Born Of Fire

Born Of Fire Chapter 47

Hey everyone! I am so sorry, I know this is short, but not only was my laptop stolen, as most of you know, but I was called out of town to on business. Soooo, I am stuck using the crappy computer in the hotel lobby. It has a ten minute limit, and the lady behind the desk has yelled at me like five times to let other people use it. I pleaded with her to give me more time. It's not like there is a line behind me or something!

Lol, I know it's short, but it's the best I could do, so.... Enjoy!!!!!

“But Spedro,”Ember interjected, “You were born in a water village.”

Spedro smiled. “I was, but mine and Lindani's grandfather married a Bachtalee. Yes, the blood is carried by the male, but that was the only explanation we could come up with.”

“Please, continue the story Spedro,” Phoenix said, anxious to hear more.

“As I was saying,” continued Spedro. “Any descendants from this man possessed the power to control the earth, but there was another power within them that not many knew about. Considering that our element can be very damaging to our bodies in its use, we have a barrier around our bodies that protect us from it. Watch.”

Spedro bent over and plucked a small pebble from the ground, holding it in his upward palm. The others bent closer, and Phoenix raised his head questioningly. “I see no barrier my friend.”

Spedro chuckled. “You must look closer.”

Phoenix bent closer, examining the stone closely. He sucked in sharp breath, finally seeing what it was Spedro was talking about. The stone did not actually touch his palm, but floated just a bit above it. Raising his hand, Phoenix used a finger to push down on the stone. It would move no closer to Spedro's palm, but began to crack when Phoenix applied more pressure, trying to force it down. Wanting to see if the same were true for him, Phoenix bent and plucked another stone from the ground, bringing it to his eye. Spedro's word held true, the stone did not touch his skin.

With a wide eyed smile, Phoenix looked to his friend. “This is quite amazing.”

“That is is my friend, that it is,” replied Spedro.

Three days later, Spedro and Phoenix once again were in the same field, both sitting cross legged on the grass. The women had went hunting, while the men filled their time with training. “What is a stone Phoenix?”

Reciting from memory. Phoenix spoke in a monotone. “Stone is formed when differing types f earth are pressed together for an extended period of time. Heat also can harden such elements, resulting in a different type of rock.”

Spedro smiled. “Good. But not what I meant. What is a stone?”

Phoenix raised a perplexed eyebrow. “I am unsure of what you mean.”

“What I mean is, fire is angry, emotional, passionate, ever changing. Water is smooth, constant, pliable, and patient. What characteristics do you see in stone?”

Phoenix thought for a moment. What did he know of earth? He thought a bit longer and replied as best he could. “Stone is hard and unmoving.”

Spedro's smile grew. “Good!”

Phoenix smiled himself, and waited on his friend to continue. Spedro seemed content to let him wait, and uncrossed his legs, laying back on the grass, bulky arms behind his head. Phoenix waited a bit, then joined his brother in law, watching the clouds pass. An hour went by, and Phoenix looked over at the man beside him. Spedro wore a small but content smile as his eyes tracked the white puffy clouds in the azure sky, but he said nothing.

“Are we going to continue training?” Phoenix asked.

He received no answer. Laying back to the soft grass, Phoenix let his mind wander. First to his sister and her recent healing. Cannit had been trying to gain their trust in healing Ember, but he had seen through her ruse. Only the gods knew of her real plan, whether to slit their throats in their sleep, or wait until they trusted her enough for her to set the assassins she had brought with her on them.

Then his thoughts strayed to the man laying beside him, still silent. So unreadable this man was, in the months they had known one another, Phoenix trusted him with his life, but only once seen through his impassive exterior. A smile cracked his lips as he remembered how flustered Spedro had been asking for his blessings with Ember.

Then to his own mate his train of thought went. In all his years he had not seen a more beautiful woman, with her dark skin and hair, but amazingly contrasting green eyes. He watched her sometimes as she slept, small snores escaping her lips periodically. He was lucky and he knew it.

His senses perked up suddenly as the buzzing in his head came to life, and he closed his eyes in concentration. Lindani and Ember had just entered his range of sense, tiptoeing toward them from the woods not thirty feet behind them. He knew Lindani's footfalls, the way her weight fell on the ground. He could barely feel Ember though, her steps were as light as air. The pressure on Lindani's toes increased as her heels left the ground, and then a small stone left his senses. Another smile wound it's way onto his face when he realized what exactly was going on.

The women were sneaking up on them, and Lindani had crouched to pick up a stone. The same stone that was now hurtling through the air toward them. Lindani had thrown it wide on purpose, aiming to miss and scare them, but he had something else in mind. Raising his hand into the air, he reached out to the quickly falling stone and stopped its flight. Ember gasped audibly, and Phoenix flicked his wrist. The rock spun in the air and flew back toward the women, embedding itself in a tree ten feet to Lindani's left.

Spedro rose then, eyebrow raised, and turned to where the women stood, both of them frozen on the spot. Lindani was the one who burst into laughter, and Ember followed. Spedro refrained, eyebrows now knitted together in worry.

“I would not be trying that again Phoenix. You do not yet have the level of control to be playing with peoples lives like that yet.”

Phoenix bit back the remark on the tip of his tongue and nodded, wondering when Spedro had developed the authority to chastise him. Deciding to let it go, he rose from the ground and spied his sister and mate, dragging a fawn behind them with a length of rope.

With a flourish of her hands, Lindani posed in a provocative position. “For tonight, we feast!”