Conviction's King | Damian Book 1

Chapter 40

I wake slowly, an intense warmth over my back, shouts surrounding me.

"Damain!"

A flash of cyan.

I open my eyes, groggy and feeling like there's a canyon's split down the center of my brain. I can feel the roughness of ropes around my wrists and ankles, the heat more intense on my back now. Finally able to open my heavy eyelids, I look up to see myself strapped to a thick tree branch, held up over a fire by more rocks and sticks. Letting out a small yelp, I wrap my hands around the tree and my power explodes from my palms.

"Damian!"

There's a bright glow next to me as I fall into the fire, the rope at my ankles beginning to burn immediately as the flames lick at my skin, earning from me a shout, hollers from the villagers around me, both joyful and angry.

I roll out of the pit and onto the ground, rolling once more to get the fire out, then reach down and grip the rope binding my ankles, splitting it with a strand of my power, inspiration from my former role model, and it splits instantly.

I take the initiative to look around.

Five guys are headed toward me, spears and knives in hands, gibbering away and shouting at me as I stand. One sweep with my eyes over the village shows Cressa-la pinned to the ground face down, several villagers holding her down by her wrists and ankles, a few even pressing on her back. Orbs of light explode from her hands, but she isn't strong enough to push everyone off, and it's freaking her out. Her glow brightens as she shouts at the men, fear in her eyes as her brain begins to feel cornered.

They stand over her with disgusting grins.

Anger flares inside me like a wildfire.

The five men reach me, my fist meeting the jaw of the first and my elbow knocking another to the ground. A green light explodes from my body forward, throwing the other three back at an incredible force, and I run through the opening, my hand letting another sphere of green light singe three shoulders, allowing Cressa-la some room to move. She breaks free with one hand and cyan bursts forth, knocking one of the men holding her down onto his butt.

I begin thowing my fists left and right, wisps of my powers floating off my knuckles as the impact hits harder than it should for any normal person. Third-deggree burns spot their bodies as they attempt to fight back, but they're too weak. They're only human. Those who were One-Hundreds had been stripped of their powers by Morgiana before being sent to the island.

And I'm a One. They cannot win against me.

Someone's blow lands on my chest but I push them away, strings of light coming from my fingers and wrapping around their body. I fling them into the trees, hearing the cracking of the branches as I turn back to Cressa-la. She's free of the men and has her dagger at eye-level, her eyes calculating her next move.

Seeing that she's safe for the moment, I let a force-field appear around us, and I see her relax, trauma reflecting in her irises.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, not paying attention to the outside world at teh moment. She's my number-one concern, and no one can break through this field as long as I stay focused

Cressa-la takes an unsteady breath in but nods, her face pinched like she wants to cry, but she keeps it in. "Yeah," she croaks, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Her fingers are trembling.

"Where's your mom?"

Cressa shrugs and looks around, scanning the faces for her. "She was beside me until they knocked you out."

"How long was I out?"

"Maybe ten minutes," she says. "I was trying to fight, but... I don't think I've had enough practice."

A tear slips onto her cheek and she wipes it away quickly, sniffling quietly as if she's embarrassed to not be okay. I sigh gently, striding over to her and taking one of her hands in mine, forcing her to look at me.

"Hey, you're okay now." Then, "Let's find your mom and get out of here."

She nods quickly, wiping at her eyes again as she pulls her hand away

I begin to push forward, the green wall around us not letting anyone through, even as they try to pierce it with their spears. They then gather in front of where I walk and begin to push against it in the opposite direction, actually shoving me back a few steps. I grit my teeth as Cressa-la turns to me. Then I have an idea.

"Come here," I tell her without looking, offering my hand to her. She hesitates for only a moment before she steps closer. I pull her close and pput my arms around her. My heart pounding in my chest and adrenaline rushing through my body, I take a deep breath and close my eyes, willing myself to calm down.

I breathe out.

The forcefield falls away and I hear the people filling the empty space as an image fills my mind.

Green surrounds me and I open my eyes mid-transportation. The trees seem to turn to ink, along with the people only inches from us, as they sink into the changing earth, more trees exploding from the ground like melted wax as the original ones melt away, creating the forest floor. The colors disappear and then return to me, the terrain unchanging under my feet.

Everything stops moving and I release Cressa-la, walking briskly forward as I hold onto her wrist, my eyes searching the ground.

"Are we--are we still on the island?" Cressa-la asks as the sounds of the angry and confused tribe echo through the leaves.

I nod, keeping my eyes forward. "I said we were going to find your mom, and that's what we're going to do.

She falls silent, an inner conflict making its way to her eyes, her face contorting. I can tell she doesn't want to go back around those people, but becasue of her mother...

"Okay," is all she says after a moment's hesitation, scanning the area as well. We're behind the village, on the other side of the commotion. We cross the border and make our way inside between the houses.

On baited breath, we duck behind something that looks like a statue standing tall. It's made up of bones and twine, red-stained leaves to add color, I assume. It looks like some kind of bipedal monster or nightmarish creature.

"I think she's on the ground over there," Cressa-la says, her eyes wide as she peers around the corner. "I don't think she's moving."

I nod. "Is it clear?"

Cressa-la shakes her head as she pulls herself back around, pressing against the statue. "They look like they're splitting up to cover the island to look for us."

She sneaks another look and then pulls back, her face pinching.

Shouts.

I exhale and look away.

"Did they just see you?"

She bites her lip and nods, guilty.

I can't help but laugh a bit.

"At least this time we have the upper-hand."

She gives me a sarcastic look and I grin nervously, turning around.

"I have an idea."