(Issue 4, after Taranee is imprisoned in Meridian)
"Woah! Eric are you alright man? You have more bandages now than last time!" Mosquito asks as Eric with bandages around his hands, band-aids across his nose bridge and his forehead and swollen bruises on his right cheek.
"I just fell down a couple of steps from the stairs." Eric replies as they walk to the entrance of Cardano High. Yesterday, Galgheita showed Eric, Nigel and Ray to one of the secret portals of Meridian and led them to one of the portals of Heatherfield called Clearview Crossing. It was located in a railroad tunnel next to a foot of a hill and next to a telephone booth. Nigel, who consciously wakes up during the travel, part ways as Eric and Ray took the midnight bus back to Open Hill.
"That's hard to believe. A couple of steps and you just turn out to be a mummified zombie from a sarcophagus!" Mosquito asks. "And Ray? He's not attending school today again?"
"Ray says he's too ill to go to school." Eric explains. "He's taking the day off again." Yet it was a lie, during the whole way back to Earth and to Open Hill, Ray did not show his usual wisecracks and humorous attitude. His gloomy face stared to nothingness and does not even said a single word throughout the journey back home.
"Guess he did the thermometer trick again!" Mosquito bumps his shoulder to Eric's. In response, Eric does a light and depressing chuckle. Mosquito notices his somehow sad reply. "You alright?"
"Yeah I'm alright" Eric says. Yet it is also a lie. The fight from the early hours ago was not what he expected as his early days as a legionate nor what he faced when he was a student. The fight lasted at a very fast phase, but to him it felt like that time stopped to tick away. In that deadly fight, every moment became harder to breathe and the will to fight became a struggle to survive. It was to fight against a strong opponent and to bear their morale against an enormous, experienced and well-trained combatant, who killed one of the greatest legionates of their legion.
"You sure?" Mosquito asks with concern. "If anything's wrong just tell me man."
"S-sure" Eric stutters as tears start to flow from his eyes and covers them up.
"Hey hey hey!" Mosquito exclaims as pats his friend's shoulder. "You okay? Are you crying? If you wanted that mini-figurine Millenial Falconate spaceship from 'Battlestar Trek' you wanted, I could give it to you."
"Are you ridiculous!" Eric wipes his eyes. "I just didn't get enough sleep! So I bet I might end up at the Principal's later on!" He jokes. Yet it is also another lie. Afraid and dispirited, the terrifying scenes of the flashback start to get his in mind. Hours ago were a hunch of luck, an escape of death. As legionates, they should have been brave to face the any kind of danger and not to be a frightened scaredy-cat. Though they were trained in the academe, they were not ready. They were too young of their age to fight. Their training and studies were even rushed and have to leave their batchmates behind and graduate early to fill in the extinct legion.
"Hey Squito! Eric!" calls Rod, who catches from behind. "What's up with the bandages again Eric? And are you crying man?"
"Fell down from a couple of steps and now cries 'cause of it." Mosquito teases.
"Awww..." Rod rubs Eric's hair. "If only I could give you all the stars from space I could!"
"Hey I offered a mini-figurine spaceship first!" Mosquito jokes.
"Knock it off you two." Eric says smilingly. Yet the one thing that pushes him up is the people and friends around him. He may not be living with his busy parents abroad but being with his friends is ultimately worth it. Shyness and introverted behavior may not bring him more friends, but at least a few yet close friends can truly help him. Including his fellow legionates, his idol friend Ray and his enemy and rival…
(Issue 4, Guardians before heading to Shell Cave)
"Don't you have a spell to repair that?" Nigel, who has bandages and band-aids all over his body, but lesser than the two, says to Eric later in the afternoon by the Shell Cave, the cave near the beach in Heatherfield, which shelters another portal. Even too tired and exhausted throughout the day, Eric and Nigel manage to come to guard the portals once again. They now rest along the cliff, underneath the cave, as they let their legs dangle on its edge as they share and explain on what they did in the recent events.
"The last time I tried, the fire almost consumed my uniform." Eric replies as he patches and sews the cuts and holes of his legionate uniform. "Lucky for you, since you are a mage by nature and so as your uniform, it could actually restore itself."
"Oh right." Nigel says as scratches his head.
"How did your mother react when she see those bandages of yours?"
"Last night up until now, it's a good thing my mother didn't see my like this. If she had, then I would have been grounded, explaining to her that I beat up another gang in my neighborhood! I could have been caged in the house the whole day!" Nigel explains. "Besides she doesn't care about me either way."
"Wouldn't that be better?" Eric asks rhetorically "I mean you could rest and sleep for the whole day." He jokes slightly.
"Just like Ray." Nigel says. "By the way, how is he since yesterday?"
Eric heaves a big sigh. "He's not himself since, I tried to comfort him but he just didn't reply back to me. Her mother, Mrs. Sapeha, cried as she was too concerned as she still tried to comprehend on what happened to her son. She took us in and cleaned and wrapped our wounds. I explained everything to her mother and she understood somehow. This morning I wanted to visit him, but his mother told to me that Ray has been in his room all night since. She says she's too worried for him. He never left his room or ate anything!"
"That's bad." Nigel responds. "Is there anything we could do?"
"All we have to do is wait for a while" Eric replies. "Ray's been a shock when he learned and knew that the beast we fought killed his idol uncle. I want him to rest and keep his mind calm. I even told his mother to keep an eye on him. His anger might make him go back to Meridian."
"Have you also decided to bring the Meridianites here?" Nigel then changes the topic. "Just as this-Caleb favors from you?"
"I just wanted to cool off the situation." Eric replies. "Many things have happened to us lately and I don't want decisions rushed. But if you have come earlier, the damage on us would be taken lighter, such as the agreed 'reinforcements' we have." Eric chuckles.
"Well, better late than never!" Nigel exclaims. "I just followed what you asked me to, follow the Guardians and when I entered the portal, I fought three hundred of them, run out of mana and burned my hands! I took off to the air and found you were in trouble so I came and-"
"Yes, yes, I already know and if I forget, thanks." Eric calms him down. "If only there were more of us, then that would make our work lighter. Have you tried asking Uriah?"
"Though he is destined to be a legionate, I think it would be hard to open it up to him. I think it's not the right time." Nigel says.
"I see."
The awkward silence breaks in as the only sounds are the blows of the wind breeze, the rushing of the waving of waters and the screeching and squawking of the nearby seagulls behind the orange sunset. While Eric is busy to fix his uniform, Nigel staringly gazes the wondrous sunset, thinking if he could bring the problem he has been hiding from now.
Nigel heaves a sigh. "I felt something wrong from them this morning, especially with Taranee."
"Taranee has taken over your mind doesn't she?"
Nigel blushes. "It's not that! I can't sense her magical presence in her!" he breathes slowly to calm down and continues. "This morning, I approached and helped her because her things fell off from her arms, but I never felt the magical sense coming from her, as if she was a mere human being. I thought I was wrong, but when the Guardians approached us to drive me away from her, I instead felt their strong magical presence."
"And what are you implying?"
"That she's not Taranee." Nigel explains. "I believe she's in trouble and I would like to find out what it is."
Eric flat-faced sees him with determination on his face he sighs. "Can you even light a blast from your hands now?"
"Yes I can-!" Nigel tires to ignite his blast. "Ow!" yet only a spark from his shaking hands is the only magic he could do.
"I know you're too concerned for Taranee as of the moment." Eric explains. "But our legion is heavily battered. One of us is depressed and can't even respond to us. We, on the other hand, are exhausted from the fight. I too get the bad flashbacks of that brutal fight. Good thing, I get to calm down when I listen to Black Shadow music, because maybe without it I might end up being like Ray as well."
"But you said to support them behind their backs!" Nigel offensively recalls for Taranee's sake.
"Open your eyes Nigel." Eric sternly replies back. "If we push ourselves in a dangerous position, then it would lead to more trouble for the Guardians than to support them." He then relaxes to a lighter tone. "What we did back there, I think that's a huge help to them. If we were not there, then I bet the Guardians could not make it out alive with more soldiers awaiting them."
"And what should we do then?" Nigel enlightens
"We need to calm and rest now and let the Guardians do their thing. The Oracle chose the Guardians wisely and knowingly." Eric says. "And I think we should trust them a bit more. Maybe tomorrow, things will go back where they were, you'll see."
"You think?" Nigel asks with hope in his tone.
"Yap!" With motivation to push him forward, he slightly as shoves his uniform into his shoulder bag as he stands up to his scooter "We better get going, dusk is about to begin and according to the weather, the storm is about to come soon, so we might as well hurry our patrol and go back home."
(Issue 5, after Irma joins Martin in the museum)
The weekend breezy day in Heatherfield comes as the rainy season covers the sky. According to the news a storm is coming as rainfall will once again fall from the sky to the ground.
During that afternoons, Nigel, as his wounds begin to heal because of his magical blood, plans to walk away to have some time alone and quietness from the family conflict. His brother and his mother are having another fight again. Through this past five years, this becomes more too often. When his father left and divorced since, she starts to be addicted to gambling and his brother begins to become one of the bad teens in the neighborhood.
'What a family! I wish I were better off without them!' Nigel says as he kicks a pebble along the sidewalk. 'I though by joining the legion was an escape from their misery, but it was not what I expected.'
Suddenly, he feels a strong presence. He feels the goosebumps and his vellum hairs on his arms begin to rise. He thinks it is the large gusts of prevailing of winds, but it was never it. His magical sense grows and grows as if someone is near him. It is not of Meridianite's or of a Guardian's but another legionate's-!
"E-Excuse me." Someone with a wimpy voice pants behind Nigel's back.
Nigel turns in surprise to meet the wimpy yet smartest honor students of Heatherfield. He was known for his large round glasses, bland and short blond hair, pointed chin and a large nose and too skinny arms. "Hey Martin." He greets.
"O-oh!" Martin backs off. "I'm sorry Nigel, didn't mean to disturb you or Uriah!" he apologizes. Martin Tubbs, the nerdiest of them has been a victim to bullying by Uriah's gang, due to his weak appearance and attitude.
"No you don't have to..." Nigel says. Yet he feels 'it' in him. There is the sense of the legionate in him, much stronger than the on-off sensation from Uriah's, like he's ready to become one. 'And I thought Destined Tattoos are rare! And this town alone has already has two!' He places his hand on his shoulder."I should be the one to ask for forgiveness in behalf of Uriah and his gang."
"You don't have to! It's fine really! You seem different from Uriah." He doubts as he fixes his glasses. "Mind if I ask if why do you still hang out with them?"
Nigel scratches his head. "It's a long story…but rest assured, I am a friend." He hands out his hand
'Better test if he has it on him now' He places his hand on Martin's shoulder and whispers. "You know that tattoos aren't allowed in school right?"
Martin gulps awkwardly, as he skips back and shoves rapidly behind his back. "H-how did you know that? I know I've always worn shirts that cover my shoulder blade."
'That was easy to read…' Nigel with his boring flat face looks at him. The first legionate was discovered to be Uriah, one of the naughtiest kids of the neighborhood and now his opposite the wimpy and weak Martin, is also chosen. What a strange selection!
"Well it's a hunch. At least in can't be seen so it's alright then!" Nigel grins, he then remembers earlier. "By the way, you were you running earlier when you met me. What're you running for?"
"Heck no!" Martin refuses "I just want to forget what've seen with my own two eyes!"
"What did you see then?"
"Y-you wouldn't believe me!"
"Make me then." Nigel smiles as he challenges him.
Martin with some assurance asks again. "You won't laugh?"
"Not even a chuckle."
"O-okay then-ummm… I was with Irma in the museum earlier and…" Martin stutters. "I saw a h-huge huge lizard! Which is as tall as me, I tell you! It's a huge monster with red clothes! I try to calm down in front of Irma, but when I left her I was afraid that my mind is out of this world so I ran."
'The museum you say?' Nigel asks to himself. 'It's where the portal is! Doesn't it mean Merdianites are now crossing to our world!' He looks into Martin's eyes. "Are you sure about it?"
"Yes I'm sure!" Martin replies to him.
"I see." Nigel nods slightly. 'He's telling the truth.'
"I knew it you didn't believe me!" Martin unconvincingly yells. "I must be out of my mind! I must be imagining things-!"
"No, I don't think you're out of your mind." Nigel says quickly. "But I don't think you shouldn't tell others what you saw. I might be the one who believes in you anyway."
"Huh? So you trusted to what I said then?" Martin asks in surprise.
Nigel walks past him. "You may be the smartest student in your class, Martin and I respect that." He says and walks on his way, without turning back. "But believe me, there is a lot more than you already knew."
