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There is a race far more ancient than Humans, their name is Elementals. They are a race of humans, which commuted long ago with powers far more ancient and dangerous, Demons, giving their mortality and human strength as a bargain, gaining immortality and powers beyond imagination, or so they thought.
The truth is that the Demon played them, made them strong and powerful only mentally, they could no longer work their field's, they could no longer gain their bread and water and food, like they had always done. Now they were powerful but hated, they were Immortal, but only in certain conditions, which is, their soul must be complete.
The thing is that when the ancient humans came to the Demon, they brought the woman they loved, and which loved them back with them, and so the Demon, when giving them their Powers, he gave the woman's similar powers, but with reduced strength, by separating the two's souls, turning each in half, of one powerful soul.
There were three couples.
The connection of the first couple was so strong that one could not live without the other, and so their power dictated that when one died, the other shall follow, either the man or the women. But with time the connection on the blood line decreased, imposing another law, that if one died or if they were separated the other or both shall become weaker. They had their powers cut from their blood stream, making it impossible to give away or join to other power.
The second's wasn't that strong, and so, when one died, the other had the choice to follow or to call upon them its powers. They had their powers from the nature and universe.
The Third and last couple, the one with the weaker connection, received upon them the power cut from the brain, all that had to do with thinking and imagining, and so on. The law was that they could either work together or apart, but never using it against one another, and that they could not give or receive another power.
But this is the story that is told from generation on generation of elementals; the truth is that there were four couples, the last, were two friends, which received the power of true Immortality, they could live without one another, and on the contrary of the others who turned pale white, skinny and physically powerless, they kept their tuned skin, their strong body, and physical appearance, gaining the power to control all the things, either alive or dead, things or persons.
Still, some were hunted as blood drinking monsters, Vampires, some called them, others as witches, others as necromancers or death bringers, all through the world they were chased and started to live secluded, those who breaded with humans, had children like themselves, and so did the ones who breaded all together. From all around, Elementals started to form their own villages, guarded by wall's, far bigger than any fifty meters tall giant, made by the more ancient and strong rock they could get, no human would be able to pass the wall's, at least, not in that era, but things are different now. Places, cities and villages were divided in feuds, every each of them to the loyal lords of the king or Queen at the moment, so they go changing, except for one, the one place who is ruled by a Lady, whose name, face, tone of voice, or skin tone, hasn't be seen for thousand or more years. Some say she is a witch, others a Vampire, others still come to me thinking I'm a simple Human woman, or a Elemental woman, they couldn't be more wrong. My name, at least nowadays is Skarlet Blanche D'Noir, yeah, a name full of colors, but free of curses, a name I can use freely, without shame, without memories, of the rag I've once been, of the Shit in someone's shoes, that I was… for far too long. But still I learned how to kill, how to save, how to live and how to die, far back, I was nothing; but Now I'm the Lady of ten's of thousand's acres of land, which was, well, let's say it was "gently" given to my cause, ours, The Elementals cause. I now live to protect my Kinsmen, the ones some humans treat as trash, killing, pilling, savaging, eating… them… I won't ever forgive those who do that, and I will never stop… till I get what I want: Equality, liberty to do what they please, but most of all, security and a place to live.
1st Chapter - The Beginning!
I live, right now at my newest acquisition, a palace called Winter Rose, which was, a few years ago, used as a retirement for Kings and Queens in the severe winter. Now is used as my house, together with others who would make my court, if I was a Queen. There are a few hundred Elementals in this Palace, always wandering during the day and night, but only when we don't have guest's, otherwise, there's no one walking those corridors, no one in the gardens, and no one keeping me safe, at least that's what an outside person would think.
Today was one of these days, a day replete with silences, with voids, with nothingness. There was a prince coming today, everybody spoke of him as a scrupulous, righteous and charming person, and so I invited him, so that he could be my partner in my vanguard idea of turning this world in a coed world, were both Elementals and humans could live, just like the goddess of the Water, Melusina, had lived long ago with her love, or so the stories told.
She hadn't been happy, on the contrary, being forced out of her element to live with a human man, broke her inside, and even thought they had had children, and loved each other, when the man saw she had double nature (half fish and half human), he left her. This shows how much humans are dubious, and can't stand differences, "All must be normal, no differences are allowed, ever", that's their motto, Sans Changer, as they say, but that is just to how far money or favors go. Even if they don't like some of my attitudes, some are willing to accept them, if only money comes together with it.
"The Man has arrives and is waiting for you on the Ball room My lady." Said a human maid, married to a Water Elemental, interrupting my thoughts. I was already with my dress and the head dress, ready for another battle, I just needed to put my mask on, I would allow them to know that it was a Woman that was either their salvation or their doom, but I would never show my face to them, that is, until I was sure of what to do to them.
The Ball room was now, no more than a room to receive wanted and unwanted guests, a place to reveal their true personality, their inside; to take them to my underground prisons, either to kill them or to keep them in the underground prison for life; or to show them how they can help me, and how I can help them.
I entered the Ball room, and the prince greeted me with a little bow, and I greeted him as if I was his equal, a princess of some distant kingdom, and not just me. Then we both sat at the same time to avoid the courtesy of who sits first and why, and started the long awaited talk. "So, I've heard lords have been complaining about the elementals, and I decided you would be a good ally for my cause, and I good ally for yours." I smiled with malice, having a sub message inside my lenient speech "Those trashy beings that are the elemental race, are the worst of the worst things that could exist." but even as he heard me, and understood my word's he didn't speak, just listened. "If you accepted, of course, there would be a monetary compensation, for the headache it may, or may not cause you, and even favors, if you needed some. Whatever you would like, so that I have all of your elementals, and, of course, your support." As I said that he finally seemed to react, "And what would you want them for?" He asked me, not like a child but as an adult who's making business. And so, I answered him with a smile full of malice and misguided words "The thing is, I really LIKE them, you know, they are such a SWEETIES, always so THOUGHTFUL, and CARING, who would wish others, ain't that right?" I said, not meaning the normal like, or the normal caring, but other things and he moved on his chair, slightly, so that I wouldn't notice how disgusted he was, and so, it was time for me to play my last card, and see if he was a winner, or a loser. "The winner takes it all", and in this case it really happens, but the loser, will lose it all too, even his life. I remember before calling upon her, my sweetest friend. "Leah…" I called without delays, and she promptly appears before me. She was a very beautiful girl, Leah Somerset, tall, brunet and about nineteen years old; she was wearing a simple summer white dress. "Its time…" I say and she promptly reaches her arm to my mouth, and I grab it fully with my hand's and start gulping, and gulping, until I hear "That's enough; I won't ever take a part in this, even if I have to die." He says and start heading for the door. "Stop him!" I say to Leah, and a wall of rock stands between him and the door and he turns back, "So you're going to kill me?" he asks defiantly, "No." I say simply, "Show him your arm Leah, and Nathan, bring me a glass of water please." I say turning to the door as a boy, about fifteen years old, comes rushing with the water. As Leah shows that her arm has no bite marks, and I show that the water keeps showing blood, however much I put in my mouth, to spit the next second, he trembles and reaches his chair, probably shaken because of the foolish act he had just pulled. I had bitted my own tongue, so that it seemed I was drinking from her arm, and he just said he wouldn't participate in something like this, with a confident feeling when he was shaking in fear, I was already admiring him, what a feat. "Now that you passed the test, is time to speak more seriously." I said bowing my head to Leah as she passed so that she knew she could go on inside. "Wait… Why did you made me pass a test?" he was visibly still shaken. "I made you this test, to test your inner self. For a long time now, people have used the elemental people, sold the men as slaves, and the women as whores, everything just to feel bigger than them. Everyday people come and make me offers to be my partner, but when I show them what you just saw, they end up agreeing with everything, either because they are scared to dead of me, or because they need money, or solely because they are pure evil, they accept…", "what happen to those who accept?" he asked carefully. "Some die, others are beaten up, and thought a lesson, and others go away if they promise to never do such a thing either for money or fear. Before you ask, those are the rules I've made, the same to everyone, elementals included." I said, and as I saw his face I continued, "Some are as greedy and evil natured as some humans. Because in every race, in every house there are those who are good and those who are bad, those who care for birth lineage, and other's that don't, those are the rules in every nation, worldwide." I finished, and he nodded, a bit more composed. "Well, now, would you consider joining my cause. Which consists in protecting every single, good, elemental, and slaughter the bad ones, who put's in cause the security of everyone, human and elementals, and to take care of the humans who sells them of as slaves, and to other purposes, such as of gourmet food… and so on?" I asked, I hated to talk about what some humans did to us. "What about the humans who have nothing to do with that?" he asked business like. "Those wil be spared and can even come live with us, if they wish it." I said, putting myself up. "Then, my answer is yes…" he said rising as well. "Splendid!" I said and started to take of the mask that was on my face.
The mask I had on was extremely difficult to put on as well as to take off. It was made for masquerade balls, not for daily use. As I took it off, I revealed my black hair, like all the others Elementals, as well as my face, caramel colored. He seemed stupid with the look he had on his face and that said that he was waiting for an ugly troll like face, and instead he got me, I may not be a goddess like Leah, or even Savannah but they always say I'm pretty, and so I start to believe them, little by little. My eyes were normally green, so there wasn't a big surprise in how normal I was, for an Elemental, of course. I also took off the big dress, and the head gown, had already been ripped of as I was in a hurry to take the mask off, the gloves also were pulled off, and I stood in front of him, with normal hunting jeans, and a sleeveless shirt, with a V-neck, unlike of a lady, but so like the nobody I was. The jeans, were for hunting because they were all ripped and dirty, dirt that did not wash off, they had been black, as the night sky, when it rains, but now they were colored grey like the fog that covers the lands in the morning, and the V-neck shaped sleeveless shirt, was white and it too was ripped and dirtied, turning it from white to beige. They were stained clothes, but I would not use any good attire to talk to him, and I needed him to see me, like I was always, and not like he thought I would, will be. Then, I extended my left arm and called "Fury!", and a red hellhound, come off of my Tattoos'. "Go call the Men, they need to meet him." He bowed was gone inside the palace, the next second, "Leah, you go call the Women, I want all here." Leah did the same as Fury, but not as quick. He was still dumbfounded, when I extended my right arm and called "Storm", and from those Tattoos', a black hellhound appeared. "Call Savannah and the Hunters with her, and stay on guard, I'll send Fury to you soon." I said and he bowed to me, leaving the next second, through the window.
"I will introduce you to everyone who lives closest to me, the others, are mostly all controlled by them, you may understand if you put me in the position of Queen, the ones I will introduce to you, the Lords and Ladies of the court and the rest our people. It's a bit more complex, but you will understand, eventually." I said smiling at him, "If you have any question you'd like…" I continued being interrupted by him, "What are you?" he asked astonished. "I'm an Elemental, like the rest, even if I'm the only of my kind, and I have one soul…" I said, going back to the past for a few seconds, remembering the beatings… the cutting… the… night's… with men I would never see again, thankfully. "But you will understand everything after I tell you our true story, the ones that we don't tell to anyone, not even to our children, the story that solely I knew, a few years back, now, all of them know it, and will explain it to you, if, for some reason I can't." I finished, trying to get as far as I could from the past, and we both sated silent.
Leah and seven, or so, girls appeared and all of them, even if they didn't like humans, were polite enough to bow a little and then sit on the ground, near the sides and front of my chair. The girls had been doing the house chores, at least some of them, and that wasn't imposed on them, they would choose what they knew better how to do. But the majority of the girls preferred to do house chores, and have the life they were deprived, with caring friends and neighbors, with their little mischief, and badmouthing, natural of young woman without much worries like they should have been from the beginning. Then, Fury entered with the men, about six of them, that were working on the fields, or better, were helping some humans, that live with us, transporting things and so on, with their powers. They liked to be of help, since war didn't happened all the time, and even with all of the training I forced upon them to keep their mind strong and the body working, they would be running around like the kids they had not been. They all bowed to me, to the men, and then positioned themselves behind my chair, like a supporting wall. Fury left immediately, through the window to go meet Storm, he knew without me saying it what I wanted him to do.
Savannah and the hunters, a group of four men and three women, savannah included, arrived shortly after. The three women's were there, mostly because their other half soul was there, and they had a great connection, except one that was there, also because her twin brother (who was her half soul), whom she loved more than anything, was there. The Hunter's would protect the property, and sometimes, would actually hunt a bird or two, or even a larger animal, like a bear or something. They used their powers daily scaring any human trying to enter without being formally summoned, and they would escort from the border of the property, onwards, all the visitants or new people joining our big and dysfunctional family. They bowed to the men, and divided, Savannah came to my left side, as Leah stood on my right, and other girl seated on the ground with the other's, and Anne, stood with David, her twin brother, near the wall.
"Well now, we can start." I said to everyone, "This is the third prince of the Crystal palace, over the great River Sin, his name is Raven of the Northern Moon Sky, he will be staying with us from now on and till he sees its his time to live. No pranks or whatsoever you may be thinking will be allowed, you know the rules here. He will be coming with us tomorrow to Visit the Northern lands, were he rules, and were there have been constant pleading for our help.", everybody nodded in concordance, and he seemed perplex with my ways, or maybe because of their disposition. But he rose, bowed, and "Nice to make your acquaintance." He said cordial and gentile, like any gentleman would be.
After that, we all showed him around the fields, the forests, were Fury and Storm stood on guard, and the insides of the palace, living him then, on his room, to rest, with Mathias, another one of my tattoos, that was a Chimera, that could change its form easily, and was calm beast, most of the time. He was now in the form of a little lion, it was the simplest form it had, and it was calming enough to Raven, to have a animal to escort him wherever he wanted to go, and not a man, or a woman, to guard him, even if he thought the little Mathias, was the same, his appearance tranquilized him.
I came to my room to sleep, and train a bit, and the rest scattered around the castle to do the rest of the shores, to sleep, and to play a bit more, since the morning would be though.
End of the First Chapter
