Nagan | Broken Time Series: Book One

Chapter 18

Warning: Violence and kidnapping

The ocean water shimmered orange with the setting sun. It was nearing curfew, and the boys were hopelessly lost.

"Great," Nagan huffed while noting the same shop they've passed twice already, "We're lost."

"And it's almost curfew. The gate might be shut by now! What should we do?" Az nearly wailed and clung onto Nagan's shoulder as shadows jumped from the newly lighted lanterns. It was an amusing sight as the taller cowered behind the shorter.

"Calm down, there might be an inn or something nearby." A tug on his shoulder nearly making him stumble induced a tick mark to appear on his forehead. "And stop pulling on me! I'm gonna fall and I won't hesitate to make sure you break my fall!"

They continued to wander for a while, and the sun continued to set. Shadows grew longer while the streets became eerier. Something didn't feel right, but Nagan couldn't identify what it was.

"Hey...was the town really this big?" Nagan asked as calmly as he could despite the indication.

Az gripped harder and ducked further down. "I don't think so...didn't Professor Babora mention something about some sort of confusion magic?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Nagan replied irritably, his eyes checking each corner. "You have a better grade in history. Besides, why would Professor Babora mention something like that in the first place?

"The Lockpin Assassinations. They used confusion and maze magic to confuse and trap...their...victims..." By the time Az finished his sentence, his face went pale.

"There you go. You can answer your own questions. Have you learned any spells yet?"

"No, just a few things to help with control and such." Az sent Nagan a worried look. "Why?"

Nagan didn't bother informing Az about the growing hum. The sounds of magic were everywhere around Carvolier, but there was something wrong with the nearest source. He knew they were being followed. "Just in case."

Slowly they made their way down the oddly empty streets. Once cheerful-looking buildings now turned ominous. More than once did Nagan catch movement in the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, nothing was there. Just before the boys turned down down a side street, a fog rolled in from the sea. Az thought nothing of it despite the shiver that went down his spine, while Nagan found it suffocating. This was a magic laced fog, but it felt nothing like any magic he'd felt before. It was bitter and constricting.

It was too late by the time Nagan realized they were surrounded.

"We found you..."

Two pairs of hand yanked the boys apart. A startled yelp came from Az while Nagan began to struggle immediately. "What do you think you're doing? Let us go!" He shouted.

A man laughed beside him. "So those magic crystals worked after all. Catching these Carvolier students was easy enough."

"And their ransom should be high," noted another.

"Or their families might take our heads as vengeance..."

The first one spoke again. "The hooded man said he'd protect us from that sort of thing, and we won't be using them for ransom money at all."

That statement caused a minor outrage.

"Quiet!" the man bellowed, "Unless you want your body to be found by the rats in the morning, you will do as I say! That man isn't some client you can mess with. You hear me, you wartbrains?"

He was met with silence. "Good. Now tie them up."

Dread slowly crept up his spine at those words. Nagan knew he had to do something, and he had to do it fast.

"Nagan."

Nagan's head snapped up, and he met Az's eyes. Az was pale and looked scared out of his wits, but there was a sense of calmness as he carefully nodded his head. He knew if anyone could get them out of here, it was Nagan, and he shouldn't be afraid to do whatever he needed to do.

That was all Nagan needed.

"Back!"

With the explosiveness of an uncontrolled demand, anyone within 10 feet of him flew away from him in the pulse. Dust stirred around them and cries of pain echoed nearby. Nagan coughed and stumbled forward, blindly looking for Az who he knew was caught in the pulse wave. He heard a familiar groan.

By the time he found Az, it was obvious he was in no shape to move. Panicked, Nagan tried to shake him awake only to get another groan and a small flinch. Nagan chewed the inside of his lip, contemplating what he should do now. If only he had a way to alert the school!

As the dust settled, he saw some of the men who were surrounding them sluggishly pulling themselves to their feet and glaring lividly at Nagan. He gulped. Out of pure adrenaline, he hoisted Az over his shoulder and ran.

He may be known for his speed, but strength is another thing entirely Nagan discovered. Due to the added weight of someone even heavier than himself, he had to find somewhere to hide fast.

"Light!"

A blinding flash surrounded him for a moment before he ducked into an alleyway, and at the perfect moment, too. The light made his eyes burn and caused him to stumble, sending both Az and himself sprawling into the dirt. He heard footsteps approaching. Not wanting to be in the open, Nagan internally apologized to Az before dragging him behind a few crates and waited. Waited to fight his way out of this one way or the other.

"Hah, you think you have the guts to fight us?" the leader sneered as he rounded the corner to see Nagan standing in plain sight. "You got some spunk, kid. Let's see just how far that'll get you."

The man started to chant, yet Nagan didn't bother letting him finish. "Sor!"

Everything froze, and Nagan immediately ripped a loose wooden board from one of the crates. By the time the magic wore off, he was already swinging for the man's head. Unfortunately, the man stepped back to avoid the strike, yet Nagan felt a sense of cold satisfaction as fear and confusion showed on the man's face.

"How?" he bellowed before being forced to dodge the swinging board again. "What did you do!"

Nagan refused to answer and continued his attack. Thank goodness he took up combat. There was a sense of fluidity in his movements, and his reflexes were quick, but it was apparent he was inexperienced. As more of the strange men started to find their way into the alleyway, the more hopeless the situation became. He tried everything he could to keep away from him, including casting his time spell a few more times. It didn't take long for him to drain his magic reserved and for his moves to become sluggish. Within minutes, his only weapon had been ripped from his hands. He was once again held between two men and gagged to stop him from saying anything.

Yet Nagan knew there was no one behind those crates any longer. All he had to do now was stall them long enough for Az to get help and lead them to his location.

•______________•

I'm baaaack and done with my first semester of college yeeeEAAAAHHHH

...thought I might need to retake a class XD

Anyways, thanks for your patience! Now that it's break, I'll most likely be publishing chapters much more hehe