Day Six: Flame (30th of July)

All was silent.

All was pitch black as well.

Well, it was pitch black, but then El’an had to shine the stupid flashlight over my face. I groaned outloud, making sure she heard my wails of discomfort.

El’an stood up, casually dusting off the soot that would probably never wash out. She smiled in my direction and gave me a little wave. My face twisted into something painful. “What?” I asked, irritated at the sudden brightness. 

“I dunno, you’re looking quite heroic in that getup of yours,” she replied, smiling a bit. 

“Would you guys please get a room?” That was Robin, who was sitting, rather squatting, to my right.

“I don’t think I could take it,” I said dryly, shooting El’an a look of pure annoyance, but she wasn’t paying attention anymore. She was paying attention to the nine foot monster coming our way.

I suppose some back ground information is required. Very well.

My name is Charlie Bleu, and I’m on a monster hunt. Those who have considered themselves brave enough to accompany me in my courageous quest are Robin, manipulator of the element air, El’an, the El’an express bus driver and over all nuisance, and Zayn, controller of flames.

You’re wondering about my awesome powers? I can’t answer that just yet... mostly because I haven’t answered that question myself (El’an calls me a ‘late bloomer’. How amusing of her).

“Charlie,” began El’an, her voice unusually high pitched. “Run.”

I gave her a quizzical expression and followed her gaze.. There was Zayn, running with the pricision of a Roman soldier.. show off. He sprinted towards us, long legs never tiring or loosing speed. He snapped his fingers, producing a single flame and flung it at a nearby pool of liquid.

Zayn seemed to shout something, but I never heard what he said, because just then the entire cave exploded, Robin’s protective shield enveloping us just in time the white flames licked the mouth of the cave.

Zayn sauntered toward us after he sealed the cave opening, keeping us momentarily safe from the unknown beast.

He looked apologetically at all of us. “Sorry I took so long, but that thing is smarter than we think.”

Robin’s eyes were slits. “You could have given us a warning or something remotely alerting so we could have been ready! If I wasn’t paying attention than we would have been fried to the bone,” she barked, Zayn not quite meeting her eyes.

Zayn rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet. “That’s not all.”

I narrowed my eyes, thoroughly disgruntled by his tone. “What do you mean ‘that’s not all’?”

Zayn sighed and warily glanced at El’an, who was strangely quiet.

“You saw everything, didn’t you?”

She gave him a solemn nod. She took my hand and motioned us to sit on the floor. I yanked my hand from hers, my face burning. “They call them selves Xenopha,” she said, staring at the sealed mouth of the cave.

Robin raised her eyebrows. “I thought those were just legends.”

El’an shook her head slowly, appearing as if she were aging right before my eyes. Her usual glossy black hair turned a dull shade of grey and her face looked a thousand years old, wrinkles carved into her typically smooth face. I wasn’t surprised though, El’an was moody, and her appearances regularly changed (she said, and I quote, “I am made up of feelings, and so I can’t look the same all the time, because my feelings change, and so I have to change with them.. Charlie? Are you asleep?”). Whenever she felt a powerful feeling engulf her, she changed her appearance so her face could suit the emotion she was currently hosting.

She took a deep breath, and began braiding the tips of her hair, a sign of worry I’ve noticed her developing. “The Xenophas are an ancient race. They are spawns of the sun itself. Fire had manipulated his sister, Air, so she could aid him in the creation of those.. things.” She shuddered. 

“Their original purpose was to defend the earth when all defenses were destroyed-“

“Wait,” I said, interrupting her (earning a reproachful glare from Robin). “Was? What happened?”

El’an smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, the Xenopha race was intensely persuaded by Tempore, lord of all things time. He promised them a route back to the sun-“

“-because they’re miserable here... I see,” I completed her sentence, and she looked quite pleased over my sudden attentiveness.

“There’s still something I don’t get,” said Robin, pushing her auburn bangs out of her eyes. “They’re creatures completely made from fire, correct?”

Zayn, El’an and I nodded in agreement.

“Then we get the Water elementals to help us out. This doesn’t have to be difficult.”

I rolled my eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?”

She looked at me, waiting for me to continue. I sighed.

“The Xenopha race are completely unfazed by water- and soil,” I said quickly, answering Robin’s unasked questions.

Zayn swept a hand through his raven hair. “Which means,” he said gravely, “We’re in deep shit.”

- left-foot-fowl

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That was random. I haven't written something about Charlie in a long long time. Sorry for the miserable quality, but THE LAST GUARDIAN IS ON MY BED AND I'M GOING TO BE IN ARTY'S UNIVERSE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS SO TATA SEE YEH!