Element Restraint

Chapter 30: Erik

We are hand-cuffed the whole ride. Ten hours long. In silence.

I give Acantha a quick glance as she sits directly across from me. This jet is different from the one we flew here. It is smaller with only four seats. Two up front and two in the back facing each other six feet apart.

Acantha looks forwards at the windshield. She holds her book close to her chest. This might be the first time she stayed quiet for so long.

For some strange reason, she will not look at me. For ten hours, she avoids eye contact with me, yet my face is six feet away.

We land at a small island off the coast of the Earth Realm border. The guard escorts us out of the plane and unlocks our cuffs.

He hands us satchels full of supplies. Acantha tucks her book into her; I look as the guard frowns at her.

I dig around in mine and find two knives. I take it out and tuck it into my boot.

"Here." The guard shoves a bow and quiver to me, and hands Acantha a sword in its sheath.

She just looks at it awkwardly, holding it with both hands.

The guard turns to leave us after.

"Wait!" I shout to him. He rolls his eyes and turns to us. "The chip." I point at the thing in my neck.

"It stays." The guard says.

"That was never part of the deal," Acantha says. She takes a step forward crossing her arms with the sword still in her hand, sizing him up. She sure has a lot of confidence for someone who has barely any fighting experience.

"I was ordered to leave them on." He says. He then turns and walks away, ignoring Acantha's words of protest.

We watch with regret and worry as the jet takes off in the air. Acantha's hair blows around, whipping me in the face. When it is in the distance, I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Is this not great?" I say with sarcasm looking around the small island. "I am sure it will be better when we travel across the water," I add with joy.

Acantha does not reply. She pulls the sword out of its sheath and examines it. When she holds it up an orange light from the setting sun catches it blinding me.

"Do you even know how to use that?" I ask.

"Of course I do." She tries to whip it around but it is too heavy. For a moment I think her wrist might snap.

"I thought your father was in the army." I hold back laughter. Acantha looks at me with irritation. She pierces the sword into the sand and crosses her arms.

"That does not mean I was trained as a soldier. That is my brother."

"What about a bow?" I hold it up in my hands.

"Maybe." She snatches it from me.

"I think it might be more fitting for you."

She holds the bow up, knowing exactly how to hold it.

"I thought it was your brother who was a trained soldier?" I say impressed.

"But that did not stop my brother from teaching me how to hold a bow." She says with a proud smile.

Her smile makes me smile back. I do not think I have ever seen her smile. Maybe from afar, but not up close.

"Now all you need is an arrow." I pull one out of the quiver. I lean towards her to help her put it in, but she slides away.

"I can do it myself thank you very much." She takes the arrow and slips it on the string.

She whips it up in the air and aims for a palm tree. With deep focus, she lines it up with where she wants and then releases it. It flies past the tree by an inch.