Element Restraint

Chapter 19: Erik

At least six men come up to me, and tackle me to the ground. As soon as the Musgravite chip was injected into my neck I knew all hope was lost.

It felt as if my body went numb. A heatwave moved through my body, weakening me. I have been blocked off from the last possession I had. The last thing I treasured.

I fall to the ground in agony. They handcuff me and lift me up. I wait for the pain to pass.

"What is the meaning of this?" I hear Acantha shouting. We both should have known that if I stepped on a rebel ship they would do this.

She is probably the only one that can have sympathy for me right now. Just yesterday she was in my position. Handcuffed and abilities blocked off so she could feel nothing.

Acantha makes eye contact with me one last time. She is angry. But is it towards me? No! She is angry about what is happening to me.

I am dragged down to the bottom of the boat into a cellar. The room is dark and smells of sweaty fish. They drag me through the room, past empty cells to the back. I am dropped hard to the floor. I let out a groan as more pain spread to my side.

They connect my handcuffs to a long chain on the wall. One of the guards kicks me in the stomach and laughs when I moan.

They leave me in the cell alone. I curl into a ball waiting for the pain to pass. Waiting for it all to pass. I knew it was too good to be true when Garmund let me go with them. He did not put up a fight at all about it.

I squeeze my eyes shut fighting the needles of pain in my skull.

After the pain begins to pass, I just begin to feel sort of numb, and empty. I feel as if part of my senses disappeared.

I push myself off the floor and lean against the bars of my cell. I look at the steps of the cellar. I do not know why I stare at them so long. It is not like someone is going to come let me out. I am stuck here.

I close my eyes and think of home. I wonder how Imir and Aella are doing. As soon as I left, did Aella tell Imir? Did Imir feel sad I left? Deep down, I know he does not care that I left.

I begin to drift off as time passes. The past week has been exhausting, and the past 15 hours were enervating.

"Now this is a sight I never thought I would see." A deep cheerful voice speaks up. "Erik Aetos sitting in a cell, chained."

I open my eyes and feel a burst of joy at the sight of Galen laughing on the other side of the bars.

"Of course, you are here," I say with a smile. I am not surprised that he found his way to the rebellion.

"You aren't gonna cry are you?" Gale jokes. "Because I am sure your last letter had tear stains on it."

"My stars, shut up," I say, rising to my feet.

"You and I both know that ain't possible."

I go as close to Gale as my chains allow me to and sit down.

"So" Gale tucks his hands in his pockets. "What is new with you?" I can see the humor in his very bright blue eyes. Powers or not, I can still tell a joke coming on.

"You know, the usual. Was planning on helping a rebel escape on the down low, but then ended up betraying my kingdom to save a girl. Then was betrayed by her rebel boyfriend and thrown in here with a Musgravite chip in my neck." I end with a smile.

"You mean that Earthling up there?" Galen says with a smirk. "She does seem like someone you'd be into."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your girl was about to beat the crap out of our captain for you."

"First off she is not my girl and second off"

"If she ain't" Gale cuts me off. "Why is she fighting so hard to get you out of here?"

"Second off" I begin saying again. "She hates me."

"You are probably right." Gale surrenders.

I lean my forehead against the metal bars thinking. I listen to the footsteps above me. Whom do they belong to?

"How is Aella?" Gale speaks up.

"The last time I was able to see her she was good. Sad I was leaving of course." I tell him. I think of how Aella hugged me before I left. It broke my heart.

"What about Imir?" He asks hesitantly.

"Imir is a different story," I mumble. "He" I pause. Gale waits patiently for me to finish. "He is just different."

"What about you though?" I ask quickly, dying to change the subject.

"Well," Gale gives me a smirk and leans his head against the wall with his hands on his hips. "You will be pleased to know, I have a girlfriend."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Her name is Amora." He grins from ear to ear when he says her name. "She is absolutely amazing. I mean she's absolutely gorgeous, smart, strong, and did I mention gorgeous."

I roll my eyes at him.

"How exactly did you get a girl like that?" I snort.

"I do not even know." He shakes his head grinning.

He steps away from the wall and leans against the bars of the cells. I look up at him and see him beaming.

"I can't wait for y'all to meet. She says she can't wait too."

Gale actually told a girl about our friendship? How serious is this relationship?

"I can not wait to meet her too. Because she sounds unreal." I laugh. He kicks my shin through the bars.

"I used to think that too." He sighs looking into space.

I look him up and down in confusion. Out of the eleven years of knowing Gale, never have I seen him like this. Is he okay?

I stare at him in disbelief, until he finally snaps out of it and looks at me again.

"I should probably get going now." He says looking at his watch. He turns and begins walking away.

"Gale," I call out to him. He turns and looks at me. "I need one more thing."

"Okay."

"I need you to look out for Acantha for me."

"Why?" He says with a smirk.

"It is not like that idiot."  I roll my eyes. "She is just" I pause trying to find the right words to describe it. "She is a bit unstable when it comes to certain things."

Gale steps back over to the bars confused.

"Unstable how?"

"She is" I get to my feet and lean as close to Gale as my chains allow me. "She is a Fire Controller, and inexperienced," I whisper.

Gale looks at me with his jaw hanging open.

"She could burn the boat down just by getting too angry and upset about something. You have to make sure her emotions are kept under control." I  warn him.

I know he has many questions, but he does not ask them. He nods his head to me.

"I promise I will keep an eye on her."