“I’m pretty sure that last one is Australia.”
“Whatever. I’ll be back with a baseball bat. Unless they only have cricket bats. Then… whatever.”
Sean faded into the gloom of the store as he searched for the sporting goods section.
Abraxas sat on the rooftop, staring over the burning city with great satisfaction. He still felt the lingering feeling in his gut from when Xander used his wind powers. Though he couldn’t pinpoint his location anymore, the General knew he was close to finding the final Wind Warrior.
He ran a sweaty hand over his bald head, feeling the slightly raised tattoos on his scalp. The flaming wings on his back tucked in close to his body as he perched on the edge of the rooftop, scanning the street below. His eyesight, bolstered with the strength of the Fire Elemental, was unfazed by the smoke that blotted the cityscape. The heat from his wings rolled over him, causing his treated leather armor to smolder and threaten to catch fire.
Lord Cambion stood patiently behind him, his arms crossed in front of him, awaiting the General’s commands. The flaming wings on his back radiated heat that even Cambion’s desensitized skin could feel from ten feet away.
“What are your orders, my lord?” Lord Cambion asked.
Abraxas turned on the man, glaring at the warrior’s invasion of the silence that had existed on the roof. The Fire Lord bowed low and cleared his throat nervously. For a brief moment, Abraxas considered burning the man to ash as he’d done his predecessor, for no other reason than the affront of interrupting him while he searched the city for something to kill.
Before Abraxas could decide on his wanton destruction, three gunshots echoed through the streets nearby. The General spun quickly toward the streets below and scanned them impatiently.
In the distance, he could see the heat signature of a man emerging from a cross street. The man’s silhouette wasn’t masked by the thick leather of the Fire Warriors.
General Abraxas smiled wickedly and turned back to Lord Cambion. After spending so much time supervising the decimation of the human race by the different Fire Caste clans around the world, it would be good to feel someone die by his hands again.
“There’s something still alive in London that needs killing,” the General said.
The Fire Lord stared at him confusedly, as he offered no directions or guidance.
Abraxas stepped off the rooftop, stretching his wings as he did. Thermal currents washed over Cambion as the General raced toward the stranger on the street.
Leftenant Wilkes paused when he reached Oxford Street. The main street, like James Street behind him, was creepily devoid of the Fire Warriors that he knew had to be around the area.
He reached up and wiped away a sheen of sweat from his dark skin. His lungs still burned from the exertion, and he looked forward for a chance to get back to the department store and rest for a while with the others. Though he had just met the odd trio of college students, they were the only friends he had on his mission to find his family.
A light breeze blew, carrying the smoke further down the street. For a moment, the tall, red brick buildings across from him were visible through the haze. Wilkes glanced up and down the street, hoping the flowing wind wouldn’t reveal an army of Fire Warrior laying in ambush.
As he glanced down Oxford Street, his eyes fell on a smoldering ruin of a double-decker bus, fallen on its side and blocking the road. The red paint was bubbled and blackened from flames. Just beyond the bus, however, Wilkes noticed something significantly more promising. A white, metal cage jutted from the building, framing a hollow entrance. Beside the entry tunnel, a telltale sign hung over the street. Its red circle with blue bar running horizontally through its center was exactly what Wilkes needed to find. The entrance to the Bond Street Underground station gave the Leftenant hope and a plan.
With a smile on his face, Wilkes turned back toward Selfridges.
A whoosh of air alerted him to danger moments before a brilliant figure flew overhead. The glowing form illuminated the smoke in the air as it passed over Wilkes. The Leftenant dropped to a knee and raised his rifle to his shoulder.
General Abraxas emerged from the smoke and slammed down onto the roof of a ruined car. The force of his impact buckled the metal frame and shattered outward what little glass remained in the car’s broken windows. He dropped down into a crouch on his landing, slamming his fist onto the car with a ringing that reverberated across the street.
Wilkes could see the dark tattoos tracing the strange man’s head, illuminated as they were by the enormous, burning wings. As Abraxas stood, he stretched the wings and let them brush the brick building behind him. The red brick blackened under the heat, and the tough mortar between the stones bubbled from the intensity.
The Leftenant felt his stomach lurch at the sight of the clearly deadly figure towering over him. The Fire Warriors he had encountered before seemed tame and manageable compared to the monster that stood before him.
“So what the bloody mess are you?” Wilkes said softly, though he doubted General Abraxas either heard him or cared.
Abraxas dropped his gaze to the Brit just as the wind died, and the smoke began to drift back across the road, separating the two men.
“It’s been far too long since I’ve killed someone,” Abraxas said. His eyes flared with internal fire. He smiled, revealing a row of sharpened teeth. “Run, if it makes you feel better. I enjoy a good hunt.”
Wilkes swallowed hard but, he felt a surreal calm settle over him. He clutched his rifle a little tighter and smiled at the Fire Warrior.
“All right, mate. Let’s dance.”
As Wilkes raised his rifle, Abraxas threw a fireball. The roaring flame struck a car beside the officer and exploded in a shower of sparks. It erupted in flames and was tossed into the air. The concussive blast from the explosion knocked Wilkes from his feet before he could pull the trigger on his rifle.
Wilkes skidded across the sidewalk from the force of the blast. The smell of sulfur seemed to settle over him like a blanket, choking his lungs and stinging his eyes.
The car crashed back to the asphalt and thick, black smoke billowed from its ruin. Wilkes quickly scrambled to his feet and raised his rifle again. The General was concealed behind the black smoke, but the Brit doubted the man had moved from his precarious perch. He raised his rifle, switching the rate of fire from single round to full automatic. As he squeezed and held the trigger, flames leapt from the end of his rifle.
He felt the kick of the rifle against his shoulder as he emptied the rest of his magazine. The rounds flashed across the street, disappearing into the thickening smoke.
The pull of the fully automatic burst pulled the weapon to the left and his bullets missed their target, spraying instead the wall beside the Fire Warrior. The rounds splintered the brick, sending slivers of the brickwork flying into the surrounding area. Its stone sliced into Abraxas’ back. The General howled in rage, surprised by the brashness of the British officer.
With the burning car between the two, Abraxas’ heat vision was blurred, concealing Wilkes’ exact location. Enraged by the man’s attack, he summoned an orbiting series of fireballs that hovered around him.
Wilkes’ rifle clicked empty as the last of the bullets left the chamber. The bolt locked to the rear and smoke faintly rolled from the barrel of the weapon. Despite the spray of gunfire, he wasn’t foolish enough to believe the howl was one of pain. It was anger, and Wilkes knew he was soon going to be in trouble.
From the thick smoke, a white-hot glowing ball of flame emerged, sailing toward him. Wilkes dropped to the sidewalk as the fireball sailed inches over his head. The flames exploded against the storefronts behind Wilkes. The Brit sucked in a breath of air and brought his legs underneath him as he prepared to run. He knew he should reload but wasn’t sure he had the time.
Two more fireballs flew out of the smoke, striking the walls haphazardly. Wilkes smiled, knowing his enemy wasn’t aiming anymore. The flames flew again
and again, striking the walls, storefronts, and nearby automobiles. Each blast filled the area with more and more dark smoke.
Despite it burning his eyes and lungs and leaving his mouth with a taste of ash, Wilkes saw an important opportunity to escape. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he was a match for the psychotic winged warrior across the street, but the Fire Warrior’s aimless destruction of the area granted the Brit more than enough opportunity to escape without being seen.
As another fireball struck the car in front of him, Wilkes leapt to his feet and sprinted down Oxford Street, using the smoke as cover. He turned and quietly slipped down Duke Street, running along the side of Selfridges.
He hoped that General Abraxas hadn’t seen him escape or figured out where he went. If he did, all the hard work Wilkes did trying to keep the college students safe would be for nothing.
Abraxas crouched back atop his building perch and scanned the city below. He knew that irritating human he had encountered on the street was still alive and, more importantly, the Wind Warrior was nearby. It seemed too coincidental that he would be hunting Xander when he encountered the black soldier. Find one, he was sure, and he would find the other.
He looked over his shoulder and saw the seeping wound on his back from where the shrapnel had cut him. General Abraxas scowled. The Wind Warrior still retained the spot on the top of his list of people to kill, but the soldier had quickly moved up to the second spot. He hoped he’d find them together. It would be such a wonderful reward to kill them both at the same time.
His frown deepened as he looked back toward the city. The Wind Warrior hadn’t reappeared, and he was due to report to the Fire Elemental. He knew reporting that Xander had eluded him would have unfortunate repercussions. However, it wouldn’t be long until he found the boy. It wasn’t technically a lie if he said he had found Xander. The warrior was trapped somewhere below and it was only a matter of time before he revealed himself.
General Abraxas closed his eyes and concentrated on the Fire Elemental. Slowly, the air in front of him shimmered.
“General Abraxas,” the Elemental said. The voice seemed to echo all around him.
He opened his eyes and stared at the giant, draconic orb hovering in the air before him. He bowed deeply before returning his gaze to the representation of his Master.
“My Master,” he said.
“Why have you bothered me, Abraxas?” it asked.
Abraxas stared at the eye and furrowed his brow. The Elemental’s voice seemed oddly strained. The Elemental was being curt, at least more so than normal. Perhaps its conquest of Los Angeles was not going as well as the destruction of London and Tokyo.
“I have located Xander Sirocco,” General Abraxas said. “I have him trapped and eagerly await your orders.”
The eye hovered in the air, and Abraxas sensed a wave of displeasure. He looked down toward the ground in confusion, not eager to make eye contact with the Elemental if it truly was displeased.
“Let him go,” the Elemental said.
Abraxas paused and his breath caught in his throat. His hand slowly clenched to a fist, and he defiantly raised his head toward the visage of the Fire Elemental.
“Master, you must be mistaken. We’ve been searching for—“
Abraxas paused in midsentence. The edges of the dragon’s vertical iris were framed in a brilliant blue. As quickly as he noticed the blue discoloration, the red and yellow of the pupil reasserted itself.
“Kill him,” the Fire Elemental said. “Kill the Wind Warrior and bring me his head as a trophy.”
General Abraxas forced a smile toward the reptilian orb. “As you wish, my Master.”
The eye disappeared from the air over London, leaving Abraxas alone once more with his thoughts and his confusion over the Elemental’s odd and contradictory behavior.
The Elemental slumped into its recliner and scowled angrily. It looked beside it and saw the human cowering at its obvious irritation. The Fire Elemental swept its hand aside, striking the man across the face, sending him sprawling across the floor. With him lying prone, the Elemental could see the series of crossing burn marks across his back.
The human had been the sole inhabitant of the luxurious penthouse at the top of the building. He had tried to defend himself against the Fire Elemental’s intrusion and now he suffered for his insolence.
With the man knocked aside, the Fire Elemental returned to its consuming anger. The anger was the only thing that overwhelmed the disappointment it felt at ordering Xander’s death. It knew it wasn’t its own emotional response. It stole a glance across the room and saw its reflection standing arrogantly with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Stop doing that,” the Elemental ordered.
“I’m never going to stop,” Sammy said. “Not until I get my body back.”
“You’ll never get it back. If I can’t evict you from my mind, then I’ll see how you feel after I kill the man you love and post his head on a stick above my city. It’ll dangle like a banner from the roof of this very building, as a constant reminder that no one—not even you—can stop me.”
Sammy chewed on her lip and stared across the spacious room. “I hope he kills you.”
The Elemental laughed, frightening the man on the floor. “If he kills me, then he kills you.”
“I’d rather die than have you using my body.” Sammy glanced at the naked woman sitting on the recliner. “And put on some clothes. Have some decency with my body.”
The Elemental looked down as though just recognizing the fact that it was truly naked. “It’s not your body anymore. If you want me to dress, force me.”
Sammy frowned at the Elemental’s challenge. It knew controlling her body was exhausting. Though the order to let Xander go had been short-lived, it had left her feeling wasted. She didn’t have the strength to make the Elemental demonstrate some semblance of modesty.
“Why?” the man on the floor said, daring a glance backward at his captor.
Both Sammy and the Elemental turned their attention to the cowering man.
“What did you say?”
The man rolled onto his side, clearly too weak to even climb to his knees. “Why do you hate humans so much?”
The Elemental stood, towering over the human. It looked over to Sammy in the mirror and smiled. “You misunderstand. I don’t hate humans. I have no issue with humans individually.”
It crouched down beside the man and reached out toward him. The man flinched away but it grabbed a hold of his hair, turning his face toward it.
“What I have a problem with is the idea of humanity in general. You treat the planet like you’re an insolent child, leaving your toys lying around with no thought to the house you’ve left in disarray.
“My brother and sisters gave you everything. They raised you like their own, giving you all the tools to be successful. They gave you the keys to their castle.”
The Fire Elemental swept its arms wide, gesturing to the amazing view from the penthouse’s large bay windows. It scowled at the man.
“And you squandered it. In a few generations, you ruined all that they had worked so hard to build. Take a look out that window and see the thick pollution hanging in the air. Even before my Fire Warriors set fire to your city, you could barely see the ocean from your window when it’s practically close enough to throw a stone and strike it.”
It paused and stared out the window. A malicious smile suddenly spread across its lips. “So, do I hate you? No. In reality, I love you. I exist solely to destroy humanity once it overstepped its bounds, and I wouldn’t even exist if you hadn’t created a reason.”
It reached down and tightly grasped the back of the man’s neck. The Elemental lowered its head dangerously close to the man. “The truth is, I should thank you.”
Sammy didn’t need to be inside the Elemental’s head to know what it had planned. “Don’t. Don’t do this.”
The Fire Elemental turned its attention to the mirror and stared a
t Sammy’s pleading expression. The man looked toward the far wall, trying to see what had caught the attention of his attacker. It saw nothing in the wide mirror aside from a reflection of the ceiling.
“You genuinely love them, don’t you? After all they’ve done, you still want to try to save them.”
Sammy frowned. “They’re not all bad. There are good people living all throughout the world. They don’t deserve you and what you’re trying to do to them.”
The Elemental laughed. Sammy felt disturbed by hearing a coarse version of her own laughter. It shook its arm, rattling the man it held by the neck. “But not this one. Look at this home. He lives in extravagance, while those just at the base of this tower live in squalor. People like him make their living on the suffering of the planet. They’re exactly why I exist.”
“No,” the man pleaded. “You got me wrong. I’m not like that. I didn’t do anything like that. Please, please.”
The Fire Elemental smiled wickedly as it stared at Sammy. “You want to control this body? You want to save humanity? Then control the body now. You have one chance to save this man’s life. Reach out with your mind and take control of the body. Stop me from doing what you know he deserves.”
Sammy shook her head, but her eyes widened in fear. “Don’t do this. You don’t have to do this.”
She tried reaching out into the Elemental’s mind, but it could already feel the fog of fatigue spreading over her efforts. She was too tired from controlling it previously.
The Elemental stood, dragging the man up by his neck. It stepped toward the bay windows and turned the man so he could see his fate. The man let out a whimper as his bladder released. He pawed weakly at the Elemental’s hand, but it did little to dissuade the monster.
Sammy focused on the hand holding the man in place, yearning to have the fingers release the man’s neck. Despite her efforts, not even a finger twitched in response.
Water Shaper (World Aflame) Page 12
