Hot flares lit up the ground in a heartbeat as it sounded like four hundred black cat firecrackers went off. The bright fountain of colors sprayed upward partially blocking their view.
Emerging from the shadows of the two boars who stayed behind was a slim boy with black hair and dark red eyes. Spinning a silver and gold trimmed dagger between his hand he delivered several definite strikes to each of the boars necks.
The boars couldn't let out a single sqeel or grunt. Not even their bodies made noise by hitting the ground as a overlapping shadow held them up and slowly laid them down.
Hiding was Damon, he was taking steady breaths as he watched the boar from a safe place. Heavy rain stormed down which became slack and turned into a light shower giving the boar clearer vision. It took a few seconds, but the boar eyes fell upon orange and black lizard skin armor that had just moved to the side of a tree.
Charging forward, the boar jumped in front and made a sharp turn immediately tilting its tusks down pinning the supposed intruder to the tree. A large vine that dangled from a few branches up was holding a armored chest plate.
Damon who used heavy rain to hinder its vision as he increased the distance between them was positioned in the foliage above. Wincing in pain he grabbed a piece of tree bark and bit down on it holding it between his teeth.
The heavy rain returned, coming down harder than before, the pressure was so intense it was practically stinging. Damon made sure he chose a spot where the tree tops weren't so dense, his rain could pour in without issue. Taking out two tusks he retrieved from the first boar he killed, he braced himself before leaping down.
The bird talons weren't tough enough to cut through its top layer of natural armor, but the tusks from its kin were. Crimson fluid ran out the back and side of the boars neck as Damon stabbed wildly trying to bring it down. The boar crashed into tree after tree until its body lost the will to fight, finally collapsing.
Damon was breathing heavy, but instead of celebrating his hard fought kill. He stormed towards his friends as it had become very quiet. Fearing the worse, he pushed the pain he was feeling to the back of his head and pushed on.
A look of confusion and concern smothered his face as he ran into a unexpected scene. Laying partialy unconscious beside two dead boars was a slim pale boy with black silky hair and red eyes. He wore the same cream colored tattered clothing as them and on the back of his right calf was the same brand they all shared.
"Wh....what happened, you guys ok?" Damon asked with a slight stutter walking up to the scene. Raya and Jasper was holding each other up cautiously looking at the boy.
"Barely, but yea, we're good." Raya answered letting go of Jasper who nearly fell.
"Who's he?"
"We don't know."
Jasper quickly told the last events that occurred.
"When the smoke cleared, we expected the other two boars to come charging in but instead they were already dead and he was just like he is now." Jasper said while leaning against a tree and sliding down to the ground slowly.
"Is it broken. " Damon asked seeing the way his arm looked.
"I, I don't think so. Its just out of place." Jasper responded wincing with the slightest movements.
"Ok well we have to get out of here before more shows up. Raya I hate to ask, especially at a time like this but how long will it take you to cut the skin off three of those boars." Damon asked.
"Not long, but i have to find my spear first."
"Don't forget the tusks and some meat." He added as she began looking for her spear.
He then aided Jasper after going over what was about to happen. Ripping a piece of his sleeve, he shoved it in his mouth while telling him to bite down hard and try not to move.
"Grrr, no problem. This what real men do." He said in a muffled voice.
Carefully grabbing his shoulder and gently stretching it out, Damon asked him a question.
"Can you repeat what you just said?"
"I said, this is what real me.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr." Jaspers words were cut short as without warning Damon pulled and pushed in, snapping his shoulder back in place.
With heavy breaths Jasper leaned against the tree and closed his eyes for a moment. Damon joined Raya with skinning the boars and within thirty minutes had four new skins and eight tusks, after skinning an extra boar.
"What are we going to do with him, he must have escaped that place just like us."
"Take him with us, for now. From the look of it he slit the boars throats. Saving you two in the process. " Damon responded while studying the scene.
Looking at the bottom of his jet black feet and the super paleness of the boy skin. Damon guessed he past out from dehydration or exhaustion, or both. He studied the scene with extreme care trying to understand a couple things that didn't make sense.
"Check him for weapons, these wounds on the boars are too clean and precise. You can tell it was done with something extremely sharp and strong considering each slash on the boars looks effortless."
Looking at the wounds, it didn't take Raya long to understand as she flipped the boy over discovering a five inch silver dagger with a gold trim around it. The handle was made of wood with a silver plating and small gold specs all over.
"Keep it, and go help Jasper, we only five hours max before sunset."
Damon looked over the boy once more thinking he couldn't be none older than himself or Raya. He looked completely harmless and fragile considering his small and slim stature.
Damon picked him up throwing him over his shoulder and instantly realized the boy was much heavier than he looked. While traveling they discussed a few things regarding themselves and the stranger that saved their lives.
No one was to mention anything about the Sapphire river or the insidious events that occurred after. Nore could they reveal any of their abilities unless it was absolutely necessary. All of them were to ask questions and pay close attention to his words and body language. The last thing was no one could be alone with the boy at any point.
"I understand being cautious, but don't you think that's a bit too much. I mean we are in a forest that is filled with beasts. Hiding our abilities will be a bit tough if we run into a pack of boars again or something worse. " Jasper said.
Raya agreed with Jasper, but Damon didn't think it was smart to show their entire hand so quickly. They settled with Jasper showing his ability while Raya and Damon planned to keep theirs hidden for the time being. At least Jasper's ability would explain how they survived for so long.
They set up camp near a small gully, it was a good place for water and also risky knowing beasts would come in that area in search for water as well. The boy remained unconscious the entire trip and they all would alternate with carrying him.
After setting the stranger aside near a tree, Jasper collected wood and Raya started a fire. With her ability, there was no need for Jasper to use his forceful striking power with rocks anymore.
Damon began working on the boar skins, drying them out by hanging them near the fire. After finishing the cloaks, he handed one to Raya who accepted it gratefully. Jasper on the other hand stared at the cloak like it was a nemesis that needed to be taken care of.
"Come on take it, you know its needed. If you would have had something like this protecting you earlier maybe your wounds wouldn't have been so bad. " Damon said holding the cloak out.
"Take it Jasper, we should have taken his advice earlier. " Raya added.
"Whatever, i guess a man should have a bit of protection." He said grabbing the cloak and putting it on.
"You lost the bet by the way." Raya said the moment he put it on.
"Yea, yea, but im still in the lead with the killing bet. I got two of those boars today, im at fourteen kills."
"Im at eleven."
"Im at Ten, only four behind." Damon said with a smile.
Someone coughing and wheezing for air was heard a few feet away as the stranger began moving. The stranger woke up to six pair of eyes looking at him making him sit up in a hurry.
"Hold it, hold it. Stay calm, we aren't going to hurt you." Jasper said with an outstretched palm seeing the confusion and fear on his face.