The Amalgamation Of Two Worlds

** Hayden’s POV **

My chest heaved at the same time it constricted, sending me once again to the ground. I managed to get out a gasp before I fell even lower. My arms wouldn’t support me. My legs wouldn’t support me. Nothing would, and my vision was beginning to blacken as my mind filled with haze. My stomach knotted then twisted, then began the whole process over again.

Voices. I could hear voices... sorta. I could feel their presence, sometimes I could see them, and briefly I would catch words, but I couldn’t make out anything. It was like giant waves of water kept crashing into me, deafening me and immobile-ing me. Never this strong. Never. I thought at Damon’s place it had been bad, but compared to this, that was like hugging a teddy bear. This was... this was... this was bad. Very bad.

When I came to, thankfully after blacking out, I was a bit surprised to see so many people around me. I was even more surprised to see Damon... though unlike the others, he didn’t look worried or concerned. He looked bored yet content. He was leaning against a tree near where I was at, his ankles crossed, his eyes wandering. I couldn’t see the weapon maker, nor Brale. If I had been hit that hard, I hated to think of what Brale went through. He was still young, and though his power would be the same as an adult, he wouldn’t know how to handle it as well yet.

“That’s never happened before.” Murmured Mack, his eyes on me. I finally met them, and when he saw my recognition, his eyes flooded with relief. “How ar-“

”Fine,” I grunted out, pulling myself into a sitting position. I glanced around, searching for the line. That was big wave, a big feeling, and I knew I could tell which direction it came from. And sure enough, as soon as my eyes locked West, my gut did a little twist. Sometimes being a Clave came in handy. Sometimes it was a pain in the ass.

“What’s that way,” I asked, jerking my chin to the direction. Mack followed my gaze before glancing back at me.

“The End. Why, Hayden?” Well crap, this wasn’t good.

“That’s the source of the trouble.” I met his gaze, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. They had acted earlier than we thought, and now, now they were already in, or heading to, The End.

** Damon’s POV **

I watched them come to the conclusion I had hours ago. Hayden had said he had never been hit that hard before when we were at my place, so logically, what would cause a bigger wave? The act of them going to Earth. Obviously. It was so simple I was almost disgusted that they hadn’t figured it out. How stupid can you get? And I was going to help them? I still couldn’t believe I agreed to that. But what choice did I have? I was good. I knew that. So there was no need to be modest. I took on the king and lived to tell the tale, so I knew I could take on The Demonio. Only... after seeing them in action, hearing about how many there were, I was a bit sceptical. I was good, but was I that good? And with only Zenon to back me up? Caleb was on hiatus, watching his brother, and Austin was assumed dead. I doubted he was, but he still wasn’t where I needed him.

Austin had never been one to take things. He would always be the sole survivor of a horrible event, or live through some traumatic experience. He never died when you expected him to, so I was left to wonder if he was actually dead. I’d believe it when I saw his body.

So, I was stuck with the Zaccur. Despite his appearance, Hayden was a decent fighter. I could only hope the rest were the same. One thing was certain, though, they were prepared. They had all the tools they needed and were organized. They could do with a bit more brains, but other than that small glitch, they weren’t bad. But one thing I learned at my first attempt to take the king, the one that ended up getting me tortured, is that no matter how prepared you are, it doesn’t matter. It matters on actions, on thoughts, on brains, not your readiness. Of course being prepared will help and can save a situation, but in the end, if you don’t have what it takes, having the right tools and knowing what to do, won’t save you. You have to be able to handle, and that was one thing I didn’t think the Zaccur could do.

Their biggest fault? Compassion. Sure, in a way it could be beneficial. But in a war? They’ll want to save anyone who gets in the way. And while I don’t always believe in killing everything, saving everyone is never an option. You have to worry about your targets, and if you take out an innocent... who cares? I doubt they’d be able to think, let alone do that. Which was going to be a big problem.

“The kid stills out.” Came Zenon’s voice. I didn’t bother looking up. Brale had been hit even harder, or maybe just effected harder, didn’t really matter. He, however, had the luck of blacking out long before Hayden. “You know, some days I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t joined you.” He paused, I still didn’t look up. “And you know what I realized? My life would boring as hell! You’re like a magnet for things, and it’s proving to be amusing.” I let out a small sound at that. Didn’t I know it. But then again, why was I complaining? Or for lack of better word, brooding? I was getting some action. Hadn’t I been annoyed at the repetition of teaching? Well, I didn’t have to worry about it anymore. My life was going to be filled with adventure now, for I was going out of The Dark Lands. And this time, for more than a few hours. Now this would be fun.

** Audrey’s POV **

Did I really think that would work? Did I really think he would just let it go? Yes, yes I did. And that just went to show I was more stupid than I thought. What did I have to show for it? A bruise on my cheek, and a very angry man with a giant sword in front of me. As soon as the words had left my lips, his hand had found my face. I’d like to say I was tough, and in a way I was, but that didn’t stop my gasp of surprise and pain from escaping. I didn’t cry, but I was shocked. And it did hurt!

His eyes were narrowed into slits and locked onto mine. My hands were cupping my cheek and I was glaring back. Sure, I lied, but that was no reason to hit me! And how did he even know I was lying?

“Tell. Me.” He hissed.

“I told you!” Before he could hit me, I quickly continued. “I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know a damn thing! The medicine blurred them and made them less frequent. I’m having them more often now, but they’re still blurred. So don’t hit me again!” Okay, another lie. But I wasn’t about to tell the truth. How would I explain that? I was still trying to figure it out myself. I had no idea what I was doing, what I was in the middle of, but I was going to find out. What I did know, was it wasn’t right. Something in my mind screamed at me to shut up and play a stupid defenceless little girl; to not say what I knew. I may not have known much, like my real name and what really happened, but I did know I couldn’t trust this man in front of me. Maybe beforehand I could, but now, when I knew what he wanted, I couldn’t. It just wasn’t right.

“Really?” He seethed, his eyes blazing. “I think that’s a bunch of bull.” He leaned forward, and I tensed. “But I’ll give you two days. You have two days, no more, to tell me everything you see. If you don’t... well, for your sake, I hope you do. Do I make myself clear?” I nodded, and he gave a bitter smile. “Good.” And once again, he stood and left without so much as a goodbye.

I heard the door shut behind him, and only when the footsteps disappeared, did I relax. My heart was still beating fast, but I think that was more due to the memories, than anything else. Memories? Were they? Some part of my mind screamed yes, where the other part screamed no, that they were just dreams.

I shook my head. It didn’t matter. Not now. What mattered now was getting away. The man would be back, and though I knew he was watching me, I still had to find some way to escape. I couldn’t stay longer. I couldn’t tell the man what I saw, especially when I didn’t even know what it meant. So, with that thought, I began to pack.