The blaze
Many thoughts clouded his consciousness as he waited for the ticking hands of time, which strokes its pattern in an endless orbit. The tick-tock rhythm had long turned to a lullaby of Odysseus thoughts. Sleep was difficult, and until he had stroked his brow and felt the fluid, he never realized that he was sweating, a contrast to the dropping temperature.
He was staring at the ceiling but not actually seeing it. King Zack storms city Candanian and in few days he would invade the Heroes city. Matt felt the touch of fear as he flashed back on Leonard's words. Maybe Zack wouldn't seize control, maybe he wouldn't destroy the city, and maybe his reign would be the best in Anadan. Or maybe I'm just trying to believe my own lie. Matt sighed. This Zack had claimed he was in for the greater good, but from what Raz and the others had shown them, they had seen the wreck Zack's policy produced. They had seen more to believe that the devil would return to his place in paradise.
Matt's eyes compliantly went back to the small table clock; he had been waiting patiently for it, now it says 8:45pm.
Finally, the time he was waiting for.
He stood up from the bed and walked towards the table. He had not gone to bed in his pajamas and was fully dressed in black pants and T-shirt. He slides the little pocket knife that was resting on the table, into a space in his boot and picked up his H-board. He was determined to know what was going on with the world, and if the answers lie with the meeting between the school staffs and the inquisitor, he would eavesdrop no matter how dangerous it seem.
Matt activated his H-Board and slides open the pane of the window. The air in the academy was cold and harsh and the lights that line the whole place, made the night look like the stars in the galaxy. It glitters like the spark of light in water and stretches out the whole place, as far as any eye could see. It was beautiful.
Matt jumped into his H-Board and soared to the direction of Donald's fountain, which was north-east from the Grays' block. Until then, he never realized how much he missed racing. The last race he'd had was a year old, and even though it had been a spectacular one, he wished he could steer back the hands of time to those moments when they were still kids. Those days when they would soar in their board with neck breaking speed. Those days when every dangerous stunt was possible. Those days with Jeff.
The thought of Jeff brought Matt back to reality. Today was the last day, just a few hours away; he would see Jeff and Ema by day time. Hopefully.
Matt deactivated his H-board and jumped down gracefully. He had approached the Tulips tree, which was some steps away from the fountain, sitting in the middle of the compound of the teachers' block. Better to stay in the shadows. He said to himself as he observed the cold night.
There were no guards visible enough for his eyes to pick out in the dim light of the moon. The building ahead was mainly for emergency meetings and gatherings, so it rarely harbors anyone. The cricket was singing somewhere in the garden and its song made Matt to remember a poem he heard when he was still tender.
Sitting in the dark I sing to myself
The cares of the world I lay by myself
I and myself shall sing and merry
My enemies might merry in anger
I merry in the dangers of the dark
I and myself sing and merry
Matt hissed and tucked his H-board underneath his armpit. He couldn't fathom how the poor cricket, chose to sing in the dark, the time when its enemies were prowling around looking for their prey. Maybe it's trying to prove to its predator that it was fearless or it's just being foolish. Either way, Matt felt as though the little Cricket was indirectly conversing with him, to stand up to his defeat or to cower with the cold hands of fear.
Matt bit his under lips until he tested blood. He remembered Isaac and his forehead started throbbing again. He could still feel the impact of Isaac's staff on his left eye brow, the skin painful but with no swellings. Campter had divided them in six groups and had made them spar. Matt had gotten Isaac. The boy was good and skillful, even with the skill Raz had taught him and Jeff, he had defeated Isaac with burning muscles.
The movement from the corner of his eyes made the thought of Isaac and the cricket evaporate from his memories. At first he thought it was the guard, securing this place, so he hid behind the tree, his clothe serving as a perfect camouflage. From the dim light of the moon he saw the shadow moving towards his direction, but it stopped when it got behind the wall and stoop. Its movement, precise and careful, too careful to be a guard.
Matt straightened however, when he realized who the shadow was. He could recognize those broad shoulders anywhere. It was Raz, and behind him were Sandra and Leonard no doubt. It was only when two more shadows came slithering down from their H-board, did he realized that Ham and Pinna were with them. All the partners in crime were complete.
Matt walked towards them; nobody was talking, except for Raz, in those whispering but yet authoritative tone of his. He said something about not using the touch light and disappeared in the night almost immediately, leaving the others with nothing but his shadow to pursue.