Star Crossed [Sample Only]

9] Tempting the Void

Tempting the Void

Wednesday's training session is different now that Alex has his new power. We are back in the FR field and we are coordinating our moves with Alex's additional ability. Leon has become a real asset in terms of giving Alex advice, and what is also awesome is that Leon is back to his usual happy-go-lucky self. Leon must have been in a bad mood yesterday evening.

At the moment, we have a river and a few trees randomly spread on the grassy field that Alex chose from the FR field's settings. We all chose to use a medium sized rock as the object we had to retrieve from the other side of the field. In this case it was on the other side of the river. The computerised team we were versing consisted of three water users and two healers. Some of their moves were predictable because we had memorised them from past training sessions but there were some surprises. As usual, they had the healers at the back and out of harm's way, and they were keeping a close eye on the rock we had to retrieve.

The twins were running around randomly, trying to distract the water users while John stood with me using fire, and Alex practiced moving objects with his mind. Sophie stood on guard, ready to heal any of us that got hurt. Getting across to the other side of the river was the hardest part in all this, but I had come up with a plan.

"Just trust me," I say to John, "Create a massive wall of fire to block their vision, as soon as they counter it with water I'll surprise them by flying across the river, they won't have time to attack me before I hit the ground on their side. Just wait until I tell you to do it," I command him firmly as the Vice-Captain and then I run forward, jump over a log and stand next to Alex, he is at the bank of the river. He was already drenched. The computerised water users knew he was a fire user and getting a fire user wet was the only way to stop them from wanting to use their magic. This was because Alex, John and I all released fire through the skin so it would have to burn the water off first, and that freaking hurt.

Alex really wasn't doing much other than just practicing his new ability. He had managed to knock down one tree on their side, ripping it out at the roots. This new ability was pretty cool, I had to admit. The tree had hit one of the water users, and we had nearly gotten across from the distraction Alex caused until the enemy healers took out concealed daggers and threw them at us with startling accuracy.

Alex notices that I've just come up beside him and he looks irritated by my move.

"Get back," Alex hisses, as a big wave of water in the middle of the river rises slowly into the air. It doesn't come for us straight away, the water users were computing the best time to let it crash into us.

"No, I'm getting to the other side.," I say quickly.

"By yourself?" Alex asks and I nod, "Then get the hell back to your original position," he hisses again and I roll my eyes.

Alex happened to be ten times bossier during training in the FR field. My plans usually clashed with his ideas, and we argued, a lot. I grin at his annoyance just as the wave rushes towards us. Before it crashes into me I take a few steps to the side so I'm out of range of hurting Alex as I quickly shoot up into the air, pushing fire out of the bottom of my feet. I'm thirty feet into the air in a second flat.

"Now!" I yell to John. The wave crashes over Alex and a thick wall of fire quickly spreads out in front of me, cutting off the vision of the other team. I don't know when they'll counter it, but I'm assuming it will be almost instantaneous. I was concentrating entirely on the wall in front of me, waiting for the fire to dissolve while I heard Alex calling out some orders to Mitchel and Blake. He was commanding them to back me up when I flew across.

The other side of the field suddenly becomes clear, the fire now gone. I push my own fire out of my feet and hands. I fly directly over the water users and then the healers to a tree near the rock I have to retrieve. Just as I'm landing I see one of the healers throw their dagger at me. I'm surprised just how fast the healers react to my surprise invasion so instead of landing I shoot back up into the air out of range, my head nearly touching the gym's roof. I realise my mistake quickly as I see a water user direct a stream of water out of the river to head straight for me. I had to act now. There was no time to think. I stop releasing some magic so I free fall. I fall quickly, as I near the ground I push a large jet of fire out of my feet to soften the impact when I reach the ground. My timing is off as 3 feet from the ground the stream of water collides with my feet while I am still releasing magic.