Elements of Freedom

Chapter Four [Part One]

~ Air will make amends with those who are deserving, air will slaughter those who deserve pain, and air will strangle those who stopped others from speaking. Air will threaten those worth threatening, and air will make evil scream. ~

Chapter Four

Air

"Where are they?" I looked up and saw the worry on her face, it was like a blanket covering every other emotion apart from fear.

"Don't know." I couldn't find the words, they just all jumbled around in my mouth. I didn't mean to sound so blunt. I still hadn't gotten used to actually being able to speak without receiving a fist in the face at the end of the sentence, or feeling the sharp burn of a cane across my neck after only just opening my mouth to form a single word.

"Try and know." She glared at me with fire in her eyes.

"I can't." I shot back at her, the bitterness in my voice even scared me. She stared at me for a little longer before turning her gaze towards the open fields that lay in front of us.

"They should be here by now." Her voice shook in the wind that left my fingers. She whipped her head around to face me again. There was a subtle hint of a smile across her face, it was only a flash of one, but it seemed to make my body feel warmer for some reason that I couldn't explain. I couldn't help but feel bad for my abrupt answers and discourteous nature when in her presence. I didn't know how to be around people. I guess it was just something that came naturally to some people and not others.

I closed my eyes and tried to muster up the courage to make conversation.

"Umm... so...fire, yeah?" It wasn't much but it was the best I could do with sweaty palms and shaky legs.

"Yeah. I'm guessing air from the little show just then." She smirked. I forced a smile at her, it seemed to work. I couldn't think of anything else to say. Conversations were hard. I didn't want to sound rude and intrusive by asking questions, but then, surely it would be rude not to ask questions? A vicious cycle.

"So, do you have a name or did those bastards take you before you got given one?" Thank god, she saved me from the embarrassment of attempting to start the conversation myself.

"They called me Arcanio. That's all I know."

"I'm Ember. I chose it myself." She smiled at me again, sending the warm feeling all over my body.

"Hey." Her grey eyes glowed with red and orange flames. Her hair was blonde, dead straight and fell at her shoulders. I looked at the moss filled ground, I couldn't look at her face anymore. It made me feel unnerved.