Heaven's Light (Book 1)

Chapter 6 - Jeriah

 After checking up on Ashura, Red, Hubris, and I all migrated to the main hall of the guild and selected a blue booth in the middle of the room to rest and relax in. I slid into the side next to Red since Hubris was so large and muscular that he took up the entirety of one side.

Nobody spoke a word, and for the first few moments we sat there in awkward silence. Red had his white-sleeved arms crossed over his crimson cloak and was leaning against the back of the booth, head bowed in contemplation. Hubris was his usual shirtless self, taking the same position Red had adjusted to. I, on the other hand, had my elbows on the table, resting my chin upon my fists, slightly crestfallen.

Ashura's condition when I had found her was dire. The injury in her stomach area was severe and bleeding out ridiculous amounts. She was so weak when I found her panting on the ground, blood streaming down the length of her body. Her black cloak shielded most of the blood from sight, as she always hid her clothing from other people, I've noticed. But, even still, her injuries were some of the worst I had ever witnessed. I couldn't believe someone would pull something like this. Some people were so brutal.

"Why do they want to kill her?" Red suddenly broke the silence, a tinge of concern lining his weak tone.

Hubris heavily sighed and closed his yellow eyes. "It's because of Aerion."

I huffed and covered my face with my clammy hands. "We know that it's because of Aerion that these people are scared of her, but why are they so determined to kill her?"

"Because of exactly that: they're afraid," Hubris replied matter-of-factly.

"But fear is no reason to commit such farfetched crimes," I spat. "Justifying all of our actions with fear of the unknown is no way of life to live by."

Another silence followed my harsh comment. It had been two days since I found her injured on the outskirts of town. The entire time that she was unconscious and being treated, the three of us had either been researching her marked arm, or fretting over what may become of her condition. It had been a rough few days.

I think that, throughout this entire time, none of us realized just how much we'd grown to care about Ashura. Deep down, I think we all wanted to protect her and give her the chance to live the life she wants to live. Everybody deserves a chance at happiness, even if they were born with insane amounts of natural magical power. I got my chance at happiness with my natural magical powers, so she should, too. I like to think we all believed that.

Honestly, it seemed like Red and Hubris had grown accustomed to her presence in a snap. They both seemed so depressed and lost, knowing that she was in a serious condition. Red had gotten the most time with her, after me, and I think he enjoyed every minute of it. I think he appreciated every moment he had with somebody who longed to befriend others because he himself needed a friend. I was a little more confused with Hubris, but I think he thought of her as a little sister. He seemed like he always wanted to protect her from harm and keep her safe, kind of like what a brother would do. I almost laughed aloud as I continued thinking about how soft the two really were.

Red broke the silence and attempted a different conversation. "Why do you think Master wanted to talk to her?"

"Maybe to join the guild," Hubris shrugged with uncertainty.

As we sat in the booth emitting an overall depressed aura, Yura and her two followers, Zeke and Jesse, all approached our table.

"Hey, why the long faces, squirts?" Yura asked with a tilted head, brushing a lock of brown hair behind her pale ear. Her arms were crossed over her signature orange tank top, which she tended to sport around the guild hall. She also wore navy blue shorts and refused to wear a cloak of any kind. She believed it got in the way of battle.