Fate, My Elementals & I (Breaking Borders)

Empath

*** Fero's Pov ***

Throughout the fight, I was focused on the boys' safety. Evony would probably have been a lot more frightening to deal with, had another of them, one connected to her, had been hurt. They've yet to accept their natural forms are what they truly are just yet, unable to act as they wish and switch as quickly. However, they worked well together, no need for actual talking. I was proud to see Bren, even though closer to the end his anger nearly controlled him, take his form in defense. The first and only time he had done that was when Lyon teased them about his feelings for Evony. Devion, would have made my father proud.

Now I was stuck babysitting this barely mature, vexing bunch. Evony's power surge had her emotions awry, especially with the intense worry for Addanon. Elementals are supposed to go through special training once activated. Not meeting their bearers ever again, but predecessors. They know only their teachers and the queen they serve. Taught to accept their natural state, so as to protect her better. My father once confessed that taking his humanoid form made him feel weak and lacking in his duty.

Elementals are normally born before the queen, but within the same moon of each other. The queen comes forth, the next two moons. Time in the mortal realm does not work this way. However, I have met many others who escaped when I did, and none confirmed that they had brought over any male children. It would stand to reason, that just like Cannon, the others were a product of interference. My confusion lay with, why would Fate allow it to happen? Four males, of halfling decent, to carry such weight.

It surely would explain their reluctance to accept that the bodies they reside within is not what they are meant to be. A part of me fears this will mean sure defeat, while the fatherly part of me, wishes they stayed in their natural forms, so as not to continue touching my daughter. I feel conflicted most times when looking at Evony. I raised her as my daughter, but I knew I had to follow her orders as she is my queen. I happily serve her, even with the slip tonight.

"I know you, don't I?" I heard a light quivering voice ask.

To be honest, I planned to ignore them. I hadn't exactly looked at any of them. As far as I was concerned, the one who spoke out of turn to Evony needed a reality check and the others would go down as idiots in my books, if they followed her. My plan was foiled as the owner of the voice said the one thing I couldn't dismiss.

"I do know you. I know those golden eyes anywhere. You were the seedling of the air Elemental. The Empath. The one that never left the side of the Sonar. Ummm.... their name was Lupa. Yes, Lupa," he said excitedly, while simultaneously shattering the pieces of my heart all over again.

"Shut it," I growled, as I whirled around in a grief-induced rage. "Never say their name to me again, do you hear me?" I roared while looking at his beautiful bare face. I felt the horror he attempted to mask by keeping a straight face. Feeling more awful than I should about yelling, I spun around and continued to walk. Not truly caring if they followed or not. He knew nothing. The sorrow. For five generations, I have not heard Lupa's name, unless I whispered it. How dare this stranger have the audacity to speak it so loud. Without the reverence they deserved. Lupa wasn't just a Sonar. Like myself, they were the first of their kind during the reign of the last queen.

Sonars were birthed without a clear gender and unable to reproduce. I believe it is due to their high frequency pitch. I know birthing, whether Fatum or human, involves screaming. Mortal myths referred to them as Banshees. Like the naughty shifter in earlier times, they would strip, dance around naked and turn into wolves running under the moonlight. Startling and mating with mortals, to create werewolf stories. Nuisances the lot of them. Airies like the one that just pissed me off, are the reason for the vampire rumors that they can move so fast you are unable to see them.

"I'm sorry. I was just so happy to see someone I knew before our home was destroyed," the chit-chatter spoke up again.

"Why are you trying to have a conversation with our jailor, Jazz? He doesn't care. No one here cares. I should have just let the darkling have the halfling, our friends would still be alive," I assumed, the infuriating Red head decided to waste her breath and say. Her statement, though correct, had she minded her business, Addanon would have made his way towards Cannon's penthouse, where I had Veron stationed. Who in turn would have stealthily handled the trailing darkling, before he could pass on Addanon's whereabouts, we would not be in this mess. I would not have had to feel the sting of my loss once more.

A sinister part of me, the part that wanted to lash out due to Lupa's memory being brought up in such a cavalier manner, decided to ruin her facade.

Standing still, making the group halt abruptly, I turned slowly, enjoying every morsel of fear that rung from their ungrateful hearts, "You are wishing death upon an Elemental. That is treason. Are you a darkling lover? You saved one of the most important people to the queen. A vital contributor to the war we will soon face, for our home and the remainder of loyalists left. Instead of basking in your heroics and honoring those who died in service of it, you regret it? I am an Empath, as your friend said. What makes you think I cannot smell the stench of jealousy rolling off of you? The pathetic hope washed away as you saw them all snuggle to her in the room? The way she tenderly examined the damage done to Addanon? Your preaching words of anger towards your queen, that is treasonous. The way you spoke to her then, regardless of your role in keeping her Rock safe, is punishable by death. Evony does not wish to rule by tradition. She grew up educating herself on personalities and different types of care. I can sense that, like your friend, you should have been a matured Fatum by now. I assume you know me as well. I need you to know this. I risked my life, my love and sanity, to find and raise a benevolent queen. A young woman, so compassionate, even in an emotional, over-charged state, mentally asked me to have your injuries checked, feed you and told me that she notified earthens to have a space ready for you and your friends. Making sure to instruct, while you were insulting her yet again, for me to invite you to Christmas breakfast, to mingle with your community. So please know, I will make your life a living nightmare the next time you utter such poisonous, vicious thoughts."

"I apologise on her behalf, we lost a lot of our family. Of course, we don't regret saving an Elemental though, and thank you for bringing us to safety. I was best at protection when we were training. I sense the shield," Jazz said in hopes of easing the situation.

"You should think about choosing better friends. This one is not saying what she actually means. Her feelings are misplaced and inappropriate. If you keep defending and following her, I suspect I would have to threaten you as well," I replied, turning towards the medical bay.

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"Fero, please one moment?" the Airy requested. I wasn't sure why exactly he kept insisting on trying to speak to me, throughout the check-up and food. At least the disrespectful one kept her mouth shut the entire time. The others seemed manageable.

"What?" I answered, hoping to just get it over with.

"I only know that there was screaming, so much. I had sneaked away to practice floating, near the earthen pods. Red informed me about the darklings and how they fed on us. I was hoping you could fill in the blanks I guess. Like where they came from? Perhaps, do we still have a home worth fighting for?" he sadly questioned.

Sighing, I prepared myself to feel nothing when relaying the events passed to me through my father's message. I looked at his eyes for the first time, seeing the foggy gray, a trait of his kind, shimmer with unshed tears.

"What I know was through my father sending a message. The queen's brother betrayed her. He stabbed her with a blade coated in a unique blend of poisons. He was weakened as life slowly bled from her, so he sent me the information. Her brother is the first darkling. He was corrupted, convinced enough to follow him and corrupted the border. My father warned his generals, and the fighters all grabbed their seedlings and Fated in panic, fleeing. I was instructed by my father to save as many little girls as I could.." I had to stop to close my eyes and look away, as I neared the most dreaded part. "Lupa died fighting them off for me to escape with the seedlings in their pods. They were killing off all the female younglings, in hopes no queen would emerge."

"May peace be with you, as Lu........ As they are with Fate," he related our custom to me. Once a friend has passed, he speaks these words. Lovers usually die together. So friends are the ones left to mourn us. Our bearers would have already returned to Fate as well.

"Th...thank you, is that all?" I asked, angry with myself for giving an opening.

"One more, only.... I promise," he stated, "How are you so aged?"

"When I jumped through the barrier, it shot me out five generations ago.... I have remained ever since. Searching for the girls I brought over, as they had been spit out at any time and at any gate. That time, here, along with worry and then the stress of training and raising them. Gathering like minded, avoiding and fighting darklings. Building the community you see. All this is the reason I am this aged," then with my curious tongue I asked, "How long have you been here?"

To which Jazz smirked and answered, "Only five years, one less than' Red."

"You seemed quite adjusted," I remarked stupidly. Why was I being silly?

"I tried, I really did, but dresses are my fav things to wear. Mortals are so slow with the times...."he replied.

"Good night. Sleep as long as you all need to. Your plates will be kept warm," I bid goodbye, turning to leave hurriedly.

"Can we stay? Like indefinitely? Our house was in shambles when we barely got away," Jazz practically sobbed.

"Of course, the queen considers you all family now. Family sticks together. I will allow you to settle down for a week before being assigned chores and continuing your training," I answered and walked away, hoping he didn't ask more.

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Finally, back in my own room, showered and exhausted, I allowed myself to drift off.

My dream started regularly. As I approached my sire and my love, I saw darkness trying to pour in. Evony appeared. The state I was in, I was no match. I called out to them for them to follow me, but they didn't listen. Evony stared blankly at me. They didn't move. They allowed themselves to slip into nothingness.

"Come back!" I yelled, waking myself from my slumber. Squinting, I looked at my room, seeing the sun's rays pushing through and the positioning, letting me know it was almost noon.

Breathing heavily, I yanked my top knot, allowing my hair to cascade down my back. I ruffled through it, only to finger comb it into a bun again, due to it being heavy with sweat, as well as the rest of my body.

I vowed to myself then, "I vow to protect the royal and her kin, until death!"