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Veera's mind was flooded with adrenaline. She ran for the outpost. Simply gliding over obstacles that take time to climb. She had little regard for Jun as she went. The pillar of smoke was growing bigger with each passing moment. Veera didn't see fires often in the canopy. There were strict policies and regulations on open flames. Her people used warming stones and other sources to create the heat they needed. Fire was too dangerous to handle on a day to day. The only reason Veera had seen it at all was on her excursions with her father. The authorization to keep an open flame was given to very few and its use was limited to those given it.
The flame's breath put her entirely on edge. Veera could only see through a tunnel. As she vaulted over limbs and branches her mind was racing. Who would create a flame and how was she going to extinguish it? Ahead of her Damon was flying forward, no doubt he would make it there before her. Veera was half tempted to abandon Jun and do the same. The fire spread with a life of its own. The longer they delayed the more time it had to spread. She wished she could carry the man but Veera knew that would be impossible. Leaving him behind was too much of a liability.
Looking behind her Veera was surprised to see Jun keeping her pace with ease. He vaulted over tree limbs and sprinted with an ease she's never seen before. His physical prowess was nothing to laugh at. It was a marvel why he passed out in their altercation earlier. Veera thought they were rather fortunate for them that Jun was suddenly docile. She doubted they could subdue him a second time. The ties stayed tight around his wrist though, and Jun still managed to keep pace with her.
By the time Veera reached the outpost chaos was unleashed. The outpost itself was ablaze. Plums of smoke snaked into the sky becoming the beacon that brought Veera and Damon from afar. Collapsing in on itself the roof had brought down one corner of the small hut. There were shouts accompanied by grunts Veera recognized as belonging to Cade. No attempt was being made to dowse the flame as the assigned watch was preoccupied with a foreign entity of their own.
I need to dowse the flame. Veera assessed the situation. Whatever was happening with the pair could wait until the flame was taken care of. Damon was there and even with his low athletic ability, he was still useful in his way. Having decided Veera turned toward the flames. Jun had stopped by her side gasping for air. The air up here must be different than what he's used to. below.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsP5EapDT5
Veera started clearing objects out of the way. pulling limbs and boxes away from the hut. A circle of protection where the fire had no fuel to spread. She had been taught a little by her father on controlling fire. Without fuel, it wouldn't spread. The problem was she had no means to extinguish the flame and the outpost was already collapsing. It was in her frantic rush to create a clearing that Jun approached the fire.
"What are you doing? Get back you'll get burned!" Veera shouted. She didn't have time to babysit a stranger right now and had hoped their earlier agreeableness was a sign of his cooperation.
Jun didn't design to answer Veera. Pulling his bound hands to his bag Jun opened the sack up. There was a weird hush as the flames seemed to shudder. Jun ferruled his brows and stretched his bag toward the fire again. Slowly the fire fell into the bag. Veera was speechless. as the fire was siphoned into the bag. It was a complete display of power. The flame was not going willingly it stretched and hissed away from the hut. On the other end of the flame, Jun's bag was quiet with the soft noise of a vacuum. There was no fight, there was no struggle just utter control over this force of nature Veera revered with caution. Caution that Veera was now casting toward Jun.
"How did you do that?" Veera asked. The bag had no burns or singe. The smell of the flame had gone too. To her knowledge, no gift enabled someone to take something and leave nothing. The world was still bound to an equivalent exchange, even with their gifts. What Veera had witnessed both baffled and sent a quiver of fear right to her core.
Jun turned to her and shut the bag. Silent he stared at her. The gaze was a challenge. She had been secretive in the nature she displayed her gift. His stare told her he wasn't in the mode to answer any questions. Besides they didn't have time for an in-depth explanation at the moment. Damon and the pair were still in an altercation. Grunts and shouts now registered in Veera's ears for the first time. They had extinguished the fire but that was only a symptom. Looking out Veera was able to see the altercation for the first time.
Cade was armed and fighting. Taking charge he was in the front swinging and swiping. Damon was hovering above swooping in at every opportunity to either block a blow aimed at the pair or cut with his knife. Katherine was at a safer distance using her own ability to engage the enemy from fleeing. Kat had used her gift to imbue a barrier of magnetic energy repelling anyone from entering and pulling everyone inside from leaving. Her gift was hard to control but had its uses in combat as well as daily life.
The enemy was disturbing appearing in the space of a humanoid its eyes were faded, with no pupil just a gradient of black fading to bloodshot red at the corners. Its hair was all burnt off its whole body appeared to be singed. Patches of charred skin bubbled on its arms and legs. It appeared to be male with a sturdy frame and large hands. His lips were devoid of all color and smoothed into his face with deep scaring. No color flushed his face: lips, cheeks, ears, skin- all of it was a pale white dusted with grey. The sight uunnervedVeera.
"Tainted one!" The wind hissed. This scared Veera more than the sight of the being. She had never heard such venom from her lifelong companion.
As if hearing the wind the tainted turned toward Veera. Mid battle with Cade and Damon both swinging the tainted one was unfaced. Shaking off the blows as if they were from a child the tainted one was playing with the two boys. His entertainment must have been elevated seeing Veera though for a grotesque smile stretched his lips cutting his face in half. Veera knew he felt her fear. Life Giver helps me. Veera thought tamping down her fear.
"Kat! What do you need? What can I do?" Veera yelled out approaching the barrier, Jun right behind her.
"Stay back!" Kat said stopping Veera in her tracks. "It's taking all I have to magnetize everyone in the area. I'm not confident I can keep it contained if another person enters my range."
"Ok, what can I do?" Veera asked.
"Go get back up! We can't handle this alone. We need the guard. Your Father should know what to do." Kathrine was sweating with exertion hands stretched out channeling the energy in her gift. Veera doubted she could last much longer but she had to trust her judgment.
"Alright, I understand. I'll be back soon. Promise me you'll be ok until I get back!" Veera pleaded back. She had already determined to fly back to her father. She would leave Jun here. He was a low threat and she needed to be fast. However, the tainted one had other plans.
No sooner had Veera cut Jun's bonds had the tainted one lunged. He cut right through Cade and Damon flinging them and lashing at Kathrine. Cutting her torso with a long slash Kat fell and so did her barrier, freeing the vile creature. Smoke curled out of his lips as he smiled running at Veera with a fever.
"Veera!" Damon yelled. She had little time to think. With no real combat, Veera didn't have the reflexes to smoothly counter a surprise attack. She fumbled for her knife as it lunged. 195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5EnFScp4I
Jun pushed Veera out of the way, receiving a blow to his chest. It tore his already worn shirt and sliced his chest. The hand the torn left burns as if it was made of fire.
"Hhh!" Veera gasped as she saw the tainted one rip into Jun.
Jun however was unfazed, only a small grunt came out of him as he grabbed the tainted one's hand. Pulling him in Jun put his other hand on the chest of the being, right above its heart. Now it was struggling. Pulling and scratching at Jun to get away. Once it felt Jun's hand on its chest the smile was twisted. Fear bled in as it whispered unintelligible threats at Jun. Instead of responding, Jun breathed in.
As the air entered Jun's lungs the tainted one started to scream. A blood-curdling scream of torment filled Veera's ears. Slowly the smile dropped from its face. Dark smoke started spilling from its eyes and ears, pouring out from its body. Jun absorbed this smoke into his very skin until all that was left was a drained corpse with no soul. 195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShGx4VjUIk
The body crumpled to the ground as Jun breathed out. Clearly what he had just done was draining but Jun remained standing. He shook his shoulders dispelling the tension and turned to Veera again. His chest was now perfectly stitched together, a faint scar formed where a fatal blow was moments ago. His eyes were cloudy with a grayness that shadowed the subtle glow that came with channeling. Slowly the cloudy haze cleared to reveal the full glow just before Jun's eyes returned to normal.
"How did you do that?" Damon and Cade had reached them during the time Jun had handled the tainted one. His question seemed to forget Jun's communication challenges.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX9eJfGHjg
"I'm sure we'll hear all about it from him later. Right now we need to get Kathrine to a medic." Cade said. In his arms was the small Kathrine. Bleeding from the cut in her chest similar to the one Jun had borne just moments ago. Makeshift bandages wrapped her chest made from the remnants of Cade's missing shirt. Hard scales covered his chest and his eye's glowed with soft browns.
"How is she?" Veera inquired. "How deep is the wound? I hope that thing didn't hold any diseases."
"She'll live but I want to get her to a medic fast to stop the bleeding." Cade was urgent, rarely shaken the strong man was unsettled at Katherine's wounds. Undoubtedly failing at keeping her safe weighed on his conscious. After all, he was the strongest fighter in their class, his lackluster performance today would remain in Cade's heart for a while.
"That's good." Damon exhaled. "But what do we do with Mr. Exterminator here? I don't think I can get the binds back on him now. Frankly, I would rather push you to fight him than take him myself cade."
"I don't think we will need to subdue him again though," Veera responded. "He's been cooperative with us since he woke up. Maybe he understands it's best to cooperate with us."
"Yes, that seems to be so," Cade stated. "We'll take him with us and fly back to town."
"Ok, big bud but who's going to carry him? The big fire extinguisher is too heavy for us to carry. We walked him here for you to carry him seeing as you're our big strong man." Damon said. He must have noticed Jun take out the fire. Veera thought. She could have sworn he was preoccupied with the tainted one though.
"That will be a problem. I need to carry Kathrine to a clinic. I won't risk opening her wounds further carrying another passenger." Cade responded.
"Maybe I can stay here with him while you and Damon go take care of Kathrine and get my father," Veera suggested.
"Yeah, No. I didn't like leaving you with him when he was bound. I like it a lot less with this rapid man unbound." Damon rejected.
"I'm similarly inclined." Cade said.
"Someone needs to get my father and someone needs to take Kat to the clinic. I would rather stay than let Damon be alone with him. He was cooperative with me earlier." Veera wasn't all too keen on facing her father but she didn't want to leave Damon here alone with Jun. Yes, Jun had saved her but she was the only one who could talk to him.
"Ouch, your lack of trust in me cuts deep Vee," Damon said rubbing his chest in mock hurt.
"You know what I mean Damo-" Veera was cut off as Jun reached for Kathrine.
"Back away," Cade growled. "I don't have the patience to-"
Whatever Cade was going to say was interrupted as Jun placed a hand on Katherine's head. His eye's glowed as her skin's color returned. With a soft inhale Kathrine's eye's fluttered open. Jun stepped back. This time he was drained. He reached into his bag and pulled out a canteen, drinking the water from its compartment.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAZLICRVXV
"Thank you," Kathrine said her gaze following Jun. With each passing second, her strength seemed to be returning to her. "You can let me down now Cade. My chest was cut not my legs."
"How?" Cade demanded looking at Jun.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjndDHCEIp
"He healed me, I don't know how and I don't care. Anyone who saves my life is deserving of my trust. At least that's how I see it." Kathrine was sounding more like her chipper now that the danger had passed.
"That solves one problem," Damon said. "Our big strapping lad can now carry our princess back to Vee's father."
Veera was almost certain Damon would regret making fun of Cade later but for now, he was correct. One problem was solved. Now they needed to figure out how to explain things to her father. She was pretty sure he wouldn't like having to deal with an intruder that broke through their defenses. Veera was even more certain that the corpse they now possessed would please him even less.
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