Jay's Journey

Chapter 18

Finally, the final petal was coming into full form from needle and thread. Zira had decided to model the flowers on her scarf off of the shirt Vayen had gotten for her. While the others were asleep, she'd put it on. It felt comfortable and it flowed nicely, but she had no mirror and thus no idea what it looked like on her.

The others looked over her shoulder as she made it happen. It had been weeks on the trail. Every time they weren't training and there was sufficient light, she'd taken out Jay's embroidery kit and gotten to work on it. The corner of it was black from where a spark from a fire had touched it.

It wasn't as good as the shirt, and its shading and highlights didn't blend together nearly as seamlessly. She still thought it looked quite beautiful. Then again, it was difficult for purple flowers to be hideous in her opinion.

She finished the last knot of the embroidery, tying it firmly. Then, she held the completed scarf out in front of her.

"It looks beautiful." Jay commented. Jay's scarf had been completed about a week before. Its flowers were far better constructed and there were far more of them packed closely together in beautiful bundles of snow white, rosy pink, and sky blue. He was using it as a headband to keep lengthening hair from hanging in his face.

"Shit that's pretty." Vayen added. Zira decided to use it to tie her hair into a ponytail.

"Maybe put it around your neck and keep the strip for your hair. You can't see the flowers when you tie your hair." Jay said. Zira took it out, Jay was right, it would be a little sad if none of her work was visible.

"How does it look?" She asked.

"Gorgeous." Jay said.

"I already said it was fuckin' pretty." Vayen said. Zira smiled.

"Thanks. I'll have to look in the next stream." She said.

"So uh, what are you gonna work on now?" Vayen wondered.

"Probably training, we're doing well, but we have a long way to go before we're ready to face my mentors and the Mage Hunter." Zira explained. Barely a second after she'd finished saying it, Jay's head shot up.

"Uh, did you hear something?" He asked.

"No." Vayen answered. Zira focused her attention, but didn't hear anything. She knew not to dismiss it though, Jay had proven perceptive in the past. Instinctively and quietly, she fell into the combat stance Vayen had taught her.

One second, there was silence. The next, it was broken by figures Zira had not wanted to see again for a long time.

On one side of the clearing was the Mage Hunter. On another was Mistress Calleen. The last angle of attack was taken up by Mistress Thorne. All of them had the dirt stains and grime of traveling outside civilization for a long time.

They had already been found.

The teenagers' opponents drew their weapons and surged forward. Zira immediately beelined for Mistress Calleen. Vayen decided to storm towards the incoming Mage Hunter. Jay took the remaining Mistress Thorne.

Vayen immediately defaulted to drawing on his newfound power. The rage rose rapidly and his vision expanded to encompass every angle effortlessly. The Mage Hunter held out a hand, and the rising magic within him simmered and sputtered into nothing.

"Ah shit that's right you can do that bullshit." Vayen cursed. He drew his blade and engaged. The Mage Hunter took an instinctive step back at how quickly his opponent switched plans. However, he blocked every single strike of Vayen's with little visible effort.