Zalan swallowed painfully hard as Rep’s eyes rapidly flit between Zalan and the Elemental watching Zalan closely from above. The three of them constantly looked at the flow of blood from Zalan’s hand. Rep was biting the inside of his lip hard, his concern taking a physical toll on him. Rep was shifting in place madly, feeling like he should be doing something to help.

“Zalan, dress your wounds. Close them, please,” Rep pleaded, holding out the bandages.

Zalan’s eyes had gone docile, not quite following all the words of the request, but understanding the meaning nonetheless.

“I’m fine,” Zalan whispered.

The Elemental watched keenly, its body unmoving as its robe flowed in place like a tumultuous storm cloud, the streaks of lightning in its clothing growing more energized as it watched Zalan. The light of the sun slowly dimmed as unnaturally fast clouds from the distance began rolling in, obscuring its rays. Zalan looked up to Rep, his face growing pale. He licked his lips before he spoke.

“Cold,” Zalan whispered.

“You have lost too much blood! We should put a stop to it!” Rep said firmly, but looked back up at the Elemental looming over them, as if asking permission to halt the challenge.

The Elemental only watched.

“Don’t stop, I’m just cold,” Zalan insisted weakly.

“The sun is blocked by the clouds! What am I to do?” Rep was panicking.

“Fire,” Zalan said.

“What? Oh, yes, right,” Rep brought his hands together and created a flame in his palm, about the size of a baseball. He held it as close to Zalan as he felt was safe and Zalan was able to reply with a grateful half-smile.

“How much time remains?” Zalan asked the Elemental. “I have not been keeping track of time.”

Both Rep and Zalan looked up at the Elemental expectantly.

The Elemental only watched.

“Zalan, please,” Rep begged, the flame in his hand dancing with urgency. “Think this through! Please do not die over an Elemental challenge. There are other Elementals. End this.”

Zalan slightly shook his head, as much as he was able. Rep bit the inside of his lip harder and added more energy into his flame, uncertain how badly Zalan was in need of warmth.

The seconds went by, the Elemental’s interest never showing signs of dwindling. Zalan made a dozen different pained expressions as he struggled to remain conscious and Rep held the bandages in one hand and the flame in the other, desperate for the challenge to cease before Zalan had done irreparable damage. Or worse.

The world grew dark to Zalan, his lack of warmth exacerbated by the clouds rolling in and blocking out the entire sky. The world was overcast now, the bright yellowish brown sand now a dull gray. Zalan tried to adjust himself in his sitting position, but collapsed on his back, groaning. Rep dove to cover the wound and stop the challenge, but Zalan had enough strength to lightly bat Rep’s hand away. The intent was painfully clear to Rep. Zalan would rather die than end the challenge.

“Zalan, I cannot let you die,” Rep said urgently, the pain of biting his lip reaching a stinging peak.

“M’fine,” Zalan slurred. He was delirious and Rep wasn’t even certain that Zalan heard the words he spoke. Rep thought that there was no way Zalan could consciously call the challenge off anymore, he had lost too much blood. He was suffering without knowing why anymore.

Rep could only look up at the Elemental in rage.

“End the challenge! He has done enough!” Rep commanded.

The Elemental did not respond.

“I said end the challenge! It has to have been ten minutes! You are prolonging his suffering for your perverse enjoyment!”

The Elemental kept his gaze fixed upon Zalan’s bleeding hand, the blood flow having slowed significantly in the minutes that crawled by.

“Stop it!” Rep demanded, the ball of fire in his palm expanding. “Stop the challenge!”

Rep roared and blasted a flame at the Elemental. The ball of fire flew right through the Elemental, its robe shifting slightly like fog having been disturbed.

The Elemental did not react.

Rep stood staring and enraged, then remembered Zalan’s state and knelt down to offer him more warmth from a newly created fire in his palm. Zalan was breathing and his eyes open, but he didn’t even respond to Rep‘s outburst. Rep was worried he was completely unresponsive at this point.

“The challenge is complete,” the Elemental breathed its icy cold speech. “My power is yours. Use it across the world and show them the power of the Storm Elemental. Do not waste it. Do not lose the gift I grant.”

The arm of the cloudy robe rose, though no hand emerged from within the dark garment. The Elemental’s sleeve shined yellow, then a strike of lightning arced from the Elemental into Zalan’s chest. Zalan winced in fear, but didn’t experience any pain. In fact, he felt as though he was given a jolt of energy, wiping away the delusional drift that was creeping over his mind. He was still weak, but had retreated far from death’s door.

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The Elemental lowered its arm and continued to float silently for a few seconds as Zalan finally accepted the bandages from Rep, closing off the wound that drove him to near-death. Zalan flexed his good hand a few times, feeling a new power—almost a new sense—flowing through him. It was odd, exhilarating, and inspiring, making him feel new.

“Cool,” he said, his voice hoarse.

Rep helped him sit up and force-fed him some water, followed by what little food remained of their rations. Zalan took it all gratefully, suddenly having a thought wondering why he never donated blood in the past. He just dumped way more than was necessary for a blood donation for some random creature that told him to. The food and drink made him feel more alert, and the warm fire of Rep’s palm was a welcome way to end the challenge.

“You’re bleeding?” Zalan pointed to Rep’s mouth.

“I bit my lip too hard. It is a habit of mine when I am nervous,” Rep smiled a small, red-stained grin.

“Sorry,” Zalan said, uncertain how else to respond.

“Do not be. You have overcome the challenge of an Elemental I was almost certain did not exist,” Rep said.

“What Elemental Power is it?” Zalan asked.

“You can check your stats,” Rep suggested, shrugging.

Zalan tapped his index finger to his thumb three times and turned his wrist over to check. Rep leaned in close to read as well.

ELEMENT: LIGHTNING

“Lightning? I don’t remember reading about that one,” Zalan said.

“I have never heard of it before,” Rep said, stunned.

“How does it work?” Zalan asked eagerly.

“I know nothing of this power,” Rep answered.

“What about Elemental Power in general? How do you use your fire?” Zalan asked.

“It is like discovering a new muscle. We sometimes refer to it as a mind-muscle,” Rep explained. “Once you know the right piece of your mind you need to access, you will use it easily.”

Zalan frowned, then looked back up at the Elemental that continued to watch them silently, the dark clouds brooding over it. The creature judged him quietly. They watched one another closely, the streaks of lightning continuing to run through the Elemental’s clothing.

“How do I use it?” Zalan tried asking the Elemental.

The Elemental watched silently.

Zalan sighed and reached out his hand toward the nearest abandoned building, trying to emulate the hand motions that Rep would use when emitting a flame. He attempted a few different variations and hand gestures before sputtering and lowering his hand.

“Maybe you just require more rest,” Rep suggested.

“Yeah,” Zalan agreed, his cut hand still stinging under the wrappings. “I’ll give it a try later.”

“Use the power,” the Elemental ordered. It sounded like a threat. The lightning in its robe grew more frantic.

Zalan and Rep looked at one another, stunned. They hadn’t expected for the Elemental to speak anymore. And the lack of its normally neutral tone made them uneasy.

“I don’t know how!” Zalan protested.

“Use the power,” it insisted, its voice a menacing, deep tone.

Zalan looked at Rep whose face had gone white though his chin was marked with the red from his bleeding lips. Zalan pointed his arm toward a building again, trying to reach for something within himself that he didn’t know existed. The lightning in the Elemental’s cloak was now audible, rushing violently through the clothes with thunderous rage. Zalan strained his hand.

“I grant you a gift and you reject it?” the Elemental asked, its voice crescendoing in its offense.

“I’m trying!” Zalan insisted, his hand cramping in effort.

“He just needs time!” Rep shouted at the Elemental as the wind began to pick up around them.

Rolling thunder echoed from beyond the city, and although Zalan couldn’t be sure it was caused by the Elemental, he felt it was a consequence of its growing anger. Zalan tried thinking as hard as he could to find the new muscle in himself to use. The wind grew painful, the sand stinging as it struck Zalan and Rep’s skin like tiny fiery pellets. The only noise he could make out was sand and wind in his ears. Rep was still screaming at the Elemental, but Zalan could no longer make out the words even though he was right next to him.

The Elemental grew larger, its entire being shifting with thousands of shocks of lightning racing around in unison. The Elemental growled in anger, raising both of its arms toward Zalan. Rep stood in the way with his arms open, continuing to shout in earnest. Zalan threw his arm out, trying to elicit some lightning-like reaction as he waved it around. The Elemental’s arms became blinding as they were filled with power, both Rep and Zalan’s hair standing on end as the Elemental prepared to strike. Zalan screamed, placing all of his focus into his fingers and hoping to send out a massive bolt of lightning, enough to scare away the Elemental. Rep continued shouting words that could not be heard. The Elemental breathed deeply, its anger about to manifest in attack.

Then, a miniscule spark jumped from Zalan’s finger, like the little blue jolt of a faulty outlet being plugged into.

Immediately, the wind died, sand falling all around Zalan and Rep. Rep was breathing deeply, having shouted as loud as he could for longer than he expected. Zalan was looking at the finger that emitted the tiny spark with fascination, astounded that he was able to emit anything.

Both Rep and Zalan looked up to the Elemental, which had resumed its passive watching. It had lowered its arms, and the lightning stopped racing through its robes. Although Zalan still could not see its face, Zalan could feel that the creature was smiling at him. He didn’t like the feeling.

“Farewell,” the Elemental said, ascending slowly away from them.

“Wait!” Rep screamed immediately. “No, don’t leave!”

Zalan looked up in confusion.

“You want that thing to stick around? It was just about to kill us!” Zalan asked, horrified.

“When Elementals grant power, they normally just disappear! They don’t leave!” Rep said in earnest.

“What do you mean? What’s the difference?” Zalan said, remembering having read about the phenomena of Elementals disappearing in thin air after granting powers.

The storm clouds doubled in mass, lightning darting across their gray shadows multiple times in succession, followed closely by earth-rumbling thunder. Zalan’s eyebrows drew close in fear as he stared in confusion as the Elemental drifted away, behind the clouds.

“What’s happening?” Zalan asked as rain began to fall upon them, the wind picking up speed.

“Whenever an Elemental moves to a new home, disaster follows both where it began and where it goes,” Rep said. Zalan’s eyes went wide as he remembered the fact.

Zalan stared up in dread as the Elemental storm that was able to destroy an entire populated city quickly festered around them.