Jessica pushed gently on a stone that stood at her chest level. It slid easily off the top of the broken wall and sank into the silt beyond. “It’s falling apart. How old d-do you think this place is?”
Xander shrugged as motioned for Jessica to turn the light toward him. As she adjusted the beam, it fell over another nondescript structure.
“Centuries? Millennia? I have no idea. It’s been underwater for a long time. That much is clear.”
“Just so long as it’s not going to come rushing back in while we’re still here,” Sean said.
Xander shook his head and stepped over another set of fallen stones. The curved walls of the city stood before them. “It won’t. I have the water under control.”
“Just like that? You’re holding back the entire ocean just like that?”
“Just like that. I’m not even really concentrating on it. It’s just happening.”
Sean frowned. “Yeah, glad to know holding back the ocean hasn’t really rated high on your conscious thoughts. That really puts my mind at ease.”
Sean looked over to Jessica, whose feet were submerged in the damp ground. She held the flashlight aloft in one hand and her other was crossed protectively across her chest. She shivered uncontrollably as she followed Xander with the light.
She rubbed her arms as she tried to keep her body from shaking. “Holy c-crap, it’s freezing,”
She pulled a boot free of the sucking silt and frowned as water dripped from its sole.
“Come here,” Sean said as he walked over and wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll keep you warm.”
“I r-really want to make some j-joke about you not being as c-cold because of your blubber,” Jessica began through clattering teeth, “b-but it’s just t-too much effort.”
Instead of offering a stinging retort, Sean laughed and pulled her in closer.
Xander walked away from the pair, still admiring the ruins around them. The city was enormous and ancient. Despite the damage done by underwater currents over what must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of years, the city was still remarkably well preserved. He reached out as he approached the nearest building, his fingers dancing over the ancient stones. The craftsmanship seemed exquisite considering the obvious age of the houses around him, if indeed houses were what they were.
He walked around its perimeter until he found what looked like a doorway, though half the wall on one side had long ago collapsed. Around the edge of the doorframe, Xander could make out faintly etched symbols, intricately carved into the stone itself. The water currents had washed away anything discernable, though he doubted he could have read the symbols even if they’d been clear.
Turning slowly, he saw more and more similar homes stretching as far as he could see, eventually disappearing into the edge of the vortex he created to keep the ocean at bay. Whatever this place had been, it was enormous.
Sean and Jessica walked up beside him while he was lost in thought.
“I’m just throwing out ideas,” Sean said, “but you don’t think it could be… I mean, you don’t really think this could be Atlantis, do you?”
Xander turned toward his friend with a frown. “I think you read too many comic books.”
“So says the superhero,” Sean retorted.
“If you two are d-done, then can we p-please hurry? We can’t s-stay here much longer,” Jessica moaned.
She took a tentative step toward Xander but she seemed to be teetering unsteadily, as though her joints weren’t cooperating under the extreme cold.
“She’s right,” Sean said. He was clearly warmer than she was, but the strain was evident on his face. “You may be able to handle the cold, but we can’t. We’re going to freeze to death.”
“Where is the Elemental?” Jessica stammered.
“It’s here,” Xander replied, though he seemed unsure of himself. “It has to be.”
He led them to the edge of the curved wall. There were huge holes along its length where it collapsed under its own weight. The massive stones littered the ground on either side of the wall. Water sloshed along the edge of the remaining stones like a narrow moat, one that Xander easily stepped over. He climbed up the small incline of sand and stepped onto the lip of one of the holes.
“Let me borrow the flashlight,” he said as Jessica approached.
She handed him the light and he shone it over the wall, though the light from its small bulb diffused quickly as it shone over the crumbling city. Craning his neck, he was able to see over the nearest of the low buildings.
The road they had found when they landed entered the city to his right and continued straight toward the heart of the city. The design of the houses themselves seemed similarly built to the Wind Warriors’ island, with the flow of buildings seemingly pointing toward a center that he couldn’t see from his vantage point. The familiar architectural design set his mind at ease that they were at the right place, even though he still had no idea where the Elemental could be.
“D-don’t you have some mumbo-jumbo you c-can use to find it?”
Xander frowned at his ex-girlfriend. She was right, but his ability to sense the Elementals had gone haywire the second they arrived at the ocean floor. It seemed like the Elemental was everywhere at once, which left his sense of direction dizzy and unclear.
“What can you see?” Sean asked from behind him.
Xander looked over his shoulder to where Sean still stood, ankle-deep in the muck.
“It looks like there are some roads leading toward the center of the city, but I can’t see what’s there from here.”
“I don’t mean to be the guy pointing out the elephant in the room,” Sean said, “but I’m pretty sure that would be a good place to start.”
Xander frowned as he climbed down from the wall. He knew the smart thing would have been to fly directly to the center of the city and find out what was there, but he reveled in the fact that walking bought him time to collect his thoughts. Every step on his journey had brought both new responsibilities and new heartaches. He had become a Wind Warrior, and it had cost the lives of his parents and his grandfather. He had absorbed the power of the Wind Elemental but was now responsible for stopping a legion of Fire Warriors from destroying the planet. He still didn’t feel ready to take another leap of faith on his journey. Instead, he helped the other two climb through the hole in the wall.
The trio rejoined the road to their right, knowing it would make the trip easier than forging through the deepening silt.
The buildings around them quickly grew more dilapidated the closer they got to the center of the city. Xander frowned as he looked upon the ruin. The destruction had been the result of far more than just time and water currents. The stones that had once formed the walls of the buildings were split. Many of the buildings stood as little more than foundations, leaving gently raised outlines of structures in the sandy ocean floor.
Something sinister had happened ages ago that left behind only the broken foundations. It only reinforced Xander’s hesitation as they climbed through the wreckage. This city had once belonged to one of the Elementals, and it had still come to ruin. The Elemental power seemed to be a magnet for violence.
The road remained unwavering as it led them to the heart of the city. The rows of buildings ended abruptly, and the trio found themselves on the edge of a giant, circular courtyard. The ground in the center of the park rose slightly to a gentle hilltop, clearly the focal point of the entire city.
Xander took a step forward, but Sean’s hand closed over his arm.
“Turn off the flashlight,” Sean said.
Xander looked at him inquisitively but pressed the button on the keychain. For a brief moment, the city grew impenetrably black. As quickly as the darkness rushed into his vision, however, it was banished by a gentle glow radiating from the hilltop. A faint blue light poured from its peak, gently illuminating the surrounding area.
“What that glowing when we landed?” Xander asked.
; Jessica shook her head instead of responding as she kept her jaw clenched to stop her teeth from chattering painfully.
“I’m pretty sure I would have noticed it,” Sean said. “It was almost pitch black when we were flying in.”
Xander swallowed hard but stepped toward the base of the hill. The slope was gradual and, even from its base, he could almost see the source of the light at its crest. He could hear the sucking footsteps of his friends following behind him as he nervously climbed the hill.
The hill rose a short distance before leveling off. In its center, surrounded by immaculately carved flagstones, was a pool of crystal-clear water. The blue glow radiated from its depths, though Xander couldn’t tell if the glow came from something on the bottom of the pool or from the water itself.
“This wasn’t what I was expecting,” Sean said as he turned up his fur-lined collar against the chill. The air seemed even colder close to the water’s edge. Though the pool clearly wasn’t frozen over, the air seemed far below the freezing point.
As Xander walked toward the still pool, his stomach began to churn. The weight of inevitability settled over him, and he struggled to find the inner resolve he needed to continue. As though sensing his doubt, he felt a renewed tugging in his gut. Despite the dilapidated appearance of the city around them, he knew that at least one of the Elementals was here.
He stopped at the pool’s edge and crouched down until he was inches from the water’s edge. With a shaking hand, he reached out toward the pool’s surface.
“Are you sure that’s a g-good idea?” Jessica asked, breaking her silence. She ran a dry tongue over her blue-tinted lips.
“We have to do something, right?” he replied.
Xander dipped his hand into the water and felt the biting cold roll up his arm and settle in his chest. He pulled his hand back, but not so quickly that he spilled the water cupped in his palm. The water was painfully cold in his hand but, even removed from the pool, it continued to glow with an inner light. The blue painted his fingers and reflected off his face, as he stood, awestruck at the sight.
“It’s impressive,” Sean said. “I’m guessing we’re sure the Elemental’s here, then.”
Xander felt the knot forming and easing over and over in his stomach. “One of them is. That’s for certain.”
“So…” Sean began, drawing out the first word for as long as he could. “What do we do now?”
“I have no idea,” Xander admitted. “I kind of expected the Elemental to just kind of be waiting for us when we got here, like the Wind Elemental was.”
“D-did you happen to have a plan B?” Jessica asked.
Xander stared into the pool. Its light seemed to wax and wane like a heartbeat, something he didn’t remember it doing moments before. His face lit up with its glow as it pulsed, only to leave his frowning expression in deep shadows moments later. He could feel its power practically radiating from its surface. One of the Elementals was here; he just couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t appearing.
Sean cleared his throat to get Xander’s attention. As the friends locked eyes, Sean pointed over his shoulder.
“We’re kind of feeling like the third wheel… well, I guess more like the second and third wheel on a unicycle, if you want to get technical.”
Xander sighed.
“My point,” Sean said before Xander could chide him, “is that we’re going to go check out the other side of the pool and leave you to your thoughts.”
Sean and Jessica began walking around the perimeter of the pool as Xander went back to staring into its depths.
When they were far enough away, Xander knelt back down until his face was only inches from the water’s surface.
“I know you’re in there,” Xander whispered. “You made sure the Wind Elemental pointed the way to you as soon as she gave me her powers. I’m guessing you’re still asleep right now. She didn’t exactly tell me if there was something I needed to do to wake you up. If you could throw me a bone, that would be great.” Xander rolled his eyes. “You probably don’t even know what I mean by that.”
He stared at the silent and still pool, but it offered no response. Xander frowned and put his hands on his hips.
“Xander!” Sean yelled. “You need to see this.”
Xander glanced in the direction in which Sean and Jessica had disappeared before looking down at the water once more.
“Xander, I’m not kidding,” Sean reiterated. “You really need to come check this out.”
He walked around the pool until he reached the far side. Both Sean and Jessica were staring at the surface of the water. A portion of the glowing water close to the shoreline churned angrily, seemingly boiling from within. The frothing water slowly approached the shore, leaving a wake behind it. The chill in the air that he had seemed impervious to suddenly crashed down over him, and he couldn’t stop shivering.
The churning water grew closer, like a monster was swimming just below the surface. Yet beneath the boiling surface, the pool remained still and crystal clear. Xander looked and could see the bottom. There was nothing in the water beneath the agitated region.
The blue light from the water pulsed faster the closer the boiling came to the edge of the pool. It waxed and waned like a strobe light, casting the entire city into alternating dim light and inky blackness. Every time the light reemerged, the churning water had grown eerily closer.
As one, the trio stepped away from the edge. Xander couldn’t hear the chattering of teeth from his two friends, as though anticipation had frozen their bodies in place.
“Xander?” Jessica asked.
“Stay where you are,” he said. “This is what we came for.”
He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. The truth was he had no idea what to expect. He had felt sure of himself when they left the Wind Elemental, as though going to find the other two Elementals was the only course of action. Now, knowing he was about to come face to face with another embodiment of pure elemental power, he was more frightened than ever. He felt like he was making a terrible mistake.
The churning water stopped at the edge of the pool. The blue light disappeared altogether before slowly reigniting, casting their faces in sharp relief.
The water swelled in the center of the boil, rising like a bubble from beneath the surface. It grew larger as it emerged further. Slowly, the bubble shrunk around a more defined shape. The sloshing water merged into strands of hair. A pointed nose emerged as the bubble reformed into a pair of glowing blue eyes and pale blue lips.
The figure continued to emerge from the water. As she became more defined, it was obvious that she was naked, though it mattered little since her body was completely translucent, molded from the water of which she was formed. Her body glowed with the same bioluminescence of the pool.
Sean took in a sharp intake of breath as the woman finished her transfiguration. She remained ankle deep in the pool, and the water seemed to flow up her body. Despite her soft appearance, her blue glowing eyes were cold and emotionless.
Xander cleared his throat. “Are you the Water Elemental?”
The woman shifted her gaze to Xander, boring into him with her stern expression. Her blue lips pulled apart, showing translucent teeth beneath as she sneered.
“You made a terrible mistake in returning here, humans,” the Water Elemental said as the water formed a spear in her hand.
The Fire Elemental walked through the hallways of the keep with a pair of Fire Warriors following closely behind. There wasn’t a purpose to its walk; it had spent so long trapped within the bowels of the earth that it yearned for nothing more than to wander freely.
Turning, the Elemental walked down the steep steps that led from the side tower and into the courtyard. Dozens of Fire Warriors filled the courtyard, practicing battle techniques and mastering their control over their elemental powers. Flames erupted as balls of fire exploded against training targets.
It stood on the edge of the courtyard, admiring its a
rmy in practice. Every time a Fire Warrior used his powers, the Elemental felt connected to the warrior. It could feel the pull of their power as though leeched directly from the Elemental’s endless well. It was a sensual connection, one that it shared with every Fire Warrior on the planet.
Closing its eyes, the Elemental could feel other Fire Warriors already surfacing in other continents and marching toward the world’s major cities. Their destruction of humanity washed over it and sent shivers up its spine.
One of the Fire Warriors noticed their master and called the courtyard to attention. The warriors stopped immediately and saluted the Fire Elemental. With a nod of recognition, the Elemental walked through the center of the courtyard; the Fire Warriors parted before the blond woman host.
It emerged out of the far side of the courtyard and walked beneath the massive iron portcullis that led outside the castle. There was a small stretch of land between the rim of the castle and the cliff that dropped off to the river of lava below. A bridge stretched before the Elemental, dilapidated as it had always been with an open hole along its length.
The Fire Elemental turned away from the bridge and arched its neck backward, staring up at the castle wall above the portcullis archway. A man dangled from the wall like a decoration. His arms were chained to the wall, held straight out to his side awkwardly. He had a grimace on his face, but he stared straight ahead defiantly.
“Tell me, Lord Balor,” the Fire Elemental said. “Do you like your new accommodations?”
Lord Balor looked down, and his eyes widened in surprise. He immediately tried to conceal his horror, but it was too late. Balor slowly raised his eyes back up, refusing to look down at the Elemental.
“Does it pain you to see me this way? Wearing your daughter’s skin as my new host? Look at me.”
Balor kept his face straight ahead with his eyes glistening.
“Look at me, Lord Balor.”
The Fire Elemental’s feet left the hard ground, and it hovered up into the air. It drifted upward until it floated directly in front of the disgraced Lord. Balor strained against the chains when he saw it directly in front of him. The Elemental’s smile was disturbingly familiar to Balor, as it spread across his daughter’s face.
Water Shaper (World Aflame) Page 3
