Elementalist: The New Inheritance

by Seever, Tyler

  Aderan threw strike after strike in attempts to hit Lenthean. Lenthean did not think ahead, however. As the strikes Aderan threw would certainly miss, they would unfortunately not miss ideal locations below. Many of Lenthean’s allies were getting struck as a consequence of Lenthean’s selected location where he free-fell from the sky. Lenthean’s limbs were out like a star, and he witnessed Aderan’s string of lightning attacks strike down sections of the massive city walls. Rubble and debris were tossed everywhere, and boulders came down, burying Darthian troops beside them.

  The ferocity of Aderan was terrifying. His strikes were swift and powerful like a tiger on the hunt in a herd of prey. Lenthean was trying anything now to stop him.

  During his rapid descent, Lenthean aimed for a dark, shadowy area of the earth to plummet into again. He did submerge himself without losing any speed, like a dive into a pool.

  Lenthean whipped around and darted as fast as he could through the shadows, navigating as far away from his allies as he could. “Now that I’m away from everyone, I have to get back up into the sky from this angle so his strikes don’t harm anyone beneath me,” Lenthean said, still residing under the earth’s surface in the shadows.

  Good. Now do it! GO! Arrogan commanded him.

  Lenthean sprung back up from the earth with the intent to make it back up into the clouds once more. Aderan saw him and turned his attention to the young Elementalist, just as the boy had planned. Aderan was throwing so much lightning that it required Lenthean to curl up into a ball to evade the attacks. The wind and cold rain still rushed past him as he flung into the cloudy sky.

  Lenthean’s stomach tingled with his body in full flight toward the sky. Aderan’s lightning struck the mountainside behind Lenthean, bursting it into explosive, uncontrollable flames. Flocks of birds flew from the engulfed mountains under the horrendous rainstorm at the commotion of the unwarranted lightning.

  “HAH!” Aderan could be heard shouting with each lightning strike. Lenthean opened his eyes and found he was getting closer and closer to the sky where he could go into his elusive shadow-form again. He made it! Lenthean now levitated in the shadows of the clouds, away from the troops below.

  “HAH!” Aderan shouted more. Lenthean witnessed the mountain shatter like glass, catapulting millions of rock shards on the battling soldiers below. Dust and rubble joined the rainy clouds and drenched Lenthean in a wet and soggy earth soot. He could feel the pebbles and rocks pelt his face and clank against his Elementalist armor. He couldn’t imagine the experience that the soldiers would feel below with larger boulders pummeling into them. He wasn’t doing enough to stall Aderan. He had to do more.

  Lenthean sat in the sky and caught his breath as a shadow. There was nothing he could do against this. He could only direct Aderan’s shots away from his allies. The boy was in way over his head. What was he going to do?

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  “HAH!”

  “RAH!”

  “HAH!”

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  Lenthean thought deeply, anxious from having to think so quickly on his feet.

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  He watched as hundreds of men below instantly melted from Aderan’s attack.

  His shadow . . . Lenthean thought. He strikes so rapidly to prevent me from using his shadow against him. If I do this, it has to be as fast as he strikes.

  Good. Good, my Elementalist, Arrogan encouraged Lenthean.

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  STRIKE.

  No matter how much light there is, there is always a shadow, Lenthean thought. Just because there is only light, that doesn’t mean the shadow goes away.

  Goooooooooooood. Lenthean heard the familiar dark voice in his head. NOW STRIKE HIM! the Shadow God commanded Lenthean.

  Without thinking at all, Lenthean seized the opportunity at Aderan’s next lightning strike. He used the shadows the light had generated to latch onto Aderan’s back in his wispy shadow form as fast as Aderan’s lightning was. The boy clasped onto Aderan like a leech now. He refused to let go; Aderan would have to pry him off.

  Aderan, still levitating in the rain, noticed Lenthean on his back and began to throw his arms back in a flurry trying to get him off, but no matter—Aderan’s arms went straight through the boy’s shadowy figure.

  Darkness grows once it beginsss . . . heheheaha! Lenthean heard the dark voice speak in his mind. Lenthean’s shadow form grew larger and larger, swallowing bit by bit of the Lightning Elementalist. Aderan yelped with frustration as the two made a plummet to the earth below.

  “GET OFF ME, YOU INSOLENT HUMAN!” Aderan shouted at Lenthean.

  Lenthean made efforts to latch on to anything he could grab, and his form grew larger and larger as he now fully consumed the rival Elementalist. Still falling, Lenthean squeezed Aderan as tightly as he could, forcing him into a fetal position consumed by the boy’s shadow form.

  They were closing in on the surface below, getting closer and closer. Lenthean could feel Aderan squirming, trying to get out. But he could not. Lenthean maintained a firm shadow grip on him.

  The ground was coming fast.

  Hang onto him, boyyy. Hehehahaha, the Shadow God ordered.

  “But smashing into the ground will kill him,” Lenthean shot back.

  You know he’s too dangerous. Kill him!

  The ground would make contact with them in three—

  Boy, the god muttered to Lenthean.

  Two . . .

  Lenthean loosened his grip on Aderan.

  BOY! DON’T YOU LET HIM GO! the god shouted at Lenthean.

  One . . .

  Lightning crackled through Lenthean’s wispy grip, and as the light emitted from the lightning emerged, Lenthean’s wispy form shrunk drastically in size to practically nothing. The Lightning Elementalist shot lightning from his hands at the ground in an attempt to slow his fall. He was successful, but still tumbled through the legs of Darthian soldiers, knocking many men over with his incredible falling speed.

  Lenthean was successful in falling back into the shadows of the earth. He caught his breath, submerged in the earth’s surface.

  You—you FOOL! the god shouted at Lenthean. I have hunted that maggot for CENTURIES! And you just let him GO! You worthless Elementalist! YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING ELEMENTALIST! YOU WORTHLESS MORTAL!

  “I will not kill him!” Lenthean said.

  You lied to a GOD, you peon! Do you realize you broke your word with a GOD? You would intervene if they were causing harm on others! And this is APPARENT! You didn’t keep to your end of the bargain! You lying, no good, good-for-nothing—

  “HEY!” Lenthean barked. “I will not be this Elementalist you want me to be. EVER! You picked the wrong guy, buddy. This is on you, so shut up and deal with it!”

  The god grumbled with discontent as Lenthean felt the god’s presence recluse back into the depths of Lenthean’s mind. The boy then slipped through the grass and into physical form, stepping out of the ground. He felt the cold rain and his boots in the mud. The fighting had ceased with the arrival of Lenthean and Aderan. The screams, shouts, and rage dipped to a low roar of quiet sounds of armor slightly shifting.

  Aderan’s white cloak fidgeted and squirmed in front of Lenthean’s view. He was rolling in the mud. Aderan’s cape was closer to orange in color from the intense flames randomly strewn about nearby from Aderan’s earlier lightning attacks. The Darthian troops all moved aside to allow Lenthean to walk directly to Aderan. Aderan was grabbing his side and rolling around, moaning with anger and pain. Lenthean stopped just behind Aderan.

  “I demand you and your army to stand down,” Lenthean commanded. Aderan merely squirmed and growled with his raspy voice. “Listen here, Aderan! I expect a full surrender! I have spared you and I will let you walk free! So you and your army will surrender, now!”

  Aderan stopped squirming and looked
over his shoulder at the boy, his face cracked with a nasty grin. “You really are ill-informed, aren’t you, Shadow Elementalist?”

  BLAST!

  ---

  All was black. Lenthean opened his eyes. His vision was blurred; the world was spinning; his spine was tingling. In the distance, someone was shouting his name. The voice was familiar. He felt the rain pattering his face. He felt the muddy-wet soil seep in through all the crevices in his armor. He felt the numbness in his limbs.

  “Lenthean!” came another echoey shout. The boy opened his eyes to see nothing but the clouded gray sky. He was on the ground, chestplate sizzling and charred black. He let his head full of long, black hair fall back into the mud. Lenthean saw two of everything; he was dazed. What just happened? the boy thought.

  A low, bass voice began to speak in Lenthean’s mind. He struck you down . . . Much like you deserved . . . Various Darthian troops lightly tended to his aid but were unsure how to handle the situation. From what Lenthean could make out, young Prince Gael lept from his horse and drew his rapier sword in an attempt to defend Lenthean. He stood in front of the boy, calling out the enemy. Lenthean’s blinks were prolonged; he missed various details as events unfolded.

  Aderan stumbled forward at Prince Gael. The rival Elementalist clamped onto his injured side. He made his way through the mud, carcasses, and flames of the battlefield. “Get out of my way!” Aderan screeched at Gael.

  “ADERAN! Stop this madness! Lenthean is a child! He’s just trying to protect us! And you!” Gael shouted.

  “In the eyes of the gods, age holds no significance; only the pure and the impure do, and he is of the latter.” Lightning sparked from Aderan’s palms.

  “Listen to me! Aderan!” Gael yelled at him. “You owe me! Your life wouldn’t be where it is without me in the Brotherhood! We were brothers, Aderan! And now you stand on my doorstep wishing to annihilate me and my people! Do you not care about what we had?!”

  ZAP!

  Gasps riddled the Darthian army as Prince Gael flung lifelessly into the masses of the troops, electrified and sizzling.

  Lenthean had to muster the strength to stand up; he could barely move. He put his palms in the mud to push himself up. His hands were completely numb.

  Aderan paced quickly toward the boy, lightning spitting from his body in all directions.

  “Ugh . . .” Lenthean moaned as he rolled onto his side and began to elevate himself to his feet. He nearly fell over while doing so. “You . . . You. . . ” Lenthean stammered breathlessly. “You will not. . . take these people’s homes!”

  BZZRRT! Aderan zapped Lenthean. “We are bringing ORDER to your people who are living in the slums like rats! WE are helping them when YOUR people refuse to act for their betterment!” Aderan yelled at the boy. ZAP!

  “ARGH!” Lenthean shouted in pain. He was in the rubble, sizzling again. He rose to his feet. Both armies were still and unmoving, watching the event unfold.

  “You will not take these people’s lives!” Lenthean shouted at Aderan.

  ZWERRT! Crackle! “You, SHADOW ELEMENTALIST, value their life when not even THEY know that it isn’t worth LIVING!” ZAP! The Darthian army gasped and watched in horror as Lenthean was electrified over and over.

  Lenthean shouted in pain, holding onto his chest that sparked with near-lethal energy. The boy was pressed against the city’s crumbling walls, flames all around him. He breathed heavily and could barely choke out another sentence. “These people deserve . . . these people deserve . . . life . . .” Lenthean fell to his knees. The mud splattered up his torso.

  Aderan shouted at the boy, “WE will eliminate anyone who defies the true nature of the new world order. Even if that means killing EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! The gods are SICKENED by you—you all are IMPURE! You must be PURGED if you don’t believe in their teachings!” Aderan intended to strike the boy once more. Under the falling rain—surrounded by orange flames, death, blood, and mud—there knelt the sixteen-year-old boy who just wanted to make a difference, defeated and about to die at the hands of his enemy. This was the end of the road for Lenthean. It was all about to be over. All because he wanted to make a difference.

  Suddenly, Lenthean’s face felt . . . warm. Oddly warm. As if . . . it were sunlight warm. His ears had a soft and gentle ringing sensation. It was pleasant to hear. The rain slowed to a drizzle, then ceased. Through his closed eyelids he detected a growing light. The boy opened his eyes to peer out. Sun rays had begun beaming through the center of the storm clouds down on Lenthean and Aderan. Aderan, the boy’s rival, turned in absolute terror and gazed at the sunlit sky.

  “NO!” Aderan exclaimed in fear. Lenthean had no idea what was going on, but it was clear Aderan did.

  In an instant, Aderan’s arm was sliced right off by a beam of light reigning down from the sky.

  Aderan screamed in pain and held his bleeding shoulder stump. “AHHH!” Aderan screeched. Lenthean spun his head around to find the source of the ray of light. He found a glowing white figure standing atop the castle’s walls. The person was dressed in white robes and a silver-white glistening chestplate. His robes fluttered in the wind, as did his white hair and long mustache. His eyes filled with vengeance and glowed with ethereal white color. It was none other than Lenthean’s old companion, Valdorath.

  Valdorath shouted down at the bleeding Aderan, “I suppose you are right, Aderan! Only the IMPURE offend the gods. So I’ll send you back to them. I give you JUDGMENT DAY!”

  21: The Light’s Reckoning

  Aderan immediately burst into the sky as a bolt of lightning. To Lenthean’s surprise, white wings extended from Valdorath’s armor, outstretched like an eagle. Valdorath dove off of the wall and swooped over Lenthean’s head. He could feel the rush of wind pass by as Valdorath then twirled gracefully with much speed into the now-sunny sky. Lenthean watched in awe as the winged Valdorath chased the bolt of lightning through the sky.

  Lenthean noticed some soldiers were tending to him. It appeared as though they had dropped their judgments of the Shadow Elementalist, and now they wanted to help him. One soldier placed a hand on his shoulder while others tended to him, attempting to lift him from the mud. “You did good, kid. That was some brave stuff you did right there.”

  Another soldier chimed in, “Yeah . . . Who knows how many more he could have killed if you weren’t taking the shots yourself. What a sacrifice you made. You put your life on the line for all of us.”

  Another soldier said, “You have more than earned my respect.”

  Lenthean found the pain in his chest and limbs was too great to fully grasp the emotional weight the situation bore. Four men carried off the young Elementalist, and Lenthean only lifted his head to watch the sky battle unfold, as it was so massive and such a spectacle it could be seen from even miles away.

  “YOU’RE MINE NOW, ADERAN!” Valdorath shouted, swiftly gliding through the sky in pursuit of his prey. Aderan darted in all directions, from one spot to the next. Every so often, his lightning form faded back into his wounded physical form; it was clear to see he was in pain and failing to stay in his lightning form at all times.

  Valdorath levitated in place hundreds of feet above the surface of the earth, wings gracefully keeping his glowing white body afloat. He threw strike after strike, and beams of light were slung from his arms. Lightning jolted around, erratically dodging the projectiles with the occasional counter strike of electricity zipping past Valdorath. They played a long game of cat-and-mouse in the sky, Aderan fleeing for his life from the vindictive Valdorath.

  “He’s going to kill him . . .” Lenthean murmured to himself.

  The God of Shadows spoke back to the boy inside his mind, It is what you failed to do. How ironic . . . The Goddess of Light’s Elementalist was the one to show the God of Lightning who’s really in charge. Perhaps it was a mistake to make you my Elementalist after all. . .

  Valdorath flew through the sky with purpose and grace, and Aderan fled in fear. It was clear, tho
ugh, that Aderan’s strength was fading and he was bleeding out, so he flew down to the muddy earth and landed with a tumble. He rolled tens of feet before stopping. Valdorath gently hovered closer to the ground. “It’s done, Aderan,” Valdorath said. “Unlike the Shadow Elementalist, I will strike you down, so I suggest you do not move.”

  Aderan moaned at first from the horrible pain then growled with a hiss. “Old man . . .” Aderan started. “You are so weak, it makes me sick. It is people like you that we seek to cleanse from this earth. Look at you, standing above me as if I’m lesser than you, when we both stand in an equal state of harmony and balance of our perspective abilities. How quaint.”