The Vagrants

Chapter 12

CAMERON

I finished of the last bite of my mango then wiped my hands on my pants leg. The only other person that was done was Jefferson. I called him over to sit by me a few metres away from the girls. "So..." I went silent while thinking of a good conversation starter "how's everything going with being away from home and all the sword swinging and fighting all like shink pow bam?" He stared at me like I had asked him to calculate some random algebra question, multiply the answer by 23, and then work out the mass of the sun. Who am I kidding, them smart Sages probably know that. It was like I used bad grammar

"It's alright" he replied. We fell into an awkward type of quiet just sitting there with each other. "So you and Maikki, huh?" He looked at me weirdly once again before answering. "What on earth?! We are just best friends, nothing more and nothing less." I nodded. Suurrreeee I said in my head.

"So you got any boy friends?" He gave me that odd glance again, then I realised what he must've thought I meant. "Oh, no no no. Not in that way. I meant friends that are guys." Jefferson relaxed again before shaking his head. "Nah. I mean I do know some dudes, but they are just classmates to me." I nodded.

"Hey, losers!" Evelyn yelled. I rolled my eyes before looking towards her. Marnie laughed. "You guys responded. That means you are losers!" It was Jefferson's turn to roll his eyes. "Let's start moving while the suns still up." Maikki said.

We all packed up what we had and sat again, waiting for everyone else to finish. Once everyone was done, we started walking along the side of the river. No one was speaking at all. The only sound you would be able to hear is the splash of water against rocks. Apart from that it was quiet. Until we heard a twig snap.

"Sshh!" A silence fell over us as we listened for more. Evelyn started moving forward, so the rest of us did the same. I peaked over the top of a bush and saw the one thing I hadn't seen in a while. Monsters. "It's them. It's the monsters." I whispered. Everybody crouched down to make their eye level the top of the plant in front of us. Evelyn waved her hand towards her, indicating for us to follow.

Jefferson swung his weapon around carelessly while everyone stepped back, avoiding the blade. "I'm ready to fight!" He yelled. The group shushed him. "Keep your sword down, you'll attract the enemy." Evelyn warned in a hushed tone "Now everyone follow me to the back of that bush and attack on my count." We all nodded then followed her steps to the other side of the clearing.

"Wait a minute." Maikki whispered. We all turned our attention to the beast in front of us. "I've read about that" she continued "it's called a Chi. It originated in a place that was called China before the country break down. Must have been chased all the way here, out if it's habitat and is angrier than ever." Marnie looked deep in thought then said "That's where my friend Mandy is from. At least I think."

We all nodded than watched it for a few seconds. "Looks like he's got a friend." I said. They all moved their gazes to the newly seen monster that kind of resembled a monkey. "I know this one." Jefferson told us. "It's also from China. Its name is jueyuan. According to the school textbooks, they like to kidnap women and...you know...reproduce."

All the girls went still until Jefferson spoke again. "I'll lead." He suggested. He didn't bother to get anyone else's approval and turned to walk. Evelyn shot her hand out and grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him from moving. "Fine, Combatant. You lead then."

Evelyn shook her head lightly. "No." "No?" Marnie questioned "I've never heard you say 'no' to leading." She had a look of bewilderment plastered across her face. "And I've never heard you say 'gumbalooneyfitzer' but that's not stopping you." Evelyn shot back. "Then I will lead" Jefferson insisted. "Unless you want us to randomly walk in."

"I don't want any of the girls to lead because they might be taken by the jueyuan. But you're a doof, Cameron's a doof...but slightly less." Evelyn jabbed a finger towards me. "This airhead leads."

I wasn't sure to be hurt or the opposite. I chose to be the latter. I put a hand over my heart "Wow. I'm so honoured. I'd like to thank my mother, for giving birth to me. My friends for choosing me. And the jueyuan, for liking males better. Without you-"

Marnie cut of my speech by smacking the back of my head. "Are you gonna start, or what?" She asked. "Right." I said making my way towards the monsters. "Hey!" I got the attention of the jueyuan then looked at the girls and nodded my head towards the chi. Jefferson followed behind me with his sword raised.

The jueyuan made a low grunt, as if to say "come at me". I ran towards it and threw my chain tomahawk, successfully getting it on the monster's neck. It thwacked my head, sending me flying back to the ground at the feet of Jefferson. "A little help would do!" I yelled. "Eh." He responded "this is like a monkey, shouldn't be too much effort."

He grabbed something out of Marnie's bag then threw it in the air. The jueyuan caught it between his teeth. "No! How could you!" Marnie screamed. That got me wondering what Jefferson took, until he yelled it out loud. "Oh, come on! It's just banana bread!" Oh I thought She must really love it.

Jefferson moved behind the occupied jueyuan, sword held high. It looked back and was about to attack. Soon finding out it was too late, Jefferson's weapon was in its heart. "That's why you need to take a break off food." I said "It kills you if you get too involved."

After my statement we both went to help out the girls with battling the chi. I waited for an opportunity to strike while everyone else kind of just surrounded it gripping their weapons. This time Evelyn had her dagger out. I released my tomahawk between its shoulder blades.

Everyone was getting more cuts by the minute. I rolled through its legs and stabbed the chi's belly. Evelyn was getting ready for a hit when she fainted suddenly. The aura she had faded slightly once again. Maikki screamed then shot the monsters eye with an arrow.

It howled into the sky and ran deeper into the forest. We ran towards the unconscious Evelyn and knelt beside her. Jefferson repeatedly slapped her across her cheek until I stopped him. "Allow me." I said. "I'm a Healer."

I looked at her more closely and realised that it wasn't normal. "Is she doing alright?" Marnie asked. "I don't know." I said leaning in closer to block everyone's view. "If alright means spewing blood, then yeah." The two girls screamed. "I'm kidding. The only unusual thing is how her skin is flashing from normal to pale very fast." I laughed.

"She's probably losing the power she got from the Combatant temple. It's not like she'd have it forever." He gestured me to back off a bit while he inspected her. Nothing was happening for a while, so Jefferson decided to poke her face with the hilt of his sword.

In a quick rush of colour back in her face, Evelyn shot out her fist and punched his nose. Jefferson was now on his back. "Fixed her." He choked out. I snorted then offered her a hand. She swatted my hand away and got up easily. "I'm fine" she said. We shrugged and looked at Jefferson who was clearly not.

There was blood beading down his chin and he covered his nose with his hand. "Sorry." Evelyn shrugged, showing no sign of being apologetic. But I thought as well that she must be.

Author's note (A/N) 🌺
The picture above is the clothes the girls are wearing, described in the last chapter.