Talentless // Fitz Vacker

// twenty four //

Alden led them along the banks of the river that cut a winding path through Eternalia. "Do you know what these trees are called?" he asked, pointing to the mammoth tree trunks around them. Burnt Sienna bark that braided up to the hunter green leaves that spread out with paintbrushes. 

"No," Sophie admitted. 

"Are they a type of palm tree?" Adora examined the trees, squinting. Alden could tell that she was simply guessing by the appearance of the trees. 

Alden smiled. "They're related yes--Their full name is Purfoliage Palmae. But everyone called them the Pures, because their leaves filter the air, keeping out any pollution or impurities. Every house and city has at least one to keep the air clean, and with so many growing here, Eternalia has the freshest, crispest air in the world."

Adora thought about all the places back home where those would be useful. Hell, even back at San Diego, the smoke from the fires were intense. 

Alden frowned at a twinge of gray fuzzed through the blue sky. "Well, it doesn't when there isn't a fire around. But that's not important. DO you wonder why I ask?" 

They both nodded. 

"I was thinking how strange it was that you don't know the name of one of our most common trees--and yet you know the name and location of stars only a handful of us have ever heard of and only the Council knows how to find." 

Sophie stared at her feet. "I don't know why. Honestly." 

"I know, Sophie. No one thinks what happened is our fault. But we're concerned about what else might be stored away in that mind of yours. Your's too" He looked at Adora. 

Sophie's head snapped up. "You think there's other stuff?" 

"Its possible. You knew how to read the cipher runes on those scrolls, didn't you? Adora, how do you remember a book you read in a picture book? How old were you?" 

Adora looked around. "Around five, and I oddly remember a lot of details on days I get hurt." Adora could recall ridiculous details on the days that she got hurt. Even days where she just got a paper cut, she remembered.

"You got hurt?" 

"Oh yeah, my substitute teacher threw me out a window." She said casually. 

Alden snapped his head towards her. "Your substitute teacher, threw you out a window?" 

Adora nodded. "Landed in a bunch of poisonous flowers too. Had to go to he hospital. That was the first day I met Sophie." Sophie nodded, remembering the first day they ever spoke, before the principle had introduced them. 

__

"Hello!" A blonde haired girl blurted. 

Adora's head snapped up. She winced at the sudden movement. "Hi." She smiled. "Are you on the other side of the curtain?" 

"I think so." 

Adora grunted and stretched, reaching for the curtain and pulling curtain aside. "Hi! Hey, you go to my school right?" 

The girl looked at her. The girl nodded. "You hang out with those girls right?" 

Adora nodded. "Those are my friends... hey, why are you here?" Adora looked around the hospital room. 

"I fell." She admitted. "I also got an allergic reaction. What about you?" The blonde girl notice the brown haired girls hazel eyes. 

"My teacher tossed me out a window."