Chapter Twenty-Four:
Helium
Nicodemus
Over the next two weeks, life began to sort of swing into place. Sebastian and I continued counseling and for the most part had begun a smooth recovery. We were only allowed to see one another for a long time, but our parents recently allowed us to reconvene with society. Though our leashes had been loosened slightly, our friends were permanently attached to their parents' hips, so it was near impossible to see anyone nowadays.
I had begun to really tighten my friendship with Soren and Sebastian during these trying times. Soren was the first person Abigail let back into Sebastian and I’s circle since he was Sebastian’s boyfriend after all, and to both of our surprise, he had completely changed into the kindest Elemental in the world. His patience with our progress was envious, and no matter what he made sure we felt safe and happy at all times. Galaxy and Elizabeth were taken back by this side of their son as well, but couldn’t be happier with how much Soren helped Sebastain and I progress towards being normal again.
There was only one thing missing in my life, and that was Odysseus, who I hadn’t seen since the week after the meeting, and that was only for a moment in passing. I was able to wave to him through a hospital window, and the broken look he had as Blaine pulled him away was forever burned into my memories. I begged Abigail to let me see him on numerous occasions, but she firmly said that she didn’t want to add any extra stress to our lives. She truly didn’t gasp how important Odysseus actually was to me, and after our sixth argument over the issue, I simply lost the will to keep pushing.
Blaine tried to convince her himself, but was cruelly shot down and told to do his job as our trainer. I thanked him for taking my side at the risk of his own neck, but was still disappointed that not even he could change her mind. He seemed to be one of the only people to understand the importance of our connection. I didn’t know if that was due to Odysseus flat out telling him we had been fooling around, or if he could just sense the aura between us, but it was nice to have someone who saw through our charade. At the same time, this meant Blaine was as defeated as I was, and that made me feel guilty for dragging him into this.
Regardless of our failed attempts, Blaine consistently told me that Odysseus was working heavily on helping with training schedules and preparations for our upcoming ceremony, as a way to keep me updated on the outside world. I knew Blaine wasn’t lying about Odysseus’s workload, since Odysseus was only working this hard to distract himself, but every day that passed with I not being able to see him made my soul ache. I could only hope we would run into each other soon, and I used training with Sebastian to keep myself occupied for the time being.
╪
“Throw your back into it, you pansy!” Sebastian cried.
“Fuck you!” I retorted.
The field erupted in bright flashes as Sebastian and I’s weapons clashed. The sparks of light blinded anyone sitting in the stands watching, but through the haze, I saw the end of his hammer coming towards my face. I keenly used the end of my scythe to swipe his legs out, thus making the hammer miss my face by a few inches. Blaine, who was foolishly standing at the edge of the grass, jumped back with a cheerful laugh as I threw another wave of electricity into Sebastian. “Keep it in the arena, boys! I’m not looking to become fish fry today!”
“You little baby! Can’t get a scratch on me!” I ripped out my scythe and slammed it into the ground, which caused it to rumble hard. My Shadows appeared and pulled out their weapons, flashing in wisps of smoke at him. I used clouds of black smoke to run up and get a high view of Sebastian and Alice’s fight, smiling in approval at Alice’s improvement.
“Get down here and fight me like a man!” Sebastian yelled as he wiped sweat away before snapping his arm, causing vines to wrap around my wrist and drag me back onto the field.
“What's the matter? Little Sebastian can't get a hit on me?” I called as I sliced a huge hoard of the vines away. He flung a rock across the field; I flipped out of the way and bolted back at him with a vengeful smile. I slammed my scythe into the side of Sebastian’s face, causing him to spin backwards like a top. He spat blood out and shot a demonic glare my way. Blaine wasn’t very keen on how aggressively we had learned to fight, but for Sebastian and I this was our new normal, and not the first time we had drawn blood or much worse. Holding back was near impossible, though neither of us took offense of how harsh our swings had become.
I tried to back up to evade his attack, but he brought both hands down onto the muddy grass and siphoned every ounce of his strength into the dirt. The plates below us rumbled methodically; I yelped when the ground cracked, and thousands of vines spilled from the opening to wrap around my neck and slam me into the ground repeatedly. “Take it down a notch, boys!” Blaine warned as I got free and distanced myself, conjuring a spirit ring and calling for Akira. He screeched and entered the field as a phoenix, blazing the wall of moss down that Sebastian was using to heal himself up.
“Let’s finish this!” Sebastian hissed, his eyes glowing in the reflection of his hammer.
(Watch it, he's going to use the Five Dragons. You should distance yourself and wait for him to fizzle out,) Claude warned, moving back to flank me.
“I need to be able to fight this, though. If I can beat him, I can beat the Original Gods.” I barked back confidently. He nodded and conjured an electric bolt that wrapped around his axe, giving him more strength in his attack. A loud screech filled the field before the Five Dragons slowly crawled up from a crack in the ground, letting out a roar that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“That’s amazing!” Dad cried in awe as he joined Mom and Zephyrine, who had been watching us silently the whole time.
“He’s very talented,” Zephyrine sang matter-of-factly.
“Let’s see how our sunshine boy retaliates,” Blaine snickered.
I stepped back and held my scythe at a 90-degree angle as the sound of a thousand screams of the dead erupted in the field. Blaine shot his arm out as everyone leaned forward in shock, his eyes dead set on me. The ground below us crumbled and turned to black smoke. Sebastian held his attack, though I could tell the lack of Earth was annoying him. White arms began to come up out of the black void below, and a thousand moans echoed as dozens of Shadows appeared. Dad’s Shadows had covered their ears against the call; I apologized with my eyes before darting up and backwards to direct them at Sebastian.
It became a bloodbath in seconds.
His dragons were screaming ballistically in both anger and pain as the souls overcame them, tearing them to complete shreds. The bright light and energy that pulsed from the head of my scythe made my whole arm vibrate, like blasting a shotgun, and the energy drain was ridiculous. Sebastian and I were doing everything we could to keep control, but Blaine could see how hard he and I were struggling. “Boys, that’s enough for today!” He called worriedly. Sebastian shot him a dirty look, which made him close his mouth, cross his arms, and watch patiently. Everyone else was hanging over the barrier that cut us off from the stands, watching both of us excitedly. Heads snapped back and forth, and whispers ran through the crowd as we both stared dead at each other, waiting for the others’ inevitable fall from energy lack.
“Give up!” I snapped in the same voice from when I had taken the form of Grim, that echoed across the field powerfully. Dad flinched ever-so-slightly from this, but at this point, he knew there was nothing he could say that would make the situation better, so he was allowing me to push myself so long as I walked away unscathed.
Finally Sebastian called off his attack, for which reason I don’t know; either he saw how much pain this was causing me, or he was too tired, or maybe both. His dragons fell to their knees and finally dissipated, leaving him panting wildly. I slowly pulled back the energy of the Bladedance and waited for the ground to reappear before gently and timidly settling down. We were both caked in sweat, blood, and dirt, and were barely able to stand on our own, but it was satisfying to see how far we had progressed. “Nice job,” I panted, shaking his hand tiredly with a bloodied smile that he returned gleefully.
Blaine came into the field, clapping steadily with a giant grin, “That, was amazing. I am very, very proud of you two. I can't believe you were able to hold your attacks for that long!”
“Anger fuels me,” Sebastian snapped with a deadpan glare.
“Well, you both did fantastic. Go shower; your families are waiting to take you out.”
“Let’s get you healed up, Akira.” I cooed as the fox landed tiredly onto my shoulder, huffing in relief that our fight was finally over. Sebastian and I jogged the steps to the locker room, where I sang softly for the fox as we cleaned up, who chirped happily as he soaked up my energy. After a decent shower, I stood in front of a mirror and towel dried my hair, frowning to myself with a sigh, “Looks like it’s getting long again,” I commented.
“Really?” Sebastian asked, hitching a towel around his waist to come over and comb through it. “Huh, looks like it. We’ll have to get you another chop! Oops, do I see a grey?”
“You’re so funny,” I snapped as he giggled at himself, “With all this stress, I’m going to be platinum by eighteen!”
“You are platinum, you idiot.”
“That’s because of Pandora! I want my brown hair back!”
“You’re so stupid… Just dye it if you don’t like it white, you baby.”
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“It’s fine for now I guess…” I grabbed my clothes and changed, combing my hair quickly before whistling for Akira and grabbing my bag. “You ready, princess?” I called annoyedly.
“I’m trying to button my shirt!”
“I can't tell what it is that makes you such a drama queen.”
“I’m gay?” He replied sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes heavily and tossed my wet towel at him, “Being gay doesn't make you this dramatic, Sebastian, it's just you.”
“And you love me!”
“Yes I do, sadly,” I giggled as he hugged me tight with a smile. “You seem much happier lately?” I offered hesitantly.
“Well, I am. I’m finally starting to get over my nightmares, and with us training all the time, it's kept my mind occupied.” He smacked his cheek into my shoulder, “Why do you still seem so unhappy? Is something bothering you?”
“Not particularly, no.” I lied smoothly, though my expression gave me away.
“You are such a bad liar! Speak your truth, child!” I giggled as he sat down, crossed his legs and arms, and bat his eyelashes. “I will always be here for you, my Angel!” He cooed in his sweet country accent.
“You were dropped as a child, weren't you?” I accused.
“Down a flight of stairs and off a cliff, baby doll,” he said, which made me smirk and sit beside him. “Honestly, what’s going on? You know I’m always here to help if I can?”
“I, ugh… How do I know when I like, like someone?” I asked worriedly.
He laughed melodramatically while flamboyantly smacking his hand to his chest. “You're talking to dating one-o-one my friend. How may the matchmaker fix your dilemma?”
I wrung my hands out uncomfortably, “I’m, not good with, flirting. I mean, tons of people have asked me out, but I never get the nerve to ask the person I actually like. I’m, like, so awkward, and I don’t know what to do next. What am I doing wrong?”
“How many people have asked you out?” He scoffed in surprise.
“Like, a bunch of the girls on campus, but I don’t really like any of them.” I whimpered.
“Well, what do you like in a girl?” He asked. I turned fire red, which made him raise an eyebrow, “What did I say?”
“If I tell you something, promise to keep it a secret?”
“Sure?” He questioned, though the chance to learn some new gossip made him bounce on the bench excitedly.
“I... don’t really like, girls, per say...?” I whispered.
He gasped horrifically, his eyes twinkling in happiness, “You’re gay?!” He squealed.
“I guess so...” I mumbled with a ferocious blush.
“Oh my Angel! Welcome to the team!” He screamed, throwing his arms around me as I laughed, “Well there’s your problem. You need to start adventuring in the right field!”
I stuck my hands under each of my arms and shrugged heavily, “I, I don't know... It’s, weird. I don’t…? No one knows except you…”
“Are you scared to tell your family?” He said in a much more sympathetic tone, tucking my bangs behind my ear with a frown.
“A little bit. It’s pathetic, I know, but still…” I admitted.
“Nick, your parents love you, and I know they’ll be supportive!”
“I just, I don’t know if dating is a good idea for me. I don’t want to do anything stupid.”
“Like what? Throw yourself around to guys? Just don't have sex right now?” He said nonchalantly. I bit my lip, making him raise an eyebrow. “What?” He scoffed suspiciously.
“What counts as, sex....?” I croaked.
His jaw hit the floor with a low gasp in his throat, and he started laughing loudly, “Oh you sweet little virgin boy! What trouble have you gotten yourself into!?”
“Shut up, Sebastian! You’re a virgin too!” I cried childishly.
“As far as you know,” he scoffed with a dark cackle.
“At eighteen you better not be banging boys behind the dumpster.”
“Oh please, I use the bathroom for that.” We laughed loudly as he stood and grabbed his bag. “First things first, you should tell your family; it’ll ease so much of the pressure,” he went to the door, but paused with a devilish smile, “and you should grow a pair and ask out the guy your crushing on. If it’s who I think it is, I’m sure Odysseus would love to engage in more ‘not sex’ with you quite soon. Which, by the way, you are totally going to tell me about if you don’t want me to call you out in front of the whole school!” I scowled as he let out obnoxious laughs, which made me throw another towel at him in annoyance.
╪
A week or two later, Sebastian, Griffin, and I were with my parents, where we were blandly going over our new academic schedules. Sebastian was rambunctiously droning on and on about the activities he wanted us to take part in, which made the two adults want to blow their brains out. Dad had been massaging his temples for over ten minutes to ease the headache, and Mom’s thousand yard stare proved once again that Sebastian was the most annoying person on the planet. Griffin and I had learned to tune out his ramblings by this point; I was focusing on the way the grass was brushing against my cheek since I was lying on my stomach.
In the middle of Dad snapping and begging Sebastian to shut his trap, a jittery energy buzzed through my heart, causing me to glance over Mom’s shoulder at Hayden hall. Blaine was walking down the corridor with a handful of kids in our school’s attire, who looked to have just been transferred to Valyce. The oldest had to be no more than ten, but all of them were aware that Blaine was the God of Fire, and were completely enamored by the laid-back God that escorted them. They were nervous and skid along behind him like lost puppies, but held smiles of excitement from being in the Elemental world for the first time.
One person, who was dressed in an older version of the Valyce uniform, walked beside Blaine with his head hung low. Dark hair covered his face, creating a messy barrier between he and the outside world. The fluttering feeling in my heart grew even more intense as I realized who this was. “Nick? You ok, honey?” Mom asked, turning to the group. “Oh, the new transfers. We certainly have been growing in numbers lately,” she commented.
“Transfers?” Sebastian looked up and gasped happily, validating my suspicions. Without a word, I stood and ghosted over to the glass wall.
Blaine was laughing with the youngest, blissfully unaware of the world around him. The older kid frowned to himself as he asked one of the kids to keep up, sighing under his breath miserably. I lightly knocked on the glass, which made him slowly look up. When he did, his gold eyes widened in pure and utter shock as I blinked back tears and smiled to him. The backpack on his shoulder dropped with a deafening thud. Blaine raised an eyebrow and turned to ask what was wrong, but Odysseus had already took off down the corridor.
I excitedly raced alongside him down the glass wall; he threw the door open feverishly before whisking me into his arms. I locked mine around his neck and let him spin me once or twice, nestling my face in his shoulder so that he was the only thing in my world temporarily. Odysseus bawled hysterically and buried his face into my hair, squeezing me as tight as he could with a desperation like none other. “I thought I was never going to see you again!” He brokenly choked into my hair, wheezing painfully on sobs, “I'm so glad your safe!”
“I missed you even more…!?” I barely was able to make out before I shook my head and went back to snuggling into his neck. I breathed in his sweet cologne and held his hair so he was somewhat forced to not let me go, though he had no intentions.
“And the lovers are reunited. What mushes!” Blaine laughed as he joined my parents.
“You’re not as stunned by Odysseus’s behavior this time?” Dad asked.
“Not much reason to be, admittedly. He’s been talking to me, really talking to me, ever since he met Nick,” Blaine sighed happily, “Though he’s been quiet again, until now that is. I swear something is up between them.” He accused, which made the three begin whispering with little devilish giggles.
Sebastian couldn’t help himself and raced over excitedly, “Odysseus! It is you! Where the heck have you been, Squeakers!?” He exclaimed, throwing his arms around us and not realizing Odysseus was a bit preoccupied with other thoughts.
Odysseus was able to pry himself back enough to address Sebastian, “Nice to see you’re doing well, too, Sebby.” He managed to say while lightly setting me down.
“Well, if you ever came out of hiding…!” As Sebastian went on and on scolding as usual, Odysseus brought his attention back to me, boring his eyes into mine before tilting my face up. He slid his fingers underneath my hair and pulled me closer, hesitating slightly only to smile when I didn’t pull away. When he leaned in fully and kissed me, Sebastian squealed in shock, which made me chuckle behind our lips.
“HELLO!” Griffin screamed dramatically.
“What the Gehenna?! When did this happen!?” Sebastian barked angrily as Odysseus turned back to him with a smirk, leaving me speechless.
“You left us alone, remember?” He shyly whispered.
“How was I supposed to know you were busy going after my best friend, you whore! What else did you do when I wasn’t looking? A guy turns his back for one second, and the mute is kissing people!? I'm supposed to know everything, so how did you get past me?!” Sebastian demanded, though he was glowing in my honor.
Both peeked down to me, where I was still rigidly shell shocked, and laughed at my expression. Odysseus leaned in to poke my nose with a cute giggle, “I have to go now, but I want to see you again soon, now that I can.” He whispered just for me.
“Ok…” I managed to stammer back.
He kissed my hair softly before handing me off to Sebastian. “Keep an eye on him for me, ok Sebby?” He chirped with a smirk.
“Yeah, I will, Squeakers.” Sebastian cooed lovingly, rubbing my back as Odysseus walked off to join Blaine, who I could tell was going to beat the poor kid for that stunt, in a, ‘What the heck was that!? You don’t talk for twelve years and now your kissing people?’ way based on the evil glaring. Odysseus ignored his father and waved to us warmly, his eyes glowing. Blaine gave up being melodramatic and ruffled his hair with a blush that meant, ‘Well, just found out my son is gay,’ but he was not at all upset by the news.
“The nerve of that brat...! And you, you whore!” Sebastian yelled as he turned to grab my shirt and spin me around. I simply continued to sway in his arms, delusionally giggling to myself. “Uh, you ok there, Nick?”
“I think I'm drunk!” I giggled out, burying my red cheeks in my sleeves, which made Sebastian burst into laughter and hug me tight.
“Yeah, love drunk!” Sebastian teased as Griffin rolled his eyes with a smile, whispering something to my parents who blinked at me in both awe and happiness.