The Elementals Book 1: The Abyss

Fire Parade

Chapter 6

Shadow couldn't sleep, everything inside him felt like it was burning. In his dream, he and his friends were walking on a beach laughing. Then suddenly the sand turned into the inferno sand and the cloaked figure was there, smiling a wide smile. Then she threw him back onto the sand and used telekinesis to throw Lumia, Fauna, and Hazel into the ocean. Aqua came to save them in her boatlike plane but the figure just laughed and threw her and her ship into the water too.

"Your turn Shadow!"

Shadow screamed as he was thrown into the air.

Shadow woke, sweating copiously. He sat there in silence for a while. Then a tiny noise interrupted his thoughts. Crrk, Crack, Crrk. Shadow felt the backpacks, the covers...his eyes laid upon the small box Aqua had given them. He crept over to it, careful not to wake the others and lifted the lid. The egg had many cracks in it and it was much bigger than the last time he saw it. He watched the little thing for a while, mesmerized.

"Crackle, boom!" Shadow averted his eyes as the eggshells scattered all over the place. Laying where the egg had just been moments earlier, sat a creature with a dome-shaped body, two short stubby legs, and a smaller dome head, it was grinning ear to ear. If Shadow hadn't been informed of the creature he would have thought it was a cartoon that had come to life. Suddenly Shadow's eyes caught on something else, laying beside the dome-shaped creature was another identical one. Twins?! Shadow's conscience cried. Just then the two creatures opened their eyes. And quickly crawled onto each of his shoulders. Well, I guess we can keep them. He said smiling.

The next day the squadron set out to look for the fire gem again. They walked down Hempar Street to continue from the restaurant. Stone trees were evenly spaced beside them and small buildings lined either side of them. As they were walking they suddenly heard loud noises booming

from behind them. Shadow turned around and was met by a massive crowd of people, a marching band, and a bunch of floats with people on either side of them.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if we took a little break to watch the parade." Fauna said. The others agreed so they settled on the sidewalk to watch. After the marching band was done a big caravan appeared that read: National Element Day people on either side trumpeted through with large smiles on their faces. This must be rare for the planet to have so many people smiling while we're in the midst of a war. Shadow thought. Then fire dancers wearing brightly coloured masks came through interrupting his thoughts, Shadow noticed one of the dancers was staring at them.

"Um... guys I have a bad feeling about this," Shadow whispered right before the masked person jumped out of the parade and out to them.

"Run!" Lumia shouted. They took off, running through alleyways and across streets until they reached a highway panting heavily. Across the highway was a giant pit of lava. Shadow looked behind his back, expecting to see the figure running towards them. Instead, he saw nothing. Maybe they'd lost her.

"Crash!" A car zipped in front of them and burst into flames, and an unaffected fire elemental screamed as she opened the car door, hurriedly running away. A splash of flames landed on Hazel and Lumia.

"Ow!" they cried at once as large burn marks singed their wrists and ankles. Thankfully Fauna used her healing powers to heal their burns swiftly.

"Well, well, well we meet again. Don't you know how to greet a guest?" the figure asked, stepping out of the shadows of a nearby alley.

"You're no guest to us!" Fauna spat bitterly. The figure ignored her and continued.

"Well, this burn's going to be one you can't fix," using her telekinesis powers, the figure threw the group into the lava. "It was nice meeting you!" She called after them, chuckling.

As they fell, small figures exploded out of Shadow's backpack like a balloon and onto the pit, protecting the Quadro from the lava. Obviously unaffected,

they lowered them onto the beach beside the pool and deflated back into Shadow's backpack.