Chapter 20

I was stone cold stiff and speechless. I gazed down at the boy. Say something! I thought. Anything!

"L-lloyd. Y-you can't just…"

"Why not? Don't tell me that you haven't-"

I got off of him, standing and shaking my head. "I haven't anything!"

"Jen, wait!" Lloyd reached out towards me. I stepped away, turning around.

"I'm sorry." I kicked my boot to the dirt as I dashed into the tall grass away from camp. My world spun around me as I tried to keep calm. My lips still tingled from the sudden event. I could hear Lloyd still calling for me as I kept running. What did I expect? Him to get up and run after me with that gash in his side? What was I running from?

I noticed I had cupped my hand over my mouth and began to run my fingers along the plump soft skin that Lloyd had kissed so gently. What was he thinking? What was I thinking? Kissing him back only told him that this kind of behavior was not only tolerated, but enjoyed and…wanted.

"D-damn it!" I kicked and swatted at the tall grass that got in my way. I brought myself to a halt when I made it to the bank of Lake that surrounded what was left of Luin. I reached down by my feet, picking up a rock. I chucked the rock as hard as I could into the water, making a splash. Again and again I repeated this, throwing rock after rock into the water to get most of my energy out. I wasn't angry at Lloyd. It wasn't his fault.

Something strange had appeared to me just then. I looked across the lake to the small town that had been recently destroyed. To my surprise, I saw all kinds of lights and sparklers being spun about in the night air. I could hear the sound of music playing, and faintly spot the little figures dancing around in the square.

"They are celebrating the fall of the Ranch." I heard a voice announce, answering the question I had not asked. I turned my head, seeing Yuan stand behind me, his arms crossed as always.

"Celebrating? But their Village is destroyed, their families were torn apart." I looked back when I heard cheering. I saw a few men start to move a big piece of burnt wood out of the street.

"The people of Luin honor today as a victory day. New beginnings. They see something that most people don't see from the outside. It brings them joy to stand together."

"What do they see?" I asked, looking back at Yuan.

"Beats me. Obviously it's a good thing." He shrugged. "That boy is going to complicate things, Jennifer."

"I didn't tell him to kiss me." I glared.

"He kissed you?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Damn it." I face palmed. "Y-yeah. Okay? But it wasn't like I wanted him to or anything. Trust me. Lloyd Irving is the last thing on my mind." I turned back to the water, sitting down on the sand. It was so quiet that I thought Yuan left.

"The renegades would like to help your group as you offered before." He said, walking closer.

"Last time we spoke, all you wanted was the threaten my family and my life. When did that change?"

"It changed when 6 people took down two entire human ranches in a matter of days. That's more than my renegades can do in decades of work." He walked to my side, sitting down a few feet from me.

"Jeese, pretty pathetic party you've got there, Yuan." I laughed, surprised to see he him at my level, sitting next to me on the sand. He shot me a glare.

"My renegades focus on the many things. Most work inside jobs, like myself."

"Right. Cause you also work for Yggdrasill. I knew that."

"Yes. Which makes it harder to stronghold attacks like your group did today. My renegades are far too predictable. But, no one expects the Chosen's group of misfits to suddenly break into a human ranch, come out with all the prisoners unharmed then succeed in blowing the place to bits." He stated. I smiled at that.

"I guess we are pretty bad ass." I nodded. Yuan gave me a raised eyebrow back, probably wondering what the phrase meant. "Um, anyway. Sure. We…or at least I will work with you and your renegades. What do I need to do?" I glanced to him.

"Just continue the journey. Know that if our help is required, the renegades will be provided. And if we need something from you-"

"Like what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Yuan stood up immediately.

"Yuan. Hold up. I can't agree to work with you if you can't tell me what I'm agreeing to!" I yelled as he walked off into the dark towering grass. "Damn it, Yuan!" I chucked another rock into the water.

I heard a restel in the bushes when Ami stepped out. The moon light bouncing off the water onto her stunned face.

"W-what? It's nothing. Everything's fine." I turned back to the water, trying to ignore her expression. I felt a thud on the back of my head when I realized she threw a small rock at me. "OW! What the hell!? Are you trying to give me a concussion!?" I could see how badly she wanted to yell, her eyes wide with anger. As if she had been betrayed, she motioned to the bushes where Yuan had run off to. Ami kicked at the sand, running to my side. I backed up; afraid she was going to smack me or something. But she yanked a stick that was stuck in the sand. She started to write in the wet sand.

'NOT YUAN. SHEENA.'

"What about Sheena?" I rubbed my head.

"What about me?" Sheena appeared, a dagger tightly grasped in her fist. Ami was frantically writing something in the sand in front of me. "What about me?!" Sheena started to get annoyed when no one answered.

"I…I don't know. U-um…" I began to say when Ami tugged on my arm. I looked down at the sand, but when I did, out of the corner of my eye, Sheena moved. In a matter of seconds, Sheena had tackled Ami to the ground. After spinning in a strong bind over the sand, Sheena pinned Ami to the ground, attempting to stab her chest, but missing and stabbing it into her arm. Ami moved her legs up and kicked Sheena off of her. Ami gripped the dagger and yanked it from her arm. I had to think about it for a moment before it clicked that Ami couldn't feel pain. Sheena layed on the ground, motionless. She had stumbled back, knocking her head on a large rock by the water. Blood slowly trickled down Sheena's forehead. Ami held her arm, trying to stop it from bleeding. I stared at the words written in the sand, feeling numb head to foot.

'YOU PICKED THE WRONG ALLY'