The firelight flickered upon Vix's face as he lowered his voice to almost a whisper.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpPtr8QcAN
"The girl is said to be seen roaming the forests on nights like tonight, still wandering in search of her love... she could even be..." He paused for dramatic effect.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHxQQnwgBr
"I don't believe you." I scoffed. " It's just a story, anyway."587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwstLsxMgF5
"Right behind you." Vix spoke directly in my ear in a haunting tone which made me jump.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT9RqjlTXt
"As if!" I screeched. Everyone laughed, Vix seeming the most amused.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiuoA4MZHL
"Hah! That was hilarious! I finally got you!" He boasted with triumph.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLIgH5sT3w
"Tch. It wasn't that funny." I grumbled.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfQVMeH05X
Aaron wiped his eye, and added.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9zc3Z0qVl
"It kind of was."587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3PQogYYER
I gave up. It was the first time Vix had managed to make me jump, I supposed. Until then I had remained as stony as, well, a stone.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwNvvtUcrx
"That was a great story." Natalie yawned. "But can I go to bed now?"587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxL6JT0pbQ
"'Course. We should hit the sack soon anyway." Aaron agreed.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wN7hPkaHB
Natalie gave a childish smile, placed both hands equally spaced on the grass, and pulled a series of roots from the ground and covered herself with them like a blanket. I couldn't help but stare in shock at her. I knew she was a magical creature, but this was new.
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"How did you do that?" I asked her. Natalie looked at me with her big, glowing green eyes and a childish smile. "I learned it from Mama. She taught me a bunch of magic. I can do this too..." She whistled into her palms, causing a gust of wind to appear and blew a few leaves around. 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2udl8B0mx6
"Nature magic," Aaron pointed out. 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUDEYdtE1s
"Thanks, Caption Obvious." I rolled my eyes. "So that means we have another magician, or...?" 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2qflKF5Cq
Aaron shook his head. "She can wield magic, but I don't think she's a qualified magician. Not at her age, anyway. But with a little work, who knows." He ruffled her hair playfully, the small girl giggling. I smiled at the scene, and went to set up my own bed. Which consisted of a sleeping bag. I didn't want to complain, it could be worse, after all. We all settled down after a few more minutes of rowdy chatter and laughter. I stared up at the sky, trying to count the stars so I could sleep. Those tricks never really worked in the first place. It gave me a lot of time to think, though. 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUbYlBKmCp
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About me, Vix, Aaron, and even Natalie. What were Vix and I doing here in the first place? Our motive is to get back, isn't it? Then why are we still sitting here, narrowing down the hours until people notice we're missing? I'm sure they have already, depending if any time has actually passed. That might be for the better, or worse. I'll never get caught up on those assignments, or read another comic! But the secrets of this world...intrigue me. Magic is a good place to start. I've clearly never been able to do that at home, so why now? Why only here? Is the universe just made that way or is it something more significant?
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I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. This was going to be a long night. I went back to my thoughts, and pondered about Aaron. Was he really to be trusted? It sounded idiotic, thinking that way. He saved Vix's life twice, and my own once. He said to those guards he wanted to be a professor. They made fun of him for it. He can't be bad, not with what he's taught us in the past day. Maybe...it's because of his personality?
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I turned over in my sleeping bag, gazing at the snoring Aaron who was too out of it to care about the world. Sure, he can be ch;dish at times, but that's what makes him a fun guy. It would be lively to have Aaron as a teacher, I think. I can imagine him getting the entire class involved doing some odd stunt that eventually brought them all together...or something like that. He would be the kind of person that would bring a trampoline to class.
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Shifting my position, I turned over and let my eyes fall upon Natalie. She was small, as to be expected for her age, and surprisingly happy like Aaron. Though her happiness is more...innocent and has only the qualities you would associate with a kid. If my suspicions are right, her family life can't be going that well, considering who her dad could be. But...I also don't even know Lloyd, or how old he could be. Honestly, I imagine he's this ancient, brooding guy, like Ganondorf from the Legend of Zelda series. He probably is. It's a bit unnerving to think of him being any other way, really. But nothing can surprise me anymore, anyway. Great, now I'm expecting him to be as old as Natalie. Wait- oh, god, no. Stop thinking about that. Fathers are typically older than their children. Ew, I've just tread onto something I shouldn't have. Think about something else, Sophie! 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1755juOjB
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Click click click click587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUGwfLn6ju
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Well, that surely was something to think about. A clicking noise had started to move around her, as if in a cirling motion...oh.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQAShczyUw
"Aaron," I whispered. "You should probably wake up now." 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnZaUS96K9
He remained as stiff as a log. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my neck as I heard more clicks join the others. There can't be more than just one...please...I don't think I can handle more than one...587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YuWCWbg9Z
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Click click click click click click 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9q9ZZdsAY
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There's more than one. I started to shake, but felt a warm hand on my neck. My eyes trailed to Natalie, who's eyes were wide and fearful. We had to do something. Was Vix awake? I didn't know, but as I mouthed the words 'We need to fight' at Natalie, I saw her face turn pale. She gulped and nodded. Taking a deep breath, I watched as Natalie's body began to take in the leafy bed that she had made, and her body started to take on a green colour. Thorns protruded from her fingertips to her toes, making her seem like the stem to a rose. Her eyes blinked back at me, now determined. I couldn't help but stare at her, fascinated and fearful at the same time. 587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj5yD5kXTA
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And then they attacked.587Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNsmHbhO5t
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