So Kai speaks with a speech impediment now. Let me tell you how hard that's to remember to change. However, it's only going to be for this chapter. His speech impediment never goes away, but it's just to make it easier to write and to read but also so I don't have to watch a thousand red lines stretch across the screen to tell me it's incorrect. It makes it all the harder to correct spelling mistakes so I might have missed a bunch. But after this chapter, hopefully, you get a gist of how he speaks since I'm not going to keep writing it like such.
Anyways, I hope midterms went well for all who are taking them. Let me tell you, after that week all I did went I came home was sleep. My brain was so happy to be finally done.
RandomDragon2.0-Yep another alliance. I have finally got all the main set up done with the alliances so it's time to further the story!
YinYangBroandSis- Ya, they are like Katniss and Rue. Honestly, Zane's so cute that who wouldn't want to pick him up and hug him.
StoriesAreMagic- Yep. The events in the preview still fit into the story currently. I also already have fractions of the story written for future things. However, if I end up scrapping the ideas, I think it would make a great little collection of what could have happeneds.
aStateofPrime- I never realized that! They do correlate with some of the characters in the Hunger Games book. Zaddic would be more like Cato personality wise. Kai has the most Katniss attributes of all the characters but they do all share a piece of Katniss too.
Midnight- Yep. Welcome to the Tournament of Elements! [But in my documents, its actually just abbreviated to TOE :D] And just like in the show, I suspect that Cole would eat practically anything. He has a fine taste in food. Hey, and I hope life gets a little less sucky for you. My life just got a little bit more but then again, it wouldn't be fun if we weren't suffering! (Just like a good fanfic). Hopefully, even gets better soon for you though!
NYA (Day 3)
"Ah'd don'th thinthk ah'll ever the able tho sthpeak," Kai buried his head in his hands.
Nya knew he was fighting back tears as he wouldn't face her.
"You'll get the hang of it," Nya soothed him, rubbing circles on his back.
"Ah bith off my tongeuth!' Kai shrieked, "And Ah'll never get iths back causthe I swallowed with! Ah'm gonnath be stuck talking like this forever."
"Well, I think that you'll be able to find a way," Nya encouraged.
Kai sighed, moving away from her.
"Ah'll sth-art up the fire," Kai drawled and Nya could see how sloppily his jaw moved as he tried to form syllables that had once come so easy to him.
"Not with your fire powers," Nya worried, feeling a tinge of fear spark in her chest at the thought of Kai's fire powers.
"He's you're brother. He would never hurt you no matter what," Nya hushed her nerves trying to rid herself of the feeling.
"Definitely not safe. His powers are definitely not safe. But he has always kept me safe and still would do so powers or not." Nya turned to Kai but it was too late to take back the words she had said.
Kai stiffened and Nya knew that her sentence had hit deeper than she had meant it to.
"What! Am Ah dangerous-th now!? Sht-ome kindah weapon ready to go off at any minute!?" Kai growled.
Beads of sweat rolled down Nya's face and she wiped them off with her sleeve before fanning herself with her hand. It was getting warmer and warmer by the second, to the point where the snow around them began to melt.
"Kai, you know I don't think of you like that. We just have to be careful that's all." She reasoned.
It wasn't the answer that Kai wanted to hear but he relented turning wordlessly back to the stack of sticks. He pulled out a box of matches and struck it against the box. A flame curled around the tip and Kai watched it while Nya watched him. She could see him manipulating the fire, letting it grow bigger and then letting it get so small she thought it would burn out. He threw the match into the stack of logs carelessly and Nya watched as the whole pile lit into a roaring fire.
"It's-th fasther," Kai shrugged as he noticed she was watching him.
"Kai," Nya could feel her patience waning, "You shouldn't use your fire powers."
"Why can't he see the danger of using his powers? Has he not learned from the last time?" Nya thought bitterly, "He never listens to me. He's going to get hurt. His powers aren't stable. They're dangerous. Just because I'm his little sister doesn't mean that he doesn't have to listen to me."
"It'sth fine, it'sth only a sthmall fire," Kai huffed.
"Argh, Kai!" Nya fumed her patients gone.
"How hard would it be for him to say, 'wow, you're right Nya'. Thanks for caring that I don't get burnt to a crisp."
Nya's brow furrowed as her brain sought to prevent her from snapping at her brother, something that would surely send them cascading into an argument.
"It's not like I'm insulting him," Nya's internally thoughts continued to roll angrily through her mind although she prevented them from reaching her mouth, "He's just got his powers. It's not like I telling him that he's dangerous. I'm just telling him that his powers are dangerous."
Nya and Kai stood ridged, still facing each other in a silent standoff.
"Hugh," Nya heard a weary groan come from the tent.
She turned her head away and Kai dropped his gaze, turning to poke at the fire with some sticks. And just like that, the argument was postponed. Neither of them had gotten to say what they had needed to say, and so the argument would inevitably continue another day.
"Jay?" Nya called softly, peaking into the tent.
"I've got a splitting headache," Jay groaned, not even opening his eyes as he raised his arms to his head.
Nya watched him rub his temples as he fought off falling asleep again. His rubbing would slow down till it stopped, his fingers still against his head and Nya would think he was out again but then he'd start back up, mumbling slightly and rubbing his head. After a couple of minutes of this, Jay cracked his eyes open blinking harshly against the offending light that burned his eyes. He closed them again and settled back down with a groan.
"Maybe you should rest a bit more," Nya offered, wondering if Jay would even be able to get out of bed from the little success she had seen.
"Up and att'em" Kai called, storming into the tent.
Jay's eyes shot open and he jerked back tumbling head over heels as he attempted to do so while still wrapped in blankets.
"K-kai," Jay murmured, watching through half-lidded eyes are he lay on the floor.
"Looks almost like he's about to fall asleep again," Nya mused, though she could see that Jay was wide awake now.
His eyes flicked back and forth between Kai and Nya. Nya glanced at Kai, watching conflicting emotions flicker across his face. It was hard to tell what was he was feeling, but he guarded it so well that she could only get that he was unsettled by Jay's reaction towards him.
"How are you feelin'," Kai asked.
Regret. Nya realized it now. The way Jay watched Kai's hands and leaped away from him, much like a kicked dog, was deeply upsetting Kai. Jay visibly relaxed, lazily curling his blanket wrapped legs, underneath himself.
"My head hurts," Jay murmured, eyes slipping closed again.
Nya thought that she heard Kai mutter something along the lines of "duh," under her breath.
"And my wrist kinda burns still," Jay's eyes flittered open and he turned his attention to his wrist.
He pulled at the bandages, starting to unwind them from around his arm.
"You know what?" Nya interrupted him, "I can just tell you what's under there rather than unwrapping it."
Jay paused, looking up at her with a look of fear.
"Do I not want to see it?" Jay sighed, rewinding the wrappings around his arm.
"It's kinda... Kai burned a handprint into you forever levels," Nya winced.
Jay just blinked at her before settling with a sigh.
"Thank god," he murmured, "From how bad it hurt I thought it was nothing but bone left."
Nya felt Kai flinch as he stood next to her. She leaned into him silently sending her support.
"How's the other one?" Nya asked.
Jay wiggled his fingers finding that his pointer and middle fingers were much slower than the rest. Everyone watching him acknowledge the fact that they would never be able to move quite as they used it again.
"Getting better," Jay pipped up optimistically, "How's the tongue?"
"Gone forever." Kai sighed, " Guessth Ah'm goin' thwo be sthuck talking like thisth forever."
"I'm sorry. I really didn't know that would happen. I wouldn't have-" Jay blanched as he realized that he had left a profound mark on the boy's life for forever.
"Nah, it'sth in the pasth," Kai shook his head, "Ah destherved it. Frickin' athacked you. Wasthn't really thinking. Ah was justh sthcared. Ah'm really sthorry. None of thisth would have happened if Ah hadn't-Ah really messthed thisth up."
Nya could easily tell that Jay, being half awake, was struggling with Kai's diction but had gotten the gist of what he had said.
"Guess we're both sorry then," Jay smiled.
"We're going to leave you to sleep a little bit more, looks like you need it. We'll be outside if you need anything," Nya informed Jay.
Jay gave a weary nod as he curled back up. Nya back out of the tent, bumping into Kai slightly. They turned to the fire, as Kai stoaked the coals while throwing some more logs on.
"It's going to be a cold night again," Nya shivered.
"The thooner the cold Elementhaliststh geths eliminated, the better," Kai grumbled.
"Don't say that," Nya chided, "You don't mean it."
"Of coursthe not, Ah'm not cold. But you are. It would make thingsth a lot leth mitherable around here if there wasthn't any sthnow." Kai huffed.
"Well, I guess everyone's too busy trying to find shelter and stay warm that they aren't hunting for other players," Nya said.
"Thank god for sthmall favorsth," Kai sighed.
Nya pressed up against Kai, enjoying the natural heat that he radiated. Thank god he got the elemental power of fire. It was like having a heater that could walk by itself.
"What now?" Nya asked.
"Hmm, we thould probably get food," Kai mused, "You thay here an' keep warm an' an eye on Jay. Ah'll find uths sthomething to eat."
Nya gratefully stayed near the fire, unable to keep both sides of her body warm. The one facing the fire always felt like she was burning herself and the side facing away was freezing. She turned at a zipping noise to find that Jay had felt the tent.
He teetered over towards the fire taking a seat next to her.
"It's chilly." Jay quipped, "I think I brought a couple of warmer clothes and blankets in my bag. You could give me a hand getting them out, or maybe two."
"Okay," Nya said, reluctantly leaving the fire to shuffle through the bag.
"He brought almost anything we could ever need," Nya realized as she started pulling things for the bag.
"Where did you get all this," Nya gawked as she pulled out canned foods.
"Well, I did climb into the handle," Jay chuckled, "Wondering if it really was worth it though."
"You climbed-?" Nya could believe he would do such a crazy thing. Climbing the handle was like asking to be killed.
"Had to get these puppies though," Jay murmured pulling his nunchucks from his belt, "I literally can't use anything else."
"Now let me see. I really should learn how to really use these," Jay said.
He squeezed the handle and the other side dropped to the floor with a dull thud along with about 5 feet of chains. It made a clicking noise before the elongated handle whipped out a long curved blade.
"I didn't know they could do this." Jay said, "But I figured it out when I met your brother."
Nya watched Jay wince as whipped the chains around, letting them swing and Slice through the air.
"It's not that hard," Jay said, "But I'm really bad at accuracy."
"It'll come with practice," Nya encouraged him while pulling out several fluffy blankets and thick coats.
Kai bounded back into their camp, hoisting a giant stick over his head.
"Look what Ah've got!" He proudly, whirled around presenting the impaled deer to them.
"It's dead right?" Jay asked.
"Of coursthe," Kai said, "We can have venithon tonight."
"Kai! How did you even manage to catch a deer," Nya demanded.
"I was expecting him to come with some plants at the very most some fish."
"Oh, itsth a long thory. Let'sth cook thisth Thing." Kai said.
Suspicious arose in Nya.
"What?! He loves to brag about these things. Never passes up the chance to tell a story like that. Unless-"
"Kai!" Nya demanded, "You used your fire powers to catch that!"
"It wasth a sthmall one," Kai brushed it off, "Ah caught it didn't Ah? And Ah put out the fire afterward."
"But it doesn't matter!" Nya rounded on him, "What if you couldn't? What if it got out of control? Do I have to remind you, it's only been a couple days since you unlocked your powers and they went haywire! I don't want to chance it again. What if one of us gets hurt?"
Nya watched as Kai deflated in front of her.
"Maybe he'll finally listen this time," Nya hoped.
"But, you'll get better at it right a little practice right?" Nya heard Jay pipe up behind her.
Nya let him know that he wasn't making it any easier with a huff.
"It might not be my place to say but having and using your elemental powers can't be all that bad right? Elemental powers aren't bad, it is those who can use them who decide whether or not they are used for good or bad." Jay slowly continued out.
Kai had begun to perk up, looking relieved.
"I don't think it helps all that much to be told that you're constantly putting everyone at risk with your existence. I think that I trust Kai to use his powers. I mean they pretty awesome." Jay assured Kai.
"Jay," Nya sighed, "Look, elemental powers aren't something to be trifled with. Those that wield them can use them for bad or good by accident or intention. If we just never use them, then no one's at risk right? By using them, we increase the chances that something could go wrong. And my nature things are more likely to go wrong than right." Nya reasoned.
"But-" Jay said, "You don't have powers right?"
"So you do?" Kai asked.
"I don't, Kai does," Nya replied.
Jay extended an open hand towards them, sparks started to fly before elongating into crackling Mina tire lightning bolts that danced between his fingers. He turned away from them and the sky roared, a bolt of lightning crackled down from above. It hit Jay's palm and ricocheted off it smashing into a tree. The vivid flash of light that ensued burned Nya's eyes.
"Oh my god, he has the power to strike us down like an angry god." Nya realized, "Dangerous. So very dangerous."
Jay turned back at them, obviously nervous of their reactions.
"That wasth Ah-ma-zing," Kai cheered fist bumping the air.
"Ya, I guess it was," Jay smiled, graciously.
They both turned to Nya who hadn't given an answer.
"Oh," Jay whimpered, "Too much? I shouldn't have gone all the way. Should have kept it small."
"Yes. The powers were dangerous. Dangerous beyond belief. But... maybe Jay was right. Maybe Nya couldn't understand. The connection was between them and their powers. How did one even use their powers? And she trusted the people who used them. She trusted Kai with her life. He still was the same person, wasn't he? Always had fire powers."
"No," Nya sighed, "I guess you're right. I can't really understand. But it's nice that Kai has someone who does."
"But just, be careful okay?" Nya asked.
"Of course," Jay said.
"When am Ah not?" Kai smiled.
"Plenty of times," Nya shook her head.
"Now, are thou goingsth to help'eth me with this meat?" Kai said, "Ah sthoud justh thart talking like that. Maybe nobody will notice then."
"Sure," Nya laughed, "I'd like to see you try."
Again sorry if there's a lot of typos in this one. It's hard to pick them out through all the red lines that are from Kai's speech. Speaking of Kai's speech, hopefully, it was readable. I didn't want to drown out what he was saying but still wanted it to be prominent enough. Also, this isn't the best of my chapters but hopefully it wasn't too boring. It was mostly just talking.