122 The Three Eldes (1/2)
The ground continued to shake as Tide pulled her foot out of the ground. ”You know you don't have to hit that hard to wake me up,” a voice said as the now bare soil shifted and rolled, rising higher out of the ground. The voice shook the ground we were standing on but felt smooth and full of honey at the same time.
Fume and Ivy were both in awe at the dark skinned lady with short curly hair that formed around her head. Her dress was an earthy red that hung off her one shoulder and wrapped around her body. By the lack of shock from Cocoa it seems that they had met before. What really shocked me was how there was no dirt on her. She really just came out of a hole in the ground but looked spotless.
”Sorry, Alga worked me up into a storm.” Tide responded to Mother Earth with a shrug.
”Alga?” She said looking around. ”My what a group we have. It has been a very long time since I have seen this many spirits in one spot. We even have some young ones that I have not met.” She said facing Fume sitting in the fire pit and Ivy and Rine next to her. ”I am Terra, the earth spirit.” She said with a small bow.
””Mother Earth,”” Ivy and Fume whispered at the same time.
She then turned the rest of the way to me. ”Are you going by Alga again?” She tipped her head. ”You only evolved into Laurel a few million years ago. If you want to go back to the sea I do not mind,” she said with a smile.
”It has been more than 100 million,” I said under my breath. Mother Earth was never the best at keeping track of how long ago things were.
”I doubt it,” Tide said forlornly. ”I called you because Laurel needs our help.”
Cocoa was a little surprised by Tide's forcefulness. But really what did she expect from Tide. ”Tide, we can't just force this on Laurel. Remember what I said on our way here. You need to find out what-” Cocoa called out but was interrupted by Tide.
”I am sorry Cocoa, but I could not heed your advice. Laurel is going to get my help whether she wants it or not.”
Being unconcerned with the serious air between Cocoa and Tide, Rine flew off Ivy's shoulder and hovered in front of Terra, ”A human has kidnapped our friends. We need your help getting them back,”
”I am sorry,” Terra said with a frown. I knew what was coming next, it was always the same. ”I do not intervene in disputes involving mortals.”
”Then why did Mother Sea call you here to help?” Rine said, clearly not understanding.
”I told you she would not help,” I said in frustration. ”I could never understand how you two got along. One of you never moves to help even when begged and the other is all over you trying to help even when no one wants it.” Terra and Tide both looked at me in shock. Even I had to admit I was acting a little childish for someone over 1,000,000,000 years old.
Giving the ground another punch. This time with my full strength, sending a wave of power into the earth. I hoped that Terra and Tide could feel my frustration I had laden that punch with. Was it that hard just to get a push in the right direction?
The punch sent shockwaves through the soil as the ground gave way and started to crumble around me. Dusting the dirt off of me I started to climb out of the hole I formed. I cast my eyes glaring at the oldest two. ”I am going, I have wasted enough time on this. I need to find my friends. I do not know why you even bothered to try.” I saw Terra raise her hand as if she wanted to stop me, part of me wanted more than anything for her to stop me. But like always, her feet never moved. Seeing that my emotions got across to them, I turned and started toward my companions.
”Wait,” Tide called after me once she shook loose of my anger. But I did not stop to listen. I had no more time to spare. A flare of power flew in front of me as a wall of ice blocked my path. ”Just give me two minutes,” she pleaded. ”Even for you that is not too much time.”
I stared at her hard. Now she was trying to keep me from finding my friends. I was about to tear down this wall. ”Just listen,” Cocoa called out to me. ”She helped you save Ivy. Give her at least this much.” Why did Cocoa have to do this to me? But she was right, I could at least listen to Tide. Tide was the only one that Terra ever seemed to listen to. Maybe something would come of this.
Seeing my eyes soften a little, Cocoa took it as my assent and turned to Tide and Terra. ”Please hurry, Laurel's friends might be in grave danger.”
”Can you help me locate a spirit? The water sprite that lives in this pond has gone missing,” Tide entreated Terra. How would Mother Earth be able to find Mist now? Tide had been resting by this pond for much of the day. Her much greater strength would have quickly overwritten any signature left by Mist. I was about to rebut her idea, sending my powers into the pond to prove her wrong and I felt... Mist?
Not her spirit, but Tide had isolated and stabilized the signature left by Mist. I had been so focused on finding Maximus that I did not notice what Tide had been doing in the pond.