Tev pushed on the pink walls that surrounded her. She was sitting on the soft yellow dust and smooth pink walls blocked off her outside view. They had little dark and light shades of pink running along it like veins.
The yellow dust stuck to some parts of the walls and was hanging in the air. Tev sneezed, cursing lightly, as some got up her nose. More of it flew around at her movement. She rubbed her nose and tried to push on the walls even more.
Tev even tried to blast wind at it, but it wouldn’t budge. After a few moments of being still, Tev could feel the slight bumps of the dirt path, meaning she was being moved.
Tev couldn’t sit still for long though, not knowing where she was going and why made her nervous, and she needed to get out. She started to kick against the walls and continued to push on them.
No amount of force or air seemed to be enough to break it. Maybe a different element would work?
Tev knew it was risky. If it didn’t work, she could hurt herself. And even if it did, she didn’t know what was waiting for her outside. But shouldn’t she try?
She formed her plan; first she would try water. Then try both water and air, then fire, and lastly earth. Tev was nervous to try and use fire or earth, she was even scared just to use water. But something bad could be happening to Zeru and Cain.
Tev sneezed, saying her sneeze-curse again as she went to breathe in. She swatted away the dust and pressed her feet and hands against the walls. Taking another deep breath, she focused on keeping her body as relaxed as possible despite her position.
Tev pictured flowing water and her plan working with water coming out of her hands and blasting holes through the pink walls. She shut her eyes tightly and pressed against the walls as hard as she could.
She opened her eyes when she felt it. “Yes!” Water was shooting out of Tev’s hands. She pushed her hands on the walls, trying to get them to fall or break. But it wasn’t working, and Tev was running out of strength.
Tev dropped her hands and panted with effort. It hadn’t worked, Tev wasn’t free, only tired and slightly soaked from the water. It had made a little pool at the bottom of the cage she was in. She hoped the boys were okay and wondered what they were doing right now.
After Tev got her breathing back to normal, she got ready to try water and air. Neither worked alone, but maybe if she could use both together, it would work. But she started to have last-second doubts.
She didn’t want to waste her energy or time trying to do something she did once and on accident, and it had a higher chance of her hurting herself. Tev decided to try Fire instead. She had slightly more practice, and if it backfired, she could always put it out and try something else.
Tev tried to think of how a Fire would use their element. Was it focused on breath? Or position? Or maybe thoughts? She didn’t know, so she decided to do it the same way she did air and water.
Tev decided to shift onto her knees and put her palms flat against the pink surface. Taking long and big breaths, she thought about fire, about it coming out of her hands. She thought about the burn on her neck for a moment, then she refocused.
Heat. Hot. Extremely hot fire. Flames. Fire-burned holes. Fire! Fire! Tev thought repeatedly in her head. There was a pleasingly warm sensation tingling her palm and fingertips. She didn’t look at her hands; Tev only pushed harder and kept thinking of crackling flames.
She realized it was getting easier to push the hotter her hands got. Tev looked at her hands and saw that the wall had two hand indents and that the hands that made them had small flames flicking around her hand.
Tev smiled and gave what she felt like would be the last big push against the wall. Then her hands fell through. She quickly pulled them back in and admired her work. The fire on her hands had disappeared, but they were still warm.
Tev pulled her hair out in front of her face to admire the warm red that it had adapted. She then peered through the two new holes. Tev guessed she was looking forward because the trees were being left behind as they moved.
Directly in front of her was a pod the same pink as the walls she had burned through. It was round at the bottom and got smaller at the top, like a drop or a flower bud. At the bottom were thick green vines with spikes stuck on them.
The vines were wrapped around the bottom of the pod, and under them was a wooden platform with two large, wooden wheels attached to the side. Tev couldn’t see anything else besides trees and glimpses of the ground and sky; the pod blocked it all.
Tev wondered if she could make more holes on other sides of her pod. Just to see what was out there before making the decision to try to escape.
She moved around, and the yellow dust flew up around Tev again, and she breathed more in. “Clouds!” Tev sneezed. She heard some whispering outside. Tev went silent and listened intently. Was it the people who had trapped her? Were they going to harm her for making the holes?
After a long and silent minute, a face appeared in one of the holes, causing Tev’s heart to jump into her throat. Tev gasped, and so did the person. She could only see skin and widened green eyes. “Hey, didn’t we get two Air’s and a Water?” The voice sounded male, and the speaker’s eyes looked up then back at Tev.
“Yeah, why?” Another voice said from somewhere above, this one female. “The girl in here is a Fire.” Another face appeared in the other hole, this one with dark skin and skeptical orange eyes. “That’s not right; she was flying and everything.”
“We’ll figure it out at camp. Fix these holes.” The woman’s voice ordered and moved out of the hole’s view. “Wait!” Tev found her voice before they could repair her damage. “I’ll just make them again if you fix them.” Tev warned, trying to cover the nervous cracks in her voice.
The man’s green eyes looked up at wherever the woman was, unsure of what to do. “I’m not going to hurt anyone, but I will if I need to!” Tev lied. Of course she wouldn’t be able to purposely hurt someone. She didn’t really want to. But they didn’t need to know that.
“Close them.” The woman said again. Tev scrambled over to the holes, the dust flying everywhere. “Clouds! Clouds!” Tev sneezed twice.
“Ajax, I thought you did the sleeping flowers?” The woman had moved into Tev’s view again. “I’m sure I did.” The man, Ajax, said. “What kind of Fire says Air curses?” The woman’s eyes narrowed at Tev. “Uh…” She wasn’t sure what to say.
“Maybe she’s like us?” Ajax asked, and Tev nodded vigorously. “Yep! I’m exactly like you!” Tev could tell the woman didn’t believe her. “And how are you like us?” The woman asked, one of her dark red eyebrows raised.
“Er, how are you like me?” Tev asked, trying to reverse the question. “Why aren’t you answering the question?” The woman pressed. “Why aren’t you?” Tev countered. “We asked first!” “I asked better!” Tev was vaguely reminded of arguing with her siblings.
“I think she’s telling the truth, Rekka.” Ajax glanced at Rekka. “Hmm. Open the bud, but make sure she’s tied up.” They both disappeared from the holes, and Tev moved to try and look out of them. She couldn’t see anything, and when she was about to move again, she was suddenly yanked by thornless vines that wrapped around her.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYL8oLy42vE
Tev yelled and tried to pry them off her, but they were too strong. Then, the top of the pod opened and started to slowly fall backwards. Tev was lifted by the vines and into the air. She stopped squirming when she realized that she could see everything now.
Below her was the pink trap that had vines coming from the center. Now that she could see it from the outside, Tev realized she had been trapped in a closed flower; the powder had been pollen. In front of her flower was one more closed flower and four horses pulling them.
The two buds and opened flower were connected by more vines, and a couple of horses were pulling them. Two people rode on the two front horses, undisturbed by Tev. Directly ahead of her, two people were floating in front of her.
A woman, Rekka, had vines holding her in the air and a sword by her side. She had curly, dark red hair and was wearing red and black clothing. A young man, Ajax, was also being held up by vines like Tev and Rekka. Except they were only wrapped around his feet, not his whole body like a sleeping bag like they were for Tev.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00ugnSHuiV
He had on brown clothing with green hints. Tev didn’t care too much to focus on the details of their clothing, although she would love to some other time. She only cared about getting the vines off her and, assuming the boys were in the other buds, freeing her friends.
“What’s your name?” Rekka asked skeptically. Tev was silent. The truth was, she couldn’t think of a Fire name. But it seemed like to them, she was purposely staying silent for other reasons. Tev realized it was a better idea than trying to act like a Fire.
“Ay! Aren’t you going to answer?” Rekka asked, her voice rising a little. Tev turned her face away from them. “Fine. Go back in the bud then.” Tev turned her head so fast; she was sure she had to have gotten whiplash.
“No! Uh, I’ll tell you my name if you… tell me where my friends are!” Tev wanted to make sure they were safe above anything else. “The boys that were with you?” Tev nodded. “They’re in the other buds.” Ajax answered.
“Safe? And alive?” Tev added. “Yes, of course.” Rekka rolled her eyes. She seemed young—older than Ajax, but still young. “They’re just asleep. The pollen in the flower was supposed to have put you to sleep too, but it didn’t work. I’m still learning how to use Plant, but I’m getting there.”
That was when Tev remembered about what Ms. Arcelia had said. “You can use Plant!” Tev said, excitement rising in her. Could he teach her? Maybe a quick lesson or the basics before they go to the Fire City?
“Clearly.” Rekka said flatly. “Not all Earth’s can use Plant, right?” Tev asked, and Ajax’s excitement about the topic seemed to match hers. “Nope! It’s kind of hard to use, but I’ve been practicing for a while, so I’ve gotten better.” Ajax told her.
“Wow! That’s amazing!” Ajax thanked her. “How old are the two of you?” Rekka looked like she could be in her early twenties, maybe twenty-two? Ajax seemed younger, possibly nineteen or twenty.
“That’s an oddly suspicious question.” Rekka said, side-eyeing her. “It’s oddly suspicious to kidnap innocent children, but I’m not asking about that, now, am I?” Tev looked at Rekka, and Rekka looked away.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy25WI3HhjY
“Rekka is twenty-one, and I am nineteen.” Ajax answered, but something had changed in his voice; it sounded more guilty. “That’s cool. I’m fourteen. My friends are too.” Tev continued, wanting to make conversation if she was going to be tied up.
“Why are you friends with a Water and an Air?” Rekka asked. Tev had a feeling Rekka wouldn’t trust no matter how much she talked, but that wasn’t really Tev’s goal.
“Because they’re my friends? I don’t know, why are you friends with an Earth? Why is he friends with you?” Tev asked, it helped to cover her story up and try to piece together what was happening. But for some reason, Tev’s brain seemed to have a different plan than the rest of her.
Before Rekka could answer, Tev said, “Maybe it’s because we’re all people? It’s not like I’m a rabbit and they’re foxes; they’re not going to hurt me because I’m not the same as them. The only reason people think they can’t trust each other is because that’s what we were taught. And yet here we are, a Fire and an Earth are friends, and an Air is friends with a Water.”
Tev didn’t fully understand why she had gotten defensive about her friendship with Zeru and Cain. Rekka seemed to feel the same. “And a Fire is friends with an Air and a Water, right?” Ajax asked, and Tev realized her mistake.
“Oh, yeah. I’m sure I said that.” But now, even Ajax seemed to be a tad suspicious of Tev. “Where are we going? It feels like it’s been forever.” Tev asked, rolling her head around.
“That is none of your business.” Rekka answered before Ajax could, so he only nodded. “It seems like it should be if I have to go there too.” Tev was starting to get annoyed. Why wouldn’t they let her go? Where were they taking her? How could she escape?
“This is so uncomfortable.” Tev grumbled as she tried to shift around in the vines that were tangled around her. She could only move her head and her feet, and the vines were rubbing against the exposed skin on her arms.
“Good. That means you can’t get free.” Rekka told her. “What do you even want from us? What use could some kids be to you? Seems like you want to waste time or get arrested or something.” Rekka and Tev glared at each other for a few moments before Ajax said, “We can’t tell you, sorry.”
That reminded Tev of when she told Cain that, and she didn’t want to hurt him. Could it all be a misunderstanding? “Okay.” Tev relaxed in the vines and closed her eyes, facing the sky.
She listened to the birds and the wind blowing through the trees. She heard the wheels rolling along the ground. Tev focused on her breathing. She wanted to show Rekka and Ajax they didn’t need to worry about her.
Tev couldn’t hear Rekka or Ajax talking, but she felt the vines loosen a little. Tev decided to get lost in her thoughts; it seemed like a suitable time to think without risking her sleep. Something that she wanted to think about but had been covered by the many layers of other thoughts, was her parents.
Her biological parents. Tev barely knew them, yet the possibility of them being alive seemed to make her heart swell in joy. All Amaya had said was that they were still alive but gave no other clues as to where they were or why they weren’t with her.
Among the hypothetical joy in her heart, she felt a pang of real anger mixed with sadness. As great as it would be for them to be alive, why did they leave her? Who would do that to their child? Couldn’t they have at least come back?
What if it was because she wasn’t just an Air? That made her heart ache, and the joy crippled. And because that wasn’t what Tev wanted to feel at the moment, she decided to think about the family she had.
“Hey, where’s my bag?” Tev opened her eyes and lifted her head up. Ajax and Rekka had turned their backs on her, and Rekka was no longer supported by vines, but with her own fire. They were now in a thick forest where the trees had grown taller to beat each other to the light.
The two of them turned back around. “In another bud.” Rekka answered, her voice notably less questioning than before. “Where’s Ms. Arcelia? Is she okay?” Tev asked after another moment.
“She should be. Someone else has her.” Rekka shrugged. Tev contemplated asking why they attacked them and if Ms. Arcelia was hurt, but she felt like it would break the small bridge she might’ve built between her and Rekka.
“Put her back in the bud, we’re almost at camp. I suggest not burning anymore holes unless you want to get in trouble.” Rekka instructed Ajax and Tev. Tev opened her mouth to argue but instead nodded. She was then lowered into the flower, which closed.
The vines shrank and soon disappeared. Tev noticed that her hand holes were gone, but there was a small peep hole that was left. She crossed her legs and sat, sneezing once when the pollen went up again.
“Open the hatch.” Tev heard Rekka’s voice. Tev quietly moved to the peep hole. Did Ajax know he had left it? Either way, she was going to use it.
Tev closed one eye to look out the hole. She only saw trees, but they were moving, meaning she was moving too. Then, a wall covered the trees. Tev felt the pull of gravity but pushed herself to stay at the level of the hole. Were they going down?
The wall was dark and made of stone that had dirt stuck in the cracks. Every few moments, a torch would pass by. Tev sat back in the middle of the bud, her heart racing. She was close to wherever they were taking her.
Soon there was a shift, and Tev guessed she was no longer going down. She tried to look out of the hole, but there was something blocking her view. It looked like a person that was wearing leather clothing that had dark red cloth on the arms and waist.
Was it Rekka? Maybe she had realized there was a hole and was trying to cover it up. When Tev sat back again, she was reminded that she was pretending to be Fire when she had to fix her hair the best she could with her fingers.
Tev could hear several voices for a few moments before they were blocked off by what sounded like a door closing. Tev’s bud turned and stopped; the sounds of more doors closing filled her ears for a second before there were only murmurs that she couldn’t understand.
Suddenly there was shaking, and the walls, or petals, of her bud fell like a flower blooming. It shrank, and Tev picked up a small pink flower that had fallen on the ground. She spun it between her fingers as she looked around her.
It wasn’t much—only stone walls and a glass door in front of her. Tev stood up and brushed off the pollen and dirt on her pants and shoes. She heard light groans coming from the other side of the stone walls.
Then, a woman walked in front of the glass door. She was wearing a white shirt with long sleeves and white pants. They had gold swirls along the sides, and she had on white heels. Her hair was long and yellow and lay on her shoulders.
Tev almost didn’t recognize the woman until she said, “Hello, Tevolia.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypJxgmIlWq
---AUTHORS NOTE---24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5Cm1hJKaf
Hi!24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWQEWgc9CQ
First repeat of the chapter letter! I couldn't figure out a good one that was a different letter and I got set on doing the same letter for each word to describe the chapter, haha! If you have a suggestion, let me know!24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImmgQMWLH5
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I see you in the next one! Have an amazing day/night/endless abyss!24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZkclAXSrS
---AUTHORS NOTE---24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwwVGHVdpT
