123 Chapter 6: Streak in the Sky

Lightning flashed through the pink sky. The sun, risen from the north, shined brightly overhead, coating the land in its bright light.

Streaks of electricity dashed across the clouds, zipping and shooting downward through the trees, erupting in a thunderous roar as it landed in the soil. From the smoldering crater, someone stood.

A boy, with pure yellow hair and eyes. A thin layer of yellow scales coated the skin around his eyes and on his forearms. He held a gut wound, fresh red blood oozing between his fingers and down his chin. He coughed violently, picking himself up slowly and limping through the forest. Behind him, the roars of multiple Dragons filled his ears.

His heart weakly pounded in his chest. Three ribs were broken, and skin hung from his shin, exposing bone. His mana felt drained, severely, and his vision grew more and more blurry as he continued on. He tried to stabilize the pain numbing his thoughts by counting the minutes he had been moving, running, hiding.

By the time he reached the river bank, he reached fifteen minutes.

Steam rose from his skin, and the smallest of his injuries began to close. The wound in his gut, and flesh torn from his leg, as well as the broken ribs, would not. He cursed the lack of ability, and placed his hands in the water. He was careful, suppressing his magic signal. The water in the forests on Dreulara was linked to the Water Dragon Kingdom. They were a strict people, and selfish when it came to resources. Luckily, not that many Dragons required water to function.

Blood was cleaned from his fingertips, bits of red floating away before dispersing in the liquid. He had to move fast, or else he would have more than just the police force on his tail. The pain in his leg began to surge and rush higher through his muscles, all of them aching intensely.

He had to push ahead.

He willed himself to press on, to hide and be safe.

His heart stopped. His face turned a pale color, yellow eyes locked on the figure standing in the trees across from him. A tall man, about six foot four, with long black hair and eyes. He was dressed in a white suit with a red striped tie. His skin was tanned, a strong shadow emitting from his pores, coating him, making his face harder to make out.

The golden badge on his shirt pocket indicated he was part of the police force, and that was enough to send the boy in the direction he came.

The man wasted no time. He opened his mouth, revealing large fanged canines, a breath of magic shadows ripping across the river and cutting through the air. The boy snapped his head back, yellow lightning surging around him as he cried out, blocking the worst of the blast. The explosion of darkness shook the forest of its stillness. The man leapt over the water, stepping towards the massive crater and looking down.

All that met his gaze was rushing water and rubble of earth.

Cursing under his breath, he took out a communicator from his pocket, speaking into it after pressing the button on its side. "This is Captain Shadow. Target escaped via the water route. Surrounding units, gain a warrant for entering Water Dragon territory and prepare a thorough search team. We can't let him go."

Releasing the button, he grit his teeth, eyes scanning the area for the possibility of finding his target. To his dismay, there was no trace, and for a moment he worried about vaporizing the boy. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind. A blast that weak wouldn't have enough power to erase a body. More than likely, the boy would've lost a limb or two, but that's it.

"Still," He muttered, "The possibility is there… It would be awhile before his body reformed at this stage." He shrugged, kicking a rock into the rushing water below. "After all, Gems and their hosts tend to be at each other's throats every now and then."