Ivory Chronicles

Act III - Resurgence Isle Part 6

Defying the Storm

The sun hung high over Amaracuya as we made our way back to Isabella Town. The walk back was peaceful, and it felt good not to have my thoughts dwelling on whatever new conflict awaited us. Kyriah and I were still soaked from the pond, but we didn't mind. Her hand rested on my waist, and mine draped over her shoulder as we walked, laughing and enjoying the moment.

Our tranquility was shattered by the distant sounds of yelling, echoing from La Escollera Plaza Square. We hurried towards the commotion and saw about fifty locals surrounding someone, hurling accusations and insults. "It's all your fault!" "We don't need you or your kind!" The realization quickly hit me—they were talking about either Max or Fabian.

Without hesitation, I broke through the mob with Kyriah right behind me. In the center stood Fabian, his face flushed red, his patience visibly thinning. The crowd was relentless, shoving him and jabbing their fingers at him while shouting over one another.

I stepped into the middle of the fray, surprising Fabian and drawing the mob's attention towards me. Raising my hands, I shouted, "We're here to help you! Why are you attacking him?!" But my words were drowned out by their renewed shouting. "You're one of them!" they screamed, referring to people with powers. It stung to know they were already seeing us as different from regular humans.

My hands began to subtly crystallize with ice. I had no intention of harming anyone, but I needed to defuse the situation. The sight of my icy hands worked. The mob's hostility waned, and they slowly retreated, though a few still muttered threats. Most, however, had caution and fear etched on their faces.

What I had wanted to avoid the most had come true—they've started to fear us.

"Thanks, Ellion," Fabian said, his voice heavy with relief as he placed a hand on my shoulder. But then his expression shifted to one of concern. "But we have a problem. Max told Leo about the medicine room, and Leo, in turn, told everyone in the town. Now they're all headed to break into the hospital."

"And Max?!" I asked, anxiety rising at the thought of what he might have done.

"I don't know. All I heard is that there was a huge confrontation and that something is on fire," Fabian replied, his worry evident of what Max could've done. "Where the hell were you guys? I looked for you for hours!" He glanced between Kyriah and me, noticing our silence, and pieced it together. "I get it. Fine, but get your heads back in the game. We don't know what to expect."

Fabian grabbed both of us by the shoulders and started leading us towards the hospital. Kyriah shot me a quick smile before putting on her serious face. "Did you find anything, Fabian?" she asked.

"How could I? Every person I approached wanted to make sure I wasn't one of 'them' before even considering helping me," Fabian said, clearly irritated by the prejudice. "Then word got out that The Sunspears had discovered the hidden medicines, and that there was enough for everyone. Most of the town joined the break-in. Those who stayed behind were against the idea, against having us here to help. So instead of joining the others, they formed a mob to attack me once they found out I was one of 'them.'"

"Why are they so afraid of us?" I asked aloud, frustration and confusion in my voice.

"They're not afraid of us, they're just proud," Kyriah explained, her tone tinged with pride for her people. "Prouder than Vanitans. They've never liked outside help, and they assume any help is a way for the other person to benefit from them. They hate being used for others' achievements."

"Sometimes you have to ask for help from outside your comfort zone to help those close to you. Otherwise, you'll end up blaming each other and never progress," I said, glancing around the littered street, the broken roads, the dozens of beggars, and the run-down buildings.