The Elemental's Magic

by Martha Carr

  A tall elf pushed his way onto the battlefield, the wind and dirt swirling around him but not touching him, even as it picked up in intensity, stopping most of the fighting. Maggie fell back, the translucent sword still in her hand but the Kashgars she was facing down were in retreat. Only Simon was standing triumphant on top of the hill he had found for himself, frustrated and trying to interrupt the wind. Maggie tried to find Wilmark, blinking through all the dirt, but she couldn't see him anywhere. The wind pushed at her as she rose, working her way back to the place she had seen him last. She found him, laying against a tree, a dead Kashgar next to him and his sword in his hand, a slash along his thigh pulsing blood.

  "No, no, no..." Maggie reached around his waist and worked his belt off of him, pulling it around his leg and tightening, staunching the flow of blood. She took his face in her hands, even as the wind continued to howl and yelled loud enough for him to hear. "You are the last Godwin Knight and I still need you! Peaches! Keep breathing!"

  His eyes blinked open, and he tried to smile at her, whispering something. She leaned in, trying to hear. "You've done it, Maggie Parker."

  "Done what?" she yelled back.

  "The last Elemental has arrived. Check the compass." Maggie rolled to a seated position next to Wilmark, her back against his shoulder as the wind pushed against them. “My beacon did work!”

  "Look!” He pointed down below. “That's the Air Elemental, down there. He's facing off against the Dirt Elemental, wearing away at his body with the wind."

  “He looks like an elf, like you.”

  Maggie put out her hand as the compass came to her and she saw that the five hands were all pointed at her. She looked down at the Wind and the Dirt Elementals as the winds were calming down and Dirt had lowered his arms. The rage had left his face.

  Simon shouted in frustration from his perch, the red slime still in retreat, sizzling and oozing its way back to him. "Whatever whammy you put on Simon, it's working."

  Wilmark turned his weary head, smiling. "It comes at a cost. Using it can almost kill you, or kill you..." He smiled at Maggie as she stared at him. "That's too high a price. You were supposed to stay at home."

  "And miss all the fun? Don't worry, Jake is fine. I left Diana with him and I didn't tell her where you were, but I think she knew." He winced in pain, squeezing his eyes shut, opening them again to look at Maggie. "You have to survive this day, along with those four beings down there. Then my duty is fulfilled in the name of all my brethren."

  "Die on me and I'll let Bernie do the eulogy."

  "You are not what I expected Maggie Parker. Why did you yell peaches at me?"

  Maggie started to answer but was interrupted by the elf's voice, carrying over the battlefield. "Old friend," he said, looking up at the Dirt Elemental, "what are you doing? Have you forgotten your oath?"

  "The one, true Elemental has betrayed us!"

  The Air Elemental held up his hand, letting the wind push out from where they stood, still pinning Kashgars and Huldus to the ground. "Is that even possible? Do you not trust the organic ship that created you? The Earth chose her from the moment she was born. She cannot betray us; you have been fooled... by them." He pointed at Iliad who was still standing behind the remaining Kashgar, far from the battle. "Take a look around, my friend. Everyone is united against the darkness up there." He pointed at Simon. "Everyone except for your new allies. What does that tell you? You were about to betray your oath and the location of the door to impostors and liars."

  Iliad pressed his way along the stone wall, pushing Kashgars out of the way, desperate to get to the cover of the trees. But he wasn't fast enough. With one swipe he was in the Dirt Elemental's grip.

  "Is this true?" roared the large creature, uninterested in the answer that he already knew would be a lie. He raised Iliad over his head and smashed him into the ground as the soil around the Kashgar rose up to meet him, swallowing him, even as his surprised face cried out and his hands clawed at the dirt. In moments he was gone and the remaining Kashgars clawed their way along the ground, into the wind, retreating toward the woods.

  "Tell the Earth about the Peabrain up there. Let her deal with him." He pointed at Simon, still determined to find a way to break through Wilmark's magic that was gradually weakening. He raised his arms, seeing an opening and cried out in triumph, all of the Elementals standing below him.

  He didn't notice the trees swaying in his direction and the Dirt Elemental muttering to himself, sending a message down through root tendrils that grew from his feet, searching out the trees, relaying a message.

  "Terminus eius..." was all he got out. A sink hole opened up beneath him, swallowing him before the last words left his mouth.

  "The Earth finally got one of us," whispered Maggie, her eyes wide. She leaned forward, getting up on one knee and pushing against the tree until she was standing. The messages passed through her hand and up her arm. All the trees were chattering.

  The Earth is satisfied.

  All the Elementals are together.

  Maggie Parker can stay. Simon Wesley took her place.

  "The past does not predict the future," she whispered, looking out over the battlefield at the array of bodies. She looked around till she spotted the one furry warrior, laying against a stone, relieved to see his chest rising and falling. "Bernie made it."

  "We're not done yet. You are all gathered together. We can't take a chance and part ways again. You are all known now, and we have to complete the quest."

  "Find the machine and put it back together," said Maggie, looking at the different Elementals.

  "And help save the ship and the trees."

  29

  Maggie checked Wilmark's leg and loosened the tourniquet for a moment to let the blood flow through his leg, tightening it again. "Are you sure you're okay if I leave you for a little while? Don't touch that belt, magic elf or not. I'll come back for you."

  "Go, complete the circle. It has to be done and the sooner the better. There are more enemies out there who have different designs on this ship. Fulfill your destiny, Maggie Parker."

  Maggie stumbled to her feet, making her way to the field, stepping carefully till she was by Bernie's side. She tried lifting him to his feet. "You have got to cut down on the carbs, dude."

  Bernie groaned and held his shoulder as Maggie took a look. "Pretty nasty wound but it didn't hit a gusher. Wait here."

  "Did Wilmark make it?"

  Maggie looked back at Bernie, giving him a crooked smile. "You do like him. Yeah, he made it too. Look, there's Jack and Larry."

  "Yeah, but I lost Moe. We were friends since we were toddlers."

  Maggie went back and crouched down in front of Bernie. "I'm sorry, Bernie."

  "Go, I’ll be fine. Complete the circle."

  "That's what Wilmark said."

  "He's right, it's more important right now. Nothing is going to bring Moe back. Finish what was started." He waved at Maggie with his paw and sighed heavily, leaning back against a dead Kashgar. "Tall bastard is pretty comfortable."

  Maggie made her way over to Fire who was busy helping up Water. "It's time," said Maggie. "Let's fulfill a promise made thousands of years ago and see what happens." She held out her hand to Fire, who took it, reaching out to Water and connecting, making a straight line. Maggie felt the buzz along the back of her neck and the rush of energy in her chest. The Air Elemental came and stood next to her holding out his hand. "I take it, Peabrain, you are the Elemental who guides us all. I am Christopher, we should talk later." She took his hand as the last Elemental, the Dirt Elemental, stomped into place and put out his two large hands to either side, leaning down to Water who stepped around to form a circle. "Sorry," he bellowed. The mermaid didn't answer but put her hand in his as the circle completed itself.

  "Wait!" Maggie let go of Fire's hand for a moment and pulled out the compass, holding it out till it took flight, finding the center of the circle where it hung, facing Maggie. She took Fire's hand a
nd held tight, wondering what was coming.

  The magic rolled gently through her, passing from one side to the next in a continuous flow, rising up through her feet and filling her with a calm she had never known before. The trees nearby stirred, bending toward Maggie Parker, the Elemental and she felt her connection to them, swimming in the middle of the energy as it passed through her. The world in front of her fell away and she squeezed the hands next to her even harder, trying to keep her balance. She found herself standing in different places all over the organic ship. On beaches at the edge of an ocean, the warm water lapping at her shoes, and on an icy glacier that sent shivers through her body. She passed through each place, not lingering there long, as the ship showed her all that it contained. Everything is connected. Tears filled her eyes as the images faded and she found herself back in the field, the sound of the water falls in the distance.

  Maggie looked up at the compass just as the face started to turn, taking the five arms with it. In its place was just one needle hovering over a small map. She let go of the hands next to her and reached out to grab the compass, holding it in her hands as she watched the map change and take form again.

  "It's happening!" bellowed the Dirt Elemental as he got down on his knees facing the nearest stand of trees above the rock face where Iliad had once stood. The rock wall shuddered, grinding and pulling as a door appeared. "The trees are opening the door." The Water Elemental stared in amazement.

  Maggie looked at the compass and saw the arrow was pointing at the door as it began to open wide.

  A pulsing wave of magic poured out of the entrance covering all of them. As it passed over Bernie, he let out a choking sound, crying out for help. "Peaches!" he gasped. He rolled over, screaming in pain as the fur dropped off his body and his bones stretched, tearing apart his short-shorts and ripping his t-shirt. Maggie closed one eye, trying to look away at the naked Huldu that was left lying on the ground. "That's gonna be hard to forget."

  "Harder than killing off a Kashgar," said Jack, pulling out his cloak to give to his friend.

  Bernie wrapped it around his waist, standing up to his full size as a gnome and blurted. "I'm back!" as a stream of bubbles with fireflies blinking on and off poured out of his mouth.

  "Just in time," said Wilmark, who had struggled down the hillside. "The adventure isn't over yet. We still have to get to the machine."

  They all turned and looked into the entrance, peering into the darkness. "We'll get there together," said Maggie, "but we're going to need a plan. Can we leave the door open like that?"

  The Air Elemental raised his hand. "If the stories are true, you now command the door, Elemental, as long as the compass is in your possession. The connection is complete."

  Maggie held out the compass and set an intention and watched as the door slowly closed, once again nothing more than a solid rock wall. "Then we take care of the dead and wounded and make a plan."

  "I love a good quest," said Bernie, holding on to the cloak, as it slipped for a moment, exposing his rear end before pulling it back up again.

  "There's not much time, once the process has started," said the Fire fae. "We only have days, not weeks."

  "Then we'd better get started," said Maggie. "We need to save the world."

  The quest to put the great machine back together is finally here. All the Elementals have gathered and the compass is showing them the way. But, the door in the stone leads down a path that has been guarded for thousands of years. The danger isn't over for Maggie Parker and the magic still has a few things left to teach her - if she's going to survive and take the compass home. Join Maggie, Bernie and the Elementals in Quest for Magic out this August.

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  Author Notes

  Martha Carr July 14, 2019

  What’s in a name? Apparently quite a bit. I have a team who help me out these days. At some point, it’s a necessity. Plus, I wanted to change my old belief of ‘if I can do it, I should be doing it’ to something saner.

  Well, my team did a lot of testing with the covers, the titles, the blurbs and found out two useful bits of information. Fans love the word Peabrain, but after they’ve read the first book. That makes it tough to get readers unfamiliar with it to give it a try.

  So, I took my own advice about everything I learn being just data – and I changed the titles and the covers. (To his credit, Michael Anderle laughed but didn’t say, I told you so, because he did – many times)

  Frankly, it pays to be flexible in every area of my life, and to not take things personally. Learning just that has helped me listen more, talk less and make decisions faster. It cut out the time that I used to spend wondering if it was me and then asking others if it was me. I wasn’t looking for a solution, I was looking for personal validation.

  It’s not me, it’s just that data – and I can use it to change and adapt.

  I have tried out the need to be right – mostly because I was worried, I wasn’t enough – and it’s never really served me the way that I hoped. Looking back, I see I was offering ideas where they weren’t needed, or I wasn’t the expert and it was harder to hear new ideas that were too different from mine.

  But, over time as my trust in the universe, in people, in a Higher Power, whatever you want to call it, grew, so did my willingness to be quiet, listen, and just try something new without knowing where exactly it would lead. Like listening to Anderle and starting the Oriceran Universe.

  Not everything has worked out, and sometimes it was expensive, but I learned from those too and more often than not, it’s been an entirely different life. I don’t fear failure. I’m not trying to find the one perfect answer. I’m not surveying the multitudes before I’ll act. I ask for help, I sort through the information, and I go. This time, it was to change the titles and the covers – and keep the Peabrain Society… because we all know that Peabrains are magical and can do just about anything. More adventures to follow.