SciFi and Fantasy Stories: Natural Disaster *Prologue*

Prologue

The season of the sun made the cobblestone streets of Arendell a harsh and unwelcome place.  The air remained still and dry without the hint of a breeze.  Clouds of dust sprang up beneath the feet of townspeople as they rushed to complete their morning errands.  So intent on their present plans, several stumbled, nearly tumbling to the ground themselves.  Upon noticing the obstacle within their path, a number cringed and shied away from the old man.  He appeared to be nothing more than a beggar, idly wandering the streets, but appearances can be deceiving.  Dirt and sweat mingled within the deep creases of his face, and his filthy, threadbare garments hung heavily on his frail form; but he had not always been found in such a reduced state.  Years ago, long before time had shown its face within his looking glass, he had held a place of high regard within society.  A court bard by trade, he had been sought out by High Lords and Ladies alike.  Now, he drifted through the lands of Aramel, wishing only to be heard.

Townspeople continued to avoid him in the street, unwilling to be seen in his presence for more than a brief moment.  The old man sighed with regret as he watched.  Years had given him a power that only comes with time, that of wisdom.  The world he remembered was not as it should be, and it would only continue its downward spiral if his story was not heard.  With a voice that carried the years of a much younger man, he began his tale.

“I invite all manner of folk to draw near and hear my words.  The tale I have to tell is of things long past, and perhaps if there are willing minds, things yet to come.  It was many years after the beginning; nevertheless it is where the story of our world should begin…

“There have always been the Gods, for how can anything else exist with no Gods to create it?  And so they created our world and all the living beings that populate it, but they were not the Gods one may think of, for they cared little for the common and often tedious affairs of the races they had created.  And so, to spare them the discomfort of being ill-tempered parents, the Gods gave birth to the Elementals: Earth, Air, Fire, and finally Water.  With the creation of new guardians complete, the Gods rejoiced and departed Aramel, returning to the world of the immortals.

“Left behind, the Elementals bonded more quickly than any other being before them.  Their love for one another grew in abundance and they sought to share it.  The four watched over the people of Aramel, caring for them as if they had been their own creation.  As time passed the curse of immortality clawed at the hearts of the Elementals as they watched generation after generation of their children pass away.  It was a pain only time would heal that lead the four to a firm agreement.  They would honor their children, bestowing upon them the power to call upon the Elementals at need.  At birth an infant would be marked as kin to the elements.  From that point on, he or she would be gifted with the ability to summon all the powers the Elementals possessed.  Immediately, the four scoured the world for those worthy of their glorious gift.  Yet, with the best of intentions it was not long before problems arose, for each Elemental held a different value of worth.  The male spirit of Water, the most energetic and youngest of the four often chose the babes he found suckling at the breasts of their beautiful mothers.  This infuriated Fire as she was quick to feel the fever of jealousy.  And so, Fire was careful to choose only those babes whose mother’s souls had fled during childbirth, soothing the hearts of the grieving widowers.  Earth was a generous spirit who found room in her heart for every infant she encountered, choosing only the children born into poverty.  Lastly was Air, and he spent the most time in his search, finally choosing those infants born into families shunned by all; the outcasts of Aramel.  Again the years passed as the Elementas watched their children grow and learn of the power held within their mortal bodies.  It seemed a joyous achievement, but in their triumph, they failed to notice the growing rift between them. 

“They were no longer the loving companions and caretakers that they had once been, for each now only loved the kin they had personally chosen.  They had made the fatal mistake of a parent who without understanding loves one child more than another.  Fire and Water had long been lovers, as had Earth and Air, for they alone could both calm and fuel the roiling passions roiling within the other.  Unfortunately, as is the case with many men and women, jealousy eventually overtook Fire’s love, and she fled as far from Water as she could.  That is why to this day, a flame will not flourish where water has left its mark.  Water, realizing his error and overcome with grief, fled to the farthest reaches of the land only to repeatedly crash down upon the sandy shores.  The salt of his tears filled the seas as they rained down from the clouds above.  Earth and Air, although both more open-minded and understanding than their friends, too were no longer able to settle their differences.  And so, Air in terrible anguish separated himself from Earth, hovering just beyond her reach.  Earth in great desperation created the mountains, longing to once again feel Air’s embrace, but he regarded her with little more than chilly disdain.  The four continued to love the kin separately, but apart their strength had greatly diminished. 

“The people of Aramel grew restless.  There were some who remembered the time of the Gods and created places of holy gathering in their honor.  They came to be known as the Members of Faith.  There were also those marked by the Elementals, who created brother and sister academies throughout Aramel.  Through these institutions they trained members of the kin and honed their abilities, eventually earning the title of Elemental Priests and Priestesses.  At the start the two beliefs intermingled and caused one another no harm.  However, slowly, just as the Elementals had drifted apart, the Members of Faith feuded with all who disagreed with their beliefs.  They were unaware that the Gods, to whom they were so devoted, cared as much about them as one might care for an ant squashed beneath their boot.  And so, it came to happen that many of the kin were hunted.  Very few of those marked at birth remained willing to suffer through the training that would only further place a target on their backs.  And that is the current way of the world.”

The story was complete, and he had done all he could.  Gazing out upon the onlookers with a spark of hope, the old man watched as one by one, the small crowd that had gathered dispersed.  Men and women alike returned to their early morning business, wearing startled expressions, clearly unsettled that they had become so immersed in a beggar’s tale.  With a clear sigh of disappointment, the old man turned and continued his roaming.