Nu slipped and fell forward as the ground under her feet turned to mud, causing her tormentors to laugh even louder.
The mocking sound echoed in her ears as she tried to stand, but the older boy with ginger hair crouched and put his hand to the ground and the mud became more liquidy, threatening to swallow the already drenched Nu.
"Leave me alone!" she shouted as her shoe got stuck in the mud, coming off her foot and making her stumbling forward again. Her protests only made their laughter grow, and she could even hear sniggering remarks from some of the other onlookers.
"She's pathetic."
"Look at her! She's not even trying!"
"What a waste."
Nu wanted to brush away the tears that ran streaking down her face, but her hands were covered in mud.
"Hey! Leave her alone!"
Nu turned to see Mag, her blond hair flying in the wind as she rushed towards her, her hand cupping a ball of flame. "Get out of here or I'll burn you all to a crisp!" Mag yelled, and the bully's jostled each other to get away.
Mag stopped running as she reached the edge of the mud. "Nu, you okay?"
Nu nodded her head and gave a little smile. She tried to take a step forward but she slipped again and fell over.
She closed her eyes, expecting to fall face-first into a pile of mud, but something caught her instead. Opening her eyes, she found a tangle of vines that had suddenly grown out of the ground, cradling her and keeping her from falling. Nu looked up to see a boy smiling at her, one hand holding Mag's and the other extended forward to control the plants. Nu shouldn't have been as surprised - Mag and Ike always go everywhere together.
Nu smiled back. "Nice catch," she applauded the dark-haired boy.
"Those assholes..." Mag said through gritted teeth, clenching her free hand into a fist. "I'm going to go teach them a lesson!" She tried to pull away, but Ike's hand held her fast.
The vines Ike controlled buried into the ground, covering the mud with their tangled roots and allowing Nu to step onto them safely. "They'll never learn, Mag," Ike chided, "and they won't stop. All you'd be doing is making us a target."
"They wouldn't dare," Mag argued, letting go of Ike's hand. "They're scared of me."
"Mag, it's fine," Nu spoke up, moving to hug her best friend. "Thanks for the help."
"No!" Mag backed away and put her hands up defensively, trying to ward Nu away. "Don't you touch me!"
Nu stepped forward, grinning maniacally. "Just one hug..."
Ignoring the girls at first, Ike released the vines from his control. They slumped and faded, unable to survive without his guidance. "We should get you home and get you cleaned up." He looked back at Nu, who had trapped the protesting Mag in a big hug. "Both of you cleaned up," he corrected himself with a sly smile.
Nu released Mag, who promptly tried to wipe the mud off on the grass, and shook her head. "No, I can't go home yet. Mama is resting and I don't want to wake her."
"What about your Papa, Ike?" Mag suggested, and Ike gave a sheepish look.
"He's not the best Water-affinity. You're more likely to get drenched than anything."
"But then Han can dry us off, right? Or I can."
While her friends continued discussing where to go, Nu's mind wandered as she looked at the puddle of mud. The vines were so immaculate and perfect, drooping as they were, and Mag's ball of fire and equally fiery attitude was always a great deterrent. Nobody ever bullied them. It was only ever Nu.
Mag wiped a bit of mud over the birthmark on Ike's cheek and he freaked out, scratching it away from his skin like it would burn his mark right off. Ike was always very particular about his affinity mark, and Nu could see why. After all, he was an Earth prodigy, his mark larger than everyone else's denoting his innate skill with the element. Even Mag's birthmark, the small clear fire icon, was enough to be proud of, indicating her affinity and skillset to the world.
Nu's fingers brushed up against her own cheek, where her own elemental birthmark resided. Her family had tried to help her discover which affinity she was, but it seems that Nu was none of them. She couldn't control Water like Mama, nor Air like Papa. She couldn't use Fire like Mag and she couldn't control the Earth itself like Ike. Nothing worked, though, and the unfamiliar symbol branded into her cheek became a target on her back for bullies like the ginger-haired Water-user Takk.
"Nu, are you coming?"
Her childhood friend's voice snapped Nu out of her self-pitying train of thought, and she turned to see that Ike was giving her a concerned look over his shoulder. Mag yanked at his hand, trying to get him to leave, but his feet were buried in the ground. Nu knew he wouldn't leave without her.
She gave him a sweet smile, wiping her plain brown bangs out of her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm right behind you," she assured him.
Nodding his head, Ike let the stone fall from around his feet just as Mag tugged hard. He tumbled forward, falling into her and sending both of them tumbling to the ground. The mud that was on Mag's clothes stained his shirt, and he looked down at his clothes grumpily. "Mag...!" he complained, and Mag kissed him playfully on the nose.
"Come on, you two lovebirds," Nu shook her head and rolled her eyes at them, but she couldn't hide the smile that creeped on her face.
The village was busy around this time of day, with everyone preparing their daily routine. Earth-Carers were already heading out into the fields, ready to tend to their harvests. The Earth-Hunters were preparing their daily hunt, and Mag waved at her father as they passed. An old man sat in front of the Communal Flame, encouraging it's lasting heat and vitality. With him sat another elderly gent, gently fanning the flames with gusts of wind from his hands.
Everyone had their place in the community. Everyone except Nu.
"Come on," Mag said, grabbing her hand before Nu could make herself feel even more upset, "or we'll be late and Granna will give us shit."
Mag pulled Nu towards a large Earthy abode. The mudbrick was decorated with intricate designs, making it stand out and marking it as the house of the Earth Prodigy.
"Papa, are you still here?" Ike asked as he stepped inside, holding the wooden door open for his friends to enter.
Pippani poked his head around a corner. "What are doing back, Ike? Shouldn't you be on your way to class?" He saw Nu and Mag, both covered in mud, and his eyes widened. "Ah."
"Can you help them, Papa?" Ike asked.
He waved the trio over. Only Ike's clothes were dirty, so he walked past his father and into the next room to change.
Nu stood uncomfortably as Pip looked her up and down. "So what happened to you, Nu?" he asked as he put his hands together, summoning his energies.
Nu looked away, but Mag spoke up. "It was Takk."
"I see... You know, I used to get bullied a lot too because of how weak my affinity is. It does get better," he said with a smile.
At least you have an affinity, Nu wanted to tell him, but she smiled instead. "Thanks."
Pip winked at her and concentrated, stepping closer to a bucket of water that was on the floor. With a fluid movement, he dipped his hand into the water and brought it out and the water trailing behind him like it was alive.
A sudden knock on the door startled him, breaking his concentration. The water fell to the floor with a splash, and Nu jumped out of the way with a small shriek.
The knock came again, more insistent this time. "Pip?" A female voice came through the door, sounding concerned. "Are you okay in there?"
Nu recognised the voice instantly, and she rushed to the door to open it. "Mama?"
Len looked her daughter up and down, shocked to see her at Ike's house covered in mud. "Nu? What are you doing here? And why are you so dirty?"
"Why are you here, Mama?" Nu retorted. Her mother looked to be in rough shape. She was thin and pale, and her Water Prodigy birthmark looked as faded and weak as she did. There were dark circles under her once vibrant eyes, and she leaned heavily on a cane as though a light breeze could knock her over. "You're supposed to be resting!" Nu tried to grab her arm, intending on dragging her back to their house, but Pip spoke up.
"Actually, I asked your mother to teach me her technique for water drawing," he explained, walking up and taking Len's arm.
Mag stepped forward, crowding around Nu's mother excitedly. "Len, can you help us? If we show up to class looking like this, Granna will give us an earful."
Jokingly, Pip put a hand to his heart as if Mag had stabbed her spear right through it. "What, am I not good enough?"
"I don't want to get soaked!"
"Of course I can help," Len smiled, "but just let me get inside first, girls."
Don't you know she's ill? Nu wanted to shout as they crowded around Len. Can't you see she's struggling?
But instead she put a gentle hand under her mother's arm, helping her towards a fur-lined stool in the next room and guiding her down to sit.
Len propped her walking stick against a nearby cupboard as Ike walked out of his room. "At least you're clean," she greeted him with a sly smile.
"It helps that I live here and have a clean change of clothes," he teased, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "Are you done yet?" he asked with mock impatience.
Nu made a mental note to ask Ike why he wasn't the least bit surprised to see Len there. If he knew Mama was helping Pip develop his affinity when she should be resting, why he hadn't told Nu about it?
"Pip, watch closely." Len raised her arm and made a fist, and the mud covering Nu's clothes and body became hard like a suit of armour. Nu could see water droplets flying from her body as Len drained all the moisture from the mud. "You have to visualize the water droplets mixed in with the dirt. Call them forward and they will follow. It might take you a few tries, at first, but you'll get it."
Len reclined back, the simple act exhausting her. "Ike, do you mind?"
Ike nodded to her request and straightened, making a flicking motion with his hand. The dried earth crumbled off the girls, leaving no trace it had ever been there.
"Wow," Mag marvelled, looking at her clothes, "I always forget you're the Water Prodigy!"
"Hey, I helped too," Ike chimed in.
"And you did such a good job!" She complimented teasingly, patting his head.
Nu turned to her mother. "Thanks Mama."
But Len didn't seem to hear her. She was doubled over wheezing, her hands on her knees.
"Mama?"
"Len, are you alright?" Pip asked, moving over to her.
She waved him away and smiled. "I'm fine. Just a little light-headed."
"We should get to class or we're going to be late," Mag suggested, elbowing Nu to get her attention.
Nu gave her Mama a concerned look, but Len waved her away. "Go, Nu. Granna is waiting for you."
She nodded, still not convinced by her mother's brave face.
"Come on!" Mag grabbed both Nu and Ike's hand and dragged them away.
They only managed to reach the front door before they heard Pip cry out, "Len!"
Nu whipped around to see her mother had collapsed on the floor, her breathing laboured.
"Mama!" Nu gasped.
She stood in shock for a moment before rushing over to Len's side. Pip was there as well, trying to cradle her head as he picked her up.
"Ike, go find one of the healers!" He delegated, and Ike ran off. "And Mag, try to find the Chieftan! Hurry!"
Nu heard Mag running out of the house, but her attention was only on her mother as Pip carried her into Ike's room and placed her down carefully on the bed.
"Mama, it's going to be okay..." Nu tried to comfort her, grabbing her hand and trying to ignore how frail it was. "You're going to be fine..."
But looking at her weak and overexerted mother, even Nu didn't believe her own words.
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