Disclaimer: Still being represented in court and still paying fines. So, yeah, I don't own anything in Esca.
Author's Note: Someone mentioned that this fic is like my other, the Lost Protector, and Warrior in the Shadows. This is sort of true but in The Lost Protector I focus more on the importance of friendship through changes. In Warrior in the Shadows I focus on hidden pasts. This… well, if I told you what I focus on in this then it wouldn't be worth reading now would it?
Sisters till the End
This is dedicated to Pablo/Cecil because he is such an awesome writer and he has inspired me to go farther. Thank you Pablo/Cecil for your awesome story and your awesome talent!
Chapter Five: Attack and Run
Scott was amazed at the tiny creatures' way of life. After exiting the tunnel only three days ago he had walked into a large meadow filled with the strange creatures. In the sunlight they didn't seem so scary and watching them interact with each other reassured him that they were harmless.
On his first day Zorya simply told him that the trunks of the creatures-apparently called Naii-were used for reaching tree branches that held leaves. The long canines were only used to crack hard shells of nuts and cut branches away for easy access to food. Their bodies were meant for scavenging around in harsh bushes and their eyes and claws were for midnight owls that liked to steal their food. They were totally harmless and very friendly.
After that Scott had become relax around the creatures and tried to make friends. Though the Naii regarded him with curiosity they seemed to take a liking to him. They would show him around their little homes that they made inside the large trees and take him scavenging with them as they searched for food. One Naii, named Ti, became his friend in a matter of seconds. Scott rather liked the little Naii for she was always full of energy and happy to accompany him wherever he went.
"So, Ti, where exactly am I?" He asked one day as he helped Ti look for some large nuts in bushes. They were a favorite of the Naii and only fell from their places high above ground one season a year.
"The Naii village!" Replied Ti happily, using her trunk to sniff the ground.
"No, I mean, what planet am I on?"
Ti suddenly fell back on her back legs and pointed her trunk up at the two shinning moons. "That, that Mystic Moo. That where no one lives-that scary," she moved her trunk from Earth over to the other moon, "and that, that Happy Moo! It shine when you come."
Scott shook his head. The little Naii wasn't getting what he asked-that and she didn't know how to say moon. "No, Ti, I mean… where is Naii village?"
"Gaea."
"Gaea?"
Ti nodded.
"Okay… what about-"
Scott was cut off. There was an explosion from the village. Ti's ears pricked up as she whirled her head around and listened. "Village in trouble!" She said as she started to run towards it. Scott followed, a little bit confused. Ever since he had come here it was like a crazy board game-you were left in the dark until someone gave you a clue. All he knew right now was that he was on a planet named Gaea, with his guide Zorya, and a village full of Naii who seemed to think he was someone important. Where were all his damned answers?
As they reached the small center of the meadow, Scott was shocked to see the homes of the Naii on fire. Smoke bellowed from the homes as Naii ran around, frantic and screaming. There was no wind so the smoke seemed to grow and take over the meadow covering it in its stinging black mass. Choking, Scott got down low just in time to see Ti run off. "Ti!" He tried to call but instead choked on smoke.
Damn it! She was running off without protection! Was she insane? No, he reminded himself, just not thinking. There was one thing he learned in his short time with the Naiis that was that they acted without thought of their action's consciquences. They were really like little children. "Ti!" He called again.
This time someone answered him. "Scott!" It was a female voice that he recognized as Zorya's. Funny, I haven't seen her in days, he thought. Suddenly the form of Zorya appeared through the smoke and took a hold of Scott's shoulder. "We need to get out of here!" She yelled at him as she roughly jerked him to his feet.
"But-"
"No protests!"
"Ti!"
"Leave her!"
With that Zorya began to pull Scott away as he tried to fight. Stupid boy! She thought as she forcefully dragged him along. He thinks that he can actually save this village! How pathetic! Why do I have to be a sucker for favors? If I hadn't agreed I could've gotten my pay and left two days ago! But no, I had to stay on a favor and now look where it's gotten me!
Suddenly the smoke got a little thinner and Zorya realized that they were near the caves. Only a little more, she thought as she tugged Scott along. She could see the cave's opening now and it was just feet away…
"HALT!" Someone cried. Zorya's head whipped upwards, the smoke in her eyes forgotten and her body tensed. She watched as a girl, about 18 from the looks of it, suddenly appeared in front of her blocking the cave's entrance. She was 5"6' with a fit body, thin enough to be an agile match for Zorya. Though the smoke was still bellowing she was able to get a good defining picture of the girl's features. She had dark pink eyes that sparkled in the small flickering of the flames a yard back, black hair that was tousled and no doubt stained by the ash, her skin-from what Zorya could see of it underneath her baggy cargo-style pants, tight fitting three-quarter sleeve shirt-was tan, though it was hard to make out with all the ash that covered her skin. She gave a grin to Zorya and drew out her sword; a silent challenge.
Scott, who was disturbed by the fact that Zorya was just going to leave this village, and the creatures who had been so nice to them, behind to be destroyed by fire, was brought out of his frantic fighting when Zorya suddenly stopped. He turned around to see a girl standing before them, sword drawn, a grin plastered onto her pretty ash-smudged face. As he stared at her his mind began to work over time as he caught sight of her pink eyes. Pink? Did people really have pink eyes? Then again I am on this world called Gaea-who knows what they have here, he thought.
"Zorya, are you ready to meet your match?" Asked the girl.
"Get out of my way," Zorya growled. She did not want to waste her time with someone as pathetic as this girl.
"Not until you accept my challenge."
With that the girl rushed Zorya, sword posed for an attack. Using her lightning fast reflexes, Zorya threw Scott to the ground and pulled out her sword, ready to block the upper sweep that this girl was about to make. Yet, as the girl reached Zorya she changed her mind and swept besides Zorya, hitting her with the flat of her sword on the hip. Sliding to a stop and turning around, the girl smiled evilly as Zorya faced her, anger on her face. "Do you accept?" The girl asked.
"No!" Zorya yelled as she rushed to attack this girl. She did not have the time for this! The girl whirled around and kicked Zorya in the face, breaking her nose, as the girl lost control of her sword and managed to slash the girl's right shoulder open. "Naru!" Someone yelled.
Scott, who had seen the short battle, got to his feet and rushed to Zorya who was falling backwards in shock. He took her arm and put it over his shoulders, his other going around her waist to hold her up. He saw another girl, five foot with a delicate but strong build come rushing up out of the smoke and catch the falling girl, apparently named Naru. This girl looked about 24 years old with hazel-green eyes, waist length dirty blonde hair, though it was darkened by the ash and smoke, that was sort of wavy, and her skin was completely black with ash. Though on her face he could see that her skin was slightly pale.
Seeing an opportunity, Scott started towards the cave. He could hear Naru yelling at the other girl to go after them but he assumed that the girl didn't listen because he was outside the cave and heading into the forest when he checked behind him to see that no one was following. As he carried Zorya away from the village he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He was leaving the Naiis to defend from those… girls, who obviously had some sort of mission to finish. I just hope that they will survive, he thought as he cast a backwards glance at the entrance to the village again.
The light flickered against his rugged face as he stared into the fire. It had been a week since they had run from the Naii village leaving their friends alone to die. He regretted his decision. He regretted leaving the Naiis in the attack by those two girls, letting Ti run off, and actually choosing to run away. A coward, that's what he was.
When Naru had been caught off guard and wounded, he could've run back to the village, helping the Naiis escape, possibly even save them from their doom. Yet he hadn't. The choice had been so clear, it was the right thing to do, yet when he had the chance he had turned his back like a cowardly dog and ran away to sulk in the shadows where it was safe. Leaving his friends to burn.
Scott buried his head in his hands. Regret, sadness, pain, they all mingled together to create a gaping hole in his heart that was slowly growing. How could he have betrayed the only creatures on this planet that had actually shown him hospitality and kindness? He was a bastard, a cowardly bastard. "Hiding in the past won't help," Zorya's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. It had been exactly eight days, fourteen hours and twenty-six minutes since they had said a word to each other. He looked up to stare at her next to him.
"What?" He asked, a bit roughly. His anger at himself suddenly changed and he felt resentment towards the ebony haired beauty. How come she didn't seem to care about what had happened?
"Thinking about what happened won't help any. It'll just get you depressed," repeated Zorya. She looked at him with her dark sapphire eyes holding a sudden sadness to their depths. "Your thoughts need to be clear."
"Clear?" Scott laughed bitterly. "Clear you say? They've never been clear! You think that ever since I woke up to see two moon hanging in one sky my thoughts have been clear? You think I know why I'm here? Do you think I actually didn't care about the Naiis that we left to burn?"
Zorya didn't respond, just kept looking at him with those sad eyes. For some reason Scott couldn't stand the look. He couldn't stand to see her sitting there with eyes that screamed sadness and despair. It was like there were chains that were holding her back from something, or perhaps holding her to something. For some reason that drove him crazy.
"We left the only creatures that I knew and were kind to me to burn to death!" He practically screamed.
"They weren't the only ones."
"What, what did you say? You think that they weren't the only ones who were nice to me? Well excuse me! When I woke up you weren't exactly Miss Welcome Wagon! You never answered any of my questions! You practically snapped my hand off first time I saw you!"
Suddenly Zorya was on her feet, her face inches from Scott's. The firelight behind her made her ebony hair glow with an eerie light and her sapphire eyes darken. Her face was a mask of rage and anger as she glared at Scott. "I had a job to do and I did it. I was not supposed to make you feel welcome or happy or relaxed. This world does not make you feel happy or relaxed! I was supposed to take you to the Naiis and then leave with my pay!
"But because of you I stayed on a favor and now look where it's gotten me! No pay for my work and now I have to carry you around like the spoiled baby you are! All because of you! I have no reason to make you feel welcome here because you are not welcome so get over yourself you son of a bitch!"
Scott stared at Zorya in disbelief. He was a job? That was all he was? Now he was even more confused. This time though he was angry. "You mean you brought me to Gaea because I was part of the job?" He asked.
"Stop acting like you never expected that! Of course I did! It was my job to bring you here and take you the Naiis then leave with my gold."
All confusion, disbelief and hope were extinguished. Suddenly all that was left was rage and anger and hate. Scott stood up suddenly, turned and started walking out of the safety ring of firelight. He couldn't look back at Zorya. If she thought she could yank him from his world, plunge him into a new one without even providing any information and then call him a baby… well, she was wrong. He had been abused all of his life and he would not stand for anymore. This was the end of the line and suddenly, he didn't give a damn about anything. All he wanted was to go back to his world. He didn't care if he was this stupid Second or whatever, or even why he was called, he just wanted to go back to his world and leave this damned world behind him.
Author's Note: I'm being all angst aren't I? Oh well, you would be too if you were in a new world and had no clue as to what was going on. Anyways, how'd you like that? Better or worse? Review please! Thanks for all those readers who review! You guys make the chapters come up fast!
~The Shadow That Takes Form as a Kat~
~~ShadowKat~~