RE:WRITE

45.0 Candela_Chapter 10: Tempo

Castle...piece...crumbles....

The words echoed inside my head as I fell through the mists.

No...not again! Not again!

I struggled; both mentally and physically. I lashed out with my fists, guarded my thoughts by trying to think of something else but it was all in vain. The song kept playing, over and over again.

...build...castle...just to...crumble...

I heard a loud crash behind me. The boat had smashed into pieces as it hit the ground. Luckily, I hadn't.

Get out of my head!

I grabbed my head and rolled on the ground.

"You okay Runir?" I heard someone shout from above.

Can't show weakness...no vulnerabilities. Can't let them see...snap out of it...snap out of it!

I steeled myself and cursed as I picked myself up from the wreckage.

"And why couldn't you grab me too?" I complained.

"Can't let you get too close to Lily," said Amy as she landed.

"I knew you'd be fine. You have a hard head," said Kai.

"Don't know which is worse..." I muttered.

"Besides, you could have used Air magic to soften the fall. Don't know why you didn't," said Lily.

Shit! She's right. I was too distracted by the voices...wait, I can't hear them anymore?

"Hey Runir," said Lily, snapping her fingers in my face. "Stop zoning out."

"Ah right, sorry," I said. "Yeah, just a little tired, is all."

"Now that you mention it, it is getting pretty late, we should make camp for the night," said Kai.

"Don't need to. This is the Corridor. There are rest stops and free public inns all along the way. Should be one nearby," I said, remembering what I'd learned from the books I'd read.

"Aw, but I like camping out..."

"Shut it."

"Hey!" shouted Zoe suddenly.

I looked at her. Come to think of it, she'd been frozen stiff ever since we fell off the sludge-fall.

"How did you two fly?" she asked, pointing at Amy and Kai.

"Ability," said Kai.

"Spell," said Amy.

"Don't answer so easily!" said Zoe. "What kind of spell lets you fly?" She pointed at Amy. "And you used your Ability to make that soup. I saw it!"

Kai laughed uneasily. "Damn, looks like I've been caught. I'm a good cook but I use my Ability to give it a little extra zing." He winked.

"Zing..." said Lily.

"It was a special spell I made myself..." said Amy, shyly.

...How the fuck did that twerp make them reveal their secrets so easily? I've been trying to do that for-

"So you two are cheaters," said Zoe, pointing at Kai and Amy. Kai gave her a sheepish grin while Amy refused to meet her gaze.

"And you two are useless," she said, pointing at Lily and I.

"I am not useless kid!" said Lily.

"Yeah, she makes good sandwiches," I said.

Lily glared at me.