The Elementals

Chapter fifty-four "The Ashari?"

Chapter fifty-four "The Ashari?"
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Sly's p.o.v
We walked into the town trying to avoid suspicion, luckly Teep was disguised with that weird mask that he had used in the capital perviously. We looked for a small Inn or even just a tavern, they only had a tavern in this place meaning finding a place to sleep tonight would be all upon us. I strayed away from the group for a while, I found a small pond area and sat by the edge.

I pulled out a photo of The Few that I had kept in my jacket, I looked at all my friends in the picture. 'She's going to kill us all...' I thought taking in a deep breath "you know they don't have to die" a familiar shitty Irish voice said from beside me "Johnny" I greeted "Foxy boy" he returned the same greeting "like I said they don't have to die" he repeated "I know that, it's just- I don't- argh! Why do I always go from one stressful situation to the next?!" I complained laying back on the dirt facing the slightly purple tinted sky, "cause you can't just sit there and watch the world end? You feel like you need to do something" Johnny remarked looking off into the distance his wings folded around his shoulders, "thought you all vanished for a while you know?" I remarked looking at him, he looked to me and his one normal eye looked dull tired "we all thought you idiots died, heh... fox- um Sly...don't end up actually dying this time please?" Johnny requested I gave a weak chuckle "I can't promise anything Feather boy" I replied giving him a sly smile, He chuckled whilst falling back and joining me on the grass looking up at the sky.

There was a sudden pang of alertness that hit me, I sat up straight and looked around, Johnny seemed to get it too as he was already scanning the area, "what was that?" I asked tucking my photo away back into my pocket "a good sign! That was a call!" Johnny explained finally turning back to me "an ashari call! It means there must be at least one or two ashari people here!" He added excitedly, I looked around noticing a small orange line marked on the ground, I got up and begun to follow it seeing as it wasn't there when I first sat down.

Third person p.o.v
Teep, Sky and Summer's heads all perked up from within the small Tavern obviously feeling that pang of alertness, and seeing the sudden line of different colours appear on the ground leading out of the door. Once the four had convened near the outskirts of the town the line on the ground that they'd been following seemed to fade away.

Four voices came from behind them "we have no time to waste" the voices said, as the four elementals turned to face the owners of the voice they could see four Ashari people in their full elemental form.

Seeing these new yet familiar forms seemed to reach something within these few elementals, it was as if a new wave of adrenaline had suddenly started flowing through their veins. Sly approached the pure fire elemental as it scorched the ground beneath him, Teep looked to the earth elemental in surprise and curiosity, Summer approached the water Ashari with a solemn look "I'm sorry I could not—" "Do not apologise for something you could not have predicted." The Ashari interrupted, Sky looked to the Air Ashari member and re-fixed his sun glasses with a smile "I'm so ready for this." He said with a slight laugh.

James' p.o.v
We had relocated back into the forest as Emma had made us a small nature hut, it was small but comfortable. I sat by Tinker's slightly burned and unconscious form letting my thoughts brew, 'he risked his life to try and give us more time...' All I remember is the blinding light then the blood curtailing scream, It had sent shivers down my spine 'if it hadn't of worked he would be dead and- I guess we all would've been dead...' I shook my head trying to rid myself of the thought, 'if I hadn't rushed us in that temple in the first place, we wouldn't have been distracted and would have seen it was a trap...' I laid my head in my hands and sighed heavily, it was my fault we had ended up going to the other universe, my fault we ended up almost dying- it was my— "j-James?" A small weak voice whispered from seemingly no where, I recognised the voice, it was Kiki! "Kiki? You there? I can barley hear you" I stated quietly "I'm...In....The.....Bag...." her voice whispered, it sounded like it was difficult to even utter those words. I searched Tinker's bag before finding Kiki..... she was badly damaged, Tinker was right about her being lucky to communicate... I held her gently between my hands feeling as if any sudden movement would shatter her, it felt wrong to wear her so I just held her there gently.

"Kiki?" I asked again, suddenly it was as if I opened my eyes again I was in a forest on a long forgotten pathway, the area surrounding me was blurred like a picture "Kiki. Kiki where is this?" I asked looking around, the scenery suddenly jumped down the pathway, through the forest, through a long forgotten tribes home, and suddenly stopped at the foot of a temple.

We've been here before....

"Why is it so over grown?" I asked looking at all the corruption spreading through this once beautiful landscape, the Taint had spread to the plants causing them to grow and spread quickly making the terrain more difficult than it already was. "Take me inside that temple." I said aloud, suddenly the scenery changed again but this time I was inside the temple, standing before the pit we were all doomed to fall too, I look towards where I had seen Zen prior to almost being killed and see Ender, fully reformed but stationed at this alter, like she was in a trance or something. I walked towards her and reached a hand out towards her out folded wings, "I'm sorry about your friend..." Kiki's voice said from in front of me, I looked around Ender's wing and saw Kiki's small, fragile and fractured body kneeling there staring at Ender, I looked to her in worry "Are-" "I'm not to be dwelled upon at the moment James..." Kiki interrupted me before looking to an unoccupied space "she tried her hardest...she stalled her for as long as she could." Kiki said still staring into that space, I think I had gotten the general Idea "James, you might not like what you see" Damien warned me suddenly appearing next to Kiki, I took a shaky breath "I know, but I want to know how much time I have to save her..." I said looking to them both, Damien's hard exterior seemed to drop for a second as he gave a small smile "Kiki, show me what you see..." I said hesitantly, Kiki blinked slowly and the image of my best friend in her ghostly form appeared there frozen in time like the rest of the scene, Screaming at Ender as this taint crawled up her arms, legs and neck, I grit my teeth as I felt rage bubble in my throat "Damien how much time do we have roughly?" I asked not taking my eyes off my friend "a week at best" Damien stated, "then it's the last week Ender will have on this earth..." I growled.