Saphora vol.1 Retention

by Jaz Johnson

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  “I don’t see why I have to conceal my hair as well,” Hydra complained, constantly adjusting the baseball cap that Maverick had instructed her to wear. Her navy locks were tucked beneath the cap as neatly as it would allow. Finally giving up with trying to coop with the strange sensation, she dropped her hands in her lap with a sigh.

  “Because I don’t think it’s a good idea to give people the chance to recognize you,” he explained, handing her a pair of sunglasses. “Here,” he said, putting them in her lap. Opening them up, she turned them around in her hands, her brows pinching together in wonder.

  “What are these?”

  “For your eyes. The rods go against your ears.” Blinking, Hydra slowly raised them to her face, gasping once she did. She looked around a bit panicked, her hand reaching forward.

  “The sun! Your sun has stopped!” Maverick rolled his eyes, wiping his hand down his face as he shook his head.

  “Those are sunglasses. They make the light less harsh. And they also make it harder for people to see your eyes.”

  “Naming them after something that gives light, when they take it away. You humans are so strange.”

  “Hey, I didn’t come up with the name, alright? Just wear-“

  “Stop! Stop your vehicle!” Hydra urged, pressing her hand against the passenger window. Maverick pulled over as quickly as the road would allow, and looked over in her direction.

  “What? What is it?”

  “There. Can you see that?” she asked, pointing out into the distance. There was black smoke rising from the area. She stared for a moment longer before looking back at Maverick.

  “Smoke,” he answered. “That looks like it’s on the highway. Near Saphora’s house, too.” Hydra tapped urgently against the window, ice spreading from her index finger onto the window each time.

  “Get us there. Now!” Maverick leaned back into his seat and shifted gears, speeding off down the road and cutting someone off in the process. Hydra gripped onto the car door to steady herself as the speed of the car picked up with each passing second.

  “How do you know it’s him?” Maverick asked, speeding around cars with ease.

  “Is fire a normal thing to happen spontaneously on your roads?”

  “Good point,” he answered, cutting off someone else and speeding onto the ramp to the highway. But once they were on the road to the highway, Maverick had no choice but to slow down when meeting the traffic that was building up due to what was in front of them.

  “Can you not go any faster?”

  “Not unless you want me to wreck some cars.” Hydra groaned, trying to peer around the cars. In a fit of desperation, Hydra gestured to the side of the road.

  “Stop over here,” she instructed. Maverick peeled off as asked and parked the car. Not a moment after, Hydra was getting out of the car and starting to run down the road towards what was causing the traffic – Tebias. Maverick fumbled to get the keys from the car, getting out of the car and rushing after her.

  “Wait up!” he shouted, trying to catch up with her surprising speed.

  “Stay back!” she warned. The battlefield was no place for a human. Especially Maverick. But Maverick ignored her warnings, and did his best to keep up with her, wanting to help. It took about five minutes for Hydra to come close enough for her to see the scene. Saphora was cowering behind what was left of a flaming red Chevy. She was holding onto Glover, who was injured and immobile. Blood stained his forehead and neck, and a good portion of his clothing. Tebias was on the other side of the highway, whose traffic had also grown denser in the mists of the calamity. He was approaching fast, igniting the already burning car, waiting for Saphora to either come out from the wreckage, or be blown to bits. Sobbing, she held onto Glover tightly, not knowing what to do.

  “Saphora!” Maverick called out from behind Hydra, once he had gotten close enough to see. “Saphora!”

  Barely hearing the voice over the roar of the fire and horns of the cars, Saphora turned her head in shock, desperate for what she thought she heard to be real. And when she saw the impossible sight of Maverick and Hydra running towards her, she smiled, tears streaming down her face. Tebias’ head snapped over in their direction, a snarl ripping from his throat. With rushed actions, he sent another fireball hurling towards the car. The car bounced at the impact, and then, a moment later, exploded. Hydra’s eyes went wide as she sprang towards the blossoming fire. Maverick, however, skid to a painful stop, nearly falling to the ground as his arm raised to protect his face from the heat that surged through the area. Blinking furiously, he looked over at the now blurred image of the growing flames. Breathing heavily, he jerked his arm away from his face and fought to steady himself on his feet.

  “Saphora!!” he screamed in denial, watching the flames with some hope that she would come running out of them. But with every passing moment, the hope began to dwindle. Hydra rushed up to the scene, spinning on her heel to dodge the incoming fireball. Her left hand aimed at him, firing several ice spheres. Two hit him in the shoulder before he moved to get out of the way, his hand reaching up to remove them with a groan. Hydra’s right hand sprang forward towards the car and unleashed a stream of water onto the fires, rushing to put them out. Her other hand soon joined her as she coughed at the thickening air.

  “You better not be dead,” she said to herself. People were screaming, getting out of their cars to move away from the danger. Hydra drew closer to the flames as they began to die down, and ran to where she had last scene Saphora. But something stopped her, and ignited hope in both her and Maverick. Clearing the majority of the fire, Hydra could see that her water was falling down onto some kind of sphere. And as more fire was extinguished, it was clear that it was a force field. Saphora was inside, eyes shut tight, and arms tightly wrapped around Glover. Hearing the water being poured over her head, she peeked her eyes open. She looked around at the force field that she was producing in both shock and joy.

  Seeing this, Tebias growled in distaste, ripping the second ice sphere from his arm. Hydra stopped as Saphora stood up, after having gently placed Glover on the ground. She spoke into the receiver that was once attached to his hip.

  “Officer down. Officer Glover is down, please send help. There was an accident on the highway. Please hurry, he’s hurt badly,” Saphora said into the device before dropping it and turning around to face the burning remains of the car.

  “No!” Tebias shouted in anger, his hands flaming. With new found confidence, now that she had help to take on Tebias, she raised her hands and leaned back for a moment, before thrusting forward and shoving her hands out. The remains of the car skid forward at an alarming pace, right into Tebias, crushing him against the guardrail. Hydra looked over at the now running Maverick, and then looked behind her, seeing that there were on a bridge. She looked down at the water below with joy, coming up with a way to escape the situation before the authorities.

  “Come on! We need to get to the car!” Maverick shouted, running up to them. He immediately went up to Saphora, gripping onto her trembling shoulders.

  “Are you okay? I saw the – you blew up,” Maverick breathed, looking about her features in search of marks or burns or anything that would assume pain. Saphora nodded, keeping her eyes on the car.

  “Fine, I’m fine. Hydra?” she asked panicked. The car started to move, insinuating that Tebias was not ready to give in. Hydra’s hands shot forward, this time sending large pillar-like spheres flying at each end of the car remains. They pinned the car against the guardrail, and therefore Tebias. He roared with rage as he tried to get free from the burning mass against him. Once done, Hydra turned back around.

  “There’s no time to go back to the car. We are going to jump,” Hydra advised. Both Saphora and Tebias turned around to look at the water below. Maverick looked back at Hydra like she had lost her mind.

  “Are you out of your mind? Jump into the river? And then what?!” Maverick argued.

  “
Leave that to me,” Hydra explained. Saphora looked back at her, wondering if that meant what she thought it did. Hydra nodded. “This river comes close to the abandoned house. We can emerge there. Saphora, you’re going to jump with Maverick. Use your force field to contain you, to conserve the oxygen until I get you.” Saphora nodded, feeling like she had a good enough control over herself to create a force field on command.

  “Wait, wait, we’re actually doing this?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two. “Oh my god. We’re going to die. This is how I’m going to die,” Maverick complained, nodding. “At least blowing up would have been quick,” he argued as Saphora grabbed his arm.

  “Jump!” she said pulling him over the edge. They leaped into the air over the guardrail. Saphora curled her body, keeping her eyes on the water and focusing. Maverick, on the other hand, was failing everything but the arm that Saphora was holding, and screaming the entire way down. He held his breath when diving into the water, and closed his eyes tightly. He curled his body up, huddling close to Saphora. But as the moments passed, he noticed that there was no water. There was no feeling of the river around him. One eye peaked open, followed by the other as they both widened. There in the depths of the river, he could see the thin film of the force field. Without him even noticing, his let go of his held breath, breathing in the oxygen that was contained in the protective sphere. Slowly, he reached forward, placing his hand against the surface. He looked back at Saphora, and jumped when seeing her eyes - a glowing white. But she returned his glance, and smiled.

  “I’m doing it,” she said softly, as if her volume would affect the sturdiness of the shield. Maverick smiled, his brows raising as he exhaled. He nodded, looking back out at the water.

  “Yeah you are. So cool,” he somewhat laughed. “So now what?” he asked, looking back at Saphora. She was looking straight ahead, her expression caught between fear and relief. Her hand rose, her index finger pointing in front of her. Maverick turned back around, squinting into the darkness of the water, trying to make out what she was pointing at. Finally, after some effort and straining of his eyes, he was able to make out what looked to be a giant snout coming towards them, with snake-like movements. Maverick stood somewhat dumbfounded as his brain fought to accept what he was seeing. The option for denial however was quickly shot down as the snout opened, revealing the drakon’s toothy mouth. The suction caused from her opening her mouth pulled Saphora’s force field into her mouth and sent Maverick into a fit of screaming cries.