Crossover Escape: Gotta be more than Lucky to survive

2.15 Not As it Seems

Luca woke quickly his body tensing as his mind braced for pain. When none came, he became confused. Luca opened his eyes and sat up slowly there was a couple of twinges along his back but otherwise he felt fine? The feeling okay was really throwing him. Still he shouldn’t complain about positive things. The tent he was in was well lit but from inside he couldn’t determine if it was early morning or late afternoon. As he struggled out of the tent since the flap seemed determined to entrap him. Free at last Luca almost immediately fell back into the tents grasp as a fast-moving object slammed into his chest.

As soon as the strike hit though the object bounced back and hovered in the air. ‘Kyuh?’ Lil’ Miss called as she stared at Luca for a second before she flapped around in the air in an obviously cheerful way.

“Come now little ancestor please calm…” Declan’s voice trailed off as he rounded the side of the tent just as Lil’ Miss resumed her place around Luca’s shoulders. Luca had to pause his contemplation as to why there was still no translation for what the dragon was saying to respond to Declan’s dumbfounded expression.

“It looks like morning, but you don’t look like you’re packing up?” Luca glanced around at the clear morning light and then at the camp that didn’t look even remotely like it intended to move today. “I wasn’t that injured.” Luca was certain he hadn’t been dying you know that feeling after the first few tries so realistically Tails should have got them all moving today even if they had to carry Luca.

“Ah, your up. Finally now maybe the rest of them will get moving. They just didn’t believe that you’d want to keep moving.” Tails came around the tent after Declan and pushed him aside. Just as well because Luca’s Fae swords followed Tails and rushed to Luca’s side immediately forming their belt and sheaths and settling around his waist.

Luca waved a hand and then tilted his head at the tent. Tails nodded and started to dismantle it while Luca went in search of Rӓv while he felt fine, he didn’t want to do something that would make any injuries worse that ended badly for all parties. Luca found here at the edge of the river with Holly. Holly looked up and smiled in relief before saying something to Rӓv and jogging back to the camp calling for people to hurry and pack up as he went.

“Nice to see your up. Okay don’t give me that look I’ll get to the point.” Luca rolled his eyes as Rӓv muttered and stood up. She gestured for Luca to turn around and he did while pulling his shirt off. He’d actually been more surprised that he’d still be wearing it when he woke up.

“So the damage when I finally managed to check properly, bunch a prudes meant I had to not take your shirt off to look, was actually abrasions of the shirt into your skin from the force of the explosion. The ice didn’t manage to pierce the armour.” Luca blinked at that comment he’d thought the damage should have been worse than that given the extent of the pain. Maybe it was like paper cuts pain disproportionate to the wounds? Still as he ran the type of injury through his head again, he barked out a laugh.

“You mean I would have been able to just shrug it off if we hadn’t had to use my jacket as bait to buy us those few extra minutes?”

“Yep, traded one save for another. So you take my jacket after this, I packet a spare long-sleeved shirt that I can use as an added layer. You need the protection more cause you lead from the front.” Luca wanted to argue the point, but his recent track work didn’t really give him ground to stand on. Thus, he decided to say nothing and gracefully acquiesce.

“Look he was the one swimming yesterday.”

“He was so fast”

“I didn’t think the land bound could do that.”

The chirp and call of dolphin voice overlaid with childish voices caused Luca to turn his head to look into the river. Three siren children swam in the shallows as they stared back at Luca. Luca waved and the two girls blushed before they dove under the water the boy looked left then right then waved back and followed them.

“We have safe harbour by the river, the sirens promised to stop any races that try to attack us here. since we killed their biggest predator,” Rӓv commented before she patted his shoulder to indicate he could put his shirt back on.

“Staying safe for a time won’t keep us safe forever, nor will it get us home.”

“I figured you were going to say that.”

“Is simple fact, the longer we wait the more prepared our foes.” Luca quoted Ghost’s excuse for rushing into things in a poor imitation accent as he turned to face Rӓv.

“I hate you for saying that.” Rӓv shook her head before she tossed her coat at Luca and moved off no doubt to check the route with the butterflies.

“You can come out now.” Luca kept his voice low. Near as he could tell Rӓv had turned the audio function off on the coms for the time being. The only reason he could think of was to limit the exposure of the others in the group.

“Nyet, not yet.” Ghost appeared beside Luca and scanned the dismantled campsite. Luca nodded in agreement. They still didn’t have enough information to work out who all the invites had gone to for this party and so they needed to keep watching their backs.

“Declan?”

“Shocked that you saved him and horrified that you were injured.” Ghost’s accent vanished completely as he spoke. Luca nodded slowly.

“Hmm, if he was that good of an actor, he should have one more matches than he has,” Luca pondered aloud.

“Unless they lost on purpose,” Ghost agreed.

“Cowboy?”

“Hanging on to his sanity by a thread. Whatever he signed up for he wasn’t prepared for what’s resulted.” Luca nodded slowly to that explanation and then because the coms were off asked the one other question he wouldn’t have asked otherwise.

“Holly?”

“He seems to waver between collected and shocked. The fight with the sirens?”

“He aimed for vitals without concern and was far more efficient than he showed in the practice match.” Luca agreed with Ghosts’ opinion.

“It would be the height of irony if we invited a rat in.”

“I don’t know, it was just inconsistent.” Luca couldn’t say about the exit process since he went out with Tails. Though it was interesting that their group had the strongest chase, the most people and was rescued by a native. “Not that it matters, given the way the environment around here is trying to eat us if anyone here is a traitor we’re screwed.”

“Just not in a fun way,” Ghost agreed. Absently Ghost passed Luca his outer pants and all his belts which Luca hastily put on before slinging Rӓv’s jacket on and loading the pockets. The camp was fully broken down by the time Luca finished getting everything resettled. A glance at his watch and the sun position suggested they had nine hours to get as far through the Wilds as they could. Luca had the team form up Rӓv and cowboy in the middle Tails in the front the two sorcerers Declan and Shade to the sides and Ghost at the back.