Primal Heart, a short story

Ken awoke to pins and needles. He tried to flex but found himself tied to a sturdy chair he had saw in the forest rangers office he passed by days before. What was it two days ago Ken tried to think back? He remembered coming to the Grand Tetons Mountains after walking away from his cushy job leaving his wife and kids back in Seattle. Ever since he saw that special on the Grand Tetons on television last month he just had to walk in the shadow of their majestic peaks. Dana said maybe over the summer they could go if her mom could watch the kids. The Grand Tetons were too rugged for little ones in a fast approaching autumn. Ken knew she was right of course but when he got up that Wednesday morning something in him just couldn’t wait. How the world was connected! Within minutes he had booked his flight over his IPhone and had a full compliment of camping gear bought via an outfitter’s website. A few hours later he was pulling into the park. The Ranger who explained to him was named Stone. “Are you sure you want to take a rental car into those deep woods, Son? The roads are rough enough and where you’re headed you’ll have to abandon it and hike the rest of the way. There aren’t any roads up there.” Ken told him it would be fine even though he really had no idea. Ken appreciated Ranger Stone concern. The man had the look of someone that belonged out here in the mountains and probably knew what he was talking about. Part of him knew taking the full size sedan was a dumb idea. They didn’t have a truck at the rental counter. He couldn’t wait the two hours it would take to get ready so he took the car. He had to get going.

“Is there a place to grab some food I seemed to have forgotten to pick any up?” Ken asked almost as an after thought. Ranger Stone told him of a small convenience store for day-trippers the park ran. The girl behind the counter took Ken by surprise. The spiky hair the dark make up the flames tattoo rising up her arm all a little too urban for such a rural landscape. She eyed him clearly unimpressed with him and continued to read some type of music magazine as he an arm load of trail mix, beef jerky, and some sunscreen on the counter. Dana would be angry enough with him announcing his trip via a voice-mail no need to fuel that fire by coming home and asking her to rub aloe on his sunburn. “You just going to keep staring at my tits are you wanna pay for that junk?” she asked condescendingly. “Oh sorry I was just reading your name tag. You just don’t come off as a Blair to me.” Ken chuckled trying to recover smoothly. “That’s why most people call me Blaze” she purred smoldering. “Why you headed up into the mountains, you don’t exactly fit the profile. Not that I care plenty of people wind up on missing posters around here but you got that family man look about you” she asked with as little concern as she could muster. Ken couldn’t give her a good answer as he took the paper bag of provisions to his car.

A small Vietnamese female clerk by the name of Ho was explaining to him that he should keep the paper receipt on the dashboard of his car but to wear the wristband at all times. “What if I lose it Mrs. Ho? Like it gets hooked on a branch or what not?” Ken asked to cover all his bases. “Please call me Wendy; we are to far from starched shirts to be so formal!” Compared to the cooler than you attitude of the store girl this Wendy was a breath of fresh air. “No worries we will have a copy of your drivers licensee here if a ranger needs to call to verify” Wendy said as she breezed from form to form. “A hiker like you who skips paying a nominal tax isn’t really the main concern. Poachers are the biggest threat aside from the wild animals. I see your headed off the general map your not here to bag a Bambi illegally are you?” Wendy said with a threat of storms hiding behind eyes of sky blue. “No just really wanted to visit that area” Ken slowly answered. Why did he have to visit that area he questioned himself for the first time. There was a lot more area not as rugged and built up for the weekend warrior to enjoy himself.

Ken was still pondering the question as he stared at the map trying to figure out exactly which road he was supposed to be on. The official map had ended awhile back but Wendy the permit clerk had written out directions to the remote part of the park he had asked about. He got out of the car and started walking. He had seen a person fishing a mile or so back. He fought his natural instincts never to ask for directions but Ken knew he was lost besides the walk would do him some good. “No luck today?” Ken asked when he saw the fisherman, or more exact fisher woman, was packing up by the time he had reached her. “Actually it was really good today!” as she held up a line bristling with fresh caught trout. Ken trying to be a gentleman offered her a hand coming up the embankment but felt foolish as soon as the word left his lips. She was older but her movements told of strength. “Pearl, call me Pearl dear” her voice rippled as she leaped up the steep incline. It reminded Ken of those salmon swimming up stream in a weird way. Pearl didn’t have a clue which road would take Ken where he wanted to go. In fact she actually advised him to turn back the weather had taken a bad turn last night. A cold snap up here at this altitude could mean a cold miserable death for an unprepared camper. Ken assured Pearl he would be OK but at her insistence would share her catch for lunch with her partner Will. Will knew the park like the back of his hand and would be able to tell Ken exactly he right path.

Half an hour later they were hiking into an open clearing with a rugged cabin completely in synch with the environment. The landscaping was so well planned it seemed as if the land ad the cabin were one in the same. The door opened as a man Ken assumed was Will trot out with two steaming mugs. “That’s a mighty unusual fish you caught today Pearl!” Will called out with a deep chuckle that resounded of home somehow. Introductions were quickly made and Ken felt at ease. Pearl was in the kitchen cleaning the fish. Will and Ken were sitting on the porch drinking from the steaming mugs. “You OK there Ken?” Will asked. Ken tried to turn to answer but found his body responding sluggishly. Ken tried to stand and would have hit the floor if not for Will catching his now limp body. “Don’t fight it Ken. The dried mushrooms I ground up in your mug are strong. I am surprised it took them this long. You’re a fighter; you’re going to need that type of strength.

He recognized Pearl’s voice “He’s coming to.” Ken sat tied to his chair and eyed the rest of the room. The punk cashier from the store Blaze was poking at the fire in the hearth. Wendy the permit clerk was hanging her arm out the wind watching a pinwheel spin. Ranger Stone was studying the stone floor while collecting his thoughts. Pearl just coming out of the shower her hair still wet and dripping. Will’s voice came from behind Ken; “I’m going to place my hands on your shoulders if that’s OK Ken.” Ken felt guilty for how harshly he spoke “Well since I’m the one kidnapped here please feel free to do whatever you want to there Will.” Will placed his hands on Ken’s shoulders and in seconds Ken’s body was fully refreshed. No anger, no anxiety, no pins and needles, and no weariness just calm. “I can’t answer your questions about what’s going on because you don’t know what questions to even ask. The real questions in life are never simple answers. They are deeper than we can perceive. The best we can do is try to catch fragments of truths in the stories that were passed down to us."  Will calmly stated as they all took their seats.

There were two twin brothers kings of their own separate but powerful kingdoms. They argued and warred with one another without cease to determine who the better of the two was. One day while traveling the border that separated their respective kingdoms the came to a home of a beautiful Woman. The Woman’s house’s foundation was equally placed so neither king could claim her service fairly. One brother turned to another and proposed a deal. “Since we are equal in strength and power even our faces share the same glory, let’s have her be the judge of which is better. We will both charm the woman and who she chooses in the end will be the winner.” The other brother seeing an end to this age-old battle heartily agreed. A coin flip or rock paper scissors or whatever later who went first was decided. For the next length of time each brother courted the Woman. The Woman loved each brother thinking it was one king and bore him four children. Each child was easily marked by the touch of its father. Pyros with his fiery hair. Terra with his deep brown skin. Zephyr with his inability to stay still. Aquarius with his deep pools for eyes. Children carried on their father’s war and clash with each other daily to no clear winner.

When the Woman gave birth to the fifth child a neither father could see himself in the child. The two brothers confronted the Woman and stood before her. The Woman demanded an explanation. I am Order and these are my sons steady Terra and serene Aquarius. I am Chaos these are my sons powerful Pyros and inexhaustible Zephyr. The Woman asked who claimed the new female. Neither Order nor Chaos would claim the child. The child was too much or the other for either brother to lay claim to. The only solution both Kings could agree to be the destruction of the child. Hearing this the Woman became enraged gathering up the new child declared I am Gaia and I name this child Spirit sister to the Elements of earth, wind, fire, and water and daughter to Order and Chaos best of bother her fathers. Since neither of you can see that she being in balance was by far stronger than either separate, I choose neither of you as my king. Hearing Gaia’s words each king recognized the truth in her words and agreed to abandon their quest. Her home would fall into neither kingdom but both.

Gaia’s home over time became the Earth. Where her children clashed new creations awakened. Pyros and Terra clashed begetting animals. Terra and Aquarius clashed for dominance leaving plants in their wake. Aquarius and Zephyr clashed resulting in Ice. Lighting flashed into existence where Pyros and Zephyr encountered each other. All four brothers vied for their sister’s hand but she refused. Until there was a home for her children she would have none. Each bowed to her wishes, boundaries and peace between the four was made. Each element created nations unto themselves.

The relative peace was broken beyond repair by their mother herself. Perhaps Gaia could only hold in balance so much before it became too much. Many other theories arose over time of possible hows or whys but all agree that a time of madness encroached into Mother Gaia. The element Kings were powerful but nothing compared to their mother. The earth was torn asunder. The skies literally cracked. Entire seas disappeared. Fire was unquenchable. Where the Elements collided monsters arose not of the natural order. Spirit called together her brother-husbands and convinced them all was lost no empire could survive independently but together enough power could be gathered for their children, humanity to survive. From their places of power they combined their power and called forth from space a meteor to kill their mother Gaia. They then spoke words of power and poured out their very life forces into their children the weak nascent humans to give them a fighting chances. Thanks to their gifts the humans grew into tribes and were able to survive until a balance could be restore and thrive once again. Gone were the great cities of Lemuria, Atlantis, Shanghai-La, and Mu that we know them by now. No banners any empires just survivors banded together.

The tribes of humanity carried on with life and old ways were forgotten Children were born as old ones died. Crops were planted to be harvested seasons later. The Element Kings were no where the level after sacrificing their powers for humanities sake but where able to impart some of their children with power. Rarely did these ever rise above a whisper. Nut there is a flare up ever so often. Was Hercules’ strength from being a son of the Earth when he slew the Hydra? Maybe. Was Jesus Christ a son of Spirit when he healed all those people? Could be. Was the Emperor of Japan the lost son of Zephyr when the Kamikaze wind blew back two different invading fleets? Possible. How could the captain of the Titanic not see a mega ton iceberg if Aquarius child didn’t move it into the ship path? How indeed. Rome burned while Nero played the fiddle, could he not of ran because he was controlling it? You decide.

Until July 16^th, 1945 Gaia slept uninterrupted for eons. In New Mexico the test of the first nuclear bomb was enough to shake the very anchors of the Earth. For a brief instance Gaia awoke and her madness was unleashed again into the world. Old and new monster arose to a brave new world. The reigning Elemental Lords were able to handle the brunt of the attacks against the backdrop of WWII.

The only blessing was Gaia’s awakening was also the influx of primordial power to re-energize the Ley Lines, Dragon Roads, Spirit Highways, Tradewinds, Fire Paths, Mothers Bones or whatever you want to call them. Like a mother’s voice at dusk calling kids home we came a running. At first we didn’t know why we came. We just felt it in our bones and knew we had to come. It was unorganized and chaotic until we found the power we had inherited and then it turned brutal and bloody. Later we found that almost 2/3rds of the Elementally Touched were tainted by Gaia’s madness outright. The rest of us managed to hang on. Where two or more of these crossed primordial power flowed. The more crossing points the more powerful the point was. The more powerful the more blood was spill. These were hard times mind you until where everyone was just trying to do what they thought were best. The most powerful of us gathered and made peace and made accords with one another. We had been kings and in our pride nearly killed ourselves. Now we are guardians protecting what’s left. You’re here because you’re one of us. I can’t tell what element has touched you deep inside yet but recognize the spark. We brought you in because there are far too few of us for the job we have to do. Every hand is needed.”

“Do I have a choice?” Ken asked.

“Absolutely, us or them. Of course if you’re not with us you’re against us and that means a first class trip to the ash pile” Blaze seethed as a circle of flames appeared and danced around her hand.

“Blaze is a little melodramatic but in essence sadly no you don’t. “ Stone spoke softly. Ken could sense that Stone was a good man that had to make more than a few hard choices in his life.

Stones honesty sat in room like a 100 pound chunk of marble. Pearl bubbled in “When someone comes searching we try our best to dissuade them. Urge them to turn back. Once you go so far down the rabbit hole there’s no turning back.”

Wendy’s voice was like an autumn wind cold and stirring leaves in Ken’s soul. “You have always known or felt on some level that you were different. You were drawn to a voice familiar as your own fathers but so unknown to you.

“Ever stared into the fireplace and been mesmerized? The snaps and pops ever whisper to you? Sat by a creek and the rushing water seemingly laughed with you in some private joke? Ever been digging in the fertile ground to plant a tree and felt the ground grasp your hand while you moving it? Been dying from the heat and wish for relief and a cool breeze came out of no where?” Will questioned as he laid an ornate box onto the table.

“And spirit? How is that an element?” Gears were moving in Ken’s mind a skeptic still but things couldn’t be put into little boxes as easy as he would have liked.

“It’s overlooked and undervalued for sure because it’s not as easy to quantify in a modern world. It’s the spark of the divine that resides in all things. It is the building block of everything else. The foundation if you wish not as flashy but powerful none the less. Spirit is an elusive thing to track.” Will surmise unsure of how best to explain the cosmic mechanics he himself still struggled with at times.

Stone sensing Will being overwhelmed tried to lay down some bedrock of his knowledge. “The primordial power is woven into our basic DNA basically and passed down through the ages in our genetics. I bet if you looked back into your family tree you could find someone that had that spark closer to the surface if not realized. Each family line is basically one element. “

“Our families in the past started to figure this out and started banding together to support someone who had greater potential. My Element, Water, for example is very organized and keeps very complex lists of those who carry even a little of Aquarius power in them.” Pearl offered in her pride as much to help ken understand.

“So complex are their list’s, good luck having any freedom from ‘The Family’” Blaze sarcastically added remembering a crush she had on a boy until he informed her there could never be anything between them. Her Fire heritage didn’t fit in with their plans for him.

Ken felt himself in danger. Ken could feel energy from Pearl swell up like a tidal wave swept out to sea just to gain power and momentum before crashing on the beach. It was no less as intense as the fuse that was burning inside Blaze. Her energy was a house fire waiting to explode as soon as the door was opened. The hairs on Ken’s neck were sticking straight up.

Wendy started to stand up to intercede between the two but Stone stopped her with a hand. Strong but not forceful. The issues between Blaze and Pearl were old scars that would just need healing and if Wendy got in the middle right now it could only fan the

flames so to speak.

Will opened the ornate box to reveal 5 glowing orbs. A dark Verde with stratus of brown forming the base. A brilliant azure with streaks of yellow flashing within. A deep blue with wisps of green floating to the surface at times. A miniature sun of reds and oranges flared again and again. Will pressed two fingers to a glittering ball of what Ken could only process as pure energy. The force within the glittering orb filled Will then reached out to each of them. As the force enveloped the group a sense of goodwill and belonging replaced the fear, anger, insecurity, anxiety, and hesitation each felt. Memories flooded each person’s mind of times when they were safe, secured, and held.

“Theses are extremely rare drops of our fathers made physical. These are the purest expressions of the divine spark that lie within us. When we are near them we tend to act out of our essence rather than reason. Stone’s hesitation is the sin of Terra’s hesitation to act. Wendy’s rushing into dangerous places is an echo of Zephyrs recklessness. Pyro’s anger still rings in Blaze. Aquarius need to control Pearl barely resists. We are all Children of powerful forces who were not brought into this existence. We are their children made into flesh and gifted with Spirit to the ability live in harmony if we so choose. Spirit is the uniting force between all things. We who are touched by Spirit are not born into set family patterns but in all families.” Will released the flow of pure Spirit he had tapped into when the flames in Blazes eyes had died down as well pearls eyes were calm pool with now ripples disturbing them.

“What Element am I from then?” questioned himself as much as he did the group.

Stone got up and began untying Ken’s ropes. “We don’t know. The short answer is all of them. The long answer is that when the Elements poured themselves into us via Spirit we got a little of each of them. We each can tap into the big four. Except for Spirit who can do all evenly, we can do one better than the others. Its part internal but also you can see that it defines much of our personality. Our life philosophies how we make our choices our morals and our perspective on life.”

Pearl stood and smoothed her clothes to regain her serenity. “Stone is a son of Terra as much for his ability to move the ground as much as his steadfastness and stubbornness.”

Blaze pulled her leather jacket around her shoulders. “Wendy is an airhead sometimes but she’s got a bit of Fire to fuel her in a fight in her when it comes to her friends.” She tried to sound like she didn’t care but her genuine care came through. It was hard for Blaze to admit how much she had come to count on her friends after being alone for so long.

Will was grateful to see that crack in her armor and wanted to break through. “Blaze’s is a firebrand but…”

Blaze interrupted forceful “Blaze is a bad ass who gets the job done. Let’s get on with this.”

“Get on with what?” Ken asked cautiously. There was an edge to Blazes voice that spoke of danger.

Wendy finally gave up her seat hating this time but knowing it was due. “You came looking for something and its time to come face to face with it. Will is going flip a switch in you and you’re going to find out the answer to your question. It’s a hard brutal thing reconciling your two separate halves. We call it the Crossroads, where your soul chooses its path.”

“Baptism by fire, where the old self is refined into the true”

“The Great Shift, where the false self is shattered.”

“The Deluge, where the former person we were is drowned out.”

“No cute name from the world of Spirit there Will?” Ken tried to break the serious of the room were silence reigned.

“Sorry but nothing cute about it Ken. We call it the First Death. We understand that all we were is destroyed. That there is no coming back to where we were. You will be confronted with primal forces you can not begin to fathom. I think when our parents misused their powers to raise their kingdom and try to slay their brethren they drove their mother to the point of madness. To quell her manifested madness they had to stop her so she couldn’t do anymore damage to their children, us. They put her down. They couldn’t cure her madness so they knocked her out. She sleeps like a coma patient whose body is healing and movement would only hurt them more. Except for the single moment when we foolishly woke her up she sleeps safely. Whenever one of us goes to find ourselves we have to back to where we came from. Her madness is a veil we must pass through. Not everyone makes it back intact.” Will was speaking in a tone that Ken understood was deathly serious. No metaphors or stories this time.

“Blessed are the ones who can’t make it intact and their bodies here just taking care of themselves. They spontaneously combustion, sink into the ground, turn to liquid, or explode and blow to he Four Corners.” Stone who had seen too many not make it back stoically said. He knew it was horrible way to end up but was a mercy compared.

“That’s the Scooby doo ending of this thing? Doesn’t sound like much of a blessing Ranger Dan!” Ken wanted to run but only then realized they had moved to surround him.

Wendy exploded like an unforeseen summer thunderstorm unintentionally releasing a static electricity charge that left many of them wondering if a lightning bolt was forthcoming. “I had a twin sister. Our parents knew nothing of what they or we were. Maybe they had a clue when they named us Wendy and Stormy or maybe they were just being cute. We felt the longing and went searching for the source. You’re lucky you came here where the power is strong but someone had gone before you and set up safeguard’s to protect you from yourself. We danced into a tornado of unfettered primal power and went to the Crossroads. We both made it back but Stormy was consumed with Gaia’s madness. She wasn’t my twin anymore much less my sister. She was something else. Not just over the cuckoos nest hand washing crazy but unhinged. She had been swallowed by the Tempest and sought only to purify the world by blowing it down to its foundations. I didn’t know what to do what she had become. I called after her but the winds were too strong. The path of destruction I couldn’t comprehend. How could my sister do this? I found, I found.” Wendy tried to continue but couldn’t. Years later the memory was still too fresh.

Blaze stood where her friend couldn’t. “Wendy was tracking her sister when she came upon this remote farmhouse out in BFE. It was shredded to pieces. The newspapers later said it was freak of nature type of things. A tornado that left every single blade of grass undisturbed for miles around but touched down exactly on the house only to rise back in the sky. Wendy found a little girl by the name of Emily impaled with a section of iron wrought fence. Nothing could have been done she was already gone.”

“What happened to Stormy?” Ken spoke with out realizing he was speaking. Instantly he was sorry foe his words. He knew the answer as soon as he saw the pain behind Wendy’s eyes.

“Wendy did what needed to be done. It was the only merciful thing she could do.” Stone solemnly spoke. He had been there before seen it happen and had to make the hard choices before as well. He wished there was another way but when you stare into that abyss and lose yourself what comes back is something else entirely. You could see the person trapped behind the madness being tortured and having no hope of rescue.

“I’m scared.”

“You would be a fool not to be. The strong are always afraid before battle only fools are too stupid not to be. Courage is just fear saddled up is what my Daddy used to say” Stone remarked in admiration of Ken. Ken was on his feet ready to meet whatever was next.

Will breathed in deep and opened himself up to the spark within him feeling his existence expand as all parts of himself awakened. “Don't fight it; it’s as much part of you as much as anything other part of your body is.”

A glowing light filled Ken’s field of vision until nothing of his known world was recognizable. His senses were bombarded with input. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, of things familiar rubbed against things unknown and otherworldly in his mind. Here in the flowing streams of all the elements something stirred deep with Ken’s soul. It reminded him of when he first met his wife that instant connection and knowing that he couldn’t explain. He just knew and oh what a wonderful feeling that was! Simple and clean pure unlike most of Ken’s life. He was balanced finally in who he was always supposed to be. His minds eye opened and he saw his progenitors pouring their power into him. A voice as clear as a bell rang through his being “I claim this one as mine.” He looked about for the source. Terra’s form was the definition “mountain of a man”. His body composed of black fertile soil riddled with roots and chunks of rocks defined him as much as Pyros being a pillar of pure flame. Aquarius eyes were as deep as the ocean. Zephyr was hard to see simply because of his constant motion. Spirit answered questions Ken couldn’t begin to format to ask.

“I am here as I always have. I was here before all else. Without Spirit there can be no flesh. It is easier for the children of flesh to assume they came first but before the entire world I was.” This was the voice of true power ken understood deep in his gut. Mightier than an earthquake purer than a frozen raindrop cleaner than mountain air more transforming than white hot flame. A spot of oily blackness appeared at Ken’s feet and grew into a pool rapidly. Soon it was a ravenous beast devouring ken’s entire world. “What is this?” ken tried to move out of reach but it was everywhere! It was halfway up his legs covering him like a funeral shroud. “This is the madness of Gaia, the mother to us all. In our pride we forgot what we were created for and earned her wrath. We could not change what we did so we sought to reconcile. We gave ourselves over to you our children’s children forgoing our power we wasted. In you we placed our hope.

Our plan was for you to be her caretakers until she recovered during her sleep. Over time all wounds can be healed this is fact. Order will always come from chaos. We would not be around in our physical forms to see it but through our sacrifice new guardians would take our place. What we did not realize was the true extent of the damage we had done. In her madness Gaia seeks not to correct our damage but to.” The voice was cut off as Ken’s entirety fell into darkness.

“This all could have been avoided,” a buttery soft voice whispered in Ken’s ear. Ken was on the outside edge of a funeral. The graveyard stretched out for hundreds of miles in all directions. The sky was gray and overcast but clear enough to see grave stones standing silently as far as the eye could see. “Too many, to young fill the ground here.”

“Who are they” Ken turned to stare at himself. No not himself this copy was him except for the eyes. The eyes of this “Ken” had depthless holes of inky darkness. In those tar pits were things. Every so often they would surface and show their twistedness.

 

“They WERE souls who stood where you are now. Unlike you though they made the wrong choice.”

“How so?”

“They were mislead by dead and forgotten echoes of long ago. They wouldn’t accept the way things simply are the inevitable. They all came up to this point saw the coming storm and still ran out into it. They were simply torn apart in the process. I would laugh at the stupidity of it all but there’s nothing funny about it. Children growing up without fathers. Husbands growing old without wives.”

The pastor voices rose up in closing “So let’s remember our brother Ken Kardiva beloved husband and father who now sleeps in the embrace of the earth.” Ken could hear Dana’s sobs well up as she clutched the kids even tighter. They funeral party turned to leave and faded into the horizon.

“How did this happen” Ken asked.

“Who knows the details but it’s the immutable fact. If you choose to fight me this is your best case scenario. Join me and this won’t happen I promise you.”

“Destroy the world as I know it or die is that the choice?”

“Did it ever occur to you that this world needs to be destroyed? That a fresh start is exactly what it needs? That it has became so corrupted that it is beyond saving? You say destroy; I say rebirth. Violent rebirth I’ll grant you but isn’t all of them?”

“Makes a lot of sense”

“Just give in to yourself. What you feel is right. That’s logic in your gut screaming out that you know I’m right.” Ken had one foot over the line.

The Devourer could see him sniffing the bait. “But I offer so much more than that! I also offer you power unrestrained. Think about what you could do with that power. Fortunes are you’re for the taking. Vengeance on all those fools who tried you before. You’re a force of nature now let them tremble at the feel of your power”

It felt so good to be filled with such power! Ken sawed out on the battlefield and none of his enemies could stand. It was a desolate field blasted to the bedrock. Power still crackled around Ken’s hands. He floated on weaves of air he commanded to move him unfettered through the morning light. Such freedom he never knew existed. He instinctively felt underground rivers rush below him. At his whim the ground was violently rent away and the world drowned simply because it was Ken’s whimmed it to be so.

“This is just a taste of things to come buddy boy!” The Devourer’s voice was like warm caramel sauce sliding sweetly down Ken’s. Ken felt himself slipping away but didn’t care. Here in his own elemental power he was complete for the first time in his life. He surveyed his kingdom. Mountains crumbled beneath him. Oceans rose and fell at his command. Fire melted sand to polished glass reflected his visage only to be eaten away by hurricane force gail's he whistled up. “I am master of all I see!” Ken declared to the world as a throne rose from the churning earth for its king. Maybe it was the wind but Ken thought he heard someone unfamiliar talking to him. “Who dares speak to me?” Ken demanded. His voice carried the full power of the four winds to the corners of the planet.

The Devourer was there to answer “No one else speaks to you my lord. A trick of the wind”

There it was again in the crackling of the fire. Not unfamiliar this time he knew it but from where? Like a snatch of music when you’re changing radio stations too quickly.

The Devourer was a cloud of dust obscuring Kens view. “There is only me, I am the only voice here.” What was he obscuring from my view Ken thought. I am omnipotent in my power.

Was it calling from the depths? Ken traveled in a blink of the eye searching for the source of the voice. The message was faint and garbled but there was a message he was sure of it. It wasn’t from but below deep far below. The Devourer was out of line! Ken easily blew past him as he foolishly tried to stand in his way. Was he commanding him to stop? Surely not Ken thought.

Was this the center of the planet Ken wondered dreamingly? He had traveled so far down he was sure it could be. This place was ancient. It smelled of the birth of the world. It was a simple room with a single occupant sleeping fitfully in its center. Had this dreamer called to him from so far away? How could it be?

“What child does not recognize the voice of it own parent?” The haze was clearing from Ken’s mind. The Devourer howled in frustration and poured its demonic ooze into the room to contaminate its inhabitant once again.

“This is just a temporary moment of sanity Ken Kardiva. A cosmic wink of the eye to regain yourself.” Spirit’s words were soothing.

“I don’t know if I want to regain myself. I was small and insignificant but now I am force incarnate. Think of all I could do!” Ken was weak like a fever had sapped his strength like a thief in the night.

“I saw all that you could do and I saw no life only death and destruction.”

“I only meant to” Ken tried to defend himself but he could not. All that power and not one good thing. He had recreated the world into his own image. His own fears, resentments, and insecurities dominated the landscape.

“I don’t know how this happened” Ken released the power and as it rushed out he was being crushed by the weight of darkness surrounding him. “If I could I would fix it somehow.” Ken thought. His lungs were already crushed the air pushed out like a child balloon. “I choose life.” Was Ken’s last thought

“Hope endures, I was the first I will be the last. A single choice can tip the scales.” Ken died there in what some called the World Navel. No one has ever seen it of course its just one of those long dreamed about places of myth where a legend sprung from. The resting place of Gaia, where the elements were born who could believe such a place actually exists?

“So Blaze turned the lights off” Stone was drinking a dark brewed coffee from an earthenware mug as they Ken recover on the couch.

Pearl gently formed a refreshing mist to wash the sheen of sweat from Kens face. “I honestly thought it was just a reflection of the sun through the window. Like St. Elmo’s fire you see sometimes on ships.”

Windy was finishing pushing the debris from the room with a sweep of air. “The furniture being wrecked that’s par for the course. It gets a little hectic tapping into your powers the first couple of times.” Her voice was cheery and light but everyone in the room heard her sorrow. She was extremely happy Ken made it through but missed her twin sister at the same time.

Blaze looked at Ken with a newfound respect. It was like all of the sudden he had the coolest tattoo of all her friends. “I hit the light switch and you were just floating there glowing like some pansy raver’s glow stick”

Will brought a steaming cup of tea to Ken and sat down. “Light shows over kids. That much power put out there means that something could catch a whiff and come looking for the source. Stone and Blaze go check the guardians to make sure they are armed. Wendy go check on our people to make sure they would be ready if anything did get though. Pearl I want you to”

Pearl cut him off as she picked up the box of keystones “Go make sure these are safe in the nexus and aligned properly to maximum flow.” She added mockingly “I know the drill Dad”

When they were alone they talked about all that happened to Ken. “So my element is Spirit?”

“Since you mastered the other four elements, yes. It makes us more versatile than most. They are stronger in one than use but we are better over all. Our real power is how we can use our Spirit powers to bolster their power but that’s enough for tonight.”

The tea must have had something herbal in it because Ken was relaxed and sleepy shortly. “But I have so many questions.”

“Baby steps grasshopper. You have a big day tomorrow. If you think today was tough tomorrow will be an even bigger battle.” Will chuckled inwardly remembering when he had all those same questions.

“I don’t see how.”

“Ken you will face down enemies that you have no clue about and you will use your powers and have our back up to banish them but all those creatures won’t strike fear into your heart like tomorrow.”


“What will I face tomorrow so difficult” ken’s mind reeled with possibilities.


“Tomorrow you have to call home and explain why you have been acting like you have been. Doing the things that you’ve been doing. Like why your calling from here. You can’t tell her the real reasons either not that she would believe you if you did.” Will’s face split into a wide grin.


“Wow that will suck!”


“That’s the real battle. Holding onto the old life as much as you can. Why are we fighting if not for them? Sleep tight.”


“Did you know I would make it Will”


“No but I had a hunch. I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”

“What hunch?”

“When Stone called saying there was someone looking to go where no one sane ever would I asked your name. Kardiva is old Greek for heart. As long as a man has his heart close by him has a chance.”