On the same day Astrea, Nero and Eddie had walked into a forest nearby Froja. On the way Eddie had further explained Ka, the life force given to people at birth. They stopped in the middle of the forest.
"To train Ka you need both awareness and control," explained Eddie. "It's better to train Ka under stress to teach you to regulate Ka. Nero and I will chase you down with our divine power. Until you can see our mirages, we won't stop coming at you".
Astrea nodded.
Before she started to run Eddie had one last thing to mention.
"Remember Ka is an energy. You feel it, not understand it."
With that Astrea started to run. She moved through the forest trying to stay calm and collected, steadying her breathing.
Before Eddie and Nero started to chase, Eddie turned to Nero and his eyes narrowed.
"Don't go too hard on her and don't use your divine power."
No further words were exchanged, and they took off into the trees.
They jumped from tree to tree, scouting the ground for Astrea. The forest was quite small so within 3 minutes they were able to locate exactly where Astrea was. Eddie manifested Kujira, the mirage appearing behind him. He jumped down throwing a kick into her back.
It connected.
Astrea was sent tumbling into the dirt. However, she quickly got up looking straight at Eddie. She focused attempting to see the mirage manifested behind him but to no avail. Not even an outline appeared of Kujira.
Nero had stayed in the trees watching.
Eddie…what's his ability, I need to find out exactly what he can do. Nero thought.
Eddie, seeing that Astrea couldn't see Kujira dashed towards Astrea.
Wait was Eddie always this fast, what the hell. Astrea thought.
Another kick landed, this time in her chest. She managed to stay on her feet digging her heels into the ground. Even from this brief exchange she could tell that Eddie wasn't someone who fought often.
"Focus Astrea," Eddie started as he continued to throw punches aimed at Astrea's body. "You're not feeling, you're trying too hard".
I can't feel shit, what even should I be feeling. Astrea thought.
Astrea kept trying to block all the punches coming her way. Though Eddie's technique was sloppy at best, the speed of his punches was too quick. Astrea finally folded to the pressure that Eddie was putting on her guard as his punches broke through landing on her face. She was knocked down once again.
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Nero, who was still in the trees, shook his head in disappointment.
She's fighting it. Thought Nero. That's the problem. You can't force Ka — it comes when you stop reaching for it.
Suddenly he noticed two figures walking through the woods making their way towards Astrea and Eddie. He recognised both of them.
What are they even here for? Nero thought. His mind racing. I was meant to watch Astrea not them.
The two figures stopped before Astrea and Eddie could see them. They watched and waited. Nero got closer to them, still in the trees.
"Change of plans. Sodom needs another person to sell." One man said, "Let's grab the girl there."
"What about that other kid, what was his name again?" The other man said.
"Doesn't matter, he's a dog," the first man said.
Nero froze hearing those words.
A dog. He thought.
The two men came out of hiding and started to approach Astrea and Eddie. They had split up. One man went the long way around to get behind Astrea. The other man had stayed closer to Eddie.
The man closer to Eddie activated his divine power. Behind him, the sky split open. A tall figure emerged, painted in black and white like broken stars, a serpent-shaped cloud coiling around his shoulders. His eyes burned faintly, both distant and cold, like lights seen across a long road. In his hand was a spear-thrower, already drawn back not aimed, but waiting. Whatever he had chosen had never escaped. Mixcoatl, Cosmic hunter of the heavens.
So, this is your divine power Yumo. Nero thought.
Eddie couldn't believe what he was looking at. All his life he had lived in Froja, the only mirage he had seen was Kujira. Never before had he seen something like this. He was face to face with the unknown. In the demonstration of Khat, his movements had been beautiful. In a real fight Eddie was something different — desperate, sloppy, human.
In Yumo's hands he had a blowpipe which he hadn't held before. He held it to his lips and blew softly. A dart flew out of the pipe going straight towards Eddie. He had no time to react before the dart took him.
At the same time Yumo did this his partner also activated his divine power. A tall, indistinct figure loomed in the air, its form rippling like heat over a battlefield. No face was visible. Only the suggestion of wide, staring eyes. Armor hung loosely from its frame, as if abandoned mid-fight, and wherever its shadow touched the ground, weapons trembled, and knees buckled. Phobos, Fear incarnated in god-like form.
Stick, your divine power is super weird man. Thought Nero.
Nero could tell, these two were on a different level to Eddie. Their abilities, the way they moved. It was all for combat. They were strong.
A whip appeared in the man's hand. Astrea seeing Eddie hit the floor turned around. She saw Stick running towards her. Something stirred. Not thought — deeper than that. It moved through her like water finding its level, slow and certain. And then she saw it. The outline of a figure behind Stick, faint but undeniable. She hadn't looked for it. It had found her.
Astrea recognised the man standing before her. Her mind flashed back to a couple days ago. A man stood over her beating her almost to death. Before Astrea could even react, Stick snapped his whip back over his head before bring it straight down on Astrea.
It connected. The tips cracked all over her back.
She screamed in pain falling to the ground. Despite her pain she still tried to get up.
"Wait a minute, aren't you meant to be dead" Stick said confused. "Swear I killed you,"
"Glad you didn't now. We get to sell her and Eddie." Yumo said.
"A two for one special, though I wish I could have her…," said Stick.
Astrea had forced herself to her feet. Stick was surprised to see her standing up. Before he could use his whip again, Yumo used his blowpipe once again lodging a dart into Astrea's back.
Astrea crumbled to the ground.
"Grab her and I'll grab Eddie". Yumo said.
"Jeez could have let me play around a little," moaned Stick.
They walked out of the woods with Eddie and Astrea thrown over their shoulders.
He could end this in seconds. Both of them. He knew it and they didn't. His hands were already moving before his mind caught up — then stopped. Sodom's note sat in his pocket like a coal. his mind was coddled by the fact that Sodom held his chains. He thought of his mother.
He stayed in the trees.
He waited until they were out of sight. Then he climbed down from the trees.
Choice was a burden after all.
But inaction had its own weight. He was beginning to understand that now.