REDEMPTION

40. ON TIME.

The sky was moonless. Yet, the start shone in their own way. They watched as stories around all the teachers unfolded. They witnessed the sorrow, the bitterness, the pain, the joy and the happiness of every living being. They hear wishes from these beings but remained silent. They knew they were light but still could not understand what being alive meant.

A figure emerged from the shadows. The grass was blessed with his footprints as he passed. The window colored with his tough physique while the stars could not lake out what this figures features were. It was also close to impossible to tell what was running in its mind. In its hand was a staff. It looked like it was enveloped in something.

The smell of flesh burning watered in the air. And it got more intense as the future came closer. It was heading to a clearing where a settlement could be seen. The light were out in the house but that still could not convince it that everyone was asleep. And that no one has spotted it yet. Its clothes were blown by the nighttime window, making him look like a movie star on the runway.

His walk was not hastened and it did not look like he had an intention of walking right into just any of the houses of the settlement. A dark shadow watched from one of the houses. He sensed it but ignored. Instead, he headed straight for one in particular. It was in the middle of the houses. And on closer inspection, one could notice that the other houses surrounded this particular one. Like they were protecting it.

When Shawn was about three letters from it, his senses picked up the presence of three people. In a second, they appeared. Due to the darkness of the night, he could only see a few of their features. First, it was their eyes. They were all black. His eyes had adjusted to the night and he saw more. Claws. A tail. And horns.

That was all the information he needed. At the moment he knew that they would not listen to him unless he made them submit. After all, it was the demon way. He stopped in his tracks and waited. He did not bother taking a stance. Neither did he make any move suggestions he would be using the staff he carried. When the three figures saw he had no intention of taking a stance, they thought that he was not willing to fight.

The one in the middle attacked at a superhuman speed. He ran toward him, jumped and kicked while aiming for his head. Shawn only raised his hand to defend it. The impact of his hand coming to contact with the figure's kick spread like a shockwave. The grass parted and the windows to the closest house shuttered all at once. The future let out a whimper, it was a woman. And young too.

She withdrew and went to stand next to her counterparts. Shawn did not assume that the rest were women. Only direct contact with them would tell him. The other two did not give him time to think and attacked simultaneously. One attacked from below while the other stacked from above. Shawn smiled to himself, a single thought going through his mind. Predictable.

Shawn raised his left hand higher. His legs spread out about while his right hand countered the future from below. He landed sure to avoid getting the staff involved in the attack. If he did this, he was sure things would go downhill fast. The two figures came into contact with him at the same time but none of them managed to land a blow.

The defense this guy had put up was impenetrable. But how could that be? They were the strongest in their clan so how could this boy be any stronger. The two did not give up and counterattacked. The one above used his tail and rotated below hitting again with the tail. It was blocked and the chocolate this time sent his friend flying back. The ground shook and a tree fell down in the forest.

It withdrew. From the gravity of the attack, Shawn could tell that the two were male. The three of them seemed puzzled by this phenomenon. They did agree that they were about sluggish when attacking but no one had managed to counter each attack and remain standing. Their clothes were laced with a special concoction from their clan which caused nausea and render one unconscious if not dead.

So, how did he remain standing. By this time, Shawn was convinced that he had crushed a bit of their pride so he prepared to attack.

“My turn,” were the words they last heard before their world because pitch black. And the last thing they would remember would be glowing icy blue eyes and white wings. Shawn had not ignored for him to get so worked up. His wings just appeared but he was not going to retreat them. He never knew, perhaps he would need them to escape from this place.

Without wasting more time, he proceeded to the house. Shawn did not feel very cautious at the moment and he had not had a chance to test his new abilities. A creepy slime spread on his face before he tapped the door. It shattered into pieces and that was when commotion wrote in the dead houses around him. He ignored them and went in.

The room was dark. A single candle sat on a table. The windows, which had shattered, provided some light but he was okay. The staff shifted, excited. She must be close. He trusted his instincts and followed the to a room that was ajar. He pushed it open and it revealed who he was looking for. However, there was someone else in the room and his hands were caressing her cheeks leisurely while standing behind her.

“So you really came.” His deep voice boomed in amusement. He hesitated. Under normal circumstances, Achlysa would not let any man near her especially, not close enough to touch her. She hated it. Unless, she was not conscious. Shawn looked at him and did not answer. He looked at her. His eyes showed his intentions but before he could act on them, a double edged sword was on his throat.

He raised his hands showing his surrender. For a moment, he had lost complete sight of this man. And as soon she blinked, he was right in front of him. This man was strong and only a fool would pick a fight with a fool. Shawn looked at Achlysa, she was not harmed, just exhausted. He wondered how to wake her when the staff in his hand reminded him of it presence.

Acknowledging it, he nodded and tapped it twice on the ground. He let it go as soon as he did this and it gave off a glow. The flames stretched and burnt the ropes thing Achlysa before becoming lifeless again. Achlysa immediately held onto it after snapping out of her sleepy state. The banging in her head seized and she sensed a familiar entity.

“It’s been far too long ,Young Master Shawn.”

He withdrew his sword before replying, “Its been far too long, Guardian Achlysa. Forgive le for arriving late.”

Achlysa admitted to be at fault before standing from the chair. She stretched and they both walked out of the settlement like nothing had happened. Those residents there had come to their doors to check hat was happening. They only saw two figures existing the main house chatting. One had wings, the other had a staff. They both disappeared into the forest, leaving the gawking. The man was still left in the room, not believing what he had heard.