J-Star:
I couldn't leave my cloak on indefinitely, having to alternate between using it and hiding behind trees while it recharged.
How did they know where they were going- were these two trackers or something?
As to their conversations- every so often they spoke normal, and since I had to keep a good distance for when my cloak failed, I couldn't hear that. But when they started yelling again I sure could.
Apparently, Kyle had killed Darius. I didn't realize who that was at first, but as their "conversation" went on, I remembered I'd met the kid- he wasn't going to be missed. Not by anyone I knew anyway. A real creep... no wonder Kyle wasn't a fan of us if he made the first impression.
They also yelled back and forth about why Xao left the tricksters.
The reasoning apparently went something like this-
Kyle saw the devastation of the terrible deals made by Darius. He realized the power could corrupt Xao too and made him an ultimatum. Xao wanted to work with him and-Jessica was the girl's name!- Jessica back then. Kyle wouldn't let him stay with them unless Xao stopped making deals. So then Xao was forced to make a choice and decided that if he had so much power it would be hard not to cross the line between "light and dark" as he put it. The power to just solve problems without working seemed like too much.
I shook my head as they continued on. Power was just a concept. It didn't make someone corrupt. You either are or are not a bad person- or you become one making the wrong choices- but power has nothing to do with those choices. A weak person can make bad choices too.
It was a dumb conversation- I was following better listening to Xao dig into Kyle for not feeling anything when he killed Darius.
It was pretty easy to tell, both boys weren't having a good time. At each other's throats, and every so often they mentioned Jessica and how worried they were. Every so often, I could see one or both near tears. I wanted to help, my heart really did go out to them- but I knew I wasn't welcome. I would change that of course- maybe after I beat them down, I could talk to them both later.
Eventually, Xao started crying as the journey kept going, me biting my lip seeing it. Apparently, Darius was his friend once... THAT had to hurt. Considering what the kid became even before he died, it probably hurt in more ways than one. Maybe more than I could know.
Xao couldn't turn to Kyle...
As they journeyed on, Kyle saw a dear walk by with its fawn. "Hey Jess look at..." and he stopped. He snapped his head forward, a few tears falling down as he gritted his teeth. Cloaked, I dared go closer just to hear him... something was drawing me to them- I wanted to help so much.
"One foot in front of the other- one foot in front of the other," Kyle chanted a few times. "You can't get her back if you stop."
I moved back again and sighed, hiding behind another tree. If I could make that deal- I could take such a burden off their shoulders- then maybe they could talk once the air was cleared. They both just needed an ear and a shoulder probably... and Xao needed time to mourn.
Finally, we reached a clearing, the boys spying a rock cleft.
The night air was becoming cool and all three of us were tired.
"Looks like the leprechauns stopped for the night..." saying that Kyle looked around quickly.
How the heck could he know that? Course to ask I would have to reveal that I was still there.
Kyle started again. "Look, we'll camp here. They probably don't even know they're being followed."
"How we gonna wake up?" Xao asked. "Didn't exactly pack alarm clocks."
Kyle held up his left hand, tapping a small watch. "Not a problem there. Normal human tech to the rescue."
He started fiddling with it, my own eye almost drawn, but I had to stay behind a nearby tree. "That thing has an alarm?" Xao asked.
"You know it. Took em' a while but they finally got 'em' on these things. Still got to hold a button to see the time... this is more difficult than it should be... got to keep hitting the button for the light as I work- and I only have three buttons anyway- at least it works."
"That thing expensive?"
Kyle shrugged. "About twenty bucks I think. Allen gave it to me. Birthday present."
"He really is a great guy," Xao noted.
"Yeah... we kinda scared his kid- my brother- didn't we?"
"Upset more like it- and more Judith than him I think."
"Still gonna have to apologize after we're done here."
"No kidding," Xao said with a chuckle.
Kyle laid back on the ground, hands behind his head. "Gotta love sleeping on rocks," Kyle changed the subject.
"You don't suppose that girl had nap sacks do you?"
"The cars did..." Kyle responded. "Hm... maybe I could make a deal for a sleeping bag." He chuckled at that.
"Maybe in the future, we should carry more supplies on our persons."
"In the future, we can plan that out but this isn't what any of us had in mind. Not like we've never roughed it before- just never so suddenly."
"I know." Xao looked out into the trees. "Think I'll try to find some nice grass."
"Go for it, this is elevated ground, you'll be back if it starts raining. Course I won't be able to do anything for you then, you'll be soaked and these are the only clothes we have."
Xao sighed in apparent disappointment. "We should still build a fire for warmth.... think that'll tip off the leprechauns?"
"We have a tracker on them- but if they didn't find it I doubt they know we're on their trail. Pharaohs aren't the only ones who can build campfires, doubt they'll suspect."
So that's how they knew where the aliens were!
Xao gathered firewood, apparently, he knew better what to look for for some reason. I waited, watching them set up. Kyle walked around the area a few times, visiting some rocks to- oh had to give him privacy for that...
I was starting to feel like I actually knew these two.
They set up their fire. Peering over at it while sitting against a far tree with plenty of tall grass to conceal me. I grew more and more sleepy, watching the flames and the boys as they got more and more drowsy. The fire died down. Kyle laid down, looking like he fell asleep in seconds. Xao sat and looked to be keeping watch, till his head fell down and-
(***)
I woke back up. There was a noise in the woods. Guess I would call that an um-power nap... yeah. Really without the noise I never would have woken up- probably something I needed to practice if I ever wanted to ambush someone again.
The fire had died down so maybe the cold of the night woke me up- or acted in addition. Really cold actually. Gotta love desert weather- even if we were a small ways into the woods.
I heard a growling noise that must have been several feet away. I looked back over at the boys-they were out like lights. Helpless really... I supposed it was up to me to protect them.
I looked off into the trees towards the growl.
I stood up, quietly drew my sword, and shifted myself behind my tree. I activated my wrist device, my body becoming invisible to even my own eyes. I had practiced navigating with this cloak but had to admit, it was still a smidge disorienting. Not as bad as it would likely be for a novice, but I liked being able to see myself.
I marched into the woods. Next to my invisible form on my left appeared a projection of myself, walking just two feet away. If you didn't pay attention, you wouldn't notice her not interacting with the grass as she walked. Ahead of me, I saw nothing but trees.
One tree- didn't look right. It was short and didn't look like it had any branches. It stood in a small clearing with a diameter of about ten or so feet. I walked closer, the tree- it looked like it turned to look at me. As I got closer, I saw it had the silhouette of a man, but it was completely black with no clothes and its face... it didn't really have one. No mouth, no eyes, nothing, just a black thing staring at me... somehow. Its head cocked sideways slowly. My projection stopped walking forward, myself moving off to the right, watching the creature's face. It didn't seem to follow the real me.
The creature let out a subtle growl looking at my clone. The middle of its face split, as though it had a mouth- it did have a mouth apparently. The mouth opened and-opened some more. The creature's entire face seemed to split all the way to the back of its neck, revealing large jagged teeth. It rocked back on its heels, its arms silently spreading out. The arms spread- and spread elongating and growing in size. Even as my heart started beating faster and faster, I approached the creature.
The creature's right arm sailed forward and wrapped its hand around my projection, passing straight through it. The creature moved slowly retracting its appendage and backing up.
I tapped its back leg as I got close, disengaging my cloak, not able to resist. "Hey there," I said.
I swung my sword with all my might- the blade bouncing off the creature like it was made of the same wood it had appeared to be in the dark. I gave a nervous whimper.
The creature moved with absolute silence but turned unbelievably fast. Before I could blink its right arm had passed completely over me and its left hand was inches from grabbing me, even with their current massive size. I hit the ground and rolled just in time, a projection rising from my form as I cloaked again and rolled to the side back into the trees.
The creature's right hand reached for my projection- but once again, it was just particles of light so the hand passed through. Also, once again, nothing the creature did seemed to make a sound.
The creature's eery smile seemed to turn to a scowl- minus any eyes or nose, of course, just an unhappy large set of teeth. The hand felt around the projection as I quickly approached it. I pulled back sending a pulse to my arms and swung my blade-this time I cleaved hand from arm.
The creature stepped back giving a loud hiss as it pulled back its stump, which leaked a black fluid that did not at all look like blood- more like oil.
Behind the creature, I had a projection appear. "Hey there," it said. The creature turned and bent down with blinding speed, snapping its teeth down on- thin air but at least it looked impressive I had to say.
The creature swung its body left and right, its massive arms whooshing overhead, but with that same eery silence. I ran forward creating several projections in the four corners of the clearing we were fighting in. They started walking forward, the creature's arms rapidly grabbing at them, still silently. But it still just passed through as there was nothing really in any of them.
I came within a foot of the creature, still cloaked. I moved my sword down and sent another pulse to both of my arms and swung cutting straight up the monster's torso so fast even if I were visible it would have been impossible to track my swing.
The creature fell back, dropping to the ground, making a natural noise for the first time since I had seen it. Whatever it was, it was clearly dead.
I shook black goo off my blade and turned back to the boys. Had they heard? What was there to hear? Still, I kept my cloak on as I jogged back. It was as good a time as any to put my plan to get my deal into action.
In my head the plan was so easy, just hold one hostage and the other would yield. Sure they were having differences but they obviously cared very much for each other, I doubted very much they would risk the life of the other. They still had the envelope so they would just make the deal right then. Kyle was laid out so he would be the hostage and... he didn't need that, poor kid. Maybe Xao... what was I doing?
My emotions were carrying me away somehow. This wasn't about the boys, it was about getting my deal so I could save the girl and- well help all of them.
Kinda doubtful either of them would cry on my shoulder if I held one of them hostage of course. How much did that mean to me? I guessed it wouldn't be on the table after all.
I got up sending out a few projections as I moved. One appeared to walk away from me as I moved forward, it going straight to Xao. I cloaked myself moving towards Kyle, sending a second projection to appear to stay behind.
"Wake up boys!" I shouted as I stood over Kyle making another copy with its sword drawn and pointed at Kyle's throat. The projection at Xao put its sword in Xao's face, backing up far enough to keep it from "touching" him and instantly giving away the illusion.
Both boys opened their eyes and reached for their blades, but both saw swords at their throats.
They looked up to see both of them had a sword not far from their faces.
"So now I dictate the terms of the conversation," I said.
"You really doing this?" Kyle asked. He raised his hands and the projection over him pushed its blade in closer- not close enough to kill the illusion of course.
"You don't know which one is real," all three projections said.
"True," Kyle said. "Course..."
"I watched you approach," Xao said.
"You still don't know," the three said.
Xao nodded.
Kyle sighed and put his hands together on his stomach, sighing in submission. "Alright let's talk."
"You know why I-" I felt a sudden tug on my sword, belt, and wrist device simultaneously. Myself and both boys were suddenly jerked to my right, myself flying sideways.
I fell on the ground as both boys slammed into the earth as well.
I pushed up, noting my cloak was still engaged. I looked up to see- yeah... a cloak doesn't matter if you just grunted in pain and your equipment made noise when you slammed into the ground. Xao had pointed a wrist device at me and a pulse of energy apparently flew at me as I was in mid-blink.
I was tossed back again. I hit the ground again, this time near a rock that-