Ashes

Part Thirteen

"You are a changeling too?" asked James astonished and almost fell back in shock. "Yes, I am gifted indeed" he replied and waved his hand in a circle and made the small flame from the candle into a thumb-sized lady, dancing around us like we were in a fairytale.

"He has the ability of fire, like you!" said James astonished, but got silent as the small lady disappeared and the scarred boy gave me a look. "So, you are the girl that torched up the camp?" the scarred boy asked as Janice animated a knife and shoved it against the boy's throat, as James pushed people away from the door using his ability.

"Woah! Calm down!" said the scarred boy and swayed his finger in the air, making Janice's animated knife disappear in front of our eyes. "I'm not in league with the camp!" said the scarred boy in self-defense as he got up and got up against the backwall.

Janice furiously looked in her hand, clearly trying to figure out what happened with her tattoo.

"What did you do with my knife?" she asked as she still kept her fist closed, "I can still feel it!" she said as she pushed the scarred boy further up against the wall.

"Janice calm down!" yelled James and grabbed Janice using his ability and threw her across the room. "I only removed the knife from you sight!" replied the scarred boy and waved his fingers again to reveal that she still in fact had the knife in her hand. "My name is Chad and Crystal is the entire reason I found this place and made this group" said the scarred boy, but now more afraid than he was before.

Janice and James quickly stopped what they were doing and got up on their feet again, "What do you mean?" asked James as he apologized for pushing Chad's friends over and helped them up from the ground.

"Crystal collects children, only to give them to Prune when nobody anticipates it" Explained Chad and got out from the tiny hut, "Wait what?" I asked as I followed him out and deeper into the depths of the underground.

"So, you haven't caught on to her business huh?" asked Chad as he played with his ability, giving the slightly dark underground base a pop of color and funny animated characters. "No, but I was told that the camp was safe by one of my friends" I replied and watched as he made the original black- and white Mickey dance across the cave walls, "How long did you stay there?" asked Chad as he moved his fingers to make Mickey twerk on the cave wall.

I laughed hysterically as we made our way deeper and deeper into the underground, "We were only there for a day" I replied as I caught my breath again and after Chad finished playing with his ability.

"Only a day huh? How many kids and teens are there now?" He asked as he sat down by a pair of chairs, that he had placed right where the candles and torches stopped lighting up the cave. I don't know, maybe 60 kids and teens all together?" I replied as I sat down in the second chair that was facing the unknown of the cave.

Chad took a second to reply, we both sat and just stared into the unknown. Chad sighed in exhaustion as he played with his hands and started animating some figures around us to set the mood, trying not to make this as scary as it was.

"Well if there are 60 kids or so in the camp, then Prune will probably collect the kids pretty soon" he finally replied as sent his animated figures down deeper in the cave like as if they fell in a river and was rushed to the end of the cave.

Chad looked back at me and I looked at him, we both caught the glints of each other before I reached my hand out and lit a small flame that rested in my hand. I looked over to see the impressed and amazed look he had on his face, "What else can you do?" he asked as he leaned in closer to admire the flame I had created with my hand.

"I don't know? I feel like my ability is limitless" I replied and threw the ball of fire as far as I could, revealing more of the small huts that the underground base had with the light from my flame.

"We could save the children you know?" said Chad and grabbed my hand, "We could save all of the people in the camp" he continued and squeezed my hand to make me want this as badly as he did.

"I guess..." I replied and got lose from Chad's uncomfortable grip, as I realized that the space Chad had in the underground could house a lot of children, but we needed a lot of help to fight off Crystal's guards.

"I will help you" I said as I adjusted my seating to face Chad who couldn't even hold a straight face after my response, "But you have to help me first!" I continued and reached my hand out to make an agreement with him. Chad consciously made up his mind and ultimately grabbed my hand and shook it.

We both got up from our seats and walked back to where both of our groups sat and waited for us.

"You will help us get our friend back from the hunters and we'll help you get the children safely out of the camp" I said as my final offer to Chad and his group, but Chad needed to think, even though we already had agreed on it previously.

I was just about to turn around and walk away, when he finally agreed to our terms and readied his men to help us get Rubie out of the hunter's grip.