Sight

1: Hooded Stranger

Rhys' POV:

I wish I grew up wanting to be a miner.

All the young boys in my faction grew up with dreams to be a guard. Our fathers were either miners, or guards. But no one grew up wishing to be underground, which is how I became posted here.

I didn't think it would be like this. I thought it would be exciting, that I would be fighting monsters and doing things to survive and all of that adventurous crap. It wasn't like that. I had been stationed at this outpost for three months. I wasn't told how long I would be here for.

Flashback

I was woken up by the sound of heavy gunfire and someone shaking me. My best friend, Canaan was kneeling besides me. 

'Rhys, you need to get up! Come on!' The look in his eyes. He was terrified. Once he realised I was awake, he went to stand up but I grabbed his forearm. I studied his face, searching for something. There was nothing except pure fear.

'Canaan, what's going on? What's happened?' I was standing up, slightly towering above him. His face was glistening from sweat and his cheeks were red. His eyes were moving rapidly, searching for something from me but he couldn't see. His fear was blocking his sight.

He shook his head. 'Rhys we need to go. They're here! Th-They're going to get us!' He was stuttering, his shaking hands grabbing at the material of my shirt. I hadn't seen Canaan this scared since they killed his brother. Grabbing his forearm once again, I lead him to the locker room. I sat him down on the bench, kneeling in front of him.

'Here,' I held my hands out, allowing him to hold them. The energy was weak but it was there. Shit, something really bad must've happened to make Canaan this distraught. He looked into my eyes and his breathing slowed down, a sign that it was working. I could still hear gunfire.

'Cane, I need you to show me what you know.' He went to let go of my hands but I held his tighter. I was desperately searching for something but I couldn't see, it was as if he was blocking me out. 'Cane, please'

'I-I don't know if its them. They were wearing different armour. I-It glowed, Rhys. It was high tech, this wasnt the regular attack. The only other people I could think of was them. It made me think of Con-'

'Hey, Cane you're okay.' The energy was getting stronger until he thought of Connor. Connor was Canaan's elder brother. He died protecting him. 'What colour did their armour glow, Cane?'

His body stiffened as he thought of the memory. I could see. We both held hands tighter as he let me in, my body going stiff like his. He was right. This wasnt a normal attack. The people, or whatever they were, had black armour with green marking. Green marking that glowed. They were slaughtering everyone that got in the way.

I gasped and fell backwards, blinking continuously and coughing. I put my palm on my forehead and grimaced as I felt the layer of sweat.

'Rhys? What happened?' His eyes were full of worry as I stood up.

'I shouldn't have looked, you're not strong enough right now,' I sighed and put my hand on his shoulder. 'It isn't them. I don't know who it is though, we best go and find out.' He nodded and gave me a sheepish smile before we left the locker room and headed to the barracks.

We got our choice of weapon, mine being my gun that every guard is given and Canaan's being his double bladed sword. Connor gave it to him on his eighteenth birthday.

'Right, let's go.'

Flashback end

I paced my chambers. Thinking of Canaan was never good, it drained my energy. I hadn't seen him since I got here, three months ago. Was he posted somewhere as well? Shit, was he even alive? If he was put on post he would of panicked. He wouldn't be able to control his sight. Not without me.

I grumbled and headed outside. It was getting dark, it was time to start a fire. One of the rules is to not start fires, because it could lead enemies to you, but there hasn't been any activity since I got here, despite the fires I burn.

It wasn't that long after I had finished eating that I heard the bushes in front of me moving. I thought it was a mouse, those are the only living things you'll see here. The rustling was something more than what a mouse could make. There was someone there. I stood up and powered my gun up, making it glow a sky blue. I was scanning the forest, but nothing was there. Even though it was dark, I should have been able to see what, or who, was there.

I practically jumped out of my skin when a hooded figure emerged from the bushes, but quickly regained posture and aimed my gun towards it. It froze.

'What is your business here?' Was the only thing I could think of to say. It clearly wasn't someone I knew, it wasn't another guard from my faction. The figure moved its arms up and I immediately locked my gun onto it, the electrical sound making the figure freeze again.

'P-Peaceful. I'm removing my hood.' I flinched at the voice and remained still as he pulled his hood down. He was a Earth Elf. I could tell by the markings on his neck, and his ears as he came closer, being lit up by the fire. 'I am unarmed. Please lower your gun, Rhys.' That made me step closer, not removing my gun from him.

'How do you know my name? Who are you?' I saw him smirk but it was washed away quickly as I cocked my head to the side.

'I can see.'