Enviro-Scapes: Exiled Elementals Series (Book Two), page 19
Tiago found Adul in the lower lava tunnels, where many of the younger kids lived. It was the safest place for them, given its access to exit points if they were ever found by the demigods. Adul was completely blue in the face as his elemental tattoos roamed freely below the surface of his skin. Tiago could feel the cool water breezes coming off Adul’s body and cooling the entire length of the lava chamber as the children slept nearby. Despite his scrawny size, Adul was becoming a very powerful water elemental.
“Boy, you look like a life-sized air-conditioner!” Tiago laughed as he walked into the chamber.
Breaking his concentration, Adul splashed water on Tiago’s face. He laughed as Tiago tried to wipe it away, only to have Adul land another splash in his face. They laughed and roughhoused before Tiago quieted down.
“Adul, I need to figure out if there is another way out of the exiled realm in the fortress that no one has yet spoken about.”
“You really believe there is another exit in the fortress beside the known jump site? I’ve never heard of this before. Why do you believe this might be the case?”
“Until now, we’ve never thought about this possibility. With Nhari gone, we need to expand our ways of thinking creatively about getting out of here. We’ve always focused on staying alive. But now, we need to focus on getting out.”
“What does Kasha think about this plan?”
“I didn’t tell her. I know what you are going to say, so hear me out. Kasha went through hell in Jacob Gadot’s chambers. I don’t want her going back into the fortress unless I know there is another way out. I’ll tell her once I know for certain that there is another way out. Are you with me on this?”
“Yes. Kasha doesn’t need any more reminders of that treacherous time in her life. Sometimes, I don’t know whether she will make it or not. She’s so out of touch with things right now with Nhari gone. Kasha’s a killing machine, which isn’t healthy for her.”
“You are too wise for your age, Adul. You’re only thirteen, yet you sound like a man twice your age!” Tiago grabbed him in a bear hug, and the two wrestled playfully as the twins walked over.
“Just the little guys that I need. The best spies in the exiled realm. I need you two fellas to keep watch while Adul and I go on a treasure hunt.”
Their tiny eyes beamed with excitement. They loved working for Tiago and Adul. They quickly threw on their clothes and grabbed a bowl of breakfast.
Tiago explained what he needed everyone to do. They set out to the fortress first thing in the morning while vendors were setting up everywhere. They knew that things were chaotic in the early morning hours as the A-Lords changed shifts. This was also the best time for Tiago to dress as a mercenary. Mercenaries were legendary in the realm of the exiled. Though they were prisoners, many were used by the A-Lords to keep a check on other prisoners. The mercenaries were given special accommodations within the fortress, and Tiago was betting those accommodations could get him close to the sealed-off areas of the fortress.
Tiago left word with their sentries on where they were headed and said that he didn’t expect them to return until nightfall.
They went separately through the Mud Kingdom, taking a shortcut to the fortress. Tiago didn’t have any problems entering the mercenary areas, memorizing most of their names and even their mannerisms over the years. It was easy to impersonate several of them, and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of this before.
After spending several hours in their accommodations areas as the mercenaries had breakfast together and discussed their day’s schedule, Tiago was surprised at how carefree the men and women were with each other. It was surprising to see the camaraderie among the mercenaries, something he never would have guessed.
Thankfully, he wasn’t there to kill any of them.
As many mercenaries went off to their duty stations, Tiago used the time to canvas the area and note the entry and exit points. But the hallway he was most interested in was the one several A-Lords went into and out of that morning. It was further in the back of the area but always had an armed A-Lord stationed.
Adul was doing well posing as a servant for the mercenaries, bringing them water and weapons as they moved about. No one really noticed him, which was one of Adul’s skills. The twins were stationed on the perimeter to alert them of any A-Lords entering from the outside or more seasoned mercenaries returning early. While they might not immediately notice Tiago, he was sure that it wouldn’t take long for them to realize that there was a stranger in their midst.
Tiago joined the mercenaries returning from their nightly escapades, the ones who were just going to sleep as the others were beginning their day. He took a bunk closest to the door of interest. While no one was near, he retrieved his purple box and let his latest toy fly. Marsha told him that she stole the design for the technology from Nhari’s evil half-brother. They both laughed thinking about what Micah would do if he knew his toy was the one that might help save Nhari’s friends.
The powder morphed into a tiny firefly and jetted down below the ankles of the A-Lord standing guard. Tiago held his breath, not knowing if it would set off an alarm or trap that might be near the door’s perimeter. But hearing nothing, he sank back into his comfy bed and waited for the firefly to begin sending images of what it found as it randomly roamed the hallways.
He tested the firefly in the lava caverns, so he knew how far it could fly and send back images. The images that he captured on his holo-monitor were amazing, another piece of technology from Marsha. He found that his elemental talents to recreate what he saw from spare parts lying around the exiled realm were quite handy.
At first, the images were just of dark hallways with few doorways. But then, one hallway had several doors that A-Lords were going in and out of. Following an A-Lord who wore a high-ranking suit of armor, Tiago found what he was looking for.
The A-Lord went into a room with stunning crystals embedded into the wall. The crystals lit the room with an eerie translucent light that Tiago knew could not be of this world.
The firefly images suddenly stopped. This was not good. Either someone found it, or it was out of range. Whatever the case, Tiago programmed the firefly to return at once. It was nerve-racking waiting for it to return. It had been searching and scanning for over two hours and would take just as long to return.
Adul was still going about his way, helping a few mercenaries carry in supplies. He signaled that some of the supplies could come in handy, but Tiago told him to not attempt to steal them. Tiago knew from experience that once you lost sight of your primary mission to try to improvise another mission, you often got caught.
He would later wish that Adul didn’t have to learn that lesson the hard way.
CHAPTER 19
Adul began pulling the lid off the box.
The metal in these containers will come in real handy ventilating the lava caverns. I’m sure that I can take a few sheets, and no one will notice.
The sheets folded neatly into his backpack, as did the solar-powered canisters that he would use to operate the ventilation. Adul was glad to see the materials and knew that the elemental kids greatly needed them. He was quick about his business, remembering Tiago’s warning.
The mercenary quarters were a considerable section of rooms in the Overlord’s fortress. It was messy with goods scattered everywhere. Adul was sure that there must be some order to it, but he didn’t have time to try to figure it out. A few times, he had to hide as he went through their supply area, for Adul knew that he was not supposed to be in this part of their quarters.
The twins were in the hallways to signal if any A-Lords entered through the front. So far, they only had to signal once when an A-Lord entered to speak to a mercenary. The two left out the way they came.
Sweating profusely, Adul was getting nervous. It was too easy for him to continue rummaging through their things, taking what he wanted. Rather than push his luck further, he exited the room and ran right into an ambush.
Morin and Daniel were waiting for him. He saw a door in the far corner concealed behind a container unit of boxes. It was how Morin and Daniel entered the room without being seen by the twins. Three mercenaries were standing with them with their weapons drawn. Morin drew her toxic twilight sword.
Adul recognized two of the mercenaries at once because they were the ones who sent him to fetch gear for them. They must have been onto him at once but let him think otherwise while they went to get the A-Lords.
Before Adul could react, Daniel blasted him with a stun weapon, sending Adul crashing to the floor. Daniel kicked him and stomped on his ankle. The sound of shattered bone echoed in Adul’s ear just before the pain exploded through his body. He screamed out in pain as Daniel pressed down on his broken ankle.
He barely heard the twins’ bird call signaling the arrival of additional mercenaries from the front entrance, for his screams drowned out their sound. Remembering the water that he had retrieved for some of the mercenaries, Adul had enough energy to boil it before releasing his elemental powers. The scalding hot water sailed through the air, striking Daniel in the face and hitting the two mercenaries closest to him. They all fell backward at once, startled as to where the water had come from. Morin’s sword fell from her hands as she blocked the scalding water.
Angry, Morin swooped down on Adul, pulling him off the floor to face her.
“You little thief!” she screamed, as she hurled Adul into the stack of boxes.
Adul screamed in pain as he landed on the twilight sword, piercing him in the chest.
“Morin, what have you done?” Daniel yelled seeing Adul struggling to catch his breath. Everyone knew that it only took a small stab wound for the twilight poison to quickly take over.
One of the twins must have entered the room as Adul heard Morin yell.
“Grab him! Don’t let the little runt escape!”
The twin tried to get to Adul, yelling Adul’s name over and over. The little guy pulled a dagger from his shin and stabbed one of the mercenaries as he tried to get to Adul to protect him. He was crying and stabbing, trying to make it to Adul.
The second twin appeared at the doorway, rushing in to try to save his brother and Adul. But there were too many A-Lords and mercenaries drawing their weapons to capture the boys.
Using the last of his powers, Adul created a shield of boiling water that blocked the distance between the A-Lords and the twins. The last thing he saw was the twins getting away before his life’s energy faded.
Tiago ran like the wind. He ran so fast that he barely felt his feet touch the ground. But it wasn’t fast enough to save Adul. He skidded into the room as the mercenaries lifted Adul’s motionless body to carry him into the corridor where Morin and Daniel were waiting.
“Grab him!” Morin commanded. “Don’t let him escape.”
With a cry of an eagle, Tiago lifted the ground beneath them, breaking it into sharp shards of rock. He then sailed the sharpened rocks their way. The mercenaries didn’t stand a chance as the hardened rock turned into spears before their eyes. They tried to shield themselves, but it was no use. Tiago drove the spears right through their armor and their hearts.
Tiago moved so fast that he had Adul’s body in hand before hitting the ground. Laying him carefully down, Tiago went for Morin and Daniel.
They stood with a deadly gleam in their eye. They wanted to kill Tiago. Morin showcased her twilight swords by arcing them into the air. And Daniel raised his fists, beckoning Tiago to take them on. They laughed at him. They were trained A-Lords honed with years of skills, and they were ready for him.
Morin and Daniel had braced themselves for impact, but they had no idea what Tiago was capable. Tiago’s elemental tattoos glowed all over him, bringing a level of strength that he had never felt before. The beautiful brown glyphs began to rotate in a striking pattern that brazenly lit the room. His azure eyes shone with a fierceness that took the smiles off Morin’s and Daniel’s faces. Pulling his arms together, Tiago pulled the fortress walls down around Morin and Daniel. The walls had to be several feet thick, made of hardened mountainous materials and reinforced steel. Yet that didn’t stop Tiago from manipulating it at his will. Morin and Daniel were sealed within the walls, screaming for help as Tiago began crushing them. They had nowhere to go.
The twins reappeared at the doorway with Kasha. The sight on her face was one of sheer horror. She screamed out with pain that killed all Tiago’s hopes that maybe, just maybe, Adul was still alive. Rocking Adul in her lap, Kasha cried like never before. The sound was the worst thing that Tiago had ever heard. Her wail was like a siren’s call, touching Tiago to the bone. Their elemental tattoos bonded together tightly, creating a multicolored pattern around them.
The twins surrounded Kasha and cried too. They rocked back and forth, all holding Adul in their arms. The four had always been inseparable, yet Tiago’s careless mission had done what no one ever truly prepared for.
The death of one of their own. One of the beautiful, innocent elemental children. Their future.
Their cries ricocheted around the room and through the fortress itself. The place shook. And then Kasha stood up. She looked like a firebird. Her elemental tattoos blared to life, forming a centric pattern of flames around her. Even her eyes glowed red. She sent a heat wave over their heads. And then Kasha set the place on fire.
Tiago could hear more A-Lords arriving, blasting through the walls crushing Morin and Daniel. Kasha and the twins were still crying in pain, even as the place was afire.
Tiago had never cried before. He didn’t cry when he was six years old and his mother put him out of the Mud Kingdom tent, telling him that he brought too much attention to her already despondent world. He looked at her and he said, “Momma, don’t cry. I’ll make it on my own.” He didn’t cry the countless times he was beaten as a child by the prisoners when they caught him stealing or wanted to bully someone smaller than them. And he didn’t cry when he thought he would die of fever the year the plague hit their camps.
And he would not cry today. He would save those he could save, if they would let him.
He used his elemental powers to create barriers to block the arriving A-Lords. He then shouted to Kasha and the twins to escape. Carrying Adul out of the fortress, Tiago felt sadness at how light the boy felt in his arms. Adul looked so peaceful, almost as if he was asleep. But Adul had a spark, just a trickle of blue elemental energy that Tiago barely felt as he carried him. Tiago drew on his elemental powers and tried his best to heal Adul as he carried him home. He was only thirteen and had never lived to experience great joys.
How can I go on without him? Adul has always felt like a son to me, despite our ages. He looked up to me, and I was supposed to protect him.
He was sure Kasha felt like she had lost a son that day. And the twins lost a brother.
The exiled elemental children would never be the same after today, and they were no longer just trying to survive.
They were at war!
And nothing would stop them from putting a dagger through Morin’s and Daniel’s hearts. They would bleed if the demigods had blood in their veins. They would bleed red all over the fortress.
The dark light was coming.
Elemental light!
Morin questioned the A-Lords to confirm that no one other than she and Daniel saw Tiago’s powers. She was sure the man dressed in mercenary clothes was Nhari’s comrade, Tiago. She had been searching for him for a long time, yet he continued to evade her.
Morin couldn’t chance the mercenaries telling anyone what they saw. She killed each one and staged it to look like they had fallen in battle. Morin knew she had to get to the bottom of the strange powers she witnessed the kids possessed. She knew it had to be connected with Jacob’s infatuation with Kasha. Morin quickly left to visit her brother Jacob’s scrolls off-world. Jacob was on to something with Kasha. Morin took the hallways that very few were allowed to travel. She went through the veil and off-world to her brother’s home.
What are they? Morin perused through Jacob’s journals finding very little to go on.
Jacob was so fascinated with Kasha. He noted she had a strange ability to heal faster than most humans and was volatile. He said she was hot like melting rocks. What did my brother mean by these writings?
Morin could not unravel her brother’s cryptic scrolls, but she knew that they were no ordinary humans.
The fact that Kasha, Adul, and Tiago all have unique powers means only one thing: Nhari possesses them too! Morin’s heart began to beat faster and faster as she tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
Did Vigot know Nhari was different? Is that why the Overlord banished his memories of her?
The more Morin thought about it, the more convinced Morin was that Vigot knew of Nhari’s powers.
Otherwise, why would he fall for such a lowly creature, a human that cannot even mate with our kind?
If only I could get my hands on the little twins. I need one alive to run my own tests, and I’ll get Daniel on it at once. After what he’s seen, he’ll have to help me. Our entire species could be at risk if these powers are allowed to grow in numbers on Earth.
Morin knew that she needed to consult the Many Mothers. The Many Mothers were the highest demigoddesses to exist. They were the historians of their people and the chosen ones who birthed the elite demigods who ruled worlds in their universe. They were beautiful, intelligent, and deadly when crossed. Vigot’s mother was a member of the Many Mothers. In fact, she was rumored to be an ancient creature of such beauty that many rarely saw her outside of the Overlord’s honey-combed shaped harem on a distant planet.
Some of the Many Mothers possessed the rare gift of premonition. This was the same gift Morin’s demigoddess sister used when she predicted that Morin would become Vigot’s wife if she followed her instructions. Her sister loved her and warned her that it was a dangerous prophesy that she had to manipulate if it were to become a destined path.
