LUCKY THIRTEEN
"We are going to be in so much trouble."
Nycole grinned from ear to ear like a madwoman. "I know, but isn't it great, Merry!"
"Absolutely, Pip!" Kathain called back.
Like Merry and Pippin from Tolken's The Lord of the Rings, they were inseparable, insufferable troublemakers. From the very moment the two girls met, they were the very best and closest of friends, bound by life, blood, and spirit. The pair of miscreants were always poking their noses where they didn't belong, curious and playful to no end. They had young, childlike souls, befitting their nature and personality.
Kathain slipped slightly on the wet earth, sliding into Nycole and giggling. "We're gonna be dead when we get back to the house."
"Well, if we're going to be dead, there's no sense in worrying about it now!" the other red head argued.
"Point."
The woods were still, dark and comforting. Crickets chirped their songs, hunting for their kith and kin among the tall, thick trees. They were oblivious to the two girls traipsing down the wood path through the back of Kristo's property. The moon hung low in the sky, full and pregnant in the sky, illuminating the old trail through the forest, along with the two girls, skipping and lilting through the trees. They laughed and joked, singing sweet little camp songs to match the crickets. The rocks beneath their feet slid slightly, but the pair just chuckled with each misstep.
Soon, they could hear the sweet trickling in the woods. A stream cut through the trees here, rock lined and babbling gently. Right there, the little creek met a huge, smoothly worn, practically flat boulder, damming it up. A massive crack, maybe four of five inches wide sliced the rock in two, where the water ran through before spilling down in a small waterfall. It pooled down but a foot below the rock before continuing on down and through the woods.
The rock was the first way marker.
Kathain knew it well, as did Nycole. The trail was an emergency path down and away from the house, in the event that anyone should ever figure the group out. The entire group could leave quickly and quietly, disappearing in to the night. At the waterfall, the actual trail ended, and they would have to turn down to walk in the stream itself. The water would conceal any scent, both physical and mental, so they could not be found.
The pair immediately sprawled across the boulder, lying over the rock itself and staring up, to the stars in the heavens.
Finally, Nycole spoke. "So, what's on your mind?"
"Nothing."
The empath swiftly sat up, held up her right hand, and threw out her left index finger, pointing fiercely at the girl lying beside her. "Bullshit!"
Kathain snickered slyly. The gesture came from years ago. Somewhere, one of the members of the group, who knew who at this point, had been playing an odd sort of game. It involved accusing other players of being a werewolf and killing players. The gesture that Nycole had just used was adopted from the game to call people on lying or with holding information.
"Ok."
The empath grinned in smug satisfaction. "Told you." She brought her knees up to her chin. "So, you going to tell me what?"
Kathain let out a heavy breath. "We're not safe here."
"No shit," Nycole blurted out rather bluntly.
The precognitive shook her head. "No. I mean we're really not safe here"
"Nope, you two most certainly are not."
xxxx
Amon watched the house closely from a distance.
Robin sat at his side, keeping her own careful study and survey of the home and grounds. The nearest neighbor, fortunately, was away on vacation or a business trip. Amon, Karasuma, and Robin just set up there own residence on the roof, trying to learn about the strange group of witches in the next house over.
The Craft user wasn't entirely sure what to do. She was powerful, yes, exceptionally so. The girl could quickly incinerate the house without any effort. One quick thought could just destroy the entire home and grounds, engulfing them in a sea of pure fire. But, Robin the person could not. Her heart would not allow her, especially not with Sakaki in that home. Nor could she risk that one of the many in the house was not a witch or had powers that rivaled her own. Robin had to be careful.
Amon took mental note. There were 5 men in the house, including Sakaki, and the two girls that had gone down the path. The girls appeared to be unarmed, while the others were quickly cleaning and prepping guns, knives, swords, a whole assortment of weapons in the living room.
They were an assault team of their very own.
Amon touched the demon mark on his arm. The runes still glowed, a sort of warm yet disconcerting light. His hand snapped back from the searing heat. He looked to Karasuma, who was studying her own brand of the runes on her palm. It was enough that Amon had been marked; he took responsibility for whatever actions lead to the curse befalling him. However, now, who knew what would happen to Karasuma?
They had to act.
"Let's go."
xxxx
"Jesus fucking Christ, Kristo. You scared the bloody piss out of me!" Kathain swore.
The man just chuckled to himself. "Yeah, but it was fun."
Nycole gave him a playful shove. "I'm gonna throw your ass in the stream!" He coyly fought back, teasing the girl. "You're dead."
"And you're one to talk!" Kristo spun her around, keeping Nycole in a light hold. "You two just HAD to go out, just HAD to leave the house without letting anyone know, without taking someone to keep an eye out for you." He tickled the girl before letting her loose. "What were you guys thinking?"
Kathain shrugged sadly, "I needed to get out. It's my fault."
"I don't care whose fault it is." Kristo bellowed, his hand falling to the hilt of his katana. "You know you shouldn't be going out without an…. Escort." The word fell flatly and limply, as if even the man knew a body guard wouldn't help much at all. "Especially you, Kathain, after what you saw."
The three stood in silence, allowing just the sound of the water to pass between them.
"I'm sorry," the precognitive finally murmured.
Kristo squeezed her shoulder sweetly. "Let's get you back up to the house."
xxxx
"One more."
Amon made a quick mental note of the wannabe samurai strolling up the path towards the house, following by the two red headed dancers from Nocturne. One more man would just add to the odds against them, but it was a risk Amon was willing to take. His gas gun remained loaded with the witch killing bullets in the event of a worst case scenario, and the former hunter knew Robin herself was a force to be reckoned with. Karasuma's gun was loaded with a fresh clip of tranquilizers.
Quickly, quietly, they moved down from the neighbor's roof as their prey returned to the house. The entire group had settled in, working on their weapons. The two girls giggled and went back to the kitchen to start cooking, Amon circled around behind the house, Karasuma and Robin hot on his heels, settling behind a bit of bushes as the witches all moved into the kitchen, talking and joking over the stove.
'
Amon reached for his gas gun when the sounds of Sakaki's laugher rose along with the others. He didn't want to harm Haruto. The younger male had been his colleague, his partner. The former hunter wasn't entirely sure if it came down to it that he could ever shoot Sakaki.
He gave a quick glance to Robin; she nodded.
The Craft user slipped her glasses into place and stood, concentrating. The girl focused her energy into one controlled burst, right at the glass, sliding doors. They exploded into a thousand pieces, shattered by the heat of her righteous flames. There were screams, shrieks of terror, but Robin had to ignore them. Amon jumped up and rushed, running into the room, gun drawn. Miho followed suit. Robin just walked in, as if she owned the place.
The scene inside was a mess. Glass shards lay here and there, scattered about and glittering. Smoke fluttered through the air, carried in by the breeze. The guns, swords, and knives had fallen, strewn across the floor. The others, the witches, Sakaki included, stood in the kitchen, a pale look of shock written across all their faces. Amon and Karasuma aimed, their guns sweeping across the group.
Robin just gasped at how young they seemed. The oldest, being the bartender from Nocturne, couldn't have been older than 35. The younger was probably but three years older than Robin, the red head with the curly hair. Despite her youth, the red head's face held the same age that Robin's did. They seemed so innocent, so young.
Haruto didn't give Robin any more time to contemplate their appearance; he stepped forward, his hands held up in surrender. "I know you've come to hunt me." The young man looked sadly to the witches gathered behind him. "I'll go quietly. Just leave them alone."
"I can't do that, Sakaki," Amon seemed to growl the words. "You know that."
Brett's fist balled. A burst of flame, a liquid tongue of fire leapt into the air from nowhere, circling Amon. The hunter flinched, holding his arm up against the flame, but stood his ground. He waited for a millisecond as Robin danced forward, seeing the fire elemental's energy flow towards her partner. The girl swiftly countered it, and a shower of sparks scattered over the man.
Brett just grinned, his fingers twitching and itching for action. "Ah, a fire starter."
"Witch…" Robin blinked.
As the others seemed to rally, ducking behind the counter, the girl steeled herself. She sent out a shot flame, exploding in Brett's face. The young man didn't move a muscle as he dissipated the energy right in front of himself. He gave a slight bow to Robin, teasing her deliberately.
Amon didn't waste a second. He took aim and fired at Brett before the young man could even have the time to react. Instead, another took action. This time, it was the burly Bear, who jumped up, throwing up his hand and a spike of energy at the same time, directly towards the witch killing bullet. The man with the goatee and dark, chocolate brown eyes stopped the bullet with a sharp bolt of telekinesis, sending the metal slug to a slamming halt right before Brett. The fire elemental gaped when the metal came into focus before him, just inches from his blue eyes.
"Thanks, Bear."
But another burst of flame ignited from Robin, recalling suddenly how these people had hurt Amon, how they stole Sakaki. Her fists tightened into hard balls of rage and fury. The counter exploded into white hot fire, snapping and popping.
"How dare you!"
The telepath's voice shrieked in Robin's mind, but the girl forced it from her mind. The Arcanum of the Craft activated in a flurry. A blinding, radiant, blue light fell over the teenage witch, engulfing her in a protective cocoon, enclosing Amon and Karasuma as well. The witches all surged up from behind the flaming counter, but their energy, their crafts, just bounced off the cocoon, flashing and blinking out of existence.
Robin focused intently on the fire elemental who had been so bold as to attack Robin. Rage flooded into the teenager as she hurled a bolt of pure flame at him. The fire elemental took hold of her flame with his own Craft, twirling it around himself, welcoming the fire and dispelling the energy.
Amon fired off a round of the witch killing bullets directly at another of the witches, the one Karasuma knew to be Kathain, but the girl just ducked out of the way. It was as if the girl had known exactly where and when to stand, and just how to move out of the way. Kathain just slipped an inch or two to the left of the bullet's path as it passed. The slug brushed against her coppery hair but did no damage.
Sakaki shook his head. He had seen enough. The hunter stepped out between the crossfire, directly between Robin and Brett as the two sent out streaks of flame, as Amon and Karasuma fired their gas guns.
"Stop!"
xxxx
For all those searching for a powerful Robin, happy? For all you one who wanted to see Brett become a bigger, baddy, more powerful person, happy? I'm done for right now. The reviews have been most fun.
I just found a shirt yesterday that I had to buy- "Lucky 13- Tattoo Your Soul." So, fyi, the next installment of this soon to be series will most likely be smart-assly labeled "Tattoo Your Soul." Be prepared, this is apparently turning into a much larger project that I had anticipated, complete with the upcoming prelude by NyKole Todd. I'll post more info on that later.