"Where exactly are we going?" Kendi asked. The two of them had been walking for hours, deeper and deeper into the woods.
"Are you afraid of dying where no one would find you?" He asked. He had a hood over his head - they both did - and it was difficult to see his face in the dark but Kendi could tell he was smiling.
"I'm not afraid of anything, you know that," Kendi said.
"But you just thought of how bad it would be if you died where no one would find you ... Deep in the woods, your body becoming food for the animals and the insects and the likes ... People out there looking for you for years and years until eventually they give up and live their own life and die and their children take their place, then their children's children. One day someone would make his way this deep into the forest, perhaps he would be hunting or something else then he would come across your body but it would be merely bones by then and he would only recognize that it is you because of the pendant around your neck and only then would you receive a proper burial ... Over a century after you die."
Kendi went silent, he looked down to see he was wearing no pendant and then glanced sideways only to hear his friend laugh. "Don't worry, you get to live a long, fulfilling life," he clarified.
"I'm not worried," said Kendi. "I just thought for a second I was going to die here without having seen my child ... I don't think I've told you before; Nakia is with child, and we'd have our firstborn hopefully before the end of the coming winter."
"Congratulations. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'd have since taken her off her current duties."
"Like that's possible," Kendi laughed. "Nakia really enjoys working for you and I think only when she goes into labor would she be away from her duties ... You did save her life, you saved both of our lives," the dark-skinned man stated.
"You give me too much credit Kendi, you know I only helped you back then because I needed something from you," he said, "and you saved Nakia yourself," he added.
"And how was I able to --"
He suddenly pushes Kendi to the ground.
"What the --" Kendi looked up to see several dagger-like icicles fly into a tree.
He helps Kendi back to his feet and the latter prepares to fight. "Don't bother, you have no magic in these woods and they have over two hundred men; all of them elementals," he stated.
"How come they can use magic?"
He smiles. "Hecate's way with magic is fascinating, isn't it?"
Kendi puts his hands down. "What do we do?" He asks.
He moves his head sideways and a ball of fire flies over his shoulder. "What can we do?"
.
.
.
Hunter opens his eyes, it was still very early in the morning.
[You saw another memory of mine?]
'Yup, you were with Kendi in the woods and then you were attacked by a group of elementals.'
[That ambush? Heh.]
'That story you told Kendi about dying where no one would find you, it was so specific ... Did it happen to someone you used to know?'
[Not at the time, no. But that would be how Kendi died]
...
"Come on Hunter! The holiday is coming soon; surely you wouldn't want to leave on a note like this," Sir Aragones encouraged.
"I am not not doing it on purpose!" Hunter cried. The sprite looked around to see all the other conjurers in the class had already conjured up something.
'This has gotta be the worst order!'
[I agree]
'Thank you!'
Sir Aragones checked the time on his watch before sighing. "Well looks like today's lesson is over. Keep training during your free time ... Especially you, Hunter," he said.
"Yeah, yeah," Hunter mumbled as he made his way out of the class to head home before Martin or any of the other conjurers stop him.
As soon as the sprite got out of the conjurer's department, he sees a girl with shaggy black hair and brown skin sitting on a bench not too far away.
"Leah?" He called.
The young lady looked up at the dark-haired boy. "Hunter," she said with a smile on her face.
"Hey, what happened the other night? You just disappeared on me," said the sprite.
"Oh ... I was afraid Circe would see me."
"Why?" He asked sitting next to Leah on the bench.
"Because she took Jade," the vampire said.
"What?!" Hunter said surprised at the accusation levied against the yellow-eyed woman.
"Please don't get angry," Leah said in her softest tone. "Just listen to me for a moment," she said.
Hunter exhales. "Alright, I'm listening," he said.
"Jade called me the night you returned from Hel telling me to continue watching over you," she started.
"Okay?"
"When I asked her where she was, she told me she was going to Circe's who needed her help. That was the last time we spoke," Leah stated.
"No, you've got it wrong Leah," Hunter said. "Jade went on a secret mission, that's why you haven't heard from her in a while, Circe told me --" Leah grabbed Hunter's arm before he could complete the sentence. "We talk about everything," said the brown-skinned girl. "She would have told me what to do before setting off on a mission this long."
...
"You got something on your mind, teach?" Nova asked snapping Hunter back to reality.
"Yes," he replies.
"Something you want to talk about?"
"Not at all. Sophia?"
"I'm still catching my breath," said the stone blue-skinned girl not interested in whatever the sprite was talking about.
"Ah yes, because in a real fight, your opponent would let you catch your breath," Hunter says shaking his head disappointedly.
"Hey! Don't take out your frustration on her," said Nova.
"I'm not taking out any frustrations on anybody, I'm simply stating a fact; you too shouldn't be letting her rest. The purpose of this whole exercise is to simulate a battle event. Not taking it seriously renders it useless," Hunter stated.
"I just needed a minute, I'm ready to go again," said Sophia.
"Good, good," said Hunter. "Can you come here for a minute?"
The redhead jogged over to the sprite who leaned into her and whispered. "Nova's attacks are mostly predictable. When she shifts her weight to the right, she attacks with her left. When she moves quickly, she almost always fakes her attack."
"Got it!" Sophia nodded before walking back to face Nova.
"And ... Go!"
The two ladies rushed at each other, Nova throws a right jab but the redhead easily avoids it, letting the punch fly over her shoulder while she lifts the blonde-haired girl over her head and into the ground.
"And that is why you shouldn't give your opponent any breathing space," Hunter exclaimed.
"No fair! You gave her pointers," Nova pointed out.
"Wanted to prove my point, what better way?"
Nova rolls her eyes while Sophia helps her back to her feet. "You won't win next time," Nova said to the redhead.
"I beg to differ."
Hunter smiled at the exchange before clearing his throat to draw their attention. "One more time, let's go!"
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