The Elemental Aspect (Book 1 of the Caster Project Series)

Chapter 12: The Arrival of the Five

"But is it really necessary to bow?" The young woman asked. Although their gestures were harmless, it still made her uncomfortable.

"Oh, lighten up a bit Teresa," Max said. "We honor them with our presence." He grinned at that last part, earning a heavy slap to the head by Joseph.

"Shut up, Max. You're already letting this hero thing go to your head," Joseph whispered harshly.

The Water holder rubbed his head and mumbled, "Always the realist." He then said aloud, " Did you really have to be so hard'"

"Only to get so that you don't get that hero-worship thing stuck in your head!"

Damian smiled as he listened to his friend's bicker. He looked at Vitiate and noticed that he paid no attention to the banter. "Embarrassed?" The teenager suddenly asked.

The mage didn't turn around to face him. But he answered, "No."

As the group continued walking through the Stronghold, a single figure stood in the middle of the road. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight, becoming almost blinding to the eye. Damian noticed her and said, "It's nice to see you again, Aliana. You look...different."

The young woman smiled. "I feel different."

"Well, your attitude has changed since the last time we met," Joeseph interjected.

"For me, it's been some days since we've last met. For you, it's only been less than twenty-four hours. Time works differently here. I've come to be acclimated to this place. I feel at peace here."

"That's good," Damian said. "We'll be walking up ahead, but I think someone wants to talk to you." He turned to look at Max, and the girls giggled quietly as their friend realized what was happening. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "We'll be waiting."

The rest of the group walked away, leaving only Max and Aliana alone. The former had his hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked up at the sky to avoid her gaze. "So, how've you been? The last time I saw you, you got pissed at me and stormed out of my house," he said. He could feel the awkward tension between him and Aliana.

She chuckled at that last part. For some reason, that brought a smile to her face. "The only reason why I stormed out was that I had just found out that you guys had powers. You can imagine the situation any normal person would be in."

Max stepped forward and grinned. "Well, we're not normal people anymore, now are we?"

Aliana smiled and turned to follow the rest of the group, leaving Max alone. The Water holder watched Aliana's retreating form meet up with the others until he realized that he was staring. "Damn it, Max," he muttered. "Barely ten minutes in a new world, and you're already flirting." He quickly gained his composure and jogged to his friends.

Soon, the group arrived at the stables. Damian looked at his friends as they could only stare at the fantastical creatures. The Peisil looked at the teenagers. Their eyes unnerved them all except Damian. His brief time in Aralion had somewhat prepared him for their journey into this mysterious world. As the Peisil's were being prepared, he noticed his friends were on edge. He suspected it wasn't just the Peisil.

"Something on your guys' minds?" he asked.

"Well, we're in another world," Max said. His voice had become quieter than was usual. His goofiness had disappeared, but only for a moment. "It's kind of hard to come to terms with that," he continued. "I know we've had this conversation before, but we're meant to be these people's heroes. Their saviors. That's a lot of responsibility for just five kids."

Damian remained silent as he looked at his friends. No matter how long they tried to put off this trip, the responsibility to be Aralion's protectors was bound to catch up with them. No one could be prepared to hold the weight of the hopes and dreams of billions of people. No amount of training could prepare them for that.