Visions II: To Save an Ogrin - Part Three

     Might as well head back to my room and try to get some practice in, she decided, heading towards the path that lead to the temple. A couple of the officials pushed past her, talking to each other about a thief.

     Nil walked away from them and ducked into an alleyway, hoping that they weren’t looking for her. She had snatched a few pieces of food earlier, but she doubted it was about that. Still, she thought it was safer to hide for the moment.

     “Hey, Nil,” someone greeted from her blind side. She cried out and turned around. It was Hanso, grinning stupidly at her.

     “Don’t sneak up on me,” she said harshly. Her eyes caught the bag sticking out from his belt and immediately realized who the thief the guards had been chasing was. “Is there a reason you stole whatever’s in there?”

     Hanso caught her gaze and shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

     “Two guards ran past talking about a blue Ixi stealing from people,” Nil informed him. “Now I wonder who that could be.”

     “Well, I wonder who stole some food from one of the vendors,” he countered.

     “At least I don’t have any evidence, where as you have the stolen merchandise still with you.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m going back to the temple.”

     Nil started to walk off, but Hanso stopped her.

     “What’s with that thing over your eye?” he asked. “You aren’t trying to hide something, are you?” He made a grab for it and Nil stepped to the side. He stumbled off to the side, grabbing onto the cloth and ripping it off her head. She quickly covered her eye with a hand and fled, heading towards the temple as fast as she could.

     That was close, she thought. Too close. Now that Ixi knows I’m hiding something, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds out. She quickly crossed the bridge and thought, What am I going to do now?

     ***

     It was a couple of hours after she had fled from Hanso and Nil waited inside her room, desperately hoping that the Ixi hadn’t told Brynn about what had happened.

     There’s no way out of this if he does, she thought, pulling her knees in close to her.

     Something was urging her inside her mind, and she realized it was a vision of some sort. She wanted to dismiss it, but she felt that it was urgent and important.

     Nil grabbed the vision and allowed it to spread through her mind. It did so rapidly and she was quickly taken into a stone room, much like another she had seen in a previous vision.

     Four ghost-like figures stood around the room and she recognized three of them: Brynn, Hanso, and Altador. The third was a Kyrii that she remembered as he began to speak.

     “Do you know who attacked the Ogrin?” Jazan asked.

     “No, though we’re fairly certain it was the same Kyrii who attacked King Altador,” Brynn replied.

     “There’s also a Kyrii that fits the description,” Hanso piped in. “She’s a thief and trains with the Ogrin Master, plus we haven’t seen her right eye.”

     Altador nodded. “That makes sense. She might have been trying to gain the Ogrin Master’s trust.”

     “Why not attack sooner, though?” Brynn asked. “The attack happened after Hanso, Xagam, and I arrived. Why did she wait until we got there?”

     “It would be easier for her if you were all in one place,” Altador reasoned. “It saves her the trouble of trying to find either of you.”

     “Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have come along,” Hanso said. “After all, I had to travel all this way with a cranky Kougra just to be killed with said Kougra.”

     Brynn elbowed Hanso in the stomach. “If you didn’t want to come, you could’ve just said so.”

     “And miss out on your charming personality for an entire week?” he asked, rubbing his stomach.

     “If you two are done bickering, then perhaps we can get back to the subject,” Jazan said. “If not, I have better things to do than listen to a childish Ixi complain.”

     “Thank you, Jazan,” Altador said. “Now, Brynn, try to arrest the Kyrii before she attacks anyone else."

     "She might not be the one, though," Brynn insisted. "It wouldn't make any sense for her to attack the Ogrin Master."

     "It does make sense," Hanso replied. "She's trying to kill us. Of course she would attack him."

     The Kougra didn't continue, but there was reluctance in her eyes. Jazan looked at her, seeming slightly interested. He didn't say a word, though, and Nil felt the vision slip away, barely catching Brynn saying, "Alright. I'll do it."

     I wish I knew how far ahead it was, she thought, feeling the last traces slip. It was hopeful, but still slightly negative. That would be really useful.

     Voices drifted in from outside and Nil recognized Brynn and Hanso's.

     "She didn't show me her eye," Hanso said. "Plus, she didn't even get her bandage back. I guarantee you she's hiding something."

     "I don't think it's her," Brynn replied. "Still, she does seem the most suspicious."

     "Let's try to contact Altador and Jazan."

     "Alright."

     Nil stood and went over to the door. She listened until their footsteps had retreated and quickly exited her room. She watched Brynn and Hanso walk off, headed outside the temple. She walked down the hall, slightly uncertain of what her next move would be.

     The Wocky's most important right now, she figured. He's the one behind all this, so I need to find him. His next move will be on those two, but I don't want to follow them. Brynn's going to try to arrest me, so it's probably best to stay away from her.

     She went back to the spare room and opened the door a crack, trying to see if the Wocky was inside. He wasn't inside, so she closed the door and headed towards the temple’s entrance.

     Where are you? she wondered, leaving the temple and scanning the grounds for any sign of the blue Wocky. She spotted him with Hanso and Brynn, crossing the bridge that lead over to the main mountain of the city.

     Nil started off towards them, but halted as Karan came running up to her.

     “What is it?” she asked, trying to see over him to the bridge. It wasn’t much of a success, since he was a little under a head taller.

     “I have to know something,” Karan explained. “It can’t wait. I need to know now.”

     “Karan, I have to go, now,” she insisted. “It’s about the Wocky. I need to take care of this.” She sprinted off before he could say anything else.

     He looked after her, tempted to call out and chase her. Oh, Nil, he thought. If only you knew. Maybe then you wouldn’t be so closed-off to me.

     ***

     Nil followed the three to a small house. When she saw it, it took her a moment to understand what she was seeing. To her normal eye, it was a plain, simple, Shenkuuvian home, but when she looked through her blind eye, she saw there was magic residing inside the walls.

     The entire place was filled with magic. The walls glowed and even some of the plants held the essence of magic within their petals and leaves. Her right eye tingled slightly from how much it radiated magic. The only place she had ever seen more magic was Fyora’s tower.

     They’re going to contact the other two using magic, she realized. Obviously I can’t stop them from doing that; otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the vision. I can only act after they do.

     She watched as Brynn knocked on the door and a yellow Aisha came out, garbed in unusual clothing. Nil could tell it was the owner of the house for she also seemed to have mystical powers. The two exchanged greetings for a bit before the Aisha lead Brynn and Hanso outside. The Wocky was forced to wait outside and Nil decided to approach him while he was waiting.

     After all, if he’s using me as his scapegoat, he can’t kill anyone when I’m locked up, she figured. Once she was sure the others had gone inside, she emerged from her hiding spot and went over to the Wocky.

     “I thought I felt your glaring blind eye,” he said as she approached. “You might want to go. They won’t be long in there. Shouldn’t you be covering your eye?”

     Nil glared at him. “I told you not to hurt the Ogrin Master. Now I will stop you.”

     The Wocky shrugged. “You don’t even know what I’m doing. I bet you don’t even know my name.”

     “Xagam?” she guessed, recalling her vision.

     He laughed. “That’s what I’m calling myself, but it is not my name. My real name is Jix.”

     “What’s with the fake name, then? It’s not like you’re famous or anything.”

     “I’m not telling you. Not yet. Not until I’ve gotten everyone.”

     She suddenly grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back. “How about I stop you right now? Before you get the chance to.”

     A tingling spread up her arms and she felt a sudden jolt. Nil released him and stepped back a couple of paces. Her head spun and her chest felt burning hot. She felt her knees give out and she landed on the ground, grabbing her chest.

     “I have to kill Jazan, you know,” Jix told her. “He has unimaginable power and I have to best that. Now, they’re going to come out soon and you’d better leave before then. They will probably be trying to arrest you.”

     Nil looked up at him and saw the magic he gave off. It seemed to at least equal the power Aisha if it did not surpass it. However, it wasn’t the force of good and light, but one of darkness and evil.

     He looked at her and was about to say something when he heard a sound behind him. He turned around and Nil barely saw Brynn, Hanso, and the Aisha standing in the doorway.

     Time to go, she thought, and tried to stand, but she fell against the ground, unable to get her footing. Behind her, the three were approaching her and Jix.

     There was nothing she could do. This time, there was no escape.

To be continued...