Shame rose through her like a dark wave, pushing against her insides, boiling over. She had never meant for any of it to happen. All she had wanted was stability, a balance between her earth and the people. Was that so wrong? She would have given everything for them, if they needed. Shehadgiven them everything: this perfect island that provided all the sustenance they required.
And they had spurned her, after eons of living off of her benevolence.
Bitterness mixed with her shame. She gritted her teeth at the memories. Perhaps, in the end, they were all to blame: humans and immortal elementals alike. If she truly had been awoken because of an unforeseen threat on the horizon, was she fit to enter this new world and help? Would the kingdoms even bedeservingof her aid?
Still, she was awake; she couldn’t very well stay on this lost island.
Jade slowly sat up, relishing the feel of the crumbling dirt between her fingers. The earth thrummed through her, restless after being inactive for so long. She was unsure of how much time had passed while she slumbered; her power felt stifled from the length of disuse.
Taking a deep breath, she rose. The magic that had kept her body asleep and perfectly preserved was remarkable. She looked down to see generous curves, her ample form uncovered and unblemished. She would have to do something about that before traveling amongst the humans; they would likely not look kindly on a naked woman walking through their streets.
Although it could be used to her advantage, she supposed.
Glancing at the section of the cave wall that lay behind her bed of rock, she found familiar words etched into the stone. She reached out and let her fingers brush along the indentions, feeling power pound through her veins in return. She wasn’t sure if the sensation was from her earth or from the ancient words that carried her life and, inevitably, her downfall. The prophecy had been there for as long as she could remember and even though time had eroded most of the letters from the rock, she knew the warning by heart.
Bones of the earth, yours to reclaim;
Born of fire, forged in flame;
Blood of water, to be remade;
Breath of life to never fade.
Beware, great powers, of a coming storm
That lies beyond these distant shores.
A silent force, born of night’s bane
Will bring to light an end of reign.
Her jaw clenched as her fingers came to a halt at the last word, one of the only ones still fully visible:reign. Yes, their reign had certainly come to an end. But it had not been by some silent force born of night; it had been their own hubris.
Could this warning finally be coming to pass? Is that why she had been summoned?
Taking her first few unsteady steps, she headed toward the tunnel that separated her from the outside world. Growing stronger and more centered with each stride, she reached the end of the tunnel and walked into the open air.
She was immediately blinded by the sun, which she had not seen in far too long. Various senses hit her all at once, overwhelming her: the taste of salt, the shine of waves rippling on the sea, the breeze sweeping across her bronze skin.
Most of all, she felt the earth—trulyfeltit, as if it was a part of her. Cradling her feet, it warmed her, filled every crack and crevice in her old soul. It was home, being surrounded by this nature, knowing it was steady and strong and running through her very bones. Inhaling deeply as she closed her eyes, she let out her breath with a loudwhoosh—and as she did, the mountain at her back rumbled. The corner of her mouth twitched upward, and she raised her hand in parting.
“I’ll be back,” she whispered.
The view before her took her breath away.
After years of no disruption, the island thrived. She gazed upon the sandy beach, the stunning crystal waters of the Wyndsor Sea lapping at its feet. The glassy turquoise expanse stretched far into the distance. Even from atop her cliff, she could clearly make out the white foam of low tide approaching the shoreline, waves rushing and tumbling over one another as if racing, only to start all over again once they ran aground. The pearly sands of the beach extended for miles, disappearing as it followed the curve of the island. To her right, the beach slowly morphed into grassy terrain, leading to a canopy of lush, green trees resting at the center of the island, the tops of which swayed in the breeze. Knowing what lay beyond, she smiled.
If one had to slumber for lifetimes, this was the perfect place to do so.
But the Aether had woken her for a reason, and she knew she could not face what was happening alone. If she was awake, the other three would be as well. After the war, the four elementals had gone their separate ways, each to slumber in their hidden corners of the world. Jade needed to reunite with them, and hopefully soon after, the reason for their reappearance would be made known.
Aataran. That was the name she had heard as she awoke. Vaguely, she remembered this was the ancient mountain range resting in the kingdom of Evonlea. Was that where she and the others needed to meet? If so, it was a far journey for her to make. Hundreds of miles of sea separated her lost island from the other three kingdoms. Kai, the water elemental, would have a much easier voyage across those waters, as they were hers to command.
Thinking of her closest companion brought a smile to Jade’s face, but also a twinge of guilt. Relations between all four of them had not ended well when they decided to part at the end of the war. She wasn’t sure how any of them would react to being with one another again. Elemental beings were as fickle as the forces they embodied.
Jade sighed and looked over the edge of the cliff. Her first step would be getting down from the mountain, then she’d figure out how in the world she, the commander of earth, was supposed to traverse the depths of the sea.
She spread her arms and called to her element. Rocks shuddered and broke free of their sedentary state, eager to answer her bidding after so much time lying dormant. One by one, they came together to form a bridge starting at her feet and leading to the beach below. Before she began her trek down, she closed her eyes and smiled.
