Page 14 of Living Legend

“Is your friend always this easy to rile up?” I asked, smirking.

He shrugged. “Sometimes. He’s just not used to someone talking back at every turn.”

“Someone or us?” I inquired, peering up at him. He was much taller than me, so my head came in just above his elbow. The vein in his neck pushed out a tiny bit at my question.

When he didn’t answer, I asked another. “Do you know what happened here? Why it’s so… abandoned?”

Nicholas pulled on the strap over his chest. “I don’t know much, but it dates to when Enchanters were more common. The magic they used was never malicious, but then something changed. There’s always been separation of our kinds, but I don’t think the line was heavily drawn. There was a war or a big fight, I don’t know, and Enchanters were caught in the middle of it. I guess they sided with demons and got the short end of the stick. I know sentries sieged this land and had no mercy, hence why this was a delicate matter. That’s where my knowledge ends.”

I mulled over this new information, not quite understanding. “So, you assume Enchanters just said fuck angels, chose demons, and then what? They get practically slaughtered, no questions asked? Sounds like you’re missing big chunks of information.”

“I’m only telling you what I know. Take it or leave it.”

“Who told you all this? Other angels? Tell me, Nicholas, have you ever met an Enchanter?”

He stuck his tongue out and licked his lips. “No, but—”

“Then I suggest you do before making assumptions,” I spat, starting to say something else when I ran into Elise’s back. “What the—”

“Shut the fuck up,” she whispered forcefully. Reese walked backwards away from us, looking around at the trees above.

“We heard something just now. Stay alert.” Reese reached behind him, grabbing his bow and arrow.

Elise rolled her eyes as she whispered. “That thing won’t help you.”

“How about you let me handle my business the way I want to handle it,” he threw back.

Nicholas reached for the hilt of his sword, the black hilt duller in this place, but he didn’t unsheathe it. He stood his ground, motioning with his hand for me to move, likely to cover more ground. The song-like whispers I’d heard before had stopped.

Everything was still.

The willows had stopped moving and all I could hear was our breathing. Reese backed into a pillar, notching his arrow and pulling back, scanning the perimeter.

“What did you hear?” I lowered my voice, speaking to Elise.

Before a reply could leave her lips, she shouted, “there!”

Elise pointed over Reese's shoulders, and I followed her arm to see the long, slender arm pushing itself out of the pillar and reaching for Reese. He looked over his shoulder and quickly shifted away from the clawing hand and its long fingernails, but instead fell into its extended hand on the other side. Fingers wrapped tightly around his arm, pulling him back against the pillar, its’ other hand creeping its way around his neck. Reese held onto his bow and tried to pull away, turning his head vigorously, trying to get as far away as he could.

Nicholas pulled out his sword, sweeping it out in front of him. He began to run towards his friend when I shouted, “No!” He looked in my direction, his eyes frantic and confused.

I stretched out my fingers and closed my eyes for what felt like minutes, but I knew it was merely seconds.

Then, I opened them wide.

I knew my eyes had turned into sunken black holes when the world changed from various colors to a more muted color palette. I could still see faces and features, but they were outlined in black. I could make out the people I knew, but I could also fixate on the enemy.

I knew black smoke was seeping out of me: my fingertips, my hair, every pore and fiber of my being, circling around me, trusting me.

I focused on the hands pressing Reese to the pillar, on the pillar itself and whatever was using it as a hiding spot. I lifted my hand, watching as thick smoke cascaded off my palm and towards the pillar.

The smoke struck right above Reese’s shoulder, barreling into the stone. A loud groan sounded around us as the smoke morphed into a person, its hands releasing Reese. He scurried away, watching as a male, holding his bleeding shoulder, peeled away from the pillar and fell forward. I made to shoot my shadows again when a cry sounded above us. Elise let out a sharp yelp as an electric blue dart of magic sliced her arm. I shot another dark wave in the direction it came from, the dark matter leaving my hands with ease, seeking a soul to torment.

A string of blue magic shot out again, breaking us apart in different directions. I peeked up from my crouch to see them standing on roofs of buildings and the nearest hilltops: Enchanters. Elise shot her own stream of darkness their way, making a few duck and lose balance. Reese angled his bow and shot an arrow at one just as it released a flaming cerulean cloud in our direction, and we all ducked closer to the ground to avoid it. A female Enchanter took the arrow to the leg, falling backwards. I looked up to see Nicholas climbing the vines on the side of one of the shops, sword in hand, barely reaching the top before grabbing an Enchanter’s ankle and yanking them down out of his way.

I shot two more streams in separate directions as I watched him hop onto the roof and slice the heels of another Enchanter. A blue dart sailed across a hilltop towards him, but instead of moving out of the way, he held up his sword and let it ricochet off the blade. The dart rebounded towards the sky, creating an umbrella of magic as it hit just above the treetops.

Odd.

---