CHAPTER 4
Daniel
It was yet another week before Loralle travelled back down the volcano.
Her skin growing back had noticeably changed now, it was tougher and not fair anymore. It was now warmer and a darker colour and Loralle wondered if it was because of the magma or if the earth had sort of become one with her flesh...Or both.
What made her think that earth may be a part of her, now, was because she didn"t have to put her hand onto the earth floor to move the earth anymore. Just thinking about what she wanted to do was enough. And the new warmth that flowed through her&h.e.l.lip;At first, she thought it was because of where she was&h.e.l.lip;But, it didn’t disappear!
Now that she was far from the top of the volcano, she realized her bodies temperature is constantly higher then it normally was! It seemed that her wounds, that looked like they couldn’t recover, were maybe being helped, due to her rise in temperature...? It did scare her a little, as she thought she was slowly being cooked! Then her mind would wonder of on who would possible want to eat something like her...Her mind ventured then, that maybe she wasn"t being cooked, but instead, going to make a noise like she makes the fire power do sometimes and then she"ll turn black again!
Her body was still painful though. So, until she was fully healed, she decided to lazily check out the Fire Tribe.
From a long time ago, she knew that each tribe had separate ways of living. One of those, was the food that they ate and how it was eaten. Being given the chance now, while recovering, Loralle was enthusiastic to see the small difference. Compared to the Water Tribe"s raw sea food, the Fire Tribe cooked theirs but they had to venture further to get their food. They also seemed more into creatures that lived on the land, like tigers and bears, but those creatures didn"t seem to be close by at all. Loralle wondered if it was because of the magma...If it was, she understood perfectly.
One obvious thing that she noticed she liked about the Fire Tribe...Was the warmth. Having been homeless, rained on and nowhere near a fire for the first ten years of her life...She felt like she was in heaven.
The slow flowing magma kept most of the Fire Tribe village warm and it was like a big, fluffy blanket on her. Of course, she did wonder if it was the place or her. It was so comfortable that Loralle continued to eat their food and stay, learning more about them discretely.
Not talking to anybody, she was still able to hear and watch the happenings around her.
The Fire Tribe had lost a third of their population after she had made the big line of empty earth in between the tribes. But...Half of those had returned. They really did feel like they had nowhere else to go...And, this place was their home.
In the last couple of weeks, the populace had been able to calm down since "The Powerful Water Tribe leader" was still currently missing.
Sadly, the trades and shops in the village lost out and are still trying to get back on their feet.
The leader had been very quiet but, as the Fire Tribe being known to be less emotional, the people didn"t seem to care!
Loralle scoffed and thought that if they had been so caring, would they have had overcome such a tremendous problem!
Actually, she didn"t practically like the personalities of the Fire Tribesmen. It just reminded her of how uncaring the protectors were to her, and they were even from her own tribe!
***
When Loralle turned eighteen, a year and a half later, she was still at the Fire Tribe village. Her body had taken so much time to heal that Loralle worried for anymore future trails she may have to endure...What was strange, was that she was overcoming it faster...And not slower...
She felt like she had obtained some sort of other power! A healing power!
Having her skin, now, quite hard and a darker colour, as it had been awhile since she had needed her earth bind over her body, she looked totally different. But, having most of her skin being totally taken off her body, she would have thought it would have taken a decade to go to this sort of extent of being healed! There were no burn scars to say that she had gone into the mouth of the volcano at all! Unless, you call the colour of her skin changing colour a scar...She wasn"t sure.
But...The protectors had found her...Three months ago, while she was with a new friend that she had made, they had started to chase her everywhere!
In all this time of freedom, Loralle had despised them for interrupting her journey!
After she had found out that two n.o.ble women had disappeared many years ago, she had openly stayed in the Fire Tribe to find more information about them, but only found that those women had never returned...And one of them had been the leader"s late wife!
Loralle had been wanting to track down the other woman"s origins, but she was now being interrupted!
Luckily, the Fire Tribe had gotten back to its former days and never changed, as they never cared for someone being chased after.
It was such an annoying event for Loralle, though, as she was getting close to her first human friend in her entire life! Granted, this friend thought she was male and had a crush on her, but it was still great!
But now...Loralle was very unhappy!
After losing them twice, she thought they would leave...Didn"t they hate the Fire Tribe?
But they never did! It was quite troublesome!
She really wanted to continue her curious path of wondering if her new friend could gain the power of earth through her...
Of course, she continued to be discreet about it...And, it wasn"t easy!
She was a little girl of fifteen years of age, named Emily. Loralle is thinking of her friend taking the plunge into the volcano, asking herself whether it would be the right thing to do. As it was, Emily had a tough time accepting another power, Loralle was guessing it was because of the vengeance in the powers, and she thought for her to accept the earth power, she would have to be accepted by the fire element first. Well, that was what Loralle thought the problem was...
Nonetheless, Emily was being very loyal and patient and happily kept what she was seeing and learning a secret from others. She had also been a help to Loralle to get her to speak more frequently. Speaking words were not a problem now and her voice was no longer so hoa.r.s.e, but she was still like a robot that used very easy words.
And then there"s the children of the Fire Tribe, who are taught to fight at a young age. To some of them that want to fight, she had asked them why.
But all of this had come to a screeching halt because of the protectors continuously were chasing after her!
War had not happened all this time, yet, they still wanted her! Why couldn’t they just give up?! How she wished to turn into a tree so that she could hide from them! Go Away!
As she ran away from them, she used her earth powers to go up walls and fire powers to look normal. Her fire powers looked very extravagant, some had asked where she was in the legion, as they wanted her protection, knowing that she was strong! This had made her smile, very happily! Yes, I"m very strong! Haha!
This time, when she gets away from the protectors, she b.u.mps into Daniel, the Fire Tribe leader"s second son.
"Try not to break anything that isn"t yours while running away!" His yell had stopped her.
Knowing who he was, she wondered if he was potentially her brother by blood. Would he answer any of my questions?
Before she could talk, he did, "Where are you from? Is this some kind of training for the war?"
Loralle sighed, "War, over."
Daniel laughed, noting her speech was a little different, "Won"t be for long, the Water Tribe are filling in the big hole. We are waiting for the water to rise, then we are going to put magma over it to create a bridge for us to cross."
This was news to Loralle...How long had the Water Tribe been doing this for? And the Fire Tribe already have an idea to use when it was done...
Would it work? The water would cool the magma...But wouldn"t it sink to the bottom? She really did try to picture it in her mind.
"Ah...You don"t think it"ll work?" He asked.
Instead, Loralle asked another question, "Why fight? No one die."
He gets mad, seeing a Fire Tribal member asking questions, that wasn"t normal. She also gets mad at his uncaring manner and spits out molten around her body. Everybody wanted war! Everybody!
This is only the first time that they get angry at one another...
He admits, "You"re powerful...You should go into the legion."
She yells, "No!"
Daniel gets mad again but she stands her ground. He wants her to help because of their enemy having someone so strong.
She stats that, "...That person, not want to fight."
"How could anyone know that? Maybe they are just biding time."
She doesn"t say anything, it seemed useless. He was talking to that exact person! She thought that he was very stupid!
He interrupts the silence, "Why are you so dirty? Your power is that of a n.o.ble...Yet, you look totally undignified. How about I escort you home?"
Daniel stopped, why would he care?
She laughs.
"Why are you laughing?" Daniel wonders why this mangy mutt of a person didn"t seem to respect him!
"Home? n.o.ble? I have no home! I free!" Loralle stood firm and determined to her words.
He seemed captivated at first...But he raged because of her indifferent tone, "You have guts to talk like that! I"m the second son of the leader and I don"t even talk like that!"
He knew it was a lie, but "he" had made him angry!
"I not care!" Loralle spat. She had to admit, she wanted information from him, but he was just too much of a jerk and she gave up on it. Honestly, she didn"t want such an angry brother!
"Did you already know who I was?" He asked, upset that if she did, she still talked to him as such!
“Yes.”
“And you’re not scared of the second most powerful fire power! Our bloodline has been the leader"s of the Fire Tribe for hundreds of years!"
“No.” She was not scared at all! In fact, she really wanted to beat him up there and then!
“Why not?” Daniel was truly curious! Her defiant att.i.tude, he admitted, was something he hadn"t seen before!
“Because&h.e.l.lip;My birth...Now&h.e.l.lip;” Loralle stopped...What would change if she told him who she was?...They would probably all try to kill her!
“What?”
Thinking, Loralle saw that she was practically immortal. Immune to water, earth and fire. I don’t fear death, I fear&h.e.l.lip;
Lifting her hands, she knew of her immense powers. She feared herself...She feared others being played with without their knowledge...
She can"t tell anyone who she is, otherwise, this long war time without change will just continue...
Water suddenly came at her, surprising him and shocking him at the same time. He watches "him" run away. Who is that young man!?
Why are they after "him"? Who are those people? With them having water powers...
He decides to follow and sees "his" agility from roof top to walls then to trees. then, out of view...
He knew that he should report what he had seen...That people from the Water Tribe were here...
Daniel smiled, perhaps something good can come out of this!
Loralle finally gets away, again, and finds somewhere to sleep.
Two days later, Loralle was playing with a different lot of children with Emily, when Daniel comes.
“Teaching them how to be peaceful!? Leave.” He acted straight away to have seen what was going on!
“Why fight?” Loralle asked.
“Because we fight, always fought.” Daniel didn"t understand...Why the why? This was how it was always!
“Why?”
“Stop it!” Daniel yelled. No one needed to question it! All of us hate the Water Tribe, so we fight! Was she stupid!?
Loralle smiles at him, stopping him. This person’s smile is quite pretty!
She’s thinking, and hoping, that he’s starting to open his mind to questions...But, she was wrong...
Loralle suddenly had a vicious idea! She was mostly afraid of losing her friend, so, she will get answers from Daniel instead!
Binding him up with the earth bound, she turned to Emily, saying, "Be back later."
Loralle smiled as she took off with Daniel, who was trying to get out of the earth bound unsuccessfully, and went towards the huge volcano.
Since she had decided that he wasn"t her brother, she could take the chance with his life with absolutely no regrets!
"Argh...Speak to me! Where are you taking me!"
The curses from Daniel had not stopped while Loralle had made it half way up the volcano, without speaking one word to him.
She was worried. A few people had seen the earth power but she had tried to be quick to get out of the area, before they could follow her. If they knew that ‘the Powerful Water Tribe leader’ was here...What would they do?
She was thinking that they"d want to kill and destroy her...But, her being an idiot, she wouldn"t have thought that they would obviously run away and freak out!
Now that they were half way up the volcano, Loralle stopped at the cave that she had built some time ago.
Letting Daniel out of the earth bound, she hastily put around him a water rope, so that he couldn"t run away.
"Water!...You...You!"
All Loralle said was, "Sit!"
"You"re...Water, earth and fire! You"re!..."
Daniel was flabbergasted, the Water Tribal leader was here! Here! In the Fire Tribe&h.e.l.lip;! Oh c.r.a.p!
"Sit!" Loralle had lost her patience and sent a heavy load of water down on him and he fell to the ground! "Why you!"
"You ask fire." Loralle said.
Daniel looked at "him" angrily, "Let me go!"
"Ask fire, for power!" Was all Loralle said.
Daniel"s face was ashen in fury. Being held captive to someone who spoke nonsense, was something that ashamed and embarra.s.sed him to no end!
"Now! Ask...Focus!" "His" words silenced him into confusion. Ask what?!
Loralle sighed, she knew she wasn"t good with words..."Ask for fire power...Stop, looking me! Close eyes. Focus! Ask fire power!"
...This person!
Daniel started to feel the heat as soon as the earth bound had left his body and now it really started to affect him. He was sure that they were closer to the volcano...But why?
Suddenly, he was drenched again, cooling him down somewhat. He looked angrily at "him", as she did him.
Loralle sighed, she was sure it would be better if he knew of the yearning to the volcano. If he didn"t, he would not know of the voice and try escape before he got accepted by the fire element. She looked at him and tried to speak again. "You understand me better if do as I say. Focus. Ask for fire power."
Daniel widened his eyes in astonishment, wasn"t this a very powerful person? So bossy!
"Please."
Daniel sighed, it looked like "he" wasn"t going to hurt him so..."Will you let me go if I do as you ask?"
Loralle smiled, "Have idea to help people! You help me! I let you go!"
The smile this person had looked innocent enough but he silently would plot his revenge later!
"Fine!" Daniel shouted and shock his head, still angry.
Closing his eyes, he tried to focus, but wasn"t sure what to focus on. What had "he" said?
"Ask fire power to use..."
"Ask?"
"Yes!" Her excitement was clearly within her words, making him unsure if this person was all powerful. But "his" personality was strange...
He had clearly seen her water, earth and fire powers but&h.e.l.lip;Whatever&h.e.l.lip;
He then asked for the fire power...
After some time, a strange feeling overcame him, then, it was like a yearning that made him want to go to the mouth of the volcano...
"You"re crazy! I"m not going there! People die there!" He yelled, opening his eyes.
Loralle sighed, "Better after finish. No hate, more power. Better!"
"His" words made no sense! "He" just wanted to kill him! "No way!"
"I did."
"What?" He couldn"t fathom "his" words....No one has lived through it definitely! Did he hear "him" properly?
"I did. Look." Loralle put him on fire and it really did hurt him. He was silenced into disbelieve, to the power and heat of it, as he let out a groan in pain. He hadn"t been immune to it!
Loralle continued, after releasing him from her fire powers, "Must use fire to protect when in magma. We try now."
Loralle put an earth and water bound around him and they had already started to leave the cave before he could even say, "Wait!"
Not long after, they were at the mouth of the volcano. Loralle was hot but didn"t need the covering of the earth bound, but when she unbound Daniel he started to sweat straight away.
"Use fire to protect. No struggle. Stay till hear words!"
Daniel yelled, "Stop!"
But it was too late, as Loralle moved the earth he was on, to drop him into the magma at the volcano"s mouth!
He was so scared, he forgot all the words she had just said and screamed as he fell. Landing in the magma, Daniel felt his whole body already start to burn off, as his clothes already had.
Dam this person!
Being so angry, he emitted fire around himself and he felt his body again. Suddenly, he remembered what "he" had said and made sure to use his own fire power around himself to the utmost!
Did they really live through this? He thought, as he let out another scream because of the pain, while the magma continued to gobble him up.
Outside the magma, Loralle watched in great enthusiasm! She wanted to jump up and down, but instead, she made an earth "person" beside her so that she wasn"t waiting alone.
Daniel"s body, now, had finally submerged and he suddenly heard words in his head.
"The element known as fire accepts you. From now on, you will not know the fire vengeance!"
It was...Unbelievable!
After, he was rushed back up and he saw Loralle, "he" looked calm but he could see that the heat had gotten to her as well, as she was wet with sweat.
He noticed then, that this person was indeed female! Uh? The leader of the Water Tribe...Was a female?
She got the earth to bring him to her, not caring for him being without clothes, and then they left for the cave, halfway down the volcano.
She covered his skinless areas with earth and water bounds, while he stared at her speechlessly.
"You lucky. Clothes coming, then rest." Loralle said, disheartened. As he looked at his wounds, he didn"t feel very lucky at all, he was full of pain!
What kept him silent, was how he felt since before going into the magma...He was different. He could feel the changes! The fire power he had now was so strong, as though it had doubled! And some other feeling, that seemed to have held onto him, had disappeared and made him feel somewhat refreshed!
Trying to remember all the words that Loralle had ever spoken to him, Daniel had not said a word, but in this time Loralle had already sent earth down to the town to receive clothes and food for both of them. Because of this process, a couple of people got mad but n.o.body had ever told Loralle that stealing was bad...
When it had arrived, she gave him his clothes and food, then took her clothes off without saying anything.
He had officially started to slowly get dressed but when she had taken her clothes off, he stopped completely. This person looked dirty, and her hair was a mess, yet, he couldn"t help eyeballing her figure as she changed into her clothes. It wasn"t like he hadn"t seen a female before...But really, he was just a pervert!
After she was done changing, she sat down and started to eat. Daniel hadn"t noticed that he was still watching her, wondering how she had lived all this time to even act as though the difference of gender was nothing to her.
"Believe me now?" She suddenly said.
Daniel covered his lower half of his body...Well...And cleared his throat, trying desperately to understand what kind of answer she wanted.
"More power. No hate..." She said, watching him sit there and do nothing. What was wrong with him? She wondered.
Nonetheless, she was very happy at the moment because he had survived the mouth of the volcano!
Daniel cleared his throat again, somewhat hating himself for getting so worked up. "Yes...Yes more power. I don"t quite understand the hate." He cleared his throat again, attempting to look at her again, only to see her naked in his head.
"Elements hate other." Loralle said, taking a bite from the food that was stolen from an inn.
Daniel didn"t look at her anymore, instead at the food, not tasting any of it. "They hate each other? Why?"
Loralle shrugged, "I find out, stop fight."
He laughed, he wasn"t sure why. She seemed like she wanted to change the world but it was so unreal, he shook his head at her madness. Maybe, with her being so powerful, it went to her head and made her crazy!
"You show people. People no more hate. I try same, Water Tribe. Then, war over." Loralle was happy with what she saw now. She wanted to see how the lake would affect someone at the Water Tribe. Seeing that the fire power seemed to be needed while someone was in the magma, Loralle was sure that the fire power was indeed quite a bit more grand then that of the water and earth powers.
Was it time for her to leave and do the same for the Water Tribe?
Loralle sighed, thinking of her friend, getting Daniel"s attention. He was still slightly angry with her for taking him away as she did, but why did he suddenly have such a job to do! Why was she ordering him around when he was the son of a leader! Why was she already talking about leaving to do the same to the Water Tribe?
Humph!
Daniel wasn"t too sure on how to continue anything right now. There was something that seemed to have changed his entire existence and suddenly, he was a little lost for words...If all this hatred of the elements disappeared...What would people do? Wouldn"t that be too much of a change, too fast?
He looked up at Loralle and wondered if she had really thought this through at all...
After Loralle finished her food, she stood up. There was no more reason to stay now that she had her answer. She wanted her friend to do this now so that she could continue with her earth training.
“Wait!” Daniel said. Why was she in such a d.a.m.ned hurry!?
“What?” She asked impatiently, opening the cave entrance.
The heat didn"t affect him like it had before, perhaps that was why it wasn"t even noticed.
He didn’t know what to say to continue to keep her here, he wasn’t finished with her yet!
“I’m&h.e.l.lip;Dirty.” Was all he could come up with&h.e.l.lip;
Loralle noticed now, that he was still undressed and dirty.
Having already noticed that others liked to be cleaner than her, Loralle sighed.
Making a big earth bowl, she put warm water into it, so that he could clean himself.
Then, she went to leave again, but he yelled out to her, “Wait!”
Daniel picked up her used clothes and put them in the water, a little worried the water would hurt him.
This wasn’t his normal way of cleaning himself, normally he would enter a steaming magma pool, closer to the volcano at the bottom.
“What?” Loralle said impatiently.
“You&h.e.l.lip;Where are you going?” He didn’t look at her but at his newly cleaned skin. How marvellous! It really felt good!
“Get friend.” She replied.
“Uh?” Finally, he looked at her watching him. “You mean the ones that were chasing after you?”
That’s right! They shouldn’t be here in the first place! They are obviously people from the Water Tribe!
“No! They bad, no good!” Her voice showed her annoyance.
To that, Daniel laughed. She was cute...But totally not my type of girl!
But, wasn’t she the enemy? The very person that could eradicate the entire Fire Tribe?
Daniel was confused on what to do or think&h.e.l.lip;
“I be back.” Was all she said before disappearing completely.
Uh?
Too much seemed to have happened as Daniel lapsed into silence once again. So, he just continued to clean himself.
***