Chapter 22: Tensions Arise

I once thought the identity of the Fourth Child might come down to a number of different young people around your own age, most of them Mystics ... all of them fellow Lurranna clansmen from lesser branches. Lucille was also a possible candidate. But now I suspect the Fourth Child is not of our family line.

Eramar fell to the pavement, his chest heaving. Dozens of other bodies toppled down with him. In hindsight, he probably should’ve made the portal a little closer to the ground. Though, given his limited timeframe, he figured he didn’t do too badly.

He created a portal in an alleyway near the point where they first entered the sewers. The alley wasn’t too crowded thanks to the yellow forcefields surrounding the area, enclosing the dozens of individuals that just appeared out of thin air. If any individual had been caught by the portal which appeared at shoulder level, they would’ve been torn to shreds. Shopkeepers, apartment tenants, and occasionally walkers gawked at the appearance of the Elementals and their entourage from sidewalks and windows. Many of the onlookers were Demihuman, watching with clear confusion. No doubt most of these people had rarely seen one or two Elementals, never mind this many.

Eramar had ordered this area quarantined and used it as a marker for his teleportation in case he needed to make a quick evacuation. He could normally just tell if a space was occupied so he never ended up accidently merging atoms with a poor soul as some Jumpers in the past had done before learning to feel the space ahead of them through experience. However, it became more difficult to tell if a space was occupied when using portals and bringing others through. Those usually required him to create a marker beforehand. Though he hadn’t been counting on the Shadow Elemency blocking his teleportation, he was glad he got the chance to use the marker after all.

Coming shakily to his feet, Eramar assessed the condition of their group. The other Elementals, as well as the occasional Patroller and Light Monk, seemed just as out of sorts as he felt. Worse in some cases as quite a few vomited, mostly the Patrollers. Travel via portals was second nature to most Elementals, even the ones without teleportation like Eramar. However, their physical condition is not what made his heart ache. Out of the Elementals that survived the initial assault, there were quite a few heads missing. He reckoned that their casualties just doubled after that last little surprise from the Mages, and that didn’t take into account the Light Monks and the Patrollers that lost their lives in the skirmish. To think those Cthulhu monsters could actually bring back the dead. But of course, that wasn’t the only thing on his mind. That voice that possessed the High Mage, and the things that lunatic said about...

NO! he ordered himself. Don’t think about that! Don’t you dare! Focus on what needs to be done right now!

Catching his breath, Eramar turned to Simmons, the sensory-type from the Fire Ministry. The other one, Carter, was nowhere to be found. “He-head count, Mr. Simmons?” stammered Eramar.

Simmons looked around shakily, showing slight signs of shock. “A-at least fifteen more lost, Wielder Razor. In total, fourteen Fire Elementals and sixteen Water Elementals.”

Eramar drew in a sharp breath between his teeth. That makes more than half our original force! With casualties that high, this operation is a failure! My failure!

“And at least half a dozen valiant Patrollers who gave their lives defending US when it should be the other way around,” said Konamay with an angry growl as he leaned against his sister for support and glared daggers at the Tracer.

“Y-yes! Of course, Wielder Konamay!” replied the Tracer nervously.

Before Eramar could understand why Konamay was getting so angry at their lower-ranked subordinate, he noticed that the Light Monk who helped him create the portal was still holding his hand. The man’s head was slumped down as he sat on his knees next to Eramar.

“I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t get your name. Though your arrival is unexpected, it is a welcome one as none of us would’ve survived without your interference. How many Light Monks were lost? We will commemorate them as well in the death toll.”

The man didn’t respond, but remained kneeling at Eramar’s feet.

Eramar gently shook the Light Monk by his shoulder. “Sir? Brother Monk?”

The beaded Monk then flopped to the ground, releasing Eramar’s hand. Only then did Eramar notice the blood trailing from the man’s eyes, nose, and ears. His eyes were wide open in a sightless stare, and yet still somehow possessed that peaceful quality that made Eramar immediately trust him. Though Monks used a power very different from conventional forms of normal Elemency, they had their limits just as any Elemental. Eramar recognized the signs of psionic overuse all too well. There were still training accidents in which such a thing happened, but the only time it occurred in seasoned veterans like this man was due to a purposeful burnout. This man had given every psion he had available to help Eramar make that portal knowing full well what it would mean.

And he did it without any fuss whatsoever. I never even got his name. I always kind of thought the Light Monks were overly religious pansies. Too high and mighty to be bothered with the politics of everyday living. I’ll never question the resolve of these people again.

A couple of Light Monks, a man and a woman, slowly made their way to Eramar’s side, leaning down next to the dead man, and closing his eyes. They then knelt down at either side of his body and said a quiet prayer that Eramar couldn’t make out. As they prayed, the man’s body began to glow. A beam of light suddenly shot out of his body and directly into the two Light Monks. They gasped as if their breath had been taken away. When they recovered and stood to their feet, the dead Monk’s body vanished in a shower of white light, twinkling up into the air like miniature fireworks and fading into the night.

Eramar had lived longer than most Elementals, but even he knew little about the Monks and their practices. Frankly, he had always avoided Monks given how uncomfortable their zealous devotion made him. Plus, the fact that Hannah had defected to join the Monastery always chaffed Eramar a bit. Hannah was one of his closest friends before she just gave up on the Fire Ministry and everything they stood for. The fact that Zanderius was technically considered the head of the church never really bothered Eramar that much. The Prime Minister of Elemency was meant to be a transcendent figure, slightly above everyone, including the Light Monks. In a way, Zanderius was a part of every organization in the Empire, but beholden to no one at the same time.

Many other Elementals watched in confusion at the strange funeral rite. Eramar was the first to put his questions into words.

“What ... what just happened?”

“His Light returned to the Monastery,” the female Monk said, her face somber.

“I see,” said Eramar thoughtfully, his eyes following the path where the wisps of light vanished. “I suppose this has something to do with how each of you only receive your powers temporarily from a shrine somewhere on Galsin.”

The Light Monks nodded, folding their hands within their simple white cloaks. “We each receive a Blessing from the Realm of Light when we are expected to defend ourselves while on a mission. But that light must always be returned, even in death,” said the male Monk.

“It eventually happens to every Monk when we die while on a mission, but we prefer to bear witness and take a bit of the spirit of the departed with us when we can. Unfortunately, he is the only one we can do this for. I doubt we will be able to recover the bodies of the others. We will have a proper memorial service for each of them when we return to the Monastery.” finished the female Monk.

Eramar held his hands behind his back, feeling tired and worn. No matter how old I get, no matter how powerful, I still cannot stop these senseless deaths around me. Ever since I was young, death has followed me like it was my own shadow. This is why I stopped being religious!

“I’m sorry. Truly I am,” he said with a respectful bow.

The woman gave a weak smile. “No less than we are for your own losses. This day has incurred a heavy toll for both our brothers in the Light and our Elemental brethren.”

Eramar leaned in, and whispered, “Am I right in assuming that Starbeard sent you here with the Patrollers to ensure the success of our mission?”

The two Monks nodded. “The Light Wielder, in his wisdom, sent us after your party. We would’ve gone ahead, but as he already explained, the Mages had defenses in place to counter our Light Elemency. We could only join you after their numbers had been drastically reduced and their spells weakened.”

Eramar nodded. “I figured as much. He always has his reasons. I would’ve liked to be kept in the loop, but under the circumstances...”

Eramar didn’t finish, clenching his eyes shut as his soul despaired. The circumstances being a possible security leak, as far as I’m concerned. Oh, Amelia. Please tell me it’s not true.

“To answer your question, Wielder Eramar,” began the man, thankfully picking up the conversation after Eramar’s silent lapse. “We have lost two other servants. A sister and a brother. Lianna Greeves, and Formac Triv”

“And him,” Eramar gestured to the sky where the light vanished. “What was his name?”

“Brother Monte Alrick. One of our eldest. He is with the Caretaker now, just as they all are. We will miss them, but at the same time, we rejoice for their freedom. The men and women you have lost this day are now on their journey to the Realm of Light as well. Remember, they gave their lives for a just cause and now have no regrets. The Caretaker will smile favorably on their sacrifice, and their souls will know nothing but peace and happiness from this day henceforth.”

Eramar grunted. “There are times when I wished I shared your beliefs as strongly. All my life, I’ve been confronted with death and destruction. It makes it hard to believe in any absolute paradise beyond this hell hole we mortals have crafted for ourselves. But at the very least, I’d like to think the men I lost this day are currently reaping the benefits of an eternal reward. Those boys deserve no less for my failure to them.”

The two Monks both smiled briefly, dipping their heads to Eramar in a bow of respect.

“Speaking of failures, Razor,” said Erica behind him.

Eramar turned to face her, feeling dead inside. He knew this accusation was coming, and he wasn’t sure he was in the right frame of mind to defend his actions. Nor did he know if he deserved to defend his actions. If what he suspected proved to be true, then he had singlehandedly led all those people to their deaths.

The female Wielder dumped her brother’s limp body onto another Water Elemental nearby, though it took the help of one other to hold up his weight. She then took an aggressive foot forward and pointed a finger at Eramar’s face.

“Care to explain what happened back there?”

Before Eramar could answer, sirens rang throughout the alley. The observers quickly scattered as the caravan of Patrollers and the emergency vehicles transporting the former hostages came speeding down the alleyway towards them.

The Patroller Captain stepped from his vehicle breathlessly. “What the blazes happened down there?”

“That’s what we’d like to know,” said Erica threateningly without taking her gaze from Eramar.

Just as Eramar resolved to confront her, the ground shook as an ear-splitting crash sundered all around them. The elder Konamay immediately erected a wall of ice around the Patrollers and the recovering civilians as a gigantic shadow in the shape of a spiraling tornado soared into the sky a little less than a mile from their position. The congregation of shadows seemed to be somehow darker than night itself, conflating and coalescing into a cacophony of chaos and destruction. The column of darkness looked at least half a mile in diameter as it sailed into the sky. Worst was the sound. The column of darkness sounded like the combination of thousands of people wailing in terror and pain. Eramar thought he could even see faces in the dark cloud, twisted and contorted disproportionately in inhuman shapes of agony and madness. The screeching cries thankfully receded quickly as the column of shadows vanished into the night sky faster than any starship.

Everyone just stared in shock and fear. If his present condition was any indication, everyone felt an evil chill right down to the marrow of their bones.

Then a wailing shriek resounded, bringing the Elementals out of their daze. Eramar ascertained the source of the present cries coming from the little girl that had left with the Kappa, Kambrick. Marinette clung to the old turtle as he leaned down and hugged her tightly to his chest.

“I could hear them!” she cried. “My mommy and daddy! I could hear them in that black tornado! They’re in pain! They’re in so much pain! They’re trapped in there! We have to help them! We have to help them!”

Kambrick just held her tighter, patting her back reassuringly. All the other children survivors were crying now too, and so were a few of the adults. No doubt each of them had experienced something similar as the little girl, hearing the cries of lost loved ones in the swirling vortex of shadows.

And at last, Eramar understood the horrifying truth. Souls harvested as fuel for some kind of Shadow Spell. That’s what those Mages were up to. But to what purpose? Where did that black tornado go?

Straining for rational thought, Eramar took the aging Patroller Captain by the shoulder and spun him around. “You quarantined that area off like we asked. That cloud came up directly above the Coven’s hideout, the sector we were investigating. It was evacuated and quarantined, right, Captain?”

Slowly, as if coming out of a horrible nightmare, the Captain shook his head and nodded. “Y-yes, Wielder. I saw to the orders meself. There should’ve been no civilians in that area when ... when whatever just happened went down. But we should check on the structural integrity of the surrounding buildings. We could be facing a cave-in if the lower levels have been compromised enough.”

Eramar slowly turned to Erica who was still watching him like a hawk. “Well then, Wielder Erica?”

The female Wielder pursed her lips in consternation. “I’ll expect answers from you after we’ve stabilized the current situation.”

It took a little more than an hour, but they had finally managed to reach some manner of cohesion. Though no civilians were lost in the initial explosion - if that was the right word for what just happened - there were still several structures that became destabilized as they feared. Fortunately, it did not result in an even more massive sinkhole than the one that destroyed the Mage’s sanctum, but the Konamays refused to take any chances. They ordered the entire sector quarantined and the civilians moved to emergency facilities until they could ascertain the extent of the damage.

In the meantime, they busied themselves with getting everyone out safely. A few times, they had to rescue apartment dwellers who got trapped in their own buildings due to malfunctioning elevators and electrical fires. With so many Fire-Type and Water-Type Elementals present, dealing with the fires was child’s play. The damage was severe, but so far, no one had lost their lives as far as Eramar knew.

Well, at least no one else.

Emergency personnel and Patrollers rushed about in a frenzy under the direction of the Elementals, tending to anyone in need. Hovercraft in shades of red and white flew all around, carrying away injured in protective tractor beams of orange energy that floated them harmlessly in the air. Emergency lights flashed in shades of red and blue, lighting the night-strewn streets with some illumination since the explosion took out the power in most of the Sector.

Funny thing, a few of the former hostages insisted on staying close to the Elementals, especially Konamay. For some reason, people found the presence of the muscular Wielder to be reassuring. People had always taken the opposite approach to Eramar, giving him a wide berth. Maybe it was his mechanical eye? No, that wasn’t it. People still avoided him even before the Demon took his eye.

Kambrick and the girl, Marinette, were among the few civilians who asked to remain close by the Elementals as they worked. Given everything those people had suffered, even Eramar didn’t have the heart to deny them. Besides, he had other things vying for his attention.

As much as he was needed here, there was only one thing he wanted to do. Get back to Galsin and ask Amelia herself what the hell was going on. And if there was any merit to the allegations levied against her, he would ... he would...

No, I don’t have to deliberate, he thought darkly. If it’s true ... if she really is a Mystic, I will do what I have to. I always do.

“Hey, boyo,” called Captain Mason. “We’ve got this situation near under control thanks to you lot.”

Eramar couldn’t bring himself to answer, caught up as he was in his brooding thoughts.

“And the hostages?” asked Victor next to Eramar when he didn’t acknowledge the Patroller.

“Most of ‘em are being cared for now at Saint Maravene’s. Caretaker willing, those poor folks will pull through.”

He gestured around the area where the sinkhole started. The point where the black tornado had risen from the earth tore through several gray metal buildings, leaving an entire block decimated and several apartment complexes looking like half-eaten pies. The devastation continued upward for several levels in the undercity, all of which had already been evacuated thankfully. The hole went down for miles, leaving broken sewer lines and scattered support beams in its wake.

“These folks will too someday, provided our engineers can repair the damage to this sector. Shouldn’t take more than a month given the new building techniques they developed because of ... uh ... because of...”

Victor smiled in understanding. “Because of overly destructive Elementals like us?”

The Patroller shrugged, adjusting his hat and rubbing his hair uncomfortably. “Well, I wasn’t gonna quite phrase it like that.”

Eramar noticed the two Konamays staring at him intensely with the other Water Elementals. Their troop seemed understandably exhausted, having just endured an intense battle and then being required to aid the emergency personnel. Many of them were siphoning off energy from Sun Gems to regain their stamina.

Eramar sighed. If I’m ever going to be allowed to leave, I better get this over with. Although, they may not let me leave anyway. Nothing for it. I’ll just have to risk it.

“Whatever happens, don’t let it turn to conflict, even if they insist on arresting me,” he whispered to Victor.

“What?” said Victor a little too loudly.