Fire, Water and Earth Boys

United

"Over here!" Zelnard shouted, drawing the attention of the two of the boys that had stayed back to support Zelnard in one last look. They rushed over to the edge of the cliff. It was dark an shadowy and in the rainy weather almost impossible to see so Gavid cast a fireball over the edge and down towards the beach. The slowly moving light was otherworldly casting shadows and moving light as it fell. Once it reached the sand below they could see an outline of a small body lying in the sand. “It must be Liefro." Abah said. He was lying at the base of the cliff, unmoving. Abah’s face paled, and Gavid’s usual bravado vanished. "We have to get him up here,"Abah said urgently. "We can’t do this alone. We need to go get help." "No, said Zelnard. "We can do it if we work together." Gavid nodded, his fiery nature suddenly tempered. "I’ll create a signal fire to get the others' attention. You work on a way to get down there safely first." Abah, the most level-headed of the three, took charge. "I can use the earth to create a slope. Zelnard, you can use water to make it smooth like a slide and cushion the descent. We need to be careful." The boys worked together, their competitive nature set aside for the moment. Abah manipulated the earth, creating a gentle slope down the cliffside, while Zelnard summoned a stream of water to soften the rocky terrain. Gavid lit a signal fire, its smoke curling into the sky, flames flickering as a beacon for the others. When they finally reached Liefro, they found him conscious but in pain, his leg twisted at an odd angle. He groaned as Abah knelt beside him, careful not to touch the injured limb. “Don’t move,” Abah said, his voice steady and reassuring to the boy who was cold, pale and shivering. “We’ve got you,” Zelnard added, breathless, already pulling water across the rocks to clear the ground around them. There was no time to think, only to act. They picked up the limp boy and Abah shaped the earth into firm steps. Zelnard smoothed them with water powers, and Gavid hovered close, firelight cutting through the rain as they guided Liefro onto the makeshift path. Every movement was careful, awkward, and slow, but none of them stopped. By the time they reached the top of the cliff, Zelnard’s arms burned and Gavid’s hands were shaking. Liefro clenched his teeth, fighting back tears, but he was alive. When they finally reached the top, Liefro looked at them with gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks... I’m sorry I tried to join your game earlier." Zelnard shook his head. "We’re the ones who should apologise. We should’ve let you play. We were wrong." Abah nodded. "Next time, we’ll play together. All of us." Gavid, his usual smirk softened, added, "Yeah, we’re better as a team anyway." The teachers arrived soon after, helping Liefro to safety. The boys watched as Liefro was taken back to the monastery for healing, the weight of the day’s events settling in. "That was something!" Abah declared in relif... Zelnard swallowed. The image of the cliff edge still burned in his mind. “Sure was” he said. “We used our powers together.” Abah nodded. “None of us could’ve done this alone.” Gavid didn’t smile, but he didn’t joke either. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Guess we figured that out the hard way. They had learned a valuable lesson: while competition could drive them to improve, it was cooperation, understanding, and kindness that truly mattered in the real world. And from that day on, their games included everyone, with the boys working together to make sure no one was left behind.

Thy Quests What is the moral of this story?