The Boys: Season 1 - Harbinger Rising

Chapter 17: The Harbinger Who Started a War

We teleported to an oddly clean house in the middle of a vast forest. There were mountains to my right, and the trees around me were the tallest trees I had ever seen. The whole place was a paradise. I felt at peace just standing here as the wind blew gently and the birds chirped their songs.

Me: "You live here?"

Snow: "Yeah, my friends, while they were still alive, and sister helped build it."

Me: "Your sister . . ."

Snow: "I'm still looking for her."

Me: "She was taken by the Syndicate, wasn't she?"

She remains silent for several moments.

Snow: "Like I said when we first met. Andras is mine."

We all soon sense a very powerful presence nearby. It was unlike anything I had ever felt.

Mat: "She's here."

I look around the area and see nothing. But I could feel her presence in the air. The forest soon goes silent as a female appears before us.

Her clothing was of a Victorian gothic design and was dark and torn. Her dark hair was long and wavy, and she had a very menacing atmosphere marking her presence. Her eyes were the most disturbing, they were a burning bright red and glowed fiercely, and she had a devilish smile to complete her look.

Me: "Jesus Christ."

Snow: "No, it can't be her. She wasn't like this the last time we fought."

Alistair: "Keep your composure, Snow."

Naenia then focused her gaze on me, and it was as if she was looking into my soul with those eyes. I didn't dare break contact with her and stayed in place.

Naenia didn't utter a word to us. She just stood there, looking at me with those eyes of hers. Something about my presence made her fixate on me. Did she know I was a newborn? Or was it because I know Isabella?

Me: "What do you want with Isabella?"

The question got a reaction out of her, as she slowly tilted her head to the left.

Mat: "This isn't how she behaved before she disappeared. Something's wrong."

I slowly began to walk toward her, with my hands out to show I wasn't a threat.

Snow: "Gerald, what the hell are you doing??!"

Snow tries to stop me, but Mat was quick to keep her from interfering.

Mat: "Don't. She is showing interest in Gerald."

Snow: "And what if she attacks him."

Mat: "This isn't like Naenia at all during the war. But her interest in Gerald may allow us to get the answers we seek."

I continue to slowly approach Naenia as she then begins to walk toward me slowly. We soon meet in the middle, and she continues to look at me with her glowing red eyes and tilts her head to the right as she continues to smile.

Me: "What the hell happened to you?"

She continues to look upon me with her devils grin, then a tear slowly rolls down her cheek. There was nothing but fog when I tried to read her emotions, nothing but a pitch-black abyss. So why did she shed a tear?

She suddenly began to slowly back away from me, and I soon heard a multitude of whispers in my head, they were all saying things at once, and I had a hard time making it out. Was she trying to say something to me?

She then stopped and remained in place as the whispers were silenced. That was when I heard a female voice in my head uttering two words.

"Help me."

Naenia then disappeared in smoke, and I could no longer feel her presence. I stood where I was, trying to put together what just happened as the sounds of nature returned to the forest.

Snow: "She's gone. What the hell??"

Alistair: "In all my years of being a Harbinger, this is the first time I've seen something like this."

Mat walks to me and shakes my shoulder, shaking me out of my trance.

Mat: "Something's occupying your thoughts."

Me: "Yeah. It's just . . . ."

Mat: "She said something to you."

Me: "She said 'help me' before disappearing."

Snow: "Help me?"

Me: "You said it yourselves, this isn't how Naenia acted before."

Snow: "This whole thing could be a damn trap."

Me: "No, it isn't."

Mat: "How are you so sure."

Me: "When she looked at me, she shed a tear. I have a feeling someone started doing this to her when she first disappeared. The only question is who?"

I then thought about the other Harbingers whom I haven't met, and for the second time, Alistair beat me to the punch.

Alistair: "Out of those five, only two of them fought alongside Naenia during the war."

Mat: "Leave them to me. I'll track them down. The twins will stay with you guys for a while."

Me: "You won't send them to track the other three?"

Mat: "No need to. The other three Harbingers are friendly, you'll meet them eventually."

Alistair: "Gerald."

Me: "Yeah?"

Alistair: "I'm going to stress this so you'll understand: BE. CAREFUL. With Naenia around and her movements being unpredictable, and the fact that she's shown a particular interest in you, may place your other allies in danger. Naenia is powerful far more powerful than you think, she is equal to me and Mat, and you're not ready to face her yet. If you get into a conflict with her, run."

Me: "Should I really be careful?"

Snow: "Just listen to him, you idiot. Don't let one tear make you ignore the danger she poses."

Mat: "She has a point, Gerald."

Me: "Alright, I'll be careful."

Snow: "Good, now get going. We'll continue searching the Market as planned."

I leave for the safehouse with the thought of Naenia shedding a tear in my head. They tell me to be careful if I encounter her again. But after seeing that tear roll down her cheek . . . . . I decided to wait for Mat to return before I figure out how to deal with Naenia.