Chapter 13

All of us ran down the pitch black corridors, using the walls as our guide. All I could hear around me were our footsteps as they pounded on the floor. Every once in a while, I could hear someone stumbled and could only assume it was Griffin on his hurt leg. Around a corner, I saw a light and stopped abruptly, pressing my back against the wall. Gale did as well, noticing the abrupt stop in mine and Willow’s footsteps. The others nearly crashed into us and I stumbled forward, into the light. I cringed, both in the sudden change and in anticipation of being shot at. No sounds came and I slowly opened my eyes to see that we’d found the hole that the laser ball had put in the ship.

 

“Come on!” I ordered and ran over to the edge of the hole. The opening was tilted towards the ground, making it easier to get down without hurting ourselves. Gale and I both jumped down and helped the others out. Griffin stumbled on his hurt leg, knocking my brother and me to the ground.

 

“Are you guys okay,” Nyssa asked, concern in her voice.

 

“We’re fine,” I answered and looked around at the other Elemental Children. Seeing them for the first time and really being able to take in any details was surprising.

 

Ari was the tallest and oldest, being twenty years of age. He had messy, thick, dark brown hair. A matching beard was growing along his chin, making his soft features look more rugged. His dark blue eyes contrasted beautifully with his hair, but his skin was pale from being locked away in that cell for so long. Ari wore what looked like a suit one might wear in college, which may explain why he was so well-educated. He had on a navy blue suit, a messy white shirt and a loose, red tie. Oddly, he wore a pair of black and white running shoes and I could only guess that when he was captured, he was walking to a class or presentation.

 

Nyssa was his younger sixteen-year-old cousin, the youngest of our group. She had long, light brown hair and caramel eyes. She was thin, though unnaturally because of the time she spent locked away. Her facial features were very soft, with high cheek bones, and her skin was as pale as Ari’s. Nyssa wore a black pleated skirt that reached her knees along with a matching, long-sleeved shirt. It reminded me very much of a Terran school uniform and I figured she was taken while at school, or on the commute.

 

Griffin, who had fallen on Gale and me, now leaned against the hull of the ship. He wasn’t putting much weight on his right leg. He had messy blond hair that stuck out at all angles and pale blue eyes that I found captivating. He had strong facial features with high cheek bones, giving him a harsher appearance. He was more muscular than Ari and I figured he’d been captured at a later time. Griffin wore a pair of dark blue jeans, brown boots and a white T-shirt, though it looked more like a light gray.

 

Tobias was the most muscular of the group, as to be expected from his gift, but he wasn’t bulky. On his left bicep was a tattoo of a green flame, something I’d known to symbolize the circle of life and death. He had blond hair, a little darker than Griffin’s, with forest green eyes. He was the tannest of the group, though with just barely more color than Gale and myself. Tobias was dressed in what looked to be a military uniform, though he was missing the sleeves. Both his pants and shirt were green camouflage and he wore dark brown combat boots.

 

“Griffin, you’re holding us back!” Ebony yelled. The small flames around the hole we’d just exited from doubled in size. The fire grew as I felt Ebony’s anger do the same.

 

“Oh, shut up!” Griffin snapped. The flames above him grew even more.

 

“Stop it!” I ordered, staring into Ebony’s eyes.

 

They were a light amethyst color and flashed sharply in the firelight. It was almost as if the flames were in her eyes. Her long hair was the orange color of flames and was held up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face. Her skin was almost as dark as Gale’s and she had sharp facial features, making her look very beautiful. Ebony wore a red tank top with a pair of dark jeans and black sneakers.

 

Of the whole group, that left Willow. She was thin and lithe, with delicate features. Her hair was the green of a tree leaf and her eyes were dark brown. Unlike the rest of us, she wore a long, off-white dress with a ruffled slit up to her thigh, giving the skirt a cape-like appearance. Beneath the dress, she wore a pair of thin, dark brown leggings and over her shoulders was a red shawl. She was also the only one of us wearing jewelry, having two gold bands around her left wrist.

 

“Now’s not the time or place. You can chew him out when we’re in a safer location,” Gale said, quickly breaking up the argument.

 

I nodded in agreement and quickly glanced around us, surveying the planet we’d landed on. It was all flat-land as far as I could tell. There may have been some small hills in the distance, but no mountains. With the exception of the forest we were at the mouth of, it was grassy plains as far as the eye could see.

 

“We should hide out in the forest, make it harder for them to spot us,” Ari suggested.

 

“Agreed. Tobias, can you carry Griffin so he won’t slow us down? Give Ebony one less thing to complain about,” Gale said, muttering the last sentence. The flames on the ship grew once again.

 

“Cut it out!” I yelled. “We need to get moving.”

 

Tobias hoisted Griffin onto his back and the eight of us headed deeper into the forest. Ari was at the lead while Gale and I covered the rear of the group. As we walked, I glanced back at the crashed Aurum and my strength faltered for a brief moment. Gale took notice.

 

“What is it?” he asked.

 

“Dad,” I murmured and turned back to continue walking, hiding my tears from my brother.