Forest Fire

10

Over the next few days, Forest learned a great bit about Zaun from Ekko. Though the city was definitely a dangerous and a very crime ridden one, he saw it in a different light.

It was his home after all.

Forest still had yet to improve in hoverboard riding, much to Ekko's amusement, but that definitely wasn't her main concern.

A few days back, Ledger had said something about Piltie guards, and not the usual ones.

Forest's mind could only jump to one conclusion...that her father's guards were now searching the Undercity.

"You alright?" Ekko's voice knocked Forest out of her daze and she smiled..very unconvincingly.

"I'm fine."

Ekko nodded in defeat, sitting down beside her. They were outside his little treehouse, sitting just by the door. Below them was the winding tree and people that looked almost like specks from Forest's view.

"I don't know a lot about you." Ekko said flatly.

Forest's heart leapt, panic beginning to rise, but she swallowed it with the lump in her throat.

"You don't have any friends? Family?" He asked, his voice trailing off has he leaned forward to get a closer look at her face.

Forest shook her head no and stood, never wanting anything more than to avoid this conversation.

"I told you. I was arrested when I was young. My parents are..gone."

Ekko had a softer expression playing on his face rather than the stern one he usually wore. Though Forest could tell he was opening up a little bit more over the past few days.

Ekko pulled himself up as well, standing over her, his arm brushing her own.

"Ekko!" The raspy voice startled Forest into almost toppling over. Ekko steadied her and turned to glare at Ledger, who was balancing on a hover board.

"We need you down here."

"Alright. I'll be a second." Ekko replied, tearing his eyes back to Forest.

"Don't go anywhere dangerous." He said, before taking off down the ladder and leaving Forest alone.

———————————-

"We've been walking all day! Can't we get a break?" Zeke groaned, leaning against the brick wall that made up an alleyway.

"We don't have time for a break Zeke!" Talia snapped. "Matthew is getting impatient, and you know what happens when he gets impatient?" The dark haired women snapped.

"What?" Zeke rolled his eyes.

"We die!"

Talia shoved Zeke into the ground, applying pressure in his chest using her foot. She dug her heel into him, watching as his face cringed in pain.

"Okay okay! I'm sorry!" He begged.

Talia scoffed and lifted her foot, letting the younger boy scurry to his feet.

Talia hadn't always been this way. She'd once been young, naive, stupid. Those days were over.
Now in her mid-40's and the commander of the Briggs guards, Talia had grown quite cold, much to Matthew's liking.

Some would say that a cold heart came with being a leader, Talia would agree.

The rest of the main guard consisted of Zeke,
(an eighteen year old idiot) IO, (a quiet girl probably around his age- one that Talia would sometimes catch laughing for the smallest of seconds) Daniel, (an nineteen year old boy and Zeke's best friend since childhood)  and Knives (who was honestly the most intense girl any of them had ever met).