Chapter Chapter Fourteen

Allie is walking towards me with Gertrude right behind her. She waves at me. “Callia, you’ve been invited by the Elders into our meeting. It is rumored some of our Water Spirits will be there.” Since water has such a strong connection to life, Spirits often visit the Water Gods, but most of the time they do not reveal themselves. If that is the case, there is something big to be found at this meeting.

“If that is the case it’d be best I attend. I need to talk to your current Element Guardian anyway.”

She grins. “It’s still Marok.”

I grin. “That old goat is still alive?”

“More alive than you.” A horse voice answers from behind. “I have not yet died.”

I turn around and see a hunched over old man. He has a grey beard down to his knees. He shuffles forward, keeping his head proudly raised, revealing gloriously knowing grey eyes. The light shines on top of his bald head and sparkles on almost perfect white teeth. How this older than dirt man has all his teeth is beyond me. Thanks to his stoop he’s about half a foot shorter than I am.

I take his arm as he extends it, asking subtly for help. I hold his hand with mine with our linked arms. “That is true, so I guess you win. I need to ask a favor.”

Marok waves me off as we shuffle forward. “You need not ask of it. Jon has already contacted me. With such a serious consequence about to befall on them you may have the empty stone you seek. The truth is Callia, since your death the Spirits have refused to fill stones more times than I can count. Allie here is the only one that has been accepted, and even then she’s been denied twice. Even with our stone shortage, I’d be willing to offer you a full one.”

I shake my head. “An empty one is good enough Marok, thank you.”

“I want to speak with you on how you plan to fill the stones. That will have to wait until after our meeting I’m afraid.”

“Marok, please tell us what this meeting is about?” Gertrude asks as she puts herself between Allie and the Elder.

Marok looks surprised to see her. “You’re not welcome in this meeting Gertrude, you know this.”

Gertrude’s face becomes hard. “My actions do not reflect that of my progeny. I should not be punished for their action.”

He waves her off. “It’s not my orders Gerti. If you want to appeal to the board you may.”

Gertrude gives me a glare before leaving. Both Allie and I stare after her opened mouthed. “What was that about?” Allie demands as she takes Marok’s other arm.

He waves her off. “That is between her and the board. Now Callia, how was your stay in purgatory?”

Shocks hits me as Allie chokes back a laugh. “Traumatizing to say the least.”

“At least it was eventful.” He chuckles.

I roll my eyes; Marok has always been the oddest man I know. “May I ask you something?”

“I’ll answer if I remember it.” Marok chuckles again. He’s in a good mood today.

“When I was starting the spell against Gstalt, and Mako withdrew his stone, you and the others followed. Do you know what happened to Mako?”

Marok shakes his head. “I chased after him, but we were attacked by something. I lost consciousness. When I came to the other two were gone. I ran back to find you, but I found you dead. I tried to revive you, but the Spirits wouldn’t allow me to. They instructed me to take the stones and to return to our city.”

“Hold it.” I say quickly as we stop. “You found me with enough time to revive me, but the Spirits told you no?” Anger is starting to rise in my chest.

Marok looks a little sheepish. “Yes. They told me it’d work out for the better if I were to let you pass.”

I resist the urge to crush his hand with my fist, the water surrounding our feet is trembling though. “If you had revived me, I could have finished that cursed spell to drain him.”

Marok chuckles. “With what strength Callia?”

“My death wasn’t because I ran out of magic. My death was a penalty due to a failed spell.” I flip my hair, “Why would the Spirits tell you to keep my death? They’re not allowed to meddle in mortal affairs.”

He shrugs. “I’m not sure dear, but I have enough sense to listen to the Spirits when they speak to me.”

I shrug it off for now. “What did you do with the stones? Were they filled?”

Marok nods. “Each one is filled with dark magic Callia. I took the stones and hid them away. I casted a spell for the Spirits to take them so they can never be used. It cost most of my strength, but it’s kept us safe.”

I huff, at least somewhat glad that the stones were not taken by Gstalt. “At least he can’t get to those. If he had those stones, he’d likely be able to steal his magic back from them.”

Again he nods. “That is true. Do not be angry with me Callia, or with what has happened in the past. Only moving forward and facing your new challenges will you be made at peace with your old life.”

I snort. “Yeah right. I first need to figure out what happened after I died.” We start shuffling along again. I forgot how slow Marok is. “Did anyone do anything with my body?”

Marok shakes his head. “I waited with you to make sure no harm would come. The other elders returned to find you dead. After receiving the same order from the Spirits they left you in my care, though not willingly. Deidra had to leave immediately to prepare for war, she knew it was coming. Alona refused to leave at first and wanted to revive you, but the Spirits threatened to take away her magic if she tried. The Spirits transported her away as a precaution to keep you deceased.

“Lee came the next day, and the Spirits were gone. I helped Lee bury you in a different location, so to keep you from Gstalt; and the location of your death a secret between us and the other Elders. I also helped him preserve you. The strangest thing happened when we performed our spell I must say. Never saw anything quite like it before.”

I cock my head, curious. “What happened?”

“You glowed your lilac color. For a minute we were convinced you were coming back to life. Lee refused to leave your side because of it. It wasn’t until your body had been absorbed into the ground by the Spirits, did Lee finally agree to leave your side.”

This is beyond frustrating. “Why were the Spirits so concerned about my death and keeping me dead? Why did they take my body?”

“You’ll have to ask them that my dear. They didn’t explain it, I just listened. I wasn’t about to challenge them, especially after what they did with Alona. My guess would be that they had something planned.”

“That still doesn’t explain why they’re getting involved in mortal affairs.” I huff as we reach a water made door. I force my anger down as the water in the door begins to vibrate from my anger. After all the water has settled Marok coughs. The door swings open, revealing a tiled room filled with chairs circling a round table with a hollow center. The hollow center holds the person who is the center of the meeting, so all may watch without having a hard angle to work around.

In the center is a dozen blue orbs. They’re Water Spirits. They’re not revealing an actual form so they must not plan on being here long. The room filled with people fall silent and turn to stare at me. Their eyes feel like they’re burning holes in my skin. We walk towards the table to the remaining three chairs together. They must have been expecting me.

I glare at the Spirits after I have Marok settled. If it’s possible, they look squeamish. Once the door has closed again Marok lifts a door in the table so he may walk into the center. I quickly get up and help him to stand next to the Spirits.

“I want to talk with you.” I hiss to the spirits under my breath so only they can hear, while I keep a smile on my face. I walk back to my chair as Marok chuckles.

Marok claps his withered hands. “Friends, I’ve called on you to announce Callia has returned. She will resume trying to defeat Gstalt. I don’t want you to think it’s impossible for her to do this, giving to the fact that she already died trying once.” I roll my eyes as some in the room chuckles. “For I want you to know, as someone who was there, it was not planned. Callia, while performing the spell, was betrayed by a coward, causing her to execute a plan that was not full proof. The party giving aide in that final spell failed, which is what caused her death.

“Gstalt has grown old and weaker. It is time for us to fight him. I have called a meeting with the Lava God’s, for us to give aide.”

The room gasps as Allie raises her eyebrow. I roll my eyes. They should have started helping a century ago. “Callia has requested a Water Elemental Stone, and this I will grant her.” Angered shouts fill the room but Marok waves them off as he continues. “Due to the safety of the stone, I will have Allie accompany her to the land of the Lava Gods.” Both Allie and I groan, though I’m intrigued to find out why Marok has withheld the information on that the stone will not be filled.

A woman with silvered hair stands. I remember her name to be Kiasa, and that’s confirmed by the scar I gave her on her cheek. “How can we trust Callia, Marok? She failed once, which resulted in the death of the Wind God Elder, Mako.”

Before I can even speak Marok roars, “Mako died due to his cowardness, which is what caused Callia’s failure.”