CHAPTER SIX: THE UNCO MEMBER (1)

Chad instantly recognized the short curls of a titanium-colored-haired male walking slower. “It’s you, Ricky’s Sad boy.”

“I’m sure he meant Bava.” Cassandra wasted no time delivering a harsh slap to the gold-eyed man’s chest, ignoring his annoyed expression as she smiled at the familiar young man.

The Amber-skin-toned man waved a hand with a gentle smile and his large pair of Alice-colored eyes behind thick lashes refused to spare Chad a glance. "I didn't introduce myself properly the last time. I'm Bava Edwards; Holy Warrior star-touched towards Water."

“And I’m Chanti.” The other man, slightly teenage-looking, pointed a thumb to his chest with a goofy grin. “Garu Chanti. Please, just call me Garu.” He struck a dramatic bow and rose back up to questioning stares. “What?”

Cassandra hesitantly sized up the rose-skinned man with a skinny build, then held his Dusk-colored eyes in a heated challenge, one the male with the radiating smile didn't back down in the slightest from, creating somewhat of a solid impression on her. She loosely twirled her hand in an emphasizing gesture. "Did you come out of the trial unworthy, or what?"

The youthful guy seemed to finally understand their question. “Oh! After entering the Supreme Watcher’s realm?! No way I’d come up empty!” He scoffed. “Didn’t you see how I reduced that Zeal-leacher to a charred shell? Holy Warrior here; star-touched to Fire, baby!”

Cassandra poked an elbow at Chad. “Hey, lost brother of yours?”

Chad raised an annoyed eyebrow at the whispered jest and he glanced at the self cheering boy. “That’s not even funny.”

Cassandra shrugged. "Maybe not for you." She turned to the two new faces. "As you must have noticed, we haven't been moved out of here even though the Accordance Trial should be over by now. So we're left to find our way out."

The reserved young man raised a shy hand and straightened his back as the three pairs of eyes landed on him. "I know the way out. There were numerous rocks littered down the entrance with somewhat similar spiral patterns just northeast of us." He glanced about at the cautious faces of the Zeal-leachers appearing and disappearing with the cloud. "If we move now, I believe we can find it before these creatures decide it's safe for them to resume their attacks."

The rest turned to each other and without a word, Bava began to lead the way in a speedy race. They could see those white clouds fading in and out after them every few miles but they maintained their calm state; rationality in skill application was a much-needed companion at this moment. Besides, their sense of danger, along with their physical capabilities, had been raised to an unimaginable level ever since they woke up, and it was signaling the yellow light to them at the moment.

“Hey, you guys haven’t introduced yourself yet; kinda rude if you asked me.” Garu kept a steady pace between Cassandra and Chad, turning a comical pout from one side to the other.

Chad's fist balled tighter in frustration as he caught the meaning behind Cassandra's stare directed at him. How could she possibly think they have any resemblance in personality traits? He's not that annoying, right?

“Call me Cassandra; star-touched towards Wind.” She tilted her head at the brooding man. “He’s Chad; Holy Warrior of Earth.”

“Got it!” Garu and Bava answered simultaneously. The quiet 5’11” ft man had been paying attention the whole time; another quality habit ingrained in them by the military school.

Garu sized Chad up with a judgmental look. “What’s up, big boy? You couldn’t speak up for yourself? Needed your girlfriend doing that for you, huh?”

Chad raked a forceful fist through his wavy hair already had the wind doing a good job at keeping any of the strands away from his face. He could hear Cassandra snorting with laughter. "Okay, how old are you again?"

“You’re asking like I’ve told you before.”

“Whatever! The question is still waiting.”

“For what?”

“Star blast! A freaking answer!”

“Hehehe! I know; just wanted to hear you finish it. I’m nineteen.”

“Light Haven! You’re just a kid with a loud mouth.”

“Watch it, old man. This kid is a Holy Warrior just like you. I would not take such derogatory words from a fellow finalist.”

“What derogatory word have I said?!”

Cassandra's initial amusement had fallen beyond piqued at this point and she hastened her pace to match with the pretty boy leading them. "Hey, how close are we now? None of the rocks I've seen along the way held any distinct form of spiral patterns." She glanced around to pick up on the increasing numbers of pulsing white clouds following them.

"They're getting brave enough for an ambush," Bava confirmed her suspicion with portentous calmness without as much as a glance. "The good news in deduction here will be we're on the right track to getting out of here. The bad news is they might do anything to stop us from achieving that if they're angry enough to grab onto that desperation."

Hearing this, Cassandra calmed her nerves and glanced even greater intent eyes around her in acute observation for any telling pattern in these creatures' pursuit that might give her and these men an advantage should they find themselves in a trap like she was. She looked down at her injured arm to find it was healing rapidly to mere surface wounds. Learning by information and by personal experience the attribute Holy Warriors possessed created impressions that stood worlds apart.

           

                        ……….……………………………………………………………………

 Thirty minutes had passed beneath the brighter solar rays that did nothing to dispel the low temperature of this valley when renewed hope coursed through them as they finally began to spot the rocks with spiral patterns. Against their exhaustion, they ran faster on Bava’s lead with rising hope to find the slope back up the entrance.

They soon did, and it sent them into a pool of great relief that momentarily stripped them of their alertness.

 A line of twelve clouds suddenly faded in, five steps before the exhilarated group, and large Zeal-leachers lunged out with a merciless stretch of their tongues and hands, ready to grab.

Cassandra quickly maneuvered her footwork and managed to escape a Zeal-leacher’s grasp. Bava, who had been taking the lead, was too close and couldn’t escape a Zeal-leachers grab on his left leg. The ferocious creature dragged the man’s body towards it and followed up with a brutal twist at the foot, earning with pleasure an intense scream that tore through the man’s lips.

Bava turned an outstretched palm, with all fingers curled in, towards the creature and unleashed a stream of spiraling water that shot a bloody hole through its throat with the intense speed that forced the Zeal-leacher to release its hold on his foot, staggering backward as it choked on its blood.

The others were not safe either. The eleven other creatures ran towards them with hungry steps. Cassandra could only avoid them with tactful moves. Utilizing her heightened strength would be of no use with only one functioning arm; not that even Chad had enough of it to parry against these monsters in berserker mode. She quickly teamed up with Bava, pulling the injured Warrior up on her back, while Chad and Garu let loose numerous successive earth spikes and fire orbs with stable synchronicity; Bava aiding with his high-pressure water releases that pierced through the creatures with great ease. Within the next thirty seconds, six Zeal-leachers were dead.

The remaining five leachers bashed their large hands against the ground with booming belches and lunged toward them.

“Damn it!”