Okie-dokey! Here's the next bit. As always, C&C positive or negative 
appreciated.

Little Windlily

trichm@iu.net


**********************************************************

	Matsuri had just glanced down to the speedometer when a shriek of 
static replaced the dead air in her earphone.

	"Jasmine? Owaru? Elenora?!" Nothing answered but that teeth vibrating 
waver of sound. She reached up and yanked the headset off, the van 
wandering into the other lane as she tried to guide it around a tree 
blinded corner at the same time. She let out a little shriek as the 
oncoming car seemed to just appear in front of her, jerked the wheel and 
swerved, somehow managed to get the mass of metal back under control and 
stopped. She just sat and panted for a second as her heart pounded, both 
hands clenched on the wheel, then blinked, looked in the mirror. The 
other car was gone.

	*How rude! They didn't even stop to see if I was O.K.* She grumbled 
under her breath then realized how close she was to the spreading fire. 
She worried at her lower lip as she realized she might have done 
something stupid. She relaxed her locked knees and moved both feet off 
of the brake pedal and eased the van off the road, then reached for the 
headset. It hissed as she brought it close to her ear. She had counted 
on being able to use it to tell the others that she had moved the van. 
She looked back at the slowly advancing fire line, debated turning 
around and going back. But what if she missed them? She turned the 
engine off, pulled the key out of the ignition, then shoved it back in. 
Better to leave it here, just in case.

	She stood for a moment beside the open door and studied the fire, 
indecision making her uncertain. She leaned back into the van, took the 
com set off the passengers seat and listened to it spit static into her 
ear one more time. She squared her shoulders as she pushed the door shut 
and stuffed the com unit into the largest vest pocket. There wasn't a 
choice now. She'd just have to go find them.

**********************************************************

	Elenora couldn't believe it when she tripped and went sprawling. 
"Owaru!" She yelled as she scrabbled quickly back to her feet and 
smacked at the smoldering spots that had started on her jeans. This was 
not going well. She turned in a tight circle, squinting through the 
smoke and flames. She pulled the mike pick-up down, activating the unit, 
then yanked it off her head as it screamed static in her ear. *Crap! No, 
not going well at all!* She'd lost him. Then all thoughts of Owaru fled 
as she saw the wall of flame rushing toward her.

	Firestorm. She had an instantaneous memory Marcus. He had been a smoke 
jumper before the Lady, as he called the fire, had taken him into her 
arms. He was a pyrotechnic who had found his power in the middle of a 
firestorm. He had saved his buddies but had been burned badly before his 
talent had kicked in to save his life. She had met him in the hospital 
garden one day as she waited for Jasmine to visit Tsi Chang Woo. As they 
talked he had described in frighteningly vivid detail and loving tones 
the way his Lady breathed and danced and what a firestorm looked like as 
it bore down on one. This was definitely what he had described. She spun 
and ran, angling for the cliff and the ocean that she knew was not too 
far to her right, then her feet hit empty air.

	She wondered if the flames would jump this thin trench she was falling 
into or follow her down and if she could keep her ward up long enough 
for it to pass over as she hit the bottom in a crouch, her hands going 
to the ground to keep her from pitching forwards into the stairs. A hand 
grabbed her arm. She jerked it backwards as she spun and struck.

	"Hey!" Amaru barely managed to dodge the girls blow, let go of her arm 
then threw himself on top of her, knocking her down and pinning her 
under him as he sensed the firestorm coming on them.

	He winced as he heard Hajime's agony filled "Amaru!" in his head, heard 
Tsuzuku's pain-filled keen. And Owaru was here, close. He had to get 
this fire out. He could do it, he just didn't know how! Hajime had told 
him that his dragon controlled weather and water. And he needed a lot of 
water right now! The wave of heat that preceded the wall of flames 
rushed down and over them. The girl under him gasped and he felt a 
tingle. The bubble of a ward sprang into existence just as the fire hit 
the edge of the trench. It roared over them, pressing down the top of 
the ward, yet it held. He could feel the girl tremble under him. She was 
keeping the flames at bay but the heat! It seared at his lungs with 
every breath and he could feel his clothes start to smolder.

	*Don't panic. You can do this.* He took a deep breath and closed his 
eyes, tried to shut out the hissing roar that was the voice of the 
flames. He looked into his mind, for the first time consciously reaching 
out to that other creature who was a part of him. There was nothing but 
his own sense of growing panic.

	*Come on! I know you're there! Please, don't make me die again! Our 
brothers need our help!* Two slit pupiled purple eyes which glimmered 
with a silver sheen suddenly regarded him. The dragon's head formed 
around them as it blinked and stretched out it's slender nose towards 
him. *Wow! It's beautiful!* He thought with awe as he reached out his 
hand to touch it. There was an audible snap in his head and suddenly he 
was aware of the moisture starved air around him, the heavy sodden air 
above him, the ocean singing its unchanging song to his left. He almost 
giggled. Of course, it was so simple! 

**********************************************************

	*Damn it, Jonah! Where are you!?" Lee snarled soundlessly around his 
harsh breathing as he barely dodged another blast, his hovering feet 
brushing the whitecaps of the riled ocean and returned one of his own as 
he surged up, trying to get some altitude. The two of them had managed 
to keep Tsuzuku off balance. The Fire Dragon rolled and ducked under it, 
breathed again.  Now Lee was his only target and he was almost tapped. 
But Tsuzuku had been expending massive amounts of energy also. He had to 
be nearing the end of his strength. How long could he hold that form? 
The edge of that attack caught him, sent him in a flying spin backwards 
as his cloths began to burn. *Fuck!* He twisted, dove for the ruffled 
surface of the ocean.

	The Fire Dragon growled in fury as he hovered over the spot where his 
enemy had disappeared under the cold water. The blood that dripped from 
his side hissed as it hit the water, creating small clouds of steam. His 
head snaked back and forth as he scanned the growing waves as he hunted 
the other. He would have to come up sometime to breathe and then he 
would kill him.

**********************************************************		
	Her shoulder was dislocated, her knee was agony and the five deep 
gashes along her rib cage made her want to scream with every labored 
pant. Where had Tamanji gotten all this power from? She barely deflected 
the next attack, the speeding molecules of air a thousand times sharper 
than any edged blade. The last attack she hadn't avoided had gone 
through her vest like it was tissue paper. The sphere of power that 
followed slid through her ward to snatch her up and send her flying back 
to slam with bone jarring force against the trunk of one of the old 
towering trees. Sparks from the burning crown of leaves floated down 
around her as she slid to the ground face down, limp and still.

	Tamanji was shaking with exhaustion as she studied her sister's still 
and battered form. *Dead? Was she? Did I do it? Finally?* She limped 
cautiously towards Jasmine, kept her power ready. She nudged her 
bleeding side with her toe, watched and waited to see if she drew 
breath. She didn't. *Dead! She was!* She giggled as she leaned down to 
roll her over, wanting to take her pulse at her throat and make sure 
that her heart no longer beat.

	Jasmine willed her body to be still, fury giving her the ability to 
scream only mentally, to hold her breath and ride the wave of pain as 
Tamanji's boot pressed into one of the gashes in her side. Her 
outstretch hand had fallen on a thick branch. *Come on Tammi. You want a 
good look at your dead sisters face, don't you?* Her hand closed around 
the wood as Tamanji turned her and she swung with all of her remaining 
strength.

	Tamanji slumped as the wood connected with the side of her head. 
Jasmine felt the impact go through the branch and was so furious that 
she grinned. *Good, knock some sense into that stupid head or yours! 
Stupid to fall for the oldest trick in the book, sister!* She struggled 
to her good knee, using the branch for balance then brought it up and 
over her shoulder to hit her traitor sister again.