The Envoy of Darkness

Chapter 4 - Liliana Part 1

In a corner of the woods, a small stream glittered with purity as its water reflected the bright red moon and the starry sky. A small doe peacefully drank the water, completely oblivious to its surroundings.

This picturesque scene was intruded upon by a boy covered in dirt and ash, panting for breath. With a girl in his embrace, he stumbled on the rocks and frightened the doe away.

Max conscientiously checked his surroundings before placing the unsuspecting girl on a soft patch of soil. The water splashed as he greedily gulped down several mouthfuls of the clear, cold liquid. The cool, wet feeling on his face brought relief to his tightened brows as he prepared himself to suffer another backlash. It was almost time.

In the year that his mother died, Max had strangely awakened the ability to control air as he saw fit. With merely his thoughts, he could conjure small storms and generate miniature tornadoes. He could even control the air pressure. As long as Max could concentrate enough and visualize the movement, the air would naturally follow his bidding.

But this inexplicable mastery didn't last too long. For reasons he couldn't fathom, his ability soon began to wane. To make matters worse, every usage was guaranteed to be accompanied by a backlash. Even trivial parlor tricks would eventually result in severe headaches, nausea and fever. Max knew that there would come a day when they would disappear altogether.

What was stranger, however, was that his godfather's presence had always served to encumber Max in his attempt to manifest his ability. He had often wondered if it was psychological and if it had anything to do with their strained relationship.

Max secretly prayed. "I really hope tonight wasn't the last time!"

Ever since his gift had begun to wane, Max had become more prudent in the way he used it. Unfortunately, it would have been nigh impossible to survive the exploding talisman without drawing on all of his power. The ordeal, however, had been incredibly physically taxing and had left him near his limits.

Seconds turned to minutes before Max finally sat up puzzled. A strange glow flickered in his eyes as he wondered why the expected pain and misery hadn't struck. What had changed?

Max glanced at the insignia on his hand before staring at the girl. He scowled in face of the serenity on her peacefully sleeping expression. As he gently brought her next to the stream, he muttered, "I risked my life to save yours. If you're really the reason I got into that mess... You better be worth it!"

With a ton of unanswered questions on his mind, Max flicked several handfuls of water onto her face, and finally got a reaction in the form of a listless groan. The girl lazily rubbed her eyes and awoke to the face of a stranger staring back at her. Panicking, she instinctively swung her hand with all of her might.

"Are you alri – OW!" Max yelped in pain and stumbled backwards while clutching his right cheek. He landed painfully on a bunch of rocks and winced.

"Get away from me!" The girl yelled in alarm and warily backed away. The last thing she clearly remembered was her capture. After the knights had forcefully healed her wounds, she had passed out. Having just regained consciousness, she was startled by the sudden appearance of the boy. Their ambiguous position instantly spurred her imagination as she assumed the worst - that the unknown miscreant was up to no good.

It took her a moment to finally settle down and calmly assess her situation. The cool sensation from the fresh water helped aid the process. After looking around and recognising the familiar landscape, she quickly gauged that she was still within the forest.

Confounded by the lack of her abductors, she frowned and turned her attention to the strange boy covered in ash and dirt. He seemed to be glaring back at her in anger.