Turns out you and Felix along with me and Oliver are not the only cheesy ones around.
Did you just notice, or were you playing dumb?
Shut up... I'm sleeping...
Whatever, Aurora.

~Ariadne~

I don't think it's necessary for me to say this, but Echo exploded. Earl was pooped.

He froze at the sight of all the fire erupting from her. Felix got the chance to run away from him.

Echo's irises had turned into flames, as she approached Earl threateningly. He kept backing away. I almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

«I wasn't really going to hurt him, you know... I don't even care about the potion! Can't we talk about this like civilized people?» he babbled. If the chief of the fire Elementalists was afraid of Echo, then she must have been pretty powerful. I don't know how powerful one can be because I didn't grow up in Imyrth, but I think that a furious Echo is pretty close to it.

«Talking won't get you anywhere, dearie.» she told him. If she started going all Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon A Time on people, she would be dead to me. No kidding.

«Plea--» he never finished his sentence. He started screaming. Fire erupted from beneath him and started burning him slowly.

You could actually smell him. I held my nose.

«Echo, stop.» Felix told her. She ignored him. «Echo!» she turned around. She had absolutely burnt Earl's feet up to the knee. There were literally ash. No bone, no nothing. Just ash. «Call down. Just come here and we can go back to the barn. Your brother is probably waiting for us.»

She didn't say a word and turned around again. Felix rushed next to her and grabbed her arm before she started burning Earl alive again.

«Look at me. Look at me!» he told her. «He's dead already. You saw how he treats everyone that's not his equal. Nobody will help him. They will leave him there to die.» he continued. «Please.»

She blinked a couple times and her eyes turned back to normal.

«Please don't faint again.» Felix muttered.

«I'm sorry...» She told us. Earl was still screaming in pain in the background.

«It's okay sweetie.» I smiled at her. «Let's get the hell out of here.» I said.

We all got out of the room, along with Carl and Benny. I surrounded it with vines so that no one would get inside anyway. I tried not to lose control, and surprisingly, I didn't.

Echo wasn't one you could threaten and get away with it, especially if she hated you from the beginning. Earl was pooped from the moment he met her.

She kept quiet most of the time we walked back to the barn. We walked fast, so we arrived late at night.

We had said our goodbyes to Benny and Carl, who said they would help us anytime we needed them. We had somehow freed them.

«You're here!» Damon yelled when he saw us approaching the Barn.

«Yep, and we're all safe and sound.» I smiled at him and pecked his lips.

When the others heard our voices, they rushed outside.

Oliver engulfed his sister in a huge hug, much like what Celine did with her cousin.

We exchanged stories and we were all pretty shocked with Amon's backstory. It was hard to believe that this guy had a family and had come from somewhere. I kept assuming he grew out of nowhere or was a demon who escaped hell or something. You learn something new every day...

«Anyway, I'm going to sleep because I'm exhausted.» Echo announced.

«Yeah, me too...» I agreed. Celine nodded and followed us in.

We didn't sleep immediately. We stayed up for a while and talked. Echo looked kind ashamed up about what she had done to Earl.

When the guys came in, she ran to Felix.

«I promise that I will never hurt anyone like that again, unless it's a really dangerous situation and my powers are absolutely needed.» she told him and hugged him. He just smiled goofily.

«I thought you were going to sleep.» he teased her.

«Shut up.» she muttered.

Then, there were Celine and Oliver who were practically inseparable.

«You two kissed, didn't you?» I asked them. Their eyes grew wide, but they eventually nodded.

«I knew it.» I said in triumph.

«Shut up... If my sister finds out about this she's never going to stop teasing me...» Oliver muttered.

«Find out about what?» she asked from behind him with an evil smile across her face.

«Gah!» he exclaimed startled.

«What kind of Secrets have you been keeping from me, little brother?» she asked him. She was wrapped in a blanket, so no matter how hard she tried to look evil, she looked hilarious. Just like a five-year old trying to play the villain.

«I'm older...» he muttered.

«Stop lying to me, brother!» she said loudly and in a funny voice. Everyone in the barn turned sound and burst it laughing.

«Echo, you are sleepy. Just go and sleep already.» he told her calmly.

«Fine...» She grumbled. She fell on her sleeping bag with her face on the pillow, and soon she was snoring.

This was going to be a long night.

(Damon)

After the kiddos went to sleep, I went outside to keep watch. Celine had done so the night before and I wasn't letting her do that again.

It was pretty late when Ari came and sat next to me.

«Hey...» She yawned.

«What are you doing out here? Why aren't you sleeping?» I asked her.

«Oh, I was. I just woke up. I'm not really sleepy.» she yawned again.

«Yeah, I can see that...» I chuckled.

«We need to talk about something... Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong.» she said.

«Okay..? What's going on?» I asked her.

«This war. I don't wanna stay and fight.» she sighed. «I mean, don't get me wrong, but I lost control a few days ago. I don't want that to happen again and I don't want to kill anyone. I was lucky Echo was there. Fighting in a war is not going to help.» her voice cracked.

«Don't worry, I get it. I don't want you to kill anyone either.» I gave Ari a reassuring smile. «We can do whatever you want. If you want to stay and fight, we will do that. If you want to go home and play it safe, I don't mind. It's your choice.»

«I think we should go home. We'll tell the others tomorrow. I'll even try to change their minds, but I don't think they'll listen to us. They can't leave Imyrth like this. I'm worried.»

«I know, but it's their choice. I don't think anything will happen to them, though. If anyone touches one of them, Echo and Celine will take care of it, trust me.»

«I know. I'm just worried it might be too late.» she said.

«Too late for what?»

«To take care of it.»

Ari laid her head on my shoulder. A few minutes later, she was sleeping.

«Sweet dreams, sweetheart.» I muttered.

The next morning I couldn't feel my eyelids. I desperately needed sleep, but Ari hadn't woken up yet and I couldn't wake her.

It's like when your cat is sleeping and is barely touching your foot, so you don't move until she moves, which is never.

Yes, I just compared my girlfriend to a cat. Yes, it is a very accurate comparison. Yes, Riri has a cat on her right now and that's why she wrote that.

Don't judge.

After Ari woke up, we had a really awkward conversation with the kiddos.

Is there such thing as the "dad friend"? Like the" mom friend", but for guys. No? Dammit. If there was, that's what kind of friend I would be.

We explained to them why we were leaving and why we weren't going to fight. They seemed to understand, but tried to change our minds anyway.

«But we need all the help we can get! You can't just leave us alone!» Oliver protested.

«I know, but what kind of difference are two people who don't want to kill anyone going to make?» Ari asked him.

«A huge one! If everyone thought like that, no one would join the fight! You know what's happening is unfair and wrong. Why can't you help us?» Celine pleaded.

«We are  going to help you. We will stay until you have gathered people to fight. We will leave before you attack.» I explained.

Surprisingly, Echo didn't protest, didn't disagree and didn't fight at all. She agreed with everything. She encouraged us to leave. Celine looked as if she was going to kill her.

«It's their choice. This fight isn't a chore or a responsibility it's a choice. They're afraid and right so. If someone else had stepped up before us, I wouldn't have stayed either. This is dangerous, it's no joke.» she had said. Celine had that look that meant that all she needed was something pointy and Echo would no longer have eyes.

«Thank you!» Ari exclaimed.

«Don't get used to it.» Echo sighed. We all rolled our eyes and shook our heads. «What?» she asked.

«You're unbelievable...» Oliver muttered.

«I believe the term you're looking for is "incredibly amazing and fascinating", little brother.» Echo smirked in reply.

We all facepalmed.

«Peasants...» She muttered. We all burst out laughing.

That's how the rest of the day went on, until Celine had the bright idea of going to the villages nearby and recruiting people.

«We're going to need an army. Amon already has one. If we're going to fight back, we need one too. Not as big, but we're going to need it.» she suggested.

«Okay, can we do that tomorrow? I really need to take a nap...» I asked.

«Whatever, weakling.» Echo told me.

«At least you slept at night!» I told her. She rolled her eyes.

«Whatever, Alfred. I'm keeping watch tonight.» she said.

«No! I wanted to keep watch tonight!» Oliver complained.

«You can barely stay up until 3 in the morning and you think you can stay up all night and keep watch? Ha!» his sister mocked him.

«Don't laugh at me! It's not my fault I love my sleep!» he protested.

«Whatever... I'm keeping watch whether you like it or not.» should shrugged.

«Okay, keep it quiet because I want to sleep now. Don't wake me.» I told them and went in the barn to take a nap.

I was worried about lots of stuff. Leaving. Recruiting. The kiddos. Ari. Things were pretty stressful lately.

I didn't know Amon as well as the others did, but I sure knew what kind of person he was, if you could call that a person. I was not just worried. I was afraid.

Maybe that's why I was so keen on running from the fight.

A/N: Oh, God. I'm on fire. This chapter marks the 3rd chapter I finish today.

Anyway, I'm going to do whatever Damon is going to do now, which roughly translated to "I'm so sleepy that I'm going to fail tomorrow's Physics' test".

Just kidding. I studied. A lot.

Goodnight people. I don't care what time it is whenever it is you're reading this. It's night now, so I'm going to say Goodnight. Bye!!!

-Riri<3