Dark Sun Rising

Chapter 10

The Greywoods had grown on Zari. She was no longer stumbling through the dark forest but piercing the cloud-wreathed air with her laughter and constant bickering. The lack of color in the world and herself was still disorienting at first, but she quickly learned to ignore it.

Spike and Zari walked side by side but Zari would take lead whenever the path became difficult. She would use the light in her palms to burn the hindrance to crisps, making way for her partner, who was impressed as well as irritated by her constant show of power.

"C'mon! You can't be upset about me showing off a lil bit. I mean, I've spent half of my life without magic or any kind of power. If I've suddenly gained something that makes me...not wanna stop, what's wrong with that?" Zari asked, shrugging and facing Spike, walking backward.

Her nonchalant attitude scared Spike for a second. She thought of this gig as an adventure. Her voice, as it crackled every time she saw a unique creature or heard a strange voice, told Spike how much she looked forward to using her powers against a beast.

Though he never really minded trouble coming his way, it was only because he was always on his own with no one to protect. Now that Zari was there, he felt a sense of responsibility. It was a strange feeling— he wasn't sure he liked it.

"Alright, alright. Just be careful. And don't use too much at once. I don't need you passing out on me." Spike almost reached out for her hand to coat it in shadow and realized she was more than contained. As Spike surrendered in front of Zari's immense self-confidence, she turned around, wearing a proud smile on her face, and ran through a curtain of thick leaves.

When Spike followed her, he found himself at the edge of a ridge, looking down at a steep escarpment. They had crossed the chroma line, so color had come back to the world. He became aware of soft music playing on the wind. He breathed deeply as he took a few steps back.

Flustered, he looked around. "Zari? Shit." He backed up and prepared to channel his magic to sense for his partner when suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, he grabbed the arm and pulled the heavy body to the ground. With his long boot on the figure's chest, he pointed the knife he had produced from his sleeve toward the round, bearded face, looking up at him.

"Who are you? Where is my partner?" Spike said calmly. He kept his face blank, the coldness of his eyes scaring the man far more than yelling ever could have.

"Holy shit, man! Your girl is right there!" He held his hands up in the air, surrendering to Spike.

Spike looked around and found Zari standing behind four men. There was a small, teenage girl, with pale, freckled skin standing right in front of them. She looked even younger than Spike. She was thin and rather plain looking, despite her long, fire-red hair and green eyes. She stood easily, quietly playing the violin

"You know, if you and your girl have a death wish, we have a Leshy we want to catch. How 'bout you serve as bait and we can all get what we want?" the girl said in a steady voice. When Spike heard her, he felt as though he was speaking to himself. The girl was young but had the demeanor of a strong woman. She was, without a doubt by the way she was standing, the leader of this small guild.

"We're just passing through," Spike explained, removing his shoe from the man lying on the ground and looking at Zari. Her hands were free, and down by her sides. There was a blankness to her eyes and she was standing stock still between the girl's men. The man was about to scramble away when he noticed that instead of a knife pointing at him, a black handgun had replaced the blade in Spike's hand. He stayed still on the ground, fearful of the barrel pointing at his face.