Rise of the Elementals (2 page)

He removed his hood; his dark, black hair
still covering his eyes. His face was thin and angled, his skin
dark absent an imperfection.

“
It is no secret, your
disdain for the council. Now blasphemy has fueled your outrageous
claims.”

“
Cleonicus, he would
never.” Lupercus cut him off.

“
Don’t be fooled by his
empty acts of valor. This is all a ploy to unseat the council. An
attempt at a coup with his aging counterpart.”

Daviathan moved so quickly he was nothing
more than a streak of light. One moment he was standing in front of
the council table, the next moment he had Cleonicus by the throat.
With little effort, he slammed his face into the hardened surface
and leaned over him.

“
You claim to know much
young fool.” Daviathan moved closer. “Know this boy, if your seat
is what I sought I would’ve long since taken it…by
force!”

“
He did not mean to offend
Daviathan.” Lupercus said, hesitantly approaching him.

Daviathan sighed and slowly loosened his
grasp on Cleonicus’ neck. He took a step back and Cleonicus quickly
righted himself as he scowled at Daviathan.

“
Apologies to the council,
I mean no disrespect.” Daviathan said, clearing his throat. “It is
urgency that forces my hand. We performed the contai on Abrax. With
his final breath he told us the spectrals seek the master
portal.”

“
Impossible!” Several of
the council members stammered in unison.

“
It is true.” Tarian
pleaded.

“
Daviathan we have lived
here for centuries. Our defenses have stood the test of time. We
have thwarted many a foe, as we will with these inbred mutts.”
Theodoros said defiantly.

“
Do you hear this?”
Cleonicus asked turning to Lupercus. “He would have us believe the
spectrals are after a weapon that they know not. And even if they
did have knowledge of its existence, they could never use
it.”

“
Oh, I do believe they know
of it Cleonicus and with the proper assistance they could access
its power.” He raised his eyebrows.

“
Riddles are for fools and
children Daviathan. Speak your mind.” An older man known as Iasos
demanded.

“
It is no secret that many
in this council have believed the spectrals had turned an
elder.”

“
Ha! That rumor died along
with its originator.” Cleonicus laughed.

“
Indeed it did, but a
younger council member, someone like you Cleonicus, could’ve easily
picked up the charge.”

“
You dare!” Cleonicus
raged.

“
I do!” Daviathan shot
back.

“
Enough! Daviathan do you
have proof of any of this?” Lupercus asked. He stepped in between
them and held out his arms.

“
Send an envoy, go
yourself. You will see that my words are true.”

“
That would suit you
wouldn’t it, an empty council, ripe for the taking?” Cleonicus
pressed on.

Daviathan didn’t respond. He stared at
Lupercus with a determined look in his eyes. Lupercus considered
him for a moment.

“
Cleonicus, travel with
Tarian and Daviathan to Abrax’s station. You yourself can verify if
his claims are real.”

“
Lupercus, certainly there…
there are others that are better suited.” Cleonicus stuttered. “You
cannot mean me to leave the council just to indulge his foolish
endeavors.”

“
Who would be better? I’m
sure under your watchful eye no stone will go unturned.”

Cleonicus made to object, but Lupercus held
his hand out and a small blue sphere floated across the table.
Tarian and Daviathan stepped forward then looked to Cleonicus.
Gritting his teeth he joined them as they stepped into the portal
and vanished.

A Cowards
Betrayal

A familiar smell hung in the air. The smell
of death, the smell of a life snuffed out prematurely. It was a
rancid, hopeless smell; so thick that it was almost palpable.

Candles lit each corner of the dusty hut.
The flickering glow, casting shadows against the bumpy, clay walls.
Daviathan and Tarian stood in the main room, watching as Cleonicus
pretended to inspect the area.

“
There is nobody here. I’ve
seen enough.” Cleonicus said, not trying to hide his
annoyance.

“
That alone should raise
suspicion should it not? It was you yourself that sent Abrax here.”
Daviathan walked past him and began to look around. “His body was
here, you can see the blood trails.”

“
Possibly, but none of that
suggests the claims you made to the council.”

“
You cannot be that foolish
Cleonicus. If we do nothing we shall all perish.”

Cleonicus smirked at him and shook his head.
Scuffing at the blood marks with his shoes he sighed.

“
I grow weary of your games
Daviathan.” Cleonicus whispered as he disappeared into another
room.

Daviathan grinded his teeth and glanced at
Tarian, sharing a look of exasperation. Instead of preparing for
battle and awakening the other elementals, they were here with a
coward justifying their claims.

“
Tarian, come help me with
this.” Cleonicus called out.

“
Could they have paired us
with a more useless councilman?” Tarian said as he turned the
corner and headed into the room.

Rolling his eyes, Daviathan walked into the
kitchen. Abrax had assimilated himself quite well, he thought. Rows
of colorful plates and bowls were stacked on the counters.
Paintings and different types of artwork hung from the wall. A
century and a half on Earth was bound to rub off.

Elementals weren’t meant for such things. An
immortal species, they didn’t adjust well to the finite ways of
humans. Prior to Abrax no elemental had lived on Earth for longer
than a decade.

A thin layer of dust had accumulated in the
hours they were gone, but time didn’t pass here like it did where
they were from. Days here were mere minutes back home.

Running his finger across the wall,
Daviathan thought of Abrax and his final words. The master portal,
even Daviathan didn’t know its location. As an elder he was privy
to many things, but the master portal was a heavily guarded secret.
Only the guardians and the council members knew where it was
hidden.

As Daviathan walked back into the living
room, a strange sensation ran through his body. He paused, turning
his head to the side and strained his ears. An ominous feeling
seeped down his spine and the hairs on his arms spiked. Something
was wrong.

“
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.