Elemental: Heat Rising

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The Ashes

    Oak woke up to the splashing of cold water on his face.

    “Wake up,” he heard the voice of Abril Fatface say.

    “What?” he stuttered, “Abril? Why are you here?”

    “I was saving your skin,” she responded.

    “What happened?”

    “You must have been knocked out when that fireball hit the tower. I ca-”

    “Where’s Holly? Is she still in the forest?” he interrupted her.

    “That’s what I was going to say. Holly was up here when I came up.”

    “Well where is she now?”

    “Let me finish Oak,” Abril said, annoyed, “We got inside but then Violet appeared. I tried to fight her off, I really tried, but she was too strong and I was knocked unconscious. When I woke again Holly was gone.”

    “What happened to the battle?” Oak asked, concerned.

    “I’m afraid you’ll have to take a look.”

    Oak grabbed the wall and slowly stood up. He walked to the large hole in the tower wall and saw all the damage. Only a few dozen soldiers remained, and half the castle was in complete ruins, heavy smoke rising from it.

    “Come on,” he said, “Let’s go.”

    “How?” Abril asked, “The staircase is burnt beyond repair.”

    Without responding, Oak tensed his hand and went into a stronger, lower stance. He brought his hands down then quickly pushed them upward, bringing a large pillar of rock up from the ground next to the tower.

    The pillar had a large flat top which Oak leaped onto and repeated the motion, this time bringing the next rock pillar lower than the first.

    He jumped down to the next one like they were stairs.

    “I must say Oak,” Abril said, leaping to the first pillar, “You’re still as clever as you were ten years ago.”

    Oak didn’t respond but kept creating pillars lower and lower to the ground until it was safe to jump to the ground from the last.

    Oak jumped and rolled as he hit ground followed by Abril who landed on her feet, one hand to the ground.

    “We have to find Holly,” Oak said, turning back to Abril and starting in a walk.

    Abril walked behind him as they met up with one of the surviving South soldiers, who noticed them as he was trying to help a wounded soldier to a temporary infirmary that had been set up.

    “General Oak,” the soldier saluted, “Boy am I glad to see you.”

    “You as well,” Oak responded, saluting him back, “Do you know where my student is? Holly Redwood?”

    “No, Sir. Sorry.”

    Oak sighed and offered the soldier help with the wounded one, who had a large burn mark across his face.

    The infirmary was a large white tent set up on the yard behind the castle which was now in ruins.

The two brought him into the infirmary with Abril following close behind, where Basil offered Oak help for his wounds.

    “No, thank you. It looks like they need more help than I do,” he said, referring to the wounded soldiers.

    “Very well,” Basil answered, turning back to the soldier she was caring for.

    “Do you happen to know where Holly is?” Oak asked her.

    She looked up, a concerned look spread across her face, “Holly’s missing?”

    “She hasn’t been seen by anybody we’ve asked since before the battle ended.”

    “I’m sorry,” she said, her spirit sinking even farther, “I don’t know.”

    “I might,” a soldier from across the tent said, slightly raising a hand.

    Oak and Abril both walked over to him, interested in what he had to say.

    “Before I passed out,” the soldier started, “I saw some of the North soldiers loading up South soldiers into these--planes. But they had these slanted wings and I think a few of them had bombs to drop. The people were throwing these weapons on them that wrapped around and electrocuted them until they lost consciousness.”

    Oak stared on in fascination as the soldier continued.

    “I did see them load someone that looked shorter than the rest. That could have been Holly.”

    Oak stood, trying to sort everything out in his mind.

    “If you were still alive why didn’t they take you as well?” Abril questioned, raising an eyebrow.

    “I guess they were only taking the unwounded. They weren’t going to provide medical attention for any of us so we would’ve died anyways.”

    Abril thought for a moment before saying, “Thank you,” as her and Oak walked the direction away from the soldier.

    “I know what I have to do,” Oak said, his voice and mind certain, “I have to go to the North castle.”

    “What?” Abril exclaimed, suddenly surprised.

    “Holly is my responsibility. I can bring her and the other soldiers back.”

    “You also have responsibilities here,” Abril reasoned, “Can’t you have a task force go?”

    “Abril,” Oak spoke, “What task force are we supposed to create? Most of our men are dead, let alone well enough to journey to the North castle!”

    “Who will lead back here? We have some major repairs on our castle and military we must make.”

    “You will,” Oak assured her of, “If you were able to go into combat, unprepared, yet do such a great job of defending the Southern castle, there isn’t a doubt in my mind you can’t lead this army while i’m away.”

There was a long pause in the two’s conversation until Abril finally spoke again.

“Go find your apprentice.”

“Thank you,” Oak said, “And technically she isn’t my apprentice yet.”

“Just go,” Abril said, waving a hand at him.

Oak stepped out of the infirmary tent and wrapped himself in a dark green winter cloak. Once it was on he dashed into the forest.

The setting sun created a sky of orange and pink like vibrant colors painted on canvas.

In the tent Abril watched as Oak disappeared into the black wood.

“Good luck,” she whispered.