Chapter 2: Red Blood Cells

El Eliodora walked in, and the crowd made way. Estella Mary was the one screaming for help, her hands covered in the man's blood. He was still breathing.

"We have to ask you one question first. What do you see—"

"I'm an ice bender," the man replied. The villagers looked stunned; we had never had a bender visitor before, not to our knowledge.

"Close the portal. Okay, people, there's no need to panic. Everyone, back to your homes. Aer Felep, help me bring him to my house. Thank you, Estella Mary; you may now go back to your house. Luna Valentine and Luna Banyu, follow me inside."

We exchanged an 'uh-oh' look and followed El Eliodora.

The villagers were staring at us, but not at Alas. He was gone. Let's just hope he's okay. We took off our shoes and walked inside. Moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the house and enhancing the glow of the aromatherapy candles.

"Just put him there, Aer Felep. Thank you," said El Eliodora.

"No problem. Is there anything else I can do, El Eliodora?"

"That's enough for now, thank you. Ai moone."

"Ai moone, El Eliodora, Luna Valentine, and Luna Banyu," Aer Felep said as he bowed and left, closing the door. The cold night air ceased, replaced by the warmth circulating within the house.

"Excuse me, sir." El Eliodora untied the man's clothes, revealing the area where the arrow had pierced his skin.

"Alura Erun," she muttered as a scrub-like liquid appeared on her hand.

"Banyu, spread this around the area where the arrow is lodged," El Eliodora instructed, handing her the bowl. Banyu carefully spread the substance as El Eliodora began pulling the arrow out slowly.

"Argh!" the man moaned in pain.

Once the arrow was completely removed, a gaping wound remained. Blood continued rushing out. El Eliodora closed her eyes and sighed.

"His wound isn't closing. We don't have stitching tools here, and he's lost so much blood. If he doesn't regenerate enough blood cells soon and close the wound, he will die. The only bender capable of controlling blood and healing is a water bender. That's why I brought you two here—to help him."

"But we've never learned blood bending before," I admitted nervously.

"Well, there's no time to hesitate. Believe in yourself and master it right here, right now. You're a water bender. This man's life is in your hands." Whoa, the weight of those words bore down on my shoulders. Oh, spirits.

I closed my eyes and tried to visualize controlling the water in his blood cells, feeling the charges at my fingertips. I wasn't sure how blood cells reproduced, so I focused on visualizing their number increasing.

"You don't have much time, guys. Come on!" urged El Eliodora.

I concentrated harder, amplifying the charges at my fingertips. Come on, water; this man's life is at stake. Suddenly, I felt as though I was being pulled into his bloodstream. In my mind's eye, I saw a narrow tube and an alarm signaling a shortage of red blood cells. I began reproducing them until the levels returned to normal.

"Oh, my spirits! Congratulations, Luna Banyu and Valentine! You've proven yourselves determined learners. Great job, you two. You've saved a life. May the spirits bless you for this," El Eliodora said, holding our hands.

"It was actually Valentine's doing," Banyu said, looking at me proudly.

"Oh, yeah? Well, congratulations. You're officially a blood bender now."

A…what? A blood bender? Oh, spirits! YES!

"A…blood bender?" I stammered.

"Yes, dear. A blood bender, or body bender," she replied, smiling. Banyu beamed at me.

"Thank you! Thank you, El Eliodora."

"Why are you thanking me? Thank yourself—and this man, who gave you a chance to blood bend."

I'm a blood bender now.

"Well, you must have used a lot of energy. I'll make you two some kiyo soup," said El Eliodora.

"Oh, there's no need to worry, El Eliodora. I'll head home now, if you don't mind. My mom is probably worried sick," Banyu said, standing up.

"Oh, of course. Thank you, Luna Banyu. Have a nice moone."

"You too. Ai moone, El Eliodora. See you, Mei!" Banyu waved as she left, the door creaking shut behind her.

"El Eliodora, I'll clean the blood off the man. Do you have a wet towel and a bowl of water?" I asked.

"Oh yes, on the wooden table," she replied.

"Thank you," I said, grabbing the supplies.

I began cleaning the man's face. His pallor had faded slightly, though his lips were still bleeding. His skin, now clear of blood and dirt, looked much healthier. I rinsed the towel before cleaning the blood from his hands and stomach. I avoided touching his skin directly, keeping my cleaning to a minimum.

"The kiyo soup is ready, Val. Come and eat with me," called El Eliodora.

"Oh, just a second, El." I washed the towel in the sink and poured the bloody water away.

"You know, you could use your water bending to clean it," she suggested with a laugh.

"Wait, yeah, I didn't think of that," I said, feeling slightly sheepish.

"Haha, it's fine," she said with a warm smile. I joined her at the table and took a sip of the soup.

"What are its ingredients, El Eliodora?" I asked.

"Oh, it's made with ginseng, kiyo extract, erenda bark, and cinnamon. Is it good?"

"Yes, it's super delicious! You should sell this," I said, genuinely impressed.

"Haha, I'm too old for that, dear."

"I could help you with it," I offered with a smile.

"You're really the sweetest girl in the village, aren't you?" she said, making me blush.

Once I finished the soup, I tried washing the bowls using water bending. It felt easier after mastering blood bending. I sat beside the man, observing him closely. He didn't look much older than Alas.

"I'm going to sleep now, Luna Valentine. You should rest too," said El Eliodora.

"Oh, um, yeah—"

"Stay…" the man muttered, tugging lightly at my sleeve. His eyes opened briefly before closing again. Never mind, I thought. He wouldn't know if I stayed or not, but my inner heart told me I should.

"El Eliodora, do you mind if I stay here for the night? I want to keep an eye on him."

"Of course. Just knock or call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yes. Ai moone, El Eliodora."

"Ai moone, Luna Val," she replied.

I practiced my water bending, forming bubbles and moving them around. I even floated a fork inside one. It struck me—if I could make a fork float in a bubble, could I make myself float? I dismissed the fork and let the bubble pop. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Mei! I've been looking everywhere for you! I had to knock on every villager's door—do you know how embarrassing that was?" Alas said, clearly annoyed.

"I helped El Eliodora heal the man," I replied, pointing toward him.

"And where were you?" I countered.

"I was investigating…are you still busy?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Well, let's go home then."

"I'm staying here tonight," I said firmly.

"What? Don't burden El Eliodora like that, Mei."

"I already told her, and she said it's fine. I want to check on the man…anyway, what were you investigating?"

"Let's talk at the beach," he suggested.

"Okay." I closed the door gently and followed him.

We sat on a bench as the cool sea breeze played with my hair. The rhythmic crashing of the waves calmed my nerves.

"When I saw the man had been struck by an arrow, I quickly got on Zeus and flew around the village. The attacker or attackers had to be nearby. I was right—I saw a group of men in black coats running from the village entrance. I followed them to their headquarters near the market, a brown house with a red sticker on the front. I eavesdropped and overheard them saying, 'Estevao has found out we kidnapped his sister; he has to die.' Another replied, 'He's dead—I shot him.' They laughed and drank, so I left. That's when I couldn't find you."

"So, do you think they're the evil spirits?" I asked.

"Maybe…I'm not sure. They didn't seem to be after us."

"Anyway," I said, changing the subject, "while I was practicing with a bubble, I had an idea. What if we could fly? Can you stand there for a second?"

"Why? Are you about to use me as a test subject?"

"Uh, yeah. Don't worry—if anything goes wrong, I can heal you. I can blood bend now," I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, what?" he asked, shocked.

"Yeah," I said casually.

"Just…please don't kill me."

"We'll see," I teased.

I created a huge bubble and guided it toward Alas, slowly engulfing him. I made sure the walls were thick enough to prevent it from popping. I lifted the bubble, and it worked—Alas was flying!

"Try punching the bubble!" I said.

He shot me a look that screamed, "Are you insane?"

"I need to test it," I insisted.

He reluctantly punched the bubble. It vibrated but held. I thickened the walls further.

"Keep punching," I urged.

Eventually, the walls were so thick that he bounced off them. Stifling a laugh, I lowered the bubble and stepped inside, moving it around while concentrating. We flew over the village and out to the sea. Then an idea struck me—if I made a plank out of water bubbles, I could air surf. It would be easier…but less protective.

"You're insane," Alas remarked.

"Trust me, brother."

"And why would I do that?"

"Hey, there's Julius!" I exclaimed, spotting Neo Erik's kraken. I took a pori fruit from my pocket and tossed it to him.

"Here, bud," I called. Julius caught it with one tentacle and quickly devoured it, waving another tentacle in thanks.

"Aww, he waved!" I said, waving back. "Neo Erik must've taught him that."

We flew back to the shore, where I popped the bubble and walked beside Alas.

"You've used so much energy. I'll make you salted mushrooms," he said.

"Really?" I asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, but you'll have to find the mushrooms yourself."

"But you have some stocked," I argued.

"And as you said, they're mine."

"Aw, man," I grumbled.

"Just kidding. Wait here," he said, smirking.

"Hehe, alright, brother." I drank a blob of water as I waited.

Alas returned with two bowls and chopsticks. He handed me one and stirred the mushrooms and salt in his bowl. Smoke wafted up.

"When did you learn to do that?" I asked, intrigued.

"Just now."

"Whoa, that's cool."

"I know," he said smugly, pouring half of his mushrooms into my bowl. They were piping hot, so I cooled them down with water bending. It wasn't as hard as I thought.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, you owe me a lot for this."

"You offered," I retorted.

"Fire benders can fly too, you know," he said.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"We just need to burst enough fire from our hands and feet to lift us up."

"Have you tried it?"

"Yeah, but not very high."

"Show me."

He put his bowl on the sand, stood up, and took a deep breath. Sparks formed in his palms, and flames burst out, lifting him into the air. I quickly finished my food and joined him, creating a flat bubble to stand on. It wasn't that hard…until I slipped.

"ALASSS!" I yelled as I fell. He caught me just in time.

"Stupid," he muttered.

"Thanks," I said, creating another surfing bubble to practice.

"What are you doing?"

"Practicing air surfing. This way, I can practice while you practice saving people mid-flight."

"This isn't practicing—I'm being enslaved."

"No, you're not. Whoops!" I slipped again, and he caught me.

"See? Mutualism."

"Whatever you say," he sighed. After about ten tries, I finally mastered air surfing.

"This is so much fun!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, I think we should sleep," Alas said, flying next to me.

"Tired?"

"What do you think? I have to concentrate on both catching you and controlling the fire."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry," I said, grinning.

"Let's go." He finished his mushrooms while I cleaned the bowls and chopsticks using water bending.

"Ai moone, Alas."

"Stay safe, and don't do anything weird."

"Roger that, captain!" I laughed as he rolled his eyes.

I quietly stepped into El Eliodora's house. The man was still lying on the ground, his clothes covered in blood. Wait—I could rinse them using my water bending! I focused and rinsed his clothes, then dried them by extracting the water molecules. Huff, it was so satisfying. I didn't feel sleepy at all, so I kept practicing my water bending.

"Ugh," the man groaned, moving slightly before opening his eyes.

"Are…are you feeling better?" I asked, pausing my practice to face him. He sat up slowly.

"Yes, thanks to you," he replied, glancing at his clothes and back at me. "How did these clean themselves?"

"Oh, um…I cleaned them, but I didn't undress or touch you!" I quickly clarified, shaking my hands in a "no" gesture.

"You did? Whoa, that's amazing."

"Oh, um, yeah. Thanks," I said, nodding.

"Thanks for staying, too. So, uh…what kind of bender are you?" he asked.

"Water," I replied with a smile.

"That's really cool. I'm sorry for keeping you up. You should sleep."

"No don't worry, I'm not sleepy. You can go back to resting; I'll stay here."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm not sleepy anymore. How about we take a night walk? I'd love to see around," he suggested, standing up.

"Uh…sure." We quietly opened the door, and I showed him around the area.

"So…what's your name?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm Valentine. And you, Krev?" I used the term for addressing someone older.

"You can call me Estevao," he replied.

"Krev Estevao, where are you from?"

"You can drop the 'Krev.' Just Estevao is fine. I'm from Aurelianos Kingdom," he explained.

"Oh, I see. Isn't that far from here?"

"Yeah. My sister was kidnapped, and I came to look for her. But the bandits were much stronger than I expected, and I got shot with an arrow on my way here."

"Oh…wait, there are bender settlements in Aurelianos Kingdom right?" I confirmed.

"There are…you read books, I see?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I do."

"That's nice. Not many girls like reading."

"I don't know about that. In my village, both girls and guys read a lot—like, a lot."

"That's amazing. So…how old are you?" he asked.

"Nineteen. And you?"

"Twenty-one. Just a little older," he said with a small smile.

"How long have you been practicing water bending?"

"About two years, but I'm really bad at it," I admitted.

"Ha, I don't think so. You saved me with blood bending—that's a big deal."

I smiled, feeling a little better about my skills.

"Anyway, thanks for helping me. I think I should leave now, before burdening the village any further."

"Oh no, you're not a burden! But maybe you should prepare weapons next time if you're going to fight them."

"Yeah, I'll go back to my kingdom, get some weaponry, and return here."

"Will you fight them alone?" I asked, concerned.

"I guess so."

"You know…we're here if you ever need help—me, my friend, and my brother."

"Hmm. Thanks. I should go now."

"All right. Take care!" I said as he smiled and dashed off. The portal was closed for entrance but open for exit.

Morning at the Village

The cyrus began to rise. Oh, spirits—did I just stay awake through the moone? I headed to Alas and Zeus. Our house was small compared to others, but we built it ourselves when we were around 10 years old. Before that, we slept on the beach. We started selling Pori fruits when we were seven and eight years old to fund our house.

On Thursdays, air, earth, and fire benders clean the village, while water benders shower the mystical land pets. I needed to shower, too. I unlocked the door and walked in.

"Is that you, Mei?" I heard Alas' groggy voice.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay," he mumbled, probably going back to sleep. I grabbed eggs and lettuce and made us egg-lettuce wraps for breakfast.

"Alas…I made breakfast. Come on," I called, knocking on his door.

"Ugh," he groaned.

"Come on, it's cyrus already."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," he muttered, finally opening the door.

"Don't tell me you didn't sleep."

"Eheh."

"You're stupid."

"The man…his name's Estevao. He's 20 and from Aurelianos Kingdom. He said his sister got kidnapped and that he's here to bring her back. But he didn't realize how professional the bandits were, so he didn't bring any weapons. He's going back to his kingdom to get some, and I told him we're here if he needs help."

"So where is he now?" Alas asked.

"He left already."

"Fighting a group of professional bandits alone? I don't think he'll survive," Alas said with a sneer.

He wasn't wrong. Fighting such a group is no easy feat. We started eating.

"This isn't bad," he admitted.

"Thanks," I said. We soon finished.

"It's the worst." He smirked. "I'll go shower first."

After Alas went to shower, I cleaned the house and the dishes using my water bending. It was so satisfying, seeing the dust and grime get trapped inside a water blob. I made one large blob, sweeping it across the house in a single go.

"Mei!" Alas called out.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," I replied, realizing I'd lost track of time.

He walked out of the shower with a straight face, clearly annoyed. I grabbed my outfit and went to shower. After braiding my hair, I headed to Banyu's house to pick her up. It was time to wash Zeus.

Since Noodle, her sea dragon serpent, lived in the water, he didn't need washing. Once Zeus was clean, we moved on to Lure, a unicorn, then Flame, a fire-breathing griffin, and more. With Neo Erik and his family away on vacation, Banyu and I decided to play with Julius, the kraken. We swam together, played chase underwater, and practiced tricks. Julius truly is the best kraken in the world.

Mystical animals are invisible to non-benders, and their riders turn invisible while riding them. That's why Alas didn't get caught while eavesdropping.

As we finished up, I spotted Estevao standing at the entrance of the village.