Elementalist: The New Inheritance

by Seever, Tyler

  There came a point in the Brotherhood where Gargonath, Aderan, and Erendar felt it was best to only allow people of Der’ Tanel nationality. But because Prince Gael was a long-time friend and had fought the very system he was born into, they allowed him to stay—that is, until Gael voluntarily left at the sight of the public execution of the Der’ Tanellian king. Worse yet, Erendar had somehow snatched up an Orb of Power—an orb placed by one of the almighty gods, seeking out an agent to do their bidding. The God of the Soul found his partner, and that was Erendar. Erendar’s brother Aderan stole the Orb of Lightning from the now-deceased king of Der’ Tanel. And now, the nation was run by two Elementalists working together. A feat no nation had ever accomplished in the history of all of Zanvia. This generated much tension among the rivaling nations and increasingly multiplied the power of Der’ Tanel indirectly because of this fact.

  Gael continued to eye the moonlit horizon. The grass outside the city walls went as far as the eye could see to mountain ranges and forests aplenty.

  But a tickling on Gael’s left cheek interrupted his musings. It was a note, fluttering in the breeze. It read:

  Gael, meet me on the outer West Gates of Darthia. Look for the lightning strike, you can find me there.

  Sincerely,

  An Old Friend

  This had to have been his old friend, Aderan. It had been a number of years, and the irony was that in his thoughts of Aderan and the Brotherhood, he received this message. The young prince thrust his cloak over his shoulder and took to the outer west gates of Darthia by horseback.

  Upon arrival, Gael witnessed his old friend standing in the field staring off into the vast nature away from the city of Darthia. Rolling hills, mountain ranges, and more.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Aderan spoke with his raspy voice. He still faced away from the prince to the open plains and mountainsides. Gael dismounted his horse and trudged to Aderan and stood beside him. “It’s been a long time, old friend. Years, in fact,” Gael said to Aderan. Aderan chuckled.

  “You disappeared on us. The Brotherhood misses its most loyal companion,” Aderan said.

  “I know, Aderan. And at times, I miss it too. In the good ol’ days of course,” Prince Gael finished.

  Gael chuckled and decided to make a comment. “You know what’s funny? I was thinking about some old memories the other day. Remember the time when we removed the royal armor right underneath the nose of those guards in the castle?” Gael and Aderan laughed at this memory.

  Aderan added, “The look on that guard’s face when he realized the armor set was missing. . . ”

  Gael laughed, “And when we sold the scraps and gave the proceeds to the needy in the streets and they sang a song in our names?”

  Aderan chuckled too, “Those were certainly the days my friend.”

  A long pause ensued.

  Aderan now spoke, breaking the silence. “Der’ Tanel could use you, Gael. It could use you of royal lineage to create a better world, and that is my proposal for you here today. I seek an alliance with Darthia. I plead with you now to press your mother, the queen, to consider a friendship between our two peoples. Now that the Brotherhood is in charge, we can finally make the world a better place, together. I know these last few years apart were long, but I assure you, the Brotherhood is still pure as you once remember it to be.”

  Gael smiled. “The people of Darthia would certainly love to have peace. They truly would. I cannot say, however, that we would abide by your philosophies or stand by as you march upon other nation’s doors. I have heard much since the previous king and monarchy was deceased.”

  “Don’t you see, Gael?” Aderan questioned. “We only march to show them what they too are capable of. These people have never lived the life the Der’ Tanellian people have the opportunity to live, especially in recent times. It is morally wrong of us not to act. The peoples of the world don’t know any better, and we only seek to show them our strength and prosperity.”

  “But Aderan,” Gael began to counter. “The Brotherhood was good in its time. It was charitable and good-natured. Now it has become oppressive to anyone who believes in a different kind of world than the vision of the Brotherhood.”

  “What makes you say this? Speak your mind,” Aderan pressured.

  “I have seen it. I could not support it any longer once it had begun intimidating and bullying other nations into submitting to Der’ Tanel’s will. At the cost of lives on Der’ Tanel’s people and of other nation’s peoples. I could not bring myself to force an ideology onto others. That’s when it no longer was a good and wholesome cause.”

  Aderan shook his head and looked away. “The ignorance of the world is vast like the ocean. And sometimes, people must be. . . uncomfortable. . . in order to grow. They don’t know any better, Gael. It is much like a child climbing up a flight of stairs. . . They lack the understanding of the tumble they are bound to take. Erendar, Gargonath, and I only want a betterment the world is unaware of. And we thought you would want that too. . .”

  “I did, and I do still want that, Aderan. In an ideal world, your philosophies would certainly be preferred. But forcing these ideologies upon others is simply not the way to do it. The world will not accept it; they will resent you for it.”

  “For now, they may. But forever, they shall not,” Aderan said. “History is written by the victors, not the defeated. In the eyes of the world today they may hate. But for ages to come, they will sing in our name. Long live the Brotherhood. Long live Der’ Tanel. These vile sinners will learn of their ill will in the end—when we steal their greed from them.”

  Gael, baffled, turned to face Aderan. “What happened to you, Aderan?”

  There was a long pause.

  Gael continued. “Where is the Aderan I know from our childhood? Where has he gone?”

  Aderan responded, “He is not gone; he has grown. How is it that I and my brothers have grown but you have not, Gael? The Brotherhood is the same as it has always been, only it has matured. You should be asking yourself the question, where is it that you have gone?”

  Gael and Aderan both stared right into each other’s eyes. Their intense gaze could penetrate solid steel.

  Aderan continued, “Do you know what the God of Lightning teaches? How about the God of Shadows? The God of the Soul?”

  Gael admitted, “No, I do not know.”

  “The God of Lightning preaches to us, people of Zanvia below. . . strike fast with vigilance. The God of Shadows preaches to us the world, at its core, operates on a subconscious level of fear. The God of the Soul says within every person they seek unity, and oneness with one another. The Der’ Tanellian people cherish the word of these gods; we live by their teachings. With this in mind, we strike quickly to make our mark. We use fear. . . make them realize the power our nation holds. . . then invite them for oneness. The gods teach this, so we replicate it. Our cause is divine. So my question for you, old friend, is why you deny what the gods teach us. Are they not our truest rulers? Are their philosophies a lie?”

  Gael chuckled at Aderan’s comments. “It is because you take their words as justification for your now twisted agenda, my old friend. What once started as pure is now corrupt. You should not be infringing on other people’s rights and frightening them into believing everything the Brotherhood tells them.”

  Aderan bared his teeth at Gael and stared down the prince. “I could very well strike you down right now with a bolt of lightning so fierce it would be heard on the other side of the world . . . but I won’t. Not today, anyway. One day, the world will sing in the name of the Brotherhood. One day, the world will see Der’ Tanel as the nation that ended all wars, unifying all races of people in Zanvia into one unified government. One day, the world will make a mockery of those who did not know better of the new world order. I spare you this day, Gael, in the name of our old friendship. But just know this: anyone standing in the way of our cause will be met with lethal force. The survival of all peoples of Zanvia is far mo
re valuable than any single friendship or one measly life.”

  “And that, Aderan, are the words that tell me that my old friend had lost his way.” The prince glared right back at Aderan, his old friend, the Elementalist of Lightning.

  A lightning bolt slammed into the crown of Aderan’s head, then he evaporated into light and bolted into the night sky in lightning-form back to Der’ Tanel. The sound of thunder roared as Gael watched his childhood friend vanish into the night-sky distance.

  19: Calm before the Storm

  Lenthean’s eyes were still shut, but his mind had awoken. He could hear a low rumble from a far distance in the outside metropolis. The city horns and bells had begun to sound their warning. Lenthean slightly opened his eyes and thought about the hospitality of Nana. The boy sat up from his mat and rubbed his eyes, scanning the room for any signs of the elderly woman who had taken him in the night before. Nothing. Perhaps she was out for the day. That’s when he discovered a note by his pillow:

  I am out to the market, dear. A young man may have young man responsibilities to catch up on, so I certainly understand your leave if you need. Thanks for keeping me company last night.

  —Nana

  Lenthean chuckled at the note. He would miss Nana; what a treat she was to him. Her words last night really had uplifted his spirits. She reminded him that he had to make a difference in the world. Even if it wasn’t much, he just had to. This was his task, and no one else's. It was on him how the world would view him. It was on him to be something he had never been before. Lenthean remembered his young aspirations as a child— “I just want to be something.” He always wanted that. Now, it was time to make that dream become a reality.

  The boy gathered a slew of belongings from the home, taking only those things absolutely essential to his survival. He quickly gathered his things in a matter of minutes and bolted out the door to see the commotion with the bells and horns blaring to no end. Lenthean opened the door, looking back into Nana’s kind and inviting home one last time. He would always remember the warmth, comfort, and wisdom he gained from such a small, rundown place on the side of the muddy walkway. The boy verbally thanked the home and Nana for the experience he had there. Even though no one would hear his words, he felt it held more meaning. “Thank you,” the boy said aloud. He gently closed the door behind him and took off down the hill, no hood on to cover his Elementalist markings, for he did not care.

  He felt the late-morning sun meet his face. The dirt was very muddy, the grass still dazzled with water droplets. The cobblestone streets were visibly steaming from the excessive rain the night before. The whole town seemed to be bustling frantically in preparation for something. Many more children were crying than usual; mounted armored horseman charged down alleys and streetways. They all seemed to be headed in one direction—toward the front gates of Darthia. Lenthean continued to quickly pace down the cobblestone street, quickly decreasing in elevation. Homes and structures in front of him kept the front gates out of his line of sight, but if he turned the corner a bit more, he would be able to see the gates with no problem.

  He made way and found an army at the front gates of Darthia. It was the Darthian army, clad with their signature sterling silver and blue. They all lined the main street and the outside front wall of the city. It was a truly spectacular sight. There had to be tens of thousands of men, lining up for the defense of their home, Darthia. And farther, almost too far, were dark-black storm clouds of unnatural rage. Lightning ripped across the sky violently, with small figures at ground level making way for the city of Darthia.

  “That must be Aderan,” Lenthean murmured to himself. The battle was inevitable now. Der’ Tanel was making way for Darthia to undoubtedly attempt to force the city into submission. And only the Darthian army stood in its way. Not if Lenthean had anything to say about it.

  Lenthean, in that moment, realized he would fight for Darthia. Regardless of the fact the people of Darthia did not trust him, he could not stand by and watch it be conquered by Der’ Tanel—especially when he could have done something to prevent it. The boy ran as fast as he could toward the front gates. He had to travel several miles within the metropolis to get there, however.

  As he ran, he unintentionally knocked over carts, boxes, and people. As he did so, Lenthean heard civilians behind him, “It’s that Shadow Elementalist!” But he had no reason to stop. He had a city to defend—a nation to defend.

  After nearly forty minutes of running, then jogging, then walking, Lenthean was at the front gates—and entirely out of breath. Soldiers and horsemen whizzed by him, assuming formations outside the massive opened gates. He took off all but his pants and shirt to cool off. Soldiers continued to rush by the boy. The horn blared louder than ever. The sounds of the chanting and shouting armies of Darthia grew stronger and evermore present.

  Are you ready? Hehehahaha. . . Lenthean heard the dark voice in his head.

  The boy, still exhausted, panted aloud, “Is that you, Arrogan?”

  Heheheha . . . You’ll need this . . .

  Lenthean looked down to his body; his Elementalist armor faded into existence onto his body once again.

  Mame the Elementalist of Lightning . . . hehahaha. . .

  “Arrogan . . . Arrogan?!” Lenthean shouted as the presence of his god dissipated from his mind. Lenthean eyed his armor; it was truly phenomenal, just as he had experienced before. It was unbelievably lightweight, and it fit so snugly! It felt sturdy and durable all the same. It glimmered in the sunlight with a dark gold and a flowing burgundy-maroon cape. Even though he had seen it before, it was still mesmerizing. Lenthean’s black hair blew in the strong winds; he brushed it aside and paced through the city’s front gates. Soldiers rushing by now eyed him coyly as they passed, not sure what to make of an Elementalist emerging through the gates of their own city. And he was supposed to be imprisoned in the jails. Lenthean’s feet met the dirt after the bridge. Rocky gravel, it was, with grass much farther ahead. An angry storm of dark grey clouds hovered in sight, moving eerily closer and closer. The clouds devoured the bright-blue morning sky, and Lenthean and the troops stood in the shadow of the cloud as it overtook them.

  Lenthean kept pacing outward until his feet made contact with the lush green grass. He could feel the softness of it underneath his boots. He had walked by battalion after battalion of Darthian troops. Lenthean looked over both of his shoulders to find that all eyes were on him . . . and not necessarily in a good way. The number of men was astounding. All of the eyes watched for his next move as they waited to defend their home. For the first time, Lenthean could feel fear in these individuals. It was more than an inclination. It was a deep-rooted fear he could physically feel, but not manifest for himself. He knew this was the power of his shadows growing from where they once were. He could feel the fear of nearly all the men, each individual in nature.

  “LENTHEAN!” the boy heard a familiar voice shout to him. He whipped around to find the men still rushing through the gates into multiple formations. He searched for the voice, and there he was—Prince Gael approached on horseback.

  “Prince Gael!” Lenthean shouted back.

  The prince pulled on the reins to stop his horse in front of the boy. “You certainly are a sight for sore eyes.”

  Lenthean smirked, and the prince continued. “Truth is, I am happy to see you. But my men, they are not. It is best that you are not here at this time.”

  “Why?” Lenthean asked. “I am here to help.”

  Prince Gael shook his armored head, implying that Lenthean lacked understanding. “Look, Lenthean. I, too, am young. Not quite as young as you. But young? Yes. Even in my youth, I would not have dared to challenge the might of Aderan. Even as an Elementalist. You are walking into a death trap. You are no match for him. I can assure you of that. He has been training for close to a decade.”

  Lenthean had had enough. He stepped forward with a strong foot in his glistening Elementalist armor and said, “Then the world would be rid
of the wretched Shadow Elementalist. Won’t it?” The boy paused as Gael realized where the boy stood. Lenthean pressed further, “I would rather die and have these men know that my father and I just want to protect them from harm and defend their rights rather than flee and think of me as a coward, or a twisted demon seeking their destruction.”

  The horse moved slightly. “Very well.” Gael nodded his agreement. “I trust you, young Elementalist. For I have seen the look an Elementalist has when they are corrupted with power. You, my friend, have sincerity in your eyes. While my people may not see it, I know you are true of heart.” He placed his metal hand to his heart. The gauntlets clanked against his silver breastplate. Lenthean mimicked his actions, and the sound it made was similar. Gael rode off to begin mustering his troops.

  Lenthean turned his face back to the storm clouds. The opposing army made their way through the flat, green field. The small mountain ranges to his left were swallowed by the dark storm clouds. Everything was being consumed by them—everything. Lenthean felt hard rain start to splatter his exposed face. And there he was, a sixteen-year-old boy on the frontline of a battlefield—hated by the ones he wanted to save, sought after by the ones he wished to stop, willing to put his life on the line. This was his time. He would make a difference. He was about to change everything.