Elemental Wars: The Exiled Element

Chapter 6 - Answers and More Questions

My eyes flew open. My room was dark and the clock showed that it was 3 in the morning. I sat on the side of my bed and rubbed my eyes, bits of my dream still flashing before my eyes.

The Fire Elemental...Adrian...Harold...

Oh God...Harold...

Adrian had said they weren't going to let Harold go. Clarence and Lincoln said a rescue mission was out of question. In that case, I'll just get Harold on my own. But all I know was that he's in the ship. Andras' ship. The Fire Elemental said he needed time to think, but I'm done waiting.

I have to find a way to get on that stupid hunk of metal.

And I only know one place where I can get answers. The War Room. 

Quietly, I threw on a new plain dark green shirt and some jeans. I slowly opened the door and looked around. Seeing that the coast was clear, I made my way to the War Room, making an effort to muffle my footsteps by sticking to the carpeted corridors. I creeped my way down the staircases and-

"This is Invictus Cage. Status report. Patrolling the left wing, twenty-fifth floor with Invictus Hanks," I heard a voice coming from behind me. 

Chills ran down my spine. I silently cursed as I wrenched a door open next to me and dived into a dark room that looked like an office. Paralysed, I watched the gap beneath the door in horror as two pairs of feet walked past it.

Please keep walking... I thought feverishly. Please keep walking...

"Hold up, Cage," one of the guards said. The two of them paused. I swore under my breath. 

"I have to submit a report to our dear Water Elementalist first."

The guard knocked on the door twice. "Hello? General Roberts?

I inhaled sharply as my head spun around. At the back of the room was a table carefully sculpted out of blue ice. On it was a golden name plate with the words: 'C. Roberts'.

I'm in Clarence's office. I thought, my eyes wide.

The guard knocked again. "General Roberts?"

Hide! Hide! 

I practically slid across the polished wooden floor on my belly as I took refuge behind the table. Before my body was fully concealed, the door opened. I desperately pulled my legs towards me as I curled up into a ball behind the tiny desk. 

For a horrible split second, the guard's footsteps stopped. Cold sweat broke out on my face. He must've saw my legs retract from behind the desk. I shut my eyes.

Then, the guard spoke again. This time, he wasn't speaking to his friend. "General? Yeah, it's  Hanks. I have the report of the refugee issue you asked me to- yes, I know you're not in your office. Is it okay if I just put it down on your desk?"

My stomach dropped. The desk had to convenient space under the tabletop for me to hide in. The moment that guard walks close enough to the desk, I'm busted.

That's when a brainwave hit me. What Albert had said yesterday.

You Elementalists have this funny aura that causes anything based on electricity or modern weapons to jam around it. Super annoying.

Are communication devices based on electricity? I thought.

Only one way to find out.

I pressed a button at the side of my Deltan Device. It disconnected from my wrist with a satisfying click. 

"Where should I put it? In your folder or-" There was a pause. The guard stopped walking towards the desk. He groaned in annoyance. 

"Cage, can you try to call General Roberts?" the Invictus called out.