Heroes of Veridia: Evelyn's Journey

Evelyn's P.O.V...

The giant eel stared at us like a hawk watching its prey with glowing eyes, mouth open, ready to feed. Its electricity made the water around it unsafe. We would be in huge trouble if we didn't get to the land.

"What are we going to do?" Vanessa shouted.

Ignoring her, I attempted to take control of the creature's emotions. However, Vanessa's annoying questions interrupted me. With every unsuccessful attempt to gain control, I felt a pounding in my head that lasted for a second.

The eel started moving toward us.

"Hey, shoot that thing," Vanessa told Number Three.

My attempt failed many times and Vanessa won't shut up. The pounding in my head was nothing as long as we got rid of this creature. Vanessa's whining was the problem, though it seemed as if I didn't care about it. Something bad would happen if this eel weren't dealt with. With a sigh, I asked her if she could use her gift.

"I don't know if it would work," she said.

"Our lives are on the line here," I told her.

Vanessa looked at the oncoming danger and shouted, "Hey."

The eel stopped approaching us. Thinking it worked, Vanessa turned to me with a smile. "I didn't know it worked on huge creatures," she exclaimed.

"I don't think it worked," Clara stated.

The eel submerged itself in the sea. Its movement created waves that pushed against our boat.

"I have never used my gift on anything other than humans and animals," Vanessa informed us.

"Eels are aquatic animals."

"That isn't an animal," she yelled.

Number Two started moving us toward the land when he heard my command. From the behavior of the waters around us, the eel must be coming back to attack the boat.

Looking down was a mistake I should have avoided, but I couldn't care less. The moment the eels' glowing eyes met mine from beneath the sea, I felt a slight pang of headache. A blurred image of a man and a woman appeared in my mind. The man was holding a trident.

"Hey, are you okay?" Vanessa questioned.

I assured her everything was well.

"Let them go." A man's voice rang in my head. Looking down, the eel was nowhere to be seen. The waves had calmed down, making it safe for us to reach the land.

Was the voice commanding the eel? And who are the people I saw in the creature's mind? Whoever they are, they must be related to the appearance or presence of the sea creatures.

With careful maneuvering around the rocks, we made it to the forbidden island.

"Where's everyone?" Clara asked.

"They're criminals. They won't stay in the public where Veridian heroes could see them," Vanessa replied.

"We don't know anyone here, so try not to offend anyone." After docking, we had to walk. The shore was empty. A footprint could not be found, or we didn't look well. However, no one had been to this shore for some days though I have no idea how I knew about it.

Our path was filled with a stretching field of trees, despite how small the land was. We explored for an hour but to no avail. There was no one in sight.

Even though we hadn't seen anyone, their emotions assured me there were people around. We just haven't figured out where they are.

The high-pitched whistle of an eagle brought me out of my thoughts. It must be nice to move freely in the air. Vanessa's words replayed in my mind. They won't stay in the public to avoid the heroes.

I ordered both of my soldiers to search for a trapdoor. If they are trying to avoid the heroes even though the heroes aren't allowed to come onto this island, then they must be underground.

"But, the heroes aren't allowed to come to this island. What are they hiding?" Lost in thought again, Vanessa tapped my shoulder and told me that they had found it.

My sweatshirt was soaked with sweat. The sun isn't doing me justice. At this rate, I will have to get rid of the sweatshirt.

On the ground lay a rusty door. Number Two struggled to open it but eventually did it. Stairs led into darkness. A glint was seen in the darkness. Number Two pulled me away from the way while Number Three protected Vanessa and Clara.

Some shot at us.

"Well, that's one way to say hello," said Vanessa.

"Who are you?" a rough voice shouted at us.

"We have nothing to tell you-," she stopped and looked at me. As if regretting what she was about to do, Vanessa frowned and told the man, "We need information."

"State your names or leave," the man's voice was amplified by the empty stairs.

"It looks like he's the only one there, we can take care of him," Vanessa made small movements toward the opened trapdoor. Surely the shooter could hear her.

"He heard your voice," I told her, hoping she could use her gift.

"It only works if I can see the target," she continued moving closer. When she was close, another bullet hit a tree behind her. She was spooked as she fell on her butt and scramble away from the trapdoor. "This guy wants to kill us," she said when she was a safe distance away.

"If anyone tries that again, they will regret it. State your names or leave," his rough voice expressed his seriousness. However, the moment he replied to anything I said, he would be completely under my control.

"Is this how you treat everyone who comes here?" I baited him with a question.

"Only those--"

"Got you," my smile grew wider as I approached the stairs, knowing he wouldn't shoot me.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa, with her constant questions, asked.

"Come with me," we descended the stairs. The man, armed with his rifle, stood there with a blank expression, "That's not how you welcome people."

"I didn't know you had a gift," Vanessa took the weapon away from the man.

A sharp pain in my head made me stumble. Thankfully, Vanessa managed to stop me from falling. However, my control over the man was lost. He hit my forehead with a swing of his arm.

Number Two kicked his leg, making him lose his balance before pinning him to the wall.

"You won't leave here alive," he groaned as he struggled to free himself but to no avail.

My mind suddenly went blank. It felt as though time had stopped and I was the only one able to move. The emotions of everyone around me could be seen around them. Their emotions revealed their thoughts. The smile I had been trying to suppress grew wider. The urge to smile had become too much I couldn't suppress it anymore. What is happening to me?

Vanessa telling me that I was bleeding brought me out of my thoughts.

"How can you smile when you were just assaulted," she frowned.

The man's attack had caused a small cut on my forehead. She turned to the man and asked how he could hit a girl's face.

She brought her hand up to touch the cut but I stopped her, "It's just a cut. There's no way something as small as this could stop me."

After wiping the blood away from my face, I approached the man and asked him to take us to his boss.

He refused to talk, threatening that we wouldn't be able to leave once we got into the city. An underground city built by criminals for criminals. This island is known to various criminals as the 'Monster Organization'

"I want to meet a powerful figure on this land. I don't care about your city," I said to him, "If you can't give me anything useful, then you're just a good-for-nothing criminal who tried to kill me. And I hate people who do that." Grabbing his collar, I pulled him closer and warned him, "Say something, else he's going to put a bullet in your head," I gestured to Number Two who aimed at him.

"And you call yourselves heroes," he glared at me.

"I'm not a hero," patting his shoulder, I told him, "By the way, if you take us, intruders to your boss, you will be hailed a hero... criminal in your case."

"They will kill me if I brought you to them," he said.

"Did you hear a thing of what I said? You will take us in as captives. If you tell me they will kill you again, I will do it myself," Ordering Number Two to let him go, the man finally decided to take us to his boss.

Vanessa called out to me and asked why we were going to see his boss. "We just came here for information," she said, "we could just find some deadbeat criminal like this guy here. Maybe, they might give us some useful information."

"Powerful people have connections, we might be in trouble," Clara stated. I forgot she even was with us.

"The king of the East isn't your average criminal though. Powerful people have more chance of knowing something about him," I informed them. They both nodded and we all followed the man down the stairs.

We were close to reaching the exit when the man thought about ambushing us with some friends. I don't know how he's going to do that but I threatened to have my soldiers shoot him if he tried anything suspicious.

"You have three people armed with guns. I can't do anything even if I wanted to," he barked.

Too bad I can see your thoughts. What's so bad about taking prisoners to your boss?

When we reached the door that led to the underground city, he sprinted ahead and disappeared into a crowd who were armed with various weapons after opening the door. Some were brandishing their gift while others were now joining the crowd.

"Why don't they listen?" I quickly closed the door when the man vanished. He had already become my target, no matter where he went, he wouldn't be able to escape me.

Turning to Clara, I chuckled and said to her, "Time to shine."