former position in front of Emil.
“Raise your weapon. Now isn’t the time to doubt yourself.”
“Right.”
“Skye informed me that an Abnormal is in our presence and that he is the cause for this uprising. From what Skye explained to me, she noticed a shift among the towns’ people and the guards in the square. At first, she attributed the steady climb of tension brought upon them through current events, but at one point, there was a massive spike. As I’m sure you have felt by now, the air is awry. The atmosphere is thick with emotions, but not necessarily our own. Skye believes that an Abnormal is manipulating the people by twisting their emotions.”
Emil silently backtracked over his actions leading up to the moments before Omari’s intervention. “Where is he now?”
“To my knowledge he is no longer here. By the time I reached Skye, he was no longer in her range. The last thing she told me was that she felt Marona’s signature near his before he eluded her.”
“And Marona, where is she now?” Emil asked.
“She’s still in the square. Before I dropped off Eric at the determined point, I spotted her in the crowd. By happenstance, the area she is in is not as afflicted as the others.”
“Good,” Emil said in relief. His shoulders dropped and he appeared visibly calmer. “So what now?” Omari paused as he reflected momentarily while still keeping split focus on the developing battlefield.
“Stay focused on the task at hand. We aren’t quite sure where the allegiance of that man lies. He could have been a trying to do justice with his own hands or simply another one of your brother’s men. If we distinguish them by only an insignia, then we are naïve. Lines have already been drawn. Only by actions can we determine who we trust.”
“I can find him. Maybe he’s just afraid. Maybe we can use him to help us. If I find him, I can talk to him an—”
“No,” Omari interjected. “The degree of his power is unknown. It would be dangerous. If he has the power to influence the emotions of a whole town, imagine the effect he could have on a single individual. He could essentially destroy your mind.”
“If Arius finds him before we do —” Emil started.
“If he hasn’t already,” Omari added. “If we were to confront him, friend or foe, Skye would be a necessity, but that is the least of concern in the present moment.”
Emil’s train of thought shifted off its course and ultimately subsided. He realized his thought pattern was foolish. To be considering such a thing in the midst of a potential uprising exposed his shadow—his naivety. For that he resented himself and admired Omari.
“The people need us,” Omari insisted. “Now more than ever. I’ll cover the northern half, and you take the southern. Guard your heart, guard your mind, for everything you do flows from it. The Abnormal who was previously here may return in the future when Skye is not with us.”
“Right.” Emil nodded through the mask as he showed the upmost reverence to Omari’s character. In the face of adversity he flourished, even though everything he loved was at stake.
“Oh, and Emil, don’t worry. I’ll make sure Marona is safe. Just focus on neutralizing the guard.” Omari’s body vanished, and soon after Emil dashed in the opposite direction, recharged and refocused on what he set out to do.
Chapter 3: The Man Who Walked With Vipers
He moves too slowly, that will be his downfall. In time, our day will come, that is certain. The less aware hold no regard for their impending judgment, and our ascent back to our rightful positions. Forcing the people to be consumed by their own destruction is far more pleasing than serving as only a bystander. They rally at our deaths as if it is a joyous cause. Their vice against us will be their demise.
From his back , a set of four snake-like specters, visible only to him, slowly receded back into his body as he overlooked the city square. A smile