Chapter Ten: Zade & Yue

Fifth day. I wake up refreshed. I look around my room, and locate my book. I need to get reading. I should probably finish the first chapter. Waking up and reading a book is one of the simple pleasures of life.

The chapter is more dense than I thought it was. There’s no real new information in it, but it’s full of descriptions and explanations, so it takes me a while to read. But I'm starting to truly wake up, and that’s good. I relax my core for a bit, then decide it’s time for breakfast.

Astil and Xavier are waiting for me. Astil has a huge smile on his face, and Xavier looks slightly pissed.

“Good morning, Zade,” Astil chirps. “How did you sleep?”

“Great,” I respond. My bed is extremely comfortable. I drown in it every day. “What’s wrong Xavier?”

He scowls. “Astil refuses to tell me anything about his date.”

I grin. “Lay off. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

Astil nods. “Right. And I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I promised Anni that I would eat with her today, so I have to go. I’ll see you guys later.” He skips off, and Xavier looks at me.

“I’m starting to think we made the wrong decision. That boy will start to ignore us soon.”

I laugh. “Don’t worry about it,” I say. “It'll be fine. Plus, he couldn’t do much better than Anni.”

“That’s true.”

We walk off together to the cafeteria with very high hopes. That is, until we reach the cafeteria.

— — —

Yue was tired mentally. She didn’t know what she would do. She had woken up early and had to go train with Captain Wolf. Only afterwards had she been allowed to go have breakfast. She’d been indecisive. She didn’t know if she should sit with her friends, or Eva, or even Joanne. In the end, she decided to sit with her friends, since she didn’t see the other two girls.

It was now right past breakfast, and Yue was stretching. She was planning on going to find Joanne soon. She wanted to know more about Dautha. She was sure Joanne would be pleased to tell her. It was a warm, beautiful day, and Yue was sure it would be productive. She was waiting right outside her barracks. Eventually the black-haired girl would appear.

And appear she did, although she looked so disheveled she could be an animal. Her hair was everywhere. Face, shoulders, torso. She had not taken the time to brush it. Clearly not a morning person. Just like Yue.

“Hey, Yue,” Joanne said groggily.

“Hey, Joanne. I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”

“Not right now. Let me wake up first.”

Yue nodded and followed her to the cafeteria. There she waited patiently as Joanne scarfed her food down. She saw Neena walking past. She was the only one who had not had breakfast with Yue today. She still looked dejected, but just a little better. She teared up looking at Neena. That girl was so fragile yet so strong at the same time.

“You had questions for me, Yue?” Joanne asked energetically. Clearly, eating had done something to her.

“Yeah,” Yue responded. She would have to edge into this conversation smoothly. Don’t force it, Yue, She told herself. “I’ve been wondering something. I love studying religion. I’m looking for the best one, you could say. And I happened to come across one. I heard someone say that you followed it, so I wanted to ask you about it. It’s called the Cult of Dautha or something. Do you know anything about it?”

Joanne nodded while she chewed. Clearly, she was waiting to finish her bite. As she finished, Yue looked around and noticed Poli and Artemis passing, murmuring as usual. Yue hadn’t really had a good conversation with Poli in a while. And she didn’t know what to think about Artemis. He seemed fine, but Yue suspected that he only hung around them because of Poli. Plus, he never seemed to make any decisions for himself. What kind of person did that?

“Yue?” Joanne poked Yue on the shoulder. Yue realized how distracted she was, and paid attention to Joanne. “What do you want to know about the cult, Yue?”

“I know the gist, but I don’t know the details.”

“So I take it you know about how mages are not currently in their rightful place.”

“That’s the part I don’t really get. Why are we putting certain people above others?” Yue asked uncertainly.

Joanne smiled. “Because they’re not normal people. They’re divinity. Or part-divinity, at least. Descendants of Dautha. So they deserve to be put in a higher place. Not only because they are more powerful, but because they had a hand in creating us. Or at least a sliver of them did.”

“I’m not completely sure I understand.”

“Think of it this way. Say you created a deer. Do you command it?”

“No, I don’t. It’s a deer. It thinks for itself.”

“Right, except that’s not how it should work. You created it. It owes you for that, at least. Say then that you, and only you, have the power to sustain it. Technically, shouldn’t you have the power to rule it? To guide it and heal it? And if it turns out to be a bad creation, to strike it down when necessary?”

“That’s interesting. I never thought about it that way. It’s something I’m not prepared to answer.”

“Of course,” Joanne responded, beaming. “All in its proper time. You seem sincere. I trust that you’ll find your way. When Judgment Day comes, I hope you’re ready. Because it’s coming.

“It’s coming soon.”

Joanne left, leaving Yue to wonder what that meant. Yue was still wondering hours later, even when talking with her friends.

— — —

The cafeteria is a mess. It looks like a hurricane passed through here. Chairs and tables overturned, food everywhere. Me and Xavier walk in, mouths gaping. What happened here? I quickly notice what seems to be the epicenter of this. It’s a group of mages. Or two to be precise. And they’re discussing something. Well, they’re not really discussing so much as arguing and screaming.

I can feel energy coming off the mages. I finally understand how dangerous mages can be. It feels like if I get anywhere near the mages, I will be disintegrated. I try to understand what the mages are saying.

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, YOU STUPID–” One screams. Another interrupts him.

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS. YOU’RE TRYING TO BRING DESTRUCTION ON ALL OF US. I WON’T LET YOU DO THIS.” I recognize him. It’s the Irate One, the mage I saw arguing with another one about the cult. This must have something to do with Dautha.

“WE’RE NOT BRINGING DESTRUCTION! WE’RE BRINGING IN A NEW AGE. A BETTER AGE.” This is a third mage speaking. The Irate One responds.

“A BETTER AGE? WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE THAT? YOU’RE SO DELUSIONAL, AZAROTH. YOU ALWAYS WERE! WHY ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GETS TO DECIDE?”

The third mage grows. He must be using some sort of magic, because his eyes are now balls of fire, and his form is a mix of a shadow and a mountain. “I SERVE GOD! I SERVE THE ONLY ONE WHO DECIDES ANYTHING.”

“Dautha has no rule here.” It’s the Calm One, the other mage who talked with the Irate One. “He’s never ruled Zenyth, and while we are alive, he never will.”

“THAT CAN BE ARRANGED,” Azaroth roars.

“SILENCE!” High Mage Aegon walks calmly into the room along with two other mages who look angry and terrifying. “Why do you argue? Mages should live in harmony. And yet you argue your petty squabbles.” Clearly the mages arguing weren’t High Mages. They’re lower in the hierarchy.

The Irate One bowed. “I’m sorry, High Mage. But these people,” he exclaimed, pointing, “Wanted to fight. We were trying to bring about peace.”

Azeroth glowered. “Liar. He was taunting us.”

High Mahe Aegon sighed. “Please clean up this mess. I better not find you here when I come back. You should be ashamed. The people outside trust us. And this is how you act.”

“But Dautha-” The first mage retorted.

“It does not matter if Dautha is real or not. At least not in this situation,” said High Mage Eldor, stepping up from behind High Mage Aegon.

The three mages sigh and glower at each other, but whisper a few words, and soon, the cafeteria is returning to its former state. I glance at Xavier, and he widens his eyes.

“This happens sometimes,” says a voice behind me. I turn around. It’s a boy, not much older than me, so a man, I guess. He’s wearing only black, with dark hair styled back. I’m pretty sure that’s eye shadow under his eyes. And is that a nose ring? “I’ve been here for a year. It’s happening now more than ever though. I’m Th’ul.” He says it all in a monotone voice, yet his emotions are clear. He’s somewhat amused.

Xavier offers his hand, and he shakes it, not smiling, but in a warm way, somehow. “I’m Xavier, and that’s Zade. We’re somewhat new here.”

“I know who you are,” Th’ul replies. “I’ve seen you around. It's a pleasure.” I nod at him. I see Astil comforting a clearly scared Anni across the cafeteria.

“It’s a pleasure. Um, I’ve got a friend over there. I just want to check on him.”

Th’ul chuckles, but he’s still not smiling. “Go ahead. I’ll come with. I’ve been waiting to meet Astil. I’ve known Anni for months.”

We walk over, and Astil waves me over.

“Did you see what happened?” He asked.

Xavier nods. “Insane, right?”

Th’ul speaks softly. “It’s a silent war. Well, mostly silent. Eventually, everything will explode. Even the High Mages have had moments of tension.”

Anni looks scared. “I always thought that being a mage would relax my life a bit.”

Xavier chuckles bitterly. “You can let that thought go now.”

I bite my lip. “I knew being a mage was difficult, but I always thought the outside would hate you more than the inside.”

“The inside is always the most dangerous,” Th’ul replies. “I’ve had people turn on me because they disagreed. It’s always the people most like you who will betray you. And that’s always what will hurt the most.” I take a minute to think about that. That seems wise. But it also seems like something to experience. Something that only those who’ve gone through it know.

Anni seems a little less terrified now. Xavier recommends we go to the game room and blow some steam. We all agree. Can’t be worse than the cafeteria.

It is.

— — —

Yue disarmed Aster. Aster shook her head wryly, laughing.

“You did it again, Yue! Every single time. One day, I’ll win.”

“I’ll be shocked if you do.” Yue was sweating. The sun was baking her, and she was feeling tired now. Hopefully, she would be able to take a break soon. She grabbed her cup of water off the ground and drained the rest of it. It was a hot day. Scorching, really.

“Who’s on patrol today?” Aster asked Yue. The patrols of Magefell had recommenced since the tournament had ended. Some of the Vanguard soldiers had to go out and patrol the streets of Magefell. In general, Magefell was a safe city, but there were always robberies and murderers. Especially when mages were involved. Yue scowled. She did not want to meet any mages. Not now when she had just figured out about Dautha and the deaths of Diamond and Jos. Once again, the thought of Diamond and Jos brought tears to her eyes.

Aster noticed but didn’t say anything. She was generally silent about it. She preferred to brood alone. Yue respected it but sometimes she wished that Aster would try to comfort her.

“Maybe we should check,” Aster told her.

Yue nodded and they walked off to the cafeteria where the schedule for the patrols should be. The patrols would start after lunch.

They arrived at the cafeteria, and Yue noticed four other people looking over the patrols. The paper probably had the schedule for the next seven days. Yue looked it over, and groaned. She had Patrol Duty today. Thankfully, Neena was coming. Unfortunately, so was Eva. Yue was quickly getting tired of Eva. Aster laughed.

“Good luck, Yue. I’m glad that’s not me. Patrol sucks.” Aster told her. Yue agreed. Nothing interesting ever happened during Patrol Duty. Normally, Magefell Guards took care of everything. The Vanguard would only be needed for the most important conflicts and crimes, like with riots or mages disrupting the peace. It would be a boring patrol, especially on such a scalding day.

She forced herself not to think of the patrol. It would come eventually. For now, she should just enjoy the day. She was always worried about something. Maybe she needed to relax a little.

She walked off to her new room, and lay down a little. She wondered how Xander was doing. She hoped he was getting instated with no problems. How long had it been since he’d left? Was this too much time?

She heard the door to her room open, and she was torn out of her thoughts. Eva walked in with another girl, but they didn’t see her. The second girl was speaking, and Yue tried her hardest to listen.

“I hear you’ve been talking to Yue.”

“Nah,” Eva responded. “She’s desperate to make me her friend for some reason, Cali.” She sneered. “She’s doing everything to get on my good side. She seems to hate that her friends are dwelling over Diamond’s death. I guess that’s one good thing about Yue. I don’t really care about her. Anyone who was friends with Diamond deserves her fate.”

“That seems cruel.”

“You don’t know what Diamond did to me. Are you taking her side?”

“Of course not, Eva. It just seems like you’re saying you killed Diamond.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“I would never,” Eva replied, smiling. “But I won’t say I didn’t think about it.”

They grew silent and Yue stood there, silent sobs shaking her. She was furious at Eva. Eventually, she left the barracks. Eva and Cali didn’t notice. She wanted to be alone.

She walked for a long time alone, wanting peace and not finding any.

She couldn’t believe anyone wanted Diamond dead. Eva had to have been the one.

She had to tell the Wolf.

As soon as she composed herself.

— — —

There’s a legitimate fight going on in the cafeteria. Mages-in-training are throwing things at each other. Some are even using magic, although their magic isn’t as strong as a full mage’s magic. Clearly, this feud doesn’t just involve full Mages.

As soon as we arrive, we’re bombarded with items, and we hide under a couch. There’s someone else there, and he looks over at us, eyes narrowed.

“State your allegiance!” He yells at us.

This seems ridiculous to me, but he has a knife in his hand, so, clearly, this is serious. When we don’t respond, he swings his blade wildly, nicking Astil on the arm. Anni screams. I quickly pull Astil away, but I can’t stop myself from rushing the boy.

He attacked Astil. I have to do something about it.

I throw myself at the boy, and he falls under my weight. I apply pressure on his hand, trying to get him to release the knife. He groans in pain, but eventually, he drops the blade. I grab it, and am about to do to him what he did to Astil when hands grab me from behind.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” I hear Th’ul say as he drags me away.

As I’m dragged off, I can see the destruction in the game room. Some mages are bleeding on the ground. I see one who looks dead.

Clearly, this is something serious.

I shake off Th’ul’s hands, and get up.

“We need to leave Zenyth for now,” Xavier voiced what everyone was thinking. Anni looks at me as if she’s scared of me, and I cringe.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I just didn't want to see Astil hurt.”

“We understand,” Th’ul says. “But you can’t fight fire with fire.” I nod slowly.

“It won’t happen again,” I promise. They accept it as we walk off and decide to go to the market. We don’t joke around now. We’re somber. Plus, Anni keeps her distance from me, so I’m always reminded of what I almost did.

We arrive at the market, and just decide to have a relaxing day, and forget what happened this morning. We head to Ember On The Waters to have breakfast, and when we arrive, Mistress Anan greets us all warmly. Well, most of us anyway.

“Zade, it’s good to see you. Anni and Astil, looking cute as always. And Xavier, how’ve you been?” Then she scowls. “Th’ul, what are you doing here?”

Th’ul laughs. “Come on, Anan. Why so mad?”

“That’s Mistress Anan to you.” She turns to us. “Y'all are friends with him?”

“Sure, why not?”

“He’s a scoundrel.”

“Can we just have a table, please?”

“Sure,” She replies. “But I’m keeping an eye on you, Th’ul.” Th’ul shrugs as she leads us to our table.

“She’s had some sort of vendetta against me since I came,” He whispers to us. “She’s crazy.”

“I can hear you,” Mistress Anan replies. “Here’s your table. I’ll bring out your food soon.” She leaves, glaring at Xavier. “And I don’t want to see you messing with my girls either!” Mistress Anan yells as she walks off.

Th’ul laughs and I look at him questioningly. He waves it off.

“She’s crazy,” He says.

Soon, our food is here, brought by the same waitress who was here last time. Th’ul winks at her and she blushes and giggles. He whispers something conspiratorial to her, and she whispers back, clearly excited. I think I’m starting to understand what Mistress Anan meant.

We tear into our food, and finally get to relax a little. Or at least I try to, because clearly Xavier doesn’t want to let what happened at Zenyth escape from his mind.

“You said that this happens sometimes, Th’ul?”

“Never this bad,” Th’ul responds. “It’s usually a small altercation, maybe a scuffle. I don’t know what happened, but, clearly, tensions are high. Everything’s been tense for a while, but things are definitely coming to a head. Especially with the Parliament announcing the tournament.” We look quizzically at him, so he continues. “The Parliament decided recently to host a tournament that any soldier from any nation can join. Basically, it’s a way of creating harmony and instilling fear in other nations. It’s also obviously a way for the cult to do something. They’re tight-lipped about what it is, but something will happen during the tournament and mages outside of the cult are scared. The cult is growing confident and for us, that isn’t good. I don’t know if things will come to a head before or during the tournament, but something will definitely happen. It’s better to prepare ourselves. It will be a trying time.”

“How do you know all this?” Anni asks, shaking. Astil puts an arm around her, and whispers comfortingly to her. She smiles at him.

“I study philosophy and politics. I know most of what's been happening in the last ten years or so. For example, did you know that ten years ago there was no one from the cult in the parliament. Now, five of the thirteen are. Slowly, things are getting worse.”

“What’s so wrong about the cult?” Xavier asks somewhat annoyedly. “I still don't get it. Sure, sometimes the way they do things seems rough. But their philosophy seems right!”

“I don’t think you get it,” Th’ul replies. “If they have their way, then the world won’t end up as they say it will. They seem to think Dautha will bless them. But are you sure? Have you talked to Dautha about this? Also, just being divinity doesn’t make you eligible to rule everyone else. You don’t deserve it, just like I don’t deserve it. Most mages would be terrible rulers, but if the Cult has their way, that’s exactly what will happen. And that’s exactly why we have to stop it.”

Xavier has no reply to that. Neither does anyone else. We all eat our meals in silence. When we finish, we pay Mistress Anan, who is still glaring at Th’ul, and walk off to have a relaxing day.

We don’t really get far, though, before we hear a whistle behind us. It’s the waitress from the inn. Th’ul looks at us apologetically. Or, at least, as apologetically as his face goes.

“I have to go. I’ll catch up with you later.” He heads off with the waitress, and I turn to Xavier and Astil.

“Th’ul’s asking for trouble.”

Astil and Xavier laugh, and Anni looks disapprovingly.

“Alright, what are we going to do now that we’re supposed to relax?” Astil asks.

Anni smiles. “I know a place.” She heads off and we follow. I’m determined to ease up a little. To have fun. From the corner of my eye, I think I see someone following us, but I ignore it.

I need to relax.

— — —

Lunchtime ended, and now Yue was walking with Eva and Neena to the center of Magefell. They were supposed to walk around, but they would probably stay mostly in a tavern and try to get as much enjoyment from this as possible. Yue refused to talk to Eva, and thankfully, Eva didn’t seem to care.

Yue was wearing an outfit that proclaimed her to be a Vanguard Soldier, as were Eva and Neena. The uniform just made her feel hotter in the sun, but she couldn’t take it off. If a citizen needed her, the uniform would be the only way they could tell who she was. She doubted that anyone would need anything, though.

They turned at an intersection, and started passing through the Wilds, the rough neighborhood in Magefell. In general, even the Vanguard avoided this place. Only in extreme circumstances was someone called here to enforce the law. Yue looked over at Neena. Every time she passed here, she would get nervous. It wasn’t uncommon for a woman to pass by here and return horrified. A lot of people didn’t come out alive. Yue had learned which parts to avoid, though. She’d had to.

As they passed, they noticed a man looking hungrily at them, and Neena unconsciously walked faster. Yue let her coat fall a little to show her sword sheathed at her waist. That should dissuade him from trying anything. Eventually, they turned the street and Yue scowled. The most famous brothel was here. Prostitution was illegal in Magefell, but that didn’t stop people from opening shops anyway. Law enforcement couldn’t close the shops either, because the people who lived in the Wilds went insane for drugs and women, so they would riot if the brothels closed. One of Yue’s dreams was to see the Wilds transformed. She didn’t know what it would take, but she desperately wanted it done. The Wilds was a stain on Magefell. One that desperately needed to be cleaned up before it spread.

They finally left the Wilds, and entered the better section of Magefell. Slums and ruined houses gave way to beautiful constructs and nice people. Walking from the Wilds to the rest of Magefell was like traveling from darkness to light. It was a difference of night and day. Neena instantly relaxed. Yue looked over at Eva, who was looking around suspiciously. Yue fought off her anger whenever she looked at Eva. She hadn’t had time to tell the Wolf about her but she would.

The market was just five minutes away now, so Yue decided it was time to break the silence.

“Should we split up and each patrol a part of Magefell or just stick together?”

Neena shrugged. “I’m fine with either.”

“We should split up,” Eva replied, sneering. “I don’t want to have to spend any more time with you,” She said pointedly at Neena, “Then I have to.”

Neena looked slightly hurt but ignored it.

“I call the market,” Yue exclaimed.

“I’ll get the docks,” Eva said.

“I guess I’ll take the Antiquated Section then.” Neena sounded a bit apprehensive about it, and for good reason. The Antiquated section was the richest part of Magefell, and, while most of the rich people were nice, there were always the entitled ones. It was hard to keep them under the law sometimes.

Yue walked towards the market while Eva turned towards the docks. Neena turned left towards where the Antiquated Section would be, and Yue was left alone.

She headed off to find a tavern.

— — —

I eat at a tavern called The Secret Mistress and finally, I feel relaxed. Anni looks happy, which is great. Th’ul caught up with us right before lunch, and refused to tell us what he did. I can guess, though.

We’re walking through the market again, and I wonder when I can head back to Zenyth. I should get some practice in today, so I hope things have cooled down. I can wait a couple hours yet.

“Th’ul, where did you live before Magefell?” Xavier asks. I’ve been wondering the same thing.

“I used to live south of Arcadia, in a city called Galacia. Great place. I had friends there. Not anymore.”

“Why not?” I wonder.

“Where did you live?” Th’ul responds.

“Erenfeld, just outside of Arcadia.”

“And do you still have friends there?”

“One. Her name is Jade.”

“Hmm. I’ve only seen my friends once since I’ve become a mage. They hate me for it.”

“That’s not fair,” Anni protested. “You can’t change who you are.” We turn the corner into an alleyway.

“Tell that to my friends. Mages are infamous in Galacia. I’m not really welcome there anymore.”

“But-” Anni is cut off by screaming behind us.

“I’ve found them!” I turn around and spot him. It’s the guy from the game room. He looks irate. And he’s holding a dagger. Two actually. One on each hand. As I watch him, two others come up beside him. One of them has a sword. She looks experienced with it, too. The other has a dagger, and whips it around.

I glare at them and grab Nightwielder from its sheath. I toss it to Xavier, who catches it. Then I unsheathe my sword, and take a defensive stance.

“What are you doing here?” I growl at them.

The first boy sneers at me. “I’m here for revenge. See, I didn’t like what happened at Zenyth. It’s time to finish it.” He points his finger, and the two others rush us.

I immediately get into a confrontation with the girl with the sword. I can see Th’ul take on the first boy with his magic to protect Astil who in turn is protecting Anni. Xavier is taking on the other boy.

I thrust at the girl, and she sees what I’m doing. She blocks it and steps back. So I strike there, but it’s a feint. She doesn’t notice it, and tries to block it. My sword isn’t there anymore, and she looks up at me in surprise. I swing the flat of my sword, and it strikes her hand. It doesn’t do any real damage, but it hurts. A lot. She shrieks and drops the sword. I kick her down, and grab her sword to hand it to Th’ul. Th’ul looks at me wildly as the boy he’s deflecting stabs him on the hand. He falls down, and the boys walks to Astil snarling. I hear people screaming for something called the ‘Vanguard’.

I run towards the boy. I can’t let him hurt Astil.

— — —

Yue was ‘patrolling’ the tavern when the farmer came up to her, eyes wide. He came up telling her of a disturbance. Now she would have to take care of it. She groaned. The beer was still half-full.

“Let me just finish my drink.”

“It’s urgent, miss.” The farmer protested. “They’re fighting. I think they’re mages.”

Yue groaned again. “Fine.” She laid some coins on the table and unsheathed her sword. Let’s see what the problem is.

She walked out of the inn. She hated mages.

But at least this was getting interesting.

Maybe patrol wasn’t so bad after all.

— — —

I’m thrown back as the boy thrusts his fists. His fists are nowhere near me. That’s how magic works. I hit the wall hard.

I try to stand up, but I’m temporarily stunned. I can see Xavier forced back by the second boy.

The first one walks over to Astil. “I’m gonna carve you up,” The boy snarls. “And then I’m gonna carve up your lady friend right after.” Anni whimpers, and Astil stands up.

“I won’t let you hurt her,” He says bravely. The boy laughs and flicks his dagger. It scrapes Astil’s chest. Astil falls, bleeding, clutching his chest. From here, I can see the cut isn’t deep, but it must hurt like hell.

I stand up, shaking. I grab my sword off the ground. I can barely think, but I do everything I can. As the boy walks towards Anni, I rush him. I charge and tackle him.

“DON’T YOU DARE HURT ASTIL!” I scream. I stab him in the arm, and he screams. “I WON’T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS.” I start punching him, and he takes it, unable to do anything. His nose starts bleeding. He looks really hurt. I don’t care anymore.

I keep punching.

— — —

Yue ran after the farmer. He was surprisingly agile. He turned a corner, and she did too. Then she saw them. Two groups of mages, fighting. One was punching another on the ground. The one on the ground was bleeding profusely.

Yue thought they were too young to be mages, but she wasn’t sure.

“HEY!” She screamed at them.

— — —

I hear the noise and stand up immediately. A strange girl is at the beginning of the alley. The boy sees her and curses.

“Hell, no. It’s the Vanguard.” He runs off with the girl and the other boy. He and the girl are both limping, but they sprint away quickly anyway, leaving a trail of blood.

I stand up straighter to face this new woman.

— — —

Yue looked over at a woman who was watching the fight with her hand to her mouth.

“What’s going on here?” She asked with authority.

“The three who ran away attacked the others for no reason. These four were just defending themselves.”

Yue nodded. “I’ll take care of it. You can leave now.” The woman thanked her and left, shaking her head. Yue looked over at the four people. One of them was walking up to her. He had brownish hair, and blue eyes. He was the one who had been punching the other.

“Are you a guard here?” He asks. Yue glared at him. He was a mage. He could’ve had a hand in Diamond’s death.

“Yes, I’m a guard here. What happened?”

— — —

I look over at the woman. She looks familiar. She seems just a couple years older than me. And she’s beautiful. Her long flowing hair. Her slim frame. Her fox eyes narrowed at him. He couldn’t help but gape a little.

“What happened here?” She asks again. I shake myself out of my stupor.

“Three mages-in-training attacked us. We were just defending ourselves.”

“That’s what I heard,” She says disapprovingly.

“Do you need to take me in?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No,” She says, scowling. “ I was just coming to break this up. If you see the others, though, I need to know.”

“Will do. I’m Zade.” I offer my hand. She doesn’t shake it.

“Yue.” She starts to walk off, and I cock my head. I can feel her disapproval of me.

“It seems like you hate me.” She doesn’t turn around.

“I do,” She responds angrily.

“Why do you hate me so much? What did I do?”

Yue turns towards me, eyes blazing. “You got my friend killed.” Tears are in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I respond. “I promise, whatever it was, I had nothing to do with it.”

“It doesn’t matter if you weren’t directly involved. You and all the mages. It’s your fault. You’re the ones who created the cult!”

“Woah, woah!” I respond. “You think we’re part of the Cult of Dautha?” She nods. “We were just now fighting members of the cult. I couldn’t hate those people more. If you think mages are involved, I could help you.” She shakes her head. “Look, let me prove it. Meet me here in two days at noon. I promise I’ll have information or evidence for you. Just try.”

She glares. “Fine. I’ll meet you here Seventh Day. You better be here. Or I’ll find you. And I’ll kick your ass.” She walks off, and I look at my friends.

“Why didn’t you help me?” I say annoyed, and quickly regret it. Xavier is catching his breath. Th’ul is holding his hand, and Astil is comforting Anni even while he’s bleeding from his chest. Anni looks at me gratefully.

“Thank you. You saved me.” She says. I bow to her. She looks over at Astil and hugs him. I look away, and my eyes widen. I fall on the wall.

“Are you ok?” Xavier asks.

I nod, but my mind is spinning. I know why Yue was familiar.

She’s the girl from my apocalypse dream!

She’s the girl I was fighting with.

Now I really need to talk to her.

— — —

Yue was back on the green, and she was conflicted. She didn’t know why she agreed to meet with Zade. He was a Mage, for heaven’s sake! But at the same time, she was intrigued. He seemed sincere, and if he had information, it could help her. Plus, she couldn’t deny that it had put some excitement on her day.

Maybe she would be able to avenge Diamond. It depended on Zade, and whoever his three friends were.

“Yue,” A voice whispered from behind her. She looked back. There was no one there. She squinted.

“Yue,” The voice croaked again. She turned to the side. There was a man walking towards her. It was getting dark, so she couldn’t see him well. He came into view. It was Xavier, limping and breathing heavily. Yue caught him as he fell.

“Are you okay, Xander?” Yue asked.

“I did it. I think we’re in trouble, though.” Then he fainted, eyes glazing to the back of his head.

I scream his name, but he’s fallen unconscious.