The Elements

Chapter Four

The flames were spreading fast, getting closer and closer to the curled up elf. I wrapped my arm around his waist, begging for him to wake up. I assumed too much smoke had entered his lungs, causing him to lose oxygen and pass out.

Frost was becoming heavier and heavier as I pulled him through the castle. I wanted him to wake up, but as the palace burned down in front of my eyes, I had other thoughts on my mind. Thoughts like escaping the palace as soon as possible.

I finally got outside, breathing the fresh air. Getting far away from the burning palace, I layed Frost down in the grassy courtyard. Wanting Frost to wake up, I slapped him across the cheek.

Frost, thankfully, coughed and opened his eyes. I had laid Frost facing the burning palace, and the moment he opened his eyes, he freaked out.

"Oh my moons! What happened to the palace?" Frost saw me after a few seconds, his voice hoarse. "Luna! What happened to the palace? What's going on? Where am I?" He broke into a coughing fit, and I sat him up.

"Frost, everything's okay. Someone attacked the palace, the palace burned down, and you took in too much smoke and passed out. I brought you outside the palace walls to get some fresh air." Frost stayed quiet, so I continued.

"I don't know where anyone else is. They were in The Feminine escape room, but I left to find you. I-"

"Wait. You risked your life...for me? Why would you do that?"

"Because you're my best friend. And that's what friends do." Frost sat up even more and drew me into a hug. I didn't squeeze hard, not wanting Frost to fall into another coughing fit.

When we broke, Frost's eyes turned serious.

"We need to find who these people are, track them down, and defeat them. We need to travel the provinces and figure out what else they've done, what they're looking for, and why." I stopped him before he could continue.

"Wait. Hold on. Frost, these people just burned down our palace. There are hundreds, maybe thousands in this group, and only two of us. What in the moons are we going to do?" Frost stood up shakily, still a bit disoriented.

"We are going to take back what's rightfully ours."

Before I knew what was happening, Frost had lead me to a stable filled with winged horses.

"Frost, where are we?" Frost didn't respond, but cleared a section of a wooden table off. Pulling a rolled up parchment out of a bin and onto the table, he unrolled it. It was a map of the Elven world, Selios.

"Frost, exactly what are we doing?" I asked, grabbing Frost's wrist. Frost pulled out of my grasp and walked to the actual stables.

There must have been at least seven winged horses in the stable. They all had beautiful feathered wings, almost the same as a hybrid elf's. I stroked one as Frost pulled another one out of its cage.

"Frost. Stop. Tell me what is going on right now. Neither of us know where our parents are, and we are both still in shock. This is not the time to get in a fight. Please just tell me what is going on." Frost sighed, stopping in his tracks.

"Luna, look. You have always been upset at the fact that you couldn't travel the provinces because of you being a hybrid. I've always been upset about the fact that if you are born broke you die broke. Now, we are both upset that our home just burned down. I have a hunch that all three of these things are linked, leading back to the same person and/or people.

"Imagine a world where no one is judged on how they look or who their parents are. Imagine a world where everyone is equal and together, where no one is higher than anyone else. Where everyone can be who they are, wings or no wings. How amazing would that be?! We can do what we love and follow our dreams with no one to stand in our way. Selios is never going to be just like that, but imagine what we could do before we die. Imagine it, Luna."