Part 18

They sailed through the night, the brothers taking shifts in steering while Kayo, enjoying it immensely, kept the wind going. Alan and Gordon felt such joy seeing her happy because she had seemed so upset since their quest really started, but now she was smiling and laughing and was just enjoying herself. It reminded them of when she got her powers back under control.

Alan was the one steering at the moment, letting his older brothers rest. He watched Kayo dancing with the winds, well it looked as if she was dancing but if he asked she would probably deny it. Alan looked at the moon, it seemed to shine less bright these days. Was that also due to the Ocean Spirit being taken? The water spirits were connected to the moon, he knew that from reading mom's… no John's journals and listening to Penny and Kayo. Wait… spirits. That means there are more than one! He made sure the ship was on course before letting the wheel go and hurrying over to the railing. He looked at the water below.

"Um hi", he said, feeling a little sheepish. "I don't know if either of you can hear me but as I understand it my brother used to be one of you." He got splashed in the face. "Very funny… look I just want to talk." The surface bubbled and then Alan fell backwards when a wave crashed onto the deck. He fell on his butt and looked up at a young man who was grinning widely at him. His whole body looked to be made up by water but when the moon light hit him his body changed. He was dressed in a strange getup, clothes Alan had never seen before in his life. They were mostly made of fur from a big animal. He even wore the claws around his neck and a few teeth in his belt. Alan gaped at him. His ginger hair dripped with water and his brown eyes danced with mirth. Right he remember reading about how water spirit could be playful and mischievous one moment and then raged filled beasts the next. They were fickle beings. Come to think of it… most spirits seemed to be that way.

"Um hi", Alan said as he got up.

"Hi!" the young man repeated while grinning. "This is so awesome! You actually understand me!?"

"Um… yes… shouldn't I?"

"No! We don't speak the same language but I guess it has something to do with me being a spirit!"

"Uh I see… um… what's your name?"

"Name?"

"I mean what do people call you?"

"Oh… oh!" the water spirit started laughing. "Sorry it's been so long someone asked me that I nearly forgot. I am Brandon Bear-Slayer! Or just Brandon… or Bear."

"I'm Alan."

"I know. Alan of Tracy Island the coolest, most extreme person there is!"

"What? What gave you that idea?"

"You are totally cool! Out at sea before all this happened you did cool and extreme stunts every day to save people. You're Alan from Tracy Island, you helped rescue the world once and are part of some sort of international rescue clan. When you are around other beings ignore me to adore you!"

"A water spirit thinks I'm cool", Alan said and blinked. "Imagine that…" then he remembered why he had called on the spirits in the first place. "Never mind that now! I need to ask you something!"

"Sure", Brandon said and sat on the railing. "What?"

"Can you and your spirit friends… stop making trouble for us, my family I mean. We are trying to save the world again but it feels like you guys are working against us, trying to stop us."

"Well not you specifically", Brandon said. "I mean I'm not mad because I know you guys are on the job but the other water spirits are furious. They want every single one of you dead because of what happened to the Ocean Spirit. Then the Wind Spirit and Father Earth. They don't trust you to fix this."

"But we are trying to fix this. Our brother trusted us so much he gave some of his power to our brother Virgil."

"What did you say?!" Brandon sat up straighter. "He did what!?"

"He gave some of his power to…. Wait!" Brandon had turned into water and slithered across the deck to reach Alan's sleeping brothers. Kayo noticed and stopped her not-dancing and prepared herself for a fight. Alan ignored her and when Brandon took form next to Gordon he jumped at him… sailing straight through and landing on the deck.

"Hm", Brandon said while looking at Gordon. "I don't see it."

"That's Gordon", Alan hissed to not wake his brothers, while getting up. "Virgil is over there!"

"Alan what's going on?" Kayo asked and Alan squeaked. "Who's that?"

"He's a water spirit", Alan said. "I asked him if he could get the other spirits to cut us a little slack and then I mentioned what John did to Virgil and he freaked out!"

"I did not freak out", Brandon said as he studied Virgil's arm. "Huh… he truly did fight the system… I need to tell Casey!" With that Brandon spun around, turned into somewhat of a whirlpool and jumped into the ocean again. Kayo and Alan blinked in confusion. But then they felt the boat shake. Kayo prepared herself for a fight but then the sea turned their ship in the right direction and started ushering them forwards. Kayo and Alan grinned at each other. The spirits had heard them and Brandon. They were giving them a hand!

When the others woke the next morning it was to see a curtain of ash falling all around them. Alan and Kayo, mostly Alan, told them of what happened last night and Alan's brothers all gave him hugs and praise. They were very proud of him for doing what he did. It had not been much but no one had thought about it so to them it was a big thing. The area they now sailed into was dark, very dark. It was due to all the ash in the water and in the air. Kayo told them to wear masks to make their breathing a little easier. So everyone did as she asked. The ash here as much different than the ash they had encountered when fighting Te Kâ. It was heavier, colder and thicker. Soon the whole boat and everyone and everything on it was grey. Alan had placed Fischler in his bag once more after the stupid bird nearly got buried by a pile of ash. Gordon took over steering and navigating through the thick air. They couldn't really see anything from all the ash and the water was grey with it. Virgil tried to use his borrowed powers to clear a path but the ash just came floating back.

"This is worse than that snow", Parker huffed and tried to brush some ash from his shoulders. Virgil and Scott didn't seem so bothered. The ash felt somewhat familiar to them. It was comforting in a way. Amongst all the grey they felt calm and at ease, as if they had just gotten home again… but not really. It was more of a home away from home. Scott chuckled and looked at the ash flakes in his hand. That used to be him. He shook his head fondly and looked around.

"What's that?" Alan asked. Scott turned his head and saw a huge dark shadow in the distance, where red, orange and yellow flashed at the top.

"A volcano", he said. "We must be getting close."

"Not that", Alan said in a small voice. "That!" He pointed at the sky and everyone looked up. A huge dark shadow was coming at them, rather fast. It opened its huge mouth and roared, sending flames at them. Virgil reacted fast and used both his hands to bring up a huge wave. When the flames hit it the water vaporized into steam. The fire luckily died too. The creature circled them, roaring and spitting fireballs into the ocean around them.

"What is that thing?" Gordon yelled as he tried to steer out of range of the fireballs.

"A dragon", Penny called over the roaring flames around them. "According to legend the Volcanic Spirit has a dragon that guards him or her. It's a guardian!"

"But we are not out to harm Volcano!" Alan shouted and then squeaked when a flame nearly hit him. Scott appeared out of nowhere and hugged him close, covering his body with his own. Alan pressed his face into Scott's chest. Scott glared at the dragon. It was long, around seven meters from nose to tail tip. Its scales were scarlet and it had spikes on its back, dark red. It's eye looked as if they were on fire as well and its teeth were long and sharp. It hovered over them and prepared to blast them again.

"Knock it off!" Scott yelled at it before it could. Rage had filled him. How dared this thing attack them for no reason!? Why was it that the very being they tried to protect saw it fit to attack them as soon as it saw them!? What had they ever done to Volcano to make his pet attack them!? Scott felt his anger growing, hot and dangerous. His eyes were on fire and all of his muscles tense. He got up and glared at the beast. It glared back before taking off again, flying in circles around them and spitting fireballs at them. Virgil and Kayo used their new powers to try and steer them away but they would not be able to keep it up forever. Scott gripped one of the big fish hooks and tied a rope to it. Then he started climbing the mast.

"Scott!?" he heard his brothers exclaim but ignored them. This thing planned to kill Scott's brothers? Over his dead body! He got to the top of the sail and got up, carefully balancing. He glared at the beast that was flying around them, spitting fire at them.

"Hey!" he shouted and it turned to him, glaring. Scott started swinging the rope around and the fish hook glistened in the grey ash, the sun had managed to break through just a little. The dragon growled and came at Scott. Scott swung the rope just as it opened its mouth to roar. The rope swung around the muzzle of the dragon and Scott yanked as hard as he could. Closing the jaws of the beast before it could roar again. In anger the dragon reared its head and Scott felt his feet leave the mast.

"SCOTT!" he heard shouted behind him. He ignored it though and hung on with all his might. The dragon flew upwards as fast as it could and Scott felt a rush he had never felt before. He was not afraid, not in the slightest. If anything he felt joy, pure joy. The boat below him looked so tiny. Like a small ant. He grinned and started climbing the rope. The dragon swung around with its head to try and shake him off. Instead it gave him the option to jump onto the dragon's back, clinging onto the spikes there. The dragon dove to try and shake him off. Scott however was not going to let it. He hung on and rode that dragon no matter what it tried. When it dove towards the ocean a third time he could no longer contain himself and let out a huge:

"YAHOO!" This was the best feeling he had ever felt. The dragon tried everything to shake him off and to get the rope off but the fish hook had tangled around its teeth. To Scott's relief. Then all of a sudden a fireball came from below! It nearly hit them but instead of trying to buck him off the dragon started to lower and soon landed on an island covered in black hardened magma, dark sand and ash. It lowered its head and Scott carefully slid off its back and onto the ground. The earth was warm, but not unpleasantly so. He patted the dragon and turned around only to come face to face with a bearded face. A man, much larger than himself with ginger hair and beard peered at him with blue eyes.

"Fritzy!" the man exclaimed and ran up to the dragon and started tearing at the rope. "What has this monster done to you!?" Scott watched the man. He was dressed in black, red and brown. His arms were bare and he could see flame tattoos all over his arms. He looked at the dragon and saw that it was crying!? Scott couldn't believe his eyes! The dragon was crying. The man looked at the rope and grabbed it with his hand, it burst into flames. When the dragon was free it roared and the man removed the fishhook. He then petted the dragon's snout.

"Poor Fritzy", he said and turned to Scott. "What do you have to say for yourself!?"

"Uh… I'm sorry but he attacked our boat", Scott said and looked at the dragon, Fritzy.

"She", the man said and put his arms around the huge snout in a hug. "She is just a little pesky because she is shedding skin."

"Uh… like a snake or lizard?"

"Yes but they are not as amazing as she is!"

"I agree… um… are you Volcano?"

"That's me", the man said and grinned and put his hands on his hips. "The Volcanic Spirit in the flesh… well kind of."

"Because you are a spirit?"

"Because I died many years ago", the man laughed and patted Scott on the back. "The fire god saw me and was intrigued. He decided I had what he looked for in his new Soul. So he made me Volcano. Before that I was named Questa… well actually it was Quentin but people called me Questa. Well not people my killers that is. I was a bit different and I kept telling my people about a volcano that was about to blow but no one believed me. True it was false alarm the first ten times but on the eleventh time it wasn't! As punishment they threw me into the volcano and then it erupted. I wonder if it was because of me entering it. Probably not. You see volcanos are fickle things. Quite a temper they got too and a beauty that far exceeds anything else and-"

"I get it they are deadly but beautiful at the same time", Scott cut in. "Wait… did you say your people threw you into a volcano?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I was different. I always felt a connection to flames and to fire and lava. It fascinated me, lured me in so to speak. I knew that she was about to blow, the volcano that is, I could feel it. I gave them the warning ten times. The first three they believed me… not the rest. So when I told them the eleventh time they tied me up and threw me into the volcano. I hit the lava and it erupted. Strangely enough I was not harmed until it erupted. That's when I died and the fire god took pity on my soul."

"I see…"

"Well it is a normal occurrence amongst spirits. Father Earth was murdered by a demidevil. The Wind Spirit was thrown into the ocean to drown. The Darkness he was slain as well… I don't remember why though. The Lightning Spirit, stay away from him boy he is very volatile, he was strapped to a pole and left to die by lightning because he invented things his people saw as witchcraft. The Ocean Spirit gave up his life to save someone and the Light-"

"Scott!" they heard and turned around and saw the boat approach them. It was Virgil who shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Fine!" Scott called back. Fritzy growled at the boat.

"Oh look guests!" Questa said happily. "Now now Fritzy behave." The dragon huffed and took to the air and flew up to the top of the volcano. "She is so testy."

"She is beautiful though", Scott said. "Deadly and dangerous but beautiful. Like a volcano."

"Ha! I like you!" Questa said and slapped him on the back so hard he nearly toppled over. "You see things the way I do! You sure you not a fire spirit?"

"Yes, but I was cursed as an Ash Spawn for many years."

"Really?" Questa asked and peered into Scott's eyes. "Ah yes I see it. Still some fire in you boy!" He slapped Scott's back again and laughed.

"SCOTT!" Alan shouted and flung himself at his oldest brother when the rest of the group arrived. Scott hugged him close and tried to sooth him. Gordon joined into the hug and Virgil slapped him on the arm.

"Are you crazy!?" Virgil asked. "You could have died!"

"But I didn't", Scott pointed out.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tie you to a rock and throw you into the ocean."

"You love me?" Scott teased and ducked when a slap was aimed at his head. He grinned at Virgil who only rolled his eyes and joined into the hug. Kayo walked up to Questa.

"So you are Volcano", she said.

"Aye that I am", Questa said and grinned. "And you are Kayo, I have heard stories about you. So who are the rest of you?"

"I am Penny Priestess of the Ocean Deity", Penny said as she approached. "This is my bodyguard Parker and this is my familiar Sherbet." Questa looked at the three of them. Then he eyed Penny suspiciously.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"We are here to try and protect you", Penny said and the brothers joined them. "As you might have realized three of the Elementals have been taken."

"Let me stop you right there", Questa said. "It's not Elementals. It's spirits or souls. Wait did you say three have been taken?"

"Yes."

"Which ones?"

"Water, Earth and Wind", Kayo said.

"WHAT!?" Questa yelled and the mountain behind them rumbled ominously. "They got all three before they came for me!? Are they stupid!?"

"Uh do you rally want to be kidnapped?"

"It's not kidnapping it is a sacred duty!"

"It would be if the Ocean Deity was dead", Penny said. "Which they aren't."

"They aren't?"

"No!"

"So why are these people collecting Souls?"

"Because they plan to kill the Ocean Deity and put the Hood in his place."

"Who?"

"The Ho-"

She got no further because the ground beside her exploded when lightning hit it. All eyes turned to the sky and they saw a man there. His skin and hair was rather dark. He was dressed in black, orange and brown. His dark hair was shaved on the sides but the hair on the middle of his head was standing up, like Fischler's comb. His arms were bare and they could see what looked like lightning crackle up all over them. He smirked at them but at the same time looked really disgusted.

"Who is that?" Alan asked as the man landed.

"I guess it is the Lightning Spirit", Scott said. Said spirit looked around at them and his eyes landed on a certain someone.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here Priestess", he said and marched towards Penny but Gordon blocked his path and the spirit growled angrily. "Out of my way Wayfinder!"

"No", Gordon said. "Listen none of us are here to harm you or Volcano."

"Really?" The Lightning Spirit asked and the scoffed. There came a sudden gasp from Kayo and all of them turned to her. She was staring at the man in shock, her eyes huge. It was the look of someone seeing a familiar face that they had not been able to place before, but now could.

"It's you", she whispered and the man turned his face away.

"Kayo do you know him?" Virgil asked as Kayo walked past him towards the Lightning Spirit.

"It really is you isn't it", Kayo asked. "The Mechanic?"

"Who?" everyone else asked.

"The Mechanic was a demigod", Kayo explained. "But… he was destroyed."

"Demigods can die?" Alan asked.

"Yes", Kayo replied. "Only gods and goddesses are immortal. Well except for the Ocean Deity but they really don't die, they just become one with the sea." She turned her gaze back to the Mechanic. "You died."

"I did", the man replied. "It didn't stick. I became a spirit instead."

"The gods took pity on you."

"The gods saw what truly happened!" The Mechanic yelled while sending sparks everywhere. "It was not my fault!"

"Aye those people on your island were to blame", Questa said and moved closer. "Now calm down lad."

"I. Am. Calm." The Mechanic growled and lightning danced around his fingertips and feet. Questa gave him a look and the Mechanic's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. He still glared at them though. Then his glare got exchanged for a smug smirk.

"Well look here", he said. "All four remaining Souls gathered in one place. That is quite dangerous wouldn't you say?"

"Four?" Virgil asked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh I can see you even though you are hiding Light and you as well Darkness."

"What", Questa asked and looked around at the group and then gaped. "Why you're right lad!" He got hit by a lightning in the chest but only laughed and brushed off his shoulders. "See!" he turned to Scott. "Volatile!"

Scott however did not listen. The other two spirits they were looking for were here as well? He looked around at the group but could not see who he was talking about. Was it that only other spirits could see these spirits? Then there was a rumble from the sea and he turned. His eyes grew wide. A massive wave was coming towards them.

"Um Virgil", he said.

"Yes", Virgil asked.

"Did you do that?"

"Do what", Virgil asked and turned. He saw the way. "Aw shit."

"They're here…" Penny whispered. "Fuse and Havoc… have come." Everyone turned to face the wave. Scott put his hands on Gordon and Alan's shoulders. Virgil stepped in front of them and Kayo joined him. Penny drew her sword and Parker and Sherbet stood beside her. Questa whistled loudly and the Mechanic started hovering in the air.

"Get ready to fight", Kayo said. "This time they are not taking anyone else."

TBC