"Hey, look at this." Killian said to Cora and Mia as he lay on the sofa that lined the wall. Seraphina and Brown had decided to continue with lessons, and Lyra and Allie were securing the base.
Killian showed his phone to Cora, "This looks like a renaissance painting, don't you think?" he laughed.
Cora snorted and covered her face.
Mia glanced over and squeezed her eyes shut with silent laughter. "How is THAT a renaissance painting?"
Killian chuckled, "Plot reasons!"
He was interrupted by a low-pitched beep from the monitor on the desk beside him. He slipped the phone into his pocket and ran to the monitor.
A dark red dot had reappeared on the map.
Killian tapped it with the mouse.
"Delilah." he said in disbelief, "She's back?"
"Who is Delilah, and where did she go?" Mia asked.
Killian sat up straight in his chair, "She's one of the Elites – Water and Magic – and she left for twelve months on a mission at Outpost Island among the Onyx Wing and a few other Silver Elites. She was scheduled to come back around this month."
He twitched his fingers and a green glow twisted out and hit the screen. The map fell out of the screen and sailed down to the floor.
Cora's eyebrows creased, "How did you-"
"Magical energy: can be used to enchant stuff or activate enchanted stuff. Requires a lot of energy." Killian explained, pressing the red dot.
It expanded to reveal the face of Delilah, she had pale hair and icy-blue eyes, the face tilted upwards and the image zoomed out, she wore a turquoise top and purple leggings with an azure-blue belt. She wore white fingerless gloves with frost-like patterning snaking up her wrist. "Killian? What's going on?" her voice was delicate.
"Oh hello, why hello there, hi, hey, 'sup. Hello." Stammered Cora, her hair promptly setting on fire.
"Basically, all the other Elites have been kidnapped, we have sided with the Jeger and the rest of Moondoor is at the Northern Isles."
"Sounds complicated." Delilah replied, as she pushed open the door to the main hall.
Her face disappeared and the map folded back into the screen as Delilah strode into the room.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked.
Killian nodded, "Kestrel, Henrik, Aquila and Merlin are searching for the location of where all the elementals have been taken. Cora, Seraphina, Mia, Allie, Lyra and I are making sure the School stays secure. Once Henrik's group have found the base, we strike!"
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Delilah responded. "And hi there." She said, smiling at Cora. "I like your jacket, but you do know you're on fire?"
"I'm too hot, hot damn, call the police and the fireman."
Killian sighed, "I'll think of something.
*****
A few hours past the break of dawn, Kestrel sat on a fallen tree trunk near a shimmering lake a little way away from the place where they'd made
camp. Above her, the immense trees of the forest created a canopy. The thin rays of sunshine that pierced through the foliage left the crystalline water before her gleaming brightly.
Behind her, the darkened forest chirped quietly, and the ferns swayed in the soft breeze that fell from the mountains. Birdsong split through the air and the silhouettes of birds darted through the pale sky. Kestrel looked up to the lightening sky, the pink clouds shining in her eyes.
The snap of twigs brought her attention back to the forest and the sound of trudging boots seeped out of the woods.
Henrik appeared from between the trees, pulling a bramble from his trousers and falling over in the process. Her stumbled over to Kestrel, flashing a smile as he flopped onto the log beside her.
Kestrel blinked slowly and filed his recent behaviour under 'strange.'
Furious padded out from between the trees and sat beside Moon who was resting on the tree trunk, his cheek feathers hanging off the edge.
Henrik inhaled loudly and closed his eyes restfully.
The view off the edge of the slope stretched far beyond vision.
"So, is Moondoor part of a whole new planet. I mean, the gravity is the same, plants and animals, days and seasons seem the same. This is late autumn, right?"
Henrik took a while to respond, "Yeah, we think so, for all that you just said." he added, "Different constellations mind. We haven't had a clear view of the planet. Tried sending satellites but one of the elemental religions prevented it. Saying stuff like 'defending the uncharted'," he chuckled, "I can't say I agree with them."
"I don't know..." Kestrel said wistfully. She frowned, "Wait, how does Moondoor get food?"
Henrik turned to face her, "Well... we have the currency: Craters, these can be turned into pounds and used. There are a few businesses run by elementals. Outpost shops. The closest one I know is the Co-op in Radyr."
"Huh, that's where I live!"
Henrik nodded and continued, "A load of Spirits teleport in and trade or buy stuff and then bring it back to the school. Then, it gets distributed across the village and camp."
Kestrel nodded.
Birdsong pierced through the air and winded its way through the snake-like silence.
Kestrel turned her attention to it and tried to translate it.
"Yeah..." Henrik cut in, "try not to do that, you'll end up with screaming threats to go away."
The silence fell again.
"How's your arm?" Kestrel asked Henrik, gesturing to his arm in aq1 sling.
Henrik nodded slowly, "Good thanks."
Kestrel rested her palm on Moon's feather crest on his forehead before standing up.
"We'd better get ready to head off again." she said, and Henrik followed. She wandered back into the forest until she reached the clearing where their tents once stood.
Merlin and Aquila had packed away everything and had laid a large map across the grass.
"So, we are here. School Moondoor is there." Merlin pointed to the centre of the map, where a small castle symbol was positioned. "The Village is there." He pointed a little south-west from the School. "Camp Moondoor is there." His finger landed north of the school. "The Northern Isles are there." Merlin gestured to the cluster of islands a little north from Moondoor Island. "The Jeger Camp is there." His finger skimmed over the North west of the map. "Kestrel, Allie, Killian and Henrik were held there." He pointed to a stretch of land beneath the Jeger. "And the Hidden South is roughly there, so
Ashstone is probably around here." Merlin gestured to an area south-east of Moondoor and sat back on his legs.
He folded up the map and stuffed it into his backpack, before perching onto Tan. Scooping up Henrik's backpack and handing it to him, then slinging her backpack onto her own back, Kestrel settled on Moon's back. Aquila clambered onto Zarya's shoulders. Zarya growled lightly.
The sunlight dripped from Aquila's cropped hair and the small beads woven into it shone like pearls. The plum purple eyeshadow that dusted her eyelids shielded her honey brown eyes from the intense glare of the clouds that glowed brightly.
Henrik whistled and the Souls took off into the air in a swift motion, before spreading their wings out and gliding over the tree canopies.
*****
Einaris woke with a start and her whole body ached. The beds were just wooden planks and sheets, interestingly well-washed. She had no pillow so rested her head on 'Pax'.
Fragments of her memory were returning in vivid nightmares.
She knew she had parents and a sister, but not what they looked like of how they spoke, or even where her house was. Einaris blinked back the sting in the back of her eye.
Einaris stood up and walked to the end of her cell where golden daylight streamed through the barred window.
She was lucky to have a map of the base on the wall above her. The heading read 'The Hidden South Elemental Camp' which glamoured up the entire thing. She would have thought it odd to leave a prisoner with the map but after a few hours of studying it, she found no means of escape.
She had guessed where the elementals were kept, defined by the massive cluster of prison cells.
Looking at the map reminded her of Concentration camps, which wasn't in the least comforting.
She'd also discovered the metal disk that prevented her powers.
But one question remained...
Who were their kidnappers?
*****
Flanna had tried to escape the moment she arrived, or at least punch something. She had gone to investigate the line of missing elementals before she was brutally knocked on the head. She had woken up in a cell bathed in amber light and was glad she kept weapons hidden in her boots.
Her trident and blades that she kept on her belt were missing as well as her gold-rimmed silver armour.
Flanna had pulled the daggers from her boots and had been sawing away at the bars of her cell.
It was only at night that she'd finally escaped.
But she had no idea where she was going.
Instinctively, she followed the sound of water until she found herself at the end of a fence. Colt, her serpent-horse had trotted out from behind the bushes and whinnied loudly in defiance as Flanna ripped the fence apart.
Her forehead was dripping with sweat and her fishtail braid was messy, but she had escaped.
She pulled out her mirror and attempted to Mirror-stream when a loud gunshot echoed, and a bullet bounced by her feet.
Taking off into a run, she leapt over fallen logs and bounced onto Colt's back.
She hastily pulled out her compass to get her bearings.
With a snap, she noticed the piercing cold against the back of her neck.
She ripped off the disk and yelped in pain.
Blood flowed from the needle-thin hole it left and dripped down her back.
Colt reared up and growled and it's fishtail glinted.
Hissing, she pulled off her boot and ripped off her sock and pressed it against her neck before putting the boot back on.
The sound of men behind her faded and the view of the sea widened.
With a bound, Colt chased the water out to sea Northwards.
A few hours later, land drew into view and Flanna's head whipped up.
She yanked out her mirror and sent a distress signal that would cover a fifty-mile radius around her.
As the land billowed beneath them, Colt slowed to a halt and wandered off into the tall scot's pine trees that covered the landscape.
Flanna kept following her compass deep into the woods where the thin wisps of a fire floated lazily up into the dazzling blue sky. She crouched down at the ashes of the fire. They were recent.
Four sets of footsteps trailed out southwest from where she stood.
Flanna hesitated before sprinting along them.
Voices, barely audible snaked through the trees and fell onto the ground.
Whoever she was chasing, they were close.
Whistling sharply, Flanna pulled out her daggers as Colt flanked her.
Flanna nodded and they broke into a run where she came face-to-face with Henrik, Kestrel, Aquila and Merlin.
"Yeah, we picked up your signal." Henrik explained, unfazed by the daggers. "And I don't think you've met Kestrel." he pointed to Kestrel, whilst studying his map.
Kestrel waved awkwardly.
Henrik grunted and turned the map upside down. "Yeah, what happened to you?" he asked, folding the map back.
Flanna gave him a quizzical look as Furious and Moon wandered out of the trees like they were summoned. "I was captured, presumably like all the other elementals and I escaped."
Henrik snickered, "Trust Flanna to go 'round escaping." he muttered to Aquila who giggled.
Flanna glared at him, "Are you actually going to be serious?"
Merlin nodded, "Yeah, now we've found the base, we can call backup."
Kestrel frowned, "Don't we need to actually get there first?"
"Yes." Aquila said meaningfully, "Flanna, picture the base with all of us in it and hold this." Aquila dropped her Timestone into Flanna's palm.
"Er, OK." Flanna clutched the stone and pictured the fence she smashed through and all five of them standing beside it.
Nothing happened.
"Eh, trust a Timestone to do what you want." Aquila said, "I guess we'll have to go the long way round."
"Wait," Kestrel said and placed her Timestone in Flanna's hand. "Try now. More Timestone, more energy, right?"
Flanna blinked slowly.
Light surrounded them like they were trapped inside a lightbulb. Then, the lightbulb went out.
It felt like they were falling, and nothing could stop it.
Suddenly, they jolted awake and they felt the sharp blades of grass against their skin.
The light returned but with much less intensity and a brilliant shade of blue filled the void between the light.
The five sat up beside the fence.
"Huh, it actually worked." Kestrel said, scooping her Timestone off the grass.
"Soooo... Where now?" Aquila asked and Zarya emerged from the trees behind the fence and leapt over the barbed wire. The rest of the Souls 'materialised' behind her. It was like they were always by their humans but weren't visible or touchable when their focus wasn't on them.
Kestrel lowered her eyebrows. The whole concept of magical powers was too overwhelming for her. It just made no sense. Especially the Souls. Now there were people kidnapping elementals and on top of that, her sister might be close!
She locked off the feeling, no point in getting excited.
Merlin had begun to lay out a plan with lots of big hand movements and gesturing.
Aquila was paying no attention which wasn't exactly surprising. She was busy pretending to die on the floor.
Henrik watched.
Flanna glared at her.
Merlin stopped and noticed no one was listening, "Guys! We need to save the elementals!"
"I don't know if I'm ready." Kestrel said, almost a whisper.
"Sorry?" Merlin asked.
"She said: She doesn't know if she's ready. Listen." Henrik said bluntly.
"It'll be fine!" Merlin said and flashed a smile. Allie and your friends will be teleported here any sec-"
A blinding flash of light streaked across the sky. There stood Allie, Lyra, Killian, Cora, Mia and Seraphina.
"Like I said." Merlin added, grinning playfully.
Her mind ran in the same way over the events of the last year.
In less than a few months her life had been shattered and shaken into a new form that she was still trying to come to terms with. Her sister missing, and she'd become an elite of a camp that was likely to fall to the kidnappers within a few short months. Only her friends and the network of alliances they were struggling to forge could save Moondoor/the world. All of it had to be co-ordinated by them, essentially a young group of children, not yet fourteen, and with little to no experience of anything but the classroom and weapons training ground.
Most of the time, the sheer momentum of the emergency was enough to keep her focused, but occasionally, when she was forced to wait quietly for events to unfold, the full impact of her near-impossible situation came crashing in on her. How could they possibly win? What chance would their small group of elementals, with a ragbag of allies, have against the massive might and power of whoever the kidnappers were. Why not just cut their losses and flee into exile and go back home where she could at least live in comfort and warmth that normality would bring her?
She fought against the rising windstorm of panic welling up inside her and turned abruptly to walk into the corridor. Mia followed.
"Now that you've finished scaring yourself half to death, can I talk to you?" she said softly.
"What do you mean? Scaring myself?"
"How does it go? We've no chance. By this time next week, we could all have been destroyed."
"How did you know I was..." Her question trailed off. Sometimes, she forgot Mia could read minds. She made a mental note to close her thoughts more next time.
Mia grinned. "Oh, don't worry. I wasn't reading your mind. I mean, I was just then, but that's not the point. Also, yes, you do need to work on closing your mind more because getting into your mind is easier than thinking. I just found myself in the same situation as you; I've got nothing to do now and suddenly I had all the time in the world to start worrying and panicking. So, I thought we'd better keep ourselves occupied."
Kestrel groped for some dignity. "And what do you suggest?" she asked, in a voice made haughty by the relief she felt that she'd not been reading her thoughts.
"Well, first I think we should save everybody... Then go back to Moondoor. Ooh, I could build the school on Minecraft." she drifted off.
The prison wing came into view.