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The Elite (Part 2)
“It means we need to leave, now.” her mother’s matter of fact words pulled Tes back to reality. She stood up from the table, calmly collecting the dishes as Tes stared at her in disbelief. Leave? The only home she had ever known? She reached for her necklace and massaged the wood between her fingers. Yes, she thought, we will die if we stay. Her father stood up and cleared his throat.
“Aeros, thank you for riding out to tell us, but you better head back now, we have a lot to do in little time.” He shot a frantic look at her mother and quickly went upstairs.
“Of course, thank you for the meal,” her mother nodded, “I’ll be right out, I'd like to speak to Tesa.” At hearing her name, Tes shook thoughts of dark elementals from her mind and rose to meet her cousin. She walked them toward the door but he stopped and turned to her, looking straight into her eyes. “Listen, if anything happens, I want you to use that crazy power of yours and run. Get away and protect yourself no matter the cost. I fear they are looking for something.” She was startled by the intensity of his gaze.
“You mean to say you think they are looking for me?” she asked, already knowing the answer but too afraid to voice it aloud. He nodded solemnly and then pulled something from inside his jacket and placed it in her hands. It was a beautiful leather scabbard containing a long and delicate dagger. She gasped softly as she examined the expert craftsmanship. “Aeros, where did you find this? It’s beautiful!” She tested the weight of it in her hand, it was surprisingly light yet she still felt like she could use it to fight if needed
“It's a wind walker dagger, they used them in the elemental wars.” He moved his hand in a quick upside down arc and the dagger suddenly flew out of her hands, soaring through the air under his control. He used a small gust of wind to move it in a circle above his head, sent it quickly flying across the room and then returned it back to his hand like a boomerang. He handed it back to her and smiled.
“Thank you.” she re-sheathed the dagger and attacked him with her embrace.
“Learn to use it well, cousin.” he pulled away and winked as he slipped out the door and braved the raging storm outside. Little did she know, that would be the last time she ever saw him.
“Make sure you pack an extra pair of clothes, quickly Tesa!” her mother was saying as Tesa ran around the room filling her bag with somewhat random things her mother told her to add. Her voice was filled with worry. “Don't forget your bow, we may not be back for a while.”
“Yes mother.” Tes responded, though her heart ached to think that they may not be coming back for awhile.
“I'm going to go and pack food. Your father is outside letting Belle go.” Her mother’s voice shook a bit. Since the Everetts only had one horse and a large wagon would be too much to take with them, their best chance to escape was by foot. They had to let Belle go into the forest, the thought tore Tes to pieces, she couldn’t gain the strength to go and say goodbye.
As soon as she heard her mother’s footsteps disappear down the hall, Tes sank onto her bed and buried her face in her hands. Her body shook with barely contained sobs. This was all because of her, all her fault. Her fault that they were having to leave everything she had ever known behind. Her home, all of her most cherished memories were made in this house. But she had to be strong, they might return to this place someday. When the war was over, if such a day existed. She dried her tears and walked across her room and sat down next to a slightly upturned floor board, she removed it and pulled out a small box she had hidden. Inside were a collection of things varying from a pressed flower to a small carving of an owl her father had made for her. But what she valued most in the box was a small journal. She caressed its worn cover lovingly and then flipped through the pages, some filled with writing and some sketches of the nature around her home. She slipped the journal into her bag, and re-concealed the box beneath the floorboard.
She rose from her place on the floor and stood in front of the mirror, taking in her rather bland appearance. Everything looked normal, from her long wavy brown hair and freckles, to her basic stature of 5’5, everything but her eyes. The area around her pupil was divided into 4 sections. Unlike her mother’s gray eyes or her father’s fiery brown. Tes had blue, gray, brown, and green eyes, but the colors weren't mixed like hazel. Each one distinctly had its own part of her eye along with a thick dark ring around her iris. Adding scary to the list of adjectives she used to describe them. Now that they were heading west toward the Argan Islands, where most people had pure blue eyes, the insecurity only grew. With a sigh Tes told herself that her eyes couldn't be changed, like she had done so many times before. When she was little she used to imagine that they were one solid color and sometimes she still did.
“Tesa! Time to go!” Her father yelled from outside. So, with one final look around her beloved room, she slipped the journal into her bag, and went out to meet her parents.
They headed west, often walking for 6 hours straight, only taking breaks for water. After two days they ran out of the food that her mother had taken with them and had to rely on wild game shot by Tes and her fathers bows. They used only a compass and map to navigate. One night, after her mother had gone to bed, Tes and her father sat around the freshly sparked fire. He controlled the flames, making sure there was little smoke. She watched him as he moved his hands outward, causing the smoke to dissipate before it had the chance to rise above the trees. He would then stare deep into the flames, lost in thought. Tes reached forward and put her hand directly into the fire she channeled the warmth throughout her body. Then she pulled her hand out of the fire, still holding a small flame in the palm of her hand, she watched it as it floated above the surface of her palm. She made it fly into the air and take the shape of a phoenix, then called it back to her waiting fingers.
“Tes,” her father’s voice cut through her brain, interrupting her fire bending.
“Yes?” she made her hand into a fist and the fire vanished.
“Do you remember what I told you? That night you saw monsters in the shadows when you were younger?” He looked up at her, his tired eyes blazing in the fire light. She recalled the time perfectly, she was about 5 and she had gone to her parents room terrified, claiming there were creatures in the shadows. Her father had taken her back to bed and concurred up fire in his hands, illuminating the dark, until she fell back asleep. She smiled at the memory.
“You said nightmares aren't so scary without the protection of the dark.” He nodded.
“I want you to always remember that Tesa, no matter how much darkness there is in the world, light always prevails.” She took in his appearance, a short graying beard, thick lashes framing wise and kind eyes. She saw through the mask that he often wore. He was afraid, and this scared her even more than knowing The Nox were looking for her. The fire flared and popped rising up as it devoured the wood. Tes’s father usually had strong control over his emotions.
“Of course, father.” She moved to sit next to him and gently place her head on his shoulder. She hugged his arm as they sat and stared into the flames.
“I love you, Tesa.”
“I love you too.” She felt something cold and wet slip down her arm. She had never seen her father cry. Both stayed silent as the tears continued to slip down his still face.
© KordeliaRose_writes
“Aeros, thank you for riding out to tell us, but you better head back now, we have a lot to do in little time.” He shot a frantic look at her mother and quickly went upstairs.
“Of course, thank you for the meal,” her mother nodded, “I’ll be right out, I'd like to speak to Tesa.” At hearing her name, Tes shook thoughts of dark elementals from her mind and rose to meet her cousin. She walked them toward the door but he stopped and turned to her, looking straight into her eyes. “Listen, if anything happens, I want you to use that crazy power of yours and run. Get away and protect yourself no matter the cost. I fear they are looking for something.” She was startled by the intensity of his gaze.
“You mean to say you think they are looking for me?” she asked, already knowing the answer but too afraid to voice it aloud. He nodded solemnly and then pulled something from inside his jacket and placed it in her hands. It was a beautiful leather scabbard containing a long and delicate dagger. She gasped softly as she examined the expert craftsmanship. “Aeros, where did you find this? It’s beautiful!” She tested the weight of it in her hand, it was surprisingly light yet she still felt like she could use it to fight if needed
“It's a wind walker dagger, they used them in the elemental wars.” He moved his hand in a quick upside down arc and the dagger suddenly flew out of her hands, soaring through the air under his control. He used a small gust of wind to move it in a circle above his head, sent it quickly flying across the room and then returned it back to his hand like a boomerang. He handed it back to her and smiled.
“Thank you.” she re-sheathed the dagger and attacked him with her embrace.
“Learn to use it well, cousin.” he pulled away and winked as he slipped out the door and braved the raging storm outside. Little did she know, that would be the last time she ever saw him.
“Make sure you pack an extra pair of clothes, quickly Tesa!” her mother was saying as Tesa ran around the room filling her bag with somewhat random things her mother told her to add. Her voice was filled with worry. “Don't forget your bow, we may not be back for a while.”
“Yes mother.” Tes responded, though her heart ached to think that they may not be coming back for awhile.
“I'm going to go and pack food. Your father is outside letting Belle go.” Her mother’s voice shook a bit. Since the Everetts only had one horse and a large wagon would be too much to take with them, their best chance to escape was by foot. They had to let Belle go into the forest, the thought tore Tes to pieces, she couldn’t gain the strength to go and say goodbye.
As soon as she heard her mother’s footsteps disappear down the hall, Tes sank onto her bed and buried her face in her hands. Her body shook with barely contained sobs. This was all because of her, all her fault. Her fault that they were having to leave everything she had ever known behind. Her home, all of her most cherished memories were made in this house. But she had to be strong, they might return to this place someday. When the war was over, if such a day existed. She dried her tears and walked across her room and sat down next to a slightly upturned floor board, she removed it and pulled out a small box she had hidden. Inside were a collection of things varying from a pressed flower to a small carving of an owl her father had made for her. But what she valued most in the box was a small journal. She caressed its worn cover lovingly and then flipped through the pages, some filled with writing and some sketches of the nature around her home. She slipped the journal into her bag, and re-concealed the box beneath the floorboard.
She rose from her place on the floor and stood in front of the mirror, taking in her rather bland appearance. Everything looked normal, from her long wavy brown hair and freckles, to her basic stature of 5’5, everything but her eyes. The area around her pupil was divided into 4 sections. Unlike her mother’s gray eyes or her father’s fiery brown. Tes had blue, gray, brown, and green eyes, but the colors weren't mixed like hazel. Each one distinctly had its own part of her eye along with a thick dark ring around her iris. Adding scary to the list of adjectives she used to describe them. Now that they were heading west toward the Argan Islands, where most people had pure blue eyes, the insecurity only grew. With a sigh Tes told herself that her eyes couldn't be changed, like she had done so many times before. When she was little she used to imagine that they were one solid color and sometimes she still did.
“Tesa! Time to go!” Her father yelled from outside. So, with one final look around her beloved room, she slipped the journal into her bag, and went out to meet her parents.
They headed west, often walking for 6 hours straight, only taking breaks for water. After two days they ran out of the food that her mother had taken with them and had to rely on wild game shot by Tes and her fathers bows. They used only a compass and map to navigate. One night, after her mother had gone to bed, Tes and her father sat around the freshly sparked fire. He controlled the flames, making sure there was little smoke. She watched him as he moved his hands outward, causing the smoke to dissipate before it had the chance to rise above the trees. He would then stare deep into the flames, lost in thought. Tes reached forward and put her hand directly into the fire she channeled the warmth throughout her body. Then she pulled her hand out of the fire, still holding a small flame in the palm of her hand, she watched it as it floated above the surface of her palm. She made it fly into the air and take the shape of a phoenix, then called it back to her waiting fingers.
“Tes,” her father’s voice cut through her brain, interrupting her fire bending.
“Yes?” she made her hand into a fist and the fire vanished.
“Do you remember what I told you? That night you saw monsters in the shadows when you were younger?” He looked up at her, his tired eyes blazing in the fire light. She recalled the time perfectly, she was about 5 and she had gone to her parents room terrified, claiming there were creatures in the shadows. Her father had taken her back to bed and concurred up fire in his hands, illuminating the dark, until she fell back asleep. She smiled at the memory.
“You said nightmares aren't so scary without the protection of the dark.” He nodded.
“I want you to always remember that Tesa, no matter how much darkness there is in the world, light always prevails.” She took in his appearance, a short graying beard, thick lashes framing wise and kind eyes. She saw through the mask that he often wore. He was afraid, and this scared her even more than knowing The Nox were looking for her. The fire flared and popped rising up as it devoured the wood. Tes’s father usually had strong control over his emotions.
“Of course, father.” She moved to sit next to him and gently place her head on his shoulder. She hugged his arm as they sat and stared into the flames.
“I love you, Tesa.”
“I love you too.” She felt something cold and wet slip down her arm. She had never seen her father cry. Both stayed silent as the tears continued to slip down his still face.
© KordeliaRose_writes
