Élan: A Youngblood World

8 | Play The Hero |

       A brief, almost crazed laughter expelled from deep within the dorm. Kayne, Ryeld, and Cazzie lingered by the door, awaiting the conclusion of the indistinct exchange between the resolute redhead and apathetic Nyrhaean.

       Cazzie repeatedly scraped the curved edge of her thumb's nails with her index's, producing faint arrhythmic ticks. Them? Stop a war?

       Hiro may be all things, wild to the bone and a heathen for rules. When advised not to touch the roots of the wolfsbane, she had to watch him vomit every five hours and stare at her with his tongue rolling out of his drooling mouth, barely breathing back at Polyville. By the time he recovered, he would dare say he would do it again, munch a mouth full of it even. She would have ended him herself had he not wrapped it up with a punchline.

       However, she was just as guilty. An inkling of her also appealed to the absurd idea. She had witnessed these adept warriors wield sticks like swords, rocks like ballistics, and hands like the most solid of metals that thrashed any walls in their paths into powder. And she firsthand saw what they could do to a group of agents. What can they not do?

       "He doesn't want to." 

       Her soaring elation dropped at that instant, disappointment akin to the liking of about to climb a mountain only for the hunk of rock itself to crumble. "What?! Why?"

       "What do you expect?" Ryeld retorted instead. "We're just kids. Not even an army of kids for that matter. This is an empire, for goodness sake. You're talking about going against a whole continent of supernatural beings who can't even be touched by magic."

       "But we have an asset."

       Ryeld's scowl deepened. "That liquor? Please. You can't even douse a finger with it." He sighed, hand on his hips. "Is it necessary to even argue about this?"

       Cazzie gaped, speechless. How could he refuse? Does he not want the adventure? Sure the odds are against them, but are they just going to stand here equipped with convenient knowledge and do nothing at all while the fate of humanity is put in jeopardy?

       "So you'd rather be oppressed and robbed of freedom instead of fighting for it?!" Hiro exclaimed like a fulminating volcano that had been dormant. "It's people like you that lead to problems. You do nothing! And you'd only mull over it when it's too late."

       Ryeld's tone had become controlled, piercing. "I'm choosing to stay alive than die a pointless death because of a childish fantasy to 'save the world.' Leave it to those who sit in conference rooms for all I care. It's their job, not ours."

       Hiro jerked his head to the side, muttering under his breath as Ryeld tramped off. His words towered over Cazzie like she was an insignificant cell in a universe that knows no bounds. She gazed at the mute brunette. 

       Kayne wore a tame regard. A mere observer in a world coalescing with peace and chaos, contemplating those dark pleading eyes. Then sighed. "I'll go talk to Zak."

       She elicited a silent 'thank you.' As Kayne stalked toward the dorm, Cazzie caught up with the Volt mage. Her pace was inadequate with his long and brisk rate, compelling her to switch legs faster under short but immediate steps. "Rye, please."

       Ryeld retained a straight gaze ahead, unyielding.

       "Could you please slow down for a moment?"