The Chopple Berry Harvest

“One whole moon cycle, and the day's finally arrived.” Emily dodged a young man with a red satchel and swung open the gate to the elemental gardens. I can taste the chopple berries already.

As she swept a strand of curly red hair behind her ear, her water elemental floated ahead, trailing a string of bubbles. They scattered rainbows over the flower displays that lined the path.

“I couldn't have done it without you, Pearl.”

Spinning in response, Pearl's bubbles spiraled around the pair and they turned into the orchard. Patches of light flickered between the leaves, dappling the old cart track.

A petite woman with a wicker basket tucked under her left arm emerged from between two trees on the right, followed closely by an air elemental. Emily caught the words as they passed. “You’ve done so well this morning, Flutter, I wouldn't have found half of these without you.”

A smile danced on Emily's lips. That's why I love gardening. There's a role for everyone, and every elemental can use their skills.

The pair left the path and crossed the formal lawn. The towering giants of the elemental forest rose beyond the neat rows of the community garden, in a mosaic of emerald and jade.

“Morning Arthur, morning Tilly,” Emily called to the Elemental Ranger and his earth elemental, who were hard at work taming a patch of lawn.

“Oh morning Emily, just prepping for the Mayor's visit this afternoon. Got a stubborn patch.”

As Arthur gestured towards the grass, a cluster of yellow flowers blossomed in the centre. “Oh no. A little too much there Tilly.”

Emily disguised a smile but as she approached the community garden, a gaggle of crestfallen students in the robes of the Elemental Academy pushed past. They were followed by a professor, whose own robes were torn, and his bushy grey eyebrows were so close together it was impossible to see his eyes.

That's weird. It's a bit early for shenanigans isn't it? But then she stopped, mouth open.

The young wych elm that marked the entrance to the growing plots had matured overnight, dwarfing the community storage shed behind it, and the rows of chopple berry bushes Emily had planted. Pearl paused, waiting for Emily to catch up before settling with a damp plop onto her shoulder.

“What in the elements has happened here?” She stalked the perimeter of the now fully grown tree, right hand resting on her hip.

But a familiar, gravelly voice answered from the opposite side of the vast trunk, “Ah, this is certainly a pain in the arse.”

Emily hurried to meet the owner of it. “Frank, what's going on?”

A tall man with sandy coloured hair ran his fingers through his already dishevelled beard. His fire elemental, Ignis, hovered in front of him, flame flickering red.

“Those bloody students. They’d been camping in the elemental forest. Apparently a couple of them sneaked out for some fun. They teamed up and combined their earth elementals on this here tree.”

“Dumb kids.” She patted the thick trunk. “They did succeed though.”

“Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you –”

“Arggggh!”

Sprouting from the branches above, vines whipped towards Emily's blue cloak. But they retreated the moment she stepped back.

“Don't, Pearl,” she said to her water elemental who had clearly been preparing to attack. Pearl deflated, leaving a small puddle on Emily's shoulder.

“You alright lass? It seems to have absorbed some of that extra power.”

Emily brushed her hands down her robes. “Yeah, I wasn't expecting that. But at least it explains why the professor was all torn up.”

“Hmm, but they didn’t stop there. Follow me.”

Perplexed, she looked at Pearl who shrugged. The pair followed Frank towards the storage shed.

Oh no.

The shed was a sea of green. Vines as thick as the wych elm’s branches had grown from the ground, up and over the timber building, wrapping around the roof.

“I was hoping you might be able to do something. All the tools are locked up you see and I've got my own harvest to bring in.” Frank tugged at his beard and tiny pinpricks of hissing flame erupted from Ignis.

Frowning, Emily folded her arms with a glance at her elemental. “It's not really our area of expertise. We’d need someone with an earth elemental who could reverse it. I don't think we've got the skills.”

“Ah. I already asked Arthur. He's busy with the lawns for the Mayor's visit. Think he's a bit stressed actually. So can you help? You try and tackle the door, and we'll try to get to the back window. If we can just get an opening…”

Pearl hovered between them nodding with vigour. Emily sighed. “Alright. Give me a minute to check the berries first.”

*

Strolling through the berry bushes, running her hand across the soft fruits and velvety leaves, Emily drew a deep breath, taking in the scent of damp earth mingled with the sweetness of the berries.

Pearl directed a jet of water into a cluster of the small orange fruits, and they dropped from their stalks.

“Definitely ripe then,” Emily said as she bent to collect them, popping one into her mouth. The flavour exploded on her tongue, sweet and crisp and juicy. Just as delicious as I imagined.

“We did it, Pearl!” She held out a finger to the water elemental who shot a jet of water towards it. “Mark at Cinder Roll Pastries will definitely be happy to trade these with us. We'll have pastries for weeks.”

Pearl danced in the air, and fine droplets of water fell like a mist. But through it, the storage shed, shrouded in its new green cloak, loomed. Emily tapped her foot.

“I know you wanted to help, and I said we would, but what exactly are we supposed to do? It's way beyond our skills?”

As Pearl pointed towards the shed, Frank and Ignis rounded the corner from the back of the building. Ignis fired a volley of fireballs, but while the outer leaves shrivelled, more vines grew in an instant.

“I guess it's beyond them too. But at least they're trying. We better give them a hand.”

But the vines over the front door were dense and strong. Emily held out a hand, keeping distance between them. Pearl pouted but Emily rolled her eyes. “Do you want to get grabbed by those things? They could react like the tree. Let's see what happens if you douse it.”

Leaping into action, Pearl blasted a jet of water at the vines. They parted, revealing the red painted door. Emily smiled, but in a matter of seconds, more vines appeared.

“Hmm, alright Pearl. Harder this time.”

Pearl nodded and a wave of water slammed into the vines. Again they separated, falling away. But to their dismay, the vines recovered.

Hands on her knees, Emily slumped forward. “Fine. Alright Pearl. Well done. But I think I was right the first time. This is way beyond our skills.”

But Pearl spurted another stream of water, directing Emily's attention to a hint of glinting metal.

“A spade’s been left out? You think that will work?”

Pearl shrugged.

Arms folded, Emily glared at the vine covered shed. “These pastries better be worth it.”

As she trudged to retrieve the spade, she noticed that Frank and Ignis had disappeared. Maybe they've gone for help? But the clocktower bells sounded in the distance. 11 already? Arthur will still be busy no doubt.

Crunching the spade into the soil at the base of the vines, Emily started to dig. But a crack thundered.

More vines erupted from the mass, wrapping around her arms. Her fingers scrabbled to hold them, to pull them off, but they twisted tighter. Sharp leaves dug into her skin and she shrieked.

But a wall of water crashed into her, pushing her deeper into the vines. She writhed and twisted, and as she slammed into the solidity of the front door, the vines holding her collapsed. Emily fell forward to safety.

Coughing out water, robes sodden, she staggered upright. “You could have told me you were going to do that. I’d at least have closed my mouth.”

Pearl showered her with droplets and turned her back.

“Sorry Pearl, I meant thank you for rescuing me.”

Appeased, Pearl joined her as Emily shuffled away from the vines, tugging at her wet robes, and sank into a mossy patch.

“Well, I guess we can’t have pastries tonight after all. Looks like it's plain old soup for dinner.”

Tugging at the leaves sticking out of her dripping hair, Emily winced. Her arms stung with sharp cuts. What was I thinking? The chopple berry bushes, drooping under the weight of the berries, seemed to mock her. Pearl slumped onto the moss next to her, melting into a puddle.

“You’re a bit wet lass. No luck?” Frank handed her a glass of lemonade, and Ignis flickered between them.

Emily glanced back at the shed and snorted. "We've waited all month for these chopple berries too. I was really looking forward to those pastries.”

“Ah. Can’t say we’re doing much better. We could set it alight properly, but then the whole shed will come down. So, probably not a good idea.”

As Frank sat down next to Pearl, Ignis hovered closer to Emily, and she admired the different coloured sparks that scattered from him. Until the smell of smouldering damp material surrounded them.

She jumped to her feet. Her sleeve sizzled and she swatted it as Pearl doused her.

Frank rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry about that.”

But Emily grinned as she paced around him.

“Don’t be sorry. I've had an idea. We've both been doing our own thing. But we don't need to do it alone.”

Scratching his head, Frank's brows furrowed. “What are you getting at?”

“Well, everyone has different skills right. And you’re right too. Fire alone will send the shed up in flames, but,” she said, pointing at her blackened sleeve, “if we soak the vines first, we might have a chance.”

Pearl pouted, squirting water in Emily's face.

“What the…Oh, so that’s why you were pointing at them before?”

Nodding, Pearl hovered closer to Ignis. Steam hissed around them.

But Frank was slow to stand. “Isn't that why we got in this mess? Those students combining earth elementals? Fire and water don't exactly mix.”

“But they combined skills and succeeded right? It was maybe too much power, but it did work. And anyway, this would be more of a one at a time situation. We’d soak it first, then you and Ignis can light it up.”

Running a hand through his beard Frank stared at the shed. “Ah. Together then?”

*

The group stood in front of the vines that covered the door.

“Ready?” Emily looked to Frank, who nodded.

Starting with the vines on the left, Pearl fired jet after jet of water. While they shrank back, the vines couldn't shake the droplets off fast enough.

Ignis followed her movements, scattering glowing embers among the wet leaves. Steam hissed and Emily stepped back, unable to see the progress.

She waved a hand in front of her face, and in the gaps, fire smouldered on the vines. As Pearl returned to her shoulder, the vines in front of the door disintegrated. They didn't grow back.

Frank swept his sandy hair back. “Well how about that, it actually worked?”

“It did!” Emily held out her hand and Pearl flipped, bouncing bubbles off her palm.

“We better try approaching, see if it grows back.”

Stepping back, Emily held up her scratched arms. “I already need to see the apothecary.”

With a soft chuckle, Frank and Ignis approached the door. The vines flapped feebly but didn't regrow.

“Reckon it'll be alright until Arthur can get to it.”

So Emily and Pearl followed them in, helping Frank carry out the tools he'd need, and a few baskets for the berries.

*

The berries fell from the bushes with ease and after a few more taste tests, Emily called to Frank who was tending his pecho trees.

“Left you a basket of chopple berries here. I'll be back soon.”

With two heaving baskets of berries, Emily and Pearl wandered back across the now immaculate lawns. A cluster of people gathered around a small podium, and Arthur hovered in the background, hopping from foot to foot. Poor guy. He doesn't know what's waiting for him. At least there was no mischief on his precious lawn last night.

The clocktower bells chimed as they left the elemental gardens and entered the bustle of Hearthveil City.

Cutting down a redbrick alley, adorned with tiny ferns and verdant ivy, the pair almost collided with a large, broad man with long, brown hair. His air elemental whistled in alarm.

But somehow, Emily clung onto the baskets. After everything that happened today, I'm not letting these go until we make it to Cinder Rolls Pastries.

Emerging into a flagged square, they cut directly across to a yellow bakery. Pearl danced in front of the window, pointing to the door, which soon swung open.

“Ello Emily. Excellent lass, I was running low on chopple berries too.”

*

The sky burnt deep orange as Emily and Pearl returned to the community garden, laden with pastries, loaves, and a couple of salves from the apothecary.

“See you got on alright.” Frank reached out for the pastry Emily offered, while Pearl shoved one of the jars of salve in his direction. “Thanks, for this. Got a bit of a gash earlier.”

“No problem. And yeah, Mark says we can make it a regular thing. He's always in need of more chopples.”

“I can see why,” Frank said between mouthfuls. “It's bloody tasty.”

Emily sat down in the same patch of moss as earlier and bit into her own pastry, closing her eyes to savour the taste.

“Worth the trouble?”

Emily laughed. “Ask me after the second one.”