Chapter 2: Demetrius foretold

I walked out of my tent into the mob of people gathering and entering the ships and carts. I didn't talk to anyone because I didn't really have any friends to talk to. Demetrius was my only friend and the only one I truly trusted. I met Demetrius when I was eleven. . .

I had just mastered basic and intermediate skills of being a fire bender and had wanted to try them out. I snuck out of the camp and went to cross the border into the Dagan nation. I didn't plan on hurting anyone; I had just wanted to try out my skills without getting yelled at by an elder. So, I found a place that had millions of rocks, I figured that if some got burnt they wouldn't care because they had so many. I took two steps back, centered myself, and began bending.

I raised my arms up, looked around, and then struck the ground. Immediately after I had done so, a ring of fire surrounded the rock. I felt so accomplished and proud. However, the feeling didn't last too long because, from behind the rock, a person emerged. It was an Earth bender. (It made sense considering I was in the Dagan Nation and the fact that he looked like your typical Earth bender.) He had shaggy dark brown hair, gray eyes, and was sort of tanned. He looked around my age, maybe a year or two older. After I had stopped examining him, I saw his hands lift up and he started levitating the rock I had encircled. (It was a classic and predictable Earth bender move, but at the time I didn't know that.) The rock levitated above his head, he did a spin in the air and punched it. It came plunging towards me and it struck me, hard. I went flying backwards and hit the ground. I laid there frozen.

The boy looked all around frantically trying to find help. He shouted and shouted but no one came. He came over to me and said,

"If you can hear me please, please, say something, anything. I am so sorry I didn't mean to do this."

I had gotten the feeling back into my body and I opened my eyes. I saw whim kneeling over my stomach and I said "what, what happened?"

The boy answered, "I am so sorry, I was just fooling around and then it hit you and I..."

"It's ok, I'm fine."

I tried getting up but I fell back over. The boy caught me and laid me back down on the ground. "I'm Demetrius," he said. "And you are?"

"Seraphina," I answered out of breath.

Demetrius stroked my head and said that I had a concussion. He looked mortified and I could see the tears he was trying to hold back. He was shaking and continued to examine.

"It looks like you'll be pretty banged up for the next couple of weeks. You have a few cuts on your face and your arm seems to be sprained. I'm so sorry Seraphina I, I, I . . ."

Through the pain I managed to say, "don't worry Demetrius, like you said, I'll be fine."

He ripped his shirt and wrapped my head up to stop the bleeding. "I am very and truly sorry Seraphina; I had no idea it would-"

"It's fine and stop apologizing. You were just doing what you were supposed to do."

"That doesn't make it alright. You're a girl, for one, and still a person. Just because you're a fire bender doesn't mean I have to automatically fight you or hate you. I don't even know you."

What Demetrius had said was true. We didn't have to fight or hate people because of what nation they belonged to. We never even gave them a chance to explain where they are coming from or what they believed.

"Well," I began. "So you can get to know me, my name is Seraphina Celosia. I'm eleven and a part of the Adena Nation. I have been bending for three years now and have just mastered basic and intermediate skills. My parents, well . . . I don't know where they are. I don't have any siblings, and I have no idea what's going to happen all the time and it scares me."

He looked at me for a minute and then spoke.

"My name is Demetrius Tuwa. I'm twelve years old and part of the Dagan Nation. I have been bending for five years and have mastered basic and intermediate moves as well. My mom and dad both have died and I live with my grandma, but she is very old and doesn't bend anymore. I had one sibling, a brother, but I don't know where he is. . ."

He seemed to stop in mid thought like we was distracted. I didn't want to sound too curious by asking or implying there was something wrong, but I could tell that there was. I can always tell with Demetrius. People and the world are all so mysterious but Demetrius is a perfect summary that doesn't give away the ending. With him there are some questions that I don't have the answer to . . . and I love that about him. Demetrius started up again.

"Look, I can't even describe how badly I feel about this. You don't deserve this, no one does. Please tell me what I can do to help. Seriously, name it and I'll do it."

"Demetrius, you don't have to-"

"No! Let me do this, please. I caused this and you didn't deserve it. There has to be something. Please, let me help. I need to."

That was yet another thing that I loved about him. He loves helping people but particularly me. He's always been there and this was no exception. This was the moment that I knew he wasn't sent to spy on me or to try to get information from a "stupid, gullible fire nation girl". He was different in the best way possible.

The pain was so intense I could barely form the words to say. With the little bit of strength I had I said,

"Alright. . . I want to ask you a question."

He nodded.

"Can you let go of my face? It's starting to leave a mark."

Demetrius, seeing the slight grin on my face, smiled and let out a chuckle. At this point I was totally zoned out. Then Demetrius said,

"Look, I better get you home. It looks like rain and you don't need to be getting sick on top of all this and-"

"Rain? I, I love the rain. Can you move me over to that rock?"

Demetrius lifted me up and carried me over and we sat there watching the rain clouds open and shower us with the greatest feelings ever. It was magic. After an hour or so of just sitting in the rain and looking at each other, Demetrius scooped me up and I directed him to my tent. I was knocked out the whole way and only remember waking up in my bed with Demetrius sitting at my bedside.

"Hey, you're awake," he said, "how ya' feeling?"

"Alright I guess. My head kills though, ha."

"I am soo sorry Seraphina-"

"Most people call me Phina or Sera. You don't have to use my full name, it's a bit long."

"Well, I'm not most people."

Demetrius looked at me for the longest time and then reached over and put his arms around me. He kissed me on the forehead and left without saying a word. That moment, that one moment, aside from the rain, is my greatest and fondest memory of Demetrius. He is the sweetest and most caring human being to ever walk the planet and he's mine. My Demetrius; I like the sound of that.

The next night, Demetrius returned and greeted me the same way he had left me the previous night. At first I thought he had just felt bad for me, but the continued to visit me long after my bruises had healed. We had formed the strongest bond and nothing could break it.

"Demetrius, why do you risk your life to come visit me?"

"In life you have choices. With choices come sacrifices. You are my choice and everything else is my sacrifice."

That night we talked and talked about everything from embarrassing secrets to dreams we had long forgotten about by now. He was my best friend and that was all I needed. We never talked about other people because we either had no interest or nothing to say. We would always say how the greatest moments were ones we spent together. It was nearly impossible to hang out outside of my tent so we made the most of every visit. Demetrius is the kind of person that you can just look at and know that he is special.

After all the memories faded and turned to the present, I stepped onto the ship. I looked around and found a spot to sit until further directions. As I sat there waiting, I remember thinking to myself,

"What am I doing here? Why am I even going?"

Without even thinking, I jumped off the ship.