Burned Out [Completed]

Ending at the Bottom

The other elementals wasted no time in taking the oppurtunity to talk with their patron gods; not everyone saw them as often as I saw Sute, but I was drained.

I sat on the edge of the fountain and tried not think about anything. Naturally, I failed.

What did Heriotza want with Nick now that he knew the truth about the earth elemental Harri? How had he hid right under our noses as the Council of Four? Could he posses people or did those four old guys never actually exists?

But the most annoyingly unanswerable question that ran through my mind was what comes next.

I cradled my aching head in my hands.

Not long after Nick and Heriotza vanished, Martin and the professors barged into the cavern.

"Oliver, we think the Council--" He broke of when he saw the four battle-clad gods. "Oh."

I smiled when I saw him, but when Martin locked eyes with me, he frowned. He skirted the side of the room, avoiding all of the sappy reunions between family members (my own father went straight to Sute, wow okay) and sat down beside me.

"Something is definitely wrong." Mart leaned against me. "What happened?"

"Wait a minute," I looked across the room, more than eager to change the subject. "Where's Professor Rho?"

"That's what I was trying to say when we all came in. He dissapeared along with the old guys. They just vanished in a cloud of black smoke."

"Damn it." I hung my head. "Heriotza must have taken him too."

"'Too'? Who else is gone?"

"Heriotza was using the Council as puppets. He possesed them or something. Just when we captured Nick, Heriotza barged in." I shook my head. "He was going to kill us. But then it was literal deus ex machina; Sute and the other gods showed up and intimidated Heriotza into leaving. Bad news is that he took Nick."

Martin looked like he had a few thing to say about that, but Sute, ever with the perfect timing, chose right then to address everyone.

"Gods, goddesses, and mortals," her voice carried over all other conversation, "Heriotza, the demon we all though to be asleep ever since ancient times, has become a problem we cannot ignore."

"And just what do you propose we do, Sute?" Lurrera folded her hands across her chest. Jin stood beside her in almost the exact same stance. I was starting to see where his attitude came from.

"Yeah," Professor Saunders said. "It's not like you gods are ready for an assault. We dont even know where he went."

"I will send out my scouts to find him," Haize stated. "Nothing can hide from the wind."

Lurrera snorted. "Except underground caves. I'll send out a team as well."

"Well with you two scouring the heavens and earth, I'm sure we'll find Heriotza in no time," Korrontea rolled his eyes.

That little display did not make me feel very confident, but Sute nodded as if the matter was taken care of. "Korrontea, shall we prepare our armies?"

"Of course, Lady Sute."

All of the gods squared their shoulders and I realized they we're about to warp away.

"Wait a minute!" I yelled at them.

Each of the gods looked down at me with varying degrees of disdain.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I glared at them.

"Er, right." Sute looked uncomfortable. "Our mortal friends should be given something to do."