Aether Academy

Tender (Re-written)

Finally! I could re-write this chapter! I am finished with my exams and other work. I'll soon be uploading the next chapter, so bear with me a little longer. *Cue puppy dog eyes*

I hope you guys like this re-written version. :)

The dedication because she made this absolutely beautiful cover! Thank you! :)

Happy reading!

This one wasn't going down easy. They never did; but this fight was lasting longer than usual.

Ian sent another stream of fire towards the User which she skilfully dodged. Fiona tried to entrap her with her vines but the User's own vines broke through.

If they wanted to defeat this one; they had to distract her somehow.

Earth Users were resistant and impassive but their downfall was their pride; which gave him an idea. He made his way over to Imogen whilst attacking and whispered, "We have to make her believe that she's winning."

Imogen gave a short nod in understanding and quickly sent her message through rivulets of water to the other two.

They changed the intensity of their attacks. Ian reduced the heat and sent fireballs her way. She defended herself by using an earth wall. He was ready for another attack when a vine broke through the wall and wound around his forearm.

"Shit!" he cried out as thorns dug in. Even in pain; he recognized that if they wanted to strike; they had to do it now. His teammates understood the situation and got ready for the final attack. He used his other hand for attack and let go.

Her scream echoed in the empty hallway of the abandoned school. Her vine disintegrated with her and Ian sighed in relief.

"You okay?" Trent asked him.

"Yeah. Hurts like hell though."

"Shannon will treat it in no time." Fiona said and Ian nodded reluctantly. He didn't like going to the infirmary. Shannon was cool but the room was just...depressing.

They went back towards their vehicle.

"This one was different." Imogen muttered.

"Yeah! She was like, I don't know but she just wasn't going down. I mean, they are usually difficult to defeat but this one was like, you know-"

"Stronger." Imogen finished her sentence, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Imogen and Fiona were complete opposites; with the former being a girl of few words and Fiona, well, let's just say that if you gave her a chance; she would go on speaking non-stop. Trent called her 'Bubbles'.

"Agreed. The recent ones have been different. Do you think that they're getting stronger?" Trent asked.

"It is possible." Imogen answered.

"Ian, you alright? You look pale. Not that it doesn't suit you, everything does but you know, you're like so white right now that you could match my-"

"Bubbles." Trent scolded her for going off on tangents and all three stared at him.

"Fiona, check his wounds." Imogen said.

Fiona took his arm and looked closely at the scratches. Her eyebrows furrowed and she said, "We need to get him to the infirmary soon. I think the vine was poisonous."

Trent drove faster as Ian started feeling numb.

"Do not fall asleep, Ian." Imogen told him sternly.

They got him to the infirmary as they reached the Academy. Shannon had one look at him and got to work. She examined him and gave him some sort of a drink to flush out the poison. It made him feel drowsy though.