Chapter 5: Enemies

Jun coughed up a spat of water, his left hand moving to flick off the moisture. His right hand rested on his patient, channeling the prayer as he listened to the moans and hacking sounds of people coughing up water. The devastation of the impromptu swim in the stormy sea still lingered. A strong gust of wind sent Jun’s mind reeling, eyes cast towards the waves, rain petering out. That explosion and ensuing swim was not something he ever wanted to experience again. His frame trembled as he recalled nearly sinking before Mei had found him. He closed his eyes and shook himself, attempting to end this with one motion.

The distraction made his prayer pattern break and his patient groaned. Jun gritted his teeth as he refocused. After completing the task, he rose smoothly and headed to the next.

A gasp interrupted his search, and as he flicked his eyes to the source, wide eyes stared at him before turning, the owner whispering furiously. Jun paused, a frown forming. It had to be his hair, still white from the continual prayers. He reached up to the blue bangs and pulled on them. Was it really that weird?

As the winds buffeted them, Mei came to his side, handing him his shoulder cloak. He muttered his thanks, before draping the dry fabric over his silvery burns. His actions halted as a shout pierced the air.

“If you hadn’t tried to save that healer, you wouldn’t have been injured!”

Was that Elain’s voice? What was she going on about now? His frown grew before he moved his gaze to finding his next patient. Her problems were not his to fix.

As he began to minister to a new patient, footfalls rapidly approached, drawing his attention. He kept his head down, depending on Mei to interfere if needed. When the feet appeared in his peripheral’s, stopping, Jun’s brows furrowed. He cast his gaze up, his blue eyes meeting the ruby eyes of the man.

“What’s wrong?” Jun asked, instinctually. His mind gathered in information. No uniform, was he a newcomer? Blonde hair that almost seemed white. A lump formed in his stomach. He seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

The lapse in conversation only added to the discomfort. As Jun cast his gaze away, the man spoke.

“Are you alright?”

Jun stiffened before raising a brow and looking up at him.

“Yes?” Who would ask that to a healer? Then he noted the slight squeeze of the man’s eyes. “But what about you? Are you hu-“ A sheet of ice sprang up between them. Jun jerked back, eyes hunting for the source as his hand flew to the hilt of his sword. A silvery chair appeared at the edge of the ice. Elain? What was she doing? Jun clenched his jaw as he took position, noting her icy ruby eyes blazing with cold intent.

“Elain! Cut it out.” The newcomer shouted. Jun’s lips twisted as he looked back at him over the short wall. This man knew her? Elain’s lips snarled as the ice retracted. More footsteps resounded as people reacted to the exchange. Zain appeared. Jun paused, wondering how he was doing. The last thing he recalled was the sight of Zain, carrying that unconscious girl and being thrown into the sea. At least he was alive, but was he alright? Just as Jun reached towards him, he felt a chill race up his spine.

“Don’t you dare-“

“Elain! That’s enough.” Jun looked back to see the newcomer stepping in between them, his hair sticking to his neck from the water. Jun blinked as the chill disappeared. He waited, calmly breathing, hand staying on his sword, ready to defend himself. Zain looked to him and then Elain, eventually stumbling towards her, brows knit as he glanced back at Jun. Jun shook his head. If Elain was this tense, it would be best for the young man to go to her instead. Though, seeing Zain offer a small wave before calming Elain eased Jun’s stance.

“My apologies.”

Jun looked to the newcomer as he bowed his head. Before Jun could react, he was already heading to Elain, hands grabbing the back of her wheelchair in an attempt to remove her from this location. Jun patiently watched, then looked out at the injured. Where was Mei? Why hadn’t she stepped in?

His eyes caught sight of her standing next to another man. Arvad. Jun sighed. So she had been distracted by her lover. He let out a sigh before turning to heal the man he had started working on.

Only after it was done did Mei check in with him. He excused her, and kept to his task.

“How goes the healing?” another voice rang above the groans and cries. Jun’s head snapped up, eyes finding a White Flame. He recognized him, the glasses standing out as the Man took charge. As Jun returned to his healing, his mind went to the accident last year, the one that White Flame had overseen the rescue operations of. His hand trembled again and he gritted his teeth. What was it this time? As he looked up, his eyes met with the White Flame. Jun froze. Unlike before, he wasn’t limiting his prayers and his hair had changed color. Was that the reason his limbs had reacted? An instinct to the attention? Jun shook it off, rising to move away. His eyes were drawn up as a female stood out above the heads of the healers and helpers. The White Flame Amalie. Jun tucked his head and walked towards her, the one ally in this place he could trust.

As he came close, he noted her bleeding hand, her orders ringing out as she directed others to began to clean up the wreckage.

He clambered up behind her and she hardly changed her task.

“Ah. I suppose you came to take care of that,” her words were soft, eyes never leaving the shoreline. Jun partially bowed, deferring to her position. This was out in the open and she was a White Flame, one of the Ten on this island.

“As you wish, White Flame Amalie.”

She huffed before thanking him, settling on the boulder they were on. Jun approached her, kneeling beside her as he begun to circulate his prayer in his limp right arm. He pushed his cloak to the side with his left hand and grabbed the wrist, bringing the hand to her shoulder as he sent the prayer into her. Moving the prayer around, he stiffened, neck tight. There were bruises everywhere and her extra organ was overheating. His jaw lowered a bit and he bit down, refusing to show his expression. The only feasible reason she was coherent was likely her will. If she was putting this much effort into her performance, he wouldn’t give it away.

As he healed her injured arm, he offered a prayer, beginning to extract the abundant prayer that had overloaded the organ. With a bit of force, he managed to get it circulating, turning it to healing her. His limbs protested at harnessing this other prayer, but he stubbornly persisted.

“What happened out there?” he hummed through clenched teeth, the words escaping his lips.

“Hmm? Oh. I absorbed the fire from the explosion. It was a nasty one, but with everyone so close, it was the only option.” She shrugged. Jun noted her stiff movements, her body protesting her every motion, detectable from the prayer he controlled. He let out a gusty sigh, eyes closing as he focused on his ministrations. He organized the cells, warming the weakened ones and allowing them to multiply.

Just as her eyes began to open, she pulled away. Jun lurched, loosing his footing and forcing him to plop onto the rock. As he glared at Amalie, a retort forming, he saw her stern gaze as she looked inward at the island’s inhabitants. Her hand clenched and Jun found himself looking in the direction she was. He froze.

A flash of gold and black caught his attention. A Jinshari Emblem barely visible before it vanished into the crowds. Jun’s mind whirled. None of his followers wore those emblems now. His eyes narrowed. A spy? Was the explosion just a diversion? A ploy by the Matriarch to get her people on the island?

Before he could come to any conclusion, Amalie jumped down. Jun nearly protested, wanting to reprimand her and complete her healing, but paused. From the outside, she looked fine. If he spoke up, it could tarnish the ruse. His lips twisted as he forced himself to leave. This wouldn’t be the last time he saw her. He could finish it off if she didn’t get another to take care of it instead. Besides, he needed to look into these new Jinshari. A knot formed in his stomach. He hated his aunt’s spies, always watching his and Mei’s moves. The last month and a half without them had been a fleeting dream. He half chuckled. If she thought she could get back onto the island, she was sorely mistaken.

Let her try. He smirked as he met up with Mei and some of the Kasai. Her eyes were cold as she held out her hand. As Jun held out his hand, she placed a token on it. A gold twin dragon coin of the Jinshari glinted in his palm. His fingers curled around it. A calling card. That was what this was. The Matriarch was at her games again.