Return

6

I stopped running when I was sure I was that Blakk's men were gone. Eli was right behind my lead, stopping also. "Do...you think they're...gone?" he asked panting. I only nodded in reply, desperately gasping for air/. "Why were they even after you?" 

I giggled a bit, "I sort of beat the sit out of one of his men." 

"In a duel?" 

I shook my head, "No, it was hand to hand. Busted the cocky bastard's lip, dislocated his shoulder, probably broke his jaw and a few ribs." I looked down at my feet, "Which brings us to our new problem. My powers are returning." 

"You're okay though, right? No injuries too serious?" 

"Awwww," I cooed sweetly, "you're worried about me, even after I got done telling you that I seriously wounded one of Blakk's right-hand men." 

He groaned and ran the palm of his hand down his face/ "Did you beat up Twist?" I nodded. "Great," he muttered sarcastically. 

"Anyway, you're pretty friendly with the Shadow Clan, correct?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Perfect!" I chimed happily. "Let's go pay them a little visit!" I grabbed his hand and started walking towards the Shadow Clan's territory.  

"Why are we going to see the Shadow Clan, Astrus?" he asked confused. 

"Well, when I was younger, my father, back when he still loved me, would go to the Shadow Clan for what he called Stabilizers. Or, that's what he'd when he'd bring back new glowing jewelery for me from them." I sighed, "I have a feeling that what he told me that happened, isn't the real story of my past..."  

"What do you mean?" 

"Blakk seemed to know an awful lot about my," I did air quotes, "Abilities." 

"So, you're thinking that maybe Dr. Blakk had something to do with you're mutation?" I shot him a glare. "Sorry, abilities." 

"Probably," I looked ahead of us. "Maybe he and my father were working together and they made a deal where I got to be Blakk's very first 'Ghouled' human or something like that." Eli merely shrugged his shoulders. The Shadow Clan's territory came into view. "Well, here goes everything."