Beatitudes

Awakened voice.

The trees were thick and their branches spread every which way above their heads, it provided them with a surreal sense of an additional cover, a protective cover that is, if the people from the pit were after them, but Issac doubted that would be possible, their escape was basically an easy access outdoors.

As they were running, Issac though felt something odd, although the guy named Adam had helped them break out as he said and he even led them 'personally', he hadn't shown himself even as he told them to run into the forest, they had been running for a while now, a twenty minutes run wasn't something they could keep up for long, he had been in this forest no longer than about six months ago, so he knew that their current peaceful running wasn't how it'll be forever. The night in the forest was one that had strong beasts lurking about, when they got to places deeper in they might most likely face one and lose their lives all the same.

" Let's stop here for now, there are beasts in this place."

After thinking till there, he decided it was best they stayed here for a while, at least till Adam possibly arrived. One thing he hadn't noticed was the fact that he had been putting all his trust and dependence on the guy he only met yesterday, it would have surprised him but he hadn't realized it yet.

Hearing the reason why, the other two stopped as they both began to catch their breaths, the girl was quiet, unknown thoughts moving through her head, Harry on the other hand spoke up, puzzlement clear in his eyes

" Where's your guy Issac, we've been running for a while now, isn't it odd he isn't with us? "

Issac had a wry smile as he spoke up, " Well he did tell me that we should go on our own, he didn't say he would escort us everywhere we go... I think we're on our own now. "

Harry was taken aback until he realized the sensibility of those words, his swirling emotions calmed down as his excitement gave way to nervousness and uncertainty.

" So what are we going to do now, if we're alone now, we have to find a place to head to, or at least we need to have a plan right? "

Nodding to show his agreement, Issac spoke again, this time looking at the two of them, which included the girl who had been silent all this while since she begged to tag along, " Yeah you're right, we do need a plan, but I don't know if we have any now. For now I think we should probably pass the night here, trust me on the fact that I understand the basic working of this forest, the stronger beasts come out at this point to hunt and do things I don't know, I never dared to check on them. So if we want to stay alive till the next day we should stay here for tonight, whatever tommorow brings can be done tommorow, is it okay with you guys? "

Throughout his talking the two listening to him had no objections as they consented to his words, and so they made their way up into the tree to avoid ambushes, another thing Issac suggested. The female of the group was still quiet, and dissatisfaction appeared in Harry as he grumbled at how she just kept to herself and didn't even appreciate them for taking her along, he just didn't voice it though, the slight fear he felt ever since her killing a guard was still there and so he kept quiet and ignored her.

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On a tree a distance away from the three, Adam sat on a branch as he listened in on and them, watching Issac address the others as his lips curved for an unknown reason, " See that Horace, he's still the same old person I knew, the person we all knew. "

Speaking out, his voice was low with no one around him, yet another voice came from within his head to reply him,

" You're right... he's still the same.."

_______________________________________________________________

The sun rays on their faces was like a mother gently waking up her young ones, filling them with good feelings. They had finally escaped from that drat of a place, feeling the sun rays on their faces confirmed the fact that this wasn't an illusion or a dream, it was the real deal.

But then another issue was brought to light, two actually, because the lack of any plans was something they couldn't ignore, they couldn't be blamed though, this chance of escaping was brought to so abruptly that there was no time for any other thing.

Waking up at about the same time, the three exchanged greetings, Harry had his eyebrow twitching when the girl he sent a 'good morning' to replied with just a nod and looked away, 'would it kill her to say a word or two... '.

The issue of eating food hadn't occurred to them yet or they would have been a bit more worried at this point, when in the pit you couldn't know the time due to it being underground, but the guards usually knew when they changed on their shifts and all, so the food distributed in the pit was usually at a particular time so they had already gotten used to taking food at that time, right now they weren't feeling it so it wasn't the time yet.

" So what do we do now?"

Harry asked as they climbed down from their makeshift tree beds. Knowing he was the one the question was posed to, Issac cleared his already clear mind as he thought for a while, sadly not being able to come up with anything he sighed, " I don't know yet, let's just keep moving in our previous direction, I guess we'll find something if we work far enough. Honestly though, living in the forest isn't such a bad thing anyways, I know of some tribes who live here, the only thing is they're a bit seclusive and unresponsive to outsiders, if we can't seem to find somewhere else to head to, we could just probably beg one of those tribes and integrate ourselves with them, lives as hermits and nomads should be better than dancing with blood in the pit right.... "

Trying the lighten the mood of the situation with some humor, Issac looked at them and smiled wryly, the only reply he got was a slight smile from Harry that contained some mixed emotions, and furrowed brows from the girl who he still didn't know her name. He stared at her wonderfully beautiful countenance for a while and then he asked her,

" Hey miss.. we've been running together for a while now, and it seems we'll be doing that for a while longer, do you mind saying your name? "

Hearing the question, Harry turned his attention from Issac to her, he already didn't have a good opinion of her but he was curious.

The girl hearing his words, stared at him for a while with those amethyst jewels that tried to pull Issac in, until she finally opened her mouth for perhaps the second time since they had gotten together, " My name's Hiya.", and with that she looked away.

Issac looked at her some more, he knew he was getting interested in this girl, he didn't think it was in a romantic way, just a curious way, he felt something from her but he couldn't pinpoint what just yet, but since she was always this quiet he didn't think much about it and just nodded his head as he spoke again,

" Oh well, I think we should get going right. "

It was afternoon with the sun rays through the canopy of trees feeling brighter and hotter, at this point they were already beginning to feel the signs of hunger, but Issac knew they would have to hold it in, for days probably or not if could find some fruit trees around.

The silence between was a comfortable yet awkward one, nobody wanted to say something but felt they should. It was when Harry was opening his mouth that they heard moving feets against rustling leaves and bushes

They paused in their tracks as they looked on, coming out from high bushes and trees were three grown men, all of them wore a black on black as their faces looked unkempt and ugly. The one in the middle showed his yellow teeth as he sized the three of them up, he passed his gaze over Issac and Harry and then stopped it on Hiya, as it did a flash of heat passed through his eyes as his hand moved to below his belt until it froze and patted his stomach

Watching the movements of the trio in front of them, Issac furrowed his brows as he noticed the changes that occurred with the man in the middle, he had a feeling this wasn't a lucky encounter with some tribes or someone else in the forest, but other than the slight furrow he said nor did anything as he opened his mouth to speak,

But the guy in the middle cut him to it as he spoke to the two beside him in a whisper, and then in a louder voice he spoke to them again with no concern for the three young ones in front of him,

" Kill the two and bring the girl in. "

His brows furrowed further as he heard what the man said, he was guessing he was the one in charge, so he spoke to him causing the two who had began moving closer to pause, " I'm sorry but I don't understand you, were you saying kill... us? "

A smile broke out on the man's face, " I couldn't actually be talking to the trees could I, I don't remember having druid related powers now do i? ", with a sarcastic tone he replied as he held his chin like he was thinking. A laughter burst out of the three of them as they heard his words, but Issac's trio weren't smiling,

" Come on Issac, we should be able to handle them one on one. "

Although he didn't exactly have good thoughts on her, Harry couldn't do away with like this or in such situations even if he hated her, Not to mention that he just didn't like her attitude. Taking the initiative, he went into battle mode as the self training that had been beaten into his head through the two worst years of his life came into his mind.

They were within hearing distance of each other so the three men heard perfectly what Harry said, with a raised brow he looked at Harry for a while before he smirked and then whistled with his fingers between his lips, following that the three escapees looked around them and realized they were getting surrounded at a quick pace with increasing numbers, Issac looked around him and counted twenty people upfront, his fists clenched

" You were saying..."

With raised and outspread arms, the smirk on the man's face grew wider as he mockingly said, Harry realized the situation and gritted his teeth, this wasn't only about refusing to hand Hiya over anymore, they were going to die soon if nothing happened, he started wondering if the decision to leave the out was the right one. He witnessed magic in front of him as the man in the middle walked forward slowly and unsheathed the sword hanging on his waist, the sword was raised and flames began to lick it's surface, the flames were warped as they grew bigger and brighter.

All this while, the girl in question had kept mum and hadn't spoken a word, Hiya looked on at the rapidly deteriorating scene in front of them and a purple glow that grew brighter flashed in her eyes, her body was tensed as she turned all knobs in her head for a way out, she might have to open up completely...

The man enjoyed the slow prancing, he had noticed that they looked like different, either they were running from something or someone, or they were lost in the forest for some reason. He had been alerted about them a while ago and when he came out to see he saw the girl among them, a fire was lit below his belt. He was going to kill them all previously, after all no one could trespass into their territory so easily, but now he would have the girl accompany him for a while before he decided on what to do next.

Meanwhile Issac's mood was deteriorating quickly, from traveling through this same forest, perhaps across it's entire length, to coming out and ending up in the pit, after spending six months within he got a chance and escaped and now he was back in the forest and it looked like he was going to end up miserably at the least. He entered the forest was he was just a kid, for reasons he hated to think of and ever since then life had been a little bit too unfair, why was it like this... for him, for only him, he hated this feeling. As he watched the flames on the man's sword, the glowing heat reflected in his eyes, he never had a chance to learn the ways of the elements that he had always heard about in rumours and now he was witnessing one who did right in front of him, one who wanted to take his life no less. As he watched him grow closer and the flames grow brighter, he felt a wish he had always wanted but never voiced.... Strength, he wanted strength and power, he wanted to wield the elements and grow stronger, to be able to fight back against all odds and not just wait like how he was waiting for his death at the moment, if he could ever escape this, he would find that strength.

And like that, as he felt immense anger and frustration within him, it felt like all the raging emotions had been gathered together, gather at a center in his body as lit a spark. Following the spark, he felt something had caught on fire, like a flame was lit within him, and like that his surroundings felt warmer as he saw that he could perceive some warm currents in the air. The two beside him felt a slight obvious spike in the temperature of the forest, looking at where they felt it originate it from they saw a faint glow surrounding Issac as he studied himself.

' What's happening to me, why am I feeling this way... '

At this point, it felt like he had all those heated emotions drained from him and his mind became calmer, yet his mind was becoming confused as he felt the sudden abrupt changes. He looked up and those who looked at him saw his face, his eyes to be exact, they were different from before, a brilliant gold covered his pupils as they radiated a faint pressure. They assumed they were imagining things as they paused in their steps. But that didn't stop the slight feeling of danger that crept into their hearts, it was barely present, it couldn't even bring them to feel frightened but it was there...

While both sides were rooted to their spots in confusion and surprise, a shadow flitted by to their midst, right in the middle, it's back facing Issac, Harry and Hiya and it's front away from them, yet Issac who had his head raised felt recognition and realized who it was

" Adam?!?"

With his back to the young ones, they couldn't see the brilliant smile on his face, he had witnessed the whole ordeal and had just decided to see how it would play out, he was about moving to appear when he felt something, it was the same thing he had such familiarity with that he wouldn't forget even in his sleep, looking to Issac, he became happily surprised and so he waited, and he confirmed that he had finally awakened, now the only thing that could stop his rise to power was himself, he felt boundless joy at the moment so he was in the mood for a little flair.

" Alright... Show's over guys, now let's have you all go to bed hm.. "

Witnessing the arrival of someone else who they hadn't discovered at all, they grew apprehensive as the guy in their middle gripped the odd sword in his hand tighter, the flames on it now burning greatly and wildly.

A condescending smirk appeared on Adam's visage as he indifferently looked over the squad,

" A bug like first circle swordsman and a group of rabbles actually dare behave this way in our midst, you want to kill, well then.. let's see whose blood is going to flow. "

And with those words, he disappeared, and in his place darkness spread as it rapidly covered the entire area, to the group of three originally behind Adam it felt like normal darkness that was just too dark, but to those he claimed to be a group of rabbles, they felt fear and anguish as the darkness spread chills through their entire being, they were stunned in place as they didn't even notice the number of their living comrades reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.

Although the darkness did nothing to them, Harry and Hiya struggled a bit as they tried to get their sights and do something, but Issac at this point was In a daze as he heard a voice in his head, that familiar recognition resonating with the voice,

" ... It's been a while Jaden... or should I call you Issac now. I'm glad you were able to realize your goal after all this while, I was almost worried you never would, now you're awakening and we can finally converse again. "

A smile unconsciously broke out on Issac's face as his golden eyes glowed, he felt the need to ask so he asked

" Who.. are you.."