Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 37
then.” Nab said.
Moyo looked rebellious, Zafira sighed in resignation as though she had expected this. Rica put her hands on her hips and scowled at Nab. Who did he think he was anyway?
“We have a missing man. We aren’t going anywhere without him. I’m going back to find him.” With that she turned and strode down the road toward Denham again. Moyo was the one to grab her arm this time. Men!
“No Rica that is not a good idea. If that was a mage you saw he would be able to track you. We can’t just walk in there and look for Zos. We need to wait and let things die down a bit. He can take care of himself. He wasn’t hurt as far as we know. He just took off.”
Rica pulled her arm out of his grasp and turned to look at him. He didn’t look angry just concerned. Maybe he was right. Just about then the guards showed up and chaos erupted around them. Rica didn’t take time to count them but it looked like over six guards and Zosimo! He pointed at Nab and said.
“There he is. He started the fire.”
“Zos what are you doing?” Zafira asked, the look of betrayal on her face.
“What you should have done. He” Zos gestured violently at Nab, “shouldn’t have been with us.” Zos was clearly angry with her. He didn’t look at Rica.
The guard Captain smiled maliciously at Zosimo. In a guttural tone he said, “Thank you this is just who we were looking for.” The Captain walked up behind Zos, and hit him on the back of his legs with his baton, bringing him down to the ground. The Captain’s movement had been so fast and unexpected Zosimo had an astonished look on his face. They were surrounded.
“Your Highness.” The Captain bowed to Nab, a sneer on his face.
“Captain Simon. You will release these people. They are none of your concern.” Nab said, his voice hard and cold. It sent a chill down Rica’s spine.
“Oh no princeling. They will come with us back to Ternikla, as will you. This girl is the one your mother is looking for. I do believe I will be promoted for this little catch.” The Captain was pleased with himself.
“Restrain them all.” Two of the guards pulled what looked a lot like hand cuffs out of their belt pouches and grabbed Zafira’s wrists pulling her arms behind her back. Rica reacted in fear. Her skin tingled with electricity and a bolt shot out of her hand to hit the guard full in the chest. Nab pulled his weapons, the crystals in the handles glowing brilliantly, effectively blinding everyone. The Captain had his sword out and engaged Nab with it. Rica shot another jolt at the guard holding Moyo. When Moyo was free he joined in the fight with fury. Rica grabbed her new staff out of its case at her belt and elongated it. She had learned a bit of staff work in Jamara at the dojo Zos practiced at. But she was clearly not up to this kind of fight. She hit at a guard and he easily blocked it coming in close to try to take it away from her. Rica backed up and tripped over a root sticking out of the flow way growth, falling hard onto to her bottom. The guard still had a hold of the staff and Rica used the momentum to drag him down but he resisted as though he had expected it. Rica pulled on the staff but the guard held it firmly. Moyo slammed his shoulder into the man and he fell on top of Rica. Rica tried to roll away but was penned now. Moyo hit the guard on the back of the head with his fist. The man let go of the staff. Rica kneed him in the groin and he doubled up. It was good to see some things were universal. Moyo dragged the man off and punched him again, the guard crumpled to the ground unconscious.
Moyo turned to help Zafira who was struggling with another of the guards when another guard tackled him and he fell to the ground but grabbed the man and flipped him over his body. Then rose in one smooth motion. The guard who had tackled him had a weapon out. It was a round disk. Rica concentrated on the man and electricity but nothing happened. She had to get this magic stuff down. Rica picked up a big rock and threw it at the man’s head. It connected with a hollow thunk and the guard went down. Moyo went to Zafira’s aid. When the fight ended the Captain and three of the guards were dead. The others were unconscious. Nab went to one of the guards that was alive still. It was plain what he intended to do with his dagger out. Rica felt ill.
“No! They are unconscious just leave them.” Rica said.
“They will awaken and it would not be long before the whole of the Opia Nation are on us. We can’t leave them alive. Like it or not this is war. I don’t know how you are involved yet but you are. My mother will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”
“No! You will not kill them. Tie them up and leave them under the tree. By the time they are discovered we will be long gone.” Rica spoke every word with the force of her conviction.
“They die!” Nab said in an equally forceful voice.
“No! These people were following orders. They were not the ones who gave those orders. If you go around killing your own people, no matter that they attacked you or not, sooner or later you will turn around to find your self all alone. They would not follow you for long if you do this. I know I wouldn’t. And you won’t be welcome to come with me either.” Rica stood firm her hands on her hips clinched into white knuckled fists. She was shaking with emotion.
Nab looked at her in surprise then bowed. “Very well, we will do this your way.”
“Help me get these body’s off the flow way. Drag them under that tree you were hiding in. No one will spot them there right away.” Nab commanded. Everyone jumped to follow his orders. When they finished Zafira noticed Zos was not with them.
Zosimo was nowhere to be found. Moyo and Nab agreed that they couldn’t take the risk to go searching for him. They got off the way then and walked through the woods surrounding the area until Rica felt her legs would fall off. She was exhausted emotionally and physically. This lizard prince would take watching, he was as cold as a snake to consider killing those men while they were helpless. Cute he was, and cold as ice. Rica you know how to pick them. She beat herself up with inner dialog as they trudged through the dark woods.
24 – On the Run
Moyo flew up to scout the area, checking if there was any pursuit. The air was cold and he shivered as he climbed into the air above the trees. It was hard to try to stay in one spot hovering so he flew in a slow circle looking around at where they were in relation to Denham. He spotted two of the main flows that led into the City and thought he saw movement on one of them. He camouflaged himself and flew higher and toward the way. Three Opia Troop carriers were heading away from the city. Were they after them or going somewhere else?
Moyo flew back to the group and landed. Camouflaging and flying was exhausting, he would have to store the spell in his ruin next time to save energy but it would limit the time he was concealed to two hours. Moyo told Zafira and the others what he had seen. There were farms not far from where they were and the road to the pass. Nab wasn’t to concerned about the troop carriers and said his mother had been massing troops along the boarder for months so they could be part of her plans.
They all agreed to try one of the farms and see if they could get some supplies and transportation. The way was the fastest way to the west, and it was a long way yet to go. They packed what they had and started toward the flow way.
“Lets parallel the flow just in case some one is looking for us still.” Rica suggested.
“Make no mistake they are looking for us.” Nab said. “We will parallel the flow and stay in the cover the trees provide until we can get transportation.”
Rica was glad she still had her purple jacket with her and shivered in the cool air. It would be the dead of winter back home; but here fall had just changed the colors of the trees. It was comforting to see the leaves in bright orange and yellow. Fall was Rica’s favorite time of year, then she started thinking about Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, Rica could feel her eyes start to water and a tightness grow in her chest as though something was squeezing her. Rica looked away from everyone so they wouldn’t see her lip tremble. That’s when she tripped over the log and fell flat on her face. Zafira was quick to come and help
her up but still it was embarrassing nonetheless. When she started out again after brushing most of the leaves and grass off a pain shot from her ankle up to her knee. She yelped.
“Ouch! I think I twisted my ankle.” Rica stopped with the injured foot raised.
“Let me take a look Rica here set on that log there and I’ll see what I can do.” Zafira was all business. Rica sat on the log and watched as Zafira examined the ankle. Then she used her affinity to start the healing process and speed it along. Rica could feel what she was doing on a basic level. It seemed to call to her, and suddenly she knew how to do what Zafira was doing and helped the process along with her own magic. The result was nothing short of a miracle. The pain was simply gone! Nab’s eyes narrowed and he frowned. First this girl had demonstrated the red affinity and now the green. As far as he knew those two never manifested together. And Moyo was teaching her to use the blue of vision and camouflage that would bring her affinities to three. Unbelievable! There was much to consider with this strange girl who sometimes spoke in peculiar ways. Nab looked away before anyone caught his contemplative look.
“We need to get going if the ankle is healed. Dark comes early in the mountains.”