8- Roots...

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 Part Two

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Part Two


His P.O.V.

"Get her back to camp. Put her in the storage." I order everyone away with my hand.

Three men awkwardly pick her up then shuffle out of the clearing, headed towards tonight's camp. The rest follow. The skin on my ears feels hot. My chest surpassing uneasiness with the passing seconds. I feel my stomach stirring rapidly as each question enters and screams in my mind.

How did she get here?
How did she do that?

Who sent her?

Why is she so hostile?
Why is she so strong?

How can I see it?

Why is she here?

Why her?

How did she do that?

The unknown pours as unsettlement into my mind with each unanswered question and snatches at any patience I had left. There's no way to understand how she grabbed my own energy the way she just did or how I just let her. Inside of my chest the unsettlement turns into a fury of defense as the only thing I am understanding is how dangerous this girl, on my island, is. She didn't just pull my energy from my grasp she used it against all of us. I wasn't able to see it coming. I let her manage to strike us all with that power. That power she so easily stole from me and bent, it will not happen again.

As everyone exits the clearing the girls bright source of aura dims away, so does the light of the lanterns. In the darkness I pull at my hat, trying to avoid the belief of the only possible explanation for her intense power. Back then, on the Mainland, her belief was beyond anyone else's in that world, it only makes sense that here, in the Realm of Belief, it'd be stronger.

In this realm, my realm, magic is born here, every atom that consists of everything is magic to its core. In everything natural a gentle aura of magic sources from within. Depending on the selected being, the auras can barely be noticeable, sometimes taking extra concentration to focus on it. So how her aura is so much stronger, so much brighter than the thin seep of others, I can only assume her belief since our last encounter has done nothing but strengthened. It's too noticeable. So easy to see, so warm to the sense, I know I'm not the only one who's noticed it. Every being, every creature, plant, breath of element, leaks its own source of magic, seen only by those selected, therefore what unnerves me the most is that I did not select this girl to come to Neverland.

I have to figure out who she is, why she's here. Not knowing the cause of her being here, or how she found her way on my island is driving me excruciatingly mad and it's only been minutes. How fast I am losing calm only alarms me more so I rack my brain for beings who could know more, or have answers, or at the very least, have clues to answers. I need information. Everything has stopped now. Her voice, her attitude, her face, her movements, her ability have taken over my mind along with the agony of the unknown. She really is something else. Something luring. Something fatal. I can't focus on a plan of action while more questions sprout off the initial ones, adding to the treacherous mystery.

How did she find Neverland?

Why her?

Why does she have so much source?

Is she some kind of trap?

I inhale deeply.

Focus.
She's dangerous until I know who she is.
She must be some sort of siren, some pawn sent by an enemy to gain power from me.

Who would've sent her?

Someone who knows I can't resist the mystery she brings.

I'm doing exactly what they want! I throw my hands from my head angrily.
Who would it be?
They're trying to lure me in for the kill...but this is just ridiculous. A girl?

I scoff out loud at the very idea, shaking my head and turning to leave the clearing. I am known and feared throughout the land for good reason, I've earned my title. No one, especially not some girl, will take that from me. I, then, decide if it's a game she's trying to play it'll be dominated by me.

It's just another game to win. I think with a confident smile.

She's in my hands now. My island. My ground. My rules. I have the upper hand, I always will. Although, her overwhelming power is distracting, I turn it into the intriguing impression of a new game. Whether she was sent here by an enemy or hiding a master plan all on her own, I'm going to defeat this new power. And what a fun game to invest in while doing so, I plausibly even might end up taking all her source for myself.

I follow the men back to camp from my distance, listening to their rustling through the leaves. Their silent balance thrown completely off as they uncomfortably carry the girl. Girls aren't foreign to the men, they've come to the island on the rare occasion, that is, with brothers. When the females are dropped here it is strictly because they refused to allow Shadow to bring their brothers alone. And every time the adventure ends the same. The sisters spent their stay on Neverland the same way; wanting to go back home. None of the girls appear on their own, none of the girls try to attack me, so for my men to see this bold, naive girl here with no brother beside her is obscurity. On top of it all, she blasted them away with a rage that she stole from me.

I catch sound of a single set of footprints running towards my direction, far behind me. He steps heavily, with a deep drop of his weight in the dirt. I slow my pace, watching the girl's faint glow disappear behind the leaves. The boy finally catches up to me, breathing roughly through his nose. I face him, it's Crowley. He removes his mask when he speaks to me.

"No sign of any boy. We couldn't find him," he reports.

"There isn't one," I'm irritated and begin walking again.

He stands there a minute, surely confused.

"Gather Squad Two and keep up," I order.

Deep into the forest, long and many moments later I watch the men reach tonight's camp, sloppily carry the girl into the storage hut. I follow from behind, entering the site late then stopped when I hear footsteps coming my way again. Dante and Izeah approach me, removing their wooden faces.

"There's Natives in the East of the Lurid," Izeah informs me.

"How deep?" I ask.

"Just passed the beach, still on the border,"

"They wouldn't come this far down for no reason,"

"Do we get rid of them?" Dante asks.

"They know they won't make it far in. They're waiting for us. Meet them and escort them to Hideout."

They nod and walk away but Dante stops and looks back to me, "Did you select the wrong girl?"

Questioning me?
This causes Izeah to stop walking and wait for my answer with Dante.

"She wasn't selected," I spit.

"Why didn't she have a brother with her?" Dante asks another question.

"Would you like to ask her?" I reply, extending a hand out to the hut she's in.

Dante withdrawals and shakes his head.
"Where did she come from?" Izeah asks me.

"The Mainland," I answer, turning to walking away.

Dante begins,"But her power-"

"I'm figuring it out," I growl irritated, leaving.

What if...? Book One, Part 2: The Game Begins...(A Peter Pan rewrite, by Jae)Where stories live. Discover now