"I'll get it, I have a feeling who it is." Kiara says, wolfing down the last of her pizza in a hurry Her feet slap against the wooden floorboards. In a flash she's at the front door scurrying to open the door handle and deliver the words pounding in her brain.
"Hello Dad, I'm okay, there's no need to worry. This is Blakes flat." Kiara rushes through nervous speech her the tip of her finger rubbing against her cheek.
"Good, here I thought things were about to get bloody." Bright Hazel eyes meet her own, her father easily deciphering her usual speedy speech.
Bringing his hands behind his back, he takes on a more formal position the whites of his knuckles starting to dissipate. The roaring red of his bracelet starts to simmer down in response, turning a relaxing blue.
"You're the same boy from before. The last time I saw you, you were a mangled wreck." His eyes flick toward Blake noticing the injuries from before slightly healed over now.
"Glad to see you have recovered." Maxwell smiles respectfully, satisfied to see his daughters efforts pay off.
"Call me Maxell." Maxwell introduces himself to Blake with a firm handshake.
"My daughter decided to push herself to the brink to save you. I haven't seen her do that for anyone, try to have each other's back." Maxwell says with a smile reminiscing in memories of his own youth.
"The future is going to be a tough one going forward. We all need allies." Maxwell sighs his stress escaping with his breath.
"But they need to be trustworthy first and foremost. You two already have that down. Don't lose it. Betrayal is the worst poison to any persons soul. Don't forget that." He warns his voice becoming sharper.
"Your mother and I were worried sick especially after the last incident" Looking over his daughter, his worries are proven right. The sight of bored holes go up her right side dotting her arm and leg.
"Thankfully you had your GPS online on your watch, it would of been an orange needle in a haystack looking for you otherwise." Maxwell chuckles, grateful for his daughters safety putting his palm on the top of her head.
"Looks like my worry wasn't entirely ill founded. What happened this time?" He asks sternly, noticing the freshly sealed wounds in her skin.
"We….. we came across hunters." Kiara nods meekly, worried about her fathers reaction.
"I got injured. But Blake had my back." She assures, trying to ease her fathers worry.
"You did rush in." Blake mutters trying to keep it under his breath.
"They didn't seem as awful as everyone says, then again they did leave some nasty wounds behind". She giggles trying to play off the encounter with innocent naivety, already picking herself back up.
*Slap* Her fathers hand reaches her face before any reaction can be made. Leaving behind red on her cheek.
"That mindset will get you killed!" Maxwell states firmly, his tone becoming more serious.
"Always remember the scars they've left behind. They are reminders, moments when you could've died and moments when your strength prevailed." Maxwell warns, kneeling down to meet Kiara at eye level, putting a hand on her shoulder as memories of his little girl start to flood through.
"Just because you've been fortunate enough to have avoided their horrors, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Maxwell sighs, rising back to his feet.
"Ask your friend, I can guarantee he's had his own set of experiences with them. Everyone in boreal has had a meeting or two with those scum." Maxwell says clenching his fist at the idea of the Hunters, shifting his gaze to Blake.
"If he's been in Boreal all his life then he must have been there for the incident 4 years back." Maxwell's eyes flick to the stump connected to Blakes prosthetic.
"These scum have been around too long. They are like cockroaches, still kicking around even now after all these years."
"They wont be the last you see of them, they're are plenty more hunters, just these ones decided to finally step out of the shadows." Maxwell hammers home his point.
"You're not wrong old friend they really do act like roaches. A storm is already starting to brew up, the tension just seems to grow by the day." Pyre says entering his way into the lecture.
"You kids need as many allies as possible. Petty disputes over minor things will only get you killed. You need reliable comrades you can trust." Pyre advices, recounting his own experiences and the people by his side.
"Focus on sharpening yourself and looking out for one another. That's all we can do right now. In the meantime the older generation will try to cover your back the best we can." Maxwell finishes Pyre sentiment.
"Well I'm sure we will look after you at least." Pyre says sending a wink to Maxwell.
"Don't think I say that empty minded." Pyre shift his focus back to the young ones.
"I don't have any children of my own anymore. they were...taken from me." His voice becomes shaky with a gulp he forces himself to continue describing what happened to him.
"Harvested by those abominations of humanity!" He says with a sigh, steam escapes his breath in a controlled fury.
"They were only six years old." He interlaces his fingers, trying to ground himself through the intense emotional pain. the tips of his hair only singing with a smoldering controlled burn.
"They took everything from them. They didn't leave anything behind for use or so they put it. I could only recognize them by the our families signature red strands."
"Never forget, those with nothing to lose are the most terrifying. I don't say this to trouble you but remind you how dangerous some people can be, even someone you thought as a friend." Pyre advises, flames start to form on the tips of his hair, flickering between red and black.
"Especially you Kiara, you're one of the few innocent souls left in Boreal. If you're not careful, that can be used against you." Pyre finishes his lecture. The trio of students go quiet hearing this information, a pin could be heard if it was dropped.
"It is good to see you again, Pyre." Maxwells chuffs, nostalgia brimming forward seeing the familiar red hairs of his old friend.
"I'm glad you're doing a bit better these days, here i thought you wouldn't return to teaching after what happened. Let's talk about that event another time, you've already opened that old wound enough today." Maxwell comforts his tone full of worry, trying to gently switch topics. Giving Pyres wounds time to recover.
"I'm guessing they begged you to come back in the end. They keep prattling on about this mentorship program. It would be a waste not to have you apart of it." Maxwell says changing the subject with haste. His sharp intuition piecing the information together with ease.
"Dead on the money as usual Maxwell". Pyre smiles, his flames start to extinguish calming down in the presence of his old friend bringing him out his abyss.
"How long has it been now 2-3 years now? How's the Swift Academy?" Pyre asks with an endearing smile forming on his face, already steering his mind away from the trauma.
"Were currently training up a lot of young speedsters for the upcoming exams, similar situation to the mentor program the military has assigned you on. They have to meet our strict standards however." Maxwell explains, his tone becoming sharper.
"You two know each other!?" The trio burst out in an odd unison shattering their silence.
"Of course I used to run circles around his flames back in high school." Maxwell's confidence comes out in full bloom, recounting the laps he always had ahead of Pyre.
"Yeah, yeah don't mention the times I outpaced you in the close quarters finals." Pyre smirks sending a playful jab to Maxwell.
"It's been good catching up with you Pyre even if it was short, I would stay longer and properly greet all of you. But I want to make sure Kiara gets back safely and on time." Maxwell explains, with a begrudging sigh already imagining his wife's reaction.
"Her mother is already worried enough." Maxwell's smile falls as a nervous tingle crawls up the back of his neck.
"Plus I have some more training prepared for you Kiara." Maxwell face fills with an evil grin.
"Can I please skip it this time, I'm still injured." Kiara whines trying to find any means of getting out of more training.
"I think you will be fine, your friend sorted sealed up most of your injuries already take a look." Maxwell points his fingers to the dotted scars along her legs.
"I wasn't thinking straight, It could have easily gone much worse. Thank you Blake." Kiara gasps closely inspecting the wounds on her legs. Her hazel eyes flick to Blake filled with gratitude.
"I don't know how you sealed up these wounds Blake but thank you. These scars will be a reminder for me in the future. Things can easily change in life or death fights like that." Kiara says, taking her fathers words onboard.
"HAHAHA! Well said Kiara!" Pyre lets out a hearty laugh recognizing the willpower blooming inside of Kiara.
"You're raising her right Max." Pyre face beams with a wide smile, a slap finds its way onto Maxwells back connecting sharply.
"Thanks Pyre." Maxwell chuffs, pride coursing through him.
"For now though we will be leaving." Maxwell sends a warm smile to his old comrade.
"It was good seeing you again old friend, please be safe out there I don't want to lose another comrade". Maxwell's face fills with worry and gratitude.
"Thank you for looking after my daughter, Blake. I wont forget it." Maxwell bows, a deep reverence clinging to each of his words.
"Let's head home." Maxwell sighs, relief entering his mind seeing his daughter safe and sound. A soft hand finds its way onto her frizzy orange hair.