Life in the Flames

Life in the Flames-4

Sorry its been so long! Hopefully you guys like it, I kind of had a small case of writers block... Please comment, vote, and fan... Thanks for reading ~Morgan =)

Chapter 4
Again?

As I started to wake up I kept my eyes closed as I inhaled deeply through my nose taking in the smell of the giant pillow, fabric, human bodies, and the slight hint of a flavorful breakfast.

I sat up to find the other dancers all spread out and asleep on the pillows around me. Their customs were nothing like my conservative upbringing with the water tribe. Then I noticed Breezy snoring deeply beside me tangled with another female dancer with her red hair in messy flames around her face.

I tapped her shoulder and her eyes snapped open mid-snore. She smiled at me as she wiggled her way out from underneath the other dancer. As she stood up she motioned to me to follow her but to stay quiet.

Breezy led me across the dance floor, my sandaled feet making the only noise in the room, towards a large wooden door that was slightly cracked. The closer we got, the stronger the smell of food reached my nose. She opened the door to reveal Jasmine with her sleeves rolled above her elbows as she worked around the fire pit that held a giant black pot.

"Morning girls," she said with a warm smile. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully, thank you for letting me stay."

"Your welcome hun. I wouldn't think about turning you away after what has happened," she said as she grabbed two bowls from a cabinet and scooped the warm oatmeal from the black pot. "You are a skinny thing, you are. I will have to fix that," she said with a wink as she handed us the bowls.

Breezy then led me over to a large round dining table with about fifteen chairs around it. We sat down and started eating the apple-spiced oatmeal. Each bite sent a warming sensation throughout my body, making me feel more awake.

We had been eating in silence until Breezy finally asked, "So Alonia, how old are you?"

I looked into the face of the curious wind wielder who sat beside me. "Oh I just turned seventeen last month."

"And you already have your power?"

Why wouldn't I? I thought. "Yes I've been able to bend water since I can remember."

Her brow wrinkled slightly, "Oh, well with wind wielders we gain our powers when we turn eighteen. I guess it must be different for water wielders."

I'd never heard that different wielders gain their powers at different ages. I just assumed that all wielders were like my people.

...Flashback...

The water misted around us as the sunlight light shone through, creating a rainbow. Then as the water droplets came into contact with my skin I could feel each individual droplet as a cool speck on my tanned skin. I smiled up at my mother who was bending the water of the small freshwater spring that we had stopped at to camp for the day.

As she moved her arms so did the water around us. Watching different jets and streams of water fly around us entranced my five-year-old mind. She smiled mischievously at me right before she sent a tube of water on the top of my head. I giggled at the tingling sensation of the water droplets running down my body.

My mother laughed and then smiled at me lovingly. "Ok Alonia, you saw what I could do with the water. You can do it to. Can you feel this thing inside of you just wanting to grasp the water, to make it bend to your will?" I nodded. "Just do what I do."

So my mom started training me from that day forward. She would spend hours out of each day helping me learn the motions, positions, and how to use my water skills. I wanted to please her so badly I spent all of my extra time practicing, just trying to become perfect. But I didn't notice how I was becoming an outsider in my own tribe. Even as my powers grew with each year, I excluded myself more and more from everything and everyone else.