Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 36
seen him frown but he was doing it now. Zosimo stepped out of the shadows of a pile of empty crates, his staff in hand. The auras of all were guarded, tense walls of light.
“What did you do Zafira? Kidnap the Opia Prince?”
“Don’t be ridiculous Zos. He saved Rica from a bunch of street thugs near the market. He wants to come with us. Rica agreed to let him.” Not we agreed, Rica. Zafira was not pleased with the situation at all. Nab stood tensely not saying anything it all. His aura was tight to his body, gold and steel grey. What did that mean? Rica couldn’t ‘feel’ anything from him.
“He is a good fighter and wanted to come with us. He saved my life!” Rica did not want to argue with her friends but it looked like it was unavoidable.
“Look everyone, I just want to get home. I don’t want to cause trouble with any of you. Maybe if you just pointed me in the right direction I could go on my own.” Rica was feeling panicky and didn’t want to go on her own into this dangerous world but she didn’t want a fight between these people who had done so much for her.
“That’s not an option. I will accompany you as I said I would.” Moyo said firmly. There was no room for argument in his voice.
“I didn’t want to cause any strife between you. But I want to leave this place and you are in need of protection it would seem.” Nab said in a tense voice.
“What is it you are running from Conkingsly?” Moyo asked.
“I find I need to be somewhere else than in my home. It is none of your concern why de Curria!” Nab snapped at Moyo.
“I think it is of the utmost concern to all of us. We don’t want to attract attention from the wrong people. And you would draw them to us just by being who you are.”
“I will travel under a false name. No one will know who I am. This is ridiculous.”
“You sir attract attention by just breathing. Your manner, your armor, even your way of speaking: you could not hide yourself if you wanted to.”
“And you can?” Nab scoffed and gestured to Moyo’s wings.
“Oh my god! Just stop the both of you!” Rica yelled. She had her hands up between them both. A glow was coming from her hands. Everyone seemed to gasp at the same time when they saw it. Rica looked at them all in puzzlement.
“What?”
“Your hands. What are you intending to do?” Nab said gruffly.
“Shit! I didn’t mean to do that and I’m not even sure what it is I did to make them glow. But I know this. You are both ticking me off!”
Nab had his left sword half way out of its sheath. Moyo took a step back.
“Look everyone just chill ok?”
Nab frowned at Rica like she was speaking another language. And she was sort of.
“Please we can find a way for this to work. Nab wants out of what ever it is he wants out of and I need to get home. I’m willing to take a chance on him. Maybe I’m wrong to do that but I don’t think so. If any of you don’t want to continue with me because of him that’s fine. Thank you for what you have done and lets just go our separate ways.”
“I will stay.” Zafira said.
“As will I.” Moyo said.
“I will as well.” Nab said firmly.
Everyone turned and looked at Zosimo. He stood there looking at Rica. His eyes narrowed.
“I think I will leave you here. I don’t want to go with him.”
“Dad wanted us to stay together Zos.” Zafira said forcefully.
“Then come with me Zafira! She isn’t worth our lives!”
“She is my responsibility! You promised to help.”
“Fine, I’ll go but know this Prince Nabarun I will be watching you. One false move and -”
“And what?” Nab took a step forward menacingly. “You would not stand a chance Kahshian.”
“I’m beginning to think this is a bad idea. Can you just stop threatening people? If you want to travel with us that’s fine but you have to at least try to get along with us.” Rica was not happy at all with this whole confrontation, and posturing of the males in the room. God men could be such a pain sometimes.
A loud noise like that of crashing crates against stone came from the outside. Moyo looked toward the sound and held up his hand for quite. He used his camouflage stone and went to a door and looked out. He returned and became visible again.
“It seems you were followed. There are about ten of the local thugs out there. Some of them look as though they were in a fight.”
“It must be the ones that attacked me.” Rica was feeling tension build in her head. Instead of trying to calm down she used it to focus a feeling of heat toward the back wall. Fire leapt up the wall hungrily.
“I started the warehouse on fire. I hope the smoke will hide us. Lets get out of here.” Then she headed toward the opposite wall where loose boards had been removed the night before. Night was falling and it would soon be hard to see. Rica didn’t wait to see if any one was following her but ran to the opening and squeezed out. Nab was right behind her. Zosimo was close by Nab. Where were Zafira and Moyo? No time to find out, she ran to the gutted building next to the warehouse and ducked behind a fallen wall. A man jumped out of the shadows and Nab punched him. Rica could hear them scuffle she didn’t wait to see the outcome. Rica dove behind a big metal container and caught her breath. Nab and Zosimo didn’t follow her. She looked back the way she had come but couldn’t see them. She decided to just get out of there. They would find her she was sure of it. It still didn’t feel right to just leave like that, but the whole area was starting to smoke and flames were shooting out of most of the buildings around the warehouse they had been in. It was getting hard to breath. Rica turned one last time before leaving the warehouses to glance behind her. She saw a lone man staring at her two blocks away. He was holding a device in his hand. It glowed. Rica turned and ran hoping with all her might that he hadn’t seen her. The hair on the nap of her neck stood on end and she ran blindly out into the darkness.
At the next street she saw the main road lit by lamps. She jogged that way till she came to the wall. There were many breaks in the wall now and she found one and went through it onto a road and continued out.
23 - Betrayed
Rica stopped running when trees and darkness surrounded her. She could not see where she was going and had fallen several times. Rica listened, but could not hear any of her friends. She dared not call out for fear the people chasing them would hear her. She lay on the ground gasping for breath. After a few moments she heard the stumbling steps of someone else about ten feet away by the sound of it. Rica cautiously came up to her feet.
“Rica?” Came the whispered voice of Zafira. Relief flooded through her.
“Here!” Rica whispered back.
“Do you know where the others are?” Zafira sounded closer now.
“No, you’re the first one I’ve come across. Should I summon a light?”
“No better not. Just in case those thugs are close.” Zafira was close enough to touch now and Rica could make her white shirt out in the starlight. It wouldn’t be long before the moons rose then they would be able to see and be seen.
“Lets try to find some cover.” Rica felt nervous out here in the dark open.
“We can’t see to find any. I think we should just say here.”
They waited for what felt like hours when the first light of the smaller moon topped the trees. They were in an open rocky area near the flow way to Opia Nation from what Rica could figure out. She stood and started toward a group of trees near the road. Zafira followed. They ducked under the drooping branches and sat near the trunk. They could see out but it would be hard for anyone to see them where they were. Rica felt a little better there.
It wasn’t long before they heard the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel. Rica could make out Moyo and Nab in the dim light of the moons. Moyo was limping. Rica stood as well as she could to look down the flow way. There was no sign of Zos.
“Moyo, we are in
here.” Zafira called as quietly as she could and still be heard. Nab and Moyo stopped and looked in their direction. Rica pushed out of the branches and stepped up onto the road.
“Where is Zos?”
“We were jumped and had to fight. I don’t know where Zos is. We did look around but couldn’t find him. The whole block of empty warehouses and buildings are burning. The town has called the fire control out. If he is there he is probably hiding from them. Rica starting that fire was not a wise move. Magic fires are not easily put out they feed on the magic of the area. I tried to dampen it but it was out of control by the time we got done fighting.” Moyo frowned at Rica. Rica felt her stomach tighten. She had only been trying to make a diversion. They had wanted her to practice her magic and she had started the campfires that whole week. Rica looked over the small hill and down at the town. The glow of the fire was evident and getting bigger. Crap! It seemed everything she did was wrong. Now the usually sweet Moyo was angry with her!
“I’m sorry. I was only trying to get us out of there.”
“I know-” Moyo started.
“We can’t stand here chastising the girl, lets get out of here and off the flow way before the guard comes to look for who is out here. They will know it was a started fire by the magic signature.” Nab said and started off as though he expected everyone to follow him unquestioningly.
“I saw a man in robes with some kind of device when I ran out of there. I think he saw me.” Rica said.