The Fifth World

Bo: I can hear swords clanging together, their sounds echoing through my mind. I try to open my eyes but my body does not respond. There are some loud sounds, of people, of pain. I breathe heavily, feel my cold breath on my chest. Why am I hunched over? Why can I not see?
I hear my throat make a sound, a whimpering of some sort. I then feel a stabbing pain in my back, a sudden, huge amount of pain that is unbearable. I yell out in agony. There are no voices around me. Well, there are but they are much further away. Perhaps over twenty metres away. I can feel things, the earth beneath me, the shrubs and soil, the rocks supporting my limp body. Jesus, I have been through bigger beatings than this yet I cannot find the energy stand nor open my eyes?
Where is Cynric? Where is he? Why isn't he here?
I mumble his name but it is barely understandable. My hands are the first to respond to my brain, I can feel them, opening and closing on either side of me. Maybe I should jump from here. To a hospital or something? But no. How can I? How can I do that knowing that people I care about are being left behind? And for what? For war? For a war that they should not be fighting?
It is my war. My fight. That is the only reason why I have remained in the Fifth World for these last two days. They are fighting for me so I should not behave like a coward.

My hands feel something beside me. A body? My heart instantly pounds and I reach for his face. I try to find the smooth skin, the silky golden hair. But all I feel is stubble, stubble along a man's face. His skin is not soft nor smooth. It is hard and wrinkled. My eyelids open and I see his face, his lifeless face. That is not Cynric. I scream loudly, fall back and realise that finally my body has caught up with my mind. There are bodies covering the ground, carnage, everywhere. Something I have seen before but it is still astoundingly frightening. I stand up slowly, aware of the aching in my back and my arms. I then look towards my wrist, where the cast has cracked and fallen off. It is skinny looking, weak and even more pale than usual. Hopefully I will be able to bare it being without support. For now.
My eyes are stuck on the dead stranger's face, his eyes are staring straight ahead, as if he were focused on something. But he isn't. He is nothing but dead.
I look around, my mouth dropping slightly and then I see dark red hair and a small body coming towards me. There is blood spatter across Felicity's face. She looks monstrous.

"Bo," she says to me and puts a hand on my shoulder, "you must come with me. Now."

"Where is Cynric?" I whisper to her. "And Nancy? And Janine?"

"They are over there," she says to me, her English accent is somewhat comforting, it reminds me of home, "Cynric would not forgive me if I let something happen to you. Now, please - come with me." She stretches her arm out and holds her hand towards me. I stare at it, then stare at her.

"Please, Bo," she whispers, "I understand that you do not trust me but trust Cynric. I know his power, I know his capabilities and he trusts me. You should do the same - even just for now."

My eyelids droop a little and then my eyes flicker to the bodies that are dropping - none of whom are my friends. But soon, it could very much be them. I take Felicity's hand and she pulls me along with her towards some trees that head down the mountain.

"You must stay here," she says to me, "do not move until we come back for you!" I try to keep hold of her hand but she slips from my grasp and is gone before I can even open my mouth to speak her name.

Cynric: My head is spinning but somehow I try to find the strength to keep going. Bodies are dropping like flies. It is surprising, to be honest, parliament really doesn't have a satisfactory army of irritating servants. I expected, earlier, to have been slaughtered by now. I spot Nancy who has stolen a sword from the wounded. She moves swiftly, perfect spins, perfect thrusts and strikes. Felicity is doing the same. I must admit, she could be as good of a fighter as Nancy. I spot Namara who has just seen me. She fights off Janine who is exhausted and quickly gives up on her as she watches her make her way towards me. My breathing is heavy as I raise my sword to meet her. She smiles, evilly and then we begin. It is as if we are dancing together, though, neither of us come close to the other. With her Angelican dagger she speaks a few words and I find myself falling to my knees, it is as if she has put a spell on me that takes away the ability of moving my legs. My dagger falls from my fingers. I am actually paralysed. What kind of Angelican spell is that?! I look up at her, my eyes wide as she smiles down at me. She puts her blade to my throat. I swallow nervously and silently tell myself not to move.

"When I saw you yesterday I knew there was something about you, something fantastic," she says to me, her voice seductive, "you could have been a great Justice Agent. I know for a fact that Alfred was considering it. But after this? Never. You are helping that creature. You deserve the same fate as her."

"She is human!" I hiss at Namara, her eyebrows furrow, she grimaces and she raises her hand and slaps me across the face. I recoil but feel my cheek turn a pink colour. I barely feel the pain, my head is throbbing so much that it is difficult to feel pain anywhere else, I am also concerned for Bo, "She is human and she deserves life just as you do-"

"She is a blending of the species! Her existence is illegal!"

A man calls Namara's name, I instinctively turn, so does Namara, she meets his gaze. He had been fighting Nancy but she knocked his dagger from his hand. The sword Nancy stole is pointed at his throat. Namara's expression falters. I can see that this man is more than just a comrade. He is an Angelican, probably not as old as Namara but that cannot be told through appearance anyway. I am judging his younger age through his skills in combat. Namara is most definitely skilled, however, he lacks some. I'm sure in a decade or so he could be just as good as her.

"Release my friend and I will spare his life!" Nancy yells loudly.

Namara stares at Nancy, her eyes showing a strong pain and then she turns to look at me. I watch her fingers release the dagger, as soon as the two part the invisible force holding my knees to the ground disappears from around me. I finally stand up, feeling no pain from her Angelican spell at all.
Nancy lowers her sword from Namara's partners throat. He steps back from her slowly and holds his hands up to show that he is no threat. I feel light headed as I pick up my dagger and try to get over towards Nancy before I pass out. I walk slowly and then I notice Nancy's eyes widen as she stares passed me, I feel my body get pulled back, a hand across my forehead, yanking it back, a blade meets my throat.

"Drop your sword, Time Jumper!" Namara yells as she pulls my head back, my neck completely in view as well as her blade. Nancy's face drops.

I see everything, Namara's entire past and what could possibly lie in her future. I see every person she has killed, their faces, the light leave their eyes. Every argument. Her childhood, which was basically training for her to become what she is today - a Justice Agent. Her parents were strict, harsh and determined for their daughter to do something powerful and important rather than just being a blacksmith or a farmer. Namara struggled as a child, she didn't fit in with children her own age and hated them for that. As an adult it was widely known of her potential. At twenty five she was made a Justice Agent. Three years later she met another servant of parliament. A police officer, you could say but he is further up the ladder. Namara's partner - Marcus. He was twenty years old when he met Namara. That was fifteen years ago. I now know that Namara is Forty three years old and she would have only celebrated her birthday a week ago - however, immortality makes birthdays a lot less special. I see everything else too.

"What is it you want?" Nancy replies to Namara, this is a position that Nancy has always feared - having to choose.

"The girl."

I feel my fists tighten at my sides. Nancy looks around, she is panicking and I know that she is considering giving Bo to Namara. I can't let that happen.

"Nancy, run! Take Bo and go!" I yell at her.

Namara pulls my head back further and lets her blade caress my throat. I watch how the male Angelican, Marcus, walks around Nancy as if he is going to attack her from behind but I know that she is well aware of his presence. Nancy is always aware, that is what she has been taught for years.

"Get me the girl, Time Jumper!" Namara hisses. Nancy stares at me, tears in her eyes.

"I can't do it, Cynric," she whispers only to me. "I'm sorry."

"Nancy, you have to get her out of here. Go while you still can!"

I can feel my heart pounding, the cold temperature of Namara's blade against my neck and when I blink or even if I close my eyes, I can see Bo's face and imagine her survival from all of this. I can feel the heat of Namara's body against mine, smell the sweat of her hard work of trying to slay me and my friends. I can even hear the frustration in her voice as she speaks.

"You have five seconds to give me the girl or your friend dies!"

Nancy drops her sword, "okay," she says to Namara, "I will find her but please don't hurt him."

"Nancy!" I yell, "Don't! Please! Just run!"

"Shut up!" Namara yells at me and lifts her knee and thrusts it into my back. I moan and tighten my fists again, I can feel my nails digging themselves into my flesh. I struggle not to move, if I do she will slit my throat - intentionally or not, I don't think she'd really care. I see a shadow, a shadow that I guess is just Felicity sprinting by, it jumps above us and catches mine, Namara's and her partner's attention. It then jumps down and I feel myself fall to the ground. Namara is now pushed up against the rocky wall with a strange Angelican man with long dark hair and pale skin holding a very old and ancient Angelican dagger to her throat.