by Liv Curtis
“Boone has recently intercepted a conversation from inside the Frame giving us reason to believe that the chancellor is preparing for war.” Cade’s eyes slid across the crowd, lingering on Eliza as he chose his next words, careful not to divulge too much.
“We must be prepared for this potential threat. For that we must go against our code and nature, and we must fight. I will be opening the armory and each of you will be assigned a weapon. We have to be ready to defend ourselves without our abilities for we do not know what type of dampening technologies they have in the Frame. We will be monitoring the situation to our best ability, but if you have any questions, please address your Tribe Leader. That is all.” Cade finished and stepped down from the stage.
The crowd grew louder as the severity of the situation set in. Cade made his way back to Sage’s table and quickly ushered them to leave. Suddenly, the young girl with ink black hair and tan skin that was on stage with Cade stepped in front of Sage and the others, stopping them from leaving.
“Where are you going?” Her chocolate eyes were intense with fear.
“You don’t get to say something like that and just leave, we have questions that need answers.” She stepped closer towards Cade, her face pleading for an explanation.
“Piper, I promise I will explain more later but, right now, I have to get ready to go to the armory and assign weapons.” Cade’s voice was desperate when he spoke.
Just then, the other tribe leaders joined Piper, their faces a mixture of anger, confusion, and fear.
“We want to know how we can help?” A boy, who appeared to be not much younger than Sage, stepped forward. He had small eyes, pale skin, and short black hair, and he was dressed in a golden colored tee shirt and jeans, Sage figured he was the leader of the Bestía Tribe. He made eye contact with Sage and smiled.
“I’m Marshall, leader of the Bestía Tribe. I don’t believe we have had the chance to meet yet.” He reached out and shook Sage’s hand with a warm smile. Suddenly, a large stark white bird landed on his shoulder. Sage jumped back and stared at the bird in shock.
“Really, this is the one?” Marshall looked up at the bird and smiled. He lifted his hand towards it, and it gently stepped onto his index finger.
“This is Nevaeh, the white raven. She came to me about a year ago and told me that her companion would be coming to us soon. She is extremely rare, since most albino animals were destroyed in the past. She has told me that she is you protector.” Marshall stretched out his hand towards Sage, and the bird gently bowed its head.
“I can’t talk to animals, that’s Audrey.” Sage stepped aside and nodded at Audrey.
“She knows, but it is you who she is meant to protect,” Marshall explained and moved Nevaeh closer to Sage. Sage lifted her hand and gently stroked the top of the bird’s head. Nevaeh closed her eyes and allowed Sage to pet her before she flew away behind the tree line.
“Well, wasn’t that nice. Now, can we please get back to the potential war at hand here?” Blythe sneered from behind Marshall.
“We have to train everyone here to fight, and we don’t know how long we have before the initial attack, so we have to act fast.” Cade’s eyes flickered red when he spoke, and Sage could have sworn she felt a flash of heat emanating from him when he said the word attack.
“We don’t even know how to use those weapons. How are we going to teach everyone else?” Boone questioned as his face twisted into a smirk.
“We have four people here who do know how to use them, pretty well, too, if I might add.” Cade smirked and nodded towards Sage, Emery, River, and Jax.
“Them? You want to let these Framers teach us?” Boone laughed, and Blythe’s face twisted between fear and hatred.
“I’m not trying to be mean, but look at them. None of them really look like much of a fighter.” This time, the boy who looked a lot like Kennedy spoke. He was tall with shoulder length brown hair that was tied into a knot. He was dressed in an amber button up, the leader of the Telekinetic Tribe.
“I don’t know, Miles, this one seems ready to fight.” Boone nodded towards Jax. Sage turned and noticed Jax’s eyes were flickering black and white like lightning in a distant storm.
“You in there, buddy?” Boone extended his arm and patted Jax’s face roughly. Before Boone could retract his hand, Jax swiftly clenched his wrist and spun him around to place his arm tightly between his shoulder blades.
“Hey, let him go!” Miles stepped forward, and Sage sprung into action.
She retrieved her daggers from her back where they were hidden under her jacket. She swiftly stepped between Boone and Miles, placing each dagger inches away from their throats. Boone’s eyes were wide with shock as Miles quickly stepped back and lifted both hands into the air.
“Okay, that’s enough. You have proven your point.” Blythe rolled her eyes. The sound of metal sliding against metal came from behind Sage. She turned to see Emery standing with her sword pointed bo-staff aimed at Blythe and a smile growing across her face.
“Have we?” Emery smirked and twisted the center of the bow staff, changing it back to its carbon fiber shell. Sage holstered her daggers and Jax let go of Boone’s arm. Boone and Miles staggered back to the group, Boone rubbed his wrist and glared harshly at Jax.
“They can teach everyone here, but we have to have access to the armory, otherwise were going to be helpless.” Cade’s voice was steady, but his face was caught between wanting to laugh and remaining serious.
“You know how dangerous it is to go to the armory. We haven’t been there in years because of what happened last time,” Piper spoke softly from the back of the group. Her eyes were soft and sad as if a memory was causing her pain.
“We don’t have any other options right now. We have to try.” Cade’s voice was serious, leaving no room for any debate.
“I’m sorry, why are we so scared of the armory?” Emery looked nervously at Cade for answers but was met with stony placid eyes.
“That’s not important, we need to get to the weapons, and we have to go tonight.” Cade stepped past the group of tribe leaders and walked towards the hospital.
“Well, enjoy your little suicide mission. The rest of us will just figure it out our own way.” Blythe rolled her eyes as she turned and went back to the gathering hall. Boone followed tightly behind with Miles.
“Aren’t you coming with us?” Blythe looked back and waved for Violet, Piper, and Marshall to follow her. The three of them exchanged a look and glanced towards Sage and the others.
“We are going to go with them,” Violet spoke softly in her quiet, high-pitched voice as she denied her sister’s invitation.
“Fine, let’s go.” Blythe turned and left, disappearing into the crowd of people.
“So, how are we going to get into the armory?” Violet exhaled and smiled despite the fear in her eyes.
“We will have to wait till it’s dark. Once the night falls, we should be able to sneak past the guards and access the weapons.” Cade walked towards their house taking the lead.
“Wait, what do you mean guards?” Eliza stepped in front of Cade, stopping him from going any farther without an explanation.
“There are twelve guards posted outside the armory at all times. They are a top-secret extension of the Frame’s council agency, most don’t even know they exist but if you get too close, they will attack. They are merciless and have no problem with killing someone, even someone innocent,” Marshall explained, Sage knew there was more to the story but didn’t pry.
“The point is, that we have the best chance of breaking in at night, which is approaching quickly.” Cade stepped around Eliza and continued towards the house. Eliza’s eyes were angry as she crossed her arms and planted her feet.
“I am not going to go break into this armory until we have a definite plan. I have seen what the CA is capable of first hand and I can assure you, none of us are going to stand a chance.” Eliza’s eyes were scared as she looked between Sage and the oth
ers.
“We could just attack them first,” Wesley spoke softly from behind the group.
“Did you miss the part about them being CA agents?” Cade scoffed and paced.
“They won’t be expecting it, and we do have somewhat of an advantage.” Wesley stepped forward with wide eyes.
“What advantage?” Cade stopped pacing and stared at Wesley with confusion.
“When they broke us out of the chancellor’s secret prison Sage, Emery, and River took out like twenty guards on their own.” Wesley explained and Cade’s eyes darted between Emery, Sage, and River.
“How?” Cade questioned in disbelief.
“We had these special darts that contained a chemical that tranquilized the guards in seconds,” River explained how they used the darts to disarm the guards long enough to complete the escape.
“Do you have more of those darts?” Cade’s eyes flickered like embers.
“We only had a few to begin with, and we used them.” Emery’s voice was soft as she broke the bad news.
“Well, there goes that plan.” Cade paced again, rubbing the back of his neck, and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t know about chemicals, but I know a few plants that have the same properties,” Violet said cheerfully and grinned.
“Can you grow some?” Cade stopped pacing and spoke gently.
“I can try, but I might need some help. I have never held this plant so it may take longer than usual.” Violet grinned at Wesley and extended a hand.
“You have a few hours till nightfall. Is that enough time?” Cade asked feverishly, his eyes intense with anticipation.
“It should be more than enough. Take my hand and try and envision a small black flower with five heart-shaped petals.” Violet instructed, and Wesley closed his eyes.
“I can see it, it looks familiar.” Wesley’s brow furrowed, and he stepped forward as if trying to get closer.
“It is used to help people sleep sometimes but in concentrated form it can induce instantaneous sleep. Perhaps you have seen it before in a book.” Violet’s eyes moved back and forth under her closed lids when the ground rumbled.
“It’s working.” She smiled, but her eyes continued to shift.
Just then several small green vines burst from the ground and moved like snakes towards Violet and Wesley. When they reached the ground between their feet the vines twisted together and grew until they formed a small bush.
On the bush were several small black flowers with heart shaped petals. Violet opened one eye and peered down at the plant, a grin spreading across her round face.
“Great job, Wesley!” Violet explained and knelt down to the small shrub. She gently picked off the small flower and another grew back in its place.
“We are going to need a lot of flowers to extract the poison. You all should go get ready. I can take care of this on my own. Meet me back here in an hour and I will have it ready.” Violet sat down on the ground and picked the flowers from the shrub.
They made their way back up into the house and gather what they needed. Sage emptied three duffel bags onto her bed, she was already wearing her gear so she grabbed the bags and raced down the stairs to meet the others.
“These should help.” Sage tossed the duffel bags onto the kitchen table and stood between Jax and Emery.
“Great, there is just one more thing you all need to know before we go.” Cade stared blankly down at the table when he spoke. He inhaled sharply before he continued.
“When I was a kid, a group of friends and I were out past curfew, playing in the woods. Our tribe leader, Erik, was a part of it. He was only fifteen, the youngest tribe leader at the time. We were practicing our ember casting when we heard him yell. The others all took off back towards their houses, but I ran deeper into the woods to try and find him.” Cade’s eyes were distant as he spoke.
“What I found was the armory, with several guards dressed in all black gear with their guns all pointed at Erik. They had encircled him like a pack of wolves and, one by one, they each put a single bullet into Erik’s body.” Cade winced as he remembered the horrific scene and Sage couldn’t help but feel sick by the gruesome details.
“Once they had finished, the guards turned and left, back to their posts. I watched as Erik struggled to pull himself behind a tree, and once the guards were long gone, I raced to his side. He told me to lead the Pyro Tribe and to always stay far away from the armory. He died that night, and as I carried his lifeless body back into camp, I promised I would never allow anyone to go back into those woods.” Cade exhaled slowly and lifted his head. His eyes were the color of blood.
“Tonight, we have to be careful, these guards are like robots programmed only to kill. They will stop at nothing once they have seen you, and I don’t want to walk out of there again carrying one of your bodies.” Cade’s voice was militant, but Sage knew he was actually scared.
“We will be careful, but we have to do this, it is the only way.” Eliza reassured Cade a placed her small hand on his shoulder. Cade nodded and gathered the bags off the table.
“Then we should get going, it is getting dark and I’m sure Violet is nearly done.” Cade left the room when, suddenly, everything around Sage spun.
She could hear Jax and Emery talking to her, but the sound of rushing wind was swarming in her mind.
Her hand was shaking and the ring on her finger glowed hot white. The room continued to spin, growing faster and faster until it was nothing but a blur. Then the spinning stopped, the room turned white, and Sage felt herself collapsed to the floor.
Chapter 23
The room came back into focus but the others were nowhere to be found. Sage stood and opened the front door, where the sound of rushing air was coming from.
She stepped out the door and watched as a massive white, bullet-shaped aircraft rose into the air. She could see Eliza and the others running toward the aircraft, and then she saw herself.
She could see that her hands were extended towards the aircraft, her palms glowing brightly with the same white-hot light that the ring on her finger burned with. The strangest part was that her eyes were glowing just as bright and that she was screaming, though the sound of the engines was drowning out her cries.
That was when she saw him; Jax lie unconscious on the loading bay of the plane. Sage tried to run forward but found herself unable to do anything but watch as the plane lifted higher into the sky and made its way towards the tree line where the Frame was.
Sage watched herself as she dropped to her knees in a cloud of dust, covering her eyes in pain as blood dripped from her elbows and cheeks.
Suddenly, the scene changed, and Sage was back in the cave on the beach, surrounded by the other Oculus.
“What was that? Please tell me that wasn’t a premonition?” Sage pleaded.
“You have seen an unchangeable future, that must happen for you to reach your full potential,” the tallest robed figure explained.
“No, I don’t want any of this. I never asked to be this. Take it back.” Sage was hysterical as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“It isn’t a choice. You must experience that in order to become the Eighth Oculus.” Another figure spoke from behind her.
“I thought all of the glimpses I received were just potential outcomes?” Sage asked hopeful that she could prevent what she had just seen from ever happening.
“Most are, but when you experience one where you are watching yourself, it is called an Illud. It is a specific point in time that cannot be changed no matter,” a third figure explained.
“I won’t let this happen. Send me back…” Sage demanded and before she could finish her sentence, she was back in the dining room.
She could feel the floor beneath her, hard and cool under her fingers, but her vision was still blurry. As her sight cleared, she could see Jax kneeling over her with concerned eyes, and relief flooded through her.
She couldn’t remember the glimpse she had seen, bu
t she knew it was bad. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Jax’s neck.
“No matter what, don’t leave my side. Okay?” Sage whispered.
She felt Jax nod as he helped her to her feet and suddenly felt uncomfortable when she looked around and noticed the others were all watching with looks of concern and confusion. Emery had a smirk growing across her face as she opened the front door.
“Well, that was fun, but we should really get going now.” Emery nodded towards the setting sun and stepped out the door, the others followed her one by one. Eliza had caught Sage’s hand and pulled her back.
“What was that?” Eliza’s eyes were deep with concern.
“I don’t know, but I know it wasn’t good.” Sage’s throat was tight when she spoke.
“You don’t remember?” Eliza’s brow furrowed, and her grip tightened on Sage’s hand.
“No, but I know it was bad and it had to do with Jax. I can’t let it happen, El.” Sage ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it off her damp forehead.
“Nothing is going to happen, so long as we’re together, I promise,” Eliza reassured and, together, she and Sage left the house to join the others with Violet.
“Here. Each of you take one of these.” Violet passed each of them a small vile of a viscose, inky liquid.
“Now, this stuff is extremely potent. One drop and you’re out like a light.” Violet placed her hands on her hips and smiled brightly.
“Okay, so how exactly to we get this into a guard without them noticing us? Cade examined the liquid suspiciously.
“I think he’s got the right idea.” Violet ginned and nodded towards River, who carefully dipped the tips of his crossbow darts into the black fluid.
“One shot, and their down for at least ten minutes,” Violet explained. The she closed her eyes and the small plant with black flowers dried to dust and blew away in the breeze.
“We don’t need anyone else getting their hands on that.” She winked and stood back between Marshall and Piper.