She refused its courtship.
Remi extended her hand forward and her eidolon shot out once more, this time extending until it caught the woman who punched her in the foot. She howled and fell over as the big man grabbed her by the shirt and lifted her off the ground. He cocked back one of his arms to hit her as she hung from his steel grip.
Steady now, she reminded herself. Steady.
Her eidolon shot back into her body, and before the big man could attack, she shot her hand toward his face and then released her eidolon once more. The tip of the blade plunged right into his left eye and he let her go instantly. She scurried across the ground to gain her composure when someone kicked her in the chin. She fell over, and this time, her body refused to get back up. Caught in a vertigo, she watched as they surrounded her and pinned her limbs to the ground. She saw Olivia being thrown face first into the leaves by her side, already unconscious. And she heard Kace’s shouts and subsequent yelps as they stabbed him over and over.
She tried to get up.
She tried.
She tried again.
But her muscles refused. Doubt set in, flooding her veins quicker than her blood ever did. She felt paralyzed, and the fear became her world. It was all she felt. It was all she saw and smelled and heard. Even touch was numbed under its weight. Tears began streaming down her eyes as the worst came to her mind. Images of a beheaded Olivia. A dissected Kace—taken back to the town for study.
And worst of all.
Her back at home. Under a blanket and sitting on top of the bed. Alone and hungry and cold. As she had been since birth. As she had thought her future would be for all of eternity.
Her people were cruel. They wouldn’t kill her. No, they wouldn’t grant her that mercy.
For some reason, despite their abhorrence of her. Despite her uselessness and waste of space, they would let her live. And in a terrible turn of fate, somehow—she was sure—she would outlive them all. Her sickness would cripple her dreams and goals but it would never finish the job. She would live her life as just another living being. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“No,” she said aloud, and a snicker followed her defiance.
“You see?” a woman’s voice replied. “She’s not with you at all. Now let her go.”
“Not going to happen,” the big man replied. All Remi could see was the big man’s disgusting bare feet. She tried to crane her neck, but someone’s hand was keeping their grip over it.
“Then I guess we have a problem.” Remi was surprised by the woman’s boldness. Had she seen what the raid group could do? She suddenly heard a chorus of cries, and a second later, the big man’s head was right in front of her. Eye to eye. Face to face. Remi frantically climbed to her feet, not even thinking of how she gained her release.
The raid group was backing up slowly as Remi stood in front of her savior—a stocky woman with red-violet hair and a tall halberd in her hand with what looked like a half pair of wings on the top. She wasn’t looking at Remi, but her former captors. Remi looked past her to see that Kace and Olivia were awake and free. Kace was hunched over from his wounds while Olivia looked tired. Surprisingly, a calm Eckard was standing between them.
“She’s the one we want,” Eckard replied to the fiery haired woman.
The woman stared down at Remi, assessing her.
“She doesn’t look that impressive.”
“Her potential is though.”
“Whatever you say,” she replied, turning her attention back to the raid group. “But first, we have to make sure we’re not followed.”
“You can’t just kill us,” one of them replied. “We don’t want any trouble. We’re not marked, and we don’t have any allegiance to Paragon or Cimmerian.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re disgusting people. Eckard and I have been watching you for the past half-hour. I’ve seen enough. Trust me, I’m not making this decision lightly.”
“Please,” another begged. “Let us go. We have families.”
“We all do,” the mysterious woman said, slamming her halberd further down into the dirt. Her eyes slowly wavered over to Remi’s. “And you—get out of the way. It’s about to get messy.”
“I would listen to what Scarlet says,” Eckard called out, waving for her to come where he was standing. “She’s never been known for keeping things neat.”
Remi ran out of the way.
Chapter 6 – Don’t Get Burned
“They run,” Scarlet laughed as she lifted her head high. “They always run.”
“You’re not going to chase after them?” Kace asked and Scarlet chuckled to herself.
“No need. I can kill them from where I stand. I’m just giving them a little time to think that they’re safe first.”
“You don’t have to kill them,” Eckard said, but Scarlet ignored him. She turned back to look at Remi and narrowed her eyebrows.
“You’re the one that Eckard hasn’t shut up about since returning to Paragon. You tell me, should I kill them? Am I in error for thinking that they’re no better than parasites? That they’re about as annoying as boob sweat? That they have no place on this planet other than to take up our precious air?”
Remi wasn’t sure how to respond. She found herself looking to Olivia for advice, but she had nothing to say. She just stared back at her—waiting for her reply. Remi cleared her throat.
“They won’t be missed.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Scarlet growled. “Do they deserve to live? Answer me now. They will soon be out of my range.”
“I don’t want to answer.”
“Then we’ve wasted our time,” she said, putting her halberd out in front of her. “When you have an opportunity to remove your enemy from the equation, you take it. Otherwise it will come back to haunt you and everyone you love. I’m not saying you should be ruthless whenever you come up against opposition. I’m saying that when you know without a shadow of a doubt that no good can come from having a certain person in your life, you either cut it off, or you burn it down.”
The halberd hummed and then Scarlet scowled.
“Incinerate,” she said aloud, and a wave of fire burst from the center of the halberd, immediately engulfing the trees and washing over the land. In less than a minute’s time, the screaming began, and a mischievous grin crept onto Scarlet’s face. She quickly faced the others and the halberd vanished from her grip. Remi’s eyes widened in awe.
“Was that an eidolon? That halberd?” she asked.
“Of course it was,” Scarlet scoffed. “What else would it be? Haven’t you told her anything, Eckard?”
“Not too much,” he admitted. “In case things didn’t work out.”
“At least you did one thing right,” she muttered, looking Remi up and down. “Choosing her is another thing.”
“You’re rude,” Remi stated boldly and Scarlet lifted her nose.
“You’re shivering,” she said, and Remi became aware of the chills shooting down her body. Her arms were wrapped around her but she hadn’t noticed the toll her fight with the raid group had taken on her body. She wasn’t too tired at the moment, but her brain wasn’t sending off the right signals. She didn’t feel the cold as she usually did, and it was if everything had gone numb from the neck down. It felt like her arms and legs were moving in slow motion.
“You’re still rude,” she replied, as Olivia threw her own poncho on top of Remi.
“I can afford to be,” she said, stepping forward so that they were face to face. “Act how I’m acting toward you and I’ll slap the teeth out your skull. Listen, and you might learn how to survive.”
“If you’re one of the Sages that Eckard was talking about then I have no interest in joining your group.”
“That’s sure some gratitude for saving your life.”
“You didn’t have to. You could have let me die.”
“Something to remember in the future.”
“You don’t intimidate me.”
“I do
n’t, huh,” Scarlet laughed, stepping away from Remi. “Yes, Eckard told us all about you. The girl who doesn’t fear death. The walking corpse. The sick warrior. I understand where you’re coming from. But you’ll soon realize that fear can also be healthy sometimes. Say the wrong things to the wrong people and what will that get you?”
“Nothing,” Remi said. “Literally nothing.”
“Exactly,” Scarlet replied, not realizing the full extent to what Remi was saying. “And that’s why you should do a little more observation before speaking out so boldly.”
“Scarlet may be a little brash,” Eckard said, coming to Remi’s aid. “But she’s also one of the best. Her approach may not be suited for interpersonal dealings but when it comes to battle or war, you’ll want her on your side.”
“We’ll see,” Remi said. Scarlet sighed and shook her head.
“Get some rest,” she said. “We’ll leave in the morning.”
“What about another raid group?” Olivia asked, and Scarlet simply pointed behind her, revealing the smoldering ashes of what was for all to see. Olivia didn’t say another word.
“We’ll sleep here. I’ll keep watch and there’s no point in relieving me. I’ve been through worse.”
Eckard ushered the rest of the group a little deeper into the forest so that they could speak privately, leaving Scarlet to brood over her thoughts. Despite her attitude, Remi was dying to know more about her, but she knew that whatever Eckard had to say next, it was sure to be important.
“Well, that was fun,” he whispered as they sat down in a circle. Kace sighed and checked each one of his former stab wounds. He ran a finger carefully over each scar and then closed his eyes to concentrate. One by one, the scars began to fade. Eckard looked on in awe.
“I’ve never met a Quietus personally before,” he said and Kace opened his eyes and raised his eyebrow.
“And who are you exactly?”
“Eckard,” he said with a nod. “I’m a Sage-in-training. I get sent out from Paragon to vet potential recruits. Remi here is our latest project.”
“And Scarlet?” Kace asked. “She’s the final judge of character?”
“Yep. Well, many of the Sages are currently busy and she was available so…let’s just say she wasn’t my first choice.”
“It’s been over a year,” Remi said. “A whole year since we last spoke. What took you so long to come back this way?”
“I had to go to Paragon by foot, and then we had to return in kind. Manifestations are a thing of the past now so travel is very cumbersome.”
“Manifestations?” Remi asked, wondering if Olivia had an answer. Olivia shook her head. She had no clue what Eckard was talking about either.
“Before the three worlds were one, and Terra had its own atmosphere, not only could a Sage unsheathe their eidolon, but they could also manifest their souls into other objects. The most powerful Sages could even create flying creatures to ride on. But since the atmosphere’s changed, manifestations break the moment they are created. And eidolons…they’re getting weaker as well. That’s why it’s so impressive you’ve gotten stronger and not weaker. I noticed that you’re much different than how you were a year ago.”
“I’ve been training,” Remi said, trying to keep her smile down.
“So there will be a point in which Remi can’t make an eidolon?” Olivia asked.
“Or she will adapt. Having grown up in this new world, she might be immune to the new environment’s effects. She might be a new type of Sage.”
“So what about me and Olivia?” Kace asked, rubbing a hand through his hair.
“You can come with us. But when we arrive at Paragon, it’s up to the powers that be if you will be granted access or not.”
“Who said I’m even coming?” Remi said. “You might need me to save the Sages or whatever, but that doesn’t mean it’s what I want to do. I want to see the worlds. I want to travel, and it sounds like that’s not going to happen if I’m being studied all the time.”
“Then how about you treat this as a mutually beneficial arrangement? Learn from us while we can learn from you. And when we arrive at Paragon, you can decide then what you want to do.”
“Scarlet doesn’t seem like the type to just let me do whatever I want.”
“Her words are sharper than her teeth, I promise.”
“So he says,” Scarlet said, appearing from behind Olivia and Kace. They all stood to their feet. “I think we should keep moving. There’s a town not too far from here. We can rest there. Remi, do you think you can make it?”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “How far is far exactly?”
“Should be no more than five miles. Won’t be long. I could see the lights from the top of the trees. Come. Let’s get going.” Scarlet headed deeper into the forest and the rest stepped in line behind her. Eckard came quickly to Remi’s side.
“Are you sure you’re okay for the trek?”
“Definitely,” she said. Eckard nodded and left her alone. It was the truth. Yes, she felt like she was going to faint, and the welts on her faces were beginning to throb, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make it to the town.
“There’s something bothering me about Scarlet,” Olivia said, appearing on Remi’s right side. Kace came from the left with a curious look.
“You mean besides the fact she’s crazy?” Kace said. Scarlet was still way ahead of them, but Remi kept her voice down to a whisper anyways, in case the Sage had other abilities they didn’t know about.
“What she said earlier…about being through a lot…and how excited Eckard is to see that Remi can make an eidolon…you think she’s a Deja?”
“A Deja?” Kace said. “What’s that?”
“It’s our name for people that died before the worlds collided. People who have been given a second chance at life…depending on how you look at it.”
“What’s so bad about it? If she is a Deja, I mean.”
“Usually Dejas are still tied to their old lives. Yeah, they walk around and interact with us, but they might as well be ghosts trying to settle unfinished business.”
“You don’t think she’s being honest with us?” Remi asked and Kace chuckled at the thought.
“Oh definitely not. Someone like her will only express herself when she’s ordering you around. But, in all honesty, I don’t know how much we’re going to find out about her.”
“Eckard might know,” Olivia said.
“Eckard’s on her side,” Kace retorted. “Whatever the Sages are, he’s all for them.”
“Does her being a Deja change anything?” Remi asked. Olivia thought about it for a moment.
“Not at the moment. But it’s one of those things that we have to be wary of. She has a lot more experience than us both in life and death, and that means she could take advantage of us without us realizing it. We have to be vigil.”
“Is there prejudice for Dejas where you two come from?” Kace asked.
Remi nodded. “Our people don’t like the fact that they might have to face warriors that have already gone through a whole lifetime of training. They don’t think it’s fair.”
“What do you think?”
“That it could go either way. We might have a lot to learn from her. Or…this could all end badly.”
“It’s just another adventure,” Remi said, smiling at her friends. “And as long as we stick together, we can overcome whatever comes our way.”
Olivia raised her eyebrows. “What got you so optimistic all of a sudden?”
“Just look around you.” Olivia and Kace began taking in their surroundings and Remi took a deep breath. “We’re not stuck in the town anymore. There are forests and valleys and new creatures all around us. There’s the possibility of battle and meeting new races and seeing buildings and towns that we never had a clue existed. I’m still dying, but at least I get to see these things before it happens. This is a lot better than being stuck. A lot better. Seriously, what would we be doing right now if w
e were back at home?”
“Sleeping,” Olivia laughed.
Kace groaned. “I’d probably be bored.”
“Scarlet might be a Deja, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from her and Eckard. Let’s just see how this plays out for now. We can change our situation in an instant.”
“Alright,” Olivia replied. “Let’s see how this goes.”
Chapter 7 - Marked
“Don’t let this place fool you,” Scarlet replied as they walked past the open iron gates. “We could still be in danger. Enjoy yourselves, but stay cautious.”
Remi lifted her nose in the air to take in the new scents. Someone was cooking an array of seasoned meats over a fire and there were kids running in the street, chasing after each other with sticks. The roads were made of bricks and so were the houses, though the people did the best they could to decorate the buildings after the structures were erected. Windows were lavished with fancy canopies and banners. Miniature plants sat on the ledges and there were numerous wooden signs hanging from posts high above the doors, letting the patrons know where they were headed.
The streets were dimly lit but it was bright enough to see everything. The townspeople were casually dressed but no one was dirty. Wearing finely pressed shirts, pants and dresses, they would walk by twos or threes into the various buildings talking at a low volume. Though they were strangers to this new land, not one person turned their attention towards them. Remi figured that strangers were often visiting.
“This is the town of Surmount. It’s a way station for weary travelers such as ourselves. This place isn’t immune to the looming war, but at least everyone respects it. I’ve rarely heard of or seen violence here. We should be okay.”
“Okay?” Kace asked. “Who would be chasing after us?”
“The fact that we came all this way for Remi says to the enemy that she’s important. Spies from Cimmerian could be watching us right now.”
Remi suddenly became paranoid, looking into the faces of all those who passed by. If there were spies present, they sure weren’t breaking character.
The Sorcerer's Ring (Book 1) Page 7