Chapter 15

****

"Okay, I'll go with Violet, you two watch our backs and yours." Roux says,

Adam nods, "June? You don't have to answer, I'm simply curious. What was it like?"

She looks at him, "Becoming the water watchdog?"

He nods, "Scary, it's so much responsibility. Exhillerating, but terrifying. I can't imagine how the first felt though."

"Would they have been much different?" he asks,

She looks at him, "Oh, I guess he wouldn't have told you would he? The first were children when they got their powers. They separated to study their abilities. A darkness was on the planet then and they fought together to destroy it. The original watchdogs were Legends, are Legends. I heard the original earth watchdog could talk to animals, I don't know if the one today can but, it's pretty cool."

"And water?"

She smiles, "I haven't heard many rumors about the water watchdog."

"You'll give the previous a run for their money."

She snorts, "I think youre crazy, all of you."

"Says the one joining us."

She nods in agreement, "True."

"Adam. I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard it must be."

"It's-fine. Lydia's dead. And I'm gonna kill Isabella."

"Adam...I've had the chance to see what happens to people, a couple under Liara's moon and one of them dies."

He looks at her, she takes a breath, "What are you going to do after you kill Isabella?"

"...Kill Sylvia-"

"After that Adam. Don't do anything drastic okay?"

He doesn't answer. Violet and Roux return with four small sandwiches.

"Whats wrong?" Violet asks,

"Nothing." Adam says,

June looks at her and tilts her head slightly, as if asking Violet, 'What do you think is wrong?'

Violet looks from her to Adam. "I'm fine." He says, frustration flowing through his voice,

"Adam-"

"I'm fine Violet! I just...give me a minute alone okay?" He asks sighing,

She bites her cheek, "O-okay."

They convince him to take a sandwich with him. He sits against a wall and closes his eyes.

Violet clears her throat and slides down next to him. He looks over and rolls his eyes as he closes them again.

"For Pete's sake Violet...five minutes?"

"We don't have to talk. Can we just sit here?together?"

He doesn't answer. Does that mean yes? No?

She bites her cheek harder and takes it as a yes. They sit there in silence, half an hour passes by.

"Adam, I'd be more than happy to let you process and deal with all this. But should we go?"

He takes a breath and nods, "Okay. I'm sorry Violet."

She shakes her head, "If it's as painful as what I went through, dont ever be sorry."

They get to their feet and join the other two. "I'm sorry my friend...let's make Venix feel this pain ten fold." Roux says,

Adam look at Roux and hugs, "Thank you Roux, for being such a good friend."

"Of course. We are going to kill him, and make it hurt."

"I think we all need a turn taking a metal pole to his groin." June says,

"Agreed."

"By the way I know where the Fire element is. I can sense a general area of their whereabouts. She's left the city."

They look at June wide eyed, she blushes, "What? I can't sense them all, only hers, I'm not sure why."

"That's really cool June." Violet says,

June smiles at the ground. "Okay June, where to?"

"Follow me."

They walk out to of the city, buy four horses and ride fast away from the city. "You can't sense where she's headed?" Volet asks,

"No. Only her current whereabouts." June says back,

They ride for hours until night falls. But they don't stop and keep riding until they're close enough.

They dismount and tie up the horses. "I'm not sure where she is, but it's somewhere, a mile at most, in that general direction. But I'll recognize her as the Fire element as soon as I see her." June says,

"She's stopped?" Roux asks,

She nods, "Mhm. Yes."

Adam, falls back and hits the ground, the other three jump and look back at him, they rush to his side.

"Adam!"

Violet then falls to her side, and groans, then Roux as he jumps up to his feet. June turns into water, but it's too late. She felt it hit her neck, her body goes numb and she hits the floor, her body returning to a fleshy state.

"The water element?" someone asks,

"Change of plans, keep them alive."

"All of them?"

"I don't want to risk it."

****

It's been a week now, she's somehow managed to find an actual deer. She's regained some meat on her bony body.

She creeps through the trees, rain taps the world around her, masking scent and any soft sound she would make.

She steps out and pulls back hard. They yank on the reins and stop the carriage. It took more breath than she thought it would to stand.

"I'd suggest getting out of our way." one threatens,

"Who do you follow?" she asks weakly,

"Get out of our way!"

"If you follow Xenix I'll kill you where you stand!" she spits

They look at each other and back, "We'd rather you kill us than worship that monstrosity."

She hesitantly lowers her bow, "Can you prove it?"

One of the men twists his waist and reveals King Oscar's royal family symbol on his shoulder. "We are royal knights. We are trained to deal with ruffians and criminals."

"I was a prisoner of Xenix. I escaped."

They scoff. "No one escapes him, you ought to learn how to lie!"

"Its the truth! I stole a materializer and escaped. I assume obviously Xenix wasn't there, otherwise he might have known."

They stare at her, as if deciding whether or not to trust her.

"Look at me....if I was lying, I wouldn't go through so much trouble as to stave myself, leaving me weak and frail. Please. If you are against him....i beg for your help."

"Leave your weapons."

"My sword I will take. It's mine, for a good reason. If that is too much to bare, point me in the direction of a town."

The two look at each other after exchanging looks and words too soft for her to understand they look at her.

"Leave your bow and arrows."

She does as asked, wincing as she takes them off and throws them to the side. She takes a breath and stumbles forward to the back of the carriage.

She groans as she climbs in. She crawls past supplies and bottle and to the front of the carriage and sits against the wooden wall of the carriage.

"Tell us again your story." one says as they start off,

"I was being held prisoner. One of Xenix's lesser allies was keeping watch, but not very good. A few others and I escaped, I don't know if she's dead, I stabbed her when she wasn't looking."

"Where are the others?"

"We went in groups because there were a few materializers. I was the oddball that had to go alone. I don't know where they went."

"Mm....whats your name?"

"Lydia sir."

"Your last name?"

He stares down at her feet, "That remains to be seen."

They look back at her, at each other then the road again. "You're a mysterious woman, you're dangerous."

"I am very dangerous. But I promise, if you are not with Xenix, and have no intention to do bad or evil...then I'm a friend to you."

They ride for an hour in silence to the nearest town, Raefin. They let her off and give her enough coins for a week's meal.

She thanks them and walks to the nearest pub and orders deer meat. She scarfs it down all the while everyone stares at a girl in a torn dress she wanders to the poor district. Until she finds the perfect opportunity. She walks past, grabbing a coin purse off a table. She feels horrible for it but she needs it, she hurries away and around a wall. Someone shouts, but she doesn't panic, she just stops and looks back, like everyone else, lingering for a moment, then continues walking. She manages to steal another coin purse, that's much more hefty and empties the silver into one bag.

She walks to the rich district and uses four pieces of silver to buy new black clothes and a coat. She buys another sword and mounts it on her hip.

She looks lethal now too, she uses the rest of the money to buy food and fills herself. She walks out of the pub and starts down the sidewalk.

"You know, stealing is bad."

Her insides jump, but she remains calm and keeps walking, not looking back, as if she didn't hear.

The woman smiles, "If only your mother could see how far you've come." she says softly to herself,

Lydia turns and walks into a pub. Crap. She walks upstairs and opens a window in the back, she jumps out and lands on her feet and hands. She runs fast until she makes it out of town. She hurries off into a forest and searches for an hour till she finds the perfect stick.

"Idiot Lydia, that was too close." she says to herself,

She cuts down the branch and carves with her sword as best as she can. Regardless of her being on the weaker side, she's received a lot of strength and still can carve a bow with any blade. So long as she can atucally hold the blade steady.

She makes three arrows along side it, sheaths her sword and hunts all day. She stops moving forward. She draws back slowly, and releases, the arrow flies forward and directly into the heart of the elk.

It falls to the ground with a hard thump while the others bolt away. She walks over, shouldering her bow and rips the arrow out. She ties her arrows to her belt with leather straps she bought and grabs the Elk's antlers and pulls hard.

She pulls for an hour and a half and finally gets it out of the trees into the open. She bends and takes a breath.

"Okay, you got this Lydia." she says to herself,

A cairrage pulls up beside her. "Woul you like some help?"

She looks up at the two riders. "What's the catch?"

"We take the deer off your hands. It's pretty heavy I'm sure." one says smiling evilly,

"Yeah first it's an Elk, and pass, I can walk."

They take turns jumping off and pull out their swords. "We don't want a fight miss, we just want what's ours."

One dives forward, thrusting his sword at her. She pulls her swords, letting his slide off hers, she swings down, slicing his arm and kicks his ribs.

The other swings down, however she's still faster. She dives to the side, rolls to her feet and dives into him before he can fully turn.

They both hit the ground, she rolls over him, turns and thrusts her sword down, stopping it just before it reaches his throat.

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Me. Or. My. Damn. Elk." she spits,

He stares up at her wide eyed, "Hey Missy?!"

She doesn't need to look to know he's pointing an arrow at her back. "I can make this very difficult for you right now." she says,

"Kal just let her go!"

"Get off him now of I'll put one in your spine."

She smirks and snorts, "Little prick."

She slowly gets to her feet, she turns and swings as he releases the arrow, it rings and bounces off, she keeps turning and thrusts her silver blade into the prone man's side.

He yells out, she yanks it out and jumps to sideways, avoiding another arrow. She charges him, he throws his hand up, the sword cuts through his bow, she twists and kicks him back the ground.

She turns and throws her sword into the other that's managed to sit up. The sword runs through his back, he gasps and falls to his side, she rips off an arrow from her leather strap.

She stomps on the man's leg. He yells out, she drops to her knees and rams the arrow into the temple of his head, where it's weak.

She drags the bodies and their weapons into the woods and returns after wiping her sword off on them.

She sheaths it, and skins the elk, drains it of blood and then manages to lift the full grown elk into the back of the carriage. She climbs up in the front and snaps the reins.

The horses them start off to the rich district entrance. She rides in with ease, rides to the market place.

Within five minutes she has four people asking for it and sells it for three hundred silver, which is the equivalent of 3 gold.

She leaves the carriage and buys a knife from a armory and a quiver of arrows.

"You look like yourself again."

Lydia turns and looks at her, her blonde hair rests over her shoulder. Lydia looks around and back.

"I'm talking to you Lydia."

She jolts and readies herself. The woman laughs,

"There's no need for that. I'm a friend."

"How are you seeing me?"

"I'm blind. But only physically."

"The heck does that even mean?"

She holds out her arm, "Would you escort me home? I'll tell you when we are there."

"Who are you?" she spits,

"Easy. I know who your father is."

Chills run all over her body. "You lie."

"You're good at hiding, but not the best. Come on. I'll tell you once we're home."

"If this is a trick-"

"If it was a trick, I wouldn't play it here. Risking a scene."

Her stomach turns over. Hesitantly Lydia takes her arm and they walk down the street.