Original Stories Fan Fiction / Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction ❯ The Elementalists ❯ Eighteen - Bad News ( Chapter 18 )

“What?!” exclaimed Rika, standing up abruptly in her throne. “They wouldn't let you stay?” She bared her fangs, her fists clenching so hard that her nails drew blood from her palms. “And why, dear Cassiel, did they not let you stay?” she asked, not attempting to hold in her anger any longer. She slowly tipped the silver-haired servant's face up to meet her eyes. “Look at me and answer,” she added sharply.

 

Cassiel struggled to look Rika in the eyes. “My Lady Rika, I… I… I have failed you. Guren has become much less vulnerable than he used to be. He shuts all my emotions out! I couldn't get through to him and—”

 

“Enough!” shouted Rika, shoving Cassiel to the ground. She turned and grabbed her golden staff, a black jewel embedded in a circle on the tip. “You could have seduced one of the others, correct, Cassiel?” She took a few steps, circling the woman.

 

Cassiel nodded, saying, “Yes… But Guren told them the truth. He knew everything! I tried my best but—”

 

Rika smacked Cassiel, her nails grazing the pale, flawless skin, causing her hair to stick to her bloodied face. “I've had enough of your excuses. Take her to the dungeon cells and lock her in there.” The guards nodded, roughly picking Cassiel up and dragging her out of the throne room. Rika growled in annoyance, swinging her staff to point at a statue of a griffin, causing it to explode.

 

She bared her fangs once again, her red eyes filled with rage. `I will find you, Elementals, and I will by any means necessary!' she thought furiously, the grip on her staff tightening as she glared fiery holes into the dark shadows of the room.

 

 

Ilias sat in a black leather chair facing the Captain, a look of distress on his face. “When you told me you had urgent news, I didn't think it would be this bad,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed, spinning in the chair, looking restless.

 

Captain Skyler nodded, lacing his fingers together and leaning his chin atop them. His grim eyes searched Ilias's own, finding nothing but lament in them. “I, too, wish that it had not come to this. Today marks the final day of the girls' training at Kisho Soumei's temple, correct?” he asked. Ilias nodded in reply, negligently twirling his hair around his finger.

 

“But if Rika is sending demons to the Human World, they'll have to stay a bit longer,” Ilias replied. He groaned, standing up and bowing respectfully. “I will inform them immediately.” He began to walk away, but Skyler had grabbed his wrist and turned him around. “Captain?”

 

Skyler stood up, leaning forward to kiss Ilias briskly on the lips. He smirked slightly when he saw that Ilias was blushing bright red. “Be careful, Ilias,” he said, then bid his lover goodbye.

 

 

Florian stretched his arms out towards the sky, yawning widely as he stepped into the backyard. The view was simply magnificent: you could see a small portion of the ocean, just over the forest, and it was sparkling beautifully. There was a cool, comforting breeze blowing by, causing the trees to rustle among one another. Florian sighed into the air, his hair smoothly flowing with the gentle gust of the wind.

 

`What a beautiful view,' he thought, staring out into the still sparkling ocean across the forest. `Well… Today's our last day. Then we can return home. Maybe I can visit Kai to stare at the beautiful ocean…' He smiled indistinctly, running a hand through his jet-black hair. His amethyst eyes searched around the fields of Soumei's large backyard, spotting bunnies and a variety of other small animals eating vegetables in the small garden. He grinned and walked over to one of the rabbits, picking it up and gently petting it. “You're a cutie,” he said, nuzzling the top of the rabbit's head. The rabbit seemed to twitter with affection, not minding that a human had disturbed its morning meal.

 

“Are you crazy? What are you doing up so early?” asked Kai, standing in the doorway and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “It's barely 7:00 in the morning.”

 

Florian smiled at her, setting the bunny back down into the garden. “I couldn't help but get up early,” he replied. “I mean, today's our last day here. We can go home soon.” He looked very melancholic and averted Kai's eyes at all costs. “It's a little sad. The view here is beautiful, and you've all changed so much within these past few months… We've all become a sort of big, mismatched family, don't you think?”

 

Kai laughed quietly, walking over to Florian to stand next to him. A big grin adorned her face as she admired the scene from his point of view. “Yeah, you're right, it's beautiful,” she agreed. “And we have become a family, haven't we? Even Guren. Maybe that Cassiel was right when she said he'd softened, but… That's not always a bad thing, right?” Her tired once lit up hazel eyes held slight concern in them, as well as wonder and confusion.

 

Florian felt his protectiveness take over, but he did his best to shake it off so Kai wouldn't see. “No, it's not a bad thing. Especially for Guren…” He sighed to himself, closing his eyes to gather and organize his scattered thoughts. “I think… I think Guren should be more open about his own emotions. I understand it's hard since all the emotions around him overpower his own, but from what we've seen lately, he does feel and act on account of his own thoughts and feelings. He seems like a normal person, as long as he's only around a small group of people.

 

“Yes, I must agree with you, Florian,” said a recognizable but faraway voice, emerging from the East side of the backyard. Ilias stepped out of the forest, a forced smile on his face. “Guren has been showing his own emotions more and more around you and your companions, and I am thankful for that. However…” He frowned repentantly, gesturing helplessly at the grass. “Today I bring you dreadful news.”

 

 

Chi sat down at the table, still half-asleep and trying to will her eyes to open completely. She blinked a few times, attempting to refocus her blurred vision. When she saw that the rest of the group, as well as Ilias, was sitting at the table, she woke up almost instantaneously. “Hi Ilias! It's our last day here, you know. What news do you bring this time?” she asked with a smile on her innocent face.

 

Ilias tried to smile, though it turned into a deep frown. “I'm afraid I don't have good news for you this time around,” he said, looking down at the wooden table. “Rika has decided to send three of her most powerful demons to the human world to start the invasion. I'm very sorry to inform you on your last day, but you're our only hope of beating these three demons and keeping the humans safe.” He closed his eyes, holding his forehead. Things are still getting worse, he thought miserably.

 

Guren cursed under his breath, frustration clearly seen in his golden eyes. “That damn Rika, I knew she would try something,” he said through gritted teeth. “Anything to lure the Four Elementalists into her master plan to take over both worlds.”

 

Candis clenched her fists, standing up unexpectedly and slamming her hands on the table. “I'm sick of this Rika bitch!” she exclaimed, startling everyone sitting at the table. “If she wants to send three measly demons out to get us, fine. But we won't let her beat us that easily—even if they are her toughest warriors. I don't know why, but this Rika is really pissing me off now.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “We'll fight the demons. Just tell us when they're coming and where they'll be. A few more weeks in the Human World won't be anything we can't handle.”

 

Kai gawked at her friend's outrageous outburst, completely taken aback. “But Candis, don't you understand what Guren just said?” she asked defensively. “It's probably a trap.”

 

Feng nodded solemnly, once more adding her small two cents. “She's right. If we fight those demons head-on without a plan or strategy, she'll have already won the entire war,” she said, sipping at a cup of hot green tea.

 

Now it was Eryk's turn to pound his fist on the table. “Fine then! We'll come up with a plan to fight the demons, but we're still not going down that easily. Just like Candis said,” he exclaimed, his cheeks slightly tinged with pink. Candis tried to hide her grin, but it was to no avail.

 

“Alright! Let's hurry and get training then. We might as well just stay here and become even stronger!” Chi added, throwing her arms into the air victoriously. “That lady won't know what hit her!”

 

Ilias's eyes were wide with astonishment. He stared in awe at the four girls along with Florian and Eryk, amazed at their fervor and determination. He assumed that the group would not take it well, having stayed in the Human World for far longer than they would ever want to stay there. Recovering from the slight shock, he smiled, hope taking place of the remorse his eyes previously held.