Nocturne

Rose

I pushed the horse faster and faster. I knew if I went fast enough the Element couldn't catch me. By dwn I was back at camp.

"Princess!" A soldier exclaimed, standing up.

"Someone, get me a washtub and a presentable dress!" I order. Finally, I finish cleaning myself up and go back to speak to the army.

"We have a heading, while I was captured, I heard they were going North," actually, I knew they were going south, "we shall begin the march there in one hour. Also, there shall be no more impalment in this kingdom, ever." I said.

I took out a paice of paper, and, careful to avoid all loopholes, offically band impalments in the kingdom in any form. I signed it in full veiw and put my royal seal to the paper. The army looked shocked, but they would not dare question me. I sent out messengers to aware the kingdom of this new policy. Some changes were going to be made around here.

Later that night, I unrolled the parchmant and snuck to wear my fathers seal was kept. I signed his name as well, and put his seal next to it. No one could question this now.

This is my silent gift to you, use it wisely. I thought, hoping, by some miracle, James would hear me.

Arkady

It seemed that he was not to be accorded a blissful reprieve from the pressures that had been so recently plaguing him, not to be allowed even a short time to recover from the draining ordeal of moments before. His eyes snapped open, focusing immediately on Kessa's, a half-wild look in them as he drew in a deep breath, his conscious mind reacting to its last memory - asphyxiation.

"What did that accomplish?" Kessa hissed at him, clearly furious for more reasons than she was letting on. "Nothing! The princess is gone, and you've probably made permanent enemies with that other element." Glaring at him, she stood up and folded her arms, finishing her scolding, "If you feel nauseous, that will be because I didn't know what your balance looks like. Sorry." Her tone sounded slightly reproachful, even with the apology.

Arkady wondered exactly what he'd done that made her so furious. He remembered every instant of his irrationally savage attack on the other element, but couldn't recall hitting Kessa at any point during it.

He blinked up at her, lips twitching into an apologetically confused smile. "I can't help it. I hate storms. Not the rain, the electricity." He glanced across the broken road at the still unconscious body of the lightning element. "I always stayed in the basement during storms because of that, so having to feel all that lightning so close just made me lose it."

His mind dwelt on other things, though - importantly, the fact that the princess was missing. She was kidnapped while on the verge of attacking a priest. Kidnapped by an element. And they'll pretty much know where we are, if they're looking for us. Which they must be.

"We'll have to move soon." He said, calmly, as though still dazed by being woken up. "The guards will surely be by soon, and they'll want to capture us and such for being elements, for being in the same general area of him," he jerked his head at the other boy, "And, in our case, for being linked with the temple."

Rose

I couldn't order a protection to all elements, that would be just weird. My father would probably just kill me.

If he didn't now.

I realized by forging his signature I might as well have been signing my own death paper. Dad wouldn't be able to reverse it, but he could still kill me. Shoot, I wish I had thought of this sooner. I see his renegade start to march into camp.

I take out a piece of paper and write a quick note:

To whomever finds this,

I shall be away for a while privately investigating an individual case of a Element who I might be able to kill if I get close enough.

Wish me luck,
Rose

Ha! I wasn't going to kill an Element any time soon, actually, I was going to go find either James or one of the others James was fighting. I hopped on my horse before anyone could see me and I pushed the now-rested horse towards the barn I had been in before. If any luck was on me today, they were still there.

Apparently I was getting lucky that day, because they were just leaving as I arrived.

"What do you want?" The one with green hair growled.

"I come as a friend to you," I thought for a minute, "and to save my own neck."

"Why would a princess," the girl spat the word, "be in any trouble?"

"Because, I helped you, and the other people in this country." I said.

"How?" The boy asked suspiciously.

"By forging my fathers signature to ban implementing." I said bitterly.

The boy and girl exchanged a glance.