The Legends of Dawn ~ Book 1. Chained Ice

Chapter 8

Zion quickly moved over to the board, pushing the two guys away. Zion glanced at each paper. His eyes froze on an area in the corner of the board. Similar wanted posters were cluttered here. All showing the same little girl glaring back at the viewer. The prices varied but each showed a dead or alive option, with dead crossed off with hurried marks.

"What....is this......" Zion clenched his teeth and took one of the posters. The two guys glared at Zion but decided it was smart not to mess with the big guy. Zion walked back to the table with the paper. Reading all the details enlisted on there. Iris just now taking awareness of her surroundings looked up a Zion.

"What's that Mister Zion?" she looked up to him.

"It's nothing.....just a poster." He told her in a low tone. He was too focused on the details. The poster read; WANTED:  Dead or Alive. (With dead crossed off.) Catch this girl at all cost, she's dangerous and powerful. On the back, there was the same ink that was used to cross off the "Dead". This girl is the key to eternal darkness. It read in hurried, jagged and blotchy handwriting. Zion looked at Iris from across the table. Then at the picture on the poster. The little girl in the picture continued her furious glare with narrowed purple eyes.

Shayla walked over to the table, she gave a very worried look to Zion who looked at her. She took the paper from him and looked at it herself. She looked at the little girl with eyes of disbelief.

"Just who is she......" Shayla's waived between worry and denial. The both directed their gaze to the seemingly innocent girl, trying to figure how she was compared to the monstrous girl on the paper.

"We'll continue to watch her....And protect her." He took a sip from his bottle. "Cause whatever she is, she's highly wanted....".

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It was three days later, Zion decided to go out to the waterfall. Of course, Shayla and Iris decided to tag along. Not much happened after the wanted poster incident. Iris still has no idea of the fate that lies ahead for her, she's nothing but a carefree child in the eyes of Shayla. Zion, on the other hand, saw how strange this girl was from the beginning, now he has reason to keep a close eye on her.

As usual at the waterfall Zion sits under it, letting the water beat down on his back. He does this for many reasons other than usual martial art waterfall training. It's more of an ice power suppression training. As the water beats down on him his goal is the freeze only a thin sheet around himself and nothing more.

As he does this Iris plays in a nearby tree, while Shayla stares at Zion from under the tree, interested in the training he is undergoing.

"Wow.....so this is what he does....." She said in awe. Iris giggles above, a squirrel had hopped on her head.

"Hai Shirley," Iris spoke from between giggles. The squirrel nuzzled into her hair. "Fine, there is a good place to sleep."

Shayla's ears perked up from her hair. One twitched twice, then Shayla got up abruptly as a rustling began in another tree.

"Who's there!" She yelled out. She frantically looked around. A familiar smell hit her sensitive nose. That smell....  She thought to herself. Without hesitation she leaped into the tree where Iris was, tackling her out of the tree. Just as she does so gunshots go off, a barrage of strange arrows hurtles towards the tree. Shayla rolls out of the way with Iris in her embrace. She picks her up and starts running towards the waterfall. 

"Zion!" She screamed. Zion already alerted by the gunshots is standing up looking towards the tree for a sign of the attacker. Zion lifted the ground around one tree, toppling it over. The mysterious cloaked man appeared.