A Lumen Ripple | An Elemental Story

Chapter 2 - Elementopia

The following morning after travel and a fruitful sleep, Ember opened her eyes to the fresh morning sun dispersed in the room. She leaned up from her deckchair bed and stretched herself out, staring out the window. A quaint, peaceful sunray struck a grateful Ember, smiling at it. Tranquility filled her...

...until she heard some kind of sizzling.

"Mind closing that?" Wade requested.

Unaware of him being awake, her eyes widened instantly.

"Flame!" she exclaimed.

She leaped up off her bed and scrambled over to shut the blinds for him. Before she did, she stopped herself and looked at the lever mechanism, unsure whether or not she'll burn it. She took a deep breath, reaching for it and shutting her eyes in anticipation.

It didn't.

"Thanks." Wade thanked.

She stood at the blinds momentarily, taking another deep breath and looking down with a smile. She slowly looked over at Wade with that smile. Half-awake, he returned a dozy one back to her.

"You look hotter this morning." Wade noticed.

Ember's smile quickly fell off of her face, rolling her eyes and folding her arms.

"Wow, Wade." Ember huffed.

"No-no! I meant that you're brighter! ...and the room's warmer. Usually what that tells me is that you're happy." Wade exclaimed.

Ember guffawed, roaming around the room in discomfort.

"When did you suddenly learn to read me right 24/7?" Ember quipped.

Wade sloshed out of his slumber in the corner and over to her, facing her.

"It ain't just about reading right... it's about knowing what to say." Wade stated.

She unfolded her arms and straightened her posture, looking over to Wade sweetly. He took her hand in his, steaming the room.

Suddenly, a loud thudding occurred just outside the door. The two looked over, Wade with glee and Ember with confusion.

"Oh! We must've just landed." Wade reckoned.

Ember lit up in surprise, looking back at Wade. He let go of his grasp on Ember's hand, going outside to check.

The moment he was gone, the realization of her new life dawned on her. Thus, her flame glowed deep, passionate red.

Wade excitedly returned with a thumbs up, beaming.

"We've docked!" Wade assured.

Ember's face lit up once again in glee. She scrambled around the room with Wade to pack their things and lock up. Once they were done, Ember slowly made her way out while Wade closed and locked the room. He stood at the door for a moment, looking over at Ember slowly waddling down the halls. A big, grateful smile painted his face. He quickly snapped out of it and rushed back over to her side, smirking.

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The two reached a lineup of disembarking elementals, standing at the end in wait. Ember looked up and down the line, noting the stark difference in relationships throughout. Besides her and Wade, all the other couples were of the same element. The thought sat ill with Ember, causing her to look down and hold her elbow again. Catching on to her anxiety, Wade looked over to Ember, first with a smile and later with a proud look. He made a stark point of taking Ember's hand as they stood. The move freaked her out momentarily, her eyes nearly bulging out of her flames. She sharply looked over to Wade in concern, noting his proud expression. Without much hesitation, she quickly caught on to his intentions, smirking in admiration.