Elemental

Chapter 11

Matthew looked around sadly, sitting with his hands on his head. He was lonelier than he’d ever been in his life.  Safia had left him. All those things she had said. And they were all true. He was just a boy, playing with things he didn’t understand. Magic. And he did think like she said. He knew Safia was good, truly good. If she wasn’t good, why would she risk sacrificing her life for people she didn’t know? Why would she protect all those innocent villages, without asking for payment, or worship? In fact, she refused it completely. And she was modest. She was too modest. Just saying it was her duty, and then riding off, into the distance, to go save some other town, some more innocents. And he had followed her, even after she revealed her true identity. She had saved and protected countless thousands, and now she was heading off, into the distance to do the exact same thing again. To protect more people. Protect. Something about this whole thing didn’t add up. Safia, a person who dedicated her whole life to the protection of others. Safia, who was always so in control of her emotions, yet so childlike. Safia, who respected others, who adhered to her own strict code. Safia, who never really had a bad thing to say about anyone. Safia, who would risk her life to save someone she didn’t know.What about the people she did know? Would she hurt their feelings, just to keep them safe from harm?  Of course she would. It was Safia. Noble and brave, she preferred to hurt his feelings, rather than risk him being harmed. It was sooo Safia. He wondered how he didn’t realise it before. It was such a Safia thing to do. It screamed Safia. And despite all this, he still had no idea what he was going to do. He was trying to distract himself from another glaring fact- He had no idea where Safia was. He had a horse, but no direction. He could follow her trail, but knowing Safia, she probably didn’t leave one. But there was something. Something calling to him. Without fully realising it, he mounted his horse and rode off, in the same direction Safia had gone. And if any innocent bystanders happened to glance over to the road, they would have seen a lone rider journeying south, his bare skin covered in glowing tattoos.