Rise of the Elementals

by Rashad Freeman

  “Tarian?” He called out.

  He waited in silence, but there was no response. Slowly moving his hand to his back he slid out a dagger and moved quietly to the wall. He called for Tarian again.

  When there was still no answer he slipped into the room. Glancing from side to side, he moved purposefully like a hunting lion. Something moved in the corner behind him, but he was too slow to react.

  Before he knew it he was on the ground and Cleonicus hovered over him smirking.

  “You should’ve stayed back in Elisia.” Cleonicus spat as he raised his jagged sword high overhead.

  Daviathan rolled out of the way just as Cleonicus brought the sword crashing to the ground. Jumping to his feet, he slipped and his leg shot out awkwardly. Daviathan glanced down at the floor, streaks of blood were smeared across it and Tarian’s ragged limbs were strewn about.

  Horror and rage shot through him like an arrow. Tarian had been his oldest friend and longtime mentor. Now his body lay broken at the hands of a coward.

  “Fools you both are really.” Cleonicus called from behind him. “You and your pathetic love for the antiquated ways of the elementals. With your councils and guardians, shepherding the portals when we were meant for such greater things.”

  Daviathan’s hands shook with anger. He slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. Cleonicus stood a few feet away from him, poised to strike. His treacherous hands gripped his sword tightly, the needlelike tip directed straight at Daviathan.

  “Guardians of the dimensions, protectors of the gateways. Why do we serve when it is ours to rule?” Cleonicus shook his head like he was scolding a school child. “Don’t worry Daviathan; your death will pass quickly. I cannot say the same for those back in Elisia.”

  A bolt of pain ripped through Daviathan. For the first time he noticed the small, shimmering light in the corner of the room.

  “A tunnel key. What did you do Cleonicus, what did you do?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? As we speak the spectrals are laying waste to your precious city.”

  “No!” Daviathan wailed. His voice reverberated through the hut, shaking the entire structure.

  Cleonicus surged forward in a flash. He brought the sword sweeping through the air, moving so fast it sung as it sliced through particles.

  With a clang the metal crashed into the stone floor, but Daviathan was already gone. He had moved so fast Cleonicus didn’t even seem him.

  Raising his sword he spun around, but what he saw behind him was no longer the Daviathan he knew. What stood in his place was something much more than a man, much more than an elemental.

  His shirt had been obliterated revealing a blue toned skin, hardened with spikes. His hands were now talon-like claws, sharp as razors. His eyes beamed a fluorescent white and his hair blazed red like fire. His muscular chest heaved up and down with each breath as if he was sucking energy from the air.

  “How? It is impossible. Ascension is beyond you.” Cleonicus gasped.

  “And yet here I stand.”

  Daviathan lunged at him just as Cleonicus swung the sword. He caught it in his hand stopping the blade in his palm. He wrapped his claws around it in a vice-like grip and crushed the metal into tiny flakes of silver.

  With his other hand he drove his claws into Cleonicus, pushing him backwards until they slammed into a wall. Cleonicus gasped, splattering blood into the air. He released the crumpled hilt of the sword and brought his elbow crashing into Daviathan’s head.

  Daviathan stumbled backwards as Cleonicus slid down the wall. He recovered almost immediately and dove at Daviathan, crashing into him like a battering ram. They both flew backwards and smacked into the floor with Cleonicus landing on top. The impact was so intense it cracked the stone.

  “I’ve seen things Daviathan. The spectrals have shown me our true potential.” Cleonicus spat.

  He wrapped his hands around Daviathan’s neck as he pressed his knee into his chest.

  “They will all die and there is nothing you can do to save them.”

  He stared into Daviathan’s eyes as he tightened his grip. His fingers constricted, coiling around his neck like a python. He squeezed with all his might, wanting nothing more than to crush the life from him.

  “You’ve always overreached.” Daviathan grumbled.

  Suddenly, Daviathan grabbed Cleonicus’ wrist in one hand and began to pry his fingers away. Bucking wildly, he slung Cleonicus overhead and he flew through the air. With a thud he landed on the floor and tried to scurry to his feet.

  Before Cleonicus could stand Daviathan had crossed the room. He stood over him breathing heavily, his eyes burning like a wild fire.

  Cleonicus sat up onto his knees and glared at Daviathan. He sighed feebly and wiped blood from his mouth.

  “Our true power…is beyond your comprehension.” Daviathan said in a dark voice. Then, in a flash, his claws moved like the wind searing through Cleonicus’ neck sending his head spiraling into the air.

  Cleonicus’ headless body toppled to the ground. Daviathan stared at it momentarily, tilting his head to the side in mild interest. He’d absolutely loathed him for so long to finally see him parted from this world was almost euphoric.

  He quickly snapped out of his trance as the twinkling of the tunnel key caught his eye. He glanced across the floor, searching the room for the remains of Tarian. It wasn’t their way to leave the fallen behind, but this was not normal circumstances.

  Daviathan made for the doorway then stopped and turned as he neared the glowing blue portal that they had arrived in. He looked back to the tunnel key that Cleonicus had created. It was a bridge of sorts linking any place back to their home in Elisia. It still sparkled in the corner, but there was no point closing it now. Once it had been opened the access would be completely controlled by the other side.

  Daviathan took one last glance into the room that would become Tarian’s coffin. He closed his eyes and squeezed his scaly hands together into fists. Slowly they began to glow red and pulse brighter and brighter. Opening his eyes he unfolded his fingers and a wave of fire shot from them, instantly engulfing the hut in a sea of ravage flames. With one last look he turned and stepped into the portal.

  The Lost Prophecy

  There was no such thing as night, not in Elisia. Every bit of the city glowed with Zaspar, the same material that was used to create the portals. It bounced from the onyx floors and echoed down the hallways like a lost cry.

  This was the world of the elementals. A thriving city built around this powerful substance. Zaspar was a mystical element that could rip holes in the dimensional walls, opening gateways to other planes.

  Lupercus moved quickly down the silent halls. He’d sent Tarian and Daviathan along with Cleonicus on a mission to verify what he was certain was true. His only concern now, was the protection of the prophecy.

  It had been ages since Milicent had told of the oncoming war. It was the same night that the visions of the rebirth had come to her, the reincarnation of the fabled Proximas along with the Centum. They were elementals unlike any other, far more powerful than the entire race combined.

  She’d said dark days were ahead, that their race would be tested. That the very portals they protected may very well be their undoing. Lupercus feared he was seeing her prophecy become reality.

  “Brato, Eliana!” Lupercus whispered urgently. “Where are the children?”

  “Lupercus, what is it?” Eliana asked as she made her way into the living room.

  Eliana was the perfect example of flawless, elemental beauty. Her brown hair flowed like a river rushing to the ocean. Her bronze skin was accented perfectly by the halo of light that danced off the walls. She moved with the grace of a ballerina, but with the certainty of an assassin.

  “We need to move the children. I don’t think Elisia is safe anymore.”

  “Are you certain?” Eliana asked, the smile fading from her face.

  Lupercus nodded grimly.

  “
Brato, bring the boys! It’s time.” Eliana yelled.

  Emerging from the backroom was a tall, bushy-haired man with a broad chest and deep hazel eyes. Like Eliana there was a glow to his skin, but where she moved with grace he hurled forward with determined purpose.

  “Lupercus.”

  “Brato.”

  They both nodded at one another.

  “The boys are playing Eliana. What could be this important?”

  “I’m sorry old friend.” Lupercus interjected. “The time we have all feared may be upon us.

  “Lupercus you swore…”

  “There will be time for that later. We must move the boys now.”

  Brato paused for a minute and then disappeared back into the room. When he returned, he was followed by a tangled mess of wings and red hair. Standing not much higher than his waist, was a trio of young boys that looked more like dragons than humans.

  They were all roughly the same age. Their eyes glowed like flashlights as they snapped and clawed at each other with eagle-like talons. Their wings, enormous in relation to their size, beat powerfully blowing chairs across the room.

  “They…they have ascended this early?” Lupercus asked in shock.

  “Weeks ago. They’re just starting to control it.”

  “This is amazing!” Lupercus elated.

  Suddenly the walls shook violently and Lupercus was thrown backwards into a table. A chandelier swung and then fell from the ceiling, shattering into millions of pieces.

  Eliana darted forward swooping all three children into her arms. “Lupercus, where do we take them?” She gasped.

  “The council has a portal. We will make for Earth.”

  “Why not create one here?” Eliana asked in confusion.

  “It is feared that the master portal has been taken. If that is the case the sister portal is the only way out. Besides that, they are too young to travel through one of our own. We must make it to the great hall. Follow me!”

  Quickly scurrying to his feet, Lupercus tore off into the courtyard with Brato and Eliana on his heels. The looming pillars and clusters of Zaspar crumbled to the ground all around them. Cracks shot through the onyx flooring, jarring the ground apart like splinters of wood.

  Ahead of them a fire ravaged the walls as it spread down the corridors. Screams and cries of panic echoed in the distance.

  “Lupercus, what is this?” Eliana screamed as she pulled at her children’s hands.

  “Spectrals!” Lupercus responded grimly.

  “In the city? That can’t be!” Brato exclaimed.

  “Eliana, hide here with the children. Brato and I will clear a path and return for you.”

  Eliana was lost in his words. She stared up to the dimming ceiling as dying Zaspar disintegrated and fell to the ground. It was their legacy, the very life blood of their beautiful city. To see it all decaying into nothing was mind numbing.

  “Eliana!” Lupercus yelled.

  She jolted from her trance and turned to him. His orange eyes flared like the fires ahead of them, flickering wildly like a horde of angry dragons. There was a sense of urgency, a look of unwavering determination on his face.

  Eliana nodded and huddled the children back into their home. They no longer looked like little creatures, but scared little boys, cowering in their mother’s arms. Brato knelt in front of them, patting the tallest on the head as he cleared his throat.

  “Be calm and keep an eye on your mother for me.” He smiled at the boys trying to reassure them.

  Turning to his wife he winked, then stood up and joined Lupercus back in the courtyard.

  “What is this?” Brato asked.

  “Daviathan tried to warn us. He said the spectrals were trying to invade the city. We sent him back to get proof.”

  A ballad of screams suddenly rushed down the halls into the courtyard. A thundering rattle shook the walls. Lupercus’ eyes flashed. He looked towards the screams then turned back to Brato.

  “I know you laid down your sword in trust of the prophecy. But Brato if we don’t do something now, it will all be lost.”

  “What hope does the city have now? The only protectors we have are spread across the universes safeguarding the portals. There’s no time to call them back.” Brato declared.

  There was a loud pop and a sudden vibration in the air. Brato and Lupercus spun around simultaneously and found Daviathan charging across the room towards them. In one hand he gripped a shimmering bronze dagger in the other a decapitated head.

  “He’s right Lupercus. We’ll never assemble the few protectors we still have in time if any are alive. And our armies have been sent to slumber for years on the orders of this fool.” He slung the head towards them and it slid across the floor coming to a stop at Lupercus’ feet.

  “Cleonicus.” Lupercus whispered. “Daviathan what have you done?”

  “What have I done? What have I done? Lupercus your protégé has doomed us all. He opened the portals, the spectrals are here.”

  “No! Cleonicus loved this city. He would never do it harm.” Lupercus shook his head in disbelief.

  “Wouldn’t he? His desire for power has always outweighed his ability to see reason. He was in allegiance with the spectrals. I think he intended to merge our kind.

  “Blasphemy.” Brato stammered.

  Lupercus looked on in disbelief. He wanted to deny it all, but the dawn of reality was slowing etching across his face.

  ”He killed Tarian, and was responsible for the deaths of Abrax and his wife. We can only hope that the master portal is still safe.” Daviathan went on.

  “Abrax never knew its location.” Lupercus finally spoke again.

  “He…he was charged with its safe keeping, was he not?” Daviathan asked with a puzzled look.

  “Many at the council thought a traitor may be in our midst. I hid the portal and let it known that Abrax would protect it. Only I ever knew its true location.”

  A loud explosion suddenly blew a wall apart and smoke spiraled into the corridor from the gaping hole.

  “We must get the children out of here. They are the only ones that can retrieve the master portal and awaken the guardians.” Lupercus began to head into the corridors ignoring the fire.

  “Brato, get them to the portal. We will hold the spectrals off as long as we can.” Daviathan yelled as he followed Lupercus into the raging flames.

  The War Has Begun

  Bodies littered the ground like trash. The charred floor smoldered as smoke drifted into the air, making it almost impossible to see. Lupercus and Daviathan moved like ghosts through the fog, undaunted as they headed into the fray.

  “Pray the portal is still there my friend.” Daviathan whispered.

  Lupercus nodded, his eyes surveying the damage to his beloved city. Elisia was the home to all elementals. They had thrived there for centuries. It was a place inaccessible to all except those that could manipulate the dimensional portals they protected. No other race had stepped foot within its gates since the Relusian Détente’, more than a thousand years ago.

  The corridors were expansive dome-shaped labyrinths that spiraled throughout the city. In the center, connecting them all like a nucleus, was the great hall. Now that the city gates had been breached it would be nearly impossible to make it there.

  Daviathan slowly peered around the corner before waving Lupercus on. The walls around them slowly crumbled to ash as chunks of the ceiling crashed to the floor. Something long and shadowy slithered by and disappeared into the smoke.

  “We have no time for this.” Lupercus said with an exhausted voice.

  Before Daviathan could question what he was talking about, Lupercus spun around and took off, deeper into the black cloud of destruction. Breathing hard, Daviathan followed after him. Running at full speed to keep up, he dodged holes and falling debris, trying not to choke on the rancid air.

  As Daviathan emerged from the thick smoke, something grabbed his ankle and he tripped. His face slammed into a wall before he c
rumpled to the ground. The warm trickle of blood pooled under his gums and he spit onto the floor.

  “This is my kill!” A crackling, demented voice called from behind him.

  Daviathan rolled over just in time to evade the double sided axe that hacked into the floor. Jumping to his feet, he staggered back until he was pressed against the wall.

  In front of him stood two creatures that were almost indescribable. Dead, empty eyes swirled like tiny black holes. Long, muscular necks rose up from broad shoulders, casting a shadow over Daviathan with their enormous frames. Their heads were more animal than human, long dog-like snouts with gnarly teeth jutting out from their black gums. Their ears stood erect, turning like satellites picking up any sound.

  “Spectrals!” Daviathan snarled. “You don’t belong here.”

  He curled his fists and gritted his teeth. The air around him started to shimmer as he focused all of his energy. His skin crackled, turning to a blue spiked armor. A white glow emanated from his eyes, piercing through the smoke like a spotlight. His hair shot upward like flames turning into a brilliant red. As he unfolded his hands, deadly claws gleamed under the faint light.

  “A challenge?” One of the spectrals laughed.

  Daviathan made to move, but before he could, a hand much like his own shot through the spectrals chest from behind him. The spectral collapsed to the ground and Lupercus rose up from the smoke, gripping the spectrals beating heart. The other spectral turned to attack, but he was too slow.

  With one swipe Lupercus tore out his throat and he dropped to the floor as well.

  “I told you we don’t have time.” Lupercus spat.

  Turning on his heels he stormed off. Daviathan stared down at the dead spectrals for a moment and then followed after him. They emerged from the smoke-filled corridor into an open area and froze.

  Ahead of them a furious battle ensued. The spectrals were enormous, powerful creatures and they flooded the streets. They descended upon anyone they saw like a swarm of angry hornets.

  The people of Elisia were ill prepared. They were not warriors, but peaceful folk. Mostly scientists and philosophers, the vast amount of the residents were unable to defend themselves.