The Elemental Games

Chapter 6: Never Compare Your Weaknesses to Other People's Strengths

"Whenever you feel week, remember the things that made you strong. Whenever you start to doubt yourself, remember those who believe in you," ~ Unknown

🚤on the boat🚤

Kiara wakes up in a cell. She sits up on the bed and rubs her forehead. She looks around to find the walls made of stone with shiny stuff on it. Iron bars make up a small window nearby, showing the ocean. A stone door blocks the exit and a small sink, toilet, and wooden bed are the only obstacles in the room. She hugs herself as she begins to pace around the room. She misses her friends and wonders where they are at right now while she is stuck in this cell. She hears keys and looks at the door, alert and ready. The door opens, making a high scratching sound against the cold stone floor. She doesn't attack. She just stands there and waits for the person to show themselves.

It is a teenage boy, a little over her age. He was scrawny with shaggy blonde hair and kind, gentle blue eyes that reminded her of Aaron.

Aaron.

His name plays through her mind and a sense of hope enters her body. She shows no sign of anger towards the boy as he leads her to another part of the ship after cuffing her hands. She looks around, seeing a lot of electrical work and ship hands. They stare as they walk by, then return to their work. She looks ahead of the boy to see a door labeled 'office'. The boy opens the door and steps aside to allow her to walk in. He doesn't follow behind her, He just closes the door. She looks around. This is an office. A desk sits in the middle of the room with weird objects on it while there are three chairs in the room, one located behind the desk. Kiara is the only one in the room. So she thought.

"Welcome!" A dark voice says from no where, "it was really nice of you to try and protect your friends," Kiara spots a figure standing in the darkness and her eyes narrow.

"What do you want?" She asks angrily as the figure walks forward and stops at the desk. He was a middle aged man, brown hair and green eyes. He smiles a creepy smile and studies Kiara.

"Your elements," he says, "we need you to join the army. You and your friends," Kiara studies the man, wondering if he is trustworthy or not. But this is the man that ordered those other men to attack her and her friends. She shakes her head, denying his offer. His smile fades and his eyes look at her dangerously.

"No," Kiara says, "I don't trust you," the man shrugs and whistles. The door opens and the same boy walks in and escorts Kiara back to her cell.

<Aaron and the Others>

Aaron follows the others, still holding Kiara's bow and quiver. He almost runs into Samara when she and the others stop.

"I think we're safe," Alex says, catching his breath, "for now," Aaron sits down and sighs.

"We need to find Kiara," Brandi says. Aaron nods in agreement.

"No, it's too big of a risk," Kiley says firmly, "we need to defend ourselves," Aaron looks up to glare at Kiley. She doesn't care about Kiara.

"Kiley," Aaron says, "we need to find Kiara. Her element is one of the deadliest ones," Kiley looks at him.

"We can manage without her," she says then turns to everyone else, "okay, Alex, go get firewood, Brandi and Jacob, make a shelter, Samara and Aaron, you two can go hunt for food,"

"What about you?" Aaron asks angrily, "you're just going to sit around and watch as we do all the work for you?" Kiley sighs, annoyed.

"I'm keeping this group together," she says, "no one else is stepping up to do it,"

"It's because we don't do things that way," Aaron says, "no one is the leader," he looks around at everyone else. They avert their eyes from him and remain silent.

"Well, we have a leader now," Kiley says, "me," Aaron sighs and grabs Kiara's bow and quiver before turning around and heading back the way they came.

"Where are you going?" Kiley asks firmly. Aaron turns around and stay her down.

"I'm going to find Kiara," he answers, "since no one else will do it," he turns back around and continues walking. Kiley stares after him. She rolls his eyes and turns to the others, who haven't yet moved to do their jobs.

"What are you all waiting for?" She says loud and sternly, "go do your jobs," Brandi looks up at her once before following Aaron. Shortly, Alex, Samara, Elliot, and Jacob follow her.

"Where are y'all going?" She asks, her voice an octave higher. Brandi turns around and glares at Kiley.

"If you want to be a leader, you can be a leader by yourself," Brandi says harshly, "we're going with Aaron to find Kiara," Kiley sighs in anger as she reluctantly follows the group, complaining how they will all end up dead and it would be their own fault, not hers.

~~~~~
A/N:
Long time no update. I really had no idea how to write this chapter. So, uh, this is what happened.

Thanks for Reading!/
~NZ