Chapter 9: Fire

I grew up on a convoy in the dark reaches of space. My parents told me we were leaving behind a place called Earth. I am not sure what went wrong there. It seemed to be a mix between bad politics and human arrogance. The governments were either being too harsh, or too weak, or too stubborn to do what was right for their peoples. In any case, the tragedy of Earth led to this saying, “Pride goes before the fall.”

Just like in one of those action dramas that he loved watching, Ryan charged at the Preservers, bellowing like a maniac.

Perhaps screaming wasn’t the best Idea!

As soon as Ryan started yelling, the Preservers finally became aware of his existence.

Hannah kept saying, “SHH!”

Ryan ignored her as all sense of self-preservation had been abandoned. Though initially taken by surprise, The Preservers quickly recovered their wits and tackled him from all sides.

Shaver Creed sneered in delight. “Ya' stupid lil' punk! She gave ya' a chance to run and ya' botched it.”

Shaver began his campaign of cruelty by mercilessly pummeling Ryan as his men held him down. The pain was excruciating. Ryan could count every pimple on Shaver’s face as his fist rose and fell to deliver blow after blow. Bam! Another kick to the ribs. Thwack! The feeling of steel-toed leather boots to the face was not a pleasant sensation. Blood trickled down from Ryan’s forehead and stung his eyes. Despite the pain and the blood, Ryan noticed that Shaver Creed’s broken wrist had completely healed, either that or at least he didn’t complain about it as he kicked and punched Ryan with both fists over and over again.

Then suddenly, the bully stopped. Shaver leaned down and whispered in Ryan’s ear almost sweetly. “Ya' know wha' would be even sweeter, is if ya' watched us have our way wi' yer' adopted alien lovin' mother. She may be a bitch, but she’s not bad-lookin’.” Shaver then stuck out his tongue crudely, swinging it back and forth above Ryan’s face.

Ryan looked towards Hannah in terror as his mind contemplated Shaver’s intent. The other Preservers laughed and jeered in unrestrained cruelty. They relished the pain they would soon inflict as they licked their lips hungrily. Despite everything that Ryan had put her through, every mean word he ever said to her, Hannah Lioness defended him with her last breath.

“I don’t care what you do to me!” cried out Hannah. “I’ve earned it. Just spare the boy and I’ll make it easier for you, I swear. Please leave the boy alone or I promise you by whatever God that created the stars, I will have my vengeance in this life or the next.”

Shaver sniffed, unimpressed by Hannah’s bravado as he slowly walked towards her with murder in his eyes. Ryan felt hot tears mix with the blood on his face. Hannah had told him that it was her fault that his parents died. But seeing her now, he could hardly believe it to be true, and even if it was, Ryan knew her to be a kind person worthy of a second chance.

Ryan admitted to himself in shame how very selfish he’d been lately. Ever since his parents' death, he thought only of himself, wallowing in self-pity. But from the moment he met her, Hannah had gone out of her way to see to his wellbeing when she didn’t have to. Most people wouldn't have thought him worth the effort, and they were probably right. But she believed him worth it.

As Shaver hovered over the wounded Lioness with no intention of showing mercy, Ryan received a brief feeling of déjà vu. Suddenly, an image flashed into his mind. It came and went faster than lightning, but it left an impression nonetheless. The image involved Ryan’s mother being held down by several dark figures. More than the terror that this image provoked, it also brought to the surface something much deeper than fear. Rage! More anger than Ryan had ever felt in his life.

As Ryan bore witness to Shaver Creed in all his cruelty and prejudice, he let the hatred wash through him … he let it consume his doubt. This man felt perfectly at ease with hurting anyone he wanted, alien and human alike. Ryan had spent most of his life around nonhumans; in fact, his own father hadn’t been completely human, but he knew them to be no better or worse than anybody else. This man was so stupid and ignorant that he would put his own hatred and lust for power over things like common sense or moral decency. He needed to be taught a lesson … he needed to pay. Shaver Creed needed to pay!

All my life, bullies like Shaver have pushed me around simply because they have power, and I don’t! How dare they?! I have just as much right to live my own life as they do! If only I had more power! God, why won’t you give me the power I need to live my own life?!

All of the sudden, Ryan felt like his whole body was on fire as a wail of agony escaped his lips unbidden. Shaver Creed yelled at his goons to shut him up, but Ryan hardly even noticed as they tried to beat him into submission. A deep energy resonated in his body, and if it didn’t find a way out, he felt like he would implode.

As Ryan rolled, writhed, and drooled from the burning sensation that had engulfed him, he suddenly remembered the flash of light that had left the big Black Dragon without a hand. Ryan faintly recalled that the flash of light had come from his mother, and that the power had originated from her hands.

As if someone had instructed him on what to do, Ryan held out his hand and mentally ordered the energy within him to come forth at that point of origin. Red flames as bright as a sun sprang out of his fingertips. They were unlike any flames that Ryan had ever seen; they looked vibrant and changed form in various shades of red. The fires danced from left to right between his fingers like they had a mind of their own.

The Preservers holding Ryan suddenly dropped him and fled in terror screaming, “He’s an Elemental! Run for your bleeding lives!”

Ryan was just as surprised and frightened by the flames as the Preservers. He screamed in a strange, high-pitched squeal that sounded very similar to a five-year-old girl. In an effort to keep himself from burning up, Ryan ran around in circles while waving his arms in the hope that the wind would put the fire out. When that didn’t work, Ryan put his hands in a puddle nearby. It seemed to put the fire out for a little while, but every time he brought his hands out, they would spontaneously combust once again. It took Ryan a few moments to realize that even though his hands burned, he felt no pain; in fact, he had never felt better in his life. Ryan turned back at the Preservers, who stood stiff with fear. Even Hannah seemed surprised.

Shaver Creed came to his senses first. “He’s jus' a runt! He don’t know wha' he’s doing! What ya' waiting for? Get him!”

Having heard such inspiring words from their ‘fearless’ leader, the Preservers came at Ryan with all manner of deadly weapons. The flames moved towards the assailants as if eager to fight. This time, Ryan was ready. Just like an action star, Ryan dealt blow after blow with his fiery fists of justice, or at least that’s what he had decided to call them. It looked even cooler than the virtual games Ryan played as a kid.

He ducked, dodged, and weaved as the flames did the rest, blasting any tattooed freak dumb enough to get close. He even made some weird ninja noises to intimidate his enemies, but it mostly just confused them. Ryan's movements changed as well as he moved faster with more fluidity. The strange, mystical flames seemed to act of their own accord, blasting any enemy that drew near. Within seconds, all of his attackers lay unconscious while smoking on the wet pavement. Ryan had single-handedly incapacitated almost the entire Preserver gang until only Shaver Creed and the men holding Hannah were left.

So, this is what it’s like to have power. The power of an Elemental. Sweetness! I like it!

Shaver seemed scared as he swallowed down his spit and took a step back, but then one of the men behind him whispered something in his ear. Then Shaver smiled smugly and said, “Ya' don’t scare me, freak. Today, Shaver’s invincible, baby!”

Ryan had no idea what the fiendish man meant by that, but it soon became a moot point. As soon as he said it, the electric knife appeared in his hands, and he ran at Ryan with surprising speed. At the last second, Ryan grabbed Shaver’s knife hand, and for a moment he was tempted to think that Shaver would relent after being touched by red pyro.

But the man seemed to ignore the fact that his hand was on fire. Ryan couldn’t understand how a normal man could put himself through so much pain. He thrust the knife inches from Ryan’s left pupil. Little by little, Shaver used his superior size and strength to bring the knife closer to Ryan’s face. Ryan knew from experience that if the blade made even the slightest scratch on his skin, he'd be paralyzed, and then Shaver could kill him at his leisure.

In desperation, Ryan mentally directed his flames to concentrate on Shaver’s knife instead of his hand. The knife seemed to be made from some pretty tough material, but Ryan kept up the pressure. He felt his power slowly fading and he realized the magic must depend on the reserves of his stamina. Willing the flames to do his bidding, Ryan poured every ounce of his remaining strength into destroying the weapon.

Finally, his efforts paid off! Shaver looked down as his weapon melted, and then he suddenly noticed his burnt hands. With a scream of agony, Shaver went to his knees holding his smoking flesh beneath his armpits. The bully was beaten and completely at Ryan’s mercy. He looked back to the other Preservers for support, but they silently stood their ground and watched. Apparently, they had another agenda. 

When it became clear that he would receive no help from his stationary companions, Shaver pleaded with Ryan, his true colors as a sniveling coward on full display. “Kid! You’ve known me for years. Come on … Ya' know I would never hurt you. I may’ve roughed ya up a bit from time to time, but it was all in good fun.” He cried pitifully, almost believing his own lies. “Please! I’m begging ya', one honest bloke to another. Mercy.”

Ryan knew that he couldn’t kill the man like this no matter how much the guy may have deserved it. But that didn’t mean he would pass up the chance to have a little fun with the turd. Ryan gave his best impersonation of an evil laugh, which was apparently convincing enough to make Shaver pee his pants.

Ryan then smiled coldly at the groveling form of Shaver and said, “Mercy is for humans, and as you keep reminding me, I'm not completely human.”

Ryan slowly, deliberately, brought one of his fiery hands closer to Shaver’s face. Shaver shook uncontrollably with panic. Just as Ryan’s hand hovered centimeters from Shaver’s eyes, he simply flicked a small spark on the thug’s nose.

“Though, unlike you, I’m not completely inhuman either,” said Ryan triumphantly.

Shaver fainted on the spot. Coincidently, as Shaver lay on the wet ground unconscious with his mouth hanging open, something dropped inside his mouth … something that resembled bird poop. Ryan looked up to see Tyrant flying above Shaver’s body, screeching with pride. Despite the outrageous circumstances, Ryan felt best to reward Tyrant’s efforts with a reverent salute.

Ryan then turned his attention to the other new thugs and awkwardly raised his still-blazing fists. “Well, you want some of this, punks? I’m feeling a little generous tonight, so maybe if you say you’re sorry and run away screaming like the little girls you are, I won’t order any pussy shish kabob!” 

Ryan sounded so fierce, he almost convinced himself. And why shouldn’t I feel confident? I just single-handedly took down more than half of the meanest gang in Fernady City. Even if these losers do seem a little more professional than the other ones, they don’t stand a chance.

Hannah didn’t share his confidence. “Run away, kid! You did great, but these guys are not like Shaver and his thugs. They’re professionals and they will kill you!”

Ryan could hear the seriousness in her voice. But even so, no way would he just abandon her, not after everything that he went through. “Don’t worry, Auntie Hannah. I’ve got this.”

Hannah seemed too stunned to respond, but still managed to repeat in a voice of disbelief, “Auntie?!”

Suddenly, the tallest of the men stepped in front of Hannah and spoke to Ryan coldly. “Ryan Uruks, since you survived the encounter with Shaver, we’ve been given orders to bring you in alive. If you agree to come peacefully, we will let this woman live.”

The darkness blocked Ryan's view and the man wore a large hat similar to a cowboy’s headwear that obscured his face, making him all the more indistinguishable. Ryan could see his chin though, and a small scar that went down one side of it. He wore a large trench coat with the gray colors of the Preservers as well as the rest of his comrades, but Ryan knew they were something much more dangerous.

Hannah was on the verge of panic. “Don’t do it, Ryan! If you do, it’ll be a fate far worse than death, trust-”

Once again, Hannah coughed up blood uncontrollably, and Ryan knew that he should take her to a hospital before she met with a morbid fate. Without thinking, Ryan kicked up some water to blind the leader, but instead of water splashing in his face, the droplets ignited and turned into tiny exploding sparks, kind of like firecrackers.

The cowboy-hat man and his cohorts shielded themselves in surprise. Ryan looked down to see his foot afire now. Ignoring the surprise of his newly burning toes, he made his way towards Hannah. He threw a flame from the palm of his hand to make the gunmen back off, and then he grabbed Hannah with his other unignited hand and sprinted back towards the hotel.

With blinding speed that could only come from intense training and experience, the leader took out a glowing rope from his trench coat and lassoed Ryan around the neck. The guy moved just like the space cowboys on the shows that Ryan used to watch. He might’ve thought it looked cool if it wasn't so agonizingly painful; like an electric jolt going down his spine.

No sooner had the rope touched Ryan’s skin did the flames in his hands and feet dissipate. Ryan tried to ignite them again, but the other men pulled out glowing ropes as well, roping his arms and legs like a bull. The blue glowing ropes made Ryan feel numb and weak as if they sucked out his strength like an electric straw. Whoever these people were, they had come equipped to specifically hunt Elementals.

Hannah dropped to the ground and Ryan said apologetically, “Okay, I don’t got this.”

As the leader moved toward Ryan and Hannah, Ryan couldn’t help but let loose a small, girlie squeal of fear. And then, just before the worse came to pass, Tyrant came out of nowhere and pecked the guy on the nose, forcing him to recoil.

As Tyrant finished his assault and flew away, his coming seemed to usher forth reinforcements. Young men and women in gleaming armor seemed to appear out of nowhere and began attacking the mercenaries. The men with anti-elemental gear seemed just as baffled as Ryan as they began to fall one by one to the fists and boots of the armored young people. The newcomers plowed into the ranks of hunters with incredible speed and power. Ryan could almost hear the classic song in his head that signaled the cavalry had arrived.

Only one word came to Ryan’s mind that could describe what he saw. Elementals!

Even though the hunters outnumbered the Elementals, that hardly seemed to be an equalizer. The first Elemental that Ryan saw was a young man, about two or three years his elder with dark hair and even darker eyes that sparkled brightly behind some very expensive-looking glasses. He had sharp and handsome features with zero imperfections, or scales. He wore red and gold encrusted armor under a dark robe that bellowed through the wind like wings.

The boy dashed and jumped through the air so high and so fast that he seemed to fly. The hunters shot their energy rifles at him, but to no avail. The dark-haired youth moved with the grace of a dancer, but with ten times the agility as he effortlessly dodged superheated radioactive slugs; and even more impressive, he made it look easy. Ryan considered himself lucky that his adversaries never aimed their deadly arsenals at him, but if he had possessed half the superhuman dexterity of this guy, it would've been a breeze even if they did.

The more professional hoodlums lashed out with their glowing ropes like whips, but before they could make any progress, a bolt of lightning knocked them off their feet. The leader seemed to sense the lightning coming and avoided it in time, but his men had less luck. Ryan searched for the source of the lightning and saw a girl with shoulder-length, curly brown hair in similar armor about the same age as the dark-haired guy hiding in an alley behind the hunters. Strategy had never been Ryan’s strongest point, but even he could see the plan in motion. The dark-haired guy made an elaborate show of athleticism to serve as a distraction while the girl waited for her chance to strike from behind.

However, the leader had survived the ambush and marshaled his remaining forces to attack the two Elementals while he stalked towards Ryan and Hannah. Ryan had been so entranced by the show of actual Elementals doing battle that he forgot all about his predicament. With a sudden burst of strength, Ryan snapped the ropes as if they were twigs.

That’s weird. I wasn’t able to do that before, was I?

The man seemed to hesitate, but only for a moment before he lunged for Ryan. Instead of fighting, Ryan focused all his efforts into rescuing his guardian. Hannah lay on the ground soaking wet from the rain and her own blood, clutching her ribs as if on the verge throwing up.

Since her captors were busy fighting the Elementals, Ryan scooped her in his arms and ran to the safety of the hotel. Unfortunately, his good fortune didn't last as he realized that his previous strength had vanished. With a grunt of exhaustion, Ryan staggered to his knees with Hannah in his arms. Try all he might, he couldn’t will himself to take another step.  

The lead hunter made a fist and claw-like knives popped out of his gloves. He raised his hand to strike, but not before a streak of white frost engulfed his hand and the clawed fist turned to ice. The man clutched his iced hand, then he took out a small metal ball and threw it to the ground, vanishing in a flash of light a second later.

Some kind of teleporter device, thought Ryan to himself.

And just like that, the fight ended. The remaining men had either been K.O’d or they fled.

Before Ryan had time to comprehend all the chaos he’d just witnessed, he heard a feminine voice that made his heart skip a beat. “Are you alright?”

Ryan turned and beheld the face of beauty. IT’S HER!