Kacie
A smaller humanoid stood thirty feet behind the pile of dust that we left in our wake. It stood still and didn’t flinch as we made our way toward it. It looked just like the one I’d fought against but closer to my size. This one was small, really small. I slowed my pace until I came to a full stop but ten feet away. The difference between this mud monster and the one I’d faced during my training session with Jade was that it had eyes, just as the one I’d fought a few minutes ago. It was eery was it glared at me with eyes to seem to hold fire.
It looked at me, my face, my body and I swear it smirked at me. It opened it’s mouth and roared as it took off toward me. I called on the fire and it exploded in the palm of my hands and ran up my arms. It stood in front of me and I lifted my chin as I looked into its eyes. Large hands slammed together around me in an attempt to squish me but I threw my hands out away from me. My flames burned the hottest I’ve ever burned before. I would take no chances. I would not get hurt and I would not let anyone touch me.
It’s arms hardened where my flames touched and couldn’t move away from me fast enough. I wouldn’t let her get away and I wouldn’t let her touch me. I reached uot and touched, slapped, hit every part of the humanoid’s body that I could touch. It’s body had hardened in places that restricted it from moving it’s upper body. So the next thing to do was stop his legs. If I could do that then he wouldn’t be able to run away.
I opened both of my hands and yelled out from the pit of my belly as lava came shooting from my palms. It burned and sizzled as my lava made contact with the bottom half. With the monster fully immobilized there was just one last thing I needed to do.
Melt it.
It stood a few inches above me, not much taller, but it wouldn’t be a struggle to burn it’s head. All I needed to do was reach out and wrap my hand around it’s neck. I did this and it struggled as it tried and failed to get away. This was just one more monster that would be out of the way. Next we should be able to find the witch, the one who was responsible for the death of my people.
My hands heated as it obeyed me and the monsters neck started to harden and then crumble. Bits of dirt, like sand, started to fall apart and slide down it’s chest. I tightened my grip but noticed skin. I released it and stepped back in shock. There was someone inside of the mud monster. This hadn’t happened when I fought the one in my training session or with the one I’d faced just before.
“What is it?” Clara asked.
“What’s wrong?” Nyx asked.
“I’ll help,” Clara said as she took a step closer.
“There-there’s someone inside,” I shouted.
“That means nothing,” Clara said.
“Kill him,” Nyx said.
“That just means that the person inside is who we’ve been looking for,” Clara said.
“Kill him and the rest of the mud monsters will fall to the ground,” Nyx said.
Just as she said the words, the hardened mud covering the face of the monster crumbled, and fell off. Violet eyes glared at me from atop the body of the paralyzed mud monster. I gasped and the other two stood in shock as we looked into the face of our missing sister. Nyx and Clara fell silent behind me.
Jade.
“What have you done?” Nyx whispered.
“Why? Why have you betrayed us?” Clara cried.
“I’ve done no such thing,” Jade said. Her chin firm and her eyes burned with surety.
“Then what do you call this?” Clara asked. She motioned at the mud body and then the rest of the battlefield. Jade jerked her face to the left and the right and the rest of the mud fell from her cheeks. Clumps of mud and clay clung to her hair.
“I didn’t betray my sisters,” Jade said. She emphasized sisters. “I didn’t betray the sisters I hold dear to my heart. I didn’t betray the ones I’ve grown up with and stood by for years. I didn’t betray them, you, I protected you. I did this for you.”
“You say this as you wage war against our sister and her family? After you intended to squish her just moments ago?” Nyx asked. Hurt and betrayal laced her voice. “You’ve broken our one laws, one of the only ones we abide by!”
“We only have two laws!” Clara cried.
“She is not my sister,” Jade spat.
“She is as much your sister as I am,” Nyx yelled. “Look at yourself, Jade. Do you think you’re right? The gifts are against you. Do you think we could have won if we weren’t right? If you weren’t wrong?”
There was a current in the air or maybe it was in my body. It was hard to tell but I felt hot, my whole body felt hot. This thing, this heat I ws feeling was in my blood. Jade focused on Nyx, anger danced across her features and tears filled her eyes.
“SHE IS NOT MY SISTER! She is a mutt. She isn’t one of us! SHE ISN’T! I was as surprised as you, Nyx, when the call came! I couldn’t believe it but what blew my mind was how the two of you were eager to answer. What more, how ready you were to answer it! Why would we uproot our lives and leave the safety of our home to throw ourselves into the wolves den. FOR WHAT? For her? For someone who has only ever hurt Clara since their first meeting?!” Jade screamed.