Elements Collide

[amlia]

While watching, Anica could gather that these men were not always working together. Perhaps some were used to working alone, or others were pairs or trios just thrown together. Either way, anyone could tell by watching what would normally be a lighthearted gathering around a fire.


Sitting alone in a secluded tent away from the others, her mind was left to wander- something it's done probably way too much of lately. How did she do it? She took a step in that hallway. Anger, frustration and desperation were triggers of the action. That's what made the girl afraid. She had no control, and that might have been a sliver of what prompted her to run.


Anica touched the ground lightly, frowning at it. Fire was typically named the most powerful element, but Earth was just as dangerous. The very ground being walked on could be swept away. Molded and manipulated. Her eyes snapped up when the sound of footsteps approached and stuck on Thaos. "Venison?" She repeated, looking over the meat before taking it, "I don't think I have."

 

[Mullen]

"That doesn't surprise me. Well then, no time like the present to try it." He placed the plate onto the ground and nudged it towards her, making sure to stay outside the tent. He had offered her the space, and had no intentions of intruding upon it. He was as comfortable sleeping on the naked ground outside, the star filled sky his only blanket, as he was in the tent.


He hunched down just outside of the flap and waited. He could hear the other men in the camp getting their own portions, but felt no rush to return to the dinner. Thaos had too much on his mind right now and it had quieted his appetite.


"I've grown quite fond of it myself, but it was an acquired taste. Absolutely hated the stuff at first, but after so many nights of settling for deer meat or going hungry it grew on me. A hungry belly is a powerful force," he said, smiling slightly. He moved to the side and turned, his body facing towards the cooking fire as he leaned his back gently against the entrance flap of the tent.

 

[amlia]

Anica noticed the way that the man made sure not to enter the tent and it almost made her smile. He seemed different from the others- patient and somewhat civil. Compared to the rest, that is. Though she kept her expressions to herself, turning her attention to the food. He was right on saying that bit about hunger, because he could have set just about anything in front of her and she would have eaten it. Meat was meat, in her opinion.


She pulled the plate closer and didn't spend too much time inspecting it any further. It might have been a dumb decision not to, but if they were trying to kill her then they'd had all the way up until now to do it with no trouble at all. IT was a lose-lose situation anyway. Taking a bite from the food, she sat a moment to chew it before swallowing. The taste wasn't something she particularly preferred over others but it wasn't too awful.


While he was there, she thought back to their last conversation. Well, partial conversation. "I didn't hurt anyone." She told him, wanting Thaos to at least know that she never intended to harm anyone.

 

[Mullen]

Her admission of not hurting anyone made Thaos nod slightly. That was a bonus, but it also meant that there was likely nobody who had seen her use the power for the first time. No direct contact with a witness who could attest to her newfound ability, and if there had been anyone curious they would have stopped her before she had the chance to escape. The assumption that she had been kidnapped could still be made as soon as she was discovered missing.


A little ahead of schedule, but it could not be stopped forever. Eventually, regardless of how perfect or imperfect the circumstances, her family would eventually discover that their "allies" had her.


"I believe that; I don't think you'd lie about it just to spare your own feelings. Do you remember how you did it, though? That's the real question." He stretched slightly, the toll on his body of this long day apparent as he felt his muscles ache with the motion.

 

[amlia]

"No." Anica answered simply, pausing to take another bite of the food. He eyes traveled from the food, up to Thaos, and then past him and to the fire. "I don't know how I did it." She confirmed, again thinking over the entire situation. She wouldn't be upset over it if she just knew how to control it. "I just.." She began before once again stopping to think it over.


Her head cocked to the side while she seemed to stare right through the fire. Did she feel anything? She could recall it. A step. That's all it took. Looking down, she ended up frowning, "I just.. took a step. Next thing I'm running. That's it." She didn't bother trying to go into detail on the situation. It surely wasn't needed, was it? The girl looked up his way for a brief second. She felt as though she might be able to talk to the man, but she wanted to show that she wasn't careless that way.


"Surely you're hungry." Anica mumbled, lowering her eyes again to her plate, "Don't let me keep you."

 

[Mullen]

"Any other time and you'd be right," he sighed, looking again to the fire pit. There was still plenty left of the meal, and the other rangers were all engrossed in their own plates. They all seemed glad to be through with this task, their mission finally accomplished. Being so close to the border between the two nations, especially as a group that was precisely known for spying and espionage, had put many of the rangers on edge. Now all of that pressure was finally released and a few small celebrations were taking place. Card games, forest songs, and small displays of talent as they molded a column of earth into more and more intricate designs, whittling it a piece at a time as each man made their mark. A few miles from the border now, they could let their guards down.


It all seemed so pointless to Thaos. This mission had been about breaking an alliance that had been in place for far too long to be thrown away in such a flagrant way. He had followed his king's orders and would continue to do so: at his heart, he was still a soldier in the king's army. But he did not see the logic in kidnapping a member of a royal family, inevitably plunging that alliance and peace for conflict and war. It just did not make sense. The others, though - they did not need to know who their captive was. Let them have their celebration.


"But, if you'd like some privacy, I'll give you some peace." He stood in a single motion, quick and agile, and brushed off his cloak. He started towards the fire and brought a hand to his forehead. Why were they doing this? Why did she have control of earth?

 

[amlia]

Anica blinked while his voice came again, followed by his sigh. Thaos was clearly quite frustrated as well, and she fought the urge to ask questions. Questions like where exactly they were, where they were going, why they were interested in her and what would happen to her when they got there.


That was one thing she intentionally didn't spend much time thinking over. She caught herself several times wondering what was going to happen. They were allies, so why were they the ones so desperate in kidnapping her? Surely the alliance would be broken when her father found out.


What caught the girl's attention next was the way that the pillars were being formed. She paid special attention to their formations and how they were done. When Thaos made his leave she was left to finish her food, and when she did she found herself standing from the tent. She pushed her hair back over her shoulders and brushed herself off. She left her cloak in the sent where she sat, and now wore just the shirt and pans she had underneath. By now most were done eating had gone to doing their own thing. Anica set her plate where a majority had left theirs and stepped over toward where one of the larger pillars were. The girl circled it, keeping to herself, and reached out to touch one of the patterns. She could do this.

 

[Mullen]

Thaos sat by what had been the cooking fire, poking it idly with a stick and watching some of the embers flicker with renewed vigor. He tossed the stick in and watched the fire consume it with a huff, staring intently into the blaze. It was not going to last much longer without additional kindling, so the men who would be keeping watch had started to gather a pile near the fire. Thaos turned his head to see Anica approaching one of the columns that had been carved, and tilted his head.


She seemed curious about her new powers, but had made no effort to talk about them. She had been avoiding the topic as much as possible. But now, that curious nature had seemed to take over and propel her onward. "You probably should leave that alone," he said softly, walking to join her at the column. He admired the ruts and divets that covered its surface and mimed the motions that he would have used to make them. "A lot of men are very, very particular about their work. We have a long journey ahead of us on foot, and I wouldn't cross any of them."


He started to walk away, back to the fire, and motioned for her to follow him. There was a clearing here that remained untouched; with the camps activities winding down, practicing so close to the fire would be safe enough. "So, make your own." He sat back on the log and watched her, waiting for her to begin. He was anxious to see what she could do without any guidance... if anything. He could teach her this much, at least, if she needed the help.

 

[amlia]

She turned her head only the slightest bit when she felt Thaos move beside her, though her eyes never left the intricate patterns. Not until he spoke and told her to leave the pillar alone. She soon focused on the movements of his hands while he seemed to be miming the motions. Frowning, her arms crossed over her chest. Half just a thing with her body language, and half to keep from trying to duplicate the movements and accidentally mess with the designs.


"I wouldn't," Anica assured him, catching his figure before her. The glowing fire behind him left him looking as if he were just a shadow. When he moved, however, more details became visible and she noticed him beckoning for her to follow. Cautiously, she walked with the man to the clearing, stopping near the center.


She seemed confused. Make her own? How? "I can't." Her answer was simple and she turned back to look at Thaos while uncrossing her arms. "I've tried, and I can't."

 

[Mullen]

When Anica insisted that she tried and could not, Thaos stood and walked over to her again. "If I had asked you to yesterday, you would have said it was impossible. So, at the very least, it's changed from an impossible task to one you just can't do. And what is that? Do you give up so easily?"


The questions were rhetorical; Thaos did not expect an answer. She had the ability, and while carving earth precisely would not come easily... creating a column of earth was a simple trick. One of the reasons that it was done for celebrations was for precisely how easy it was to do: it was symbolic. One of the very first actions that an earth adept is taught, mixed with the control and focus required to make beautiful art of it. The patience that Earth was known for.


"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have been trained your whole life to control water with no results. If your family is anything like the royal family I'm familiar with... they looked down on you. Even a child would have had basic control, and you're a woman now. So you're discouraged... I understand that. But you were trying to bend steel with your bare hands. All of the elements control differently, and you learned the wrong way for YOUR element." He paused, letting his words sink in. "So tell me - you can't do it, or you won't try again?"

 

[amlia]

She didn't look at him as he moved, and continued to avoid the eye contact even as he began to spoke. She eyed the ground instead, baffled by the fact that this is what she's supposed to manipulate. For nearly eighteen years she was taught that water was hers, and nothing other. She was drilled again and again on the art of controlling liquid. The complete opposite of this. And here she is being taught to deform the ground she walked on.


Anica's gaze shifted his way, but didn't meet his own until he mentioned her family. Her family. She pushed them out of her thoughts as quickly as they entered and instead focused on what he was saying after. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment in thought while she pondered his final question. They both knew the answer to that. She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't go through the embarrassment of failing again.


"I don't even know where to begin," She found herself saying after a moment, returning her attention to the Ranger. "I don't know how I did it. I was angry, and all I did was step." She explained, finding her arms now crossed. She didn't bother going into detail with the near-stranger, but gave him that much. After chewing on her lip she let out a breath, "Will you show me?"

 

[Mullen]

From his position by her side, Thaos looked down to her. That spark that he had followed to find her initially was steady as a heartbeat, and it had become more and more apparent with every hour. She had more power than she knew, and likely more than Thaos knew. He had never seen a power grow so fluidly, so quickly. He admired it, but at the same time felt himself an unworthy teacher. He had never taken on a student before, preferring his solitary lifestyle, and to take one with so much unrealized promise was daunting.


But he would not be her teacher, not really. Simply showing the methods and teaching her the very basics of control did not make him a teacher. He would deliver her to the capital city, as he was commanded, and from there their interactions would end. In the meantime... her power was like a flood, its torrents pressing hard against a dam. Perhaps teaching her that control would be enough to keep the dam intact.


"Yes, I'd be glad to show you," he said calmly. "I do not know what you have been taught so far... but it will not help you. You have made small attempts and declared yourself incapable, but the very first thing you must learn is patience. Close your eyes." As he intoned the command to close her eyes, he closed his own. "And now, be silent. Control your breathing. Let yourself grow calm."

 

[amlia]

She could sense his hesitation after she asked him to show her, but kept her mouth shut all the same. She knew that what she was asking of him wasn't his job, but at the moment he was the only one she had any form of trust in to ask. She wanted to learn not only for herself but for the safety of anyone else she crosses paths with. The girl knew the power was there, and she could nearly feel it bubbling up inside of her as if it needed to be released. Learning to control this was the least she could do about it.


Anica smiled some to herself when she was told he'd love to and soon obeyed by allowing her eyes to shut. Patience was something that at times, she didn't have. Silently, she focused on her breathing and carefully slowed it. The thoughts that had been leaving her so on edge and such for some time slowly seemed to disappear.


It took some time, but the feeling was soon one she seemed to have forgotten. She was relaxed, and her mind was clear of what had been digging at it.

 

[Mullen]

Even with his eyes closed, Thaos could sense that Anica was finally growing calm. The air around her grew less tense, and her form almost seemed to shrink. That was what Thaos had been hoping for - finally, maybe, she would be able to make some progress. All of those reservations that she had about being able to control her power had been holding her back; doubt was not something that could be ignored easily.


"Now," he intoned softly, his voice smooth and peaceful. "Think of what you are trying to accomplish. The earth around you wants to obey you, it yearns for it. It is not coercion, and it is not force..." He let out a slow breath and opened his eyes, watching Anica. This part was what interested him most. "It wants to obey," he repeated. "Put your hand forth and give the ground new form." The hand motion was an anchor between her thoughts, wishes, and reality. For most adepts of earth the hand motions remained that anchor forever - but the movement was trivial to Thaos.


He waited, breathlessly, for her to make the attempt. If she could manage it on her first try... He pushed that thought aside. Nobody, even with proper training and preparation, could do so.

 

[amlia]

She wasn't impatient while waiting for further instructions. Somehow she manages to do exactly what she knew he wanted. Her breathing slowed and softened, and she was soon relaxed. So much so as she could possibly go to sleep standing right there. her mind was clear of all the emotions and thoughts she had before. Fear, confusion, frustration- gone.


His voice came again, and it was like water to her. Smooth, calming. She was away of what he was saying, though she didn't open her eyes. She didn't move- not until he told her to. Her hand slowly raised, and she felt it. It was a feeling she wasn't familiar with. A feeling that nearly frightened her. But as soon as it was over, and as soon as the sound of earth crackling and elevation was over, she craved it again.


The girl opened her eyes to find the pillar before her. The deformed earth was not as smooth or shaped as the other pillars, but it was there and there because of her. She wanted to throw her arms around it and hug it as if it were another human being, but the only thing that expressed that feeling was her eyes. She was afraid to lower her hand. Afraid that maybe if she did she wouldn't be able to do it again. "I did it,"Anica breathed and her eyes went to his for a brief second, as if to wait for his approval.

 

[Mullen]

Thaos could feel the ground start to respond, slowly cracking and quaking in almost imperceptible ways. Simply the action of raising her hand, the moment her fingertips had crept forward and up, had started the ground moving. Before there was any tangible motion he already knew: Anica had succeeded. Moments later the pillar sprang forth with the familiar sound of earth being molded, and he was struck with awe.


I did it. Without knowing, without truly knowing, how spectacular her showing had been she did not even understand the implications. She was a natural. This was not some blessing, handed down from generation to generation because somehow the family had pleased a god in the past: this was a girl who had been hand picked for this ability by a divine.


"So you did," Thaos said after a short pause to admire her work. Without much pomp and without any praise, he crushed the pillar back into the ground. "You know the methods now. Do it without using your hands". He did not consider anything beyond her: she had made it seem as effortless as breathing. When he had finally discovered the method to avoid the hand motions it had been an epiphany; he wondered if she would consider it normal. If she could do it at all.


Even if she could not, it was almost assuredly followed by the word 'yet'. She was clearly more advanced than simply learning to move earth... Advanced techniques would be the way to go, once she had greater control.

 

[amlia]

Her hand balled up into a fist and her arm retracted back to her side while her work was seemingly ruined. Her eyes followed it until it was gone, then shifted in Thaos's direction when he finally spoke again. Without her hands? Earlier she witnessed the man use his when he was so intent on trapping the lot in that cave of his. She was about to call him crazy when she stopped again, figuring it's probably possible.


Anica slowly returned her focus to the plot of bare land before her, previously bend and elevated at her will. Quietly, she took a deep breath and shifted on her feet. She didn't want to do this, but she did at the same time. She needed it. Closing her eyes again, she followed the same instructions as he gave her before, relaxing and focusing again. Nothing. Nothing happened, and after a moment she peeked.


The girl began to tell Thaos that she couldn't do it, but stopped herself yet again. She wouldn't allow him to see her giving up on it. She had done too much of that in the past. The girl tried again, following the same procedure. Before long the ground cracked again, showing signs of doing just as it had done before. Her dark eyes snapped open again to watch the Earth but as soon as she had, the movement was terminated. The ground warmed into mere dull spikes protruding just a few feet from the ground. She shook her head, but seemed proud.

 

[Mullen]

Even the smallest motion would have been enough, a slight rumble or a crack. Without any prior experience, without any formal learning, and without any practice she had nearly done it. Anica was as much a natural as she was perplexing. He moved quickly to her side, almost giddy with excitement. Seeing someone who was so in tune was so rare he doubt it had ever been witnessed or discovered. He went to place his arm on her shoulder to encourage her, but thought better of it and recoiled: she was still a member of a royal family, and that meant something to him.


"Well, without trying to give you too much of an ego... I'm amazed. There's no point in trying to hide it, because honestly you deserve the praise. That was breath taking." He crossed his arms slowly and took a step back, watching her closely. "You really don't need anyone to show you anything. With patience, you'd be a better off as self-taught."


It was a stroke of luck that she was attempting to run away even as they had found her. Having to subdue her, and force her on their path would be tricky. Doable, but tricky. He hoped she continued to follow of her own will.

 

[amlia]

That little movement of his arm left her waiting, but the touch never same. She wouldn't have minded it, and even may have welcomed it. In face it would have possibly been something reassuring to her.


"Breath taking?" She repeated, still eyeing the ground. She stepped forward to poke the form with her foot as if to test it. "I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that." Anica admitted, "It doesn't even make sense that I can."


The girl turned back to him as if suddenly remembering something. Curiosity was clearly written over her face. "Where are we going?" The question was careful, almost fearful. She wanted to know, but at the same time she didn't. "Why am I here?"

 

[Mullen]

Anica's question was a fair one, and he wanted to answer - the simple truth of it, however, was even Thaos did not have all of the information. But he had started to connect the dots.


"I am taking you to my capital city, under the orders of my king. We were told where to be, we were told to wait, and you came along. How they knew what was going to happen is anyone's guess. That's the where of it, and all I know of the why... I wish I knew more." He frowned slightly, lowering his head as he started to think again. All of the excitement he had had was whisked away, replaced with doubt.


"After what I just saw, I can see why we're taking you there." He nodded once, a gesture that seemed more resolute than he actually felt. "The finest earth adepts in the world are there, and not just practitioners like me... theorists, and historians. My best guess is that I'm taking you to my king because they knew what you were before you did."

 

[amlia]

She listened quietly, soaking this in. It comforted her, in a way, to hear that they were under the Kings orders rather than any others. However, it was intimidating as well. What would the king want with her? Surely not just a friend.


Anica found herself looking at him intently, as if he held the answers and wasn't telling the entire truth. She accepted it though after thinking. It made sense that the King wouldn't feel the need to explain himself. "That wouldn't make sense. How would they know before me?" The frustration grew again, and it was clear that she was tired on top of it.


"I was born with the blood of Thalassa. Certainly not Dagan." Her words were bitter, spat. "This-" she motioned in the direction where she practiced, "Isn't right. And I can't figure out if going to your capital city is right either." Anica caught herself and lowered her voice, forcing it to soften, "Our realms are at peace with each other. Do you have any idea what happens when it's discovered that I have been kidnapped under orders of one man of the two expected to work on keeping that peace?"

 

[Mullen]

As Anica spoke, those doubts that he had momentarily pushed aside continued to keep coming back. It became, once again, about following orders that he knew would thrust their nations into war. "Yes, I do know," Thaos snapped at her. "I've been struggling with it since I saw you. I know we're supposed to be allies, and I wish I had more answers." His form sank slightly, his fists becoming tight fists as his frustration finally boiled over.


"I'm sorry. Just... do my the favor of returning to your tent," he said slowly, bringing a hand to his forehead and caressing it slowly. "We have a long journey ahead of us, and a long day tomorrow."


He let his cloak encompass his entire body as he moved towards the tent, waiting for Anica to follow.

 

[amlia]

A certain amount of anger flashed in her eyes while he snapped at her. Half of it was due to the fact that the only one to ever speak to her in such a way was her father or her brother on occasion. The other half was the idea of this man blindly following the orders.


Anica was still there while she spoke again, "So you're willing to be the very reason for this war?"


She stood as Thaos turned to walk away, inspecting every move he made. Fear is what kept her in place. If she ran, where would she go? She wouldn't be welcomed anywhere. And if she stayed? She was afraid of what was ahead. She wanted nothing more than to run from this place but she knew the consequences, and instead stood in a position between following him and taking off in the other direction.

 

[Mullen]

Thaos turned back to her, shaking his head slowly. "No, if I had a choice I'd be returning you to your home. But as soon as you ran away, the damage was done. Any choice there would be right now was ripped from my hands." He made no move towards her, but held his ground. Without being aggressive, he was still very imposing.


"I don't claim to have all of the details. I'm a soldier, your grace. But I know what I know. The question is, do you?" He cocked his head slightly: the question was more rhetorical than anything. There was a chance she had followed his logic this far, from when he had first started to speak with her when they made camp until this moment, but she could not be privy to his thoughts. "I know that you are unique," he started, pointing a finger in an almost accusatory way towards her. "In history, as much as I'm aware, no other royal has ever been born outside their family's element. That means that nobody would believe you ran away on your own... even though you did."


"I know that your father, or one of his guards, will find... whatever it is you caused, and you missing alongside it. We're taking the blame before we even got involved." His words were becoming sharper, and what almost seemed like resentment was starting to worm its way through his voice. "You could have stayed in that cart, running from your problems, and the result would have been the same. That war you're going on about - it's not me that caused it," he paused a moment, glaring at her. "It was you."

 

[amlia]

He was good, she needed to admit. As much as she hated and wanted to spit at the thought of thinking such a thing, Anica needed to admire the way he seemed to come back at her words so quickly. He did it so well that she nearly flinched. The girl shifted uncomfortably on her feet, that being the only sign that his words managed to work their way underneath her skin.


"Me?" She scoffed. "I ran away, yes, but last time I checked I'm the one being dragged along to your precious capital." She spat the words at him, and without even realizing it had approached. She stopped a few feet short of him when she caught herself. She didn't care that he would take her home if he had the choice. She didn't care where she was. She was doomed with anything. Anica had shoved his pointing finger away from her and stood before him. She wanted to push and shove, and to spill over with all the anger and frustration that had built up over the years. Only now all these new emotions were thrown into this.


She caught herself gripping his cloak as if out of anger, but when her eyes fell to it her face softened and she resisted the urge to drag herself closer and cling to him. Not necessarily because she'd admit she didn't loathe him but because she didn't know what else to do and it was no secret that she was more than just angry. Letting go of Thaos and stepping back as if she had just touched a burning flame, the girl swept her fingers through her hair and wordlessly stepped past him and towards the tent.