[Fall – Sureal]

Despair and hatred had seeped into Jennings deepest emotional crevice. He kneeled forward in the dark, holding the body that was his entire motivation and formerly his half-brother. Reckless thoughts scattered through his mind as the list of possible alternatives ate at his consciousness.

“You had to have known I wasn't going to back down. Why didn't you just...show me your face?”

Jennings questioned, in awe of nature at its harshest.

After a compressed, gloomy wake, Jennings regained his composure with an underlying of strength. He let go of Isaac's now lifeless arm and reviewed the sheet of paper he had found on the body previously. His mind seemed to have shifted to his next task.

“Fu-jeh.”

Jennings struggled with its pronunciation. He had not heard the name previously and would’ve noted an Eastern Halfland sounding name. J.J. assumed that if this Fujeh was giving Isaac lessons on the shadow Agi style, thinking then perhaps he had information on Isiah Bahr’s goal.

He settled on the idea to seek out Fujeh and confront him immediately. Leaving the unaware Poni and Penny, Jennings walked away from his sleeping followers and into the desert.

The birds in the area sang their daily tune as the sun beamed a bright ray and shifted its angle toward Penny's waking eyes. She partly positioned herself in the upward, leaning position before a memory overrode her awareness.

[Fall - Dew Fall City – 8 years ago]

Penny's mind placed her in the same uprising plank position, eight-years prior. The stretched forearm of a slightly older blonde boy dressed in a black button-up shirt, and a matching gray bowtie, for good measure, reached in Penny's direction to offer a hand.

She graciously complied and rose to her feet, batting off dirt from her dress. After making sure she arose safely, the boy turned his eyes to the two other children standing near with a smug grin.

“Don't be pushing on people, Raymand!” said the boy with a stern look.

He prepared a fist of his own. Raymond looked to his pal at his side and retorted.

“I reckon' she better watch where she steps and maybe she wouldn't be meeting the floor.”

He finished his statement with a self-satisfying laugh, making his friends from behind anxiously join alongside in the fit.

Holding onto his dear friend Penny with his free hand wasn't enough to deter her as she called out his name.

“Viktor!” she cried, “You can leave, they are butts and don't know how to treat a lady clearly.”

Viktor walked up to the taller, lanky Raymond while he stared up and down at the former. Next, Viktor unexpectedly pinned Raymond's foot with his own and pushed his opponent with vigorous force, sending him stumbling on his behind, unable to catch his balance.

Still wincing, Raymond reacted up at Viktor and blurted out his displeasure.

“H-Hey!”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Now you're the one meeting the floor,” said Viktor, still aggravated.

As Raymond's friend moved forward to help him up, he waved them away and stood to his feet. The still visibly upset Raymond walked away in the opposite direction, kicking rocks and sand along his path to show his fuming temper.

As Viktor saluted back toward Penny, she recalled fondly about her best friend from youth. A visualized image of Jennings’ rare, smiling face appeared over the childhood figure more accustomed.

“I was lucky enough to have one best friend that cared, but that was taken away. I still remember the day I found out about your body being found Viktor. To know such a nice person, and to also know that they met such a horrible fate. I promise you...I'm in good hands with not many choices and even fewer people to trust.”

[Fall – Sureal]

Penny murmured, opening her eyes fully and starting her day. Sometimes her fear dragged itself from her and today was one of those days. Peering around, she noticed the absence of any audience for this go around, not even her newest companion.

Venturing off by himself instead, Jennings was on the verge of answers.

He had learned from a local stray dog that an Agi instructor named Fujeh had recently moved to Parso from the city of Yan Wa, Shushia. Apparently he was a prestigious individual within the Agi-teaching community and had packed his bags and moved to Parso to set up shop.

His business had thrived even after the move and Isiah Bahr had been seen by the dog first-hand, coming and going from Fujeh's school.

Jennings handed the stray a chop of lamb that he had promised beforehand which the mut received in his mouth. Releasing an emphasized breath from his side mouth as if to say “thank you”, the dog trotted away satisfied. He wondered if the time he was investing would be in vain.

The worst possible outcome had already occurred. Would a shadow Agist whom had reached Penny and Poni before Jennings and killed them be the final end? He could stand to lose yet another ally, at least he had wished he was strong enough to believe that guile excuse to develop apathy at the worst possible time.

Failure was becoming more and more of a harsh instigator. The only motivation that succeeded in its intention was the thought of his former half-brother and the subconscious impulse to follow through on protecting Penny and Poni.

[Fall - Parso]

The next morning, Jennings had already made it to Parso after barely any sleep. He slowed to a walk along the dirt road path within the beginning of the city limits.

The capable man had been able to locate the Rashonaru Agi Dojo without further help from the public, still attempting to maintain his cover and avoid any potentially harmful and unnecessary attention.

He knew that until this issue was resolved, he would never be able to disregard a simple fact. The shadow Agists pursuing him wielded a powerful set of spells in their repertoire, one whose origins eluded him.

Caution wasn't one of Jennings' favorite traits but it was one that he was capable of exhibiting. Shadow Agi brought the unforeseen back into Jennings’ foresight.

After circling the perimeter of the large, extravagant building, Jennings wasn’t quite content with his scouting. He wanted to check for vital information about entering and exiting the landscape, Jennings instead chose to leave the immediate area for the time being.

If a single one of the multiple guards on site were to notice who it was surrounding their location, he knew the sought opportunity would dissolve from existence.

The deafening sound of the closest religious chapel's bell began its first ring of twelve to notify the town that noon had arrived. When the sun reached its destination at the highest point in the sky, heat usually followed.

As Jennings casually continued striding off, knowing that the risk of staying for further looks of the academy would have been a foolish decision to make, he was halted. Another loud round of bell tolls rang out, but not quick enough.

One of two women that happened to cross paths with Jennings' near an exit to their seamstress had bellowed a high-pitched scream.

Jennings shifted his wide attention to the two females he had just passed and was appalled to notice the downright terror evident, that which his own reputation had caused.

“It's him- the wanted!” yelled out an observant lady.

Anyone within earshot froze, the woman unable to move herself.

Jennings quickly needed to assess the situation and prepare an out. He nearly put an end to the screaming woman's life then and there, next to her friend before more people became attracted to the outburst, but it was too late.

Chattering bystanders began to exchange whispers as the outlaw tried to further conceal his face as much as possible. Now glancing over his sweaty shoulder to the guard station, Jennings confirmed the event he had feared. They were now after him, with tenacity in every step.

Without wasting another valuable second, he sprinted away, barely allowing the men who noticed to catch a glimpse of which direction- yet they did.

The pursuers hopped down from their elevated platform assigned to them and both gave chase to the person they've yet to confirm is Jennings. Fanatically throwing objects on his trail as he evaded them down an alley, breaking line of sight after a corner.

Running at their maximum effort and sliding to a stop, the guards turned the same corner Jennings had selected. Their faces changed rapidly into an unpleasant reaction. As if a spiritual dam broke in the small road, floods of people drained out from the local church.

It was evident that immediately after Jennings had left their view, he was able to slightly change his appearance enough to blend into the now exiting mass of religious folk that were too busy nattering at the height of their volumes to notice a fleeing criminal.

Just before Jennings completed leaving the area, he brushed a shoulder with a dumbfounded ground as a much-needed power gesture before walking back to solitude with what little information he’d gained.