Reaching out

Izyan and Nzingha travel to see an acquaintance of Izyan's, while Fletcher after tricking Gerik to follow him, goes to the home of his love.

“I don’t trust that boy” Nzingha whispered as they walked through the market. Many smells assaulted Nzingha’s nose as they walked past merchant stalls. The smell of perfumes, food, animals, and bodies permeated throughout the cities center. Women danced wearing clothes that didn’t leave much to the imagination, store owners yelled out the prices of their wares, and Nzingha noticed a man slipping his hand into another guy’s pocket, taking his wallet.

“He is a good person, but his life has just flipped upside down” Izyan said. He walked into a building with the sign Psychic Hammer hanging sideways on the building. Nzingha followed him inside the wooden building. The inside of the building was very warm. Many items were on the displays that were lined all over the wall. Swords, hammers, axes, spears, daggers, and some even Nzingha didn’t know their names. A skinny young boy stood on a stoop from behind the counter.

“Hi Charlie I’m here to see him” Izyan greeted.

Charlie led them behind the counter. He opened up a closet, pulled on the hatch open on the floor, and led them down. A single light bulb hung in the center of the room casting many shadows. Many weapons were on display down here like upstairs. The rugged stone walls were jutted some places. It almost looked like spikes. A tall dark skinned man, tattoos covered his arms, his shades hid his eyes, and his black beanie worn low over his head called out to them.

“Well if it isn’t the great Izyan” the man called out

“Duncan it’s been a while” Izyan replied. They reached out and grabbed each other’s forearm.

“Going young now I see” Duncan told him. He nodded towards Nzingha.

“Of course not, she is just very powerful and beautiful” Izyan laughed.

“Hmm sounds like my type.” Duncan replied and shook her hand.

“I’m the only one allowed to be your type” a woman said.

“Of course baby, of course” he answered smiling.

A woman with soft skin, almond shaped eyes, and long flowing hair greeted them. Nzingha realized that the woman’s hand was callused as if she had done hard work all her life.

“I’m Kimi if that fool hadn’t told you my name yet” she said. Her eyes flashed towards Duncan, and he cowered a bit.

“This is my lovely wife, but baby we need some privacy for now” Duncan said. His face suddenly turned serious.

Kimi nodded her head, kissed Duncan softly, and left.

“I heard what happened to your brother’s place” Duncan told them once his wife closed the hatch.

“They took my niece Felicity” Izyan said.

“Blind little Felicity?” Duncan asked.

“Yes, there was a monk who could erect barrier around himself” Izyan told him.

“That would be Francis Barei” Duncan replied. “I’ve gotten close to killing him a couple of times, but he always manages to escape.

“I need your help to save her” Izyan pleaded.

“Will you finally join the resistance?” he asked.

“You know I can’t. I’m a follower of the king, and rebelling against the church without orders from the king would get me in major trouble” Izyan answered.

  “You are part of the resistance?” Nzingha asked.

Duncan stood out of his chair and paced “I’m the leader of this branch of the resistance.”

“How many branches are there?” she asked,

“We are wherever the church is, but we aren’t united as one. That is the main reason that we aren’t a threat” Duncan responded.

“Well maybe you could convince this young lady and her brother to join” Izyan replied.

Duncan eyed the girl and shook his head “I need warriors.”

“That isn’t all you need” she told him. Nzingha stood and walked towards him, “fight me.”

Duncan eyed her suspiciously “I can’t hurt women”

“Well then this will suck for you” Nzingha reached deep within herself, attuning her mind to Duncan’s body, and flung him across the room.

His body hit the rocks hard. Nzingha stood still watching him. Duncan slowly got to his feet, and as he did she flung him again. Duncan’s body skidded on the ground. Duncan growled and stood up. Nzingha tried to throw him, but found it impossible. Something about Duncan changed to Nzingha. Duncan took his shades off, set them down, and smiled. His eyes gave off a purplish hue as well as his body. Duncan reached his right hand outward. The purple hue grew from his hand, forming a purple pole, a purple cylinder formed on the end, and the purplish hue completely dissipated leaving a huge hammer.

“Did you think psychic hammer was just the name of my store?” Duncan asked.

“That just proves you aren’t creative. I don’t even want to join your weak rebels, but I will make you pay for underestimating me” she told him.

“Well then stop talking” Duncan replied.

He ran towards her with his hammer behind him. He swung and missed. Nzingha ducked at the last minute and punched Duncan in the stomach. Duncan’s knee caught her square in the face leaving her sprawled on the floor. Duncan brought his hammer down, Nzingha rolled to the left, and Duncan’s hammer barely missed her head. She continued rolling until she was far enough away. Duncan stood still smiling.”

“Ok you have proven that you can fight” Duncan told her.

Nzingha stood “were you trying to kill me?”

“No, if I wanted to kill you then that last strike would have done more then make a dent in the floor: Duncan answered.

“Good answer and because of it I will let you live” Nzingha said. She smiled as three short swords dropped from the ceiling and landed next to Duncan.

“Wait what the” Duncan asked?

“When I couldn’t move your body I chose different targets. I didn’t want to kill you, but if you had answered wrong” she let it hang in the air.

Duncan laughed; his psychic hammer gave off a purplish hue before dissipating, and taking the hammer with it.

Izyan clapped “told you beautiful and powerful.”

Duncan just smiled in reply, “so where is your brother and what is his abilities?

“He isn’t a psychic” she told him.

“So why would I have them both join?” Duncan asked Izyan.

“If you fought him, you would understand” Izyan replied. Izyan looked at Nzingha, “you two have no place to go, barely any money, and you want to help psychics. This is your best bet” Izyan told her.

Nzingha stared at him while thinking, “I have to talk it over with Gerik first.”

“Then let’s go get them before it gets too late, besides they might have gotten on each other’s nerves being alone this long” Izyan told her.

They stood, Izyan grabbed Duncan’s forearm “we will be back” he whispered.

 

Fletcher knocked on the door. He could hear the sound of footsteps before the door opened.

“Fletcher” Ceri screamed.

She jumped on him and gave him a passionate kiss. Fletcher gave in to her warmth. He felt as if he could make it with her beside him. They held each other for a while, and only when she noticed Gerik did she get off him.

“Can we come inside?” Fletcher asked.

“Um of course” Ceri responded. She moved to the side allowing the two to walk inside.

Paintings on either side of the door depicted lions at the foot of kings. The hallway was quite spacious with images of lions running designed along its walls. They came to the living room area, the fireplace gave the room warmth, the cushions of the couch were soft and comfortable, the chandelier reflected the light of from the fireplace giving the room an amber color, and the smell of jasmine wafted around the room.

“Who is your friend?” Ceri asked.

“Oh this is Gerik. He helped me when I tried to rescue my sister” Fletcher explained.

Ceri looked at Gerik’s eyes and found sadness. “what do you mean tried” she asked him.

“Well” he looked down at the floor “we failed to save her, but I came here to ask your father for help” he finished.

“Fletcher there is something I have to tell“

“Come with me, and tell me everything my boy. I will help you as best I can” her father interrupted. He cast a dangerous glance over to his daughter, a look that Gerik didn’t miss.

Fletcher rose from the couch” I’ll be right back” he told Gerik, kissed Ceri, and left with her father. 

“What is it that you had to tell Fletcher?” Gerik asked her once Fletcher and her father left.

“Umm it is nothing” Ceri answered.

An awkward silence fell over the room. “Thank you for helping Fletcher“she told him.

“I failed to stop what happened to me from happening to him, but your thanks is appreciated” Gerik replied. He stretched as he stared at the flames in the fireplace.

“Did the church hurt attack your family as well?”

Gerik slid his hands towards his back and gripped his sword handle, “I’ll talk about it when you tell me why your father gave you that look.”

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“Francis and Landon it’s good to see you back not empty handed” the bishop told them.

 The bishop was in his forties, though you couldn’t tell from his appearance. His black hair was slicked back and showed not one gray. His eyes shone with the vitality and his stature was that of a young man. Dressed in his bleach white robes, tall hat, and golden chains the bishop looked every bit of his status as leader of abbey in New Carson city and Overseer of the city itself.

“Hi brother you don’t look well” Jaecar Wright told Jaecar Landon.

Jaecar Landon tried to speak, but his voice was lost.

“I forgot, let me fix your throat” Francis told him. He touched his throat and focused his psychic energies.

The bishop looked at the little girl in Francis’s force field, “so little one what is your power?”

“I’m just a blind little girl sir” Felicity lied.

“Oh, so you are saying we made a mistake?” the bishop asked.

“Yes sir” she answered. Felicity made the best scared little girl face she could muster.

The bishop smiled “you know I would believe Felicity if I didn’t have the ability to sense psychics.”

Felicity smiled back at him “I’m blind, but I can see through people’s eyes. I also know their feelings.” Felicity focused on Jaecar Landon’s.

“Francis he wants your death more than anything else” Felicity told him.

Francis stopped healing Landon’s throat “why would he want my death? If it wasn’t for me, he would have died.”

“Exactly he finally found the death he searched for” Felicity said in a monotone voice.

Francis looked into Jaecar Landon’s eyes and saw the truth. The flames of hatred burned behind those fierce orbs as Landon looked at him.

The bishop laughed.

“So you have finally found a warrior to take your miserable life?” Jaecar Wright asked.

Jaecar Landon looked at his Jaecar brother with such hatred that it took all of his discipline not to attack.

“Greatness the one who attacked Francis and Jaecar Landon is at Lord Pride’s house” Sean sent the bishop telepathically.

“God smiles upon you Sean” the bishop sent him telepathically.

“Calm Landon I know where your prey is located” the bishop said.

Jaecar Landon stood perplexed for a moment.

“He is at Lord Pride’s estate.”

Before the bishop could finish Jaecar Landon ran.

“Follow him, we can’t have him dying yet” the bishop whispered to Jaecar Wright.

“Yes Greatness” Jaecar bowed, focused his psychic energy, a multi-colored gap appeared before him, and he disappeared as he walked through.

“Your power will be useful to me little Felicity” the bishop said smiling.

Felicity didn’t have to fake her facial expression this time. She looked through the bishop’s eyes, and just knew that she wouldn’t like where this would lead her. 

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

This really is a great story. I'm enjoying it a lot.

[Aussie]

The last few chapters were awesome!I like where this story is going,and I'll be finishing it very soon.

[Coyote Poetry]

The chapter was very good. The girl is a strong character in the story. She know the ending already. I enjoyed the conversation and the pace of story is very good. Just enough to keep reader alert and their attention.
Coyote

[Abhinav]

yeah, i wish the fight part could have been longer, but still it was wonnerful.
nice work

[Anonymous]

I loved the fight! And when Ceri jumped on Fletcher, that made me laugh. Another excellent chapter. :)

[karmic]

Really good. I like the fight part (even if it was short). Also Ceri's father should die XP.