Where did it go wrong?

by Aria Morid

Going Zenith left its marks. It influences their lives and their missions. Their perception of what's right and wrong are skewed, but is it because of who they are or because of who they work for? The Guardians learn not every evil is wrong, or every good is right.

13. Chapter 13 Interlude – Living forests

Chapter 13 Interlude – Living forests

"Can you believe it? They actually went up against real criminals. I'm so jealous."

I rolled with my eyes. My brush passed through my long hair with controlled ease. I decided to ignore Hay Lin. She'd done nothing but talk about the misadventures of Irma and Will. Honestly, I couldn't believe Irma for pulling Will into any danger or physical activity at all. I didn't care that Will's poisoning had finally ended, she shouldn't be doing stuff like that in her condition.

"Hay Lin, we've fought worse than those kinds of criminals, why are you jealous?"

I shook my head at Taranee's question. She should know by now that Hay Lin was a thrill seeker. A nasty habit she learnt from Irma. I could see Hay Lin pout in the mirror, looking at the ground and twirling one of her long ponytails.

"It's just I've never seen a real earth criminal before!"

"They are the same as they are on Meridian. Only with guns," I said, silencing the conversation.

I looked myself over in the mirror, nodding as I was finally content with my outfit for the day. Redstone had decided to give us a nature-appreciation day. We would be hiking through the nearby forest and learn about the nature. I didn't mind. I would have complained about it a few years ago, but I had come to appreciate nature. Especially after our adventures on Zamballa. Knowing that the plants had voices, a mind of their own – albeit a simple one – made me acknowledge them as more than just…plants. And made me perhaps a little more proud of my role as Guardian. At least I was no longer the Guardian who could sling mud and make pretty flowers. I was in charge of taking care of a populace that so many ignored.

"Come on Cornelia, you can't tell me you aren't a little envious? They had some action. And they met an undine! Can you believe it?"

I growled and finally turned to Hay Lin. Her colourful outfit for the day contrasted with the dull but practical wear Taranee had chosen. Her smile was bright, if not a little mischievous. And by the look on Taranee's face, I could see she was agreeing with Hay Lin. At least she had the decency not to say it out loud.

"Honestly? No. I'm glad we have some rest. Our last mission gave me enough scares to last a lifetime. I'm even glad we don't have to gather information on Phobos right now. We deserve a break. And besides, even if they met a real undine – which I highly doubt – then the mere idea of it being able to see the near future is ridiculous."

Hay Lin's smile drooped a bit. Taranee perked up. I knew why. Irma had sent us all a text in the middle of the night, which we read the moment we woke up. Her stupid undine had apparently been doing some future seeing for all of us. Not only didn't we ask for it, but future sight was ridiculous anyway. I admit that we could do some pretty unbelievable stuff, but precognition was a bit too much for me. As for the predictions, they weren't exactly great. For Hay Lin, they were. She got the news that if she told Eric, he would take it well. Taranee got something similar, but the idea that Nigel would react negatively to it at first had put her off. As for me, I loathed the idea that I would have to do some Guardian related work now which would cause me to doubt my friends. Of course I would trust them, what kind of stupid prediction was that?

I got up. I was fed up with the conversation and we had to leave soon anyhow. I flipped my hair behind my shoulder. The others rose as I passed them on my way to the door. They too knew it was better to drop the subject rather than try and out argue me. They'd never manage anyway. We stalked through the corridors, most of the rooms already empty. I was glad Irma wasn't with us. She would probably have a remark or two ready as to why we were running late. I couldn't believe that I could enjoy this peace and quiet.

The rest of our class was indeed waiting, along with the friendly – if not overly excited – principal of Redstone. He was ushering us to come join the group before he resumed in what seemed to be the 'how to behave in nature' lecture. I barely listened to it. The basics should be obvious to anyone here. With a quick look at the Grumpers, who were both too busy with their phones to listen, I was certain some wouldn't obey anyway. During the lecture, Martin, Nigel and Eric came to stand with us. I silently lamented that Alchemy hadn't made it. At least I would have had some female company if the others went along with their boyfriends.

I'd zoned out long enough for the lecture to end and for us to be on our way. The forest we would visit was but a fifteen minute walk from the school grounds. The principal told us about a few stories as we went and even hinted that several students on the campus seemed to believe that the forest was a romantic setting, if you catch my drift. It got the responses he'd been hoping for. I only rolled my eyes. You'd think a principal would try to dissuade these sort of things. Knickerbocker gave us a stern warning after the Redstone principal had insinuated the former. Like we would do such a thing.

"Now the guide I wish to introduce to you is a very special youth, much like yourselves. She lives on the other side of the forest, but has agreed to meet us here very soon and …. Oh dear."

I never knew what the Redstone principal wished to explain further. I did know why he stopped. We had arrived at the edge of the forest, where several trees had been savagely cut down. I gasped at the sight. I felt sick, watching it. The splintered wood, crushed treetops and unearthed trunks felt like an attack on my person. And the voices. I could hear them, weakly. In pain. Tears quickly pearled down my cheeks as my hand covered my mouth in shock.

"Are you okay?" Hay Lin asked, leaning into me.

Taranee placed a hand om my shoulder and as I looked at them, I could see anger in their eyes. This was just plain destruction.

It took me a while to change my focus to the group of people standing near the monstrous machines that had caused this damage. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be two groups, arguing with one another. One group stood near the trees, holding up signs and calling out to the workmen of the other party. Among the latter a few men in suits were there as well, standing smugly.

"Wait here children, I'll go see what's going on."

With that, both the principal of Redstone as well as ours left the group to see what the commotion was all about. I could get the gist of it, but was glad when Hay Lin filled me in anyway.

"The group of workmen belong to Harlington Industries. They say they have the rights from the government to clear away the forest and make way for a mall. The other group are activists who oppose this."

I frowned. The name Harlington rang a bell from earlier years, but I'd never realised it belonged to a great company. The other thing that occurred to me was my initial reaction to Hay Lin's words. I had been appalled by the idea of knocking down the forest for a mall. While I was certain I would have shrugged it away a few years ago. Maybe thought it to be a pity, but not bothered with it.

"They can't go a knock down a forest! The environmental costs would be tremendous! And the animal life. Do they even realize that?" Taranee hissed, her glasses flashing with fire.

I pursed my lips, sending ugly glares at the men in suits.

"I doubt they care," I said.

We remained there, fuming for a while until the principals returned. Mrs. Knickerbocker seemed to be irritated, while the Redstone principal looked slightly embarrassed.

"Well students. I'm sorry to say but we have to cancel the trip. The current circumstances would make it too dangerous for you to walk about. We'll return to the campus, where you'll have the rest of the day off. Once again, my apologies."

"Thank God. I didn't want to tramp through mud anyway."

"Yeah, finally we can check out the beach, like we should have done instead of this stupid trip."

I had to close my eyes and breathe deeply not to yell at the two sisters from hell. I glared darkly at them, when Martin turned to them.

"You know, this is a school trip. One where you should learn. And learning about the environment is the …"

"Most boring idea only a nerd would appreciate," Bess finished.

"Or people who actually give a damn about this planet," Nigel said in response.

A honing laugh escaped the two. They looked in disdain at the two boys, broadening their glare to encompass us as well. I could see they were just asking me to intervene. They didn't know I was itching to have them being caught by the plants surrounding us and disappear as food for the forest. But alas. That would probably be too cruel. Instead I only glared at them whilst steering Martin away. Taranee had already taken Nigel's hand and Hay Lin had been smart enough to chatter into Eric's ears, making it impossible for the boy to follow this would-be argument. I whispered some encouragement at Martin, making him perk up. He flashed me a small grin before launching into a semi-monologue about how terrible this situation was. I barely listened for I looked back one more time. There was one person that stood out amongst the group of protesters. It was a woman in her mid-twenties, with long brown hair and a skin that matched her hair colour. And even though I should have been unable to see it, I was certain her eyes were of the brightest green. We shared a look for a few seconds, before I was pulled along with the rest of the group.

With the day off, we were left to our own devices. And just like everyone else of the group, we decided to hit the beach. Taranee and Hay Lin had taken to the waters, taking their boyfriends along. I didn't follow. I never liked the sea that much. But I did enjoy the sunbathing. And to do that in the middle of winter was an added bonus to me. Part of me wanted to make a picture and send it to Irma, just to spite her. But I guess I decided to be the bigger person and just enjoy.

I'd laid my beach towel on the sand and just relaxed. I hadn't realized how stressed I'd been until I closed my eyes and just let the sun warm me. Being a Guardian was all fun and games, but it was mostly a hassle I never wanted in my life. Even though I would probably admit that I enjoyed my powers, I still believed my life would be better without the whole business. It gave me more stress than I bargained for. Fearing for Caleb's life, Elyon, the girls. Our last mission proved to me how dangerous our job was. Despite that, no one else seemed to share my concern. They worried about Will, but no one wondered whether or not we should stop. Just leave it as it is. We escaped death and I for one didn't believe we should tempt fate again.

Somewhere during my musings I must have dozed off. One moment I was certain I was thinking of a way to approach the others to stop with the whole Guardian business, the next I was walking through a forest. The forest wasn't purple, so sufficient to say that I did not recognize the place. I did enjoy it. The leaves were a luscious green and the sun filtered through, speckling the forest floor with spots of light. The wind blew gently and I was even certain I could smell several flowers. I wandered through the place, enjoying the rich environment. It took me a while to realize I was walking towards the centre of the forest. The sun was blocked more and more by the overhanging foliage and the trees were growing thicker. And yet a path was clear. As I moved along, I came upon a large tree. In front of it was the very lady I'd spotted earlier. A woman in her mid-twenties, with long brown hair and matching dark skin. She wore the same forest ranger outfit she did when I'd seen her. She smiled friendly at me and beckoned. I approached, seeing her deep green eyes for the first time. I noticed fine green lines running over her bare arms and legs. An intricate tattoo if you asked me.

The moment I came close enough, she tilted her head sideways. She beamed at me as if I was the best thing that could have happened to her. She curtsied before speaking.

"You came."

I nodded, unsure what she wanted of me.

"Please. Visit me. Our forest is in danger."

I tried to answer, but something was pulling me away. All I could hear were her pleas, over and over. I tried to yell out. I wanted to know who she was, or how she appeared in my dream. But before I even had the chance, I woke up.

I stared right into the faces of Hay Lin and Taranee. Both seemed to be concerned about me as relief made way for worry. I blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the harsh sunlight. I slowly got up.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

I groggily looked at Hay Lin, still rubbing my eyes. She had cocked her head sideways and had resigned to sitting next to me in the sand.

"You were squirming and muttering."

Finally adjusted to the light, I shook my head. I still pondered my dream. I'd always thought Hay Lin had crazy dreams that related to real life, but perhaps this was something else. It was almost as if she was contacting me.

"I think we need to visit the forest anyway. They need our help."

As I said it, I realized how strange it sounded. I was usually the one against getting mixed up in the problems of others. And yet here I was, suggesting to do the very same thing. By the look Taranee and Hay Lin were giving each other, I could read they were thinking the same thing.

"Why?" Taranee asked, sitting next to me as well. "It's not something we can solve."

I pursed my lips together. I really didn't want to explain my dream, but it was the only thing I had to convince them. If I would just get up and go, they would stop me. They would not just break the rules unless there was sufficient reason. Or Irma, in Hay Lin's case. I sighed deeply, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in.

"I…I had a dream. Or maybe it was a telepathic request."

Both their eyes widened. Hay Lin formed an excited grin. Taranee took the role of sceptic and raised an eyebrow. I guess this was my punishment for doubting the adventure of Irma and Will.

"A…Telepathic request?" Taranee said.

I nodded with a wry smile. It sounded bad, but it was the truth.

"The woman who was amongst the group of protesters. She told me I should visit her. That the forest was in danger."

"We knew that much," Taranee said. "But why would she, if she did, ask for you? Did you meet her before?"

"What woman?" Hay Lin said.

I shrugged. "Just one of the women in the group Hay Lin. I spotted her by accident. And no, I never met her before."

Taranee relaxed a bit. "Oh….That probably means you just had a dream. You saw the woman, you know the forest is in danger and your brain just does the rest."

I frowned at her. I did not need scepticism right now. I knew how I sounded. It really did sound like a dream. But it wasn't. I couldn't explain why, but it was different.

"It wasn't," I said. "If it were, would I even try to convince you? I'm normally the first person to write something off."

This had Taranee nod slowly, as if she didn't want to admit it. I could understand. I really disliked the going of events as well. I'd rather stay at the beach for the whole day. But something deep within me made me think of the forest, the woman and it gave me an odd sensation. One I wanted to be relieved of as soon as possible.

"We can always check it out?" Hay Lin said.

"You know we aren't allowed to get near the forest," Taranee said.

"No one has to see us."

The wink Hay Lin gave along with her statement was a bit overdone, but well intentioned. It was also a quirk Irma had rubbed off on her. I could point it out to her, but decided against it. Hay Lin had always been one to support crazy plans and I guessed mine was borderline crazy. After all, I wanted to find a strange woman in the woods.

I nodded. "We go back to our rooms and leave from there."

With that we gathered our stuff. Our classmates were enjoying themselves so no one would notice us leave. That's what I hoped for.

"Leaving so soon, ladies?"

I stiffened and turned to the man. Sylla had been one of the few professors who'd come along on this trip. While I'd always thought of him to be quite laid back for a teacher, he did have a situational awareness that rivalled the principal's. Which was all fun when he casually stopped students from interrupting his lessons, but now it was certainly a liability. I turned to him, smiling my most flattering smile I had. That usually got me past teachers.

"We're just a little tired still, sir. Time zones and all that. We simply thought it to be a good idea to take a small nap in our rooms. To avoid a sunburn or lost property, you see."

He studied me, his blue eyes scanning my face a little too long for my taste. His eyes met mine before he yawned a tad too obvious. I was certain I'd seen a bit of a smile play on his lips before he did.

"Yeah, not good with them myself. I'll head back with you ladies, if you don't mind?"

It wasn't like we could deny him. He was a teacher and trying to have him stay here would only make us more suspicious. I shared an uncomfortable glance with the others. We had no choice but to let him guide us back.

"Thank you," I said, keeping my smile civil.

Our walk back could have been quick and easy. Instead it was long and awkward. Sylla kept asking questions about how we were doing in school and if we missed anyone back home. At Hay Lin's mentioning of Irma, he proceeded to interrogate us about our two members stuck at home. I kept most of my answers short. Taranee barely graced him with more than two words answers and Hay Lin, while talking a lot, never said anything of importance. We didn't need telepathy to coordinate this. We all knew a nosy teacher when we saw one.

He quickly caught on we weren't being that cooperative. So instead of bombarding us with questions, he mentioned what he appreciated about us as students, Irma and Will included. It took all my willpower not to cut him off and tell him to leave us alone. What teacher had this amount of unhealthy interest in his students anyway?

Our dorms were finally in sight. Saying our goodbyes was drawn out as he made us promise to report to him before dinner. Just to 'make sure' we were feeling alright. You'd normally go to a nurse for stuff like that.

"Ugh. I thought he would never leave us alone," I said as I closed the door behind me.

"You think he might know we're up to something?" Hay Lin said.

I raised an eyebrow at her. This kind of concerns could have only been the work of hanging around Irma. Once again proof the girl was more a menace than not.

"I doubt it…"

Taranee might have tried to sound convincing, but her face betrayed her concern. Leave it to her to second guess herself. I rolled my eyes.

"Look, we have done nothing to make people suspicious of us. If anything Sylla was more suspicious."

Especially if you looked at the bigger picture. A man in his late thirties, escorting three teenagers away from the group. That sounded like a start of a new missing person's report. Taranee seemed to get my implication. She reddened a bit and stammered a teacher would never. Hay Lin took a little longer to catch on and now just shuddered at the thought.

"Right. Enough stalling. Hay Lin, could you please?"

Hay Lin nodded, rushed to take my hand and Taranee's and within a second, no one was visible in the room. Even though it was a useful trick, I despised it for numerous reasons. One was I couldn't see the others, making me lose the control over the situation. Second, I didn't see myself, which made estimating where to grab a doorknob or avoiding obstacles a lot more difficult. And finally, I disliked the sensation of wind pressing down on me. It was gentle, but to have it come from every direction made me uncomfortable.

We managed to slip out of the building without a lot of trouble. Taranee or Hay Lin, I didn't know as neither had cursed to make themselves known, had kicked over a bucket. It had caused a few of the Redstone students to look at our location. Good to know we started the rumour of the Redstone ghost.

But it was something I was ready to deal with. Right now we had to get to the forest. It took us a little while, but with no resistance we soon left the building far behind us. The moment we were out of sight, Hay Lin dropped the invisibility. Taranee was still looking behind us, but I was more focussed on what lay before us. The forest was still rather easy to spot. The machines I'd spotted earlier today were still there, though the people operating were nowhere3 in sight. There were still a few signs of the protestors, but they too had seemed to have just left them.

"I can hear voices in the forest."

Sometimes it really scared me how well Hay Lin could truly hear. She didn't seem to have a problem regulating the volume of the sound either. That made it only more difficult to remember her hearing was more sensitive than that of your average human. Or dog.

"Well, I guess your caller is there?" Taranee said.

I said nothing. Instead I briskly walked the path we were meant to follow this morning. The other two fell in line behind me without much of a complaint. The moment we stood at the threshold of the forest, I couldn't help but take a deep breath. This forest was old. Older than most I'd seen so far and definitely older than the one near Heatherfield. These trees had perhaps even seen this land before the Europeans came. A small smile tucked at my lips as I entered. It almost felt akin to coming home.

We walked for a while, Hay Lin occasionally pointing us into the direction of the voices. I didn't feel like she had to do that. I could just as easily ask the plants to guide us. But who was I to take away Hay Lin's sense of usefulness?

"I don't like it here," Taranee said, finally breaking the silence. "It's too crowded. You can barely feel the sun."

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Taranee peering up. I only now realised the lack of sunlight. The trees were thicker, gnarly and most of the ground vegetation had made way for shrubs, grass and moss. The path we were taking was occasionally blocked by rocks or broken branches. One time a fallen down tree had blocked our path if I hadn't lifted it away. How funny that after all of that, I didn't realise we were this deep in. I only felt more at ease, to see how nature still could do what it does best here.

"I know what you mean. I barely feel the wind here," Hay Lin said.

Hay Lin shivered a bit. I rolled my eyes. They were overreacting. Surely they'd fought worse things and been to more terrible places than a simple old forest. I was ready with a snarky reply when I saw Hay Lin stiffen. At that point I heard the plants whisper around me, alerting me of a presence nearby.

"Someone's here!" Hay Lin hissed.

I turned to where our visitor should be. I repressed the urge of calling upon my magic. This could very well be a hiker. Still my fists were balled and I waited in anticipation for the person to appear. A few minutes passed until a man turned up. I'd estimated him well in his forties and if someone told me he'd walked right out of a hippie movie, I'd believed them. He wore a very simple shirt, stained by dirt and other things I could not identify. There was some dirt on his forehead where thin dark hair curled around his face. His beard was unkept, or that was my first assessment. He wore shorts and to my disgust, he was walking barefooted. The moment his dark eyes rested upon us, he showed us a smile. At least his teeth looked healthy.

"You are here! Of course, she wouldn't be wrong."

I had not expected the heavy baritone voice to come from him. He wasn't particularly tall or broad. If anything, he was what I'd expected Martin to look like in thirty years, though better groomed. I felt an eyebrow cock.

"I'm sorry?"

What happened next confused me more than I already was. He came a bit closer and actually bowed to me. I glanced at Hay Lin and Taranee, who both looked as surprised and confused as I felt. The man didn't seem to realise he was freaking me out and rose up again.

"Ma'am, my name is Vernon and I've been asked to guide you to the lady of the forest."

I blinked owlishly at the man. It took a gentle push from Hay Lin to get me out of it. I cleared my throat and gave the others one final glance. Hay Lin nodded while Taranee shrugged. Great support I had here.

"Uhm…And you knew we were coming because?"

The man's eyes lit up. "The lady told us about her communing with you. She described you to me. Forgive me when I say I'd always pictured you older."

I was definitely getting creep vibes from him. Why was he implying he'd always expected me to come here? I didn't even know I was going anywhere near Redstone until a few weeks ago.

"What do you mean?"

I was glad that Taranee had spoken up. For once I'd felt lost in a conversation. That whoever spoke to me in my dream had some followers, was something I could handle. However, him knowing I'd appear here and even having thoughts of how I'd looked like was creeping me out far more than I was comfortable with.

He seemed to realise the others were with me. A slight frown creased his already lined face, but it fell into a knowing smile.

"All will be clear once you meet her," he said.

With that he turned around and gestured for me to follow. He then proceeded to go to where he'd appeared. I turned to the others. I suddenly was having more than just one second doubt about going there. If it were a trap, we could simply teletransport our way out. Heck, Taranee could threaten her way out by just mentioning that the forest might catch fire. And how much that would pain me, I still rather had a burned down forest over walking into a group of lunatics.

"Are we going to follow him?" Hay Lin said.

"I say we turn around now and leave while we can. That man was way too weird," Taranee said.

I was very much inclined to agree, but something bothered me. Aside from the man bowing and knowing we'd be here, he told me he knew of my dream conversation. Normal people with no magical knowledge wouldn't even consider this an option. That man knew more than I liked.

"What if he knows about us?" I interjected. "He knew about the dream…"

Hay Lin paled slightly. Taranee pressed her lips into a thin line. I could see her look over my shoulder, keeping an eye on Vernon as he waited a little further down.

"We've never been here, how could he know about us?" Hay Lin said, panic creeping in her voice.

"It's not like we ever showed off or anything. And Matt ensured us no one saw the real us when Cedric attacked," Taranee surmised. "There shouldn't be anyone who knows about us."

"I think we should follow him. Standing here won't solve our mysteries."

I didn't like what I said, but it was the truth. Running wouldn't calm our now rattled nerves and I did want to face Kandrakar about a potential leak in our identities without knowing all about it. My dislike for my proposal was mirrored by the others, but how much of a choice did we really have? I gathered myself, straightened my back and nodded at them. I turned around and started following Vernon. Shortly after I heard them follow me. It calmed me more than I wished to admit.

We walked another ten minutes deeper into the forest when I heard voices. Not the whispers of the flora around me, but actual human voices. I held my breath as we arrived on a clearing. It was somehow not what I expected. While the people I saw definitely had a hippie vibe, they still looked well groomed. Their clothing was muddied, but as I entered the clearing I could see this was due them tending to the forest. I could see multiple signs being made and stacked. There was a group of people who were changing clothes. At this I had to turn away. Apparently, they'd lost their sense of embarrassment. I heard Hay Lin giggle nervously behind me. Taranee cleared her throat a tad too obvious.

As we all came into view of the these people, the conversations seemed to come to a halt. I noticed uncomfortably that people were looking at us. While several gave Hay Lin and Taranee a confused or surprised look, most of them had their eyes on me. There was no confusion in those eyes. Reverence and respect. Not the same kind I'd grown somewhat accustomed to when Meridianites looked at us. This was different. I'd… I think it was similar to how the Meridianites looked at Elyon. And I felt this was undeserved.

People bowed their heads to us as we passed. A shiver ran over my spine as I tried to ignore them. This was almost definitely a gathering of crazy people.

"Cornelia. Do you know these people?" Taranee whispered behind me.

I shook my head. I didn't look back. I didn't need to see the suspicious gaze to know Taranee wasn't believing me. But I'd never been here. I'd never even travelled into the direction of Redstone.

"They do seem to know you," Hay Lin piped up.

"That's what worries me."

I nodded to Taranee's statement. This wasn't going to be any good. Maybe they were going to kill us and had done research. Or perhaps they were some crazy cult, believing the forest needs human sacrifices. I honestly hoped it wasn't the last option. It was bad enough they could be killers, but soiling the forest with our blood wasn't going to be what I would call nutritious to the flora here.

As one the heads turned to something in front of me. It was another thing that made this whole experience go up the creep factor. Reluctantly I too turned my head. The clearing ended with an enormous tree standing tall and mighty. It was the cause of the shade of most of the clearing. From that very same direction, a woman approached me. The same one who'd contacted me in my dream. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and looked at her. Her deep green eyes glistened with happiness. She wore a smile, genuine and grateful. Her brown hair swung behind her and now I noticed several flowers interwoven in it. If this wasn't the cult leader, I would allow Irma to dress me for a week.

The woman bowed in front of me. The fine green lines I'd noticed in my dream seemed to be more visible in the shade. She looked up and took a careful look behind me. Then a look of disgust and badly masked anger came upon her face.

"What are you doing here?"

My eyebrows rose. I had not expected to find such hostility right of the bat. I turned to see a very surprised and insulted looking Taranee glaring at the woman.

"Excuse me?"

"Your kind is not allowed here," the woman said.

If she didn't have the same skin colour as Taranee, I would have thought this to be blatant racism. Now I was just utterly confused. Taranee's cheeks flushed and her eyes squinted behind her glasses. I was certain I saw a reflection of fire in them. I decided to step in before things went south.

"Hold on. She's my friend. She came along because I asked her. You asked for help and I trust her."

This seemed to defuse at least a part of the anger the woman showed. She looked at me, actually surprised of what I'd said. A gasp echoed over the clearing. The way the people were looking at us reminded me oddly of students watching a fight happening in the cafeteria. Another reason why I wasn't liking the situation.

"You…Trust her?"

The question was soft. She honestly didn't seem to believe me on this. I frowned. Didn't this woman contact me because she knew I was a Guardian? She should have known about the others. I crossed my arms.

"Yes."

Her eyes widened for a very short moment, before her face formed a mask of politeness. One eerily similar to those I've seen on the faces of the Kandrakarian Council. She nodded her head to Taranee.

"Of course. Yet I am sorry, but she can not go further than here."

I wasn't going to let this slide, but before I had a chance to speak up, Taranee did.

"Don't bother," she told me. "I don't want to be here either. I'll wait for you at the entrance of the clearing, if you need me."

She turned on her heels and stalked off. I was certain there was a faint quiver in the air above her. She was probably close to exploding. I had to admit that I was impressed with her control. Despite clearly having some negative opinions of our host, she didn't start a fight. Though I did make a mental note to tread lightly around her once this was over. Taranee rarely got angered, but it sometimes tended to linger.

Our host seemed to be elated by Taranee walking away. Even so, I noticed her nodding over my shoulder. Glancing back discreetly, I saw several people keeping an eye on Taranee, rather than looking at us. I really wondered what her issue was with Taranee.

"You, of course, are more than welcome to join us. You are a great help to us," the woman said.

I raised an eyebrow. This lady seemed to know us in one way or another. Her strange familiarity to me, her hatred of Taranee and courteous behaviour towards Hay Lin created more questions than I liked. I looked at Hay Lin, seeing if she showed some kind of recognition. Instead her eyes were narrowed and her nose crinkled. I didn't know how this woman managed, but she'd gotten on Hay Lin's bad side.

"Thank you, but no thanks. I'll join Taranee," she said, a sneer laced in those words. She turned to me. "Call us if you need any help."

I nodded and turned my attention back to my host. While Hay Lin stalked off, I could see a dumbfounded expression form on the woman's face. She tilted her head slightly and muttered under her breath. I only caught the words 'air favours fire, strange' before she turned to me. She dropped the befuddled expression and smiled at me.

"Please, follow me as your companions wait for you."

I really disliked how she enunciated certain words. That was a whole new level of sarcasm even the Grumpers could take a note of. I swallowed any commentary about it and followed her. It would not help walking away now without knowing why she called for me. I doubted Hay Lin or Taranee would appreciate it after being insulted.

I followed her to a natural grown alcove in the trunk of the big tree. Moss coated several spots, one where she guided me to sit down on. It sat awkward, but pleasantly. She seemed pleased with me being here and sat down next to me. From where we were sitting, we could see the whole clearing. The people who'd been hanging around had gone back to what they'd been doing beforehand.

"My Lady, I am ever grateful you answered my call. You've come in our most dire time."

I leaned back a bit. A small smile played on my lips. I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate the level of respect this woman was showing me.

"My name is Asshia, the dryad of this forest," Asshia continued.

It took me a moment to process the words. The word dryad was familiar, but it took me a while to remember what it was again. I'd never paid a lot of attention during the mythology classes. Who would have known it would be needed? The realisation that I was not talking to a human, but a tree spirit nearly had me laugh. If it weren't for Irma meeting a water spirit, I would have declared her mad. But now…

"The humans are trying to take it down. They want to build a mall."

The last word was said with so much spite, I started to wonder if the way she spoke of Taranee could be considered a compliment. Her eyes darkened for a short moment and I was certain even the tree shivered. If memory served correctly, dryads were bound to a tree. Glancing up, I wondered if this was hers.

"But now you're here, we can take some true action."

I looked back, surprised she assumed I was going to do anything about the situation. While I understood her anger about the destruction of the forest, I couldn't do a thing. I was still just a teenager. Besides, I was certain that it wouldn't be just Kandrakar who'd have a fit if I went full Guardian on innocent, albeit greedy, people.

"What are you saying?" I probed.

Her eyes had brightened while she looked at me. A mischievous grin formed on her lips as a light sparked in those green eyes. She leaned forward, her hands clutching the moss underneath her.

"You can destroy those machines, can't you?"

I blinked at her. "I can what?"

She leaned back, waving her hand dismissively at the signs that were stacked further away.

"We've been trying the human approach, but that seems to be frustratingly unhelpful. But you. You came because you knew we were endangered. The first in so many years. I barely remember the previous one. And now I have the honour of being saved by you."

I shook my head. This was surreal. Not only was I talking to a spirit of a tree, but it was actually convinced I would go and destroy all that threatened it. What about being peaceful and avoiding harm on others? Wasn't earth supposed to be the peaceful element? I admitted I wasn't always up for a peaceful solution, but violence went a tad too far for my taste. I held up my hands and got up.

"Hold on. No. I can't do that! Surely there must be other ways."

She looked at me, tilting her head at me as I spoke. Her eyebrows rose, causing her eyes to narrow slightly.

"Other ways? You mean the human ways? We've tried and we've failed. Only harsh action can teach those barbarians how to respect Mother Nature. Respect You."

I shook my head again. This was not what I came here to do. Heck, I came to Redstone as an exchange student, not to become some vigilante of nature. Besides I doubted that this violence would make them respect nature. Or me. If I even went through with this crazy plan – and I wasn't saying I would – I wasn't planning on doing it in broad daylight.

"Listen here lady. I don't go around and destroy things that irk me. Not only is it unnecessary most of the time but Kandrakar…"

Why I mentioned Kandrakar I didn't know. As of late I had the feeling they were watching us more closely. Every time I used my magic outside of Guardian business, I felt as if I was trying to do something forbidden. Anyway, it didn't matter to the dryad. The moment I uttered the name of my employer, she huffed.

"Please. Kandrakar. Thinks themselves to be so high and mighty, especially with you still walking around. They truly have become arrogant with age. If they do persecute you, know I will aid you in any way I can. Though I imagine you can handle their puppets easily."

The way she sneered made it obvious she wasn't impressed with Kandrakar. It worried me that she mentioned that they still allowed me to walk around. Did she know something I didn't? Did Will fuck up somewhere she hid from us? If so, she was definitely in for more trouble when I got back.

"Only you can do this and who could stop you? Imagine the awe those men will have when they see the destruction you've brought. The true power of Mother Earth?"

As she spoke, she placed a hand on my shoulder. I stared at her green eyes. Somehow I could see those men from before cowering in front of the destruction I could do. The longer I thought about it, the more it appealed to me. Yes, I could do this. Heck, I was certain Hay Lin and Taranee could help. Hay Lin could be our lookout and Taranee could help me. It would certainly get her some respect from the dryad. A smile formed on my lips, one mirrored by the dryad.

"You do have a point. I will think about it," I said, finally freeing myself from Asshia.

She nodded in return, seemingly satisfied. She raised from the moss covered spot she'd been occupying and bowed at me again. Was it me or did some flowers sprout around us during our conversation? She led me out of her alcove. As we walked back into the clearing, the people around us watched us closely. During our walk, she informed me that these people were unlike the barbarians that tried to destroy our forest. They were aware of her true nature and had dedicated themselves to preserve nature. Most of them still worked in cities, there was a small group who remained loyal to the forest. She even added that they would be loyal to me, if I needed them for anything. Strange as it was to receive help in this way, I accepted. If these people were aware of my Guardian status and the dryad's true nature, they could always help in one way or another.

We said goodbye in the clearing. She seemed to be very uncomfortable at approaching Taranee. Perhaps she realized she'd been a bit too hostile to someone who could burn down a forest. Then again, I would stop Taranee before she could. But I could understand her weariness. Upon my approach, Taranee and Hay Lin got up from their spots against the trees. It was very obvious that Taranee was still in a dark mood. She didn't look at me and immediately started the track back. Hay Lin flashed me a troubled smile and waited patiently to walk along.

"So? What did she want? Who is she anyway? I tried listening along, but every time I tried it sounded like earth rumbling. Maybe she knows a way to block me?"

No matter the insult, nothing could stave off Hay Lin's curiosity. That she tried to listen in was a testament to it. Smart of Asshia to block her out. I smiled a tad, looking back one more time. I figured I could tell them. Especially after the treatment Taranee had received.

"She…Is a dryad," I said. "She's concerned about the people who try to cut the forest down."

Hay Lin's eyes widened and a grin threatened to split her face.

"That is so cool! First Irma meets a water spirit and now you one of earth! Do you think we might meet spirits of the other element as well? What does she want? I mean, yeah I get she's concerned but did she ask you to talk to those people or what?"

"Explains a bit why she was so hospitable towards me," Taranee said.

I looked up, glad to see Taranee was slowing her gait to match ours. Fire still burned dimly in her glasses and her hands were still balled, but her voice was even. At least she was calming down. I did not fancy treating her like an explosive for the remainder of the day. I offered her a small smile, which she returned.

"Cornelia…"

I blinked and looked back at Hay Lin, who was growing impatient with my lack of answers. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know if we'll meet other elemental spirits, if they even exist. And as for what she asked of me. Well, I was thinking, we could do it together."

"What exactly?" Taranee interjected, her eyes sharp.

I lifted my nose up and looked down at her. She should know I did not like being interrupted. I halted and crossed my arms. The others halted as well. Hay Lin kept looking between us, biting her lip but stayed silent.

"I am only proposing it so you can get some respect from Asshia as well, you know?"

Taranee's nose wrinkled. She too crossed her arms.
"I don't need her respect. And I've got a feeling I don't want it either. What did she order you to do?"

I glared at Taranee. "She didn't order me to do anything."

I let the silence go on for a tad longer. I wanted Taranee to apologize for even implying I was obeying the dryad. But she could be stubborn, however rare it was for her to show it. It was Hay Lin who tried to appease the situation.

"Cornelia, she didn't mean …"

I held my hand up for her to stop. I didn't need Hay Lin to explain Taranee's behaviour.

"I know what she meant. And as for your question – I turned to Taranee – she asked me to help her. And what better way to do such then by destroying the machines?"

They looked at me as if I dropped a bomb. Hay Lin's mouth fell open and Taranee could no longer uphold her attitude. She dropped her arms and stared at me as if I'd said something weird.

"You're kidding, right?" Taranee said. I looked at her, waiting for whatever reason she thought I was. "Cornelia, you can't do that! That won't solve a thing!"

"It will stop the destruction of the forest," I said resolute.

"Cornelia, people will see you if you go…" Hay Lin said.

I turned sharply to her. "I am not going to do it now. I just wait until it's night."

"Cornelia, are you even listening to yourself?"

I stared at Taranee, who had not even tried to hide her surprise. Her eyes were wide, looking at me as if she'd never seen me before.

"Even if you went in the night, you'd still risk exposure. I thought you were the most fanatical one of us who tried to keep our secret a secret? And, if by some miracle, you weren't exposed, what makes you think some destroyed machines will stop those people from knocking down this forest? They will probably have the money for more. Besides, I know earth is your thing, but why care that much about this forest? Leave it to the adults to solve this environmental disaster. We're Guardians, not the cops."

I waited until Taranee finished her little tirade. I didn't hear her berate Irma and Will when they told us about their little adventure. How was what I was proposing any different from that? In fact, my plan was better as it did not involve hurting people. She should be thanking me for even giving her a chance to prove the dryad wrong. Instead she just turned it down. I should have known Taranee wouldn't understand the importance of what I wanted to do.

"You're finished?" I said.

"Cornelia…"

I ignored Hay Lin. It had been stupid of me to trust them to go along. I should have known better. Without another word, I teletransported away. They could get out of the forest themselves and besides, our room was locked. There was no risk at showing my magic to other students anyway.

The rest of the day I spent ignoring the both of them. Taranee had agreed with this tactic. She'd first tried to give me another lecture about proper magic use. I'd been itching to throw it back at her with her practicing during school, but I was better than her. I simply continued my homework and once she was finished, walked out on her. She hadn't even tried to stop me. Hay Lin on the other hand kept approaching me, finding me in the library, at the beach, in the student café and even the restroom. She tried to beg me to stop my plan before it was too late. I think Taranee talked her out of trying to convince me as she stopped somewhere around six in the evening. Taranee herself had ignored me for the rest of the day only proved she was stubborn and too proud to admit I was right. Her loss. I would definitely not mention her when I would tell Asshia about the mission.

Night fell and I went to bed with them. Of course I wouldn't fall asleep. I just had to wait for them to do so. On cue, Hay Lin's ungodly snoring started. Taranee would fall asleep soon enough. I guess there were some benefits to frequent slumber parties. One was an immunity to Hay Lin's snoring. Another was knowing when everyone would fall asleep. Sure enough, I could hear Taranee's more rhythmic breathing in between Hay Lin's snoring. This was almost too easy.

I got up and started dressing myself as quietly as possible. Even though Hay Lin snored, she was also a very light sleeper. I did want to avoid anyone from waking up. I snuck out and closed the door gently. Sneaking out of school was a lot easier if I had accomplices. Now I had to resort to going to the toilet, praying no teacher would see me, and teletransporting to the forest before anyone else would enter. This was perhaps the first time I caught myself wishing I had Hay Lin's powers of invisibility. I wouldn't have to if she just agreed to help me.

I reached the toilets and soon after, I appeared in the forest. It was the same location where I'd left Taranee and Hay Lin a few hours ago. I could have appeared at the edge, but avoiding being spotted meant appearing in a dark forest. It was dark and silent. If it weren't for the soft whispers of the flora around me, I would have felt ill at ease. Now I only shivered slightly in the cool winter air, feeling alone. I would lie if I didn't say I felt betrayed. They were my friends. I expected them to help me. Instead they decided it was not something we should get involved with.

Disregarding them and those thoughts, I focussed on my mission. I had to find those machines. With some help of my greenspeak ability, the forest guided me to where the machines were parked. As I closed in, I felt the pain of the forest. Trees softly whined for their fallen brothers. My heart ached as I approached. Several trees were already cut down and lay splintered on the ground. Harsh lights illuminated the grounds, showing at least four large machines. These things shouldn't be allowed to even exist.

My phone vibrated. I jumped in surprise and a curse flit my lips. I'd forgotten I'd left it in my pants when I undressed. I hadn't given the thing a second thought. My hand slipped into my pocket as a feeling of dread started to fill me. Could it be a text from Will? Did Taranee tattle on me? Or Hay Lin? Did they really think that telling Will would stop me?

I checked the screen, surprised to see it was a message from Taranee. I opened it, seeing her status as online. Was she awake? Did I wake her? Or did she trick me into thinking she was asleep? I growled underneath my breath as I read the message. It was nothing but an internet link. Curious why she would bother to get out of bed to just send this link, I pressed on it. It gave me an internet page that described a lady's slipper orchid. A Cypripedium calceolus, it said, was an endangered species that grew in these parts. Underneath the page was a call to anyone who found it, as it and its environment would be immediately protected by law due to it being so rare.

Whispers reached me. Someone was nearby, watching me. The flora wasn't specific on who, but one thing they said gave me a hint to who it was. I straightened my back and pushed my phone back. Stupid Taranee and her ideas. She could have told me at least. And let's not forget about the other busybody.

"Come out Hay Lin. I know you're there."

For a moment, no sound came. Then a soft breeze blew past and a few twigs broke behind me. I slowly turned around to see Hay Lin a few trees back. She leaned against a tree, biting her lip. Her hands held one of her ponytails, with which she was fidgeting. She was still in her pyjamas.

"Cornelia…You can't do it. I will stop you if…"

I held up my hand, stopping her. I had to repress a smile. I thought both had abandoned me on this idiotic quest. Instead, they both helped in their own way. While I doubted I could get Taranee to come to the forest again, but she did what she could best. Research a non-volatile way of preserving it. And Hay Lin shadowed me, protecting me from myself. I shook my head and looked up. I should have trusted them from the start.

"Taranee already convinced me," I said, showing her my phone. "If you want, you can join me in finding a few spots where I can grow them? I'll make a few pictures of them and send them to the site. That will probably stop the deforestation."

Hay Lin lit up. She grinned and ran up to me, hugging me closely. Muttering how she'd been afraid I'd actually go through with it and me being so terribly stubborn. While I resented the last comment, it only made her choke up a laugh. Together we stalked through the forest, looking for locations where I could make the plant grow. Now I usually only grew plants whose seeds were in the ground. Some I had to force awake, but still. So making them appear out of nowhere was one hell of a job. It worked, although it drained me terribly. In the end I managed to grow seven of these plants. But the result was that I slept through the whole day after. Taranee and Hay Lin made up an excuse for me as they attended school. I apologized to Taranee, who graciously accepted it by telling me she trusted me to know what's right.

I didn't return to the dryad. I didn't think she would be too happy with me doing something other than destroying the machines. She didn't try to contact me either. It was a bit of an awkward thing. I hadn't told Irma and Will about it as well. I doubted their advice would be helpful. They didn't understand the full scope of the situation. So it was a week that had me on edge. Every second I was waiting to hear that the forest was being destroyed, or to get one last dream of the dryad, asking me why I betrayed her. Not to mention that Sylla had an awful close eye on me due to me dropping out for a day. Asking me how I was feeling and if I wanted to return. This trip definitely made me dislike that man.

A week passed with nothing happening. I was irritated and wished I had someone I could vent off to. Neither Hay Lin or Taranee really fitted that bill. But when Taranee came to me with news, my irritation cleared away. It was a big article on how Harlington Industries and how it was destroying nature. Now that usually doesn't warrant for an article, but apparently the person we'd send the pictures to did some digging. And he learnt that Harlington Industries had no legal rights of owning the land they wished to deforest. The man had even gone as far as digging up older examples of them deforesting land and then claiming it. Which meant a large legal case for Harlington Industries. While I knew they had lawyers who could save them from losing face, I also knew that they had no power over the forest here. It was declared endangered and a natural monument of the state.

It was this news I brought to Asshia. After school I left, leaving Taranee and Hay Lin to cover for me. While she was not really happy with me not destroying everything in my path, she was elated to know that no one could come and claim the forest now. She was sceptic when I told her it had been Taranee's idea – I had to refer to her as the fire user before she knew who I was talking about – trying to convince me I'd put her up for the job. Deciding I could not sway her thoughts, I let her believe what she wanted. She invited me for dinner with her and her people. I politely declined. I was delighted that the forest was saved, but I was not in such a mood to celebrate it fully vegetarian. Hay Lin, Taranee and I instead decided to celebrate it with some fast-food. I insisted on paying, as a way of apologizing for my behaviour. The two knew better than to argue.

That night was perhaps my first peaceful nights I'd had since I came here. It was great. No dreams. No anxiety trying to get to me. Utter bliss. That was what I was expecting anyway. But apparently my expectations were meant to be shattered. I kept tossing and turning, feeling hotter than I should. Flashes of the forest passed my mind's eye, but it was oddly orange coloured.

"Cornelia!"

I shut up, wide awake and alarmed. Taranee stood next to me, her eyes as wide as mine. Hay Lin groaned and sat up as well, blearily rubbing her eyes. I looked at Taranee and for some reason, I shivered. She already had a hand on my wrist and was trying to pull me out of bed.

"The forest," she said. "It's on fire!"

Hay Lin's confused response was drowned out as finally my dreams connected. Of course it was weird the forest was orange. It was due to the flames. I had to get over there! Forgoing even putting on some shoes, we shook Hay Lin awake. All of us had to work together to douse it. Teletransporting to the same place I'd appeared the first time, I was overwhelmed with pain. I folded double as screams pierced my skull. Heat engulfed me quickly after. If it weren't for the others, I would have fainted. This had never happened to me before. Taranee quickly took the heat away, while Hay Lin snuffed out smaller fires. It took me a moment to get my bearings.

"Transforming would be really helpful right now," Taranee huffed, dousing yet another flame.

I only nodded while gathering earth around me. Transforming would help us greatly. Heck, Irma would be a great asset as well. But neither she nor Will were here. We had to make do with what we had.

"There are two more locations with fire!" Hay Lin yelled over the roaring flames. "I can keep one contained if you two can handle the others?"

"Go!" I said, using the gathered earth to douse the fires.

Earth clang to trees and shrubs, the fire sizzled out before I took a hold of the earth again and redirected it to the next. Taranee was blazing with heat herself as she gathered more and more flames. Her hair had caught fire. Her clothes were slowly blackening. I hoped she wouldn't catch fire herself.

This fire was small and I was glad we doused it quickly. We immediately headed for the other location. Taranee seemed to get more energy out of all the fire around us. I noted a grin on her lips, her eyes wide as if to take in everything around us. Her hair was still ablaze, dancing along with the flames around us. It grew even more when she started to absorb the flames around her. Setting aside the concerns this gave me, I too started putting out the fires. This location was burning for a longer time than the previous one. Several trees had fallen down and the fire was spreading quickly.

Taranee positioned herself as to block the growing pyre. I pulled more earth from around me, ignoring the screams of pain and the growing headache I was having. My arms started to quiver as I tapped into all of the power I had access to. It was strange, using power equal to what I was used to in Guardian form. It was also terribly exhausting. Earth trembled around me as I used all my willpower to move the earth to cover trees and cut off the oxygen supply to the burning inferno. Wood smoked around us, causing me to cough as breathing became more difficult. However, the smoke cleared way when Taranee approached me. I instinctively raised my hands to shield myself from the heat she was radiating. Her eyes glistened brightly as she smiled at me. Her extended hand had some leftover flames dancing on her fingers. I declined the helping hand, afraid it would burn more than the inferno we were fighting. She shrugged before gesturing me to lead on.

Leaving the now smouldering remains of the latest sight we ran for the final location. Hay Lin looked positively relieved when she saw us, though that relief switched to concern the moment she lay eyes upon Taranee. I shared her concern, as Taranee let out a short but maniacal laugh as she once again began to absorb the fire. The light of the fire caused a reflection in her glasses, making it impossible to see her eyes.

"What's up with Taranee?" Hay Lin said.

"I wouldn't know. But for now she's helping. How are you holding up?"

Hay Lin sighed deeply, wiping sweat off her brow.

"I can definitely use a good night sleep after this. The fire hasn't spread since I'm here, but dousing takes long. I wish Irma were here."

I grimaced. That was what I'd been wishing since the fires erupted. But Irma had no idea where to teletransport if we asked her. It would have been useless to call her. We had to make do. And seeing how we managed to douse two fires in…I was estimating less than an hour. I wasn't certain. Didn't matter either. We could handle this. I gave Hay Lin a grim nod and once again started pulling earth from all around me. Hay Lin returned to snuffing out the flames Taranee had missed while I covered the other side of the location.

Within minutes the inferno was gone, with nothing to remember it by except for the lingering scent and the blackened trees. If I had any energy left, I would restore them. But I was done for the night. My arms and legs ached, I was still nursing a headache bordering to a migraine and I felt like I could sleep through yet another day. Hay Lin looked as tired as I was, leaning into me when she finished. Only Taranee had enough energy to make it through the night it seemed. She was still looking around, grumbling softly as she too must have gotten to the conclusion that there were no more fires. Her hair was still aflame. Several flames flew up from her body as she walked. Her clothing seemed close to igniting as well. It smoked terribly with sometimes a small flame peeking up before disappearing. She didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"This fire wasn't natural. Someone did this," she said.

I was uncomfortable with how her voice had lowered. It was as if the fires she'd absorbed were still burning within her, causing her voice to hold a low rumble of roaring flames. While I was concerned by what she'd said, I was more concerned with how she was feeling. She sounded awfully like the time her anger had gotten the better of her in Arkhanta.

"You are correct, mistress of fire. We have the culprits here."

I jumped. I hadn't expected anyone to be here. Turning around, I saw Asshia appear along with Vernon and a few others I recognized. They held three men captive, all dressed in black. The three men started to scream – or tried to if they didn't have cloth in their mouths – at the sight of Taranee. How were we going to explain this? Vernon and his pals didn't seem to be surprised by Taranee's current look, though uncomfortable near her. Asshia too seemed to be at unease. She glanced at Taranee and I was certain she was regretting insulting her now. She lowered her head to the three of us.

"Ma'am, please accept my apologies for my previous behaviour. Your predecessor was not as kind-hearted as you are," Asshia said.

While I was interested in what kind of spat Halinor had with the dryad, Taranee didn't seem to be. She waved her aside, few flames licking her hand as she did, and closed in on the three men. They tried to scramble back as she did, but Asshia's men held them in their spots. One finally fainted as Taranee came close enough to give his skin a red tinge.

"They tried to burn the forest down?" Taranee said, getting a nod from Vernon. "Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine?"

"Taranee!" I said as she reached out to one of the conscious men.

Taranee's hand stopped in front of his face. She slowly got up and turned to me. I swallowed bile as I finally got a good look at her. Her hair illuminated enough of her face to see a crazy half-smile on her lips. Flames licked the fingers of the hand that had nearly touched the man. Her eyes. Her eyes weren't the warm brown I was used to. They were black with two red to orange glowing orbs. I took a step back without noticing. Hay Lin gasped. Taranee seemed oblivious to her look.

"What? Don't you think they deserve punishment? You wanted to destroy their machines!"

I straightened my shoulders. Taranee's body heat had increased as irritation seeped into her voice. This was bad.

"Yes, but not like this. You showed me there are more ways than the most destructive way to go. You need to calm down and -"

"I am calm!" Taranee interrupted, her hair flaring up.

I raised my hands as a sign of peace. She breathed heavily at me and took a step closer. It took all my self-control not take a step back. Sweat trickled down my brow as her heat was getting to me. I needed to cool her off or she would start a new fire.

"Of course you are. I just want to remind you, this isn't your forest. Leave the culprits to Asshia, I'm certain she knows how to deal with them."

"Taranee, please," Hay Lin said. "Just let's go back. We've done what we came to do."

"No. We punish evil. Leaving them with her won't be enough!"

Taranee turned around. As she did I did something very stupid and very dangerous. I focussed on my magic, feeling the fatigue pull on me. I called upon the same magic I used to teletransport but instead of using it on myself, I tried projecting it to Taranee. The same idea applied when I teletransported more than myself, but now I kept the magic from including myself as well. I pictured the ocean nearby. Oh, she would hate me. The moment I released my magic, Taranee disappeared. We were plunged in darkness as our only source of light had been her hair. Multiple people gasped. Soon several had pulled out their phones and used the flashlights to illuminate our little group.

"Where did she go?"

Hay Lin was frantic. I couldn't blame her. It probably hadn't looked good. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I teletransported her to the ocean. To cool off."

She looked at me. "She's going to hate you."

I shrugged. "Rather that than her hating herself for whatever would happen next."

"Any idea what was happening to her?"

I shook my head. Luckily, Asshia seemed to have an idea.

"If I may, you all are still young. Coming into your powers can have some side effects. I think she, while saving the forest, tapped a little too much into her element."

I shared a glance with Hay Lin, wondering if something like that could happen to us as well. I knew I tapped a lot into my element to control all the earth to douse the flames. Yet I felt fine, aside from being terribly tired. Hay Lin only shrugged.

"As for these culprits, your wisdom has shown again my Lady. I will take care of them, as if they were my own. And make them realize how fortunate they were by meeting you thre-"

Taranee reappeared. She was dripping and smelled a lot like sea water. There was no fire on her and as one of the flashlights caught her face, I could see that her eyes had returned to normal. That those eyes were glaring at me, was something I could deal with. I gave her a lopsided smile and placed my hands on my hips.

"You're welcome," I said.

"I am going back to bed," she said curtly and disappeared again.

That could have gone worse. I sighed relieved and gave my goodbyes to the dryad and her people. Upon returning, I found Taranee's wet clothes on my bed. I was too tired to point out it was petty revenge. She didn't deserve to even have revenge seeing how I saved her from a big mistake. Instead I threw it back to her bed, where she was already asleep. It didn't wake her, which was perhaps a good thing. I had not need for another argument now.

I looked at my alarm clock, seeing it was three in the morning. A soft curse flitted my lips as I sunk into my humid bed. Without another word I drifted off, the scent of sea and fire still fresh in my nose.