*The Chronicles of F.R.E.E. Atania's Knight - Raquel Festow* Part 1

Chapter Two - RUN

Things were not better in the morning. No one was able to find my parents, nor were they able to trace their whereabouts and Penelope couldn't even use a tracking potion on the map of Atania. This made things worse for me,.
"Does that mean they're dead?!" I screamed, hyperventilating, gripping at the front of my dress with one of my hands to try and help myself breathe, the other pulling at my hair. I knew their Aura's were still attached to me, but maybe there was a delayed reaction of the latch breaking because they were far away or something.
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Salihn said, releasing her hold on Clara to rush over to me and calm me down. "They must be somewhere! Breathe, Raquel, breathe."
Clemency hadn't been seen for most of the morning, but she chose that moment to emerge, having a very serious discussion in Old Tongue with a small black box she held to her ear.
"Are you SERIOUS?!" I bellowed at her, furious that she found the time to speak to inadequate objects than helping find my parents. My Aura flashed, dangerously, growing another shade darker.
"Raquel, it's ok. Calm down." She assured me, putting her hand to the bottom of the box. "I am getting more help to us."
"FROM A BOX?!" I yelled, picking up a bowl that was on the floor next to me and throwing it at her. "HOW IS A FUCKING BOX GOING TO BRING US HELP?!"
Salihn and Clara flinched at my behaviour. I have never felt so angry, anxious or upset before. I have always been calm and collected throughout my entire life, taking the rational approach and thinking before acting. Then again, I had never had something so out of my control happen to me before now, I didn't know how else to react. I was now no longer gold. My Aura was a pale, dirty yellow and growing darker all the time. If I wasn't careful it would turn orange.
"Fazeeb, pleize!" Clara pleaded with me. She ran to me and engulfed me in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her, screaming into her shoulder, hot, fat tears soaking her thin dress. "I hate seeing you like this!" She whispered, her own tears coursing down her cheeks.
"Raquel!" Xavier's voice came from the huts entrance.
Both Clara and I span round to face him.
"Xavier!" I wailed and we ran to each other. He wrapped his muscly arms around me, holding me close.
"We haven't given up. We will find them!" He whispered into my ear, making my sobbing even louder. His Aura pulsed as he held me, trying to share his hope with mine.
"Where are they?" I breathed back between my tears. "Why would they just disappear?!"
"Xavier." Clemency said, still holding the box to her ear and covering the bottom of it with her other hand. "Stay with Raquel and Clara." She then turned to Penelope and Salihn. "We need to head to the old Donton hut. Rebecca said there may be some old maps of other Realms that we could use to trace them."
"Of course." Xavier said, bowing slightly to Clemency as she and the others headed out of the hut.
"Did she say Rebecca?" Clara hissed to us.
I nodded. "Rebecca Donton's old hut, yeah."
"Yeah, but she was just an old Realm Jumper like Penelope." Xavier scowled.
"Why don't you believe the stories, Xavier?" Clara asked him, walking over and studying the skulls on the shelves closely.
"Oh come on!" Xavier stated, cynically. His Aura began glowing, he was annoyed and upset that we believed the stories. "Deathea is the worst Realm to ever exist! They say that monsters live there the size of mountains and everything is fire and melted rocks. There's no water and the air is hardly breathable. If you think about it, no one would survive there for three days. Yet, Rebecca Donton arrives here saying she survived ten years?! I'm saying she's an attention seeking lier."
I looked at Clara with my eyebrows raised a little, telling her that his Aura was signalling that wasn't the only thing he was upset about.
"Xavier," I said slowly. "Is that the only reason you think she's lying?"
Xavier looked at me sadly. "My grandpapa was sent to Deathea during the war. Papa said he never returned and it broke my mother's heart..."
Clara clamped her hand over her mouth. Xavier hardly ever spoke of his mother after she passed away giving birth to his twin brothers two years ago. His parents had been such a loving and caring part of the community, known for throwing the best parties and holding the most successful Emotion Releases in the whole of Atania. After the loss of his mother, his father and brothers became withdrawn and seperated themselves from the other villagers. His father never left the hut anymore and we hadn't seen him since the burial, Xavier told us one day, after an Elder came to visit them, that his father's Aura had changed to red, and that his older brothers were quickly following his lead. Xavier was more like his mother in the social sense, he made the effort to keep coming out with us and enjoying his life, so he kept his Aura golden. He always said that was what his mother would have wanted him to do.
I slowly stepped over to him and put an arm around his neck while beckoning to Clara for her to join us. We held each other closely for a moment before letting go.
"Shall we try and Emotion Release?" Clara suggested. "It may help us balance our emotions better?"
I shook my head. "You two can if you want, but I'll sit this one out. An Emotional Release is not going to bring my parents back home and, right now, that's all I want." I slumped down to the floor and stared into the fire. Clara and Xavier soon joining me.
The rest of the day dragged. Seconds felt like hours to us as the three of us sat and waited for any news. Every now and again, someone would come in to check on us, but I sent them away if they couldn't give me any good news on where my parents could be.
A fire was now starting to build in me from the pit of my stomach and was spreading through my whole body. I was now furious. Everyone was useless! They didn't know my parents as well as I did, and I wasn't allowed to leave to join the search. I concentrated on my latches with my parents and made sure they were still there. They were, they were still alive, just missing. If only I could find out where!If you want a job doing right, do it yourself, right?
Clara and Xavier were against me going, though.
"Can't you guys at least back off so I can search for them?" I snarled at them.
"Raquel, we have been told to stay here for any news." Clara said, quietly, taken aback by my attitude towards them.
"They will give us an update soon!" Xavier tried to reassure me, taking a step forwards.
"I am not staying here while they're out there! They need me! I am their biqirez!" I yelled, the fire growing hotter, and I made to leave the hut.
Xavier stepped in front of me and blocked my exit, his face apologetic but determined.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" I bellowed at him, raising my hand to strike him. My Aura glowed violently and turned dark yellow
He caught my hand and looked at me sadly, his brow bunching in the middle and his eyes hurt that I was about to try and hit him. Clara stepped forward, sobbing, with her hands clasped over her mouth.
"Raquel, please." She whispered, holding out her hand for me to take.
I looked at her tear stained face, then back at Xavier's hurt expression, as the realisation that I had just made a move to hurt my friend hit me. Guilt started to creep in, making me more angry at myself now than anyone else. I ignored Clara's hand and sat on the floor with my legs crossed, grinding my teeth as I glared into the fire. My friends sat either side of me and took each of my hands in theirs. That made another fresh wave of tears pool in my eyes and I bowed my head as I let them fall, feeling like a failure for hurting my friends and powerless without my parents beside me.
Again, we fell into silence and stared into the fire, neither of them leaving my side. Once again, the light from the suns faded and the creatures of the night began calling to each other.