Steam

Chapter 3: Crowded Thoughts

Blaze climbed down the cliff; he remembered climbing the cliff as a kid. He never got very far; he was always scared he would fall. The farthest he got, he remembered his Dad pulling him down. He got another talk about how careful they must be with the Water Clan on the other side of the cliff. That was how it always was, don't overstep, don't overclimb, and be better than good. His family always had to prove to people they weren't dangerous. The biggest joke to Blaze was all the other Clans were a danger to his people. They constantly worked to contain his people and kept his community small. When he reached the ground, he looked up to see if the girl was still there. He couldn't see her; he was almost disappointed that he would never see her again. She was kind, and he had rarely met people his age who even wanted to be his friend, at least from other clans.

He began to make his way home. Blaze thought about her pretty hair, it was a bluish-black color. It looked so soft. She was fairly pale. He had never seen anyone from the Water Clan that was that pale. She obviously did not work a job that required laboring in the sun like many of the low-standing Water Clan. Most of them were fishermen. Sometimes when he was little, he would watch the fishermen in their boats from the small beach the Fire Clan had. Blaze loved watching them move the water to collect the fish. Sometimes he would wave to them, but they never waved back. It went on like that for a long time. He would wave, but they never waved back. One day there was a very tan Fisherman. You could tell he worked hard or at least spent a lot of time in the sun compared to the other fishermen. He was on the boat with two other men, one young and the other older. He waved, and the tan fisherman waved back. Blaze couldn't believe it; the fisherman looked back and punched the other two in their arms. Then they both waved too. After that day, all the fishermen always waved, every single one. One day the friendly fisherman came back. Blaze watched as he moved the water and pushed something to the shore. It was a golden pearl. Blaze had never seen something so pretty. He brought it home to his Mom, who turned it into a necklace for him. He found himself grabbing and holding the pearl often.

Blaze had been walking for not long; he often got distracted by his thoughts and memories. He looked up and was close to home. He could eat with his entire family. Blaze even enjoyed listening to his Dad talk endlessly about all the meetings and people he needed to meet now that he was back. He should have been back so long ago. He was only meant to stay until he was in control. Which he mastered at seventeen. He didn't want to come back, putting it off as long as he could. But when his last sibling gained control of their gifts, there were no more excuses to make. He hated how the other Clans treated him and his people. The bullying in school was the worst; he would have rather gone to school with lower-standing children. He always got along well with them; there was still bullying, but nowhere near as bad in the higher-standing school. Most of the heir children were taught at the higher-standing school. The only exception was the Water Clan's Leader, Edmar, who removed his children from school and had them taught at home. Strangely it had happened as Blaze and his siblings were starting school. Edmar always made his Dad's life hell. Edmar never worked as hard then to keep Blaze's Dad far from anything he wanted, and when Edmar rarely didn't get his way, he would withdraw himself completely. There were times Blaze remembered his Dad and Mom sitting by the fire at night. They thought all the children were asleep, but he woke up needing something. He remembered seeing his Dad crying in his Mom's arms; his Dad knew Blaze had to be sent away soon. But his Dad didn't want to send him alone.

"He deserves to be with his siblings, and they need their mother."

Blaze remembered his Mom saying something, but it was too quiet to make out. Then his Dad spoke again.

"I don't want to be without you either. I will visit when I can, but I have to stay. If I leave, it will be exactly what Edmar wants, and I can't let him win."