by Lee Morgan
Connor held Sarah’s hand as they walked down together. He could see their confused expressions out of his peripheral vision. Jack was the first to understand the code and the blood in his face drain away. Jillian whispered in his ear and he whispered back. Her expression also drained as she looked at her daughter and mate. Kara was still confused and all she did was shrug.
He slowed his stride to match Sarah’s once they hit the level floor. He saw a pair of new mated Balancers and a family of three right behind them. Connor recognized the little girl from before the start of the meeting. She was as cute as a button and highly intelligent. He asked the child questions and she answered them like that of an average adult. Both of her parents were the same height and they looked around twenty years old, but their hair was different. The mother had long golden hair and her mate had short brown hair.
Sarah and Connor casually took the end and no one else was new besides the seven of them. “The first pair is allowed to enter.”
The first two went up and he introduced himself as a new mate. They asked what his affinity is and then they left. Sarah and Connor stepped to the side as they walked down the steps and made their way back to their seats. “Next!” the two Head Elders said as one.
The parents of the little girl went up. While they spoke Connor felt Sarah’s emotions. He whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry so much. Don’t forget I’m here.” She straightened up and he felt her emotions shift to confidence. Her green eyes were set and just as confident.
They moved over as the family exited the stage and went back to their seats. “Next!” They said simultaneously again. Connor nodded to Firon once he looked at him. He nodded back and returned to his towering stance.
Together Sarah and Connor took the large and long steps up to marble stage. They made it to the top and he finally received a closer view of the flooring. Not even a single blemish was on the floor, not even in the thin and dark veins. This had to be the purest stone in all the world. It was perfectly level as they began their walk to the center. They held hands as they approached. Sarah’s steps were light, but not completely silent. He raised his chin and also walked confidently. The stage they were on was much larger from this new angle. He counted sixty one steps until they reached the center. He judged the distance they traveled, the placement of the Guard and the layout of the room. Connor had spent over a week preparing just for this one moment.
Sarah squeezed his hand one last time before letting go. They first looked at Head Elder Damian and she bowed in respect. They turned and bowed together to the Head Changer and finally bowed to their Head Elders. When Connor raised back up he glanced at Elder Adela and she was waving at them with a smile, but she hid the gesture so that only they could possibly see it. To the right of the Head Elders were another pair of Elders writing on a large scroll.
Head Elder Amphrite leaned forward to look down at them. She spoke to Connor and asked in a casual voice “What is your name and age, Child?” Evenly he said “My name is Connor May and I just turned twenty, two days ago, Head Elder Amphrite.” She nodded and he looked to see the other Elders scribbling his name. He recognized the pen strokes. She looked and waited for his mate’s answer. Sarah spoke with clarity and courage. “I am Sarah Branderson, but I have changed my maiden name to May. I am just over three hundred years old.”
The two opened the scroll even more as they searched for her name. They found it and handed it over to the Head Elders along with the pen. She looked at it with her seaweed green eyes. “Ah here you are Sarah. Let me just…” She mumbled as she made some corrections to the paper.
“Umm, Head Elder?” Connor looked to see Sarah as she spoke.
“What is it, young one?” It was then he managed to estimate her age once her eyes became deeper. She was around one million years old.
“Could you please add another name under mine and Connor’s. Please add the name Pearl May.” He saw a twitch of a smile hit the corners of her lips. He knew she was finally glad to be rid of that secret.
“SARAH!” Their attention turned to Elder Adela. She stood up and was holding onto the railing. “You’re with child?”
“I am.” Sarah said proudly.
“So that was why you always ordered apples with every meal.” Then they heard Head Elder Amphrite clear her throat in annoyance. Elder Adela realized she had interrupted her boss. Adela’s expression reminded Connor of Kara’s when their mom would scold her. “Please forgive my interruption Amphrite, I was suddenly caught off guard at the wonderful news.”
“Yes, yes… Now sit down Adela so we can finish up here.” She looked down at the two youngsters once Elder Adela returned to her seat. “Please forgive the outburst. She is still very young. Now you have my congratulations for carrying on our race.” She rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the others. “One last thing, what are your elemental affinities?”
Sarah and Connor glanced at each other and both took a deep breath. Sarah’s chest swelled and dropped. She looked him with her emerald green eyes and he knew she was ready. She nodded once and Connor knew that she wanted him to reveal the big secret.
He looked into the Head Elder’s deep seaweed green eyes and steadied himself one last time. He spoke loudly and clearly and well enough for every Elder present to hear. “Sarah and I can use every element individually. Terra, Metal, Pressure, Fire and Liquid are all under each of our independent controls.”
It took a moment to sink in, but he managed to make the Elders laugh in each of their seats. Their laughter echoed off the walls and became increasingly louder. Then one Elder behind him took it too far by saying a single word in their language. The one word Connor cannot stand being called.
While they still laughed he gathered Sarah’s attention by touching her shoulder. From her pouting lips he could tell their laughter made her confidence vanish. She went sheet white once she saw the serious mask and he knew she could feel the torrential fury pounding through him. “Sarah,” His tone of barely controlled rage frightened her. “go back and sit with everyone. Let me deal with this.” He entered her mind and added “Please go. This is what I’ve been planning for. I will show you, but you need to get to Mark…GO NOW!”
She was startled, but turned around and ran as fast as her legs could take her. It was faster than the others could see. Once she made it to the edge of the marble top, planted her right foot and leapt into the air. She made a perfect arc and landed with both feet right next to Kara. Connor looked into Mark’s unwavering silver eyes and gave the signal. He got up and the others took defensive positions around Sarah. Connor saw that she already had her Fangs out and they were ready for a taste blood. Kara was on all fours and teeth barred. Her wings were half spread as she prepared to spring in front of Sarah. Mark stood tall behind Sarah with his wings also half spread. Jillian and Jack stood to either side and their looks alone could have turned a roaring inferno into an ice sculpture.
The laughter of the Elders died the moment Head Elder Amphrite yelled “Where did Sarah disappear to!?” The look on her face was of pure disbelief as she finally turned to see Sarah in the crowd once again.
This was his chance to end this farce.
Connor ignored her question and turned to the Changer Elders. He looked at the twin sister on the far end and spoke in their ancient language he learned. “Next time you call someone a liar you had better have proof that my words were false!” Her face paled and Connor caught her attention and pointed her out. “Yes that’s right. I know your language now. Be sure next time to listen before you speak to me like some common Balancer, because I’m on a whole new level that you can’t even begin to imagine, Shorty.”
“Enough! You will not address an Elder like that!” He turned around to Head Elder Poseidon returning the words to common English. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you don’t have any authority or the power that you say you do.”
“Try me.” Connor’s voice was no longer even, but laced with pure malice.
“Hold your tongues! All of you!” Damian stood and mentally shouted and the entire room silenced. “Child, you are on a dangerous and slippery slope. Before you are judged for your insolent mouth, you will answer my question. Why didn’t you bow down to me when you first stood in the center?”
All of the pieces were now in place. Connor looked him straight into his large brown eyes. He spoke with both his mouth and mind, loud enough so that even the people on the back row of the crowd could hear this. It was strange being able to touch so many thousands of minds all at once. “For starters I do not like liars and just about everything that you have said is a bold faced lie, Damian. Secondly I do not bow to imposters!” He and every Elder present had their jaw’s hanging by their hinges, except one who smirked.
Head Elder Amphrite looked down at the Immortal Guards on the ground and said “Arrest him! He needs to be taught to respect the authority of the Elders!”
The moment they took one step forward Connor gave them a dangerous and feral smile and then said “Ah Cassie and Marik, my old friends. How’s the back of your necks feeling?” He stretched his own neck like they did after he let them go. “I hope I didn’t do any serious damage.”
They stopped which is what he needed. Connor focused and brought his power forth as Cassie said “That voice… It couldn’t be… Marik…. RUN!” It was far too late for both of them.
This is the beginning of the end of the meeting.
Connor sent a blast of power under their feet and shattered the solid marble into white dust with his control over Terra. Two cylinder shaped holes appeared beneath their feet and they dropped down into it. Right when only their necks were exposed, did he send the marble dust back into the hole and secured them indefinitely to the floor. His instinct for danger told him to look up.
The two upper Guards jumped off the Elder’s platform. Each had a Gladius aimed to kill him. Connor smiled at their futile attempt and used his command over Pressure and imagined two invisible and solid nets about ten feet above his head and under each of them. Instinct followed through without any hesitation.
They both blindly landed into the invisible nets of pure Pressure and dangled helplessly in mid air. Connor pushed Pressure under his feet and flew up to their level. He reached into the nets and ripped the swords from their frightened fingers. Raw fear dominated their ancient, dark brown eyes. With a sword in each hand he taunted them in front of their former wielders. “I will take these as spoils of war.” He focused each blade and mentally molded them into one. When the power over Metal released down his arms the metal floated up into the air. The blades became red hot and the two bladed tips started winding together and folding in on themselves at blinding speeds. Soon the swords became a useless sphere of red hot iron. As it cooled above his hand he flew back down to the ground.
The moment he touched the floor he dropped the rapidly cooled metal and whirled around, sensing something else. Now the Guards from the Changers side made their move against him. Connor was expecting more.
They seriously underestimated him.
The female Cheetah Changer began closing her distance to him after witnessing how effortlessly he dispatched four Balancers. He didn’t want to seriously hurt her so he came up with an idea. While he continued trickling energy to hold the Pressure nets in the air he sectioned that part of his mind away to continue doing it. Connor then gathered more energy and felt a cool flow going down his arms. He studied her run as she made her way and collected the moisture from the room simultaneously. Within two of her strides stride’s he caught the timing. When her front legs were back between her legs and the back legs moved forward to propel her momentum, he struck.
He took Jillian’s water lasso and wrapped it around the cheetah’s front and back legs. Connor pulled and locked her movements. Unfortunately she moved too fast and slid across and tumbled along the floor and right past him. She released a growling howl along the way. He tightened her bindings to lock her entire body’s movement and dropped the watery leash. He portioned another section of his mind again to still keep her watery binding secure like rope.
Connor turned to see the Gorilla Changer making his way. He grabbed Tool from his hip and said “No tricks or weapons, pure muscle.” Connor threw Tool across the floor and heard it hit the wall with a dull twang.
The answer to the challenge came in the form of the gorilla drumming his massive upper arms against his thick chest. Connor stood still as he charged. When he was close enough he jumped and brought both of his fisted arms up, trying to slam Connor down.
When the gorilla was now within his territory Connor brought his hands up and grabbed his furry wrists. A mild shockwave flowed down his arms, chest, abdomen, thighs and finally transfer down into his feet. The force of the Changer’s hit and bodyweight crushed the marble under his footing and forced Connor to sink down an inch. Unfortunately that was his best move. Connor grinned and tightened his grip while the opponent remained in the air. He jumped back a step to get out of the holes that his feet created.
Connor brought the Pressure net images back into the front of his mind and conjured yet another net. He leaned back and threw the Gorilla behind him. Once he felt a great weight hit the net, he closed the end and pushed the image back into the recesses of his mind.
With their two best Changers beaten there was only one final alternative left for them to be able to apprehend him. Unfortunately Connor’s captives were too close and he knew they needed to be protected.
Connor grinned again when he felt two large powers behind him beginning to increase dramatically. The temperature around him began to rise rapidly and he knew exactly what they were up to. He turned around to see the two Keeper ground Guards inhaling the heat they focused to a point. Their massive barreled chests began to swell as they took in the superheated air. Their eyes were zeroed in on him the whole time and he knew what is to come next. Together they bent forward with their maws open and aimed directly at him. Their abdomens constricted under their robes as they forced the superheated air from their lungs. Two red and orange jets of fire came barreling directly at him.
In response to Fire he called upon his own element of Fire. Instantly, his orange Fire Shield appeared over his forearm and it was now as tall as his body. He was surprised to see just how large it had become, but he had to protect himself and the others from the deadly inferno headed in their direction. The other guards were no longer struggling against his power because they were awaiting their death.
Connor twisted his left arm and put the perfect shield right between himself and the two flame’s that have just become one gigantic flamethrower. The moment the very first flame tongue licked the shield it expanded and its rotation increased to a spinning blur. He was happily surprised when the shield didn’t collapse when it touched the marble floor, that had been a worry. The shield continued rotating and getting larger as it absorbed the intense fire and transferred the enormous amount of energy back into his stores. The sounds of the flames were roaring by his ears as they were sucked into the ever growing shield. The shield had expanded to twenty feet in diameter as the flames were finally contained. Connor heard the Keepers take a breath and knew that they thought he was finished. The shield continued sucking the flames until not a single spark remained. The shield finally began to slow and shrink when it absorbed the last spark.
He turned his arm and saw that the two Keepers were frightened beyond anything that they have ever known. Unfortunately they pushed another one of his hot buttons and they were going to be more than frightened after this. He disengaged the shield and it disappeared into nothingness. Connor slowly began walking up to them with a dangerous purpose.
His voice couldn’t reach the exact level he wanted so he used his advanced telepathy to multiply the effect. Still sending the mental voice to everyone in the room, he spoke to the two female Keepers before him. “What do you two think you were doing!? Did your companions mean anything to you as you tried taking them ou
t with me!? You two went too far with that last stunt and now you are going to be punished!”
Connor took two steps before they realized exactly how much trouble they were in. They turned around to run away, but they soon realized that they were between a rock and a very hard place.
Then felt a familiar mental voice shouted “CONNOR, STOP!!!” and it was followed by a loud roar. He stopped and so did the Keepers against the wall. Veronica leapt onto the marble stage and began running on all fours directly at him, but he could see nothing but fear in her eyes as she ran. She didn’t have her egg either. He searched for the familiar glint in the crowd. When Veronica made it to the middle of the room Connor spotted her egg in Firon’s thick arms as he watched from the edge of the platform. Veronica must have entrusted her child to her son.
Veronica suddenly stopped and dropped to her hands and knees. Her head was deeply bowed as she looked directly at the floor. Her fists were planted by her sides and Connor could see that her tail laid against the ground. “Head Elder Damian, please allow me to take whatever punishment is coming to this hatchling. He is young, rash and highly impulsive, but I owe him everything. Please allow this to be my one final request if his disobedience is to be death.”
There was a pause.
“Honored Mothe…” Damian stopped speaking as Connor began to walk directly and normally to his dear friend.
Out of the corners of his eye Connor could see each Balancer and Changer Elder’s shaking in fear up on their separate platforms. Some of them even decided to take shelter behind their marble seats in an attempt for protection. He finally made it to Veronica and stood between her arms.