Seal of Light - (Soul Drifter Series)

VI. The Calm before the Storm

Mat and Rigs dashed forward to the location of the explosion.

Mat recalled the flash stepping technique to Rigs, and they practiced it occasionally on their way charging it with a bit of power from their unlit seal, giving them a boost of distance in a matter of seconds.

"What's with the monk attire Rigs?"

"Oh this, I was covering a news report for an Anime Convention. Last thing I recalled, I saved a couple of kids from a falling Light Ballast, and then, here I am, waking inside that black pillar, until you came."

"Look Rigs, another pillar, I think we should make a quick stop there and check if someone is in there."

"Alright Mat, you lead, I'll follow."

The two took cover and rested their back behind a large tree, taking a quick glimpse on the pillar and on the nearby area for any suspected danger.

"Did you see that Rigs?"

"Yeah, it looks like a young boy, standing in front of the pillar," Rigs replied with a very suspicious look.

Mat paused for a second and gave this serious look at Rigs.

Rigs wasn't sure how to respond so he made funny faces instead.

"OK Rigs seriously, here's the plan."

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Rigs slowly sneaked to the next tree, moving closer to the mysterious boy who was standing before and facing the black pillar.

"OK, here goes..."

To Rigs' surprise, just before he moved out to his next spot, the boy was already standing in front of him.

"N-no, d- did he just performed a flash step?" Rigs thought while standing frozen with his cheeks randomly palpitating.

The young boy stood still in front of Rigs and gave him a blank stare.

"Is he waiting for my next move? Is he trying to read my mind at the moment? Is this another possessed person?" Rigs thought as he stood motionless and returned a flattened stare to the young boy.

After several moments of silence, both of them felt the bullet speed movement occurred near the pillar.

"So you guys figured out how to free the captive soul huh?" the young boy said in a very calm and soft toned manner.

"Did he saw that too? Did he knew I had company?" Rigs thought as he raised his eyebrows, slowly looking back to the boy.

"He had the situation under control, I must not let my guard down," Rigs thought as his seal slowly lit up in preparation of any sudden assault.

Still with a searching glance, the young boy raised his hand and pointed his finger to Rigs' face.

"Oh no, here comes the slow motion ending with a big blast, come on seal, don't fail me now, must pull up my spiritual barrier before..." Rigs' thought was interrupted by the boy's end to the long absence of word between them.

"Sir, is that a bruise on your face?"

The question was genuinely sincere Rigs wanted cry, or faint rather.

Rigs' cheeks were now palpitating violently."What kind of demon are you? You are playing with human emotions."

The young boy felt Rigs' anxious response. He turned about and faced the recently emptied pillar.

"I was trying to help the person inside the pillar, but I don't know how, I was also trapped inside one of those but I was able to free myself, I can't even explain how I did it, but I did it."

"You are not a demon, right?" Rigs asked, still with a raised brow.

"No, I am not, I am Jimmy Fang, I am looking for my elder brother, Sieg Fang."

"Sieg? Jimmy? The Fang brothers," Rigs thought.

"You know my brother?"

"You really can read minds do you, young Jimmy?"

"Uhm, Yes, well, not everything, especially when it is deep or long, it would be cloudy, but you with that short phrased thought, I definitely could." Jimmy replied with a bit of a proud gesture and a crossed-arm.

"Um, OK, that's good enough, I'm Rigs by the way, listen Jimmy, we need to help my friend Mat, to free the other captives, your brother might be in there too."

"Alright sir, I will do whatever I can to help."

"I saw you did that flash step a while ago, can you do that again?" Rigs asked with a grin.

Jimmy showed a childish grin and nodded back.

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On the highest location of the mountain, somewhere nears the central black pillar.

Mat landed after performing several long flash steps. He carefully placed down the person he was carrying and he exhaustedly fell to his knees with his face almost an inch away from the ground. He gave several deep breathes.

"Thank you for saving me back there, I hope you're still alright?"

It was a very familiar soft voice. It was a woman's voice. How could Mat forget that sweet gentle tone, but could it be possible? That she's here too?

Mat slowly tilted his head, and to his surprise.

"It's you!" the both of them said at the same time.

"Summer Eve? How did you..."

"Mat Adam! I can't believe this is happening, but I am really glad to see you here."

Summer gave a quick hug, and then settled back with a slight distance and an awkward look at each other.

"Oops, I-I just got carried away," Summer blushed.

Mat was still in shock, his feeling was a mix of excitement and fear, his heart was beating double time.

Summer could not help but notice the seal that was half lit on Mat's right shoulder.

"That seal, I've seen than symbol on my mom's bracelet, there were other seals besides that. "

"The bracelet that I have brought to you," Mat recalled.

"Yes, from my aunt Lily. So it is true, everything my mom said was true, these supernatural powers do exist, and you are one of them."

"A-are you afraid of me now?"

"No, no, in fact I'm a bit excited myself, my mom used to tell sto..."

Mat interrupted and took Summer and flashed-step away from their location.

A giant blast of dark energy almost destroyed them.

On a safer location, Mat scanned the area where the blast could have been casted.

"Look Mat, another pillar," Summer said, pointing to a black pillar similar to where she was taken earlier.

A silhouette of a person was seen behind it.

"Mat, I think there is someone inside it." Summer said on a bit higher tone.

"OK Summer, wait I'll have to make a quick scan on the area, I can feel someone lurking around. Stay hidden behind the pillar. "

Summer nodded and sat behind the black pillar. She slightly moved her head to take a small view on where Mat was.

Mat was about to flash step to a nearby spot when someone caught him on his face, it took a grip on it and slammed him hard on the ground.

"NO!"Summer screamed and then quickly covered her mouth and sat back to hide herselfbehind the pillar.