Elementalist: The New Inheritance

by Seever, Tyler

  So I am a Shadow Elementalist, and Valdorath is a Light Elementalist. It was all too surreal for Lenthean. He felt lightheaded, even when lying on the grass. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he came to terms with this information.

  “Don’t worry, Shadowling,” Valdorath stated. He rose to his feet. “That’s why I’m here. To keep you safe from harm. At least until you’re well enough to fend for yourself.”

  “So. You’ll train me?” Lenthean asked.

  “Well… not per se…”

  “Would you?!” Lenthean sat up.

  “Uhh…”

  “Please! Valdorath, you’ve taught me more about this world than I’ve learned in my last sixteen years of living. You’ve gotta teach me!”

  Sighing, Valdorath agreed, “Sure kid. I’ll teach you a trick or two.”

  7: On the Road to Nowhere

  “Wake up,” Lenthean heard, beginning to open his eyes that morning. His blanket had become wrinkled and folded from his tossing and turning in his sleep. He shifted his head to view the surroundings: primarily flat-lands with tall yellow grass in all directions. Vast distances away, some mountain ranges. He stretched his muscles in the dewy morning air.

  “It’s time to move,” Valdorath said, already atop Lucy. Lenthean scrambled to stand up, still sore and bruised from yesterday’s fiasco. He climbed aboard Lucy, and with a click of the heels they made their way further East. Lenthean could not determine the direction they were heading, however, for he only knew it was east because Valdorath told him. In all directions, it seemed endless. Valdorath appeared as if he had a route, but Lenthean had lost his internal mental compass with all that was going on.

  Hours passed on horseback, the flatlands slowly metamorphosing to rolling hills of yellow grass.

  He had never seen any landscape other than that in his hometown of Fredrickstown—this was definitely foreign to him. Hills were unusual; he was used to dry, arid, rocky landscape. These lands were beginning to be gorgeous to the eye.

  Shortly after lunch, they took a break under the shade of a tree. The weather had grown immensely hotter since the morning, giving Lenthean some temporary heat exhaustion. Some annoying gnats had been trailing the trio since their morning departure, with some sticking to the sweat on the back of Lenthean’s neck. He could also feel the sweat dripping down his back, which he did find rather unpleasant. Valdorath tossed him the water pouch so he could drink. He did so, and experienced the wetness in his dry throat of the lukewarm water. He gifted it back to Valdorath.

  The old man reclined against the base of the tree in the shade, acting almost as if there was nothing to worry about. He was incredibly silent today, looking off to the horizon, lighting his tobacco pipe yet again.

  Lenthean broke the silence, eager to understand more of what was going on. “So where are we headed?”

  The old man shrugged his shoulders and frowned. “Hmm. Nowhere,” he said.

  Lenthean eyed the old man in disbelief. “We really aren’t going anywhere?”

  The old man scratched his bearded chin. “Just away from danger,” Valdorath said.

  Birds were chirping from nearby trees under the bright midday sun.

  “You can’t possibly be serious,” Lenthean accused.

  “What? I’m supposed to keep you safe. That’s what we’re doing, Shadowling. I’m keeping you safe.”

  “Why do you keep calling me that?” the boy replied.

  “Because you’re my cute little shadowling.” Valdorath leaned forward and messed with Lenthean’s black hair, clearly mocking him. The boy shoved his arm away.

  “Look, I may be young, but I’m not this—this cute kid or something.”

  “Aww.” Arms folded, Valdorath made a baby face at Lenthean.

  “If anything, you’re a child,” Lenthean retorted.

  “Psh,” Valdorath scoffed. “However you see it, Shadowling.”

  Lenthean really had nothing left to say to the old man. So he got up and began quickly pacing out of the shade into the harsh sunlight. “Where are you headed?” Valdorath asked from his tree stump.

  “Away from you,” Lenthean said.

  “We haven’t even been together even two days!” Valdorath exclaimed. “Where are you going to go? What are you even going to do?”

  “I don’t know; I’ll figure it out. Better than being rescued by some creepy old guy and having him hold it over my head like I’m helpless or something.”

  “You want to know what?” Valdorath sprung to his feet, clearly triggered. “You are helpless in your current state. You do need saving. So yes, you are a little shadowling. If you want to challenge the last twenty years of my experience on how to survive on the run, go ahead. I’m sure your one day away from home will clearly triumph over my measly two decades doing this.”

  “FINE!” Lenthean barked and walked off. “Crazy old man…” he murmured under his breath.

  “What are you even going to do, huh?” Valdorath followed.

  “I’m going to go make a difference in the world,” Lenthean announced.

  Valdorath mocked and laughed at him. “And how do you expect to do that?”

  Lenthean stopped walking and whipped around to face him. “Look. You did your part; you rescued me, you educated me on who and what I am. Consider yourself freed of this task my father gave you. You clearly didn’t want to sign up for it.” Lenthean turned to resume walking.

  After some delay, Lenthean heard from behind him, “You don’t know what you’re up against, boy.”

  Lenthean growled. “I don’t care. I’m going to meet with these nations at war and demand a truce. There is no need to be fighting like they have. I’ve heard about it my whole life.”

  “Look,” Valdorath said. “I don’t have any plans to confront foreign nations’ leaders. And I have no interest in doing so. I know how to stay out of everyone’s business, and that’s that. I cannot sit here and watch you walk away from me, knowing they will eventually kill you. At least without warning you first.”

  Lenthean continued to listen.

  “I can see you have a heart, kid. That’s what will get you in the end. This world, it’s heartless. People like you get taken advantage of. And I will not let you leave without you first knowing that journeying on your own will spell your untimely demise.”

  “So I should just give up, then? Because this world is too much to go up against?”

  “That is correct,” Valdorath assured, reclining against the tree trunk again.

  That certainly made Lenthean feel hopeless. But no matter—he couldn’t give up. In his mind, he felt the world was a place that would listen to reason. A place that would be susceptible to what was right in this world. A place—

  “Listen up,” Valdorath said, cutting off the boy’s thoughts. “You and I… We don’t have a lot of options. Everyone hunts us down. And I mean everyone. The only way to exist with our… ‘conditions’… is to be right under the nose of everyone. Unless you feel compelled to be used as their tool. Either side you align with will result in the same outcome. Trust me; I have tried.”

  “Well, what was my father’s position in all of this? What did he do while he was alive?”

  “His position was same as mine. Flee. Hide. Much like a shadow, hidden from the light,” Valdorath said, packing tobacco into a pipe from his robe pocket.

  “You mean to tell me that my father thought it best to hide too? His whole life?”

  Valdorath nodded but seemed hesitant to verify the statement. He did so while lighting the tobacco with his palms of light. A soft ringing tone was audible as he did so. He puffed large plums of smoke then began stroking his thin mustache.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Lenthean pressed.

  “Well, Shadowling. To tell you the truth, your father once upon a time did want to change the world. That all changed one day, of course.” He puffed smoke into the boy’s face.

  Lenthean shooed it away with his hand. “What do you mean?
” he asked.

  “He stepped into the world’s eye; everyone knew him. But you need to understand, the people that have aligned with the city of Darthia… or Denduthal, before it was captured—do not trust darkness, or the Shadow Elementalist. They are purists, as you could probably imagine. They believe in the light, holy ways of teaching and righteousness. In a time of need, they trusted your father for their safekeeping. That’s when the demon broke loose.”

  “The demon?” Lenthean asked, trembling ever so slightly.

  Valdorath puffed more smoke. “Your father… He really did want what was best for the world. But in his mistake, many lives were lost. And the demon is nowhere to be found, still. Ultimately, this led him to be exiled from the very people he wanted to save, but lusted after by the very beings he swore to stop.”

  Valdorath looked into Lenthean’s eyes. “Young boy, I would have followed that man until the end. And I did. He was my best friend. And now, I hide alone.” Valdorath threw his arms out. “That’s where you step in. If you slip up once while in the public eye, they will get rid of you. If you choose to stand with Der’ Tanel and its allies, well, you will be the nail to their hammer. That’s why I stay out of it. It’s a lose-lose situation for you, buddy.”

  Lenthean looked down at the grass that brushed up against him, thinking about the words Valdorath had spoken. He still wanted to make a difference in the world. Still. It was seeming less and less likely with every word Valdorath spoke. But at the same time, it was also seeming more and more feasible. The possibilities of what he could do with his “Shadow Elementalist” abilities seemed remarkable. Remarkable in a grim, ill-fated world.

  The old man rose and brushed himself off. “Well, shall we go?”

  “Yes.”

  8: The Trading Post

  “Take this,” Valdorath said the next morning, holding a bundle of brown fabric. “It’s a robe; wear it. We’re passing through a trading post. We need to stop for supplies.”

  “Should I hide my markings?” Lenthean asked.

  “What do you think?” Valdorath climbed back aboard Lucy.

  They had traveled for a full day. No sign of bounty hunters, Kethar, no one. Not a person in sight. Lenthean missed home now. With all of the commotion the last few days, he hadn’t had much time to think about it. It had never really come across his mind. Now he missed Zuthar. The meat shop. Mom. School. Even his dumb bully, Gaundore. Well, perhaps he didn’t miss Gaundore too much.

  Things were getting much harder for Lenthean the farther he traveled from home. He missed it all—the dirt, the rickety brown structures, the small town… His school. Wow, how he missed it all. As the landscape changed, so did he. It only reminded him of how much his life had changed. It was all like some weird dream. His tattoos were given meaning, his father’s identity was finally understood, the state of the world became clear, everything. With every trotting step Lucy took, Lenthean felt himself changing more and more into a knowledgeable man. He was learning so much with Valdorath; it was unimaginable. At least compared to his old life, anyway. The New Inheritance and the Old Inheritance. He had never heard these terms before. It did make sense, though. This only made Lenthean wonder, What can I do with these abilities? What am I capable of? All these things I’m being told, they all sound so incredible.

  They had to be pretty incredible if they were anything like his experience back at the house when his blowup happened with his mom and Zuthar. He had seen it; his feet hadn’t been on the ground… Only for a moment, though. He had levitated. He had seen firsthand some of the abilities Valdorath possessed—pulling the light from the sun, lighting the campfire, even lighting his pipe! It wasn’t make-believe any more. He was eager to see what he could learn next.

  “We’re here,” Valdorath said. For the last two days, the trio had made their way through the fields. But now they stepped foot on a trail. From the looks of it, both directions went off in the horizon—no towns in sight, with the exception of what would be their path, in the middle of their course: a small trading post.

  “Do not look at anyone, do not speak to anyone, do not reveal your markings. We have been out of sight for the world, but we’re not out of mind for it. They know you exist now, everybody does. I guarantee it,” Valdorath instructed.

  Lenthean nodded silently.

  “They will make your arrival known to all neighboring towns and villages, and when they do, we’ll be in a heap of trouble. It is essential you remain incognito. Do you understand?”

  Lenthean nodded once more.

  Lenthean and Valdorath paced into the center of the post with Lucy at their side. There were dozens of tents held by wooden stakes. The post was bustling with people of all types, mostly men armed with rapier swords. Some on horseback, some on mule. The populous was full of sounds—bartering and talk of goods. Lenthean attempted to walk with an exaggerated limp.

  Valdorath elbowed him aggressively, causing a thud against his chest. “Ow!” Lenthean yelped.

  “What are you doing?!” Valdorath barked under his breath at the boy.

  “I’m giving a reason to hide under my robes!” Lenthean spat back at the old man, firmly driving his elbow back at Valdorath.

  “You buffoon! Can’t you just walk with a hood on?! You have no reason to limp like that, Don’t draw attention to yourself!” Valdorath elbowed again. The two began elbowing each other back and forth, almost comically—not to them, of course.

  “HEY, YOU!” a voice barked in the alley of trade. The two stopped their bickering and attempted to address the man commanding their attention. The man’s thin, hairy legs were exposed, feet tucked into tiny leather slippers. Straps of mismatched fabrics were strewn all about him. He wore a headpiece of feathers and obviously fake jewels. Clad with flashy rings, he outstretched a hand to them. “STOP BY MY TRADING STORE, stranger! Best jewels in the province!” the man solicited loudly.

  “We have no interest,” Valdorath stated.

  “My jewels are mined from Dragon’s Peak itself! NO ONE turns down an offer like this!”

  “We have no interest in your business, Sir; my apologies. Thank you for the offer.” Valdorath used his un-tattooed arm and pushed the man aside so Lenthean, Lucy, and he could continue to walk through the post. The trader’s earrings swung as he flashed his attention to the trio yet again, desperate for their business.

  “We have a three-for-one special going! I will trade you the lot for that horse! She looks mighty fast!” The trader slapped Lucy firmly on the rear end, frightening the mare. She reeled back in a vicious fit of squealing, drawing the attention of all the shoppers. With her hind legs, she bucked the man in the ribs, knocking him to the ground.

  The man had clearly sustained broken ribs, as he could not stand up and clenched onto his side as he groaned from the ground.

  The air of the trading post was filled with gasps, followed by silence and watching eyes.

  Realizing what had just happened, Valdorath tugged onLucy’s reigns and Lenthean’s robe, guiding them hastily through the trading post as all eyes were locked on them. Valdorath stepped up to a man at a counter; the man was selling buckets filled with apples. The shopkeeper eyed the hooded Valdorath coyly. Valdorath filled his pockets full of apples. “Keep the change,” he said, dropping a handful of coins on the man’s table. Lenthean could hear the metallic coins bouncing and rolling around as he and his two partners quickly made way for the exit of the trading post.

  All of the previous bustling was silent; no one spoke. All eyes were on Lenthean and Valdorath, who were leaving with the purchased apples.

  “OY!”

  Lenthean looked to see what Valdorath’s reaction would be. Valdorath rolled his eyes and grumbled.

  A man with a thick accent approached, looking dirty and grimy. “Can’t you see ’ere what you did to this poor sap? You ain't going to help ’im back to his feet now, ey?”

  “I’m sorry for the trouble,” Valdorath said. He slapped my horse, and she reacted.
It was an honest mistake. Our sincerest apologies, kind sir.” Valdorath avoided showing his face or making eye contact.

  “Look me in tee’ eye when I’m talkin to yuh. . . ” the trader commanded.

  Lenthean’s heart was racing.

  The disgruntled shopkeeper leaned to peer under the cloak, and Valdorath quickly turned to accommodate him.

  “Oy… By the goddess of light, IT IS YOU.”

  The shopkeeper turned around and bolstered the silent crowd. “’Ey, everybody! This right ’ere is tee’ Old Inheritance! Elementalist of Light we have! We could use you savin’ us right about—” the shopkeeper turned around, only to meet the butt end of Valdorath’s staff, knocking him unconscious.

  “Come on!” Valdorath pulled Lenthean onto Lucy and they took off into the field. Losing balance, Lenthean lost his hood, consequently revealing his identity as well. All Lenthean could hear from behind him was, “It’s that Shadow one, too!” He saw the people all scrambling to act quickly as he and Valdorath took off into the open field.