Element Guardians *To-Be-Edited*

34 ~ The Riddle

My eyes hurt, my arms were burning from the sudden exercise and moving but I guess it was worth it; I haven’t felt this good about myself or my fitness since a long time.

The water was cool, wrapping around me while I floated atop of the surface. Practising with Felix had been hotter than the sun and my temperature had risen dangerously high so the water was an immense relief. While the three of them pondered over the riddle, I peered up at the ceiling. Twinkling little balls of lights shone down on me though the constant fixture of my gaze onto it sort of tired me out.

I felt almost . . . relaxed.

“How’s it going?” I asked, my voice echoing off the walls. I hadn’t exactly paid attention when they had read out the riddle so I was just relaxing at the moment.

“It doesn’t make sense like usual,” Ash replied dryly. “A little help would be nice.”

Lifting my head, I glided across the water, the soft ripples calming to my ears. Wow I was such a hippie.

“Coming,” I called, slinking out of the water and shook myself off. Flicking my fingers, every single water droplet along my skin fell back into the water with a plop. I quickly jogged over to my friends who were sitting in a small group by the centre topless pyramid in the centre. “So, read it to me again?”

“You don’t know it?” Felix growled, obviously annoyed with me. “So while we’ve been working out brains off, you’ve been lazing around in the water?”

“Hey! I’ve done a lot of work ever since this whole Element Guardian thing started,” I protested though I did feel a twinge of guilt in my gut. “At least repeat it to me?”

Cale smiled at me and lay down next to me, holding the charm in the air. The thin engravings in swirly letters made me cringe. I didn’t really like fancy stuff but obviously Sidara did. “Across the azure plains to the end, a mighty breath reveals the next. That’s it.”

I wrinkled my nose and made a disapproving noise. “That’s too . . . confusing. I know that azure means blue though.”

“And plains is like a big stretch of land,” Cale pointed out. “Anything else you can figure out?”

“We’re breathing mightily right now?” I joked. That was the lamest joke I have ever used in my entire life. I have to same I’m ashamed.

“The blue stretch of land . . .” Ashleigh put together and lay down next to me, peering up at the sky. “Isn’t that like the sea? You know – a massive stretch of blue land.”

“It’s not land and it’s not blue,” Felix countered. “It’s green – well more like turquoise.”

“That’s basically blue,” I shot back. “It reflects the sky.”

“Or does the sky . . . reflect the water?” Felix wondered and smirked at me. “Oh yeah, I’m smart.”

“Okay I know that I’m not so great with science and everything but that is definitely not it!” I snapped. “You aren’t that smart Felix.”

“The sky is blue because of the Rayleigh lights or something,” Cale said, waving his hand about nonchalantly. “Focus guys! We need to figure this out and find the last Crystal afterwards then prepare for battle!”

“Problem is who the last crystal is going to,” Ash pointed out. “Remember? Four of us, five of them.”

“Pshh . . . well – I mean . . . I guess we could . . . straws!” Felix blurted out, annoyed. “Draw straws or a lucky dip or names in a hat!”