THIIIIIIIIIIS TOOK SO LOOOOOOOOOONG AND I'M SORRYYYYYYY AND I HAVE A HEADACHEEEEEEEEE-
This is fine.
Warnings --->
WC: ~1100
Enjoy!
"Have you lost your mind?!" Xisuma screamed. Xay couldn't help but smile at his brother's law-abiding personality.
"Maybe!" Xay teased, snapping his fingers and pressing his flaming palm to a tree, to Xisuma's horror.
"This is not okay!" he shrieked. "Xay!!"
"Blazes, he sounds just like you did," Hels pointed out.
"I SOUND LIKE SOMEONE WHO ISN'T INSANE!!" Xisuma shouted. "Unlike you all!!"
"So... where's the portal?" Grian asked, ignoring Xisuma. The six of them slowed to a stop at the sudden problem.
"Maybe this wasn't the best idea," Hels laughed nervously. "Well, I mean, we lost the people, so..."
"We just have to get out of here before the smoke kills us all!" Iskall said cheerfully.
"We should split up," Impulse offered. "So that we can find the portal quicker, and if one group is found, the other'll still be safe."
"Two groups," Hels agreed. "Iskall and Xay, come with me. Xisuma and Grian, stay with Impulse. No argument." Nods from all around.
They just had to get out of there before everything went wrong.
It only took a minute or two for Xisuma to start coughing.
"Wh- already?" Impulse cried as Xisuma doubled over, hacking from the smoke.
"Earlier- I-" Xisuma choked out. "I inhaled a lot- and it-"
"Okay, okay," Impulse murmured. "Uhm..."
"I can carry him to a clear patch," Grian offered. "We don't have any ice- or rather, water, so..." Impulse nodded.
"You two do that," he agreed. "I'll look for the portal. How will I signal you if I find it?"
"Lightning?" Grian suggested.
"I don't want anyone else to see it," he mumbled.
"Shockwave?" Grian tried again.
"That's my help signal, and I don't want Hels to worry," Impulse pointed out.
"Oh..." Grian trailed off, clearly out of ideas.
"How about I come with you two, on elytra?" Impulse asked.
"No-" Xisuma's voice was cracked. "They'll see-"
"Oh yeah," Impulse muttered. "Okay, no flying."
"Then we'll run," Grian said firmly. Impulse nodded his agreement.
The portal would have to wait.
Impulse just hoped they would have time.
I would've preferred to stay with Xisuma, Xay noted as he watched the other three dash off. But whatever. This works, too.
"No time to waste," Hels's voice was clear and commanding. "Follow me."
Through the smoke they went.
"Try not to breathe too much," Hels advised.
"Wonderful," Xay spat.
"Splendid advice," Iskall grumbled at the same time, causing Hels to turn and glare at both of them.
"Shut it," he snapped, earning a giggle from Xay. He's so cu- amusing- when he's mad.
Xay blinked at the thought, then shrugged it off. Probably just the weird side of my brain.
The flames roared up around them, casting rays of red-orange light. They were intimidating, dangerous, but if there was one thing Xay had learned from The Missing, it would be,
Not to fear the flames.
Not to fear his power.
Not to fear who he was.
But to embrace it.
Does burning down a forest count as embracing my power? Xay couldn't help but wonder. Probably.
"Come on," Hels urged. Xay held out a hand, the fire parting at his will. Hels shot him a 'not bad' look, boosting Xay's confidence and earning a grin from him. The three of them rushed through the gap, Hels and Xay going through the flames while Iskall avoided them.
"Probably would've been smarter to have one fire element in each group," Hels noted with a sigh.
"Probably, yeah," Xay agreed. "Too late now, though." Hels shrugged.
"I just hope the others are okay," he mumbled.
"They will be," Iskall said firmly. "We just need to focus on finding the portal."
"Before it's too late."
"Is that..." Grian gasped mid-sentence, causing Impulse to peer in the direction he was looking.
"The portal!!" Impulse cried, the figure barely visible through the flames.
"We can cut through that bit," Grian suggested, pointing to a part of the trees that weren't flaming. "And then loop around."
"Good idea," Impulse agreed, glancing at Xisuma. He had stopped coughing, but didn't look... the best. Impulse was starting to feel the effects of the smoke himself.
The three of them dashed through the smoldering foliage, running over to the portal. Thankfully there weren't many trees around the portal, therefore minimal fire and smoke. Impulse sent out a shockwave, hoping that Hels would come over, preferably not too worried.
Things seemed to be looking good.
Now they just had to beat the clock.
Hels froze mid-step at the feeling of a shockwave crashing over him. It was a feeling that most wouldn't really notice, but one that Hels had trained himself to pick up on.
"Impulse," he mumbled, catching the attention of Xay and Iskall. "He's either in serious trouble, or he's found the portal."
"Hopefully the latter," Iskall muttered with a small laugh. "Where'd the wave come from?" Hels simply pointed, and Iskall and Xay followed his lead.
Iskall violently coughed from the smoke, causing Hels and Xay to share a worried glance. Iskall gave them a quick 'I'm fine' gesture.
Not that they really believed him.
Crash.
Xay whipped around at the sound and watched a tree fall down behind him, and seconds before flames flared up uncontrollably, Xay felt himself being flung forwards.
"Watch out," Hels advised, and Xay realized that he had pushed him out of the way.
"O-okay," Xay's voice shook, and he tried to swallow back his fear.
"Stay close to me, both of you," Hels commanded. Iskall and Xay both nodded. Hels then clasped one hand around Iskall's, entangled the fingers of his other hand in Xay's, and then ran towards the wave with them following close behind.
The sounds of fire behind them suddenly became a lot more daunting, and Xay couldn't help but feel a lot more fear.
Xay tightened his grip on Hels's hand ever-so-slightly, enough to comfort himself, but not enough for Hels to notice or care.
"Stop," Hels murmured, freezing in place and pulling Iskall and Xay with him.
"What?" Xay asked, his eyes flickering to the walls of fire that were starting to close in on them.
"Hold on, I'm going to part this," Hels explained. "Inhale as little as possible." Iskall snorted, earning a sigh from Hels.
Craaaacccck.
Xay turned towards the sound, only to see a tree trunk splintering,
Causing the tree to fall right towards him.
Suddenly, there was a flash of orange-red.
Fire, blasting him away.
Hels's fire.
Xay fell backwards, out of range from the burning log.
However, the tree was still falling.
And it was heading right onto Hels.
Crash.
NO HELS-
RDXCFTVGYBHUNJIK
I cry but I do it anyways gosh darn it-
-Storm