Chapter 29: Caiyi
"The prophecy says, Should the half-blooded search for it, land and skies. " Ruidi said. "Obviously the it means the sun, and who do we know that's the daughter of a sun god?"
"Shirley." I nodded, understanding. "So our quest is to find Shirley."
"But where should we look?" Tim asked. "The world is so BIG..."
Ruidi rolled his eyes, almost as if he couldn't believe what idiots we were. "That's where you have to read carefully, Tim. I think the prophecy also said something about one person traveling to the east to race the sun, right? Well, if we're looking for the sun-"
"Then we should look to the east." Charlie piped up. "I see."
"Yeah, but the question is how far east? The world is round, you know. Go east far enough and you'll be going west." Ruidi retorted.
"Well, excuse me, but aren't you the one who kinda suggested that we go east?" Tim snapped from where he was in a tree scanning the surroundings.
"I did not!" Ruidi yelled back.
"Did too!" Charlie joined in. Their voices echoed through the forest.
"Uh guys?" I started.
"Yeah?" All heads turned to me.
"I hate to interrupt this... loving family argument, but there is a very powerful life form headed this way!" I yelled the rest and then dived to the side as the others did the same. There was an explosion that shook apart my eardrums. I grasped my ears, trying to get rid of the ringing.
A dark-clad assassin smoothly slid out from behind a tree, his hands clasped around something. There was the subtlest movement, and then I felt a scream escape my mouth as something lacerated my body, pain making my vision dim, and slicing right through my combat vest like it was putty. I quickly formed a forcefield of energy around me.
Several white lines fell from the remains of my shredded vest.
"It's some sort of garrote..." I yelled out to my friends. There was another cry, and then the thud of a body hitting the ground.
Then, an explosion ripped through my forcefield, a concussive wave nearly shattering the forcefield. I used all my energy to hold the forcefield together, but my strength was slowly being sapped away.
Someone shouted something, and I could only dimly hear it in my weakened state.
"Ancient Spell #13: Wave of Pure Power!"
As I braced myself, the energy leak vanished as an explosion even larger than the rest blew my sphere apart to smithereens.
I landed on my back, my last sight one of the night sky, orange tinted with red, the deep dark red of blood.