Half-Bloods R • 1: Fallen World

C • 7 : Break the Calluses, Pop the Blisters

Elizabeth hadn't gotten much sleep since Darwin's speech in the plaza's park. She was too restless and didn't understand how anyone could sleep before a big battle like the one that was coming up. She has spent her time that night reading books in Christopher's room, and she was doing the same again today.

In just a day and a half, Elizabeth had gone through two old fantasy books that she thought were amusing and now she had started reading a small book titled simply the Hobbit. At her side was a pile of candies and chocolate bars and at her other side sat a notepad full of notes on parts of the book she thought were interesting, important, or just something that thought she would need to remember later on.

She spent a couple of hours reading before she ran out of candies and checked the time. 5:00 pm, she was late.

"Ah, shit!" She scrambled to her feet and swung open the door and saw, towering over her, Vaelan with his upper arms crossed and lower left hand reaching for the door.

"Half an hour late, Elizabeth," he looked at the messy bed, "I don't think Christopher would like you making a mess on his bed," he tilted his head.

"I'll clean it when we get back, don't worry!" Elizabeth said as she confidently strode out of the room, "Now, let's go find Villin!"

Vaelan followed, his aura was pretty well subdued, she barely even noticed him without focusing.

"We're only searching, there's no guarantee we'll find her," Vaelan said, his voice flat and plain.

Elizabeth found it so strange, whenever Vaelan was around Demi, his voice actually carried emotion and power, but when he was away from her, his voice was emotionless and had little weight. It unnerved Elizabeth a little if she was being honest.

Elizabeth walked down the stairs of the second floor into the living room. Elizabeth and Christopher both had second-floor rooms above the kitchen, but with doorways in front of the living room. Vaelan and Demi shared a room down the hallway leading away from the living room, and just across from their room sat Villin's room.

"I know," she said with a smile as she looked back at her teacher. Her eyes locked onto Christopher's doorway for a moment.

Don't worry Chris, we'll get you back home. Then, when we get Villin back, we can all be together again.

Vaelan caught up with her, he stopped for a moment and looked at Christopher's door, then back at Elizabeth.

"Not too much longer," he said as he walked toward the entryway, "Come on short stack," he said with an almost sly smile.

Elizabeth's head snapped toward him and she found herself darting at him. He dodged her as she reached the door and unfurled large black wings, flying into the sky.

Vaelan made a large loop in the sky before diving towards Elizabeth.

"Oh, don't you dare!" Elizabeth ordered as Vaelan approached her.

Vaelan quickly snatched her off the ground and Elizabeth found herself high in the sky, supported only by Vaelan's arms.

Her heart immediately began beating.

"Vaelan put me down!" She screamed, trying her best to bundle up without squirming, "Please!"

"Teleport higher," he told her.

"What?"

"Trust me."

Elizabeth nodded and opened a portal in front of her that she quickly moved through as Vaelan let go of her. In the few seconds that she was free-falling, she thought the end had finally come for her, but she soon landed onto of Vaelan's back and grabbed on tight.