They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

Heavy footsteps are close behind me. It's not Alpha Beast. Or I could be wrong and it really is him. Stripping Seven's appearance aside and taking Fire hogs form. It's getting dangerously closer.

These guys have cannons. I have nothing. Magnus is sprawled on my back. He's still breathing. But his weight is getting heavy. The air he exhale is shallow. And his heartbeat is weak.

If blessing is actually back, I need to find Seven. She's the only one who can cure him. At the end of the forest. Two figures are standing. I thought they're standing side by side. Waiting for me. I assume its Sam and Seven.

But the taller one blow a punch on the smaller one's jaw. I almost wince. What's weird is I didn't hear the impact. As I got nearer, I could see the form of their silhouette.

The taller one, who's supposed to be a foot higher than the shorty, is now so small he looks like a grade schooler.

I panted. I'm breaking sweat. But the tiredness that overwhelms me before disappeared. The thing that's chasing me is getting near.

"Hey!" I call out to shorty. I think the other guy who shrunk is his enemy. I can't figure out what's going on to the other dude. Instead of a grade schooler, his form became as small as a baby.

Shorty look at my way. I can see his face now. His hair is trimmed, military cut. He's wearing a thin tattered shirt. Militray pants. His eyes are startling grey. High cheekbone, permanent scowl face. I blink twice. Thought the first I see was my imagination. The second...? Nope. It's confirmed. He had no eyebrows.

"Hey, hi. I'm Lance. This is Magnus." I introduce roughly, wheezing air to my lungs. "I have big bad guys coming after me. Two of my friends are somewhere in the forest. Can you help me?"

He glared at me. At least I thought he did. It's difficult to tell when he has no eyebrows to use if he frown. I guess the slight contortion in his forehead is permanent.

"Put him down." He grunted. I blink at him.

"Hurry up." I immediately lay Magnus in the ground. Slowly. He groan under his throat. I position his head in my lap. Shorty stretch out his hand.

"Get away from him." He ordered. I did what he says. I slowly rested Magnus's head in the floor. I lifted his shirt.

What I saw is ten times worse than seeing little worms feeding in his flesh. His chest... Is stripped off skin. Magnus's flesh are laid bare in the open. Large worms are engulfing his organs. Sucking blood. Sucking tissues. I can see Magnus's bones protrudes on his side.

"Magnus!"

"Don't touch it."

"What!"

"I know you can kill these nasty worms by a touch but I won't advise you so. You may kill him. Let me handle this." He said calmly.

I hate to admit it but I know he's right. Even though I just met him I decided I'd trust him Magnus's life. I take a further step back. Letting go of Magnus's shirt.

Shorty nods at me then focus on Magnus. In his hand a faint circle blue light form. Another circle emerge in Magnus torso.

I watch in awe how the large worms - it's as big as my wrist, shrink back into tiny forms. It's the same thing that happened to Shorty's companion.

I gulp. Magnus's flesh stitch back in itself. A steadfast process. In a few seconds, it's his bumpy abs chest again. His breathing has stabilize. He's still unconscious. But he looks at ease now. No longer in pain.

Something bobbed out of his mouth. A white liquid dripping at his cheek.

"What is tha -"

"Wipe it away."

I glance, askance at the shorty who just perform a miracle in front of me. But I did as he told.

"That's the poison. It's filled with eggs of worms that feed on flesh. Once it gets contact with blood, it will feed on it and grow. Since it's from magical realm, it's growth is unimaginably faster than any microbial spread."

I stared at him. "How'd you know all this?"

He came closer to me and show me his forearm. The familiar black circle tattoo with intrinsic symbols, the big number One encrypted directly at his skin.

I stiffen.

"You're like me aren't you? I was watching you. It was all because of the commotions you created at Madel's inn, those tattoed cannon guys never paid me attention again. Giving me the chance to escape."

He show me his red rimmed wrist. Where marks of cuffs embedded on his olive skin. He lifted one of his knee up and it was there too.

"There's this group of zombies with rifles break into my hiding place and drag me here."

"You mean men with no fats, only skeleton faces and bodies?"

"Yeah. Zombies." He wave me off. "Anyway, glad to meet you all here. You're other companions are so hard to follow. Especially the girl. She's like a tornado man, is she human?"

He actually put his arms on his hips, his eyebrowless face scowl at me. I laugh.

"Sometimes I ask that question myself. I thought this guy weren't human either." I point my thumb to Magnus's sleeping figure.

"Is he fast? Faster than the girl?"

"Both are crazy fast. I always see Magnus fight so I got use to his speed. Seven? I'm shell shock when she spank, rip and gnash flesh with inhuman speed."

Number One crouch down and flip Magnus's arms.

"He doesn't have a number. Isn't he one of us?"

"He's the Seeker. He's supposed to train us and bring us all together to defeat the Faeries." I said. He turn his attention to me sharply.

"Faeries? What Faeries?"

He looks completely clueless. I think I can accurately tell what kind of emotion he's feeling now.. The contortion on his forehead will change.