Chapter Two and Three

CHAPTER TWO

I can’t stop thinking about the pendant that was looped around the Cobra’s assassin’s neck. If I get it, Axel would definitely give a reward.

“Where were you? I was so worried!” Axel storms up to me.

“My apologies, Axel,” I say, dipping my head. He glares at me for a moment, sighing. “We were just about to start another battle with Cobra just to get you back,” he finally says. I swallow hard. We’ve been rivals to Cobra since as long as I can remember.

I decide to leave out the part where he kidnapped me.

I hesitate. “About Cobra… I know where the pendant is,” I say. Axel’s eyes widen. I continue. “Cobra’s assassin. He has it.”

His eyes narrow, and his fingers curl into a fist.

“I see. He’s the one we are targeting then.”

I dip my head. There was no guilt, my throat feeling light. I’m loyal to my Tribe, and this is the right thing to do. “Anytime, Axel.”

The next morning, I was sure to bring a patrol out with me. “Don’t split apart,” I say to my five companions. I suddenly hear a rustling near the Cobra border. I signal for the others to keep quiet, and crept towards the noise. I hear a whimper. Then, a whisper of something I can’t quite catch.

Shock took over me. I freeze. It is Cobra’s assassin. He’s kneeling beside an Angolf. The Angolf held several injuries, and the boy was gently helping, bandaging up its leg. Suddenly, one of my camp mates, Flounce, charges towards him, before I could say stop. The assassin whips around. The Angolf flees, limping away from the sudden danger.

The assassin throws a dagger. It flies towards Flounce. His eyes widen before he dodges out of the way. Another soldier tries to aim a hit at the assassin’s shoulder, but he meets it with another sword. Gosh, how many weapons does he have on him?

He suddenly spots me. “What are you doing here, little Blackbird?” he asks, his voice icy. “This is Cobra territory.” I flick my eyes to him briefly. I can’t embarrass myself. I lunge toward him, ready to attack, but he dodges, pinning me to the ground. A flicker of amusement flashes in his hard eyes. “Leave me alone!” I yell, frustrated.

“Not bad… for someone from Eclipse,” he teases. His flashing white teeth gleam sharply in the sun when he finally smiles.

I realize I’m staring. I shake my head, annoyed. Stop staring. Springing into action, I kick at his stomach. Two other team-mates grab him and push him off me. I struggle up, frustration rushing through me. “Can you just leave us alone?” I scoff.

He chuckles. “You’re the one that attacked me, little Blackbird. They can all leave.”

I look around. My team-mates were slowly, nervously backing away. “I’ll get backup,” Flounce whispers. “Be quick!” I murmur, shooting him a look. He nods curtly, and gestures to the other soldiers to follow him back. “Wait,” I say, swallowing hard. “You’re going to leave me here?”

Flounce looks back. “We’ll be fast.” I open my mouth to argue, but Flounce is already heading off. I glare at his turned back. Such an idiot.

The assassin looks down for a moment. “Can I show you something?” he says, a spark of something indistinguishable in his ocean-deep gaze. I meet his eyes, searching for some type of hint. Something just makes me want to follow. His gaze glistens with purpose. “Why?” I stiffen up, staring.

“Just trust me again, little Blackbird,” he jeers. The assassin pauses, exhaling sharply. “Or are you a chicken?”

I scoff. “I’m smart enough to be wary of the person who kidnapped me.”

His expression smooths over, and he takes a step towards me. “I spared you.”

I take a couple steps back, quickly scanning his body for weapons. A sheathed sword is strapped at his waist. His eyes fix on me as he crouches to pick up the dagger. My hand instinctively reaches for the hilt of my knife, my fingers curling around the rough handle. My eyes follow the weapon as he secures that on his waist as well. “You still kidnapped me,” I hiss. He raises an eyebrow. “I still spared you.” I groan, but I know better than turning my back to the assassin. “You’re impossible,” I growl. His eyes narrow. “What’s wrong with wanting to show you something?”

“What’s wrong with being cautious?” I shoot back, my hands on my hips. “And why did you do that in the first place?”

His eyes widen slightly. “Do what?”

“Kidnap me, stupid,” I hiss. He looks away just for a second. “Orders.” The blood drains from my face. “What?” He stares. “You heard me.”

Footsteps suddenly trample through the forest. His eyes snap towards the sound. He takes a step back as my team-mates appear out of the trees, weapons pointed. A small smile creeps onto his face. “You do know this isn’t your territory, right?” My hand clenches around the hilt once again. “You’re trapped,” Flounce states. The assassin tilts his head slightly up. “On my own territory?” He chuckles, pointing a finger to his chest. “Wow. Eclipse is so honorable.” Flounce tilts the weapon up, aiming at his head. His finger is on the trigger. All of Istaeile knows what it does. A dart fired from the Venom Needle can paralyze any organism temporarily. Istaeile has learned how to use it, extracting the poison from the Wolfsbane plant. Flounce’s finger tightens on the trigger. Another soldier points the Venom Needle at his chest. It’s true. He has nowhere to go. The assassin gazes at the Venom Needle with a smile. “Go ahead.”

Flounce lowers it slightly, staring at him. “Do you think I’m joking? You’re cornered.”

The assassin stands unmoving. Finally, his eyes widen. “Are you sure about that?” Flounce stiffens. “What?”

The assassin smiles. “Look down.” I shift my gaze to the ground. A vine. Flounce takes a small step back. That’s when I hear it. Click. The vines shift under our feet, suddenly protruding out of the ground, the dirt shaking as it grows. And wraps around our bodies, tightening, pushing, until we’re all trapped. I feel the pressure on my chest, the roughness scraping at my arms. The assassin’s smile disappears, and he presses a button beside his ear. “Eclipse intruders by the Vinesnare.”

While he waits, he steps close to us, examining the vines. “Let us go!” Flounce hisses. The assassin glances at him. “You’re the one intruding.”

A group of Cobra soldiers burst into the small clearing. A tall woman steps forward. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. Thorn. The assassin goes still. Her eyes scan us before it lands on me. Her eyes flicker for just a moment, darkening with realization. She stares back at the assassin. “Dylan,” she murmurs. Oh. That’s his name. Dylan avoids her gaze, his eyes hardening. “I caught them,” he mutters. “What about the girl, darling?” she hisses. I stop struggling. What are they talking about? Thorn snaps her fingers. “Take them to the dungeon. I’ll question them later.”

“What—no!” I protest as the vines loosen and a soldier grabs my arm. “We didn’t do anything!”

“You.”

Thorn purrs, turning to Dylan. He pales, a flicker of fear flashing through his eyes, before his expression goes blank. “Come with me.” She grabs his arm. He winces. She stalks off, disappearing into the trees, dragging him along with her.

One of the Eclipse soldiers moves sharply. It’s Flounce. He’s managed to get his arm out, firing at the vines. It loosens even more, shrinking to the ground. I struggle, breaking free of the one on my leg. “GO!” Flounce shrieks, and we run. I hear footsteps and shouting behind us.

But I don’t dare to look back.

CHAPTER THREE

Once Flounce got back and reported, Axel set up more guards and securities. “What were you doing on Cobra’s territory?” Axel mutters, staring at us. “It was an accident,” I murmur. “My apologies.”

Axel stares for a moment longer, and sighs. “Don’t let it happen again.” I nod.

He accompanies me with the patrol the next day. I can tell just by the way he’s glaring into the shadows of the woods that he wanted to find someone.

“I’m just looking for more food,” he insists to me. I look over. No, he’s not. He was glancing around, turning at every noise, and we are venturing further into Cobra’s territory. “Axel…” I whisper, my throat tight. “You said we shouldn’t be in Cobra’s—”

“This is for a good reason,” he mutters. But I’m unconvinced.

Solar shakes her head at me, and I know that she knows too. Prance came, and so did Saber and…and Draco. I catch him looking at me again, and I shift closer to Solar uneasily. I want to scream. Axel didn’t seem to notice. Suddenly, a screech breaks the uneasy silence. I whip around to see Saber. He’s on the ground, wrestling with a soldier. From Cobra. Dylan emerges from the brambles, his eyes cold. “What are you doing here?” he grunts, his eyes fixed on us. Axel stares at him with hatred. His eyes dart from Dylan’s face to the pendant. “This is Cobra’s territory,” Dylan growls.

I gasp when I see Solar being held captive, her neck against a blade. Her eyes are full of fear, and she is trembling slightly. “We should go, Axel. There’s no point in fighting,” I say slowly, inching towards him. Dylan’s eyes narrow. “I’ll let you leave,” he murmurs finally. He lets go of Solar’s neck, and she runs back to my side.

“Why should we leave?” Axel challenges. I stiffen up. Don’t! Dylan freezes, turns back, and stares, his eyes burning. “Give us the pendant, and we will,” Axel snarls smoothly.

“Pathetic,” Dylan spits. “Leave now. Last warning.”

We’re outnumbered, despite the many weapons secured to our garments. There’s no way we’re winning any fight.

My eyes widen in shock as Axel stands his ground, eyes narrow. “Axel…a fight’s not worth it,” Saber hisses. Despite his efforts, Axel suddenly lunges for Dylan.

Dylan’s posture tenses up as he dodges Axel’s blow. I notice his movements look slow and clumsy, as Axel trips him. I tilt my head in confusion. Why is he moving like that? They carry the fight to the ground. A soldier’s sword comes towards me, and my attention snaps to her. She’s sending blows quick. I unsheathe my own sword, and it makes a clang as it meets with hers. I aim for her side, and she backs off for a moment. I realize we’re winning, surprisingly. Dylan’s pinned under Axel. Saber’s clashing with a soldier, who seems to be retreating further and further. Axel’s pulling at the pendant, while Dylan’s desperately trying to jerk it back. “Raven, help!” Axel orders. I run over to him. Dylan’s eyes flash with something I can’t distinguish. Suddenly, I remember how he spared me. I can’t do this to him. “Raven!” Axel hisses at me. Dylan uses the distraction to slip out, aiming a blow at Axel’s chest. Axel recoils. My eyes widen as I see more soldiers joining the fight. More of Cobra’s. Solar stares in despair. “We’re going to get killed,” Saber shouts shakily as he tries to aim a blow, but misses. “Retreat,” Axel commands, staggering back. “Eclipse, retreat!”

I back up from the Cobra soldier. I can feel Dylan’s eyes on me as I turn my back and flee.

“We lost because of you,” Axel snarls, whipping his head to me. “I-I’m sorry,” I stammer, flushed. “I didn’t mean—”

“Sorry doesn’t do a thing,” Axel spits. “We could’ve won. The pendant would’ve been ours.”

Solar steps in, glaring at Axel.

“Stop being power hungry! I get that you’re mad that we missed out, but we also can’t blame Raven. Plus, they brought more soldiers in. That’s why we lost,” Solar snaps. Axel stares at her for a moment, eyes narrowed. Then, he turns away, letting out a sharp breath. I shoot a grateful look at her. I can’t help but remember the flash in Dylan’s eyes, and how he moved so slowly. Did something happen to him? Yet, guilt swirls in my stomach. I should’ve helped Axel. He was right.

We could’ve won.

“Hey, Raven, how are you feeling?”

I turn to see Saber approaching me. His dirty blond hair’s neat. His warm green eyes staring back at me, the afternoon sun lighting up his brown skin. He looks like he’s recovering well after the unexpected battle. It’s been several hours. “Oh, hi Saber,” I say. “I’m better. What about you?”

He laughs. “Fine. Just got my wounds treated. That was very…intense, wasn’t it?”

I nod. “I didn’t expect Axel to attack like that.”

“Me neither.”

I can feel my stomach drop as I see Draco making his way to us. “In love?” he teases. I can sense there is something much deeper to his voice than ever, by the way his eyes darken, and his hand is clenched into a fist. I try to ignore him. “I’m going out later, just for a walk,” I say to Saber. “alone,” I add when he opens his mouth. Saber’s shoulders sag. I feel bad, but I don’t want Draco offering to come along. Draco’s eyes darken. “You didn’t answer me, Raven.”

“Leave me alone,” I snap, whipping my head around. I stalk out of camp.

I listen to the trickling stream nearby, rushing smoothly over pebbles and small boulders. Suddenly, I hear a sharp gasp. I look around. What was that? I creep towards the noise, my curiosity winning. I stop behind a tree, peering around it.

It’s Dylan.

He’s leaning forward, his hand gripping the edge of a rock for support. His breathing is slow and uneven, and his head is drooping low.

I stare at him. He’s hurt.

He tries to steady himself, leading to another gasp. His hand moves to his side, his fingers digging into his clothes. Dylan tries to shift again, but a pained expression flashes over his face. I tilt my head in surprise. The assassin that had smiled when he was cornered is now struggling to even stand. I take a small step forward. A Pyra suddenly flies up beside me, flapping its shining, gold wings and letting out an alarmed call. One of its white tail feathers float slowly to the ground. I freeze, holding my breath. Dylan spots me anyway, his head jerking up. His expression hardens. “How long have you been standing there?” he hisses.

“Long enough to know something’s wrong,” I murmur, approaching. Despite how weak he looks, he pulls out a dagger. “Go home, little Blackbird,” he whispers. “What happened to you?” I breathe. His eyes look cold. “It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like it,” I say, taking another step forward. He stiffens up. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” I protest. He glances wearily at me. “Then why are you still here?” I open my mouth. And close it. “I don’t like seeing people hurt,” I admit. “That’s weird,” he mutters, lowering his dagger slightly.

“Is it from the battle?”

Dylan hesitates. “Maybe.”

He turns in the other direction, taking a step forward. Dylan closes his eyes, exhaling slowly. I watch. His movements look stiff and uneasy. Every step seems to take effort, but he keeps going. My eyes drift to the pendant. “Why don’t you use that?” I ask. He turns back around. “Another person has to do it.”

“Oh,” I say, surprised. “I can.”

He stares at me, exhaling sharply. “Why?”

I shrug. “I told you, I hate seeing people hurt.”

Dylan takes a deep breath. “Thorn would know.”

“How?”

He shakes his head. “Never mind.” I tilt my head, finding it strange. But I don’t push further. He turns back around, continuing deeper into Cobra territory.

I remember Axel’s mission. To get the pendant. This is my chance. And maybe I can make it up to him. I trail his steps slowly. Dylan turns around, staring at me. “Why are you following?”

I think for a moment. “Well…you said you wanted to show me something the other day.”

“You said you didn’t trust me,” he snaps.

“I don’t.”

“Then why are you following?”

I hesitate. “I’m curious.”

He scoffs. “That’s a stupid reason to follow someone like me.”

I shrug. “Maybe.”

He studies me for a moment, and sighs. “Fine. Suit yourself, little Blackbird.” He keeps walking. I follow him in silence, staring wide-eyed as we cross into Cobra’s territory. He turns around. “Don’t step there,” Dylan hisses as I try taking a step. I freeze, glancing down. And I shift my foot. “Or there,” he murmurs. I groan. “Where do I step then?”

“Wherever I step.”

“You expect me to follow your exact footsteps?” I ask, exasperated. “Would you rather set off an alarm?” he snaps, turning back around. “No,” I admit. “Then keep up,” he mumbles, continuing on.

I watch his feet, deliberately avoiding certain stones, trees, or places of soil that looks disturbed. “How do you even survive here?” I ask, stepping over another rock. “You learn,” he answers.

Eventually, Dylan stops in front of a wall of shrubbery. He brushes past it. I follow him, and my eyes widen.. He has led me to a lake. The wide expanse of water glitters, reflecting the sky. Soft waves run over the smooth surface. I tilt my head. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”

Dylan nods, heading to the edge, sitting down stiffly. I take a seat, shuffling a few feet away from him. “Why here?” I whisper. He shrugs. “It’s quiet.” We sit in silence for a bit. After a while, he stands up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. I look at him. “What are you doing?”

“Going for a dip,” he mutters. Without warning, he pulls his tight black shirt over his head.

I freeze.

Scars.