Calamity of Light: Volume 1(Incomplete)

Calamity of Light (Ch.3)

Chapter Three: Hold your ground

"So, where are we going? I mean, you never actually said. And where are we? Why's it so dusty and.. red..?" Danny was still curious, where was he being taken?

"Well, uh, I'm taking you to where I used to live. Before I moved even further inland. After my first home was overrun I went to the outskirts of Western, a state that used to be called Nevada. You see, we lived back in Utah, neither of these places touch the sea but my old home did." Kristian spoke in a softer tone, he didn't really open up about his past but it seemed he was breaking away that shell.

"Wow, you used to live by the sea before all this happened? The only bit of sea left is in USC isn't it, that must have been so cool, having the oceans all around you. But.. but that's where they came from isn't it?" Danny was ecstatic to be hearing this much coming from Kristian, he never spoke in extent about anything really. But he did get concerned when he connected the two dots, the VC's came from the sea and Kristian used to live there, what happened to his home?

"Uh, yeah, that is where they came from. They rushed up the coast and pushed us all the way back, taking the sight of the blue ocean away from us. It's true that the water all around us used to be full of fish and other creatures, there were so many more than there are now. Uhhh, what were we talking about?" For a moment the man was lost in his words but soon caught back on to the topic that began this conversation. "Right, where are we. We are in Utah, or Nevada, or maybe Arizona, wait no, that's outside the fence. Uhm, I don't quite know if we crossed the border of the two old states, and the markings were taken down after we became Western. Either way we're in a pretty hot place full of dust and weird tall rocks and plants that don't need a lot of water."

"This is such a cool place, I mean, the open space with no VC's and the cool hills and mountains. Too bad it's gonna melt me alive." Danny was used to the heat, seeing as he was born here, but he was never out in the unbridled rays of the sun for this long with no shelter or water, it made it pretty tough.

"I'll melt you alive if you aren't a little more patient, once we get to where we're going there's going to be plenty of water to drink and shelter to cool off under." He sighed at the boys dramatics

"Are we going to an oasis?! Like in those old desert movies?! COOL!!" He was squeaking with excitement.

With a monotone voice, Kristian said "Don't be dumb, we're going to a city, not a mystical lake in the middle of nowhere. The heat must be driving you mad." He snickered to himself.

"I'm not going mad, you're the one who's mad?!" The young boy retaliated.

"Don't get too riled up, you'll burst like a lightbulb." He laughed again, it amused him when this little cutie thought he was being tough and scary.

"HEY" Danny was glowing, his ray had activated due to strong emotions. "Don't be so mean, I'll have to punch you." Danny hadn't noticed the shine coming from his hands but the second it began Kristians expression changed. "That's right, I'll get you, I don't care how big you are."

"Calm down, now, look at your hands." He reached to the boy and took the flickering light into his palms to hide it. "You gotta control yourself, remember that you only use your power when you need to, your ray is special, so don't waste it every time you get upset."

"You say special but you mean dangerous, I know what it does." The shine was lost from the boy's hands and the fiery look in his eyes vanished too. "I know it's my fault."

"Danny, come on kiddo, that's not what I mean. I know more about that light than you do, sure it attracts them more than anyone else that uses their ray but it's also much like some others, it takes its power from your light, your life. You have to be careful cause that's your blood that you're throwing away. That's why you need to only use it sparingly, why do you think you got so tired after that night, it wasn't just the running and it wasn't the fear. It's what your power does to you." He didn't want to bring it up, he shouldn't have brought it up, it was the only good example though. And he knows that someday Danny was going to have to face what his power was capable of and what it would do to him, he may as well learn that now.

Danny just mumbled some gibberish, not actual words just sounds, not knowing what to say. Kristian sighed, with the boy's hands in his own he knew what he had to do next. At that moment Danny was flung to the floor as a bolt from a crossbow slammed into the spot he was just in, Kristian moved to cover the boy from incoming fire, it looked like this trip was about to get harder for them.

"Who the fuck just did that?" Kristian was whispering to himself, he was utterly shocked at what was happening. "Where did it come from?" His eyes darted back and forth until he noticed a gleaning bolt was hurling towards him. In an instant he flung his hand in front of himself. "Snap" The powerful arrow caught alight and burned away within a second, leaving nothing but ashes to wash over its target.

"Kristian, what's happening?" Danny had tears in his eyes, a look of fear had taken root in his face. The boy was curled up behind the man, he was staring at the bolt that laid right beside him, he could've died. How did Kristian know it was coming, how did he react in time, it was baffling.

A voice came from behind the peak of a gigantic rock formation, it was eerie and frightening. "So you're K, I've been sent to kill you."