The Prince of Ilios

Thirty-Seven

Rain drizzled out of the clouds, Alyn was answering back. Ellora shook her head, maybe the two boys were more alike than she originally thought. She looked back for Kendall, but the three had already disappeared. Nicola jumped up into a tree. Nissa used her wind to carry herself through the trees, in a readied stance. Ellora ran through the shadows, blending in with her surroundings, she jumped over fallen logs and roots, while ducking under branches. They had some distance to cover before they made it over to where Nicola thought the other team had gone.

They wanted to avoid the clearing, so they took a longer route to maintain tree cover. Nicola halted them, crouching. He pointed to outskirt of the clearing. Janel had taken up a vantage point at the top of a hill.

"Nissa, go get her." Nicola barely whispered, "We'll back you up if need be."

Nissa nodded. She seemed to blur in with the surrounding nature. Moving on the wind. It was hard for Ellora to make her out in the camouflage of foliage.

Ellora watched and listened for any noise, and feel of water as Nissa fought with Janel. Janel spied her just before she was near enough to attack. She launched the earth upward, sending Nissa tumbling through the trees. Nissa grasped at a branch and righted herself. She sent a blast of cold wind at Janel to shock her. Janel shook it off quickly, but not before Nissa knocked her down with another blast. Nissa stood over her, ready to jail her, when she lost her footing, as though it were quicksand.

"Let's go, she is going to need help." Nicola leapt through the trees once more, "It seems I underestimated Janel."

"Let's just hope the rest of the team is not so evenly matched." Ellora retorted.

Just as Ellora cleared another tree she was hit by a swinging branch. River. Nicola stopped, but she waved him on, "Help Janel first."

Water was not a good adversary for Flora, but she would have to make do. Tsunami's could certainly take out the plant life. The trouble was, she was surrounded by River's element. Ellora breathed, listening for any sound any movement as she stood to her feet, ready for the next blow. A slight whistle, another branch whipped across her back knocking her forward. Her timing had been off. She stood again. This time she sprang into action before the branch could whip upwards, catching her ankle. She leapt to the side. River appeared from behind the a tree.

"I hope you don't mind, but I am planning on helping my team here." River moved her hand and the roots lurched up from the ground, grabbing at Ellora. She jumped and dodged as many as she could. River sent more. Ellora took out a knife from a pocket on her thigh and grappled with the roots, cutting and slashing them, waiting for the right moment to show itself. River kept sending roots and vines up out of the ground, never stopping, willing them to catch on Ellora's feet. Ellora dodged to the left. She breathed, feeling the water in the air. River shot a vine at her, covered in leaves. It grasped at her hand. Ellora took her knife and hacked the vine, a little too slow as a root climbed up her foot and anchored her to the ground. "You dodge very well..." River was panting, "Your reflexes are truly amazing."

"Thank you." She began hacking at the root, but another vine came by knocking the knife out of her reach, "Not bad yourself." Ellora frowned. The smooth vines and roots contorted themselves to hold her in place. She was practically frozen, unable to move. But River was in worse shape. As she approached, Ellora could tell that she was out of breath, had used too much power. River raised her hand to tap Ellora, and put her in jail.

"Hey, River?" She had one shot. That was all the energy she could afford to give in the first round.

"Yes?" River froze.

"I'm sorry about this." Focus.

Water welled up around her in a great bubble, capturing her. River swam up to the surface of the water, sputtering, losing her focus. Ellora snapped through the vines and lunged at River. Her hand grabbed her shoulder, and River was put into jail. Ellora tried not to smile too triumphantly at her friend, she was only a hairsbreath from being in the same situation.