Icefire's Story
Icefire- young girl with blonde hair, one ice blue eye, and one dark blue eye
Snowburner- young boy with dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes
Nebelung- young girl with silvery blue-gray hair and green eyes
Echo- young girl with black hair and dark purple eyes; blind
Falcon- young girl with black and purple hair and red eyes
Wolfheart- young female cat-person with thick gray fur/hair and bright blue eyes
Tigerflame- young male cat-person with dark brown tabby fur/hair and amber eyes
Bramblestorm- young male cat-person with dark brown tabby fur/hair and amber eyes
Silver- young girl with silvery blonde hair and azure eyes
Nightsky- young girl with light blonde hair and icy blue eyes
Azalea- young girl with white hair and bright green eyes
Pyro- young girl with black hair and light blue eyes
Sotako- young boy with black hair and dark eyes
Prologue
The Sign
Three figures stood on the crest of the hill, as though waiting. Dusk came and went, night spreading tiny stars across the indigo sky. The figures did not move a muscle, instead staring at the flecks of light in the crystal-clear sky.
A dog barked in the distance, but only the male on the end twitched his ears in acknowledgement of what he just heard. His twin brother stood on the other side of the girl that stood in between them. He dared to break the silence.
"Why are we here, again?" he asked.
"I told you, I don't know." The female told her companion, flicking her gray tail. For these were not human in many features, other than skeletal structure. Thick gray fur covered the female's entire body, long gray hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and a pair of blue cat-eyes was set one on each side of her furry face. Two, pointed, cat-ears resting on the top of her head, a gray tail, and retractable claws on her hands and feet completed her feline appearance. Her two male companions were the same in their cat-like features, except they had dark brown tabby fur, short, shaggy black hair, and amber-colored eyes.
A breeze sprang up, ruffling the creatures' fur as they stood on the hill. There was something on the wind that made them prick their ears in interest.
"Do you guys sense that?" the male that had heard the dog asked, his voice coming out in his species' natural feline sound.
"Yes. I fear an evil is coming." The female meowed, taking a deep breath. She smelled it, tasted it, felt it, and sensed it, all at the same time. It was on the breeze, in the atmosphere, all around them, whispering….calling.
"Something is coming." The second tom agreed ominously, gazing across the meadow at the foot of the hill. At that moment, something dark passed in front of the moon, startling the creatures.
"We must get word to the others!" the female hissed and she fled, her friends following her into the forest.
Chapter 1
The Mission
"You're making progress, little one." The Headmaster rested his ever-calm gaze on the young student. Icefire beamed as her opponent picked himself up off the arena floor. He was quite a bit older than she was and therefore difficult to beat. Nevertheless, she did it; she defeated a 16-year-old student! The Headmaster believed that at the age of 13, she was capable of beating an older kid, like Zailon.
Icefire turned back to her defeated adversary, who was brushing the dust off his pants. They bowed to each other as a sign of respect and Zailon exited the arena. She faced The Headmaster once more, staring at him expectantly.
"Okay, okay." He chuckled, giving in, "Since you have trained so hard and been so patient, I will assign you a mission for tomorrow."
Icefire stood straight up, happiness welling inside her. The Headmaster trusted her enough to send her on a real mission! It would be very different from the training simulations.
"However," The Headmaster went on, "since this is your first time out I the galaxy, I will assign you an experienced partner."
She felt her shoulders sag a little. Why couldn't her first mission be alone? Without any one else?
"Who?" she hardly dared to ask.
"You'll know tomorrow." He replied, as if thinking.
"Okay."
The Headmaster stiffened. "Dismissed."
"Thank you." She bowed before exiting through a side panel.
The next morning, after she ate breakfast, The Headmaster called Icefire to his office. When she arrived, The Headmaster was seated at his desk with Sotako facing him. The black-haired boy twisted around in his chair to get a good look at her.
"This is the squirt I'm supposed to keep an eye on this mission?" he criticized, looking at her with a gaze of cold steel.
She glared back and pictured daggers piercing his chest, ripping his flesh. She blinked and the vision was gone. This jerk was going to assist her!
"She is a good student; very strong. Last afternoon she defeated Zailon." The Headmaster told him.
Sotako raised his brow, inspecting Icefire with new interest. She held her head high, allowing him to look her over.
"Well then," he began quietly, "I guess…." He straightened, "When do we leave?"
"As soon as you both are ready." The Headmaster informed them.
Bowing her head respectfully, Icefire left, Sotako not far behind. She entered her room and packed her things in a small bag: her knife, plasma gun, some matches, a small supply of bread and dried meat, and a good-sized chain.
As she headed to the ship's dock, she went over her training. This was what she was trained to do! All her life, The Headmaster had told her that the galaxy was full of evil, so he started raising kids to help destroy the hate and bad things in the universe. She had heard the stories of victory from the older kids: the death of some governor from Saturn or the silent escape after killing a warlord. Today she would claim her own victory! She would destroy the evil on Earth and it will be pure.
She reached the dock and met up with a fully equipped Sotako, who was waiting outside the ship that they were taking to Earth.
"Are you ready, kid?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm ready." She retorted, "And don't call me kid. I don't like it." Before he could reply, Icefire slid past him and headed up the ramp.
The sound of Sotako's footsteps echoing behind her told her that he was following. Once they boarded, he closed the door and slammed down on the dispatch button. A recorded female voice confirmed the detachment of the pod, sending it shooting toward the planet's atmosphere. Sotako sat at the control panel, typing while Icefire stared out the capsule window. She gazed at the Earth and the moon; at the surrounding stars and pitch-black space. Then everything turned flaming red as the mini-ship sped out of orbit. As the outside cleared up, she saw trees, buildings, a blue sky, fluffy clouds, and green hills and a mountain.
A frustrated ugh made her spin around to Sotako, "The controls are going haywire on me! I can't control the ship!"
Icefire glanced out the window and noticed a bright glint, like sunlight reflecting off metal. She looked closer and realized that there were five jets headed their way.
"That's not our only problem." She said.
Sotako followed her gaze, his eyes widening. "They must be jamming the signal."
Suddenly, the pod rocked wildly, sending them to the back wall. Icefire hit the wall hard, slamming her head and dulling her senses. Her faded in and out, as she staggered to the other side of the capsule behind Sotako. The jets had open fired!
"We're hit!" Sotako yelled over the emergency alarm. "We're going to crash! Hang on to something!"
Icefire grabbed onto a loose wire and squeezed under the control panel, closing her eyes tightly. She felt the ship descending quickly and, suddenly, it jerked, tossing her and her partner up. She opened her eyes to a world of smoke and sparks. Coughing, she tried to see through the thick gray clouds filled the ship.
"Sotako!" she called out, hoping he could hear her. "Where are you?"
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and ice cold sweat ran down her forehead as she thought of the worst.
"Sotako!" she shouted again; she was about to give up when she heard something shift. She knew it was her companion when she picked up a fit of coughing. She ran to him and helped him stand.
He coughed again. "Thanks. I can stand."
She left his side to crawl over to the window. Staring out through a thin layer of smoke, she saw humans clustering around the ship with curious faces. Other people in blue-black uniforms kept them at a distance, while more blue-suited men approached the pod cautiously.
"What do you think is in there?" one asked his companion.
"I don't know, but I heard something move around."
A cone-shaped sound amplifier sounded, "Come out with your hands in the air. Do not try to run; we have you surrounded."
Fear chewed away at her stomach. "What are we going to do?"
Sotako's gaze hardened. "We'll have to fight. We have a job to do and we're going to do it." He turned and vanished into the smoke, leaving her no choice but to follow. She walked through the choking gray fog, bumping into Sotako, who was standing in the midst of a wary crowd. Even with the element of water at his fingertips, he chose to pull out his plasma gun.
"Stay back!" he shouted, pointing the gun at a human in blue-black uniform. At once, every uniformed man pulled out a gun.
Icefire allowed an ice shield to form instinctively on her arm. For she, too, could summon water to do her bidding.
Sotako suddenly grabbed the shirt of female teenager and kept her in front him. She screamed in fright as he placed the cold tip of his plasma gun to her neck.
"I'll shoot her if you don't let me and my friend go." He threatened.
When Icefire heard a gun load, she turned and held up her ice shield, deflecting the bullets that were being shot from behind. The commanding human ordered them to stop and the pelting metal rain ceased.
"Let's them pass!" the man shouted regretfully and crowd opened up to allow them through.
"I thank you." Sotako kept the teenager in front of him, Icefire behind him, until they had cleared the humans. She noticed that he had a smoke bomb in his hand; she what to do when he dropped it.
He threw it down on the ground, making the teenage girl to scream, and Icefire took his, turning them both to mist and leaving the girl behind with a bunch of confused people.
Chapter 2
The Escape
The next thing she knew, Icefire and Sotako were standing in a forest, surrounded by trees. Sunlight dappled the leaf-covered floor, creating an enchanting, dream-like appearance.
"Well," Sotako began, "Things can only go up from here."
"In case you haven't noticed, we're lost in the middle of a forest and who-knows-where it is!" she hissed.
"I'm sure we'll be able to find our way out before night comes."
That night, they slept in the woods. Sotako had been wrong and, to make matters worse, it had started raining. Icefire was fully annoyed with him; she hated it when he was right, but she hated it even more when he was wrong.
"This is all your fault." She accused.
"My fault! How is this my fault?" he retorted.
"If you hadn't taken the lead, we would probably be finished the mission by now. It's your fault that we're stuck out here in the rain."
"Just go to sleep."
She leaned against a mossy tree trunk and shut her eyes. Sleep overcame her like a black wave.
For the next two days, they traveled through the forest, lost. Icefire grew increasingly irritated with Sotako, who only got them even more lost.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she pestered. "We're supposed to kill this governor and purify this city, not wander around its woodland."
"I know where I'm going." He said angrily.
Icefire snorted, but kept quiet. Then she heard it; a tree branch snapped. She spun around, looking for their pursuer. She couldn't see anyone, so she kept going. Something rustled behind them, making her turn again. This time she caught a glimpse of shadow before it disappeared behind a tree.
"Sotako," she called, feeling sick with fear.
"What!" he snapped, turning around. He saw how pale she was and instantly regretted yelling. He hurried to her side and inspected her with concern in his dark eyes.
"There's something in the behind us." She whispered. "It's following us."
"Where? I don't see anything."
"Over there." Icefire pointed to the tree that she saw the shadow disappear behind. "It's on the other side."
Sotako walked over to the tree and looked behind its thick trunk.
"There's nothing there." He reported as he returned.
Odd, Icefire would've sworn she'd seen someone lurking in the woods. Sotako took the lead again and she was about to follow him when she saw something shift to her left, making a bush shake. Sotako spun around at that and stared suspiciously into the forest.
"I think I believe you now." He declared, still warily searching the woodland.
"Finally." She muttered, bracing herself for whatever was out there.
"What do you think it is?" he asked.
The cluster of ferns in front of her shook. "I don't know, but I think it's coming closer." She responded as another fern trembled violently. She shifted backward, keeping an eye over her shoulder. They were backed into a small clearing.
Two trees rustled, one on either side of the clearing. Icefire glanced around the open area, pressing her back against Sotako's. More bushes shook, a tree branch bent, making the leaves rustle. It seemed like they were surrounded. Then she heard a faint whisper, as though someone was talking. She strained to hear what it was saying and managed to pick up parts of the conversation.
"I know who….it is my…I thought he…."
"Are you sure…he doesn't look….and who's with him? I'll…..you go."
What did that mean? Movement at the corner of her vision distracted her from the hushed voices. At that moment, something burst out of the bushes behind her and tackled Sotako, making him fall and Icefire spin around, but whatever it was, it was gone before she could get a good look at it. Something knocked a stone into the clearing, but before she could move, the culprit grabbed her from behind and slammed her into a tree. She felt the breath exit her lungs and she strained to inhale, but the weight pressed against her chest made it almost impossible. With her eyes closed she couldn't see her attacker. Suddenly, the weight vanished and she could breath again; she opened her eyes and saw Sotako wrestling with a young blonde-haired boy. The stranger was about as old as Icefire and had the disadvantage, but he still put up a good fight. Currently, Sotako had him pinned on his back, but he kicked out and unbalanced him. Now the blonder-haired kid was on top, but not for long. Sotako threw him off quickly and, as the blonde-headed boy picked himself up, slammed him against a tree. The kid struggled until Sotako pushed him hard into the trunk. Then he let his muscles relax and go limp, closing his eyes and lowering his head, panting heavily.
"All right, talk." Sotako demanded, "Who are you?"
The boy did not answer, but it was visible that he was nervous.
How could he hope to defeat two people? Icefire thought, coming up behind her partner.
"Answer me!" Sotako ordered shaking the boy's shoulders hard. The kid opened his deep blue eyes, but refused to look his captor in the eyes.
"Who are you?" Sotako repeated slowly.
Still breathing hard, the boy raised his head, staring at the two of them with shifty and almost frightened eyes.
"I know he can talk." Icefire said, "I heard him with some other person."
Now the boy looked terrified, and she knew Sotako saw.
"So, is your little friend here, too?"
"No." the blonde-haired boy spoke for the first time. "She fled."
"Ah yes," he said, "You sent her to safety, right?"
"That's right." The boy replied defiantly, lifting his chin.
"And what might your name be?"
"I shouldn't tell you. But who are you?"
"That's classified." Sotako told him warningly.
"It's okay." He seemed indifferent. "I already know who you are. Your Sotako, aren't you."
"How do you know that?" Icefire asked, stepping back. Her companion followed her lead, releasing his prisoner. The boy lurched forward but stopped himself from falling. He rubbed the tendons at the base of his neck.
"How do you know who I am?" Sotako demanded.
"I know people." The boy said simply. Sotako attacked the kid, sending him to the ground, where he pinned him down.
"How do you know me?" he shouted, hands to the boy's neck.
The kid gave up. "Your sister. Your sister told me."
Sotako backed away, a stunned look on his face. "My sister is dead."
The boy staggered to his feet, gasping. "She is as alive as you are. She grew up with a group of other kids. She was the one I sent to safety."
"She was here?" he glanced around the clearing. Icefire stood in shock; Sotako had a sister!
"And she still is." A new voice sounded behind them, making everyone spin around. A young girl with long white hair and flaming green eyes walked up. Her hair was pulled back in a low-lying ponytail with long bangs flowing down the side of her head.
Sotako stared at her in disbelief. "Azalea."