READER BEWARE
TERRA ends of a cliff hanger and I am a very slow writer. Wanted to give you a heads up, if cliff-hangers are not your thing!
Terra is intened for 18+. Some things might not be suituable for some readers. Trigger Warning.
CHAPTER One
The suns are starting their gradual descent when I eventually pull my soggy self from the icy cold creek. I lay on the bank with my feet still in the freezing water. They had gone numb a long time ago. I’m tired, so weary. I've been traveling all day after leaving Rylan in the woods.
I saw a creek and started striding away from him and everything they had planned for me.
I'm not a tracker or a hunter, so I don't know how to cover my tracks. I’m hoping that I lost Rylan for the time being. I wish I could say permanently, but that’s just not a possibility. He’ll discover me eventually, especially now that he linked us together. The bastard!
I kick the water wildly. Electus. I’m supposed to be his and him mine. Fate chose this. Hell, Electus even means chosen. We are fated to be together, but he created the bond without my permission. Hell, he doesn’t even like me. What kind of soulmates does that make us? How does this damn bond work anyways? They didn’t even give me extensive information on it or any knowledge, really.
I sit up and glare at the water like it’s the water’s fault I’m in this mess, to begin with. See, I’m not from this world. Nope. I’m from Earth, and a tree sucked me up and spat me out here. I was born here and get this. I’m also the Princess of the Ignis Gen that people believed to be dead. To add more onto my already strained shoulders, I’m also the Aether with not one but four Electus that I’m to form a bond and link with them. Electus is a fancy word for a fated mate. What’s the endgame in all of this? I don’t have a damn clue, but I’m creating my own. Not theirs.
I growl furiously and climb to my feet. A grimace pulls at my face when I peer down at my soggy feet. I need a fire and some food.
“What do you think, boy?” I ask my soul’s heart, tilting my head up in the air.
Prince is a black leopard and connected with me for life. I think he’s the only positive thing that has come out of me being here. All these lies and half-truths are going to drive me insane.
His long body is stretched above me on a massive tree branch. As I was wading in and out of cold water all day, he jumped from tree to tree, staying off the ground and out of the water, lucky devil.
“Why can’t my Runes give me that sort of power,” I huff into the air.
Speaking of powers, I don’t even know what I can do. It’s still so hard to wrap my trivial human mind around. According to Quinn, the Aether has control over the four gens. Ignis, which is fire. Aeries which are air. Aqua is water, and Terra is earth.
I don’t have a clue how I go about controlling these elements or even what it means. I didn’t stick around long enough to learn anything. It’s not like they were that forthcoming, anyway. I know that that was deliberate, but I don’t know why. To keep me stupid in their way of life so I’ll be dependent on them. Ha! Look where that got all of us.
I pick the two packs off of the ground and stare at Prince again, “Come on. We need a fire.”
I shake my head as he yawns and stretches out even more on the branch. He doesn't have a care in the world right now, but me? I feel sick to my stomach. I know nothing of this stupid place.
My nose scrunches up as I walk. Water squirts out of my boots with every step. I’m dreading taking my shoes off. My poor feet have to look corpse-like by now.
My pace slows as I take in the world around me. The further I move away from the creek, the more the environment around me changes.
The trees here are different from the dominant leafy giants in the Neutral hills. They are dark in color, almost black, with thin trunks and spidery branches. The leaves have a deep purple hue to them, and they shine.
When I think of something poisonous, these trees would be it. I knew I should have asked Quinn for a Dummies Guide Book about Elementum. Do they even have books here? Surely, they would, right? We had books way back when, well, not books but parchment and scrolls. They have to have something similar, right?
So many unknowns. I’m drowning in the ignorance of my birthplace. Maybe fleeing was a mistake, but I couldn’t handle it anymore. They expected me to step up and take my place in this world. They don’t even know me, and who’s to say I want to take the Ignis Throne or be this so-called Aether. I know I don’t. I just want to go home to my farmhouse and my unexciting life.
I come to a stop when I see Prince laying atop a large rock. I tilt my head. The stone looks like the one from The Lion King, just not so freaking tall. This one sits on the ground.
Prince is on his back with his legs in the air, and his head is hanging off of the stone, staring at me with his intelligent amber eyes. He’s such a dork.
“Is it safe?” I ask him, knowing he can’t talk, but he’s the only one here.
His tail flicks when he jumps down, gazing at me like I’m stupid.
“Thank you for your help,” I scoff at Prince.
I know nothing, and it pisses me off.
I trail after him as he strolls around the massive rock and flops down. I look and see a hollowed-out place on this side of the rock that has some wood. I smile. Fire, yes, I jump and squeal. I guess this place is safe enough for me.
I drop the bags and lean in, grabbing the rough-cut wood and piling it up in a teepee a few feet from Prince. Now for kindling. Surveying my surroundings, all I see are the branches from the poison trees, and I’m not touching them. I would willingly freeze in the dark.
I scan the area around me and spot Rylan's pack. I slap my forehead. Why didn’t I peer in their first?
I reach over and pull the leather bag towards me. It’s twice the size of mine. I unlace the leather laces holding them together, and stick my hand in the dark hole.
I pull up a canteen and squeal. Twisting the top off, I drink in large gulps of warm water. I ran out of water hours ago and wasn’t about to drink from the creek when I didn’t know if it would kill me or make me very sick. Hell, it could make me grow horns for all I know.
I pull out clothing next, and that makes me smile.
“Oh, thank you,” I mumbled.
I had clothes in my bag, but it’d take two people to get me dressed as the leather was all in pieces with laces and buckles. It made no sense to me. I shake my head and place them next to me.
A small leather pouch comes out next, and I gaze at Prince, “You think this is it?” His tail flicks to the left.
“I’m going to take that for a yes.”
I pull the strings and find flint and two rocks. My eyes widened, “You were right, but how do I use this?”
I glance over at Prince, expecting an answer, but he yawns and rolls over, giving me his back. I stick my tongue out and lean towards the wood. How hard can it be?
I pile the flint up in the middle and hold the long flat rock in my left hand and the sharp little one in my right. Here goes nothing.
I lean in until I’m almost on top of the woodpile and strike the flat rock with the one in my right hand. Sparks fly, but they don’t catch the kindling.