Water and Wind

Chapter 28

Arian

What on earth is she doing? She's been standing there for the past few minutes, no one daring to move a muscle, and now she's moved, crossed the border, crossed the point of no return. He watches, helpless, as the last of Nimue's golden brown hair is swallowed up by the blackness of the forest. Unconscious of what he's doing, he falls to his knees.

Wait. He's fallen to his knees. Did he just move? Purely out of curiosity, he wiggles his fingers. One twitches. He hears a gasp of pain that he knows to be his own as he feels his muscles warming up. He can stop this. He can move.

He doesn't wait for his body to slowly warm up. He tries to stand, and nearly collapses and screams as fires of pain ignite within his body, coursing through faster than his own nerves will light and warm. He doesn't care. He doesn't care how much it hurts, how much pain his limbs cry out. Anything is worth it if he can keep Nimue back here with the rest of them.

He takes his first step and almost doubles over and collapses with the pain. His eyes water so much the world blurs and spins, and white fog appears at the corners of his vision, along with dancing stars. Still, he grunts and lifts his foot for another step. Slowly. Slowly.

By then his muscles have warmed up, and the fog is receding. The world becomes clear again as he makes for the edge of the bubble. I'm coming Nimue.

Freya

Freya watches nervously as Arian takes his first few steps. She didn't think he'd make it anymore, but as soon as his legs and arms tense up, she knows that he can- and will.

He'll try to stop me.

Nimue is talking inside her head, and talking fast.

But Freya, you have power. You have to stop him, understand?

She swallows hard, and somewhat doubtfully. But if Arian went, her older sister could come back.

It could get dangerous if he succeeds, very dangerous, and then nothing I do will be worth it, Nimue pleads inside her brain.

But wouldn't it be worth it if you could come back Nimue? She's trying to find reason where there is no reason to be found, for if things got as grave as Nimue had said, then they were all in trouble. And what was this about nothing she'd do being worth it if Arian left? Why, that was like if Nimue made a beautiful craft project with fancy thread and colored wire and other stuff even though she knew someone would just toss it in the trash immediately after. And no one should ever waste a beautiful craft project. That Freya knew very well.

Wait. Suppose Nimue was the beautiful craft project. Then would that turn the tables? Would that mean Freya should let Arian go and save Nimue?

Promise me, Freya. Promise me. You have great power. I need you to use it. Without looking, she can feel Nimue's blue eyes pierce through her sharply. Freya?

She knows.

Arian

Several laborious (slightly laborious, he told himself. Only slightly) steps later, and he is nearing the edge of the bubble. He tries to move as rapidly as he can, but feels his knees crackle as if he's gotten arthritis. He knows his pace is slow, nothing like his usual brisk stride, but he refuses to let himself stop, refuses, against his body's begging, to simply relax and give in.

And then it happens. He hears a crackle and a snap, and at first he's afraid it's one of his bones or joints, finally giving in on him. He takes a brief second rest just to be sure it's not. Confused, he twists around to check his back, but that's where he sees it. Freya, their little three year old, the youngest of the whole group, is floating in the air, still bound to the ground by her chains. And he should have guessed, but he was in too much pain to notice, but there is a stirring breeze within the bubble, which shouldn't have been there due to the fact that the bubble was blocking out all outside wind.

The little girl is vibrating, golden hair streaming as all her energy is concentrated into her hands where she is spinning wind. She flies straight at Arian, seemingly not able to see him in her daze, and he uses some of his precious remaining energy to dive out of the way. What on earth is that child doing?

Her eyes refocus as Arian hits the ground, attempting to now crawl towards the edge of the bubble. He feels the energy slowly seeping out of him as his knees drag through the dirt on the stage-like thing they are on. She's in his way, and feebly, he tries to get her to move. But she won't.

When she stares down at him with her blue eyes, he is reminded of Nimue's eyes, and that realization hits him like a punch in the gut. Immediately, his crawling efforts are redoubled.

"Stop." She commands, loud and strong, and he begs, pleads, anything, for her to understand. But she either doesn't get it or won't. He tries to inch along, turning to the side to avoid her, but she sweeps in front of him again. Desperately, he attempts to hurl himself past her, but she gives him a look of apology, opens her fisted hands, and lets some wind slip before balling them back up. It's just enough wind to knock him back a few inches.

"No. Please." He croaks, but she's not done. She's swirling the wind in a determined, yet powerful way, and he watches as it ripples, then comes together, falling into place like that was its sole purpose.

He watches as an image comes out of the mini typhoons, and stretches a hand out to meet the image longingly. It's Nimue.