The Tanian Legends

CHAPTER 5 - A FOUR MAN ARMY

I was dead tired while he was explaining what was happening. It was a hour even worse than lectures by our math teacher. I had tried to pay attention, but I was going to fall asleep, and after what happened, I was not willing to sleep. Though I wondered why I was sleepy when It felt only two-three hours since Venice zapped me with some kind of spell even the Medusa from greek mythology would love to learn about. I have only heard some sentences and remembered even fewer. I wish they would just do mind maps. I love those.

"Off topic" I told Benedict "What time is it?"
"I was just getting to that" Benedict replied
"Time is slowing down. Currently it should be 2 AM" Ean said
"How did you know?" Mikey asked
"Dont ask me, I just knew... somehow... yeah.. how did I?" Ean asked himself
"You should know that" I replied
Ean looked confused "I dont"

"Use your brain" I said "Try to find how you knew that"
"Easier said than done" he said, annoyed
"Memories..." Benedict mumbled from the corner
"GUYS CAN YOU STOP?" Mikey shouted "WE NEED A PLAN"
"...for what?" I asked
"You haven't been paying attention" Benedict scolded "I wasn't expecting you to"
"Probably from Venice's spell. You've trouble on focusing on anything but sleep" Mikey told me
"How does everyone know some thing I dont?" I ask

Then another gust of wind came behind me. Some one opened the door, Ean was shocked but Benedict didn't seem at all surprised. "There you are!" The girl said. It was the girl Benedict was referring to a while back. Spiky hair with diamond shaped glasses. She looked real badass. I felt a 'bully' vibe from her, but seeing as she seemed like a friend of Benedict, I would give her a chance, I told myself.

"Oh.. Hi!" Ean welcomed "This is Leo, and Mikey... and he is"
"Benedict. You dont need to introduce anyone, Ean" The girl scolded
"You look.. Badass.." I told her, trying not to look at pants. Though Benedict glanced to me before I could hide it. I was blushing, probably even more than Benedict. "Who..?"
"Beatriz" She offered "I know you desire to quest, my friend"
"Me?" I asked
"Yes" She said, seemingly disappointed "You have a problem with that?"
"Yes, I do" I replied

I immediately regretted that. She looked like she wanted to slap me in the face for answering her in her face. This seemed important, but my heart wasn't in it. I was being hunted down now and almost died in some girl's home. Now I have to go to a quest where my life could be at risk.

Again. I thought about my brother and my Xilos schoolmates that were turned to ice. I could have the same fate as them. I have already lost so much in my life, I cant afford to lose myself and my friends and my consciousness. After a long trance, I finally spoke.

"I dont want to" I said "I dont want to die"
"You have to" Beatriz said
"How can I trust you?!" I yelled
"No... choice?" She asked
"Yes! I do have a choice!"

I stared at Benedict, Ean and Mikey. I felt like they would say something about this. I just did not know who's side they'll take. All I knew was that I was not going.

"PLEASE CAN YOU STOP LEO?" Benedict told me
"You too?" I asked "Dont tell me Mikey is going along with you too"
"I will support the world. We need to do this, Leo" Mikey said
"I have lost too much" I said "I cant afford now to lose myself"
"Thats going to happen if you dont join us" Beatriz replied
"Excuse me, is that a threat?"
"No" Benedict said "Its only-"

I ran out the door and saw something terrible. The world was a transparent blue, ice. Probably even colder than the artic and scarier than Xilos. A cold wind pressed gently upon my skin. A sudden purple mist or something that seemed like purple clouds had materialized with a face of my brother. Whoever was making my life miserable, I have to admit, they are really succeeding in their job. Probably worthy of my respect, except I wasn't feeling the tribute.

Still panting, I finally stumble upon a building that wasn't turned into ice yet. It was near Xilos and my home, but I didn't dare enter either of the buildings. I knew I was already been hunted, I probably have a bounty on me too. Then I realized the abnormal amount of people there are. Absolutely no one. It took all my courage to walk up the building and ring the doorbell.

As I expected, no one answered. I wasn't expecting one anyways, I crossed the large barbed wire with only a few cuts and my face slamming into the ice, which would have hurt, and it did. I was more busy thinking why the ice didn't break. I didn't need to study rocket science to know that my concrete face should have at least cracked the ice. It just felt, wrong.

As I enter the hallway, the same cold wind blown me away, almost to the point of hitting my butt to the floor and slipping on the ice. I heard footsteps from behind me, I turned and I saw nothing. I didn't register the fact that it was my feet making the footsteps. I felt a tingling sensation from my hand, the place where my scarf was. Maybe it was tracking me, but all I knew was that I needed to get it off.

To absolutely no one's surprise (maybe except mine), it didn't come off. It kept reappearing from my hand. I fiddled it around, hopefully destroying any magic on it, but to absolutely no avail. "Great" I mumbled "Thank you Ean"

I felt something dark behind me, I turned and I saw a shadow, similar to the ones in my dreams. "Give it to me!" it said

"In your ghostly dreams!" I yelled

Another ghost appeared, it seemed to have a body, a posture I recognized from Xilos, I just couldn't pin point who's it was. "Now, Honey" It said "Give me back what you've stolen!"

"Stolen?" I asked "Are you from Xilos?"

"Just give to me!" the ghostly figure demanded

"No!" I yelled, even if I didn't know what the ghost was talking about "over my dead body!"

I acted brave and fierce, but inside I was absolutely weak. One thing I learned from some speaker in the book 'Demigods and Magicians' from an author I've completely forgotten, mainly because I couldn't pronounce his last name, that 'When you are weak, act strong'

"You scared?" I taunted

"Not in your adolescent nightmares!" The ghostly body said

I then realized that it was this shadow group that was causing my nightmares. They would be the ones to kill Mikey or..l my brother. That thought sent chills to my body. They knew my weak point, emotion, and now i'll be dead because of it. I exposed myself too soon.

I took off my shoes and threw it to the ghost, the body disappeared, which made my happy. Before I could celebrate, it reappeared behind me and I was pinned to the ground. 'Crap' I thought 'Now how will I get out?' My vision was fading, and I knew I was going to black out..

Then a familiar person had ran through the ice like it was nothing. Screaming some words I didn't have time to understand. All I knew was that I was in trouble. I tried my best to focus, but I saw the toll those pills took on me. My strength was being sapped, the pill didn't register that I needed strength.

The familiar voice turned into a high-pitched voice that belonged to a girl. "What on earth were you doing?"

It was Beatriz, and I was completely shocked.