The Dead Kingdom

8 - True Identities

Ignius and Zenerius couldn't help staring at each other. 

"Nice job, Wonder Twins." Nathaniel said clapping his hands.

"Can we please get a move on!" Ignius whined. 

"Of course, we are almost there after all." Nathaniel said pushing through the bushes. 

Ignius marched in front looking up at the sky seeing a trail of smoke gradually rising, turning darker and disintegrating. She stomped in front of all of them taking the lead and fled to the source of the smoke. She looked behind to see Nathaniel holding his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh. Oh gosh, did something happen to her jacket? Is that why he was laughing. 

She took of her jacket and placed it in her hands and walked slowly until she was in line with Nathaniel, making both of them once again ahead of her brother and Griffin. She stopped to look behind once again. 

The two boys were just going on about their stories at the orphanage and about the things Connor uses to do, Ignius felt a part of her warm up seeing her brother so happy with his best friend. 

Ignius started to walk forward but her eyes were on the guys so without looking she started to fall, her head was about to hit the ground when she caught hold of Nathaniel's coat and dragged him down with her. 

"What the-" Nathaniel said, when he realized that his and Ignius's face were two centimeters apart. 

Ignius pushed Nathaniel away, causing him to roll to the other side. Griffin quickly ran to Ignius and helped her up, but Nathaniel was cracking up. 

"Oh god- You should have seen your face!" Nathaniel laughed hysterically. 

Ignius quickly picked up her jacket and dusted herself off, and walked over to Nathaniel. She put her hands under his body which made Nathaniel blush.

"Hey hey what are you doing-" He said trying to fish her hand out of there.

Ignius pulled out a paper.

"Don't fluster yourself Mr. Duman." Ignus said.

Zenerius seemed distracted, he held his head low. "Hey Zen, you ok?" Griffin asked gently holding Zenerius' face.

"Yeah I'm fine." Zenerius said.

"You sure Zen?" Ignius asked.

"Yes I'm sure." He wasn't fine. When he first met Griffin, at the cafeteria, Griffin preferred Connor to everyone else. As they grew older Griffin drifted away, but they were closer in the past week than Griffin ever was with Connor. When Adriella proposed to Zenerius, he thought it was because she was his sister's best friend. He realized why he couldn't bring himself to accept Adriella, because he had someone else he wanted. 

That someone? Griffin Aeron. His 'bestfriend' or at least to him, was his crush?! 

"Zenerius! Are you there?" Ignius yelled. 

"Huh? What?" Zenerius said, confused. 

"You passed out, no more distractions, your seriously dehydrated, we need to get to the bar." Nathaniel said rather seriously. 

This came as a shock to Ignius, she had no idea that there was a serious side to Nathaniel, she liked this much more than the childish, immature Nathaniel. 

She wanted to comment but she couldn't. She started to notice Nathaniel's sharp jawline, his bright green eyes. His face in front of the sun made his hair glow. She quickly changed her gaze when she started to realize how attractive her travel partener really was. 

"Ignius, can you help Griffin carry your brother?" Nathaniel asked. 

Ignius nodded but when she went to place Zenerius's shoulder on hers, Zenerius said something. 

"I'm fine, I can walk by myself." Zenerius said. 

"Ignius." Nathaniel called. 

She realized that he was calling out to her she carefully let Zenerius's arm down with the help of Griffin let him lay down. 

"Get to the bar, I'll bring him later." Nathaniel said. 

"Alright." She said and started walking to the source of the smoke, the bar. 

She suddenly felt a force holding her wrist, she turned around to see who held her, but was pulled. 

"Why are you suddenly following my orders? Should I act like this more?" He smirked causing Ignius to blush. 

"NO! I mean- I'm doing whats best for my brother."She said trying to get out of the awkward position Nathaniel put her in. 

Her body close to his, her right arm held by his left. Nathaniel chuckled and let her go. It seemed he enjoyed when Ignius got flustered.

Nathaniel turned around and placed his hand under Zenerius's shoulder carrying him alone. 

"Go ahead Griffin!" Nathaniel said walking forward.

Somehow within a few minutes Nathaniel manage to catch up to Ignius, at the bar. Nathaniel placed Zenerius at a rock where he ran into the bar and came back outside with a bottle of water. Whenever the door opened, a beautiful voice and loud music came pounding out. 

"Who's singing?" Griffin asked. 

"You'll see." Nathaniel said.

"I'm going in." Ignius said opening the door. 

Zenerius got up with the help of Griffin. 

"HEY! Show me your ID kid." The security guard said. 

"They're with me Pedro." Nathaniel said. 

The security guard escorted them in. The music was loud and vibrated their bodies. 

Ignius looked up at the stage, seeing a gorgeous girl with her hands all over a microphone. She was wearing a beige fur coat with a tiny black dress under. Her hair was hazel with blue belnded in but the roots were still hazel. in such a way that it blended perfectly with the background of the stage. 

Within a few minutes the song was over, the crowd staring at the stage dissolved and the girl placed the mic into its holder. She walked over to the guy on the piano. He was wearing a white shirt with a black sleeveless shirt, almost like a suit without the tie. 

"Aspen! Hey girl." Nathaniel said shooting finger guns at her. 

 "Nathy-boo! Hi! Come on up with your new- friends."She said staring at Nathaniel and Griffin. 

Both of them stared at each other with a sense of realization. The same blue faded hair, The same combat boots with the knife mark.