Author's note: A little heads up for the chapter, before you call Eleni dumb or something. She has been an orphan and an abandoned child. She has extreme trust issues and she gets panic attacks. Being awfully insecure of herself, she constantly expects something bad to happen to her. And it usually does happen as we all know. But she will get better soon, with a little help. Also, coming up is the longest chapter so far. And this one's dedicated to my favourite writer buddy! ❤

~Happy Reading❤💫~

***

"You think we lost them?" I asked, after we finally stopped to catch our breaths.

Ralph nodded, tight-lipped, stopping a little ahead of me.

Swallowing hard, I took in his face. He was tensed, still reeling from the aftereffects of the disastrous confrontation with the Chief. I shuddered to even think how he might react when he becomes aware of the fact that the woman, he lived with all his life was the actual reason he grew up fatherless? The answer that he was looking for was actually in his own house.

"Ralph, please say something," I said in a low voice.

He turned to look at me, eyes blazing, "What's there to say, Eleni? Why did I listen to you? I wanted to talk to that woman but I am here. And I am damn scared of you, you know, and all the new surprises you're bringing in with you. I don't know anymore, what am I even doing!"

His words stung like salt rubbed on all my wounds. With a leaden dread in my stomach, I watched him turn around and walk away with long strides. Ralph's departing figure moved into a denser part of the foliage of trees. Gone. He was gone.

"I'm sorry." I whispered a little too late. My legs rooted to the spot and knees gave away as fear settled into me. Ralph was gone.

He was leaving me alone here, having being done with all the chaos of my life. I was suddenly more scared than ever, as my gaze halted, where Ralph had disappeared. I hugged myself tight.

I was alone. Again. My hands shook violently. The forest seemed to close up on me, but I didn't blame him. I would abandon me, too. Like everyone in my supposed family.

"This should be enough for a small fire," Ralph's heavy voice boomed into the clearing and I felt my heart hammering with an otherworldly emotion.

I deadpanned at him wide eyed, my breathing stuck, as he walked back towards me, a bunch of broken twigs cradled in his arms. As I looked at his awfully casual self, which was unaware of my thoughts, I felt a numbing urge to run and hug him.

He wasn't gone. I wasn't alone.

Hope and urgency surged in me. "Ralph, I didn't know, I swear... that my mother..." I shivered, looking at him, trying to tone down my panic. Not wanting him to see that I had assumed the worst of him. 

"Guess you were surprised too. But I am going to find her again, just so you know..." He said, looking at me, and his eyes narrowed as if he was seeing me for the first time. "Are you quite alright there?"

Even through ragged breathing, I managed to speak, "Why are you always so...considerate?"

"Is that a bad thing?" He faced me, concern gleaming in his eyes. 

"You can be mad. For a little longer," I whispered.

"I know," he swiped a rough hand through his hair after dropping the twigs down, "I have a friend back at home with a very annoying sis– sibling - and I never understood how he tolerated her. But I guess, now I know. I just can't stay mad at you."

I stared at him, mouth wide open, as he shrugged. What was I supposed to say at his sweeter than sugar straightforwardness? I knew how siblings were, but he didn't and still here he was...

"I am not annoying," was all that I mumbled.

"Sure." 

We stood there, myself awkward and flustered, and him being wary of everything around us. The snow-capped trees of the forest seemed to be insufficient in sheltering us. But I knew I'd be fine as long as he was here. 

"By the way, I have no idea where we are right now." Ralph said and looked up at the sky.

"Well, neither do I," I shrugged and remembered what mother had told me. Father had lost his way and found her. I didn't know whether to be appalled by the fact or find it adorable! Ralph and I had met the same way. Lost kids of a lost father!

I shook my head, "Are you sure Ruby can alone handle them?"

"Yes. Phoenix fire is different than ours. But she is a baby yet, I hope she manages to get some rest."

I stared at his wise handsome face, as he picked up some more stray branches and leaves from the ground. How had he grown up to be such a sensible, level-headed man, while his mother was so... ruthless? My chest tightened at the thought that suddenly surfaced out – had she ill-treated her son in any way?

"Yes, stand there and gawk at me instead of helping," he said giving me a sideway glance. I attempted to smile at him. He knew a lot about me, but I had never gotten a chance to get to know him, and that didn't sit well with me.

Placing the branches under a tree in a neat pile, Ralph straightened up to look at his handy work. He swirled his hands on top of the pile in a manner as though it was a regular chore. Bright orange hue sparked on his face as his palms ignited. The pile of twigs was suddenly on fire.

"Why do we need a fire? Can't we just use our own?" I asked. 

"I told you, it will tire us out and who knows how long we'd be staying. And besides I am cold and so are you. Come here." He said and sat down, his back leant to the tree.

I nodded and went to sit, as far as possible from him and as close as possible to the fire. The warmth of the bonfire was comforting, but the raw tension around us, was not.

"You did not have to do that, exposing yourself like that." Ralph spoke in a low voice, as my back touched the huge tree. I knew what he was talking about.

"I had to, Ralph. He...he...threatened me." I found my heartbeat thundering as the past few days' memories came rushing back to me.

"Nova..." Ralph sighed through a clenched jaw, turning to look at me, his red eyes shining like burning orbs of coal.

I felt panic rush through me at the devil's name and I smothered it, "Did you have a hard time after I was taken? Your mother and the others...did they..."

"Nothing I can't handle. Rest assured." Ralph said in a drowsy voice, putting a folded arm beneath his head and closed his eyes, exhaling a long tired breath.

"What if they find out that you're here with me? They must know by now that I have escaped." I asked urgently, my eyes not leaving his face.

His eyes still closed, I watched his forehead frowning, "See, so annoying." He murmured and I knew he was deflecting. I slapped his arm in jest, with my injured palm. My blood stained the gold-hued sleeve of his doublet and I winced in pain.

My breathing quickened as I felt the pain surging in my palm by the contact. All the horrifying memories resurfaced. The way Prince Nova had attacked me with his power, had provoked me to use my own, made Ralph fall down from a deadly height, tracked down Amelia, acquired my blood not once but twice, held a dagger at Serena's throat and had struck a horrible bargain with me. There was a strange numbness in my ears and I felt my throat parched up. Ralph was saying something but all I heard was a distant echo of Prince Nova's laughter.

"Eleni, what's wrong?" I felt an arm around my shoulder and realized that Ralph had moved closer. But it did nothing to calm my nerves. I was scared of Prince Nova even when I was far away from him.

A life for a life, he had said.

"Hey, breathe." Ralph said again, but his words seemed to bounce off my skin. The air seemed to choke in my windpipe, as he lifted my bloodied palm.

But my earthly senses picked up movement close by and I gasped. Both on the land and in the sky.

"Someone's here," I said through shuddering breaths, and clutched my brother's arm. My injured hand reflexively, snaked inside my sweater's pocket and retrieved the dagger that Prince Nova had given me.

And even before we could react, a loud flapping of wings was audible overhead, and we both looked up in a snap.

A dragon was zooming straight into the thicket of trees around us. Ralph got up in an instant, ready in a stance. But I stopped him, reaching out to hold his hand. I recognized the dragon.

The spikes of the beast were unmistakable. I felt goosebumps arising on my body as I took in its swift descent to the ground. My breathing heaved up some more but I put the dagger back in.

"It's Una." I whispered into the sky, and Ralph looked down at me.

"And that's good because...?"

"She is a friend." Hopefully, still is. I sighed and got up too. I recalled her angry demeanor in the dungeon but something told me, we were still friends. There was still hope. I would not repeat the mistakes my mother made.

But how did she find me? How had Ralph found me?

As Spikes came closer, I realized that she wasn't riding on him alone. The two dark silhouettes with a backdrop of purple sky, perched on Spikes, were a beautiful sight to behold.

I could feel Ralph's suspicion dripping off from his body, but I squeezed his hand, as Spikes slowed his descent and touched his hind legs on the ground. His tail wildly hit a tree and it fell down with a loud thud.

"Oh my!" I heard Ralph mutter.

I couldn't help but smile as the Earth dragon growled and Una patted its mane. But my eyes caught the frisky hair of the woman sitting behind Una.

She was fine! Serena was fine!

And in an instant, I took a step ahead. But Ralph stopped me, his hand firm around my wrist, "Are you sure about this? She is from Autumn Realm."

And I realized there was so much that Ralph didn't know about me. About the people I knew. "I am from the Virgo House, too, Ralph." I whispered, my eyes going back to Serena.

Una got down with a practiced jump and lent a hand to Serena, who placed one leg on a large spiky scale of the dragon and jumped down gracefully. I watched Una holding Serena's hand, and when her eyes met mine, she quickly let go, with an expression of being caught doing something that she wasn't supposed to do.

"Serena," I called out, my relief ready to flow in tears. I looked back at Ralph; his face etched with doubt. But he let go off my hand reluctantly and without missing a beat I ran towards my friends.

She was just the way I had last seen her in the dungeon. Prince Nova had indeed kept his word and let her go. That only meant that he was going to keep his word further – A life for her life.

I flung my body to hers, and she held me tight.

"Eleni, you are okay. Heavens, you are okay." She spoke through her sobs into my hair.

"I was so worried...I am so sorry, Serena, for what he did to you," I found my tears soaking the sleeve of her dress. I had missed her. Missed my friend. And she was safe.

She pulled back from the hug, "It's not your fault, Eleni. You... you faced him all this while...all alone. I am sorry, too." She spoke and I peered at her cocoa-tinted eyes.

"I wanted to tell you, but..." I stuttered through my sobs. Prince Nova's face flashed in my head and I clutched her arms once again.

She was fine. She was fine. She was fine.

"How did you find me?" I asked, as I looked at her and at Una from over Serena's shoulder. Una looked back at me, her face taut and restrained. I watched a silent conversation pass between Serena and Una, and I took a step back. To me it seemed as though, Una was here just because Serena had coaxed her.

"The fireling, he told us." Una said, her furious face from the dungeon now toned down. Her gaze kept flipping behind me and I knew she was wary of Ralph just the way he was of her.

Una called only one person as fireling!

And as if I had summoned him, I saw him emerging from behind a small path, right where Spikes stood.

Every little part of me, slumped with relief as Doran's tall figure approached into the small clearing. He had been running for I could see his chest heaving frantically. His eyes dead set on me, he swayed a hand through his wayward brownish-red hair. The buttons of his tunic were doing a lousy job in hiding his tanned broad chest. His strides quickened and he was in front of me in a heartbeat.

At some point, Serena moved aside for it was just him that I could see and feel. 

Doran always found me.

I wanted to hug him tight. Wanted him to hug me tighter. But he was holding himself back, as I felt his eyes darting behind me. My tears had not resided, after having met Serena, and now a fresh bout of them were ready to start streaming as I inhaled his musky smell and the memory of his comforting body spread all over me.

Doran raised his hand to touch my face and I was sure he was about to either tuck my hair behind my ear or wipe my tears, but he stopped himself midway. Hurt, I stared at him through my wet eyelashes.

"I am sorry it took me so long." He whispered in a his silvery voice and I saw the hard swallow of his throat.

I shook my head and tears dripped down my cheeks.

"Eleni." My name on his lips tantalized me, but his voice sounded constricted and I saw his fists clenched at his sides.

Ralph's loud voice broke the serenity, "Doran, you sent me here and where the Hell did you disappear?"

Doran suddenly took a small step back from me, and I felt what he must have felt when I repeatedly walked away from him. It hurt. I felt cold all of a sudden.

Doran had sent Ralph. Also Una and Serena. Of course, he had!

I watched Doran scratch the back of his ear and smile sheepishly at Ralph, "I know when I am not needed."

I deadpanned at his words.

"Idiot." Una muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You...it's because of you that I am the last one to get here," Doran said and turned his head to the left where she stood, color and life returning to him.

"Me?" Una tilted her head, innocently. "There was no more space on Spikes."

"Oh, come on, a whole Realm can sit on Spikes." Doran rolled his eyes.

A strange bubble of comfort formed around me as I heard them bickering. I looked at Serena and she was smiling wide.

"It's okay. You are here now." I said in a soft voice and Doran's eyes met mine, but flicked back at Ralph again. There was something wrong, and I couldn't pinpoint on it.

"Eleni," Ralph called out and I slowly turned around, wiping my tears on my white sweater's sleeves, that Celia had provided me.

He looked around all the faces, including the dragon in the clearing, and rubbed a hand on his face in exasperation. "At this point even if High King Maris comes here on a Pegasus, I would not be surprised. I need a drink to digest this all."

Serena barked out a sudden laugh at his words and I found myself grinning wide.

***

The logs of wood burnt brighter as we all sat around it in a circle. Spikes' gentle snores were punctuating the silence of the impending sunrise around us. Una had scourged with her magic and found five huge boulders for us to sit on, but everyone had chosen to sit on the forest soil and rest their backs on the boulders instead. Doran had covertly taken the seat to my right, much to Serena's annoyance and she sat between Ralph and Una.

"So, you've trained her till now?" Ralph asked Una, once he was done with putting up protective wards around us.

"Honestly, I'd rather not take that credit."

"Why not?"

"Because she is the worst student ever."

"Hey!" I looked at my left, where Una sat wearing her signature frown.

"You can't really blame her, islander," Doran spoke in my defense, kindling the fire with a long stick. 

Ralph's finger swayed between me and Doran next, "And how do you two know each other?"

"Oh, let me," Serena chirped from Ralph's side. I groaned and looked at Doran. He shook his head in a way saying 'The-Throne-bless-us.'

"It all started with the Winter Gala." She said, her eyes twinkling.

"Serena!" I shrieked, feeling my cheeks flushing red at her scary enthusiasm.

"Okay fine! Here's the shorter version - Doran was disguised as a driver and he hit our carriage with his and we had a spat. Our friend kind of broke her jaw in the process, but we are not so sure about that yet. Then Eleni saved his life with the black tower thing and they," she coughed and mumbled, "Got a reason to keep meeting each other."

"Thank you," Doran said, narrowing his eyes at her and Serena bowed dramatically.

"You hit a carriage again, Doran?" Ralph said, a little amused.

"Well, in my defense, their driver was just as reckless as me." He said, unable to hide his smile.

"No, he was not and again, you say?" I asked Ralph and raised a brow at Doran.

"Well, back at home, while in training, we did all kinds of shenanigans." He grinned at me, his most infectious grin. 

"Don't taint me with you, mate," Ralph said to him and suddenly turned to me, "Wait, that black tower was yours, Eleni? So, Debt of Life it is, I suppose."

"Sure is," Serena chirped in.

"And who might you be, miss?" Ralph turned his head to his right. I couldn't help but giggle at Ralph's ever-so shortening attention span.

"I am Serena, uh, Your Highness," she dipped her head at him.

"Just Ralph, please, and are you from the Spring Realm or...?"

She chuckled, "I am from Liberan, Spring Realm. Just an Air Elemental. No surprises here, that's all Eleni."

"Hey!" I squealed in protest and heard Una snort at my side.

"I have a question as well," Doran said and I looked at his soft eyes, "When did you find out that you and Ralph...?"

"Now let me," Ralph said and winked at Serena. I felt Una's body stiffening beside me. I looked at her and found her glaring at Ralph with renewed energy. In the moment, it seemed like Una looked madder than usual. A look of vulnerable insecurity passed over her face and I convinced myself that I had simply imagined it. Her eyes met mine and I quickly averted my gaze.

"You two remember that meeting at Orella's palace about the Eclipses?" Ralph said, looking at both Una and Doran. I swore I saw a nerve near his eye twitch at he mentioned the Eclipses. "Well, guess what, Eleni was there eavesdropping on us."

"What?" All the others yelled at the same time, staring at me.

"Well..." I started but Ralph cut me off.

"Also, you know the Arien sundials, ours glowed together and then she had the nerve to hit me and run." He narrowed his eyes at me, turning a ring on his index finger.

"I was scared of you, come on." I found my voice pitching higher.

"You managed to sneak in and out of the Winter palace all by yourself?" Doran had a face of bemused shock.

"Your sundial is magical?" Serena squeaked.

"You hit this fire-boy and got away with it?" Una's eyes widened.

"Well, yes, yes and yes." I shrugged, partly embarrassed and partly pleased.

Una suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder, "Now I kind of want to take the credit for training you."

"But I think that was all her," Doran said with a wink and my heart skipped  a beat.

They were all here; all my friends, and my heart surged with gratitude. They had all found me. They were here for me. Despite knowing that it was dangerous to be with me and they still had made that choice.

I looked at them all and the stubborn cobwebs of loneliness that I had never bothered to clear from my heart, seemed to be magically melting away. For now, all seemed well.

"So, were you the first person who found out that Eleni has both Fire and Earth elements?" Serena asked Ralph.

"I think that would be me," Una spoke through a tight-lipped expression.

I looked at Doran, and he pointedly looked away from me, his jaw tight.

And I knew it was time.

"It was neither of you," I said my eyes fixed onto the burning fire in the center, "It was Prince Nova." 

***