ELEMENTS: THE BIG FOUR

Chapter 1

Students across Red Wall Academy's hostel were waking up and Bethany was sure that she could hear someone screaming.

She slid open the door to the balcony and was hit in the face by a puff of smoke that made her wheeze and cough.

"You're not going crazy, don't worry," Jun said, he noticed her coughing and stubbed out the rest of his cigarette and threw it into the nearby metal bin, "Sorry my love."

"Who's screaming?" she asked, she leaned over the edge of the balcony and looked left and right. They were in the senior building of the hostel two blocks away from any juniors. None of the seniors got up before six a.m and the scream hadn't sounded too far away.

Bethany was only partially dressed; what she had on so far consisted of her button up shirt still undone and her stockings. She had only just woken up and was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. All her mind could think about what getting down to the café and getting hot chocolate or something with at least three tablespoons of sugar.

"I think it's that group again, the ones in our grade, the fairy and vampire I think," he said nonchalantly. That pack was always making noise. The noise itself didn't bother Bethany but hearing such a noisy bunch before she'd even woken up properly made her want to crawl under the sheets again.

The hostel area was almost the size of the actual campus and had enough living quarters for over fifty thousand people which had made the area into it's own district, filled with cafés, a library, bookstores and a few markets that would pop up on the streets during the day. The area was vibrant and busy and had it's own fairy cart that ran through the area to take the students to and from school. Bethany still remembered when it had only been a single apartment building. That had been almost four years ago.

"Is Kyle up?" Jun asked.

"Yeah, he's just getting dressed," she replied.

Kyle was Bethany's younger brother. He was thirteen, making him a junior and according to hostel rules he should've been in the junior building for the last six months, but Bethany was not about to leave him on his own. Each higher education phase had their own blocks of flats which extended for a few streets each and overlapped in some areas. This meant that Kyle would be almost three streets down from her because of their three year age gap. Sometimes she felt too protective of him, then she remembered that the year ones had caused the first riot this year and blown up two of the schools dumpsters.

Plus it wasn't like that was the only rule they were breaking. The rules stated that only family members in the same year could live together, only people of the same sex could stay together, no more than two people could stay in one flat and only compatible species could stay together (no werewolves and vampires).

Ghouls and werewolves weren't the most compatible species due to their violent tendencies and eating habits- on both parts. Bethany liked to believe that the school honestly thought she'd turn her bestfriend into her next meal. The idea amused her and simultaneously horrified her.

Kyle was fully dressed and ready to go when the pair stepped back into the flat. His long curly red hair had been tied back with a bandana and he had used pins to keep the hair from falling into his face. His skin was still bronze from staying out in the sun during the summer and he had visible tan lines along his wrists from all his bangles that he could no longer wear during school times. Bethany longed to have skin that turned bronze in the sun, all hers did was get darker and darker until her skin matched her black hair. She was just like her dad in that way, and the same could be said about Kyle and their mom.

"Give me a second I need to finished getting dressed," she said realizing that was still only in stockings and a shirt.

"Don't forget your blazer," Jun called out when she was already in the bedroom.

That was one time... maybe two.

"Jun, put deodorant on before we leave," she shouted while tugging on her shoes and blazer.

"It hurts my nose."

Werewolves. She smiled and shook her head. "You're hurting my ears. Just put on deodorant and get your bag."

"Fiiine," he groaned. She could hear him digging around in the bathroom draws. She sighed. The deodorant was next to the sink.

They were out the door before any of the other seniors tumbled out of their flats and into the streets. It was only when they were in the café that other students began to appear, still dazed from the holdiay and clearly sleep deprived. Bethany hadn't seen Lee or his group and to her great pleasure she hadn't seen any of her fellow leaders either. She loved the other leaders, yes, but... she also wanted some time with just Jun and Kyle before the day officially began.

The owner of the shop, a small wood elf named Winkie approached the table carrying their drinks. "Are you kids on to work tonight?" He passed them their three muddy red smoothies, one hot chocolate, an expresso and Kyle's new favourite drink, camolmile tea.

The smoothies were gross to most species, most notably species that didn't consume raw meat. They were a mixture of blood, blended up meat and a few other special ingredients that would make almost anyone's stomach turn. Even Bethany sometimes didn't like thinking about what was in the smoothie despite the fact that she had those things individually anyway, like meat and kidneys and every other organ that ghouls needed to survive.

"Same times as usual?" she asked.

"Nine to three?" said Winkie.

"Then yes," Bethany and Jun said in union. He shot her a smile and began drinking his smoothie.

The old man smiled happily, gave them a curt nod and walked away. He was only three feet tall and rather plump. Every time Bethany saw him she couldn't help but to think of a yoga ball.

From their place at the front of the café Bethany could faintly hear the radio on the counter. She looked at Jun and watched for any change of emotion. His features remained the same and she breathed out a sigh of relief. No bad news yet.

"We need a senior!" someone shouted. "There's a fight going on on the third years block."

"Jun stay with Kyle." Bethany got up from her seat and rushed out of the café to find a small crowd gathering around the person that was shouting. It was a small fox-born, maybe a little older than Kyle. His frantic eyes met Bethany's and he almost leapt onto her out of relief.

"It's one of the street kids."

Bethany had no idea what to think as she raced down the street and around the corner. Her heart was thudding in her chest and her legs were heavily protesting with her running so fast after a full month of holidays. Exercising during the break might have helped, too late now.

The fox boy was close behind her. "There, there," he shouted.

A demi-giant, a werewolf, an orc and a few others were gathered around a small figure lying on the floor and had their backs turned on another person laying unconscious. Bethany recognized the warlock anywhere, it was Emil, one of the leaders.

Usually leaders and seniors alike weren't allowed to fight. That flew out the window in the hostels and surrounding areas and when the perpetrators had thrown the first punch.

"Emil," the fox darted towards the fallen warlock and dropped down next to him.

Bethany ran past Emil and straight towards the group. "Hey what do you think you're doing?" she yelled.

The demi-giant turned sharply and swung her arm out towards Bethany. She ducked and moved to the side but not quick enough because the giantess had swung her other arm directly towards Bethany's chest. For a second Bethany didn't feel anything. Then she was flying through the air and a sharp cracking pain shot through her chest and down her torso.