Chapter Nineteen
The Island Of Muwao
The ship seemed so empty now that Wyatt was gone. He had been there only a day ago, but now he was gone forever, and Mai just couldn’t bring herself to think of it. It had been she who had startled Wyatt and made him fall overboard. It had been she who wasn’t able to lift him to safety with her powers. Mai stood in her room, watching out the window as the dark shape on the horizon grew bigger and clearer. The island seemed so small compared to the last shoreline she had seen. She pulled up the hood of her cloak, half hiding her face. She just couldn’t believe it. Wyatt, who had always been there for her whether she liked it or not, was gone, lost forever in her element. She had never thought she could hate water, but as she sat down on her bed, she couldn’t have possibly hated it more. She was ashamed to have water as her power. Ashamed that she had not been able to save the only family she had left.
There was a knock on her door and she uttered a muffled “Come in.” The door opened slowly and Dakota stepped in. His face was calm, but his eyes were red; it looked like he had been crying.
“I’m sorry, Mai. It’s all my fault.”
Mai looked down at the floor to avoid his gaze. “It’s not your fault at all,” she mumbled. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
Dakota was silent, and Mai could hear his shallow breathing. “Mai, you can’t blame yourself for this…If I had been able to activate my Defensive Power, Wyatt would still be here.”
Mai felt her anger building up. How could Dakota say that it was his fault? “No!” she shouted. “No, it’s all my fault! I scared him, I let him slip, I couldn’t find him in the water, and I couldn’t save him with my powers! It’s my fault Dakota! My fault and no one else’s!”
There were tears rolling down her cheeks as Dakota sat down on the bed next to her. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He didn’t say anymore, he let her cry in silence. Mai heard footsteps outside the room and a second later, Celie walked in, holding a glass of water.
“I thought you might be thirsty.” She handed the glass to Mai, who took it with trembling hands.
“No,” she said, “I never want to see another drop of water as long as I live.” She handed the glass to Dakota who set in on the floor.
“Well, that will be hard considering we’re in the middle of the ocean and water is your power,” Celie said, smiling slightly. But it faded as Mai hung her head glumly.
“I don’t care! I’ll never use my powers again!” There was an uncomfortable silence as Celie sat down next to Dakota. Mai looked up at the ceiling, letting her hood fall down. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Wyatt, sitting beside her, telling her that everything would be fine, that everything would be alright, but his voice never came. She sat in silence with Dakota and Celie. There was nothing she’d like more than to turn back time and stop herself from startling Wyatt, from even going out on the deck at all. She had to face it, he was gone.
“We’re approaching the island, I should go and make sure we don’t run into any rocks,” Celie said, standing up. She walked over to the door, but turned around to face Mai. “I’m sorry, Mai. I really am.” Mai nodded solemnly and Celie nodded back, closing the door.
Dakota stood up too. “Do you want anything?” he asked gently. Mai shook her head. “Alright, well, I’ll be up on deck with Amo and Tito if you need me.” He opened the door and, giving Mai one last sympathetic look, closed the door, leaving Mai alone in her room.
After lying on her bed for what seemed like hours, she heard Dakota calling for her. She reluctantly got up and went to find him. She found him up on deck, looking excitedly at the island of Muwao.
“Look how close we are!”
Mai wrapped her cloak tight around her as the strong sea breeze blew over her. The island was much bigger than it had looked before. There were no people or buildings in sight; all that was visible were trees, and a tall mountain that looked to be in the center of the island. Dakota leaned over the rail and looked up at the tall mountain. “Wow, I can’t believe we made it!”
“Well…not all of us,” Mai said, pulling her hood back up.
Dakota’s face darkened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“
“It’s okay.”
He nodded and Mai noticed how strange it was not to see a smile on his normally cheery face. The ship pulled up as close as it could to the shore, and the anchor dropped. Celie came out of the cabin and helped everyone—including Amo and Tito—into the lifeboat. The lifeboat was lowered down to the water, and Dakota propelled it forward with a mixture of air and water powers. As the small boat sped towards the island, Mai felt very nervous about meeting more people from Solaria. She had never thought of what they would be like. She knew that Dakota and Celie were nice, but all the others she had met seemed to be different, even her family seemed to have a dark side. The boat was pushed ashore by the waves; it stopped as it got stuck in the sand. They all hopped out of the boat and stepped onto dry land for the first time in nearly a week. The tall trees loomed over them as they walked into the forest. There was no sign of life anywhere to be seen, though it was very beautiful here. There were many wild flowers, and the long grass made it look very peaceful.
“Are you sure there’s anyone on this island?” Dakota asked Celie. Celie tripped over a tree root and scowled.
“Yes, I’m sure! That GPS system said so. And it knows which islands are Solarian ones and which ones aren’t.” There was a noise from somewhere behind them, it sounded like a twig snapping.
Mai turned around quickly, but saw nothing. “What was that?” She turned around again as she heard the noise once more. “There’s something out there.” The others froze, not making a sound; even Amo and Tito were quiet. Then they heard a different sound, it was a woman’s' voice that echoed through the trees.
“NOW!”
Without warning, at least twenty people jumped out of the bushes and circled them, each one of them holding a sword or a spear. They were all wearing different colored robes, some pink, others white, green, or purple. Then, a woman in white robes stepped forward and spoke in a firm voice.
“Who are you, and what is your purpose here on the island of Muwao?”
Dakota drew himself up so he was standing at his full height. “I am Dakota, Chosen One from the Wind Tribe. This is Celie, Chosen one from the Light Tribe.” He gestured to Celie, who nodded. “And this is our friend, Mai, from the Water Tribe.” Mai inclined her head. “We’re here only to restock on food and rest for awhile, before resuming our quest to find the other Chosen Ones.” The people around them whispered to one another in hushed tones.
The woman in front of them said, “You, Chosen Ones? Where is your leader? I must speak with him.”
Celie shook her head. “It’s only us. There’s no one else.” The woman laughed, as did the others around them.
“Three children and their pets, traveling the world without adult help? I think not. You are lying. I bet you’re not Chosen Ones at all!”
Mai felt anger bubbling inside her. This is what she had been afraid of. They were all just like the Fire Tribe.
“I believe them!” cried a voice from behind the woman. The woman sidestepped to reveal a girl about the same age as Wyatt. She had short, blond hair, a white shirt and baggy pants. She was wearing biker gloves and a determined expression. All heads turned to her as she walked in front of the woman.
“Hervia, go home. I told you not to follow me,” the women said in her firm voice. The girl, Hervia as the woman had called her, shook her head.
“No, Mother. I followed you this time because I knew it would come to this. Mother, don’t you see? These are the ones the boy was talking about! It’s them; I told you that he was telling the truth. They are Chosen Ones!” There were more hushed whispers from the crowd as they thought over what Hervia had said.
The woman frowned. “If what you say is true, then I’m sure they will not mind demonstrating their two powers to us?”
Celie stepped forward. “Of course we won’t mind.” She raised her hand, and a small rock raised itself from the ground and flew over into Dakota’s hand. Celie tilted her head to the side, her eyes glowing. Mai knew what she was going to do before she’d done it. Black Light formed around the woman and lifted her five feet in the air, then disappeared and the woman fell to the ground, landing on her feet. Everyone cheered as Celie took a bow. Dakota showed them how high he could jump. He jumped up and disappeared in the trees, only to reappear a few seconds later, landing softly. He showed them—borrowing a canteen from someone in the crowd—how he could make a perfect Water Snake.
“I told you they weren’t lying!” Hervia said gleefully. The woman seemed to soften slightly.
“Why don’t you all come to our village and rest awhile. We will provide you with shelter and food. And we will give you extra supplies for when you take off again.” They agreed to stay for awhile, but said they could not stay long.
On the walk to the village, the woman said, “I hope you can forgive my behavior earlier. But we have to take extreme caution; the Fire Tribe has been sending spies to our island. They send soldiers here to collect supplies, or should I say, steal supplies. They sometimes take us away to work for them, though they never pay us.” There was an extra note of venom in her voice.
Mai looked down. “We’re going to put an end to all this. That’s why we’re trying to find the other Chosen Ones. The Fire Tribe is working for Romokka. We have to stop them at all costs.”
The woman sighed. “Yes, I know. And unfortunately, they are not the only ones sided with Romokka.”
Dakota’s head whipped around to her. “There are more tribes working for Romokka?! Which ones?”
The woman closed her eyes. “Some of the Mist Tribe, half the Light Tribe, most of the Metal Tribe, and almost all of the Sand Tribe. Every week, more and more people are siding with Romokka, though none of us know if they are surrendering, or just making a peace treaty. But we do know that we are going to lose this upcoming war if we keep losing people.”
Dakota shook his head. “I can’t believe it. They’re all helping Romokka! They’re traitors!” By now, they had come to a clearing in the forest, where there were many small buildings of varying sizes, lined in rows. The mountain was clearly visible from here, and the sky was starting to cloud over.
“Here, I’ll take you to your rooms,” said the woman.
Celie smiled. “Thank you miss.”
The woman shook her head. “Please, call me Zina.” She led them through the small town of Muwao and into an empty building with a large window.
“Here’s your room. I hope you’ll be okay here. We’ll have someone come by in a while with beds for you. In the meantime, why don’t you have a look around? There are many sights to see here. Please, make yourself at home.” She turned and left them to themselves.
Dakota rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. “Well…Amo, Tito, why don’t you guys go do something by yourselves for awhile. We’ll be in town if you need us. But stay together and don’t wander off too far.”
Tito jumped onto Amo’s back and he trotted out of the building. The other three decided to spend most of their time just walking around the small town. Everywhere they went, people ran up to them, asking questions or just staring at them.
“Let’s go in that shop over there,” Dakota said, pointing to a small building with a loaf of bread painted above the door. They walked into the shop, it was a bakery. There were many different pastries on display, and Mai imagined what Wyatt would do if he could have seen them.
“Oh boy!” he would have said. “Look at all of these! Look, custard doughnuts! My favorite!” Mai could just picture him running from one pastry to the next, trying to decide which one to eat first. A single tear fell from her eye, but no one saw.
“I wish we had some money to buy some of these,” Celie said, “but I left all my things back on the ship.”
A man in a floury apron walked up to them and said, “You don’t need to buy them, Chosen Ones. There on the house for you”
Celie and Dakota grinned. “Thanks, sir!”
By the time they left the bakery, they had a large paper bag filled with breads, and pastries. Afterwards, they went back to their room to find three beds waiting for them. Also, Hervia was there sitting on one of them. She smiled when she saw them.
“There you three are! I’ve been looking for you! When I couldn’t find you I thought I would just wait here for you to come back.” Dakota set the bag of goodies on one of the beds.
“What is it?”
Hervia stood up and walked over to the door. “There’s someone here that wants to see you guys. Come on, follow me!” she turned on her heel and walked out of the building, Mai, Dakota, and Celie right behind her. She led them through the shabby town to a large, cloth tent. She pushed aside the flap to reveal a single bed, with someone sitting in it. It was someone Mai had never expected to see again, someone she thought was gone forever. She ran forward and threw her arms around Wyatt, tears of joy pouring from her eyes.
“Wyatt, you’re alive!” Dakota shouted, running up beside his bed. Celie ran up next to him and they both stood and watched as Mai squeezed Wyatt to the point of suffocation. She had never felt so relieved. She finally let go of Wyatt, holding him out at arms length. She was at a loss for words.
She was only able to utter a single word. “H-how?” Wyatt smiled gently. There was a twinkle in his eyes.
“I washed ashore here, and Hervia found me, I was unconscious though. She took me here, and I woke up. She wouldn’t let me leave the tent. Said I needed my rest. I’ve been telling her all about our adventures, and I’ve been asking if you had arrived yet. I knew you were coming to this island, so I wasn’t too worried.” Mai pulled him into another tight embrace.
“I can’t believe it. I thought you were gone forever!” Hervia stood outside the tent, a broad grin on her face.
She walked up to the bed and sat down next to Wyatt. “I thought you would be happy to see him. If you want, you can leave your bed now, Wyatt. I’ll be waiting back at my house if you need me.” Wyatt smiled and nodded. Hervia returned the smile and walked out of the tent. Mai, Dakota, and Celie stayed in the tent with Wyatt for a long time. Mai did not want to leave his side.
Karan was sitting in the control room of his new ship, watching as his captain steered. Jee was standing on his right, reading a comic book. There was no way that the Chosen One could escape him. He had a whole army at his command now: fifty skilled soldiers awaiting his orders. And this time, Sam could not get in his way. The ship was traveling at an extremely fast pace, faster than Karan could have hoped for. They would soon be arriving at the Fire Tribe capital. It was all going according to plan. Soon, he would have the Chosen One and his friends as his prisoners, and he could present them to Soren, where he would be greatly rewarded.
He felt a rush of determination as he thought about these things. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Soren’s face when he told him that the Chosen One of the Wind Tribe was his prisoner. He couldn’t wait to see the reward that he would receive for his excellent job. Maybe he would even be promoted.
Wyatt spent the next day with Hervia. Mai only saw him a few times, walking around town with her. She hardly saw Dakota either. He was always too busy talking with the residents about his adventures. Celie didn’t like all the attention, and preferred to go off alone with Mai, who was feeling a bit left out, though her spirits had been lifted by Wyatt’s return. Mai and Celie decided to make plans for Wyatt’s birthday. They went to find Zina. They found her in the center of town, talking to the baker.
“Zina,” Mai said, approaching her as she walked away from the baker, “it will be my brother’s fourteenth birthday in two days, and I was wondering if we could throw him a party, just something small—”
“Nonsense! We’ll make it a big celebration with the whole village! If you’re looking for a present for him, I’d suggest going to Jim’s workshop. He’s got lots of things your brother would be interested in. I’ll get the party all organized; you just worry about his present. It’ll be a surprise party!”
Without another word, Zina walked off at a quick pace, leaving Mai and Celie stunned by her response.
Celie shrugged. “That makes things a whole lot easier. All we have to do is get his present. Now we can each get him our own, instead of sharing one. What does he like, exactly?”
Mai fingered her locket thoughtfully. “Hold on, I think we should both go to this shop together so I can see what they’ve got, then I can tell you what Wyatt would like. Let’s go find Dakota.” The two of them walked through the town, searching for the only person there with yellow robes. They found him with a large group kids, most looked about the same age Dakota. Dakota was telling them the story of how he and the others escaped from both Karan and a burning building at the same time.
“…And when I opened my eyes, I saw Karan dragging Mai off around to the other side of the house. But I was still too weak to get up. Then I heard voices, people shouting. A few minutes later Celie came around the side of the house and—Oh, hi Mai, Celie.” He smiled broadly at them, but Mai just shook her head.
“How many times have you told that story now? It sounds like you’ve got it down pretty well.”
Dakota pushed his way through the crowd around him. “Only a few times. What’s going on?” Mai told him about Zina’s offer and how they were going to get Wyatt a decent present.
When she had finished, Dakota opened his mouth to say something, but a small boy from the crowd around him said, “What happened after the girl found you, Dakota? Aren’t you going to finish your story?” The others around him all started talking at once, Dakota tried to talk over them all.
“Yes, I’ll finish my story, but then I have to go with my friends! Just calm down!” As soon as everyone fell silent, Dakota turned back to Mai and Celie. “Go ahead; I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Mai shrugged. “Okay then. See you later.” Celie followed as Mai walked away from Dakota and his admirers. As soon as they reached Jim’s workshop, Jim, the owner of the store, showed them around. He sold armor and weapon of all kinds. However, something that caught Mai’s eye was a sheath, with the Water Tribe insignia on it. The man gave it to her for free—after Mai had protested quite a bit—and even gave her a box to wrap it in. Celie got him a bag of smoke bombs.
“These are perfect for making a clean get away,” said Jim with a smile. “They make smoke so thick that it’s impossible to see through it, even during the day.”
Celie and Mai both agreed that these might come in handy later on. After they had both picked out their present, they waited outside the shop for Dakota to arrive. They waited fifteen minutes, but he still had not come. After ten more minutes, they decided he was not coming, so headed back to their quarters. Mai wondered why her friend had not shown up. It just wasn’t like him. Mai wondered if something was wrong, or if he wasn’t feeling well.
Wyatt walked along side Hervia. She had shown him around the town of Muwao, showing him all of the shops. And now, she was showing him the small park near the shore. It was on top of a high cliff overlooking the ocean. This park was very different from those Wyatt was used to. It had no play equipment or sand boxes, but instead had many nature trails through flowery meadows, dotted with tall, shady trees and small ponds. The mountain had a purple mist surrounding its highest peek. The place seemed so peaceful, and Wyatt felt at ease and completely relaxed. Hervia stood beside him as they looked over the cliff and out over the water. The gentle breeze ruffled her blond hair, and the sun reflected of her pale, blue eyes. Wyatt took a deep breath, taking in his surroundings.
Hervia sighed. “This is my favorite place on the whole island. I come here whenever I’m troubled. This place always seems to calm me.”
Wyatt closed his eyes and listened to the waves below them. “I can see why. This place is beautiful.”
Hervia smiled gently. “My great-grandmother designed this place. She said she needed a safe place; a sanctuary. She was buried here. Her grave is just over there.” She pointed to a small bed of white flowers. “Well, I think we should head back. It’s starting to get dark and your friends might get worried.” Wyatt nodded, disappointed they could not have stayed longer. He followed Hervia back along the dirt path and back into town. She led him back to his new room that he shared with his friends. He sat down on his bed, Hervia sat down next to him.
Wyatt looked down at the floor. “I don’t expect you to know the answer to this, but do you think my family is alright? I know how brutal the Fire Tribe can be, and I’m scared for them.”
Hervia’s expression softened. “As you said, I don’t know the answer, I can only guess. My guess is they will be held as a ransom for your immediate surrender. They will not be killed, but they will not be treated kindly. But whatever you do, never surrender. They will be kept alive, never lose hope.”
She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Wyatt was glad for her support, but was not entirely convinced. He hoped beyond anything that his family was alright. He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye to them. It made him feel awful. He missed them.
Hervia sighed. “I will tell you something, but you must promise never to tell anyone that is not from this island. It is alright to tell your sister and friends, but no one else. My mother is secretly chief of the Ice Tribe.”
Wyatt stared at her in surprise. “But, Hervia, that would make you—”
“A princess, exactly. That is why you must not tell anyone. It would put both me and my mother in danger.”
“What about your dad?” He knew he had gone too far, and wished he could take it back.
“My father was killed by a Romokkin warrior who came here one day to collect some of our weapons. When my father refused, he was beaten to death, right there in front of me.”
Wyatt would have never guessed that Hervia hid such a dramatic past. A single tear glistened in her eye. Wyatt took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m sorry.”
When Mai and Celie walked through the door of their room, they saw Wyatt and Hervia, sitting together on Wyatt’s bed, holding hands. When they saw Mai and Celie come in, they quickly let go and scooted apart, Hervia was blushing slightly, looking at the floor.
She stood up. “I should go. I’ll see you later, Wyatt.” She pushed past Mai and Celie and walked away at a fast pace, rounding a corner and vanished from sight. Mai and Celie quickly hid Wyatt’s presents behind their backs and Wyatt rounded on them. His face seemed to be filled with concern and anger at the same time.
“Happy now?” he asked grumpily. Mai slowly inched her way over to her bed, making sure to keep her back hidden from view.
She carefully placed the box with Wyatt’s present under her bed and asked, “What were you two doing?”
Wyatt scowled. “She was only telling me about her family.” Celie smirked as she slipped the bag of smoke bombs under her bed.
“It looked like you were doing more than that. What have you been doing with her all this time anyway?”
Wyatt lowered his gaze. “She was showing me around town. Now… if you’ll stop bugging me about it, I’ve got something important to tell you.” Mai saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.
“Hervia told me that her mother is—secretly—Chief of the Ice Tribe. But you can’t tell anyone, or it could put both her and her mother in danger. You can tell Dakota, but repeat Hervia’s warning.”
The next day, Mai found Dakota surrounded by people of all ages, telling the story of how he and the others had re-entered Arashia. Mai waited until he was finished and for the crowd to clear before approaching him.
“Why didn’t you meet us to get Wyatt’s present? We waited for half an hour, but you never showed up.” A small girl waved to Dakota as she walked by.
Dakota waved back, and turning back to Mai said, “I’m sorry. I tried to make it, but these people won’t leave me alone! I’ve tried everything to give them the slip, but nothing I do works! Everywhere I go, they follow and they’re constantly asking for me to tell them stories! Wait, there’s no one here now! Let’s get out of here before someone sees me!” He grabbed Mai by the wrist and pulled her behind the library. “I think we’re safe here.”
He let go of Mai and looked around the side of the building. Mai crossed her arms. “Well, I guess now you can come with me and get Wyatt a present for his birthday party tomorrow.”
Dakota gave her a surprised look. “Tomorrow! I thought we still had a few days! Well in that case, I’ll come with you right now.” The two of them walked through the streets—Mai warding off anyone who tried to talk with Dakota—and came to Jim’s workshop. There, Mai pointed out some things Wyatt would like, but Dakota didn’t seem to like any of them.
When Jim came up to them and asked if he could help with anything, Dakota said, “Do you have anything other than war things?”
Jim raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I do. But it’s only papers, pencils and stuff like that. You know, office supplies.”
Dakota nodded. “That’ll work. Where are they?” Jim gave him a funny look, then pointed to a small shelf in a corner. Dakota chose to get Wyatt a pad of paper and a kit of colored pencils. After Jim had put the pencils and paper into a box for them, Mai and Dakota left the shop and started back to their rooms. They were almost there, when another crowd of people spotted Dakota and ran over to them, all talking at once, pushing and shoving one another.
“Here,” Mai said, talking louder so Dakota could hear her over the crowd, “give me Wyatt’s present and I’ll take it back to our room for you. It looks like you’ve got your hands full.”
Dakota sighed and handed over the box. Mai pushed her way through the crowd and out into the clear. She placed Wyatt’s present under Dakota’s bed and sat down on her own.
He’s not the same anymore, she thought. It’s not like him to want all this attention. I just hope he doesn’t take it the wrong way.
The door opened and Celie walked in, arms crossed and a sour look on her face. She closed the door behind her and sat down on her bed. Mai gave her a quizzical look. “What’s wrong?”
Celie sighed. “It’s Dakota! He’s such a...a…ugh!” She pulled the covers over her head and buried her face in her pillow.
Mai looked at her curiously. “What did he do?” Celie mumbled something into her pillow. “What?”
Celie mumbled again, but this time, Mai heard. “He won’t stop being an attention hog, and when I told him he should do something other than show off for everyone and tell them how great he is, he just said that I was jealous they all liked him better than me! I can’t believe him!” Mai had never known Dakota to act that way, and thought it very strange he would snap, just like that.
“I’ll go talk to him.” Celie gave no sign of acknowledgement. Mai made her way out of the building and off to find Dakota. But instead, she found Hervia, sitting alone on the front porch of a fairly large house. It was painted white and there was a large bed of flowers in the front yard. Mai smiled at her, but Hervia did not return the favor. Mai let her smile fade.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? You don’t look so well.” She walked up to her and looked her over.
“I’m fine, Mai. I’m just a little shaken is all. Do you know where Wyatt is? I was looking for him earlier, but I couldn’t find him.”
Mai shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen him for awhile. But last time I saw him, he said he was going to the park.”
Hervia stood up suddenly. “Of course, my great-grandmother’s park! How could I have forgotten? Thanks Mai.” Without another word, she sprinted away, leaving Mai startled by her sudden reaction.
Mai spent the rest of the day searching for Dakota, but he was nowhere to be seen. And as Mai walked through the streets, she noticed how empty they looked. There were normally many people walking along the roads, but now there were very few.
The next day, when Mai woke up, Dakota was not in his bed, and neither was Wyatt. Celie was still sleeping. Mai woke her up and they both went off to find Zina and help her prepare for the party that would take place in a few hours. When they couldn’t find her anywhere in town, they started to wonder what was happening to everyone. The streets were still abnormally empty and Mai was starting to get a bit worried. But to her relief, they bumped into Wyatt and Hervia, walking together in the streets. Mai walked up to Hervia and asked if Wyatt could give them a second alone. Wyatt shrugged and let Mai and Celie lead Hervia out of earshot.
Mai was about to ask her where Zina was, but Hervia answered before Mai had a chance to speak.
“My mother’s over at my great-grandmother’s park. That’s where the party will be. Just follow that path there and it will lead you right to them.” she pointed to a small dirt path that was almost completely hidden by plants. Mai would have never even known it was there unless someone pointed it out.
Celie grabbed Mai by the arm. “I thought I heard people over there. Thanks.” Hervia gave her a curious look.
“What do you mean you ‘thought you heard people over there,’ that’s impossible.” Celie opened her mouth to explain about her super hearing, but Hervia spoke first. “Right, I get it. Your second power is earth.”
Celie’s eyes grew wide. “How did you know—?”
“I can see into the future. Only a couple hours ahead though. I answered your question because I saw you using you Earth Powers to help with the party. And I answered your question, Mai, because I can read minds, the Ice special power. Make sense?” Mai and Celie looked at each other, then back at Hervia. They heard Wyatt calling for them.
“I gotta go. Tell my mother that I’m keeping Wyatt busy and will bring him to the party once your ready, and there will be no need to contact me: I will know what time to bring him.”
She turned on her heel and walked back to Wyatt. Mai looked at Celie who’s expression resembled that of someone who had just been told that it would start raining pigs.
“That was unexpected,” she said, her eyes still focused on Hervia and Wyatt, watching as they walked off. “Seeing into the future? That’s not even the special power for Ice, or any other Tribe I know of! How can she do that?”
Mai was staring, dazed, at Hervia growing smaller and smaller as she walked away. “I don’t know…Come on, we should go. Zina might need our help. We already know she needs you help, with your Earth Powers.”
So the two of them followed the thin dirt path through the trees, and as the trees began to clear, Mai’s breath was taken away. This was the most beautiful park she had ever seen. Celie stood, awestruck, next to her, mouth hanging open. Mai tore her eyes away from the scenery and saw that there were at least one hundred people standing in the grassy meadow. This is where most of the village had gone. Dakota stood among them. Mai saw Celie’s face flush red as she saw him.
* * * * *
Fudo stood on the deck of his grandfather’s ship, looking through his telescope at the island of Muwao. They were approaching it rapidly, and he knew they would arrive there by nightfall. His stretched his arms and settled himself down in the chair Aldrich had brought out for him. He folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes…the sound of the waves against the ship were soothing and he was slowly drifting to sleep. But he knew he had to stay awake. He couldn’t fall asleep at a time like this. He just couldn’t.
He jerked his head up suddenly. No, he thought, I can’t fall asleep, I have to stay awake…I have to…
He had not slept at all the previous night, and was completely exhausted. Aldrich walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Why don’t you sleep for awhile? We won’t be there for a few hours.” Fudo shook his head vigorously.
“No, I have to keep watch.” Aldrich sighed and sat down on the floor next to Fudo, hands in his lap.
“You are still very young, Fudo, and you need your rest. You may be old enough to do things on your own, but you are still just a child, and must listen to me. You need to sleep.”
“I don’t need any rest.” Fudo placed his telescope on his lap. “I’m not a child anymore. You have no idea—“
Aldrich held up a hand to silence him. “I have something for you. It was in my house for several years, and I thought you should have it. I should have given it to you a long time ago, I apologize.” He reached into his large pocket and pulled out a small package, not much bigger than a stick of butter. He handed it to Fudo and stood up. Fudo tore away the brown paper and stared at what was inside. A small music box with a flame painted on its lid. He opened it and heard the familiar song it played. He remembered the Fire Tribe lullaby all too well. Aldrich smiled gently and walked away. He never saw the single tear that fell from the young prince’s eye.
* * * * *
Mai and Celie made their way through the crowd towards Zina. There was a girl with her that looked to be about the same age as Mai. She had bushy, brown hair and fairly dark skin. She was wearing pink robes, and in one hand, was holding a staff with a green orb fastened to the top. She smiled as they approached. Zina was holding a bowl of punch in one hand and a bag of—what looked like—chips in the other.
“Good, you’re here,” she said, thrusting the bag of chips into Celie’s hands. “What do you think so far? We’ve got a few tables over there for the refreshments, a table over there for the presents, and the main table is right over there. We also have an area for a campfire and that pond over there is for swimming.” Mai stared around in amazement. She couldn’t believe how many people were here helping for Wyatt’s party.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to do all this. I’m sure Wyatt will have the time of his life.”
Zina shook her head. “Oh, it was nothing. We’re glad to help the Chosen Ones. If there’s anything else you think this party is missing, let us know. Why don’t you take these over to that table?” She handed the bowl of punch to Mai. The girl standing next to her shifted slightly. “Can I help with anything else?” Zina nodded.
“Yes, can you gather a large bouquet of flowers for me? That table seems like it needs more color.”
The girl nodded and walked off. Mai and Celie put the refreshments on the table Zina had pointed to.
Mai looked over her shoulder at the girl. “Who is that?” she asked Zina. Zina, who was giving instructions to a short man, turned around to face her.
“That’s Kohana, Hervia’s friend. She’s from the Plant Tribe and tends to the park. She really feels a connection to this place.” Zina moved a plate of sandwiches to the side to make room for a platter of sliced apples.
“Celie,” Mai said, lowering her voice slightly, “Can you help Zina for awhile? I want to find out more about Kohana.”
Celie shrugged. “Do whatever you want; I’ll be around here somewhere if you need me for anything.” Mai strode over to the place where Kohana was picking flowers. She tapped on her shoulder and the girl turned around to face her.
“Oh, it’s you. You startled me.” Her voice was quiet and dreamy, as though she was thinking about something.
“I’m sorry. I’m Mai, Dakota’s friend. But I bet you already know a lot about me from Dakota’s stories.”
Kohana shook her head slowly. “No, I haven’t met your friend yet. I spend most of my time up here with my friends: the plants and animals.” Mai tried not to look too confused, but it must have shown through anyway. “I can speak with them, understand them. I’m from the Plant Tribe, so it comes naturally.”
Mai still didn’t understand, but decided not to press the subject. “Plant Powers must be pretty powerful. You could use them almost anywhere, or can you just make plants grow out of thin air?”
Kohana smiled gently. “Oh, I never use my powers to fight, only to create. I can make things grow out of even the toughest ground.” She paused. “We should not abuse our powers. They were a gift to us, and yet we use them to overthrow, and hurt one another. If only people would use their powers to help, and heal what we have, instead of always double-crossing those who we love.” Mai could not have said it better herself. She was amazed at how this girl seemed to act, so peaceful and caring. Yet there was something about her that seemed as though she was slightly dazed.
“I see your point,” Mai said. “People who are given privileges often abuse them later on.”
Kohana stooped down and picked up a small white flower. “Yes…It’s sad really.” Mai could not agree more.
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