Angel's Virtue

Snowy Path

It was really difficult to enjoy a good meal when Xane is uncomfortably quiet and Kika is eating near the water away from all of us. I didn't eat until everyone but Xane slept.
"Are you. . . okay?" I asked. I don't like to talk, but I should at least say something him.
"Ah, yes. . . was I the one worrying you? I'm sorry, please eat and pay me no mind," Xane said.
"Er, no. . . well, yes. . . but. . . did something happen. . .?"
Xane sighed and looked up at the leaves that blocked the sky. "I want to prove myself to Kika that I am a friend and not a foe. However, she won't believe me." He touched his neck and I noticed a small wound.
"K-Kika shouldn't have done that!" I blurted in anger. I covered my mouth realizing how much I've said.
"I didn't know you can talk normally."
"I. . . can. . . yes. . ." I responded, embarrassed.
"Well, anyway. I am a part of the bandits. However, I have my reason, and I'm sure once I have my chance to explain to her, and after proving myself to be trustworthy, I shall explain more about myself."
"Why not. . . explain now. . . than later. . . ?" I asked.
"It would actually make things worse I'm afraid," Xane explained.
"I see. . ."
"Can you explain why you wear those bandages and hide your voice?" Xane asked.
"Says. . . the one. . . who can't. . . explain. . . something to. . . another. . ." I said struggling to voice the sentence out.
"Okay, fair enough," Xane laughed. "Why magic then?"
". . ." I just stared.
"Okay, I'll explain why I use this sword in exchange," Xane forfeited. I smiled in agreement. "I was was rather experienced with a bow before, but the bandits didn't need that. I was given a sword to use and I trained hard with it. An axe is too large and a lance is too long. I made a friend in the camp. Pyrus was his name. A confident and upbeat man who's always hungry. One time, we had to raid a place. Thing is, I only fight armed people and leave the unarmed innocents to flee. One person killed my friend. I now wield his sword in his stead."
I felt as though I've been doing a staring contest without realizing. I blinked and knew that Xane had explained more to me than anyone else.
"I. . .ahem. I used to be a swordsman from two proud parents. They disapproved of my thirst of continuing to learn magic. I left home one day after an incident without saying goodbye. It was hard for me to survive. I managed to stumble into a town where magic is learned. The headmaster saw my potential and I became his apprentice. . . ahem! . . . My story. . . isn't as interesting. . . as yours. . ."
"Oh no. It was really interesting. I just didn't expect you to be a swordsman before. That makes me smile knowing what you can actually do," Xane said.
"P-Please. . . I'm only a mere mage. . ." I blushed, denying the compliment.
"I doubt that," Xane smirked. I heard his stomach growl. I sighed and gave him my stick of eel. "No, don't."
"No, take it. . . Promise that. . . you explain sooner. . . so that you can. . . be fed," I said giving the stick feeling bad that Kika isn't cooking for him as well.
"No promises," Xane said eating. "Okay, I will actually try. Thank you, Syf."

~~~

Ta-da!" Flecin announced, "I made a necklace with a feather of yours, Rade!"
"Hey, looks great!" I complimented. And it was. It was really well made, I'm surprised to see how neat and well made it looks using the available resources around. Even so, it looks professionally made.
"Here, Rade," Flecin said trying to hook it over my neck.
"What? No way, you keep it!" I responded.
"You don't like it?"
"No, not that! I think you since you made it, it should be yours."
"I want to make one for everyone. I want to give it to you first because I am happy that I am with you in this journey from the beginning!"
I felt very happy hearing that, but it would be embarrassing to respond in an emotional way in front of everyone else. I put the necklace back on and Flecin smiled. I smiled back.

~~~

We continued our walk and the cold was certainly bothersome. At least there isn't any wind to make matters worse. I looked at the feather necklace Flecin made for me and thought it weird to be wearing my own feather over my neck. It isn't exactly like a person who would wear bones and stake skulls onto sticks, but it is more like a memory.
I looked at everyone and how they are doing. Only thing that stuck out was how far away Kika and Xane were, and their different expressions masked on their faces. They'll understand each other. . . Eventually.
"Rade!" Xane exclaimed running from the back to my front. He raised his sword up and I heard a clash. I looked at who was attacking us. It was Them. One wore a similar mask just like last time, one had an eye patch as well as leather straps, and another wore a black coat that covered his or her entire body, he or she had their hood up.
"Are you the ones disturbing the peace of the world?" The one with the eye patch asked.
"We're fighting for peace," I explained.
"Funny, we were already doing that," the masked one replied.
"Well. . . you don't look like. . . you do. . ." Syf huffed.
"We do. It does seem like we are the enemy, but we have our own way to make peace. We both kill to make peace, however, we have order. You all seem to just kill and leave places be. What if the places you visited were attacked again?"
"We are a small group. We do what we can and get any information that may help us along the way," I explained.
"Enough! I've heard enough excuses," the eye patch man said. He and the masked man drew their anti-blades. The hooded figure pulled out a book. A tome. With a wave of his arm black physical matter enveloped Syf. Syf screamed in pain. Is dark magic a stronger version of normal magic?
Kika fired an arrow at the black hooded person. The coated person held a hand out and shielded the shot. The eye patch man ran his blade almost stabbing me. Void fired an arrow at my attacker. Fang fired a few shots from his pistol. He must've found some ammunition at the camp we escaped from. The masked man was fast and attacked fang with a slash at the legs. Fang dropped and got kicked in the head, knocking him out cold. The masked man moved quickly and caught Xane off guard. Xane soon figured out the masked one's tempo and threw his sword in the air. He dodged a few more swings and he jumped and grabbed his sword's hilt and slammed hard at the masked one. The masked person's blade shattered and got hit hard in the process.
"Retreating," he said vanishing away.
The black coated person still seemed like a problem. He stopped his attack on Syf and yet, Syf was unable to fight due to the damage he took. Xane ran towards the black coated man and swung at him. The black coat multiplied himself, and every time Xane attacked one, it vanished meaning it's a fake. One copy held out his arm with black electrical power and blasted Xane.
Kika was evading the eye patch man's attacks. She got hit a couple of times. Void rushed in to help defend. That person's fighting capabilities are strong.
A bright light shone and the black coated person was weakened. Syf is still hurt but he unleashed an explosive power at the black coated figure. The hood came off and it was an elf. An adult male.
"Stronger than I thought," he said with a calm voice. He put the hood back on and fired dark spikes at us. Flecin managed to shield us from the attack, but the attacks were so powerful that she had to sit down afterwards. Syf fired fire balls, but after the second he fainted. I ran toward the elf, he fired the same electrical attack from before. I took the hit and threw my scythe at him. It hit him at his side. He knelt down and blocked the scythe coming back.
"Retreating," he said vanishing like the masked man.
I panted and I took too much damage from the attack and fainted.

~~~

This man was tough! I blocked every attack that he threw at me. I looked at the others and realized everyone really took the hit. Guardian unfortunately couldn't help me, his attacks were too fast and if I were to use his power, I don't think I can defeat him quickly enough without losing energy first. A hard blow hit my sword and my blade broke. The anti blade slipped through my remaining blade and disarmed me. Kika fired an arrow and he dodged it easily this time.
Right when I thought I was going to get a good stab in the chest a large sword came up in the sky and Xane made a cut deep at his shoulder. The eye patched man bellowed in pain and he quickly vanished. Xane fell to the ground and threw up due to stress. I fell on my knees and collapsed where I stood.