The Elementalist: Sky City (Book One)

Chapter Seven: Sky Boy

"Let's go—" Wade whispered to Ben, pulling his arm in the opposite direction, towards the unguarded trees.

With the soldiers' attentions laid on Fred, Ben and Wade were invisible for the moment, a moment they could take advantage of and escape.

"We have to help her—"

"What? She tried to kill you, Ben. She fought you over nothing... Besides, she'll be fine. She'll go to jail for fighting and be out in no time. We, however, if we're caught, might not actually make it to jail. They might just take us straight to Emperor Krane."

As Wade grabbed his shoulder and he was pulled firmly away, Ben looked back at Fred. He could barely see her anymore, with a wall of soldiers blocking his view. Through cracks between armor, shields, and weapons he caught glimpses of her clearly though. Her red hair and gray eyes might have intimidated him when he first looked up at them, but now, even from a distance, he could see the unmistakable flashes of fear in them. She knew it was a battle she wouldn't win, and despite her bravado, he could tell she was scared.

"No..."

Ben broke away from Wade and marched in the fight's direction.

"What are you going to do?" Wade quickly chased after him. "There are way too many of them."

Wade was right of course, and Ben knew it. Even if they both jumped in to help, Ben, Wade, and Fred would be no match for dozens of the Imperial soldiers.

"Unless—"

Ben froze in place, causing Wade to run into him from behind. The soldiers only a few feet in front of him all had their backs turned, focused on Fred, who seemed to be tiring quickly.

Eyes of Magma Kingdom citizens, most on their knees and cuffed from behind, drifted from the fighting to Ben as he approached.

Taking a deep breath, Ben closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. Wade immediately knew immediately what his friend was planning to do and grabbed his shoulder again.

"No, Ben, you can't..."

As his eyes drifted from Ben to Fred, Wade saw her fall to the ground finally despite all efforts. As the soldiers closed in on her, Wade too let out a deep sigh not too unlike Ben's. They couldn't just leave her.

"Do it." Wade declared firmly to Ben, releasing his grip from his shoulder.

Wade watched as Ben's feet began to leave the air. His friend's muscles tensed at first, but once he was hovering in the air they stopped. Ben then appeared completely at ease—perhaps full of power even.

A calm settled over Ben.

Suddenly, his eyes exploded open. There was an electricity in them as he grinned and willed his body forward through the air, a few feet off the ground. Like a hawk planning to dive at its prey from above, he rocketed through the space between him and the group of soldiers encircling Fred. Wade charged as well on foot, staying closely behind him on the ground.

"Not so great now, are you?" the captain of the soldiers laughed as he stood over Fred. Her knives had been lost in battle, kicked from her, leaving her weaponless.

"There'll be no jail for you, only justice."

"Justice..." Fred replied in a hushed tone. "Is something you know nothing about."

"We'll see about that."

Raising his sword to strike her, unflinching at how defenseless she was with no weapon, the captain hesitated. The cheering and thunder of the cries of anger from the cuffed citizens had stopped in an eerie hush. He turned his head suddenly to see Ben soaring at him.