Silent Battle

Jane didn't know what to say. She sat silently staring softly at John, thinking. Her first official first kiss! She had almost been kissed once on New Year's Eve one year, but just as the boys lips had brushed hers some of their friends had walked outside where they were and it had abruptly ended, she was in denial that this had counted as a first kiss, but this, this was real. She felt a smile slowly spread across her face as she and John started at each other, inches apart.

Her smile seemed to release a tank of air stored in John's lungs as he started waiting for some sort of response.

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"Here are my five fastest," Hepguie Telsico assured Iblis, presenting five of the strongest, not to mention most healthy looking, horses the three children had ever seen."I'm certain you'll be pleased."

"You're riding a different horse?" Iblis asked; as he knew Hepguie strictly rode one dapple grey arabian from his large collection.

"No," Hepguie amended, "Forgive me Iblis but I won't be able to accompany you on this trip, I'm afraid I'll be a bit busy with a local dispute regarding the entire village. If I don't appear I could risk losing my hands you see, so it's best I go."

"Then five horses?" Rudyard asked.

"Aye my son will accompany you instead." Mr. Telsico smiled. "He's a wonderful guide. He'll get you where you need to go safely. Honestly, out of all the Djinn I've accompanied to this pyramid I'm certain this will be the one I most regret missing.

"Where is this son of yours?" Iblis asked.

"Collecting a few things for the journey," he nodded, "I'm sure he'll be here momentarily. For the time being I'll show you each to the horse I have selected for you." He said motioning his guest to the small cluster of horses, all standing tall and impatient. "Iblis I'm sure you remember Kiantel," Hepguie said gesturing to a pure black arabian that truly did seem the perfect match for Iblis. He, like all the other horses, was covered in very decadent saddles and reins. This horse's seemed to be focused around the color red. Iblis smiled and nodded walking to stroke his very familiar partner in crime. Although the arabian was very tense and jerky there was no denying he instantly calmed and focused at the touch of Iblis's hand.

Rudyard was then led to a bronze colored stallion with matching mane and tail, followed by Dybbuk to a very dark grey with pitch black mane and tail. Philippa though she was being gestured to an extremely dark colored stallion with a hint of red and with black mane and tail but Hepguie soon pushed that one aside to reveal a solid white mare shaking her mane.

"Of course I though this mare would suit you perfectly" Hepguie said smiling obviously pleased with himself.

"She's beautiful, thank you." Philippa smiled back.

"She does seem to work well for you, well done father that's the best match I've seen since you paired Iblis with Kiantel." The group turned to see a young boy the same age as Rudyard, Dybbuk, and Philippa. He had very dark features with black hair that was cleanly cut, but not too perfectly, and bright blue eyes to be paired with it. He stood smiling with flashing white teeth.

"What about when I paired you with Bliktish here?" Hepguie asked as his son walked casually over the remaining dark brown horse. Philippa was amazed with how well the horse and rider complimented each other.

"I paired myself with Bliktish." He said laughing as the horse jerked its head up and down in joy when seeing the boy.

"oh yes that's right," Hepguie rolled his eyes in amusement as if he was very used to being proven wrong by his son, "Iblis, children, this is Hedesh, my son. Hedesh this is Iblis, his two sons Rudyard and Dybbuk," Hepguie said as Hedesh nodded to the travelers memorizing their names. "And this is Philippa Gaunt." Hedesh hadn't clearly looked at the young girl since walking out. He was certain he felt his heart skip a beat when he looked at her now. Philippa Gaunt, he knew the name was important to his father but where? Where from? What made her so important again? He finally nodded at her too. "Alright well I'm sure you'll want to be off. It's a five days journey and you'll want to get going." Hepguie said.

The group climbed aboard their horses, and soon were following Hedesh out of the back of the tent which was attached to not only Hepguie's travel guide tent but also to the coral that the rest of the arabians were kept in.

Once a short way away from the tent, the Hedesh and Iblis urged their horses into running. Rudyard, Dybbuk, and Philippa all nervously did the same. The three of them were surprised to find how easily it came to them. Philippa assumed it was another Djinn thing, like aging slower or drawing perfect squares and circles.

They rode for an extremely long time before coming across a small village all surrounding a well which they stopped at to allow their horses to rest for a while. Once Iblis had paid a man to take care of watering down their horses the group looked for their own luxury. They found a small area shaded by some trees that they sat in close enough to keep an eye on the arabians. Hedesh took occasional sips from his canteen while the four Djinn had conjured their own water.

Iblis and Rudyard began their own conversation about the pyramids and old pharaohs. Causing Philippa to begin conversation with Hedesh about the area and his father's business, leaving Dybbuk to simply observe. Dybbuk had never been much of a conversation guy and normally didn't mind observing but this drove him crazy. Of course Rudyard and Iblis still had their revolting father/son bond, and now he had driven Philippa away too.

However that wasn't what drove him crazy, it was Hedesh. How was he so perfect? How did he keep conversation with Philippa running so easily, how did he know the perfect times to laugh, how did he know how to make her laugh so easily? But mainly, how did he get her to look at him like that, and why would he not take his eyes off her? Occasionally Philippa would look down at the sand she was playing with in her hands or the village not far away from where they sat, but Hedesh, he looked as if he was blind to everything except Philippa and he had never seen anything before. Dybbuk knew Philippa was very attractive and always looked sweet and kind (even when she was mad, which Dybbuk knew first hand) she always looked innocent, but she wasn't the only pretty girl in the world.

When Dybbuk had been the magician Jonathan Tarot, he had seen plenty of pretty girls who were much easier to be around than Philippa. They practically threw their numbers, or themselves, at him, everything he said made them almost scream, even the very relaxed (not as crazy) fans had still been in love with him even if their way of showing it was just a small wink or something, but he didn't care about them (even though they were very pretty too) he didn't care about making them laugh, most of them had annoying laughs anyway, too girly.

Philippa though, she just had such a sweet face, it wasn't normally his type, but the way she softly smiled and her right eyebrow could raise just a hair and say a million things all while being framed by such a light almost curly wave of red hair, made him hypnotized.

Now this stupid Hedesh has come along, he thought to himself, and Philippa laughs so easily and small things he says when he's not even trying to be funny! Dybbuk wasn't an idiot either, what else would he expect of Philippa? A nice guy with the ideal dark featured look, that made Dybbuk want to punch his lights out. Unfortunately he knew that would only make Iblis think he wasn't ready to work with him and Rudyard, make Philippa more disgusted with him, and most likely give Hedesh another opportunity to make himself look good. He didn't know how, but he was sure the punk was capable of it. So instead he sulked silently.

He didn't understand, Buck was gone, He was supposed to hate Philippa, like Rudyard or even Iblis. He had when they had been in South America. Why didn't he now?

(Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter! P.S. I never said this was a Philippa/ Dybbuk )