Amity

Chapter 16: The Girl

Damn, these things are stubborn! Isaiah thought to himself as the Edge Walker he had just hit with a stiff punch was making its way back to its feet. His maroon football jersey clung to his body as if the blood from a gash across his chest was an adhesive. Some of his braids had been wretched free; patches of curly, unkempt hair sprouted above his cornrows, looking like a black fire in a field of corn.

He didn't know what else he could do. He tried hitting it with every type of attack that Loyalty had taught him: haymakers, uppercuts, jabs, and hooks, but nothing seemed to bring this behemoth down. He racked his brain trying to think of something else he could do, something that could kill it, but nothing came to mind. Think Isaiah. Your baby brother is counting on you.

No. Not just his brother. His entire family was counting on him. They were all in the same boat as him. Tired. Afraid. Out of options. Yet, they all powered through it, becoming the prideful warriors that they are now. He remembered the look of disappointment that flashed across his parents' faces once he told them that he hadn't unblocked his elemancy. Isaiah refused to see that look again. He refused to be the only person in his family not able to use his elemancy. More importantly, he refused to leave his baby brother in the academy by himself. "Come on, then, you freak."

The Edge Walker was on its feet. With a roar, it pounded towards Isaiah on all fours, drooling bright red slime like a humanoid feral beast. Time seemed to slow as the monster pounced. Isaiah felt cold, colder than anything he'd ever felt. He was staring death in the face, and yet, he felt calm. His body stopped shivering, his heartbeat was calm in his chest. Even though he was amidst his last moments, he felt at peace with himself. Was this what it was like seconds before death? Was this how it felt for angels to guide him to heaven?

He felt something foreign, a surge of power in his hands. It demanded that he let it free. He didn't have the time to dwell on whether it was his elemancy or not. He held a hand out, his palm aiming for the Edge Walker. As he did so, a frigid mist appeared from his hand, enveloping the dark creature. Inside of the dense mish, he heard what sounded like water freezing. Once it had cleared, the Edge Walker stood just inches away from Isaiah with that terrifying murderous intent. Isaiah breath caught in his throat until he saw the monster was now covered from head to toe in a thick layer of ice.

Falling to the ground, he let out a sigh of relief as he blinked in confusion at the ice statue that was the Edge Walker, completely stunned. Then, he gave a breathless laugh. Isaiah wasn't sure if it was from fear or relief, but it felt good nonetheless. Especially once he realized that he was now a fellow elemancer. His arms throbbed with the foreign power. It felt as if blood was reintroduced to his parched veins. He didn't think on it for long, however. He was more curious about the Edge Walker.

With the monster incapacitated, he was able to get a good look at it. He noticed that the Edge Walker's skin was scaly, like a reptile. There were three slits on both sides of his chest, almost like a fish's gills. Isaiah wasn't sure if he wanted to know what they were used for. He stepped away from the Edge Walker and looked at his watch. Twenty minutes left. He had to go find Dré. There was no telling if he needed Isaiah's help or not.

Before he could take his first step, he heard a woman cry out from behind him. Well, Dré's probably with friends, right? I'm sure he'll be fine. Nodding to himself, he ran towards the yelling. He rushed off the beaten path through the thicket of the forest, not even noticing the sticks lashing at his arms. His thoughts were solely on what the girl looked like. He hoped that she was as beautiful as she sounded, considering that she might fall for him after saving her life. Vaulting over an uprooted tree, he launched himself out of the thicket, seeing an Edge Walker standing over someone. It raised a clawed hand, threatening to run the prey through.

"Over here, you ugly bastard!" Isaiah yelled as he ran towards them, catching the beast's attention. He wrapped his arms around the Edge Walker's scaly abdomen before pulling it off its feet and slamming it to the ground. Before it had a chance to stand, Isaiah drove the heel of his shoe into its neck. It fell limp before it exploded with a puff of black mist.

Isaiah turned to the girl and held a hand out to her. God, she was as beautiful as she sounded, despite the dirt on her sweat-drenched face and the leaves and twigs wrapped in her straight, golden hair. He recoiled at the worry laced in her green eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, hoping to calm her. It wasn't the Edge Walker that she seemed to be afraid of, however. She seemed to be more afraid of him than the monster that had almost killed her. "Don't worry. The Edge Walker's dead." He reached closer for her, only to have her shrink away from him. Was she afraid because of how he'd killed the Edge Walker? Isaiah hoped beyond hope that she didn't think he'd harm her. "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to protect you while we're in here."

Her eyes shifted past him in increased panic. Isaiah looked over his shoulder just in time to see an Edge Walker lunging at him, swatting him against a tree. Air rushed out of his chest as his back slammed against the tree trunk. He collided with the ground, wheezing as he struggled to lift his head up.

Where did this one come from? Surely, if there were any other Edge Walkers, they would've shown up much sooner. Gasping, he realized where it may have come from. It was most likely the Edge Walker that he'd frozen before finding the girl. After he'd killed the one that was after her, it had exploded, unlike the one he thought he had taken care of. He cursed at himself for making such an amateurish mistake. He knew that he should've just went to his brother.

The Edge Walker was crawling towards him, its long claws digging into the ground with each lunge. He tried to conjure his ice again, but his head was too fogged up by the blow that he could barely focus on which of the three Edge Walkers was the actual one. He clenched his eyes as he awaited death.

Then he felt the earth rumble from underneath him. Snapping his head up, Isaiah noticed that the Edge Walker was impaled by a stalagmite that sprang up from the ground. The girl's hand was raised, as if she conjured it. The Edge Walker skewered on it disappeared in a puff of smoke, much like the one that Isaiah had killed. With a shuddering gasp, the girl looked from the Edge Walker's ashes to Isaiah, as if she were debating whether or not she should check on him. Finally, she decided to run away.

His conscious slipping, Isaiah fell to his knees, struggling not to fall into the abyss. He was starting to regret following the voice. The image of the girl's frightful face once he appeared penetrated his mind. He wasn't even sure if there was a way to not seem threatening to her after killing the Edge Walker.

He fell onto his chest, exhausted. Dirt flowed into his mouth and nose, but he hadn't noticed. Something else caught his attention, a tiny shield strung onto a golden bracelet with the words "Rosemarie Jones" etched onto it. Using the remainder of his strength, Isaiah wrapped a hand around it.