TIGHTROPE | fitz vacker

Chapter 12.

PURPLE SWIRLED ALL around Azalea.

   She destroyed the bridge, allowing her friends to cling on to the debris while Linh washed them down the river. Keefe wanted to stay with Azalea but she pushed him into the water before he even had time to blink.

   Once her friends were safe, Azalea unleashed hell on Ravagog. 

   It started out with one or two attacks, but then, energy beams started to rain over the whole city. A few times, Azalea felt a big burst waiting to be let out, but then she thought that not all Ogres are evil. Maybe the baby ones wouldn't turn out as bad? So she decided not to make Ravagog into a huge crater.

   When Azalea was happy with the damage she'd done, she jumped into the river to join her friends. 

   THE RIDE WAS not smooth at all. Azalea didn't think she could swim through the river, so she decided to levitate. Besides, she was great at levitating. She went as quick as she could, wanting to be with her friends. 

   Maybe she was getting too attached to them. But she couldn't help it. Even though they barely spent a day together, they almost died like a thousand times.

   Azalea saw her friends on a grassy ground. But there weren't eight of them. There were ten.

   Azalea stopped moving and did a little head count in her head. She was pretty sure she invaded Ravagog with eight other people, not ten. 

   Azalea didn't want to go any closer. Luckily, she didn't. Fitz noticed her, and he may have mouthed something, but Azalea couldn't figure it out. 

   For some reason, the group with eight people started moving to the left, the group with two mirroring them. 

   Azalea looked closer and noticed that the two other people were holding up spheres of fire.

   'Okay,' Azalea thought. 'Flamey boys equals bad guys.'

   Azalea slowly levitated herself closer when flames-neon yellow flames -surrounded her friends.

   The two Pyrokinetic still have yet to discover Azalea. So she assumed it was safe to get closer to hear the pleasant conversation they were having.

   "I'm guessing this is the part where you demand to know how we found you," Flame 1 said. "You keep forgetting that this was our plan from the beginning. Well- not the explosions. You managed to surprise us with that one. Where is Miss. Sencen, anyway?"

   Azalea thought Flame 1 would have turned around, but he didn't. He kept his eyes on Sophie, as if trying to taunt her.

   "And you stopped us from infecting Brackendale and Merrowmarsh. But the rest has gone like clockwork." 

   "How could you do this to the gnomes? After everything they've done for the Lost Cities?" Biana said. 

   "To expose the Council's lies," Flame 2 said. "Now everyone knows how much they hide, and how little protection they truly give their people." 

   "Which accomplishes what?" Sophie asked. "All you've done is make people afraid." 

   "Indeed, Miss Foster," Flame 1 agreed. "And fear is the world's greatest motivator. Look at the power your group harnessed today as a result of your terror." His eyes roved to Keefe as he added, "That was your mother's mistake. She surrendered to her fear, and it cost her everything." 

   "Including her life?" Sophie asked. 

   "Interesting that the question does not come from her son," Flame 1 noted.