Maroz 10 - A Match With Malok

Sitting with his back to a log, his head tilted up to let the sun sooth his face, Willim wondered how his mother was doing. His father would be fine he was sure, the man was always fine however hard things got, but his mother seemed to worry about everything. Willim’s mother would likely worry every day and night about his health if he knew her well enough. Someday he would see her again and nobody would stop him. Not even Malok himself. I didn’t ask to join this blasted army!

Footsteps sounded, coming from in front of him and he opened his eyes to look, though he did not spend the energy to lift his head up until he saw who it was. “Good morning Captain Hanier Sir.” Willim spoke the words while getting to his feet. “I thought you were one of the men bringing me food. They bring it out to me sometimes rather than leaving it on the stump.”

“They are in awe of you right now Willim. You have become the talk of the recruits and some want to get a look at you I suppose.”

“I suppose that would be it.” Willim replied in a sad tone. Five days of manipulating fire had not quenched his disappointment at becoming an elemental.

“So lets see how you have been doing son. I have seen the flames from a distance and some have been impressive, but now I would like to see what kind of control you have with it?” Pointing to a clump of trees, Hanier continued. “The tall one there, with the long branch hanging at an awkward angle. Can you burn it at the base of the branch and extinguish the flame before it hits the ground?”

Raising his right hand towards the tree, he still did not know why he did that but it made it easier to control the flames when he used his hands, Willim let a flow of fire consume the branch just at the base. As the branch broke loose he drew the fire out of it again and the branch hit the ground as cool as it was before he had begun. “What else would you like to see sir?”

For over two hours the captain gave him tasks and he completed them with more ease than even he would have expected. Still two hours had gone by and the captain showed no sign of finishing. Burn a four-foot circle on the ground. Drop a shower of fire over that circle. Throw a ball of flame as high into the air as he could. Once, as he was doing a task, the captain pulled out his pipe and Willim lit it for him before being asked. Still Hanier continued to ask for more until Willim’s anger finally got the best of him.

Throw ten fireballs one after another as fast as he can? William spoke up then with sarcasm in his tone. “Ten Captain? Ten would be too simple and too hard for you to see as well. How about fifty?” Raising his right hand, Willim never made any throwing motion, but one after another a ball of fire a foot in diameter shot from his palm so quick, the only way to be sure the captain could see they were balls was to move his hand from side to side to separate them. Raising his left hand in a different direction Willim continued to throw the spheres of fire. “Or how about more?” Suddenly as many fiery spheres began to shoot from his left hand as well. “Why burn only one tree captain? Why not burn the whole blasted patch of them?” Suddenly each tree in the small woods bursted into flame each tree burning separately and all the while he continued to shoot balls of flame from his palms. “Oh I know! If you like rings of fire, lets have real rings of fire.” A ring a flame that encircled them sprung up among the glowing displays of flames. Then another larger one and then another and another until Willim suddenly heard the captain shouting at him to stop.

The chaos of flames disappeared so quickly the captain had to blink to gather his senses, his eyes still adjusted to the brightness of the fires. “It seams you have adequate control of your gift Willim, but I would suggest you gain control of that temper of yours. I will not allow this kind of behavior and disregard of authority do you understand me?”

Willim had lost his temper and more so than ever before that he could remember. “I, I’m sorry captain. I don’t know what came over me.” There just was nothing else to say more than a quick apology.

Looking Willim in the eyes, the Captain finally nodded. “Get to your barracks son and get a bath. You smell like a burning barn.”

Watching the captain walk away, Willim wondered why he had not been called down harder for his display. Maybe Tremores was right. Maybe they would practically treat him like royalty now that he had become an elemental. He could see the good in it, but at the same time he did not like the idea of it. He had no desire to be any different than anyone else.

The walk to his barracks was as long of a walk as Willim had ever known. The distance was quite short but every step of the way the other soldiers and recruits all stared at him, whispering too low for his ears while watching him pass. By the time he turned down the row of buildings where his bed was, he wanted to run the rest of the way, but he would not let himself. He would not run from them. Closing the door behind him he let out a long sigh of relief before stripping his shirt off and rinsing some sweat from his body. The captain was right, he did smell, and he did want to get to the bathhouse. But it still felt good just to rinse some of it off right then. Dipping his head he splashed water onto his face then grabbed a towel to dry off when the door opened.

“So you are the new elemental are you?” The voice was not familiar and Willim took his time drying his face before he answered. The speaker did not give him the chance though. “I hear you are quite strong too. Fire is it? Good! I believe fire can be the most useful in warfare.”

Willim finally took the towel away from his face and turned to look at the intruder. He was not someone he had ever seen before. This stranger was taller than Willim himself and held an air of authority like none he had ever seen and though he was older and thin, he had wide strong shoulders. The man’s black and silver hair was well groomed and his clothes were extremely finely cut. The sword at his side was no ordinary soldiers sword but fancy like something a Lord would wear; its sheath was black and had gold writing in a different language. “May I ask who you are sir?”

“Of course you do not know me, but you do know of me I am sure. My name is Malok and I am your Emperor.”

The shock of it all sent Willim’s head into a spin. He would never have expected the Emperor himself to come to his barracks. Taking a couple of steps back, Willim let his mouth drop open before slamming it shut with a loud click of his teeth. He knew there was something he should do right then but he could not think straight. What is Malok doing here?

A savage look that appeared in Malok’s eyes was the only warning Willim got before he was swept across the room and slammed hard against the far wall. Rather than falling to the floor though, Willim stood straight up against the wall, his feet a few inches above the ground. Malok had him pinned with air. “When you come face to face with your Ruler boy, you are supposed to bow.” As soon as the words were spoken the air around Willim shifted, forcing him to bend over into a deep bow.

As quick as the air grabbed him, it disappeared and Willim felt free to move again, the jolt of his feet hitting the floor causing his teeth to click hard together. Instead of staying in the bent position, Willim stood up straight again, meeting the Emperors eyes stare for stare. “I have never bowed for anyone but a lady before a dance sir. I will not start now. Not even for the emperor! Especially after being treated in such a manner!” Willim did not know exactly why he decided to stand up to Malok. There was just something about him that didn’t set right and to bow to him felt wrong, still a small voice echoed in Willim’s head that he was a fool for doing so. That voice may as well have screamed in his head for all he paid attention to it.

Lieutenant Cleese was suddenly beside Malok, a worried look in his eyes. “Please don’t kill him your highest. He is very valuable and more so now with the latest news I have received.”

Before Willim could brace himself, he felt the air grab him again and he was lifted up and thrown through the window into the street. Head over heels he tumbled before he came to a stop face down, spitting sand and dirt out of his mouth. More than one person was now watching though they all knew Malok had gone inside and stood out of the way as they watched. Malok and Cleese came out through the door and he could hear the Lieutenant saying something about two of the other elementals but the man’s words were lost in Willim’s fury as the blood rushing through him drowned out most of the sound. “I will bow to no one!” The words were shouted as he flung his hands forward throwing a large ball of fire three feet across at Malok.

Cleese dove for cover when he saw the fiery sphere coming but Malok stood his ground and calmly waved a hand in front of him. As he did so, the flames dissipated in front of him. “Is that all you have boy? Did they not explain to you that every element has its counter element? Your flames are useless against me for they need air to breath. Water will turn earth to mud, Air has no effect against earth, fire will evaporate the water. Simply put boy, I own you!”

Once again Willim could feel the air around him change but rather than turn solid to throw him again, it thinned out then disappeared. Opening his mouth wide he tried desperately to draw in a breath and could not. His eyes began to water as he began to franticly throw fire at the Emperor but his flame would go out as soon as it left his hand. Pain slowly formed in his chest then quickly spread out over the rest of him; he could feel himself squirming around on the ground but could not seem to stop it. Air, he thought, I need air. Oh my God I’m going to die like this! “Don’t kill him sire. Please don’t kill…” The lieutenant’s words faded away with his consciousness as darkness drew him in.

Continue to .... Maroz 11 - Water and Earth