by Mia Hoddell
“Are you really OK? You had me scared out of my mind when I heard you scream.” His eyes were filled with a mixture of concern and anxiety as he looked me up and down.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“I shouldn’t have left you Rea. I should have at least given you a...” His concern was replaced with guilt as he spoke.
“Don’t. It wasn’t your fault so don’t start with that. I’m fine, I’m still here so don’t dwell on it.” I cut him off, not wanting him to feel guilty about something he had no control over. He nodded and it was only then did I realise we had stopped walking entirely.
We picked up a light jog to catch up with the others who had already made it into the clearing.
“Last one now, the next one shouldn’t be far away. Keep your eyes open for any sign of a stream,” Jack said as we set off, hopefully for the last time.
Eventually we reached the final clearing but to our dismay there was no stream. There was a swamp stretching the length of the clearing so we all paused as Kai took out his compass and pad once more.
“It says look west of the swamp and south of the stream to find the rook. That way is west, so we are on the right track with the swamp. We now just need to find the stream and rook.” He fiddled with a few dials on the compass before saying.
“We need to head that way. Hopefully something will be there.” We all nodded and walked forward, making sure to keep the swamp on our left.
We had to walk for another half an hour before the faint trickle of water was audible. It was easy to tell when each individual heard it as a big grin spread over their face, all except Kai anyway. I knew he was questioning the reality of everything and setting himself up for failure.
“We’re close,” Alanah stated as we burst through the last line of trees to find a crystal clear stream that ran through the forest.
There were a few stepping stones to the right of us and quickly we crossed the stream.
“Right, now we have to find some sort of castle. Shouldn’t something like that stand out in a forest?” Jack said as I was looking around the area. It looked too bare to be part of the natural forest as the trees were a lot more spread out in the small clearing.
“Guys I think this is it. I don’t think we are looking for a rook. Has one of you got the journal with it in on you?”
Alanah pulled off her rucksack and started to hunt through the content.
“Why do you think this is it?” Kai asked, walking towards me.
“First of all we are south of the stream and west of the swamp. Secondly, look at this place, it is different from the rest of the forest. It appears as if the trees were cut down, the gaps between them don’t blend into the natural surroundings. There are less obstacles here,” I said, believing in my conviction more as I explained it. As I finished Alanah came up to me holding out the journal on the page with the riddle.
When dawn alights the highest peak, three triangles will align to reveal a stream. Look south of the stream and west of the swamp to find the-
I stopped reading as I reached the last word. The ink looked smudged on the weathered pages and I wondered if maybe they had misread the word and it really said rock.
“Kai, didn’t you tell me that the necklace was used in a rock?”
He was still looking around the mini clearing but when I spoke he turned all of his attention onto me.
“Yeah why?” he asked cautiously as if he wasn’t sure what I was getting at.
“I think we misinterpreted the riddle. Instead of 'rook' I think it should say 'rock,' only the ink has smudged and faded making it hard to tell.”
He held out his hand for the book and read over the passage again. I used the word ’we’ deliberately to avoid blaming anyone specifically.
“I think you may be right. It looks similar to the other letter Cs he has written. Okay everybody we now need to find a rock. I’m guessing it would be pretty large and may have something to do with the Elements on it.” Everyone nodded and split up into pairs to begin to search the clearing.
“How do you figure this stuff out Rea?” Kai asked suddenly.
“What do you mean? You figured out the shadow triangles, I just saw this one.” I shrugged, I had always been good at solving puzzles and riddles. I remembered how Mum used to make treasure hunts when I was little and how her clues would always be written in riddles. I smiled at the memory before turning my attention back to Kai who was looking at me confused.
“How do you know about the tree stuff and all that back there though?”
“I used to live near a forest Kai, I went for walks there nearly every day so I just notice these things. I don’t know, I guess I look at the smaller details rather than what is just in front of me.” I didn’t understand why he was questioning me about the topic as he had done more than me with working towards this.
While we were busy discussing who had done what, Jack shouted from across the clearing, telling us to run over to them. When we got there I saw that they had uncovered a large ancient stone that was almost twice the size of me. They were holding the brambles back with some sticks they had found so we could see what the weathered engraving said on it. Elementa alchemica: Ignis, Terra, Aer et Aqua. Under each word was a triangle. There were four of them, one normal, the other upside down, another upside down with a line through the bottom and the final one was the right way up with a line through the top.
I recognised the triangle as to what was tattooed on the air Elemental’s arm and was about to speak when Alanah spoke up.
“This is it, it says the Alchemical Elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water.”
They nodded at her.
“Those triangles are also tattooed on the Elemental’s arms,” I said and everyone stared at me.
“Why do you all stare at me when I say something?” I asked frustrated.
“Because you’re new to this, no one expects you to know this stuff. How do you know that anyway?” Kai asked, giving me an encouraging smile.
“Um I was just attacked by one remember? I got a pretty good look at it,” I said sarcastically. Once again Kai suffered the brunt of my frustration.
As we turned our attention back to the stone I noticed that there was a small circle at the centre of it. It was surrounded by the elemental triangles that were placed at right angles around it. However there were also smaller rings in between each element, giving eight different points.
“Well I’m guessing the necklace goes in here but I don’t understand what the smaller rings are for,” I said but the others just looked at me blankly.
“I can’t believe this may be it. All that work and it feels like a bit of an anti-climax to me,” Jack stated but everyone ignored him, they were all focused on me instead.
“Rea you have to make the call like the journals says,” Kai said and I looked at him with wide eyes, suddenly scared.
“I don’t know what to do Kai, this is all way above me.”
I knelt on the floor as I tried to stop myself from tearing up and a gentle hand was placed on my back.
“We’ll guide you through it. You need to place the necklace inside the stone and then call the Elemental’s individually to us. Do you understand?” Jack asked, rubbing a soothing hand up and down my back. I didn’t know if he was just making stuff up to comfort me or he really knew what he was doing.
“I think so. What’s going to happen though?”
“We don’t know but the journals also said that the ritual had to be aligned with death. If you wait here, I’ll come back to you in a minute.” Kai took over and I nodded as I watched him walk away and lead Alanah over to where Jack was stood.
I could see his hands moving as he spoke to them and when he had finished they each drew their guns which was slightly unnerving. Kai wandered back over towards me, his gun lowered at the floor.
“When you’re ready, place the necklace in there and make the call OK? We’ll be stationed around you to make sure you come to no harm.�
� His words worried me even more as I began to understand what he was getting at.
“You still don’t have to do this Rea, we can find someone else. You can’t be the only descendant of the originals. Just tell me now. I’ll stop this whole thing if you tell me to.” He lowered his voice so it was barely a whisper.
“I’ll try first, otherwise we came here for nothing. You believe I am going to summon the Elementals don’t you?” I didn’t need to hear him reply to know the answer. The brief flicker of worry that passed through his eyes was enough to confirm my thoughts.
He crouched down beside me and lowered his voice as he spoke the next words.
“I love you Rea. I’m more sorry than I can ever tell you for dragging you into this mess but I’m not sorry I met you. I really do love you and no matter what happens in the next few minutes please remember that.” I could feel myself tearing up again as he spoke. It sounded so final and too much like he was telling me goodbye.
“I love you too and don’t be sorry. I am glad I replied to that first message you sent me and after all this is over you can finally take me on that proper date you promised me. One that doesn’t involve spiritual creatures and history lessons.” He laughed and leaned down to softly kiss me while entrapping me in a tight embrace.
“Deal,” he said as he stood up to walk back to his position and I turned to face the stone that was in front of me.
Taking a deep breath I checked to make sure everyone was in place and they each gave a curt nod to let me know they were ready. I turned back to the stone and started to remove the necklace. What the hell am I meant to say? This is going to go so bad. What happens if nothing happens when I call them? My thoughts crashed through my mind as I began to feel the pressure of what I was about to do build. Taking another deep breath I exhaled as I reached to place the necklace into the compartment. For a while nothing happened. The jewel still looked like a bland yet expensive rock. Is that it? Is it working? How am I meant to know whether this is the right necklace. Hell, it’s just a necklace, what am I thinking? It can’t have any power. As the thought coursed through my mind a dim glow began to form in the ruby.
Getting brighter it almost blinded me as my eyes were frozen wide with shock. The ruby had become increasily powerful and had swept all my doubts away. This is for you dad, I thought as I watched the ruby radiate light and heat from inside the stone.
I centred myself, leaning against the rock with both hands, my palms flat against it and said the first words that came into my head.
“Fire I summon you to this clearing. Earth I summon you to this clearing. Water I summon you to this clearing. Air I summon you to this clearing,” I whispered the words, not confident enough to speak any louder. I was unsure what possessed me to speak those exact words but I felt something pulling me to repeat them again.
“Fire I summon you to this clearing. Earth I summon you to this clearing. Water I summon you to this clearing. Air I summon you to this clearing.”
I kept chanting it under my breath until I started to hear gasps from the E.Ks behind me.
Too entranced in what I was doing I didn’t think to turn around to see what had happened. I could hear the gunfire and feel the heat that radiated from the Elementals as they were consumed by the energy of their element. I didn’t let it distract me though. Instead I kept chanting my words getting louder until I found the strength to stand up and turn around.
“Fire I summon you to this clearing. Earth I summon you to this clearing. Water I summon you to this clearing. Air I summon you to this clearing!” I shouted the last line and everything seemed to freeze for a second.
The Elementals attention began to focus on me.
Their enraged eyes glared at me with a mixture of pure anger and curiosity. They began to move swiftly towards me, their attention never faltering.
The E.Ks weren’t able to pick them off quick enough to stop them reaching me.
I could hear the sound of their gun shots ringing out, hear the orders they shouted at one another and hear the clicks as they reloaded but it all seemed too slow. The heat radiated off the dying Elementals, giving me the impression that I was burning alive but it never relinquished. They kept advancing no matter what.
The fire Elementals were closest. Unlike the others their hair looked more like flames than strands of glossy silk. It swayed erratically around their body as they continued to pierce me with their unnerving glare. There was no curiosity in their eyes like the others though, only pure hatred.
I felt my heartbeat soar as I watched them draw nearer to me at an alarming rate. However it did not detract me from my job. I saw a few in the background explode in orange balls of fire as the E.Ks found their targets. I noticed the panic on Kai’s face as he saw how near the front line of Elementals were to me. Spinning his gun around three of the ones closest to me went up in flames in quick succession.
I shut my eyes to block out the inhuman stares and the unnatural light.
Fear had taken over my body.
Only the adrenaline surging through my veins kept my legs from buckling but something more powerful than any of possessed me to keep chanting under my breath.
It was only when I heard Kai’s tortured scream did I open my eyes again.
“REA! You have to stop.” I couldn’t see him through the blur of coloured light that was being given out by the Elementals and as much as I wanted to listen to him I was no longer in control of my body.
“Rea you have to stop now. It’s not working, you are going to kill us all if you continue!” His words were slowly breaking through the barrier in my mind, but I was just focused on the growing number of Elementals that were still appearing in the clearing. They seemed majestic as I watched them appearing as if in slow motion, entrancing me while they advanced.
“REA stop now! You are going to kill us all. Is that want you want? To kill Kai? I thought you loved him.”
Alanah’s accusing voice felt strange as she shouted at me but it was enough to snap me out of the trance. The thought of Kai dying because of me became too much and I managed to override the power controlling me, cutting off the chant that was flowing from my lips instantly.
I felt weak all of a sudden as I stopped and felt my knees buckle. I saw nothing but the floor coming towards my face and then blackness as I landed in a crumpled heap.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Rea? Can you hear me? Please wake up Rea...”
“What happened to her? That definitely wasn’t Rea earlier.”
“We need to get her out of here in case those Elementals come back. Kai you need to get a hold of yourself, she will be fine but you need to move her, I’ve got all your stuff OK?”
I could hear their voices all around me as they discussed stuff that I thought was to do with me, but I couldn’t be sure. I tried to will my eyes to open or my body to move but no matter how much I tried I remained in the darkness of my subconscious.
As I kept trying to force my eyes to obey me I felt a pair of soft, strong arms winding around my waist, pulling me against something hot and solid as someone picked me up off the ground. I thought it would be Kai who was holding me and as I felt the jerky rise and fall of his run I felt safe, even if I was getting thrown around.
I let his footsteps rock me into an uneven sleep, comforting me as I drifted back inside my subconsciousness.
A figure appeared before me as I lay in Kai’s arms and I thought I had finally managed to open my eyes again but then when another figure appeared out of nowhere I knew I was still trapped inside my head. The people in front of me looked more human than the Elementals but I was sure they were not human. They looked like spirits as they floated around in my mind.
I’ve finally gone crazy haven’t I? That power that possessed me earlier has damaged me mentally and now I’m just going to see crazy spirits inside my head for the rest of my life.
One of the spirits that looked like a man smiled at me politely as if he was trying not to laugh.<
br />
“You are neither crazy nor damaged mentally Rea. Yes you are seeing spirits in your mind but we are just a figment of your imagination. Well technically we are your subconscious here to inform you but we don’t need to go into that right now. I promise you, you will wake up when your body is ready but for now you must let it recover. Stop willing it to do things and just relax, you will heal much quicker.” He spoke in a soothing tone that help placate me at least for a little while.
So who are you? I thought and this time it was the woman who answered me. She was a deep ruby red compared to the man’s cerulean blue spirit form and she looked slightly calmer to me.
“Like my friend said, we are your subconscious. We are the knowledge that has been passed down by your ancestors, the originals. Though, you are one of the first people to actually gain access to us. Most just live their lives blissfully unaware of the life they are missing.”
I was beginning to get confused again and therefore began to panic. I wanted to break free of my mind.
“Easy Rea, you are safe here. We are only here to explain some things to you.”
I wasn’t paying attention to them. Instead I imagined a little version of myself banging against the side of my head trying to escape. Let me out. I need to wake up. I can’t take it anymore.
“The chant didn’t work did it Rea? The Elementals are still at large and now they know what you are capable of and what you and your colleagues are trying to do.”
The spirits, who had still yet to introduce themselves had seemed to forget trying to calm me down and instead headed straight for the information.
They had instantly captured my attention in those few sentences.
You know what we need don’t you, I thought and they smiled, pleased that I was finally listening to them.
“Yes we know what you need and why it didn’t work,” the man said, his grin growing wider.
Please tell me, I thought at them, hoping they wouldn’t make me work for the information.