The Last Elemental, Ashley Zimmerman [read after txt] 📗

Prologue

I was only roughly five at the time, back then monsters and princesses were all part of a fairy tale. That was a time that the crazy things that I saw or did or a figment of my imagination. That time is over, just like the reign of peace for the Elemuntum Regnator Scripture. Although what is in the past will never be forgotten, it can never be taken back. Our every action is recorded in the book of life, in the book of the past. How I wish my ignorance could be taken back.

Ch. 1

“Grandma!” I screamed, while running up the steps of her old Victorian off white steps. Rushing into her loving arms I buried my face against her, automatically inhaling the sent I had grown to adore. She smelled of wild flowers and honey. Pulling back I grinned up at her, her deep blue eyes exactly the same as mine. They weren't the only thing I inherited from her though. Her once silky platinum blond hair now white with age brushed my cheek. I couldn't help but to stare at the silver white strands. She wasn't even that old, and yet something about the coloration and her eyes whispered of old magic and secrets to me.

“Well I'll be, look at how much you've grown!” She exclaimed with exuberance. Picking me up and taking me inside I clung to her like a monkey. Giggling all the way into the living room she set me down and walked out. Telling me to stay put. Swinging my legs back and forth I looked around. The mirror wall across from me was the first thing to capture my attention. Red shoes swung back and forth, white lace stocking clothed my legs, lastly a small red and black plaid dress finished the appearance. My long silver blond hair fell all the way down to my hips, enveloping my reflection in a curtain of shimmering silver. The coloration kept attracting my attention, reminding me of a waterfall. Smiling I turned my electric blue eyes from the mirror and took in the old room. It just seemed to whisper to me and ooze the word mystery.

The sound of foot steps had my head snapping up, there stood my grandma with a leather bound book. She flashed that smile that I've known for all my four years of life and sauntered into the room. Looking at the book I was immediately captivated. The book seemed to radiate raw power. Sitting down beside me she blew the dust off the book before turning toward me. She had this serious expression, as if what she had to say was vitally important.

“Now ,Madeline, do you happen to know the story about how the elements came to be?” I shook my head in confusion. As far as I knew the elements were always the way they were. As if reading my mind my grandmother spoke in answer.

“Madeline, there are things you have to understand about the Earth and her magic realms. Not all of them were created the way they are. In fact, the elements are a perfect example of that. You see, a very long time ago the elements were all condensed into one ring....” I listened to my grandmother as if in a trance, a picturesque movie playing in my head.

Fire blossomed outside of the kingdom walls, the very walls were made of vines. The fire lapped at them like tongues of rage from a beastly dragon. Shattering glass echoed far off, along with a distant war cry. The king was running down a hallway badly injured, his deep graying hair soaked in his own blood. The ring on his finger glinted in the fires light, casting a rainbow of reds, blues, greens and silvers; the colors of the elements. Breathing deeply the king slid to a stop, the ground before him covered in liquid fire: magma. Cruel laughter seemed to echo from all around him. Whirling around, he glared into the dim light. The shadows dancing with the flames movements like a puppet being maneuvered by a puppeteer.

“Who's there?” The king called in a wavering gravelly voice. The shadows before him suddenly slunk forth like oil or tar. Congealing before him the shadows slowly lifted up until condensing into a figure of darkness.

“Nobody.” Came the hissing reply. The king sucked in a breath before backing up, the ledge crumbling behind him. Freezing he lifted his ring, the four elements within glowing and shimmering across the ebony surface. The cruel wheezing laughter of the shadow man seemed to drop the temperature by twenty degrees. The shallow breaths of the king huffing out into fog in the air.

“Give me the ring!” The featureless shadow snarled. The king steeled himself and snarled back at the shadow man defiantly.

“As long as I live you will never posses the power of the Elemuntum Regnator Scripture!” With a roar the shadow man slammed his hand forward and strait through the kings chest. A guttural moan escaped him from the impact, blood spattering the ground.

“Well then, I'll kill you now and take it.” Nobody hissed. Wheezing laughter left the king.

“Poor Nobody, you'll never wear the elements.” With that the ring burst into a powerful explosion of life, dispersing the elements to other realms. The very shadows receded, Nobody taking refuge once more in the corners and crevices. Collapsing down to the ground the king gasped for his finally intake of air before laying still. His silver eyes staring heaven ward emptily.

With that my grandmother fell silent, waiting for my reaction. Her slender fingers fiddling with the aging book. Looking up silently I murmured quietly.

“Where are the elements now Grandma?” A faint smile pulled at her lips as she opened the brown leather book. The yellowing pages full of words that I didn't understand, even the writing seemed funky.

“No one knows sweet heart. No one but the King.” My eyes widened in interest before a thought struck me.

“What about Nobody? Surely he could find them if the influence from the elements is so strong on our weather.” A frown pulled at my grandmother's lips as she sat in thought. Tapping the page she murmured gently.

“We'll worry about that later sweet heart. Look at this here.” Looking over I saw a map. It was a strange map of a world I had never seen. Although some places looked familiar, as if they over laid our own world.

“What is it?” I asked curiously. A smile pulled at her lips as she leaned forward. One of her secretive looks twinkling in her eyes.

“This my love, is Magia. The land of all magic.” Blinking I looked down at the map curiously, the black ink faded, but the outlines of the land mass quite distinguishable from the aged parchment. Looking back up at her with a frown on my face I spoke cautiously as if afraid to break some spell.

“Where is Magia now grandma?” That secretive smile of hers appeared again. Her eyes twinkling with some hidden mischief.

“My dear, I would have thought you would have figured it out already. Magia is here.” She gently placed her index finger over my heart. I looked up at her in confusion.

“How is Magia in my heart?” Laughter whispered over my ears like a caress from a lover, her hands smoothed back my hair gently. Closing my eyes I filled my nose with her scent, her words washing over me like the cleansing rain.

“Magia is not a place, but more of an idea. Those who believe in it will find it. You my dear were always destined to be a part of it.”

18 years later

The loud beeping of an alarm startled me awake. Sitting up quickly I looked around my apartment in confusion. I remember having a dream of my grandmother, but her words and the things that had happened were already gone. Shaking my head, I stood up and stretched. These things always happened, I would dream of my grandmother and then when I awoke I could never remember what happened. All the same I knew something important was said, something that I needed to remember. Scowling I walked into the bathroom and looked at my reflection. I always looked more and more like my grandmother every day. Her deep crystalline blue eyes practically my own, silver white hair silky and full. Sighing softly I could feel that familiar ache in my heart, the ache that had been present since her death. She had been the only major authoritative figure in my life, the only mothering figure. My own mother died when I was one, and my father was always away in the military, so we didn't exactly have a close relationship. My grandmother and I on the other hand were like two peas in a pod...then one day she was gone. Just like that, the only person in my life who had understood me was gone. Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I turned away from the mirror and set about brushing my hair and getting ready for the day.

Sighing I walked around the house, gathering my keys from the table and my purse. The familiar black and pink waitress outfit clinging to my form. I detested the outfit seeing as I hated pink, but it was the only job within miles that payed halfway decently. Besides I had no room to complain, a job was a job, and in this economy I was lucky to even have the line of work I did. Scowling I stalked out the door and slammed it shut angrily. For some reason I just felt that today was going to be a bad day and if the rolling clouds over head were any indication it was going to storm as well. One thing that always bothered me was that it always seemed to storm when I was in a sour mood, the fanatical part of me liked to believe the weather and I were connected, but the logical part crushed that dream. Heaving yet another sigh I climbed into my old beat up crimson 1958 Cadillac and started the engine. It wasn't in the best condition, but it was the cheapest car being put up for sale. I closed my eyes and turned the key.

“Please work, please work!” I muttered under my breath. The engine sputtered and whirled a few times before finally catching with a throaty roar. Sighing with relief I pulled the gear shift into reverse and backed out of the winding drive. Holding the break I shifted it into drive and pulled down the urban road. I didn't live that far from the city, I didn't like them but I knew I would need provisions. I did like the outdoors though, so I got the old beach house a little under fifteen minutes from the city limits. Well it wasn't a city, more like a town of a few thousand. Roaring through the country side I glanced around at