Heir of the Elements

by Cesar Gonzalez

“Just leave me alone.”

  “Selene.”

  “I said leave me alone!” Her sister did not say another word. A minute later the sound of footsteps filled her ears, followed by the creaking metal door opening. The footsteps became dull thuds before completely fading away.

  Sadly, the dark wielder realized Aya was not going to give up. She would continue to fight to keep her alive. The thought that her sister might actually succeed terrified her.

  ~~~

  With both our holy energies, you will be able to do things before thought impossible. For the next few days, Falcon mused on those words that Faith had told him in her final moments. It didn’t take him long to figure out what she’d meant. With his newfound holy abilities, he was able to reverse some of the damage done to Hiromy’s brain. Not much but enough so that she would not die from it.

  After Falcon healed Hiromy, she, Sheridan, and Dunn headed back to Ladria. Not only did they have to begin rebuilding Ladria in the wake of the Suteckh’s attack, but Hiromy was taking Faith’s death very badly. Like Falcon, she would wake in the middle of the night, drowning in sweat as she cried out her name. It became obvious that being in Missea was only further aggravating her condition. And even though Falcon enjoyed Sheridan and Hiromy’s company, he found himself enjoying the solace the day at the inn provided in their absence. It gave him time to dwell in thoughts. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to deal with his loss, but it helped him cope.

  “You have to get out and get some air,” said Aya after she walked into the inn. She appeared more tired today then she had in the past few days. Falcon was certain she’d just come back from seeing her sister.

  “I’d rather stay here,” said Falcon, burying his head in the pillow. The room was almost pitch dark, with only a single candle providing a speck of light.

  “Falcon. Please. I miss her too, but she would have not wanted you to drown like this. She would have wanted you to be happy and move on. Please promise me you’re going to stop this and go out a bit tomorrow.”

  The pleading in her voice compelled Falcon to nod, even though he didn’t actually have any plans of going anywhere.

  She looked at him doubtfully. Falcon knew that he hadn’t fooled her. Without saying a word, she took his hand. “C’mon.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Shhh… just follow.”

  Falcon did not have the energy to argue. In drone-like movements, he allowed Aya to lead him out of the window, up the stairs and onto the roof. She sat down. Falcon took a seat next to her. Something inside him came alive. Maybe it was the companionship, or maybe it was the fresh air, but he felt a sense of life breathe into him. They stared at the stars without saying a word for over an hour.

  “Thank you,” said Falcon, finally breaking the silence. “I know you’ve been going through a lot with your sister. You don’t have to go through the trouble of looking over me.”

  “Don’t say that. I would do anything for you.”

  She spoke with such sincerity that Falcon couldn’t help feeling guilty for not taking an interest in her as of late.

  “How is Empress Keira?” he asked, trying to quell some of his guilt.

  “She’s gone back to Sugiko. Captain Armeen is taking her home himself.” She managed a small smile. “I think they have a lot to talk about.”

  “And your sister? The Bloo–err… I mean…Selene?”

  Aya’s facial features stiffened. “Not that well. She doesn’t want my help, and…” She gulped. “Things aren’t going so well with the Missean council. I think…I think…” Her voice became raggedy, cracking and breaking between words. “I think they mean to kill her.”

  Falcon settled his vision on the flower constellation at the center of the sky. He couldn’t care less what happened to that monster. He did, however, care too much for Aya to see her suffer like this. He closed his eyes, not believing the next words that came out of his mouth. “I could speak to the council on her behalf.” Ever since Falcon defeated Volcseck, the people of Missea had come to see him as the hero that Aadi once was. They had come to the inn offering everything from food to a position as the general of the Missean army to his own castle. He was certain that a word from him would go far in sparing the Blood Empress’s life.

  “You would do that for her?”

  “I would do that for you.”

  There was a moment of silence. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  “Don’t mention it,” said Falcon, apprehensively, not sure he’d made the right choice.

  When they finally went back into the inn, the candle had burned out into a moldy pile of wax. Falcon did not bother to fire wield. He’d spent so much time in the dark room that he knew exactly where the beds were. He threw himself on the unkempt bed at the far end of the room. Aya did the same on her own bed.

  As he had done for the past few days, he tossed and turned in his sleep. The few times his eyes managed to close; they were snapped open with visions of Faith. To his left, he heard Aya rolling in her bed as well, unable to rest. It had been like this for them for the last few nights. Both unable to sleep longer than an hour, yet pretending that they were fine for each other’s sake.

  This time the bluff came to an end. Unlike every other night, he heard Aya stand from her bed in the middle of the night. She stumbled over to him, crashing into the other bedposts in the process. His exhales intensified when she sat at the edge of the cushion.

  “May I join you?” she breathed softly.

  Falcon’s heart raced. “Y… yes.”

  The bed groaned under the new weight.

  Aya lay down. Both wielders faced each other. Even through the darkness, Falcon made out her blue eyes. A sudden realization came to him. A realization of how fortunate he was to still have Aya with him, guiding him. Before he knew it, he was caressing her. He began with her hair, but then slid his hand down over her cheek and arms. She took his hands into hers. They breathed the same warm air.

  She planted a kiss on his forehead and laid her head by his chest, allowing Falcon to hold her close. His heart drummed, but he found himself not caring if she heard it. They’d gone through so much that his nervousness seemed trivial in comparison.

  He took in the scent of her strawberry hair. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace. He didn’t even know when it happened, but before he could register it, he’d fallen into a deep sleep.

  ~~~

  The morning came, but they remained clutched in each other’s embrace long after they had awoken. When they finally got up, Falcon was knew what he had to do. The night with Aya had provided the clarity he had been waiting for.

  “You’re leaving, aren’t you?” said Aya. Her voice was free of any form of accusation. Instead it had a tone of understanding. This was something that she knew he had to do.

  “Yes. There are places I need to see. People I need to visit.” Mayor Seth (Faith’s father) and Iris came to mind. “Don’t worry, I will stop by the council and have a word with them. Your sister’s life will be spared. I promise.”

  “Thank you.” Her chest rose and fell steadily as she fixed her hair into a quick bun. She straightened her skirt. “I will be waiting for you here when you return,” she murmured. “As long as it takes. I’ll be here.”

  Without saying another word, Falcon turned and walked away, unsure of when, if ever, he would see her again. All he knew was that if he stared into those sea blue eyes a second longer, he might never leave.

  ~~~

  Like he’d promised Aya, Falcon stopped by the council to speak on the Blood Empress’s behalf. After that unpleasant talk, he visited the pub and shared a drink with his brother. He stuck to water this time.

  “I think going on a pilgrimage will be a good thing for you,” said Albert after Falcon had told him of his plans to travel Va’siel. “I recommend that you stop by the swamps of despair.”

  “Swamps of despair?” repeated Falcon, without much enthusiasm.

  Albert smirked
. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I spent two years there with the monks. They live a simple life, away from the temptations of the city. It’s a plain place.”

  “Plain may be exactly what I need.”

  “It will hopefully help you find some peace, like it did for me.”

  It was at this time that Falcon realized just how little he knew of Albert. Most of the time at the pub he had spent speaking about their young lives back at Asturia. No time had been devoted to Albert’s years after the massacre of the Ladrian council. Where had he gone? How had he discovered his ability to space wield? How did he not go crazy out there all by himself all those years?

  “You have a lot of questions,” said Albert, as if reading his mind. “Stories for another time, perhaps.”

  The young Rohad nodded. “Yes. Another time.” They shook hands and after a quick pat on the back, Falcon made his way out of the bar, through the city streets, and out of Missea.

  Not until he reached the top of a grassy field did he finally stop and look back at the grand city.

  Years ago, he had left the city of Ladria in similar fashion. So much had happened since that day that it seemed to have occurred eons ago. He was no longer that kid who had left on their maiden mission, erroneously thinking that killing Volcseck and finding his brother would be the solution to all his problems. He knew now that life wasn’t all that simple. Nonetheless, he looked back at those times with a fondness and yearning to retrieve what had been lost.

  He clutched at his chest, looking out into the blue sky. Birds flew overhead. A warm breeze brushed his skin. In the pleasant current, he felt Faith’s touch. He caught the scent of peaches and smiled. The green-eyed girl would always be a part of him. He knew that now. Her holy energy would dwell in his chest. Her memories in his heart.

  “Thank you, Faith,” he said. The darkness that had threatened to consume him so many times was now non-existent. “You were the light my life had always been searching for.”

  He didn’t look back as he began his long trek. He wasn’t entirely sure where his first destination would be. Somehow, it no longer mattered. With Faith’s spirit guiding him, he was certain he would never be lost again.

  Epilogue

  His boots rattled loudly as he walked down the path. A small cloud of dust rose in his wake. He scratched the short stubble on his strong chin before stopping atop the same hill he had left that fateful day.

  The young Rohad stared down at the city of Missea. He had not set sight on those golden walls for many years. Now, on his twenty-third birthday, he treaded slowly toward the city, not entirely sure he wanted to go inside, for within those golden barriers lay his entire future.

  She had told him that she would wait for him. It had been a long time since she muttered those words, though. Much could change in five years. Did she still remember her promise? Had she moved on? She was a beautiful girl. He was certain that many men had attempted to court her.

  Steadying his breath, he walked into the city. The entire scene became a sea of colors as people scurried about.

  “Read all about the harrowing exploits of the great Falcon Hyatt!” screamed a young boy. He had yellow-stained teeth and a crooked smile. He stood atop a wooden box that barely seemed strong enough to sustain him, while holding a parchment over his head. A bag filled with countless other scrolls rested against his shoeless feet. “Travel with him as he vanquishes foe after foe on his wild adventure.” The boy spotted the travelling wanderer. His eyebrow lifted. “You there, sir. Surely you would like to learn all about the great hero of Va’siel. It’s so realistic that you’ll feel as if you were actually him.”

  The young man decided to humor the kid. “How did you acquire such accurate descriptions of his life?”

  “I know Falcon Hyatt, sir. He’s a good friend of mine, and he recounts his stories exclusively to me.”

  “Does he now?”

  “Oh, yes.” He patted his chest. “You can trust Mokin to always tell the truth.”

  The Rohad reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a gold coin. He tossed it into Mokin’s expecting hands. The boy’s eyes glistened as he eyed the shiny trinket in his palm.

  “Get yourself some shoes, boy,” said the man.

  “Of course, sir.” Mokin blew kisses at the generous person before him. “A thousand blessing to you, sir.”

  The boy grabbed his bag. Before he could take off, the Rohad took hold of his collar. He met his gaze and said, “And quit with the lies, boy. It will only bring you misfortune in the long run.”

  Mokin gave a mischievous smile. “Of course, sir.” He then dashed into the crowd, turned the corner and disappeared.

  A splash of water fell from the skies. A look up revealed a leathery-skinned woman staring out a second-story window. She carried a bucket in her hands.

  “Watch where you’re going, stranger,” said the old woman. “I almost drenched you from head to toe, I did.”

  The Rohad gave her a half-hearted smile. “Many thanks for the tip.”

  As he made his way around the pool of water, he heard the woman muttering to herself. He only caught the words, “Darn foreigners.”

  The air smelled of salted meat, horse dung, and fresh water.

  As he passed yet another stall of fruit he waved the flies away from his face. Despite the many small distractions the city had to offer, he found his anxiety growing. He could not say exactly why. Odds were the girl wouldn’t even be here anymore. She had probably returned to her hometown of Ladria.

  He turned another corner, passing the city council, which, if the marble sign outside the splendid jaded doors were to be believed, had apparently been renamed Aadi and Falcon Chambers.

  That wasn’t the only thing that had been renamed. The same inn that he had dwelled in all those years ago now had a sign that read The Hyatt Sanctuary.

  Then he saw her, and his heart skipped a beat. She was coming out of the oak finished door. Five years had done little to lessen her beauty. Her dark hair had grown to her waist. She wore a black blouse and a black skirt.

  She looked up, and their eyes met. Her neck rose in a gulp.

  The Rohad knew that this was the crucial time he had both yearned for and feared.

  If the girl had indeed waited for him, she would hug him; he was certain of that. But if she had moved on and found a man in her absence, then she would welcome him as a friend. She would speak to him, perhaps even shake his hand, but the girl had honor. He knew that if she were attached to another, she would maintain proper distance. She would not dishonor her beloved by embracing another man.

  The crowd around them became invisible. Sounds drowned out as they slowly made their way to each other. Under the shade of a flower stand they met, standing face to face. Her lips moved, but the man heard nothing but the sound of his own beating heart.

  He shook his head, forcing his mind to return to the present. The scent of honeyed flowers filled his nostrils.

  “Falcon?” said the girl, as if not believing who was standing before him. “You… you came back.”

  Falcon’s heart sank to his stomach. He couldn’t help but notice that Aya was maintaining a well-mannered distance between them. Of course. What had he expected? That she would simply halt her life at his convenience? That he could just show up and she would welcome him with open arms?

  Before he had an opportunity to dwell on those thoughts, she closed the distance between them. Her arms laced around his torso. Her warm breath caressed his neck, and the rigidness he had carried with him dissolved.

  A soft kiss grazed his forehead.

  He’d waited far too long and been haunted by her absence for far too long, to settle for a peck.

  His skin tingled. Before he had a chance to think too much on it, he pulled her in. An explosion of emotions rushed through his body as their lips met. His fears faded, washed away by the taste of strawberry the girl with the soft lips left behind.

  When they broke apart, her face was flushed i
n a deep shade of pink.

  “You waited,” he said in a shallow breath, seeing his future in those sea-blue eyes.

  Her lips formed into a smile. “Always.”

  He pulled her in, tasting the sweet taste of strawberry all over again.

  ~~~

  Councilman Nakatomi grunted and cursed as he trudged slowly into the damp cave, dragging the white sack behind him. In his wake, he left behind a trail of blood. There was a dark blotch of purplish red on the sack. It was the sixth sacrifice he’d killed.

  He inspected the cuts on his arm. This one had been a feisty one. He had lured her to his small cabin, with the farce that he was a simple farmer who needed help tending to the animals.

  A smirk spread across his lips as he thought back at how eager she had been when she thought she finally had a job to feed her struggling family. Of course, he hadn’t expected the peasant girl to put up a fight, even after he had landed a blow to the back of her head. No matter, she was dead now, and he was one step closer to fulfilling his goal.

  The councilman walked into the room. The seven crystals were spread about. Fire torches clung on the grimy walls, providing much needed light. He tasted the thick, oily air and more than once he had to breathe through his nose to avoid the burning sensation that would travel down his throat with every inhale he took.

  The old man moved to the first and smallest of them. The brown crystal had hundreds of cracks. Inside it he could barely make out the figure of a long, stretched-out woman. It was hazy from countless years of regret.

  With monumental effort, he took the corpse out of the sack and tossed it atop the crystal. He took the girl’s cold hands and rested them at her side. He looked away as her cold blue eyes met his. They reminded him of that wretched she-devil whom he had helped bring into the world, Aya. The simple thought of how she had stained his name with dishonor caused his teeth to grit with anger.

  He pierced two deep cuts in the girl’s ribs. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was cutting into his daughter instead. The thought made him find his smirk once more, and he let his anger flow away with the blood that was now dripping out of his victim.