Warrior from the Shadowland

by Cassandra Gannon

  Luckily, the world didn’t end, again. Which was, admittedly, always a good thing.

  They’d still lost too much, though. The Cloud House had created the pictures in the sky. Clouds shaped like horses or motorcycles or Abraham Lincoln had always been on display for anyone with an imagination to see. The forms had shifted in a beautiful, endless Rorschach Test. Now, the clouds had gone static. No one could see the images, anymore. The sky was just white on blue and it broke Nia heart.

  They couldn’t afford to lose any more Houses. Something needed to be done and if the Council didn’t understand that, they could just have her Banished.

  But, they’d have to catch her first.

  “Ty, how we doin’, honey?” Nia asked into her small walkie-talkie. “Did you find it? Because I’m not having much luck. I think I’m lost somewhere in oncology.” The handheld gizmo made a beeping noise and Nia frowned down at it. She didn’t have her cousin’s talent for electronic stuff or her twin’s knowledge of human technology, so she wasn’t quite sure she was using it right. It kept chirping at her, which defeated the entire purpose of covertly using walkie-talkies to sneak into a building. “Thar?” She raised the devise to her mouth again and called her twin. “It’s still doing that thing.”

  “You’re pushing the blue button, Nia.” Tharsis’s voice came over the line filled with brotherly annoyance. “I told you, use the red one. Job’s right. You never listen.”

  Nia made a face at his tone. “Jackass.” She muttered. “I never should have let him come along today.”

  “I can still hear you.” Tharsis reported, helpfully.

  “I know.” She assured him and pushed the red button. “Ty? Are you there?”

  “Um, Uriel and I are on the second floor, now. We found the lab. It’s room 290.” Tritone sounded nervous, which wasn’t unusual. Since the Fall, Ty’s formally shy and mischievous personality had turned into crippling insecurity. Ty liked computers, being quiet, and solving math problems. Ty did not like meeting other people, talking to other people, or generally being out in public in any way.

  Though she was the actual Queen of the Water House, Ty relied on Nia to make most of the decisions. Nia was the one who represented the Water House on the Council and spoke for them. Nia was the one everyone looked to for leadership.

  Nia wasn’t sure she was doing her cousin any favors by shielding Ty from so much of life. But, she still couldn’t help but treat Ty like she was made of dried flowers, spun glass, and sadness. Ty was only ninety-five, making her one of the youngest Elementals alive. She’d endured too much in too short a time. Nia was afraid that nothing could restore her spirit now.

  Plus, the multiple, high paying bounties on Ty’s head didn’t exactly promote feelings of security.

  Damn Reprisal bastards.

  “290. Great! Good job, guys. Thar, you get that?” They’d split up into three teams to search the hospital.

  “Got it. On my way.”

  “Alright. Hang on, Ty. We’re coming to you.” Nia checked the “You Are Here” map attached to the wall and headed for the hospital elevator. There were two humans in there already. Nia adopted what she hoped passed for an “I’m-Just-an-Average-Member-of-Your-Species” expression and hit the button for the second floor. She surreptitiously slipped the walkie-talkie into the pocket of her lab coat.

  It chirped again.

  Nia cringed as the humans looked at her. “Beeper.” She explained with a nod. Did humans still use beepers or was there some new gizmo, now? It was hard to keep up.

  In any case, they seemed to believe her. Humans tended to believe a lot of what they were told. Nia wasn’t sure if she envied or pitied them for their innocent faith that the world was a stable and safe place. Maybe they just didn’t know any better. The humans’ obliviousness to… well… pretty much everything was one of the reasons that the Council was so against this plan. Anti-human prejudice ran high in most Houses.

  The Elementals happily borrowed technology, interesting obscene language, and snack foods from the humans, but that was all out of necessity. Humans just had the most interesting swear words. No one could dispute that. And TVs, Cheetos, and computers weren’t really elemental in nature. There wasn’t a Plastic and Circuit Board House to create video games for the other Phases. They had to get them from the humans. Luckily, Uriel’s Wood House was excellent at whipping out stacks of the humans’ paper money, so they could pay for their toys.

  No matter how much the Elementals loved watching The Simpsons, eating popcorn and cursing at each other, though, Phases did not interact with humans. At least, not in anything but the most superficial ways. It was their oldest law. Hence, the need for a rebellion if Nia’s plan was going to work.

  Nia got off the elevator at the second floor and finally located a deserted hallway that led to the serology lab. Blood work, all neatly documented, filled the computers in there and promised a new life for the Elementals. Nia found herself smiling in anticipation as she spotted her cousin by the wooden door. “Any problems?”

  Ty shook her head. “I’ve got the equipment we’ll need. Let’s just hurry up and do this.” She hesitated and glance at Uriel. “When he’s ready, I mean.” She added in a respectful whisper.

  Beside Ty, Uriel sat cross-legged on the terrazzo floor, with his eyed closed.

  Nia spared him a quick glance and nearly groaned. Uriel, like most Wood Phases, had a deep spiritual belief in Gaia, the Mother of the World. Nia did too, but she didn’t see the need to center herself every friggin’ time she used her powers like Uriel insisted on doing. Reminding herself to be fair, Nia resigned herself to waiting out his mediation.

  Uriel was young, only one hundred and fifty-four. That made Nia exactly a century older than him. Phases got more powerful as they aged and Uriel was going to expend a lot of energy. If he thought his quiet time routine actually helped, Nia wouldn’t complain.

  Too much.

  Minutes ticked by. Nia’s foot began to tap. She looked down at her Minnie Mouse Timex, impatiently.

  They didn’t have time for this relentless rule following. Stubborn law abiding-ness was another Wood Phase trait. Really, Nia was still sort of astonished that Uriel had come along today. The Council had assigned him to protect the Water House, but only as a precaution in the Elemental realm. Joining Nia’s rebellion wasn’t going to help him get promoted up the warrior ranks.

  Uriel’s sense of responsibility towards his House was even greater than his desire to follow Job’s edict, it seemed. There were only five Wood Phases left. Uriel was determined to do something to fix that before all the trees, forests, and oxygen in the universe snapped off like a light switch. The Water House Rebellion was lucky to have him on their side, Nia supposed. Even though what Uriel knew about human culture could be fully documented on a Tic-Tac breath mint with room to spare.

  “Oh, prefect.” Tharsis came loping up. “He’s doin’ the yoga thing again.” Like all the Phases of the Water House, Thar had reddish hair and turquoise eyes. He was larger than his cousin and twin, though. His tall, muscular frame dwarfed their smaller, curvy bodies. He looked over at Nia. “Do we have time for this?”

  She shrugged, helplessly.

  Tharsis blew out an aggravated breath. “Uriel, come on, man. Human’s lunch hours are really, like, twenty-three minutes, so we hafta do this, now.”

  Uriel didn’t move. Another ninety seconds passed in total silence.

  Two nurses walked by.

  Ty bit her lower lip and pulled down on her baseball cap so forcefully that it hit the top of her glasses. The oversized brim kept her face hidden, dwarfing her small features. Ty liked to try and disappear as much as possible whenever anyone outside the family was around. Unfortunately, she was also dressed in a lab coat. Since not many doctors at Mayport Beach General wore pink hats machine embroidered with the “Hello Kitty” logo, her disguise really wasn’t helping her vanish into the woodwork.

  Nia shined a “Trust Me” smile as t
he nurses eyed the four Phases curiously. Even humans were bound to wonder why someone was meditating in front of a closed serology lab, for Gaia sake. Still, the nurses kept walking, leaving the hallway empty, again.

  Nia looked around for something to clonk Uriel over the head with, hoping that a massive blow to the skull would knock some sense into him.

  Tharsis pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed like the most tortured man in the world.

  Finally, Uriel opened his deep brown eyes and released a long cleansing breath. “I’m ready.” He announced, rising to his feet.

  “About time.” Tharsis and Nia chorused.

  Uriel frowned and dusted off his pants. “You can’t rush on a mission like this. It makes you sloppy.”

  “You know what else makes you sloppy?” Thar arched a brow. “Sitting on the damn floor for an hour and drawing attention to us, ya idiot. I told you that if you didn’t understand how to act around humans…”

  “Thar.” Nia held up a hand, cutting him off. “It’s alright. Let’s just go already.” She gestured for Uriel to begin.

  He laid a palm flat on the wooden door and gave a pushed with his powers. “Ty, you first.”

  Ty obediently walked right through the formally solid surface of the door.

  It was easy enough for Uriel to control the structure of the wooden barrier and let them all pass through it. Elementals could manipulate the natural elements connected to their House. Anything that had to be created through human intervention was out of their control, though. They could manipulate simple inventions, like paper, but nothing complicated. Plastics, for instance, were completely beyond their powers. The hospital ID cards Uriel had created for them weren’t even laminated because of that problem. Their energy was tied to the elemental processes of the universe, not human made technology.

  “Thar, Uriel, move it.” Nia ordered as she slipped inside the lab after Ty.

  Tables covered with computers, vials and other serology equipment filled the room. Nia had no idea what most of it even was and she didn’t care. The only thing they needed now was the name. “Ty, you’re up.” Nia gestured towards a computer and gave her cousin an encouraging smile.

  The Queen of the Water House was a science nerd, which came in handy when you needed a little electronic thievery done fast. Ty sat down at one of the keyboards and began breaking into the hospitals database with surprisingly confident motions. In every other aspect of life, Ty might’ve been a candidate for a PSA on Social Anxiety Disorder, but in digital worlds of numbers and techno-jargon she had total self-assurance.

  Nia hovered over Ty’s shoulder for a beat, watching her cousin work. Ty’s talents were so apparent. So special. Her cousin had been one of the most brilliant Phases alive, even before the Fall. Only Tharsis had ever given Ty a run for her money on IQ tests. Of course, now he just used his extraordinary brain to memorize TV schedules and commercial jingles. He’d given up and Nia had no idea how to get the real Tharsis back. Ty kept going, though. Kept trying to solve problems through the power of her own ideas and research. She thought she could save the world.

  It gave Nia a pang, realizing that this was how Ty would have been about everything if Parald hadn’t come into their lives. Competent and creative and secure with herself. The Water House had always bred artists and academics, but Ty had the potential to be their greatest gift to the universe

  Ty brushed her hair behind her ear. Mixed in with the mass of red curls was a shot of vibrant blue. Each House was born with a different color streak at their temple. For the Water House, it was a bright turquoise that matched their eyes. “This might take a few minutes.” She murmured.

  Uriel and Tharsis, meanwhile, started ransacking desks. Drawers were ripped out, files dumped, even the wastepaper baskets were overturned and the contents scrutinized. Everything that looked remotely useful was passed to their friendly, neighborhood Wood Phase. As long as it was printed on a piece of paper, Uriel could see it once and then recreate it forever. He was like a combination printer and scanner, only he didn’t have a plug and you needed to feed him a lot.

  “Should I copy these family pictures, too?” Uriel picked up a photograph from a random desktop. He squinted down at the snapshot of a smiling boy with a birthday cake. Then, he cleared his throat. “I’d rather not, unless you really think they could be important. It will take more energy to do an image of this quality.”

  “No, we won’t need those.” Nia assured him, quietly.

  Uriel gave a sharp nod and carefully set the frame aside, facedown on the desk.

  Nia moved closer to him and laid a palm on his shoulder. So much would’ve been different if the Fall hadn’t struck. The unfairness of it staggered Nia sometimes. That’s why they were doing this. Because maybe, maybe, they could fix it.

  “Okay?” She whispered, so only he could hear.

  He nodded. “Okay.” He pressed a friendly kiss the top of her head. “Thank you.” Uriel might have come to the Water House as a guard, but he’d become another brother to Nia over the last year.

  She gave him an understanding squeeze and headed over to investigate an office towards the back of the lab. “Thar, how we doin’ on time?”

  “We’ve got -like- fifteen minutes left to find it and get the hell outta here.” He reported, not looking up from the day planner he was fanning through. “Ty? Think we should try again when everybody’s gone for the entire weekend or are you planning to crack that computer sometime today?”

  “I’m almost there. Don’t nag.”

  Nia almost grinned at her cousin’s irritated tone. She didn’t hear that delightful bitchy-ness very much from Ty anymore. Luckily, Tharsis could bring out the worst qualities in everyone around him.

  The office at the back of the lab looked like it belonged to some sort of neat freak. Everything was perfectly arranged and pristinely white. It made Nia sort of sad for the person who worked in the beige box. There was literally nothing in the room but a desk, a chair and a four foot tall fake plant in the corner…

  …So, Nia was pretty damn surprised when she was attacked.

  The overhead light suddenly blew out, sending sparks raining down on her. The telltale crackle of Elemental energy filled the air. She looked up at the broken fixture, dread filling her, and saw six armed Phases just appeared in the empty space.

  They must have been monitoring the Water Phases, waiting for them to leave the protective barriers of their homeland and expose themselves to attack. Not seeming the least bit disoriented from their jump into the human realm, the men pulled their swords and looked around. Their eyes fell on her like a pack of wolves scenting a rabbit.

  Nia knew immediately that it wasn’t Job coming to enforce the Council’s law and arrest her. First of all, Job loved the Water House. He wouldn’t really harm Nia or her family, no matter what she did. Job could be a stodgy pain, but he was also like her uncle or something. What’s more, Job’s energy was a controlled, flowing strength. He didn’t panic about anything. These Phases were riding a high of frantic excitement.

  That meant they must be some of the Water Houses’ real enemies. The Air House or the Reprisal stood as the most likely candidates, although there were probably more contenders out there, too. Nia had given up on counting all the people who wanted her dead. It was depressing.

  When the men first appeared, Nia had been bending to investigate the bottom drawer and now she used the desk as cover. She ducked down instinctively as the Phases came at her, swords held high. One of them swung it at her, going for a clean slice across her neck. Nia’s swift movement caused him to miss and catch her along her shoulder, instead. The blade sliced a shallow cut into her flesh. Pain radiated through her body. Nia fell sideways, griping the wound with one hand. Blood leaked out between her fingers as she rolled under the desk.

  These guys were playing full contact.

  Definitely not Reprisal, then. Chason’s men were all zealot-preacher nuts, but most of them knew better than to actua
lly kill her. Nia supported a third of the Water House. Even if her charms never got her named Elemental of the Year, Nia remained vital for everyone’s survival. Keeping Water around sustained the entire world. Without her, Ty and Tharsis would have to hold all the Water by themselves and neither one of them had Nia’s power. Odds were high that the whole House would topple.

  That was another reason Nia felt confident about her little rebellion. Even if Job got pissed enough to want to behead her, he’d never doom the universe and really do it. These Phases seemed suicidal enough to chop first and worry about the apocalypse later, though.

  Only Parald was stupid enough for that kind of behavior. Sure enough, Nia focused long enough to spot the yellow gold streak at their blond temples, marking them as members of the Air House.

  Idiots.

  “Ty, go!” She screamed, knowing that her cousin would be their main target. Nia kicked out as one of the Phases made a grab for her, catching him in the knee. He staggered sideways, swearing viciously in Elemental. Another sword swung at her, the blade imbedding itself in the fake wood of the desk. Nia aimed a second kick at the wrist of the man holding it, knocking his hand off of the handle as he tried to pry it free.

  She heard Tharsis and Uriel shoving their way into the office. Uriel, like most Wood Phases, trained for warrior-hood from birth. He had a sword of his own. But, the Water House had always been the most peaceful of all the Elementals. Tharsis’ only experience with violence had been during the Fall and the horror of it still haunted them all.

  Nia’s eyes widened as two Air Phases headed for her twin. “Uriel!” She bellowed. “Get Thar out of here!” She lunged for the sword stuck in the desk, needing a weapon.