Lainey and the Magicians (First Draft)

Chapter 13 (LONG!)

 Nathan and Lainey Paris were close to the bully. However, Nathan almost fell a few more times and Lainey had to help him find his footing. Besides that, she was still conflicted about if she was going to say anything more about the magicians and the tattoos since he could have still been a spy. Nathan must have been getting away from the magicians himself, but it was almost too easy for her to find him in the middle of cemetery's woods. He had an Irish and Minapon accent. He also had to pay debts.

 What were those debts? Was Nathan a magician spy who traveled back into the past? After all, someone had deliberately taken Lainey to the past or it could have had something to do with the fact that graves could be a gateway into worlds unimaginable. The breeze rustled through the trees as Lainey held Nathan's hand as they ran through the woods that connected to a narrow highway. It was almost deserted.

 Very few cars passed through this area of town. When people did, it was usually mid-day or it was kids sneaking out of school to go to the underground area of Jopiline. In the middle of the night, the area usually wasn't safe. It was the Underground Jopiline which connected to some city entrances through the tunnel system. Lainey wished that the circumstances she came under were better ones. However, the atmosphere and the bustle of the entire town took her back to horrendous memories. It took her back to the scene of being recruited by Emerald into the magicians and it even spurred up memories of scenes before that. She had to fill herself with calm.

 Those memories couldn't come back. "Lana, how has your day been? My day's been utter crap. I woke up in a hotel on the beach after a rough night and everyone was rude to me when I got into the downstair's lobby. It's as if a jinx was cast on me. Nobody I knew recognized me. When I made my way into Valleyview Park, a bunch of thugs chased after me. I managed to shake them, but I hit my head when I briefly fell down. Then I walked to the cemetery to find a place to rest and this guy walks up to shove me against a tree. However, my day has gotten better now that you've shown up," Nathan half-smiled.

 "I'm sorry about all that. Speaking of your rough night, did those thugs have anything to do with it? Someone could be playing a cruel joke on you. I highly doubt magicians would come after you since I've heard they go after more prominent targets," Lainey replied with a dash of pride.

 "Maybe, I don't know. Magicians don't go after prominent figures sometimes. Have you heard the story about Emerald and Franchessca?" Nathan inquired as they made their way toward the Underground Jopiline. Lainey had heard the story about Emerald and Franchessca multiple times. She tried not to grit her teeth or show any emotion. The mere word 'Emerald' triggered her. She didn't want to think about him or sink into the memories. If she sunk in, she'd need a lifeline to persevere through the thick dark pool inside her mind. This Nathan seemed like an encyclopedia for villains, magicians, and gang leaders. Did Lainey want to be honest with this question or not?

 "No, I haven't heard it," Lainey lied.

 "Well, it's pretty easy to read. It's in the news," Nathan shrugged. "Emerald met this woman named Franchessca in Memphis when he had a drug trafficking operation there and he sold Jewlain to her. Jew is short for jewel. I think this lunatic should get justice or we should just have him executed. If someone's not going to be better and has no care for anyone else, they should die," Nathan said.

 "That's horrible," Lainey gasped! It really was horrible to her. "Don't you remember Pilias? He was an evil island ruler and he redeemed himself. Can't we give Emerald a second chance?"

 "Why do you care so much about a lunatic? Pilas hasn't affected the world scale as much as Emerald has and he hasn't been as eager to cause chaos as Emerald is. Nobody should have sympathy for lunatics. All those articles and all those things regarding Emerald is a big lie. He is not a good person and he doesn't seek to help people fight against an unjust government. He wants people to be aligned with himself and the magicians. There is a good reason that most magic is outlawed in the United States," Nathan said. "A lot of protesters want magician rights, but that isn't happening. Somehow, the vigilante Asire isn't arrested for his magical usage, but the government finds him valuable to their goals."