Elements: The Powers Within (Book 5)

Long Time No See (Chapter 16)

With a deep breath, Ku enters the garden. The beauty of it always stunned Ku as he stops to admire the flowers.

A beautiful place like this ruined with a bitter memory, Ku sniffs the flowers. The floral smell filling his nose, a calming aura surrounding him. I wonder if Sasha is back yet...she has been gone all night with Cari.

"You showed," Ubel comes from behind. "It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"It has been," Ku turns around. Hated the mage, but he knew that he wasn't always a jerk. Maybe he's changed. Maybe he isn't like how he was in past.

He tried to kill you Ku. Are you honestly going to believe that? Ku's mind criticizes him.

"The flowers are still as beautiful as I remember them," Ubel gently lifts one of the silver flowers up to better see it.

"Why did you ask to meet up?" Ku questions, eyeing Ubel from the corner of his eye. "It is unusual that you decided to call me out."

"It is," Ubel nods his head. "But I figured, everything comes around in a circle right? We started here."

Ku closes his eyes, clearly remembering that day. It's how they met after all. In this small little garden kept by Ku's family and closest friends...

----

"Wow!" Little Ku started in awe at the plants growing around another little kid. She has long, brown hair and green eyes.

"Right! Abu taught me how to use my magic!" The little girl smiled, her native brown skin tone matches two mages Ku knows. "But shhhh, you can't tell anyone I'm the Elemental Master of Earth!"

"Duh! I promise I won't Zamena," Ku smiled. A knowing smile. He kept a little secret all to himself...he knew all the Elemental Masters and Masters of this generation. But they didn't know it.

"You better not or I'll have your head!" Zamena waved a flower at Ku. They both burst into laughter. "No seriously, you can't."

"I know," Ku patted her shoulder reassuringly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a little boy sitting underneath a tree.

"Ku, Zamena!" Another little girl runs up to them. She has brown hair and brown eyes. "Guess what? My mom got us candy!"

"Candy!" Zamena instantly lit up. "Is it Dragon Scale?"

"What else?" The girl grinned. They were called that because of the dragon scale shape they mimicked and the fact that the dragons produce them.

"Thank you Brianiz," Ku smiled. This garden, that all the little kids of the city loved, is where many came to hang out. An alternative to the busy playground.

"Yeah, of course," she held out a piece for each of them and they took one. Ku looked back to see that the little boy was still there. Since the rest of their friend group was lost somewhere in the garden, Ku decided to head towards the little boy.

"I smell trouble," Brianiz called out to Ku as a warning.

"That won't stop him," Zamena popped the Dragon Scale into her mouth, the burning sensation of spice enjoyed by Zamena. Brianiz shrugs. "Let's go find the other hooligans. Those idiots probably got lost in the flowers."

"Pfft, I wouldn't even be surprised," Brianiz laughed.

Ku reached the little boy with silver hair and yellow eyes. He was smelling the silver flowers. Ku tapped his shoulder.