The Fifth Elemental
Season 1
Shepisode 3
Fifth
A. I. Nasser
Copyright 2015 A. I. Nasser
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Herneith woke with a start, her body shaking with such severity that it scared her.
Something was terribly wrong.
She threw the covers from over her and hurried out of bed, pulling a robe onto her slender body as she exited her room. The two men assigned to her from the Guard stood at attention as she raced past them, and immediately followed suit. The Keep was quiet, which was something she was growing more and more accustomed to as members of the Order left for weeks on assignments.
Herneith raced down narrow corridors and skipped stairs as she descended to the ground floor. The Keep had stood strong for centuries, even before the Order had formed. It was a home to the Ancients and their kind when the entire world had been hunting them, and Herneith couldn't remember the last time she had left the comfort and safety of its walls. Tucked away in the mountains, it had stayed hidden from the eyes of the world for as long as she could remember, impenetrable.
Except for once.
Herneith crossed the immense halls towards the library, her Guard following close behind. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings, the Gothic architecture throwing shadows in every corner that would have made anyone else uncomfortable. However, this was her home, and she knew every inch of it like the back of her hand. She pushed through the large doors of the Keep's library and stopped when she saw a figure standing over a glass encasement, alone with the vastness of texts surrounding him, his back to the doors, oblivious to her intrusion.
"Mitry," Herneith said, walking towards the man, closing her robe tighter around her body as the man looked up at her and eyed her from top to bottom. Her brother's advisor had always made her uncomfortable.
"Your highness," Mitry bowed. "I believe it is well before your regular waking hours."
"I could say the same about you," Herneith commented, peaking at the encasement behind him. Inside was an old scroll from her homeland that had been rolled out on display, its edges burnt, and the hieroglyphs barely legible. It was one of the many scrolls that had risen from the ashes, but the only one that had caused so much destruction.
"We should have burnt that by now," Herneith said, almost to herself.
"Knowledge is a treasure, your highness, and is always good," Mitry replied, looking at the scroll. "It is what we do with it that matters. You should not blame knowledge for the actions of men."
"You should work for gun control," Herneith smirked.
Mitry smiled and folded his arms. "How can I be of service?"
For starters, you could stop undressing me with your eyes.
Herneith bit her lip. She knew how important Mitry was for the Keep and the Order in general. He was all that remained from the essence of her brother, and like it or not, she had to put up with him. There were rules, unwritten ones, ancient ones, that she could not change and would not dare question. For now, he was a reality in her life that could not be easily removed.
"I didn't want to disturb you," Herneith said. "I was just on my way to see my brother."
Mitry's smile widened. "Wonderful, your highness," he said too eagerly. "Let me join you."
"I really don't want to trouble you."
"No trouble at all. I have often wanted to visit the king, yet never had the courage to ask you to take me. This would be a splendid opportunity."
"Very well," Herneith nodded and threw a glance at one of her guards, a discreet gesture to make sure they kept an eye on the advisor.
She led the way to a corner of the library and pushed an oak door inwards, quickly descending the staircase behind it and going deeper into the Keep. The staircase opened into a narrow passageway, its walls still built of the old stone and lined with unlit torches. Herneith lit the first torch, and with a flick of her hand sent the flame across the passageway to ignite the rest. The small party followed the passage as it turned and curved until they reached a second door, the signs of the elements chiselled into the stone.
Herneith raised a hand and placed it firmly on the fire sign, closing her eyes as she called the torch flames to her. The fire came to her hand like threads, snaking across the insignia, filling it with flames. The door suddenly lurched and moved inwards, then began to slide open. Herneith flicked her hand again and the flames rushed into the dark room, lighting the torches within and illuminating the massive chamber.
She walked into the crypt, slowly, embracing the nostalgic feeling of the earth beneath her bare feet. This was holy ground, a place where few had ever been and most had only heard rumors of. Mitry followed her slowly, mumbling a prayer as he walked in, the Guards remaining behind.
The chamber had been built in the shape of a pentagon, each corner a nook with an element's sign etched in the walls behind massive sarcophagi. The sarcophagi lay open, awaiting their future contents, except for one. Herneith crossed the vast room and stood in front of her brother's resting place. His name had been embroidered on the top of the sarcophagus, an ancient practice from a world they had long left behind and forgotten. She got down on her knees and sat silently, the only other sound coming from the advisor standing behind her as he prayed.
"I had been dreaming," Herneith whispered, not sure if she was talking to her dead brother or to herself.
"Your highness?"
"I had been dreaming of fire, and death, and waves of salt water so high they could have put the fires out if allowed to."
"Your memories haunt you, your highness."
"This was different. These weren't memories," Herneith shook her head.
"What else, then?"
Herneith frowned. "I don't know," she admitted. "Someone was there, in my dream. A woman who looked very familiar, but I did not know."
"Dreams have a way of playing tricks on the mind, your highness."
Herneith didn't reply. The man's attempts at sounding deep and profound sickened her, but she knew well not to say anything. She stole a glance at one of the nooks, the only one with no signs on the walls, the sarcophagus closed yet empty. Her eyes lingered there for a moment before returning to her brother's. Shaking off the feeling that was hanging over her like a dark shroud, she kissed his sarcophagus and stood up to leave.
"Could it have been your sister?" Mitry asked, lingering a little too close for comfort. "Sometimes guilt returns to us in our dreams, your highness."
Herneith turned to the man with fury. "I have no guilt for my sister," she hissed.
She felt herself losing control, and quickly got a hold of herself. She was on sacred ground, after all, and this was no place to take her anger out on the snake of a man that stood in front of her.
Mitry quickly bowed his head and took a few steps back. "My apologies," he said, Herneith almost disgusted at how spineless he was. Her brother had had many advisors throughout the years, but this one seemed to be the least worthy of the honour.
"We're done here," Herneith said, and without another word, walked out of the crypt and back to her room.
#
"What the hell was that?"
Lucius and Calliope stopped their conversation as soon as Rick walked in, getting up from their respective seats, expecting the worst. The Guards in the room looked at each other and quickly made their way out without
waiting for the order. Rick walked straight up to Lucius, staring him straight in the eye, his fists clenched with anger.
"You're going to have to calm down," Lucius said.
"You're joking, right?" Rick mocked. "Please say you're joking."
Rick was beyond furious. He had woken up a few hours before, sitting in the passenger seat of Patricia's car, speeding across the interstate with the others following. In the backseat Ethan had been asleep, unconscious and unresponsive. Patricia had given him a quick update on something she herself couldn't understand, and when they had stopped to refuel, Leah had avoided him completely. They had arrived at the safe house tired and angry, with Leah locking herself in a room to make sure no one disturbed her.
The place was crawling with Guards, most still wearing their field suits. Rick knew that they had been called in on short notice, and he had a good idea that what had happened at the motel was the reason why. He was still exhausted, but his need for answers and the adrenaline that was pumping through him made that seem irrelevant.
"Sit down, Rick," Calliope said, pushing a chair towards him.
"I'm fine right here," Rick answered, still staring Lucius down. The older man broke the stare and walked away from him, running a hand through his hair as he took the seat himself.
Calliope sighed. "What do you remember?"
"An ambush, for starters," Rick turned his attention to her. "If it weren't for whatever Leah had done, we would have all been dead by now."
Calliope understood the boy's frustration. Rick had always considered himself the protector of his Quartet, and losing all control was something he never handled well. It was customary for the water elemental to lead his Quartet, usually being the one most capable of keeping his cool. Still, a water elemental's fury was worse than all the elements combined.
"How's Ethan?" Lucius asked.
"Hasn't opened his eyes since," Rick said, slowly calming down. "Nadia's with him."
Calliope nodded and gestured towards the couch. Rick stared at her a moment longer before he sighed and loosened his fists. He sat down, the exhaustion finally taking over, and closed his eyes as he laid his head back. Calliope stole a glance at Lucius who was watching Rick closely, studying the situation as he usually did and calculating his next words carefully.
"He's a Fifth," Lucius said quietly. "I'm guessing you know that by now."
Rick rubbed his eyes and nodded. "He's our Fifth, isn't he?"
Calliope leaned forward. "I can't express how important this is," she said quickly. "This is a situation that is not just rare, but incredibly delicate."
Rick looked at her gravely. "How much do we tell him?" Lucius and Calliope were both silent, and that surprised him. "He's going to find out anyway. We are inducting him after all. This isn't something you can hide. If we don't tell him, others will."
"We have to be careful about this, Rick," Lucius said.
"We have to be smart about this, Lucius," Rick shot back.
Calliope cut in. "We've had one war and we're fighting another because of Quintets," she said seriously. "What do you think is going to happen when he knows what he can do?"
"So you don't trust us?"
"It's not you I'm worried about."
"You don't know him."
"Neither do you," Calliope said angrily. "Don't be an idiot, Rick. We've been at this since before your grandparents were born."
Rick couldn't reply, but he didn't like what he was hearing. Calliope had every reason to be worried, but after what he had happened, he felt differently. Something had happened back at the motel that he couldn't explain. The surge of energy, the flare of emotions, the momentary loss of control, it had all been too much for any of them to handle. But, there had been something else.
For an instant during the chaos, a split second that would have passed unnoticed, he had felt connected to the others in a way he had never felt before. He had felt Leah's fury, Eric's urgency, Nadia's fear. He had felt them inside him, their emotions mixed with his own, as if they were one. For that single moment, he had felt like he knew them better than he had ever known them before. Their thoughts, their dreams, their deepest secrets, their fears and their hopes. Mixed with the energy that had soared through his body, it had been more than he could handle, and he was sure the same thing had happened to the others.
"There's something about him," Rick said. "I know I can trust him."
Calliope sighed and shook her head. She looked up at Lucius for support, but he just shrugged. They had seen too much destruction from Quintets to let this matter go lightly. Being careful was what they had been trained to do. There had been a time when recklessness had been needed, but that was over now. They were losing a war one battle at a time, and caution was most important if they wanted to change that.
"Steven will be here in an hour," Calliope said. "I'll have him take Ethan back to the Keep. He can work on training him until I return."
"We can take him there ourselves," Rick almost shouted.
"I don't want you anywhere near him," Calliope warned. "You'll get another assignment for now."
Rick stood up in anger. "Cali, we've been on the road for months. We need a break!"
"Watch it, Rick," Calliope said, standing up. "Don't forget your place."
Rick stared at her a moment longer, his eyes blazing fury. Without a second word, he turned and walked out of the room. Calliope sat back down with a sigh.
"Nice," Lucius said.
"Shut up," Calliope rubbed the nape of her neck. "You weren't much help."
"I thought you could do a better job. Apparently I was wrong."
"What did you want me to do, Lucius?" Calliope sighed, looking at him tiredly.
"I don't know," Lucius admitted, "but one thing's for sure. If Herneith finds out, that boy's dead."
"We're supposed to be protecting our kind," Calliope said. "Isn't that what we're fighting for?"
"Our kind is killing one another, Cali," Rick said, standing up and stretching. "One war after the other, and things are just getting more complicated."
"We're doing the right thing."
"Are we?" Lucius looked at her, smiling sadly. He fished in his pocket for the key he had brought with him and handed it to her. "Send this home with Steven."
"Sommerst?"
"Don't hold your breath. The best we can hope for is that they stay out of the war altogether." Lucius winked at her and started to leave.
"Where are you going?" Calliope asked.
"Sleep," Lucius called back. "You should try it some time."
#
Sarah hit the wall hard and fell onto the cold floor.
"Again!"
She spat blood as she slowly pushed herself to her feet, the pain in her neck excruciating. She felt her teeth with her tongue, making sure they were all there, before turning to face her opponent. Sebastian smiled at her, standing with one arm behind his back as the other moved in circles in front of him. Sarah's eyes darted to the water at his feet, twirling as he manipulated the torrents, teasing her.
She mustered as much energy as she could, at least as much as she had left, and leaped towards Sebastian, her arms pushing in front of her as she felt the air bend and shoot towards him. His smile only widened as he moved aside lightly, bringing his hand up and out. The water followed his command and shot towards her, hitting her squarely in the chest and throwing her off her feet again.
"If you're going to make it easy, I might as well find a replacement for my training,"
Sebastian laughed as Sarah slowly pushed herself off the ground. She hated training with him, hours upon hours of humiliation at the expense of his fancy. His viciousness scared her, and despite her respect for his leadership, she sometimes wondered how long it would before he killed her just for the fun of it. Sebastian was the embodiment of what happened to an elemental whose powers controlled him.
Sarah tried a different approach, standing entirely still as she manipulated the air behind Sebastian
, gathering enough power that when she raised her hands and pulled, the force came racing towards her, crashing into the man from behind. Sebastian was thrown off his feet, but gracefully rolled through the air currents, laughing all the time.
"Finally some spice," he said, grinning as he stood.
Sarah took advantage of the situation and slammed her hands together as she brought the winds crashing into him from both sides. He was ready, though, the water rising in waves about him as the wind slammed into them. She hesitated, thinking of her next move, when she watched in horror as the waves rose and fell around her, surrounding her in water.
"Let's see what you can do without your air," Sebastian sneered.
He brought the waves up again and pushed them inwards, Sarah suddenly finding herself floating in a pocket of water, unable to breathe. She tried to break free, even swim out, but the water pushed her back. She was stuck holding her breath and running out of air. Suddenly she felt threads of water seep into her nostrils and down her throat. She automatically tried to breathe, and was suddenly choking on water, drowning.
Then, just as suddenly, the water dispersed and she fell to the ground, coughing hard. She felt a sting in her nose and throat, and every breath she choked was greeted with more coughing.
"You could have killed me!" she choked.
Sebastian laughed. "Our enemies won't show you the same courtesy."
Sarah tried to push off the ground, but she was too weak to move, too spent to even think. The coughing subsided, but her chest burned, and she was finding it extremely difficult to breathe. She was only able to push to her knees before she felt Sebastian's boot against her as he pushed her back to the floor.
"You're pathetic," he hissed. "Why do I even expect you to bring in results?"
"Because she's the only one you haven't killed yet."
Sebastian and Sarah both looked up to a corner of the room where a man materialized from the shadows. Rakel crossed the open space slowly, his eyes on Sarah as he approached Sebastian and placed a hand on his shoulder. The other man was smiling, reminding her of a dog whose master had suddenly given him a treat for a trick well done.
"Still, she is getting quite good at catching you off guard," Rakel commented.
"If I didn't give her a win or two, she'd give up completely," Sebastian sneered. "What use would she be then?"