Next was Raya, her brand was located on her shoulder around the size of golf ball.
The final cut was done by Damon as Knox positioned his leg out. After completing the O above the branded scar Damon's heart felt like it dropped to his stomach. The same gut nagging feeling came back strong as ever while paying attention to Knox's branding.
Thoughts swirled throughout his mind as Knox wiped the blood away from his mark.
"Perfect, we should get moving." He said with a smile.
Everyone began walking, but Damon walked much slower falling behind them looking at the back of Knox's head. Knox's branded bird was in way better condition than his own. He could feel the dry skin peeling from his brand and the color was still pinkish brown where his skin had yet to return. It was still healing. The same went for Raya and Jasper's.
Knox's brand on the other hand was completely healed making it look like a carved tattoo.
"I knew something wasn't right. He's working for that grease rat."
"No, he said it was another man there, the dagger, his escape, it was all a lie. He's helping them kidnap kids, him being one himself makes it easier im guessing. " Damon thought.
A sick feeling came over him as he watched Knox converse with Jasper and Raya like everything was fine. More thoughts stirred in Damon's head like. If knox was truly a worker for the people who took them, why hasn't anyone come to put them in chains again, surely he has a way to contact them informing he found the previous captives.
Damon didn't know, all he knew was his intuition was telling something was off.
"Does he have some kind of speedy healing skill... its possible although rare i believe. " he thought.
The next minute he disregarded the thought, if Knox did possess such a skill the entire brand which could also be considered a wound should have healed completely. His mind gradually drifted back to the night Knox supposedly went to use the bathroom, now that his suspicion of him had returned he highly doubt his trip to release his bowels was true.
"His silent foot steps, his light and soft tone, his agile touch and quick speed and an enchanted dagger, its a chance he's lying about his ability being speed as well. He's probably fast, but how fast." He thought.
"Hey Knox, you've seen all of our abilities, why don't you demonstrate your speed ability and scout a few meters up ahead. I'll time you, let's see how fast you are. " Damon said with a smile.
"Oh yeah, let's see that speed of yours" Jasper joined in saying while giving him a pat on the shoulder.
Knox hesitated for a second before speaking.
"Sure thing, ill cover 70 meters and back in not time. " he said with a smile.
Damon watched closely making sure to pay attention to his every movement as Knox positioned his footing.
"Shadow pull." He softly spoke.
The nearby shadows on many of the trees ahead of him moved slightly creating two thin line of shadows that could hardly be seen because of the shade casted by the forest. The lines of shadows connected beneath his feet as he was signal to go by Jasper.
"All I have to do is make it look like im running and my shadow pull will do the rest." He thought.
"Go."
The shadow lines retracted like rubber bands catapulting him forward making each step very fast, but to Damon's eyes he saw something yet again.
"Fast, yes. However its like he's being pulled rather than him actually running. His feet aren't really touching the ground so with some of his steps, especially the first few, they were way off, like he was sliding rather than running." Damon thought to himself.
"Woah, he is kinda fast, but i assumed he would be faster than that." Jasper said rubbing the back of his head in disappointment.
"He's still faster than all of us " Raya added.
"True, but he's not running, he's sliding and trying to make it look like he's running. I don't know how he's doing it, but his ability isn't speed. Knox is a liar and he's working with the people who took us."
Raya and Jasper turned facing Damon with confused frowns. Damon quickly explained his reasoning which made they're eyes gradually open in realization.
"I was looking at his branded scar as well, its perfectly healed, but....." Jasper stopped as he just shook his head.
"It didn't cross my mind that considering his healed scar must have mean he had been taken. If his story was true, his scar would be fresher than ours." Jasper added in disappointment.
"I must admit, i was so sure he wasn't an enemy, I didn't think twice about his brand. Im such a fool." Raya said exhaling in disgust.
"To think you could come up with all that because of his brand." Jasper said to himself, but loud enough for them to hear him.
"Its because Damon is observant, cautious and pretty smart " A soft voice spoke from there left side beyond a couple trees.
Stepping from behind one of them was Knox, but he looked totally different. He no longer wore the thin torn clothes of a captive or the boar cloak made by Damon.
His attire was now a shaded black Armoured shirt and pants with low top Grey and black shaded boots. A black cloak with a gold emblem of a large bird spreading its skeleton wings with its mouth open was stamped on the front as the cloak hugged his shoulders.
They all starred at him like a pack of wild dogs that were analyzing its prey. Jasper who stood in front frowned before stepping forward.
"I'll kill you." He spoke with a loud and angry tone.
"Wait, hear me out. It doesn't have to go this way."
"Oh believe me, this is the only way its going to go." Damon said stepping forward with dangerous intent swirlingin his eyes, clouds emerged covering the sky and heavy rain began to pour.
Raya tightened her grip on her spear spinning it before entering a stance like a lioness carefully watching its prey.
"Raya, I've learned something useful so don't worry about my rain affecting your flames." Damon said outloud.
Her and Jasper instantly felt what he was referring to as they could see and feel they weren't being affected by his rain at all. Everything else around them including Knox was a different story.
"Its not what it seems, this is for the future, for our future.....the entire planet." Knox said outloud as shadows all around began to flicker and wave.
"Our future..... Damon paused and gathered. "Our future doesn't have you in it." Damon said calmly before darting forward. Jasper's entire body lit up with red waving energy as he pushed in with a spiraling fist. Blue and red flames crawled to the tip of Raya's spear just before she ran and jumped in the air with twisting spin.
"So be it, but you all will thank me later."
The next moment a wave of shadows formed blocking their view. Jasper punched through it making the wall of shadows separate like fog being pushed away by high pressured wind, but Knox wasn't there anymore.
Emerging from undisturbed shadows from the right side, Jasper was hit twice in his ribs with two quick blows making him slide. Raya swung her spear casting blooming bright high heating flares that poured and pop like fireworks. It completely destroyed the shadow wall revealing knox for only a second before his body fell through the shadows on the ground.
Jumping from Raya's own shadow, a fist connected with her ribs as well, but with cat like reflexes she swung the spear backwards. Knox held up his arm blocking the strike before jumping to Damon's shadow, kicking him in the back sending him flying towards a tree.
Jasper was already on his right side nearly connecting a punch, but once again Knox disappeared in the shadows and reappeared with a uppercut that made him stagger back.
"What the, this bastard is annoying. Its like playing wack a mole." Jasper shouted to Raya and Damon.
"You all will lose, just listen and come with me, im telling you the truth. If I wanted to hurt you, then I could have easily done it, way before this." Knox spoke emerging from the shadows of a tree. As he rose from the shadows his glowing red eyes made him look unsettling, like an evil kid from a horror movie.
"Hurt me, yea right. A spineless bitch like you could never." Jasper spat in anger.
Knox glanced around seeing Damon was nowhere to be seen when a large fist came from his left side. Leaning back, he dodged it by a hair and countered with a strike to Damon's stomach. However, Damon's intrusion gave Jasper and Raya time to strike.
High burning heat moved across Knox's side as Jasper pulled back and slung his fist forward. Rippling red waves blew apart as Jasper fist cracked into his face. Knox's body plummeted and rolled on the ground.
Without hesitation, Raya jumped above him spinning with fiery flames at the tip of her spear. descending with swift intent, the spear dug in the ground releasing whistling pops as her beautiful flames surfed the ground.
Knox had managed to seep in the shadows once again, but this time much slower. The flares Raya created slowed his movements as the light in her attack took away a range of shadows. Noticing it, Damon smiled.
"I wonder how tough you are without shadows or darkness. Raya, cast as much light as you can. He cant move as fast without the use of the shadows around him."