Half the Power

Into the Woods

I hated the woods. Perhaps it was because I couldn't command the air to pick me up very easily. The air couldn't flow well with the trees everywhere. That worried me; what could I really do without my power?

Ava and Ryan seemed used to the woods. They easily avoided fallen logs and rocks, without even having to look down. I tended to stumble over those things, not noticing the rocks covered in leaves. Maybe Ava could sense them, on the ground? And Ryan had been hiking as well as camping, so he was good with noticing small details. I began to learn that he was and outdoor person.

When we got to a stream, Ryan stopped, and I almost ran into him. He closed his eyes, crouching with his palm hovering over the flowing water. Ava and I were silent as he concentrated. A few moments later, he raised his hand to the forest ahead, and slowly stood. He turned with his hand out until he had made a complete 360 degree turn.

He turned back to us. "Fill your water bottles here. There aren't any clean streams or anything we can drink out of for a while."

The three of us knelt and filled refillable bottles. Ryan checked them individually to be  sure that we hadn't gotten any hidden dirt or plants in them, but they were all clean.

We hadn't gotten very far--maybe a mile or two-- when we met the first challenge. I expected to have been attacked many times by now, but it was oddly quiet. Every time a leaf rustled,  a twig snapped, or a squirrel ran across the path, all of us snapped to attention, sure that it was a monster. In a way, the lack of evil activity made me more nervous. Something big must be close; the suspense was just building for the amusement of the real enemy.

The danger didn't pop out to us immediately.  We were walking with Ryan in front, me in the middle, and Ava in the back. Occasionally we would stop for Ryan to feel for water, or Ava to pick up a valuable gem, or me to try to use the flow of wind to tell if the forest thinned or thickened. So, when Ryan stopped, Ava and I didn't think much of it. After we waited longer than normal, Ava risked a question. "Everything alright?"

In response, Ryan shook his head, coming out of his concentration. "I can feel... something around here. It doesn't feel like water, though. It's thicker, and..." His sentence faded, then took off at a sprint. Ava and I exchanged a worried look, then took after him.

***

It took a few minutes for Ava and I to catch up to Ryan. He could run pretty fast, even with the tent parts strapped to his back. We watched as he slowed to a jog, then a walk, and finally stopped. He was panting from his running, and so were Ava and I. He reached up to the winged necklace and pulled. A short dagger appeared in his hand, and he held it at the ready. I looked at Ava, and saw that she was pale. She gulped.

They were both looking ahead of us, but I didn't notice anything. Was a monster about to jump out of behind a tree?

No. Something worse. But I still couldn't see anyone. "What is it?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

Ava raised a shaky finger, and pointed to a tree a few feet in front of Ryan. "Watch," she said in a hoarse voice.

I stood with my arms crossed until the tree's image began to shimmer. In  a moment, it was gone. I took a step towards it, but Ryan grabbed my arm. "No."

"Ugh! What is with you guys?" Why couldn't they talk using more than one word? 

It happened in the blink of an eye. A geyser opened up, and shot up bubbling purple liquid. Then, the tree appeared back in its place, making me wonder if that had really just happened. One look at my new companions told me that it had. My anger turned to awe.

"How did you know that would happen?" I asked.

Ava took a deep, shaking breath. "Ryan can sense water, and that was part water.  I could tell that something was unnatural about the tree, that it's not real."

Ryan followed suit, breathing deeply. "That was poison. I could sense a little water, but I can tell. It happens every fifteen seconds."

We stood in silence, apparently for fifteen seconds, because the geyser exploded again. This time I knew it would happen, but I still jumped. Ava pulled her hair into a bun. Only she could make that look intimidating.

"If it's that dangerous, there's something we need in there. I'm going in."

Ryan and I looked at each other, then laughed. Ava didn't seem to get the joke. She gave us a blank look, and blinked at us. "What's so funny?"

"You're not gonna go in that thing," Ryan explained. "Because you couldn't possibly get out in time."

"I'm supposed to go in," I said patiently. "I'm the smallest, and the fastest."

Ava stared. "No way," she said, shaking her head. "You're the youngest. We have more experience."

Ryan and I seemed to be forming a habit of taking turns explaining things to her. "We all have one day worth of experience. Unless you fought monsters before yesterday morning? I know I haven't. Have you, Amelia?"

I shook my head. We were acting like it was a casual question, as if he had asked me if I caught the latest episode of a new show. 

He turned back to Ava. "How often were you fighting them?"

"Oh, shut it," she snapped. "So that means we all have equal experience, and equal chance of getting out."

I rolled my eyes. My turn to explain. "You know I'm the smallest. I told you. I can quickly get in, grab whatever's there, and get back out. Easy. Plus, I can use the wind to get myself out. I can't do that as easily with you or Ryan."

She huffed. Apparently she couldn't think of an argument. "Fine. But I'm not happy about it. Just make sure you get out between the hole for the poison and the tree taking its place."

"I'll be fine," I reassured her. "I've always been fast."

Ryan perked up. "I have a timer on my phone. It counts down aloud, so you'll be able to hear and understand how much time you have." He pulled a phone with a black case out of his back pocket, and tapped it a few times. "There. It's set for fifteen seconds. As soon as it finishes the next time, jump in. That way, you'll have as much time as possible."

I skipped to the tree, until I was a foot away. The poison came, and the intense heat hit my face. The poison shut off, and I jumped in before the tree replaced the hole.