Chapter 11: The Cost

Seth

 They were over an hour into their journey. The sun just coming over the horizon, when Seth spoke to the group. Seth had been holding in a lot of emotions in the hours since his mother had been taken, but these were his friends he needed to at least tell them what was going on Inside his head. The chill of the morning air was causing the whole group to move slower than usual so Seth decided to use this moment to get his emotions off his chest.

 " You know guys, I'm not meaning to be rude or anything, I just have a lot on my mind." The whole group paused and it felt as if they all simultaneously looked back at him.

 "Well that was random," Clovis said as he wheeled his horse around to face Seth. The smirk he always wore evident on his face. At this even Aria cracked a smile

 "You pick the weirdest times to talk about your feeling," Travice said.

 "How about you hear him out before you start telling him how weird he is." Seth turned around to see Rylee trot her horse up along side his. She turned to Seth encouragingly. Seth heard a scoff come from Jack's direction but he continued.

 " I know it's not like me to be quiet but I have a lot on my mind. To find out my mother was the demons target was surprising enough, but then to find out that she was hiding one of the gems we've been searching for this entire time and didn't tell us. It got me confused. It made me wonder what else she could be..."

 " She had to have her reasons," Strat interrupted.

 "Yeah the commander never did anything with out a reason," Michelle stated.

 " Well I don't know her like you guys do," Travice said. " But from what I have seen of her I would agree with what Michelle said. John muscled his way in between Rylee and Seth's horses

 " Yeah, well I think this little pity party is a waste of time," Johnathan said as he willed his horse forward, past Seth and the others. A twinge of anger touched Seth and he struggled to push it down. Seth noticed that everyone in the group was throwing looks at John's back.

Seth was about to say something back when a smell wafted across his senses. He immediately gagged. It was a horrible smell, but one Seth unfortunately knew. And it seemed like he wasn't the only one who noticed it. The others had begun to take notice as well. It was the smell of decay. One so profound that Seth instantly knew that it was the smell of death.

 " This can't be good," Rylee stated a look of worry replaced the smile she had just before. Seth turned to Strat who had already turned very serious. 

 "Clovis, Matt I need you to scout ahead," Strat created a light sword, appearing in his hands in a flash of light Seth also drew his weapon. Readying himself for an attack at any time.

 "We'll go in safely. I already think i know where the smell is coming from but it doesn't hurt to be careful. But we need to hurry. 

 Seth heard the gallop of Clovis's horse as he came flying back toward them. When he was still about thirty feet away he stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth.

 " You guys need to come see this now!" He exclaimed clearly shaken. Even from thirty feet away Seth could tell Clovis was trembling. He wasn't the only one who saw it either. 

 "Ha!" Strat exclaimed as he dug his heels into his horse. The horse took off past Seth and Seth followed suit. 

 The sight that greeted them when they came over the last hill to overlook a tiny farmstead shook Seth to the core. It wasn't right to call it a village for it was just a collection of tiny houses arranged in a circle and surrounded by a fence. At least it had been a Farmstead, now it was in ruins. Every house was on fire or in smoldering ruins. But that wasn't the worst part, the worst part was the bodies. At least a hundred bodies were strewn all over the area. children, adults, and even the elderly, no one had been spared. Their faces still frozen in the fear they felt in the moment of their death. Blood splattered all over the valley. Seth immediately heaved. He'd seen death last year when Isbith died and again on the wall against the demon dragons. But nothing like this. Everyone in the academies understood the risks of what they did. But these people, they weren't given that chance. 

 "Whoa...," Rylee gulped

 "But, why?" Aria asked solemn hands covering her mouth. Seth looked back at Strat and a dark shadow had come over his face and even from where Seth was he could see Strat trembling with anger.

 Seth took a deep breath and gathered himself. "I'm going down there," he said.

 "Why," Travice asked unlike the rest of us there was no indication that what he was seeing was effecting him. 

 "I'm going to check for survivors," Seth answered simply and with out waiting for a response he headed into the valley of death. 

 Seth passed several bodies of his way into the farmstead all of them killed mercilessly. a mother still clutched the body of her now dead daughter. Seth turned away from the sight a cold feeling gathered in his stomach as he realized for the first time that what he was looking at was the cost. the cost of war the cost of protecting. He also realized in that moment that these people were all good people, not perfect but who is. As Seth picked his way past a charred fence into the ring of burning houses the smoke became more evident and Seth was forced to cover his face with his arm. it was then that he saw that the people had tried to fight back. At the first house he came to the wood of the house had unnaturally twisted into a noose. hanging in that noose was the dead body of a demon. it wasn't like the demons Seth had seen before. It was skinnier more haggard, and even though it was clearly dead Seth could still see intelligence hidden deep within its eyes.

 "Help," a weak voice gasped. Shock ran through Seth as he realized that it had come from a collapsed house nearby. 

 "Where are you," Seth exclaimed as he ran toward the house immediately drawing upon his earthern abilities as he ran. A gust of wind hit the ground behind Seth and Seth turned to see Strat and Jack landing behind him they must've heard his yell. The house they were approaching was partially collapsed and luckily this one hadn't burned completely. The voice had come from the only part of the house that wasn't on fire, one of the bedrooms. 

 "Seth, put out the fire!" Jack ordered. Seth didn't even think. He began to glow as water shot from his hand in a torrent. The fire sizzled and cracked as his water met it. Seth began to extinguish the fire, but it was taking longer than he had expected. Seth was very careful to put out the fire closest to the unburned part first. As he worked he heard Jack giving other orders as Strat was busy clearing the smoke out of the air and continually funneling the smoke away from the room.

 "John can you pull down the wall farthest from the fire?" Jack asked.

 "Absolutely, Let's get them out of there," John said all traces of his earlier arrogance now gone. Seth did his best to focus as he widened the spray of the water shooting from his hand. Seth reached deeper and the torrent of water exploded. Water began to fall from the sky drenching everything. Rain? Seth thought in the back of his head. But there isn't even any clouds. Seth momentarily looked up to see where the water was coming from and the rain was just falling from the sky. there were no clouds at all just rain falling in a torrent out of the blue sky. When all the fire in the village had gone out Seth loosened his hold on the power gradually letting it go. The rain stopped almost at once as Seth felt the power leave him. Seth turned around and saw his friends surrounding a couple of little kids. One was a red headed girl. She seemed to be older than the little boy she was clutching to her chest. the boy looked up from her embrace fearfully. Seth walked up with a smile on his face not sure if he had scared the kids or if the demons had.

 "Well nice of you to join us Seth," Strat said. "You went a little too deep didn't you?" he asked.

 Seth simply nodded not knowing what he was talking about. Strat obviously realized that Seth didn't know what he meant so he waved it away.

 Seth hurried over to see them. The minute he got to close the girl quailed, screaming something intelligible and releasing a wave of fire, Seth quickly jumped back and drew upon his power of fire. The fire passed harmlessly around him. the others similarly blocked the wave of fire. 

"We think she has long since lost consciousness, she's just doing this out of the pure will to defend her brother. The little boy coughed violently and Seth could see blood come out as well. but still the little boy looked up at him.

 "Please don't hurt my sis, she is only trying to protect me." Seth smiled at him trying to put him at ease.

 "We would never hurt your sister, but we do need to wake her up so we can take care of you two. Just sit still, we will take care of this." Seth studied her closely and could plainly tell she had lost consciousness. "We are trying to approach her without her going all flame on on us", Aria stated. Seth felt something in the pit of his stomach as he realized what this little girl must have gone through. Parents dead, demons overrunning her home, her brother clinging to her afraid, looking to her for protection. This was something no girl her age should be worried about.

 "It must've been hard on you until now," He said as he began to walk forward.

 "What are you doing Seth, we just told you she won't let anyone approach."

 Once again the wave of fire came outward from her and this time Seth reached inward and the fire dissipated before it ever reached him. Seth knelt down and wrapped his arms around the young girl and her charge. At first she resisted him trying to activate her power however Seth had successfully created a field around her to immediately dissipate any fire she would unleash. 

 "It's okay now, you are safe," Seth said softly to the young girl. Almost Immediately the attempts at using her power faltered, and Seth could tell the girl was regaining consciousness. the girls eyes opened and Seth let the girl go as she shuffled backward from him still dragging her injured younger brother with her. Bewilderment and shock were written all over her face as she clearly struggled to figure out what had happened to her. The there was pain in her eyes and tears welled up as she began to sob quietly at first but with growing intensity. Seth stepped toward her again and she seemed to recognize the fact that Seth and his friends were there. Seth knelt next to her.

 "Listen, i know you have been through a lot but we need to know if you or your brother are hurt." Seth waited for the sniffling to stop and for the girl to answer. She looked up at him with fear still very present in her eyes.

 "Who are you guys?" She asked

 "We are from the Lightforce Academy," Strat said as he walked slowly up to her. He materialized a blanket out of thin air and wrapped it around her shoulders. Her eyes went wide at the mention of the Academy and she immediately grabbed Seth's hand. she moved so fast that Seth didn't have time to react.

 "Please, you can save my little brother then can't you!" She exclaimed. She laid her brother down in front of her and Seth immediately could tell that the child was in danger. A small Rectangular stab wound was located just under the boys ribs. Blood had soaked the entire front of the young boys shirt. The boy looked up at his sister, he couldn't have been, more than nine years old but the caring look he gave his sister was obviously one of someone that knew he was dying.

 "Sis i'll be okay. i'll see mama and papa soon again." Seth glanced up at Strat who had a dark expression on his face. Strat shook his head slowly, the boy was beyond their help. The boy looked up at Seth pain and tears welling up as he now struggled to speak.

 "Thank you for saving my sister, but i have a request of you." Seth knelt down beside the boy and grabbed his tiny hand in his. 

 "Don't worry we will take care of your sister, you don't have to worry little one." 

 "Isn't there anything we cam do?" Seth heard Rylee ask Strat 

 "No he's already lost too much blood and even if we use our bandages to close the wound he is still bleeding from internal bleeding," Michelle answered for him.

 "Come on you guys can save him right!?" The girl yelled desperation entering her voice. Seth felt the tears well up in his own eyes at the little boys next words.

 "Have faith sis, it's too late for me but you will see me again, i'll just be waiting with mama and papa." The little boys strength and maturity hurt Seth to the core. No kid should have to endure this. 

 "But...But you'll be leaving me alone, i don't want you to go," The girl sobbed. The boys eyes began to lose their glint and his labored breathing increased. He gripped Seth's hand tightly.

 "It hurts," he said tears in his eyes. Seth wiped tears from his eyes with one of his hands.

 "Don't worry it'll be over soon," He managed. Seth looked up at his friends. Every one of them were wearing the same pained look he knew was probably on his face as well. Rylee, Aria and Matt were even crying tears streaming down their faces. Suddenly the boys hand went slack, and Seth couldn't explain how but in that moment he knew the boy had just died.