《Cigarette: Heads or Tails Chapter》 PROLOGUE: Fours A Party The never-ending desert. As silent as those buried beneath it. Yet somewhere amid its wavy dunes, something rages to be set loose. "AAAAWWUUOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!" A far cry reverberates farther than the eyes could see. Its origin? A group of ravages riding through the sand. The face each one wore could send shivers from a mile away. Their eyes'' stare craved a feast for blood, not once losing sight of the prize ahead. The "prize ahead" was a rackety wagon, if it could even be called that, carrying four individuals. A brown-haired young man, acting as the wagon''s driver, whose salient quality was those eyes of his that only peeked open from time to time. Given that the desert had no rocks or slabs on its surface, it''s not unlikely to assume the shakiness of the wagon came from his ass. Next was a light blue-haired little girl, no older than five, whose undeniably pitiful appearance could make a grown man cry. So much so, even she couldn''t help but bawl to and for herself. She was dressed in makeshift clothing of rags and sacks, and covered in long bruises scattered throughout her body. And finally, two red-haired teenagers, one a girl, the other a boy. You could smell the shit coming from the expression the boy wore as he frantically pointed out directions to the wagon driver. What the two did not know was that neither of them knew where they were heading. The girl, on the other hand, was wearing a smile on her face, so wide that even her eyes were smiling. No one could tell what she was seeing in their current situation. A silver lining, perhaps? Or maybe a form of escapism? Doesn''t matter, they''re all still fucked. These four individuals are painfully distinct from one another, which begs the question: How were they even brought together in the first place? The horded galloping of horses left their marks on the desert that losing track of them would be a greater challenge. Yet, what seems to be a very ideal situation becomes the complete opposite if the ones being tracked were you. And, well, like I said... Fucked. "Who thought abducting this kid was a great idea?!" The boy screamed to the girl firing Fire projectiles at their pursuers. He pointed at the little girl who was still crying her heart out. "Me!!" Without a hint of hesitation or remorse, the girl firing at their pursuers shouted at the top of her lungs. "I know that!!" The boy shot back a smug look. ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask??¡± The girl respectfully returned it. By flipping her middle finger at him. ¡°Cus I was being fucking sarcastic!!¡± He flips her back as well. "Well, what else do you want me to say?!¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°That you¡¯re sorry!!!¡± ¡°What the hell am I supposed to be sorry for??¡± ¡°Oh my god...¡± ¡°What???¡± ¡°THAT ISN¡¯T OBVIOUS???¡± ¡°NO!¡± Before being able to respond back, a Lava projectile grazed the boy squarely on his left shoulder. ¡°AggHhhHhh!!! Godamnitt!!!¡± A graze doesn''t seem like a lot but that much dosage is enough to be fatal if left untreated. His skin started bubbling as the Lava ingrained itself into his open flesh. Noticing his damage, the blue-haired little girl crawled out of her corner and came in close to aid him with her Element. She forced herself to shape up a bit for she knew how grave his predicament was after hearing the boy cursing non-stop. She wiped the tears off her eyelids and proceeded to assess the damage. ¡°W-what..?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I, uh, think I can help...¡± She formed a fist-wide bubble of Water from thin air and poured it all over the boy¡¯s shoulder. But- ¡°Hey, wait, wait!!-- AGGGHHHHH!!!!¡± The boy screamed even louder as his left arm was doused in Water. The girl sat there beside the boy, unsure what to make of the situation. After a few seconds, the little girl put her hands to her mouth as she realized her mistake. More tears streaked down from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She, then, retreated back to her corner. Rather than pouring Water to neutralize its effects, leaving the Lava burning through his skin unattended would have been more beneficial for him, or more specifically for his Kind. ¡°Sir?? Are you okay??¡± The wagon driver turned his attention to the boy. Seeing the boy¡¯s shoulder bubbling as the skin and blood involuntarily disintegrated, he couldn¡¯t help but retch on the uniform desert. As if not satisfied with all the quivering his legs were causing, he decided to share his shaky nerves with the boy. But, funnily enough, it worked like a charm, ¡°Fuck! Shit! I can¡¯t feel my arm. I can¡¯t feel my fucking arm!!!!¡± As he writhed in pain, the boy tried clenching his left fist, being reciprocated with only a soft tickle on the tip of his fingertips. The little girl kept crying, covering herself with her arms, shaping up into a ball, knowing full well she was to blame. The wagon driver jumped to the boy¡¯s side and began to try his hand as a makeshift medic this time. But despite changing his field of work, he had no idea what he was doing in this field either. ¡°Not good. Not good!¡± Adding to the scorching heat of the desert, the excessive sweating was enough to light open the wagon driver''s eyes, perfectly summing up the circumstance everybody in the wagon was feeling. Well, everybody but one. ¡°Shut the fuck up, damnit! All of you!! I can¡¯t hit them from all the damn noise.¡± Element projectiles continued flying from both parties. She turned and looked at the boy, grimacing at his pitiful state. "Bro, stop actin'' like a baby! T-that shit''s just like a tiny open wound!!" She did a double take and tried shaping him up some more. ¡°Well, a tiny, very open wound.¡± Not that it helped. ¡°Don''t talk to me! This is all your fault, damn it! You had to stick your nose where it didn¡¯t belong!!¡± He wanted to stick his middle finger out but gradually losing feeling in his arm prevented him from doing so. After throwing another Fire projectile, the girl pointed at the sobbing little girl in the corner. "And what?? Leaving her with them was a great idea?!" "YES!!!" ¡°You were supposed to say ¡®NO!!!¡¯¡± ¡°NO!!!¡± ¡°YEAH!!!¡± ¡°WHAT???¡± ¡°WOAH!!!¡± Their wagon suddenly grew turbulent but grew dormant just as quickly afterward. The girl, who was standing, waved her arms around, trying to find her balance. Grabbing onto the wagon''s sideboard, she noticed something out of place. ¡°Wait...the hell are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She pointed out the makeshift medic applying first aid to the injured boy. ¡°T-treating your friend?¡± His answer sounded more like a question. ¡°No, I get that but, like, who¡¯s driving the wagon??¡± Stagnancy filled the air. The four stared at each other more than once before it hit them. The wagon has been motionless for a good minute now. All four exclaimed in unison, outdoing even the loudest flock of gulls. Their overlapping voices rang throughout the desert, rudely disturbing its tranquil nature. And as if to smite them of their imbecility, long and overbearing roots sprung out of nowhere beneath the sand, striking the wagon directly in the back, toppling it over. The four screamed even louder than before as they''re all sent flying off the wagon. CHAPTER 1: Thirty Three Hours Earlier Thirty Three Hours Earlier. ¡°The City That Moves.¡± A rickety, wooden sign was planted with the following words just outside the Earth Kingdom¡¯s busiest capital. The walls stood tall as its shadow loomed over the wavy dunes, as if casting unwanted visitors away from its territory. And yet, two youthful strangers still dared to approach, making their way towards the capital gates. Reaching the capital¡¯s doorstep, one suddenly collapsed onto the sand. ¡°Finally...we¡¯re here...¡± the girl shouted at the top of her lungs as she laid her weight on the ground. ¡°Sh-shut up...I, I can¡¯t breathe...¡± the boy followed suit and dropped to his knees beside the girl. ¡°I...I can¡¯t...-uuurgHh--¡± The boy began to puke his guts out, forcing the girl to stand up immediately. ¡°Hey, what the hell?! Why beside me?!¡± the girl brushed herself profusely. ¡°Ewwww!! Some of it got on my hair!!-BleUghh--¡± she followed suit as well. The two continued to barf on and around each other without noticing the bystanders watching their back-and-forth. It came to a brief stop when one of the locals approached the two. ¡°Umm, are you two okay? You need some water?¡± a young adult man wore a very concerned look on his face. ¡°...Is it...fireproof...?¡± the boy asked while catching his breath. The girl continued to puke in the background. ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Is it fireproof...?¡± he repeated. The man couldn¡¯t speak after being asked such a ridiculous question. Instead, he shook his head as a response. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s not proofed, we just walked for I don¡¯t know how fucking long. I need water Pleassseeeee!!!¡± the girl, finally regaining her composure, once again spoke her words in full volume. ¡°Oh, uhhh, sorry let me just get you two a cup.¡± the man immediately ran back inside, and came back out a minute after. When he was about to give the two cups of water, he suddenly stepped back from the two before looking away from them. ¡°Hey! What gives, man?¡± the girl started to walk towards the man. ¡°Wait! S-stay there I¡¯ll hand you the water f-from here!¡± the man winced after seeing the girl walk towards him at high speed. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Here, I-I¡¯ll place the cups of water on the ground. I don''t want to get dirty too.¡± he placed the two cups on the ground and immediately pinched his nose. ¡°Uhhh?¡± the girl gave herself a second look and saw her dress stained with puke and a bit of blood. ¡°Oh. Oops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I kept telling you to roll on the sand. You¡¯ll remove all the puke off you that way.¡± the boy, though cleaner, still had an odor sticking to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how that works...¡± the man shot back. ¡°Damn.¡± the boy snapped his fingers, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t have to be so overreacting. Now I feel ¡®provoked.¡¯ Right, Alyvia?¡± the boy gave the girl, Alyvia, a sly wink, which she picked up on very quickly. ¡°Ohhhh, that¡¯s right, Cole. I¡¯m veeerryyy ¡®provoked.¡¯ And. Pissed. Off!!¡± she began to stretch her arms and rub her palms together, as the both of them stared at the man menacingly. ¡°W-what are you doing? What¡¯s gotten into y¡¯all?¡± the man slowly stepped away from the two teenagers, but with every step back he took, the two took two steps forward. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to show this man what poor, little us had to go through, and why such condescending treatment is a big no-no.¡± Cole cracked his neck without breaking eye contact. ¡°Oh, yes pleaseee. Heheheh.¡± the small giggle the girl gave said it all. The man turned and attempted to make a run for it, but was too late. The two teenagers then proceeded to jump the man, making it their duty to get as much puke and snot as they could give to the man, who was now wrestling with them in vain. The ruckus continued for some time, causing the water cups to spill onto the sand. *** The three stooges walked the streets of the busy capital, with puke and snot littered on their ragged clothing, and an odor that followed their every step. The man was walking ahead of the two teenagers, refusing to align himself with them, while Alyvia and Cole were having a jolly good time bullying the man. ¡°Hey, man, we¡¯re sorry we did that. But, to be fair, you looked at us like we were animals or something. We had to get you back some way.¡± Cole¡¯s sorry attempt at an apology only rubbed the man the wrong way. ¡°Hey, man, fair¡¯s fair. We had to do what we had to do. In fact, we didn¡¯t even get our water! You freaking spilled it, man.¡± Alyvia didn¡¯t even attempt to apologize. ¡°You know, who in their right mind would even act like that?! No person would jump another person just because they''re feeling petty! And would please stop following me?! It''s embarrassing enough walking on these streets while smelling and looking like this!!¡± the man hastened his steps, but the two teenagers just won¡¯t leave him alone. ¡°Damn it!!!¡± ¡°Hey, man, you won¡¯t leave two children alone unattended in the middle of these heavily-populated streets, would you? That won¡¯t look good on your conscience if you do.¡± Cole attempted to guilt trip the man. ¡°Plus, we need a bath at your place. We stink!¡± Alyvia did not attempt anything at all. ¡°Excuse me?!!¡± the man stopped in his tracks and turned towards the two teenagers. They both abruptly stopped as well. ¡°My house?? What are you talking about ¡®my house?!!¡¯¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t got a shower there?¡± Alyvia asked. ¡°We do, but that¡¯s not the point. When the hell did I ever say you could take a bath in MY HOUSE?? Hell, I never even said you can go to my house! I didn''t invite you over! In fact, stop following me already!!¡± the man kept pressing his fingers on the two teenagers as he proceeded with his sermon, but Cole and Alyvia only looked at him bewildered. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a hard-hat. It¡¯s just one quick shower and we promise we¡¯ll be out of your way. Pleaaasseee?¡± Alyvia pleaded with her palms clasped together while using her thumbs to keep her nostrils closed. ¡°And that cup of water you still owe us.¡± Cole did the same. ¡°Pleaaasseee?¡± the two teenagers pleaded in harmony, scrunching their faces in an attempt to be more persuasive. The man only looked back in disgust. ¡°Damn it...¡± the man kept staring at the kids who still wore their ugly-ass faces, ¡°...And you promise to leave me alone?¡± he started to tap his toes on the ground. ¡°Yeapp!¡± the two simultaneously answered with a big thumbs up. ¡°Ffffffiiineeeee...¡± the man scratched the back of his head and continued walking. ¡°YIIPEEEE!!¡± the two hooked their elbows on the man¡¯s neck, which almost made him tumble onto the ground. ¡°Hey! Get off! You guys stink!!¡± he brushed the two teenagers off of him with an aggressive shake. ¡°Where¡¯s your house anyway?¡± Cole asked. ¡°Just up ahead.¡± the man gave a tired response. ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°Huh? What even is that question? Of course I can tell.¡± ¡°Huh. Well, I¡¯m not gonna lie, man, all these houses look the same to me-¡± the man suddenly put his palm on Cole¡¯s mouth. ¡°H-hey! Don¡¯t say that too loud. Locals here get very defensive when tourists degrade our homes.¡± he took his palm off Cole¡¯s face. ¡°Why though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because each Elemental here built their own home. The same goes for me. I built my home from these same sands we''re stepping on. It''s proof of the freedom we''ve fought so hard to achieve all these centuries, and it shows just how far we''ve gone as a society. It''s a feat that''s rarely accomplished in this world, so having a home they worked hard to build themselves be compared to someone else¡¯s like it ain''t nothing special must hit a nerve somewhere. And to be honest, I get where they¡¯re coming from, but I also understand the outsiders¡¯ comments.¡± the man frowned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very sorry then.¡± Cole gave a sincere apology, which surprised the man, ¡°But wait, so everybody here built their own houses?¡± ¡°Yeah. Who else is gonna build all this, but us? It¡¯s our specialty after all. It''s also our future...¡± the man cracked a little smile for the first time, which Cole quietly returned. ¡°...I see...¡± As their conversation finished, the two guys then suddenly looked all over their surroundings to see Alyvia way ahead of them down the road. ¡°Hey, you guys! Hurry up! They¡¯re so many stalls to look at! One of them is even selling jewelry necklaces!¡± Alyvia waved ahead as the two guys shook their heads. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m really sorry for how much we troubled you earlier.¡± Cole continued to apologize to the man, which the man waved off. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t worry. I understand it¡¯s just kids being kids. Hahahah.¡± not knowing how to respond to the sudden apologies, the man just gave an awkward laugh. ¡°Yeah...kids being kids.¡± Cole wore a smile that felt anything but. The man noticed something off but didn¡¯t bother to pry. ¡°Um, so, how do we tell her that my house is literally right here?¡± the man pointed and Cole soon aimed his eyes at the house to their left. ¡°Ah shit.¡± Cole took a deep breath, and shouted at Alyvia the loudest he ever could, ¡°COME BACK! THE HOUSE IS RIGHT HERE!!¡± he gestured toward the man¡¯s house. ¡°...WHAT?¡± Alyvia simply responded. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m no match to that loud mouth of hers.¡± Cole gave up after just one try. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just pull her back here...permission to pull her back here?¡± the man gave Cole a little side-eye. ¡°Hm...permission granted.¡± and Cole nodded in accordance. ¡°Nice. Welp, here goes.¡± The man took a deep breath before firmly planting his feet on the ground. He then proceeded to tap his feet twice before tapping once more after a short beat. The land gave a slight echo with each step, and on that last step, ripples formed on the ground as it grew larger and faster toward Alyvia. ¡°EEPP!!¡± Seeing the ripples heading towards her, she braced herself, before the ripples disappeared into the ground at the last second, ¡°Huh, what the hell was-GAAHHH!!!!¡± And then rising back up in an instant, hitting her square on the buttocks and propelling her towards the guys, ¡°CATCH MEEEE!!!!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Keeping his heel planted on the ground, the man raised his feet. Grains of sand soon started to rise in ridiculous amounts, catching Alyvia mid-air and dropping her off on her feet. ¡°Oh, why thank you.¡± she bowed at the grains of sand before dissipating into the ground. ¡°We were trying to tell you the house is this one. Why¡¯d you run ahead without telling us?¡± Cole gave Alyvia a little flick on the forehead. ¡°Eugh, well why didn¡¯t you include me in your convo a while ago? You guys seemed to have a lot of fun talking, while we were walking.¡± Alyvia rubbed the part of her head that was flicked while she puffed her cheeks. ¡°Hahahah. Sorry about that. I¡¯ll make sure to include you in our next conversation.¡± the man patted Alyvia¡¯s head before knocking on the door of his house. ¡°Woah. The man smiled.¡± Alyvia was caught in disbelief after witnessing what just happened. ¡°I know right. Man¡¯s been smiling ever since you went ahead. Hahahah¡± Cole gave Alyvia a soft elbow. ¡°Ackk-you saying I¡¯m the reason the man was so mad a while ago?¡± Alyvia hard-elbowed back, making Cole wince. ¡°I just realized right now that you guys have been calling me ¡®man¡¯ or ¡®the man¡¯ the entire walk here. Did I really not introduce myself?¡± the man scratched his head. ¡°Nope.¡± Cole shook his head while still rubbing his elbowed side. ¡°I just assumed you didn¡¯t have a name and you were embarrassed.¡± ¡°What is wrong with you? Actually, no, this is also my fault.¡± the man let out a big sigh. ¡°Let me recap a bit. So you¡¯re Cole?¡± ¡°Yeap.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re Alyvia?¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hmmmm, okay then. Well, I guess it''s nice to meet you?¡± the man scratched the back of his head as he let out his hand for a handshake. ¡°Why''re you being so awkward, man? Hahahah¡± Cole fistbumped the man''s open palm. ¡°Well, thank you for keeping us company!¡± Alyvia aggressively squeezed and shook the man''s hand before pulling it away. ¡°Damn, quite a grip, miss aahahah...¡± the man massaged his hands to ease the pain a bit. ¡°So, what''s your name, the man?¡± Alyvia poked the man''s cheek. ¡°Oh, well you two can just call me-¡± ¡°Honey! Welcome home!¡± The door to the man''s house flung open and out came a tall, short-haired lady who was sweating profusely. ¡°I''m home, Chee.¡± ¡°Welcome back!. Oh, we got guests? Who''re they?¡± ¡°Some stray kids I found outside the gates.¡± the man leaned in and gave Chee a kiss. ¡°Hmmm, that''s kinda sketchy, don''t you think?¡± ¡°Yeahhhh, but at the same time they''re just brats.¡± Chee wiped a sweat off her brow, ¡°So why¡¯d you bring them home?¡± ¡°We accidentally puked on ourselves and your husband, so we need to use your bath ASAP!¡± Alyvia immediately gave an answer. ¡°We''re not very presentable at the moment. Hahahah¡± Cole added to the remark. But Chee didn''t break eye contact with the two teenagers. Her eyes crumpled the more she gave the two a look-through, and when she was about to say something, the man patted her on the shoulders and gave her a warm smile. ¡°Don''t worry. They¡¯ll definitely get on your skin, but it''s quite endearing actually. Plus, they promised that they''ll just take a bath and leave soon after.¡± ¡°Yes ma''am! We won''t go back on our word!¡± Alyvia gave a thumbs up to the lady. ¡°Hmmmm. Well if you''re okay with it, then why not. I''m still hitting the sandbags so you guys go on ahead. Come in!¡± she opened the front door wider and led the three into the house. ¡°I call dibs!!¡± Alyvia raced to the house''s bathroom only after mistakenly opening doors she thought was the bathroom. ¡°Hey, this is my house! I get to take a shower first!¡± the man ran towards the bathroom but the door was already locked. ¡°Ladies first!¡± ¡°I don''t think I''ve met a lady this obnoxious.¡± the man whispered underneath his breath so no one would hear. But Cole heard it. Although he couldn¡¯t have agreed more, ¡°I don''t even think she counts as a lady. That loud mouth is a great example. Bwaahahahah¡± ¡°Who are you calling loud and obnoxious?! I better come out there and beat your asses!¡± Alyvia shouted inside, prompting the two guys to shut up. Not before long, a splash and a very audible sigh of relief echoed inside the bathroom. ¡°Mmmmmmm hoootttt. Home sweet home. I can stay here for hours.¡° ¡°You better not!¡± Cole and the man shouted in unison. ¡°Heheheh¡± ¡°Damn. Your little sister is quite a handful.¡± the man took a seat on one of his wooden chairs. ¡°Huh? She''s not my little sister. What gave that idea?¡± ¡°Oh, well I guess she is taller than you. But for an older sister, you seem to act ages older than her.¡± the man tried to cough out a dry laugh. ¡°Nah. We''re not related at all.¡± ¡°Oh really? Well how''d you two meet?¡± ¡°Hmmmm...we''re neighbours back in our hometown.¡± Cole took a while to answer the man''s question. ¡°Where''s your hometown? I might''ve passed it during one of my jobs.¡± taking a break from her workout session, Chee entered the conversation by asking the question she''s been meaning to ask as soon as the kids arrived on her doorstep. ¡°Ah yeah maybe she has. My wife is one hell of a courie¨Cow!!¡± the man''s sentence was cut short as Chee punched the back of his head. ¡°My work is supposed to be classified! How many times do I have to tell you not to share that information so openly??¡± she bonked the man one more time on top of his head, to which he started apologizing profusely. ¡°Ow!!¨Csorry, I''m sorry!¡± Cole started laughing at their cute quarreling as he pulled out a wooden chair and sat down. Coupled with the couple''s bickering, Alyvia was singing at the top of her lungs inside the bathroom, barely hitting any of the notes. ¡°Ack, all that panic got my throat hurting again. Babe, could you get me a glass of water, please?¡± the man rubbed his throat after saying sorry so many times. ¡°Ah, sure thing. Would you like a glass, too, uhhh...just realized I never caught your name.¡± ¡°Oh, hahahah, I''m sorry. It''s Cole, Ms. Chee, and yes I need a glass too, heheh.¡± ¡°Ayt, give me a minute.¡± Chee left the room to fetch water, but then the ringing of the sandbag echoed throughout the house. Five minutes later, Chee still hadn''t returned with their glasses of water and Cole and the man looked at each in desperation. ¡°Rock, paper, scissors on who calls her back with our water?¡± Cole proposed a simple game to get the attention of the distracted housewife. ¡°Bet.¡± with one sway, the man hit scissors and Cole hit paper. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°Heheheh. You can do this...I think.¡± ¡°Mmm-Mmmm.¡± warming up his dry throat, Cole prepared to shout for Chee when he was hit with an awful voice crack. ¡°GAAHAHAHAHHA!¡± the man couldn''t hold back his laughter, after all this was what he was expecting to happen. ¡°Shut up! This wasn''t supposed to happen! Hell, you should be the one screaming for his wife, not me!!¡± ¡°GAAHAHAHAHHA¨CAACKKK!¡± the man choked on his own spit. Cole wanted to laugh out loud as well, but he was so out of breath, he couldn''t produce any noise. After a while, Chee came back to the living room after finishing her workout, and handed the two guys a cup of water. ¡°Here you go. Glass of water for two. Your lips must''ve gotten so dry from all that talking. Hihih¡± Chee poked the man on the nape before giving him a teasing laugh. ¡°Thanks, babe.¡± the man gave Chee a kiss on her palm ¡°Thank you, ma''am.¡± Cole bowed his head, almost making the water spill. ¡°No problem. Anyway, you never ended up answering my question. Where are you from?¡± ¡°Hmmm? Oh, somewhere west of here.¡± Cole took a sip from his water. ¡°Oh, like Gybhle? Or nearer to Cazaikk?¡± ¡°Gybhle.¡± Cole answered with no hesitation, taking another sip from his cup. ¡°Hmmmm, really? What''s it like there? I''ve only gone twice, and they weren''t really overnight stays.¡± ¡°Why are you asking so many questions?¡± the man, sensing that Chee is being quite hostile towards Cole. ¡°Shush.¡± ...but was completely shut down. ¡°So, how is it there?¡± Picking up on the nature of the conversation, Cole fired back with an answer that would destroy any doubt. ¡°I mean, you know, the usual tourist spots. The Mud Slide, the Quicksand Lake at the center of the village, and you can''t forget the Apex Plateau. But growing up and having these landmarks part of my daily life, I never understood the appeal, and why people keep coming back, you know? So we left to discover more from the world. To see if all we have in our small village is all this world has to offer.¡± Cole one more sip on his glass of water. The couple were silenced from Cole''s description of the village. Alyvia''s singing still echoed in the background, but it didn''t take long for Chee to break the silence. ¡°So that''s what your village is like. But, how should I put this...you see, it''s strange how you can proclaim such vivid landmarks when Gybhle is just a name I made up. There''s no such village called ¡®Gybhle.¡¯¡± Chee stepped forward to shield the man from ¡°Cole.¡± Cole, himself, also froze up from the situation. He was caught in a checkmate by an unsuspecting citizen, or so he thought. ¡°Shit.¡± he whispered underneath his breath. ¡°Where are you really from? You are definitely not from here. But seeing how you know so much of our country...are you a spy?! Is ¡°Cole¡± a codename? Who are you?!¡± Chee then formed the peace sign on her left hand, and floating between the space of the two fingers were pebbles ready to fly off towards ¡°Cole.¡± ¡°Woah, Chee, calm the hell down. He''s just a kid. You can''t threaten him like this. I''m sure there''s an explanation for this.¡± the man stood up and got between the two in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. ¡°That doesn''t matter. If he''s an outsider, we can''t risk him getting out of the capital, and escaping to the open country.¡± Chee and Cole stared at each other intensively, neither one breaking eye contact, as she tried pushing the man out of her line of sight, but he kept his ground steady. ¡°I don''t want you to hurt a kid. Let''s just talk about this. If you''re right, then we hand them to the Crusaders. We don''t have to lay a finger on them.¡± the man rubbed a sweat off Chees''s cheek and hugged her gently as Chee proceeded to lower her arm down. But before anything could de-escalate further, Alyviaa walked out the bathroom, drying her long crimson-red hair, looking satisfied from her hot and steamy bath. ¡°It''s been so long since I had a nice, long bath. Thank you, once again, ¡®the man¡¯ ¡®the man''s woman.¡¯¡± Alyvia turned to see the scene that was happening in the living room. ¡°Red...hair...¡± Chee''s voice whimpered. And in an instant, tiny pebbles were sent rocketing off towards Cole. ¡°CHEE! NO!!¡± the man grabbed her arm and pointed it away from the kid, but he was too late. ¡°COLE!!¡± Alyvia tried to run towards her friend. Cole extended both his arms and caught two of the flying pebbles. The third one, though, hit him straight through his left shoulder. ¡°-ghk!¡± ¡°FIRE ELEMENTALS!!¡± seeing his quick reaction against her ambush, Chee immediately clenched her fist tightly, and with a pivot of her heel, raised her fist up to erect an Earth shield from the ground. She pulled the man towards her and used the shield as cover, never averting her gaze on the target. On the other hand, Cole simply gave a long sigh. He clenched his injured shoulder tightly as faint lights sparked beneath the cover of his palm. ¡°Wait, why are we fighting?? What happened while I was gone??¡± unable to process the situation, Alyvia stumbled upon her words, trying to make sense of it all. ¡°...We''ll get out of your hair. I''m very sorry for troubling you two. I didn''t mean to upset you guys or make you feel threatened.¡± Cole lowered his head, unable to look the couple in their eyes. He pulled Alyvia to his side and started walking towards the door. ¡°Huh? W-wait, I haven''t even dried up yet! What the hell is going on?!¡± Alyvia pulled her arm away as she demanded answers. ¡°Isn''t it fucking obvious? We''re not from here. You literally have the proof staring right at them.¡± Cole pointed at her damp hair, its crimson streaks seemingly glowing red. ¡°Oh...¡± Alyvia slowly lowered her head as well, and started walking towards the door with Cole. Passing by the couple, she made eye contact with the man whose shaken eyes cannot even hide how he''s feeling. She tried to reach out and give him a hug to make him feel better, but Chee pulled her husband away from the two kids. But, the man suddenly spoke up, his voice still trembling. ¡°Y-you still haven''t t-taken that bat-hhhkk.¡± he bit his tongue at the end, but it was clear what he was referring to and who he was referring to. ¡°We appreciate it, but you¡¯ve done us enough favors. I''ll make do with this get-up. It might actually work as a camouflage, hahah.¡± as he let out a half-assed laugh, he continued to walk towards the door with each heavy step. But... ¡°Why are you lying to yourself?¡± with these words from the man, Cole was stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°What...do you mean...¡± he wasn''t even able to complete his question, because he already knew the answer. He wondered how a stranger he only met today saw right through him so clearly. He didn''t want to be looked at. He didn''t want to look at him. No, he couldn''t. And that''s why... Cole darted towards the door and opened it with such force. But it was instantly slammed shut by a moving rock on the ground. He turned and met the gaze of the man who wouldn''t let him run away. ¡°Please, we insist.¡± the man opened up a melancholic smile towards Cole. ¡°But¨C¨C!¡± Chee began to retaliate but the man gave her one glance. His once unshaken eyes, now having the resolve to do the kids good. Cole, still gathering his thoughts, but unable to come up with an appropriate response, simply swallowed his pride, ¡°You''re weird. It''s just a bath, no need to get so serious.¡± he scratched his cheek as his eyes glanced all over the room. Everyone in the room was shocked by his response. Alyvia who was feeling so blue gradually got her shine back. Chee started to chew her nails, doubting if maybe she jumped the gun with her hostility. And the man''s smile grew wider as he felt the mood of the room lightened. ¡°What do you mean ¡®it''s just a bath?¡¯ Bathing is literally the number one most important thing to do for personal hygiene! It''s been around since the Ancient Times.¡± ¡°Woah, no need for a history lesson, the man. Just let me take that bath and we''ll be out of your hair.¡± Cole, passing by the couple once again, now walked towards the bathroom instead. ¡°Oh, shut up, brat. And I have a name!¡± the man chuckled and gave Cole a push as he passed by. ¡°By the way, I can''t promise that this''ll be a quick bath, so don''t complain if I take too long.¡± ¡°Looking at your current state right now, a long bath will do you more good than us.¡± ¡°It''ll do you just the same amount of good.¡± Cole pointed at the man who still reeked of the two kids¡¯ vomit. ¡°Hey! This is both of y''alls fault, not mine!¡± he covered up his shirt as he turned to see Alyvia squeezing her nose shut while doing a little ¡°pee-yew.¡± ¡°Arghh!! You better not take long!¡± ¡°No promises.¡± he turned his back and entered the bathroom before stopping midway, ¡°Got a towel?¡± ¡°We''ll bring it to you, just hurry up with the damn shower.¡± ¡°Okey doke.¡± with that said, Cole closed the door of the bathroom and a shower echoed inside. The man then sat back down on his chair, and Chee dissolved the wall she made from the Earth. Alyvia let out a big sigh and found her way to the seat Cole was previously sitting on. ¡°Well, that couldn''t have ended better. Feels like a weight off my shoulders, oof.¡± she relaxed her entire body and let gravity do its thing with her limbs and muscles. ¡°Hey, no, you''re not getting away that easily.¡± the man''s entire demeanor then suddenly changed, matching the same hostility Chee had minutes ago. ¡°Wha?¨Cuhgh¡± before Alyvia could react, she was pinned down on her chair by Chee, who was leaning her arms on Alyvia''s shoulders. W-whats''s going on?! I thought we had no more problems!¡± no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t lift Chee''s weight off her shoulders. ¡°You tell us. Do we have a problem?¡± Chee leaned in further, making Alyvia groan from the pressure. ¡°You, girl, are going to tell me everything about the two of you. Why you are here. What you''re planning to do. And who it is that sent you.¡± his laser dart eyes stared deeply into the girl with no intentions of letting her go. ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡± *** As the shower poured down on him, he stood there quietly still wrapping his thoughts around what the man had told him. Cole proceeded to plug both his ears. His words wouldn''t stop echoing in his mind but no matter how hard he tried to tune it out. Turning off the shower, he then jumped into the bathtub, fully submerging himself under the water. The water started to bubble up as he heats it up. ¡°Heheh, bubbles...¡± he plays around the water, but another echo of the man''s words crosses his mind. He couldn''t stop thinking about it, but the more he contemplated the more aggressive the bubbles in the bath got. What does he know? Nothing, that''s what. He doesn''t know anything. In his mind, he was denying what the man said about him. The tough act he put on outside was only to mask out what he was truly feeling. But what if the man was right? What if this journey he went on, pulling along Alyvia, was only in vain? He couldn''t wrap his head around any of it because deep down, he knew¨C NO!! I''M RIGHT!! There''s nothing wrong with me. I didn''t do anything wrong. We had no choice. I had no choice. They are wrong, I am right. He repeated these words in his mind to convince himself that his beliefs are correct, unaware of the hypocrisy of his shielding words. As the water bubbles continued to pop in an increasing rate, Cole closed his eyes and slowly sank once more under the water, sheltering himself in a bubble of his own. CHAPTER 2: Message ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°A-Alyvia?¡± She fidgets in her seat. The man squints his eyes as he stares back at her. ¡°...Where are you from?¡± ¡°...¡± Alyvia avoids his gaze ¡°Are you from the Fire Kingdom?¡± Chee interjects aggressively with a question just as straightforward. ¡°...¡± Alyvia remains silent. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need some answers from you if you want to get out of our City without any trouble, and the silent treatment is not helping you in that regard. So while I''m still asking nicely, I want some answers.¡± ¡°C-crystal.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Crystal. Like clear. Y-you know?¡± The man pinched between his brows, remembering he was still talking to a kid. ¡°Look, I don''t want to hurt you or your buddy, so just please answer my questions. Are you from the Fire Kingdom?¡± ¡°...¡± After a very long pause, Alyvia took a heavy breath and locked her gaze to solely meet the man''s eyes, ¡°Yes.¡± her voice now with a sharper edge to it. The room became even quieter now that she admitted her origins. The couple stared at the girl with their eyes wide open. They alternate their gaze between her and themselves, unable to knot their heads regarding their current situation. It took a while for the couple to gather their thoughts, but after a simple breathing exercise, it was Chee who spoke up first. ¡°C-can I have my towel back?¡± She points at the towel wrapped around Alyvia''s neck. ¡°Oh, sure. Actually, I don''t even know why I used this, I don''t even need it. I''m very sorry for the waste of laundry.¡± She hands over the towel and proceeds to dry herself manually. The couple stared at the girl as the steam continued to rise from her body, clouding the room little by little. ¡°Don''t mention it. So, what are two Fire Elementals doing here in the Earth Kingdom''s capital?¡± The man fired up another question. ¡°Can I pass?¡± ¡°...What?¡± The couple stared blankly at the girl, clearly dumbfounded. ¡°I don''t want to answer this question. So can I pass?¡± ¡°Do you think this is some kind of joke?!¡± Unable to hold it in, Chee aggressively walked towards Alyvia and pulled her collar. ¡°Honey!¡± The man tried to calm his wife down but she wouldn''t have it. ¡°You don''t seem to get the kind of situation you''re in. This isn''t your Fire Kingdom home, you''re in our territory right now. If you think this is all some game, then you''re sorely mistaken. Even if you two are just kids, we won''t hesitate turning you both over to the Crusaders if you don''t cooperate!¡± ¡°Honestly, you''re right. It''s hard to believe I''m being threatened right now by two people who were just all lovey-dovey a minute ago.¡± Alyvia wore a devious grin on her face. Seeing this expression, Chee snapped and began to rear her arm back. A glove of sand with spikes for knuckles quickly formed on her fist and swung it towards Alyvia. ¡°Chee!!!¡± But before her punch could land, Alyvia''s chair suddenly slid across the room causing her to drop on the floor and Chee''s punch to miss. The man used the earthen floor to move her out of the way. Only he didn''t expect the girl to fall off the chair while sliding it across the room. ¡°Owww. Landed right on my ass.¡± She rubbed her butt after landing on it squarely. ¡°Calm the hell down! Hurting her won''t do us any good!¡± The man stood and went to Chee¡¯s side, persuading her to calm down. ¡°But she-¡± Unable to gather her thoughts, she was unable to form any words and just stood there. ¡°She''s just trying to get on your nerves. She''s just a kid, after all, so don''t go falling for it so easily.¡± He hugged her to calm her down, patting her head to console her. Snuggling deeper into his chest, she let in a sharp inhale, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Chee let out a big exhale and after a few seconds, turned her attention once more towards Alyvia who was still seated on the floor. ¡°Awwww. See, lovey-dovey!¡± Alyvia blinked twice as she pointed out the loving act she witnessed. Embarrassed, the man immediately went back to his seat and Chee couldn''t help but cringe. ¡°Shut up.¡± Chee reached out her hand to Alyvia. She grabbed her hand and immediately pulled the girl close to whisper in her ear. ¡°No matter what you say now, I''m handing you over to the Crusaders personally.¡± ¡°Shocker.¡± Alyvia breathed into Chee''s ear, causing her to wince back from pain. Alyvia pulled away from Chee and sat back down on her chair which is now backed into the wall. After settling down, the man started coughing profusely in his seat. When he looked up, he could barely see a thing in the room. Suddenly, he noticed that the living room was now fogged out. Alyvia continued to steam-dry herself during the whole altercation. Chee also took notice of her surroundings. ¡°Hey, what the hell''s up with all this smoke? Can you do something about it?¡± ¡°I''m sorry. The process is taking longer than I expected. I guess I did soak myself ¡®to the max¡¯ in there.¡± She looks over her shoulder to look at the bathroom door that Cole is currently in. ¡°...what...the hell are you...planning...ghk-¡± It was difficult to form a sentence since she couldn''t stop coughing. Tears started to gather in the man''s eyes as the smoke continued to invade his vision. ¡°Honey, go and open some windows in the back. The smoke might alarm some onlookers outside if we ventilate it facing the busy street.¡± Even when he was struggling to keep his eyes open, the man''s gaze remained unwavering towards the girl in front of him. Chee approached the man and whispered in his ear, ¡°Are you sure? I can barely keep my eyes open. I don''t know what she''ll do if even one of us lets her out of her sight.¡± ¡°I can feel your eyes in the back of my head, but you got nothing to worry about, sir, ma''am. Cole''s still in the bathroom, and I''m not the type to start trouble without him by my side. Hihih¡± She turned her head back to the couple and let out a giggle at the end. ¡°Sure. Don''t worry, she won''t do anything, like she said.¡± The man kept blinking rapidly to keep the smoke out of his eyes, as he comforted his wife. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Okay.¡± Chee hurriedly left the room and quickly opened all the windows in the back to vent out the smoke in the house. ¡°So, where were we?¡± It took the man everything to keep his eyes open, but he continued to stare at the girl without wavering. Alyvia simply smiled back at the man, as the two shared a short moment alone together. But that tiny moment the man and Alyvia shared was enough for her to send a message. ¡°You mentioned you ¡®didn''t want to hurt me and my buddy¡¯ earlier.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I''d like to keep it that way.¡± The smoke in the room slowly cleared up and the man took this chance to wipe the tears forming in his eyes. ¡°Same here. But...¡± Suddenly, Alyvia let out a burst of steam. A loud whistle deafened the entire room as an even thicker layer of fog covered the surroundings. No one was no longer visible to anyone. As he covered his ears from the loud echoing noise, the man struggled to keep his eyes open. The constant coughing wasn''t helping as the smoke became too much to handle. He was beginning to lose his breath by the minute. ¡°ha-augh-kha!-¡± He attempted to catch his breath but every inhale he took made it even harder to catch it. Then, in the corner of his eyes, he saw a vicious gleam. Two bright, red dots were glowing right ahead of him, and he didn''t have to guess where they were from. Just seeing them in his peripherals was already enough to send shivers down his spine. The dots were slowly getting bigger and closer. It didn''t take long before they were right in his face. A cloud of smoke softly pushed where a whisper was heard. ¡°...if you lay even one finger on Cole, these houses you built with your bare hands, I''ll crumble them all to the ground and make sure not even a single dust escapes. I''ll make sure...¡± The man couldn''t even look at the eyes that were staring him down. The room grew hotter and hotter, sweat dripped profusely across his body. The ringing in his ears only kept him disoriented as he started to choke on his own air. A flash of red appeared in the palm of her hand, then she raised it in front of the man''s face. The man grew pale as his eyes rolled back into his head. He mustered up a scream but not even a single breath was heard under his mouth. She slowly reached out her palm, the flashing red growing brighter, the heat now unbearable. Alyvia wanted to make sure her message left a lasting impact. *** Cole stared at himself in the mirror, his blazing red hair glowed as he continued to steam himself dry. We need to do something about this hair. After witnessing the couple''s reaction towards them, it became more apparent that he and Alyvia will be needing a disguise to keep themselves out of suspicion, and leaving their bright red hair exposed is an obvious no-go. It would be harder to ignore it. He twiddled a strand around his finger and promptly plucked it out. He twitched slightly from the tickling pain and leveled the little strand to eye level. The fact even a single strand can glisten this bright makes the task at hand even more difficult in retrospect, although Cole can''t help but feel hypnotized by the beauty of its glow. Damn it. I didn''t think they''d treat us this bad. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we met... ¡°the man...¡± He chuckled to himself after realizing once more he still didn''t know ¡°the man''s¡± name. Suddenly, a loud whistle reverberated outside the bathroom and a blast of hot air started pouring through the gaps of the door. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Cole instantly covered his ears from the deafening sound, ¡°Wait...no..!¡± He rushed to open the door. A sizzle was heard as his palm met with the doorknob, but Cole was clearly unfazed. He only pulled the bathroom door open slightly when it forcefully slammed itself open. Smoke quickly filled the bathroom, and it didn''t take long before he couldn''t see a single thing. The deafening whistle grew louder as he stepped foot into the living room. ¡°Alyvia!!¡± He shouted her name at the top of his lungs but there was no response. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t see a thing.¡± Cole flailed his arms around the corridor before placing a palm on the walls. With no other choice, he proceeded forward into his foggy surroundings, hugging the wall as he followed its outline. He continued shouting Alyvia''s name with each step, but the ear-piercing whistle made it impossible even to hear his own voice. Cole turned right as the wall turned a corner, and continued to walk in that direction. He noticed that there were appliances in his path. He accidentally opened up a drawer in front of him and felt various kitchenware inside. ¡°Agh!¡± He winced his arm out after accidentally cutting his finger with a knife inside the drawer. He closed the drawer and continued walking forward, now using the tabletop and cabinets as his sense of direction. The smoke became thicker the deeper he ventured. He started coughing involuntarily with every inhale he took, making it difficult to gather air to continuously shout Alyvia¡¯s name. He felt his palm drift into contact with a window, he immediately looked for the latch and opened it. He stuck his head out to gather his breath. After a few deep breaths, he pulled his head back into the room and began to look for more windows to open. The smoke slowly ventilated out of the room and his vision became clearer. Then, ahead of him, he saw a figure lying down on the floor. ¡°Oh shit. No, no.¡± He rushed to the person¡¯s side, revealing passed-out Chee. ¡°Ma¡¯am! Stay with me now!¡± He placed her head on his lap and brought his ear close to her mouth. Her breaths were ragged, but the fact she was still breathing was enough for Cole to let out a sigh in slight relief. ¡°Hold on, ma¡¯am! I¡¯ll get you out of here!¡± He hooked her arm over his neck and stood up. Cole took an initial first and almost stumbled back onto the floor. She was way heavier than he expected as he struggled to even make a single step. But he didn¡¯t give up. He kept his feet firm on the ground and walked through the fog one step at a time. He followed the outline of the wall once more as he looked for the house¡¯s front door. He leaned on the wall from time to time to catch his breath, but he kept moving forward little by little. ¡°...w-what...¡± Chee began to speak in a soft voice. ¡°Ma¡¯am?! Don¡¯t talk, let me get you out of here, first!¡± ¡°...w-where¡¯s...¡± She struggled to say even more than one word. Every word she spoke was followed by a grunt. ¡°Y-your husband? I don¡¯t know where he is, I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ll come back and find him after I get him out. I promise.¡± ¡°...¡± After a few minutes of tracking in low visibility, Cole finally arrived at the front door in front of him. He put Chee down for a moment and walked towards the door to open it. But in the corner of his eye, he saw something glowing through the fog. He turned to get a better look at the gleam, and his eyes opened wide when he realized what it was. A palm. Flashing red. It was a glow he¡¯d never never forget. He¡¯d already seen this before. He knew what was going to happen next. He knew she was sending a message. Without hesitation, he ran towards the direction of the palm. The piercing noise grew unbearable as he inched closer to the glow, and the smoke grew thicker and thicker. But he continued running until... ¡°ALYVIA!!!¡± He grabbed the arm of the perpetrator right before her palm met the man¡¯s face. In an instant, the flashing red dissipated. Alyvia turned to see Cole by her side. But she was quick to notice the blood on his hands. ¡°Cole, you¡¯re bleeding! What happened?!¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Cole immediately shut her down and slapped her across the face. Alyvia whimpered while the throbbing on her cheeks continued. He looked at the man who was pale as a ghost. He couldn¡¯t help but crumple his expression and look away just as quickly. ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± He pulled her close and they both quickly shuffled to the front door. With the whistle gone, all that was heard echoing inside the house was a deafening silence. They passed by Chee who was leaning on the wall, still struggling to breathe. ¡°I''m so sorry.¡± He apologized to the couple for the damage they''ve done. He opened the door, letting in a bit of light through its doorframe. The smoke in the room started to seep out onto the busy streets, and the two ran out of the house and left the couple alone. Chee was wavering in and out of consciousness, but the blinding light was helping her stay awake. Her ears were still ringing from all the commotion she went through, but the deafening clamor of bystanders could be heard outside. She felt a sense of panic settling inside her, but Chee couldn¡¯t care less. The air slowly returned to her lungs as her eyes wandered around the room to find her husband. It didn''t take long for her to eye him ahead of her, slumped on his seat, not moving a muscle. Seeing this, she attempted to raise her body off the floor and move towards him. But all she managed to do with her wavering vision and diminishing strength was raise her arm before falling back onto the floor. Now, she really cannot move a single muscle. She couldn''t even muster up the strength to lift herself off the floor using the Earth. She vainly continued reaching out for her husband on the other side of the room. She attempted to call out his name but not a single word came out of her mouth. Her vision was getting darker as she slowly slipped out of consciousness. She heard the echoes of curious people entering her home. The world was spinning, the voices overlapping. And then, a tranquil darkness.