9 Jedi Tricks

Aaron and Sofia walked the woods at a slow, careful pace. Wide trees surrounded them. Tall bushes, decorated with colorful flowers, grew at their base. They didn't encounter any more monsters after the lizard, but they knew it was just a matter of time.

Fog shrouded the woods and limited their field of vision. Despite the sunlight, the fog hadn't dissipated, cooling the air, and sending chills down Aaron's spine.

"Walk me through your plan again," Sofia said after a while of hiking in silence.

Aaron's eyes were focused on the bushes surrounding them. "We get to high ground, find a vista and look for a nearby settlement. There have to be people around here somewhere."

Sofia shook her head. "We've been walking for half a day, give or take, I can't tell with this damned fog. What makes you think we'll find anything?"

"There has to be something," Aaron said. He looked down. "The witch never told us the whole truth. We survived the portals. All we have to do now is find our way back home."

Sofia raised a questioning eyebrow. "How do you intend to do that? We killed the only person who had the key to different worlds."

Aaron scoffed. "If she's as good as the legends say about her, then she's not dead. She's probably hunting us by now. I just hope she wasn't lying about the portals, that she can't know where we'll land."

Sofia stopped. "Shit! Now that I think about it, that bitch made us live a different life. Hell, I forgot you even existed. With all that power…" She gave Aaron a worried look. "She's still alive, isn't she?"

Aaron nodded. "You bet your sweet ass she is. That's why we have to find out more about where we are, about these runes." He held up his new hand and admired the runes on the rings. "They can do wonders, but I don't understand them. I don't even know how they work."

Sofia looked down, scowling. "Why didn't I get anything?"

Aaron tore his eyes from the gauntlet. "Do you still have the bracelet?"

She shook her head. "I lost it when we went through the portal. I can't find mama's pendant either."

Aaron scratched his chin.

Sofia's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"It's just a theory," Aaron said.

She crossed her arms. "Spill."

He cleared his throat. "I think whatever happened to us in that portal merged us with the bracelets. I lost my arm, but got this. Maybe you got something, you just haven't found out about it yet?"

Sofia snorted. "Believe me, I did a full body search after you pulled that Jedi trick back then. I looked for mama's pendant everywhere."

Aaron shrugged. "They couldn't have just disappeared."

She waved a dismissive hand. "Enough about this, it just brings me down. We gotta keep going before it gets dark."

Aaron nodded and they continued their march. They were walking up a hill. The sound of running water caught their attention. Sofia and Aaron exchanged an ecstatic look then quickened their pace. They climbed west, and soon the sound of running water got louder.

When they reached the source, Sofia let out a loud gasp. "Would you look at that!" she said in a low whisper.

Aaron's jaw dropped at the sight.

They were looking at a wide river that sloped down the hill in smooth curves. It was wide enough to separate the trees on each bank, and allow for more sunlight. Aaron and Sofia stood in place, admiring the new scenery.

"This is like a picture from Pinterest," Sofia whispered.

Aaron nodded. "Only better."

Fog danced above the river. As the sunlight beamed through it, all hues shone and bathed the forest in a surreal feel.

They rushed to the river and quelled their thirst.

"That's much better!" Sofia said, taking a deep breath.

Aaron pointed at the top of the hill. "Do you see that?"

"Is that…" She shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted. "... a bridge?"

Aaron turned to her, smiling from face to face. "A bridge means civilization, people, culture. We're not in hell after all!"

Sofia beamed at him then nodded. "Hell can't be this beautiful anyway."

The trees on the other river bank rustled. Then a gigantic beast leapt out of the darkness of the trees. It hopped on three pairs of legs then reached the river and began drinking. Aaron squeezed his gauntlet and shielded Sofia. She pushed him aside and squinted at the monster.

"It looks like a praying mantis, but with an extra pair of legs, and a much bigger body," Sofia whispered. "Do you think we can eat that?"

Aaron's stomach rumbled. "If we can kill it first," he said through gritted teeth.

The beast buried its triangular head into the water and got busy drinking in loud gulps. It had a large green chitinous body, twice the size of a human. Its armor gleamed within the multicolored fog.

Its forelegs twitched, two sharp looking claws, or rather, blades, replaced the beast's forearms.

Aaron pointed at them. "Those things would be the end of us."

Sofia turned to him. She pointed at his gauntlet. "Do that Jedi thing again!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know if it'll work."

The beast's triangular head turned to face them. Its wide eyes landed on Sofia, then on Aaron. It took a step back from the river bank, holding its extra pair of forelegs before its face.

It screeched. Aaron and Sofia shielded their ears and retreated. Then the beast leapt in the air. It jumped so high it got close to the tree branches, obstructing sunlight. Its chitinous armor made a loud cracking noise, then wings sprouted at the beast's back. They fluttered and buzzed, like a bee.

The beast easily crossed the river and landed softly behind them.

Aaron turned just in time to see the beast towering above him. Its sharp claws swung at his chest. He instinctively brought his arms forward to guard against the upcoming attack. He screamed as one blade hit his arm, his regular one. It bit through his flesh and sent blood gushing out.

The other blade hit his gauntlet with a loud metallic ring. Aaron's knees bent against the beast's ferocious strength. He tried to push it back but only felt overwhelmed. Faint sparks crackled around the gauntlet.

Sofia roared then jumped at the beast's back. She plunged her hands into its eyes and pulled, roaring all along. The beast screeched and took a few steps away from Aaron. It thrashed about with its claws and almost hit Sofia. She quickly jumped away, rolled on the ground, then ran toward Aaron.

Aaron aimed his gauntlet at the beast. The rings still showed the same runes he's used before. They hummed to him, a soothing sound, hypnotizing. Sparks ignited around the rings. They whirred to life, but didn't spin.

The beast screeched then began thrashing around with its sharp claws, getting dangerously close to Aaron and Sofia.

'How did I do it earlier?' he thought, focusing on the time he splattered a big lizard.

He closed his eyes and focused harder. He could hear the runes' hum, they vibrated within his chest, moving something he didn't know he possessed. He let the hums reach him, vibrating in his chest more violently.

Then he felt it, a kind of energy that rested within him, tame and quiet, until the hums excited it.

His lips curved into a grin. He knew what he had to do. He aimed his gauntlet at the beast and let his energy flow to the rings. Thin sparks crackled around the gauntlet. Then his fingers straightened, and a strong kinetic wave exploded outward.

The beast only managed to let out a low squeal, before it was propelled far into the distance. They heard it crash in the woods below, far from reach.

Sofia rushed to Aaron and inspected his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He winced when she touched his injury, but nodded. "It looks worse than it is," he said.

She shook her head. "You're bleeding dude. Come, we have to clean this."

He blinked at her multiple times. His vision blurred. "I feel weak all of a sudden."

Sofia cursed under her breath. "It could be poison. Shit! Clean that wound, now!"

She hurriedly tore her shirt's sleeves as Aaron plunged his arm into the river. The water bit into his flesh, cold, refreshing. His eyes started to regain their clarity.

Sofia knelt beside him and tied the makeshift bandage around his arm, just above the wound. Then she took another piece of cloth and wrapped it around his wound, covering it in two loops. The blue color of the torn shirt quickly turned red.

She looked at him, worried. "How do you feel now?"

Aaron blinked at her. "Can't say for sure. I don't feel lightheaded anymore. Do you think the poison's already in my bloodstream?"

Sofia opened her mouth to speak but words got stuck in her throat. Her eyes were no longer trained on Aaron's arm; they were looking beyond him.

Aaron turned and his heart skipped a beat. He saw a young boy, a human, running toward them, his eyes wide open in terror. Two praying mantises ran behind him, their claws gleaming in the multicolored fog.

"Help!" the boy screamed.