Chapter 14

S                             Chapter: 14
A
V                                    Family is precious, but apparently,
R                                                sisters are even more special
I
N



Zaydie was driving Kylun insane!!
Even from the dudgeons!! [takes a special girl to do that! ow.]

“Who the heck is the other girl?!” He demanded.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the desk.
“I don’t think I should tell you. It’s Zaydie’s privilege to tell you so you just have to wait till she gets back.” I answered, looking out in the training room.
 I smiled as I heard the girls squeal over what looked bad on Zaydie or what looked good.
It sure was weird to have just the audio, and no picture to it.
But definitely entertaining.

“Ok guys we’re headed back. Kylun don’t even think about speeding up the process.” Zaydie ordered. I snickered as Kylun’s jaw dropped.
“What are you laughing at?” She asked me.
“You really should see Kylun’s face right now. It’s priceless.”
Kylun snapped to it and jumped me. I quickly ducked and spun on my toes.
Coming up behind him I pushed him forward. He flipped over my head and landed one on my chest.
I fell backwards, only to have my fingers catch me. I pushed off and hit him in the face.
I landed on my feet and placed my knee on his chest.
“Give up buddy. Your out of practice.”
“You left yourself open.” I turned my head slightly and saw the light bounce off the tip of a blade pointed to my side.
I laughed and got up, offering a hand.
He rolled his eyes slightly and took it.
As I pulled him up the girls appeared.

My jaw dropped as I saw Zaydie.
She had on a light green sleeveless shirt with a black skirt.
She had on new boots that went up to her knees and she had added a few girly touches, [though she did have some practical stuff on like her utilities belt was still there] for example there was a gold band around her arm near her shoulder. She had a black choker on with multicolored beads on, along with a leather band that had something gold on it, I couldn’t tell what.
She held her ureci in her hand and placed her other on her hip while she moved her weight to one foot.
“What were you two doing?” She asked. Then laughed at our gawking faces.
“When did you start hanging out with hot guys?” Quorra asked with her hand over her mouth, though spoke loud enough to hear.
Zaydie turned to her and glared her down.
“don’t give them any ideas.” She said through tight lips.
Kylun and I snapped out of it and glanced at each other with grins.
I crossed my hands over my chest and looked at Quorra.
“Wow. Sav you sure did grew tall.” She remarked, walking up and looking me in the eye. There was that all-play-no-work grin on her face and her green eyes twinkled.
“And you’ve been working out. Well that’s a step in the right direction. Seeing as you use to be such a skinny kid.” She insulted with a smile.
I rolled my eyes.
“Nice to see you too Quorra. When did you start carrying around Havok 2000’s?”
She looked down at her guns and grinned.
“Sense I became a Helfin two years ago.”
I nodded. Zaydie slung her hand around Quorra’s neck and steered her over to Kylun.
“Quorra, this is Kylun.
Kylun meet Quorra.” Zaydie introduced. Quorra gave Kylun a chin-up nod.
“She’s my sister.”
Kylun glanced at Zaydie.
“Oh really?” He asked.
Zaydie nodded.
“I don’t see a resemblance.” Both girls mocked shock. And they both punched him in a different arm. “Ok, I take it back.”  He said quickly.
The girls smiled.

“So, let me guess. You all are the Chosen Three right?” Quorra asked, jumping up onto a bar and sitting there, swinging her legs back and forth.
Kylun and I glanced at each other.
“She already knows guys.” Zaydie stepped in.
“Yeah. What-”
“And let me guess!” she interrupted me.
“Your Pakima,” she pointed at me. “And your Guana.” She pointed to Kylun.
We both looked at Zaydie confused.
“Those are the official names for your Marks.” Quorra explained. “You have the three rings right?” She asked me. I nodded. “So the official name for that is Pakima. And that leaves the key, Guana.” She said turning back to Kylun.
“Well what’s Zaydie’s?” he asked for both of us.
Quorra looked at Zaydie, who hesitated.
“Kana.” She said not bothering to look us in the eye.

                                                                                    ++++

An hour later, the four of us were sitting in Kylun’s living room with cups of various drinks in hand.
Zaydie sat with a book on her lap. She was explaining how Aarek had written down all that the Three before us had done, and that she was nearly finished with it.
“It’s amazing to see how enthusiastic he was, even when things turned out bad.” She said quietly. We were all washed over with a wave of gratitude, and honor.
“Well if you guys are going to have to save the entire planet, you can count me in!” Quorra exclaimed with a determined face.
“No. Absolutely not.” I protested immediately.
She glared at me.
“Yeah! I’m not going to sit around here and twiddle my thumbs when I know I could be doing something better. Even if it means I’m just the back up and mechanic, so be it!” She said in a determined tone.
There was no moving her.
She had her mind set, and when Quorra had her mind set to something, you knew she was going to do it.
“I say she’s in. We could use a mechanic.” Zaydie piped up. Quorra beamed.
“Yeah I’m going with them sorry dude, looks like your out numbered.” Kylun decided with one of his evil grins.
I groaned and ran my hand through my short hair.
“Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you get hurt.”
She shot me another look.
“Yeah right. Like I’d do that.” She rolled her eyes.
“Well you never know. You girls have the most random mood swings!”
The two of them ignored me.
Only because they knew it was true. [Zaydie, hit me one more time and I’m going to start hitting you back.]

We spent a good while talking about the Three before us, and what we thought was in the future for us.
It was later then we all realized when Zaydie started to fall asleep.
Quorra reached over and shook her sister's shoulder.
"Zaydie! Wake up."
Zaydie's eyes opened slightly as she pushed Quorra's hand away.
Quorra sighed.
"Ever sense she was bran- um had that Mark, she's always had to go to bed at a certain time or she gets really tired."
"Hmm... here." Kylun got up and walked to another door.
Quorra got up and followed him.
"But isn't that your room?" She asked.
Kylun shrugged.
"Her cover's blown. So she might as well stay here. It's not safe for her to go back up there. I'll sleep on the couch."
Quorra nodded and stepped into the room.
I sighed and picked the sleeping Zaydie up.
Carrying her into the room, I found that Quorra was in there cleaning. I chuckled.
The room was a little dirty, but the bed was clean. I set her down gently and Quorra shoved us out.
"Thanks for the room, we'll see you in the morning. Night!" Then she shut the door.
Talk about a sister that looks out for her own.

                                                                                      F

The next morning, I was woken up by fits of giggles.
I forced my eyes open and looked around.
I couldn't see the girls anywhere. So they were still in Kylun's room.
Forcing myself to get up from the uncomfortable floor that I slept on all night, I walked into the kitchen and splashed water on my face.
"They've been going on like that for the past hour!" Kylun stated. I turned and saw him sitting on a counter top.
"What's to talk about?! Nothing's happened yet!"
I laughed.
"You obviously haven't gotten out enough." I said.
Kylun glared at me.
"What?"
"Their girls! that's all the they ever do!"
I was suddenly beaten down by rapped punches that fell all over my chest.
I fell to the ground and tried to get air back in. I looked up and saw Quorra standing over me with her hands on her hips.
"Well us girls do more then just giggle all day thank you very much!" She stated stepping over me to get to the fridge.
Zaydie bent down and helped me up.
"Sorry about that. She always did have out bursts." She said quietly.
I nodded.
"Yup. I remember that. Quiet well actually." I answered.
Zaydie chuckled and helped her sister bring out pots and pans.
"Kylun, if your going to make us make breakfast the least you can do is clear of the table." She said as she pulled things out from cupboards.
Kylun sighed and went to clean up the table.

half an hour latter we were sitting around the table enjoying freshly cooked bacon and egg omelets.
"So, now that your cover's blown. What are you doing now?" Quorra asked.
The three of us exchanged looks. I had no idea what the plan was. And I hated not having a plan!
"Well you guys can't go back up there. At least not back as his body guards." Kylun decided.
We both nodded.
"But... other then that?" Quorra asked. Kylun shrugged.
"We need to try to figure out who the shadow man is, and what he's planning, sense he's obviously the puppeteer here. So we need to figure that out... somehow." I said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I know! How about we get Brinlynn and Brax to help us out? their cover isn't blown and they could probably get around easier then any of us with out raising suspicion." Zaydie suggested.
I nodded.
"That might work."
"Ok so get Brinlynn and Braxlin in and we might actually be able to do something."
"Hey don't forget me!" Quorra jumped in.
"No of course not. How could we?" I asked with a teasing smile. "You can go back to your job, and keep in touch. Look out for anything... unusual."
She nodded.
"Sounds good. Speaking of which, I got to go or I'll be late. See you guys!" She jumped up and ran out the door.
"Your sister is so... weird." Kylun stated after she left. "Ow!" Zaydie had kicked him under the table.
"You need to get out more." she said.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?!"
Zaydie and I laughed.
"because it's true."
Kylun rolled his eyes.

The three of us decided to head back into our "game" and see how far we could make it this time.
The scenery had changed to a high tech city center.
Gazing around I saw that everything was motorized. the fastest way to get anywhere would be by air surfing.
Either that or the tram.
"Which way?" I asked. "Air surfing, or the tram?"
"Air surfing! I've never been, and besides Konsor has so many trams that their boring." Zaydie said enthusiastically.
Kylun shrugged.
"What she says." I shook my head.
Using my locking Power, I found three boards and started to walk to them.

This city was completely different then Konsor. It was dark, the buildings were made of black rock made seamlessly. Lights had been put into the stone forming designs.
"Now the thing about this level, is that there's others then just the one monster we fought like last time.
This monster is a whole bunch of them." Kylun warned.
"Oh great. That's fantastic."
"Well I had to make it interesting!" he protested.
I shrugged and kept walking down the cobble stoned roads.
Things are going to get crazy. I had a feeling. And I had a hunch it was right.

"Ah-ha! here we go." I stepped in front of a store door, as it slid in the walls, I was shocked to see people inside.
"Um... Kylun are these people real?" I asked. He grinned.
"More or less."
I looked at him . He ignored me and walked into the shop.
"Can we rent three of your boards?" He asked the clerk. He was an older man, taller then Kylun shockingly, but still looked frail.
He eyed Kylun for a moment.
"You get into trouble with it mister. You're working it off! You got that?" Kylun nodded. "Humph." the clerk then walked into the back of the store.
A few minutes latter he came out with three boards under his arms. He placed them on the long counter and rung us up.
"That'll be two hundred creds." the clerk said.
Kylun turned to us and held out his hand. My jaw dropped and I looked at Zaydie. She was giggling behind her hand.
She twisted her hand out and revealed three silver rectangular creds.
"I have my share. Sav?"
I sighed and dug into my pockets.
Pulling out three creds of my own, we both placed them on the counter.
The clerk grunted and put them into his safe.
"Enjoy, and bring them back in one piece." the clerk called after us.

Back outside, Kylun and I threw the boards on to the ground. They hovered a little ways of the ground and we stepped on. They had an oval shape to them, slightly. The ends however were pointed for cutting your way through the air tunnels.
"Um... how does this work?" Zaydie asked, placing hers down next to mine.
"Well first off you got to step on." She grabbed my hand and I helped pull her on.
She was a little scared. I could tell.
Kylun moved his own board around and floated a little above Zaydie's and mine.
"What if I fall off?" She asked.
"Haha don't worry!" Kylun said. " Look, place your hand at the top like this." He demonstrated.
Zaydie and I did the same and the board scanned our hands. It picked up our DNA signature and now it had a lock on us.
"It has a light gravity suction, so you won't fall off to easily, but if you do, the board has a lock on you now so it'll come down and get you before you splat all over the pavement." Kylun explained.
"Alright, but how do I make it work?" Zaydie asked looking a little hesitant.
"You think." I stated.
"Huh?"
"You think of where you want to go and how to get there, and it'll do it." I thought of being at the same level as Kylun, above the heads of the people in the streets, and also thought of a nice smooth ride.
Sure enough the board responded. Sailing smoothly up to Kylun. I turned it around, and knelt on one knee watching Zaydie as she tried to get the hang of it.
Her board went a little slow, which was fine for a beginner. But it did get up here with the rest of us with out a hitch.
"See? pretty cool huh? You can also tell the board to follow the wind, and it'll catch the air wave and off you go!" Kylun exclaimed. "Go on try it! Just tell it to catch a wave."
Zaydie was still a little hesitant.
"Hey you'll be fine." I said coming up beside her and giving her arm a playful punch. "Just make sure your skirt doesn't go up." I teased. She glared at me.
"They invented these things called shorts you know." She stated. I laughed.
"Well that's always good to know. I was wondering..."
"Oh your so weird." She then must have told the board to catch away because it zoomed off.
I glanced at Kylun but he was gone. I shook my head and told my board to catch it's own wave.

Zooming out over the city, with nothing around you but air, is one of the best feelings in the world!
Zaydie was a little timid to begin with, but it was fun to watch her become more and more daring. She knelt down on her board and did a flip.
When she finished she had a huge grin on her face.
Kylun kept silent and just looked up at the clouds.
He was waiting.
But for what?

The answer came soon enough. I started to notice a black cloud in the distance. At first I thought maybe it was just a rain cloud but when Ultima appeared in Kylun's hand I knew it wasn't.
Zaydie must have sensed it because she pulled her ureci out of their new sheathes. [they were now positioned in the small of her back. Made for a very stylish belt. Haha!]
I pulled Segador out and it unfolded.
"So what's the plan this time?" Zaydie asked as we came up beside her.
"It's multiple opponents, so keep your guard up along with any armor you have. Obviously use your Powers and watch each other's backs." I said.
She nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Kylun grunted his agreement and we formed a circle as the cloud seemed to swallow us up.
Zaydie pulled her blue armor on, illuminating the dark and showing us what we were up against at the same time.
"Whoa... that's a lot of harpies." she muttered.

These harpies were about as large as me, they all had wings [which would explain the cloud thing]
We stood around with our weapons ready and cold sweat running down our backs.
Creator help us. I prayed silently.
We waited patiently for the harpies to strike first. A stray thought passed through my brain, I wonder what the people on the ground think of all of this.

Finally one of them took just one to many steps forward and Kylun sliced him down. He evaporated into nothing, but that's when the rest of them charged. All. At. Once.
Oh boy.
I dove in to the fight head on, spinning Segador around 60 mph [ok not really but it was pretty fast!] I sliced down one after another. These particular harpies didn't seem to prove a challenge. As I sliced down my tenth, my mind was spinning.
If the goal wasn't to kill them all. Then what was it?!

What happened next went in to slow motion for me. ['me' being the key word here]
You know how I didn't tell Zaydie my last Power? Well that's because at the time I didn't know what it was. I just took a guess that I had three [who knew I'd be right?]
But now was the time that the Creator decided I needed my third one.
I heard Zaydie scream and spun around to see what was wrong.
It was crazy what happened next. My vision didn't seem... human anymore. It zoomed in on Zaydie even though she was really far away from me.
Then my vision twisted, and it was like I was standing behind her. I could see a harpy slashing at Zaydie's back.
I then realized that I was standing behind her. Don't ask me how I got there! Because I have no idea!!
I swung Segador upward as I knelt down to put more power into it. The harpy disintegrated and I started to fight back to back with Zaydie.
Kylun finally came over and we started to fight all of the harpies together. As a team.
That was the first thing we did as a team actually.

After we had killed all of those harpies, Zaydie quickly took off her armor, and we all put our weapons away.
We looked at each other.
Zaydie let out a sigh.
"Boy that sure did hurt." She muttered. I turned to her.
"You ok?"
"Yeah! Not even a scratch! though the armor protects me from to much physical damage I have a feeling that if I get beaten up to much then I might be in serious trouble." What was weird was that she said this with a smile!
"Well then I suggest you not get beaten up to much." Kylun said. Zaydie smiled and nodded.
"Uh-huh!" Maybe having her sister here was a good thing. I hadn't seen her this happy in a while.
"In coming!" She shouted, pointing to another black cloud.
"Alright stick together this time!" I shouted.
We all moved ahead at the same time, weaving in and out of each other.
We pulled out our weapons and flew strait at the massive cloud.
But as we got closer. I noticed that it wasn't a cloud, and it wasn't even more of those flying harpies! It was only one!
One massive harpy!
And boy did this one look mean! I couldn't tell what was shadow, and what was actually a physical body.

We were almost to him when Kylun suddenly collapsed on his board.
Zaydie was the first to notice sense she was right next to him.
"Kylun!" She stopped her board along with his. He knelt down with one hand around his stomach, and the other on his left eye.
"No." He groaned. "your not coming out. Not... this time." who was he talking to?!
"Zaydie what did you do?" I asked.
"Me?! I didn't do anything!" she shouted. She looked back at him and placed a hand on his arm.
He shoved it away and Zaydie pulled it close so he wouldn't hit it.
"Kylun what's wrong?"
"You... you've got to go." He said. It sounded like he wasn't getting enough breath. Like the wind had been knocked out of him.
"why? what's wrong?"
"It... it want's... it want's to come out... kept it locked up... for a long time..."
Ok so far, all we got was that something other then Kylun was inside him. He managed to keep it locked up for a while, but now it was coming out... alright then...
"Um... Zaydie maybe we should-"
Kylun grunted loudly and started to grip himself harder.
Zaydie fell backwards, her face full of shock and horror.
"No... that's not possible." She muttered.
Something about Kylun changed. His posture for one thing. The way he held himself like he was important or something.
His head snapped up to her. But  his black hair blocked him from my view.
"Anything's possible Zaydie. Thought you would have figured that out by now."
Kylun [or who ever he was] stood up. His back was to me as he looked at the on coming  harpy.
Kylun turned his head slightly, to where I could only see his right eye.
And it was red.
"Is he just using a Power?" I asked Zaydie.
She shook her head.
"Nope. 'fraid not buster. This is all... ha well me I guess."
"And who... exactly are you?" Zaydie asked. The fire came back and she placed her hands on her hips. "Because I know for a fact that you're not Kylun." She said, pointing an accusing finger in his chest.
"Whoa calm down sister. Besides, what would you know of Kylun? He's practically a stranger!" Being a trained Shieven, she didn't let him shock her. But I could see it in her eyes.
"I know plenty." She pulled out a notebook from her utilities belt. Kylun 's- or who ever! - jaw dropped.
"Where'd you get that?!" He reached for it, but she jumped away like a little kid playing 'catch-me-if-you-can.'
"I have my sources. Now tell me who you are! And what's happened to Kylun!"
Kylun looked at her for a moment.
"I suggest you take care of that harpy first. Then I might consider telling you."
Zaydie groaned.
"Talk about a jerk. He's even more annoying then Kylun!" she complained.
"I can still hear you!" Kylun said with his arms crossed.
"Well toughen up! I'd though you'd be able to take on a few insults. Now come on before I start beating you up myself!" She threatened, whipping out her ureci.
Kylun sighed.
I ran off after Zaydie, and sensed Kylun following me.

On a side note here, Zaydie is a very emotionally driven girl. If she gets mad she'll snap at you. If she gets angry she'll punch you. If she gets real angry, she'll probably kill you.
So  just a warning.

Zaydie was in one of her moods, and she was now taking the harpy head on.
"Some one needs a cool down." I shouted over the clashing of metal against... something. I'm not quite sure what it was.
"Yeah well. Looks like that won't be happening any time soon." She growled.
I backed off and let her take care of the harpy.
Kylun came up next to me.
"Aren't you going to help her?" He asked. I shook my head.
"Nope."
"Oh? why not?" I gave him a look and crossed my arms.
"Because she's got it taken care of, and besides if we step in we'll only be in her way."
Kylun looked from me to Zaydie, who now had her armor on and was killing the harpy.
Single handedly.
When Zaydie's all fired up like this, no harpy stands a chance!

And sure enough in a matter of minutes, the harpy went down.
Zaydie flipped her hair over her shoulder and flew back over.
"Ok. I'm better now." She stated, sheathing her ureci, and smoothing out her skirt.
She took a deep breath and turned back to Kylun.
"Well now. What do you have to say for yourself?"
He shook his head, red eyes stuck on her. Which was quiet scary actually. Never could get use to that.
"My name is Havrin. I'm ... the Presidential Curse as everyone puts it. And I suppose I am ,in a way. Seeing as I can take over someone's body and make them do what ever it is I feel like." He said with a yawn.
Our jaw's dropped.
"Well no wonder he hates his very being!" Zaydie exclaimed throwing her hands up above her head.
Havrin turned his head and looked at her.
"What? your saying he hates himself because of-"
"You!" She said, jousting an accusing finger in to his chest. "I would too for that matter. You can't just come when ever you please and think everything's all fine and dandy!"
"And why not?!" He demanded.
"Because! you can't just come in here and take over someone's life that's just not right. Not to mention that's not what the Creator  would want."
She had a point.
Havrin crossed his arms.
"I'll be back little missy." He threatened with a mad face.
Zaydie tilted her head and glared him down. She always did have guts.

Then Kylun's eyes turned back to their usual misty grey and he then fell forward. Zaydie caught him.
"Um... Sav? little help here." She said in a strained tone. I reached over and pulled him off her. We set him down on his own board and waited. It was like he was asleep or something.
Zaydie snapped her fingers in his ear but he didn't even move.
She sighed and looked up at me from her position on her knees.
"Let's call it a day and get him in bed." I nodded and pressed the 'finished' button.

Back in Kylun's place, Zaydie and I carried Kylun into the bedroom. I was shocked to see that it was completely clean. Girls must have done it last night.
Placing Kylun on the bed we left the room.

Back in the living room Zaydie got us both some tea.
"It's not cherry, but I guess it'll do." She mumbled.
"Hey good job taking on the harpy." She smiled.
"It was quiet easy actually. He wasn't as bad as he looked."
I nodded and took a sip. Ugh. What ever it was that she had made, it tasted horrible!
"Say, what was in that notebook?" I asked. She dug it out from one of the pouches on her belt and opened it.
"I really don't know. I haven't had the time to read it yet. But... I think it was written by his mom." She said quietly. She shoved it back in her pocket and took a sip of her tea. I waited for her to spit it out, but it didn't happen.