Elemental, Chapter 11

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Aric hated betrayal. To betray a person you loved was the lowest thing anyone could do. Standing outside of Issy’s locked room, holding the key that would allow him access to what had been her private sanctuary, he was standing on the knife’s edge. But after several weeks of feeling the pain of his mark and secretly watching her after the transformation, he instinctively knew what he was dealing with.

He had hardly slept at all as he had quested for knowledge. He remembered the tales his grandmother had told him. Tales of a god who ruled over everything before a new god was chosen to replace him. Incidentally, each god was aided by a demi-god that ruled over two elements. Each of these demi-gods had a human form which was assigned a guardian to assure that they reached their mature demi-god forms. Forms they could only attain by dying. He found what he had so desperately been searching for ten minutes before. The mythology book had often been disregarded as fantasy. It was strange; his grandmother had never dismissed them as nonsense. With a twinkle in her eye, she’d always told him to believe in the possibilities.

He fingered the key again, then grasped it tightly in determination. It slid into the lock and he turned it. The soft click told it was now unlocked. Hesitating only a moment, his hand lingered on the handle before he opened the door.

Isold was sitting on the floor with her knees tucked against her chest. Her head raised slowly, her usually sparkling blue eyes a brilliant green with flecks of red.

The birthmark burned and throbbed. The symbol of their destinies was active. Aric was sure that his grandmother had known his destiny all along, and now he ardently wished for her guidance.

“Isold?” he said softly.

“You came.” Her voice was soft and ethereal. It was unlike anything Aric had ever head before. Her eyes were emotionless, her voice flat. “Why do you betray me?”

“I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help you,” he answered gently, in hopes of reassuring her. He pulled of his shirt as he knelt before her. Looking her square in the eye, he slowly released his pent up breath before turning around.

A soft gasp assailed his ears as if Issy had screamed. Her eyes darted from his mark to the back of his head to his mark again. “This cannot be.”

“I am your destiny,” Aric whispered hoarsely. “I am meant to protect you.”

“You tell me this now?” Issy’s voice wavered. No longer devoid of her emotions, her feelings were apparent all over.

Aric turned and gave her an apologetic look. “I wish I had understood sooner.”

“I see,” she answered, trying to make sense of things. “You are the One of Destiny. You are to protect me in the mortal realm.” She paused a moment before continuing. “Wait, how do I know that?”

Sighing, Aric rose. “Come with me,” he said as he offered her his hand. “I have books that explain it all.”

Warily Isold took his hand and allowed Aric to pull her to her feet. “I shall follow.”

* * *

Ari gave Phillipe a droll stare. “If you were hoping for a peep show, this ain’t the place.” She indicated to the iridescent scales that covered her breasts as Phillipe rolled his eyes.

“You are a strange child,” he muttered. “I am not here to peek at your bosoms, I am here to let you know that I will protect you.”

Now Ariana rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know that. You’re here to watch because Issy isn’t.”

Phillipe gave a frustrated sigh as he removed a boot. “I do not understand you at all. Will you look at my birthmark?!”

Ari pulled back as Phillipe stamped his left foot in front of her, giving her a prime view of his ankle. “Huh. Teiwaz and laguz. Warrior of the flow?”

Phillipe gave her a stern look that made her blush.

“Oh, er…um…”

“You do not know the legend, do you?”

“Should I?” she squeaked out, obviously embarrassed.

Phillipe sat himself down at the water’s edge. “I don’t know why I bother sometimes. You really do go blindly through life!”

Ariana gave him a look as she groaned. “Oh please. You kissed me in a town full of people when I was dressed as a boy. And you say I go blindly through life as if I don’t care?! Speak for yourself!”

“Fine!” Phillipe snapped. “I tried that once and now my heart is broken. To feign indifference is the worse sin of all!”

Ari flinched slightly. “Okay, fine. Sheesh.”

“I used to think that Aric was full of hot air when he would bather on about the gods who cycled through the heavens. I thought that they were a myth. There was no way that demi-goddesses and demi-gods roamed the earth.”

Settling into the pool, Ari fell into a reflective silence. She had met him, as he’d been headed to heaven. The man who was now God. He had picked her up and set her on the path she was now on. He’d been trying to run from his destiny, but had ultimately failed.

“I know the legend. Those that walk by themselves will guide the heavens,” Ari sighed. “I don’t know how I know, but I do.”

Phillipe indicated to the birthmark. “That is the proof that I am bound to you. The sword with wings on the hilt and waves on the blade. Air and water, your elements.”

Ari studied it for a moment before letting out a low whistle. “Well what do you know?”

“Aric has one, too. But his elements are earth and flame.”

Ariana’s eyes widened as her glance rose to Phillipe’s face. He wasn’t lying. Aric was Isold’s destiny. “Then that means-“

“Our paths were meant to cross. I do not know exact details. I have written Aric asking for information, though, which I will tell you when I understand it. In the meantime, what do you wish to do?”
Her tail flipping lazily in the water, Ari shrugged. “Travel, I guess.”

“Travel where?” Phillipe pressed.

“Anywhere. Take me to meet your family.”

Phillipe snorted as he tried to suppress the sudden surge of laughter. “I don’t think I should introduce you to them.”

“Any why not?”

“My mother will think we are engaged to be married.”

“That’s bad how? Come, let your poor mother believe that you are to be married. We’ll tell her we’re waiting until I come of age. When I fully get my powers and go to heaven, tell her I died.”

Appalled, Phillipe stared at her. “Why would I say that?”

“Because it will be the truth.”

* * *

Aric marveled at Isold’s powers. When she entered the library, the unlit fire suddenly blazed brightly in the hearth, the damp wood hissing and popping as it dried and burned. On his desk, scrolls, loose sheets of paper and old leather bound volumes covered every inch.

Though a ring of fire burned around her, it never burned anything she touched. Sitting in a chair, she picked up a scroll and began reading.

“Do you need more light?” Aric asked, indicating to an oil lamp that he could light.

Issy looked at the lamp, and the wick burst into flame with a single spark and burned brightly.

“Are you going to talk to me at all?”

Issy regarded him coolly. “”What do you wish me to say?”

“I don’t know, anything. You aren’t made at me, are you?”

“Is that what you think? That I’m mad at you? Aric, it your destiny to protect me.”

“It is also my destiny to love you. I will learn true love only to lose it, when you die and ascend to heaven.”

Issy looked at him carefully. “Who told you that?”

“In my quest to lean about my birthmark, I visited a gypsy fair. There the fortune teller told me that it would show me true love and loss.”

“That could mean a million different things.”

“Perhaps you’re right. But I do know one thing for sure. I’m in love with you.”

Shaking her head, Issy disagreed with him. “No, you don’t love me, you love Phillipe.”

“Once upon a time, I loved him more than life itself. He was the center of my universe. We even had matching rings. The people started to talk. There were rumors of revolt and revolutions. For the peace of the lands, we withheld our affections.”

“You gave up love?” Issy asked cautiously.

“I am expected to marry a suitable woman. Phillipe’s family expects him to marry a girl with a title to get his family recognized at court. It is the way of things.”

“How sad,” Isold told him, a note of regret in her voice.

She was answered with an indifferent shrug. “There are many kinds of love. I do love you, and I will be very sad when you go.”

“You will forget about me.”

Shaking his head, Aric disagreed. “Never. I, Viscount Aric Hildago O’Bannon vow to never forget you. Now, to the more pressing issue at hand.” He swept his hand over the desk. “It’s going to be a long night.”

* * *

Phillpe had remained with Ariana all day. He started to realize that the transformations were more frequent and lasting longer. Puzzled by them, he asked Ari about it. “Tell me all about the transformation. Does it hurt?”

Ari, now back to her full human form, looked surprised. “Well, now that I think about it, no.”

“Do you have any control over them?”

“The transformations?” Ari asked. Phillipe nodded. “No.”

“So you simply transform with no warning?”

Ari stared at him, trying to make sense of the strange situation she found herself in. “Who are you, the Grand Inquisitor?”

“Just curious.” Phillipe smiled mischievously at her.

With a resigned sigh, Ari sat down on log and contemplated her answers. “I don’t transform without warning,” she started, looking squarely at Phillipe. “I feel this tremendous rush of power. That’s when I know I need to get to water. Issy and I traveled near sources of water for that very reason. I become weak if I cannot get to the water while transformed.”

“Did she need any special accommodations while you were traveling?”

“Nah. Just to be firmly on the ground.”

“Truly and earthy characteristic. Please, continue.”

Ari looked at him, unsure of what to think. There wasn’t any harm of telling him about herself and Issy. He wasn’t going to protect them. It was his duty, as mandated by heaven.

“More recently I find that I know things inherently,” she finally answered. “Things that I’ve never learned about but I know. I think that it’s one of my powers.”

Phillipe looked thoughtful. “That is entirely possible. As a goddess, you should know everything.”

“I wouldn’t say that I know everything,” Ari said with an exasperated expression. “But when I need to know something, I do.”

“A survival mechanism, I would assume.”

Ari gave him a disbelieving look. “If you say so.”

With a smile and an over the top flourish, Phillipe bounced to his feet and held out his hand to Ariana. “Come, we have much to do.”

“Such as?” Ari asked.

“You said that you would come with me and pretend to be my fiancée for the sake of my parents. I must take you shopping and dress you up like a pretty little doll and make you presentable.”

“Are you saying that I’m not presentable now?”

“My dear Ariana, I never said that!” Phillipe said, fairly scandalized by the idea. “However my family does have standards and as much fun as it would be to ruffle their social-climbing feathers I don’t think it would be wise. For you to reveal who you truly are could get you arrested and executed.”

Ari took the time to consider what Phillipe had said. He had point, the penalty for someone of her social class to impersonate someone of a higher class at minimum was imprisonment for the rest of her life. Dressed as she currently was, it would be obvious that she was of a lower class, and the penalty for consorting with those of a higher class in a non-professional manner was five years imprisonment.

“Well, what should I do? I can’t just walk into a city with you dressed as I am. I still look like a beggar.”

Phillipe looked thoughtful for a while before an idea struck him. “I shall order you dresses. I shall tell them they are for my young cousin who is too ill to come for a fitting!”

“Your cousin?” Ari asked, sure that his plan would fail.

“Of course. Let me take several pieces of string to measure you with! I shall give them to the dressmaker and she shall make you some nice traveling clothes as well as some gowns. Maman will insist on throwing an engagement party,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“Your cousin…” Ari sighed. “I suppose we look slightly alike.”

“Thus the ‘cousin’ and not ‘sister.’ Once we start traveling, you will look like a proper lady and I shall tell everyone that you are my fiancée. I suppose I must get you a ring though. No one would believe me if you didn’t wear a ring.”

“A ring, huh?”

“Yes a ring. We are going to make it a proper farce. No point in going half way on it.” Phillipe gave her a warm smile.

“Yes, I do suppose you’re right,” Ariana replied, smiling back.