Prophecy of the Nexus

Chapter 4

"Here I am," I replied, spreading my arms wide. I tried to give her a convincing smile, but Alice always had an uncanny ability to see through me.

She looked around before scrunching up her face, meaning she was thinking very hard. "I was scared you'd found a new best friend or something and was hanging out with them instead. But, there's no one here."

"Yeah, cause that wouldn't happen in a million years," I said, rolling my eyes. I could never replace Alice. It was more likely she would forget me. She had the personality to fit in with anyone.

Alice came up to me and started sniffing. "I can't smell cigarettes, and you wouldn't be the type to start. So what are you doing here?" I hesitated. My insides were cringing with awkwardness. I hated hiding things from Alice, but if she knew what I was up to, I didn't know what she'd say.

A deep growl interrupted our moment. We turned to see a grubby dog with one eye staring us down. It was baring its teeth, and thick saliva was running down its mouth. It had matted fur and looked thin. "Is that yours?" Alice asked. I shook my head. Animals weren't really my area of expertise, but I recognised a creature that was about to attack. The creature's eyes were locked onto us. "We need to confuse it," Alice muttered out the side of my mouth. "I'll move over here. It'll have to make a choice giving us a bit more time."

Alice, her eyes now fixed on the dog, slowly slid over to the other side of the alley. This had its intended effect. The dog took a step back, its head darting between us, not sure which meal it wanted first. Alice took another step, and her foot knocked a tin can that was just laying on the floor. At once, the dog turned on her and barked. It bounded towards her, its mouth ready to bite. Alice put up her hands in defence and screamed. "No!" I yelled. Instinctively, I put my hand out like I had been practising. The energy shot through my arm like static. In front of Alice, small particles like dust erupted into light. Like a thousand fireflies, they hung in the air for a split second. White streaks of light shot out from each one, linking it to its close neighbours. The space between filled with a glittering fog that weaved in-between the specs of light before becoming still and flat. The dog charged straight into the wall. Its head connected with the shield with a sicking crack. The dog howled as it rebounded off the wall. Terrified, it scampered out of the alleyway, whining all the way.

The adrenaline was pumping through me. Not only cause Alice had almost become supper, but because I had finally done it. Triumph rang throughout my body. However, I could feel my strength being drained attempting to keep the shield up. My hand was still flat, like the power was forcing its way out. With the last of my dying strength, I closed my hand. The wall vanished at once, and the particles of light faded away. The energy pulsing through my arm subsided. I collapsed to the floor, exhaust by the ten seconds of powering my shield. My arm hung limply to my side. I took deep breaths, trying not to fall unconscious.

Alice was still staring at where the shield had been. "What in the angels was that?" She said. However, once Alice saw me, she rushed over. "Oh my Divine, are you ok?" I waved a hand to signal I was alright. My breathing was more important than speaking. Pathetically, I patted the ground next to me. Alice scraped some dead moss away before joining me on the floor. It wasn't safe for us here, but I just didn't have the energy to stand. It was weird. With the blessing, I felt so powerful, yet it drew all my strength away. It dawned on me why it took years of training just to be an Arknight or Priest. After a couple of minutes, my breathing calmed down, and I had enough energy to talk again. "Got your answer now," I said, giving her a friendly elbow.