INSIGNIAS: THE ABECEDARIANS

She didn’t know how long she held her breath. But even when she released it, she could still hear her fast heartbeat. She had eyes her half closed because of the bright light. When she had calm down, she surveyed the surrounding to find metal scraps. There were a few but they’re enough. She took a deep breath. She was about to activate them when the person spoke again.

“I’m sorry, I’m lost. I won’t hurt anyone.” The person sounded tired and was panting between words. The light left Hanne’s face. The person directed it towards the ground. Hanne could finally see the intruder under the moonlight. She gasped when she saw the situation the person is in. She had her back against the tree. Her shirt and pants were torn and dirty. Her right hand was pressing on her left stomach. Her long dark hair fanned her pale and pain-stricken face. The flashlight fell from her grasp while Hanne could only stare.

“What happened to you? Are you okay?” she muttered then rushed to her side. She knew that the person might be dangerous but the girl’s face showed that she’s in so much pain. Her legs were wobbly. Hanne raised her hand to steady her but she hesitated. She doesn’t feel like she has power…

The girl body started to slide down and Hanne quickly caught her falling body. She noticed that the girl’s hair was actually red. She glanced at the bulky backpack behind her. The girl’s half close eyes looked at Hanne.

“I’m- I’m okay,” the girl said then slowly pushed Hanne away.

“No. My brother and… friend are nearby. We can help you with your wounds.” Hanne didn’t let go of her instead, she placed the girl’s arm on her shoulder and helped her stand up. She hoped she was right and that Storm knew how to clean and treat wounds.

“No- I-“

“Please don’t move so much. I can’t carry you,” Hanne complained. Their steps were slow and Hanne was flinching because of the girl’s weight. She was relieved when she saw the light of the fire. A tree hid the view but she knew the two boys were already standing.

She was right. Nate and Storm’s eyes widened when she emerged behind a tree. Nate ran towards her with a deep frown. By the time she stopped walking, her right shoulder was numb.

“Who is that? What happened? What took you so long? I thought something happened…”

“Injured. I don’t know what happened. Help me.” Nate nodded and took the girl’s other arm. Hanne released the other and massage her shoulder.

“You can put her on my sleeping bag. She had one,” Hanne instructed. Hanne and Nate slowly and carefully put the half-conscious girl on Hanne’s sleeping bag. She was still breathing heavily but her face looked better than earlier. Hanne stood up. She frowned when she noticed that Storm hadn’t move and just stared at the wounded girl. Different emotions masked his face. Surprise, dismay, fear. Why?

“Hey.” His eyes widened slightly when he heard Hanne. When he faced her, the emotions earlier disappeared and his face returned to looking bored like always. What was that about? She waited for him to answer but he didn’t. He was probably taken aback like she was when she first saw the girl.

“What happened?” Nate asked while squatting beside the unconscious girl.

“I don’t know. I finished changing when she turned on her light in my face,” Hanne narrated.

“Did you see or feel anything…around her?” Storm asked while staring hard at the girl.

“Hmm nothing. She felt normal.”

“Help me clean her wound,” he instructed her. Hanne removed the girl’s right hand from her stomach and found a half meter slash above her left kidney. Dried blood surround the area but it didn’t seem deep. She could only stare.

“Disgusted?” Storm asked. He was holding a gauze and bandage tape. She glanced at Nate who was heating water in a small kettle.

“It’s not a good sight, but no, I’m not disgusted,” she responded truthfully. It was her first time looking closely at a large wound but after encountering blood, wounds and lifeless bodies for days, she thought that this was better. But she felt bad for the girl. She was frowning in her sleep. After cleaning the wound with water, Storm placed the gauze and used the bandage tape to hold the dressing.

She saw Nate hid behind a tree.

“I’m sorry…about earlier.” She felt blood rush on her cheeks. She hadn’t properly apologize about sleeping on his shoulder.

“What?” he asked without looking at her. He was checking the bandage tape. She was quite embarrassed to say it.

“Uh slee-“ She immediate stop when she saw Nate in the corner of her eyes. He didn’t need to know.

“Sleeping…on…your shoulder,” she whispered. She kept her eyes on the ground so Storm won’t see her embarrassed face. She won’t ever let him know that he had this effect on her.

“Okay.” She immediately looked at him, giving him the are-you-serious face. That’s all? He raised his eyebrow as if he’s saying ‘what?’.

“Change her shirt,” he said then stood up. Sighing, she let him get away, knowing full well that he’s not interested. He walked behind the tree and Nate followed after he gave a Hanne a small smile. Hanne opened the girl’s large backpack. She felt guilt as she rummaged inside but it’s an emergency so she hoped the girl won’t mind. It took her longer than she expected to change the girl’s torn shirt. She was heavy but Hanne was able to undress and dress her.

“It’s done!,” she informed the two behind the tree. The two walked out of the darkness and took a seat in front of the fire. Exhausted, Hanne dropped beside the girl and massaged her right shoulder.

“Too painful?” Nate asked as he eyed her shoulder. She shook her head.

“Do you think she was in a fight?” Hanne asked and looked between Nate and Storm.

“I think so. Her injuries weren’t from wild animals,” her brother answered.

“I see.” Why did they hurt her? The girl, who Hanne thinks is of the same age as her, looked like she was on a trip with thick coat and hiking boots.

“She’s one of us,” Storm muttered.

“What?” she asked, confused by what he meant.

“She has abilities. But I can’t sense if she’s a Concordian.” Nate and Hanne glanced at each other. Hanne didn’t sense anything from the girl. By the look Nate gave her, he felt the same way.

“But she seemed…normal. Why can’t we sense it?” Hanne glanced at the girl’s sleeping form as she said this. Storm began adding small branches on the fire.

“It’s faint.”

“She’s probably new, right?,” Nate stated. New to what?

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“She had recently find out and use her abilities,” Storm guessed. “Or after years of not using it.”

“Then anyone can sense your energy if you had been using your abilities for years? Can it be turned off?” She didn’t know what made her ask the second question. She just blurted it without thinking due to curiosity. But Nate looked upset. It’s not like that, Nate. Storm, on the other hand, didn’t mind it.

“Not always. Others mastered how to control their energies in order to blend in with normal people,” Storm responded.

“There are also others who haven’t mastered their abilities so you wouldn’t know their true potential,” he added.

“How do you know so much?” Hanne asked. She thought that he had been hiding from both legions so someone taught him everything he knows about the elemental world. Nate didn’t tell her everything they talked about. She wasn’t interested before but now she wanted to know more about him. It was mostly because she felt that she wanted to find out what makes him so suspicious in her eyes.

“My guardian…” His voice trailed. His lips formed a thin line. “He’s from the school of Concordians and worked there until he met me.” She wanted to ask him how that person became his guardian, but the look on his face showed that he didn’t want to explain further.

“We also had one,” Nate said. He recently told her about that person but Hanne couldn’t remember the times when he visited them. It hurt her to know that Nate kept this information but it’s her fault for stopping him every time he wanted to talk about anything that connects her to the magical world.

“But mom lost contact with him years ago,” Nate added then drew his coat closer. It was getting chilly and windy. Hanne also zipped up her coat. She glanced at the unconscious girl to check if she’s shivering but found that her coat was thick enough.

“What are we going to do?” Hanne whispered more to herself than to Nate and Storm. She was following their mom’s instruction but she didn’t have personal goals to accomplish. I’m only doing this for mom and Nate…right?

“Mission is unknown but we need to meet the other group.” Storm was staring at the dancing fire as he said this. It was very rare for him to show emotion but now, he looked conflicted.

“Mission? I thought we’re going there because it’s where we’ll be safe.” She never knew that they had gather for a mission. If there is, she knew that it’s going to be dangerous.

She glanced at Nate who was looking guilty when she met his gaze.

“Yes, we were told to go there. But it seemed that it’s a gathering for an important…happening,” he replied. And it’s going to be dangerous. She won’t risk their lives again.

“Whatever it is, we still have to meet them. This is for our safety,” he quickly added. He probably saw the fear in her eyes.

“What if we don’t like their mission? Or if it’s too dangerous?” she asked. They can’t force us to do it, right? She glanced between the two men, both looked like they’re deep in thought.

“I trust mom when she said that we’ll be safe there. That’s all, for now.” Nate didn’t meet her eyes when he said this. She suddenly felt miserable. Even if she’s getting the hang of the journey, she knew that this wasn’t the situation anyone of them wanted – putting one’s life in danger. How unlucky we are… No one talked after that. Hanne spread the girl’s sleeping bag and got in while Nate and Storm added twigs on the fire before they lay down. Hanne drifted into sleep dreaming about their mom and home.

She returned to consciousness because she felt really cold. Her thick coat and sleeping bag weren’t enough. She kept tossing and turning, trying to keep herself warm. She opened her eyes and found that the fire had gone out. Sighing, she sat up to add more woods when someone walked towards the camp fire.

“Sleep,” he whispered.

“You need help?” she whispered.

“No.” He began rekindling the fire.

“Do you trust us?” His hand stopped mid-air then he turned to look at her. Her green eyes caught his dark orbs illuminated by the bright moonlight. Even Hanne was surprised by her question but it’s something that bugged her mind for a while.

“You’re not someone who will flat out lie,” she began. His face was expressionless but his eyes showed that he’s listening intently. “But it doesn’t mean that you’re honest about your feelings.” What am I talking about? He’ll probably think that I’m being dramatic. Hanne looked around, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“You’re going to say that I don’t really know you,” she added.

“This world will always be dangerous,” he said.

“What?” He didn’t respond so she opened her mouth again. “Living with these abilities is hard, huh. But living with people who expect so much is harder.” Ugh, again. She didn’t know why she keeps rambling about life.

“Sleep,” he said again. His eyes looked like he wanted to say more but he turned around, dismissing her. Why do you look like you wanted to cry? Maybe it was only her imagination. But she was right about one thing. She desperately wanted to break the walls that he surrounded himself with. As to why, she figured that there was something different in him that she had never seen before.