Status: next few chapters being written
City of Stones
Chapter Three
Chapter Three
“Aleah!” Niko’s voice echoed against the buildings as did his footsteps behind me.
I didn’t pause to allow him to catch up, I sped up to get away from him. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, having Niko with me would just confuse me more. Niko’s footsteps sped up with mine. I growled in frustration. He never knew when to quit.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted at him over my shoulder.
I didn’t care that people were beginning to stare. This was a common sight for them and I was used to it by now too. Whenever I was beginning to feel trapped, I ran. It didn’t matter to where, it just mattered that I had the freedom to do so.
“You can’t keep running from your problems...Al!” Niko called.
I could hear him catching up to me now.
“I’m not running from my problems I’m running from you.” I growled.
I pushed myself to my maximum speed, Niko following close behind. I was fast, but Niko’s legs were longer than mine and he easily caught up with me, running besides me without trying to stop me. This was good, because I didn’t know what I would do if he had tried to stop me. I didn’t stop running until I reached the building that I shared with Zane and Amani, my foster parents. I nimbly climbed up the side of the wall to the roof using the crevices in the rocks as footholds. Niko followed me and sat a few feet away from me when I sat down, hugging my knees to my chest.
“Look, you don’t have to use your powers if we go to war. Dante’s wrong, it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway and it’s wrong of him to ask you to die fighting.” Niko said after a few moments.
I shook my head. “What if he’s right?” I whispered.
For the past eight years all I had heard from people was that it was selfish of me to not use my powers. It hadn’t bothered me until then though, because there had never been a legitimate enough reason for me to use them. But was my pride worth the lives of my friends and family?
“Al, if the Fire Tribe finds us the only difference you using your powers would be that they would have a few more casualties. It wouldn’t help our chances in the slightest.” he sighed.
“But a few more dead in the Fire Tribe means any other mutts out there would have a better chance.” I said, refusing to look at him.
“Al, look at me.” Niko said. I didn’t. Niko sighed, scooted closer to me and then grabbed my chin to force me to look at him. “Even if you fought with the elements you would only kill about ten more men than if you didn’t. That’s not a big enough difference for anyone out there. It doesn’t matter. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
I pulled my head away from his hand and stared out at the city. Niko crossed his arms and stared out too. He was like an older brother to me, an older brother who was constantly looking out for me, but constantly annoying me in the process. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Niko as a brother, but brothers get on your nerves.
My thoughts were in a whirlwind. Should I use my powers? Would it really be betraying my mother’s memory to use the same element that had killed her? And would it turn me into my father to use the same element he used? I had to answer the last two questions before I could answer the first.
I knew I didn’t want to turn into my father. As far as I was concerned he was a coward, and I hated him. I barely remembered him, except for the fact that I looked like him excluding the dark hair I had inherited from my mother. I also knew that I didn’t want to betray my mother. But before she had died she was one of the best Firedancers I had ever seen. She literally danced with the flames, they would lick up her arms and legs without giving her a single burn. When I was younger I had wanted to be just like her, but not after she died.
This still left me undecided though.
Niko sat with me in silence as I deliberated about the answers to these questions. He must have sat there, unmoving, for hours. It was at times like this that I appreciated having Niko as my best friend. I don’t how long we sat there before we were disturbed by people shouting down in the street.
“Niko! Aleah! Come quick!” Zane shouted, suddenly appearing out in the middle of the street and staring up at the two of us .
Niko leapt to his feet in alarm. “Why? What’s the matter?” he demanded.
“Someone’s found the city.” Zane said.
“Aleah!” Niko’s voice echoed against the buildings as did his footsteps behind me.
I didn’t pause to allow him to catch up, I sped up to get away from him. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, having Niko with me would just confuse me more. Niko’s footsteps sped up with mine. I growled in frustration. He never knew when to quit.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted at him over my shoulder.
I didn’t care that people were beginning to stare. This was a common sight for them and I was used to it by now too. Whenever I was beginning to feel trapped, I ran. It didn’t matter to where, it just mattered that I had the freedom to do so.
“You can’t keep running from your problems...Al!” Niko called.
I could hear him catching up to me now.
“I’m not running from my problems I’m running from you.” I growled.
I pushed myself to my maximum speed, Niko following close behind. I was fast, but Niko’s legs were longer than mine and he easily caught up with me, running besides me without trying to stop me. This was good, because I didn’t know what I would do if he had tried to stop me. I didn’t stop running until I reached the building that I shared with Zane and Amani, my foster parents. I nimbly climbed up the side of the wall to the roof using the crevices in the rocks as footholds. Niko followed me and sat a few feet away from me when I sat down, hugging my knees to my chest.
“Look, you don’t have to use your powers if we go to war. Dante’s wrong, it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway and it’s wrong of him to ask you to die fighting.” Niko said after a few moments.
I shook my head. “What if he’s right?” I whispered.
For the past eight years all I had heard from people was that it was selfish of me to not use my powers. It hadn’t bothered me until then though, because there had never been a legitimate enough reason for me to use them. But was my pride worth the lives of my friends and family?
“Al, if the Fire Tribe finds us the only difference you using your powers would be that they would have a few more casualties. It wouldn’t help our chances in the slightest.” he sighed.
“But a few more dead in the Fire Tribe means any other mutts out there would have a better chance.” I said, refusing to look at him.
“Al, look at me.” Niko said. I didn’t. Niko sighed, scooted closer to me and then grabbed my chin to force me to look at him. “Even if you fought with the elements you would only kill about ten more men than if you didn’t. That’s not a big enough difference for anyone out there. It doesn’t matter. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
I pulled my head away from his hand and stared out at the city. Niko crossed his arms and stared out too. He was like an older brother to me, an older brother who was constantly looking out for me, but constantly annoying me in the process. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Niko as a brother, but brothers get on your nerves.
My thoughts were in a whirlwind. Should I use my powers? Would it really be betraying my mother’s memory to use the same element that had killed her? And would it turn me into my father to use the same element he used? I had to answer the last two questions before I could answer the first.
I knew I didn’t want to turn into my father. As far as I was concerned he was a coward, and I hated him. I barely remembered him, except for the fact that I looked like him excluding the dark hair I had inherited from my mother. I also knew that I didn’t want to betray my mother. But before she had died she was one of the best Firedancers I had ever seen. She literally danced with the flames, they would lick up her arms and legs without giving her a single burn. When I was younger I had wanted to be just like her, but not after she died.
This still left me undecided though.
Niko sat with me in silence as I deliberated about the answers to these questions. He must have sat there, unmoving, for hours. It was at times like this that I appreciated having Niko as my best friend. I don’t how long we sat there before we were disturbed by people shouting down in the street.
“Niko! Aleah! Come quick!” Zane shouted, suddenly appearing out in the middle of the street and staring up at the two of us .
Niko leapt to his feet in alarm. “Why? What’s the matter?” he demanded.
“Someone’s found the city.” Zane said.