Savoirs

Serena

The girl on the bench was in pain, everyone knew that. I thought I heard someone say her name was Jaclyn but I wasn't quite sure if that was just the pain creating conversation in my mind or not. My power kept showing me the ghosts of the future and I would moan or swat at things that weren't there, earning concerned looks from the prince, Mary and the king. The others didn't seem to think much of my behavior which I found interesting. The prince would sit near me or talk with Mary while the man who I assumed was the healer went back and forth between the ragtag group of men and women to me and sometimes he would check on the girl on the bench but I saw one of the men from the group by her at all times and assumed they were married so I didn't pay any attention to them. 

I saw the healer take the boy who would hover near the girl on the bench and the one who would pace nervously or stare at the dead Enemy corpse out into the hallway and laid down. I heard the door shut quietly as they left and a few minutes went by before I heard the door open again and looked up. The boy who would pace had come back into the room but the healer and the other boy had not. He walked towards me with purpose and I knew what he was going to ask before he even asked it.

"Serena. My name is Serena." I say weakly and he stopped, dumbfounded, in front of me, obviously not expecting me to talk before he asked who I was.

"How did you know I was going to ask that?" He asked slowly and I studied his face for any signs of aggression. When I don't find any I answered his question, noticing he had wrapped his hand around his wrist but not letting him realize I saw him hiding it wrist from me. Or perhaps it was the royals he was hiding it from.

"My power. It shows me the future. I use it on occasion. Who are you and why are you here?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow at my frankness.

"I'm Adam and we have been looking for you. See the healer thinks the six of us could fight something but we don't know what just yet. Please we need someone like you. If Jason had found you first maybe Jaclyn wouldn't be hurt like she is and-" He starts rambling and I interrupt him.

"I can't see the direct future I see the paths. I couldn't have saved your friend, mister." I interrupted. His face fell and he nodded grimly. The girl, Jaclyn moaned and the door opened. The healer and the boy, who I assumed was Jason, entered and went to the girl. I watched as the healer inspected the girls side and wrapped it again. He was speaking quietly to Jason who was ashen and kept nodding solemnly and then the old man simply left. The king excused himself and his son followed him with Mary in tow leaving us in silence with Jaclyn moaning in pain and Jason muttering to himself as he paced the small area near the bench. I saw Adam crouching next to the dead Enemy, inspecting his wrist. I stood and shuffled my way over to him.

"He doesn't have a power." Adam murmured and I frowned looking down at the man's wrist, which bore the mark of a power. Air I believe was what the mark said but I couldn't be sure since I had only ever seen my mark which was a simple black band around my wrist with an eye just under it.

"Yes he does can't you see it? The mark is right there on his wrist." I pointed and Adam looked up at me with a smirk and then pointed at the mark. He seemed amused for some reason.

"Yes he does have the mark of a power but its fake, a brand not a real mark. See, look closely along the edges of the mark, its puffy and scarred, like when you brand a horse and the brand heals, leaving scars along the brand if its sloppy. This man doesn't have any power and I'm going to guess that neither do most of the Enemy. They want to scare us because they know our knights often times don't have powers." He explains and I nod, noticing the scars running alongside the mark as he points them out. Jason looks over, hearing what Adam said to me, and I see the question on his face.

"Then how do we know which Enemy has a power or not?" He asks meekly. I was struck by surprise. I had thought he would speak with confidence, I was sure he had been the one yelling at the eldest prince too but he didn't sound like it. Adam shrugs and glances up at me, wondering if I would tell the others of my power no doubt. He waited for me to speak but when I didn't he sighed and pointed at me.

"She can see the future. Not directly but I'm sure she can at least warn us if there's even a possibility one of them have a power they might use." He explains and I glare at him. Hope flashes across Jason's face and he stands a little taller.

"I'm not helping anyone. I don't know you people and besides I don't use my power all that often I don't know how accurate it is." I said before Jason could say anything and his shoulders fell.

"Please, we will need your help." A girl said and she appeared in front of me. "My names Lia I can teleport and turn invisible. Please Serena, we will need your help and I'm fairly certain you are a good fighter." She says and Jaclyn moans in pain. Suddenly a tall, thin, dark man was in the room and everyone drew their weapons, suddenly alert and tense at the sight of the man. Jason stepped between Jaclyn and the man, who simply laughed. I saw Jason shoot a look at me, wondering if I would help and I picked up the dead Enemy's sword. The man saw and laughed again, a sick sound, almost like claws scratching a slate board over and over again and it put me on edge.

"You think you can battle me, girl?" He boomed and I shrugged knowing I could if I used my power during the battle.

"Maybe." I replied and he was suddenly sitting next to Jaclyn, regarding me with a cool admiration. She screamed and Jason whirled around. Jaclyn moved as far away from the man as the bench aloud, which pushed her against the wall and she stared at him look a cornered animal. He smiled a sickly sweet smile at her and reached out to touch her face. Jason swung at the man and then the man was behind Jason and I was moving. I slide between the two just as the man pulled out his dagger and deflected his attacks easily. He was suddenly sitting next to Jaclyn again. He was smiling that sick smile again and then he was gone. Jaclyn sobbed and stood unsteadily and lurched towards the door. Jason caught her as she tripped and guided her back to the bench talking softly to her. She kept shaking her head and tears ran down her face as she looked desperately at the door, clearly wanting to leave.

"Who was he?" I demand and Jaclyn shook her head, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"Someone you better hope you never see ever again." She murmurs in response and I looked to the others who shrugged and I sighed. I crouched in front of Jaclyn who was crying, from the pain or fear I couldn't tell but I was already starting to dislike her.

"Jaclyn, who is that man?" I ask as calmly as I can and she shook her head again.

"He's with the enemy. Me and him have a.......history." She said. I raised an eyebrow but didn't push her for any more information. Her words could mean any number of things but I settle for the one that happens most often. Rape. He forced himself on her and she had expected never to see him again but now he was plaguing her again for some reason. I sat crossed legged on the bed and closed my eyes. I focused on seeing the future and suddenly paths were in front of me. I saw a bloody battle and Jason talking with someone and Jaclyn screaming something and bright white light exploded from her hands. I choose to look at Jason's future and heard a man talking about the darkness that would kill everything until the entire world was dark and it would start with the kingdom. I switched to my future and saw myself walking with the group or walking away from the group. I heard Jaclyn saying something in the distance and I sighed. I opened my eyes and looked at Jason.

"Fine, I'll help you but I don't take orders from any of you, I'll know what to do and when to do it, is that clear?" I said and they nodded. "Good."

"We better get moving then. We are going to have a long journey ahead of us." Adam said and the others stood or, in Jaclyn's case, were helped to stand and we left the castle, leaving a boy and girl behind.

"And then there was six." Joseph muttered as we left the village.