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_ Tempest _
Paradise sighed, shaking their head at Winter before gazing at everyone. They then turned to me and softened their expression. "I'll try my best to explain the ... wind elemental sides of things in the way where ... I was taught the nature elemental instructions to you. So listen closely."
I nodded and began to wait patiently for them to start. They breathed in and out, opening their mouth to speak. "As all elementals, they have elements flowing through them when they are first born with them. They connect with their elements to cherish and manipulate it in their hands or paws to use it for their own benefit; or to others if one were to have a kind soul. I'm sure you know that Wind Elementals are connected to the winds and the air all around us. You can feel the wind going past you and all around, probably even seeing where it goes rather than just invisible sights of it. One way to connect right into your element is to close your eyes and feel the wind around you. Let's see which random pathways of the winds take you in this world." They instructed, nodding their head once to me.
I slowly nodded and closed my eyes with little hesitation. ... I think ... I can do this without messing up. I took a breath in and released it a second later. I repeated this step until I was in a relaxed state. The state allowed me to hear quiet voices, filled with peace at first before fading away from the wounds of the winds passing by me every other minute. They sounded like regular winds when you hear them breeze by. However, those sounds faded away and I could hear their howlings all around me. Some winds were loud from a far distance and a few winds were gentle and quiet like a leaf floating through a tranquil forest. ... I never realized winds can be heard as howlings ... do other ... wind elementals hear this? It's ... really ... weird that it sounds like this. It's not a wolf's howl, just ... something different.
"Yeah ... but that's just how it goes."
... That didn't sound like any of the group's voices. I opened my eyes and blinked with confusion at the sight. Where ... was that? I turned my head over to the spot, seeing no one besides me. "Ugh ... Why did Aurora banish her sister again? Aloe didn't do anything but just train us to be the strong folks we are!"
"I don't know man. I tried asking her but ... she wouldn't let me."
"Darn it."
... Am I hearing those folks from across the arena? I stared at three folks from across the arena, moving their arms around as if they were. One swirled and I could hear his frustrated sigh. "Why don't we just go up there and figure out the real question? Is she really putting her people in horrible conditions?"
"Dude! You know that's a lie! If we were in horrible conditions, then everyone here would be sick. Everyone gets checks up with Perviuan and she makes sure we do."
"... Then ... are you saying Bland lied about that?"
"Of course! I know ... he's ... goofy and ... weird but the conditions we live in currently don't add up to his claims."
"He has a point, Torrent."
"Right, right. My apologies-"
"Tempest?" I blinked out the conversation and turned over to Paradise who was waving a hand in front of me. "You okay there?"
I looked confused. ... Don't I only hear folks' conversations if I think about the person in my head? Not ... random ones? Do the winds allow me to hear everyone's conversations? Even if I don't know them? That's ... that's really shocking. "... Do we need to take a break?"
"No. I'm doing fine." I told them. "Just ... listening to some ... things..." I trailed off, hearing some creepy and unsettling howling. I gazed up at the fog, assuming the fog makes those invisible sounds to non-wind elemental folks. This also makes me assume that the Tall Hike Forest is not a so safe place as it claims to be. I slowly lowered my head to Paradise who tilted their head before looking up to see what I was looking at. Suddenly, I heard wings beating so close and I immediately turned to my left with a flinch. I narrowed my eyes and stared at the fog past the group. It ... sounds like someone was hovering in between the trees, hiding behind them.
"Okay. What are you looking at now?" I turned my head back to Paradise to ask that with their hands on their hips. "You've been looking in three different directions."
I gave them a dull look. "... What do you think Wind Elementals do with their winds?"
"... I don't know ... control it?" They asked.
"Yeah. That's the common type of answer." I grumbled. "I was listening to the sounds the winds were collecting."
"...huh?" They looked confused.
I stared at them. "You told me Wind Elementals, in your guess, connect to the wind. Wouldn't you think the wind connects to the corners of where the winds track its movements and what it hears?"
"Oh. Yeah. Just ..."
"Let's not logically try to figure it out." I interrupted them, waving my hand in the air. "I was listening to a conversation from across the arena, some ... angry fog and someone hiding in the fog between the tall trees," I answered their question a few minutes ago.
"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" They asked, folding their arms.
"... Well, I thought an elemental, such as yourself, would predict what other elemental types do with their elements, but I guess I'm the only one who does that," I answered, giving them a dull look.
"You can't expect much of me when it comes to the other elementals. We only learn about nature and that's our purpose as elementals. To learn our own elements." They told me. "It's just how it goes."
... You could learn instead of focusing on what your element is. It's not like controlling it, it's knowing what each elemental can do with their elements. I sighed quietly. "ANYWAY. It seems like a useful ability. Wished we could have KNOWN it sooner so that WE could have---"
"Shush dear." Tyler cut Winter off from speaking anymore. I turned to them, seeing Tyler annoyed at her with his arms folded. tightly. Winter gave him a glare and a look of 'how dare you told me to shut up.' Disappointment is already slipping into my mind for her. I turned back to Paradise who waved their hands in the air quickly to get out attention. "W-Well ...! It's still a useful ability, regardless if you didn't know before."
I saw Tyler cover Winter's mouth when she was about to say something else. She tore his hand off of it and glared at him. Paradise turned back to me, shaking their head slightly. "Back to the lesson, you should stay in your lane of learning the element you can control. Not others." They told me.
"Nah."
They sighed with their head lowered before shrugging. "Alright fine. Moving on..." They trailed off, rubbing their hair slightly before continuing. "I'm sure ... you know elementals can manipulate their elements in an advanced way, rather than to use it as a weapon of such."
"Seen it multiple times when your brother was riding on a plant stem---"
"WE do not talk about that." They hissed quietly. "Why are you making me mad?"
"... Okay, continue," I spoke, crossing my arms. I was just adding to what nature elementals can do with the nature. I ... don't know what's wrong with that statement. Unless you're mad that I included your brother, which ... is ... partly understandable in some cases. I also spoke fastly because Winter was about to say something else ... why can't you ever shut up about your opinions, Winter? This isn't about you.
"Thank you." They sighed. "You can control your element by saying certain words to command it. For example." Paradise spoke as their eyes glowed a green tint. "Nature of the lands, hear my call to grow a tall flower from the woods of this platform." I slowly looked down as a stem of a plant was growing right beside them, up to their height, and blossoming into an orange flower. "You don't have to say it like that ... I ... don't know what the catchphrase for Wind Elementals is. Probably ... the sky gods or something..."
I saw a few of the members of the group gasping in awe at the growth of the plant before frowns appeared on their faces when the plant shrunk away into the cracks. I gazed back to Paradise. I slowly nodded, saying no words as they stared at me. "... B-But! You can also think it in your head if ... you don't want to say it out loud. Also, it's how I commanded the plant to grow right beside me!" They added on, sounding awkward.
I slowly nodded, looking down to think. ... Catchphrases huh? Well, it certainly won't be speaking to a god, Paradise. But that's how your culture was. ... Hmmm, would they simply say my winds or just Winds? I think ... I want to try just "winds" instead of my winds because it's easier and ... I don't own any wind here. I slowly nodded and gaze up at Paradise. Let's try it then. I turned to the others, speaking the command in my head slowly. Winds ... breeze through these folks ... right beside me ... uh ... in a gentle motion until ... I tell you to stop.
I gazed back to Paradise who looked more awkward than before, "... Um ... I think ... for this training lesson, just say it out loud." I narrowed my eyes at their hair breezing a lot more than usual. I turned over to Sutato who had his book open. It was turning pages repeatedly as he tried to stop the pages from turning. I saw Setchi lean in and eyed them too before lifting his head up and turning to me.
"Is this your doing, Tempest?" He asked, looking back at the pages before appearing to be in heaven. "These...- we were-... I'm not..."
"The winds are cuddling us!" Bambi chirped, trying to hug the air by wiggling in Seiro's lap. Seiro narrowed his eyes down at the kid, wiggling his ears slightly.
"... Or ... not..." Paradise spoke quietly, giving me an awkward smile.
"It was working fine, don't worry," I told them. "Now, all that is left is ... what I can do with them. Which ... I don't know much of what I can do." I added on. Stop winds. I saw Setchi frown at the lack of wind breezing by him as I held back a snicker.
Bambi gasped as I turned to him. "Can you make me float?!"
I turned my head over to the kid who jumped out of Seiro's lap and ran over to me. I eyed him down, "... I don't know."
Seiro stared at him, lowering his ears slightly. "Why do you want to float?" He asked.
"Tempy said that he doesn't know what he could do. So ... I wanted to see if he can make me float!" Bambi answered, swirling around to face him.
I turned my head over to Paradise whose face was very nervous. "... Uhh ... Bambi why don't you-"
"Maybe we can come up with what you can do for a bit," Setchi suggested, interrupting Paradise.
"I think that's a good start to this." Tyler nodded, getting up to his feet.
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...
Paradise glared at the two before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Alright! Fine." They grumbled, turning to glare at me. "We can test Bambi's idea out IF you can be gentle with him. Because you don't- I swear, I will do UNHOLY THINGS TO YOU." They were up in my face as I flinched from the threat, getting flashbacks to what Aloe did to me.
"I don't think that was the right ... thing to do..." Seiro said, shooting a glare at Paradise.
"Oh please, he's fine." Paradise rolled their eyes.
I slowly stepped back, feeling the fear rise within me as I winced at breathing. "No. He's not." I heard Setchi as I saw him bolt over to me. "Tempest! Relax! Paradise is not Aloe. Relax!" He whispered to me softly, rubbing my back. I flinched from the touch but I slowly nodded, trying to breathe at a slow pace.
"Okay. New rule, don't get into someone's face and threaten them." Seiro declared.
"I was just playing!" Paradise argued.
"But ... that still triggered my brother's past ... experience anyway!" Purity argued back. I sighed quietly, nodding to Setchi before he gave me a soft smile and slowly padded back to Sutato. I could see the worry in Sut as I displayed a reassuring smile at him. It was ... just a slight panic. Nothing to ... be worrying about.
Paradise grunted, rolling their eyes. "Fine. My mistake."
Bambi frowned at all of us, "... Big Sib, no big meanie to Tempy. Please." He told them.
"As long as he doesn't annoy me." They spoke. ... Okay. Done deal. But ... does that mean- no, I'm not going to think about it.
Bambi huffed, turning towards me. "Make me float! ... if ... you want." He frowned at me, looking guilty.
"It's alright. It's not your fault, kid." I told him, stepping closer to him before halting. He still was filled with guilt but displayed a smile up at me. I softened my eyes, smiling back down at him before thinking of the command. Winds ... best to be gentle with the kid when you lift him off of the ground. Only a little, please. I tilted my head slightly as I felt the winds breezing past me and soon I saw the outlines of them. They swirled below the kid's foot and soon lift him off slowly as Bambi gasped, and looked around as he smiled brightly. "I'm flying! I'm flying Big Sib!" And soon he was moving his arms around like a bird.
... Should have warned him ... but ... I think I was a little too late on them with my trouble stunt.
"I can ... see that, Bambi," Paradise spoke, nodding their head slowly.
"Now you just need wings and you'll be flying in no time!" Seiro grinned, casually walking over to me. He watched the kid try to swirl up but he just ended up upside down as Paradise panicked and turned him the right way up. "Seems like you have this under control." He spoke to me. "You sure you are okay from that small panic?" He poked my arm.
Surprisingly I didn't flinch from the poke, which confused me. "I'm fine, Seiro," I told him, turning to glare at him.
He narrowed his eyes at me. "... You don't like pokes?"
"I think your poke made me immune to my flinches," I commented quietly.
He snorted. "Naaaah, I think you're used to me touching you~"
"... It's easy to control the winds than it is to do things. But yeah, I have it under control." I ignored his comment and continued with what he first said to me.
He frowned before huffing. "Fine. Be like that." He gazed at Bambi having fun in the air while Paradise watch him with an eagle eye. He turned his head to me, "May I ask you a question though?"
"Better not be that flirt one," I said, glaring at him.
"No, no it's not." He shook his head. "... There was a time where you ... spoke to me inside of my head. Do you remember that time?" He asked.
I dropped the glare and stared at him, processing the statement he said. At the same time, I was trying to remember what he meant by that. I ... I don't remember that. "Do you remember what I said?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
"Yes." He nodded. "I always remember things that are different from you. This ... might be a new ability from you." He assumed, raising his brows before continuing. "You said something along the lines of, 'we'll remove whatever- no whenever Aloe is ... no longer a threat to us?' Yes. That. Do ... you remember that?"
"... Oh. It's ... it was the moment when we freed my sister." I said, nodding my head. I turned over to the kid who was now getting swarmed by Setchi, Sutato, and Carla, alongside Paradise still. I turned back to him. "I don't know what happened there and I don't know how to do it again."
"That's alright. We'll figure out what it was." He said, turning to the group. I slowly nodded and turned my head back over to them. I watched the folks watching Bambi spin around and around he goes, which almost made me step in because the kid was spinning too fast. But Setchi stop him, which saved my heart from having an attack. I sighed in relief, shaking my head. This kid is having way too much fun with my powers. I smiled softly before dropping it due to a cold aura right beside me. I turned my head over at a cold Winter who glared at me.
"I think it's time to stop playing with the weak."
"Excuse me? Bambi's not weak." Seiro growled at her. I stared with shock before twisting it into annoyance. What makes you think that?
"Children are weak. They do not know better than to control the power they hold in their hands." Winter glared at him. The issue here is that you know nothing of Bambi and you're just making assumptions out of your ass again.
"Why are you bringing this up?" I asked, grabbing her attention off him. "What does this has to deal with me practicing my powers?"
"I meant everything you are doing. We should go back to the house and finish off where we left off." Winter said.
"That's a you thing. I don't know if the others are-"
"It doesn't matter what the others think. It's what we need to actually do." Winter cut Seiro off. "This is stupid and unnecessary." Your impatience is stupid and unnecessary.
"Everyone decides on what to do from here on out. Nothing is ever decided by your rules, Winter." I told her, giving her a cold look.
"But it's-"
"It's stupid and unnecessary to you because it's not about you." I cut her off. "If you want to wait, you can wait at home so we don't have to hear your complaints."
"You shouldn't have this power at all." She hissed at me. "You don't know how to control it."
"So I don't, huh?" I asked, folding my arms while inching closer to her. "Then what do you think I should? Since you apparently know a thing about Wind Elementals." I added on. I don't think you do, Winter. You're just complaining for no reason.
"If I had it my way, You-"
"I would be training harshly by you? Nahhh, I wasn't raised like you Winter. You have to slam that statement into your head." I interrupted her, standing in front of her with a cold look. "You don't call someone weak just because you don't like it. You shouldn't have gone with us in the first place if it bothered you."
Winter clenched her teeth and grabbed my collar shirt, gripping it tightly as she pulled me to her face. "You don't know nothing."
I attempted to pull away but she just pulled me back which triggered my state of panic again. "Let me go please," I said, trying to pull away from her grip. I had my wings out as I could feel the tremble in my limbs.
"You're such a coward with this fear lingering with you." She hissed at me, holding her grip tightly on my collar shirt.
"Winter!"
"Why are you still troubled with the past? It's not happening right now." She continued on, making my collar shirt freeze to her hand.
"HEY! WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Paradise shouted, but that didn't even make her flinch.
"I... I just want you to let me go." I told her, trying to keep up a barrier so that she couldn't see my fear.
"I'd rather not. You deserve this for trying to act like a tough leader and then going out and becoming a coward for someone you're afraid of. Just seems like you're faking this all---" She was cut off when I swung a wing to her head, hitting her hard. She let go of me and collapsed to the ground as I tumble back, falling into someone's arms. I breathed heavily as I still tried to scoot back and away from the terror that caused this.
"It's okay. I'm here, you're safe now." I heard Seiro's soft voice as I sighed in relief, but I still felt tensed and stiff.
"... Is she knocked out cold?" Setchi asked, poking Winter's arm. She didn't give a response, she just lay motionless.
"I ... think so..." Tyler said, staring down at her with wide eyes. I breathed and snuggled right into Seiro's arms, still slightly trembling from the panic within me. He hugged me from behind, giving me a warm hug as I focused on breathing normally.
"Is Tempest okay?" Setchi asked Seiro.
"He should be." Paradise answered.
"Are you Seiro? No. So shut up." Seiro told Paradise off. "He's calming down but I think we should take a break from all of this."
"Agreed." Setchi nodded as Bambi was walking over to me.
"It's okay. Big Sib and Evil Ice Queen won't do no more. I will keep Evil Ice Queen away from you." Bambi told me, holding my hands with his tiny hands. I stared at him before slowly nodding, keeping quiet.
"Come on. Before she wakes up." Setchi said, guiding Sutato over to the combat arena's entrance. I noticed I was getting helped but Seiro did the same method as Setchi did. I also realized that I'm not that ... well control of my movements. It just seems like I just want to sit there and do nothing. It ... also felt like ... I was just watching everything play out without my words or ... like how every- Is something controlling me? Is this what it feels like to be possessed?
I don't know. If I was possessed, wouldn't my body be doing something evil and not ... nothing?
... I don't know what is happening.
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...
"I'm just gonna take this hot cup out of your hand and onto the table. How about that?"
I blinked and stared at the voice's host, looking at Seiro who put the ... object on the table. No ... that was a cup he said. I turned over to the table in front of us, staring at the cup that was steaming with steam floating up into the air. "And freeze your hands."
"Don't freeze his hands!" Another voice popped in and I turned over to it, staring at Paradise who was standing right next to me. "That would be ... mean to do that. And wouldn't it be painful for him to feel?"
"You're asking me that when he was literally burning his hands with the amount of heat that cup was generating. Explain that!" Seiro told them.
"... What?" I said, turning back to him.
"Okay fine, a little to cool his hands off," Paradise grumbled, watching them retreat to their chair. I blinked at the surroundings, taking in the view of the hang-out place. I narrowed my eyes with confusion before turning my head over to the cold temperature I was feeling from one of my hands. I stared at it for a moment, pulling it back as I saw the redness on the palm of my hands. "... Why was I burning my hands?"
"You were holding the cup when we told you it was hot." He told me.
"... Huh?" I spoke, turning to him with a confused look.
He perked his ears, looking at me with confusion. "... Did you zone out through that entire argument?"
"I think he zoned out before we even had that argument." I heard Setchi's voice fade in.
"So ... he never heard what I said." Then Carla's voice fade in and so did Tyler's a second later.
"Yep. That is what zoning out means, Carla."
"OH SHUSH."
"What did I miss?" I asked, too lazy or tired ... in this case to ask how we even got here.
"Well. Carla was complaining that we left Winter lying on the ground and she was trying to carry Winter back to our place. We didn't allow her to do so." Setchi explained.
"It was very cruel to you guys that it happened! What if she had a concussion?! What if her brain stopped working?! What if-"
"She'll be fine! A tough woman like her should know how to deal with things on her own." Tyler cut her off, sounding annoyed.
Carla slowly turned to Tyler, who was sitting next to her on the couch across from mine. "... Uh ... On her own?"
"Yeah. I decided that we both needed some time alone."
Carla frowned sadly. "Sorry for bringing it up again."
"No, no. It's not your fault. It was going to happen sooner or later." Tyler shrugged, acting like it didn't bother me or trying to seem like he didn't care. Though, I could faintly sense that he did and it affected him a lot.
"But ... but-"
"Winter didn't love me. It clearly showed over the years in the wilderness. And even after I got rescued. I ... I clearly thought that she did and she was happy to see me being freed from the humis. But I guess, she returned back to her old behavior in the wilderness. To put it simply, she basically treated me like you guys. Never really ... got more intimate than just a rare hug."
Carla frowned as I could sense better than before the atmosphere in this room. Everyone was sad and feeling guilty--- some of them were feeling guilty for what they'd done. "... That sucks she didn't kiss you," Carla muttered quietly.
"... eh, I ... was fine with it if she ... didn't want to." He lied, frowning with a nervous and hurt expression. "We didn't need to ... if she ... didn't ... want to." I could hear his voice breaking up as I felt guilt within me piling up. For ... hitting her? I don't know ... she had this coming, brain.
"That's rough buddy," Setchi spoke with a frown displayed. He was sitting next to Sutato, which was beside the couch that Tyler was sitting on. "Maybe she wasn't a good person to love."
"Setchi." Carla turned to glare at him.
"... Maybe he's right," Tyler said, nodding slowly. "I ... could always go looking for another day for another girlfriend. But for now ... I want to rest from that... or ... those lies that I told myself over the years."
Carla nodded slowly. "Okay. There's ... yeah, there's always another chance for love to blossom."
"As I said before, but I'm going to repeat it because I don't know if Tempest heard it or not, we are gonna continue the training another time," Paradise spoke.
"Maybe just you and him. It was fun watching you two but ... you seem to be annoyed with his answers." Setchi said, leaning back on the couch.
"I'd ... rather find ... a wind elemental to teach me the basics than ... you," I said slowly, turning to Paradise. "There ... were some things where ... we disagreed ... on ... I think ..." I added on slowly. I did mention that I didn't like how Paradise says only each type of elemental must learn their own and not the others. I must have.
"No. We didn't." They lied as I shot a glare at them. "We simply agreed on the fact that elementals should learn their own elements instead of other elemental's elements."
"Why the fuck are you lying when I can detect a lie from you?" I hissed, triggering a headache to occur. I rubbed my head. "Now's not the time to argue with me after I got out of a state like that!"
"It's the truth," Paradise said, looking annoyed at me.
"Do you want me to burn your bunny tail off, Paradise?" Setchi asked, breathing smoke out of his mouth. "I have enchanted hearing so I definitely heard what you said to him."
They were whispering that? It ... it- I don't remember them whispering it. Paradise narrowed their eyes. "It's a rule most elementals have and you should follow it too, Tempest. Or else, you'll just be looked down upon. Even your father."
"Oh shut up. He can live his life without rules." Seiro snapped at them. I blinked, widening my eyes. ... Does my- "Don't you dare think about that, Tempest." Jeez, it's like he read my mind. I turned to him. "I'm suuuure, your father is so different from this stupid rabolk," Seiro growled loudly with his ears pinned against his hair.
Paradise looked offended, grumbling to themselves. "You can't change that, Seiro. It's how we all go through this. It's how we respect other elemental's elements so that ... we don't break out into a war."
"Has it happened before?" Seiro asked.
"... I don't think so ... but the rule must be kept on top and he should follow it!" Paradise argued.
"Let's see when ... if we ever find Tempest's father ... let's see if he agrees with your rule," Tyler suggested.
"It doesn't-"
"SHUT UP." They flinched from their little brother's mouth. "I'M TIRED OF YOU SAYING THAT SISTER. YOU'RE SOUNDING LIKE MOM!" Bambi cried, running over to us and jumping in Seiro's lap. "I DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW A RULE. I DON'T WANNA-"
"Shhhh. Trust me, you don't have to." Seiro whispered to him, pulling him into a hug. "You don't have to." He continued to comfort Bambi, hugging him with warm arms.
You're a terrible sibling, Paradise. Even when you start to sound like your mother. I turned to glare at Paradise who looked hurt and shocked. "I..."
"Shut. You said enough today." I cut them off.
"They definitely did." A sudden unknown voice spoke. I froze as I assumed it was Aloe. It sounded like it came from behind me, so I immediately got up and turned toward it. Seiro did the same and carried Bambi over to Setchi and Sutato. Setchi grabbed Bambi and cradled the kid in his arms. There was no figure there, but the figure showed itself a second later.
"It seems like you mythics are having some trouble ..." The figure trailed off, looking like a demon more than my aunt. Which is worse. The demon grinned widely at Seiro before glaring at me. "Really some trouble times." It jumped at me, grabbing my neck and breaking through the table. It pinned me against the ground. Soon, I struggle against its weight after processing what just happened. The demon snarled, glaring down at me with hatred, filled with jealousy.
"And ... I'll make sure ... You're. Not. In. It."
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- End of Chapter 38
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