Adakon

Chapter 5

As we ran through the streets of the Deverdon, not daring to slow down for fear of time starting again. This was the first time stopping time with someone with me, so it was different, a little more exhausting than normal. I knew we didn't have much time before I had to let time flow again and the Kuzen to start chasing us.

Slowly the city borders loomed closer and closer, until we passed them and ran straight into the nearby hills. We were nearly there when we heard shouting behind us. I turned around, shocked to see the Kuzen slowly appear on the edge of town. I looked around, and saw birds flying slowly above me. Time was picking up and I was losing control of it.

Nova looked at me, still unsure about my abilities, since, I never really explained it to anyone. She crossed her arms and took a stance that said 'you tell me what is going on and I won't leave until you do.'

"Nova, this may seem weird, time stopping and slowing, but that is how I got in and out of your house so quickly." I said, quickly trying to explain, "I can stop time. It is a gift I received as a child. Well, born with it actually, but that isn't the point. The Kuzen are getting closer and I can't keep this up. We have to keep moving."

She looked into my eyes, hers hard and decisive. "Ok. But when we get somewhere safe, you explain everything to me. Let's go."

"Alright. I know a place we can hide for now." I took a deep breath, and took control of time once more, stopping it, but making me more tired than I could handle. I grabbed Nova's shoulder and she held me up as we walked to the cave I hid in after my escape from the palace.

With my last bit of energy, I turned around and scanned the area, making sure none of the Kuzen saw where we went. "We'll be safe here," I said, "We can spend the night-" I didn't get to finish my sentence because all I saw was black.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

When I came to, I was at the bottom of the cave, Nova sitting on a rock not far from me. A fire crackled in the middle of the cave. Besides what was illuminated by the fire, no light was present. We must be deep inside the cave.

"You're awake." Nova said, a tone of relief in her voice. I sat up, immediately regretting it. Pain radiated from every muscle in my body. I groaned and laid back down. "Careful, you fell pretty hard."

"Not to mention doing what I did with time for as long as I did makes me incredibly sore too." I said, not in a hurry to move. "It should hopefully wear off in a day or so. Also, how long was I out?"

"About three days."

"Three days?!" I looked over at the fire, realizing something pretty important about what Nova did while I was out. "If the fire is still going, you had to go out and get firewood."

"Yeah, it wasn't hard. There is a lot around here. You would be surprised."

"What about the Kuzen, were you not worried about them finding you?"

"Well, I was at first, but after the first day, and no sign of them, I figured they had gone to look somewhere else. Speaking of the Kuzen, how did they know you were, well, you and not some other kid? My mother told me you had a facial reconstruction when you first arrived. You were supposed unrecognizable by anyone."

I thought about it for a moment. When an answer didn't come, I shook my head. "I don't know. I am not sure how they could find me. I thought it would have been impossible to do so, yet they somehow did."

"Well, get some rest. You are going to need your strength. We gotta move on tomorrow. We've stayed too long as is."

I nodded, reluctantly closing my eyes, and awaited the nightmares that have plagued my mind for years.