Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 58: Jasmine

I heard Roxy's call from across the camp just as I was cooling Tristan's wrists with a burst of icy water. His wrists were badly burnt, and I hadn't been able to get the manacles off completely, but they were mangled enough to have stopped working.

"You ready?" I asked him, meeting his mint eyes with my own.

He nodded weakly and tried to smile. "As I'll ever be."

I took his hand in mine, careful not to jostle the burn too much and pulled him across the battlefield at a run. Halfway across, I stumbled across something low and solid. A glance down revealed not the tree stump I expected, but burnt clothing and brown hair, but I couldn't bring myself to look more closely-or at any of the other figures that were now sprawled on the floor around us. I wouldn't be able to go on if I realised that we had lost anyone else.

I heard a manic laugh some way off to my right which let me know that Cinaer was still in the game. I glanced across and instantly regretted it-he was locked in battle with Brae. My body twisted right automatically, ready to go over and help, but Roxy had to have a good reason for calling me. Brae was strong. He could handle himself. I forced my feet to stay on course.

Roxy was waiting for us by one of the drakons with a thick metal chain in her hands. The creature was eying her suspiciously. I had never seen a living one before. This one was as large as a temple, with scales that glimmered like solid flames. Its eyes were a strikingly similar shade of brown to Roxy's and it watched us carefully.

"Whoa!" Tristan said, staring at it in awe.

"Don't you look so scared! You're supposed to be the drakon whisperer!" Roxy said, glaring at him.

"Me?" His eyes were wide. "I've never even seen one of these things before."

"But you can communicate with animals, can't you? Any animals?"

"I suppose..."

"Good. Stop it from trying to toast us while we work on getting the chain off. I don't want it to get spooked."

"What am I supposed to do?" His face was pale with fear.

"Tell it that we're not trying to hurt it? Ask it to stay calm? Control it like you did those lykos? I don't care what you say, just don't get incinerated!"

Tristan shook his head but turned his attention to the drakon, which watched him with keen interest.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, walking closer to the chain.

"Try striking the chain at the root-shoot where it's been anchored into the earth. I think if you hit it with a strong enough bolt, it should come up."

I let the charge build in my hand for a moment before firing it at the earth. There was a sizzling sound and a small cloud of smoke, which, once cleared revealed a gaping hole in the ground to the right of the chain. It shook slightly, but remained stubbornly fixed in place when Roxy tugged on it.

"Try again?" she asked, looking thoughtful.

I charged up once more and aimed for the other side, but the chain stayed solid. "The ground is too icy; I'm not having any impact!"

"I'm not sure you're using me to my strengths here!" Tristan laughed. I looked over to see him petting the drakon on the neck. The giant animal's eyes were closed, its fanged mouth curved upwards in a smile.

"Go ahead," I grinned, stepping back.

Tristan took his hands off of the drakon and aimed his palms at the floor, which began to shake and judder.

I nearly lost by balance, but as I fought to stay up, I saw the chain pull loose. The tremors stopped at once and Tristan turned back to the drakon, meeting its eyes once more before the mighty beast spread its wings and flew up into the air with a whoosh. The down beat from its wings sent me straight to the ground and the other drakons reacted angrily. They began to beat their wings too, trying to get away.

"Quickly, Tris!" Roxy called, still on her feet. "You need to free the others before they start to panic."

Tristan nodded and moved onto the next one.

"You stay with him and attack anyone who comes in his direction," she told me.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'm going to go and give Cinaer a taste of his own medicine." She grinned and then was gone, rushing into the battle in the direction of Brae and Cinaer.