by Aaron Oster
Morgan was about to reply but forced himself to stop.
He wasn’t the best when it came to dealing with emotions, but he’d known Sarah for long enough to tell that she was upset and not just a little bit.
He ran over his entire experience over the last day, from his meeting with Katherine to the way Sarah had reacted.
When he looked at it from her point of view, it made a lot more sense to him. He wouldn’t be too happy if a stranger came in and Sarah started listening to them over him. He just had to find the right words to convey it to her and hope she understood what he meant.
“Katherine is more knowledgeable and more powerful than you,” he began, feeling her body stiffen up against his.
“But I’ve only known her for a day. She’s different than you are and I can understand her better than I can understand you, but I’ve known you for years. You took care of me when I was hungry and you were the only friend I ever had. I like Katherine, but I like you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He didn’t really know how to describe it any better than that.
Sarah was very quiet as she took it all in, a small smile curling her lips as the light breeze of their flight tickled over her skin.
She understood what he’d just said and most likely, even better than he himself did. She still didn’t trust Katherine, but she did trust Morgan enough that her presence would no longer bother her.
She pressed her cheek against his back and sighed in contentment.
“Yes, Morgan. I understand.”
17
They went on like this for the next three days, traveling through the air in bursts and waiting for Morgan’s reiki to regenerate. They’d tried walking in between, but the soft ground and patches of mud soon dissuaded them from doing so.
Sarah had moved up to rank 11 during this time. Her injury was already beginning to heal and Morgan was glad for it.
He felt a little bad when his shoulder had just stitched itself back together the next day, but Sarah had assured him that she felt fine. Things seemed to be back to normal after their talk a few days ago. In fact, Sarah seemed to be in an unusually good mood, though he couldn’t fathom why.
Katherine had contacted him the day before and had come through a portal to deliver on her promise to bring him something for the magesteel spines she’d collected. He’d been a bit scared that Sarah would go back to being angry, but surprisingly enough, she didn’t seem to mind at all.
Katherine had given both of them a wrapped package, then had promptly hopped back through the portal, blowing him a kiss as she did so. Sarah had become a bit aggravated when she saw that, but it didn’t last very long.
Morgan glanced down to his hands.
He couldn’t see them, as they were currently tucked under Sarah’s legs, but he could feel the comfortable leather of the gloves that Katherine had given him. They were fingerless, just like the training gloves he’d had back at the academy, but these were interwoven with magesteel, giving them far more durability. There were also four rounded metal studs protruding from each knuckle.
He smiled to himself as he remembered slamming his fist into a tree and leaving four indents without feeling so much as a twinge of discomfort.
Katherine already seemed to know him well and had supplied him with the perfect weapon to enhance his hand-to-hand fighting. She hadn’t forgotten about Sarah and had given her a combat knife. She would find this useful if she ever had to face an opponent up close.
Morgan felt his reiki running low and drifted down to the ground, landing softly and feeling Sarah slide off his back.
She groaned lightly, stretching her arms over her head, then dropped them and twisted from side to side.
“You really aren’t that comfortable,” she complained, sticking her knuckles into her lower back and arching her back. There was a series of loud pops and she sighed in relief, straightening and flashing him a grin.
“I’m sorry I’m not more comfortable,” Morgan said in a flat tone, to which Sarah responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
“I think we should set up here for the evening,” he said, tugging the gloves from his fingers and tucking them into a special seam on the inside of his uniform shirt.
Apparently, this was where Sarah had been keeping the spatial bag Gold had provided. He hadn’t even known about it but felt a lot more secure now that his money and cores were hidden there. The best part about it was that the compartment was between the metal chest plate and the fabric of the uniform, so there was no discomfort or any visible sign that he was hiding anything.
Sarah looked around as well, nodding in agreement.
“Guess this as good as we’re gonna get in this damned marsh,” she said with a sigh.
“We’ll reach the town tomorrow, then we can sleep somewhere cool and dry,” Morgan said, scanning the surrounding area.
Something shiny on the ground caught his eye and he bent down to retrieve it.
Rising from his crouch, he examined it closely.
It was just a piece of flint, but it was shiny. Maybe he could get something for it in the town.
He tucked it away in the hidden compartment, then began scanning the surrounding trees for wildlife.
They hadn’t run into anything as dangerous as the magesteel-spine leopard, but they had come across several of the smaller jungle cats, so they had to be wary of their surroundings.
“I can hardly wait to have a hot bath and a dry bed to sleep on,” Sarah said, pulling one arm behind her head and leaning to the side.
It was only because he was paying such close attention to their surroundings that Morgan realized that something was wrong. He held up a hand and Sarah was instantly alert, eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any sign of movement.
Morgan’s eyes were flicking around quickly as he made his way over to Sarah.
Whatever was out there, it would be better if he was close to her when it attacked.
There was a light whistling noise and Morgan ducked as a trio of needles flew over his head. He whirled to face three black-clad figures that had seemingly appeared from thin air.
“How the hell did they find us?” Sarah exclaimed.
Taking a quick peek over his shoulder, Morgan confirmed his suspicions.
They were surrounded and he had no doubt that these assassins would not go down as easily as the ones they’d fought previously. In a situation like this, there really was only one thing to do. Retreat.
He spun around and grabbed Sarah around the waist, then activated his enhanced flight skill. He got a foot off the ground before he felt the skill slip away from him and they dropped back down.
He landed on his feet and released Sarah, feeling his heart rate redouble.
They’d somehow blocked him from accessing his skills.
Sarah also seemed to realize that, as she tried unsuccessfully to use her own skills. Four more black-clad figures appeared, increasing their number to ten.
There was only one option left. Though he hated to do it, he would need to call Katherine.
He quickly moved his hand up to his neck, then felt something hit the back of his head. He stumbled forward, vision going blurry from the force of the impact. He shook his head and turned to see who had attacked him. One of the assassins was staring at him with a slightly wide-eyed expression.
Sarah was lying on the ground and he could see a small red mark on her temple.
He gritted his teeth, feeling strength surge through his body.
“I’ll tear your heart from your chest and feed it to your corpse!” he growled, feeling his power returning.
Whatever they were using to dampen his power, it was apparently wearing off.
“How are you still conscious?” the assassin asked, sounding more curious than afraid.
“I’m tougher than I look,” Morgan said, then launched himself at the man, pulling his fist back to crush his skull.
Something heavy slammed into the side of his
head then, sending him reeling. He staggered, trying to regain his balance. Then something slammed into him from behind. He fell to one knee, grimacing as he fought against unconsciousness. A blurry figure came into view, stopping just a few inches from him.
He had to fight. Had to survive.
Morgan tried to get up and force his uncooperative legs to straighten. He felt a sharp prick in his neck and blackness overtook him.
***
Six years ago…
Morgan chewed on the bread, feeling the most wonderful sensations running through him. Even more surprising than the wonderful taste of something fresh was the warm feeling spreading throughout his body.
It wasn’t quite the wild joy he felt while fighting, but rather, a warm, pleasant feeling that made him want to sigh in contentment.
He stopped eating for a moment as Sarah burst out laughing when the weird looking things on stage did something. The warm feeling began to slowly melt away, so he quickly took another bite and felt it return.
If what Sarah said was true, then he could be feeling like this all the time. All he had to do was be her friend, not that he really knew what that would entail. He understood the concept, but what he didn’t understand was why people did it.
Sarah suddenly laughed uproariously again and Morgan turned to study her. She was leaning forward in her seat, cheeks flushed and a wide grin on her face. The stupid yarn and cloth constructs on stage said something and she roared with laughter again, clutching at her sides as she did so.
Morgan found - for some reason - that the longer he watched her, the better he could understand the friendship thing. He took another bite of the bread and chewed slowly.
He was already stuffed to the brim. He’d never eaten so much in his life. Or at least, he was pretty sure he hadn’t.
Sarah laughed again, then turned to see him staring at her. She grinned widely; her sparkling green eyes flashing with mirth and Morgan found his lips twitching upward as well. Sarah didn’t see it, as she’d already turned back to the stage, but Morgan was stunned.
He sat back in his seat, feeling a warmth flood through him that had nothing to do with the food he’d been eating.
He felt… happy? Was this was happiness felt like?
Morgan pondered this while the show continued, but no matter how much time passed, the feeling didn’t recede. Every time Sarah laughed, he found that the feeling grew just a bit stronger.
Just who was this girl? Was she using some type of magic on him?
Morgan immediately dismissed the idea. Though he wasn’t very good at telling age, he was pretty sure that Sarah was around the same as him. According to everything he’d overheard, the earliest one could expect an ability was at the age of twelve.
He really hoped he’d get his then.
The show finally came to an end and Sarah clapped and cheered along with all of the other children gathered there, as the creepy yarn constructs bowed and bobbed off the stage.
As the people began clearing out Sarah turned to him, her wide grin still fixed in place.
“So, what did you think of the show?”
Morgan shrugged. “I was too busy eating.”
Sarah pouted at him, blowing out her cheeks and sticking out her bottom lip.
“You’re no fun, you know that?”
“I thought about what you asked me earlier,” he said, feeling the odd urge to smile again, but forcing it down. “I think that I do want to be your friend.”
Sarah’s pout vanished in an instant and she barreled into him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
Morgan staggered back under the force and immediately began trying to get her off.
Thankfully, she let go after only a few seconds and practically beamed at him.
“Oh, I’m so excited! We’re going to have so much fun together!” she squeaked, jumping up and down.
Morgan watched her with an odd mixture of confusion and amusement.
He didn’t know what it was about her that allowed him to feel, even if only for a little bit; but so long as he could, he would be sticking around.
“I take it you enjoyed the show?”
They both turned as a man came out from behind the stage. He was dressed in a flamboyantly colored shirt, wide billowy pants, and shoes that were far too large to be practical. Morgan immediately distrusted him, but Sarah seemed to have no such qualms.
“Yes! It was very funny,” she said, giggling at the memory. “Were you the one controlling them?”
“Why, yes, my dear lady. I was!” the man replied with a grin of his own.
Morgan felt then that something was off. He cast his eyes around the square and noticed that the only one still there aside from them was Sarah’s… father? Uncle? Older brother?
Morgan actually wasn’t sure, as she’d never mentioned who he was, but judging by his appearance and the way Sarah acted around him, he would assume he was her father.
The man noticed his look and his eyes began darting around the empty square as well.
The man was clearly perceptive and he appeared to notice their situation.
He pushed himself off the wall and quickly strode over to the two of them.
“…definitely my favorite part!” Morgan caught the end of what Sarah was saying, as he turned back to the oddly dressed man.
“I’m so glad to hear that the daughter of our esteemed city lord was so pleased with our performance!” the man said with a flourish.
The entire thing seemed to go right over Sarah’s head, but Morgan didn’t miss a thing. He was a bit surprised to learn that she was the daughter of the city lord, though he supposed it would explain why she was so bossy; but how would this man know who she was? Sarah had never mentioned it.
Her… bodyguard? Morgan nodded to himself. Her bodyguard apparently hadn’t missed it either, as he placed a hand on Sarah’s shoulder, eyes flicking around the abandoned square.
“Hint! Did you see…” Sarah faltered when she saw the serious expression on his face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking between him and the strangely dressed man.
“We’re leaving. Now,” he said, turning her quickly and making for the square exit.
Morgan was right on his heels when the oddly dressed man spoke up again.
“Leaving so soon? The party is only getting started!”
Hint ignored the man and continued on toward the exit at a fast pace.
“Hint, what’s going on?” Sarah asked again.
“Nothing is going on, Lady Sarah. We just need to leave,” he replied.
Morgan could hear the strain in his voice and knew they were probably in a great deal of danger right now. Though he still couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, his senses were practically screaming at him that he was in imminent danger.
They had nearly reached the exit when there was a loud explosion from right above their heads and a mountain of rubble rained down on top of them. Morgan leaped back, his reflexes sharp as a cat’s, and managed to avoid the worst of the falling debris.
Hint reacted even faster, which Morgan found quite impressive for someone his age. He grabbed Sarah by the shoulder and flung her back where she collided with him. They both went sprawling as a choking cloud of dust filled the square.
Morgan could hear someone laughing from behind them, a high pitched cackling sound that made his skin prickle; not in fear, but in anticipation. He could already sense a fight coming, though he was pretty sure it wasn’t one he could win.
“What’s happening?” Sarah asked as she untangled herself from him.
She staggered slowly to her feet, rubbing at her eyes and coughing as the choking dust invaded her lungs. Morgan had gotten to his feet as well and had pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose. His eyes darted around the square, picking out wavering forms in the choking dust.
He was pretty sure that the collapsing wall had gotten Sarah’s guard, which meant that right now, they were on their own.
Morgan debated for a few seconds as to what his next course of action should be. These people, whoever they were, were clearly only interested in Sarah. If he hid before the dust cleared, they would likely not bother looking for him once they had her.
Then again, he’d actually been able to feel something through the numbing cold that had pervaded his every waking moment for the last few months.
She had also promised good food, Morgan thought.
That was what decided it for him. If this had happened just a few hours earlier, he wouldn’t have thought twice about abandoning her, but now…
“We have to go. Come with me,” Morgan said, then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the small sewer grate near the far wall of the square.
***
Morgan came to with a blinding headache. His mouth felt very dry and his eyes were crusted shut. He tried to move his arms but found that they were bound behind his back. He groaned lightly, cracking his eyes open and squinting into the surrounding gloom.
It was already night and the only illumination came from a small fire burning off to his left. He blinked a few times, trying to take stock of his situation.
The last thing he remembered was the attack by the assassins. Then their abilities had been blocked and he assumed he’d been knocked out.
He tried testing his bonds, wondering if his increased strength could help him break them, but had no luck. Craning his head around, he found that he was tied to a long stake driven deep into the ground. He could also see Sarah and was relieved to find her already awake.
A relived look crossed her features when she saw he was finally awake.
“We need to get out of here,” she said in an urgent whisper.
Morgan was about to agree when a shadow fell over them, blocking out the flickering light of the fire. Turning his head, he saw one of the assassins staring down at him.
“You can try to escape, but I think you’ll find that you just don’t have the strength to break those ropes.”
