The Five Elements

by Scott Marlowe

  "What, then, have you done to dispel such musings? Have you made an effort to explain the satchel's purpose?"

  "No. What am I to tell him?" Before Ursool could reply, he added, "It's better he never knows. There's no reason for him to know. Now, let us speak of something else."

  Ensel Rhe rose to put another log on the fire. When he'd once again settled himself, Ursool said, "There is no greater force in this world than the quest for revenge."

  The eslar flashed a look of annoyance. "I asked that we—"

  "I do not speak of your son. I speak of Krosus. Hunter is only one of his guises. Also, he is Lord of Vengeance. He may have been summoned for the former, but he will do his duty as the latter… if the opportunity presents itself."

  Ensel Rhe, placated, sat back at the explanation. After some rumination, he said, "It is a frightening thought. A demon, driven the same as I am. Such a fiend would never stop."

  Ursool said nothing right away. When she did, it was only to say, "No, such a fiend never would."

  14. Attunement

  IGNORING THE FIRST SOUNDS OF thunder, Shanna made her way straight for the quarterdeck's railing where she thought at first to grab hold of the spider web of ropes, lean out over the edge, and hang on for dear life. She didn't, though, for as soon as she was close enough to see over the side her head swam and she nearly fell flat on her back. Only a quick grab at the ropes saved her.

  "Pretty far up, huh?"

  It was Tom, who looked as if he was about his duties but who stopped, if only for a moment.

  "Yes, we are," Shanna said. "I thought the top of Graggly's Tower was high, but this…" She leaned out over the railing once more, looking at the ground below. Long, sloping hills were covered so densely with trees it looked like a bobbing sea of green. She leaned further out, trying to drink it all in. "This is amazing!" The words had barely escaped her lips when her grip on the ropes slipped. Only Tom's assistance saved her.

  "Whoa! Careful!" he said, hauling her back. "We're with the wind now, so should mostly be a smooth ride. But you still need to watch yourself."

  Shanna steadied herself with two hands on the railing.

  "Don't worry. It took all of us a while to get used to it. But it's the future of travel. Cap'n says so! Here!" Tom reached into his shirt and pulled out a small pouch. From it, he took out a small block of something green. "Take this. With a storm coming, you'll likely need it sooner 'fore later. Just a smidgen. Put it between your lip and your gums. It'll last about half a day. Helps with the wobbles."

  Shanna took it with a nod, sniffed at it, then put the cube in her pocket.

  "Now," Tom said, "I better get back to it 'fore one of the mates sees me dawdling."

  Shanna watched him jump down to the waist deck and disappear amongst the other airmen there.

  Thunder boomed again, this time shaking the deck of the Griffin and sending a rolling vibration deep into the hull. The noise hastened the men into action as they prepared for the coming storm by tightening ropes and stowing anything that wasn't bolted down. Shanna remained on the quarterdeck, which was empty but for herself and the occasional mate busy at some task. She did her best to stay out of the way while she immersed herself in the thrill of it all. Never in her life would she have guessed that she'd partake in such a voyage. It was the stuff of dreams and wishes. She could only imagine how much someone might pay for such a privilege. A king's ransom, Shanna figured.

  She was suddenly reminded of the prisoners. It was likely they did not share her present excitement. She knew they'd been brought onboard. Probably locked up somewhere below. She'd have to find out where and visit them, to let them know she was still working on a way to free them. Tom would know where they were being held. She resigned herself to ask about them the next time she ran into him.

  Shanna spotted the dwarven chief at the bow of the ship. If not for the presence of two of his dwarves standing beside him, Shanna might have approached. She was just thinking she might do so anyway when the winds changed. The Griffin's bow heaved, cresting like a ship passing over a wave. The airship hung suspended like that as the winds assailed her, then she dropped and leveled off. Shanna, who'd just managed to grab hold of the deck's railing, was wondering if another assault was forthcoming when another gust answered her question. Again, the airship rose and fell. The moment it leveled off, Shanna took out the herbal cube given to her by Tom, broke off a smidge, and placed it in her mouth as instructed. She'd just shoved the remainder in her pocket when another gust hit the airship. Thunder cracked nearby, shaking the hull so that Shanna felt the vibrations course through her hands and feet and into the rest of her body.

  It occurred to her that perhaps she should go below when Erlek, his sitheri guard in tow, emerged from the companionway. He took in the situation with a glance, then mounted the short flight of stairs separating the quarterdeck from the captain's perch. One snakeman remained at the foot of the stairs while the other followed Erlek up. The captain, whom Shanna had not seen up to this point, greeted the pair at the top. From the expression on his face it was immediately clear the man was not pleased to see Erlek. The captain was a tall, lean man, dressed in a heavy frock, with hair the color of walnut, chiseled features, and a stare that, though not directed at Shanna, still caused an uneasiness in her gut. Shanna thought nothing of eavesdropping, and so she took clumsy, unbalanced steps towards them while fighting down a growing unsettling in her stomach. The remedy was not working fast enough. The sitheri who guarded the stairs fixed its serpentine eyes on her, forcing Shanna to fight off a chill as she looked into their inhuman depths. But the snakeman, having no care for what she was about, turned its gaze from her and paid her no more attention. Shanna swallowed, taking the last few steps needed to hear the exchange going on above. She let her gaze sweep the length of the ship, pretending to have some interest in goings-on about there. Erlek and the captain were already deep into an argument.

  "I am telling you we need to run out the landing stays and set down!" the captain said, shouting so that his words rose above the shriek of the wind. "She's holding her own for now, but these winds are growing stronger! Soon—"

  Thunder cracked, drowning out the rest of his sentence.

  "No!" Erlek said, once the thunder had rumbled away. "Get too close to the trees and you risk tearing the balloon! We cannot afford the repair time! We will stay the course! We will not land!"

  "I'll not risk my ship—"

  "You forget yourself, captain! Without me, there would be no ship! Now, stay your course! Take the Griffin above the clouds if you must, but get me to Cauldron Mountain!"

  Sensing that Erlek was finished, Shanna cast a sidelong glance at the captain's perch where she saw the savant give the Griffin's commander his back. Shanna kept her eyes on the captain, wondering if he might try something. The snakeman who had followed Erlek must have thought the same thing, for it stood there after its master had descended to the quarterdeck, waiting and watching. If the captain had anything planned, he thought better of it, for he only flashed a look of disgust and turned away. Only then did the sitheri follow its master down.

  With Erlek rapidly descending the stairs, Shanna realized she stood entirely too close to escape being accused of eavesdropping. A few hurried steps away from the stairs did nothing to change this and, as Erlek approached her directly rather than return belowdeck, Shanna prepared herself for a scolding. None was forthcoming. Erlek did not even spare her a glance. The whole of his attention was on the approaching storm. When he placed his boney fingers upon the railing, too close to Shanna's hands, she eased hers away, crossing her arms across her chest. She hoped the Griffin might remain steady, at least for a little while.

  "They are trying to stop me," Erlek said, almost too soft for Shanna to hear above the wind. Then it started to rain cold, wet drops that did not pitter-patter at all but came down in a sudden cascade. The balloon protected them from the worst of it, though the gusting wind still sent fat drops at them in
sideways fashion. Airmen rushed by, running fore and aft as they continued to see to the airship's needs and stay one step ahead of the storm. Shanna did not envy them. Except to raise his voice enough for Shanna to hear, Erlek went on as if there'd been no change at all. "Trying to stop us. Risen from the grave by the invocation of the Element's power, they will do all they can to keep us from our task. But we will not let them stop us. We will prevail."

  Shanna didn't know whom Erlek was talking about, nor did she particularly care right now. As more rain slapped her in the face, she really only wanted to get out of the weather. But Erlek still had need of an audience.

  "If only we already had the Element of Air in our possession," he said, "we could sweep away these winds like a child's plaything." He waved one hand across the sky, as if such movement might demonstrate the desired effect. "Soon, all of the Elements will be ours. Then let them come. Let them try and stop me." Erlek went silent. Then, as if noticing Shanna for the first time, he asked, "Where is Mirna?"

  The words had barely escaped Erlek's lips when a voice answered behind them.

  "Here."

  Startled, Shanna turned to find Mirna there, with head bowed, ready to serve.

  Erlek grunted in satisfaction, then he gathered his robes, wet now, and returned belowdeck. His guard followed.

  Shanna turned to Mirna. "Where did you go?" she asked, not angry, only curious. She'd not seen the woman since they'd parted company in Erlek's cabin.

  "I thought it best to prepare your room for you, mi—Shanna. It awaits you." She bowed, ignoring the rainwater that pelted her gown.

  "Let's go, then," Shanna said. "No point in staying out here getting wet."

  The moment Shanna and Mirna reached the cabin the storm turned worse. Though they had no window in which to monitor its progress, they felt its ferocity in the way the ship heaved, lifted, and swayed. It was a maddening thing, to sit helpless while the elements decided one's fate, but there was nothing to be done for it.

  The cabin was as small as promised. Deeper than it was wide, there was room only for a single hammock that swung with the movement of the ship and a small writing desk and chair. Shanna's belongings—not hers, really, but the things that had been present in the wagon—had been brought onboard and stowed away neatly between a small chest bolted to the floor and a stack of drawers built into one wall. Mirna, who seemed unaffected by the storm's violence, occupied the chair where she worked at mending a shirt. Lit candles cast shadows in time with the movement of her needle as Shanna, mesmerized, watched the rise and fall of the woman's hand. At first Shanna had thought Mirna meant to room with her. She wasn't against the idea at all, though once she'd seen the size of the room she had to admit it'd be a tight squeeze. But Shanna soon learned that Mirna had a small space of her own further belowdeck. Though she began to leave for it now, Shanna asked the woman to keep her company for a time. While Shanna didn't feel like talking, she also did not feel like being alone. Mirna offered no argument.

  At one point, heavy boots clambered by outside the door. An airman shouted for all passengers to 'batten down'. Shanna wondered who else the man was addressing other than herself, then she realized the dwarves likely bunked nearby. Despite the storm and the jerking movement of the ship, something about the swaying motion finally lulled Shanna to sleep.

  She woke hours later. As she lifted herself from the haze of sleep, she noticed Mirna remained in her chair, though she was done with her mending. She found the woman staring at her, her expression a mask, emotionless. Shanna looked away, but still she felt Mirna's gaze on her. There was something in the woman's eyes that made Shanna uncomfortable. Keeping her gaze averted, she made a display of yawning, then swung her legs over the edge of the cot. The moment her feet touched the floor she noticed how stable the airship felt. The storm had passed. Shanna risked another glance at Mirna. Whatever she'd seen—or thought she'd seen—was gone now.

  "What time is it?" Shanna asked. She saw they'd burned through at least one candle, though Mirna had lit more. It was an unaccustomed luxury. Back home, Shanna often had to make a single candle last a week or more.

  "It is night." Mirna stood. "Master Nee has requested you attend him the moment you wake. He felt you would need what sleep you could get for what lies ahead and bid me not wake you."

  Shanna spied a nearby washbasin. It was empty, but there was a bar of soap, a towel, and a stoppered flask full of water that Shanna used to fill the basin and wash. Once she was done, she started towards the door. "Let's go." Mirna followed without a sound.

  They found the door to Erlek's cabin unguarded. Inside, he was alone. Seeing the man reminded Shanna of those locked away somewhere below. She scolded herself, renewing her vow to go find them at the first opportunity. They needed to know she was still thinking of them. More importantly, that she hadn't forgotten them and that she would free them. Never mind that, aloft as they were, there was nowhere to go. Nevertheless, Shanna resigned to at least find and visit them the moment she left Erlek's cabin.

  The savant stood to one side, before the table where the Element of Earth lay. His back was to them. Mirna, as if responding to some unspoken command, bowed and, without turning, left. She quietly shut the door behind her.

  "Earth," Erlek said immediately, "is the most powerful of the Elements. Fire does not harm it, air merely disperses and relocates it, and water only turns it to mud whereupon, when dry, it returns to its original state."

  Not sure how to respond or even if she was supposed to, Shanna remained quiet.

  "Water," Erlek said, "is the most powerful of Elements. While fire may turn it to steam, it is only a temporary state change. Air bothers it little, while earth is permeated and turned to mud." Erlek turned to face her. "And so on. Do you see the flaw in what I have said?"

  Shanna thought for a moment. "No."

  "I have claimed the same supremacy for two different things. I spoke of water's effect on earth and earth's on water. On one hand, water was dominant. On the other, earth. So which is it?"

  Again, Shanna took a moment to think. "Neither."

  "Yes." Erlek moved to the chair he had occupied during their last visit. "Good." He sat. "In our world, the elements coexist together in a strong balance. Though one may gain dominion over another for a period of time, no element can truly ever destroy or rule another. This is law."

  "What about when you put a fire out with water?" Shanna asked. "The fire is gone."

  Erlek nodded. "True. But is it gone for good? It might not spring up in that same place, but it will elsewhere, given time. Fire is energy and energy cannot be destroyed. Here." Erlek sprang from the chair to move to the desk where a sheet of parchment was laid out. With deft movements, he sketched something with a charcoal pencil, then motioned Shanna closer. Shanna moved as close as she needed to in order to see what he had drawn, but no closer. She saw four symbols: a triangle, a circle, a set of lines drawn slanted and parallel to one another, and last, a second triangle, this one turned upside down with a line drawn through it. Each of the symbols was drawn roughly equidistant to the other and arranged so that Erlek next drew lines connecting each with every other one so that all combinations were satisfied. "Each one of these glyphs represents one of the elements. You see, there is balance amongst them. A powerful unity. These lines I have drawn, they are the bonds connecting them. They cannot be severed."

  Erlek continued talking, but Shanna wasn't listening. She did recognize the symbols. Deep below Norwynne, where great doors opened to a hall whose floor sparkled with gemstones and, beyond, the chamber where she'd seen the glyphs. Thinking back to that episode, she'd found the room and its contents thoroughly unremarkable. But now, as she looked at the drawn symbols, the entire affair took on new significance. Still, what was so important about that place? Shanna had no intention of asking Erlek, nor would she tell him anything about it. For now, she had to know more. She returned her attention to the savant.

  "…important you know this and und
erstand. Your mind must be attuned to the world around you. You must accept a great deal on faith alone, for we haven't the time to start with any sort of formal training. The Elements will respond to a spirit that is one with theirs. That in itself is enough to invoke them. But it is not enough to control them."

  "How do I control them, then?" Shanna asked.

  "Through courage, faith, determination… discipline of the mind and an acceptance of your place in the world. Some of this may seem abstract to you now. We will explore these concepts and more over the next two days."

  "Why only two days?"

  "Because that is all the time we have before reaching Cauldron Mountain. There, we will find the Element of Fire. You must be ready to use the Element of Earth by then, for you will need its power to free the other. Now, enough of that. One thing at a time. Come. Stand and face the Element."

  Shanna did so. It remained wholly unremarkable. A simple clay bowl. She'd stood close to it before, but this time was different, for Erlek next asked her to reach out and touch it.

  "Hold it if you like," he said.

  Shanna took a deep breath. Her heart set a thundering tempo in her chest. Then she reached out with both hands. As her fingers neared the edge of the bowl, a tingling sensation permeated her fingertips. Goose bumps flew up her arms and a chill swept across her skin. She shuddered, then pulled her hands away.

  "You have nothing to fear," Erlek said, looking on. "The Element is yours to command."

  Shanna took another deep breath and tried again. This time, when the sensation returned, she let it sweep through her. Then, resolute, she touched the Element. Nothing happened. No flare of brilliance, no burst of light. Not even a vibration. Nothing. It felt cool to the touch and smooth. Neither sensation was terribly unusual, for it was an earthenware bowl, after all. Not for the first time, Shanna thought that perhaps that was all it was: a simple piece of crockery, destined to hold someone's soup and not control one of the forces of nature. She cast a sidelong glance at Erlek, wondering if she might find him laughing at the joke he'd played on her. She wondered at just how stupid she looked right now, so full of hesitance over touching a piece of kitchenware. But there was nothing but seriousness and curiosity in the man's face. Then, also, there was the tingling she felt at its touch. That much of it was real regardless of what other possibilities her mind thought up. Shanna returned her attention to the Element. She swallowed, taking long, deep breathes in a vain attempt to slow her rapidly beating heart. Then, before procrastination prevented her from taking action any longer, she picked it up. Held in her hands, it felt no different than any other bowl. Perhaps thinner, more fragile, its weight thoroughly unimpressive. The tingling sensation running from the bowl and into her fingers persisted, neither increasing nor abating.