The way back could have been peaceful... but that was without counting on Caden and Aletha.
"You walk like an angry rhino!" snapped Aletha, arms crossed.
"And you talk like an old frog!" Caden shot back, a mocking grin on his face.
"What?! Say that again, Straw Fire!"
"With pleasure, Walking Puddle!"
Beside them, Bella and Zetch were desperately trying to calm things down.
"Please… We just got back from a mission," Bella said gently.
"Breathe… zen," added Zetch, miming a calming gesture.
It was hopeless. The more they spoke, the more the tension escalated.
"At least I don't burn everything I touch!"
"And I don't turn everything into a kiddie pool when I sneeze!"
Then, without warning, Aletha shot a small jet of water right into Caden's face.
"You really did that?!" he roared, his hands igniting with bright flames.
"Oh, I did more than that, Fire-Fool!"
In an instant, their argument turned into an elemental duel. Aletha launched a wave of water; Caden countered with a stream of fire, the elements clashing with a sharp hiss.
Bella and Zetch stepped back cautiously.
"Are they… serious?" asked Bella, eyes wide.
"Looks like it," groaned Zetch, completely overwhelmed.
The fight intensified: sometimes Caden pushed Aletha back with his fiery strikes. Other times, Aletha countered, dousing his flames with powerful waves.
In the end, both were panting, covered in mud, water, and soot, their energy completely drained.
They looked at each other, breathless, and in unison exclaimed:
"You're lucky you're at my level!"
"No, you are, you bargain-bin water bender!"
Bella and Zetch stared at them, speechless.
Caden and Aletha, seeing their friends' stunned expressions, snapped out of it… only to challenge each other again with a glare.
But before they could start a new round, Zetch, fed up, stomped the ground hard. A shockwave rippled through the earth, sending Aletha and Caden flying like rag dolls.
"WHAT?!" they shouted together.
Caden got up, brushing off his clothes.
"You could've killed us, you oversized brute!"
Aletha added, furious:
"Yeah, we could've lost a leg!"
But Zetch, arms crossed and face stern, replied in a commanding tone:
"You're acting like children! Grow up, for crying out loud! This isn't preschool!"
An awkward silence fell. Bella, sensing the tension, stepped in:
"Um… how about we just head home?"
No one objected. They resumed walking, sheepish.