Dawn

Chapter 4

        I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened them next about forty minutes had passed. I checked my phone and my eyes grew wide as I read Amariss’s message that she had sent me about fifteen minutes before I woke up. She said that she was going to get our other three friends to come with us too. Then the doorbell rang.

        I ran to the door and looked outside. I saw my friends looking like they were ready for war standing on my front porch, barely illuminated by the rising sun.

        “Hey Kate! There are some people here who I think you should meet.” I shouted. As she started to come downstairs I opened the door.

        “Kate, I want you to meet my friends.” I said.

        Her eyes grew wide as she replied, “H-hi. I'm Kate.”

        “I’m Damien.” said a tall, fit, dark skinned guy standing next to Amariss, who had her dagger strapped to her thigh. He was in full fighting gear, holding a green steel staff, and grinning like a dork.

        The scrawny, pale boy with a high tech bow and quiver slung across his back standing next to Damien was next to speak up. “I’m Jasper. Its a pleasure to meet you.” he said with a surprisingly strong voice.

        A blonde girl who looked like she was fourteen years old poked her way through to the front, “And I’m Isabelle! Wanna see my weapon?” she brandished a small piece of luminescent metal engraved with strange markings. Then she twirled it and elongated into a eight foot long silver and gold spear. She smiled as she poked Damien in the side with the bottom of it nonchalantly. “Boop.” she said, and broke out into a fit of giggles.

        “Nice to meet all of you. But why are you here? We are leaving tomorrow.”

        “Yes. We are leaving tomorrow. All of us.” said Jasper, walking to stand at my side. “We never abandon a friend.”

        “Yeah!” Isabelle chimed in, giggling some more.

        “I didn't know they were coming until I woke up a few minutes ago. But I think they should come. They are all really skilled fighters. And after seeing what happened to my parents, we need all the help we can get.”

        “What ha-” Isabelle started.

        “Don’t ask. Its not something you need to hear. Or see for that matter.” Amariss said.

        “How about we put that to the test, Alex. Lets see if they are skilled or not. If all of them at once can last in a match against me for at least five minutes then they can come.” Kate said, grinning at Amariss.

        “Ok, we’ll do it. But I think we should make it at least a little fair. We’ll let just Izzy do it.” Jasper said.

        Isabelle's eyes lit up like the fourth of July and her spear began to hum with energy. “We should go in the back yard if we’re going to do this.” she said, grinning slyly. “You can control water so that might make it easier for you since it rained about half an hour ago.”

        “Ok. Lets go.” Kate turned and walked through the house to her room to retrieve her weapon. Then we all walked outside.

        “Good luck Kate.” I said as we walked out. “Isabelle can be a monster in a fight. She is probably the strongest out of all of my friends. And the fastest. And the best at wielding her weapon.”

        Kate looked at Isabelle with an expression of disbelief. Then she shook her head and walked past me to stand opposite Isabelle. We all backed away from the danger-zone and got ready to stop Isabelle if she let loose too much.

        Isabelle and Kate looked over at us for the signal to start. The moment I nodded they began to sprint towards each other, raising their weapons. Kate grinned, sliding across the ground with her cleaver ready as a shield, and her sword draw back, ready to impale her opponent. Isabelle just sighed and her spear transformed into a shield bigger than her, Kates sword ricocheting uselessly off it and flying from her hand. Isabelle smiled and her shield transformed again into a blunt mace and she shattered Kate’s cleaver into seven separate pieces. Then the mace transformed back into a spear, which she lowered to hold the tip at Kate's throat, grinning sadistically.

        “Looks like I win, Katie cat. You made quite a few mistakes too. Like sliding across the ground, or losing concentration when my weapon transformed. But your biggest flaw was underestimating me, even after Alex warned you. He wouldn't lie to you to give me an advantage. He was trying to even the playing field.” Kate looked in awe from Isabelle to her weapon and back again.

        “You know what that is right?” Kate asked, staring at the weapon.

        “Yes. We all have Trans. Weapons. We just never told Alex about it. He needed to find out on his own.” Isabelle giggled quietly to Kate as she held out a hand to help her up.

        “What?!” Kate shouted, “Do you know how dangerous that is? If all seven of these are gathered that would mean the other seven would be too!”

        “Alex’s dad has the other three on the weapons rack in the basement. He is training Alex with the sword.” she looked over at me and saw me holding it. “Wait, why does he already have it?” she asked Kate quizzically.

        “Alex’s parents aren't… well… they’re dead.” Kate said quietly.

        “W-what? What do you mean?” Isabelle dropped her weapon and fell to her knees. “That can't be right. They can't have died.” She broke down into tears and hugged Kate. Kate hugged her back and blushed at how natural it felt to do so.

        “Whats wrong? What happened?” I said as I rushed over, the others following behind me, just as worried.

        “I told her about your parents, Alex.” she whispered to me. The she went back to holding Isabelle.

        “Guys, I need to show you something. Come with me.” I said to everyone else. We all walked inside, leaving Kate and Isabelle outside, and I led them to my parents room. Violet and Amariss stayed in the living room, already guessing what I was about to show them. “I don't want to see this again, but you guys need to see it.” I said as I opened the door. Their immediate reactions were just as mine had been, pure shock. As what they were seeing set in, Damien held a hand to his mouth and ran to the bathroom, and Jasper dropped to the floor and backed up to the wall in fear. I closed my eyes and shut the door once again. Then I walked back to the living room, letting them have time to cope with what I had just shown them.

        “Are you ok?” Amariss asked gently, walking over and wrapping her arms around me. 

        “I’ll be ok.” I said.