(Will Remain Unfinished - New Version Coming) The Legend of Malum (Book One)

Chapter Five Part Two: New Recruits

"W-what seems to be the problem?" I asked as I contemplated how to draw my sword without alerting over a hundred people.

"I noticed that you're not wearing our insignia on your clothing," he said with an air of annoyance. "Your companion is bare as well."

"There are tons of people not wearing the symbol!" Daffodil shot back.

"Yes, but I recognize them. I think I would have recognized short crimson hair and pink eyes." He gestured to me, then he turned to Daffodil. "Or green hair, yellow eyes . . . and a powerful aura."

Daffodil's eyes went wide with fear. She backed away like the guy was a bomb about to go off.

I tensed up. "All right, you caught us. We're new, so what? Are new members forbidden or something? Earlier today I saw someone handing out one of these cards so that can't be true."

"You saw what? Who—"

"That would be me," said someone in the crowd. Everyone stepped to let him through, revealing that he was the same guy I bumped into in the pharmacy. "It's better you find out now, right?"

"Geranium? You were handing out information cards? What if you had given one to a defender? What if they were at the next meeting?!"

He winced. "I didn't know that we finally going to take action! We've been doing nothing but discussing what to do for years! I just thought that maybe the answer was new recruits."

The speaker's hands curled into fists. "Do we look like we need recruits? You've endangered us all by being idiotic, again! Blue Bird will hear about this . . . And you two! Seeing as you now possess classified information, there are only two options for how to handle this: kill you, or recruit you."

"I don't like the first option, but I could live with the second one . . . literally," I said as I struggled to keep my knees from shaking.

I was strong (if you asked the right people), but I was at least fifty percent sure that every single person here was stronger. We might stand a chance if Daffodil went into Scary Mode. Then again, she was currently hiding behind me like a frightened animal.

The speaker examined me like I was the last sandwich on the plate. At any second, I expected him to raise his knife and drive it through my heart. I couldn't get the image out of my head.

He grunted. "I suppose it would be a waste to rid the world of such rare eyes. Not to mention your friend's interesting Vitality. We will be seeing you two at the next meeting. But mark my words, if you tell a single defender about any of this, we will know. As you will soon learn, the Children of Malum have eyes everywhere. This marks the official end of the meeting! I will see you all at the next one."

He gave me a wicked smirk and walked away. That seemed to be the signal for everyone to lose interest in us. The crowd dispersed, freeing up an exit. I checked behind me for Daffodil. She was staring right at my head, but it was like she couldn't really see me.

I grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from this place. It was nighttime and we needed somewhere to sleep before we left for Chlorophyte. I doubted that she had enough money for another room at the inn, but the forest was always open. Normally it was a bad idea to sleep in there because of the Coleoptera, but I had a way around that.

When we reached a good spot I unsheathed my sword and plunged it into the ground. I willed it to burst into flames, then forced all the fire to the hilt. If it was on the blade, then it might start a forest fire. You only made that mistake once . . .

"There we go, our own campfire!" I announced to my dazed friend.

She seemed more, present, then she was at the meeting, but she still looked spooked. I knew that being a Tap was hard, but now I was starting to see what she meant. I may be the only one who could see her Vitality, but others could feel it. It was like her Vitality was all they could see. They ignored her, and focused on the monstrous side that laid underneath.