by J. J. Egosi
“You’re too hesitant, Michael. You just need to go for it sometimes. Alright?”
Just go for it? There really is a way about this girl; she makes me feel so at ease.
Michael awkwardly smiled. “Well, alright. If you say so.”
“Great!” Julianna grabbed the bottom of his shirt and took it off. She kept stripping him until he was wearing nothing but his underwear. He was more embarrassed than ever. Julianna looked down into the water.
“You wear white briefs?”
“That’s all my previous masters could spare me.”
Julianna linked her arm around his and looked into his eyes. “I think they’re sexy. Besides, it sounds like you could use a new master. How about it?”
“I’ll table the idea for now. Thanks.”
Julianna laughed, squeezing his face. “You’re so cute.”
Michael’s expression turned mischievous. “Yeah? Let’s see how cute you think I am after this!” He formed his hands into a shovel and splashed water into her face.
“Hey!” she exclaimed. Julianna now stood about a foot away from him. She wiped her hair from her eyes. “If that’s how it’s gonna be, then take this!”
She splashed him directly in the face, nearly knocking him over.
“Not bad,” Michael said, spitting the water from out of his mouth. “Try this out for size.”
The two of them laughed as they continued splashing each other. Michael felt himself being pulled toward Julianna by some kind of invisible force. She was irresistible, like the sun melting away his fears. When he was inches from her, she stopped splashing him. They were so close that he could see the droplets of water clinging to her eyelashes. Everything came into sharp focus. The scent of flowers swirled in Michael’s nose, and the rippling of the water grew to a rushing sound in his ears. Julianna’s eyes were deep, dark pools of crimson.
They no longer laughed. They were focused entirely on each other. She leaned towards him, this time letting her lips nearly brush against his. Michael’s whole body flooded with warmth, and he felt his resistance vanish.
My first kiss?
He felt all his tension give in, and the voice vanished forever as he allowed himself to simply be with her in that moment. “Thank you, Julianna, for killing my loneliness.”
They were not alone during their tender moment. Through her crystal ball, she could see them taking pleasure in one another’s company. A young girl with red eyes and blonde hair that was obscured by her mantle watched them. Their vulnerable state brought a smile to her face.
“You’ve found my fire elemental, have you? By no sheer coincidence. Now, you’ll find another one of my companions. In a place where you least expect it.”
Michael was ready to embrace the warm touch of her lips. He wrapped his arms around her, but Julianna was wrenched away by a fierce shaking beneath them. They froze.
Something beneath them roared.
“Did you hear that?”
“What do you think that is?” Michael grew fearful. The shaking became stronger.
“I don’t know, but we should get out of here. Hold on!”
Julianna released her wings and grabbed onto him. They flew from the spring and into the air. From above, they could see the whole forest shaking.
“Do you think-”
“Oh, I’m certain of it,” she replied.
Julianna and Michael watched in awe as the entire landform below them rose as if animated. Without warning, a massive hand made from the forest itself reached towards them. This, too, was humanoid in shape but was carved from branches and stone.
It lunged forward.
“Look out!” Michael shouted.
The two of them barely dodged it. They flew out of the woods and landed outside the parameters of this monstrous creature. Michael watched in amazement as the beast took full form, made from the very earth they were just on.
“It’s the earth elemental,” said Julianna.
“It’s incredible!”
Michael stared in wonder at its movements. His body trembled as he recalled his experience with the fire elemental. He understood how horrific this could become.
“Well, don’t get too attached. We need to kill this thing, remember?”
“Right,” Michael agreed.
“Well, don’t just stand there!” said Julianna.
The earth elemental reached out with a second pair of arms, thinner in size, which it had tucked under its chest. It broke through the air with wind-shattering thrusts that its second hands carried, and a bellowing roar to accompany its every trudging movement.
They sprinted out of range as fast as they could. They could feel every inch of the ground quaking under their feet.
“It’s a damn good thing this creature’s as sluggish as the last one.”
Despite the giant footsteps the elemental was taking, its slow movements kept it just behind them.
“Michael, just leave this one to me. Got it?”
He was overcome with dread. The elemental’s movements grew more volatile than the fire elemental’s ever were.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be using you as bait this time. I have my own plan on how to beat this monstrosity.”
Reluctantly, Michael stormed back from the oncoming battle. He took refuge behind a large rock nearby. He watched as Julianna flew up to the beast until she was at eye level. She summoned her blade with a chant, a different one this time. It appeared amid iron chains, which shattered with her final words.
“Sword of Durandal…be free!”
She took the sword by the handle and pointed it straight at her opposition. A confident grin meant doom for whatever stood in her way.
Michael’s jaw dropped at the sight of it. He was as amazed as he was envious. Now that’s an incredible sword.
He thought back to the blades he saw in the shop in the Dark Realm; none of them could have compared to the glimmering sword unsheathed from its iron prison that was now before him.
He was captivated. Julianna struck the earth elemental repeatedly with a combination of her light magic and her sword. She attacked with vigor and passion in perfect harmony. However, to Michael, something didn’t seem right. Something he couldn’t shake off. He studied the now crumbling mound of moving land.
That creature isn’t even fighting back.
Michael watched its sluggish movements. The elemental’s roars of anger turned to those of pain with each attack.
The fire elemental wasn’t really fighting back either. I think it was just hungry. It probably just thought we were food. I think that might be the case with this one too.
The beast roared as Julianna pierced the larger outer arms that were holding it up. Like a primate leaning forward, it struggled to maintain its balance with its smaller set of arms. Michael heard the beast scream as it came crashing down. The sight of it made his blood boil.
This isn’t fair at all. It was just protecting itself from strangers. The way we were splashing in that spring must have felt like we were beating it over the head. No wonder these things always try to grab you. We’re like annoying pests, draining them of their resources.
He looked into the beast’s eyes; its sadness was clear to see. Though it soon turned to hate. The creature stood up on two feet, now with four disfigured arms. Michael’s eyes widened as the beast healed all the damage it had taken.
Julianna flew back down onto the ground.
“Hey, are you alright?” Michael asked.
“Michael, this elemental is turning out to be stronger than I expected. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to do something you may hate me for.”
Michael was confused. Suddenly, the clouds darkened as the thunderous roar of the sky enveloped the air with bolts of lightning. The wind blew violently across the land. The ground beneath them shook once again. A great storm was approaching.
“What the hell is happening?” Michael’s heart raced in terror.
Julianna summoned a new blade. Michael watched, mystified, as the first sword returned to its prison of chains, allowing another iron clad blade to appear. This one gave off a radiant glow.
“Cursed Blade of Tyrfing, I ask for your aid. Grant me your summoning powers, so that together, we may prevail. I call upon the fire elemental, destroyer of forests!”
As she uttered the final word, the ground below them began to shake. A bolt of lightning struck the earth before them, leaving behind a chasm full of blistering red flames. The fire elemental crawled out from it, roaring as it entered the battlefield.
“Holy shit! Is that what I think it is?”
It emerged fully. It stood at around the same size as the earth elemental in full blazing fury.
Julianna smiled up at the creature she had summoned. “Now, my great beast, use your volcanic flames and burn that moving forest to the ground!”
This must be my imagination. These creatures can’t really be controlled like that, can they? Michael was proven wrong as the fire elemental took one step forward, releasing an inferno of molten flames from its mouth. The earth elemental struck back with a fist bearing the force of a thousand mountains.
How is this possible? I’ve never seen magic like this before, something that can summon monsters.
The battle moved in the fire elemental’s favor. Its mountainous opposition screamed, unable to regenerate fast enough to protect itself. Its exterior began to burn and wither under the blackened skies. After a few short moments that felt like painstakingly long ones to Michael, the earth elemental fell and melded back into the land. The forest reformed as it once was.
Julianna then returned the fire elemental back to wherever it had come from and collapsed.
Michael could hardly wrap his head around everything that had just taken place. He rushed to Juliana and scooped her into his arms.
“Julianna, wake up!” he shouted, shaking her. She wouldn’t move. “Please, you’re my only friend. I can’t lose you. Not when…not…when…”
Tears rolled down his face and onto hers. Michael’s body trembled at the thought of losing her.
Her eyes cracked open. “Not when what?”
Overcome with joy, Michael hugged her as tightly as he could. “I thought you were gone.”
“Gone?” Julianna laughed. “It’ll take a lot more than fainting to knock me out. Now, what were you trying to tell me? What happened? Last I remember, the earth elemental had fully regenerated. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in your arms.”
By the vacant look in her eyes, he realized that she had no recollection of what had just happened. He didn’t know what to say or how she would respond. He nodded towards the remains of the earth elemental.
“It seems like I got the job done somehow. That, or you killed it while I was out.”
From her pocket, Julianna pulled out a small crimson flask. It had a strong and pleasant aroma.
“What’s that?”
“A mana potion,” Julianna replied. “An assassin can never have too many.”
Taking off the lid, she drank the entire bottle. He watched in bewilderment as a sparkling essence permeated around her. It lifted her fatigue away. In moments, she felt rejuvenated.
She absorbed the beast into her sword. Like that, the remains of the earth elemental vanished, evaporating into oblivion.
“Now, what were you trying to say before? Something about not wanting to lose me?”
Tears still rolled down from Michael’s eyes. “I…”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. I’m not going anywhere.” She put her hand on his face and leaned in for a kiss. This time, the two of them finally embraced one another.
They looked into each other’s eyes. He wasn’t thinking about anything other than the moment he was in. Julianna’s smile was more beautiful to him than ever before as the sun shone on her through the clearing clouds. Michael’s heart was racing, and there was nothing he wanted to do to make it stop.
“So how was it, Michael?” she asked.
Michael smiled. “It was perfect.”
Chapter 4
Calm Before the Storm
M
ichael awoke to the smell of fresh meat cooking over a roaring fire. Julianna sat over it as she prepared her latest catch, concentrating intensely to ensure that the meat was cooked thoroughly.
They’d wandered the forest for the last three days. Michael had hoped in that time he’d have been able to make sense of what he’d seen during the battle with the elementals. However, his confusion had only deepened. He looked from the trees and the rising sun to the wood that burned under the fire.
At first, I just thought the elementals were innocent at best, territorial at worst. Now, I wonder what their story really is.
Julianna noticed Michael staring at her and flashed him an alluring smile. He’d had to fight the urge to ask her about the events of that day. She hadn’t regained any of her memories, and he didn’t want to frighten her. He remembered all too clearly the blank void of his own missing hours back at the estate. The thought filled him with dread.
What the hell is really going on here? First me. Now her? Are Julianna and I connected by some sort of memory wiping plague?
“Breakfast is ready!”
Michael put on a smile and met Julianna by the campfire.
“How did you sleep?”
“Alright, I guess,” Michael replied. He was fixated on the possibility of their minds being toyed with by some outside force.
“Just alright? Are you just sad that you didn’t wake up with me by your side?”
“Yeah, I think that’s it.”
“Well, that serves you right for sleeping in and leaving me to do all the cooking. It wouldn’t kill you to help a lady out, you know.”
“Sorry. I won’t let it happen again.” He took a bite out of his breakfast, and his face lit up in delight. “Wow, this is incredible! You really know how to cook!”
Julianna blushed. “Thanks. You tend to do a lot of your own cooking while you’re on your own.”
“Well, it certainly pays to be on your own, then. What is it?”
“It’s bear. Black bear, I believe.”
Michael’s heart nearly skipped a beat. Black bear. His memory flashed back to his horrific experience with the animal.
“What, do you not like black bear?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m actually glad it’s black bear. I hope the animal suffered tremendously when you killed it.”
Julianna could no longer hold in her laughter. “You certainly are a fucked-up guy, Michael. Maybe tomorrow morning you can kill one yourself. How does that sound?”
“That would be sublime,” said Michael. He reached down and touched the wound on his ankle that he’d got from the mother bear.
Julianna put their food aside and straddled Michael. She lay her head on his shoulder and sighed.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he exclaimed. He found himself becoming lost in her scent.
“All the hunting and cooking was exhausting. I could sure use another one of those bodily reflexes of yours.”
She giggled down his ear.
Michael blushed. “I told you I can’t help those. They don’t mean anything!”
“Don’t mean anything? If our clothes hadn’t been separating us last night, I’m pretty sure that rod of yours would have pushed its way into me,” Julianna whispered into his ear.
Julianna pointedly looked down. “I see your little friend has returned. How about you and I seal the deal when we’re done capturing all these elementals? I mean, what better place to find trouble than with an assassin? Especially one so hot and steamy.”
She gently bit his earlobe.
He began shaking nervously. His heart pounded.
“I think maybe you should get off.”
“Oh, was that too much stimulation for you? In that case, our first time should certainly be interesting.” She lightly patted his face as she got up.
/> Michael stood and turned his back to Julianna.
“What’s your problem now?”
“It’s nothing to worry about, just a passing feeling. It should be gone soon,” Michael replied, moving his legs back and forth to stop the swelling.
Grabbing her knapsack, where she kept her extra clothing, Julianna sighed deeply. “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll be changing behind that tree over there,” she said, gesturing towards a large tree in the distance. “Just let me know if you need any help with that feeling.”
“Great! Sounds amazing!” he said hastily.
With a chuckle, Julianna began to strip. She eyed him playfully as she did so. Nearly gasping at the sight of her naked body, Michael covered his mouth and hid behind the nearest tree. Though he couldn’t help but peek ever so slightly every few seconds.
They were being watched again. The same young girl from a town afar viewed them through her crystal ball.
“You’ve ensnared by earth elemental by using my fire elemental against it. How very cunning.” The girl focused her attention on Julianna. She stared at her with a nefarious grin.
“I never did think I would create more than the three I once did. But I cannot deny the orders of my master. So a surprise awaits us both.”
With a chuckle, she watched their faces vanish.
Back in the comfort of the woods, Julianna finished getting dressed. She turned to see the frightened face of a man who’d been caught peeking.
“Do you like what you see?”
“Huh? I didn’t see anything.” He hoped she’d believe his lie.
She moved behind him and placed her hand on his now trembling shoulder. “Oh, I know you saw plenty. Behave yourself, and I promise I’ll make it worth your while when I’m done with my mission,” Julianna said, riding her hand down his chest and towards his leg.
“Tell me a bit more about your mission,” Michael said, desperate to change the subject.
Julianna laughed. “You’re not very good at foreplay, are you? We’ll have to work on that. And as for my mission, what do you want to know?”