Seasons Within Box Set

by Lele Iturrioz

  “I’m sorry, Synthia,” Donovan interrupted her speech. “I know what you’re saying is incredibly important but I need to ask… what training leaves you two covered in color dots?” he asked. Everyone at the table stared at Gaia and Edan expecting an answer.

  Since they remained in silence, Priyam decided to answer. “Yes, G. What type of training?”

  “Who cares?” Synthia kept pressing on. “I was talking and since I have everyone’s attention now, I have a question Willow, how come Edan used to sit always there.” She pointed at the seat next to Willow. “And now he always sits here?” She tapped Edan’s shoulder next to her.

  “Because you stalk him?” added Priyam.

  “Let lonely flower answer the question,” Synthia shrieked.

  “Synthia, stop it,” said Gaia, although it sounded more like a warning.

  Synthia pouted her lips. “No, really; I just want to know what it feels like to be rejected.”

  “You tell me.” Willow had had enough and snapped at Synthia. “You’re the one with the scar.”

  “Willow!” Edan intervened.

  “She started it.”

  “Then don’t follow it,” he hissed.

  The table was finally calm when Synthia laughed. “At least I’m not sadly in love with my best—”

  “I said stop!” Gaia slammed her hand on top of the table.

  BOOM!

  The water tank exploded. The water fell like a cascade drenching everyone except Shui, who wielded the water away from her.

  “Aaahh! You ruined my dress!” Synthia ran as if the water was pure acid.

  “It’s my turn.” Donovan sighed, getting up to follow her.

  Veter laughed almost to the point of crying. “That solves the coloring issue.”

  Smiling, Shui took a bite of her still dry food. “Welcome to water training. We start tomorrow at eight a.m.”

  Chapter 13

  Water

  GAIA SAT DOWN ON THE cold grass in front of the Okanagan Lake. She tied her red hair in a ponytail and copied the lotus position that Shui was in by knotting her legs. Obviously, it took using her hand to contort herself, but she managed.

  Gaia looked around, there was absolutely no one around yet. They were in a place slightly visible from the town. “Are you sure this place is OK for wielding?”

  “Unquestionably. Willow helped me to shield it.” Shui closed her deep black eyes. “Ready?”

  Gaia took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

  “Don’t be nervous, Gaia; the more elements you know, the easier it will be for you to wield the next one,” said Shui. “I’m sure you’ve already experienced it with the earth element.”

  “Actually…” Gaia thought about how she had been able to create a tree from nothing. She knew that wasn’t exactly her mastering earth, but at the same time it took her a lot less to get a hold of that element than fire did. “You are right,” she agreed. “It’s easier to wield earth than it was with fire.”

  “Lesson one.” Shui straightened her posture. “Fire is passion, earth is grounding, water is calming. Fire on the chest, earth on the feet and water on the hands,” she explained, while placing her hand on their respective places. “You need to reach the point where your body and mind are connected, but above all, relaxed.”

  “Body and mind connected,” Gaia repeated after her.

  “I will wield a bubble. Your job is to keep it floating in its same shape,” she said. “Understood?” Shui asked and Gaia nodded.

  Graceful as ever, Shui moved her hands in circles. The water from the lake floated to the sky forming a bubble. Once finished, she signaled Gaia to take her place. “Concentrate, don’t push it, feel it.”

  Gaia lifted her hands and the water reacted to her wielding. The bubble wiggled. Wow, no. please don’t break… she begged the bubble. Don’t push it, feel it. Gaia closed her eyes and concentrated on the water. Its weight, the way it felt like sliding on her hands even though the water was feet away from them; the smell of freshness, the cold tingling on her palms. She could feel it. Like a water balloon circling over her hands. Round… she thought as she moved her hands the same way Shui did before.

  “Excellent job, Gaia.” Shui clapped. “You truly are Mother Nature.”

  More in control, Gaia opened her eyes and saw a wobbly bubble floating on top of the lake.

  “Remember, in water you need to keep yourself calm. Water is the life of everything, calm and composed yet deadly,” said Shui. “That’s why we meditate a lot, to keep our minds peaceful.”

  Gaia kept the bubble in the air. Her head was slightly dizzy but she knew it was from learning a new element. Just like trying an exercise your muscles aren’t used to yet. “Shui, I heard that only a great water wielder can wield water out of their own bodies.”

  “That is true.”

  “Your father did, I remember from my dreams.”

  “Yes, he was truly amazing.” Shui smiled at the memory of her father. “I used to do this with him.”

  “He must have been really proud.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that,” smiled Shui as she levitated another bubble next to Gaia’s. “Lesson two, shapes.” Shui turned her bubble of water into an orchid. “I will wield the water into a shape of my choice and you will try to shape yours the same way.”

  “Starting with that flower?” Gaia gulped at the complexity of the shape.

  “No, we’ll start with this one.” Shui shaped the orchid into a star.

  Like sliding butter on warm hands, Gaia managed to shape the bubble into a not-so-precise version of Shui’s star. After that, it was a square, a triangle and from there it got harder; a leaf, a daisy, a fish, and a sword.

  “Good,” Shui congratulated her. “Now, try having a conversation while following my shapes.”

  “What?!”

  “There will be times you won’t have a quiet environment, and you’ll have to do many other things than wielding water. You need to train your brain for that.” Shui shaped the sword into a tree.

  “OK.” Gaia followed Shui shaping hers as a tree. “Is it true you are from a pure water lineage?”

  “I am.” Shui smiled at Gaia’s knowledge of the term. “Everyone in my family since back in the day are water wielders.”

  “What about Veter?” Gaia asked as she shifted the tree into a bow.

  “He’s everything I’m not. For that, we complement each other.” Shui wielded the bow to a lily flower. “He helps me see the world in his own way. Because of that, my perspective of things grew just like my point of view helps him also.” She wielded the shape of five rocks on top of each other. “We balance each other.”

  “You really love him.”

  “Very much.” She took out a gray rubber band and tied up her ombre blue hair in a high ponytail without the water ever losing its wield.

  “Shui, why did it take you so much to agree to be his match?”

  “Choosing a match isn’t something you can take lightly,” she said.

  “Choosing? Isn’t it like… already decided?” Gaia asked, confused by this new revelation.

  “In a way it is. But we can always choose anyone we want even if we aren’t a match”

  “Is that possible? To choose differently?”

  “It is.” Shui wielded the shape of a pigeon. “We have our free will.”

  “Has someone chosen differently?”

  “No, we trust Nature knows what’s best for us.” Shui let her bubble of water fall back into the lake. “Lesson three, control your mind. Close your eyes and meditate. Make your water spin while you keep your mind focused on meditation.”

  Gaia made her bubble turn into a vertical spiral that spun and spun. Without looking? This is insane… she closed her eyes chanting for the water not to stop spinning.

  * * *

  Two hours later, Gaia concluded the water class. The two drove to Penticton’s downtown where they found Edan, Veter, Willow, Donovan, Hunt
er and Synthia waiting for them next to a giant statue of a peach.

  The downtown area, like the rest of Penticton was straight out of a dream. With one big hotel, lots of green areas, a lake that was right across from the main avenue, a street full of delicious restaurants, and the nicest people anyone could meet, it was a paradise for people who needed some time to rest from the saturated and overworked world.

  “How was it, Blueberry?” an animated Veter asked.

  “She’s a natural.” Shui smiled, giving Veter a soft kiss on his lips.

  “She’s growing up so fast. It hasn’t even been six months and she’s already wielding three elements.” The massive Viking hugged Gaia. “The best part of it...wind is next!” he cheered.

  “Wind was last,” Willow teased Veter as he glared at her.

  Deep down Gaia loved how Veter and Willow fought. She smiled, wondering if they knew how much they looked like brother and sister. “Where are the rest?” she asked Donovan as they all walked back to the hotel.

  “The twins stayed to help Priyam with a computer thing,” he said.

  “Computer thing?” Gaia laughed. She remembered using that word for many of Priyam’s hacking gigs.

  “Honestly, she said the name but it was crazy long,” Donovan sighed. Icarus squeaked. “Not even Icarus remembers the name.”

  Edan moved closer to Gaia. “A few hours of training and you’re already being called a natural.” He scratched his marked jaw. “I wish my lessons were as easy as that.”

  “Hey!” Gaia frowned at him. “Fire was my first element. Plus, my teacher was incredibly annoying.”

  “Please,” he chuckled, “I was adorable.”

  “Not likely.”

  “Maybe not then,” he leaned a little closer to her ear, giving her goosebumps, “but I am now,” he flirted in a whisper.

  “I’d need more evidence to agree,” she flirted back.

  “Edan!” Donovan called. He had a black crow on his arm.

  “Be right back.” He jogged to Donovan.

  The crow on Donovan’s arm cawed “We just got word. The distraction was a success, they think we’re going to the cliffs of Moher,” he said and thanked the bird before it flew away.

  “Brilliant. Once they figure it out, it will take them more than a week to reach the door in Huntsville,” said Edan after making some quick calculations. “By then we’ll be back in Terra.”

  Icarus barked. He jumped on top of Donovan’s head. “You mean Hunter?” Donovan whispered.

  Edan turned his attention to Hunter. He was now hiding with Gaia and Veter behind some benches along the main street on the lakeside.

  “Darklings,” Hunter signaled Edan.

  “Synthia.” Edan grabbed her and crouched on the ground with her. He pushed her against the wall of a Mexican restaurant to keep her hidden. “Shhh.”

  “Three Darklings, they don’t have trackers.” Hunter signaled with his eyes closed as he concentrated on hearing everything else. “If we stay quiet they won’t find us.”

  Edan covered Synthia with his arm. “Don’t make a sound,” he breathed.

  Synthia clung closer to Edan, too close. She moved her hand and placed it on his knee but Edan was more distracted on finding where the hell Gaia was to pay attention to whatever Synthia was doing. “How can they keep finding us?” Synthia asked. “Aren’t they following the trail the weird boy laid out?”

  “They are, however, the Theta mark calls them.” Edan pulled Synthia, hiding her between two cars. “Azazel must have Darklings searching dozens of places around here. They can feel the mark, they just don’t know where. That’s why we can’t leave you someplace alone.”

  “I’m sorry.” Synthia hugged Edan.

  In the distance, Edan saw one of the Darklings getting close to where Gaia was hiding. “Stay here,” he told Synthia.

  “No.” Synthia wasn’t going to let anything destroy her perfect moment with Edan. She pulled him from the hem of his gray shirt. “Where are you going?”

  “You are safe here, Gaia and the rest are in a compromising place.” He let go of her grip as soft as he could. He’d been succeeding in getting her comfortable with him enough to slip, and he couldn’t jeopardize getting her angry. “Don’t move and be quiet.”

  “I said don’t go with them, stay with me.” She pulled him again, only this time stronger.

  As gentle as he could, he ripped her hand from his shirt. “Don’t move or you’ll put the ones behind you and yourself in danger.” In a smooth way, Edan moved towards Gaia and the rest. He took cover anywhere he could find it. Hiding from three different moving targets was really hard.

  He was halfway to reaching them when he saw it. A Crawler.

  Synthia took one last look at the people behind her; Donovan, Willow, and Shui. Infuriated at Edan, she stood up from her hiding place. “You shouldn’t have left me alone. Stupid, Edan!” she screamed at Edan and ran away.

  One of the Darklings saw Synthia and the direction where she screamed. His black teeth crept into a horrible smile after seeing Edan’s reflection on one of the windows. “Hello,” he rustled.

  “Bollocks.” Having no other choice, Edan stood up to fight. “Shui, get the Marked One. Willow, take care of the humans,” Edan yelled. “Veter, go back to the suites. If the place is compromised, get the rest to a safe zone.”

  “What about you two?” Veter asked as he ran to the rest of the group. “If you don’t know where this safe place is you won’t be able to find it.”

  “Send Icarus, he’ll guide us,” Edan commanded. “GO!”

  Veter and Hunter took Gaia away while Donovan and Edan fought with the Darklings. Willow grew Moon’s Shadow, a Terrian plant that had sleeping properties. They were used to it, but human bodies tended to be very affected by the sleeping toxins.

  * * *

  Shui followed Synthia. She traced the trail Synthia left with her muddy shoes into a theme park. “Synthia!” she called. “Synthia!” She searched and searched until she found her sitting behind a mini-golf pirate ship. “Synthia, stand up, we need to leave.”

  “No!” she screamed like a brat.

  “Synthia, we need to leave now!” Worrying about the others fighting alone, Shui took Synthia by the arm and pulled her up.

  “Eww! Don’t touch me!” She moved away.

  Shui was about to pull her once more when she noticed another Darkling creeping from the next tree. His pale face was covered in black symbols that concealed most of his left cheek and throat. He had a curled dagger and was about to stab Synthia on the back. “Watch out!” Shui pushed Synthia away from the Darkling’s dagger, taking the stabbing herself.

  Not giving up, Shui opened her hands wielding the water from the lake next to the theme park. She shaped it into a spike that she used it to stab the Darkling in the chest.

  The Darkling fell to the floor. Her vision turned blurry, there was too much blood. She froze a cover on top of the wound on her stomach. “Synthia…” she called, but Synthia ran away.

  Alone and badly injured, Shui collapsed.

  Chapter 14

  Weightless

  SCARED TO DEATH, Synthia ran back in the direction she came from. Her shoe cracked on one of the rocks. Out of balance, Synthia fell into a muddy ditch. “Damn it! Stupid nature.” She slapped the grass next to her.

  She sat down and moments later, was found by Edan. “Edan! You came for me,” she hugged him. “I feel so safe now that you are here.”

  Edan helped her get on her feet. “What happened?”

  “My shoe got stuck.”

  Edan took both shoes. “Synthia, you know you can’t wear sandals at any time. Please stop buying them.” He fixed the sandals with his hands. “Here, put these on. Where is Shui?”

  “Shui? I don’t know,” she lied. “I’m ready, let’s go.” She stood up, pulling him to walk in the other direction.

  “No, wait. We need to find Shui.” He looked around. “She came back for you.”


  “We can’t, Edan, I’m hurt.” She clung to his neck. “I hit my leg when the sandal broke.”

  Edan carried her and sat her on a nearby bench. “Stay here, Pink will take a look at you.”

  “Pink?!” Synthia asked, horrified. She couldn’t seem to catch a break.

  “Yes, they found us in the middle of the fight.” Edan waved at Pink who came running to help. “We were pretty lucky, one of the Darklings had six Crawlers following him.”

  “What’s wrong?” Pink asked as soon as she arrived at the bench. She was wearing a black mask that prevented the Terrian toxin from making her sleep.

  “Her leg, give it a look.” Edan stood up.

  “Here.” Pink offered Edan a mask for Synthia.

  “No need, she wears a Terrian mark.” He scanned their surroundings in case he could get a glimpse of Shui, but the town was full of sleeping people. “I’ll go find Shui.”

  “No! What about my leg! I’m hurt, can’t you see?” Synthia screamed while pulling Edan by his pants.

  Suddenly, Pink pressed Synthia tightly on the left side of her neck. The screaming girl immediately fainted.

  “Pink!” Edan scolded her.

  “Brilliant.” Floyd, who’d just caught up with them laughed at his sister’s problem-solving idea.

  “What?” she asked. “It worked. Now you can go find Shui.”

  “Take her,” said Edan, hiding his smile. “Have Willow check her out and send Icarus when you find a safe place.”

  Edan sprinted in the direction Synthia ran from. He was deep into the theme park when he heard Shui’s faded voice.

  “Edan,” she gasped. “Here.”

  Edan followed the voice and found Shui on the floor. She looked as pale as the snow. She was bleeding out.

  “Shui!” He kneeled in front of her. “Stay still.” Edan turned his finger as hot as he could. “Ready? Let the ice melt.” She nodded and he tapped the wound.