Chapter 10: Return of the Princess

I remember running amok some bullies one day. The convoy had become something like a moving city, and just like any city, there were gangs. I was a teenager then, and like many teenage boys, I had a completely irrational sense of pride in my own abilities. So I thought I’d pick a fight with the meanest, toughest gang I could find. They would have beaten me to death if my father hadn’t shown up. When the fighting was done, he looked at me with those eyes that could cow a bear and he said something I’ll never forget. “There is a time to run and there is a time to fight. If you do choose to fight, always remember that overconfidence can be even more detrimental than cowardice.”

Crouching next to Ryan with violet eyes riddled with resolve and concern was none other than the silver-haired princess that he had met in the woods on the Elven colony five years ago. Or at least, he had thought she was a princess when he first saw her because of the way she dressed. This girl was one of the main reasons that he had wanted to become an Elemental in the first place.

She’s got the look, thought Ryan as he noted the sorrowful expression of this more mature Éclair. The look of someone who’s lost their innocence ... someone who’s survived tragedy. I’d know that face anywhere. It’s the same face I see in my own reflection.

Though the years had changed her a great deal, it only added to her graceful figure and the elegant authority of her presence. Éclair’s silver-gray hair had grown even longer since the last time they met, straight and flowing like a waterfall over her back. Her face hadn’t changed that much with its perfect oval shape and high cheekbones. She was tall ... still taller than Ryan in fact, but not by much. Éclair had nearly grown into womanhood in the years of her absence with her straight back and narrow features. And though Ryan honestly tried not to look, he found his eyes briefly scanning the area anyway.

Since I saw her last, she’s gotten a pair of some really huge ... uh ... boots! She’s got huge boots! That’s all I was going to say! Honest! I swear I wasn’t looking at anything else!

It wasn’t an inaccurate description. Éclair wore long, silver boots with high heels similar to riding boots that went nearly up to her knees over white trousers. Glowing blue symbols shaped like roses had been etched into her silver boots. Silver wristbands with glowing blue runes had also been fashioned over her arms for protection. One of the wristbands had a readout on it, probably fashioned as a wrist communicator often sported by the military. She had on a long, light-blue coat with a single line on the right shoulder over a tight, white suit of armor that glowed with the same light as her wristbands and showed off just a bit of her well-endowed bosom. A lion and a dragon were etched into the breastplate, both sitting proudly on all fours. A pale quiver with white arrows hung on her belt, though Ryan didn’t see a bow on her, which perplexed him.

Éclair regarded Ryan quizzically, as if he were a specimen needing examination. “Are you okay?”

The only thing Ryan managed to get out was, “Nuh.”

Éclair seemed more concerned now. “Did that mercenary hit you with a hallucinogen?”

“Nuh,” he repeated dumbly.

“Okay. Now you’re starting to worry me.”

Why is she acting like this? Doesn’t she recognize me?

Ryan started to say her name when tall, dark, and stupidly handsome dude decided to appear and mess everything up. “Éclair, are you okay? I lost sight of you there for a moment.”

Éclair beamed at the guy with a face that could only be described as puppy love. “I appreciate it, Leon, but I’m more than capable of handling a few ruffians. You know I am.”

Ruffians! Those dudes were meaner than a wet Werecat!

Ryan wanted to say something, but the brown-haired girl showed up and started jabbering. “Well, well. So she ices some schmuck’s hand, and all of a sudden, my little sister is a master and no longer the greenest member on the team. Will wonders never cease? Guess we can tell grandma to cancel her training.”

Wait a minute ... sister! Éclair has a sister!

Éclair turned on the girl with what Ryan could only describe as venom. “Please don’t patronize me, Rachel,” said Éclair tensely. “I’m just as capable as you and Leon. I’ve already proven that.”

Amazing how someone so pretty and kind could appear so terrifying at the same time.

Before the girl named Rachel could respond, Leon interjected. “Yes, you’re right. In fact, it would taste a lie to say that I’d still be alive if it weren’t for you, Éclair.”

Éclair looked away and Ryan realized with horror that she was blushing at his compliment.

Ryan decided that he did not like Leon. Who does this guy think he is? The nerdy equivalent of James Bond, or something!

So many things happened at once that Ryan wanted to scream in frustration. Éclair had become an Elemental, and a powerful one at that judging from the ice thingy that she just did. Some bratty girl named Rachel was apparently her sister and they had some kind of female rivalry thing going on. Éclair had goo-goo eyes for a guy who looked more like some aristocratic snob rather than an Elemental. And worst of all, Éclair behaved like she didn’t even remember her time with Ryan.

Maybe she’s faking it. Maybe she’s embarrassed to admit that she knows me because I’m a half-breed. No, it can’t be. That doesn’t sound like Éclair at all. But if not that, then why?

Ryan just couldn’t help himself. He glared directly at Leon and said in a not-too-friendly voice, “Who the heck are you supposed to be?”

Leon turned on Ryan with his black eyes. It gave Ryan a shaky feeling in his bones that felt somewhat familiar. “I’m just the man who saved your life. Those mercenaries eat amateurs like you for breakfast.”

“I didn’t ask for your help, four-eyes,” said Ryan, not even close to backing down. “I was just about to bust those ropes and open a can of whoop-ass on those turds when you butted in.”

Leon turned to Éclair with an expression of disbelief. “Can you believe this kid? He just awakens his powers after what, fifteen years, and already he thinks he’s the Prime Minister of Elemency.”

This guy’s asking for it,

“I don’t know what that means, but I’m guessing it’s some kind of insult.”

This time, Leon seemed even more intimidating as he leaned close to Ryan and said quietly, “Listen, Grunt. I don’t waste my time insulting little specks like you who are nothing but talk.”

Before Ryan had a chance to say anything else, Hannah sat up groggily. Ryan immediately went to her side to offer support, but she just shook her head for him to back off. She seemed better than she had before, but Ryan wondered if she was just putting on a strong face; either way, he knew that he had to get her some help and fast.

Leon’s eyes widened in alarm as he seemed to recognize her. “You are-”

“I wish to speak to your superior. Please signal for him to come out.”

Éclair and Rachel looked at each other like they wanted to object, but Leon held up his hand to silence their concerns. And then, he made a circling motion with his index finger. Out of the shadows materialized a balding man wearing the same red and gold uniform. It appeared as if he had hidden inside the pavement itself, but Ryan thought that he might have imagined it.

Then again, I’ve seen stranger things.

The older man, probably mid to late thirties, had a grim face. But even he paled in comparison to the presence of Hannah Lioness, who seemed mad enough to spit fire. Offhandedly, Ryan wondered if she could. The man nodded his head towards Hannah in a sign of respect. Ryan felt his curiosity for Hannah’s identity elevate exponentially. Even so, he despised being out of the loop like this. It always seemed that when cool stuff happened, Ryan spent most of the time wondering what the heck was going on.

The man spoke in a gruff voice with forced politeness. “Captain Zax, Third Level Fire Elemental, at your service, Lady Lioness. I have been assigned as escort for Squad 99 during this mission.”

Hannah glared at the man in obvious displeasure. “A Third and a few Firsts sent on a mission like this one? Kaves must be getting sloppy.”

A quick bout of anger flashed through Éclair’s violet eyes as she clenched her fists until they cracked. Leave it to Éclair to remain defiant of the scariest woman alive.

Before Éclair could say anything, her older female comrade interrupted. “Leon and I are both Seconds. The only First is this one here. But don’t worry, she’s housetrained ... at least that’s what I’m told.”

Hannah glanced at Éclair as if she were a piece of gum under her shoe. All of the sudden, Ryan felt himself getting angry at the way this Rachel-girl would just dismiss Éclair, like she didn’t even matter. A sort of treatment he, himself, found all too familiar.

And then Zax addressed Hannah again. “The girl needed more experience out in the field. That’s why we brought her along. She’s proven herself on a number of occasions, so there’s no need to concern yourself with her.”

“It goes against protocol to bring in amateurs on a mission involving anti-element hunters, no matter how gifted,” said Hannah. “She should not be here. Those were professional mercenaries, equipped and trained to capture or kill Elementals of at least Level Two status or lower.”

Éclair lowered her head, suddenly seeming very timid as she realized that she was being scrutinized. Ryan thought it strange how she could be bold as a lion one minute, then frightened as a lamb the next.

Ryan had taken all he could take. Bad enough that Hannah got herself mixed up in all this somehow, but now she joined in belittling Éclair. Even if they had met only once many years ago, Ryan still considered Éclair his friend. “That’s enough,” said Ryan loudly. “I may not know what’s going on here, but Éclair saved my life. She’s just as capable as any Elemental, so stop picking on her! Now, would it be convenient to tell the guy who just shot fire out of his hands and feet for the first time in his life what the hell is going on around here!”

They all stared at Ryan like one would a mental case, even Éclair, which didn’t help to bolster his confidence. Ryan felt sheepish all of the sudden. “Sorry for cussing, but it’s the only way for people to take you seriously ... at least in the holomovies. But honestly, what just happened?”

Only Hannah smiled sympathetically. “Of course, Ryan. I apologize. This must be very confusing for you. I’ll explain everything just as soon as-”

“Actually, I think I’d better be the one to explain things to the brat,” said a new voice that Ryan didn’t recognize.

The most impressive figure yet stepped forward. He stood six feet tall with slightly graying short dark hair. He had one brown eye and a cybernetic eye that glowed a deep shade of orange light. The man sported a neat mustache, as well as a perfectly pointed goatee that looked sharp as a knife. His gnarled face had a single scar that went down the same side as his cybernetic eye. And as if to add to his intimidating appearance, the guy had a voice so gruff and grinding that it could turn Black Dragons to stone.

Everything about the man’s bearing bespoke of military superiority, from his well-tailored red uniform raked with medals, to the long cape of pure gold except for red symbols at the center that represented the Ministry of Fire. Ryan soon realized with a deep sense of both excitement and dread who this man was.

Zax gave a respectful bow. “Wielder Razor.”

Razor? Wait, my dad told me stories about an old Elemental named Razor. Could he be...

“You’re Eramar Razor the Demon Slayer, the Elemental who single-handedly won the battle for the sixth moon of Talvon V,” said Ryan as if in a trance.

Ryan had always known that the Elementals were real, but just seeing one of their greatest warriors stand before him made the stories seem tangible at last. A slight whimper of excitement escaped Ryan’s lips as he stood face-to-face with one of his childhood heroes. Somehow, the legends he’d grown up hearing about had finally come to life.

Eramar did not smile. Ryan immediately wished he could take back his words. He suspected that this man hardly ever smiled. The legendary Elemental perceived Ryan with his one good eye that somehow managed to be more disconcerting than his cybernetic one. It almost seemed that the man reasoned whether he thought it a good idea to incinerate Ryan where he stood; either that or he had a bad case of constipation.

“It wasn’t singlehandedly,” started Eramar without letting up on his cold stare for a single second. “I just did what I had to in order to live, and to make sure that my men had a chance to live too. Now then, you’re Ryan Uruks, son of Richard Uruks?”

Ryan thought his question somewhat stupid since these people obviously already knew him. “Well, I guess ... I mean who else can I be?”

Eramar frowned as if Ryan had just failed some sort of test. “A man should know his legacy, and respect that legacy,” explained Eramar slowly as if speaking to a two-year-old. “Otherwise, you really don’t know who you are, and that makes you nobody.”

Ryan opened his mouth, stunned. He quickly bit down the urge to punch his former hero in the balls, but the intrigue at Eramar’s meaning stayed his hand. “What the heck is that supposed to mean, squinty?” asked Ryan indignantly.

Instead of answering, Eramar turned to Zax. “Did he really ignite the water?”

“Yes, sir,” responded Zax immediately. “That’s why I sent for you, sir. I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years at the Ministry of Fire.”

Wait, that’s what’s got these guys worked up. That was nothing. It didn’t even work that well. What about freakin’ demonic flames shooting from my fingernails? Man, these guys are weird!

Eramar leveled his penetrating gaze in Ryan’s direction yet again. “Tell me, boy. Do you want to know who you are, or at least where you come from?”

“What are you talking about?”

Eramar sighed. “You don’t strike me as the bright type, so I’ll use simpler terms. There are billions and trillions of sentient lifeforms that call this universe home. We, the Elementals, are the gatekeepers of all life in the universe; acting as both a mediator between humans and the alien races, as well as a deterrent for unbalance in the universe.”

“Unbalance?”

“Chaos, kid,” Eramar said, as grim as ever. “Forces that seek to destroy the order of society, whether because of racism, greed, religion, or just for the heck of it in some cases.” At the last part, Eramar seemed to tense up, as if haunted by the memory of a ghost from his past. “You just made fire out of thin air. And more than that, you taught yourself how to control it.”

He paused and rubbed his goatee as if considering his words carefully. “To a certain extent, at least. Although your technique is crude and unrefined; plus your control over your psions is below amateurish. We can work on that ... I think ... given that you aren’t nearly as dumb as you appear.”

“Ignoring the jibe,” said Ryan in annoyance. “But just to clarify, do you want me to train to become an Elemental?”

Eramar threw his hands up in frustration. “Ding, ding, ding! That’s kind of the whole point, kid. That’s what we do. We look for people who manifest Elemency, either because they inherited it, or they’re just unnatural freaks of nature. Hmm, nature; that’s funny.” Yet he did not laugh, or even crack a smile.

Before Ryan could respond to Eramar, Hannah suddenly stepped between them. “This boy is under my protection, Razor. The Ministry of Fire has no jurisdiction here.”

Hannah usually had a commanding presence that made other people uncomfortable, but Eramar didn’t even blink when she confronted him. “Good to see you too, Hannah. It’s been a while.”

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she replied.

Eramar’s posture became more rigid. “Very well, then. I’ll get right to it. We would have come to him sooner, except the brat didn’t manifest any powers. A late bloomer like his father. As you know, it’s forbidden to approach a child until proof of their Elemency is irrevocable. That’s the only reason we let you tag along with this boy despite the fact that you’re infringing on Ministry of Fire territory. And look what happened because of that. Some high roller hears you’re in town hanging out with this kid and decides to bump the both of you off. If we hadn’t been keeping an eye on you, those paid bounty hunters would have succeeded.”

Hannah seemed unfazed by Eramar’s stern speech. “Nice timing, by the way. Were you counting on the boy and I to take them all by ourselves, or did you hope that they might put me out of your misery so you could claim him without a fuss?”

Eramar ignored her quip. “The point is, Hannah, that despite everything you may have done for us in the past, as long as he remains within our jurisdiction of District 8, we simply cannot allow you to take the boy to the Monastery. At least, not yet. Not until he has learned more.”

Hannah smiled triumphantly. “Well, then. It’s a good thing that the law is quite clear in that if an initiate has come of age, which Ryan has, then he must choose for himself which path he would follow. Even though Ryan has no legal guardians, you can’t just induct him into the Ministry without his consent. Not you or even the Minister of Fire herself can change that. The ancient laws cannot be questioned.”

“I know that, Hannah,” said Eramar a tad more softly. “But there is no law that says we cannot give him the offer.”

Eramar directed his attention at Ryan, who shifted uncomfortably on the ground. Eramar knelt down to Ryan’s eye-level and put a hand to his shoulder, speaking in a gentler tone. “Look, kid. I’m not going to lie to you. We don’t have all the answers. And the answers we do have, you may not like. Elemency is not for the faint of heart. It’s a hard life ... harder than you can imagine.”

“Okay, that’s encouraging,” said Ryan ironically. Despite his gruff mannerisms towards him, Ryan felt that Eramar didn’t really hate him; he was just wary.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. If you’ve ever looked up into the stars and wondered what mysteries life had hidden; if you want to be a part of those great mysteries ... to discover them and help mold them ... if you want to know yourself better than you ever have before, then we can help you get there.