I had no idea there was a prison inside Sky Haven. I’d always assumed there was one somewhere nearby, but for it to actually be inside the school…
My cell was more comfortable than I was expecting. It was small, clean and empty except for a bed.
Even while inside, I was forced to wear mana suppression cuffs. They weren’t really cuffs, more like bracelets, and they didn’t suppress mana either. From what I could tell they only repelled it.
The name didn’t fit, but they were effective at preventing magic, that’s all that mattered.
“How long are you just going to lay there?” X scolded.
I wasn’t expecting to be able to hear him while wearing the cuffs. So when he started speaking, I jerked up from the bed.
“Those little trinkets can’t limit me, although if you wait long enough they might drain you enough to make you lightheaded.”
“Why are you always so cryptic?”
“Why should I bother explaining myself to a lower being?”
“If you don’t want to explain then why bother even talking to me?”
“Haven’t you guessed that already?”
“I have a few theories, but—”
“Shut up, you’re wasting time. You need to get out of here before they come back.”
I’d had enough of being bossed around without getting any answers. Sitting back on the bed, I laid down and crossed my arms over my chest.
“You stopped me from moving before and forced me to use your power during the game. That’s the only reason I’m in here right now. So if you won’t give me answers, then you can move me yourself. Otherwise I’ll just stay right here and wait till you’re ready to answer questions or the enforcers come back, doesn’t matter to me.”
“You’re a fool!”
I rolled over on my side, turning my back towards the door. “Fools trust blindly. Depending on you got me in this mess and as far as I’m concerned, listening to you would only make things worse.”
“Fine, you want answers, then ask. You only get three questions and you better hurry up. Once Pyro learns about you, you’ll be as good as dead, or you’ll wish you were.”
“Why? I haven’t done anything. You’re the one they really want.”
“You’re right, they do want me, but that won’t save you.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
Wait… the fox said…
“Are you… inside me?”
“Please tell me you didn’t just now realize that.”
“I’ve had a lot of weird shit happen to me recently. Part of me suspected, but if that’s true then why did I only recently start hearing your voice?”
“Because if I didn’t speak we’d have died. Now get up and let’s get out of here.”
“Wait, that’s not an answer and you said three questions, I only asked one.”
“Then you’re bad at math too, wow kid you really are useless.”
“If I’m so useless then why do you need me?”
“…”
I didn’t actually expect a reply, but I wasn’t enjoying being ignored either.
With a groan, I slid off the bed and mosied over to the door. “What do you expect me to do? It ain’t gonna just open up for me, and it’s not like I can use magic while wearing this.”
“I told you before,” X began. If he’d been able, I just knew he’d have been rolling his eyes and shaking his head at me. “It’s not magic… just try and you’ll see.”
“Whatever,” I scoffed.
I took a breath to clear my head, then commanded mana to slice the door in half.
A long purple blade appeared before me. It sliced towards the metal sliding door, dropping like a heavy battle ax.
The mana slash struck empty space as the door slid open on its own.
Valencia Nordblum was standing just out of the blades range, looking a bit stunned.
The moment was tense, she’d helped me before, but now that enforcers knew about my abilities, I wasn’t sure if she could be trusted.
Sidestepping the floating blade she grabbed my wrist.
“What are you doing? Why’d you let her grab you!”
A key flew from her pocket into her free hand and she began unlocking the mana cuffs. With two heavy metallic thuds they clanged against the floor.
It seemed she was still helping me, so I let the mana sword dissipate. “Why are you helping me?”
“I owe your dad a few favors, but this is all I can do for you.” She offered me a soft smile.
Long locks of red hair, that I’d only ever seen tied up, fell around her face like a fiery frame. She wasn’t wearing her usual suit and skirt or her glasses. Instead she donned something akin to the student battle uniforms, though hers was less revealing.
Her appearance would’ve struck me as odd, but that might’ve been exactly what she was going for. Without getting a good look at her face no one would recognize her.
“Exactly five minutes after I leave, use this card to leave the cell. You’ll see a handsome brunet in the hallway, follow him, but don’t say a word. Once you reach a teleporter go straight to velociter bay one. The timing is crucial, Fey. If you fall behind there will be no one to help you.”
I nodded and took the ID card from her. It belonged to the MCI.
“Seriously? This chick strolls in with vague instructions and an ID and you’re ready to follow her commands, but I offer sound reason and logic and you hesitate?… it’s the boobs isn’t it. Fucking adolescence.”
Ignoring X, I asked Ms.Nordblum, “do you know how my sister is doing? When I was absorbing energy from the spirits in the game, I saw something horrible.”
Valencia nodded. “She’s fine, but now is not the time for that discussion. Here,” she said, handing me a comm, “someone found it and turned it in a few days ago.”
I wanted to ask more about Kyla, but the look on her face told me we really didn’t have time to discuss it. “Thank you.” I smiled, placing the comm in my pocket.
“Quit blathering and let her leave so we can get out of here. Of all the places to be, this school is by far the most dangerous, for us especially.”
“What does that mean?” I accidentally said out loud.
Valencia tilted her head slightly. “The voice?”
I nodded. “His name is X. He’s in a hurry to leave.”
Valencia looked confused, but didn’t ask any questions. With a nod she left and I began counting the minutes until it was time for me to leave as well.
----------------------------------------
The hall was empty when I stepped out.
No handsome brunet. No enforcers.
Was I too late?
“You were right on time kid, now time for plan B. Follow the flow of—”
An explosion rocked the corridor.
Twenty feet to my left a metal door blew open. Smoke filled the hall and electricity burst forth in short arcs from the broken door.
A dull thud, from somewhere in the smoke, was accompanied by a faint, “Oomph.”
“Sorry, Ian. It’s nothing personal.” A tall brunet man said as he stepped out of the smoke.
He had a sharp jaw and electric blue eyes that carried a deep sense of regret. Judging by his scraggly beard I guessed he’d been here a few weeks already.
He met my gaze for just a moment before turning and sprinting down a hall that ran perpendicular to the one we were in.
“So… back to plan A then? Or are you still standing there because you’d like to try my plan instead?”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Not a chance!” I said, realizing he was the man I was meant to follow.
I hurried after him, though keeping up was nearly impossible. Even using mana to enhance my speed, I nearly lost him after the fourth turn.
He seemed to know a way through this labyrinth of cells. I, however, would’ve been lost without a guide.
Fortunately for me he stopped and waited for me to catch up.
As soon as I did he grabbed me by the shoulder. “Take the first left, then a right,” he commanded forcefully then pushed me into a hall on the left.
I hesitated a moment, then the sound of footsteps approaching sent me running again.
“Two against one,” the brunet man laughed. “You give me too much credit.”
“You sent your help away, so don’t complain.” A shrill voice shot back.
I’d heard this voice before; she was my least favorite of the heroes. As far as I knew, she wasn’t a bad person. It was just that her magic repulsed me.
Her voice echoed in the halls, resounding in my ears incessantly. Her words became like knives, stabbing into my skull.
I pushed through the pain to keep running. I knew what would happen if I didn’t, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to regrow an exploded head.
I stumbled around the first left as the brunet man unleashed a guttural roar, somehow breaking the effect of Sadie’s magic.
I quickened my pace as much as possible and reached the next turn. Just then, Sadie’s voice reached me again. “You had such promise… a shame to see you throwing it away.”
This time her sharp words brought me to my knees, but the sensation lasted only a few moments before it was cut off.
Blood trickled down the sides of my face from my ears. I was too dizzy and off balance to keep running.
Stumbling forward, I realized I didn’t see a teleporter, or any way out. Just another long hall of cell after cell.
“Damn it! I must’ve taken a wrong turn.”
“It’s behind you… the last right, you went left instead.”
I turned around and sure enough X was right. Across the hallway a row of teleporters sat waiting for me.
As quickly as possible, I hurried over and manually selected my destination. I probably could’ve done it the way everyone else did, but I wasn’t exactly sure how.
I climbed atop the teleporter, activated it, then nearly fell off when I saw one of the twelve heroes, Irina, standing only a few feet from me.
She had an intense focus as she eyed me, her gaze like Nordblum’s, piercing and uncomfortable. As the teleporter was activating, she simply smiled and waved. With a flash of light, I was moved to the velociter bay.
I was expecting to find the bay empty with a single velociter running and ready for me to drive away; instead Mai ran to hug me, nearly knocking me off the teleporter.
Fin, Audrey, Cole, Carletta, a girl I had assumed was her sister, and Emilia all waited next to a velociter.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Are you all here to see me off or something?”
Mai shook her head. Fin grunted and shuffled inside the velociter.
Cole explained, “none of us can stay here. Before long we’ll all end up in prison or worse if we don’t leave now. That applies for all of us except her.” He said pointing to Emilia.
She was probably only coming since she worked for my family. It didn’t really matter to me though, I was just happy not to be alone.
“Hurry up you two, we need to leave.” Emilia said, prompting Mai to pull away from me and race back to the velociter. One by one, we filed inside and Emilia took control.
My anxiety ran high, but the further we got from Sky Haven the more I relaxed. When we were out of the Sky City, I felt like I could finally breathe again and after about an hour I asked, “where are we going?”
Everyone looked at Emilia as if they had the same question.
“Somewhere safe and far away. The journey is going to be a bit dangerous so get some rest, you’ll need it.”
“You mean we’re leaving the SAFE zone?” Audrey asked.
Emilia nodded.
Before going to sleep, I thought I should check my comm. I’d been away from it for five days and thought maybe Kyla had replied, or maybe there’d be a message from my father explaining what was going on with me.
There was one message from my father and nothing from Kyla which, while disappointing, wasn’t surprising at this point.
I opened the message from my dad.
‘Things are changing quickly… your mother and I have been forced into hiding. Please Fey, get your sister and leave Sky Haven before it’s too late. I should never have let you go there.’
X snorted. “We’re not going back. Trust me, your sister is safer there, than with us.”
“Holy shit! Have you guys seen this?” Cole declared.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Hold on.”
With a few swipes he transferred the video on his screen to the velociters holoprojector.
----------------------------------------
The burning city of Baldier appeared all around us. We were on the ground in the middle of a crowded pavilion.
Medic squads were treating the injured in an open field that stretched for a mile. Mages worked swiftly to put out fires and set up barricades around the medics.
Rescue teams were steadily dragging people from the rubble, giving them just the essential medical care until a fully trained crew could examine them.
The streamer we were watching didn’t seem to have a big following. The little number under his name showing the number of live viewers was at just under twenty thousand. Looking at his name made it crystal clear why he was so unpopular despite the quality of his stream.
I’d have never clicked #FUC’DaH3roes. Unless it was the only stream available.
A series of wails and mortified shrieks drew my attention to the right. The hulking black dragon flew towards the field.
They were about to be incinerated, I was sure. My heart raced with excitement and concern as I watched the dragon’s shadow get closer.
Purple flames hung around the beast's mouth like foam, though they didn’t fall on the people below. Precious seconds seemed like minutes while the abomination soared overhead.
Without doing harm, the beast flew on.
“Where did it go?” Fin asked, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair.
Cole answered, “It just left, but that isn’t what you need to see. Keep watching.”
Moments later Pyro landed among the crowd.
Many in the pavilion cheered, but not the streamer.
Pyro posed heroically for some pictures, signed a few autographs, then answered a few questions for a news broadcast.
“…last question for today is how did you defeat the dragon?”
Thoughtfully Pyro looked to the sky. After a moment of reflection, he answered. “The beast lay injured near the ruined broadcast building. He’d just crashed through my favorite media company's office. On his way, he knocked a woman through the window, of course I saved her. Look, there she is,” he paused, pointing at a woman in the crowd.
The news broadcaster turned to look at the woman and when she realized Pyro was pointing at her she became giddy, like a schoolgirl at a concert when the singer randomly smiles in her direction.
Pyro gave a charming smile back as the broadcaster turned back towards him.
“Anyway, I saw the beast, there on the ground and I flew down to him. I landed right near his eye then plunged my fist through it. After that, my fire ate him up from inside.”
“Wow! Thank you for saving us Pyro…”
As the broadcaster was speaking, #FUC’DaH3roes rushed over and pushed him aside. “Ow, what the fuck man.” He yelled.
“You’re a fucking liar!” The streamer roared in Pyro’s face.
“You’re crazy, guy. Did you hit your head or something?” Pyro replied, waving him away.
“No! I just stood here and watched that beast fly away, I’ve been following you ass holes for a while now and this ain’t the first time you lied!”
“Somebody get this guy to a medic, he clearly needs help.”
“I need some real fucking answers! Why are you down here taking glory shots while that beast flies away?”
Moving away from Pyro pointed towards a pile of rubble in an alley. There was a man and a woman both frantically digging at the pile. They looked a bit familiar but I couldn’t place them right away.
“Those people need help, someone must be trapped.”
“Oh so now you care!” The streamer roared again. “Only noticing when you need an escape.”
Turning back to the streamer, Pyro calmly said, “I don’t need an escape. You’re insane. You need help and so do those people, so I’m going to go help them, there’s nothing I can do for you.”
Before the streamer could reply, Pyro flew over to the pile of rubble. As he lifted huge chunks of a brick wall, he posed then tossed them away.
The man and woman paid him no mind. They only kept digging at the pile with tears in their eyes.
#FUC’DaH3roes reached the group as a broad back was being uncovered.
The couple wept harder, but did not stop digging. The streamer didn’t help. He only stood by until it became clear that someone was under the body.
Emotion gripped me as I realized who they were. #Brave4U was dead, but the girl he protected still had a chance.
“Come on, get them out!” I urged, as if my words could make any difference.
“Well, it looks like we were too late. This guy’s already dead.” Pyro declared.
The couple kept digging, so did #FUC’DaH3roes, but he paused to address Pyro. “There’s a girl under him. She could be alive!”
“Not a chance.” Pyro said as he moved away from the mound. “Her face is under his chest, she’ll have suffocated by now.”
“How can you be sure?”
“If she was still alive, she’d be calling out for help, wouldn’t she. No, the girl is dead.”
The streamer shook his head, causing the images to sway back and forth. “You’re a fraud.”
Pyro stopped walking away. White flames gathered around his body, heating metal rods in the debris and cracking the stone. “Without me you’d all be dead right now.”
“Without you, maybe the dragon wouldn’t have attacked!”
The fire around Pyro flickered, then swelled into a full on blaze that spread quickly, blocking off the alley from the pavilion. “You insignificant little—”
The video came to an end. Probably because #FUC’DaH3roes holo caster couldn’t handle the heat.
“What the fuck was that?” Fin grunted.
“A mask isn’t meant to be worn forever.”
“Do you think he killed them?” I asked. After what he’d done to my sister, I wasn’t surprised at all.
The others, however, were all shocked and earnestly trying to make sense of things.
Mai answered first. “I don’t think Pyro would kill innocent people… but that video is…” she trailed off.
“He’s a hero! Why would he do that?” Carletta asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe he was a hero once, but now…”
“We don’t need to worry about it. None of you can stay in the SAFE zone anymore.” Emilia said. Reminding me of a question I’d been meaning to ask since we left the city.
“Why? I know I can’t stay, but none of you have done anything wrong.”
Audrey answered first, though not with words. Lifting her hair so that we could see her neck, she revealed a rune written on her neck. “My parents were from outside the SAFE zone. It’s why I can see mana. When I was young, they died and I was raised by a man called the mantis.”
I nodded in understanding. Part of me felt fearful, knowing she was from the wild lands, but I’d already learned she was hardly worth fearing.
Fin scoffed. “You all know why I can’t stay. My fucking brother’s an idiot and somehow I got dragged down with him.”
“So if we have to leave Vania, where exactly are we going to go?” Cole asked.