Two Strands of Fortune

Season 2 Episode 29 - Back to the Drawing Board (Part 1)

[DYLAN'S POV]

The whole team was feeling down after the colossal mess-up that was the beach party on Monday, myself included. Ivan felt the need to blame Alec and Martha for having brought almost all of our loved ones together in one place. Margot had more than enough of blaming one another, because it didn't help us, nor did it get us anywhere. Agnes called us to the Dojo, a week after the great crash-and-burn.
"Welcome, Guardians." Agnes pipped. "I know that you all have been feeling demoralised after last week, but we need to formulate a game plan for future encounters with the Anti-Elementals."
"But, Agnes, they summoned hordes of Votaries last time." Alya pleaded.
"Exactly, we barely stood a chance." Oliver groaned.
From then on, we all started complaining altogether, until Agnes sounded an alarm that caused us to go silent. The lights in the room faded from flashing red to the normal white, with Miss Jacobs walking in with a bow staff in her hands.
"Guardians." She greeted, "Agnes has called me here to come help you formulate a game plan and I think we all know what went wrong."
"Your fatal error that cost you the battle was the way that you all split up and separated. What you could have done was work together to get through more Votaries faster."
"And, how exactly do you suggest we do that?" Eric shrugged.
"What you have at your disposal are Combo Abilities. This is when you put your powers together in real time and will help you to get an edge on the Anti-Elementals." Miss Jacobs explained. "What you also need to do is get creative in using your elements together." She then turned to me. "Dylan and Martha, you're up first." Miss Jacobs arranged the two of us to stand back-to-back, holding hands. "Close your eyes."
I closed mine, and I'm sure Martha closed hers. "What happens when you throw water on top of a fire?"
"Steam?" Martha asked.
"Correct." Agnes barked.
"Dylan, channel some heat, and Martha, channel some water droplets." Ms Jacobs ordered.
I conjured some heat, while there was an expanding humidity coming from Martha's hands. I opened my eyes and looked down to see steam coming from around our hands.
"Now, command the steam to grow."
Martha and I concentrated and expanded the steam into a wall that surrounded us and hid us from the rest of the group.
"So, what are we calling this?" Martha leaned over.
"The Smokescreen."
"So cheesy." She rolled her eyes.
"What? It's catchy." I shrugged.
Martha let go of my hands and got back in line with the others
"Alya and I do have our Mirage, though." I explained. "We basically turn invisible."
"Alya. Ivan." Ms Jacobs pointed towards them with her cane. "It's your turn." The two of them went to stand in formation like I did with Martha, while I went back to the group. They closed their eyes and concentrated.
"What do you get when you throw dirt in the wind?" Ms Jacobs enquired.
"A sandstorm?" Ivan suggested.
"Good. Now, what you need to do is channel one." Ms Jacobs instructed.
And, that's what they did, not only did they channel a thin sandstorm that swirled around them, then, became one with the sand, and returned to their original form thereafter.
I wondered who was next in the lesson.