The Elementals [Watty Awards 2012 Action Winner]

Chapter 9

I focused my ability and the handle of the whip hardened to the point of being frozen. All the way down the hardened water whip little droplets of water dripped down to the end and splattered against the ground. Derrek laughed and stood in an offensive stance, “You better hope that little whip of yours can with stand against fire” then he lunged towards me.

I swung my whip backwards and lashed it toward him to try to fend him off but there was no use. He was very quick, something I hadn’t realised when we first fought. He sliced across my left arm and deepened into my shoulder just when I tried to jump backwards. The burning blade carved through my flesh while the flames ate at the surrounding skin and burnt through my yellow t-shirt.

I screamed and held around the unharmed skin. What the hell!

I didn’t have time to moan about it because he was back into position and was about to attack again. With my right arm I swung the whip back and aimed it at his sword. The thong, or main part of the whip, twirled around the blade of the flaming sword like a vine. Steamed sizzled at the contact and I grimaced hoping the water would kill the flame, but I was so wrong. The steam thickened as I tried to concentrate the water around the sword. He seemed to be thinking the same as me because before I knew it the flames of the sword burst outwards, growing in size. It grew and sizzled until the thong grew slack and fell to the ground

His flaming sword had evaporated my whip!

“Sh*t!” I cried.

He gave a deep smirk and went to swipe at me again now that I was weaponless. I tried grasping at all the dry moisture in the air and managed to piece together a pathetic excuse of a shield. It was small and circular, barely able to cover my face and shoulders, but it should deflect the majority of his hit.

Derrek threw his sword in an arch and the power behind it knocked me to my back. Pain shot through my injured shoulder and I could feel the blood mixing among the third degree burns. The flaming sword pierced through my water shield cutting the side of my face. The sword was stuck so I used that moment to spin the shield around and tear the sword from Derrek’s grasp.

“What are you going to do Tadpole? You can’t touch fire” Derrek’s deep voice mocked. He was right. I couldn’t do anything with his element so I rearranged the water particles making the sword drop and my whip was back again, if not a little shorter.

“Do your worst Tadpole” Derrek chuckled. I twirled the whip above my head, feeling the muscles in my arm ache and whipped it at lightning speed towards Derrek’s handsome face. At first I thought he was just going to stand there and take it but just as the popper of the whip was about to slice his face he’d constructed a blazing shield to deflect my strike.

I cried in frustration. It was like Derrek was toying with me and I was growing tired of his antics. I turned to gather as much water from the forest but a searing, burning pain was eating at my throat.

“Never turn your back on your opponent” Derrek whispered in my ear. He was holding his, once again, fiery sword close to my throat. He wasn’t slicing me, nor holding it directly on my skin, but the sheer closeness was blistering the delicate skin of my neck.

“You had better move that” I whispered back being careful not to make any sudden movement in case my own stupidity cost me my voice box.

“Or what...?”

I had nothing. What could do I do? The air was completely void of moisture and Derrek literally had me by the throat. “Okay, okay I give in. You win” I conceded. The flames disappeared from my throat and I felt at the blistering skin. “Ouch” I murmured quietly.

“Sorry, but I wasn’t going to take it easy on you just because you’re a girl. You’d better go to the infirmary and have the Healers look at you” Derrek said looking at the damage he did.

***

“Hey, you okay?” Max asked as he leaned against the chair I was sitting in.  I was sitting in the infirmary while Kayla, one of the Healers, worked on me. In no time at all the blisters and burns from my throat, arm and shoulder were gone and the gash was a faded pink line that would go away in a few days.

“I’m good. Derrek just had the advantage was all” I answered. Max wore fitted jeans with a white t-shirt and blue and black checked flannel that he wore unbuttoned over the top. He held out a hand and I took it as he helped me out of the chair.

“So, about that date, how does tonight suit you?” he asked as we walked back to our apartments.

“I don’t know. I’m so sore from Combat I don’t know if I can handle more than sitting on the sofa” I joked with him.

“That’s okay. How about I bring take away and we have a lazy night in. That is, if you’re up for it” he suggested. It was so sweet of him and I agreed a bit warily.

Tonight could either make or break our friendship.

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A/N

So, WOW! I am astounded at the response I’m receiving for this story! Thank  you everyone who’s voted, commented and fanned me. I truly do appreciate it so much.

Now, I’m getting people saying wonderful things like how they wish they could ‘write as good as me’ and I’m completely flattered! But I just want to say that I literally only started writing stories about *thinks and counts back on fingers* six months ago and that was my story We Were Just Kids In Love.

So for anyone who’s too shy to start writing or don’t think they’re good enough, don’t think that way. You can be a great writer and the only way you will know is to start. So pick up that pen or pencil or turn on that computer and get going! =)

Anyway, as always please support me for the Wattys!

Vote/comment/fan/share my story with your friends/fans!!

Nix <3