It wasn't my intention to delay this update, but I've had the craziest couple of months of my entire life (not joking, but that's a long story).

I thought I was ready to post this chapter, but in the end, when I went to reread it, I found out that I hated it and had to rewrite it all over again.

I'll be honest, I still kinda dislike this chapter, but I had to get it out of the way to move on with the story. I have made a lot of changes from the show and added an extra scene in the end.
As I said, I don't particularly like it, but I still hope you'll enjoy reading it (and if not, let's all forget this chapter ever happened and let's move on to the next one :P )

Last but not least, I'd like to thank the people who have left comments while I was gone! I'm always beyond grateful whenever you take the time to leave a comment on this story.

Guest: I'm finally back and I apologize for taking almost 2 months to update. I hope you haven't lost interest in this story and you'll still read it!

Jen Rock: your words made my day! Thank you so much for reading my story, I hope you'll like what I have in store for the future :)

Ren

The blade was cold against his neck, and with every breath, Ren felt it sink into his skin. One wrong movement, just one, and the knife would slice his throat. But that was not the reason Ren did not dare to move a muscle.

Bloth and his men had captured Ioz and Niddler, and they were now standing dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, their hands and feet tied together. Ren had seen enough to know there was nothing below but water and jagged rocks.

Ioz was the only one they had gagged, and it hadn't taken long for Ren to realize why. Even in the face of death, Ioz did not show any fear. Niddler, on the other hand, kept on begging for his life.

Bloth kneeled down until his ugly face was close to Ren's ear. "Tell me, Son of Primus. Which one is better, death by drowning or crashing on a rock?"

Bile rose to the back of Ren's throat. "Take me, Bloth, is me you want."

Bloth's sickening mouth spread into a grin. "I have you, right where I want you. As I have your..." he paused. "Crew."

Bloth's men snorted at that.

"Now, boy," Bloth went on. "Tell me where to find Teron."

"Find him yourself," Ren growled.

Bloth shook his head. "Konk, reveal to the prince the delicacy of his friends' position."

"Yes, master!" the piglet grunted and limped towards his crewmates.

A dagger in his hand, Konk poked Niddler's back. His tormented squawks hurt more than the Blight. "Ren, please!" Niddler screeched.

"Where is he?" Bloth asked again.

"Ren, maybe if you give him a general location?" Niddler pleaded.

"I'll ask once more, boy. Where is Teron?"

"Ren!"

Ren couldn't do it, he opened his mouth.

"Leave while your legs can carry you, Bloth!"

His heart jumped to his throat. Ren had not just hoped and deceived himself in vain, the Blight had not killed her, she was standing there, still as stone, ready to fight.

"You," was everything Bloth replied.

"Me," she echoed.

Slowly, Bloth's chest swelled, and Ren could have sworn he saw him struggling for words. "You've picked the wrong fight, girl. I have my top swordsmen with me."

"Thank you, master!" grunted Konk.

Bloth's eyes snapped to the piglet. "And Konk, too."

The smile washed away from Konk's ugly face.

"If you fight us you'll die, and we don't want such a waste to happen, now do we?" Bloth said. "I can be a merciful man, Tula. Yield, join me and live. My proposition is still valid. But I can promise you, this is the last time I'll make such offer."

"Merciful," Tula seemed to taste the word on her tongue before she nodded. "I'll repay the favor, Bloth, so here's my proposition: release my shipmates, and I will let you and your men depart my land alive."

Bloth's mouth curved down into a snarl. "Teach this wench the lesson of her brief life!"

With that his men attacked.

She was one against three. One against three and worn out by the fight against the Blight. Ren felt his wrists burn from the friction against the rope and yet he did not stop yanking at them.

All together, sword in hand, the pirates lunged.

And the jolt of panic was cold and sharp in his chest when Ren realized Tula did not have a single weapon on her. He felt something slick coating his wrists, a burning pain soon joined and yet the rope refused to give up.

Tula did not move. She stood there, still as a rock as the men dashed towards her.

Everything happened so fast.

The first man lashed his sword at her; she dodged once, twice, caught his wrist on the third time, locked his punch coming from the right as her knee connected to his groin. The man collapsed just enough for her to knee him in the chin and get hold of his sword to parry a lash coming from the second man.

And parrying was everything she could do against the two pirates lashing at her like their meaningless lives depended on it.

Ren screamed as the rope cut deeper into his skin. He watched helplessly as Tula slowly backed up, till her back was against a tree trunk.

One of the men raised his sword high above his head and brought it down. Tula dodged in time for the blade to get stuck into the wood. Then, instead of lashing with her weapon, Tula let it drop to the ground and placed her hands behind her, over the tree trunk. The blue light sparkled right after; Ren watched it engulf the whole tree and felt his jaw drop as the branches started to writhe like eels.

A snarl was on Tula's face when the branches shot through the air and, like snakes with a prey, wrapped themselves around the pirates. The pirates could only scream when they were lifted off the ground.

More branches then followed behind coming for Bloth and Konk too.

Bloth cursed and seemed unable to move as the branches coiled around his hands and held him still as some more branches, like hands, retrieved the Compass from his neck and the pouch containing the Treasures from his waistband.

Then, somehow, Tula willed the branches to carry Bloth and his crewmates over the edge of the cliff where they were dropped down into the water.

The power of an ecomancer. Ren was lost for words.

It was when Tula collapsed to the ground that the branches retreated back to the tree.

Unable to do much, Ren stood up and limped to where she was lying. He kneeled down beside her and could not help but feel pathetic with his hands tied up behind his back.

Tula raised her head, a gleaming layer of sweat covered her forehead.

"Great work, Tula!" Ren said.

"Yes!" barked Ioz, as his heavy steps echoed over the ground. "Not bad for a beginner!"

Tula's lips spread into a weak smile. "Coming from you, Ioz, I'll take that as a compliment!"

"Don't get used to that," he mumbled, his eyes suddenly trained on the grass. "What are you waiting for, wench? Come, untie me!"

Tula wiped the sweat off her face, her hands feeling the grass in search for something. King Primus' sword gleamed in the sun and cut into the ropes like butter.

"I have to go back to Teron," was everything Tula said once they were all free.

Ren nodded and offered her a hand, her eyes lingered on his wrist coated in blood before she took it and let him lift her up. She was still visibly unstable on her feet, but before he could offer his own body to lean on, Niddler was flapping above her.

"I'll take you, Tula!"

She spread her arms and Ren just watched as Niddler clawed his paws around her shoulders and flew her away.

Teron was worn by the whole trial against the Blight, but as Andorus blossomed back into a green wonder, the ecomancer regained his strength. Somehow Teron looked younger, he could hold his back straight and walk without leaning on the walking cane.

They decided to spend some days in Andorus to regain their strength. It was not as long as Ren would have loved to, but Bloth was still a threat, the Dark Water still lurked the seas, and they had to move on onto the next Treasure of Rule.

The sun shone high and warm the day they set to cast off. The sight of the rays brushing over the leaves of the Viva Tree had something mesmerizing that had Ren wonder why everything of Andorus must be so alluring.

"Are you sure you won't come with us, Teron?" he asked instead.

The ecomancer smiled as he shook his head. "No, my work is here," he answered before facing Tula. "Besides, you already have your ecomancer," he placed a hand on her cheek and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And with practice, she'll only get stronger."

"Thank you, Teron," she said before lowering her eyes in what Ren thought was respect.

"If Andorus still thrives is thanks to you, my child."

"How will we get the others? How will we get them back here? Where are they?"

"Don't fear, Tula, they'll come back-" Teron stopped mid-sentence, and for a moment his eyes darted to Ren. When he opened his mouth again, it was Andorian he spoke.

Tula's eyes snapped to the top of the Viva Tree, a hand slowly rose to cover her neck. She then opened her mouth to say something but hesitated.

Teron sighed, the smile still lingering over his lips, and kneeled down to pick up a flower as yellow as the sunrise. Rising from the ground was visibly harder on him, and yet the smile was still on his face when Teron stood back up and gently tucked the flower behind her ear.

He said something, Tula nodded and, after a short moment of hesitation, she hugged him.

She then turned to Ren, some emotion he could not read was on her face. "Let's set sail!"

The sails caught the winds and the Wraith lunged into the open sea.

"Farewell, Teron!" Ren shouted from the deck.

The ecomancer raised a hand in the air to salute them. "Farewell, my children!"

They were blessed with a smooth sea. Ren and Ioz took turns at the wheel while Tula and Niddler tended to the sails. Somehow Ren could not keep himself from shooting looks behind his shoulders until Andorus was no more than a small dot over the horizon.

It was dusk when Ioz suggested to drop anchor and resume the sailing on the next day; Ren did not object to that. He was worn by the hours of sailing and he had enough strength left to walk to his bunk before he collapsed on it. It felt blissful to finally lay down, but sleep would not come. Ren twisted and turned for hours before he finally decided to get up and have a walk above deck.

Tula was seated over the taffrail, still as stone, her hair swirling and floating in the wind. She didn't notice when he sat down next to her, her eyes trained over the black water.

"You'll be back one day," he said.

Tula jumped at the sound of his voice. At first, her eyes bore into his but then they darted away in the distance, and for a moment Ren feared she might not want to talk to him.

Although, after taking a long breath, she spoke, "I cannot be what they want me to be. They will learn the truth, they'll learn what I am, and-" she shook her head.

"And what?" Ren glided closer to her.

Tula bit her bottom lip as her chest rose high.

"You're not just an ecomancer," he said that out loud for her. "You're more than that. You're like Teron, am I right?"

Her silence was all the answer he needed.

"The gift comes with a price, is this what upsets you?"

Tula closed her eyes. "Training with Daron was hard, painful, more than often humiliating." A sad smile appeared on her face. "But it was everything I wanted because it was my way to freedom. Freedom. Once you make sure nobody can harm you, once you know how to survive on your own, you're free. I've worked so hard to get where I am. I'm free." She paused to gaze at the sea. "Accepting my fate as supreme ecomancer would mean bind myself to the Viva Tree, bind myself to Andorus as Teron has," she shook her head. "I'm not a tree, I don't have roots and I don't want them. I cannot be what I'm meant to be."

It was Ren's turn to gaze at the sea before he decided to speak.

"I used to sneak behind Jenna's back after sunset and row my boat to the old town of Octopon. I loved spending the nights there, with the other villagers. We used to drink, sing, play games and laugh until the break of dawn. The older folks at times told stories while we sat around the bonfire, and that's how one day I heard the tale of a young boy who escaped his mundane life to sail away into the unknown," he paused to brush a lock of black hair from her face. "Does that sound familiar?"

Tula's smile sparked something warm into his chest.

"I was hypnotized as I learned about his adventures, and the more I thought about that story, the more I despised my life in the lighthouse. All I wanted was to sail away and write my own adventure. Then, one day I rescued a man from the sea, and you know about the rest. All I want was adventures, I've never asked for a crown. I might be Primus' rightful heir but I-" Ren sucked in air. He hadn't told a soul about the way he truly felt, he had yet to admit it to himself. Why was he telling her now?

He exhaled and pressed on. "I fear what will come once my quest is over, what will happen the day I'll bring the last of the Thirteen Treasures to Octopon if that day will ever come. What would be of my life after that?"

Ren was not brave enough to look at Tula as he went on. "All of this is to say that I can understand you, Tula. Allow me to tell you one more thing though, Andorus has its supreme ecomancer and there might be more after Teron and you. You don't have to bind yourself to Andorus, if that's not your wish."

Tula closed her eyes, her voice was just a whisper that went almost unheard in the wind. "They'll never understand, Ren."

"They don't have to."

For a moment she stared at him without saying anything, then she lowered her eyes.

"That said," Ren added. "There's a reluctant king who might need your powers to save the world."

At that, Tula laughed. "He'll have them."

"We're in this together, Tula." Ren had to summon all of his courage to look at her in the eye as he spoke his next words. "Let's take care of each other."

He watched as the little curve on Tula's lips blossomed into a beautiful smile. She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Let's take care of each other."

The first chapter of A Drop of Darkness will be up on either Saturday 23 or Sunday 24!