Elemental Shadowed by Helen Scott

2

Finn

Dresden's announcement that Tessa was there in her mind, trapped inside a slowly degrading body, and there was nothing any of us could do about it made me sick to my stomach. She was there though, and that was the main thing. Until Dresden had shared that news we honestly hadn't been sure if her brain still had any higher function to it.

Even knowing that I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. The queen's advisors had locked me out and there was no way for me to contact her. I understood, after all she'd almost died during the attack as well. The ice castles that had been erected around the queen and Tessa were no match for the full force of El Dorado's fire.

That was the thing that worried me the most about the attack, every realm was represented. It wasn't just Atlantean against Atlantean. We knew that the people who wanted one realm came from all realms, but seeing it in action, in battle, in my home realm? That was something different entirely.

I left the room that Tessa was ensconced in, it was one of the royal healing suites, usually reserved for members of the royal family, but since the queen had no children this one had gone unused for a while. In some ways it seemed like Tessa was making up for the lack of use. At least with it being one of the royal suites only approved employees could enter. It meant she was safer. Marginally.

My last hope was the old temple. We hadn't had a high priestess in a while, but there were what amounted to nuns and other holy women that still ran the temple. I was hoping that they might have some insight into the old magic, because if this was Atlantean magic that was responsible then it wasn't anything that had been used in a long time.

Fortunately, the temple wasn't far from the healing rooms since they used to be considered connected. Our life force and magic had been considered one and the same at one point. Not so much anymore. Now, that was considered an antiquated way of thinking.

I wove through the corridors and up and down stairs, not really seeing my surroundings, too lost in my own thoughts and fears for anything else. It was only when I found myself standing in front of the dark, sapphire blue doors of the temple that I was able to rouse myself.

The heavy glass was made eons ago and looked as beautiful as though it was brand new. There were a few scratches here and there but it only added to the beauty along with the shells and other items that had been encased in the doors when they were first made.

They swung silently open and it was only some soft humming coming from further in the temple that let me know I wasn't walking into an empty area. The scent of salt water seemed especially strong as I walked in and I vaguely remembered that they had some of the waters from outside the rings piped in.

It wasn't considered holy per se, but it was considered more pure than the water found within the rings. It was also salt water which set it apart from the water in the inner rings as well. Atlanteans had adapted to survive on salt water, but in general we preferred regular water.

I followed the sound of humming and as I moved further inward I realized that it was accompanied by flowing water. The sound was soothing to my soul after having spent so much time away from Atlantis.

"Excuse me?" I called out after clearing my throat. I didn't want to startle the woman or women within the temple but I needed to speak with them somewhat urgently if Tessa's degradation was anything to go by.

An older woman in flowing blur and silver robes with silver hair appeared from around a corner I hadn't even noticed.

"Yes, young man? Can we help you?" she asked, her voice almost musical in nature.

"I was wondering if there was anyone I could speak with about the ancient magics?" I tried to swallow the nerves I felt about asking such a thing and in a place like this. It felt like it was beyond my pay grade, but I had to try.

The silver slashes of her eyebrows shot toward her hairline. "The ancient magics?"

"There is someone who has been bound by magic and I was hoping that you might have some suggestions as to how to remove the binding. It's not any magic I'm familiar with." I took a deep breath and tried not to think the worst of the situation, but I was fully aware that Tessa's life was still in danger even though she was in the healing pools.

"Bound how?" she asked, giving me a skeptical look as though this was all some prank that I was playing on her.

"Her mind is bound within her body and though she is still there mentally the more she fights the magic the more it destroys her body." Nausea rolls through me once more as I put the situation into words.

"Binding magic like that ? That's not Atlantean, but I may be able to help you undo it anyway."

I waited as patiently as I could for her to explain since she appeared to be deep in thought, but after a few moments I couldn't stop myself from asking, "How?"

"You need the help of the waters. I assume she's currently in a healing pool?"

I nod.

"Then you must take her through the rings to the outer edge and seek the help of the beasts in the depths. Any of them will do, but they are the only ones in this realm with magic powerful enough to break another realm's work."

"The healing pools are the only thing keeping her alive right now. If we take her out then that alone could kill her." I don't mean to be ungrateful for the advice, but there has to be another option.

"Could being the important part of what you just said. Do nothing and she will die a slow death. Do this and she might be able to get help." The elderly woman shrugged.

"If we do this, how do we convince one of the beasts to help? It's not like I can just call one of them up."

"You are a warrior are you not? A traveler?" she looked at me expectantly. She knew I was one of the ones searching for the key. I hadn't been careful enough about what I said and now I had potentially put us all at risk. Though out of everyone who could be a traitor to Atlantis, I doubted that it was one of the priestesses who would want to do whatever she could to preserve Atlantis and our culture. Why else would you devote your life to the temple?

I nodded slowly.

"Then that means you are the strongest among us. You can swim out and call to them, they will answer if they sense your need. Have faith." She patted me on the shoulder with a delicate hand.

Having faith was something I thought I'd been good at until everything we thought we knew about the key turned out to be wrong. Having Tessa be the key was the last thing anyone expected and I knew the queen's advisors weren't convinced that we were right. Now I felt like everything was questionable, as though my very foundation was no longer stable.

"Can we really trust them?" I hadn't meant to say it aloud, but it was too late.

"You must. You have no other choice. The more your faith in them wavers the more they will question whether or not you need their help. There are many who have tried to deceive them, use them, even hunt them. Make sure your faith is strong and true and you will be rewarded for it." Everything about her expression and body language told me that she was being honest, but I really wished there was another way. Taking Tessa from the healing pools was the last thing I'd been expected to have to do, and yet it seemed to be the only option.

"Thank you," I replied, giving her a deep bow to show my respect.

"When the key is ready she should come and pay her respects, learn a little more about who we are."

I snapped upright and stared at her.

"We may live in the temple, devote our lives to the waters but we hear plenty and you weren't as discreet as you thought. I believe that she is the key if you believe that, but don't let her only see the bad that Atlantis has to offer. Show her the wonder and the good as well."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say and also feeling like a scolded child.

"You better hurry, Atlantean. She needs you and the help only you can provide."

With that she turned away and I was left speechless. My people didn't have the gift of foresight like Dresden's people did, but she seemed to know what was going on before I told her.

I couldn't worry about that now though because the priestess was right, we had no time to waste if I had to get her to the outer rings and find one of the sea beasts. With quick sure steps I made my way back to the healing pools, trying not to draw too much attention as I went.

When I burst into the room I was thankful that Griff was the only one there. "Do you trust me?" I demanded.

He nodded.

"Then don't question me, just help me now and I'll explain on the way."

Griff pushed up from his seat and waited, ready for action whatever it needed to be. I knew he was surprised when I waded into the healing pool and pulled Tessa out.

"Grab the blanket and wrap it around her," I said as I nodded to the folded cloth that was placed in every healing room.

Thankfully he didn't question me and just did as I asked. The three of us headed out of the healing rooms and through the palace making a beeline for the main entrance. Tessa was a lump in my arms as we crossed through the market and the inner ring. The whole time all I could focus on was whether or not I could feel her heartbeat, feel her drawing breath as we went.

Time seemed to crawl by until we finally arrived on the farming ring, it was only there with enough space around us that I felt safe to tell Griffin what the priestess had advised me to do.

"So," I said as I wrapped up. "I need you to guard her while I ask one of the ancient beasts for help."

"Of course. You know I won't let anything happen to her."

The thing was I couldn't tell if that was because he cared about her as the key or if he was starting to have feelings for her. I didn't blame him, hell, I didn't even know how the other two were resisting her, but I also didn't want to compete with a man I thought of as a brother for the heart of the woman I cared for.

It was getting complicated. Messy. And I hated that. More hours passed in tense silence as we crossed the farming ring and made our way through the outside ring until we came to the far shore.

Tessa's breathing was getting labored and I could hear her wheezing as she struggled to get enough air. The muscles of her lungs didn't seem to want to work as well anymore. I finally found a beach and carefully set her down before stripping out of my clothes.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," I called over my shoulder to Griff. "Keep her safe." With that I waded into the salty water and called on my magic, transforming myself into what Tessa would think of as a mermaid, or in my case, a merman. She hadn't seen this side of me yet, not completely. She'd glimpsed it a little in the healing pool when we'd been together, but that hadn't even scratched the surface really.

My magic was sluggish, weak from lack of use. The others complained because they couldn't use their magic as much, but I always felt like I had it a little worse. It wasn't just that I couldn't transform, but I was away from water for the most part as well, it left me feeling like I wasn't myself, not completely. The only time I'd used my magic in a way that felt important was when I proved to Tessa that I had magic at all.

The thought spurred me on.

I swam out as fast as I could, calling to the beasts with my magic, begging them to come and help me, help the one that could, no, that would save the realms. The water rushed over my skin as I moved and other creatures got out of my way in a hurry as I swam further and further out. The only thing I had to be careful of was swimming so far that I couldn't make it back, that wouldn't do anyone any good.

A large shadow in the distance made my hopes soar. They would come and help just like the priestess had said. My faith in my people's culture flared back to life, just in time for another shadow to join the first.

One was a blessing but two? That made me nervous.