INSIGNIAS: THE ABECEDARIANS

After their encounter, Skhy was curious about her. She was very careful of her words. It felt like she didn’t want to tell her life stories. She told them about finding about her power, what happened in her house, and her travel but they were short and brief. She gave small smiles but dropped her gaze to the ground afterwards. But Skhy was also cautious of his words. Even if she was harmless, she still was a stranger to them. But he hoped he could earn her trust and she his.

He was amazed that she could manipulate water. It must be because there were only a few Water elemental users in the Academy. After she returned his water bottle, she sat on the ground besides Lei. She hugged her knees and stared at the fruits in front of her. It felt like she wasn’t used to people.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned. She looked at him and nodded.

“I am. I’m just tired”, she replied. He nodded. Lei offered her an apple which she gladly took.

“Where did you come from?” Skhy bit his apple but didn’t take his eyes off her.

“The west”, she whispered. “Faymagnates.”

“It was a long journey”, Lei stated.

“It is. But when you are being chased by a pack of wolves, you don’t remember the distance”, she replied with a stronger voice. She chucked and her smile broadened. It disappeared after a few seconds and she dropped her gaze again. Skhy smiled.

“It’s okay, Tessa. You can be comfortable with us”, he told her.

“That’s true”, Lei seconded who lightly tapped her shoulders. Tessa looked at him then Lei. She gave a small smile.

“I’m sorry. I’m still surprise that I was able to meet someone who can help me.” Her voice was shaking but her eyes were clear. There was a hint of happiness in her golden orbs.

“To be honest, we are also shocked that we are still alive”, Skhy said smiling at her. He knew the risks but he chose to go. He didn’t want to die without doing anything. Now, he found Lei. One down, six more to go.

“Where are you going now?” Tessa asked. She bit her lower lip when Skhy didn’t say anything at first. He was thinking about what to tell her. He wondered if he should tell her about the Seven.

“We are looking for people who can help us”, he finally said. He chose his words so as not to expose the plans entirely but at the same time, don’t offend her. Tessa nodded and stared at him. What is she thinking?

“What are you thinking?” he blurted. What are you doing, Skhy?

“Nothing”, she replied. But it didn’t look like nothing to him.

“Skhy, we better put some herbs on that shoulder”, Lei said to him. He totally forgot about his wound. It was getting numb.

“You are hurt?” Tessa looked concerned. She eyed his left shoulder. The blood dried up on his shirt.

“Yeah. It’s nothing big”, he responded. But Tessa kept her gaze on his shoulder. She slightly opened her mouth just to close it after a second then she bit her lip. Skhy frowned.

“Okay. I’m going to cut your shirt”, Lei announced. He nodded but kept his eyes on Tessa. He hissed when the damp leaves touched his skin. Shit. It hurts. He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip to suppress his groans.

“Slowly”, he muttered but Lei kept on patting the wound with the leaves.

“It is slow”, she pointed out. When the pain subsided, he opened his eyes and saw Tessa’s worried face.

“This is not the worst”, he said. She removed her gaze from his shoulder to look at his eyes.

“What do you mean? You’ve been to fights before?” Her look was so innocent.

“Hmm. My training was quite harsh.” He laughed to lighten the mood.

“But you look like you’re about to cry earlier”, Lei pointed out.

“Hey!” He turned his head to glare at Lei. Then he heard her laugh. He looked back at Tessa. Her eyes looked smaller when she laughs. The sound made him smile. She was getting comfortable with them.

“This is youth”, he said without thinking. Tessa stopped laughing but there was a smile.

“What is?” Lei asked. She was wrapping his shoulder with bandage. He was thinking about the life of a normal teenager. He knew that it was impossible for people like him; people who decide to chase trouble.

“Being a teenager, I mean”, he said after a while. He heard Lei chuckled and Tessa’s smile widened.

“What? The boys?” Lei suggested. She returned to her seat beside Tessa. Skhy touched the bandage. It was nicely done.

“The bad boys”, Tessa added with a smile. Skhy frowned.

“The midnight parties.” Lei looked at Tessa and snickered. He didn’t like where this was going.

“The late night talk on the phone”, another point from Tessa.

“The pranks?” he suggested then both of the girls laughed. They were clutching their stomachs. Skhy just smiled. He missed the kids in the Academy; he missed the friends he left behind. He wanted to return soon. The laughter ceased. Skhy looked at the ground. All three didn’t make a sound. Skhy knew that they all missed their homes, their families.

“Alright, let’s continue our adventure”, he said and stood up. Tessa and Lei followed.

“You better change your shirt first”, Tessa pointed out.

“Right.” The two girls grabbed their bags and walked towards the bank. Skhy pulled out a random shirt from his bag. It was hard to change his shirt due to his wound but he was able to do it after tripping a couple of times.

“How are we going to cross?” he asked when he reached the two girls.

“There’s a thick log there.” Tessa pointed to a flat trunk floating on the river. It was large enough for the three of them. The water splashed and pushed the log towards them until it hit the bank. Skhy looked at Tessa and grinned. She smiled back.

“That is cool, Tessa”, Lei said to her with a smile.

Skhy was the first one to step on the log. He wanted to make sure if it was stable. He stepped inside with his right foot then the left. The log shook under his feet. It stopped when he moved to the centre.

“You can come up now,” he instructed. Lei stepped in then Tessa followed. Lei stood in his left, Tessa on his right.

“Alright. Now, we’re going to sail,” he said. He stretched his arms in front of him.

“I’ll help”, Tessa said. He nodded and waited for her to be ready.

He slowly pushed his hands and the wind materialized. It hit the water and moved the log towards the opposite bank. He saw the water current changed. It became stronger but smooth and it slowly pushed the trunk.

They were able to reach the opposite bank in less than 10 minutes. They jumped off and Skhy looked back at the Woodland. He hoped that Mrs. Emmy was safe and was able to leave before the hunters came. She told him that she knew the enemies will come soon. He looked at Lei and Tessa who were also staring at the forest. Lei must be thinking about her aunt. What about Tessa?

“We better go”, he told them. He walked towards the forest of the next town. Lei and Tessa followed without a word.

It was only when they were walking inside the forest that Tessa spoke up.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Cornerstone”, he replied.

“Cornerstone. Is it the city known for its advanced machineries and skilled engineers?” He took a glance at her and nodded.

“I know a friend there. I needed some equipment”, he explained. They continued walking in silence. He was curious about what she was thinking. It was hard for him to read her. Maybe because she wasn’t an open book like Lei. Her eyes showed different emotions but her smile and laugh were warm.

“My dad is the mayor of our town”, she suddenly said. He glanced at her but didn’t stop walking. Her eyes were sad. Skhy and Lei nodded but didn’t say anything. She was trying to open up to them.

“A week ago, I found out about my mother. I never knew her,” she continued. Another moment of silence. Skhy let the story sink in.

“Our butler turned out to be my guardian. He gave my grandfather’s dagger and mother’s diary.” Her voice broke at the end but she masked it with a cough.

“It must have been a shock”, Lei whispered, trying to comfort her.

“Yes. Especially when the day I was told about the truth, I left dad and my guardian... to die.” Skhy thought she was going to cry but she just sighed at the end of her statement. What a strong girl.

“We are sorry to hear that”, Skhy said. The air was getting cold as they walked deep within the forest.

“I was adopted”, Lei started. “My adopted parents were killed three years ago when Mortemians found me.”

“Were you alone all this time?” Tessa asked.

“No, my aunt found me”, Lei replied. Skhy thought about his life and their lives. They were full of heartbreak, pains and loss. He wondered if the other six Regalis also experienced the same. He hoped not.

“My parents died two years ago while I was in a trip”, he told them. It was his turn. He remembered the empty house that welcomed him.

“They left me a note to go on this journey.” He didn’t look at the two girls behind him.

“What is about this journey?” Tessa inquired. He could trust her. He just knew.

“I am looking for seven important Concordians. They are destined to end the next war”, he explained.

“I understand. I think I can help you with that”, she replied. He frowned.

“What do you mean”, Lei spoke up. How can she help us if she just found out about this world a week ago?

“I mean, my mom’s dairy can.” Skhy stopped and turned to look at her. He was confused. Her mother’s diary? Lei’s expression mirrored his own.

“I read about the Eschaton war and Seven Regalis in her diary”, she added.

Who is her mother?