15: Teal

They carefully picked their way across a narrow stone bridge that connected ends across black, formless, chasm. At the other end, the calamity sounds were louder.

Vo unsheathed Shane and crept toward the sounds, which were coming from the nearby cavern. As he approached the entrance, he saw two mages in black-red leather armor heaving for breath before a skinny bone-white girl. She was in a blue-green long dress and flax shoes, and had a mop of scraggly straw colored hair. Her eyes gave away her genus: they were big, round and black.

"Not so tough against a syn-mole are you?" The girl triumphantly laughed as her hands moved to force the mages into a motion.

"Vo, I recognize this armor. It's the bandits that attacked us or tried to." Shane blurted the fact in Vo's mind.

The mages were fighting against their own movements and failing, their bodies were forced to draw their short swords and stab each other. They dropped to the ground, lifeless.

"Finally dead. My hands had to work for once. Annoying." The girl shook the aches she felt in her hands.

"Well, aren't you badass." Zen commented as he glanced at the bodies. He clicked his tongue then used his ice magic to make the bodies freeze then shatter into particles and wet drips.

They gave him an odd look.

"What? Don't like the sight of dead bodies being decorations."

Lyra glared at him, not hiding her distrust.

The girl turned to stare at them, raising her hands again but paused when she recognized Vo.

"You're alive! My..."

"Teal. Is that you?" Vo grabbed the girl into a hug before she could spill beans on who he was.

"These people don't know my lineage," he whispered into her ears.

"Got it, Sire, er, Vo," Teal whispered back.

"Damn are you refreshing for sore eyes. When you left me at the border, I was worried." Vo pulled away.

"Oh come on Si... sir Vo. I promised you that I'd stay underground and I did."

"How many years, Teal?"

Teal sighed. "Too long." She turned her attention back to the lifeless mages. "Them, they are too soon. Came barging into my system and not for good reasons."

"Are you going to introduce your friend?" Lyra wryly asked with her arms folded across her chest.

"Don't like being ignored huh?" Zen joked which spurred on a bickering match with the warrior.

Sam groaned and snapped at them to shut up, lest they wake Kiara. He eased to a cool, dry spot in the cavern to rest and check on her condition.

Teal noticed and hurried to check on her. "The brave little girl. I told her to run."

"You know my daughter?" Sam stared at her.

"She was captured like the others to be workers for the mines. But she somehow broke out of her enthrallment and fought a guard." Teal showed genuine concern when she added, "I couldn't let them hurt her so I fought the guards and told her to run."

Sam heaved a breath of relief. "Thank you. You saved my daughter."

"You're not safe yet. Teal, do you know a way Sam and Kiara can return to the surface?" Vo asked.

"Do I?" Teal confidently gestured for Sam to pick up his kid and follow her. She paused, "On one condition, you kill these imperial scum for disrupting my system and hurting these people. Some of them were kind to me, like this little girl."

"Imperial?" Lyra frowned and demanded more answers, but went quiet when Vo calmly stepped in.

"These mage bandits are from the empire?"

Teal smiled and stepped close so only Vo could hear. "Ghayne Mail is here. He's used his djinn powers to disguise himself, but we moles can see through your guises. Be careful, Vo. That man is bad news."

She stepped away and stood before a large wall of rock, with a wave of her hands, the rock liquified and became an opening to an upper stairway. "I'll lead them back to the surface where they can be safe."

"Teal, you stay safe too. I promise I'll clear out this system for you."

"I will and I know honey."

"Vo, I..." Sam started to thank him.

"Go, take Kiara to somewhere safe, away from Rogue."

"You think there's trouble in the village?"

"It's not safe for you both, surely you can see that."

Sam nodded. "I won't forget this Vo. Thank you." He readjusted Kiara in his arms and followed Teal out of the cavern. The rock wall resumed its usual image.

"Let's carry on to save the others." Vo patted Lyra's shoulder.

Lyra stood still, trying to sort through her chaotic thoughts. Nothing was making sense to her. "Vo, who are you?"

Vo faced her. "I'm a roshi."

"No, that girl, she looked like she was about to bow down to you." She frowned, causing deep creases in her forehead.

"I saved her life once, it was a show of gratitude."

Zen stepped in. "We're synfolk, remember? We can do unbelievable deeds of fearsome prowess. Something you non magic folk can never hope to achieve in your unremarkable lives."

"Why you arrogant pomp!" Lyra snapped, her mind no longer fixated on Vo.

Vo sighed and resumed a way across the cavern to the next tunnel system.