Seasons Within Box Set

by Lele Iturrioz

  “I’ll be gone for a few days and I wanted to make sure everything was on point.” He stretched his arms, leaning against a tree. “Any other visions?” Pratt asked. Gaia shook her head. “How about training, how are you doing so far?”

  Gaia sat on a rock a few steps from Pratt. “Not as fast I would like. I’m still stuck on fire and earth.”

  “That’s good. Remember, you were trapped for twelve years. It’s only been a few months since your release. It is impressive that you’re already training two elements.”

  “It is?”

  “Very.” Pratt lowered his arms and pushed himself away from the trunk and closer to Gaia. “What about the rest? Who’s teaching you how to fight? Without elements, of course.”

  “Pink and Floyd.”

  Pratt took a moment. He thought about it, but those names were new to him. “Never met them.”

  “They’re humans.”

  “Humans…” He said it in a way that let Gaia know he wasn’t thrilled with that answer. Not one bit.

  “They are tougher than any Terrian I know,” said Gaia trying not to sound annoyed. She understood the reasons why Terrians had some sort of mistrust in humans, but they didn’t know them like she did. After living among them for twelve years, Gaia knew humans had a beautiful, strong and positive side too. “Trust me, you should see how they’re terrorizing the rest of the group now.”

  “Who’s teaching you about the Terrian customs?”

  “Veter,” her lips curled into a wide smile. “Or at least he tries.”

  “What about tracking?”

  “Hunter.”

  “I’ve always liked that little wild fellow.” Pratt kicked a small rock with the tip of his blue tennis shoes. “Is he still not talking?”

  “Nope, not a word.”

  “How’s Edan doing?”

  “He’s doing fine.” She felt strange having Pratt asking her nice things about Edan. “He’s grumpy and irritating as ever.”

  “Really?” Pratt leaned closer to Gaia. “That’s why you like him that much?” he asked and her mouth twitched. “What?” Pratt asked, curious about Gaia’s expression.

  “I don’t wanna talk about him.” Gaia leaned closer to Pratt trying to read his intentions. “Besides, this is the first time you’ve asked so much about them. Why?”

  “Paranoid much?” Pratt chuckled, making Gaia feel a little silly. “It’s not like I hate them. I’m just not a part of their team anymore.”

  Yes… Chill down G. I mean, if you ever got separated from Priyam, no matter what happened, you would still want to know if she was OK… “It would be cool if you were back on the team.”

  “You want me there?” Pratt softly caressed Gaia’s arm. “All you need to do is ask.”

  And there it was, the same damn feeling Gaia had with every guy she miraculously got close to… indifference. She felt intrigued by someone as mysterious as Pratt. She felt many things around him. She was excited with the thrill of finding her own answers, to the idea of having a friend treating her like an adult and trusting her information, still… nothing else.

  Gaia couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. Every time she met cute guys, she never cared to pursue them, even the principal’s son, her first kiss. She felt as if by kissing the guy she could finally feel all those nerves and butterflies that Priyam described, or feel that passionate love she saw in the movies, yet nothing happened. Luckily that dog attacked him, she thought of the memory of the principal’s son trying to grope her right before a stray dog bit his leg.

  Even then: at that moment, a guy as handsome as Pratt was holding her hand and she felt absolutely nothing. Not even kissing… she remembered feeling the adrenaline of the forbidden, the excitement for her deal but it was all about the situation and never about Pratt.

  Only him, only Edan, the mere thought of his name gave Gaia the butterflies she craved, the fluttering no one else could give her. She hated how, out of all the men in the world, Edan was the only one who ever made her feel that way. Each time he was near her everything felt right, tasted better. Even in her nightmares, all around her was chaos, but she felt secure whenever she saw that boy with the shaggy brown hair and gorgeous green eyes.

  She hated how her mind and body kept looking for him. Sensing him even across fields, like a strong magnet that no matter where she went, she was pulled toward him. She hated it; she loved it.

  “Hands off, mister.” Gaia slid her arm away.

  “Aww, come on!” he teased.

  “Don’t be gross.” She laughed at his ridiculousness. “You don’t even like me that way.”

  “True.” Pratt moved his hand to the back of his blond hair, unable to hide his smile. “I just find your annoyed faces really entertaining.”

  “Well, stop.” She glared at him. “Or next time I will remove it by force.”

  “Look who got all sassy after achieving Nature’s Communion?”

  “Nature’s what?”

  “You’re kidding, right? Nature’s Communion?” Pratt questioned, trying to find any sign of recognition from Gaia; nothing. “You’re not kidding, you really don’t know what that is.”

  Gaia tried to recall anyone, from Klog Mor to Hans, anyone who had talked about Nature’s Communion yet she couldn’t recall any single memory of it. She shook her head.

  “Communing is the strongest form of connection Mother Nature can have with every living being. It’s creating a bond where you can understand them and help them in ways that no one else can. It’s like a direct line with Nature.”

  “Wow,” Gaia sighed with the idea of getting to understand the rest of the plants and living creatures in a better way. “How do I do it?”

  “Well…” Pratt rubbed the back of his neck.

  “What?”

  “I guess I might have spoken too soon,” he said.

  “What does that even mean?”

  “It means that I probably shouldn’t have told you.” Pratt stretched his arms and fold them behind his head. “I think it would be interesting to meet these two crazy twins.”

  “Hey! Don’t change the subject.”

  “I’m sorry, Princess.” Pratt took out a juicy pear from a pouch that hung from his belt. “If they haven’t told you, they probably have their reasons.”

  “And? They haven’t told me many things, yet you talk about them with me,” she said, trying not to get annoyed. “What’s different about this?”

  “This is stronger.”

  “Are you siding with them?”

  “You know I don’t take sides,” he cleaned the pear with his sleeve. “But this is a very complex thing. If they found out I showed you how to Commune before you learned the other elements, they will definitely hunt me down.”

  “I won’t tell.”

  “I don’t know, Edan is very strict with these things.”

  “What’s going on with you?” Gaia asked, hoping this wasn’t an April’s Fool’s Day thing. “Since when do you care what Edan is strict about?”

  “Point taken.” Pratt calculated the consequences of going against The Six’s wishes. Gaia gave him her best puppy eyes. “Fine. I’ll teach you.”

  “Yes!”

  “Not a word, to anyone.”

  “None.”

  “That includes Priyam.”

  “Promise.”

  Chapter 4

  Nature’s Communion

  GAIA FOLLOWED PRATT deeper into the woods. They stopped as soon as he noticed a young deer eating grass around the nearby trees. “Watch.” Pratt kneeled down next to a fallen trunk. “See that deer?”

  “Yes.”

  “Close your eyes and concentrate on it.” Gaia knelt next to Pratt. “Can you feel him?”

  Gaia closed her eyes. She took a deep breath then guided all her attention towards the deer. “I do.”

  “Concentrate on his soul, concentrate on the vitamins in its body, the minerals running through his blood,” Pratt whispered. “Once you do, imag
ine the deer standing on two feet.”

  “Do they even do that?” Gaia asked with her eyes still closed.

  “Just imagine it.”

  Gaia did as she was told. She concentrated on the minerals in his blood, the calcium, its soul. She then imagined the deer standing on its back feet and stretching its front legs towards the sky. Gaia opened her eyes and saw how the deer had obeyed her thoughts.

  The animal looked so unnatural that Gaia got scared. She looked away, breaking the connection. The deer took back his real form then bounded away fast. “What was that?! Why would he do that?”

  “He didn’t, you did. You just told him to.”

  “How?” she asked, still haunted by the image of the abnormal stance the deer had taken.

  “Every living thing is made of water and minerals,” Pratt explained. “Just like you can wield the minerals inside the earth, you can wield the ones inside a living body.”

  “What?!” Gaia felt sick.

  “It’s like—”

  “No, I understood that!” Gaia paced around in panic. “You mean I just wielded that deer?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “No, no. That felt wrong.”

  “Why would it be wrong?” Pratt crawled closer to Gaia, trying to calm her down. “You’ve wielded plants and elements. Why is that OK but wielding other living things is wrong?”

  “Because that’s taking away their free will," Gaia snapped at Pratt. “Every living thing deserves their free will.”

  “And they have it. You don’t take it away, you just guide them through a better path.”

  Gaia thought about it, but she couldn’t shake the idea of how terrible that was. There was no specific scenario where taking someone or something’s free will was alright. “I don’t know… it feels off.”

  “I should’ve known.” Pratt seemed worried. “I’m sorry, you might not be used to it.”

  “Used to what?”

  “Being a mother figure,” he said.

  After Pratt spoke those words, Gaia felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. No, she wasn’t used to any mother-related stuff. She didn’t know what it was to have her mother brush her hair, to get sad and have her bringing her ice cream, to show her how to put on make-up, to ground her, to get angry at because she wasn’t allowed to go to the party she wanted to go to, all because she cared for her. Not the bad, nor the good. “I’m sorry.” She bit her lower lip to prevent her from crying. “I don’t know what it is like.”

  “A mother always knows what’s best for her children, sometimes they might not agree, but she has to give them rules and discipline them if needed.” Pratt hugged Gaia in an effort to calm her down. “Otherwise they won’t grow to their full potential, and Gaia, in a way you are their mother, their queen.”

  “Mother or no mother, it still sounds wrong.” She wanted to move away, but a hug from a friend, in a time like this, wasn’t so bad after all.

  “By wielding water, you can drown an entire city, with earth you can create earthquakes and kill millions; everything is dependent on how you use it. I’m not saying you should bend everyone to your will, I’m saying you could save a girl from being run over, or a person from being murdered, or even, stop Him.”

  Gaia’s body was instantly filled with chills at the sound of his name. The man who killed her entire family, the man who haunted her dreams. The man that would stop at nothing until she was dead.

  “I’m sorry Pratt. I’m not going to use that wield ever again.” Gaia’s timer beeped. She let go of Pratt in order to head back, only he wasn’t letting her go. Instead, he pulled her closer.

  “Don’t move,” Pratt whispered.

  “Pratt!”

  Pratt covered her mouth. “SHH! Don’t make a sound and turn around,” he nodded towards their right.

  Slowly, Gaia turned her head around. She knew something would be wrong, she could feel it creeping up the nape of her neck. She just wasn’t prepared for what was standing behind her. A huge Draak.

  Her gray eyes opened wide. “Crap,” she gasped.

  The bone dragon lifted his tail. Petrified, Gaia saw how the bones twirled up and jabbed in her direction. Pratt jumped, grabbing Gaia to get her out of the way.

  “A Draak?” Gaia scanned the forest sure she would see The Six running to kill it, but no one was there. “Why hasn’t anyone sensed it?”

  “Maybe the pranks are keeping their minds distracted,” he said as they both ran into the forest. “They might be confusing the signs of the beast with more tricks.”

  “You’re right. I need to go get Edan.”

  “No! Stay down, princess.” Pratt pushed Gaia against a tree. “The Draak will kill you before you reach the protective barrier.”

  * * *

  Back at the camp, the rock Pratt gave Gaia shone, with a pulsating red dot. Too bad no one was around to see it happening.

  Hunter and the rest were trying so hard not to get caught on the twins’ pranks that no one was aware of what was happening.

  Edan snuck into the kitchen area where Veter was hiding near the food. “Where’s Gaia?” asked Edan.

  “I think she’s hiding with Prisum,” he said, taking a quick peek at the other side of the camp. “I thought we had this under control Kapetan, what happened to the plan?”

  “Draaks, Darklings, supernovas, you name it.” Edan continued his search for the bungalows. “Keep surviving, soldier.” He waved at Veter.

  Edan walked to Gaia’s bungalow. “Gaia?” He was about to reach the flower-and-vine door when Priyam dashed out and stopped him. “You can’t!”

  “I need to talk to her. Even with the pranks we still need to plan our next departure.”

  “We’re leaving again?”

  “Yes. Pack your bags, Frodo.”

  “Frodo?! What’s wrong with you, Fireball?” Priyam’s teeth cringed at the misrepresented nickname. “The cool one is Sam… I thought I taught you better.”

  “Well Sam, try to be ready this time.” Edan took a step forward to the bungalow’s door when Priyam stopped him.

  “I can tell her for you.”

  “She’s not there, is she?” Edan walked closer to Priyam. She wasn’t as easy to read as Gaia was, but still, Edan could feel something was happening. “Where is she?”

  “Relax,” she said. “She’s inside.”

  “Then let me talk to her.” Edan moved Priyam out of the way.

  “No! Wait.” Priyam tried to stop him, but Edan grabbed one of the vines. “She’s naked,” she spoke, louder than she should.

  Edan’s hand sprung back as if the door was made of molten lava. “It’s the middle of the day. Why would she be undressed?”

  “She…” Priyam paused trying to figure out what to say. “Got caught in a trap and I’m fixing her dress for her.”

  “Dress?” Edan’s thick eyebrow curved in confusion. “Wasn’t Gaia wearing her shorts and a ridiculously long top?”

  “Psss... Wow.” Priyam laughed nervously. “Who said men don’t notice when you change your hair, right?” She patted Edan’s arm as he stared at her.

  “Is this another April Fool’s Day joke?” his thick eyebrow curved in confusion.

  “No,” she mumbled. “Anyway, you were totally right. She was wearing shorts but… she fell into the mud.”

  “The mud?”

  Priyam knew he wasn’t convinced. If she wanted to succeed in getting the damn leader of the group to believe her, she was going to need an excuse. It better be a good one. “You know how clumsy she is,” she said and waited in fear for Edan’s response.

  “Too much, if you ask me.” Edan looked at his watch. “Try not to take too long.”

  Priyam sprinted inside her bungalow and closed the vine door behind her. The place was empty. “I swear that gave me an ulcer,” she sighed.

  Priyam looked at the time. “Where are you?” She worried about Gaia’s whereabouts. She walked towards the window in case she could see Gaia running back
home.

  SLAM! A hand smashed against the partially opened window. Shocked, Priyam fell backward from the scare.

  Floyd climbed up and jumped into the room. “What ya doing on the floor, Snowflake?”

  “Someone scared me to death!” She lifted her hand and Floyd helped her up. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Got a pressie for you.” Floyd stuck half of his body out of the window and came back with a thick purple wooden crossbow. “You suck at knives, but you ace the crossbow.”

  Priyam took the crossbow with the same love a mother would have when carrying her child. “Is this for me?”

  “Aye.” Floyd sat casually on the rock that was used as Priyam’s desk. “I’m your weapons instructor. It’s my job to find the best weapon for you.”

  Priyam looked closer and saw a bunch of flowers and elven letters carved in the wood. “And this little thing over here? Is that your job too?”

  “Well…” he said, taken by surprise, “I asked Hunter to carve some pretty little things for you. You like?”

  “I do.” Priyam smiled. Floyd took Priyam’s hand before a pitchy scream came from the kitchen. “I guess you caught Synthia.”

  Floyd smirked with excitement. “I guess I did.”

  “I need to see that.”

  “Sure.” Floyd walked to the bungalow’s window. “I’ll help you out.”

  “We can use the door, you know,” Priyam laughed.

  “Actually you can’t.” He scratched his button nose like a child who’d been busted. “There’s a trap outside.”

  “Outside this door?” Priyam’s chocolate brown eyes opened wide. “I was just there!”

  “Then you are a lucky girl,” he smirked. “Come follow. Once outside, don’t go through the kitchen or between the bungalows.” He took a few steps and stopped. “And don’t walk around the hill or the forest or the entrance,” he explained as Priyam stared at him like he was a madman. “On second thought… just stay here. I’ll take a picture of Synthia.” He saluted her after jumping out of the window. “We’ll start your crossbow training tomorrow. Not that you need it,” he hollered as he kept running away, leaving Priyam happy and unaware of the deadly situation her best friend was in.