Chapter 3: On The Road
"Im just like you," Blossom declared, looking up so the 3 strangers could stare into her pink eyes. Brick, Boomer, and Butch gasped.
Brick staggered back a bit, a little surprised. How did i not see that coming? She didn't know what we were at first, so she wouldn't have known to to block her mind. Or...did she know that we are Splitzers? He stared into her eyes and she stared back into his deep red ones in silence.
Boomer blinked in pure shock. His hood flopped down off of his head and down his back. "Are you a Splitzer too?"
Blossom let a small laugh escape her lips. "Um yes. Don't my eyes kind of give it away?"
Butch crossed his arms and eyed her up and down. "How do we know that you're legit?"
Brick rolled his eyes at the comment. "Butch, look at her eyes. Isn't that proof enough?" Boomer noted. He used his arm to indicate Blossom who fluttered her eyelashes to draw attention to her unnaturally shaded eyes.
Butch shrugged. "I've heard of some folks that have been born with weird eyes and haven't recieved powers." he said with an edge to his voice. "What powers do you have, beautiful?"
Blossom scoffed while brushing a strand of hair from neck. "Proof? Alright." She held out her hand, palm facing up. She focused on the air above her palm, and closed her eyes trying to ignore the guys who were watching her. A block of ice formed. She held it there for a second trying to forget about the trio of spectators watching her. She inhaled deeply and sent the block of ice into the wall smashing the delicate substance to pieces. She opened her eyes to find Butch, Boomer, and Brick nodding in impressed approval. "Got any scars or cuts?"
Butch blinked confused. "Excuse me?"
Blossom crossed her arms in a provoking way and raised an eyebrow. "Look at that. The green one has manners." Boomer and Brick stifled laughs. "Scrapes? Bruises?"
Butch stepped forward. "Here. Does this suffice?" He rolled up a pant leg revealing a nasty gash that looked infected with a red-yellowish coloring. It looked pretty deep and appeared to have been caused by sword. Blossom smirked and approached him carefully. She place a fingertip on the scrape making Butch wince. Blossom shot him an apologetic look before closing her eyes. Boomer watched curiously. She muttered a few foreign words that the three men didn't understand. Butch and his brother's mouths fell open in awe as his wound disapppeared into healthy flesh.
Butch stood up and stretched his leg, moving the muscles while Blossom waited expectantly from the wooden floor. Butch looked at his brothers. "Alright she's legit."
Blossom paused, a look of distraught flashed across her face. "Are you guys theives or thugs or something?"
"Um yes," Boomer responded casually.
Blossom hesitated at her next question. "You guys don't go around slaughtering people do you?" She wasn't overly eager to hear the answer, but she needed to know what she was getting herself involved in. Obviously, if there are thieves, murder is just around the corner.
Butch put a dismissive hand in the air. "I'll take that one guys. You see, beautiful, we don't go around killing people for the enjoyment of it. Only if our lives are on the line." he explained.
Blossom nodded thoughtfully. "So you have killed people before?"
Brick nodded. "Blood is on our hands, yes. But dire times."
Blossom nodded again but didn't look to offended or mildly upset by the thought of killers in her presence which Boomer found a little weird. But then again, they all are. After all, they did have odd colored eyes.
Brick grinned. "So does the pretty young lady have a name?" he asked, extending his hand down to Blossom. She grasped onto it and Brick hauled her to her feet.
Blossom smiled and a light blush spread across her cheeks. "Its Blossom." She narrowed her eyes at Brick then looked at Boomer, then at Butch. She grinned a mischievous grin and walked over toward Butch then stopped dead in front so she was staring into his forest green eyes. "Let me guess. You're element is Earth."
Butch glared down at her impressed. " Impressive." he acknowledged. "Mind reader?" he guessed.
Blossom shook her head with a smirk. "Nope." She walked over to Boomer leaving Butch a little flustered. She narrowed her eyes, soaking in intricate details. "Lets see, you must have... Lightning powers."
Boomer nodded. "Yes. Yes! It is! Are you telepathic?"
Blossom shrugged vaguely and strolled over to Brick. She came to a halt in front of him and grinned a final time. "And the Red Leader here has Fire."
Brick smirked and folded his arms across his chest. Butch came up behind him and put an arm on his shoulder. "So Blossom, what the heck are you doing in an isolated part of the forest? In a tower?" Brick asked. Initally, he would have read her thoughts but he figured that asking might be better. And if he needed to, he could always pry. But only if necissary.
Blossom's smile faded into a scowl. "I have been imprisoned here for as long as i can remember." Blossom growled in low tone. She folded her arms across her chest in a mildly intimidating way. The atmosphere went from relatively positive to spiteful. Blossom looked back up at Boomer and Butch who appeared clueless. Brick's expression was neautral. Is he reading my mind? Is he a mind reader? Is that his other Gift?
Brick took her hand in his. He looked down at her with understandment in his eyes. "I understand. You will never be treated that way again. Pack your belongings. You're escaping here tonight." he said, with a low volume. He leaned in a little closer so she could only hear. Blossom could feel heat radiating off her neck from being uncomfortable to how close he was to her. After all. They did meet only 15 minutes ago. Isn't it the right thing to be a little nervous? "And yes. You were right. I am a mind reader." He released her hand and Blossom backed up a little with a pink face.
Blossom shook her head as she came back to reality. She felt another blush coming on when she remembered that Boomer and Butch were in the room, but fought it back. "Well," she muttered loud enough for them to hear, while striding over to her sleeping chamber. She pulled a leather bag out from underneath the bed that raised up about 3 feet up off the ground. She pulled a red and white flanel patterned dress out of a drawer, along with a white and pink flowered print dress that looked fairly expensive and stuffed them into her bag. Then, Blossom packed away her brush and a story book that she used to read. She also packed a loaf of fresh baked bread that she had made earlier that day and some rasberry jam that Sedusa had brought her. Might as well not go hungry. She knelt over to pick up the brown leather bag when she felt something cold touch her chest. Her hand instintively reacted to the sudden drop in temperature on her skin and struck her chest. Her nimble fingers felt a chain wrapped around her neck with a heart attached to it. Whipping it off of her neck with fluent pull at the chain, she began sudying the gold necklace and heartshaped locket. She never was able to pry it open, so the inside contents remained a mystery. She frowned. It was probably something stupid anyway. She had it since she could remember so she wouldn't have been surprised if Sedusa had tucked it into her arms when she was brought to this retched tower. It probably contained a message saying 'keep practicing!' or 'improve your Ice!' Blossom twisted her palm and the golden necklace fell to the wooden floor with a noisy clang. She turned to face the 3 boys. They looked like they have been waiting for a while. Blossom became self concious about how long she was staring at the necklace.
Butch had a hand on his hip. "Ready now, Ice Princess?"
Blossom cocked her head and shrugged the back pack on. She let out a slight laugh. "Ice Princess? Ice. Yes. Princess? That would be absurd to think I was royalty."
Brick approached the window. He gazed out the window into the night and then back toward his group. "Ready?"
Boomer nodded and crossed over to the window with Butch behind. Boomer hopped up onto the window sill and fell from the frame as if free falling from a mountain top. Blossom gasped and rushed to the window expecting to find a red smear on the landscape. "Boomer!" She looked down to the ground, relieved to find Boomer staring up at her with a silly grin on his face.
"Worry much?" Boomer hollared up to her.
Blossom's expression changed into a sarcastic one. She put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes down at him. "Ha ha." She turneed to face Butch and Brick. "So ar-" Her thought was cut off when Brick read her mind.
"Yes. We are going to jump from the window." Brick interrupted. Blossom opened her mouth to speak in protest but Brick cut her off again. "And yes. Boomer does have Levitation powers. Thats why he didn't end as a red smear on the landscape." Blossom made a pouty face.
"Dang! It must be awesome having Mind powers!" Butch complained. He climbed onto the window sill and jumped. Blossom watched as Boomer focused on Butch and a slightly blue shaded air formed around his feet. It looked like how a blue bubble would look like floating gently in the breeze. Quickly, but safely Butch came to ground. Even though she couldn't understand the words, Blossom instinctively knew that he was commanding gravity's effects to slow down, allowing him to control the movement of objects.
Brick held one of Blossom's hands and steadied her when she climbed up onto the sill. "Ready" he asked.
Blossom hid a smile. "Why don't you read my mind to get your answer? Should be quicker." Without another word she hopped from the window. She had her bag on and her quiver of arrows slung across her back. Butch had taken her bow and fastened it to the horn of his horse's saddle once he had hit the ground. She thought it was weird when she was slowly floating down to the ground instead of plummeting to the earth.
"Fiesty. I like it." Brick murmurred to himself as he hopped to the ground.
The grass was still wet from when it had rained earlier in the day. Despite the moon being out, the sky was still overcast with grey clouds scattered throughout the sky. The milky streams of light emanating from the moon lit up the night enough to be able to see what one was doing. One time when she was 7, not too long after discovering her Ice abilities, Blossom was playing outside after dark in the meadow with a bunny rabbit under the constant supervision of Sedusa. Blossom had started chasing the critter after it had been spooked and taken off at a full sprint. Blossom had chased after it in excitement but had turned an ankle on a knarled tree root that had been jutting up out of the ground but was camouflaged by murky shadows. Blossom had secretly wondered ever since if Splitzers could develope night vision. The moist droplets seeped through Blossom's slipper shoes making her feet cold and somewhat shriveled.
Boomer saddled up onto his horse, Butch on his, and Blossom saddled up behind Brick. Brick rode his horse in front towards the entrance of the cave with Butch behind and Boomer taking up the rear. Blossom had never ridden a horse before and she liked the swaying motion of the horse beneath her. The rhythmic pattern was almost soothing. She hated to admit it to herself but she actually liked being so close and holding onto Brick. Brick looked back at her. "I like you being close to me too, babe."
Blossom pouted again. "Stop reading my thoughts! They're personal" Brick rolled his eyes but smiled and continued to guide the horse through the cave. A chill raced down her spine making her shiver and her lightly colored skin rupture in goosebumps. The cave's draft stimulated a vague memory of when she was first brought to the tower.
Boomer was on his tan colored mare, Butch on his black mount, and Brick and Blossom were on the chestnut brown mare. They had been walking the horses for a distance when they heard hoof beats approaching and distinctive shouts being called from one soldier to another. Boomer turned around just in time to see the group of soldiers with Bronton's armor emerging from the forest with loaded crossbows ready to fire.
"Shit!" Butch muttered noticing the oncoming threat. The three men urged their horses into a sprint with Butch and Brick's horses about parallel and Boomer's horse lagging a bit from being weary. The soldiers began firing projectiles that were missing by only a small fraction. If they weren't careful, Butch and his companions would be skewered.
"What he hell?!" Boomer exclaimed from behind. He had barely missed an arrow that went soaring through the air. He instinctively snatched up a leather bag to block the series of arrows that had been aimed for his heart. The deadly weapons pierced through the bag. "What happened to Bronton's ill equipped and lame archers?" he cried out.
The soldiers were notably gaining, and there was close to 20 of them. Blossom looked back and bit her lip. They are gaining so quickly! And it they're missing us by only a couple of inches! Blossom glanced at Boomer who was being repeatedly attacked by entourages of arrows and was blocking them with a lone bag that has a course texture. Maybe if i could get my bow... Blossom swung her left leg over the width of the horse. "Butch!" she cried out to him, hoping that he could hear her over the commotion.
Butch craned his neck to the left, signaling that he heard her and was listening. "What is it?"
"Do you think that you could get my bow and give it to me?" The horse leaped gracefully over a fallen tree but landed with a thud that made Blossom cling onto Brick in order to keep her self from falling.
Butch tried steering his horse while trying to pry the secured bow from its bindings on the saddle. It required to much focus for one or the other. "Im sorry Pinky. I can only focus my effort on one or the other. My mind is put under to much strain to do both." he responded.
Blossom nodded. She knew the feeling. It was like trying to hold a conversation and read a book at the same while being able to comprehend what you hear and read. Blossom studied the distance between Brick's horse and Butch's horse...
Don't do it! You might fall. The thought was not Blossom's, but she could understand it clearly as if it was said out loud. She could even tell who had sent the message. Blossom took a breath.
Brick! I can do it. All i need is for you and Butch to get close enough for me to leap. she thought, willing Brick hear her plead.
Im not so sure. Getting your hands dirty is more of mine and my brother's forte. he conveyed back to her.
Geez, Brick. I've been locked in a tower for 16 years. I'm ready to live and take a few risks. This one isn't even a big deal either.
Exactly. You have been in a tower your life. Which is why you shouldn't start killing people on the same day you received your freedom.
Blossom huffed, brushing a strand of wispy hair out of her field of vision. I only need to dispatch a few so we can escape. Besides this is what i got myself into, joining thugs. Might as well make the best of it.
Don't do it. Urgency was in the tone of the message despite it being a mental conversation. Blossom glanced over and Butch and his black horse. They were close enough that if she executed enough force in her jump, she ought to make it. She made an effort to stand up and leaped onto the back of Butch's horse.
Blossom! was mentally transmitted to her brain but she tried to ignore it. She had figured that if she fell she could turn the pursuiting army to blocks of ice, but only as a last resort and the situation dire. She was new to the whole adventure thing and she could tell by her companion's hesitation that it wasn't a good idea to be open with the fact she was Splitzer. Not that her eyes wouldn't give it away, but her powers would at least be concealed.
Butch turned around surprised. "Where did you come from?"
" I jumped. Here, pass me the bow!" she said quickly. Butch silently passed her the bow while Brick shot her a hurt expression. Blossom notched the arrow and took aim at a shoulder's neck- the only area not consumed by tin armor. Im sorry, Brick..I know you're looking out for my best interest. I appreciate it since you three are the only friends i have. But, i need to contribute.
Brick glanced back and smiled at her sheepishly. Go get 'em Pinky.
Blossom released the arrow. It flew true until it lodged itself deeply into its target. A little high. It struck the soldier in the forehead spewing blood and the soldier flopped off of his horse with a thud. Blossom blinked in horror. Had she killed a person? A real breathing person? She turned away. She might eventually grow accustomed to it but until then, she felt guilty.
I tried to warn you. Are you alright?
A tear rolled down Blossom's face. You were right. I'm sorry. I should have listened. I'm not ready for the thug work yet. She pulled the bow over her back and clung onto Butch's shoulder and cried quietly in ashamed terror.
"Hang in there. We are almost to safety." Butch soothed, reassuring the timid teenager who was bawling into his shirt. He remembered his first kill. It wasn't pretty, but he hadn't over reacted.
"Is she alright?" Boomer wondered. His horse had finally gained some speed and he was currently riding in the middle.
"Just a little overwhelmed by her first kill." Brick explained.
Boomer ahhed. She was sniffeling. Although her crying had subsided, raspy breathing was still heard. Boomer glanced back at the guards. Enough. "well, time to lose them." He muttered a short phrase and the soldiers levitated off of the ground. Several shouts and protests were audible as the guards and horses floated off the ground. Another quick command and lightning zapped 17 riders and stallions into lifeless corpses while a few got away and rode in the opposite direction, fearing for their lives. No doubt that they would be back on the marrow with reinforcements. It was obvious that they Boomer and his friends were on their way into the city of Powl. It was only a matter of time before they were located again.
"Have fun barbecuing, Boomer?" Brick kidded darkly.
"Oh yes. Medium, medium rare. Your favorite." Boomer kidded back.
"I think you missed a few, Boom." Butch noted. They could faintly here the escapee soldiers retreating into the foliage.
Brick cocked his head toward Blossom. "How is she?"
Butch listened to the steady falling and rising of her breathing. "She's out cold." Butch reported. A moment later the forest opened up into a dirt road that led into a small city. They pulled their cloaks over their heads and rode into town. The houses were mostly quiet and a bar towards the center of the town was illuminated with loud shouts and other ruckus coming from the windows. Any other night he would have been there but, he had a few friends to visit. Plus Blossom had fallen asleep, clutching onto him. They rode through the town and stopped at a big brown door attached to a small wooden house. Brick was carrying a sleeping Blossom bridal style while Butch pounded on the door. A shallow sound erupted from the door.
The door opened. "Hey!" The 3 boys greeted happily. Blossom remained unconscious.
"Come in! Its been so long!" a warm feminine voice greeted. "I've missed you guys sooo much! Well, we've missed you."
And with that, she ushered them inside the snug home.
sorry that this update is a few days late. i hope the chapter's content was worth the wait! who could at the door? thank you everyone who commented! i luv you guys. you allow me to do what i love. please review! they inspire me to update faster :)
ciao - P.F.G