Walking With Giants (Completed)

Chapter 12

Scarlet thought the team was terrible.

It couldn't have been any worse. Adam and Kronos were always arguing, Kennedy never wanted to talk, and 'Soulless' kept on wandering off and Adam had to go get him. That was normally a thirty-minute interval. Nobody knew why it took so long, and nobody cared. They were just glad Adam and Kronos had shut up.

Kennedy was the food master. She handled all of the food and had it packed in two giant duffels and didn't mind hauling them everywhere. But, even though they knew each other, Kennedy was told to ration and she did exactly that. She never let anyone have extra food, including Scarlett.

And Void and Igor never shut up.

Soulless had not yet wandered away, and Kronos and Adam were not yet arguing, when suddenly Void stopped in midsentence and sniffed the air. "Three extras on the list have walked by here. Scratch that, four."

They all stopped. They were at the base of Eagle Peak, the tallest mountain in the range surrounding the northwest area of Elipse's estate. They had heard Void say that they crossed an extra path sometimes, but most of the time Void said the path was old or that it wasn't worth following. Even though he was the little annoying brat nobody liked, nobody questioned his methods.

"Should we go after them?" Scarlet said, finally happy that she could meet what the people were like outside of 'Camp Elipse.'

Void hissed through his teeth. "That's a hard decision. Eagle Peak is very disorienting, and-"

"Oh, stop rambling, you idiot," Kronos groaned. "If you can trace them, can't you just follow their path up the mountain?"

Void shifted nervously. "Sure, I guess. Whatever."

They all started their slow descent up the snowy mountainside. Scarlet wanted to know why Void had been so reluctant to go up the mountain but had quickly taken it back. She sped up to meet him.

"Hey, Void," she said awkwardly. "Why don't you want to go up the mountain?"

"Nothing. Just a stupid idea, you know."

Scarlet groaned to herself. "It's okay, you can tell me, I wont-"

"No. It. Was. Nothing. Get it?" He spat, and moved away from her.

Well, damn, he's sour, Scarlet thought to herself with her arms folded. Oh well. He'll spill soon enough.

She had a hunch. Either he had an old memory of this mountain, he'd been to the mountain before, or...

She should keep an eye on Void.

They were all accounted for, and they began their descent up the mountain. It was a struggle, and once they got to a certain point on the trail, breathing began to get difficult. The trees were just starting to thin out, and the ones that remained on the mountain did not look as healthy as the ones farther down the mountain.

Everyone was laboring. They took two breaths every time they took a step. Void and Soulless looked like they were going to collapse on the snow and cry. The only one that looked fine was Igor, who had super-strength, so it didn't faze him much.

Kronos suddenly stopped and sat down on the snow. "Let's all take a break. We can't go on like this for much longer."

For once, Adam didn't argue with him. Adam got some logs from his backpack and set them on the ground. "Okay, anyone have fire powers? This is life and death right here."

He motioned to all of the teammates, and after a long moment Soulless walked up to the logs and lit them ablaze.

"Keep it alive, everyone! Crowd around it so the cold wind doesn't hit it!" Kronos and Adam sat down immediately next to the fire.

Soulless, Kennedy, and Void joined them, and a reluctant Igor went to sit next to them, too.

Scarlett squeezed into a spot next to the fire and pulled her jacket tightly around her. It was freezing. There was barely a tree in sight. The sun was blocked by the snowstorm blowing in, and everybody except for Soulless, who was a walking nuclear reactor, was chattering their teeth loudly.

And then an ominously familiar wind blasted them. She suddenly heard something on the wind.

Whisssssst...

Whissssssttt....

You have thhhhrreee optionssss...

Kronos leaped to his feet and pulled his short sword from his scabbard. Flames leaped from Soulless' hands. Igor clenched his hands into fists and scanned the path. Void backed away from the voice. He seemed scared.

Whhisssst... You can run away and not come back...

Kronos breathed heavier. Kennedy pulled a knife from her back pocket.

Whissst... You can surrender and not tell your leader... Whissssssssssstttt..........

Kronos opened his mouth. "And what if we say no, huh? Can you beat us? Or are you just pissing your pants at the mere thought of facing all of Elipse's Elite?"

Whissssst... Oh, ssso yooouu are Elipssse'sss ssservantssss, huh? Nnno Matterrr, you will die by the hands of Urssssa, the bbounty ssslayyer...

Whissss.. Or will "you face me now?"

They could hear his normal voice. Igor was cringing. Soulless was sweating. Kronos' hands were trembling uncontrollably. He looked like he would drop his sword.

The snowstorm suddenly stopped. The individual snowflakes floated distilled in midair, and they could see the corners of the flakes spinning silently.

Beatifful, isn't itt? This issss my mountain. These are my people. I protect them from... intruders like yooouu.

"So..." The voice said. "Will you turn back? Or will you face MEEEEE?!?!"

Harsh wind whipped their faces like a lash beating their faces. Void began to cry. Igor dropped to his knees in sheer terror. Kennedy shrieked.

Scarlet was grinning like mad.

Whisssst... I have come for onne of yooouu. I will reveal myself for a moment, and don't try to resist my power, or you will regret it.

The pain was released. The snow cleared like an explosion, and suddenly the sun beat on them. Void was shocked, as he covered his eyes with his hand because of the harshness of the light so suddenly.

Ursa was striding before the weakened group. Ursa was a tall fourteen-year-old who had a mad grin out of the corner of one mouth and a mind that toyed with reality. And he had a green staff.

He stopped in front of her, and looked down at her. He suppressed a tear and started smiling and chuckling. "You're... alive. I can't believe it."

Scarlett punched him in the arm and leaned towards him. "You too, you big knucklehead. How can I survive without my little klutz?"

He leaned closer and began to close his eyes. "I could... say the same... for you, little... klutz."

They gave a long kiss.

"Eeew," Igor said. "I never thought a relationship could be that gross."

Their kiss was suddenly interrupted by a blast of intense heat. They turned to see Soulless with fire spouting from his hands.

And then he spoke. He had a surprisingly confident voice that practically spoke 'Power, power, too much power...'

"I won't let our mission be jeopardized by a single rouge. How can you possibly fight all six of us?" Then he looked again at Scarlet. "Five, then."

Ursa grinned. "The real question is: Soulless, do you want to fight me?"

Soulless knew Ursa could read minds. It was on the list. "It's John. I'm John, you dick."

Ursa stopped smiling. "If that's how you want to play it... Okay then, John, I will release the true extent of my power. And I won't hold back."