The Vagrants

Chapter 5

EVELYN

My body felt like I was turning into mist and then scattered in the wind. I'm sure everyone felt the same. The feeling only lasted four seconds before I was normal again, but tumbling onto the ground from a metre above. I got up off the hard ground and stretched out my arms. I could feel little pebbles on my skin, and grass stuck to my hair.

We landed in a forest with trees towering above us and twigs covering the earthen ground. Birds chirped merrily in the branches as if they were performing for us. Pieces of bark dug into my palms while I leaned on my arms for support.

Everyone else was moaning of dizziness and putting there hands to their heads while complaining about minor headaches. I don't know what they were talking about.I felt fine. "That's not fair. Why aren't you in pain, Evelyn?" Maikki asked me. I shrugged. Jefferson decided to answer for me "According to my school text books, iron keeps you steady when you are going through the universal rip. That explains why we are all nauseous, except for you. Which leads me to ask, how many weapons are you carrying?"

I took a sword out of its sheath and put it on the floor. Everyone looked confused as to why I was so steady with only one sword. I put up one hand, telling them to wait. I slipped two blades off the string around my neck. They thought that was it, but I didn't stop there. Five throwing knives were hidden in my back pants pocket. I took off the iron spear strapped to my back. I emptied out my bag, tipping out a bow and quiver, three daggers, half a dozen more knives, and a crossbow. A whip was tied around my belt as long as machete, and a couple of chain tomahawks. Everyone stared in awe at my big pile of weapons. "With that much iron, I'm surprised you aren't flying from all that energy you probably have gotten through the Curtain" Marnie commented. I almost forgot one thing. I took a razor blade out of my boot then tossed it with the others. I had strong covers on my clothes so I wouldn't get cuts all over myself."It took that much power out of me while taking those out." I replied.

After getting all my weapons back again, everyone else stood up with me. They brushed off the dirt covering their arms and legs, then took in the surroundings. Standing together, we probably all looked very new to this. I noticed that no one else had anything to assist them with fighting monsters and all that evil. "You guys might want to borrow something of mine. Just stand here. Do you all see that tree, I'm going to need you all to aim at it with these." I took out a crossbow, a chain tomahawk, a throwing knife, and a bow and quiver.

Jefferson went up and tried out what weapon he should use. He fired the bow first, and I found out he has terrible aim. He tried out the rest of them, not hitting the tree with any. So instead, I offered him a sword. I took out my machete and asked to see how good he is with it. "So we fight until we disarm our opponents? Don't you think we could get hurt, and by 'we' I mean 'me'" He sounded way more worried than I thought he would "Relax. It's not a fight to the death." I assured him. Jefferson slashed his sword first but I blocked it then turned and knocked his sword out with my machete. I could see his strengths and weaknesses "You're fast and have strong blows, but you don't know how to use the momentum of your last strike to move onto the next move. One more time." This time I hit first, he moved my machete away then twisted his sword around mine, shoving it away. Then I slashed again, successfully disarming him. I knew the sign when he was about to strike, he took a deep breath through his mouth. "Good. Better"

I moved on to helping Marnie. She used the bow first, missing by a meter or two. Jefferson snorted and made a remark. I really thought he was being mean.
"Even I shot closer than that"
"How 'bout you shut that boastful mouth of yours"
"Try and stop me, you won't be able to even get close with your lack of skill."
"Yeah, that's the same lack of skill you had."
"Please"
"Enough!" I yelled. He was getting on my nerves now, there was something about him that seemed so...not normal for a Sage. "Well maybe she can't aim a bow, but that doesn't mean I can't pick it up and shoot your arm, you sack of blood. Sorry if that came on too harsh, but I meant every word." Marnie shot me a look of thanks then picked up a throwing knife in her left hand. She passed it to her right hand, took a breath, then threw it. It landed with a thunk in the middle of the tree. She cheered a bit then went to retrieve it. "Great, Marnie. You'll use that now for attack, keep it with you." She walked happily behind everyone else while staring at the knife.

Maikki and Cameron looked at each other as if trying to say You go through their eyes. I saw the fear in Maikki's eyes, she was afraid of picking up a weapon. It wouldn't be nice of me to choose her to go up next. But unfortunately for her, I'm not nice. "Maikki. Why don't you come up." She looked like she was going to say no to me, but being the smart girl she, is she knew not to say that. She slowly went up and lifted the crossbow. She wouldn't be able to shoot if she was shaking that much. I had to help her, and I knew I could make combat seem like something Maikki was familiar with. "Just look at it like physics or math or all the smarty junk. Calculate the angle you have to hold the crossbow and learn the wind patterns to see how it will affect the arrow. Figure out the speed of the arrow or if it will arc or go straight. Use your Sage brain to an advantage." That seemed to calm Maikki down. She relaxed her shoulders and quit shaking. She stared at the crossbow, the arrow, then the target. With a small move of her fingers, the arrow left its position and hit the target. Maikki smiled up at me "You're quite smart for a Combatant." "And you're quite tough for a Sage" .Jefferson sounded like he wanted praise "But you never helped me like that" "That's because she's not stuck-up"

Cameron got up in front of us then put on a smile. " Don't worry, Evelyn. I know I'm already good at this." I knew he was just joking because of his tone. "Is that so? Well then I'd like to see you try." He picked up the chain tomahawk and faced the tree. When he threw it, it landed on the ground, ten inches away. Cameron smiled sheepishly then made an excuse "I was just showing you how I would not throw it. Now it's real." After he went to get it back, he aimed then successfully got it in the middle. I clapped jokingly while he bowed.

"Good. We're all settled. But I don't see how none of you could use a bow." I picked it up then slotted an arrow on it. A bird tweeted delightedly, making it obvious it would be my target. I pulled the string back and watched the bird flying around the trees. I released the arrow, hitting it in the chest. Screech. It yelled as it went down, landing at our feet. "There, now we have more dinner." Everyone looked at me like they weren't sure if I was serious or not "I'm kidding. Unless you don't want me to be." We decided to take the bird anyway.

Together we marched away from the starting point, all holding weapons. Even though it's one small change and it only makes them look stronger just a smudge, they look more like warriors than they did when we first arrived here.