Inside the Psychic Cage
Prince Arson's crimson eyes flickered open, his body aching from exhaustion. The psychic bars surrounding him hummed with an eerie purple glow, vibrating with subtle energy. Every inch of the cage seemed to ripple like a mirage - a prison of pure thought, impossible to break.
And there, crammed beside him - was Princess Sylvia.
Her green skin was still smeared with soot from the fires he'd ignited, stray vines hanging from her fingers like wilted threads.
The cage was small - far too small for two people.
Sylvia's shoulder pressed into Arson's arm as they were forced to sit almost knee-to-knee.
"Watch your elbow," Arson growled, shifting.
"You're the one taking up all the space," Sylvia shot back, glaring at him. "Maybe if you didn't have the body of a walking volcano, we wouldn't be crammed like this."
Arson's jaw tightened, flames almost flickering along his skin - but the moment his hand brushed against a psychic bar-
ZZZZZZTT!
A sharp jolt shot through his arm - a burning cold sensation, like his very energy was being sucked out of him.
"Gah-!" He pulled his hand back, his body shuddering as if his fire had just been doused.
Sylvia smirked, unimpressed. "Looks like your precious flames don't work here, Prince Arson."
He shot her a glare. "I'd rather be trapped with one of my soldiers than a twig princess."
She didn't flinch. "And I'd rather be anywhere else than stuck with an overgrown matchstick."
The trailer lurched forward again, throwing them both slightly off balance - and their shoulders collided once more.
"Stop leaning on me!" Arson snapped.
"I'm not! You're the one taking up all the room!"
"You're three years younger than me - show some respect."
Sylvia's emerald eyes narrowed. "Age doesn't make you stronger - or smarter."
Arson's lips twisted into a snarl, but the psychic cage pulsed again - reminding him that his power was meaningless here.
And so, the two fumed in silence - crammed together, equally annoyed by both their situation... and each other.
_ _ _
Inside the Thunder Cage
Prince Glacius awoke to the constant crackle of electricity - the bars of his prison glowing with a faint blue light, sparks dancing along the metal.
He could feel the current running through the cage - a constant reminder that even a slight touch would mean searing pain.
And beside him...
"Move over," he muttered, his voice a cool whisper.
Princess Peggy huffed, folding her delicate arms, her glowing wings pinned against the back of the tiny cage. "Where? There's no room!"
Her golden hair was slightly singed from the battle, her normally radiant aura dimmed by exhaustion. She shifted uncomfortably, trying not to let Glacius' icy shoulder brush against her.
"If you didn't have those wings," Glacius said, eyeing the cramped space, "this wouldn't be as tight."
Peggy bristled. "If you didn't have the ego of an ice demon, we wouldn't even be in this mess."
Glacius' calm facade cracked for a moment, his glacier-blue eyes narrowing. "Careful what you say, fairy. I'm still older than you by four years."
Peggy scoffed. "Oh yes, because age clearly helped you win today."
A flash of anger flickered across Glacius' pale face. He wasn't used to being spoken to like this - especially not by someone younger.
"I could freeze this entire cage solid if these bars weren't buzzing with lightning," Glacius muttered.
Peggy smiled sweetly. "And I could light this place up if they weren't shocking me every time I move."
To prove her point, her hand accidentally brushed against one of the electric bars-
CRACK!
A sharp jolt of blue lightning zapped through her, sending a tremor down her arm. She hissed in pain, quickly yanking her hand back.
Glacius didn't laugh - but his lips curled into a smirk.
Peggy shot him a glare. "Enjoying this?"
"Immensely," he said coolly.
Another jolt from the trailer made the cage lurch, and for a split second, Peggy and Glacius stumbled into each other.
"Watch it," Glacius muttered.
"You watch it," Peggy snapped back, brushing her wings off and taking as much space as she could - despite the lack of space.
The tension in the cage was palpable - not just from the electric bars... but from the two rulers glaring at each other like they were still fighting on the battlefield.
_ _ _
Outside...
On one side, the Psychic Tribe's warriors marched in grim silence, pulling Arson and Sylvia's trailer deeper into there territory heading for the hidden base.
On the other side,the Thunder Tribe advanced as well, Raiden's forces flanking Glacius and Peggy's cage with fierce intensity, their lightning crackling in the stormy sky above heading for the hidden base.
_ _ _
Inside the Psychic and Thunder Tribe's Hidden Base...
The air inside the hidden stronghold was thick not just with psychic energy humming in the walls or the crackling of electricity running along the metal bars but with something even heavier.
Tension.
The Psychic and Thunder Tribes clearly seemed to work together.
Their warriors moved in perfect sync, their joint base a seamless blend of shimmering illusions and sparking traps.
Deep within the heart of the stronghold, in a dimly lit cell chamber, two small cages now sat side by side, each infused with psychic aura and electrical currents.
The rulers - Arson, Glacius, Sylvia, and Peggy - were all prisoners now.
But despite their predicament... their rivalries hadn't dimmed.