Soulstrings

4. Discord

When I told Jerilyn that I wanted a Trunium user, I thought she would get me a fairly experienced one.

"This feels stupid."

Cameron lifted the draping dark purple blanket over his head, trying to not let it droop into his field of vision. The others were under the cloth right beside him, holding it up. It didn't feel soft like an actual piece of fabric, but more along the lines of malleable glass with a slight warm glow. Cameron felt the aching in his arms as he pushed the blanket a little higher above him. The cover blocked out the brightest rays of the sun, covering the area with a shadow.

"I repeat, this feels stupid. This isn't what I expected a lizard hunt to go. I can't see anything."

"It's either this or we get seen from a mile away," Iden insisted. "And, I agree. It is rather stupid. But Padge doesn't bother coming up with another technique that can cover all of us at once."

"Well boo-hoo," Padge said from the front of the group. "You guys who aren't proficient at using Surcon have to rely on me to do this invisibility stuff, so stop complaining. I say we didn't even need a cover. Just rush'em and viola, meat."

"Won't the lizards run away from us instead?" Vara muttered under her breath.

Iden turned to Cameron right behind him. "You got your Fragments ready? And out of the pouch?"

Cameron frowned slightly at the last question, and proceeded to drop the veil before reaching into his bag.

"Hey guys!" called Padge, "we're in range."

"Shush!" Iden quickly hissed, "Keep it down."

"Altais!" The second the battle cry left his lips, Padge dropped the cover, shooting straight towards the lizards. The blanket fell about, shattering into indigo rain. Padge cracked open another tube, pulling together his crimson knife.

The lizards whipped their head at the figure approaching them, hissing menacingly. Several of them turned and dispersed, running with both their tails between their legs. A daring one however, stayed, its slit eyes becoming vicious as Padge charged.

"That fool!" Iden turned to the others. "We're going. Cameron, connect us. Now!"

Discord

Jerilyn was the first to leap forward. Her legs pushed off the ground, and zipped right past Cameron before he even had the time to contemplate what was happening. The appearance of the lizards caught him off guard. A group of reptilian beasts four meters in length, tails splitting from their abdomen.

Seconds later, Cameron eyes caught the ends of Iden's cape, and Vara was beginning to move past him. That snapped him into action.

He pulled out his vial and the cork, summoning the bright green Fragments with both of his hands, throwing the tube to the ground. His split the Trunium into four bracelets. He arced his arm forward, and the shapes raced through the air. Vara was closest, the connector wrapped around her right wrist first. Cameron caught Jerilyn's arm when she placed her hand on the hilt of her blade. There was a split second when Iden's right arm moved backwards as he ran, and Cameron seized it. Padge was the hardest. Cameron aimed once, and the circlet missed Padge, digging into the grass just behind his heels.

Cameron sighed, but pushed forward anyway. He allowed a sentence to form in his mind, as if he was thinking of a conversation.

"Guys, you read me?"

"Loud and clear," Iden's voice replied. "Is Padge connected yet?"

"I missed him on my first shot. I'll try again."