A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Ally's Tale

The Irises part before me as I walk towards Karlee. She’s staring at the bloody form of her father, which is cut up and bleeding everywhere. His head is laying on the ground five feet from the body, and is so cut up and covered in blood you couldn’t tell it was him.

    Karlee’s eyes don’t show any emotion, which is just how I feel. Ignis comes out of the crowd, his pale blond hair falling into his dark blue eyes. With a look at Karlee, Ignis summons fire to his palm, and throws the ball onto Juxa’s body and head. We all watch the body burn with red and orange light, waiting until it turns into gray ash.

    Terra steps forward, looking exactly like his brother Ignis, with the same lanky frame and pale skin. His indigo and persian blue pupils glow as he mounds the earth up to cover the ash, mixing the ash and soil together. Thanatos comes forward, his dark eyes and curly black hair matching his Mexican features. His dark brown eyes glow with baby blue and blue-gray pupils, and he looks at Karlee. As the resident pastor, Thanatos can control death itself, even resurrect once-living things. Karlee nods to Thanatos, and the boy nods back.

    He kneels next to the mixture of soil of ash, and places his hands on the ground. Terra kneels next to him, placing his hands on top of Thanatos’s. Then, Planter, with his blood and onyx eyes rimmed in lavender, walks over to the two boys, and kneels next to them as well, placing his hands over Terra’s.

    Blue light spills from Thanatos’s and Terra’s pupils, and Planter’s irises start to glow. Murmurs come from the boys’ mouths, murmurs in a language not known to the rest of the world, unless you can understand the four languages of the elements. Earth Tongue, Feather Speak, Flame Talk, and Bubble Words. Earth, air, fire, and water. Fire is mainly used for death, but this is a special occasion.

    The wolves’ ears prick when some lines are said in Earth Tongue. Then the wilanes’ ears perk up when some words are said in Feather Speak. The dragon’s ears fly up when some words are said in Flame Talk. Even the lycoptrxes’ long, feathered ears go upward when some sentences are said in Bubble Words, which surprises me.

    I follow along with the lines easily, my shapeshifter abilities kicking in to allow me to understand the words. Once the words are spoken, a small flower appears beneath the gathered hands. It grows, splitting and multiplying, covering the mixture of soil rapidly. When the boy’s hands are removed from the ground, the flowers cover more of the land, creeping across the blood-soaked ground and over bodies like waves.

    I look down at the flowers, and see their peculiarness. Each shines with an ethereal blue light, emanating from the center of the flower. Each petal is the color of blood, each rimmed in a different shade of blue. They’re beautiful, covering the clearing, with the light reflecting off their bioluminescence and scarlet petals.

    Ally’s hand slips into mine, and I feel eyes drill into my skull. Looking up, I see Gacko across the circle, staring at our joined hands. I smile at her, but she doesn’t return my smirk.

    Thanatos stands, his dark eyes seeming even darker with the task, even though he  had help. Planter’s and Terra’s eyes are dark as well, their energy drained from creating so many plants. Each take a step forward, then promptly collapse.

    Everyone rushes towards them, and something peculiar happens as each person takes a step. The flowers disappear as the Irises’ feet touch the earth, then reappear after the feet are gone. I smile at the magic, and look over at Ally. Her eyes are on the ground as well, and she looks up to smile at me as well. No wonder the three boys are tired.

    Latiner, her silver and gold eyes with copper inlays flashing, kneels by Planter’s side, her short, spiky brown hair flying everywhere. The other Legacies crowd around Planter, murmuring. Then, Surger starts to sing, and everyone stops to listen to her.