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un·heard
ˌənˈhərd/
adjective
not heard or listened to.
"my protests went unheard"
not previously known of or done.
"sales tax was unheard of in Kansas up until 1937"

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"The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them, knowing you can't have them."

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Ayden stumbled off the stage, his legs feeling like jelly. He bent over, panting. Ashlee laughed as she hopped down, landing right next to him. "You're a great dancer, Ayden!"

He gave her an exasperated chuckle before he began panting again. Ayden had done a tone of training for his future, but dancing with Ashlee was nothing compared to them. Perhaps he had found his new exercise routine.

Lela and Wesley walked over to them. "That was pretty good." Lela said, grinning.

Wesley nodded. "Not half bad. Though, I think the professionals were better."

Ashlee rolled her eyes. "I see you didn't pull the stick out, Ayden."

Ayden's eyes widened. Wesley scowled, but said nothing. Ashlee smiled triumphantly. However, that only sparked Wesley to begin arguing with her. Ayden and Lela stood off to the side, their eyes wide. Lela was the first to have to stifle her laughter. Ayden then began to chuckle under his breath.

However, their banter was cut short when they heard someone calling the crowds attention.

Standing on the stage was a pot-bellied man. His hair was graying, though he looked important. Next to him was the girl from the inn. Her auburn hair hung in her face as she stood next to him. Her body was frail and the clothes draped over her didn't look as nice as they did at the inn. Ayden sighed as he looked at her. Her large brown eyes found him, and a small smile graced her round face. The man cleared his throat.

"Hello, citizens of Hickory! We are gathered here today to welcome this generations elements! Would they like to come on stage?"

The Elements glanced at each other, but walked up on stage. The crowd cheered. The girl walked over to Ayden, holding out a small box. He took it, and when he opened it, saw a pendant in it. It was of a flame, and looked to be made of very expensive stone. The girl handed one to each of them, all of their element.

The girl held one other box, but didn't hand it to any of them. Ayden raised an eyebrow as he watched her slip it into a pocket in her dress. The man cleared his throat. "Would the Elements like to introduce themselves?"

Wesley was the first up. "My name is Wesley Pickett. I am the Air element."

Lela was next. "I am Lela Gen, the Water element."

"Hey! The name's Ashlee Scorn, and I am the Earth element!"

Ayden gulped as he walked up. "My name is Ayden Malnerva, and I am the Fire element."

The man smiled at each of them. "We welcome you to Hickory. May your days here be relaxing and easygoing."

Everyone cheered in response. The man told the crowd they could leave now, which a few did. As Ayden was walking off the stage, he felt someone's gaze burning into the side of his head. He looked towards them, and saw the same boy from earlier looking at him. 

His blonde hair was unruly, and jutted out just about everywhere. His eyes were a light, bright, and vibrant blue. His skin was tanned from times on the street. His ears were pierced, and had a silver earring in each one. The clothes he wore weren't that new, and had a few holes in them. He was barefoot, so his feet were basically brown. The boy frowned at Ayden before he began moving towards the elements.

Wesley noticed him, and stopped. The girls did the same once they noticed Wesley had stopped. "Who are you?" Wesley asked, accusation clear in his voice.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "So you're the elements?"

Lela frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"How come there are only four of you?"

Ashlee shrugged. "Maybe because there are only four elements ever known?"

The boy frowned. "Are you positive? Because, I can assure you, nobles are not always right."

Wesley scoffed. "We have a formal education. Tell me, what is fifty-five pus seventy-two?"

"One twenty seven. I am a whiz at math."

"What's your name?" Ayden asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Sam."

Lela nodded. "Well, Sam, how about you-"

Sam frowned, and then turned on the balls of his heels and walked off, muttering to himself about someone being an idiot. The elements all glanced at one another, confused on his behavior.

Ashlee shrugged. "Let's just go enjoy ourselves, okay?"

♤•♤•♤

Ayden brought the glass to his lips. The liquid touched his lips, and he recoiled as a bit of it got in his mouth. Wesley raised an eyebrow. "You've never had wine, I see."

He frowned. "In my city it isn't as common for people our age to drink."

Lela nodded. "Only about five cities in Nahara don't allow it. Places such as Potestatem don't even allow children to touch alcohol until twenty one, while places such as Agliae don't allow it until eighteen. Printona allows it for anyone, while Pretium doesn't allow it until sixteen."

Ashlee nodded. "I remember taking a trip to Printona. Let's just say their sake is strong."

Ayden chuckled. "Sake? Really?"

"What? It was strong to an eleven year old."

Wesley allowed a small smile to slip onto his face. "Of course. A child that young shouldn't be exposed to anything alcoholic, however, different places have different beliefs."

"Well, that's only natural." Lela said, taking a swig of the bottle she had. Ayden believed it was beer.

Ayden eyed the citizens around him. Some had food and or drinks in their hands. Others were empty handed or held some other object. A few people were holding up wares, offering to sell it to others. 

However, the one thing that drew Ayden's attention was the same boy from earlier. He was standing there, his hands shoved into his pockets as he looked around. Sam seemed to feel Ayden's gaze on him, for he turned and looked right at him. His eyes narrowed and he looked down, kicking some dirt up. Then, he turned around and walked away.

Ayden frowned, but turned back towards the Elements. They ended up talking about random things for a while before the celebrations began dying down.

The group began on their way back to the inn when they herd the pounding of feet. Ayden was shoved to the ground, and Wesley cried out a curse as the person pushed through them.

Sam was looking back at them, a wild expression on his face. "Thief! Get back here, Samuel!" A man cried out, stopping right behind the elements.

They all glanced at each other, and then ran after him.

Sam was fast, and when he noticed the Elements after him, his crystal blue eyes widened, and he put more force into his pumping legs.

Unlucky for him, however, he fell into a dead end alleyway. Sam panted as he whipped around, clutching the parcel to his chest. "W-what do you want?" He stammered, his back pressing against the wall.

Wesley smirked. "Just give us the parcel and we'll leave you be."

Sam shook his head. "W- I, need this food." He said, stammering.

Ashlee cocked her head to the side. "Do we need to show you the hard way?"

Lela chuckled. "I'm sure you'll give it up then, right?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not afraid of you." He said, spitting on the ground.

The air pressure around Wesley dropped as wind began whipping around him. His blonde hair was going in all directions while his stormy gray eyes seemed to have a hazy glow to them. 

Lela clapped her hands, causing a few water droplets to splash out of them. When she pulled her hands apart, water began to flow into the middle of them util she had a giant roll of it.

Ashlee knelt on the ground and put one hand on it, breathing in. Then, she slowly pulled her hand up, and the ground followed. She stood up, chunks of the earth laying around her.

Ayden didn't want to use his powers on someone like Sam, but he had no choice. Ayden felt his right eye, the red one, begin to heat up. Then, fire began to spread from that eye until he blinked. When he did, it stopped coming out, and was in the form of multiple orbs around him.

Sam shuddered as he saw their spectacle. "Now do you want to give it back to us?" Wesley asked, his voice louder and more projected from inside his vortex.

He looked down, his shoulders shaking slightly. Sam's grip on the parcel began loosening until it was practically falling out of his arms. Lela nodded. "Just give it to us, Sam."

Sam's shoulders shook, and a sound similar to a low chuckle came from him. When he looked up, he had a haughty grin on his face, and his eyes sparkled with a brazen attitude. Sam chuckled. "Like Hell I will give this food up. Ol' Mister Johnson has plenty anyway. He lets me steal from him all the time."

Wesley scowled. "Give us the parcel, or face the consequences, Peasant."

Sam frowned. "I'd hoped you'd have an attitude like that. Looks like he owes me fifty bucks."

"Who's 'He'?"

Sam frowned as he looked over their shoulders. "He should be coming soon. He's always late, I swear. But, he is a very du- Oh! There you are!"

The Elements whipped around to see a boy around the age of seventeen standing there. His skin was a ghostly pale and his hair the same white as his skin. It hung in his face, covering his left eye. When the boy blinked, his vibrant violet eyes seemed to take in even more of the world. He wore a purple shirt with torn pants and old slippers. The teenager eyed all of them before his eyes settled on Sam. "Sam, why'd you steal?"

Sam shrugged. "Felt like it?"

The boy frowned. "That's no excuse."

"That's not the point, Humphrey! I need you to stall them. think you can take them?"

The boy, Humphrey, frowned. "Sam...I'm not going to hurt them."

Wesley scoffed. "Like you could anyways."

Humphrey frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"We're the Elements, you're merely a peasant boy."

The teen crossed his arms over his chest. Sam let a small laugh escape him. 'Now you've done it, Wesley."

Before they had a chance to ask what he meant, the boys eyes seemed to glow purple before their worlds dissolved into black.

♤•♤•♤

What do you think of this chapter???

Any feedback is welcomed.

If you remember the first version and were around to see it, then you'll remember that this happened in the first chapter, and that chapter ended with him introducing himself. Now, you have this version with a party, making everything the better!

Maybe? I don't know.

Anyways, I am going to cut this here because I can.

-Paige