Leon's face stiffened and froze in an unnatural manner, appearing to have reached the peak of confusion.
Alan, abruptly bent to his knees, gasped heavily as a wave of fatigue assaulted him.
Ariel revealed a puzzled expression before sighing. "Right, using the powers of blessings consumes a great deal of one's stamina because it is practically a part of your body. Think of it as another limb when you use it; you use stamina, but I'm assuming you have never exercised before."
Alan's exhausted face suddenly brightened red, hurrying a response. "it-its not my fault!"
Leon laughed at such a reply and turned back to Alan. Behind Alan, he noticed a stick of flame slowly advancing towards them. Alan's earlier actions must have alerted the nearby knights, who are now investigating the disturbance.
It appeared that Ariel noticed it as well, as she glanced over at the stone walls. "We need to leave fast."
Leon sized up the stone barrier in front of him. "And how are we supposed to do that?"
Ariel placed her hand on her chin and frowned. "Well, I was planning on doing what I did before, flying over the border, but now I am not sure."
"What the hell?" Leon looked at Ariel, then glanced toward the bridge connecting to a large gate, thinking of a solution. "You can use some wind stuff, right? Why don't you just blast a hole into that gate over there?"
"Oh, great idea." Ariel dashed with extreme speed, arrived in front of the massive gate, and sent forth a ruthless current of a whirlwind, launching the giant gate multiple meters in the air. Immediately after, Ariel rushed back to the two boys with her usual emotionless expression.
Leon gave her a thumbs-up while Alan silently watched with his mouth wide open. "Are you two stupid?"
The figures of two knights in grey metal armour could be seen charging toward the scene with a large stick of fire.
The trio immediately sprinted, escaping through what once held a gate. The two knights stood still with wide eyes, staring into the massive, gaping hole. Their mouths hung in the air for a couple of seconds before one of them spoke up. "If they wanted to leave, they could've just asked us."
...
The three ran until they reached the depths of a vast forest, which surrounded them with enormous trees. Alan slowed to a stop and collapsed to the ground, finding himself a comfortable place to sit by the stump of a tree. "Please, I need a break."
Leon soon placed himself on the soft soil of the forest's terrain and took deep breaths after having an opportunity to relax. After a brief silence, Leon questioned Ariel. "Why are people after you?"
"You might be unaware right now, but currently there is a war between elves and humans, a matter that caused 2 of the pillars to be involved." Ariel located a big rock and gently sat down on its uneven surface before continuing. "There was an attack on my village; as a witness to the invasion, I was forced to run away while being hunted."
"That's very tragic."
"Not at all; rather, it's tragic for the human's." Ariel closed her eyes for a moment before turning back to the two boys. "Either way, I have been away for a while; it's time for me to return. They should have rebuilt the village by now."
Taken aback by Ariel's unconcerned response, Leon became silent, not sure of what to say. "So... why did you come to the orphanage?"
"I needed a place to rest before returning home, so I chose the orphanage. Until I met you two, I decided to bring you back with me."
Alan curved his eye brows as he nervously looked at Ariel. "What do you mean, take us back with you?"
"Elves are known for having a more sensitive reaction around magical properties. The moment I laid my eyes on you both, I instantly realised that you both are special, and I mean even more special than a normal blessed person. You are wasting your potential, so I decided to take you."
Both Alan and Leon were astonished as they both stared at her with wide eyes. "Now go to sleep, you two; there is a long while before we reach my village." Ariel shuffled in her position for a few moments before hanging her head low and silently dozing off.
In a daze, Alan just stared silently at Ariel until he heard Leon call out to him. "Alan, how did you do that before, and I mean that fire, how did you do it?"
Alan cast his gaze to his own hand, bringing it close to his face, as a bluish-purple flame burst from his palm. The vivid glow of the flame blanked the surrounding darkness, giving it a unique sense of beauty. His eyes stared deeply into the blaze before extinguishing it; he later looked at Leon. "It's like what Ariel said; it's like an extension of your body, like a limb you can use. I am sure once you experience it, you will understand."
"i see... Anyway, Ariel's right, it's late, and we should go to sleep." Leon faced away, struggling to find a more comfortable sleeping position.
Already overcome with exhaustion, Alan closed his eyes and went straight to sleep.
...
As Alan's face was illuminated by the sun's golden rays, he could hear the countless birds chirping, indicating the arrival of morning. Alan slowly opened his eyes and instantly heard his own name being called numerous times.
"Alan! Look, I am doing it!"
Alan quickly stood up and hurried towards Leon's, and he could see his figure next to a massive rock floating mid-air, dripping with fresh soil.
"My affinity is earth! I can control the earth!" Leon's voice contained an extremely infectious excitement.
Just as Alan became incredibly enthusiastic, he noticed another figure laying motionless above the hovering stone. Horror quickly filled his face.
"Why the hell is Ariel sleeping up there?!"