Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 5

"Well...maybe later," Kaylee said, "I have too much to not live for."

"...Thank you, Paul," Sage smiled down at him.

Nathan woke slowly his face a dark mixture of emotion as he stared up at the sky. He sighed and thought over what he still had left to accomplish. Five... maybe six more pieces.

But that wasn't even the end of it... from what he'd seen so far, they'd soon have a war on their hands. And they were ridiculously outnumbered.

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Amelia smiled contently as she looked at her baby boy. She'd just fed him so now he was asleep. When she looked up her smile diminished slightly as she saw the guards who were outside her hut. Eithne's orders she expected. He's way to protective a boyfriend sometimes. And when Nathan comes back he's going to double the guard to protect his son.

===

Eithne had been walking to clear his head when he'd seen Erika. Slowly he walked forward and coughed gently. "Are ye' okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll be right there with you," Luke replied, leading Kira forward. Once his face was out of sight he did take on a decidedly less happy look. Being in this village was like being the normal village but ten times worse. It still felt like everyone was looking at him like a freak, only in this village they knew he was a failure, too.

Kira nodded slightly, holding on tighter to Luke's arm. They stopped at the edge of the Illuminati's village, Kira shaking slightly. She could feel Lucas' Flow from here, and while she knew it wasn't Nathan's, it still scared her a bit.

"We can leave if you want," Luke told Kira worriedly. He didn't want to be there either.

"N-No, I-I sh-should see if s-someone has a w-water Fl-Flow..." Kira stuttered, shaking her head. No need to tell Luke about Lucas' Flow.

"Alright then," Luke replied reluctantly.

Erika jumped, before looking up at Eithne then back down at the water. "...I don't know if I am or not."

Eithne frowned slightly and shoved his hands in the pocket of his coat. "What's troublin' ya?"

Kira frowned at the lack of response to her and Luke's presence. "M-Maybe w-we should j-just go in...?"

"Well, there's two face's I ain't seen in awhile." Came Carly's voice as she leant against their solid metal gate.

Kira jumped upon hearing Carly, biting her lip. "H-Hello..." she greeted her meekly, vaguely remembering fighting against her during the breakout.

"Mornin'" The woman greeted as she folded her arms. "What'd you want?"

"Um...I..." Kira began, fidgeting anxiously and glancing over her shoulder at the forest. "A-Amelia s-said she w-wanted t-to thank m-me for h-helping with Lucas' d-delivery, a-and I-I thought L-Luke sh-should meet h-him, a-and I-I need h-help from s-someone w-with a water Fl-Flow," she explained, talking rather quickly.

"Hmm..." Carly murmured with a glance at Luke. "Yeah I guess I can let you in. As for a Water Flow. Nathan could do stuff with Water thanks to his Ice, but I think we have another guy."

She tapped on the gates and they sprung back to reveal Jacob standing there impassively.

"Th-Thank you..." Kira mumbled, watching Jacob nervously as the gate opened. "Um...h-hello..."

"They need a Water Flow." Jacob said to Carly. "Go find him."

With that he turned to Luke and Kira. "Follow me, I'll take you to Amelia."

Kira nodded, grasping Luke's hand tightly as she followed Jacob.

Adeline sighed and headed for the door. "Well, I'm out now. Try not to annoy the villagers."

"Wait, can I come with you?" Kaylee asked quickly.

"Um...give me a few minutes and I'll be out," Sage called down to him, hopping back into her house to finish getting changed.

When she did so, she started to walk out of her house, but stopped to look in the mirror that she had...then pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Adeline shrugged. "As long as you don't get in the way."

Luke was a bit distracted, trying not to glare at everyone he passed. Instead he just kept up a more emotionless poker face, following behind Jacob silently.

Paul waited patiently, as he usually did.
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"I won't!" Kaylee promised, "I won't be a problem to you."