Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals

By: Snidne

Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft

Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

Chapter 11: Tale of the King

"Eeek! It's a monster!"

"Recette, please calm down! This isn't a monster, it's the Elemental King we've been searching for," Tear said.

The five of them stood before the large imposing figure of the Elemental King of Earth. Despite the fact that he looked to have seen better days, he still carried an aura of elegance that demanded respect. "Wait, if we are too late…" Stella mused aloud.

"Most of my power has been taken from me. A young demon came not too long ago, wielding an ancient magic power far older than herself. Though I still retain some of my power, it is no longer enough to do my duty to the world."

"No," she said, defeated. "But then, what of the other Kings?"

"I have not sensed Algorn's power for some time now. Seeing the small amount you carry, I wondered what had happened to him. The same holds true for Eolia, though I can still strongly feel the power of Legeas, the King of Water."

"So at least one is still okay… I suppose that's better than nothing," Charme said. "But, why would they be after your power anyway? What do they expect to do with it besides destroy the balance of the world?"

The Elemental King was silent for a moment, causing them all to be anxious about what he would say. "There is… a precedent to this. Once, long ago, our power was taken for the selfishness of a single man." Everyone looked surprised that something like this had happened before. "Many millennia ago, we Elementals did not hide from humans as we do today. In fact, there existed a place where we four Kings lived in harmony with the humans, as well as most other species of this world save the demons and most of the Fae.

"That place was a true paradise for us all. The world was united and all were welcome within our walls. We freely lent our strengths to the humans and they in turn revered and worshiped us and nature. But like all things, it was not meant to last. Where there are those of power, there are those who seek only more of it, unheeding of the dangers that would follow. To that end, a single man devised a means to strip an Elemental of their powers and transfer them to himself.

"He deceived us, lured us into his trap and stole most of our powers. With it, he became an unstoppable being that could have easily overthrown this world."

"But he obviously failed, right," Stella asked. "I've never heard of anyone like this in history books."

"Indeed, though he was successful in stealing our powers it did not mean he could properly control them. Our power, the power of the Kings, is meant to keep this world in balance. Meaning he alone controlled the balance of the world, with our powers resting within him. But the true strength of our might cannot be contained in a mortal body, let alone all of our strengths at once. His body perished quickly, unable to keep stable the great energies within him."

"Then… what happened after? You got your powers back, right," Recette asked.

"We did, eventually. But it did not return to us right away. For decades we had to slowly draw it back in, meaning that the balance of the world was thrown out of order and calamities occurred throughout the lands. The great paradise we lived in was destroyed by these calamities and with it came the end of our peace. The Elementals fled hiding away from humans they could no longer trust. Eventually, the world stabilized and life went on. And for a time, we Kings separated to ensure that such a disaster could never happen again.

"That was the last time we trusted humans… until we met her, anyway."

"Minasa-Ratis," Stella said. "Then, why did she seek you out? And what was she trying to do in creating the Elemental Stones?"

"That woman… she was a descendant of one from the paradise. She believed that one day it could be born again. It was refreshing to see a pure-hearted human again after so long." He paused for a moment, raising a paw to gesture to the many Magic Crystals. "I am sure you are aware of these things. They have existed for many years now, perhaps even at the creation of the world. They contain the unbound potential of the world itself within them. But such potential is dangerous to any but the Elementals. Only we can truly understand the power they hold.

"However, this woman believed that they contained the secrets to magical arts. And so, we Kings allowed her to borrow a small amount of our powers to stabilize the crystals for use by her. It worked, and because our power is what allowed these crystals to be used by man, she called them Elemental Stones. Of course, such power had multiple worries for abuse, especially to our kind. Her understanding of their workings however allowed her to artificially create more of them. She kept the four Original Stones with her at all times, guarding the secrets of their making and use."

"Then what happened to this person," Tear questioned. "Why would someone like her give up their power?"

"Alas, even I do not know that. All that I know is that several hundred years ago, a great evil was rising up. Perhaps she had sensed that her Stones would be used for darker purposes if she continued to hold onto them. All I know is that the day the evil disappeared was the last we had ever seen or heard of her. It would seem that her dream of seeing the era of peace return faded with her."

The five looked at each other, digesting this new information. Selene, for whatever reason, was stealing the power of the Elemental Kings, likely under someone else's orders Stella knew. Who, or what, wanted this power either knew of a way to properly wield it, or was just as ignorant as the first who had tried. Though they were no closer to figuring out who was behind all this, they did now have a proper idea as to what was happening to the world. They also knew that the King of Water was their next target and would likely go after them.

"Ignus," Arma said looking up at him, "do you know where the other Kings are? Perhaps if we spoke to them, we could find out more of our enemies."

"My power is much weaker now… but I do recall that the last I sensed of Algorn's power was far to the east. Legeas was also east, though much closer than Algorn's. As for Eolia… strangely, I completely cannot sense his. Even before when I felt his strength fade and mine was intact, he disappeared. Though he vanished quite close to Pensee if I recall."

"Wait, what do you mean close to Pensee," Charme asked surprised.

"Eolia, as the King of Wind, is a free spirit and the only one of us not tied down to a single place. He would often travel on the winds to wherever he pleased. He was close by when I felt his power fade and eventually disappear. It is as if he is no longer of this world… but the one who seeks our power knows it is foolish to try to end us. I do not know what could have happened to him."

"I suppose that's a mystery we'll have to solve another time," Tear said. "Thank you for all you've told us."

"Yeah, it was super-helpful and stuff," Recette said. "Um, you want some chocolate or something? I kinda feel bad for not offering any."

"I don't think Elementals care for such things, Recette," Stella said.

"What do you mean, Stella? Everyone likes chocolate!"

"You have quite the pure heart, Recette Lemongrass." Recette and Tear both looked shocked that the Elemental King knew her name. "It is a refreshing thing to see." The Elemental King looked to Stella. "Wielder of Algorn's fire… I know not what your role in this may be, but the fact that you possess that stone is certainly not a mere coincidence. I sensed the fragment of Eolia's power as well as another Elemental which means you must have companions who hold his Elemental Stone." Stella nodded in confirmation. "I will trust you with this task. The world is on the brink of a second collapse. You must avert this at all costs. I will do my best to control the Earth, but I do doubt that it will be much."

"Um… what's gonna happen if you can't control it then," Recette asked.

"The land will slowly lose fertility. And earthquakes will likely become more common. But as I said, I will try to hold on for your sake as well. I cannot do too much, but at the very least, Pensee will not suffer directly because of my close proximity. The further edges of the world though will be much harder to control. I am sorry, but this is all I can do for now."

"No, you've done plenty for us. Thank you," Stella said. "I promise we will do something about this situation. We have quite a few allies helping us."

"In that case, we better get back and report all this," Charme said. "I don't know about you guys, but I am quite sick of this place already. I really need a vacation."

"You should be more diligent than that," Tear admonished. "Honestly, can't you show some professionalism? You are an adventurer after all."

"Hey I'm still a thief and a good one too! All I'm saying is after going through a hundred floors of craziness I could use a few drinks at the pub."

"Can we have this conversation another time," Stella said. "We need to get back to the elevator and figure out how to leave this place."

"I can assist you with that. It is the least I can do for your efforts."

"Thanks mister Ignus," Recette said.

"Before we go, do you mind answering one last question," Stella asked. "This paradise you spoke of, did it have a name?"

"We Elementals did not have a name for it. However, the humans and other races called it… Renoria."

"We're back!"

"Welcome back Recette! Everything oka- OH MY GOD what happened to your arm," a panicked Louie asked.

"Ehehehe… It's fine, it's just a scratch. I guess I'm not ready to fight real monsters just yet," Recette said trying to laugh it off.

"What!? You were fighting monsters!? IN THERE!? Recette that's really-Eep!" Louie's rant was cut short when he noticed Tear was getting in his face.

"And who," Tear slowly began, "was the one who gave the foolish notion that Recette was a fighter of any kind, hm?" Though her voice was controlled and measured, she was clearly radiating anger at the swordsman. "I can only imagine what kind of imbecile thought it was a good idea to let someone like Recette hold a sword."

"Arche… I'm scared," Chiffon said.

"Me too," Sana agreed, both hiding behind the young swordswoman.

"Come on guys, it will be ok… I think," Arche said unsure.

"Tear, it's not Louie's fault…"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE RECETTE COULD HAVE COME TO DYING!?" Louie was knocked back by the loudness of Tear's voice. He couldn't believe such a loud voice could come from someone with such small lung capacity. "SHE SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN THE BARRIER BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN HER SOME GRAND DELUSION THAT SHE CAN FIGHT!? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?"

"H-hey! I can explain, it's not like I said-."

"I SHOULD DOUBLE, NO TRIPLE THE PRICES YOU PAY HERE! I SHOULD BAN YOU COMPLETELY FOR PUTTING HER IN SUCH DANGER! I-!"

"TEAR, STOP IT!" Everyone was stunned at the notion, especially Louie, Charme and Arma. They never heard Recette yell at Tear, especially in such a tone. Sure they knew that Recette could be mad about things, but she was never this upset. The shock caused Tear's thoughts to be derailed as she turned to Recette with worry in her eyes.

"Recette, you-."

"It is not Louie's fault! I asked him to teach me how to fight," she said, her voice lowered but still angry. "Louie has always told me I'm still not ready to fight anything yet, but I had to try! I wasn't going to just sit back and watch again!" The two stood off for a moment before Tear rushed into Recette's chest holding onto her.

"Recette you… you foolish girl… if you… you shouldn't risk so much…"

"Tear…"

"I'm sorry," Louie said unsure of what to say in this situation.

"It's not your fault," Charme said. "Besides, I was pretty surprised she even knew how to hold a sword to begin with."

"Yeah well… I knew she wanted to learn to defend herself, but I never expected her to head into the dungeons to fight," Louie said. "It was supposed to be just for self-defense. Still, I kinda feel like this might be my fault."

"It's ok Louie," Recette said, still hugging Tear. "Besides, I still want to learn more about swordsmanship. So will you still teach me?"

Tear looked up alarmed. "Recette, you cannot seriously still consider-."

"I'm going to learn it Tear," Recette said. She smiled down at her. "But I promise… no more fighting in dungeons until I'm really, really ready."

"I'd rather you not fight at all," Tear said. What had happened to the innocent item shop owner who struggled to fill out orders, who resented Inventory Day and had naïve thoughts of people wanting to steal her 'cuteness' she wondered. Recette was indeed growing up, and while it warmed her heart to see it happen, it also terrified her to think that she would change so much as to not even recognize her anymore. "I suppose that is the best I will get from you though."

"In any case, we must alert everyone we can," Arma said. Despite the heartwarming scene before her, she was (mostly) a machine first and thus understood the importance of relaying their information to the others.

"That's right," Stella said, turning to face her friends. "You'd be quite surprised to hear what we learned."

"Ah yeah, did you really meet the Elemental King," Arche asked excited. "What was he like? Which one was it?"

"Calm down. Once everyone is here, we can discuss it. For now I'm beat. Who wants to hit the pub with me," Charme asked excited. A room full of deadpan stares was her response. "Hey they have things other than alcohol… I think."

"Merde…"