“I didn’t see him at the house while I was there.”
Willow panicked. It took three of them to finally kill the dark beast… and Edan was alone. “We need to go help him!”
“Relax, blondie,” said Veter as he grabbed her arm. “Kapetan can handle it himself.” Veter pushed and pulled her at the same time snapping her shoulder back in place.
Willow screamed. Veter suppressed a smile while Willow punched him in the chest with her unharmed arm.
Veter flinched at the surprise hit. “What was that for!?”
“For enjoying it too much,” she said and walked away. “Let’s go back to the others.”
* * *
By then, the second of the Skuggors was still trying to catch Edan, but he was too skillful to get caught. Besides, he liked taunting the beasts.
SWOOSH! The Skuggor leapt out in full attack mode. Before it could catch him, Edan switched directions and the Skuggor overshot his target.
Using the trees around him, Edan catapulted himself from one of the tree trunks to another and vice versa in order to gain height.
Once he was high enough, Edan jumped to the next tree, pushed with both legs and backed flipped, stretching his arms like an Olympic diver. Unable to predict his movements, the Skuggor continued his trajectory. Edan leaped in a handstand and landed on top of it.
A few inches before his palms would have made contact with the beast’s hard skin, a blast of intense blue fire came out of them and completely incinerated the Skuggor. Edan landed on the ground with both hands stretched and pushed himself to his feet.
Flicking away the ashes on his clothes, he heard a soft growling. Edan closed his eyes and concentrated on the direction of the noise. He opened his hand and a blue flame aura covered it entirely. He steadied his breathing, stood in a stronger position and remained immobile.
To his left side, a Tracker jumped from between the trees. His bloody jaw opened ready to bite, while his claws spread wide prepared to stab. Edan opened his eyes and slammed the beast with a fireball before it could come any closer.
The beast fell backwards, but it was still alive. The fire burnt its arm and now it was more eager to fight. Edan faced the Tracker, but at the moment he was going to attack, another two Trackers jumped in.
Edan flicked a long, thick stick from the ground into the air. He caught it and snapped it in two with his knee.
His hands turned to fire. The flames crawled over the sticks until it covered them completely. “Your turn,” he taunted the monsters.
Like a pack of wolves, the three Trackers rumbled and bounded towards Edan.
With precise movements, incredible fighting skills and hard swings, Edan fought all three Trackers at the same time.
* * *
Meanwhile, back at the house, Hunter guarded the main entrance while Willow sat at the white kitchen’s limestone counter with her bag of seeds. “Here, use this one,” Shui said passing her a wooden bowl full of rich black soil.
Willow took out some seeds and planted them. She passed her hand over the bowl causing the plants to grow tall.
Shui took the bowl, cut the plants, placed them in a grinder and worked on them. “Try adding a little more water,” suggested Willow as she held her injured arm.
Shui flicked her hand and the water from a nearby glass floated to the grinder. “Take off your shirt and lay down there. I’m almost done.”
Following instructions, Willow took off her shirt and lay down. Her Sakura tattoo and her mint green colored sports bra looked pale next to the dozen of cuts and bruises on her body.
Shui wielded water over Willow’s upper body to cleanse it. “Cold!” Willow shivered. Shui evaporated the water.
“Don’t move,” she warned Willow as she smudged the green paste over Willow’s cuts. Willow moaned and flinched in pain.
“Hurts?” asked Veter with amusement.
“What do you freaking think?!” spat Willow through clenched teeth, clearly in excruciating pain.
Veter took an apple from the counter. “That’s the spirit,” he grinned and ate half of his treat in one bite. “Can I help?”
“No,” said Shui and Willow at the same time. “Go irritate the others,” hissed Willow.
“Can’t, they are busy with real stuff,” Veter jocked.
Donovan walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. He used his fingers to comb the top of his undercut hair to one side, charming as ever. “I see I missed all the action.”
Abruptly, Edan burst through the door. “Where is she?” he asked.
“Upstairs, in your room,” clarified Donovan. “She’s still unconscious, but stable.”
Edan looked at Willow’s bruised body. “What happened?” he asked.
“I landed on some rocks,” explained Willow.
Edan walked closer. “Let me see,” he placed his hands on her stomach and his palms radiated heat to relax the muscles. “Tell me if it’s too hot,” he said moving his hands over her chest and arms. Willow’s body burnt hot, not because of Edan’s fire but because his hands were touching her skin. If only he could feel it too. He couldn't.
“We are lucky. Only two of them saw us,” murmured Edan clearly unaffected by touching Willow’s body.
“There were more?” asked Donovan.
“Seven more,” Hunter signed.
“We’re not prepared for this,” Shui admitted. “We should leave.”
“We can’t, they brought trackers.” Edan moved his hands over Willow’s tattoo and radiated more heat. “Don’t know the number for sure but I killed three.”
“Three?!” Willow gasped. The news, along with Edan’s firm hands, made her shudder. “We’re sitting ducks.”
“Don’t worry,” Edan said while guiding her body back down. “In here, we are protected by the light marks. It’s only if we leave that we’re in trouble. Outside, they will find us within seconds.”
Donovan sat down next to Hunter, who was participating in his favorite hobby… carving a piece of wood. “What’s the plan?”
“We wait here.” Edan stopped warming Willow’s shoulder and turned to Hunter. “Hunter, hide the Marked One and find a safe route.”
The teen nodded, placed his knife on a strap around his leg and walked upstairs to get Synthia.
“I can go too, Kapetan,” Veter offered.
“No, I need you here in case we run into problems,” said Edan staring in the direction of his room upstairs. There was worry in his eyes.
“You want me to go check on her?” teased Donovan. “I don’t think she will be calm if the first thing she wakes up to is your face.”
“I wasn’t planning on going,” he lied and walked away.
Chapter 8
Your Name Is…
G OPENED HER EYES to an unfamiliar ceiling.
She saw an empty calendar, a plain white dresser and the rest of a white unfurnished room. Basically, there was nothing in this room that hinted at where she was. Ok, so… I’m definitely not in my room… no reason to panic, she thought with a cynical tone.
But if she wasn’t in her room, where was she?
G closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on what happened, but she couldn’t remember how she got there. She tried and tried, but she was only able to remember how the necklace broke, how her body and mind felt free for the first time, and how she turned into flames.
“FLAMES!” G jolted upright. Frantically she ran her hands all over her body, checking for burns or any sign of being lit on fire. There were none! Am I imagining all this? Is this another weird headache hallucination?
For the first time since she could remember, G didn’t have a headache. She swung her head… nothing. She hit it with her fist… nothing.
She thought about Mr. Blau, how much he irritated the hell out of her… nothing!
G couldn’t believe it, no matter what she did, her headache was gone. She gasped. “I’m dead!”
She crossed her legs and gave the room a second inspection. It looked like a roo
m in a mental institute with a military regimen of keeping everything ridiculously clean. I seriously hope this isn’t heaven…
Trying not to make any noise, G stood up and opened the dresser. In the first drawer G found some crystals, maps and knifes. Besides that, there were no IDs, personal belongings, wallets or anything that could tell G a single thing about her whereabouts.
The second drawer gave her the clues she needed. The clothes were the same grey and blue pallet. They were so perfectly ironed and folded that G knew exactly whose room this was. The only person she knew capable of being so anal was… “Mr. Freaking Blau,” she muttered facing the closed door next to the dresser.
G opened the door and peeked outside. She could hear people arguing downstairs but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. Kneeling down next to a dozen colorful hanging crystals, she crawled down the stairs, wishing with every step the wood wouldn’t creak.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Shui used her element to boil water for her tea, Willow was trimming the tips of her wavy hair with some scissors and Veter pretended to be busy with his cigar while Donovan and Edan were caught up in a heavy discussion, oblivious to the fact that G was now spying on them.
Donovan leaned both hands against the cold kitchen table. “I say we tell her everything.”
“We will tell her nothing,” ordered Edan emphatically.
“She needs to know the truth,” reproached Donovan.
“No, she doesn’t.”
“Seriously!?” he yelled. “Anyone?!” He was looking for the support of his friends, but they all turned their faces away. “Wimps,” he muttered and glanced back to Edan. “Then please, enlighten me, what are we going to tell her?”
“We aren’t going to tell her anything.” Edan glared at Donovan with conviction in every word he was saying. “I am going to tell her what’s necessary.”
“And you don’t think this is?” asked Donovan while the rest of the team kept quiet.
“No, I don’t.”
“But-” Donovan tried to explain but Edan cut him off cold.
“Knowing what you can become can gravely affect your actions. We can’t afford her to change her path.”
“She won’t change!” Donovan was now visibly angry. He clenched his fists trying to control himself.
“Having the pressure of fighting to avoid becoming something like that will change her essence. She can’t know!” Edan smacked the table with his hand and everyone jolted.
“She can! Not everyone is like you!” Donovan blurted out, regretting it the moment he said it.
There was a heavy and sad vibe among the group. Willow tried to hold Edan’s hand but he moved it away from the table. “Trust me, I know that,” he whispered.
Donovan lowered his head. Shui placed her hand on his back. “How do you want us to hide what happened?” she asked Edan.
Hunter opened the back door and walked into the kitchen, immediately sensing G behind the stairs.
“We need to-” Hunter interrupted Edan by grabbing his arm and pointing at the stairs.
Edan stood up and walked toward G’s hiding spot. He passed the wall that divided the kitchen and the living room to find her on all fours, glaring back at him with her eyebrows lifted and her teeth biting her lower lip. “Oh, hello!” she said with a casual tone.
“What are you doing?”
G looked around trying to come up for an answer. “I’m looking…” she smiled at him and lifted her hand… “for a ring.”
“You don’t own any rings.”
“Very stalker of you. And yes, that’s why I’m looking for one,” G continued her fake search.
“Are you done?” he asked and she stared back at him. “Or are you planning to stay in that position for the rest of the night?” he said and she swore she heard a hint of amusement in his voice. He offered his hand to help her stand.
“Who knew you were a gentleman Mr. Blau.” She took it and stood while fixing her wrinkled shirt on her way up.
“It’s called being civilized… and my name is Edan,” he added walking to the kitchen.
G followed Edan and saw Donovan, Veter, Hunter and Shui smiling at her. Willow was the only one not smiling.
Veter stood up, excited to meet her properly. “Moja Princeza! So great to see you again! I know you don’t remember us but I’m Veter.”
G lifted her eyebrow Ve-what?... she thought trying to make sense of the Viking-looking man’s name. Donovan perceived G was confused with what Veter had said. “Veter. It’s pronounced like better but with a V,” he whispered so only G could hear.
“Oh…” she smiled and extended her hand. Veter gasped like a teenager meeting his celebrity crush before giving it a good shake. “Great work with the fire!” Veter said. Edan coughed clearly disagreeing with Veter’s statement. “A little out of control but very strong form,” the massive Viking man added.
“You’re not… scared of me?” she asked.
“Why would we be?”
“I turned into flames and burnt down half of my school,” she pointed out.
“More than half,” Veter corrected her. “But don’t worry, we fixed it,” he smiled proudly. “Besides…” Veter lifted his hand and a small tornado formed on his palm.
G couldn’t believe it. She poked the tornado with her finger and watched the cool wind linger over her skin. G giggled and looked at Veter. “I’m a wind wielder and the one in charge,” he said.
“In charge of security, your majesty,” corrected Donovan.
“At least I’m in charge of something,” he gave a loud chuckle. “That creature over there is Donovan, the animal whisperer and master of martial arts. Stay away from his claws though. That rat he’s carrying is Icarus, our messenger.”
Donovan hugged Icarus and rubbed the little guys head. “He’s a sugar glider.”
“Keep telling yourself that, man.” Veter patted him on the back before pointing at Edan. “I assume you already met the charming Edan.”
“Lucky me,” she added.
“He is our leader and his element is fire.”
“Fire, like me?” asked G.
“No, no one is quite like you.” Veter pointed at Shui and she bowed her head to G. “That hot little thing is Shui, she wields water… and me.” He winked at G making her chuckle.
Willow scoffed, rolling her eyes. “As if she would like you back.”
“Willow…” Veter pointed at Willow, “…the blonde that looks like everything smells like shit, is an earth wielder.”
“I heard you,” she said as she scanned G from head to toe with a shrug.
“You were supposed to,” said Veter. “And finally…” Veter guided G in front of the wild teen, “…this kid is Hunter.”
“Hi.” G leaned closer to the boy but he stood quietly staring at her.
“He doesn’t talk.” Donovan walked towards the kitchen. “We have no idea why since there’s nothing physical that prevents him from talking. He just… doesn’t.”
“Hunter?” G repeated his name. “What does he do?”
“Well… He is a hunter,” Veter responded to the obvious.
“Seriously? Your hunter’s name is Hunter?”
“Yes. We take pride in having come up with that name, too,” added Donovan, who was now eating some of Edan’s food.
“No offense, but why would you guys need a hunter? There are more restaurants than people in this town,” G pointed out.
Edan flicked his tongue as if he was bothered by G’s existence. “He is not going to kill our meal,” said Edan. “He is an expert in tracking and hiding. And trust us, we need him more than anything, especially now that your locket was broken a year before time.”
“My necklace, where is it?!” she asked as soon as she remembered it. It’d been wrapped around her neck for as far back as she could remember she never had the need to keep an eye on it or worry about losing it.
“Gone,” said Edan, anger dripping off
the word.
G held her head between her hands. This is insane… Half an hour ago I woke up in a strange place and now I’m surrounded by people who claim to control the elements. And not just that, they keep calling me weird names like ‘Moja Princeza’… which I assume it means “something princess” and “your majesty.” G looked at Mr. Blau. His eyes were focused like laser beams at her, as if he was ready to jump in case she snapped. But she wasn’t going to. Why not? she questioned herself. How am I not completely freaking out…Not even after being surrounded by strangers with crazy tattoos and talking sugar gliders, who seemed to know Mr. Blau… Edan, she thought. They all know Edan, but more important, they all know me.
“Edan…” G mumbled under her breath. A name she’d heard before. The name, the green eyes, the strong features... This time, G was sure that he was the boy from her nightmares. “You are him, right?” She walked closer to Edan. “The boy from my dreams?”
“I am,” he admitted.
G couldn’t decide if she was feeling relieved or simply angry. All her suspicions about him were on the right track and she wasn’t losing her mind. Why had he lied to her? “How can that be possible? You being in my dream?”
“Because it’s not a dream, it’s a memory,” he clarified.
A memory… That war was real? G couldn’t wrap her mind around how that war could have existed. The place, the castle, the people, the way they fought; there was no place on earth like that. “I’m sorry, I’m so confused.” She felt dizzy, the floor spinning under her feet. She was filled with an overwhelming sensation and her vision became blurry. Leaning against her shaky hands, she sat down next to Shui.
Shui warmed another cup of tea and passed it to G. “Tell us what you don’t understand so we can help you.”
“To be honest, everything.” G took a sip. The warm honey taste made her feel more at ease. “Who are you? Where did you come from? How can you all do these things with fire and wind? How do you know me?”
“Our group is called The Six and, like you, we are all from Terra,” said Donovan.
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