Chatterbox: Inkwell

Elemental Magic

Prologue

"Why do these things always happen to me?" I thought as my mouth filled with sand and my nose burned with seawater.

"I told you the best time to go in is before four o'clock!" my foster sister yelled from the beach.  I swam out to sea, concentrating on keeping my face dry when the next wave hit.  Paper, fire, heat...my mind blanked out...SWEAT!  At that moment, the wave engulfed me.  I made a mental note never to think about perspiration in the ocean again.

     On the next go, I replace sweat with Sahara Desert.  It did work, except that when I felt a gut sensation to dive, I lost my concentration and dove.  Magic has a way of over powering you like that.

#1

"Please state your name, problem and location," an automated voice spoke from my hand (via palm message).

"I'm on border patrol; I need to speak to someone in Arcantile castle!" I yelled into my hand, hoping for some response.

"You must not have heard me correctly. I will repeat for your convenience. Please state your name, problem and location,"  the machine chanted in its irritating monotone.

I cut off the message, balling my hand into a fist.  "Stupid machines,"  I muttered, looking out over the emerald fields of Arcantile's grounds.  I sensed something was amiss.  The wind was blowing strong over Arcantiles border, and it smelled bad, of death.  A dark voice laughed inside my head, echoing in my skull.  I shook my head, hoping to be rid of the phantom that haunted me whenever in the magic world.  It had gotten worse ever since I had arrived back a week ago.

"Could you give me a lift? My broomstick's not going to be able to hold out much longer with gusts like these."  A voice interrupted my thoughts. A boy on a broomstick that was swaying in the wind called out.

"Where are you?" I yelled

"Up, swiftly drifting down,"  he replied. I flew Luna, my dragon, up to meet him and he climbed aboard her with ease.  I noticed the scar on neck, indicating he was an air elemental.  Elementals, including myself, have one parent entirely elemental.  Dwarves for earth, faeries for air, Dragons for fire, merpeople for water and so on.  I always envied people who knew their element.  The mark on my wrist was unrecognisable.

"What's your name?"  I asked, hoping to make conversation.

"Zach. What's yours?"

"Adam Jakobs. How come you weren't flying? Can't air normally fly?" I asked

"I don't like to use magic."

"Why?" I asked, curious why he wouldn't use his freedom,

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said, suddenly very interested in the carving of his broomstick handle.  "Did you hear about this guy V?"  He was talking about a guy who was destroying towns in the mortal world left and right.    

"I've heard rumors.  He doesn't scare me much, though. Isn't he just based on Earth?"

"Sure, but," Zach said, pausing for dramatic effect, "they say he's an elemental."

"You're kidding. He's seriously that powerful?"

"Swear to god," he said, sounding truthful. "Say, you stopping by Arcantile Castle? I forgot to tell you where I was headed."

"Are you kidding? I live there. I was on border patrol when I picked you up. Do you know what this means, if you want to stay at Arcantile?"

"No, what?"

"Toothpaste." He looked puzzled for a moment, and then he started laughing. I laughed with him, it was a private joke among elementals.