An Ember's Tale

Chapter Six

Ember washed her feet in the cold water that lapped over her ankles before it retreated back into the sea. She hurriedly put her boots back on before more sand stuck to her skin and made her irritated. She looked over at the vast beach before her with a slight frown. Mark had tied the rowboat to a nearby tree not yet consumed by the thick jungle that laid before them.

"How do we get through it?" Ember asked him as she slowly approached him with her eyes darting back and forth to the jungle.

Mark examined the rainforest closely with his thumb rubbing his chin. "I know there is a path somewhere..."

He stepped toward the vast rainforest as he looked around before turning to Ember with a certain amount of difficult realization becoming apparent amongst the storm in his eyes.

"Care to burn it down?" he smiled.

"I'm not burning the whole jungle down," Ember folded her arms across her chest before she too stepped toward the infinite jungle with large trunks and roots sticking out from the vibrant and lush ground. Vines wrapped around thick bushes and plants, making them impenetrable.

"What can you do, Red?" Mark asked from beside her.

"What do you mean?" she questioned as her fingers brushed one of the trees. Ember frowned when a sap stuck to her fingers and quickly shook it off and flicked it back onto the bark.

"How much of your powers can you use?" Mark handed her a cloth from his pocket while she finished wiping off her fingers. "Just a simple flame, or are you hiding what you can really do?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out," she ignored him and handed him back his now damp cloth, which he just eyed with disgust before throwing it onto the beach. Ember continued to examine the thick jungle with a narrowed gaze.

"Can you control it?"

Ember froze as she retreated her hand. Flashes of red flames and cries filled her mind as tears stung her eyes. She kept her sights set on the jungle before her while her breathing became shallow. She clutched her shaking hand in her other one while she nodded.

"Of course."

"That's one." Ember turned toward Mark, who was watching her with a curious expression and a darkened gaze. "That's the first lie you've told me."

"Now you're counting my deceit?" she glared at him. "You're hardly a saint either."

Mark's lip twitched into a small smile with his eyes shining knowingly down at her. "The path is this way," he pointed.

He began walking away as Ember let go of her shaking hand and drew a shallow breath in. Flashes of red and yellow consumed her mind once more as she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. Screams echoed in her mind before a voice drew her back to reality.

"Are you coming?" Mark called as she slowly opened her eyes.

Ember followed closely behind him when they reached a small path already being overgrown by the vast jungle. Roots stuck up out of the ground intertwined with thick vines and thorns that tore at her clothes and dug into her skin. She carefully ducked over low-hanging branches and jumped over large trees which had fallen over the path.

She climbed over one tree that had been bigger than the rest before she stood at the top and looked over at the never-ending path before her.

Mark extended his hand to her from his position below her. She glanced at it hesitantly as he smirked. "What? Afraid to take my hand?"

Ember grabbed his hand and used his weight to steady herself and jump down. Not before Mark stumbled at her sudden movement, and his back hit the tree. His jaw ticked while his smirk ceased. She flashed a triumphant grin with her hands on her hips.