The Heroes of The Elemental Academies Book 3 The Tides of War

Chapter 4 Making Noise

Seth

"Hey old man why haven't you started the car," Seth complained as he held the side door open for little Laria and her father Jaden who was clearly still skeptical they had placed the lady on the stretcher in the back of the van. The van was a newer model that had two seat in the front and then three seats on either side lining the wall in the back. In short it was a modified swat van. Matt had created it when they had arrived in Manhattan.

   "I just magically whipped up this hunk of junk i'm still getting used to it," Matt said as he ran his hands over the steering wheel trying to find the start button so he could start the car.

   "And don't call me old," Matt hissed. Seth smiled as he turned around to make sure that the man had gotten in. As he swung the door shut Michelle jumped in the passenger seat.

   "I'll never understand how you two can continue to joke even during a situation as serious as this," she said.

   "I'll never understand how you find the time to come up with all these scoldings. You're worse than my mother," Seth said his smile growing. Seth turned around before she could make a come back and turned his attention to the man named Jaden who was currently sitting in one of seats in the back. In his arms he was cradling his daughter but his eyes were definitely fixed on the pale face of his wife. Seth's heart fell as he understood the fear in the man's eyes. Seth made his way to the back and sat down. Just as he did the engine roared to life and Matt hit the gas nearly throwing Seth to the back.
"Geez man do you know how rude it is to hit the gas before every on is seated," Seth said as he regained his footing and sat down next to the man. The only response he got was Matt sticking his middle finger up over the drivers side seat.
" We'll now that's Just hurtful." Seth said playfully.
"Enough!" Michelle ordered a stern look on her face as she unbuckled her seatbelt and came to the back of the van. "We need to stay focus if you hadn't noticed we are being followed. Seth turned and looked out of the back window just as mike turned and sped onto the entrance ramp of a highway leading into Manhattan. He couldn't really see anything but he could definitely feel the presence of the shadow hunters behind them. Seth turned his gaze to the man who still had what Seth would describe as a death grip on his daughter like he couldn't bare the thought of letting go of her. Seth had always wondered if what the man named Jaden was feeling was how his mother felt about him. Seth studied the mans gaze as he didn't take his eyes off his daughter. Seth could see a sense on confusion in his eyes.
   "She's going to need you you know?" Seth said which drew the man out of his stupor.
The man's eyes focused on Seth and Seth shifted in his seat to get a better view of him.
  "Can you answer some questions now?" He asked his voice barely louder than a whisper. Seth opened his mouth to answer but a shrill scream of pain interrupted him.
   The first thing Seth saw was Michelle flying back towards the front of the van, and it didn't take him long for his eyes to track her path back to the corner of the van where she had been setting up medical supplies. Stepping out of the shadows was something that made Seth's blood chill. Short in stature with wings of darkness upon its back a bare chested with fierce green eyes with shadow literally dripping off its body, a scene Seth's mind almost couldn't comprehend. Seth was on his feet in an instant Sonfang coming out of his sheath before he could even think about it.
It wore black robes from the waist down and it's pale white skin was criss crossed with sickly green glowing veins.
"What are you," Seth asked his voice only shaking slightly.

A smile split the creatures face as it revealed razor sharp black teeth. Then in a voice that rasped together like a thousand snakes but was impossibly deep answered,

"You're asking the wrong questions, Lord Malcovitch," The venom in his sentence nearly dripping with contempt as he said Seth's formal title. Despite the fear that had by this time shaken Seth to his core, Seth stepped forward resolutely putting himself between the creature and Jaden. Seth had never felt fear like this, it was like a cold poison had taken over his body, seeping through his veins in an unprecedented way. Seth was struggling to stop his feet from shaking.

"Matt?!" Seth yelled "Michelle's down and hurt."

"I know!" Matt said. "Kinda busy here!"

"Try to secure her if you can and get that ugly set of dental problems out of here."

Seth began to condense light into his left hand as he took another step forward. Green fire erupted from the creature's hand as a blade of black materialized in his hands. The blade was slim but long, and curved resembling a scimitar. It had green glowing spikes on the spine of the blade.

"You don't need to fight me. Just give me the girl and we can call this off, after all you wouldn't want to make a lot of noise in such a populated city would you?"

Despite his fear Seth almost laughed. "When has that ever worked?" Seth asked willing the energy of light to cover Sonfang and himself in a protected layer. Seth also discreetly wrapped Jaden, Laria, Michelle and the woman in a layer of light energy. He didn't want them getting hurt in the crossfire of the fight that was getting ready to happen. 

   Seth raised Sonfang ready to start the battle, he had to forcefully steel himself against the fear he was feeling. But he never got the chance. Suddenly Seth heard a scaping of steel and the loud screech of metal grinding against metal as inertia and gravity picked him up and threw him against the wall of the van as it made a uncontrolled decent through the air. 

   "Holy!! Hold On!" Matt screamed from the front. Seth blacked out for what happened next. When he opened his eyes the first thing he realized was that his left arm hurt tremendously. He realized that he was faced down on tile flooring. Secondly he realized that his left are had been twisted underneath him which explained the throbbing pain in his arm. Pushing himself off the ground he tried to take stock of the situation. 

   The van was gone, probably destroyed in what Seth was quickly realizing was a wreck. There was a pain in the left side of his head and his friends were sprawled around him. IF Seth hadn't wrapped them in a light barrier they probably would've died. Looking around Seth found out that they were now under ground, they had crashed into a subway entrance. A path of broken and twisted metal led back up the stairs to the street. As Seth tried to shake his head clear it he became aware that a group of shocked and terrified pedestrians that were huddled on the far side of the platform, and Seth could see the tell tale sign of flashes as phone obviously began to snap pictures.

   "Welp," Seth said to himself. "I think we managed to make some noise."