Chapter 11: The Defenseless

Sirena's POV

"Sirena!" someone spoke behind me.

"Mother?" I turned to see her as I have begun my shift to watch over the camp.

"You realize I have been watching you and your teammates. You should have known that the Skull horses has seen you when you weren't watching." She lectures me on my failure to pay attention.

"I know, mother. But I -" She cut me off.

"No buts young lady! Be careful in the future because I will not help you again." She warns me.

"I know… but thanks for saving Todd and Kai." I nodded my head.

"Those two were ungrateful, and they thought I was here to kill them." She reminisces on them, pulling their weapons on her. "I Suppose they fear what they don't understand, though."

"The food will also be good for them since it will last longer. It is quite delicious." I smiled when I mention the food.

"Little Rena, be mindful that I will not always be there in the future." She pointed out that she will not intervene again.

As she turns to leave, something prompted her to say something.

"You almost by the way blew your cover as a magic user. The one… his name is Kai." she remembered his name. "You lucky he didn't believe you because otherwise, I would have to step in to save you."

"Mom… You know he is not a bad guy! He just doesn't have any love with magic users that we come across." I stood up for Kai.

"I don't doubt that, but I know that if he gets suspicious, he can and will kill you if it comes down to that. Even if you are his 'friend'." My mother states clearly for me to careful in the future.

"I understand, Mother." I nodded my head as my mother took flight to the skies.

Back on the Right path

After we had breakfast and got in our morning stretches, we set off back on the road to Maroud. As we walk through the road, we were trekking on the desert reaches of the wastelands.

My mother once told me a story about the world it was before the apocalypse changed everything. It used to be fertile, technology was flourishing and magic being around us all. People used to enjoy their creature comforts like fast food, arcades and comic books.

I asked my mom one time if I could find a dress, which we had a laugh about it since we know most places do not have those. Even though the apocalypse has changed all of that, we are steadily rebuilding what we lost many years.

I know that the Center, a big metropolis in the wasteland, has been spearheading for the redevelopment of technology and the pre-war way of life. However, despite some major successes, it is going to take time for the world to readopt to the technology that we have lost.

Then there is Magic… It still exists in this world. It is like you can manipulate the flow of mana to your will to do amazing feats such as being an excellent shot, stopping time, creating blizzard or to heal wounds.

However, Magic users were scrutinized by most folks in the wastelands as either Witches, Sorcerers or abominations. Sometimes they were chased away or persecuted on sight, it would be rare that some towns would welcome or tolerate their presence. Most of them would give up or hide their magic, so they live a normal life, providing if no one tries to rat them out in public since they know the dangers of being one in public.

"Hey, Sirena!" Ronald spoke to me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Ronnie!" I smiled. "You have a question for me?"

"Well…" We heard a scream that got our attention.

We took position behind an edge; I looked, and I saw a family being harassed by raiders. They see they needed our help.

"Let's keep moving, guys." Todd stated. "We need to go now."

"What about them, Sir? We can't leave them to fend for themselves!" I protested against the idea of leaving them to die.

"Yo, girl! I already had to restrain Todd from the last time. I don't want to be doing the same thing again." Kai protested on the idea.

I've turned to them and pulled my rifle out.

"I've already seen a caravan being torn apart from the raiders because we did nothing about it. I watch those monsters violated the women as if they were objects. You have stood there and did nothing about it! I…" I shook my head to affirm my decision on this. "I hid like a coward and did nothing! What makes you think I will sit by and allow it to happen again?" I charged toward the raiders despite my teammates' protest.

A Magical eye and a bullet

Taking off my bracelet, I could channel my mana to boost my speed to get into a better position. I feel weak, but I all need is an excellent shot and a good spell.

"From my eyes, when I gaze upon the stars…" I chanted my spell. "Let my eyes see the truth! The flow of time will not stop me!"

From there, I cast the Slow-Motion spell as time slowed down around me. But I need to be quick, the spell will only last for 5 seconds before time resumes.

I got into position and took a deep breath and infuse my energy into my rifle. I got 5 of the raiders in my sights and a family of…. No. They need help. No time to think about it.

I fired my rifle at my target in rapid fire succession, to ensure that each shot would not miss. As I took down the 4th target, time resumed, and the raiders saw I shot his friends dead.

"W-Who there?!" the man screamed out in panic. "Where are you?! Stay the fuck back!"

I fired a shot at his feet, which it was enough to scare off the raider. I head down to check on the family and-

"Sirena! What the hell were thinking?!" Todd yelled as I got near them. "You could have killed… You ran so fast that we couldn't keep up with you."

"The best part, Sir! They were safe" I spoke in my defense as put on my bracelet again.

"Safe? Here I thought I was reckless, but seriously, Sirena! You could have at least -" he stopped when he saw the family came our way.

Gratitude

"Thank you, Miss! I thought we would be goners!" a woman spoke up.

"That is not a problem, ma'am! But I didn't know that you folks were enhanced." I nodded, but I took the note that they were enhanced.

The enhanced are mutated-humans with Red (Sparrow), Green/Blue (Hybrid) or Black (Demonic) scales over their bodies. They age slowly, and they are resistant toward physical trauma and radiation. They persecute the black ones the most because of their affinity with Dark energies and magic.

The others; however, are tolerated because of their appearance and not likely to be a threat. But I noticed the family are a group of Sparrow-type while the husband is a Hybrid.

"Um.. Miss, I noticed you are not like the other soldiers!" The wife pointed to me. "But, either way, you have our thanks."

"Excuse me, if I may ask?" Ronald chimes in. "Why would the raiders be attacking you? It seemed to be that you are capable defend themselves?"

"We would have, but the raiders were hell-bent on taking our stuff and I would have given it to them." The husband speaks. "But we had a guardian angel that looked over us. And the humans would really hate us for being enhanced."

"So you were saying that we rescued a bunch of freaks that could have defended themselves?!" Kai said out of disgust.

"Kai!" I turned toward him for that comment.

"What? Why did you let that Raider get away, Sirena? You had him!" Kai snapped back at me.

"He didn't need to die and simply scared him off!" I defend my action, but Kai shook his head.

"Dude, you don't let a raider live! He can get backup or join another gang! And tell them you shoot his brothers dead in broad daylight." He pointed out my mistake of sparing the man. "What are you thinking, Sirena?!" he pointed back at me.

"Excuse me, two!" The woman speaks up. "As we much, as we would be out here, but we need to Maroud."

"Oh, what a conscience! We are heading there too." Ronald speaks up.

"Really? We were fortunate that you went that way." The woman smiles at his comment.