Fool of Knight 1: Strength

Chapter 3

The dawn sky remained bright, unchanging with time. Loose clay stuck to our feet, seeming to barely bother Zelle as I struggled to find a comfortable angle of impact for every step.

I focused on the forest, unsure if we were making progress.

"How does she expect me to do this..." I held my finger up, straining myself as I flexed all the muscles in my arm.

The sun radiated its hue, bathing everything in a thin film of red. Its moist heat came in constant waves that brushed past us, despite the absence of a breeze.

"You're slowin down," she scolded, glancing back at me. "...That's 'not' gonna work, relax your arm."

"We've been walking towards the forest for so long but... it doesn't seem to be getting any closer..." I switched to a wider stride. "I guess only running is a problem... but what does that mean about jumping."

Tremors shook the ground, followed by more screeches. As tiring as the walk was, I felt the same unrelenting fear as if every screech were the first.

"How do I know if I can trust her... She claims to be here to help but thinking about it now, she jumped immediately towards danger..."

"Your arm's too tense!"

"If I can do this, we can get out of here but.... What does Troy want with me? I doubt she would come all this way without knowing anything, but I can't ask anything else until I manifest... What if it's too late by then...or..." I tightened the muscles in my arm again, feeling no change from my previous attempts. "What if I can't at all... Will she leave me behind?"

Though the forest seemed no closer from where we first began, the shack was far in the distance.

I stared back to it. "If I went back, I probably could've had more time to be ready, there's no telling where we're going out here..."

"You're slowin again!"

I focused ahead. "Is it too late to try..."

Zelle lifted her finger again, keeping her body towards the forest. "Okay, watch me do it again," she announced, slowly manifesting an orb. "All you have to 'do' is want it to be there and focus," she maintained.

I stared at the turquoise orb, flexing my arm. "What?"

Turning around she grabbed my arm. "Stop flexing! Muscles have nothing to do with it! Your body is fully spiritual right now, so everything is based off intention, not force."

"But how can-."

"I just told you! Stop 'asking' questions and listen!" She grabbed my arm, jerking me into a normal stride before letting go. "And keep up," she continued.

"There's no point in showing me if you're not going to explain it too... What does she expect me to do different..."

The soles of my feet frayed as the dry surface of rough clay pulled at them.

"And the ground isn't helping my focus..."

"Keep trying," Zelle yelled.

I could see the slivers of hope in her eyes wither with the tension in the already thick air.

"...Maybe I should've stayed behind, ha-ha," I awkwardly mumbled as another pattern of tremors and screeches sounded.

"Don't talk like you're quitting, it'll piss me off," she growled through her teeth.

My heart sank to my stomach as I staggered.

"Come on!"

The sound of our heels chafing the ground was swallowed into a sticky squish.