Four Elements Book 2 - Fight and Feel

Part 50

Zarias walked down the palace hallways, his footsteps echoing loudly in the wide, empty galleries. His mind was spinning and whirring. He was more confused than he ever had been in his existence. His father's latest scheme was clever, but he couldn't help question whether it was the best way to do things. What was it they called it on Earth? Morally acceptable. That was it. He had never asked himself this kind of questions before. But now that he was put on the spot... he couldn't help it.

From watching the humans, he had learned a lot of things. They were very complicated creatures, always warring between what they wanted and what they believed to be right, which, he had learned, was different from one person, group or family to another. He marveled at how they managed to coexist without constant conflict... he was certain his father would never tolerate anyone believing anything that he didn't... what were those kinds of individuals called on Earth? Tyrants, that was it. His father certainly fit that category. Authoritative, oppressive, power hungry... he had grown to be fairly similar. Driven, ruthless...

And yet, ever since he'd run into these humans, a deep change had started to occur within him. He'd kept it absolutely secret from his father or any of the Umbras, of course, but he could no longer deny it. And the feeling had only been getting stronger recently. He had a strong feeling that his father's latest plan was the reason for that. He understood the logic of it. If one looked at it clinically, it made perfect sense. Adrianna's sister was being used as a way to bring her and the rest of the incarnations of the elements to him once again so that he could neutralize them and get them to relinquish their powers willingly. It was perfectly sound. Then why did this plan bother him so much? He couldn't figure it out.

Just then, he heard the sound of his father barking orders as he marched in. Behind him, inches from him, was Adrianna's sister. He recognized her from the last time he'd seen her. She had held his gaze with the same resolution her older sister often showed, that fierce determination to protect what you held dear. And a part of Zarias admired that about humans, that ability they had to fight to the death for something precious to them. He watched them march past him. As Adrianna's sister – Hannah, that was her name – came closer, their eyes met. Her lips and body weren't moving, but her eyes were wide and staring.

"Zarias, just the man I wanted to see." Zorak said, pausing. "I trust you recognize our young guest?"

"Yes, father," he said, trying not to look at the child again. "She is the fire guardian's younger sister. I believe her name is Hannah."

He wasn't sure why he felt the need to mention it. To emphasize her being a young human, maybe. Zorak seemed not to notice.

"Hannah, is it? A fine name," Zorak replied. "She does look remarkably like young Adrianna, does she not?"

Zarias looked at the girl again. She appeared to be even more like her sister than he had first thought. No matter how much pain Adrianna had been in, she had never cried. Hannah was clearly terrified, but wasn't crying either.

"Yes." Zarias said. "She does."

"Okay, so we all agree with the plan?" Isabelle asked. "Once we're there, we won't be able to turn back."

Everyone nodded. They were standing in the dark park, dressed in practical and mostly dark clothes. The girls had all tied up their hair, and the five teenagers stood in a circle, watching each other.

"Okay." Andie said. "So how are we going to cross the veil?"

"The spirits and I have been looking into that," Isabelle said. "We reckon that now we're all here, we can combine our powers and open a portal manually, so to speak."