In My True Element

Chapter 6

All I wanted was a peaceful and quiet existence. Being surrounded by my family, having opportunities to make up for being a selfish and inconsiderate brother. Was it too much to ask for? I guess, yes. Let's recap what I've got instead: my brothers and sister are being held hostage by a bastard who wants to gain almost unlimited power; I have to help him in achieving this goal; and the cherry on top of this delicious cake is the fact that I have to work with the woman I used to worship, the same one who stabbed me in the back, without so much as a sorry.

It's official - my life is a nightmare.

I think about the next few days or weeks and my head starts hurting. How am I to pull this all off? Will I be able to find the jewel? Will I be able to free my family without endangering the lives of many? If Brackwick gets our powers he won't be using them for the good of humanity. He'll start destroying and probably subjugating everyone. And there's no doubt in my mind that he'll start with us.

How did I get all of us into this mess?

Two soldiers come over, and in response to my earlier demand take me to see my family.
I'm brought into a small cell where Fire, Earth and Water are already waiting for me. Their faces are distorted by sad smiles.

"Hey, bro." Earth stands up to greet me, and we hug. This is the first time in three hundred years that all four of us are together in the same room, but there's no joy in my heart.

Everyone thinks the same thing and bobs their heads.

After a series of hugs, we sit on small and extremely uncomfortable benches.

"What's happening out there?" Water is the first to speak. His calmness and businesslike tone give me some comfort.

"They're getting the equipment and everything we might need on our expedition."

"So you are helping them find the jewel?" Fire looks very worried. Her red hair is swept back and I can clearly see shadows under her eyes; I hate seeing her like that.

"I have to; you know that. I can't let him kill you."

"We can take care of ourselves." She is always ready to fight, always thinks she's unbeatable. I, however, am not taking any chances.

"Not without our powers, we can't." I give the bench I'm sitting on a slight punch. "I shouldn't have taken them away from you."

"But you said he was close to getting them, wasn't he?"

I look at Earth and know that he's right. Brackwick would have gotten all our powers back then; somehow he knew exactly how to do that. He did get some information from me, but that surely wasn't enough, was it? He must have had some other sources.

Again all these questions make my head spin, so I decide to think about them later.

"Air, you look like crap." Fire scoots closer to me and touches the side of my face, which still hurts. I wince and she quickly takes her hand back.

"We could feel it when Brackwick was doing this to you and we could do nothing." Her voice is so quiet, barely a whisper. Then she reaches for my left hand and gently takes it in hers. "Who did this to you?" Back in my cell I put a self-made splint on the finger but it didn't do much good. Without painkillers and proper treatment it still hurts like hell. Trying to stay strong, I say in what I hope a careless voice, which turns out to be more hoarse than I like.

"Brat, the guy who came to your cabin."

Earth cringes, "I hate that dude. He literally gives me the creeps."