Earth God

by Jon Messenger

  Jessica put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. “I don’t know what’s going on inside your head right now. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how tough all this has been for you, especially after what happened in London.”

  She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, turning his head toward her. “Look at me, Xander. The world needs you right now.”

  He tried to turn away but she released his arm and put a hand on either side of his head, keeping his gaze fixed on her. “Do you remember when you first found out you were a Wind Warrior, how excited you were to be a superhero? We need that guy again.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” he said.

  Jessica shrugged. “Find the Earth Elemental. And until you can do that, do something else. There are people that need you, not just Sean and me. There are people living not two miles away from this barn who could use your help when the Fire Warriors show up. I don’t think it matters what you do, just do something.”

  He gently pulled away from her grasp and turned back toward the fires. Jessica was never one to mince words, but she was also right. He needed to do something, even if just to keep his mind off everything that had happened.

  No matter what else was going on, even Sean’s obvious anger at him, he was glad to be back with his friends.

  “It’s getting late,” she said. “We should all get some sleep.”

  Xander smiled but shook his head. “I don’t really sleep anymore. I’ll sit here and keep watch while you two sleep.”

  “Okay,” she said. Jessica leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. “It’s good to have you back. Now go be a superhero.”

  Xander smiled again before turning back toward the open window.

  Jessica walked back to the pile of hay that she and Sean had been sharing and sat down beside him.

  “What did he say?” Sean asked.

  Jessica turned a concerned gaze toward Xander before shaking her head. “Let’s get some rest. We’ll talk about it later.”

  He wasn’t sure how long he waited or how long he stared endlessly out the window. The moon was probably high overhead by now, but it was concealed behind the blanket of pungent smoke that filled the air. Xander wasn’t sure how Sean and Jessica managed to sleep through the choking ash in the air. Though he was mostly immune, he was certain it was burning their throats and lungs with each breath. Yet, as he turned around, he saw them both asleep in the hay, their arms interlaced as they faced one another.

  Xander smiled wistfully at his friends, glad they had found one another, even if it just made him feel more like a third wheel. He didn’t know if he and Sammy would ever share something like they had, something simple and pure, even in such a harsh environment.

  The thought of Sammy made his chest ache. The Water Elemental seemed to know something about her and had even said that she could be saved, but refused to tell him more before disappearing. Everything about Sammy’s situation was a mystery. He had tried reaching out with his powers, hoping he could somehow sense her presence, but found nothing. He wasn’t entirely surprised. He was searching for one person’s water content or air from among seven billion people on the planet. Science had never been his strong suit in school; he wasn’t even sure what he was trying to do was even possible. Was the water in a person’s body unique like a fingerprint? He bet the Water Elemental knew and, had there been more time, he could have learned far more about his powers than he had. Instead, he was stumbling through their use.

  Sean snored lightly and Xander looked away, staring instead back toward the fires. Flames licked the tops of the trees, sending cinders high into the night air. In the distance, he could see rooftops poking out from among the forest, their windows dark and abandoned.

  He looked back once more toward his friends and, once satisfied they were asleep, stepped through the loft’s doorway. A cushion of air caught him immediately and held him aloft. With a subconscious effort, he willed himself forward and began flying over the treetops.

  There was no way to know if people were still living in the houses in the distance, but he couldn’t live with himself if there were and he did nothing. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he found Fire Warriors; he didn’t think he had it in him to kill again, but neither could he let others come to harm while he had to the power to stop it.

  Without another glance back toward the barn, Xander flew into the night.

  The Fire Elemental, in possession of Sammy’s body, sat upon its makeshift throne in the Los Angeles penthouse. The bay windows had been shattered, allowing a strong breeze to blow through the tattered curtains. The air carried a scent of acrid smoke and sulfur, smells that soothed the Elemental as it reclined in its seat.

  It drummed its fingers on the chair, its fingernails keeping a cadence, as it was lost in thought. Another breeze blew through the curtains, revealing the ruined city beyond. With a faint smile on its lips, the Elemental stood and approached the balcony. From the corner of its eyes, it caught sight of the blanket draped over the mirror. The smile quickly faded from its lips, but it was glad that the mirror was covered.

  Stepping onto the balcony, the Elemental ignored the broken glass underfoot. The pain was little more than a hindrance and any wounds would quickly heal. Its attention was instead focused on the broken city laid out before it. The city of Los Angeles burned. Fires roared uncontrolled and uncontained. Flames leapt unbidden from roof to roof, igniting entire neighborhoods.

  The Elemental grasped the railing and leaned forward, letting the warm, smoky air wash over its skin. Its blonde hair billowed out behind it, caught in the updraft. The ash was a perfume that coated its body. Beneath the overpowering crackle of flames, it could hear the faint calls of panic. There were very few people left in the city, the Fire Warriors having destroyed everyone they could find. Most people had fled already, leaving the city under the control of the Fire Caste.

  A loud crack split the air. It looked up to see windows shattering from a nearby skyscraper. Fire licked through the broken windows, as the blaze consumed yet another floor within the building. Glass sparkled like rain as it fell toward the street far below. Soon, the skyscraper would be little more than a burnt husk, pylons and concrete walls framing a hollow interior.

  The Fire Elemental smiled wickedly. Its mission was advancing quickly, and the Elemental was happy. Each element had its chance to manage the growth of humanity. The Earth Elemental had built the land and given nutrients to the soil so that humanity could grow. The Water Elemental had given them irrigation and navigation, so that humanity could spread and sustain itself. The Wind Caste had guided humanity to the skies and, with it, nurtured its creativity and imagination. Yet, the Fire Elemental knew that all three had failed. Humanity had grown at an unabashed rate, consuming the world they were supposed to support. Humanity was to form a symbiotic relationship, caring for the planet even as their race grew exponentially. Instead, they had become a toxin, destroying the planet for their own selfish means.

  Humanity itself had led to the rise of the Fire Caste. The Fire Elemental existed solely to destroy humanity so that the planet could reset and prepare for the next dominate species. Had humanity not outgrown the symbiotic relationship, the Fire Elemental wouldn’t have awoken.

  “It’s not your planet yet,” Sammy chided, her voice echoing within the Elemental’s mind. “The Wind Caste isn’t yet gone. Xander still lives.”

  The Fire Elemental hissed, infuriated at its host’s constant interruptions. Hosts were supposed to be destroyed once the Elemental claimed their body, yet this persistent Fire Warrior refused to die. Instead, the blonde woman acted like the Elemental’s conscious, no matter how uninvited.

  “An oversight I intend to soon correct,” the Elemental hissed.

  Sammy laughed derisively. “You’ll try and you’ll fail, just like General Abraxas. If you could have killed him, you would have done so already.”

  The Fire Elemental turned away from the window, storming back into the p
enthouse apartment. It walked to the blanket covering the mirror and ripped it aside. The woman in the reflection looked exactly like the Elemental’s host form, save for a stark blueness in her eyes as opposed to the smoldering red of the Elemental. As it watched, the reflection placed her hands on her hips, something that the Elemental itself wasn’t.

  “My warriors are destroying the planet,” the Elemental said to its own reflection. “Your love has failed. Even alive, he’s proven himself ineffectual.”

  Sammy frowned and furrowed her brow, but remained confidently defensive. “You don’t believe that any more than I do. You seem to forget I’m connected to you and can feel everything you can feel. I can sense everything you can sense. You may have destroyed Los Angeles, but there are huge gaps in your kingdom, places that should be burning but aren’t. You act like you’re in control but you—”

  “Silence!” The Elemental turned away from the mirror. “General Kobal,” it yelled, its voice guttural and coarse, a stark contrast to the soft, feminine features of the blonde woman.

  The doors opened as though the Fire Warrior had been staged just beyond, awaiting the Elemental’s beck and call. The blond warrior towered over the Elemental, though he was clearly cowed in its presence.

  “You called, my master?” Kobal asked.

  The Fire Elemental reached up and stroked his cheek affectionately. It cared little for the man, but it knew that such gestures infuriated its host. Kobal kept his eyes averted, but a faint smile spread across his lips.

  “Los Angeles has fallen,” the Elemental said. “I’m very satisfied with your work during our conquest, but I sense that others have not been advancing as well. Tell me, what do you know of the other conquests?”

  The smile drained from his lips as quickly as the color drained from his face. “Master?”

  The Elemental twisted its hand, the once affectionate touch becoming a powerful grip around the man’s neck. Its skin immediately grew painfully hot, reflecting its smoldering anger. “I know others have been failing me, General Kobal. Do not treat me as a simpleton from whom the truth needs to be hidden.”

  It released its grip and Kobal stumbled backward, coughing painfully as he rubbed his throat. Enflamed red marks were visible on his skin from where the Elemental’s burning flesh had come in contact.

  “I meant no disrespect, Master.” Kobal swallowed hard, forcing it past the pain in his throat. “You are correct that not all missions have succeeded as you foresaw. We have lost our forces in England. Following the Chosen One’s intervention—”

  “That is not his name,” the Elemental warned.

  “Forgive me,” Kobal said quietly.

  The Fire Elemental stroked its chin and narrowed its gaze. “Is that what you call him when not in my presence?”

  “It…” Kobal sensed the danger hidden in the question. “It is, my Master.”

  The Elemental allowed itself a soft smile. “You will not call Xander Sirocco by that name ever again, in my presence or out of it. If you wish to call him any name, call him the Damned, for that is what he will be as soon as I find him.”

  “Of course.” The Fire Warrior sighed, glad to have avoided further punishment. “Following the Damned’s intervention in London, the humans rallied against the remaining Fire Warriors. We have no soldiers remaining on the island.”

  The Elemental stormed over to its makeshift throne, collapsing into the chair. It could see the smug reflection of Sammy, crossing her arms mockingly from the mirror. “Where else?”

  “We are having trouble within France and Spain as well. Russia has been a continuous nuisance, as the weather has begun turning against us. The cold has been damning to our Fire Caste.”

  “Anywhere else?” the Elemental asked through clenched teeth.

  Kobal shook his head. “Nothing else major, Master. Most of the rest of the planet has fallen to our onslaught. Initial waves eliminated major capitals throughout the world and are now spreading to the surrounding countryside. We expect more resistance from rural communities, since it’s harder to flush them out of their distal homes, but have no fear, we will be successful.”

  The Elemental turned toward the mirror. “Still feeling confident that your love will save the planet?”

  General Kobal glanced nervously toward the mirror, uncertain if the question was directed at him, since he saw no one else in the room.

  “You lost England because of him,” Sammy mocked, “and now it seems as though he’s making you lose your grip on Europe all together. So yeah, you bitch, I’m feeling pretty confident.”

  The Elemental slammed its hand down on the arm of the throne, nearly splintering the chair. “General, cover that mirror again. The view disgusts me.”

  Kobal hurriedly retrieved the blanket and draped it over the mirror.

  The Elemental could hear Sammy laughing again in its mind. “That won’t be enough to silence me and you know it.”

  Ignoring the annoying voice, the Fire Elemental turned toward the General. “Russia will fall in due time. I’ll destroy the country myself, if I must.”

  “And Europe?”

  “Wait. I’ll see to it myself.”

  The Elemental settled back into the chair, arching its back as it tried to get comfortable in the firm throne. The dragon within the host yearned to be free, even if it was only projecting its consciousness across the oceans. Grasping the arms of the throne firmly, the Elemental breathed deeply and closed its eyes.

  For a brief moment, it could feel itself existing in both places, within its host and above it, hovering like a ghost. It turned its attention downward, catching sight of both Sammy’s body still resting calmly on the throne, overlaid by an ethereal dragon’s tail, drifting behind its transparent body. Its attention drifted to Kobal, who stood curiously watching Sammy, unaware of the ghostly dragon hovering inches above his head.

  The dragon glanced out the window, focusing on a fire burning furiously in the skyscraper blocks away. In an instant, it existed within the flame, but was already searching for the next fire in which to inhabit. Another flash teleported the consciousness of the dragon into another fire, nearly a mile away.

  Its consciousness bounced from fire to fire as it spread first across the United States. With each teleportation, inside of each devastating fire, he could sense the destruction spreading across the United States. The coasts were in ruin; burning cities were smoking even as they crumbled into the waves of both oceans. Like a ghost, it glided across the waves, appearing within flaming lanterns on ships and torches on remote islands. The tips of the waves hissed and devolved to steam as the essence of the Fire Elemental passed overhead.

  The Elemental made landfall in a foreign and unfamiliar land. The sun had set long ago, casting the fields nearby in shadows. The darkness was split by the glow of smoldering embers and distal flames. Fires burned across the landscape ahead of it, but in much smaller numbers than it would have expected. The Elemental could sense its own kind nearby, a sparse collection of Fire Warriors spreading destruction wherever possible. Equally, though, it sensed a lack of consolidated effort among its ilk, as though the leadership was no longer present.

  The dragon jumped again, rebounding through the fires across the country as it reached north. There were intermittent fires throughout the continent as it traveled hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye, but the Elemental focused on the heaviest destruction in which to appear again. Settling into a three-story building consumed by flames, it peered out across the city.

  The Eiffel Tower glowed red from the heat, its supports melting under an onslaught of raging infernos. For once, the Fire Elemental smiled, knowing that at least Paris burned as it should, as the rest of the world should.

  With Paris in ruin, the Fire Caste had spread into the French countryside. There were fires burning, visible even from the Paris cityscape. Even so, it could feel the void of a Fire Warrior presence that should exist, as though a number of its kind had been slain. Leaping from t
he heart of the French capital, the Elemental settled into a ball of fire burning in the hand of a Fire Warrior, as he labored up the leeside of a steep hill. As the man crested the peak, the Elemental could see for miles across the farmland and nearby forests, past where the forward line of wildfires burned. Like Spain before, the fires were spotty, as though the Fire Caste’s efforts had been disrupted repeatedly throughout the country. Though the lack of destruction left the Elemental irritated, it was the horizon that caught its attention.

  In the distance, there was a far different glow, supplanting even the aura of the forest fires surrounding the Warrior. Blue and white roiled together wildly, interlacing and merging into a labyrinth of shapes. The power of the other Elementals rolled over the dragon, sapping its strength. Being in the presence of its contradictory elemental powers left the Fire Elemental feeling ill.

  As quickly as it had extended its presence, the Fire Elemental leapt back across the planet, settling back into Sammy’s body in a blur. Its red eyes opened immediately, startling General Kobal from his place across the room.

  “Have you discovered what you sought, Master?” Kobal asked.

  The Elemental steepled its fingers before its pale face, drumming its index fingers against its lips. “The Wind Warrior has proven vexing, stopping my forces even as they move across Europe.”

  Kobal slammed a fist into his open hand. “Let me serve you, Master. Send me to the Damned and I’ll bring you his head, I swear it.”

  The Fire Elemental laughed at the strong warrior. “For all his failures, General Abraxas was twice the man you are. Yet he repeatedly failed to destroy Xander Sirocco. The Wind Warrior would destroy you. No, it’s time to remove the Wind Warrior from the equation, but since my warriors have proven ineffectual, this is something I will see to personally.”