The Keepers of the Elements

Ashlyn

"Sooo.... Ash, how did you even start that fire that burned Alex anyway?" Pippy asked, watching Huro attempt to strangle the frame of the tent he was building.

Ash shrugged. "I actually have no idea. It was just... Gronadar was about to eat us because somebody ran off, but I dunno."

"Wow, thanks. That answered my question perfectly." The young princess rolled her eyes. "Hey Sparky, are you sure you don't need help?"

"Positive. And please stop calling me Sparky. Only Tulii is allowed to."

"Hey Tulii, can I call Huro Sparky too?"

Tulii looked at Huro directly in the eye when she said "Sure." Huro scowled.

"I'm helping you." Alex declared, grabbing the sticks Huro was struggling with. "You do it like this..."

Ash stood up. "I'm gonna go look for some kindling so I can try to start a fire."

"I'll go with you." Tulii looked over at Pippy. "You can stay here and supervise."

The two girls set off through the forest, picking up sticks whenever they could. "So... how did you and Huro meet?"

"Eh, you know. He knocked me over and then he took me to his smithy stall where I brought these babies." Tulii motioned to the daggers strapped over her chest. "And then we both were walking later that day and the shadow dudes blew up the wall and I fought them all and then Sparky almost got himself killed so I started flying and yeah."

"Huh."

"What about you and Alex?"

"Well, I was always the outsidey-type and Alex was always out with the horses so... we just started hanging out I guess." Ash smiled.

"You have the hots for him?"

Ash choked on air. "Wh-what?!"

"It's pretty obvious. Plus it looks like he has a little something for you too..." Tulii wiggled her eyebrows.

"Okay, fine. I won't deny it... but why the heck did you word it like that?" Ash felt her face go red.

Tulii grinned. "Well, you're the fire keeper. And hots for him? Get it?"

"Oh boy, what a wonderful pun." The princess groaned. "And what about you and Sparky?"

"What about him and I?" Tulii asked, without even blushing. "We literally just met."

"Well, I dunno. He just seems like he trusts you more than anybody."

Tulii shrugged. "Sparky's just going through some rough times right now. I guess since I was nice to him, he just really appreciates me as a friend."

Ash narrowed her eyes. "Are you positive that he's not crushing on you?"

"Well, uh no, but I don't like him that way! I'm engaged for Zya's sake."

"Engaged?!" Ash's eyes widened. "As in you're going to get married?! Can I come?!"

Tulii sighed. "Yes, I'm engaged as in getting married, and sure, if I don't manage to escape."

"Escape?"

"My fiance dude, Atrius, is a real jerk."

"Oh." The two continued walking in silence.

A few minutes later, Ash spoke up again. "How does it feel to be a Keeper?"

"I dunno... just... there really aren't any words." Tulii smiled. "I mean, all my life I've been practicing fighting and now here I am, one of the most powerful people in the land."

"Yeah. I've always been training to be a princess and other boring stuff like that, and suddenly I'm in the woods with four other people, camping out while the Shadow Army slowly destroys the world." Ash thought for a moment. "How are we going to stop them anyway?"

"I... I don't know." Tulii looked down at the kindling she had gathered. "But we should probably get back to camp. Tomorrow we can start learning how to control our elements."

"Yeah, okay." The two of them headed back to camp. Alex and Huro had finally managed to put up three tents, and were now arguing about food. "Hey, we have some kindling!"

"Put it down over there- No, rabbit meat is better!"

"But we'll have more if we get a deer!"

"Would you two shut up?" Pippy asked, from wherever she was. On further inspection, she was hanging upside down on a tree branch directly above Ash's head.

Huro made a face at Pippy. Alex turned to the older girls. "Now that you two are back, Huro and I are gonna go hunting."

"Without me?" Tulii whined.

"You just went on a mini-girl adventure, so now it's time for a mini-boy adventure."

Tulii grumbled something and went and pouted in a tent. Ash kneeled by the wood and sticks they had set up and tried to light it. Pippy continued to swing from the tree branch.

Grabbing the sharpened stick he'd been working on, Alex led Huro through the forest.

"We really should have done this when it was light out." Huro muttered, smacking into the fourth branch in a row.

"Shush." Alex stopped in his tracks. There was something right... Huro smacked right into him and they both tumbled forwards.

"INTRUDERS!" Somebody yelled.

"RUN!" Huro hauled Alex to his feet, yanking him in a random direction. They ran blindly through the forest, but they didn't shake whoever was following them. "We can't lead them back to camp." Huro panted.

"Too late-" The boys stumbled into their make-shift camp.

"Oh hey, that was quick!"

"Nope, we're being chased, let's go."

"By who..?"

"Whom, and we have no idea." Alex corrected.

Ash rolled her eyes. "Wonderful grammer, Princess Alex."

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Three men and a woman stepped faced them, swords at the ready. Tulii unsheathed her daggers, handing one to Huro. Alex brandished his pointy stick. Ash held her hairbrush at the ready.

"Pippy, stay behind us." Ash whispered.

"State your names and business here!" One of the men said.

Tulii stepped forward. "I'm Tulii, and these are my companions, Princess Ashylyn, Princess Para, Alex, and Spar- Huro."

"Nice save." Huro grumbled.

Ignoring him, Tulii took another step forward and narrowed her eyes. "And we're the keepers of the elements."