Elements

Chapter 23

"He's here."

Ira inhaled a sharp breath. The five divine beings stood outside of the vaults, along with their coordinating armies.  They were dressed in their godly attire, floating just above the ground in a defense position. Ira and Mother Nature stood at the front of the crowd, their shoulders tense, eyes darting around for any sign of danger. Ira's head pounded with adrenaline, her every muscle urging her to run away. She managed to stay in place, bending her knees and clenching her fists. 

This is what you've trained for, Ira. Make your kingdom proud!

A blast sounded from outside the barrier, making Ira jump. From inside the vaults, a few screams echoed through the walls.

"Are they all safe?" Mother Nature questioned Samantha, who nodded. Mother Nature glanced around at the civilian huts, not fully reassured.

But Ira was. Samantha and Ira had personally checked each and every house, making sure none were occupied. They had removed all valuable possesions and placed them for safekeeping. The houses would get destroyed, sure...but it would also be great for rebuilding.

"How long will the barrier last?" Nick asked, dropping from his position above the ground and walking over to where Ira stood. 

"Not long," Mother Nature admitted, eyeing the barrier above. "The Destroyer seems to have weapons as capable as our own...how is that possible? Did he sneak in and take some of our weapons?"

Ira shook her head, "I think we would've seen a psychopath like him sneak inside the palace."

Mother Nature's eyes were clouded with worry, as if she had a suspicion she wished wasn't true. Ira couldn't wrap her finger around it...but whatever she was thinking seemed to make her uneasy.

Another loud blast sounded from outside, this time making a small crack in the roof. Ira yelped as the Destroyer came into view from the gates, along with his army. Mother Nature and Ira advanced forward, crouching towards the center of the kingdom. From outside, the Destroyer laughed at the sight of them.

"Ah, there they are! The two females I despise most," His laughter pierced the air, making Ira wince. "Luckily, everyone knows women are weaker than men. Taking the throne will be much easier than expected."

Mother laughed, surprising the man, "An anti-feminist? Even worse. He won't see what's coming."

The Destroyer stopped his laughing. He rested his chin on his scepter and smiled cruelly, "I can't wait to take that smile off your face, Elizabeth. Just wait...today, I will kill ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN!"

Ira and Mother Nature staggered backward. Mother's face was now frozen in shock, her mouth struggling to open. "El...Eliza-"

"Oh, yes! I know your name, your Majesty. Pretty soon, though, no one will remember you. I will take the throne and control ALL THE ELEMENTS!"

"You can hid all you want. But you don't have much time! The barrier will soon collapse, and soon we will battle in your fields!"

He laughed once again, before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. The kingdom shook once again, tumbling Ira to the floor. She struggled to her feet again and turned to her Mother.

"How does he know my name?" Mother Nature asked herself softly, as Ira dusted off her dress. "No one knows my name."

She shook her head, trying to relieve herself, "We'll think about that later. Get into position!" She yelled to her children. They seperated, each taking a section of the kingdom. Mother Nature stood at the entrance, placing her hand on the barrier. She closed her eyes and began to chant.

Ira was positioned near the back of the kingdom, near the courtyard and guest rooms. She tried to peer through the barrier, but the bottom of it was too dense to see through. And she couldn't see her allies...

She spotted a balcony near the top of the tower, which was stabalized so it wouldn't fall from excess weight. Quickly, Ira shot herself upward, using ice to propell herself to the ledge. She landed softly on the concrete, her dress spreading below her waist. 

From here, she could spot her other siblings. Mother Nature was still chanting, with Nick and Blake on either sides of her. Jane was near the east of the barrier, instructing her Saplings. 

Samantha was stationed to the west of the kingdom. She holding a trident...a trident that made Ira smile. Samantha caught her staring and grinned knowingly.

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"For you, my dear Samantha."

Mother Nature brought in the trident, which shined in the afternoon sunlight. The war would be starting soon, so Mother had figured now was the best time to give her daughter her destined weapon.

Samantha's eyes grew wide at the sight of the golden spear. "This is...is-"

"Yes, my dear," A smile tugged at Mother's face and she chuckled softly, "This is the same trident that was wielded by Lord Occenio, the original god of water. I think it might come in handy today."

"But, why now?" Samantha looked up in confusion. "I...I've been an awful daughter." She lowered her eyes and bit her lip.

"Samantha, you are one of the greatest goddesses, and daughters, to ever live," Mother Nature replied, handing her the trident. "You have made mistakes, sure, but the important thing is now you're learning from them."

"But, the prophecy-"

"Ira is not the greatest hero," Mother Nature interrupted, leaving Samantha puzzled, "She knows it herself. She was the one who suggested me to give you this in the first place."

"R-Really?"

"Yes," Mother Nature pursed her lips, "You are worthy of this trident...I have seen it. You've evolved greatly from that young girl that used to frolick around and spray everyone with water." She chuckled at the small memory. 

Samantha shook her head, "Even if Ira isn't the greatest hero, she is the hero of the prophecy. I'm not much compared to her."

Mother cupped her hand under Samantha's chin, and tilted her daughter's face up. She locked eyes with her...multi to sea-blue. "You don't need to be part of a prophecy to be a hero. Anyone can be one. "

"But, I'm not ready-"

"You will never be ready, Samantha. It's a leap of faith. That's all it is...a leap of faith."

Credit to Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse for this quote!

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BOOM.

The kingdom shook so hard Ira almost fell off the balcony. Fortunately, her hands froze to the railing just in time and she could find her balance. She whipped around and put her hand to her mouth. 

From what she could see, Mother had stopped supporting the barrier. She was now at the center of the kingdom, raised a few feet above the ground. Her eyes sparkled with power.

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Nick's voice bounced off the walls of the palace. Samantha's grip on the trident tightened. Ira turned around and focused to the front again, her head pounding.

3...

Jane tightened her fists.

2...

Ira closed her eyes.

1.

The barrier had broke.

Hahaha! I left you guys on a cliffhanger! Yes, I am evil ;).

But don't worry! I'll try to update again this week. You don't have to wait too long.

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Thanks guys, love ya'll so much!

- Zoe Davis 😜