(Outdated) The King of Elements (part 2)

Chapter 42

"Boy, you've really screwed yourself up this time, hadn't you?" Ichi said, his water flowing over an injured Amian. The Amian sat on the infirmary bed, grimacing as the healing water flowed through the long gashes across his chest. His flame-red jacket had been torn across the front, as well as the multiple gashes across the sleeves. He'd imagine that the Amian had stopped the bleeding on his own with fira. "It's a good thing you're a Fire elemental. With lacerations like these, you'd bled out by sunset. Love affair gone wrong?"

"No," the Amian strained to say through his teeth. "No. Something much worse. I was sent on a mission earlier today. I was the lucky one. My whole team was decimated."

"I see. What were you fighting? Sirens?"

"I wish it was. No, this was from our own kind." Ichi could feel his water waver as the Amian continued. "We were sent to Kelso because of a Siren presence. When we got there, however, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The city looked to be untouched, and the people acted as if they weren't in any danger. Then, our leader just... snapped. He killed two of us before we were able to draw our weapons. We weren't sure of what we should do. Sure, we could've tried to knock him out, but he was too fast for us. If it wasn't for Jacob holding our leader's arm after he was stabbed, I wouldn't have been able to take him out."

Ichi gulped. He wasn't sure if he was really ready to hear the answer of his question, but he asked it anyways. "Did this person have anything odd about him? Other than attacking you, of course."

"Other than attacking? Not really. Though-" That stopped his sigh of relief in his throat, "he did have some tattoos on him. Some that I've never seen before."

Damn. That was the last thing that Ichi wanted to hear. He wondered if it would no longer be safe if he hadn't told the city about Aggaron's rising. Would they still go into a frenzy if he told them?

Abruptly, a thought halted his healing. If there was one Amian who was infected by the Hell-Sealed tattoos, surely there would be more. And if his hypothesis on why there were a sudden stream of Siren attacks, it could mean that Aggaron would be planning on attacking the Serene territory. He'd have to go and alert someone about this, and fast. He would, if he wasn't preoccupied with healing. "Well, I guess I have to call him."

"Call who?" the injured Amian asked.

"Er... nothing. I've just got to make a quick phone call. Don't worry. I can still heal you with one hand," he added to the Amian's sullen look. After focusing the water from both hands to one, he slid his cell phone from his back pocket and dialed McManus's number. After two rings, he picked up-

"This had better not be a call for a mission, Ichi," McManus answered. Ichi could tell by the edge in his voice that he was probably occupying himself with Brianna. Nevertheless, he was an Elemancer, and Elemancers needed to answer the call of duty.

"Sorry," Ichi said as simple as a shrug. "I'm a bit tied up and I think that the D-Man is a bit busy with-"

"The only D-Man that I want busy is myself."

Ichi had hoped that he knew that the D-Man was Aggaron. "Have you forgotten about the Amian oath that says 'Forever attack the darkness, until light begins to bloom'?"

After a long, exasperated sigh, he finally said, "Fine then. Where do you need me?"

"Go to my office. Once you there, use my computer to set up a video chat with her. If she picks up before I do, tell her that it's of utmost importance, and to wait until I get there to fill her in on what's going on. Do not try to flirt with her, under any circumstance, got it?"