Water {Elements of Power 2}

Chapter 13: Roxy

There were many more trees surrounding the clearing, pressing in from all sides, their branches stretching out towards the hollow tree. In them were the houses. Not the small, threadbare shacks that had passed for houses in the first camp I had come across, but actual log cabins, with windows, doors and even chimneys. Thick rope ladders hung from many of the trees, leading back down to solid ground, although I had seen enough of the Sephans on my trip to the capital to know that many of them would be able to climb the trees themselves.

The houses extended out all around me, and I wondered if we had been walking through the city for hours without me noticing. I had given up on looking skyward for brief glimpses of the sun days ago.

Sephans crossed the clearing in groups, all looking as dishevelled as my captors. Most paid no attention to us; as though mass groups of Sephans arriving was a common occurrence in the capital. Only a few paused to stare curiously at the captive girl they were parading before them.

As well as houses, the trees were filled with colourful banners, with pictures of people on them and slogans: 'Saylor the Sublime', ' Daring Declan'.

"What's going on?" I asked the Sephan next to me.

He looked at me and I braced myself for the shove I was likely to get for speaking. To my surprise, he smiled. "The election. Not something I'd expect a Helian tyrant like you to understand."

Oh. An election. That explained a lot, particularly why everyone had been so keen to come along to the capital with us. They weren't coming to witness my death. That made me feel a little relieved.

The relief vanished when the green haired, wild woman landed in front of me.

Erica

"Helian." She hissed the word. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

I fought to stifle a laugh. What was she going to do? The most menacing power she had was her earthquakes and she could hardly use them in the middle of the capital; she would destroy the whole thing! She could get a nearby bird to come and sing to me maybe, or grow me a bunch of flowers. I wasn't too concerned.

Then her hand went to her belt and she pulled out a knife, which she pointed straight at my chest.

That got my pulse racing. My eyes widened in panic as my fingers twitched, uselessly, in anticipation of an attack. I was powerless, bound and held still by the Sephans beside me. I was as good as dead.

She lunged, thrusting the dagger towards me.

I shut my eyes.

And felt nothing.

Cautiously, I opened them again: Erica was standing less than a metre away, staring in shock at her hand, which was now empty.

"How on earth..."

She looked to the left and I followed her gaze; an arrow had pierced a nearby tree, the wooden handle of the knife stuck fast in its shaft. The sharp blade hung uselessly, shimmering in the dappled sunlight.

The arrow was fletched with an inky black feather, with vibrant streaks of green running through it. Erica's face coloured at the sight of it.

There was a laugh from the right and we turned in unison.

"Now, now, Erica. That's no way to greet a guest! No wonder you made such a shambles of your last mission abroad."

The speaker was tall and wiry, with a shock of bright green hair on the top of his head and darker, mint coloured eyes. He held a bow in his left hand, a second arrow in his right.

Despite his slight build, he stood like a warrior, brave and firm, and he met Erica's gaze without a hint of fear. He wore the same homemade clothes as the other Sephans, in the earthy colours of the forest. On him, they looked more like a uniform than a necessity, right down to the fur trimmed boots he wore on his feet.

"Tristan!" Erica spat, her face red with fury. She looked even less attractive than normal, I was pleased to notice.

So the Tristan everyone was talking about was another Sephan, not a weapon or a flower or herb. The Tristan was a he. A boy maybe a couple of years older than myself.

A crowd was beginning to form now, closing the three of us into a circle. Erica was furious.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Why, stopping you from breaking the law, of course." He smiled and a few members of the crowd tittered.

"I mean, really," he continued, clearly enjoying the attention. "You can't go around killing anyone you feel like in the middle of the city. Even if they are a Helian." He looked at me for the first time, his eyes keen with interest.

"She attacked us and then had the audacity to come here as a spy! I was issuing the correct punishment."

"On who's authority?"

Erica stood up a little straighter. "My own, as President of the Sephan Realm."

"Ah, but you're not President any more, are you? You're a lowly presidential candidate, same as me. How would you feel if I started dishing out my own punishments?"

Erica looked stumped. I had to fight back a smile. "The Helian is an exception. She's dangerous. She needs to be dealt with immediately."

Tristan glanced my way again. "She seems adequately restrained to me, for the time being—enough for a meeting of the candidates to be called, anyhow. We can decide what to do with her as a group."

I thought that Erica was going to protest again, but Tristan spoke up before she had the chance. "You can't make these sorts of decisions Erica; you're not in charge."

"For now," she replied fiercely.

"Well for now we should call a meeting of the presidential candidates, so we can decide what should be done. Gather every one up and meet me in the hall."

With a nod to my captors, he took me roughly by the arm and led me through the clearing, towards the hollow tree.

{If you have time, please, please check out my new short story, Mirrored Snow, which is a gender-reversal retelling of Snow White. Thank you!}