Crescent Academy

Suspicious children

Rez, classic Rez, ever suspicious, ever watching. Just like me. Just like everyone in the Hideout. Just like all the Refugees.

Refugees were against the Government’s ways, and opposed them. They stayed separate from regular Hemi communities, thriving in small hide-outs, keeping a watchful eye. I had always know that the Government would take us, but I never knew where, until I was stolen, and taken to Crescent Academy.

Andro smiled, his eyes dancing with delight. His face seemed normal, his marks hidden. You only swathe tattoo-like markings when he removed his shirt. He could pass for a Human, and used it to his advantage.

“Take every advantage you can,” He would always tell me. I would always nod.

He signalled for me to approach, and I did. I smiled slightly at his smile; he was the only one who could make me smile naturally, and it only ever felt natural around him.

“This is an easy one, just an imp demon.” He told me, and I played with my bracelet, anxiously waiting for the fight. Andro and I, we were known as Wanderers. We weren’t like normal Refugees, for instead of hiding, and defending one place, we always travelled, helping any place that was overrun with Daemn. This small town only had a few, and we had dispatched them all except the imp. It was an easy stop. We planned on heading back to the Refugee Hideout back in Niagara, a few hours away a drive, but still the nearest Hideout. Those places tended to be few and far between, and it was a wonder that Andro knew them all. I wouldn’t have known for any of them, or on how to be accepted inside, if it weren’t for Andro.

“You always remind me of your mother when you do that, she would do the same.” He told me, as he always did when I played with my bracelet. According to him, I looked almost identical to her, although she did not have my arm markings, or my eye markings. Andro had known my mother, and had taken me in as a baby when she disappeared. Ever since, he  had raised me, to become a Hunter like himself. We were what stood between humans and Daemn, Hunters and Wanderers the one thing that kept the world from war. Refugees wouldfight Daemn, but only in their own areas; they would only protect others if a war had already begun, and they left towns too far alone.

“You circle left, I’ll go right,” He told me, back in a serious mode.

“Agreed.” We stopped talking, having long ago learned how to interpret each other from simple glances and gestures. I began heading into the left side of the woods…

“Ivy?” A voice asked. We were inside the base, in the main room, which was pretty large. The whole Hideout was underground, apart from the door, in a network of carved tunnels, dug for years by Refugees. They certainly appreciated Geokinects. Two people stood there, looking at me.

I smiled, “Hello again Josh, Kayla.”

Kayla, being only ten, dropped the basket of laundry she was carrying and ran over, hugging me. “Ivy! We thought you were dead!” She squeaked. Josh walked over, his basket still in hand, and even he looked relieved that I wasn’t dead. But his eyes narrowed as he looked upon Rae. “Who’s she?” He asked, skeptical and wary as ever. All the Refugees were, including the children. Even the little ten year old instantly let go of me to glare at Rae.

“It’s alright, I trust her.”

This seemed to instantly assure Kayla, for her glaring disappeared. But Josh was older, and wouldn’t trust Rae on my simple word; especially since I wasn’t a part of the Hideout.

“Ivy, you brought someone.” I heard Raymond’s voice, and turned to see he had emerged from a tunnel behind me, probably attracted by the noise. He only managed to give Rae a glance over before Rez sent him outside to go start bringing in supplies from the car. These people often needed them.

“Alfred’s probably asleep,” Rez told me. “His joints have been bugging him lately. You go see him, bring your charge. I will gather supplies.” She went to leave, but I stopped her.

“Wait! First, where’s Andro?”