"Wait, wait, im not a leader either. We decide things as a group " he hurriedly spoke.
"Excuse me, I know im new, but can someone explain this bet you all are talking about. Knox asked looking lost.
After giving Knox the rundown the conversation continued.
Damon didn't want to be the leader, he never considered himself as a leader. To him they were just friends trying to get out of a bad situation. In truth he didn't believe he could do it and after what Raya said, he didn't want to make all the choices for everyone when it came to certain things.
"You've been the leader from the beginning Damon, and you've gotten us this far without realizing it. We've been following you, your decision making is well thought out most times and will only get better in time." Raya spoke attempting to get him to understand she wanted to follow him.
Damon shook his head in disagreement and began explaining his reasoning for not wanting to be a leader. The weight of making a choice that could hurt the group seriously was too heavy on his mind.
"Not to pry, but why dont you all become a leader for a day, Damon can lead, then Raya and then you Jasper. That way we all can decide on who does a better job at leading." Knox suggested.
They looked at eachother for a moment and back at Knox agreeing with a nod.
"Not a bad idea, you should join in also. Unless you dont want to be apart of the team, hey we should pick a name as well." Jasper said in excitement.
They all agreed, but Damon thought about it more while side eyeing Knox. The same feeling was scratching at him, his gut just didn't feel right, but he decided to put it aside as it was turning his mood. Ever since Knox showed up, his entire mood was off and more on guard.
"I'll play along, if he has other intentions it'll show soon enough. " he thought.
Jasper began throwing out names for the group making all them look at him with confused and twisted faces.
"Oh come on, warriors of mankind sounds good right Knox?"
Knox brushed back his obsidian dark hair with balled lips before responding.
"Its not terrible, maybe a bit too long. I think it should be one or two words that describes all of us." He said softly in a steady tone.
"You can't even give your attacks good names, there is no way in hell you're naming our group."
"Like you can do anybetter glitter bug." Jasper snapped back.
Raya eyes squinted with malice before Damon swiftly cut between them. He saw where it was going as it had already happened a few times.
" let's just wait on the name, we should be getting some rest, but before that let's draw sticks on who will be leading us tomorrow."
He broke up several pieces of sticks and mixed them around before making a fist covering the bottom half of the sticks.
"The one with the longest piece will lead tomorrow, the 2nd longest the next day and so on."
Jasper was the first to pull then Raya, followed by Knox who observed the sticks for a moment and Damon last.
The picks were done making Raya the leader tomorrow, Damon, Knox and Jasper last.
Flopping down on the ground, Jasper mumbled to himself clearly annoyed before tossing a small log in the fire.
"Hmph, real men don't sulk and pout like a toddler." Raya whispered in Damon's ear.
"Real men what?" Jasper quickly said looking up with squinted eyes.
Raya repeated herself and just like always, they began going back and forth. Damon positioned himself near a tree rubbing his temple as if he was trying to massage and drown out their bickering when Knox sat beside him.
"Those two a couple or something?" They agrue like one."
Damon smiled while laughing softly.
"Yea, they do give that impression a little, some say thats a different type of love." Damon responded letting the back of his head rest on the trunk of the tree.
"Bully love, like a girl who secretly likes you but always starts crap to piss you off to get your attention." Knox added shaking his head with a smile.
"Bully love, thats a good one." Damon said laughing silently.
They watched Raya and Jasper forva while. Thinking about Bully love and looking at the way they were going at eachother made it even funnier. It was like watching a comedy sitcom as they constantly joked and bashed eachother.
"I think I'll get some rest, im still very tired and still not feeling my absolute best. Thanks man, I really mean that. Thanks for the help." Knox said moving away and finding a comfortable spot near the fire.
"Maybe i really am looking into it too much, maybe its just in my head. I should really stop overthinking or I may drive myself nuts." Damon thought while watching Knox curl into a ball attempting to sleep.
"Hey Knox, here. I made an extra one for you earlier. "
Damon tossed him a cloak made from one of the boars. Knox thanked him with a smile before wrapping in the cloak and turning over. Raya and Jasper had finally stopped going at it and were now sitting quietly.
Damon felt mentally exhausted, and his ribs were still hurting. They were very sore to the touch and bruised, but Damon walked and moved around like it was nothing. He needed to feel strong knowing his ability wasn't the best. So he did whatever he could not to show he was in pain.
"I will train my body until it breaks, I can obtain enchanted armor and weapons to enhance my power. I will not be a burden to anyone, I must change my circumstances. " he thought closing his eyes.
"I guess he does have a sense of humor, its still obvious he doesn't trust me though. Jasper has already let his guard completely down, Raya not yet, but i feel it won't be long. Once I gain all of their trust, the mission is guaranteed to be a success. I could just knock them out and tie them up, it'll be easy. However carrying them won't be." Knox thought to himself.
"Maybe i could get Jasper on my side if i told him the truth, no that won't work. I'll just stick to the plan, its funny they're leader experiment plan will give me the opportunity to get them exactly where I need them." Knox thought with a smile.
"I truly hate missions like these, its so much easier to just kill people, but its also part of my infiltration training so whatever. " he thought.
Hours later, a shadow stretched across the ground flickering from the light of the flames. Knox was currently wrapped up from head to toe. The shadow formed into a human figure observing Damon as he slept. Jasper who was supposed to be on guard had fallen asleep without waking anyone up to take his place.
The shadow observed them all before darting away in the forest disappearing.
"I can push my shadow one hundred meters, i must find a way to make Raya lead us north east, but how." Knox thought, his red eyes glowing like embers under his cloak.
Knox true ability was called shadow port and his true profession was assassination. He could move his consciousness into his own shadow after separating it from his body. With his ability, his body could remain in one area while his shadow moved about freely. Anything his shadow could see would be interpreted back to him, he could control it like a camera mounted on a battery operated toy car.
His shadow scouted the area swimming within the darkness until it ran across something it could use. Knox's body disappeared sinking into the ground. Appearing where his shadow once stood in the forest.
Knox could port anywhere as long as his shadow was present in that location.
"I better make this quick." He thought watching multiple long figures move about in the darkness. Sending his shadow back to camp, Knox eyes glowed with intensity.
"I believe you'll do just nicely. " he softly spoke.
"Jasper what the hell, you're supposed to be on guard, where's Knox." Spoke Damon with a frown in his voice carrying suspicion and concern.
"I knew he was up to something." He thought heading towards Raya to wake her as well.
Groggy and still half sleep, Jasper jumped up with low eyes.
"What, what are you talking about ?, im up im up, he responded lazily and clearly unfocused.
After waking up Raya, a few seconds later Jasper shook off his drowsiness unintentionally by accidently stepping on a hot piece of wood that had rolled away from the fire pile.
"Damn it, oh man." He shouted hopping around on one foot like a wailing chicken capturing their attention.
"Oh now you're awake im sure, where's Knox ?, it was your watch." Damon said once more.
"Im right here, is everything ok ?" A soft voice spoke from behind them.
"Where the hell did you go?" Damon asked stepping towards him with a frown and his hands made into fists. His voice produced clear anger making Knox step back a bit with a worried and confused frown.
"I, I just took care of some personal business. I had to go, Im sorry I didn't wake anyone up to take my watch before I went to use the bathroom." He said. His voice was even softer, like a child who was getting a scolding from their parents.
"Your watch, it was Jasper's watch." Raya said cutting in.
Knox looked at Jasper who wasn't even paying them any attention. He was too busy digging his foot in the ground as the dirt was cool and easing his burned foot.
"Ahhhh, yea thats much better. " Jasper murmured.
"Well Jasper was sleeping when I woke up to use the bathroom. So I decided since I was up, i would take the next watch. I had just left to find a good tree to squat next to when I heard Jasper shout in pain."
They all folded up their lips to they're noses, faintly picturing Knox taking a dump.
"Sorry, too much information im sure, but i had to go." He said rubbing his stomach with an embarrassed face.
Damon sighed while rubbing his face feeling like an idiot. He apologized again and again knowing he had done the same many times before Knox's arrival. Anytime he had to handle business he didn't wake up Raya or Jasper before finding a good spot to release his bowels.
"Hey man I understand, I never tell when im handling business either. " Jasper said as he twisted his toes in the cool ground.
"Hmph, there is no way in hell i would. Its embarrassing and im a girl, privacy is a must have. " Raya added looking away as she spoke. It was clear she wasn't trying to make eye contact, the air around them felt weird the moment she shared her thoughts.