Seasons Within Box Set

by Lele Iturrioz

  “Not anymore.” Already on his feet, Edan moved his shoulder. “How are the others?”

  “The others are fine.” Shui checked Gaia’s eyes for any sign of head injury. “Everyone’s waiting at the next campsite.”

  “The tree outside, was a great idea,” Hunter signaled Gaia once she was finished being inspected.

  “It was,” said Willow. “Where did you get this type of seed?” she asked, her hand caressing the unusually soft roots.

  “Nowhere,” Edan said with a proud grin.

  “You created it?” Willow questioned Gaia, who nodded. To everyone’s surprise, Willow clapped. “Great work! It’s strong and big; covered most of the top outside.”

  “They’re OK to fly,” said Shui after finishing inspecting Edan’s injuries.

  “Good.” Veter passed Edan the leather straps he tied to his chest. “Let’s go before they find us.”

  “Fly?” asked Gaia.

  Edan took the straps to Gaia. “Stretch your arm like this.”

  Gaia mimicked Edan’s arm and he tied a leather loop almost on top of her elbow. He curled the leather around Gaia’s forearm creating a thick forearm cuff from her elbow to her wrist. Edan finished with one arm and started with the other one. “What’s this for?” Gaia asked, examining his fantastic work.

  “It’s so the condors don’t hurt your arm,” he explained while tying up the last strand under her wrist.

  “Condors?!” Her voice was muffled by the shrieking sound of the vultures waiting for them.

  Edan quickly tied the rest of the straps on his arms. “We are set,” he said.

  Gaia took Hunter’s hand as he helped her to crawl out of the cave’s hole. The light was intense; the air was cold and fresh. She stood up on the snow, slapping away the pieces that stuck on her bare legs. She lifted her gaze to four enormous condors.

  Gaia ran her hand through the soft feathers of one of the condors. “Thanks for picking us up,” she said. The condor bowed its head. Princess… she heard the condor shriek.

  Edan whistled and the birds flew. He stood behind Gaia, lifted her arms, and arranged her stance. “Stay like that.” He placed his arms on top of his head just like he did with Gaia’s. “Hold them tight and keep your head covered.”

  The condors came back flying. They dipped into the mountain and just before crashing, they flew up taking the team by their arms to the safe camp.

  The experience was exhilarating. Adrenaline pumped in Gaia’s blood, the cold wind hitting her body and her lungs were filled with the cleanest air she’d ever breathed. Gaia looked down. Her jaw cringed as she straightened her legs. She was never afraid of heights, but looking at her floating feet with no wires or safety nets would bring goosebumps to anyone. Lucky for her, this adrenaline was precisely what she needed to keep her mind out of whatever had happened in the snow cave.

  * * *

  When their feet touched the ground, the condors flew away.

  “You’re back!” Priyam jumped on top of Gaia, then shook her body with frustration. “How could you do that!? What is wrong with you!? How could you jump on a freaking Draak and leave me behind!?”

  “I’m sorry.” Gaia hugged her. She patted Priyam’s back trying to calm her down. “I couldn’t let them take Edan.”

  “I was so damn scared,” Priyam cried on her shoulder.

  Pink smacked Gaia on the back. “That was amazing, girl,” she cheered.

  “Beyond amazing,” Floyd joined his twin sister. “How did you manage to reach it?”

  “Reach what?” she asked, knowing exactly what was Floyd referring to.

  “The Draak, how did you reach it?”

  “I used the roots from a tree as a catapult.” And then I took a creature’s willpower to reach the man I have a crush on… A man with badass hair, beautiful eyes, bipolar tendencies and apparently, a hidden match… she thought.

  “We saw that,” Pink nodded. “But how did you reach the Draak that was carrying Edan?”

  Damn it… Did they notice? I seriously hope not. “I jumped from the Draak,” she lied again.

  “That’s insane!” Donovan huffed. “They were truly far away.”

  “Not really… Maybe from your point of view,” she lied once more. She hated that, lying was something she absolutely disliked. But losing her family was worse. “Besides, there was the adrenaline and all that stuff with the… other stuff.”

  Pink clapped. “You’re going to be such a kickass queen.”

  * * *

  That night Gaia walked outside to the forest. She left a white iris on a tree.

  Oh, come on, Pratt, please be here. She was still scared by how she wielded Synthia, but at the same time it was that knowledge that helped her save Edan. She was willing to learn anything that would help her protect her loved ones, even if it cost her.

  Chapter 11

  Match and Speed

  EDAN DIPPED HIS HANDS in the cold water of his sink. He cupped some water and splashed it on his face. The water froze his thoughts for a second releasing some of his built-up nerves. Ever since the cave, he couldn’t stop thinking about Gaia and their time alone. She knows now… he thought, as he felt years of stress sliding away. Yet, she hasn’t remembered... has she?

  He stared at his reflection in the mirror. His intense green eyes appeared more tired than usual. How could they not be after a sleepless night like the one he just had? Ever since he was little, Edan had become accustomed to staying up a lot of nights. He had done many night shifts as a guard, plus there were all those times he couldn’t sleep due to his worries over messing up the mission, his stress over Gaia’s recklessness, and his constant nightmares. Only this sleepless night was different. It was the second time Edan couldn’t sleep because his reality was so perfect he didn’t want to stop living it. He dried his hands, took a small green velvet bag and put it in his back pocket.

  Outside his room at the Manning Park Resort, he ran into Shui. “Morning, have you seen Gaia?”

  “Good morning, Edan. She was studying her earth wielding with Willow.” She pointed at the far left. “Right across that field.”

  “Thanks,” he said, speeding up his pace. There was no time to waste. He needed to see her again, to make sure he didn't imagine that she was aware of their relationship… just like he had previously done many times over the years.

  He reached the field, though he only saw Willow. “Morning, Willow.” He looked around to see if Gaia was somewhere a little more hidden.

  “She just left,” said Willow, reading his mind. “If you run that way you might catch her.”

  “Thank you, Willow!” He sprinted in the direction Willow pointed, unaware of her dejected expression.

  He increased his speed. The closer he got, the more he could feel his heart was about to explode. He was one of the few Terrians who could outrun a Skuggor and yet that day he couldn’t move fast enough. He couldn’t get to her any sooner. The run felt longer than a marathon but after a few feet he saw her.

  Gaia was carrying a medium-sized box made of straw. She was humming a pop song while walking around trying not to step on cracks, clearly oblivious to Edan’s gaze.

  “Should I be worried?” he asked, teasing her over her goofy behavior.

  Startled, Gaia stepped on a crack and tripped. Edan caught her midway, pulling her towards his chest. He finally had her next to him. Where she should be. “Slippery floor, Red?” he laughed as she clung to the box.

  “You’re calling me Red,” Gaia gulped, half shocked, half pleased.

  “You asked me to.”

  This time, it was Gaia who chuckled. “Since when do you do what I ask?”

  “Since, you know…” he hinted at their time in the cave. The only thing he’d been able to think about for the entire day.

  “I don’t know.”

  “No?” Edan’s face turned white. He pushed Gaia to her feet as a void grew in his stomach.

  Gaia’s gray eyes opened wide. “You look pale.”
She placed her palm against his forehead to check for any fever, after all they had been locked in a cold cave of snow and rocks. “You’re warm; I’ll get you something to eat.”

  “Don’t.” Edan stopped her by the hand that wasn’t holding the box. “You need to save your energy,” he said, without letting go of her.

  “I don’t need to. It’s already been more than twelve hours since the cave,” said Gaia, hoping Edan hadn’t realized he was still holding her hand.

  “I need to clear something up with you.”

  “Edan!” Donovan screamed from the other side of the field. “Pink and Floyd are back.”

  “I’ll be right there,” he shouted and turned back to face Gaia.

  “You said it was urgent in today’s meeting!”

  Edan sighed. He knew Pink and Floyd went to get the maps and news on their weaponry contact. Things that were vital to their mission, only this time, this one talk was more important than anything else to Edan. Even more important than the mission. “Go,” said Gaia, interrupting Edan’s indecision to move. “I promised to take this to Veter and help him to make more of Floyd’s medicine.”

  “Later, then,” he said before jogging to where Donovan was standing.

  Gaia couldn’t stop herself from watching Edan as he walked away. Ever since the cave she’d had the feeling like something had changed, evolved. She didn’t get the same rejection vibe from Edan, his unyielding wall; on the contrary, she felt like he wanted her near him, and the longer the better.

  After watching Edan leave, Gaia took the box of straw to Veter who was waiting for her next to the First Tree. “Are these all the ones you needed?” Gaia opened the box so Veter could take a better look.

  Veter held his cigar between his teeth and counted the herbs. “Perfect, Moja Princeza! Take two pink flowers from Mr. Bobby and sit down here,” he patted the empty ground, “next to me.”

  Gaia plucked the two Juliet roses and sat beside Veter.

  Veter took out a few aloe leaves. “This is Terrian aloe, it helps with the cut.” He grabbed mint. “These mint leaves will act as an anesthetic, and Mr. Bobby’s flowers will cure him faster than any other medicine in any of the two worlds.” Placing the plants in a bowl made of dark rock, he gave Gaia instructions. “You slowly grind it, like this.” With a mixture of wrist twists and little taps, Veter ground the plants. “Here, give it a try.”

  Gaia took the stone and mimicked Veter’s movements. “Like this?”

  “Softer.” Veter grabbed a metallic vase that looked smaller than its real size against his massive hands. He poured cold water into the bowl. “Magnificent, keep that steady rhythm.”

  “I didn’t know Bobby was used for medicinal purposes,” she said while grinding.

  “It’s used for so much more,” Veter light up his cigar. “The First Tree is full of useful properties. The pink flowers have strong medicinal purposes, the lavender ones that look like sakuras have the ability to feed, the white peonies are for the soul, to cure them or to bind them. The roots, the bark, the symbols, they all can be used for many things. He’s also in charge to find you and your reincarnations. The whole extent of what Mr. Bobby can do is a mystery to everyone.”

  The more Gaia ground the paste, the more it began to turn thicker and gained a darker golden color. It started to smell like oregano with a strong kick of peppermint. “Veter,” called Gaia while continuing to twist her wrist. “Are you married to Shui?”

  “I really wish we were, but we’re not.” Veter added a few petals of chamomile to the mix.

  “Aren’t you a match?”

  “We are, but that doesn’t make us man and wife,” he explained.

  “Terrians don’t get married?”

  “We do. Just not like they do on Earth.” He poured more mint to the mix, making the paste less watery. “In the ceremony, we combine our souls. From there a unique mark will appear on the couple. Half his, half hers,” Veter explained like it was some sort of fairytale. He then made a circle on the bottom of Gaia’s left wrist. “Right in here.”

  Gaia remembered her talk with Edan. A binding mark for you and your match… he called them. “Like Klog Mor’s?”

  “Exactly.” Veter clapped. “Her husband was an earth wielder, that’s why it’s half fire, half earth.”

  “That’s beautiful.” She glanced at her own empty wrist.

  “It is,” he sighed. Veter made sure his hair was held tight by his man bun. He took from his leather sack a small purple glass container and opened it by rolling the top. “Don’t stop stirring it.” He wielded the air. Using it as a spoon, he scooped the dough into the glass container until it filled up.

  “I asked Edan if Willow was his match,” Gaia blurted out.

  Veter burst out with laughter, and the glass container slipped from his thick fingers. “She’s not,” he managed to say after catching the container with wind a few inches before it shattered. “They’re just childhood friends.”

  “He said that too.” Gaia took another purple glass container from the leather sack and filled it just like Veter had. “He said they were inseparable until something happened.”

  “Something?”

  “He said he couldn’t remember.”

  “How could he not.” Veter chuckled with his deep rough voice. “That reason was you, Princeza.”

  “Me? How?”

  “Edan wasn’t very…” Veter scratched his bushy dark-brown beard. “Let’s call it ‘popular’ in the city.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “Of course you have.” He smiled, proud of Gaia’s affinity for understanding what was happening around her. “In those days, Willow was the only child who dared to play with him. She was his first friend and for a while, his only.” Veter packed all the full containers back into his bag. “They were together almost every single hour of the day, until he rescued you from the Darkling that attacked you at the palace.”

  “The one who gave him the scar on his forearm?”

  “That one,” he said. He poured the water to clean his hands before drying them, then did the same with Gaia’s hands. “Don’t say I told you, but he’s been taking care of you ever since.”

  Gaia stopped herself from biting her lower lip. She was definitely nervous but she didn’t want Veter to find out. “What needs to happen to call someone your match?”

  “I don’t think I understand what you mean.”

  “Well, you’ve liked Shui for more than twelve years, and she wasn’t called your match until she decided it. Why?”

  “A match is not someone you like or find attractive, a match is your other you. Your partner.” Veter lifted his hand towards the sky. “The sun and the moon, fire and ice, everything in this world is made of pairs. Together you are stronger. You don’t complete each other, you balance each other. The matching process starts when one declares it and closes when it’s acknowledged by the partner in question. It can’t be one-sided.”

  By both? Gaia never told Edan he was her match, nor had Edan told her she was his. Well I’m pretty sure he knows I like him and the thing in the cave… he was definitely talking about me. Wasn’t he…? If he was, why would he call us a match if we haven’t declared it? I mean, I’d never heard him declare it. Not even acknowledge it. “What happens if no one declares it? Or if one doesn’t declare it?”

  “It means they are not a match.”

  Gaia looked at Veter’s red ring. Shui knotted it in a way that would look as manly as Veter was. It was thick and perfect for this giant Viking-looking man. She then stared at her pinky… there was no ring there. She couldn’t have a match. Not a match… echoed in her thoughts over and over. He was talking about me, right? Does he have someone in Terra?

  “Are you feeling OK?” Veter asked, puffing on his cigar. “Your face turned to worry.”

  “I’m fine, just a little tired I guess.”

  * * *

  Edan ignited a ball of fire on his palm. Having just gone through his worst grou
p meeting ever, he manipulated it across his fingers like a stress ball… Besides the fact that he couldn’t concentrate on what everyone was talking about, he named the wrong Terrian for the job… twice.

  For the first time since he was thirteen, Edan had to let Donovan take the lead. Luckily, his best friend did a great job explaining the alternate plan they’d come up with a few weeks ago in case of emergency.

  “Flipping hell,” Edan cursed. He thought his time in the cave with Gaia had fixed something he’d been worried about for many years. He didn’t think it would only add a new type of torture. How much clearer could he’d been at expressing his feelings? Feelings… he cringed at the word.

  Submerged in his mental agony, Edan noticed Priyam walking a few feet away from him. Like many other times, Priyam was paying more attention to one of her crazy thick books than looking at where she was stepping. “Priyam!” he called to her.

  Priyam’s eyes peeped over the pages. She saw Edan waving at her to get closer. “What’s up, Fireball?”

  “May I ask you a question?”

  “Depends.” Priyam’s thin eyebrow raised with curiosity. “How classified would this question be?”

  “Top.” He grinned, knowing that phrase would always get her full attention.

  Priyam closed her book and sat on a rock next to him. “Hit it.”

  “Let’s say…If I hinted to Gaia that she’s Mother Nature.” He leaned closer to Priyam, preventing anyone passing by from hearing their conversation. “Would she figure it out?”

  Priyam placed her elbow against her knee and bent closer to Edan. “I think she already knows that,” she whispered.

  Out of options on how to get the information he needed, Edan took a quick peek at his surroundings. Coast was clear. “What if I hint something else? Anything else.”

  “Never.” Priyam laughed at the mere thought of her best friend picking up on hints. “Gaia and hinting don’t match…at all.”