As Bea dropped the coin into the fountain, she knew instantly that she had made a very dangerous decision.
There had been many tales surrounding the fountain, and they had been told for as long as she could remember. Some claimed tossing a coin into it would summon an angry poltergeist, others feared it was something more powerful, like an elemental dragon or even a demon. They all agreed on one point: something wicked was bound to that fountain, and only a truly desperate soul would ever dare to strike a deal with it. And so no one ever came near it.
Until now. Bea had travelled all the way through the woods, to the abandoned village with the haunted fountain right in its centre. It looked like nothing much, in fact, if it stood there neglected any longer, it might even return to nothing. She could still make out the statue of a woman in the middle of the fountain, sitting solemnly on a rock that would ordinarily have been surrounded by water. The basin was filled with moss instead, growing out of cracks in the stone. There was still a smattering of coins lying on the bottom, glinting faintly in the waning light.
She got the coin out of her bag, turned it over in her hands several times, in a futile attempt to delay the decision she knew she was going to make, and finally let it fall into the dilapidated fountain. Moment after moment crept by, and she almost turned around and went home again, disappointment already settling in her heart. Then, the whole fountain seemed to transform, reverting back to the state Bea assumed it once had been in. The moss disappeared, crumbs of stone flew back to the places they belonged, and water filled the basin to the rim. She barely even had time to marvel over the metamorphosis, as the statue, now returned to its former glory, started to shimmer at the edges. A heartbeat later, a figure consisting entirely out of air stepped free from the statue, bearing an uncanny resemblance to it. Bea knew immediately just who she had summoned from her sleep: the air spirit.
There were four spirits bound to the realm, each representing one of the elements. They once wreaked havoc upon the world, toying with mortals as they pleased. Later, they seemed to have vanished completely, although rumours of sightings still spread like wildfire. Some even claimed they were still in the business of dealing havoc, if only you had the right price to pay.
And frankly, there weren't many things left Bea wouldn't use to bargain.
She inclined her head slightly, not daring to break eye contact with the immortal being. The woman of air stepped nimbly of the rock, treaded gently over the water, hopped of the lip of the fountain and only stopped until she stood right in front of Bea.
"I assume you want something from me?", she spoke, her voice sounding like the rustling of the leaves and the singing of winds over meadows.
Bea cleared her throat. "I do."
"And you know you will have to pay a price?"
"I do. Name your price, and I will pay."
The spirit grinned at the bold statement, sharp teeth glinting in the last light of the day. "I'll lead you to three more locations, and all you have to do is free the spirits that have been imprisoned there."
"So you can go back to terrorizing my kind?", Bea asked, already weighing her options in her mind.
"Are you truly claiming your kind is any better?", the spirit sneered.
Bea remained silent, thinking of all the sins perpetrated on both each other and the magical creatures dwelling in their shared realm. The spirit smiled contently, as she knew well what Bea's silence had meant.
"I see a thirst for vengeance in your heart, little mortal one, so I know you understand. Wouldn't you want your revenge on the one imprisoning you for all eternity?"
Bea swallowed hard, trying to find her courage again.
"Let me sweeten the deal for you," the spirit continued, smelling both opportunity and doubt. "I'll leave you and your loved ones at peace, and the ones of your choosing will be the first to taste my power. That is what you came here for anyway, isn't it?"
Bea nodded, the flame of her doubt blown out by a cold gust of wind.
"My magic. It was stolen. Many people have already lost their magic this way, and I couldn't let it go on any longer. That's why I came here. I need you to stop them."
The spirit smiled. "It seems like our goals have common ground, then. Vengeance for theft of freedom, vengeance for theft of magic." She chuckled softly. "I think you and I are going to have a grand time."
They started walking then, mortal beside immortal. But no one could hear the footfalls of revenge coming for them on the soft moss of the forest.
A/N: This is my entry for contest #23 by wallflower_r
