Chapter 8: Not for you

There he was, clenching his fists, closing his eyes. Owen didn't want to see this very ill-tempered man cut him open with his dark green transparent sword. Everything seemed still for a moment. Silent. Owen shut the world out. 'This is it' he thought to himself. He was frozen with fear. He didn't know what else he could do. He couldn't use magic and he didn't have a blade of his own yet. It would be pointless fighting back against this man. He would be at a complete disadvantage. Then came a sound. A very small sound that broke silence. A clang sound. Feeling unhurt by anything and the uncertainty of this new sound caused him to open up his eyes.

Standing in front of him was Trent, turned away and blocking the crazy man's blade with his own. Trent's was lighter green than that of the man he crossed blades with.

"Get up, you're pathetic," Trent said directing it toward Owen. Owen couldn't believe it. Trent saved him? Why? Why did he? These questions stirred his mind as he laid on the concrete.

"Come on, move before you are killed," Trent said.

When they broke the clash of their blades, Trent jumped back to have more ground. Trent, now behind a confused Owen, then looks at Owen.

"Up, now," Trent shouted as he clutched his blade. Owen then snapped out of his confusion and stood to his feet.

"W-why did you s-save me?" Owen asked.

"I did not save you to help you. I saved you to help her," Tent said as he pointed at Emily with tears streaming down her face. "I had to make up for what I had done to her. I don't like you...but she surely does, and I guess I could allow this for now," Trent said.

"W-wow Trent, I...," Owen said before he was interrupted by Trent.

"But, if you ever make her cry or hurt her in any way...I will make you wish you hadn't," he said to Owen. "Now get out of the way. You are not strong enough to take this guy on"

"You can't either, we are only 14 and we can't even do magic yet," Owen said.

"Yea but I can stall him. You grab Emily and run," Trent said. Across from them, Emily's father watched the back and forth argument on whether Owen was running with Emily or not.

"Shut up, Shut up. You pricks are so boring going at each other like this," Emily's father said interrupting their argument. "Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if I just end it here. If you want me to rip both of you apart, you should have just asked."

Emily's father then started charging at both Owen and Trent. Owen then stood behind Trent as Trent was ready to block his attack. Before the father got anywhere near the boys, two dark chains came of the ground and wrapped around the father's shoulders. Before he knew it, he was face down on the ground. Bound to the Earth with these two black chains. He tried squirming to get out of the chains, but it was no use. The chains tightly strapped down on the very spot where he laid. Struggling to get free, he viciously tried pounding the ground with his fists. He couldn't get free. He then started screaming and yelling. Trent, Owen, and Emily watched the man struggle to break free from the chains that bound him to the ground. Emily ran up to both Trent and Owen as they were in shock upon what had happened.

"W-what do we do?!," Emily asked with tears rushing down her face.

"I-I don't know," Owen answered in fear.

"I have never seen anything like this before," Tent said shaking. Then a voice came from behind them.

"Leave him," said the voice. All three of them turned around to see Martha standing behind them.

"Kids, I'm sorry you had to witness this, but I had to wait until this magic charged up," She told the three frightened students. "I'm sorry kids, I'm not allowed to use this move either, but...I have to."

"Forbidden Magic: Tame chains," Martha said as the chains that held the insane man closer to the ground so he couldn't move.

"M-mom...w-what is he?," Owen asked.

"...he is no longer human anymore Owen...I don't know how to explain this to you...," Martha replied in a grim tone.

"N-not human? N-not a blade? T-then what is he? Is my dad g-gonna be alright Mrs. Shores?," Emily said gazing up at the grim teacher. Martha looked at her and gave her a little smile.

"Don't worry about your dad...he will be fine," she said to her.

"H-He won't...won't he...he was...," Emily was then interrupted by her dad screaming again, but this time it was loud. He wasn't trying to struggle anymore. He wanted attention.

"Don't you dare you little bitch, or when I get out of here, you will bleed," her father said screaming at his daughter. Emily then shut her mouth and turned away from Martha. Martha then turned her attention to her father who was chained to the ground.

"Shut up. Obviously you took on this responsibility without thinking of the consequences did you, did you?! Look at her...Look at her!!...deep in your heart...you know you would never let this happen, did you...Did you!!," Martha said screaming at the father with tears running down her face. The father's eyes started to turn blood-shot red. His head then started moving everywhere furiously.

"Do you feel like a hero?!," Martha said screaming at him.

"T-there w-was not-thing I c-could d-do abo-ut it, you bitch! I-I w...," the man said while cutting off his sentence and face-planting his head on the ground not moving. The principal, Mr. Soar, Professor Cole, and one other teacher appeared and ran up to the seemingly lifeless man.

"Sorry we are late, we had trouble directing kids to the gym," Professor Cole said.

"It's fine, we only have a matter of time before he turns...I didn't want to have to use this move. It drains my life energy every time," Martha said to the teachers.

"What shall we do with this specimen, Ms. Shores? Zero Box?," said the other teacher. This teacher had big round glasses and a thick hairy moustache.

"That won't be necessary, Thomas. He didn't get to S yet," Martha replied. Martha then looked at Emily.

"Come here," Martha said. Emily just silently shook he head. Martha then sighed and walked over to her.

"What is your name?," Martha asked in a kind voice.

"My name is E-Emily...," she replied.

"How long has your father been like this?," Martha asked. Emily stayed silent and looked away.

"I'm sorry, we need to know if you want him to be alright, okay?," Martha said trying to calm Emily down.

"...All my life...even way before they divorced...," Emily said.

"He abused you, huh...," Martha said. Emily then nodded.

"Well, you are really brave. You might not be old enough to know what is going on yet, but let me tell you that it's not your fault. You will be a really strong blade some day, young lady. Just you wait," Martha said with a smile. Emily then started crying even more than before. Martha then embraced her.

"You are safe now, you brave girl," Martha said.