11 Elemental Powers

It took Brightise a long time to convince herself to go to sleep. While her sister slept peacefully beside her, her brain was working overtime.

It seemed like Paula had been right. Clober was immune to fire. That might have seemed like very good news at some other point in their lives, but considering their current situation, it didn't change anything. She still had to take her to the Amazons' camp. The fact that she couldn't be burned alive didn't mean that she couldn't be hurt in any other way. She could still be drowned, hanged, or beaten to death.

Besides, the Fire Demons didn't want to kill her. They wanted to turn her into one of them.

There was only one burning question in Brightise's mind though: Was she immune to fire too? Was Paula right? Did she really need to learn from the Amazons, or had she just told her that so she would be safe?

Brightise had been staring intensely at the dancing flames ever since Clober had drifted off to sleep. All she had to do was touch them to find out.

Worst case scenario, her hand would get scorched. It couldn't hurt more than losing her older sister, could it?

Brightise walked up to the fire and extended one of her fingers. She might as well minimize the damage. She would need to hold the horse's reins the next day after all.

She needn't have worried though. As soon as her finger came into contact with the fire, a delicious warmth filled her body. It felt like she had never been warm in her life before.

Brightise sighed in contentment. She could stand there all night, feeling that calming power curse through her limbs. She could probably fall asleep like that.

She retracted her hand reluctantly.

For reasons related to their father's heritage, she and Clober could not just withstand the heat of fire, but relax and get refreshed by it.

Could she use this newly discovered power to save Morral? But didn't Morral possess that same power anyway? What could Brightise do that Morral couldn't?

She could learn. That was what Paula had been trying to tell her all along. If she wanted to get to Granza and not get captured and put in the same cell as Morral, she would have to train and master the powers she had been given.

Brightise knew very little about Elemental Powers. The only ones who possessed such powers, besides the Fire Demons themselves, were the Slorigans and the Elves. The Slorigans controlled Thunder, and by extension the weather, and the Elves controlled Water. Every lake and river in the Land of Oasis could be manipulated to serve the Elves' wishes. It was why their forests grew the thickest and most lively, and the creatures in them were the biggest and most splendid. It was also why they could rival the Fire Demons.

If she had to choose someone to ask about harnessing Elemental Powers, that would definitely have been the Elves. The creatures were known for their kindness and eagerness to help all living things. It was too bad that the Land of Flowers was out of their way and the Elves were not fond of fire.

Where did the Amazons come in?

The Amazons had children with the Slorigans, so their daughters often inherited their fathers' powers. As a result, they had years of experience in teaching young girls how to control their powers. Brightise was not even counting their rumored children with the Fire Demons.

Yes, Paula was right.

The Amazon camp was the right place for them to be.

Brightise let her eyes drift shut and rubbed her hands together in the dark. She couldn't generate fire from her palms like normal Fire Demons did, but she didn't wish that she could. Although she wasn't overly affectionate, she couldn't imagine not being able to touch anyone without endangering their life.

She looked at Clober's sleeping form.

No matter what, her sister would benefit from this endeavor. She would come out stronger and wiser, and most likely live to tell the tale.

Brightise wasn't sure she would manage as much herself.