by R. J. Wolf
“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 right here, you can still 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 and glanced around with disinterest.
“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. Daviathan was a warrior and politics of this kind had no place on the battlefield.
“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, bound to make someone seem more, human.
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, turned 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 shifted 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 walked 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 with an evil smirk.
“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. Recovering, he 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 droned, shaking his head like he was scolding a school child. "An eternity acting as nothing more than babysitters for spoiled children. Do you really think this is what he wanted for us?"
Cleonicus spoke with disdain dripping from every word. He slowly rotated the hilt of his sword in his palm, his eyes locked on to Daviathan, studying his reaction, awaiting what he knew was to come.
“Don’t worry Daviathan; your death will pass quickly," he continued to instigate. "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. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier and now he understood why Cleonicus had been stalling.
“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 and from the ashes we will build a new race, a better race.”
“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 the tiny particles of matter.
With a clang, the metal crashed into the stone floor, but Daviathan was already gone. He had moved so fast Cleonicus didn’t even see 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 as he wrestled for a better position.
He wrapped his hands around Daviathan’s neck and he pressed his knee into his chest. He could feel his heart beating through his fingertips.
“They will all die and there is nothing you can do to save them,” Cleonicus growled.
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 h
im.
“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, sending him flying 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. An intense power radiated from him that shook the walls and sent furniture toppling over.
Cleonicus sat up onto his knees and glared at Daviathan. He sighed feebly and wiped blood from his mouth. He looked pitiful, a crushed man, finally realizing that he was on the losing side.
“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 and 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.
Here in the immortal city the universe's collection of the substance was in full display. It was the most powerful of all the known elements and only the Elementals could control it's infinite capacity. The sparkling material could rip holes in the dimensional walls, opening gateways to other planes of existence. It's power was beyond human comprehension.
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 Trinity. Three elementals unlike any others, 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 of 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 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 said and 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," Daviathan grumbled. "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 retorted and 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. Chunks of debris fell to the ground, shattering into tiny daggers.