finger guns eh? So her fingers, her palm? He held up her right hand before turning to Srap.

"Is she left handed or right handed?"

"I don't know."

"Good luck me." Siv said to himself.

He sent his magic into his palm and inserted it into her palm. He felt the blood come out from a small prick he made. He inserted more and felt as if a balloon was inflating. He sent more. Lightning crackled around their hands. A little more. He felt as if a ding rang out as her soul was knocked by him. Her creation magic surged around this room. Good, closer to stabilising. He knocked again and it didn't budge. It was back to normal. He retracted some of his magic back before putting his palm up to his face and concentrating. Lightning crackled again and the small wound was healed. Siv stood and walked over to Idiot 1.

Siv picked him up with care and slowly removed the bandages. Srap looked away. The skin was there, but it was reddened and a little pale everywhere else. The wound had inflamed as the body tried to fight off an infection. This was going to be a little harder. He put his finger in front of his face and lightning crackled. Nerve cells. He saw that and lightning crackled again, he wasn't close enough. White blood cell. He saw that, he should check to see if he caught anything, and lightning crackled again, Siv focusing on the white blood cell, and moved his eyes along the nerve cells. Blood vessels. He smiled and kept following the nerve cells. Neurons. He smiled. Group, Area and Action. He focused and lightning crackled. A memory cell. Lightning crackled around his finger as if dressed in a storm.

Siv brought it down to Idiot 1's wound, the lightning spreading out across his whole hand, wrapped tightly. As he placed his hand on it he felt the connection and focused. Muscles, blood, nerve, skin. He saw them now. First stage was complete. He focused on the memory cells. Lightning crackled and another was formed. Need some more of this and that over here and there. Lightning crackled again. Skim first. It seemed to warp and moved under his touch and he slowly focused on nerves, then muscles, then blood. It was like juggling when you kept juggling more objects. Once he got in a rhythm, Siv didn't fail. The lightning flowed out and formed it. What organ was here again? Eh, that'll heal by itself; its only a kidney and parts of the small and large intestine, nothing to fret about. It was done and Siv wiped the sweat away. Srap had left the tent and came back in a few times it seemed, he saw some footprints, he saw the sweat, nerve, muscles bloo-, snap out of it. Siv's vision blurred. He seemed to have healed the organs too, goddamn it. He stood and too a few deep breaths, looking at Idiot 1. He was sweating but didn't seem to be in pain.

"Hey Srap, how many time did he wake up?"

If he lost enough blood to not be able to get energy, a common Guarded side effect, then if he was in a deep sleep he must have lost a lot of blood. Nobody answered. Siv should have made more blood, he knew, but where was Srap? He exited the tent and immediately saw the three behind trees, as if hiding from something opposite the river. Siv turned his head and he saw 3 bullet head straight for him. They hit. And dropped to the floor, Siv's aura burning. He immediately dashed forwards into the foliage, dropping his backpack and heading straight for the assailant. He dodged the trees and broke the bushes. He arrived and saw a man, his hair dishevelled and his eyes red, along with his face. He held an automatic rifle. Siv didn't blink. Before the man could bring up his weapon Siv was in front of him. The man's grey aura was dwarfed and pushed by Siv's light orange. Siv snapped his fingers.

"Boom."

Seah saw the man run into the foliage, leaving his backpack behind. Her leg was hurting after jumping behind the tree and she felt that she needed to renew her bandages. Seah looked and saw Andrew looking up through the fauna to try and see anything. Seah felt a blast of hear followed by a booming sound and then saw the shockwave hit Andrew's face and push him back. He quickly ducked behind his tree again. Silence remained. Suddenly the man was back and picking up his backpack. He turned and looked at Srap.

"We need to leave." Srap nodded and began to pick up the tents. He took Fise and Ann out from the tent and placed them on the floor. Seah noticed Fise's wound was gone. That man, Siv, must be a healer. Then how did the explosion happen? She stooped that train of thought as the man in question walked up to her.

"Let me heal your leg, sit down."

She did so.

The man undid the bandages and looked at the closing hole. The trousers were in the way of healing but it looked fine.

"I'm going to heal you but I think-" before Siv could finish Seah had cut her trousers around the area, her finger like a scalpel. Siv looked closer. It was mostly the skin. Skin, skin, skin. Maybe some muscle? Skin, skin,muscle, skin, skin, muscle, skin, skin muscle, ski- ah she is healed. The lightning stopped and Siv stood.

"How is it?"

Seah got up and jumped 3 metres high in response, doing a back-lit before landing on her toes.

"O~k then." Siv went to help Srap.

Andrew and Seah helped pack up the tents and then picked up Fise and Ann respectively. Srap looked around to make sure nothing was forgotten and turned to Seah and Andrew.

"Recruits, do you have your emergency toys?"

Seah and Andrew showed theirs to Srap.

"Good. The other 2 also have theirs, just so you know in case something happens. Siv here knows the way back, so we'll follow him. Keep close and on the look out for anything."

Srap then turned and followed after Siv, who had already started walking. Andrew threw Fise over his shoulder like a potato sack and followed after them. Seah wanted to be more agile so she held Ann in piggyback before going after the others.

The forest was thick and unfamiliar to Andrew. It seemed they weren't to the north where him and Fise came from, or close by the city to the west or south, as they have been there before. This guy, Siv, he can heal people and can still fight. Andrew saw that he had an aura, so creation arts and auras can be mixed. So maybe... what if he learnt from Ann her style? 'Wasn't she a beginner though? She said she was a level 1 or something like that. But it's better than nothing.' Andrew needed to know something, it seemed that Fise's thinking spilled over onto him. He needed to know if auras change the creation magic people produce. It'll be inconvenient if his flames ate at his magic. Would that eat him from the inside out?

'Talking about auras, I get why Fise would hide his ability from us. He only met me a few days ago after all. But what was his ability really?' His fake ability fit him pretty well but it didn't explain some events, and Andrew saw the testing Fise had done enough to get him 4 times as strong, it wasn't even testing anymore, it was training. Maybe it was both? Andrew hopped over a log and ducked under some branches. Fise was sleeping on his shoulder, his breathing calm and steady, better than last night's hoarse breathing and Andrew swore he heard whimpers as well. Ann seemed to be doing well as well, Andrew taking a peek behind him to see her head in Seah's hair.

Something moved.

Andrew threw Fise as he flipped to the ground. An arrow whizzed by and struck a tree. Instructor Srap caught Fise with his aura, without even looking. "We're almost there! Keep running you lot! There seem to be some Rogues but don't let up!"

Andrew looked behind him to see Seah speed past. He sprinted after her full force. Everyone was running now. Andrew felt bushes moving next to himself and a figure cloaked in a robe jumped at him, grey aura burning around them. Andrew threw an aura punch and leaped forwards. He didn't turn to see if the attack succeeded. The trees became spread out and Andrew saw it. The wall surrounding Incip. It was around a kilometre or 2 away but it was there! He kept up with the group, staying behind Seah and Ann. Figures moved around them and aura punches flew. They crashed through the foliage and Andrew weaved and dodged. Left, right, left, down, right down, up, jump. One hit him and he fell. He kept rolling and flames surrounded him, before he suddenly stopped and launched himself forwards. He entered a group of 4 Rogues, looking surprised to see him, their grey auras burning. Andrew spread his hands out. 2 of the rogues were engulfed while the others were just clipped, one losing a whole arm. The 2 engulfed just disappeared. The woman clutched her burning arm covered in black flames, which disintegrated her quickly, eating away at her throat in half a second and silencing her screams. She fell down and didn't get to reach the ground. The other had dark flames burning at his leg and he quickly raised his right hand.

"For the Lord!"

He brought it down and cut the burning piece off, but it was burning his aura and it didn't stop. It reached his left hand and that was cut off quickly, but it jumped on his right.

"Just stop burning, in the name of the Arch-" he was turned to nothing. Andrew didn't stay to witness this and ran to catch up to the group.

He saw a clearing in front of him and figures start to surround him. He saw Seah and she saw him.

"Don't come." she said, calmly and sternly yet somehow loud enough so he heard, but he had already entered the clearing. On all sides, figures stood clad in robes. He turned around ready to burn through these people.

"Stop this instant." a woman said, her aura a bright yellow opposite their group. Andrew didn't listen, why should he? He leaped forwards into 5 people and in 2 seconds they were gone, engulfed in dark flames. Andrew felt his power surge, these people couldn't stop him, he was strong. 'I-' a man burnt to death, 'need-' a woman was engulfed and erased, 'to keep-' a small figure had a hole blown through them and a high pitched scream rang out. A child. '-calm?' Andrew stopped.

A shot rang out and his knee was gone.

"In the name of the Archbishop, we shall now take you as a sacrifice. Or join us. The ancients have granted us with this journey and we must follow it, for the ability to gain power of our own surpassing those gifted! What we gain will be a true gift, and you may help us. You cannot win. We have lost an important member a few days ago and we are in need. Join or become like these." The woman shouted out, the other robed people chanting something. A car backed into the clearing and from the glass back the group could see 13 people, naked and beaten, crying, unconscious and some staring into nothing.

"A sacrifice!"

"What the fuck?" mumbled Srap

"The dark forces must be appeased before the angels can deliver their next message." the woman responded.

"I forgot how bad these fuckers are. Siv, how far is the entrance?" whispered Srap to Siv.

"Here."

"What?"

"The entrance is here." Siv said and he stepped forwards. A beep echoed from his blazer. Suddenly they could hear it, right above them. Srap looked up and saw a plane? No, planes don't have spinning wings, what was this vehicle? Was it from the Before? Srap was grabbed by Siv and pushed onto a rope, along with Andrew and Seah who had their own, helped up by long strands of a light green aura. The robed figures wanted to stop them but they kept missing, and those who tried to get close seemed to trip and fall, or get shot by their own side. The helicopter flew away as all the members were inside. They were not alone, accompanied by another 10 people, all in different states of disheveled. Among these was Dr. Verto and Mr. Mutaf. Srap was confused. He put down Fise on a chair.

"Sir? Why-"

"Something happened. We'll deal with it later."

And with that Dr. Verto took out a ball and began to heal Andrew while Siv checked up on the other passengers.