They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

A few steps from us, I heard it. The sound of the first cannon blast that blaze the trees behind me. I made a mistake of looking back. Seven is there, her back on us, swords at her side, a man almost twice her size towering her.

The moon drip on his bloodlust tattoed face. His long sharp teeth glint under the faint light. An urge to cry out for Seven pulse through me. I didn't.

Crying out won't help Seven at all. I promise I will bring Magnus to the end. So I will. I give her one last glimpse. She twirl and kick the cannon mid air, surprising the burly guy. His finger is on the trigger and he pull it off. Cutting the silence with another explosion.

Seven duck in time. The fire ball hit the dude's tattooed companion creeping at Seven's back. She took the accident as her chance to steal the cannon from him. She swing it in her shoulder and fired. Taking two down at once.

"Here!" Sam cries. This part of thick branches and scattered vines is the darkest place so far. I couldn't see anything. Not even the shapes of trees. Thrice I ran without vision I almost headbutt the trees. To prevent it happening again, I crawled on all fours.

Well, I planned to. But I couldn't do it. Magnus is too heavy my knees can't keep up. If Sam didn't take my hand I would have f*ck up. Seven materialize beside me. For a brief moment we lock eyes.

It was glowing red. I heave and try to utter the word, "Was it over?"

But something is wrong. The appearance is Seven but her eyes were harder than I've ever seen. Then she kick me. Hard. I gasp. My knees buckle I almost drop Magnus in the ground.

I'm on all fours. The bones in my back almost snap. Magnus stir.

"Seven what are you - "

"Don't move number Five." She pull out a rifle pointed at my left eye.

"Move and I'll replace your eyeball with a bullet."

I swallow a big lump on my throat. "You're not Seven." I pause. "You're Alpha Beast aren't you?"

She shot the ground right where I planted my hand for support. I flinch. Her raven hair swept around her ear and said.

"I am."

"You said Seven is your Master. You said you will always be loyal to her. Because she save you. Isn't that the reason why you watch over me back in Opra? Pretending to be a bird? You bond with Magnus too. In fact you spent a lot of time together, more than me. So why would you try to hurt him now?"

She didn't answer. Her eyes linger at Magnus unconcious face. I tried to balance my feet slowly on the ground. Balancing Magnus weight. If I somehow divert her attention I can sprint in another direction right away. I'm not confident with my speed.

So I'll hope Sam will help me. If he can really sense all the people here, he must know I'm in a pinch.

For now, I need to buy some time. For Seven or Sam to show up.

"So why?"

She didn't take her eyes off in Magnus. "Did Magnus told you what happened three thousand years ago in magical realm?"

I blink. Startled at her question.

"Yes..." I slowly said. "It was about a war. Between the Faeries and the Gifted People. When the demons were involved, the deities came down and defeated them."

That's as much as I can recall.

She tuck the raven cropped hair of Seven in her right ear.

"No it wasn't just that. Do you know who started it?"

I shake my head.

"You know, when we're in the Faery hole, the Temptress Meira, ask me to aid her in luring you in. I find that suspicious. Mostly Alpha Beasts like me and Faeries like her don't work together. But she cut me a deal. Of course my loyalty for Seven won't waver."

She called her Seven. Not Master. I noted.

"And I also knew the Temptress youthful face originated from Seven's blessings. I have no intention of working with her at that time. But I was determined to free my Master. To save the Seeker, to warn you. So I played along. I stab Temptress behind her back. Even the Faeries who never actually hurt me when I was 'imprison' with them - I betrayed. But did you know? What I did was a mistake."

She fired at my feet. A few inches from my slowly scuttling feet.

"You call this - this what I'm doing now a betrayal. If only you knew who Seven really was. What she'd done. I doubt you'll think like that again. The Alpha Beasts are the top of the chain of our race. And right now, I'm the only one alive. For hundreds of years I search for the others. But I couldn't see anyone. I was looking for answers. I thought you Eklektos are my answers. The Gifted People revered you as their heroes and saviors. I was thinking maybe you could help me find my kin if I aid you in your survival. But I was wrong. Helping you guys equals to betrayal. Seven's destructive moves in killing the Twytylth's servants made me realize. That the Faeries were right. You shouldn't be left alone to survive. Your blessings must be disposed before it develops."

She whistled air in her mouth, so low I can only hear the soft breeze of wind coming out of her lips. She cocks the rifle directly to my face.

"Goodbye Five. Only if you're dead can the truth reveal itself to you."

My head is spinning. My ears is buzzing. I heard everything she just said. But none are processed inside of my brain.

Her tone... it's deadly serious. I watch her fingers pull the trigger. I watch the bullet purge through the small tunnel. Heading straight to my left eye. I know it's too late to move.

I can't evade. My brain freeze on me. My nerves collapse on me.

It's coming. Slicing gravity in half. Angle of projection unrevisible. I stifled the scream pinching my throat. I can't look away. I can't close my eyelids. Maybe I'm trying to get a good look at the very last thing I will see. At the very thing who took away my eyesight.

At my side, I heard a scream. My name. I couldn't move my neck. I stiffen.

And then it happened.

A phenomenon even scientists and mathematician can't explain. Science don't have explanation for this too.

The bullet.... is only a few inches from blowing my eyes when it change trajectory and came back to the small tunnel. To the rifle.

I suck in my breath. The shock of so close to real death is still piercing my brain. At one second I thought the rifle she's holding will explode.

It didn't. Alpha Beast looks even more startled than me. She gape at the rifle. Then whip around to see if anyone other than us is here.

No one. I didn't waste my time, my chance and bolted from the place. I ran as faster as my leg could go. I tore the forest and leap through branches.

New surge of power filled my veins. Adrenaline fills me, intoxicating me. The ache in my legs disappear. I'm panting. My heart could barely keep up to the blood rushing in every part of my body.

I know I shouldn't feel this but I enjoy the thrill boiling my muscles. It's like I've been born again. This feeling is familiar to me. It always happen when my blessings of Death is pumping my bones with someone else's life force.

And I couldn't figure out who or why it happen. When we're back in the inn Seven said the Twylyth mix something like poison in our food. Making us unable to use any of our blessings.

But why can I use it now? Wait... Sam too. He's able to use it too. Are we really poisoned? Did it really disappear?

I leap over trees. Sprinting at a speed as fast as racing cars. Everything around me roared in shapes. My sight became sharper, my hearing became more sensitive. I dodges roots and large trunks. I slice through tangled vines. I leap small streams with a single leg.

Adrenaline intoxicates me like a drug. It's an unexplainable feeling. I can't stop. I don't know where I am. Where Sam and Seven is. We must have separated. I left Seven alone with the rest of the fire hogs. Fighting by herself.

All of a sudden, guilt slice through me. I don't feel as good anymore. Knowing Seven might be here somewhere, surrounded by enemies. Vulnerable to danger.

Some part of me want to go back and rush to help her. But instinct told me I should head straight.

Someone is waiting for me on the end of the forest.. I can only see two figures, standing side by side.