The Time Hopper

Finding New Allies

I advanced on the rock, Riley shadowing every step while Took hung back, holding tight to his necklace in case I needed backup without putting himself in danger. Typical. I didn't know who it was, though the list of possibilities was honestly rather short. The valley was well secured, with the only physical entrance being locked behind about thirty layers of spells and barriers, and I was certain I hadn't brought anyone else in. In all the years I had been here, Mr Consequences had never once stirred himself from the docks, which meant it was Omega, Samuel, Marie, or one of the other elementals. 

As I advanced, I scrambled for a strategy for any of them that didn't involve setting something on fire (which, in my defense, had never let me down so far). Marie and Samuel might listen if they didn't already know, because both of them had arrived after I did, but Omega had been here for decades, if not centuries. There was no way he didn't know, which meant this could easily come down to a fight, which should be interesting. He was a powerful mage in his own right, but I couldn't let him run and tell Consequences. Maybe if I just lightly stabbed him in the leg, it would give Took enough time to freeze him in place, and then we could figure out what to do. 

With a plan in place, I leapt forward so I was behind the rock, wielding my knife and ready to strike. I yelled as I did it, Riley right behind me with a rock, and our victim yelled too, a wordless cry of panic. Immediately, I noticed they were too small to be any of the adults and dropped the knife, almost skewering my own foot in the process. Alexi was crouched there, hands covering his hand and eyes tight closed. I shoved Riley away and backed off a few steps myself, taking a knee. 

"I'm sorry, Alexi, really I am. I didn't know who it was, and well, you heard what we were saying. It's alright." I said softly, keeping my eyes trained on the ground as he shakily uncovered his head. I held out my hand, fingers splayed, in what passed as his version of a hug. He hissed at me and I pulled back. "Yeah, I deserved that." I murmured, smiling at him, which I didn't expect him to return anyway. He scrambled out from his hiding place, getting a bitter glare from Took. 

"How do you keep sneaking up here? I literally check for before I start, and I've told you I don't like to be disturbed!" He scolded. I scowled at him and stepped protectively in front of Alexi. 

"Leave him alone, Took! You don't own this mountain, he's as much a right to be up here as anyone else. And besides, you can't blame him for sneaking past you. I wasn't trying to be sneaky, and I still had to speak before you even noticed I was here. Your awareness has never been good." I snapped at him. From one glance at Riley's face, I could tell he wanted to give the child of blood a piece of his mind, but he chose not to. Good. Now was the time for me to docking Took because he decided to attack my Irish friend. 

"It's creepy, he always has been. And he ain't defending himself, so why are you bothering?" He grumbled, sitting down and throwing a rock at a bird. 

"He's mute and you damn well know it." I scoffed, ignoring him in favor of turning to the still scowling Alexi. "You heard everything, didn't you?" I asked him, though I already knew the answer. Alexi nodded his head. I looked at his face, trying to read his expression, but I had no idea what was going through his head. No one ever did. 

"Why don't you come and sit down, and we can talk." I offered with a sigh, a spike of panic lancing through my heart when he shook his head and backed away, glancing over his shoulder like he was about to bolt. The three of us looked at each other and Took stepped forward, looking like he was about to physically restrain the boy. I held out an arm absently to stop him while desperately trying to cook up a plan to keep him here without freaking him out. And then Riley stepped a little closer, giving me a reassuring look, and started speaking to him. 

"Look, Lexi, I get that what you just heard was really upsetting. You should have seen the state Sadie was in when she did. All we want to do is talk to you, maybe convince you to come with us? We'd keep you safe, and as soon as we arrive at the safe place, you can get right back into your routine, I promise." Riley told him in his soft lilting accent, one that Alexi had always seemed to find comforting. The boy was flapping his hands, like he usually did when he was thinking, and then he nodded, pointing at me. I gave him a big grin and a thumbs up.