by Janeen Abdo
WYATT STANDS AT THE base of the mighty Black Hawk Statue. Looking over the edge where once the Rock River flowed. Now just barren, Wyatt stares down at the empty trench. So sad he thinks back to when this river flowed with is currents and fish jumping in and out. He looks to the sides of where the river once flowed where this once a lush green park that humans camped and visited was once here. Remembering the nights he and Terra lie at the base and count the stars. He missed the simplicity of those days.
Horardo walked out from behind the dead trees. “I was surprised to get the message for you to see me, you should be dead.”
“It was a bad shot,” Wyatt retorts. “I thought the place where you tried to destroy me before was a good place to meet. You chose this place on purpose then; to tell me you were chosen for Terra, I didn’t realize it then. It was meant to hurt me wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I have always hated you. You’re the favorite, I don’t understand why. You have no special gift, I have watched you. Kaleb had the gift to see past lives, I can stop time. Zachariah can rewrite time. I see nothing of your gift. Why are you favored? Is that you are the best fighter that is the only way you could have missed my arrow?”
“I am sorry you think that way, I always thought of you as one of the best.” Wyatt shakes his head. “I never wished you harm even when you would marry the only one I have ever loved. When you killed young Kaleb, I snapped. You will cease to exist today.” Wyatt pulled his sword, “Now fight me like a true Timekeeper.”
The battle begins; they swing back and forth with swords challenging one another. The black Shadows rise from ground forming a circle around the battle to keep everyone else out. One side the Elementals arrive the three watching over Wyatt and praying to the creator for his success. Across the battle Desdemona and Terra appear watching to ensure Wyatt is victorious, Desdemona knows keeping on her side is dependent of it. The Faye army arrives and watches the battle from a distance. They stay on guard to keep the battle as one on one. The Faye Queen has seen the outcome through the Seers eyes and wants to see it come true.
All is quiet but for the battle between the two. Sera chant to call their Creator out. He must protect Wyatt; we have to get Terra back is all Sera thinks about. Without Terra, Gaia will never be awakened and all of this would be for nothing.
The battle of strength continues, Wyatt has the upper hand, he is the strongest and he is a warrior first. Horardo is weakening from the long battle, tiring and making mistakes. He closes his eye and mumbles something under his breath and Time stops. Glances around and sees that no one is moving. Takes the golden sword and looks to Wyatt; you will not get off so easy this time my brother”
Looking at Wyatt he realizes Wyatt has not stopped with time, he is still very much in movement. The devilish grin comes across Wyatt’s face, “And now brother you know why I am the favorite”. He swings his mighty sword to cut off Horardo’s head.
Time starts up and everyone sees the headless Horardo on the ground. The Faye and Elementals cheer. Terra screams for joy and drops to Wyatt; kissing him forcefully and tears well in her eyes. He looks at her and where she jumped down. “I do not understand why you’re with Desdemona and not your sisters?”
Terra looks into his deep blue eyes, “with Desdemona, we can be together. She can give us our original form back and we can be together for eternity.”
Wyatt looks in her eyes with disbelief. “No we can’t, I can never join with her Terra and if you do, we cannot be together.”
“They will never let us be together either Wyatt, you know this as well as I.”
Desdemona raised her hands and smoke took her and Terra away. Wyatt turns to the sisters, “What the hell happened?”
The Elemental BOOK 2:
The Eternal Flame
Neste momento está a catro, a Terra, o vento, a auga e lume. Eu son o lume que lle traen calor, cociñar os seus alimentos e inflamar o seu espírito. Eu son a risa, a rabia, a paixón todo o que sente. Eu son a chama que fai quen é vostede
In this time you are the four, the Earth, the wind, the water, and fire. I am the fires that bring you warmth, cook your foods and inflame your spirit. I am the laughter, the anger, the passion all that you feel. I am the flame that makes you who you are
Neste momento está a catro, a Terra, o vento, a auga e lume. Eu son as augas que limpar a Terra. Eu son a auga que alimenta a vida. Eu son o portador da choiva, os gardiáns dos océanos eo camiño dos ríos. Eu son o portador da vida, eu traio-lle as augas para traelo á vida
In this time you are the four, the Earth, the wind, the water, and fire. I am the waters that cleanse the Earth. I am the water that nourishes life. I am the bringer of rain, the keepers of oceans and the path of the rivers. I am the bearer of life, I bring you the waters to bring you to life
Neste momento está a catro, a Terra, o vento, a auga e lume. Eu son os ventos que respiran na vida. Eu son o aire que limpa o ceo. Eu traio as atmosferas xuntos, as correntes no ceo. Eu doulle o aire para respirar.
In this time you are the four, the Earth, the wind, the water and fire. I am the winds that breathe in life. I am the air that cleanses the skies. I bring the atmospheres together, the currents in the sky. I give you the air to breathe.
Neste momento está a catro, a Terra, o vento, a auga e lume. Eu son a Terra, eu dou unha casa. Eu doulle comida, eu son o que mantén todos xuntos. Eu son o que fai o mesmo e que o fai diferente. Eu darlle vida.
In this time you are the four, the Earth, the wind, the water and fire. I am the Earth, I give a home. I give you food; I am what holds all together. I am what makes you the same and what makes you different. I give you life.
Chapter 24: Time’s New Plan
WYATT STANDS BACK AND watches Seraphina the Elemental of fire as she sits on the base of the Blackhawk Statue. She is still in shock that her little sister Terra has betrayed her and her sisters. Her flaming hair, glows with its sparks of flames flowing throughout it. The pain and frustration with Terra has her almost turning into a full flame. All I see is the grief in her eyes, pain and anger fills us all. I think she may be ready to speak and tell me what happened.
“Wyatt, while you were hunting down Horardo, I believe Desdemona promised you to Terra, that she could be with you for eternity. Terra joined sides with her, she betrayed us all. I don’t understand where all this came from, must be from living with humans all those years. We need to destroy them all, they are like poison”
I can’t say anything; I just stare at Sera in shock. “No, Terra wouldn’t betray us, she is not like humans. She has to have a plan, she wouldn’t just abandon me, or any of us.” My heart is breaking, I have never endured a pain like this before, have to find her, have to understand. I sit down on the base of the statue next to Sera.
“Sera, not all humans are bad. Yeah there is a few, but I lived in Bago for hundreds of years. It is not all bad, but a little lost in time. They live as if they still lived in the 1600s.”
Sera looked at me like I was insane, “They barely have water or any amenities, and most towns live like the 1600s. They destroyed all of our creations and their own. I gave them the gift of fire for heat, electricity for lights and advancement. They use these gifts to destroy. I do not trust them and wish I could take my gifts back.”
Venillia the Elemental of air stares at Sera and me with anger in her eyes. “Look at you two, all sad and betrayed. It is not the time to feel sorry for yourselves. We have to get our sister back; she will come to her senses once we get to her. She is angry with us we took Mothers side when we first found out about Wyatt. We will stand by you both for eternity but we need all four of us together to heal the Earth.”
Adrianna the Elemental of water stands and nods her head. “I will return to my pools and see if I can find where they went. I am assuming back to the caves where Desdemona is protected and close to our sleeping Mother. We need a plan.”
“I will go find the other Timekeepers that survived Horardo. With him gone we can come
out of hiding now.” I need to get away from the sisters, to think clearly, there must be more to it. Terra and I have a chance to be together, she would not betray us all knowing this.
Sera stands up and nods as she flames up. “I am going to Bago and see if I can find something in Terra’s human lives to help up us understand. I need to understand. We should have someone go to the Faye and talk to Adara’s seer, she has been pretty accurate.”
V nods, “Do not torch the town we need to understand things before we act. I will join the Faye and see what we can do. We shall all meet here in a week to regroup.”
Adrianna speaks to me before she leaves, “Sera don’t have much experience with the humans. She has not interacted with them in thousands of years. She does not understand them, only sees the results of their actions. The most dangerous of the four of us with her gifts and she knows this. She always looked for the logical way and been the most cautious. In every emotion she is bound in one spirit and keeps it under control. She does not understand when emotion can get the best of someone or something.”
Adrianna’s small smile before she left gave me a little hope. The Elementals take form and disperse to their journeys. I am not ready to get going yet, killed my brother and watched Terra turn her back on me. I need to find my bearings, just think. I know she was angry when the sisters found out my secret and they all said we were too strong to be together
Once I am alone, my thoughts go back to Terra and her abandonment. Anger towards her sisters is not enough to make her join Desdemona. No when she heard V talking about keeping Gaia asleep and destroying humankind may have been the piece that convinced her. Terra is angry with the humans and with Desdemona she thinks she can make everyone happy by having one of her half thought out plans. I have to find my other brothers, I cannot do this alone.
Sera speaks in my head reaching “Wyatt find Zachariah first. He was V’s Timekeeper he is the one we could trust the most right now.”
“I will try to find him first.” I sit with my eyes closed searching through the realms of galaxies trying to find Zach. It will be good to see him again. I sense my brother and he is in the realm of the Eloria. So back to the Orleans slough I go. At least with no Elementals, I will be less likely of being attacked. The Elves hate them not me. Before I start my journey, I reach out to Sera and let her know I found Zach and he is with the Elves.
Chapter 25: Sera is Finding Roots
SERA IS RELIEVED TO find Bago; it is a hidden away little town. Metal fencing and gates all around it there is no sign of real nature here anymore. Cement and steel. The whole town built from it. I flame down and shift to my human size. Walking up to the gates the guards stop me before I may enter.
“What is your business in Bago, we do not allow strangers in our town?”
He is a tall lean man and sharp tone to his voice. Not very pleasant that is for sure. “Why is your little town so afraid of strangers?”
“Followers of the dark witch and other heathens are not allowed. You must be a follower of our Savior to enter Bago. All others will be publicly executed we do not want Satan’s work entering our town and spreading his filth.”
I promised V I would not burn the place to the ground and at least they do not support Desdemona. “Not a follower or a heathen. I know little of the Savior and have journeyed far to learn more. Is there a place here for me to learn more?”
The guard stares and Sera and believes what she says. “What is your name?”
I smile and as meekly as I can muster “Sera.”
The guard nods and takes me to a big beautiful building made of steel and glass. Placed in the center of town and compared to the other little cement block buildings the most beautiful of all the buildings. I am awed by the stature the building holds and then I stop at the little desk where a small girl sits. She looks at her board with room numbers listed on it and points out toward a hall and flatly says “3 A.”
The hallway is long and just steel. There are no colors or windows, just empty cold steel. I cannot see how humans can stand this cold and stark building. Why make the outside beautiful and the rest of the building so steel and hard. I do not sense warmth or connection with anyone who could live here. Is this how Terra betrayed us. Finally I find Room 3 A and open a huge steel door. There are steel benches in rows and a pillar for someone to stand and speak. There is a giant steel cross behind the pillar.
I walk into the room and a little woman approaches me, she cannot be five foot tall. Long brown hair with hints of gray to show her age, she reaches out with her small hand to take mine. I let her guide me to a bench, here she gestures for me to sit.
“Excuse sister Agnus, she was born a mute.” A tall man appears from a back room. He ducks to get through the doorway, he must be well over six feet. His head is covered with thick white wavy hair. His deep voice sends chills through me when he speaks.
Sister Agnus looks down and scurries from the room. That leaves me alone with the creepy guy. “Who are you?” I asked rather bluntly.
“To the point I see, I am Reverend Isaac. I give the sermons and teach the ways of our Savior. It is to my understanding you would like to learn, you do not follow Desdemona and her heathen witches.” He says this in a matter-of-fact way as if no denying it.
He reaches inside the pillar and pulls a small leather book out and strides over toward me. “Read this, it will explain all. Then you can accept all the wonders of our Savior into your heart and accept the truth!” This he yells with his booming voice, I jumped.
“Thank you.” The only words that come to mind as I accept the book from the strange big man.
He looks at me cautiously, “Where are you from, to not know about the Savior?”
“I am from Zona, the dark witch rules over there and I cannot follow her, it doesn’t feel right.”
“Zona that is a far journey, I understand she follows evil ways.” I will send sister Agnus back to help you find a room and get situated. Mass is at 8 PM.” With that, he leaves me in the chapel.
Agnus comes back in soon after and gestures for me to follow her. We step outside to see a cement cottage, everything is cement here. No signs of nature.
Chapter 26: Terra’s Dark Side
TERRA WANDERS THE CAVES that are dark and damp. Desdemona whisked us away so fast I never talked to Wyatt. He looked so hurt and shocked, I never meant for things to happen like they did. I have been in this cave a week and I haven’t even seen Desdemona and I am still in human form. She has Mother hidden in here somewhere, but haven’t figured that one out either. I jumped without thinking this time.
Haresh, Desdemona’s follower, and most loyal servant returned from a trip and he has had her attention. Why all the secrecy, she is surrounded by her followers and I am supposed to be her partner now. If she does not get me in my regular form soon these caves will come crashing.
I wander out through the tunnels looking at the stalagmites and stalactites. The caves are exquisite; odd how they survived the war so well. Each cavern wall shows different colors from the different stones and reactions to when water once got into the caves. The caves are different from Bago, no life outside of the people. If Wyatt wouldn’t have taken me out of there, I would still be surrounded by concrete and steel. I wish I could hear his voice.
“My priestess requests you join her in the back tunnels” Haresh spoke harshly and I jumped from hearing his voice appear from nowhere
“I suggest you never sneak up on me again or I’ll bring the cave down on you” I can’t stand that creepy guy. If I never hear his voice again, it would be too soon. Studying him as we head to the back caves, can’t figure out why she keeps him, maybe for his creepy nature. She better be ready to make me whole again. I want to be complete again. This human form is so limited.
I find Desdemona in a tunnel that has crystals all over the walls and she looks into them seeing what her followers are doing. They are like windows showing her everything going on outside. She is staring at one cr
ystal in particular and looking furious. “We need to stop your sister!”
“Who and what is going on and you agreed not to hurt my sisters. Speaking of agreements when are you going to make me whole again?” I snapped at her in rage and frustration.
“Adrianna is bringing water to the lands quicker than my witches can stop her. We cannot let her make water so available to the people. They will revolt!”
“Well, not much I can do in human form.”
Desdemona turns to look at me, “I do not trust you yet. I am afraid of what you can do once you have full power. Terra, I asked you to join me not for power or to tame your sisters. I see an opportunity of what the two of us can do if we join forces. I will make you whole, hell I will help you find your little Wyatt and you can keep him. All I ask is for you to be mine and stay with me.”
I am surprised with this statement, “I love Wyatt, and I will never put you before him. Why you want the Earth to die. You understand that is how you have your magic. If you destroy the Earth, you will destroy Gaia and the Earth will die. You will lose your powers.”
Desdemona flashed a real smile, not the evil grin, a true smile to where she was amused by what I said.” I have no wish to kill the Earth, but I need to have control of the people for now. Humans can be helpful in building the temples and supplying me with food.”
“Food, I do not recall ever seeing you eat? There will be plenty of food if the Earth is healed. Return me and allow me to heal the Earth. I will not harm your humans.”
“You do blame them for everything don’t you? You know that is why they turned on the Elementals. They worshiped you and then you blamed all of them for the damage a few did. Your wrath just destroyed, it did not separate the good from bad. I am selecting my dear and then I will destroy.”