kai

"Brit, I'm sorry, my sister got my phone and sent that message, it wasn't me."

"You didn't send—you didn't send iorgnvosniow?" his girlfriend hysterically gasped.

How did she even say that—

"No, I didn't. Do you not have siblings?" That was how well he knew her.

"I don't, Kai, I told you already!" She did? he thought, bewildered as he kicked the lawnmower into start. The loud thrumming gave him an excellent excuse to say, "What was that? Sorry, I think someone is moving their lawn. Bye babe!"

"Wait—"

"...Yeah?"

"Are there any other girls you're staying with?" Brittney asked sharply.

"Uh my sister. Zane's girlfriend." he mumbled, staring at the sun blearily.

"No one else?"

"No-pe." he replied cheerily, popping the 'p'. "Gotta go!"

He considered tossing his phone into the path of the lawnmower for extra effect, then decided against it and stripped off his Dragons jacket. It was getting hotter later in the afternoon, and he'd rather get the grass done and over with before the sun started boiling him alive. He made quick work of the field, back-breaking work because of the century old mower he had to push around.

Kai walked through the monastery side gate, making sure it was locked behind him as Master Wu had strictly instructed. Also because they didn't want Ryu escaping. Kai snorted to himself, still unsure of how Nya hadn't strangled him for bringing their puppy with them, but he'd planned it out. Sort of. Kinda not planned at all, but the gesture was heartwarming.

Not to mention the damn puppy could guilt you into murder with his big eyes. He walked through the corridor he and the boys were planning to claim. Five rooms in each corridor, so they could all have their own. Poking his head inside the one furthest from the main living room he wordlessly claimed it as his. It was the smallest, shaped in an odd rectangle but it offered more privacy. The mattress was in a simple bed frame, a threadbare rug that had been salvaged by Skylor and Lloyd from the storage room, a desk with a matching chair and the final piece of the furniture set, a dresser.

The bed was pushed into the furthest back corner to his left, the dresser opposite the foot of the bed. The desk was on the same wall as the dresser, and that was pretty much it. The striped rug was faded and had tassels that looked like they were about to fall off. He retrieved his bag from the pile at the front gate and half-heartedly put all his belongings away to avoid the incessant pinging of his phone, which, probably was from Brittney.

He slumped onto his bed and looked from his phone to the Archive of Fire. Brittney or my history?

"brittney.del sent you a voice message." announced his phone pompously.

History it was.

Kai had never been one for reading. Too much of a hassle when he could copy off one of his smarter friends, or attempt to charm his way out of an F. But the Archive of Fire was almost yelling at him to open and read, so he obeyed, flipping to the very first entry.

Archive of Fire, Entry One, Calla

Hello whoever is reading this now. I imagine that you are incredibly confused as to why your hair is on fire right now.

He dropped the book like a hot potato and ran to the closest mirror, a garbled sound escaping his throat as the tips of his perfectly coiffed hair were spiralling smoke because it was on fire. Dashing to the bathroom, Kai smothered water over his hair angrily, waiting for the flames to extinguish before stomping back to the stupid book.

If you haven't doused your hair with water by now, you are an imbecile. The power of Fire is uncontrollable when you start, and I for one, know that. Calla, Master of Fire sounds cool, doesn't it? Well you have to train before you get to be a true Master, because playing with tiny flames isn't going to help you in battle.

Training is going somewhat well. Adira is very much stuck to her Archive, very dedicated to her book but I really don't know what I have to offer to you.

The one thing I have learnt since I have been gifted with these powers is that if you do not control your power, it may control you. Just like light and dark in fate, history, and time, there is light and dark inside of you. That must remain balanced, and Fire does not like to be controlled. It is a monster that can be tamed, only by us, and I suppose I'll be helping you with that.

I must go now, Ixue needs my help as he iced himself into the water stores again.

-Calla

"Helpful." he muttered to himself, storing the book beside his clothes.

"Dinner!" bellowed a voice, shocking him so he fell on his but. Kai groaned and headed for the kitchen. Zane had taken on the role of chef - not surprising, the guy was a good cook, and everyone clustered around the kitchen table.

"Zane what are you wearing?" cried Jay, collapsing into a fit of giggles.

Kai swiveled from his bowl of tonkotsu ramen and almost spit out the mouthful of broth in his mouth. Zane was wearing a frilly pink apron decorated with rotating flowers, openly confused. Swallowing, Kai looked to Cole and Lloyd who both were sniggering between bites of the thin noodles.

"An apron? Jay, do you require a prescription for glasses?" Zane asked innocently, though the dry smile plastered on his face suggested otherwise.

Jay waved a hand dismissively, "No—it's just, never thought I'd uh, see you wearing that."

"And why shouldn't he?" Kai's sister asked coldly.

Kai went back to eating his noodles and wished he had popcorn.

"Never said he shouldn't." Jay replied without skipping a beat. Confidence, that was the strong note in his voice. But Jay was never seen as the confident one, especially when talking to Nya. "Are you saying he shouldn't?"

Nya spluttered in choked anger and surprise. "Well I—I never said that! Stop twisting my words!"

"What, do you not like me when I say that?" Jay snapped back.

Kai swiftly averted his eyes. This was way more drama than what he had expected to receive, but he was eating it up alongside his ramen. Master Wu wasn't eating with them, though Skylor offered to take him a tray of food. Zane said that Wu had eaten before them and was meditating in one of the back rooms, ergo, stay quiet.

"Nya, why don't we go check on Ryu and get his next meal ready?" he suggested in an aside to the fuming girl.

Eyes still locked with Jay's cocky ones, Nya said through clenched teeth, "Sure."

He washed up his bowl, setting it chipped rim side down and guided a tense Nya to a small side room where Ryu would be staying. It was closer to Kai's bed, actually, it was just the other side of the outside wall. Carefully opening the door, Kai snuck in and saw Ryu sleeping peacefully there in his dog bed.

"Can he sleep in my room with me?" Nya asked suddenly. Kai's mouth clamped close - he'd just been about to ask the same question.

But Nya looked torn - hopelessly torn. Whatever the reason may be, he may not ever know. The Smith siblings rarely talked about their emotions, feelings, whatnot. When you were paraded around at your parent's work parties, it was often hard to ridicule a pig-nosed man with your words when he was standing right in front of you.

Therefore it was their eyes that carried unspoken conversation. Blue meets green, either sparkling with laughter, raised in surprise, or, just like now, empty. Why it was empty was another question, but Nya certainly needed the comforting presence of Ryu more than he did.

"Sure. Just..."

"I know." Nya mumbled, gently scooping Ryu in her cradled arms.

"Why do they keep leaving us?"

Cracked, her voice was cracked and Kai had to gulp so the sharpness in his throat would leave.

"What could possibly be more important to us than them?"

"I don't know," he said helplessly.

"That's the thing, isn't it? They keep gifting us so we don't question it, but I can't help but wonder why." Nya rounded on Kai so his gaze was fixed on her silhouette from the moon's beams. "And that is why I need answers. Accountants do not leave their children to travel overseas for work. There is something up with them and I intend to find out."

A flash of white by the window passed so quickly if Kai hadn't been avoiding his sister's gaze he wouldn't have noticed it. Then, half a second after, sliver flitted across the window. A blade.

"Get down." he hissed, pulling on Nya's shirt. "Someone. Is. Outside."

She didn't move a single inch and Kai did the same.

The low beeping was smothered badly, as if whoever was outside the window wanted them to know they were there.

"This is Troya. They're here."

skylor

Her experience at the shambles of a monastery was certainly one of her more interesting days. It was now the fourth day including their arrival, so, a normal Thursday. A Thursday in which, if she had been in school, would have been dreaming of Friday since after Friday was Saturday. Yet this Thursday she was woken like every other day by noisy pots and pans clanging against each other leaving a horrible ringing in her ears.

"Alright, alright I'm up." she grumbled to no one in particular, stumbling out of bed to the girl's bathroom where Nya and Pixal were groggily getting ready.

"Uncle Wu's got something special for us today—" entered a squeaky voice - Lloyd's.

"Get out!" cried the three girls in unison.

"Alright, alright just thought you'd want to know, don't go all angry-aunties on me."

"Hey!" they all grumbled, but the little imp had scurried away already.

In the time that Skylor had known Lloyd, she'd always noticed the impeccable matureness he held himself with, for a kid that everyone predicted the future for. But here, in four short days he seemed...freer. More like an annoying younger brother to all of them, especially Kai and Nya. Skylor half-wished she'd been invited to stay with some friends. Being an only child and stuck in a group of intoxicating people made Skylor feel more isolated than ever. Really, everyone at the monastery had been distant the past couple of weeks.

Skylor's phone was playing the music - Spotify Premium, ad-free, when the loud trill for incoming calls interrupted it.

"Sorry, I gotta take this." Nya and Pixal bobbed their heads and Nya took over DJ for the duo.

"Hey," she whispered in her speaker, cupping it with her hand.

"Hey babe, why are you whispering?"

"Just gotta be quiet right now, sorry."

"It's fine Sky, are you wearing that top I bought you on Saturday?"

"What?"

"That top I bought you, the white one?"

She looked down. "Not right now, no."

"Oh."

"I'll wear it for you today, don't worry." she promised quickly, not wanting another of his woeful rants to start her glorious day.

"'Good, you'll look great in it."

"Call you later?"

"Sure, we can FaceTime. I miss your face."

I left on Monday. I've FaceTimed you everyday three times and called you six, but okay.

"Love you." Liam said suddenly.

Love. You?

"Aren't you gonna say it back?"

"Love you." she choked out and abruptly ended the call, frozen to the spot in the hallway.

"Love you?" smirked Kai, crossing his arms.

Her expression dropped like a stone and changed to aloofness. "What, got no one to say it to?"

"Trust me, Brittney would get bed sheets made if I told her I loved her." he rolled his eyes in dry response.

"Li would probably spell it out in rose petals for me if I was at home." she said, not exactly sure whether it was a good thing or not.

"Li?" Kai snorted disbelievingly.

"Oh please, like Brit-Brit doesn't want a nickname from you."

His mouth opened a couple of times before settling on, "Leech. Or Brit-Leech. She's so attached."

"You shouldn't say that." Skylor said sharply. Brittney was one of Harumi's friends, a tiny bit obsessive and ditzy, but seemed nice.

Kai got out his phone and opened up a photo of their wedding pinterest board.

"Alright, that is somewhat true." She sighed and rubbed at her temples. "I need some of that tea Wu's giving us."

"Yeah." Kai agreed distantly. "We better go see what Lloyd was shouting about."

An awkward goodbye followed and Skylor ducked into her room, changing into the top Liam had bought her. She was a thin beanpole - always had been, flat chested and a door shape in general, and Skylor generally had worn old Master Chen's Noodles merch in the biggest size possible. She just felt awkward in anything else, but lately Liam and Harumi were persuading her with flashy smiles and encouraging words.

Skylor emerged from her room ten minutes later, not wearing the top, rather a ratty red Chen's shirt from their big festival line. Everyone met in the kitchen to grab their daily cup of tea, green herbal with thin shavings of a mineral that Wu said helped clear their mind - and it did, muting everything in the background so Skylor's thoughts could focus.

Today's breakfast was porridge, made by Cole which Skylor stealthily steered clear of, munching on a butter-loaded piece of toast along with her tea. After washing up, Skylor popped her head into the biggest meditation room so that Wu could give them the something special Lloyd had mentioned. She, Nya and Pixal left first, talking about Ryu's adventures and how he'd warmed up to everyone but Wu. Wu took it well, mentioning that dogs had never liked him, but cats were his good friends and he'd had a tabby when he was younger.

Settled on a zafu, a round cushion specially designed for meditation, the girls took up three of nine cushions arranged in a circle. The others slowly strolled in, Lloyd and Cole, then Jay, Kai and Cole, and finally, Master Wu. It felt strange saying Master, but it strangely fit the wise man. He was carrying a tall box which he set down next to his cushion, arranging himself into a cross-legged posture, back ram-rod straight.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what I have to give to you today, as my nephew would have let you know." Wu dipped into the cardboard box and everyone rose to their knees, but Wu clucked his tongue and their buttocks returned to their cushions. "Your clothes have arrived."

He handed out neatly folded clothes packaged in plastic, shooing them off to try them on and to meet him in the courtyard. Skylor hurried to her room, tearing away the packaging excitedly. The fabric was soft and coloured a vivid orange, which gladly, was the only orange in the world that didn't clash with her red hair. The clothes turned out to be a set of robes, the top two layered pieces of fabric pleated from the diagonal running across the right hip to the left shoulder. Her sleeves hung to her elbows with plenty of room to move around in. A sash of black ran around the waist, separating the top from the fabric that was sort of a skirt but also not. The pants were loose fitting, just like the shirt and preferable for Skylor. It had been nerve racking even stepping out of the house in some of the shirts Harumi and Liam had chosen her for her.

Quickly changing into the robe, Skylor tied the sash and then pulled her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She heard a thud from the other hallway and loud shouting as she exited her room, carefully sliding the fragile paper-thin door to a shut. The courtyard of the monastery was made up of stones all sanded to the same level, the cracks filled in and a light layer of sand over it. Near the entrance was a thin podium rimmed with red and a golden dragon perched on top.

Master Wu stood by it, Jay and Zane already there. Eventually everyone else came out, walking into a straggly line of uniform.

"Will someone please explain why we look like a packet of fucking Skittles?"

"Kai!"

"I speak the truth."

"I mean, he's kinda right"

"Aren't M&M's more accurate though?"

"The swearing wasn't necessary!"

"It's always necessary. I'm a naturally dramatic person—"

"Students."

Wu's tone was whip sharp and lashed out to all of them in quiet principal disappointment. He heaved a sigh, his staff appearing in his hand again.

"The robes you are wearing are what you will be wearing as uniform for the next week and a half. You should get used to moving around in them and practicing your sunrise exercises which will be effective immediately." Wu pointed his staff at each of them. "Stand feet shoulder width apart in what we shall call rest."

Everyone slowly moved to his orders as he snapped them into two rows of four. Kai, Nya, Lloyd and Zane were in the front, Skylor, Cole, Pixal and Jay in the back.

"Into a lunge, extending one arm forward with your palm outstretched. Hold for ten seconds and switch sides. This is Reaching Grasshopper."

And it continued like that for an hour until her back screamed protest as she stretched forward into Reading Crane or Kayaking Elephant. Wu let them go for showers when the sun was nearly directly above them in the sky. Skylor checked her phone for any messages and saw three missed calls from Liam and two from her dad.

I'll get to them later. Right now, I really need a shower.

A/N: the INSANE amount of research i did on monk robes is *crazy* but i'm like that. The robes are heavily inspired by the robes which shaolin monks wear (the specific name i tried to find for hours but i didnt find it ugh.) by the time i post this school would have long started but writing this a week before it starts i am officially terrified. Preparing for my brain to by melted alive is not an exciting prospect trust m e. I don't have much to say because im really hungry and petty rn :)

Ayyy this is monday dommie, god i was so cranky writing that. Im getting ideas for the third book and the name 'The World On Fire' sounds pretty good to me. It's just shortened from the song 'I don't want to set the world on fire'. Im pretty happy with rtw (to rule the world)'s new cover! So the Songs of Death series goes: moral of the story, to rule the world, and the world on fire so far. Knowing me ill change some stuff but there's an update!

-dommie out