Yeah, I also cut the episode called Howl, as Jena wasn't in it. This is one of my own.
Hop Step Jump
A thousand leagues under the sea
It was warm. Soft and comfortable. And it was… safe. Jena opened her eyes to see she was lying on her parents' bed. Fresh sheets that smelled like flowers were cocooning her into what seemed like a white haven. Her mother was sitting on a chair, her head resting on the arm as she dozed lightly.
"Mama?"
Chione instantly opened her eyes and, seeing her child awake, threw her arms around the girl.
"Jena! I was so worried about you. How do you feel?"
"A little disorientated."
"Your father brought you home three days ago. You've been sleeping ever since."
Jena got off the bed and – a little unsteadily – walked to the bedroom window and looked out at the view of water. Surrounding the house was a forcefield that formed a protective bubble, preventing the ocean from consuming them. The miles of water was a perfect hiding place, and it was the only place her father had felt safe in the last two years.
"I remember," she said, staring at the sapphire water.
"How much?" her mother asked a little warily.
"I was born in Egypt," she began, explaining everything to test her reclaimed memories. "I guess it'd be about 1,000BC. Lord Osiris was pharaoh, and Papa was the captain of the palace guard."
She paused. "I think I was seven when Laith was chosen for combat training in China. Papa said it was because he was talented and it'd be good for his future career when he was a palace guard. You didn't want him to go by himself because he was only three, but you couldn't leave Mari and me with Aunt Elvina for so long, and Papa couldn't leave the palace. Mari couldn't go because she was too young, so I went. We stayed at a temple ruled by Grand Master Dashi, and the top student was…"
She trailed off, her voice less than a breath. Chione walked over to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, holding her securely.
Jena swallowed and said the name. "Chase Young," she whispered.
She couldn't say aloud what had happened back then. She had loved Chase; he was friendly, mischievous and brash, and he had taken Laith under his wing. Although it was forbidden for girls and women to learn martial arts, he had secretly trained her, and they formed a strong friendship. A few years passed, and an incident that involved the temple burning down resulted in her and Laith returning home. Chase accompanied her home, so the group left the next week.
She took a deep breath and continued speaking. "I was nearly ten when I came home. Someone had overthrown Lord Osiris and taken control of Egypt while I was away. I only remember him being called The Destroyer. Chase had met him once. He wanted him to be his apprentice, but Chase refused. When Papa told him what had happened, Chase said he'd come back with people to help take the country back. No one knew how to fight The Destroyer except a few people from the temple, so Chase went to get them. He came back with two monks, and then they went with Papa to get Lord Osiris out of his prison. But," she paused again, biting her lip. "Chase didn't come back with them. He stayed in the palace with The Destroyer."
She stopped. Chase had decided to become The Destroyer's Apprentice in order to learn more about him and eventually kill him. She had been so angry. The Destroyer's motive for taking over Egypt was to gain Chase as his apprentice, and he knew how the reckless teen would react. She hated that someone would put so many people through the suffering they had endured just for one man.
"I gave the Manacle to Lord Osiris because it was gold," she continued, leaving out how she had come into possession of such a relic. "And he made us all arukatasshu. We were going to escape until we could use our power, and Papa knew a safe place. But when we went through Memphis we met Chase again." She swallowed with difficulty. "It was the first time we saw him since he became The Destroyer's Apprentice. He'd changed."
Chione finished the recap for her. "He said he only wanted you. Lord Pharaoh told the rest of us to go on, and he remained with you. Chase killed him."
Jena shut her eyes, flashes of what had happened haunting her.
"Umar went back for you when Mari, Laith and I were in safety. Chase caused your injury, but Umar somehow managed to rescue you and escape. We made it through the Whirl of Time, but you forgot everything." She paused. "We didn't want to remind you."
After a long moment of silence, Jena spoke.
"The other day… I saw him, you know," she continued.
"I know," her mother replied. "Your father told me about your meeting. I'm surprised he's still alive."
Jena shook her head. "He looked the same way he did when he was nineteen. I don't think he ages anymore."
"Did he hurt you?"
"No. He saved me from a dragon."
"He did?" Chione questioned, surprised. "He didn't change so much, after all."
Jena frowned at the water. "Three thousand years is a long time to get used to it."
There was a pause, then she turned around. "Where's Papa?"
"Outside. He was going looking for Chase, but I think he's been waiting for you to wake up."
"I need to see him."
Chione nodded, standing and leading her eldest child into the hallway towards the front door. As they walked, two eight year olds came bounding over to her.
"Big Sis!" Laith, the baby of the family, launched into her arms. She was the one he was closest to, having spent more time with her than with anyone else. His hair was the same color as Yue's, although it was cut short and was usually messy. Unlike his parents, he had abandoned his Egyptian clothing and wore shorts and a t-shirt.
"Laith? Shouldn't you be training in Egypt?"
"Not with my big sister getting attacked, I don't think so!" he shook his head.
"Mari," Jena embraced her younger sister tightly. "I've missed you."
Mariasha was stiff and only greeted her after first being spoken to. "It's good to see you again," she replied in a voice that sounded slightly cold. She was the only one of them with black hair, which was a startling difference against her pale skin, and kept it in two buns on the top of her head with thick tails falling to her waist. She usually liked to wear Egyptian boy's clothing, as she refused to conform to the new styles but wanted to be practical as well.
"Yeah, we're glad you're okay," her twin made up for her lack of enthusiasm. "You're okay, right?"
"I'm fine." She touched her left shoulder tenderly. Laith noticed.
"Do… do you remember?" he asked hesitantly.
She nodded.
"Oh."
Mari seemed slightly more agreeable after learning that.
"I'll see you guys later, okay? I have to talk to Papa."
"Sure, Big Sis. See you later!" Taking his twin sister's hand, Laith ran up the hallway again, waving. Mari shook herself free.
"It's such a shame, they're only just getting to know each other on the few times Laith is home," Chione said quietly. "He rarely comes back from Ardeth Bay's camp."
Jena nodded. "They're twins; they should be together more."
They exited the front door and stood in front of the bubble.
"Are you ready?" her mother asked.
She gritted her teeth. "I'm ready."
Chione spread her wings, and, taking Jena into her arms, folded them around her child. She crouched low before leaping powerfully into the water. They passed through the bubble with no resistance, only a tingling sensation, and travelled upwards at remarkable speed. A shield around them prevented the pressure from affecting them, and in a few minutes they broke out of the surface and were flying through the air. It wasn't long before they had landed in a garden where Yue was standing against a tree with his eyes closed. It was this garden that their family had trained their powers in.
Jena slipped out of her mother's arms and approached her father. Chione quietly turned and flew away.
"Papa?"
A circle around him glowed brightly with a bluish silver radiance, and she stopped abruptly. What seemed like portals appeared along the circle's outline – twenty of them – and glowing cards emerged out of these portals. Each card floated amicably towards Yue, and when he held out his hand they each piled into it.
"It's time, then," he said, seemingly to himself, before turning to face his daughter. "You remember?"
She nodded. "Everything."
"Then you must learn to control your power. The last thing we need is another incident like at the river."
She remembered what he meant; the time when she had just begun traveling with the O'Connells and made an entire river disappear in rage.
"So you'll help me?"
Yue nodded. "This time, I can."
Jena grinned widely. "Alright; what do I need to know?"
"This is the source of our power; agents who reside in the cards," he held out the twenty cards in his hand. "To control them you must do two things. First, create a portal to summon the card. Second, you must pass a test issued by each of them to have free use of their abilities."
She nodded. "Sounds simple enough. How do I create the portals?"
"Each portal is different. And," he paused, frowning slightly. "It is… difficult to explain."
"You have to give me something," she complained.
"When you lose control of yourself, a portal is formed inside your body and the power is forcibly drained from each agent. Your body doesn't know how to contain it and it is immediately released without instruction. To learn control, you must create the portal outside of your body, and pass the test before you can use an internal summoning."
"So I've opened these portals before," she confirmed.
"Some of them." The cards in his hands floated in front of him, facing Jena to show the images on their faces. Most of them contained a person, but some an animal. "These are the abilities you possess. Change, Create, Dark, Dash, Earth, Fire, Fly, Illusion, Jump, Libra, Light, Move, Nothing, Power, Shield, Storm, Through, Time, Water, and Wind."
"Wow," Jena's jaw dropped. "That's a lot of good abilities."
"They decide what order you take the tests, but I assume you will begin with Jump. We all did, and it's one of the most useful to have for passing the other tests."
His Jump floated lazily forward in its card, and she looked at the creature's image. It resembled a silver bunny, with long feet and ears that were possibly a meter in length. She reached her hand forward to feel its energy.
"Don't touch it," her father warned, taking a step towards her.
"I know," she replied. It was a taboo that she had instantly picked up on; arukatasshu did not handle the aids of others. She just wanted to know what the energy felt like.
"I'm not even sure how to begin to describe establishing a portal," Yue began before breaking off and staring at his daughter in shock. Facing away from him, she had raised her arm and formed a portal almost immediately. A card flew out and into her waiting hand.
Jena turned back to him, holding up her own Jump card with a grin. "You're right; that's hard to describe," she agreed. "It's more like a feeling than anything else."
He gaped at her in amazement, unable to believe she could create a portal just from feeling his energy. It had taken him almost a full week to first establish one, and his other children a month.
His cards all glowed their icy color, sending him a message, and vanished into their own portals.
"I have to leave you now," Yue said, slightly disappointed. He wanted to see how she progressed. "Your cards will tell you the rest."
"Papa!" she complained.
"I'm sorry. I have to do as they say. I haven't passed all their tests, you see. They obey me only sometimes, as determined by our contracts," he explained. "If I don't fulfill their wishes, they won't fulfill mine."
Jena sighed.
"I know," he concurred. "But that's the way it is."
Yue turned to leave, his wings spreading as he walked into a clear stretch.
"I'll find him, you know," his daughter's voice stopped him. "Chase."
His face darkened. "It's too dangerous for you."
"When I've passed all the tests and I can control all my powers. I'll find him." She made her point. "So don't go after him by yourself. It's me he wants."
"Have you any idea why?"
She shrugged. "We were friends, at the temple. I don't know what he or The Destroyer wants with me, but I'll find out when I catch up with them."
"Hmph." Yue frowned again before flying away.
Jena looked at the card in her hand, and it glowed a silvery blue color. A soft pink form rose out of it – the same rabbit-like creature she had seen on her father's card. This was her Jump.
Jump's nose twitched, like a real bunny's would have. It didn't speak, but she could hear its intentions and feelings inside her mind.
Do you remember the names of the Others? You should summon them all, if you can.
She nodded her understanding and thought back to the names her father had given her.
"Change," she said aloud, attempting to form a portal in front of her. It was slightly more difficult, but it established without any problem. "Create. Dark, Dash, Earth, Fire, Fly, Illusion, Libra, Light, Move, Nothing, Power, Shield, Storm, Through, Time, Water, and Wind."
Each portal formed, and a card rose out of each of them. All the cards released a surge of energy that she understood as communication. Each agent had its own voice, speaking words of encouragement for their upcoming tests.
Two cards hovered closer to her than the rest, which she instinctively identified as Nothing and Create, as the two physical forms materialized from their "homes". Nothing's form was that of a little girl, about her age or younger, with long curly hair and a shapeless baby blue ankle-length dress. Small wings sprouted out of her head, poking out from her thick hair. An empty look was in her blue eyes. Create was a teenage girl, dressed in tight fitting red clothes, with straight hair that reached her knees. A yellow ornament adorned her forehead, and jagged yellow material surrounded her shoulders and wrists.
"We are two of the four Agent Masters," Nothing said in a stoic voice. "You may use any method to succeed in all the tests, and you may use the abilities of agents you have previously allied with to pass."
Create was her opposite. Her voice was warm, and her expression encouraging. "Once you have passed, we are at your disposal for whatever you wish. If you are able to pass our tests, we will serve you devotedly."
"I understand," Jena replied.
"There's something else you must know," Nothing continued. "None of your family members have been able to establish all twenty portals, so none of them have been told."
"That is," Create took over. "We – all your agents – won't be with you forever. In a few years' time our connection to you will fade and eventually sever."
Before Jena could panic at what that meant, the other Master told her. "When the link is severed, you will receive the gifts you have earned. All the tests you have passed, their agents will permanently grant you their abilities."
Nothing's form evaporated back into her card, and she hovered beside her sister.
Create smiled at Jena again. "It will be several years before you must tell us goodbye," she said. "Until then, use our knowledge when you have passed the tests. I know you'll pass them all."
She returned to her card as well, and Jena created a portal for each agent except Jump to return in to. Their words of encouragement had felt good, and she felt a lot more energetic than when she had woken.
"So," she said, sitting cross-legged on the grass and propping her head onto her two fists. "What's your test, Jump?"
Catch me, came Jump's intentions.
"Just catch you? Using any method I want?"
That's right.
"Alright," she grinned. "I like simple instructions."
She suddenly propelled herself into a pounce, leaping forward to capture the bunny. Jump leapt out of her grasp, landing in a nearby tree.
"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" Jena asked it, lying sprawled on the grass with her hands in front of her.
If I didn't there wouldn't be any purpose of a test.
"Guess not."
And so the chase began, lasting until the sun was setting and Yue reappeared.
"You should come home for the night," he said when he saw her sitting in a cool stream, panting heavily. Jump was apparently resting at the side of the stream, almost taunting her.
"Is that okay?" Jena asked her agent.
Of course. I wouldn't expect you to pass so easily.
Jump returned to its card form, and the card vanished into a portal from above.
Jena sighed heavily and flopped backwards, splashing the cold water all around.
"A full day is easily? How long did it take you to pass, Papa?"
"Several weeks," Yue replied.
"Seriously?" she exclaimed. "This is going to take forever!"
After a week of chasing Jump for eight hours every day, Jena decided to take a day off. She hadn't spent time with her family in months, since she first began traveling to regain her memories, and she particularly missed her brother.
In their house, Laith and Mari were both in the basement, which was used for combat practice and other physical activities. To make up for not training in China, Yue had taught Mari some combat back in Egypt. Although without Laith's raw talent she was nowhere near his level.
"Hey, Da Jie," Laith greeted her when she entered. Having spent his early years in China, he had grown accustomed to addressing her as "Da Jie", or "older sister", and switched languages depending on his mood.
Mari stopped beating the wooden stand long enough to look in her sister's direction, but she didn't say anything.
"Hey," Jena replied. "I was wondering if I could hang out with you two today."
"Not trying to catch Jump?" Mari asked.
"No, I need a day off. And I haven't seen you guys in ages."
Laith knew where she was going with this, and didn't like it. "And you want a sparring match?"
She smiled. "I'll take you both on at once."
Mari whacked the dummy one more time before turning to her siblings. "You are on," she said without smiling.
"Ah – shouldn't we go outside for this?" Laith asked, nervously catching the lethal glint in his twin's eyes.
She shrugged. "Whatever."
The three of them went out of the house to the garden and began their sparring match. Jena loved fighting with them – although she probably enjoyed winning a little too much. Mari wasn't particularly talented in combat, but she had focused on her father's instruction and was quite good. Jena figured the reason she was able to beat Laith was because he was only eight. Chase had been an excellent teacher to her, but she had other cleaning duties while staying at the temple and no time to practice – unlike her brother, who could do nothing else. In five years time, she suspected Laith and his raw talent would easily beat her.
They brought their fight down to a riverbed when the earth suddenly shook violently. Mari crouched to the ground instantly to avoid looking her balance, but the other two didn't need to.
Jena turned to look at the mountain beside the garden. Black smoke was floating out from the top.
"Is this a volcano?" she asked her siblings.
"Dunno," Laith replied, looking to his twin. With his Medjai training, he hadn't been here much more than Jena.
"This happened once before," Mari said. "The ground shook and smoke came out of the mountain vent. Then it stopped, the ground stabilized, and I kept trying to catch Dash."
Jena was not okay with that being the most she ever remembered her sister saying at once. "Can either of you use Shield?" she asked.
"I have a contract with Shield," Laith said. "It's not very strong, though."
"I'm telling you, we won't need it," Mari added snappishly. At that instant fiery rocks burst out of the mountain's point.
"Famous last words," her sister commented dryly.
Laith was frozen in place, wide-eyed.
"Come on, Lai, active your Shield!"
When he still didn't move, his twin sprang over to him and punched his arm hard.
"Ow!"
"Shield! Now!" Mari yelled at him.
"Uh… right," Laith hesitantly, creating a portal and catching the card that rose out of it. "Under our contract you have to shield us. Defend!"
The barrier rose around the trio, and Jena couldn't help but think that her little brother hadn't changed at all.
The earth shook again, the Richter value increasing by the second. As Laith and Jena crouched to the ground she let out a worried, "Uh-oh."
"What?" her brother asked, anxiety evident.
"Can't you guys feel that presence?"
"Yeah," Mari replied, staring at the mountain. "I think we should get out of here."
"What is it?" Laith demanded fearfully, then he stopped when he felt it. "Oh. We should leave."
"Too late."
An enormous dragon burst out of the mountaintop, flames belching out its mouth. It was mainly grey, with some black scales, and Jena figured its wingspan was at least 200 feet. Generally, adult dragons' wingspans were also their length from nose to tail, and this was no exception. It roared in anger when it saw them and its great wings flapped as it began flying directly towards them.
Laith tugged on Jena's shirt sleeve. "Big Sis… my Shield isn't going to hold," he whispered.
She was worried as well. "Okay, new plan. The two of you fly up and – "
"I haven't taken Fly's test," he interrupted.
She snapped her head round to look at her brother. "What?"
"I can't fly!"
Mari quickly opened a portal in front of her, pulling out some burning flames and throwing them up to the sky. The beast caught sight of them and altered its path to chase them.
"You can use Fire?" Jena asked in shock. On the brief moment when the four elements had been talking to her, she felt their power was much stronger than the others – although not as much as the Agent Masters. She didn't particularly want to speculate on what their tests would be.
"And Water," Mari replied, a little smugly.
They watched the beast's confusion as the fire evaporated into nothing, and it began circling the fields they occupied. It would be almost impossible for them to leave without it noticing.
"We need to find a way to distract it," Jena said quietly, as if it could hear from a mile above.
"We should probably tell you what tests we've passed," Laith began.
The oldest sibling pointed at him, saying, "Jump, Move, Power and Storm," before pointed at her sister and listing, "Water, Fire, Fly, Jump, Move, Power and Through." When she actually concentrated, she could tell the difference between the present and absent agents belonging to each of them.
The twins exchanged an amazed glance.
"Okay, so Laith causes a storm," Mari formulated.
"Storms don't bother dragons – especially ones that size," Laith shook his head. There had been a baby dragon at the Chinese temple where he had studied, and he and Jena knew quite a bit about the species. Chase had loved them, and because of this the three of them spent a lot of time in the stables with Huõ.
"You two both have Power – just how strong does that make you?"
"Not strong enough to take on that thing!"
Mari shrugged. "I bet we could."
"Alright, Mari, how much water can you create?"
"How much do you need?"
"Enough to completely surround it."
The girl paled, if possible. Jena noticed.
"Do you think Papa's nearby?" she asked.
"We'd be better off if Mama came," Laith said. "She's passed more tests than any of us."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she's passed 10 tests, with no contracts."
"What contracts do you two have?"
"Just Shield."
"None," Mari replied, again a little smug. "Have you passed a test yet?"
"No – it's only been a week!"
The younger girl stared at the dragon as its shadow passed over them. "I've got an idea," she said. "I'll fly up and distract it while you two go to the coast. Wait for me there to take you back to the house."
Jena gritted her teeth. She would have preferred to be the bait, but that was obviously impossible. "What if you can't shake it off?"
"I'll blast it with some flames."
Laith shook his head. "You won't be able to create enough. Not for something that big."
"Well what do you want to do? Wait here to become its next meal?" his sister snapped.
"Take me up when you go. I might be able to create a storm close enough to shoot some lightning into its mouth. It's sensitive there, and they're not as strong against lightning as fire."
Mari refused. "No way; you're not coming. Who's going to keep a shield around Jena if we're taking care of the dragon?"
Jena's frown deepened, and she clenched her fists tightly. She didn't like that her younger siblings were talking of protecting her while they took care of the danger. She didn't like being useless.
"I'll leave my Shield behind!"
"The Shield won't move with her – so distracting the dragon would be useless!"
"Wait," Jena said, thinking heavily. "What if you use Move to shift a rock, and cause a distraction that way?"
The twins exchanged a glance. "I- it's possible," Laith stammered. "But there's no way either of us could lift a rock big enough for it to see."
"You both have Power as well. Can you combine the two to lift heavier things?"
"Even so…"
"Which rock?" Mari asked, a cold look on her face.
"One close to the mountain, far away from us."
The younger girl sent two portals that direction, straining herself to try and lift a boulder higher up. If she raised it high enough and let it fall, it could create a mini-landslide.
She released it after a moment, panting heavily. "No good," she sighed. "It's too heavy and too far away. If I was nearer…"
"You both have Move and Power – can't you work together to lift it?" Jena asked.
Laith and Mari exchanged another look.
"Don't need to," Mari scowled before turning back towards the mountain. She picked a smaller rock that was nearer, putting all of her strength into Move. It slowly raised a couple of feet in the air before she released it suddenly.
They could hear a crash, and saw several rocks shifting near the base of the mountain. The beast in the sky snapped its head in that direction, flying closer to investigate.
"Now, let's run!" Jena said in a whisper-yell, and the three of them sprinted towards the ocean. She kept looking behind her, fearing the dragon would hear their movements and follow, but they seemed to be in the clear.
Several minutes passed, and they reached the water. Mari spread her wings.
"Grab on to me," she ordered her siblings. They did as she said, and she flew them back into the house.
Jena sighed in relief when they were in safety, realizing she was shaking. "That was some adventure, huh?" she asked, trying to laugh it off.
Laith wasn't even trying. "I can deal with less adventure," he replied, violently shivered. "Mama? Where are you?"
Chione appeared at his call. "What's the matter?"
He ran into her arms.
"You're shaking – what happened to you three?"
Yue also appeared, and Mari ran to him. "Papa, there was a dragon in the field where we practice in," she said.
"What? Where did it come from? Did you sense anyone nearby?" he fired questions at them.
"It was sleeping in the mountain," Jena explained. "There was no one around – why would there be?"
He didn't reply, and suddenly she remembered.
"Oh… Chase hunts dragons," she said. "For food."
Yue spread his wings. "I'm going to make sure he isn't nearby," he announced, vanishing through the walls as if they weren't there.
Laith was scared. "Mama, what if he's back? Will he find us?" he asked, still in his mother's arms.
"He won't find us," Chione assured the three of them. "Your father will wear an illusion when he goes to check, so no one will even see him. But just because a dragon appeared doesn't mean that Chase Young is hunting it."
Chione took her children and sat with them in the twins' bedroom, wrapping a warm blanket around the two smaller ones. She sang them a lullaby, her voice like a hummingbird's, but Jena sat beside the window and looked out of it absently.
She wanted Chase to be close, but if he was she wasn't sure what she would do. She couldn't possibly fight him off if he attacked her, nor could she pursue him if he ran. She had been lucky the first time he tried to kill her. He may not have harmed her the second time, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything during a third meeting. And she knew there would be a third meeting. Now that he knew, after three thousand years, that she was alive, he would scour the world to find her. He had been that serious about ending her life, back in Egypt. And after their recent meeting, The Destroyer would know she was still alive. She had never met him, but sincerely hoped that rumors of his power were greatly exaggerated.
"Still thinking about him?" Chione asked much later.
Jena gave a tiny jump of surprise and turned towards the room again. Laith and Mari had gone, and she was alone with her mother.
"Yes," she answered the question. "I'm going to look for him, when I've passed all my tests and have the aid of all of my agents."
"Your father told me," Chione replied. "I won't try and stop you. I know it's something you may prefer to do alone, but when the time comes I'd like to accompany you. You can decide then whether or not you would like me there."
She was surprised. She hadn't considered her mother, who hadn't known Chase, might like answers as much as she did. And having spent three years in China and the last two and a half traveling the world without her family, she might enjoy spending time with only her mother.
Yue entered the room.
"Papa!" Jena sprang to her feet, and she and Chione approached him anxiously. "Did you see Chase?"
"No sign of him," her father replied. "From what I could tell, the dragon had been sleeping in the mountain these last centuries. It woke up and surfaced."
She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved.
"Don't go back to that field," Yue cautioned both her and her mother. "We're taking our tests in a different place from now on. A dragon appeared there once; Young may still come in his hunt – and bring The Destroyer with him."
Chione nodded, accepting her husband's command, but Jena stared at a fixed spot on the ground.
"Jena?" came her father's warning voice.
She jumped and reluctantly acquiesced. "Yes, Papa. I won't go back there."
#~#~#
Leaping as far as she could, Jena secured her hands firmly around the small pink bunny before it could spring off the tree branch and out of reach. Jump still attempted escape, but she wouldn't let go and the added weight caused them both to fall with a splash into the underlying stream.
Lying in the ankle-deep water, Jena looked up in triumph. She was in another field, although it was further from her house and in a different direction than the original. There was no mountain nearby, because Yue thought there may be another dragon sleeping in its dormant magma chamber. He always was extra cautious – or paranoid – in cases such as these. It was how he managed to become captain of Pharaoh's guard when most to assume that role were decades older than him.
"I caught you!" the arukatasu cried to the bunny creature in her grasp.
Jump dipped its head slightly, and she released it and sat up. It had taken her less than a week and a half to complete her first trial – even Chione, who was much more adept at passing tests than the rest of her family – had taken nearly a month to catch Jump.
Impressive, came Jump's thought. You may use my abilities at any time. There are no conditions to my service.
Jena grinned. "Let's see how high I can jump," she said. Jump's nose quivered, and she stood before launching herself into the air.
She flew towards the clouds, five feet, ten… twenty… it seemed she wouldn't stop rising before her speed eventually slowed. For a moment she thought she was hovering in mid-air, trapped in the sky, before her body plummeted towards the earth again.
Uh-oh… she thought in mild panic. I forgot about this part.
She slammed into the ground with a frightening force, shouting of pain as she heard a sharp snap. Jump sprang forwards in alarm.
Keep your balance at the peak of the jump, it thought. Otherwise you'll never land properly. That was a huge jump to make for the first time.
She was in too much agony to pay any attention. She was fairly sure her arm had broken when she fell on it, not to mention the pain the rest of her body felt when it hit the ground.
Your father is coming. I contacted his agents.
A few minutes later, Yue appeared beside her.
"Jena!"
"Landed on my arm," she squeezed out through her pain. "I think it broke."
"Shattered, more like," Yue corrected, carefully lifting her. "Anything else?"
"Everywhere hurts…"
He carried her back to the house, where her mother put a splint on her arm.
"You'll have to stay in bed for a while," she informed her daughter.
Jena sighed. "Well, it was worth it," she said.
"What was?" Chione asked. She, like Yue, supposed Jena had fallen from the height of a tree while trying to catch Jump.
"Are you kidding me? Jumping that high. It must've been close to thirty feet."
Her mother looked at her in disbelief. "Did… did you pass Jump's test?" she stammered.
Jena grinned a big smile. "Yup!"
Chione squeezed her gently, aware she was injured. "Well done! I can't believe you did it so soon! I suppose it won't be long before you've passed the most tests out of the five of us, and not me."
At that moment, Mari entered the room. "Mama!" she ran up to them. "I just passed Storm's test!"
"Well done, Mari!" Chione embraced her younger daughter as well. "You're doing so well with all the tests. How many do you have now?"
"Eight," she answered a little smugly.
"Wow, that's so good!" Jena congratulated her sister.
"Jena has just passed Jump's test. Isn't that amazing?"
Like a passing breeze, Mari's expression turned back to ice as she looked at the older girl. "That was really fast. Well done," was all she said before turning and going to find her brother.
As she left, Chione gave a tiny sigh that Jena couldn't interpret. Then her mother smiled again as she turned back to her.
"You know, Mama," Jena said after a while. "I should really go see the O'Connells and let them know I'm okay."
Chione nodded. "I'm sure they're all worried about you," she replied. "Will you travel with them again?"
The injured girl shook her head. "I don't think so. I want to concentrate on my tests – at least for the moment. But… I might visit for a couple of days. They're trying to remove the Manacle of Osiris from Alex' wrist, and I can do that if they don't find the Scrolls of Thebes."
"That's right," her mother said. "Do you know what you want to do about the Manacle?"
"Not really. Sometimes I want it back, but…" she trailed off. The golden bracelet reminded her of Chase, and her most vivid memories of him were not pleasant. "In any case, Alex is learning how to use it. Maybe I'll let him keep it – for now."
Her mother smiled again mixing some powder into a glass of water. "Drink this. You'll heal quickly, but this will send you to sleep for the worse of it."
She obediently downed the glass, and felt groggy within seconds. Laying back in her pillow, one thought was running through her mind.
I'll find Chase someday… and I'll help him kill The Destroyer. Then we can be friends again.
She drifted off to sleep smiling.
Definitely…