INSIGNIAS: THE ABECEDARIANS

Before the sun set, he gathered his things and followed the end of the river. He figured that it might be connected to the forest where Mrs. Emmy took refuge. He kept on walking, only resting for a few minutes and ate the remaining of his foods. He met a few farmers along the way who offered breads and milk.

He saw a concrete road and followed it. He arrived at the third town on the sixth day of his journey. The sun was rising behind the buildings. He saw students walking and entering the school gate and employees with suitcases entering establishments. Stopping at a small restaurant, he ate a quick meal and started to walk towards the forest behind the market.

He rounded a corner when he sensed a power near him that made him stop. It was the same as with Mrs. Emmy. Was it her? He looked around trying to locate the person when he collided with someone, lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hard cement scraped his palms that made him hiss of pain. He wasn’t able to stand up immediately because of their tangled legs. He clutched his left knee which was also throbbing from its sudden collision with the cement.

Several passers-by’s curious looks made him realize their position. Lying under him, he realized that the person was a she. Her eyes were close while holding her head. It must have hurt a lot. Once he recovered, he hastily stood up and offered his hand to her. He didn’t look at her, afraid that she might grow suspicious of him and point him to authorities. She took his hand and pulled herself up.

“I’m sorry”, he said while adjusting his hat and coat after he withdrew his hand from hers. Without knowing that she had been looking at him, he gazed upon two pale greenish-blue orbs. The power he felt earlier grew each second so he immediately turned and walked behind a building.

From the corner, he saw the girl walk while talking to her friends. She must be the one.

The sky had already turned bright orange and few stars appeared when Skhy saw the girl walked out of the school gate. He had been sitting on an open window of an abandoned building near the forest. He only came down to eat lunch in a nearby restaurant. He couldn’t afford to be seen by anyone related to the Academy.

Now watching the raven-haired girl, he felt the same aura earlier. But the fact that he knew her means that other Concordians, and Mortemians, must have sensed her already. Why were they still not attacking her?

His thoughts were interrupted when the girl walked beside the abandoned building so he got to see her whole face. Her short smooth black hair was different from Mrs. Emmy’s curls, but the same sharp and intriguing blue-green orbs were there. A relative maybe.

When the girl walked behind the shadows of the trees behind the abandoned building, Skhy jumped from the window and followed suit. It was when he took his first step inside the forest that the wind instantly changed direction.

They’re here. “So they’ve been waiting patiently huh”, he muttered.

He wasted no time and jumped on a branch of the tree while listening to the whispers of the wind. He wondered if the girl already knew. He stopped hopping from branches to branches when he caught sight of the girl stiffly looking around. Her hands clenched the straps of her back pack.

The intruders chose that time to strut from the shadows. Men in black shirt and pants jumped from the branches around the girl. A familiar figure appeared behind these men. Ashley Levvi, third and youngest daughter of Dmitri Levvi, the so-called right hand of the leader of the Mortemians, finally showed up after the Eschaton war. A scar on her left face started below her left eye to her jaw.

“You’re not giving up, aren’t you? You even brought back up,” he heard the girl confidently said. How did they meet? Was the scar from their first meeting? Skhy could not help but think about their first encounter.

“You cannot win, little girl,” Ashley snarled. Five men advanced towards the girl, while Ashley and the rest of the men in black remained in their position.

“Who are you?” the girl asked and lowered her bag to the ground. You can’t win against them. Skhy knew that she was not enough to win against eleven skilled Mortemians.

Ashley only laughed and managed to answer, “I’m Ashley Levvi. Youngest daughter of Dmitri Levvi, right hand of the Leader.”

The five men in front of her summoned their weapons, two of them used battle-ax and the three had swords. Skhy could not see the girl’s expression but he guessed that she wanted to fight.

“Kill her,” Ashley instructed.

“This is the good time to intercept...” he whispered and got ready to jump.

But he stopped when the girl lifted her hand and her insignia glowed on her right back-hand. She summoned her weapon, her palms glowed, a black bow appeared on her right hand and the quiver containing the arrows was on her back.

She positioned her arrow in front of her but Skhy focus’ returned and he jumped on the ground and stood between her and the opponents.

“Who are you?” the girl behind him asked.

“Step back”, Skhy commanded. The ten men glared at him, clenching their weapons while Ashley eyed him suspiciously. Could she tell that it’s me?

“I’m sorry. I don’t know you and I definitely don’t need your help,” the girl exclaimed and shoved Skhy to get in front of him. So stubborn.

“You don’t know them”, Skhy explained. She turned and her glare met his. Irritation was evident on her flickering blue-green orbs.

“And you do?” she smirked.

Skhy did not answer instead; he removed the thick coat and leather hat. The girl stared at him for a moment but immediately turned back to her opponents. Skhy thought of urging the girl to take cover but based on her stubborn personality, there was no helping it.

He stepped in front the girl, not taking his eyes off their enemies. Ashley also drew her hammer. The wind changed direction and speed as he stepped forward; there was no whispering wind. The wind howled and came from different direction - fast, forcefully hitting everything on its path.

“This is not your fight, Wright”, Ashley walked towards him.

“It is mine now, Levvi,” he replied. He felt the burning of his insignia behind his neck. He held his right hand forward and the wind reeled around it, then revealing Algus, his crystal sword.

Ashley and his men surged and Skhy’s Algus received their blows. He was able to dodge the tallest man in front of him when he swung his blade. Skhy swerved his sword and he hit the man’s torso. The impact caused the man to fly backwards with his back hitting the trunk of the tree. He did the same to the other four men in front of him.

A sudden thud behind him made him turn around. He raised his eyebrow on the scene. The girl was pointing her arrow towards Ashley who held her hammer with two hands. No one made a move. They were just staring at each other. He searched for the remaining five men. His eyes fell on three men hanging unconsciously on the tree branches. Two bodies slumped on the ground behind Ashley.

I wonder if I should just stand back and watch.

“This is between us,” the girl said, as if she heard his thoughts. Skhy backed away but clenched his sword in case she needed help.

“You know that no matter what, you will not be stronger than any of us,” Ashley spat. Skhy observed the girl’s reaction but her face didn’t show any remorse.

“That arrow will not kill me!” Still, the girl didn’t reply.

“You were abandoned!” Only then that the girl’s glare faltered. She blinked several times, disturbed. Skhy recognized this as a cue for him to intercept. The moon loomed overhead and he knew that Ashley was just waiting for backups.

He suddenly heard heavy footsteps walking towards them.

But they were not of humans’.

Ashley must have noticed this and her eyes widened, scanning her surroundings. Flapping of wings echoed, and the moonlight was lost in the countless black birds above. This made Ashley freaked out.

After glaring at the girl for the last time, she turned around and run away.

“This is not the end Thorneridge, Wright!” she shouted before vanishing behind the dark forest.

Skhy did not expect this but he was glad the girl fought her way out.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Skhy turned towards the girl. The birds were already gone, so were her bow and arrows, and he could see the bright blue-green eyes studying him.

“Who are you?”

“Skhy Wright.”

“Lei Quinn.”

“Where is Mrs. Emmy?”