Challenging Directions - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 6 - Recovery

Feeling the massive surge of energy coming from behind her, Fia turns around just in time to see Sir Atticus grab Lani by her hood, and throw a ball full of light Nandin. Lani struggled and by some string of luck it just barely missed him.

"Fia now!" Enya yelled her brass knuckles still in hand. Suddenly all the electricity in the cart was sucked out and in the pitch black all you could hear is the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Then a large explosion and the side of the train was gone.

"Ow what the hell was that?" Moss questioned watching the retreating figures of The Exalter Advance.

"That, my boy, was Combustion Nandin and Electric Fia, and their magic that allowed to escape.." Sir Atticus sighs, "The only four of The Exalter Advance we actually know the faces of, and we let them escaped. Well there is nothing we can do about it now. Mia if you are not to badly hurt can you help the others get comfortable. I am going to talk to the conductor, let's see if we can get this train back on course."

As Sir Atticus left, Mia and the team started getting settled. Finding the emergency first aid kit in the back of the train cart Kalila goes around putting bandages on the wounded.

"Here let me take a look." She says grabbing a hold of Ercan's face. "Ow, she got you good." Kalila tries to disinfect the wound but Ercan keeps squirming. "Keep squirming like this and I will move on and your face will get even worse."

"But it hurts!" Ercan said whining.

"Fine do it yourself." Kalila says move on to Kai. "Are you going to be a big baby too?" She asks raising one eyebrow.

"Oh please, I am nothing like that idiot." Kai says nodding his head at Ercan.

"Good. Now lift up your shirt so I can check your stomach." Kalila says starting to lift it.

"Wait! My shirt! B-but I also got hit in the face... shouldn't you start there?" He says nervously.

"No. Your wound there is more intensive than on your face." She says firmly. "Now let me see."

"O-o-okay," Kai says not feeling any less nervous, while blushing.

"Ooohhh Kai has a crush!" Ercan laughs teasingly at him.

"Shut it." Ashe says hitting him over the head. "Never make fun of a man in love. Especially when you have no one."

"L-love?" Kai gulps. "Well I don't know about that." He says scratching his head laughing to try and relieve some tension.

"Stop moving I need to look at your wound." Kalila suddenly pushes him down and gets on him, knees pushed into his thighs to keep him from moving.

"H-hey! What are you doing." He says trying to get up but ends up getting pushed back down. "I am not very comfortable like this."

"Then you shouldn't have been moving around like that, huh?" She says not caring about his discomfort, and bandaging him up.

"Ahem. If you guys are going to get frisky you could try going somewhere private, but you are doing it wrong. You should be taking the clothes off not putting them on." Sir Atticus said walking back in, attempting to lighten the mood. Everyone there started laughing at them. "We should be moving soon." He says sitting down arms crossed.

"Sir, what are we going to do know?" George asks coming over to sit in front of him. "I mean they now know we are after them."

"Yes, I was wondering the same thing." Ria says from across the room. "I mean we don't have the element of surprise anymore."

"That is an excellent question, one that will have to wait until we get everyone's wounds looked at by professionals at the next stop. None of you are good to anybody broken." Sir Atticus sighs for the third time since the accident. "Let us just hope you guys are not hurt to badly. They are going to pay for this." He mutters to himself.

"Uh Sir." Arrio starts timidly. "How do you suppose they knew how to find us and who we are?"

"My guess would be that they recognized me and Moss from the other night." Ashe said standing by the giant hole in the train.

Yes mine too." Sir Atticus sighed once more.

"Sir Atticus if you sigh one more time I will have no choice but to give you a hug." Mia said firmly. "Nothing that happened here was your fault. Everyone here had our guard down. How can you think straight if you are so down in the dumps?" She asks poking him in the forehead.

"Heh I suppose you are right, Mia." He said smiling for the first time. "Thanks for the pep talk sweetie. How is Louis?"

"I am not sure. He keeps saying he is fine but that Fia didn't hold back even a little." Mia sighs looking at her unconscious protector and best friend, she goes to sit down by him.

"Now who is down in the dumps?" Arrio comes over to sit by her. "I am sure he will be fine he looks really tough after all." He reaches out to pat her on the back.

"Hey kid, no." Louis said waking up all of a sudden. "No touching I am not dead yet."

"He was just being nice Louis." Mia said looking worried. "You scared me. I thought you were really hurt!" She says with tears in her eyes as she jumps o him hugging him tightly.

"I know you are not trying to hurt me but you are." Louis said through gritted teeth and Mia's braided pink hair.

"Oh right sorry." Mia says getting up and sitting back down beside Arrio who was smiling at the sweetly.

"Wow you guys really care about each other. That's so cool." He starts laughing. "You all are like a little family like us!" Then Riac came over a picked him up.

"So we are your family kiddo?" He asks slinging him around while laughing.

"Hey stop you might throw me out!! I can't swim!" Arrio says starting to freak out a little, but couldn't help but smile. Everyone started laughing again, and it looked like everything was starting to settle down again.