"A comb? How's that going to help us?" Calis asked. Lee Seng waved the comb around before drawing some gold and silver runes.
'He really is both of them.' Calis couldn't help but notice Keng's energy mixed with Lee Seng's. 'If I remember correctly, Lee Seng didn't really study Fox Runes that much.' He looked closer and realized Lee Seng was writing both Fox runes and unfamiliar runes.
"What rune are you using?" Calis pointed at the runes.
"Oh, these?" Lee Seng motioned at the Earth runes. Calis nodded. "Those are Earth runes. It's easier to remember since these were drilled into me by Uncle Nikolai. Fox Runes are a bit blurry in my head but I'm starting to remember the strokes."
"How are you able to remember them…? Is it your connection with… Keng?"
"Yeah, something like that." Lee Seng nodded. He finished the last stroke and pulled his finger away. The rune lit up in silver and gold as Lee Seng's two fingers lit up. "With this, we'll be able to find Manny."
Lee Seng slashed the runes and lifted the comb. The comb hovered out of Lee Seng's hand and began to spin. The runes shimmered, spinning the hair comb faster and faster until a strand of hair flew out of it. The hair swirled in gold and silver for a second and quickly ignited in green.
Lee Seng snatched the comb out from mid-air and stuck it in the Void Storage without much thought. Lee Seng and Calis watched the green flames grow and then rush out of the cave and past the dry grass.
"Let's go." Lee Seng turned and began to follow after the green flames. Calis and Lee Seng followed flames left, moving further away from the burnt pine forest and to a portion of dead flatland. The green fire danced ahead, always keeping its distance while Lee Seng and Calis jogged after it.
"I thought Earth runes weren't easy to learn." Calis spoke, making small talk.
"There's only about maybe a fourth you could learn. The set of runes I used were from that set." Lee Seng answered. "I wouldn't be able to use all of the Earth runes. At least… that's what I was told.
"You haven't tried?"
"There really wasn't much time to try things out." Lee Seng shrugged. "If I have the chance to play around, I'll try but Fox runes makeup for that already." Calis nodded and picked up speed.
The green flame led them to a small mountainous region filled with pine trees. The heat had certainly gotten here, too, based on the dry look. Sand and dirt mixed with each other as the forest didn't look as pristine as it was. Burnt trees with no actual trees in sight that looked alive. The flame took them deeper into the forest, sputtering.
"Doesn't look like that's gonna last longer." Lee Seng whispered. He picked up speed, weaving through the burnt pines. The smell of burnt sap filled the air. He pushed on until the last of the flame sputtered in front of a cabin. "What's that?"
Lee Seng slowed to a stop, turning to look at Calis. Calis shrugged. They slowly moved towards the shack, noticing the dirtied windows. Lee Seng jogged over and cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed them into the window. A telepad sat on the opposite side of the room. Besides that, Lee Seng saw a barren cabin.
"A telepad." Lee Seng informed Calis. He moved away from the cabin, turning to face Calis. He fiddled with his fingers as he tried to make sense of it all. "He wasn't in the Academy district… Why was he here?" Lee Seng turned and rounded the corner of the cabin. There was a door and some more dirtied windows.
"If your spell led us here, then that means he's been here before?" Calis asked.
"I crafted a question out of the runes. 'Where is Manny?' If it led us here…"
"Then he must be close." Calis began to circle the cabin, leaving Lee Seng by himself. Lee Seng grabbed the doorknob and jiggled it.
"Locked." Lee Seng whispered. He looked around, catching a glimpse of Calis through the back window. He shifted his attention to the lock and lifted a finger up. He thought for a moment and drew the Fox rune 'unlock.' He slashed it and listened to the door unlock and open itself.
Lee Seng stepped inside without much thought.
Click!
The sound of rope alerted Lee Seng. Before he could make the right move, he was lifted up into the air as a concealed net appeared. Lee Seng yelped as the trap swayed around.
"W-what's wrong?!?" Calis rushed over. He stood in the doorway, hands grabbing the doorway as he realized what had happened.
"It was trapped!" Lee Seng shouted. "It really sucks not being able to register everything around you with a single step! Ahhh, I miss having my old powers!"
"H-hold on. Let me get you down!" Calis looked around, noticing no more traps and moving towards the telepad.
"Don't step on the telepad!" Lee Seng warned Calis.
"Yes, sir." Calis made his way around the telepad and towards the pulley system. "This might hurt." He summoned a dagger and slashed the rope. Lee Seng yelped, falling straight ot the ground as the trap loosened all around him.
"Ow!" Lee Seng rubbed the right side of his thigh. Calis returned to Lee Seng and helped him out of the net. "Relied so much on being able to register everything around me and now I'm messing up with things I normally never would mess up with." Lee Seng swatted the netting away from him and let it spill onto his legs and side.
"Everyone has their days. Don't worry so much about it. At least you weren't attacked with another trap." Calis stood up to pull the net away from Lee Seng's legs. Lee Seng watched Calis work diligently while blocking the door.
In the distance, Lee Seng could hear it. Someone was coming towards them at an alarming pace. Lee Seng grabbed Calis's hand, drawing the Merman's attention to him. Lee Seng's eyes indicated something was wrong and without a single word, Calis stopped what he was doing and turned around.
Calis scanned past the door, not hearing a single thing. There was no energy anywhere. He slowly moved his hand to the back, letting the darkness grow along his fingertips as he slowly stepped outside.
'It moved!' Lee Seng telepathically told Calis. Lee Seng's eyes moved to the left. 'It's on the left now.' The pressure of the sand was enough for Lee Seng to keep up with whoever was lurking about. The shadows in Calis's fingers swelled and the Merman darted to the left.
The footsteps moved.
"Wait." Lee Seng's eyes began to widen. "I know those footsteps anywhere!" Lee Seng scribbled a wind rune, slashing it and ripping the net off his legs. He jumped onto his feet, recognizing another set of footsteps that he hadn't heard before. "Shit! There's two of th—"
Calis's darkness attack was met with shadows. A Japanese man appeared in front of Calis, quickly letting the shadows swell as he pushed Calis. Calis pushed back and the two energies fought against each other.
A light blade flew straight for Lee Seng's eye. Lee Seng's body reacted faster than he thought ever possible, dodging the blade and sliding outside. The light dagger embedded itself into the cabin as a large light sword flew downwards.
Diminished Sun ignited into existence, blocking the large light sword above him. Lee Seng gritted his teeth and pushed with both of his hands as runes began to ignite all around them.
"Lee?!?" Akali said surprised.
"W-wait, Lee Seng?!?" Akio looked past Calis. Calis pushed Akio backwards, using the opportunity to pull back and go for Lee Seng.
"I knew it was you two!" Lee Seng shouted.
"Get away from him!" Calis shouted, conjuring his trident. The runes pulsed, changing its script. A large see-through wall appeared, stopping Calis's advance.
"Calis!" Lee Seng pushed Akali away and moved for the wall.
"Don't hit the wall or you'll make it worse!" Akali shouted at Lee Seng. It was too late. Lee Seng's Diminished Sun was already mid-swing, slashing the wall. Star fire erupted from the blade, breaking the wall and setting off the second-part of the trap. Shiny lights twinkled in the air, exploding all around Calis and Lee Seng.
"Lee!" Akali and Akio shouted. Black smoke billowed outwards as the twins scrambled towards their little brother.
"It was Lee Seng the whole time?!?" Manny asked, running from behind a tree. Nikolai sighed as he stepped out and quickly conjured more runes. He pushed the first set forward, letting wind blow the smoke away. He conjured the next set, stopping in place at the sight in front of him.
"W-what the hell?" Manny gasped, coming to a stop.
"H-how is that possible?" Calis asked, looking at Lee Seng.
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