Mountain [18+] ✔️ Complete

Eleven • Vivid

There was a big difference between wondering about possible earth powers and actually knowing that they were there. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, some kind of cosmic click inside of me that just felt like I'd finally found my place in the world. From the way my friends were cajoling and carrying on, they felt it too. Lighter.

Once we were sufficiently fueled from the kebabs, having caught Damien and Marius up on what had happened to the three of us since we split, Marius was ready to teach us what he could. He moved towards the water to make it easier for Archer, but a hand gripped my bicep when I tried to follow.

"Nah, you're with me, babe," Damien said with a mischievous grin. "Can't have you getting all mushy when the wizard talks to you." I pursed my lips and jabbed him playfully in the ribs as he swung us around.

"Oh, shut up," I pouted as he let go of me to hold his side in a dramatic display of feigned pain. "You heard him, I can't control it."

"I didn't say you could," he replied and put up a hand in surrender. "But I'd rather you be falling all over my mojo when I show you my mad skills."

I couldn't help but giggle as he extended his arm above his head in a power pose. "Mad skills, huh?" I crossed my arms, but he pulled my hands gently to stretch out in front of me.

"The first order of business was to keep my shit in check so that I didn't accidentally create an inferno," he said and moved behind me, leaving my arms outstretched, palms down. "That wasn't hard because I'm cool as a fucking cucumber, but the next stage was how to do it on purpose. I can't create it, but any little spark or flame can be manipulated. I would guess it's the same for you with plants, maybe even dirt and rocks."

"You'd guess?" I swallowed a hard lump in my throat.

He chuckled softly. "Don't overthink it," he said, and leaned over my shoulder from behind. I glanced up and saw encouragement there. "I found the best way was to imagine a connection, something tangible between me and the fire. Like an electric current. Close your eyes."

I followed his directions, and tried to imagine lightning bolts firing between my fingers and the ground. But that wasn't right. Threads? Vines.

Living, pulsing vines. I could almost feel them twisting around my arms, reaching to the ground, and then coming back out up my legs. It was slight, like a breeze, but it was there.

"I kind of have it, I think?" My voice sounded like I was out of breath, but I didn't really feel like I was exerting myself. If anything I felt more energized concentrating like this.

"Maybe this will help," Damien replied, and then pressed his body into my back. His arms slid around me, one palm over my belly and the other across my chest and over my shoulder.

As soon as he embraced me, it was as we were rooted to the ground together, and I stiffened against him.

"Oh my god..." I murmured, the undeniable and overwhelming connectedness washing through my body like a tidal wave.

"Open your eyes," he whispered, and I peeled my eyelids open, gasping at the sight before us. The trees and bushes were leaning towards us, as if bowing. Wet rocks from the stream floated about a foot off of the ground, dripping into soil that rippled as if unsure of where to go.

"FORE!" Archer screamed, and I turned my head just as a mighty wave crashed down on us.

It ebbed quickly, leaving Damien and I on our knees in the mud, sputtering. The others jogged over, unable to contain their giggles at our plight.

"Bad aim, bad aim!" Archer at least had the decency to look apologetic, and I raised an amused eyebrow at him.

"I guess it's better than if my aim was bad," I said as I got to my feet, motioning to one of the rocks next to me. It was the size of my fist and could likely do a lot of damage.

"Yeah you maybe don't throw anything," Lyla patted my shoulder, and I brushed my matted hair out of my face, splashing her.

*    *    *

"I feel like I'm back at summer camp." Archer laughed as we finished joining hands.

"I didn't know you went to summer camp." Lyla waggled her eyebrows at him and he snorted.

"Don't get too excited, I was like twelve." He snorted.

"Weren't you in Girl Guides, Lyles?" Damien piped up.

"Don't even," she warned.

I giggled. "Can I buy some cookies?"

"I don't know if we have to pay for those cookies—ow!" Damien recoiled and leaned towards me to avoid her flailing hand.

Marius had set us up in a circle based on our prospective corners, and I'd been lightheaded as soon as we sat down. And when Damien and Lyla finally joined hands, completing our circle, it was as if the world suddenly exploded into vivid colour. I blinked, mouth agape, looking at the impossibly green trees, each ray of light filtering through them in shades of yellow and orange and white.

The stream babbled happily, each current seeming to have its own channel in my brain.

"How does it feel?" Marius asked, voice a low husk. My skin sang in response, as if shivering all on its own against the muscles in my body.

"Like home," Archer breathed, and I turned my eyes on him, taking in every precious detail. He smiled at me, and my heart constricted with emotion so abruptly that I nearly started to cry. I tore my eyes away, closing them, struggling to steady my breathing.

But behind my eyelids was no less fantastical. Silvery vines linked us, coiled around our clasped hands tightly, pulsing into the ground. Every living thing as far as I would have been able to see was lit up, each tree and insect and bird and flower and blade of grass.

And Marius was the brightest of all. The being born from fire, created of light. The shining beacon that tied us all together. Had awoken this in us.

In the distance, I realized that there was a place where the light stopped. It wasn't just the edge of my consciousness... I could feel it rejecting light. I couldn't exactly see it, but just this coldness when I tried to look that way. I opened my eyes to see if that made a difference, but our physical surroundings were more limiting with the forest towering over us.

The thin line of Lyla's mouth told me that she had felt it too, and I looked to our fifth, our guide.

"That's the demon you feel." He nodded, beautiful blue eyes grim.

My stomach coiled into a tight knot and I tore my gaze away, unable to stare at him in this vividness with the darkness looming on the horizon. It wasn't fair that we couldn't just enjoy ourselves, enjoy each other. It wasn't fair that our mutual need was because of some magical force. It wasn't fair that exploring it unleashed evil on the world that might claim our lives while we try to stop it.

I let go of Archer and Damien's hands, and the spell broke, jerking us all back to reality. The world looked so dull now, almost greyscale, and I scrambled to my feet.

"Saph?" Archer inquired, voice laced with worry. I caught Lyla holding him back as I turned to flee, and thanked whatever bond it was what we all shared that at least she understood my needs in that moment.

I didn't even really understand my needs in that moment. I just needed to get away.

Just one more freak out... one more and then I can deal with this, I thought, trying to talk myself through the panic that threatened to tear its way out of my chest. Fists clenched, lungs heaving, my lips parted to scream and-

A pair of arms encircled me and I gasped at the contact, that intense electric warmth that belonged to only one.