Grounded On Juniper Island

A Tremble Too Far

The moment Oleg had summoned the Earth to do his bidding, he knew that he was trouble. To the astonishment of the Knights and the townsfolk of Junipo, the ground tore apart, plummeting the unfortunate into a bottomless abyss.

Roots ripped apart, snapping like bones in a vice. The clacking of stones against one another echoed from the opening. They collided with one another till they were chipped and cracked.

Amongst the falling were Lemmy, Kai, Devin, Kalvin, as well as Lynol and Liza Lieberg. The once incapacitated couple were now staring at the light vanishing above them. It was a common reaction to the helpless victims.

Oleg fell to knees staring at his trembling hands. He thought an accident like this would never happen again. The stress and ordeal that he put Dom and Coco through last time was too much.

It was clear to him his gift was slowly turning into a curse, that was awoken when he was angered, flustered and afraid. Shock had paralysed his senses and made him incapable of moving, or saying a word. He was helpless and oblivious to the carnage surrounding him.

Bounders leapt away with panic in all directions. Cries of help became contagious amongst the townsfolk, who you could have sworn were trying to outdo each others' screams. Limbs flailed around as if they were marionettes tugged upon strings. While some, particularly children, stood their motionless, narrowly missing being trampled or bowled over. Lior was working overtime to prevent these accidents from happening. He bounded to their aid, taking them as far away from the abyss as he could.

Hudson stayed by Jane's side. He was confused and too afraid to involve himself with these strangers. He didn't like what they were going through, but fear froze him in the same manner as Oleg.

As for Lemmy, it seemed his face was soon to met by a wayward stone. It had turned into sharpened projectile, which had the potential to land a mortal blow. His momentum pinned his arms from face. Instinct told him to squeeze his eyes shut. His features shuddered with the tension; an attempt to hide from the impact.  

But suddenly the ground above him, bursted with earthen tendrils, flicking dust and darkened soil into the atmosphere. The underground matter rained onto the village like thick droplets, disturbing a sun-filled day.

Jane pressed her finger deep into the notch of her temple. Her head was pounding at the enormity of what she had summoned. She had managed to awaken eight tree roots from the depths.

Through the will of her commands, a root notched itself around the waist of Lemmy, pushing his bulge into places he never thought it could fit. He had narrowly missed a rock, the size of a coconut, that was destined for his nose.

The remaining roots latched around Kai, Devin, Kalvin, Lynol and Liza, lifting them and Lemmy to an open space. It was a safe distance away from the destruction and anything that could potentially fall upon them.

Fatigue had set in for Lior. He had saved over a dozen Bounders, leaping back and forth from the abyss to the point safety, only a few metres from Jane's rescue pile. His legs started to lose its strength, wobbling as they struggled to gain balance. His chest burned with each breath. Beads of sweat dripped from his curls mercilessly stinging his eyes, adding to his gradual depletion of vision. He collapsed onto to his knees and rolled over on his back, watching the the sky spin above him. His efforts were rewarded by a young girl Bounder, who gently kissed him on his head. Her eyes gazed upon him with awe, wishing him all the thanks she could, without uttering a word. Her mother knelt down and clutched her to her side.

"Thank you Lior," said the woman softly. There was an quiver in her voice. She was still obviously frightened by the events that had unfolded. "I would rather be struck down by Pyra than lose my daughter."