Chapter 8 - Aven
"Well, it's been almost two whole seasons I have been here, and even now I can't believe the amount of water. After being raised in the desert, I can't help but want to go home and flood Temple Reach with gentle steady rain, to give the people there something to smile about. The city itself was built on an oasis, so there is plenty of water but that is in the city, all areas away from the Congress and city center, like the temple where I was raised a hundred miles to the west, where I could be of use adding water to the fields and helping the earth become lush and fervent again.
Elaxan is a strange boy, he was also picked by water shortly after I was. We have spent an astronomical amount of time, studying together, and today we are going to integrate with earth. I am excited to see the abilities at work, they always take the field after us, and we try our best to catch a peek at what earth can do and what they are like. The people chosen by water are very, how should I put this, lackadaisical, we just kind of float around and have learned how water can be a flowing energy that is quite lazy. I have had to exercise more because I don't feel like I am doing enough other than combat training, those days hurt. Water can be hard as bricks, and still crash around you comforting you so you don't hit the ground. It can also cut metal, it is such a versatile element, and the connection with Vado is getting stronger every day. The otter, well that is what people call it, is a mischievous sort that seems to get into the trouble I try to avoid. Let's go see what earth holds in store for me." Breeze 18
The cheer of everyone from the water erupted as the walls separating the two chambers begin sliding down. Yes, there has been a wall keeping us all apart, turns out the arena is partitioned into four sections, the giant round building is also ever-changing, and the size of our chambers has grown substantially. The living and activities areas have all been opened to us, week by week, allowing everyone to adjust to more freedom, I couldn't so much as force myself out of bed at first, the bond of water simply makes us go with the flow, or crash into something as hard as physically possible. The mood swings are still there, and I wonder what earth and fire went through, I figure air is similar.
I look over the crowd in front of me, because even though I slouch a bit more than before, I am still a head taller than most people here. I hear Elaxan's voice come from next to me, when did he get there, "So today is the day we get to meet our rock head counterparts, I hope they just relax around us."
"You are telling me, but I think everyone is just excited for new faces, but I hear the guys and the girls have been talking more and more of well . . . carnal needs," I say the words, and my face lights on fire, I have never been the sort to lust after people, besides most of the people I knew growing up remind me more of a family than anything else. What, I am not good with most people. Elaxan smiles and reaches his hand to my shoulder, his touch is soft, but the memory of the night of the Choosing that man could match most everyone here pound for pound. "Don't go getting any ideas, there are only a few people here who I would even consider being interested in," His voice alight with sarcasm. The blush quite literally washed from my face when a band of water passed over me; leave me alone I needed to cool off, so a bit of water never hurt anything.
The chittering of Vado fills my ears and the otter scurries to rest along my shoulders, he has become a welcome weight on my shoulders and where has he been? As the thought hit my mind images of curves and shapes covered in water fill my vision, that little pervert, he gets away with too much, he was in the bathhouse again.
The wall finishes sliding down revealing an empty hallway, no one is there, strange. Confused mumbling fills the air around me, and I begin to question why everyone didn't show up as a laugh soft as bells fill the air. The air rang with shock and delight as the students of earth appeared from the ceiling, their feet melted into the stone. They all fill the air with a loud cheer, "Welcome!" Their feet drop from the ceiling and all for the most part land gracefully on their feet the stone almost seeming to cushion their landing. The one who slipped on their landing was a girl, her black hair tossing around as she slipped into a puddle. Everyone looked around the massive hallway and down at her as a laugh burst from her chest, her voice is soft, definitely the person who messed up the prank with her giggle. I feel myself moving through the crowd of people with Elaxan close behind me, and get to where the girl had fallen, she stood there wiping off her robes.
"You alright dearest," Elaxan's voice chirps over my shoulder, when she looked up the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Her eyes captured me, they are soft gold, no that doesn't do her justice, they look like a desert sun at dawn or a dragon's hoard. Her face is soft, but the hard features of life's trials sharpen her cheekbones and her jawline, she is dangerous despite the friendly attitude, "Elaxan, stop being a flirt," I look over my shoulder forcing my eyes to break from hers. The sly elf winked at me sending my face into a steam bath once again, and quickly replied, "Now I am just being polite what's the harm in that." Before I could speak, the girl pressed her hand out to me, and simply and efficiently ignoring Elaxan spoke, "I am Lizbeth, but you have probably heard the moniker these clowns have been using for me, Devil's Behemoth, because the only news we hear is using the nicknames we are given isn't that, right?"
I felt myself reflexively press my arm out at the same time as my feet tried to shift back from her, my hand grabs hers and in mine, it feels small and frail, not a muscle on her hand tense. Elaxan's feet still worked because he was a stride or two back from us. And the crowd began to fill in between us, both people of water and earth intermixing. Before I brought my vision fully back to her I took in my surroundings. There were robes of both grey and blue mixing all around the room, I see Elaxan take a few more steps to another group of guys and girls all standing around, I find a few people hugging as if they are dear friends and it has been years since last seeing each other. Then my eyes met her entrancing orbs again, "I. I," look it is hard to hear about these monsters of combat and not get nervous especially when it is attached to someone that looks so fragile, "I am Aven, I haven't earned a nickname on the field."
Her smile fills my vision and again her soft appearance sends chills up my spine because even though I am twice her size, her presence is that of a monster. I pull my hand back from hers and find myself sweating a bit nervously. "Well, Aven, are you nervous or something, because I'm only scary on the field that's why the 'Devil's' part is there, just because I betray people's ideas of I. the completion of her sentence, I find my body relaxing and start taking a breath before I start to speak, "Plain and simple every story I have heard of you says you are the monster everyone fears, and a few others too, like Fallen Royal, you know the one in fire?" She places her hand on the tip of her chin and her eyes go into thought as a grey-blue rabbit hops onto the top of her head. Why does she have to look so innocent?
"Well, Aven, I know of Titan crash, and Serpent over here in water, and our pride will be left on the field, but I can't fathom why you would worry about anything that would be simply put terrifying about me," she reaches up and pats the head of the rabbit on hers. I now see that the name Devil is so fitting, I would never guess that she would be a threat to anyone looking at her. But still, her posture and body language are of a fighter and a damn scary one at that, maybe it's best to be her friend after all. Her hand takes mine again, and the hard grip is almost like a boulder being placed on top of mine. She looks over her shoulder and smirks, the girl is a duality of personality.
"I think I have some people you would enjoy meeting in my group," she says dragging me, not gently pulling but dragging me before my feet begin to move under my power. As I follow her steadfast course, she leads me to a group of dwarves most of which is female, and begins introductions. I don't hear most of the names, because out the corner of my eye I see Elaxan giving me a thumbs up from a corner. His sly smile still resting on his face. A singular name breaks through my ears and I tune back into what Lizbeth is saying. "This is Sheila, but like me, she has also made a name for herself, Unmovable Maiden."
A bead of cold sweat forms on my brow and I look down at the dwarf in question, His blond hair is pulled back into a bun, and her eyes gleam with flecks of blue, that betray her brown eyes, she is a head shorter than Liz but of a much, how do I put this without being rude, sturdier, the girl is by no means fat or out of shape, but her legs and arms can be seen through the robes. "Nice to meet you all," I manage to squeeze past the lump in my throat, two of the scariest people I have heard of on earth are here in front of me and they are friends.
Sheila's voice makes me calm down as she spoke with lavender-scented words, "Well, you are quite the giant, and Liz is being quite rude, what is your name, sir?"
"Umm. . . Aven," I reply, smooth brain these girls are just being nice and friendly. There isn't anything to worry about. Why am I nervous, we aren't on the field? The girls are pretty but not my type I don't think at least, why it is so much easier to banter with Elaxan, though it does get awkward because he is a flirt to anything with two legs. "Aven Coveer, and how are you?" I manage to spit from my lips.
"Well, you are at least not running and screaming," Lizbeth says, I can tell she is trying to get me to relax, and with a quick thought, I figured I would get a small amount of revenge. I look over to Elaxan, he is no doubt just watching and the people around him are only to take the attention off of him. His eyes flicker over to me, so I smile and say loud enough for him to hear, "Well let me introduce you to one of my friends," his face turned into a quick grimace, he heard me.
I turn back to the girls and with a smile hold out my arm in the direction of the now approaching elf, "This is my friend Elaxan, he is quick with his words ladies so don't let him talk too much, but you would probably better know him as the Serpent." Elaxan's face and the girls snapped to each other and both groups began to look weary around one another for a moment, as I looked around, I had said it loud enough for half the room to realize and the chosen of earth that stood around us all shifted their eyes to Elaxan. The elf put on his trademark smile and without missing a beat, "Come on now, this is just a fun little meeting of the elements, and I look forward to training with each one of you." Like I said he is too good with his words. Lizbeth's voice filled the air breaking the dead silence that had fallen over the room, "Well Aven, you are keeping interesting company now." I felt the blood rush out my face with the laughter that erupts with her and Sheila, great what have I gotten myself into with these three.
Elaxan presses himself close to my side and quips, "Now ladies please be gentle to the giant, he is a bit bashful." That statement refilled my face with boiling water and a jet of water lances out from my side directly at the elf's face. Without the hint of movement or acknowledgment, the water shapes itself into a rose at Elaxan's fingertips his smile wide he finishes his statement, "Besides things are just about to get good." The tension erupts from the crowd around me into bursts of laughter from water and earth. I feel myself laughing with the crowd before it registers, and exclaim, "Well, I guess I could have worse friends than three monsters."