Chapter 20 – Worrying and Flirting
As they waited for Layla, Brandon and Sky to return from their impromptu diplomatic mission with Queen Amentia. Riven was still laughing at the expression that graced Brandon's face, that was anything but graceful.
Guffawing Riven gasped, "I didn't know any girl could terrify Brandon like that!" The rest joined in, even Stella, knowing before last year, Brandon was a certified Casanova. Even, Helia had heard of Brandon's reputation, in his brief stint at Red Fountain. The laughter was a warm welcome, in the all too trained tense silence of the shuttle. Everyone waited with baited breath to hear from the others. Tension radiated off everyone.
When Flora had gotten up slinging her pack back on and stepped out of the control room. Helia watching her go, decided to follow. He turned back to his radar console, and switched to his A.M.D. (Alternative Monitor Device), Timmy had been developing this year. They were the guinea pigs for the prototype before his Uncle would let Timmy to install it in additional shuttles. Finding that the sync had been successful, Helia followed Flora out into the bay. He found her resting against a wall of the shuttle
"They're going to be fine, you know." Helia said as he approached her. He must have been quieter then thought because she gave a startled yelp at the sound of his voice. "Sorry" He was quick to say.
Pressing a hand to her thundering heart, she gasped, "I didn't hear the door!"
"You must have been very deep in your thoughts, " He replied softly going sit beside her on the floor of the bay and lean against the wall. "You're worried." He stated it, like it was just like any other day.
"Everyone is worried, Helia," she countered.
"True, though I may not have been on the team long. But I know you worry the most." She gave him a gentle smile but didn't deny it, "Now, whats in the pack?" He asked playfully trying to look into the bag, she had on her lap.
"A little of this and a little of that," She answered coyly fluttering her lashes all the while slipping the pack closed.
All the more willing to play, he said, "I love this and that!" Rolling her eyes, she opened the pack enough exposing its contents to him. Bottles. It was full of bottles and vials. Each with what he could tell was varying different potions.
Helia reached in and plucked a sphere shaped bottle from the pack. As he held the bottle aloft in his hands, it began to glow brightly where it lay nestled in his palms. He felt it emitting a soothing warmth. Turning the bottle over and over in his hands, he found it was labeled;
"Essence of Stella"
It was written in a delicate script he recognized as Flora's. The odd label had him turning to ask, but catching her eye. He merely gave her a questioning lift of his brow.
"It's a replenisher." She replied, "each of us have at least two bottles." She took the bottle from to study it herself. "We each in turn have a base essence, from where our powers drive from, Stella though her powers come from light, whether its from the Sun or Moon. But what many people don't realize is that her actually comes from strong expressions, like purity, goodness and innocence that is the very essence of her power. I bet you could feel the power that emits from it." Helia nodded.
"yeah, I felt more of a heat from the bottle." He asked, "And your able to bottle that much power?"
"Yes, though the difficulty isn't the bottling process but being able to access the core." She replied tucking the bottle into the pack neatly next to its partner.
"That would mean it takes a skilled potion master to pull it off, right?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. She wasn't the only one to have asked around, Helia had been very discreet about his inquiry. Helia knew Flora was an accomplished potioneer. Well, adept at some of the most complex formulas.
She nodded, "Yes, this particular concoction if done incorrectly, it would result in a massive explosion."
"You're really good, than," Helia stated, "What about the rest? More healing supplies?"
"Pretty much, I have some vials that are designed to extract injected darkness."
"Any love potions in there?" He asked teasing her a little.
"No, why?" She asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"How else am I to keep you?" He teased her, as he scooted close enough that their arms brushed.
Blushing but finally catching on to the ruse, she replied with a toss of her hair, "Ooooh, I don't know." She looked side ways at him through slitted eyes, "You didn't need it to start this," She gestured with a wave between them. Pretending to think, she leaned into him and whispered as if it was dark secret, "try be yourself." They looked into each others eyes with soft smiles. Finally free of the awkward silence that had come with the feelings of a secret crush.
BEEP BEEEEP BBBBBEEEEPPP!!!
The loud sound tore through their romantic moment, causing them to jump apart. Helia shot to his feet and was running back into the console room with Flora hot on his heels.
"Whats going on?" Helia spat out as he dashed to his station.
"The temperature is dropping at a drastic rate."
"How drastic?"
"Try five degrees every ten minutes, Lover-boy." Riven answered, rolling his eyes.
"That sounds more abnormal, then a normal drop from a cold front." Timmy said studing the readouts.
The girls all looked at each other with shakes their heads, they chorused with loud groans, "ICY!!"
"No, way! She can't be here!" Timmy groaned.
"Well, she is!" Stella snapped rubbing her arms trying to stay warm, "What a louse time to be wearing a tube top dress!"
"Lets try to remain calm," Timmy tried but was receiving a death glare from Stella, "The storm is outside, and as long as we have power it will stand out there." Suddenly a bolt of lightening stuck the shuttle, there was a stutter in the engines and a lose of power, "Okay, start panicking! Everyone brace yourselves!" Timmy shouted as he and the other specialists tried to pull up the nose of the shuttle into an emergency landing. The shuttle felt like a rock being skipped over lake. It was a rough ride the girls tried their best not to left go of what they had a grip on.
When the shuttle came to a stop, after a successful emergency landing.
"Everyone who's not hurt or dead make a sound!" Riven ordered, from his command post. At once everyone groaned.
"Shut UP, Riven!" Stella snapped her hair a mess.
"GEEEZ!" Musa groaned from the floor as she rubbed the backside, "Next time easy on the landing…"
"Yeah, no kidding," Tecna said rubbing her arm, that had ended up being slammed into the metal storage a cabinet.
"It could have been worse!" Timmy shouted over his shoulder.
"How worse?" the girls asked.
"We could have burned up on impact." Brandon stated, as he checked his station over. Panic stricken looks flooded the girls.
Helia quickly reminded them, "We made it that's all that matters."
"Not quite," Stella ccountered.
"What's missing?" Timmy asked, not taking his eyes from the monitors.
The girls all shared a look, before Musa said, "Well, for one, the Queen of Frigid is currently knocking on our door," She said pointing to the now raging blizzard outside their viewer.
"Plus," Flora continued, "She's not alone." When a CRACK of thunder shook the shuttle.
"And where you find two, there's always three." Stella snapped.
"Not to mention, we haven't been able to reach the other." Tecna added her logical two cents.
"Oh!" Timmy muttered, "Right…" He wince having forgotten about the others.
"Well, whats the plan?" Riven asked.
To Be Continued!