“Yeah. Apparently, the Rebels are back and the schools will be changing to learn more combative and defensive training. Honestly, I think it’s a bunch of shit, but it’s the Council's decision, not mine. The Rebels haven’t been seen in years. But, whatever. They are bringing in more trained personnel and they got the Deathweaver last night,” he says indifferently and walks off to catch up with a friend.
I want to go after him and implore him to listen to me. The Rebels are real and I have seen people with their mark, but before I take a step, JP lightly grabs my arm. “Rez. If he doesn’t believe the Council, he’s not going to believe us.” My head hangs in agreement. I hate to admit it but he’s right.
There’s no point in trying to change anyone’s mind right now. We have to focus on the ones that will believe us and to do that, we have to get into the building. Right now though, we have to wait as more creatures come pouring out. A sense of dread hits me out of nowhere, and I turn around and look at the woods behind us.
“You okay, Bestie?” Moni asks, stepping up next to me.
“No. I don’t know how to explain it but I feel like something is off with the woods. Like something is coming.” JP and Chester turn, flanking me and look at the woods.
“With what just happened with the Sulks, it could just be nerves,” Chester squeaks, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger.
“No. I don’t think so,” I say, squinting when I see movement through the trees.
Screams ring out behind us and I turn to see a fireball fly towards the front steps of the Hub. JP runs towards it with his hands outstretched and shoots water up along the wall and shrubs along with a few others who also have water power. As the water hits the fire, multi-colored smoke billows out, blanketing the area around us with low visibility which causes my stomach to sour as I realize that’s what they wanted. Now, with our sight taken away from us, we’re fucking sitting ducks. I try to take in shallow breaths so as to not choke on the smoke as my eyes water.
The trees behind me snap like toothpicks, and I look around for Moni or Chester but I can’t see either one of them.
Well Fuck me.
I quickly back-up, watching where I step until I feel the brick wall of the building at my back. Suddenly, feeling heat radiating off the rough surface, I yelp in pain and someone cackles. Yep, you heard that right, actually cackles like an evil witch. A black shadow moves along the wall in front of me and I step back as it advances. Its long gnarly red fingers emerge through the smoke first before I see the body that belongs to it.
Red skin covers the rest of its body, which looks like a four-foot flying squirrel but without the fur. I imagine if I touched it, it would be like thick, tight, red, crinkly leather. The head looks too small for its body, with a tiny nose and two eyes that look like they are about two seconds from popping out of their sockets. “We’ve been looking for you, Nerezza,” the red-skinned Gollum says in a raspy voice. His fingers turn a brighter red as heat flares along the brick, singeing the fine hairs on my arm.
“Ouch,” I hiss, grabbing my arm and backing up as horror encompasses me. “We?” I ask.
He smiles, showing his one sharp tooth as I bump into something behind me and a meaty palm slams onto my shoulder. “Oomph,” I manage through the air being knocked out of me. Looking up, I see a Giant glare down at me, and before I can take my chances and run into the smoke, he picks me up with one hand and pulls me against his body.
“Let me down, you fucker,” I scream, beating my hands against his forearm.
The red leather squirrel from Hell climbs up the Giant’s left side and gets in my face. “Such language from a lady. Master won’t be happy to hear you speaking that way,” he says, drool dripping down his chin and sizzling along the Giants shoulder. The big lug doesn’t even flinch as he makes his way into the woods. Anger courses through me as I kick, punch, and yell insults, but nothing seems to work to get me free. I even call out for my friends, but it’s useless with all of the fighting going on. I can’t make out the shadows moving through the smoke surrounding us as it is, so the chances of them seeing me being dragged off like a rag doll are slim to none.Are they enemies that are surrounding us?Fuck this! I renew my struggle against the steroid-ridden Giant as we make our way further away from my friends and the new family I’ve made.
JP
As soon as the water hits the fire ball, I know I’ve made a mistake. “Shit!” I yell, pulling back my water stream. I turn to find Rez or Moni but it’s a lost cause. I can’t see anything through the smoke that the fireball is hurling out. Damnit, I should have known this was just a distraction. A glint catches my eye before claws come straight out of the smoke, aiming at my face. I try to dodge but I’m not quick enough as I feel a burn in my left shoulder, but I can’t stop what I’m doing as I see the leopard turn to face me from where I just was.
Great, just my luck to be up against a Shifter when I’m a water pixie. It’s not like I can scare the big cat with a bucket of water like normal pussies. A howl rings out from behind before a black wolf jumps over me and attacks the Shifter head-on.
‘I got ya, JP,’Knox says, as he viciously rips into the big cat with his teeth. I hear someone’s thoughts as clear as day and swing my gaze to the right.‘Just hold still, mangy mutt. I got something for ya.’Looking up, I catch a Fae crouching on top of the building with his bow, arrow notched and aiming at Knox.
Summoning my magic, I create my own arrow out of water and send it shooting from my hands, aiming to knock his weapon out of his hands. He shifts, opening himself up and my aim changes, piercing his heart instead.
That was a total fluke, but I’ll take it.
Hideous screeching like bloody hyenas comes from behind me, grabbing my attention, and through the steam I see black and red eyes bouncing along the ground. Those could only be Imps, but how in the world did they get up here from Hell?
I catch sight of Moni flying towards me, but she’s going to end up in the clutches of the Imps if I don’t do something. “Moni, bank left,” I shout as I send a wave of water up the Hub’s stairs.
“Where’s Rez?” Moni cries, shrinking down to her two-inch self and clinging onto my ear for dear life.
“What? I thought she was with you,” I say, fear tinging my voice.
I turn around towards where I had last seen Rez and send up a quick prayer to the Fates that I can pull this off and yell, “Hold on. I’m gonna try something. Remember playing soldiers when we were younger?” The biggest problem I’m dealing with is the smoke and visibility, but if I see through the water, that can displace the smoke.
“Yeah, but that was with my bully cousins, this is with real magic and weapons,” she says, playing with her fingers and turning white.
I quickly make a small arrow in my hand to show her until she gives me a quick nod. If we could do it back then, there’s no reason we can’t do it now.
Concentrating, I make a water bubble bigger than me and hollow out a place for me and Moni to stay dry and be able to breathe. Stepping inside, I place my hands on the inside of the bubble, forcing the water to glide forward and allowing us to easily maneuver through the smoke. As we advance through the fighting, Moni acts as a look out while I throw water arrows where she directs.
