Of Fire, of Water, of Wind, and of Earth: Holders-In-Training

Chapter Ten

Suma the now giant turtle raises one huge, flat foot. I can tell she's just barely refraining from stomping the lot of them. She really is just like Emerald. She'd be acting like her in her situation, too. Thank goodness Suma likes the Rock Garden so much, or else she wouldn't have caught the people I assume include Slate, Monica, George, Murky, Groil, and Shaun.

They all look around in all directions in desperation, then see Emerald and I. "Emerald," a voice belonging to Murky demands, "Call the beast off."

This, of course, is the wrong thing to say, because it only makes her angrier. A), she's angry because she's being deprived of her catnap, b) people of other Elements are in the Rock Garden, which all Earths here pretty much hold sacred, and c) those people are related to Winter Elementals, making them part Winter Elemental. This adds a d) to that list. That d) happens to be someone insulting Suma, which Emerald wouldn't think twice about pounding someone for.

"No," she says coolly, eyes flashing. She crosses her arms at the same time I do, and I teleport the two of us quickly to the other side of the boulders, so we can face the group. As I already figured out, that group includes Murky, Groil, Shaun, Monica, Slate, and George. Monica and George don't look in the least bit on our side and Suma's foot is now inches from their heads.

"I am not something you can call off. I obey Emerald, but I am not like a bulldog that you can sick on someone. Change your attitude, enemy of my mistress." Suma says in a voice rather like Emerald's but more gravelly and deeper. I'd have thought it was Emerald talking if I couldn't tell the difference. The whole group of traitors jumps as she speaks.

"Exactly," Emerald agrees. "What are you doing here, bacteria from a dog's nose?"

"Shut up, Emerald," I say quietly.

"No," she says just as quietly, and then continues in a normal voice. "You've felt Suma once before, Murky, and this time, she's bigger. You don't want to feel it again. You also don't want to make us hurt you. Because we will, Murky, we will. What are you doing here, and what are you planning? We'll catch you. We always will."

"I'm not talking," Murky snaps. Then his demeanor changes. "Come on Emerald!" he says, sickeningly sweet. "For your old friend, Murky? We're pals! And you know that wasn't me who flooded that corridor, it was-"

"Shut up, Murky," Slate says. Murky comes to the same conclusion even Groil and Shaun managed to figure out: the more you talk about the past, the worse your situation becomes.

Suma's foot comes in contact with Murky's head in which I THINK was meant to be light, but like Emerald, she has no perception of light vs. hard. It always comes out hard. Very hard. Murky's knocked unconscious. I quickly count the people I don't know and they total 13. Including the people I do know, that's 19 people. We're definitely outnumbered, even without Murky. Nine to a person without him. Great.

Then I think of something that might distract them and keep them here. "Monica, I trusted you." It's true. I did. I did not believe she was lying and that she meant it and she did mean it and wasn't lying. I know she was drifting away lately, but I still counted her as a friend. Now she has the feel of a traitor.

"I was on your side, you know," she replies. "Then. But I have chosen the side bound to win and the one I feel bound to. That is not your side, James. But when we take control, I'll let you die painlessly, but only if you don't fight it. And perhaps Emerald can die painlessly to, if she cooperates."

"Never," we say together. I turn to George. He feels like a traitor now, just like Monica, and, just like Monica, I truly trusted him but lately he'd been drifting away. "And you, George. I trusted you too, really I did. You were a friend. What happened?

He shrugs. "I was your shadow, bound to follow you around and be outshone. You lorded yourself over me, you were always better. But when the Winter Elementals seize control, you will no longer be James, the great Fire holder-to-be, but instead that guy who only controls the Fires inside the Great Winter Empire!"

Then Suma can no longer control herself. Her foot smashes down over the group, knocking them out on the ground but not killing them. Emerald yells "NO! Wait!" but it's too late. Suma shrinks to a size where she can easily sit on Emerald's shoulder in a sheepish, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" manner. Emerald sighs and picks her up, setting her down on her right shoulder. "Oh well. There's always later, Suma. You did well." The little turtle's eyes glow with pride. I see something moving by a rock. It's a small turtle, just like Suma, except it's body is brown and it's shell is jade. I pick it up. Suma looks at it and makes a noise.

"So THIS is the real reason why she comes here so much," I say. Emerald turns to look at the small turtle in my palm. "Suma's got a boyfriend."

"Actually, that's a girl." Emerald says, taking it from me. "Hmm. I think it's name is Prissy. They knew each other in the pet shop. Isn't that right?" I almost say "I have no idea!" but then I realize she's not talking to ME- she's talking to the turtles. They both reply, "Yes" and she nods. "I thought I recognized you, Prissy, you were right next to Suma before she jumped on me."

"What is she doing here?" I ask. Prissy says, "I belong to a Purple Apprentice now. Her name is Gigi, do you know her?"

I shake my head but by the look of disgust on Emerald's face, I can tell she does. "Her? You made an unfortunate choice, Prissy."

If turtles could shrug, that's what Prissy the turtle would be doing. "We feel right around each other. She feels me and I feel her. What we act like makes no difference, our souls chose. Just like you and Suma knew each other, we know each other. We belong together."

I nod. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Now I realize that that's the same with me and my cobra Victor- we get and feel each other. I guess that our souls chose, just like the brown and green turtle said. I can't help thinking 'Wisdom of the Earth' and almost feel jealous of Emerald.

"Yes, I know," Emerald's saying. "I understand. I'm just saying your soul made an unfortunate choice. I suppose someday the two of you will balance your nature with each other."

"Yes."

"Well, we'd best be going," I say, cutting in. "I've got Pet Training and Emerald is going to KILL me if she doesn't get even a two minute nap, and class is almost over. Bye Prissy! Oh, can you get those people to the infirmary please?"

"Yep," she says, and grows larger that Suma was. I wonder if she'll fit through the door, but she's got magic, so I don't think to much about it. I suppose I could teleport them, But it's hard to teleport other people a large distance for me right now, and the infirmary is a very long way away. Emerald, of course, is great at it. Why is life so hard?! She teleports to her room, and I feel like she's rubbing it in my face, even though I know she isn't.

Boring, boring Pet Training, here I come!