Fire and Fantasy: a Limited Edition Collection of Epic and Urban Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  The Astarii were to watch over creation and protect those who resided in it. Astarii that proved particularly gifted were awarded the title of Guardian and given stewardship of a world to protect and prosper. Elaina had proved to be a natural student. She had quickly mastered her gifts, allowing her to shape shift into the formless wind and back again. A gifted Elementalist, Elaina was able to temper or rally the Elements to her cause in a cascade of destruction.

  Seeing her talents, the Council of Five had swiftly seen to her assignment as Guardian of Meldinar, a small world on the fringe of Creation, but a prestigious post for one so young.

  Elaina smiled at the memory—that was many years ago. For two decades she had watched over the world, seeking to protect and prosper the people who called it home. The mandate of the Astarii was simple: the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. The Astarii were not to interfere in the affairs of the lower races except where occasion allowed them to preserve the lives of the Allfather's followers.

  Many Guardians chose to remain aloof from those they protected, believing themselves to be better than those over whom they had dominion. Elaina, on the other hand, could not bear to sit idly by while others suffered. In spite of their difference in station, Elaina felt an empathy for those she watched over. She could not fathom how they managed to stay firm in the face of the trials and vicissitudes of life. She knew they lived a fragile existence without the magic she commanded. Elaina felt it was her solemn duty to aid them to whatever extent she could without breaching her divine mandate.

  At times it was simple, such as when a storm threatened to sink a small fishing vessel. Elaina had watched from her place in the skies as the oblivious fishermen had bidden farewell to their wives and set out to wrest a living from the Boundless Sea. Elaina watched as the storm formed and threatened to tear the small vessel asunder, but feeling empathy for the wives and children the hapless fishermen would leave behind, Elaina interceded.

  Channeling the arcane energy that surged through her being, she communed with the storm. With a natural affinity for her art, Elaina swiftly dispersed the foul weather and calmed the raging waves, leaving a crew of confused but grateful men resting on the suddenly-still sea.

  Other times the role of the Guardian was soul-crushingly difficult. Once Elaina was forced to watch as a warlord burned a village to the ground. To do so while knowing she possessed power capable of stopping it hurt her soul. But to save the village would have required the wholesale destruction of the warlord and his men. Such a loss of life would violate the mandate of the Astarii. While innocent, the villagers were few in number, while the warlord and his minions were many. In the arithmetic of the Astarii it was the number of lives—rather than the type of life being lived—that mattered. Such experiences were difficult to stomach.

  Fortunately, the opportunity before Elaina was not so complicated. The forest fire was spreading swiftly, driven by a strong westerly wind. In its path lay the small community of Greensbrook. A cluster of homes too small to be considered a village, Greensbrook was home to hunters and farmers who preferred the quiet solitude of the forest to the hustle and bustle of the larger towns in Valaar. Elaina watched as the villagers tried to clear the brush ahead of the flames to create a break between the encroaching blaze and their homes. Others formed a line to a nearby stream and were hurriedly trying to ferry water from the stream to where it would soon be needed.

  Elaina watched from overhead as the forest fire hurtled toward the homes. The wind was picking up pace and soon the inferno would sweep over the community, consuming all before it. The fire would jump the hastily-erected fire-break and continue burning. Those not consumed by the flames would soon succumb to the smoke and ash. The community had woefully underestimated the danger posed by the wind-driven inferno, or overestimated the value of their homes relative to their lives. In any event the die was cast and they would soon perish.

  Elaina watched in horror as a young child, unnoticed by her parents, slipped off into the woods, heading straight for the encroaching flames. Elaina descended to the forest floor and retook her human form. Out of view of the homes, she was safe to work without interruption or observation. The child tottered about on her feet, confused and curious about this new stranger.

  Elaina closed her eyes and began to summon her power. The Astarii understood the flames that hurtled toward her, there was nothing arcane or unnatural about the blaze it was simply a force of nature. That force needed to be diverted or diluted until it would dissipate altogether.

  First Elaina called to the wind and it bent easily to her will. The air moving about her felt like an extension of her own being. With a thought the sorceress changed the wind's direction. Instead of barreling towards the east, driving the flames before it, the wind now blew from east to west forcing the flames back in the direction they had traveled from. Robbed of its impetus by the change in wind the flames now spread at a slower rate.

  Elaina turned her attention to the flames themselves. At the Astarii's will storm clouds rolled in from Boundless Sea to the east. Driven by the swift wind they were soon overhead. The once bright afternoon sky was now black, the storm clouds billowed overhead, blocking out the sun and casting the forest into shadow.

  Now! Elaina issued the mental command and the heavens broke open. Rain fell in heavy sheets across the forest. The timber that wasn't already burnt to cinders was soon soaking wet. The flames themselves fought desperately to advance but the combination of the driving rain, and the steady wind quenched the flames and they too succumbed to Elaina's will.

  Elaina could have extinguished the flames by other means, but in this as in other instances where she had intervened, Elaina strove to do so in as natural a manner as possible avoiding detection by those she sought to protect.

  Content that the rain would account for the last vestiges of the forest fire, Elaina looked to the child at her feet. The young girl just stood quietly at her side, one hand gently pulling on Elaina's flowing blue dress. Elaina bent down and smiled at the child. “You'll be safe now, little one. You’d best be heading home now. Where are Mama and Papa?”

  “Bella!” a voice shouted as if to answer her question.

  “Bella!” cried another. Clearly the villagers had discovered the child missing. Elaina gave the child's hand a squeeze and with a thought shape-shifted back into her Astarii form. Floating gently on the breeze, Elaina wafted up into the sky as a handsome young man burst through the trees.

  He was broad-shouldered, and his tanned complexion spoke to a life spent outdoors. His steely gray eyes and black beard lent him a serious demeanor. The symbol on his tunic caught Elaina's attention. The silver star was an ornate embellishment for the simple community, far from what she would have expected of those who resided in Greensbrook.

  Finding the child the handsome man broke into a smile. “Bella!” he called happily as he scooped up the young child. “Your mother is worried sick for you.”

  Lucky woman, Elaina thought. The life of a Guardian was a lonely one. Today, as she had so many times before, Elaina Stormborn wondered what it would be like to share her life with another. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, instead focusing happily on the lives she had saved.

  The rain might have been heavy but her spirits were light. Elaina wafted gently over the forest as she made her way west. Sunset from the western coast of Valaar was a glorious sight, and she had no intention of missing it.

  What a stroke of luck, Marcus Listar thought as he swung Bella up to sit on his shoulders. The rain could not have come at a better time. It had held off all summer, causing a terrible drought, but the heavens had picked a most fortuitous time to show their favor. The small community had escaped a terrible fate. Marcus couldn't help but be surprised at the sudden turn of the weather—he could have sworn there wasn't a cloud in the sky earlier.

  As he had ran through the forest Marcus had spotted a woman up ahead. She was dressed in a long, flowing blue dress and had dark ha
ir down past her shoulders. Her attire looked entirely out of place against the rich green hues of the forest. The woman was bent down and speaking to the wandering Bella.

  A gentle gust blew through the trees and the woman vanished. One moment she was there holding Bella's hand, and the next she was gone. Marcus had run to Bella's side, then made his way back toward the village. His thoughts returned to the mysterious woman in blue who had vanished before his eyes.

  Eleen—Marcus thought the name by instinct. As a child he had heard the tales told in his father's court, stories of a woman who would appear out of nowhere, sparing sailors stranded at sea, or wanderers lost in the woods. The people of Khashish called her Eleen, meaning “Storm Goddess” in their native tongue. Some believed her to be a sorceress, others a mere fable. Whatever the truth was, in many parts of Meldinar she was worshiped as the Goddess of Nature.

  Marcus had always presumed she was a fable, but the sudden fortuitous storm and the woman's ability to disappear in front of his very eyes left him little choice but to believe. As Marcus made his way back to the settlement he counted himself fortunate indeed—he wished only for an opportunity to thank her.

  Two

  Elaina's duties as Guardian took her all over the world. Meldinar, as it was known among the Astarii and to its own people, featured two large continents: Sevalorn and Tousalon. Between them lay a smattering of islands, of which Valaar was the largest. Many of the smaller islands were sparsely inhabited. Others were havens for those who didn't fit well into civilized society. The Archipelago of Pestalar was one such place, home to a swathe of miscreants and misfits that plagued the Boundless Sea, the ocean that stretched between Sevalorn and Tousalon.

  Pestalar was a den of smugglers, pirates and murderers. It was a place where the strong reigned supreme and trampled others beneath them. It was a lawless and chaotic place, one which Elaina avoided as much as possible—the dregs of society found their way to Pestalar. Guardian or not, Elaina had little interest in preserving their lives.

  The nations of Sevalorn were in almost perpetual struggle, proud empires and kingdoms striving for control of the continent and its riches. Not all of its nations were human. Among the races that called Sevalorn home were the Dwarves, the fey spirits known as the Diadri, and the savage Kairon.

  Tousalon, on the other hand, was unified under the Tousar, an enigmatic ruler who possessed great wisdom and understanding. The Tousar kept the peace between the different castes and ensured that no one group was able to trample the rights of another within his Kingdom. The insular people of Tousalon had little to do with outsiders and, while curious, Elaina merely observed while allowing them to govern themselves peacefully.

  In spite of its small size, Valaar was the place Elaina spent much of her time. Something about the island seemed to resonate within her. It was a land of opportunity and freedom. Slavery had been abolished centuries earlier, and every man, woman and child had rights that were sacrosanct and protected by the laws of the land. Its throne lay vacant, for its last king, Eleazar, had died without siring an heir. Rather than descend into chaos, the island kingdom had agreed to be governed by the heads of the Great Houses, working in concert to avoid civil war.

  Elaina always gravitated back to Valaar. Summer was passing swiftly and the preparations for the Midsommer’s Feast were well underway. Citizens from all over Valaar gathered at the Capital, King's Court, for a week of celebration and feasting. The central attraction was the Grand Tournament, where aspiring warriors from all over the island would compete. The grand prize was a hundred gold pieces and a commission in the King's Guard.

  In the Spirit of Valaar, all were allowed to compete, and compete they did. From peasants hoping to rise to a better life, to soldiers looking to make a few coins, the nobility also entered eagerly, hoping to bring honor to their family and perhaps, with a victory, encourage the women in attendance to consider their courtship more favorably.

  King's Court itself was thronged with visitors from all over the island kingdom. The Tournament and its attendant banquet were the most popular events of the year. Whether it was a socialite seeking to rub shoulders with the Great Houses or a day laborer looking for a cheap meal and a fine ale, the Midsommer's festivities were an enticing occasion.

  Elaina loved to observe the hubbub of the city, tens of thousands of people milling about, merchants selling their wares on every corner. For one who lived her life in relative isolation, the confluence of people and cultures was thrilling.

  Floating over the city, Elaina watched as a man ducked into one of the city’s many alleys and hastened down the quiet passage.

  Suddenly a door on his right opened and a brawny bear of a man emerged. Without warning he stepped into the traveler’s way and with both hands roughly shoved the man into the opposing wall. The startled man gave a cry as he bounced off the stones and collapsed to the ground. Two more thugs emerged from the building and took up positions beside the helpless man.

  Elaina descended to get a closer look.

  “What was that for?” the man asked as he tried to get to his feet.

  The burly bully delivered a brutal kick to the man’s midsection, sending him sprawling back to the ground. “Don't get up,” the thug responded, looming over the poor man.

  Elaina chafed at the senseless violence. The poor man didn't stand a chance against the three men now surrounding him. Every fiber of her being wanted to intercede on his behalf but to do so would require her to stop the three men now victimizing the poor fellow. With each passing moment Elaina wondered if she had the restraint necessary to do so without ending their existence.

  “Khazim sent us to collect the money he's owed. So show us the silver or we'll take it from your corpse when we're through with you.”

  “I haven't got it,” the man stammered. “I'm a merchant I used the funds to purchase goods for the Tournament. When they are sold Khazim will get his money as promised. Until the goods sell, though, I cannot pay.”

  “Cannot pay huh? That is most unfortunate.” The bully grew more overtly threatening with each passing moment.

  “Khazim knows I'm good for it,” the man pleaded. “I've always paid him back before—he has no reason to think I will do any differently now. Just let me sell my wares and I'll soon have the funds. The Midsommer's Tournament is my most profitable venture of the year—just give me time.”

  “Unfortunately, Khazim is fresh out of time and so are you,” the thug responded, drawing his billy club from his belt.

  To hell with the consequences! Elaina dove towards the men.

  Her descent, however, did not match the descent of the thug's billy club as it struck the helpless merchant on the side of his head. There was a sickening crack as the man's neck snapped. His body went limp and crumpled to the cold cobblestones.

  Elaina stopped where she was. The poor man was dead. She watched with anger as the three thugs proceeded to loot the merchant’s corpse, pocketing a small pouch of coins. “Khazim will be disappointed but it's better than nothing,” the thug said to his minions. Gesturing to the body he continued: “Get rid of that, would you?”

  “Sure thing, boss,” one thug replied, and they picked up the man's body and dragged it back into the building they had emerged from. Elaina was furious as she watched the murderer disappear back into the building and shut the door behind him.

  I shouldn't have hesitated, Elaina thought. Would the Astarii lose a moment's sleep over a few thugs? Somehow she doubted the Five had time for such things—they were the most ancient and powerful Astarii, the governing body of their kind. The guardians carried out their duties under the direction of the Five. The Five have never intervened in my affairs before, Elaina thought as she struggled with the senseless violence she had just seen. Such waste of life sickened her. She thought of the family the man had likely left behind—a wife and children that would never see their father again.

  Elaina resolved not to allow such senseless violence to be perpetrated in
her presence again. Faced with the same choice again, she would rather spare the merchant and argue her case before the Five. Whether they would support her decision was another matter, but in that moment Elaina would rather deal with an uncertain fate than an uneasy conscience. It was just not in her nature to stand idly by. Rules or not, she was tired of seeing good people suffer while she had the power to do something about it.

  As Elaina drifted away from the sobering scene, she wondered again about the price her duties demanded. To be an Astarii was to be apart, aloof from the world and everyone in it. When she was a child the role of Guardian was held out as an ideal to aspire to. The office was glorified in the extreme—to be a Guardian was to be the chosen servant of the Allfather with stewardship over an entire world. It was a sign of unparalleled confidence in one’s abilities and one of the highest offices an Astarii might aspire to.

  Beyond the role of Guardian, an Astarii might one day rise to the Council of the Five, governing the Guardians and attending to the temporal needs of Creation. Given the longevity of the Astarii race, the Five could serve for hundreds, if not thousands of years, usually until they fell in battle. But that was an unlikely event, as the Five were masters of their respective Elementals—Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and the essence of Arcana. Few were the foes capable of endangering the Five, so vacancies on the Council were few and far between.

  Now Elaina found herself in an immensely unsatisfying position. Guardian of a fringe world, unable to use her abilities to the degree she wished, and unable to progress to a higher office, Elaina was frustrated. She couldn't bear to watch the people of this world suffer when she had the means available to spare them. Such interference was not the way of the Astarii.

  Aloof and alone,. Elaina thought with increasing dissatisfaction. She realized that in spite of gaining the title of Guardian, the highest office she might reach, she had everything she had ever sought and yet nothing she needed.