The Elementalist (Part 1 Of The Nature's Kings Series) The boy stood at the edge of the precipice, looking out at the churning sea. The waves could not be distinguished from the clouds stretching all the way to the horizon, all a uniform gray. Spray dusted the boy’s pale face as the waves broke upon the rocks at the cliff bottom. The long red hair on his head was blown every which way in the wind. His eyes, green like a leaf on an aspen and as cold and hard as ice, never stopped focusing on the clouds. He looked to where the wind was coming from, and he lifted his hand, still unblinking. Then he raised his other hand, gesturing to the clouds. The gale stopped and the clouds parted to reveal a tired sun setting on the horizon. The waves calmed and the last rays of light danced on the water. The boy turned and walked away from the sun, now just barely peeking over the horizon. He walked until the sun went down, then he broke into a run. Should he return to the Colony after lockdown, not only would he have to wait out the entire night by himself, but his tutor would put him in an earthen cage as punishment. The boy didn’t want to half-starve once again. At the base of the mountain range he boy reached into the pocket of his torn jeans and pulled out a medallion. The medallion was simple, made of crude iron, with the elemental designs on it. One design represented Earth, the second represented Water, the third depicted Fire, and the last one showed Air. The boy’s hands were shaking as he fumbled for the keyhole. His fingers found its cold, smooth surface and he jammed the medallion in. The mountain shuddered, and part of the rock wall separated from the rest. He rushed in, making sure to lay the medallion on the indent on the inside of the door to close the stone barrier. Still breathing hard from his run, the boy walked into his room and threw himself onto his bed. There was a knock at his door, and a man entered. This man was completely normal in appearance, but his presence seemed to instill fear into everyone around him. He was dressed in a maroon suit, his thinning hair was combed over his head, and his monocle was perched on his beak-like nose. He looked at the boy, looked at his watch, and looked at the boy again. “Barely back before lockdown again, Halmond?” the suited man said, barely suppressing his annoyance. “You must stop cutting it so close. You were only 5 minutes away from being locked out. Again.” “I was back nearly an hour ago, but I got held up on my way through the colony. The grocer set his place on fire again, and I helped to put it out.” Halmond yawned. “And for the last time Mr. Fardell, my name is not Halmond, it’s Hal. Just Hal.” Mr. Fardell sighed and removed his monocle to polish it. “I know that you don’t like to take responsibility, but you are not normal like other children.” Mr. Fardell began, getting ready to go on when Hal stopped him. “I know I’m not normal. I know I’m not like other humans. All I wish is that I had some say in the matter. It’s not fair.” Hal said resignedly, turning onto his side on the small bed of wool he slept on. “Normal people can’t make mountains, burn down forests, fill lakes, or summon gales. I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m different.” Hal stood up and walked out from his one room dorm and walked out into the colony. He needed time to think. Mr. Fardell kept on polishing his monocle and sighed again. Hal walked through the streets of Colony, the city in which all people like Hal and Mr. Fardell lived. Hal looked up, knowing he wouldn’t see the sun. Instead he saw the long lines of lights that illuminated the subterranean city, the sandstone buildings appearing an eerie yellow in the cavern. Hal ignored the street merchants waving various knick-knacks and baubles from the outside world, the rowdy cheers from the cantinas along the streets, and the young children playing with a ball of hard mud in the sport called Mudball by the residents. Hal thought of how people came to be in Colony. Most people were found as infants in the outer world. Or perhaps you were born in Colony, which was uncommon. But the rarest happening was that you had not been detected and had lived well into your pre-adult life before they found you. Hal was found when he was 11. He had been stolen from his parents, his friends, and his life in Chicago. That was 3 years ago. Colony had an entire group of people that did nothing but try to detect people who could manipulate the elements. Most infants cannot control their powers so they are easy to detect. The general idea was this: Find the ones like us before they can make connections with those not like us. That way, Colony’s citizens would never try to escape or be defiant to the Council, who controlled every aspect of Colony. Most people were devoid of emotion in Colony so that they would never try to act for their own benefit. No one in Colony cried, screamed, laughed, or even loved. Only Hal could do those things, and no matter how hard the Council tried to manipulate him, he would never lose what made him different. Hal felt tired, and returned to his dorm to find that Mr. Fardell was gone. Mr. Fardell walked along the streets of the city. He passed the grocers on his way, and he saw that there had been a fire. Mr. Fardell sighed. He thought of how his plan was almost complete. He just needed to teach Hal one last thing before he had to leave. He pulled out his medallion. It only had the symbol of Earth on it. In his reverie, Mr. Fardell accidentally dropped his medallion. A young girl that was passing picked it up and returned it to him. In here hands, the medallion showed the Water symbol on it. When Mr. Fardell took it back into his own hands, the surface turned brown again, showing Earth once more. The last lesson he would give to Hal was the most important. If the Council found out Fardell’s plan, all hope for Colony would be destroyed. Hal was adept at controlling Air, but he could manipulate all the elements. That is why his medallion showed all four sigils of the elements. Hal assumed that everyone had the power over all four elements, but he didn’t know the medallion’s secrets. The medallion was like a translator. It read the kind of energy given off by the person who touched it and showed what kind of element they manipulated. The medallion was a key not only to Colony, but a key to the soul. Those who knew how could see what others thought and felt with the medallion. That is why the Council had made the citizens of Colony emotionless. The medallion’s power was already great, but amplified by the emotions and dreams of humans. Mr. Fardell needed to see Hal. He began to walk, looking behind him to see a terrible sight. The Council members in their ceremonial robes were walking down the street. They wore robes of black and red, meaning an execution would occur. Fardell’s pace quickened, almost brining him to a run. He turned around again and saw the Council begin to make gestures. They were starting to bend the Earth to their will. Stones grew, flames ignited, water flowed, and winds blew all throughout Colony. Fardell was trapped. Panicking, Fardell tried to raise an earthen wall to repulse the elements, but the Council forced it back into the ground. Fardell saw Hal standing in an alleyway, staring in awe, his pale skin paler than usual. Fardell took a letter out of his pocket and ran up to Hal and placed it in Hal’s hand. “Read this and do not falter,” Fardell panted. ”No matter how hard the path is, remember what you fight for. Now, run, boy, run!” Hal glanced at the letter, looked at Fardell, turned, and ran for the exit to Colony. Fardell turned around and laughed. He had done what he needed to do. The Council mixed the dirt and water into mud, which began to crawl up Fardell’s legs, then reached the top of his head in a few seconds. Then the fires around his feet intensified, hardening the mud into clay. Then the winds blowing through the tunnels cooled the clay so it became rock-hard and brittle. The Council’s ordinary members parted to let through the head of the Council, commonly known as the Roi de Council. The Roi cleared his throat, placed his hands comfortably on his protruding stomach, scratched his bald head, and spoke. “This man, who went by the name of Gerald Fardell, was elementally charged to the element of Earth. He was a traitor to Colony and tried to destroy our way of life. For this he was punished, and he will be displayed in the center of the city to serve as an example to any who oppose the way of Colony.” The Roi’s hoarse voice echoed in the caves. “Long Live the Council and Colony!” cheered the residents of Colony. The Roi smiled. When stripped of their emotion, people made great subjects to rule. That is why those with powers that were older and found outside of Colony were often killed. Their emotions made them dangerous. Hal was well over a mile from Colony by now. The mountains still loomed behind him as he ran. He stopped after nearly an hour of running with all the energy he could muster. Hal laid near a tree to take a nap when he remembered the letter Fardell had given him before Hal fled Colony. He opened it and began to read. Dear Halmond, You know by now that there are four elements and sub-elements within those. You learned how Colony was formed and how the Council runs it. You also know why you have feelings while no one else in Colony had them. I never did tell you about the distribution of the control over the elements. You always thought that everyone could control all the elements. Only you can do that. Your emotions give you strength that no one in Colony, not even the Roi de Council has. Most people can only control their assigned element, and they are Terranites of Earth, Aquanites of Water, Pyronites of Fire, and Aeronites of Air. You are an Omninite, controlling all the elements. The Council fears you and wants you dead by any means necessary because you can save Colony. You can make the people laugh, cry, create, question, and love. There is one more thing I would tell you about the medallion, but you will figure that out for yourself. I bid you farewell, for this is the last you will hear of me. The Council plans on my death because after all the time I spent with you, I myself began to feel the things you call “feelings”. I have never felt such ecstasy. No one could call themselves human without having felt joy, fear, anger, envy, and sadness. I bid you farewell one last time. Final regards, Gerald Fardell Hal set down the letter. He made the winds blow, moved the stones into a fire ring, set some tinder in the circle on fire, and extinguished the flames with water from the air. He laid under the tree again and fell asleep. When he woke up, the sun was high in the sky above him. Hal tried something he never tried before. Hal beckoned for the wind to blow, but it wasn’t a directionless gale. He had the wind turn upwards as it came under him. He formed a cushion of air and sat on it. It was solid enough for him to put all his weight on it. He raised the pillow of wind up and up until he reached 10 feet in height above the ground. He lowered himself back to the Earth and smiled. He could fly. That would make what he had to do much easier. Ending of the First Installment of the Nature’s Kings Series
Copyright © 2008 Matthew James Parsons |