Jake and Charlita had walked for what seemed like a small eternity. The scenery slowly changed from the rocky desert into greener pastures. They had found a road winding through some rice fields. Men and women in conical hats were dotted throughout the fields, harvesting the plants.

Jake noticed an elderly woman close to the road, “Ah, excuse me ma'am?” he called out.

She looked up with a puzzled expression then smiled as she walked over. She motioned with her hands as if asking if he wanted something to eat. Jake’s stomach rumbled with approval and he nodded eagerly.

Charlita spoke to her in another language and the old lady laughed a reply.

“What did you say to her?” Jake asked puzzled.

“I asked what country we was in Mr Yaake.”

Jake looked puzzled, “Then why did she laugh?”

“She said, usually people know what country they are in. And that Mr Yaake was too young for children.”

“So what country are we in?” Jake asked, a little frustrated.

“Camonibodina,” Charlita replied.

“Cambodia?” Jake replied, still puzzled.

“We don't get many English speaking foreigners around these parts,” a man behind them said, before coughing raspy wheezes.

Jake spun to see a tall man with long silver hair. A steel conical hat shrouded his face in darkness and despite the heat, he donned a dark blue, dust-covered robe that trailed down to the ground. On his back, he had a wooden staff that looked like the branch of a tree. It split out at the end forming two knots.

“Who are you?” Jake asked, a little surprised at how well the man spoke English.

“Come in, out of the heat and we can talk,” the man said, walking towards a small hut.

He led them into a house, they were followed closely by the old lady who had told them where they were. She began to prepare some food in front of them. It was a small house only consisting of a single room.

“My English name is Lance,” the man said, sitting down, “Are you aware you’re being followed?”

“I figured we might be. Is it a small army or one man?”

“Some military men with guns. They have just reached the village where I take it you found her,” Lance motioned to Charlita while he spoke.

“So they are about a day behind us then,” Jake thought out loud.

“It is sad what that Hunter did to that village, you will be safe here for the time being, but as soon as the sun rises, you must head down to the coast. You are not supposed to be here yet…” Lance pointed in the direction of the coast, coughing a couple more times, “You must find a man by the name of Lee. He will take you by boat back to where you came from.”

“How do you know where I came from? And about what is going on?” Jake asked cautiously.

“I know the people you are involved with. But I didn't expect you to be over here so soon.”

“Yes well, getting kidnapped was not part of the plan,” Jake replied with a slight trace of sarcasm.

Lance smiled, “How do you know it wasn't?”

“Oh, great,” Jake threw his hands up, “Another person who speaks in riddles. Look, you guys seem to pretend you know everything, but then you never let us in, you just let us stumble around in the dark and hope we find our way.”

Lance paused and thought for a moment, “Maybe, it is because you are in the darkness, that the light would blind you,”

Jake let out a frustrated scream, storming off outside.

Lucas and his team looked through Charlita’s village. One of his men ran up to him, “Sir, we have searched the whole village thoroughly and he is definitely no longer here. Someone has also massacred all the occupants of the village.”

“Thank you Private. They had about a day’s head start so they can't be too far. This massacre must be him. That must be why they want us to catch him so badly, we are dealing with a psychopath,” Lucas called all his troops out, “We keep moving. Grab any supplies you might need. These people won't need them anymore. We will need to be quick, he will be resting for the night. We can make up time here. Keep your eyes peeled though. This guy is dangerous.”

Jake slept restlessly. He slept on the floor, Charlita sleeping above him, curled up on a soft chair. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Time to wake up Jake,” Lance stood over him. “You have to go now, they are approaching the hills.”

“Who is nearly here?” Jake replied, rubbing his eyes, getting his bearings.

“The army chasing you,” Lance replied quickly.

Jake sat up quickly, noticing Lance was holding out a bag, “I have put some food and water in here. Now you must take the girl and leave.” He quickly ushered the two out the door and showed them the path that led to the coast, “It will take you about two hours to get there. So hurry.”

Lucas and about ten men ran up the dusty road, coming to a halt when they saw Lance standing before them, his conical hat covering his face from their view.

Lucas stopped about twenty meters from Lance, “Have you seen a young man with blonde hair come this way?”

“Two english speakers in a day, we are fortunate,” Lance replied.

“Which way have they gone?” Lucas shot back impatiently.

“I could not say for sure,” Lance said thoughtfully. He took off his hat running his fingers through his long wiry hair.

Lucas narrowed his eyes, “Then we will make you tell us old man.”

Lance bowed his head, closing his eyes for a few seconds, “I think not,” he replied calmly.

He threw the steel conical hat at the group, decapitating the person next to Lucas before it flew back into his hand. The others in the group quickly raised their guns, opening fire. Lance held out a hand and the bullets stopped in front of him. With the flick of a wrist, the bullets flew back, taking out three more of Lucas’s troops.

Again he threw the hat out, this time the troops dodged out of the way, but as it came back it caught another troop members arm.

Lance caught the hat in between the knots on his staff.

“Want to lose all your lives? Then just keep up this futile attempt,” the air beneath Lance began to swirl as he spoke, “I am the Asia guardian. I cannot let you kill those children.”

“Wait a second,” Lucas interjected, “We were only after one person. And we didn't say anything about killing him.”

“I can see your intentions. You don't need to lie,” Lance said, rising up into the air.

“I am just trying to stop a terrorist,” Lucas stated, annoyed at the holdup.

“Who are you to decide who is a terrorist? To me, you are the terrorist. Running around, chasing children.”

Lucas watched him rise up into the air, taking a step backwards, “We are just doing our job.”

“You hide behind your job. You think that gives you reason to do wrong? You and the people you work for are no more worthy to live than these children. Who are you to decide their fate?” Lance seemed to be getting angry.

“Then going by what you are saying, you are no more important than us old man. Why do you get to decide these men’s fate?” Lucas took off his jacket as he spoke, revealing a muscular body covered by a tight singlet, knives’ strapped to each side and large tribal tattoos down his arms.

Lance looked down on him, “I am fighting for a cause. Not for money. I am protecting people I believe in.”

Lucas smiled, “I believe in the money I get paid out with. It is how I live.”

“You are shallow! Your money will not save you from the grave.” Lance said harshly.

Lucas pulled out a knife and twirled it on his finger, “No, but it makes life far more interesting when you are alive.” He motioned for one of his troops to come close. He whispered in his ear, and soon all the other troops were running into the bush down the hill.

“You’re not going with them?” Lance asked.

“No. You and I are going to see whose cause is greater,” Lucas said with a smile.

Lance took a deep breath, blowing in Lucas's direction. The force of the wind picked up as it blew towards him. The grass flattened around Lucas, the force of the wind blowing him backwards, making him roll on the ground a few times before he came to a stop.

He sprung back to his feet, “That power... I have seen a demon rip apart a tank with his bare hands. You're nothing special.”

“Well, now you will see what is special about my blade,” He bumped the hat from the staff and it landed softly on his head. He then drew six thin needles about six inches long, throwing them in the air. The needles quickly began to fly around him, “I will ask you one more time army man, do you still want to fight me?”

Lucas looked up at Lance and shrugged, “Looks like I will need some anti-air,” he drew a side arm from its holster flicked it around once and shot a single bullet in Lances direction.

One of the needles flicked off from around Lance. Shooting down, cutting the bullet in two. The needle continued down, piercing through the barrel of the gun, knocking it to the ground behind Lucas.

“What the heck… That is some mighty fine accuracy…” Lucas stammered.

“Still want to continue?” Lance suggested once more, coughing a couple of times.

“You sound sick old man,” Lucas called up to him, “Why don't you come down and I can get you to a doctor, or could have, I had a medic in my team, but you killed him.”

“I’m not sick,” Lance chuckled, “I am just getting on in years. But I still have the life in me to take out the likes of you and your men hiding in those trees.”

He raised his hand up and a large twister formed around the trees that made all Lucas's remaining men fly upwards. The wind blasted at a tremendous rate through the trees, the helpless soldiers circled around with the wind of the twister, screaming for help.

“You think I am stupid enough to allow you to plot an ambush?” Lance called out before coughing a couple more times.

Lucas took a few steps back. How can I stop something that controls the very wind? He suddenly thought.

“Now you realise how futile this is?” a needle shot down and pierced Lucas's shoulder. The force of the blow sent him flying back a few meters crashing onto the ground.

Lance coughed a couple more times, this time a little blood came up.

He slowly lowered himself back to the ground, collapsing to his knees, not taking his eyes off Lucas. He coughed up a bit more blood before staggering to his feet. He stumbled over to Lucas, obviously pained by something, “Your money cannot save you now,” he muttered, raising the hand that held the needles. Before he could end it, he clutched his chest, falling to the ground.

Lucas watched with wide eyes as Lance hit the ground with a thud. He weakly reached up, pulling the needle from his shoulder before standing up. Crouching over Lance's lifeless body, he checked his pulse.

“It looks like my cause won out in the end old man, it was unconventional, but I am still alive. Your ‘fate’ seems to have favoured me today,” he picked up the conical hat that lay on the ground next to Lance, “Is it this the thing that gives you that power?” he spoke out loud, placing it on his head.

A gust of wind picked up and blew around him. It blew the blue robe off Lance, landing softly on Lucas’s shoulders.

“This power moving though me… It’s amazing!” he said, forming a fist with his hand, “I have to get back and tell Major Evans. This is a very interesting turn of events!”

Lucas began back in the direction he had come from, ignoring the bodies of his fallen troops. He was consumed by the power flowing through his veins… The power of Wind.