Rune Wielders

Chapter Twenty Six

"What happened back there, Esoi? You took off and left me with Alos without a word, and now you're suddenly back?" Colbie challenged Esoi.

Esoi sneered at Colbie. "Unimportant, brat. What is important that I go back to Hidon with false information on our whereabouts before he suspects anything."

Colbie crossed her arms and scowled at the floor, eyebrows furrowed in agitation. She was already on fire with conflict and Esoi's sass at her didn't make it any better.

"Enough," Eugene said, coming in between Colbie and Esoi. "You said, Jelua, right?" Standing up, he guided everyone toward the portals.

Esoi nodded, pointing to the green, mesh-like suits and helmets on the rack, right next to the green tinted portal. "Jelua. Watch out for Lila and Kale."

"Kale?" Ruby said, looking up at Esoi. "I haven't heard of him."

"Isn't that a food? Hold on, does he have the power of summoning food?" Alden joked.

Esoi ignored Alden's meager joke. "Kale is his other helper. Lila is his brains, Kale is the brawn." She tapped her fingers against the wall, looking to be in deep thought for a few moments before shaking her head.

"So you're telling me he has not one but two people helping him from Earth? Where does he find these people?" Colbie snapped, moving over to the rack. The tallest one, obviously, was hers.

Esoi shrugged. "I have no idea myself. I better be getting back to my lovely Hidon," Esoi spat, malice in her eyes as she walked out of the room. However, Colbie could tell from the way her voice faltered for a second before gaining its strength that Esoi was truly bothered by Hidon being like this.

Colbie was the only one out of them to know that Esoi had loved him. Not that she would tell any of them, but still. She almost felt she was intruding on Esoi's life in a way she didn't want to.

Eugene cleared his throat once Esoi left the five of them standing in the room. "Your mission is to get into Jelua's tribe of protectors, the Yagruns. Once you've done their tests, they'll let you see and protect the prize on Jelua with them."

Ruby nodded, lacing her fingers together. "So where are they at?"

"On the eastern side of Jelua, where the forest is the thickest. You'll know it once you get there. Don't be afraid of them, and whatever you do, do not refuse their tests."

Alden peeked his head up. "Why shouldn't we refuse them? If they're terrible or we can't do them, what are we supposed to do?"

Eugene's face darkened as if he was reliving a memory. "One of the older Rune Wielders dared not to accept the trials. I think you know what happened after."

Everyone stared at the suits in their hands before sighing as they followed Eugene out of the room, going to get changed in their rooms. Their doors shut with a click, the only noise in the ever silent hallway.

Colbie stared at her hands, unsure of what to do. She wanted to give up, sometimes, with dealing with her emotions toward everything and anything. Specifically, Reed. Reed and her--they just weren't compatible. She would be too controlling. All she wanted to do was help him and all she managed to do was control him instead. Yet it didn't seem like she had been controlling him. He had done everything on his own. He had a backbone now.

Shoving her thoughts away, she stuck a foot in the suit. She had better things to focus on then some guilt about controlling someone. A knock on the door started her, hearing Alden's voice float out from behind the wood. "Coming, Giantess? Did your leg get stuck in the suit?" he joked.