Life in the Flames

Life in the Flames-18

First off I'm SOOOOOOOO SORRY this took so long... I am a failure at life and I will try to never let it happen again. I know it has been way to long and I'm sorry again but I have been so busy this summer... Anyways enough of my rambling and here you go, you chapter that was extremely overdue. Hope you like it! ~Morgan =)

Chapter 18

Secrets in the Rocks

Reid's POV

All of their mouths dropped open at the mention of Alonia's name. Their blue eyes all widened in absolute shock. These people knew her name and could quite possibly help us save her.

"You, with us, right now," Serra ordered.

"As you wish," I nodded as we walked over to the group of stunned water wielders.

They didn't even tie us up; instead they threw our things at us and handed us back our reigns of our horses. As soon as we were saddled the water wielders unsheathed their weapons and started out into the desert to the west. The heat seemed to not even faze them as they walked through the burning sand and scalding sun as they scanned the wind shaped dunes of the Tritan Desert.

We traveled in complete silence other than the laboring breaths of our three horses. The desert gave no landmarks, trails, or hints to wherever they were leading us but the water wielders followed their feet as sure as an ancient water bed.

After a while traveling west the water benders had us turn back to the east. It seemed like we were redoubling our tracks towards the oasis so Thorin asked, "Not to be a bother or anything, but didn't we just come from this direction?"

The other woman that Serra addressed as Jeza turned to answer, "We had to go out of the way to avoid the raiders."

"And it would not be wise to let our prince here fall into their hands. That could cause an all-out fiery bloodbath to occur," Serra said with audible frustration in her voice.

I sighed, "Serra I don't want it to be this way. We don't have to hate each other anymore. I don't care what our ancestors did to one another, and I want to fix the wrong of my people. We could work together and trust one another. We could be stronger together that against one another."

She didn't reply so we went on through the blistering heat until she finally dropped back beside my horse and said softly, "You speak of teaming up, trying to erase the past, and of trust. We put our trust in the Quarium Treaty and now my people are so few the others believe we do not exist," she paused, "our trust must be earned."

With that she returned to the head of our party, and the water wielders slowed at a crest of a sand dune. I hadn't even noticed but the Tritan Cliffs rose jagged, uninhabited, and barren before us. The sharp cliffs and barren surroundings was the beginning to the Tehara Mountains that stretched as far as the Lorian Sea which hugs the shores of both my land and the earth kingdom of Lathar.

"In the Cliffs?" I asked as we began our decent to the foot of the giant wall of rocks.

"It was one of the best places we could think of at the time," Serra said with a shrug.

"And it is believed to be uninhabitable, which was perfect for fleeing refugees," I inquired.

Serra met my eyes and nodded as we came to the seemingly solid wall of rock. We dismounted and stared at the solid cliff in front of us, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Two of Serra's men uncapped their flasks and blasted streams of water at the rocks right before us, causing a seam where you could fit your hands to appear. They went over and pulled on the crack, revealing a dark passage lit by one torch.