Elysia’s heartbeat pulsed through her chest.
She felt the crushing pressure of dirt and rock upon her body. The unending silence and darkness suddenly gave way to a claustrophobia-induced panic. She could barely feel herself amidst the ground that enveloped her. A surge of fear took hold, evolving as her body began to awaken further under the compression of Xyria’s soil. As her strength started to return, she struggled against the suffocating embrace of ground and gravity. In that moment, panic flooded her being while she resisted against the weight of a planet. Grunting and groaning, she wriggled and fought, attempting to scream against the relentless force. But dirt filled her mouth before a sound could escape, muffling her cries. She started to choke. With her heart racing from impending death and her lungs filling with soil, a sudden warmth overcame her. Tranquility washed over her; amid anxiety, a profound sense of safety and security emerged. The warmth rekindled memories of a power she once wielded.
A rush rose inside her as if recharging the power within, growing it tenfold. She felt the dirt retract from her mouth, and then, unleashing a great force, she propelled herself upward through the soil. The dirt parted before her as if commanded to yield while she ascended. As she emerged, the sharp daylight stung her eyes. The force that propelled her faded, leaving a stiffness as though she was still oppressed by the ground. Attempting to stand, she stumbled into a nearby tree, which was gray and cold to the touch. Disoriented, she felt a burst of energy from her hand upon the tree. The gray faded and became a gradient of browns. Color radiated through branches, leaves, and down to where the roots anchored into the ground. The transformation spread to the grass, turning pale, stiff blades into a vibrant green that cushioned Elysia’s steps. Through her daze, she gazed at the revitalized flora before collapsing.
The skies were clear this afternoon, without a cloud in sight. As the tree above waved in the wind, a shadow flashed past its upper branches. The wind softened to a halt, ceasing the grass’s happy dance. Two feet softly touched down nearby and slowly approached Elysia. The steps moved cautiously as if to avoid alarming the impending target. Reaching Elysia, the footsteps halted. Dark auburn hair fell inches away from Elysia’s face as the stranger leaned over her. Observing her condition, the stranger inhaled deeply, discerning information from Elysia’s scent. Pleasantly surprised, the stranger popped up, scanning the area for others. Leaning over again, she softly spoke.
“Hello?” The woman asked. Elysia was unresponsive.
Squatting, the young woman repeated, “Miss, you okay?”
She then grabbed a stick, poking Elysia’s shoulder, but received no reaction. After several more pokes, she noticed the stick’s unusual vibrancy, unlike any she had seen before. Shocked, she noticed the tree’s color and the lush grass beneath Elysia, soft and saturated as if it had rained recently. She stood up and noted the stark contrast between the vibrant patch and the dull surroundings. Her curiosity was piqued.
After another attempt to rouse Elysia, the young woman spoke again, “Sorry in advance if I drop you.” She began to wave her arms in a circular motion perpendicular to Elysia.
The wind began to pick up. The grass waved in the breeze the woman was creating, and the lush patch danced softly, creating rippling waves with each pass of her hands. As the wind intensified, Elysia became its focal point. Her hair and tattered clothes whipped wildly as she started to rise off the ground. The woman’s motions softened as the wind reached a force strong enough to levitate Elysia.
“Please don’t be crazy,” the woman murmured to herself. The two of them slowly took off into the sky. Although strangers, the young woman was sure to be as gentle as possible with the unconscious Elysia. Once they were just above the treetops, they flew off into the distance.
Later that day, Elysia woke up on a bed within a holding cell. Her arm was restrained by a heavy metal cuff to a pipe extending from the ceiling to the floor. A light pressure filled her head as she placed it into her hands. Images flashed through her mind too fast for her to focus on: glimpses of a tall man’s face, an intense feeling of rage and sorrow, the smell of iron, people screaming, and the loud crash of enormous structures crumbling. Then, she heard the knock of metal bars.
“Hey, hands where I can see them,” a man standing outside the cell ordered, his tone stern. He aimed a metal weapon at her from his hip. Elysia weakly raised her arms.
Footsteps could be heard in the distance, loudening as they approached until several people appeared in front of the cell—there were five. Three of them were dressed similarly to the man who told her to raise her hands. They lined up, one after the other facing the cell, each brandishing the same metal weapon as the first. The next was a woman, lacking the same uniformity as the men surrounding her. She wore a green sweater half a size too small, yet the sleeves fell well past her hands. Her shorts were worn, and blue as the sky. Though not as brown as Elysia’s, her skin was sun-kissed a shade only captured by melanin. The young woman’s dark auburn hair was long, wavy, and uncouth, reaching down to her waist.
The last person to step into sight was a large, bearded man. Elysia could feel him staring at her through his black shades. His confidence preceded him, offering comfort to those nearby. A badge that attested to his authority adorned his chest on a long, white jacket. The man guarding the cell saluted the large man and opened the cell door. He stepped in with ease and removed his shades.
“Please excuse the restraints. It is for our safety for you are a stranger and we are wary of strangers.” He spoke in a deep, relaxed voice. His eyes, calm and kind, resembled the ocean after a storm, bathed in sweet sunlight – and just as blue. Elysia’s eyes perked up when they met his. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but she could feel waves of warm water softly roll over her. An intriguing feeling. He only spoke for a second, but she felt a connection with him.
“My name is Ishh, and this is Xoital, my scout who found you in the Gale.” Xoital gave a serious nod as Elysia searched her eyes for a similar warmth.
“Would you mind telling us your name?” Ishh asked politely. Elysia stared back at him, her arms beginning to tremble. “I apologize, you may lower your arms now.” Ishh looked to his guards, signaling them to relax their aim.
Slowly lowering her arms, Elysia rubbed her cuffed wrist to encourage blood flow. She glanced down at the cuff and then back up to Ishh, who waited with patient expectation. A small smile played on his lips, an attempt to ease the situation’s tension subtly. She surveyed the cell, noting the oppressive concrete walls and floor. There were several puddles of water outside the cell along the path they walked in from. A slender, rectangular opening allowed light to filter in, presumably from outside. She glanced again at Xoital and asked, “You found me?”.
Ishh turned to Xoital, who returned his glance, seeking confirmation to respond. Ishh gently nodded in approval.
“Yes,” she began, clearing her throat, “you were unconscious under a tree.”
Elysia sized up Xoital, noting her petite frame in comparison to her own. “But you are so small.”
Annoyance flickered across Xoital’s face. Noticing the change, Ishh interrupted.
“-We can delve into the details later. Your name, however, you’ve yet to share with us.”
“My name…?” Elysia murmured, feeling the pressure mounting in her head once more. A vision of dark, smoke-pluming eyes flashed in her mind, accompanied by the echo of her name Elysia.
“Elysia,” she said, looking down.
“Thank you, Elysia.” Ishh nodded respectfully. He began to pace between the cell entrance and the window. The knock of his boots echoing in the space.
“When Xoital brought you to us, I wasn’t overly concerned. Many of us found our way here from disadvantageous positions. An unconscious woman lying in a field. Though different, we have seen worse. I thought nothing of it – until she showed me this.” Ishh revealed the stick Xoital used to prod Elysia with.
Elysia looked up to the stick in Ishh’s hand. It was a deep brown with a bright green leaf protruding from one end.
“It’s a stick,” Elysia remarked, unimpressed.
Ishh smiled. He began to walk toward her. “Yes, it is. But it is a very special stick, not found in these parts. None of us have seen a stick like this in all our lives.” He stretched his arm out, slowly passing across his company. Elysia remained unimpressed.
“Have you noticed the trees outside? The grass and the flowers?” Ishh paused. “Nothing but mute, ash-toned fields and forests blanket the ground. It is dull, gray, and cold. Dead – at least very near death. But this,” he pointed to the stick, “This is…alive.”
Elysia remained uninterested, dismissing Ishh’s fascination with the stick as a pointless musing. She had been half listening to him anyway - too focused on trying to understand why she couldn’t remember her name or recognize the images that flashed in her mind. She didn’t understand a lot of things happening around her – it was frustrating. She hadn’t considered her fatigue to be a factor.
Ishh, noticing that Elysia was not fully attentive to his words, paused and reassessed. He handed the stick to Xoital, who tucked it into the sleeve of her leg warmer. “Did you not see the tree next to you before you became unconscious?” Ishh asked, slightly puzzled at Elysia’s obliviousness. After a moment deciding whether or not to allow her out of the cell, he stood up, “Please, allow me to show you what I am talking about.”
Ishh gestured to the cell guard who then secured both of Elysia’s hands with a sleeker-looking cuff. This one was lighter in weight, gave off a faint blue glow at the joint, and hummed softly. After the heavy cuff was removed, another guard assisted her from the bed. Ishh, followed by Xoital, walked out of the cell, leading the way for Elysia through the hallway. The three soldiers that accompanied them followed behind her. The stairway leading out of the holding area was cramped and unreasonably damp. No one seemed to mind the puddles they stepped through. Elysia saw her reflection in the water. With each one, she pieced together more of herself, bridging the gaps in her memory. She remembered her name – Elysia - that felt right. It was accurate. She also recalled another name – Ayii.
Who is Ayii? Elysia wondered. They passed by several pairs of guards, all armed with identical metal weapons. Upon passing a third pair, they stopped before a metal door. After a moment, Ishh opened it. The light from outside flooded the hall. It was significantly brighter, causing everyone to squint as they adjusted to the illumination. Ishh placed his shades back on and stepped forward into the open air.
Crossing the threshold brought a refreshing change. Almost simultaneously, everyone exhaled, basking in the glory of the open air. The trees were faded and gray-toned. The grass was stiff and muted, crunching under their feet as they walked. Elysia took in the ashen scenery as they approached the precipice of a tree-dense area. It was all shades of gray. Each tree looked as though they were on the edge of death, begging to be allowed the dignity of petrification, but forced into a purgatory of existence where they could not flourish. Once they stopped, Ishh signaled to Xoital for the stick and walked over to Elysia.
“I have seen this forest countless times.” He said, looking towards the forest, “Gray. Sad. Full of emptiness. It hasn’t changed since I first laid eyes upon it. And it’s not just here. This faded landscape stretches all over Zephyr. I grew up with this,” he pointed to a bleak oak nearby, “We grew up with this. It is the backdrop of our lives.” Ishh continued, “But this morning, Xoital found you unconscious under a tree unlike any other. It was in full color and life - like this stick - lying in a small pocket of the greenest grass I couldn’t even picture in my dreams. Only in storybooks.” He raised the stick to Elysia's eye level, a tinge of desperation in his voice. “So, tell me, Elysia, how is this possible?”
Stolen story; please report.
Elysia looked into his eyes, she could feel the ocean from earlier, but the warm, calm waters were stirring, morphing into agitation. She could tell he needed her to answer this riddle. It was something of immense importance, not only to him but to her as well. She stared at the stick closely and moved to grab it from him. One of the guards quickly grabbed her arm. A protective reflex that Ishh swiftly called an end to. He gave it to her and looked at her with a deep hope that she would reveal the secrets of its revitalization.
The stick gave off a faint, warm feeling in Elysia’s hand. This feeling she struggled to describe was indeed curious, and comforting. There was a kinship, a bond between them, and this stick that Elysia held would help connect it all. While she gazed at the stick, she kneeled into the pale grass as it crunched rhythmically to her movements. Leaning over, with the stick in one hand, she extended her other hand into the grass, feeling the stiff blades within her palm. As she combed her fingers through the nearly lifeless ground, a familiar sensation stirred. It reminded her of something she knew once belonged to her – or at least to a part of her.
A mist began to roll in, beginning to dampen the sunlight, amplifying the already dull atmosphere of the space. The guards aimed their weapons at her in anticipation, just to be sure they were able to stop her at a moment’s notice if she attempted to attack or escape. Xoital watched her move and felt something spark within her as if she was witnessing a great change. Ishh remained stoic at the sight, still waiting for that pivotal moment to occur.
Elysia ceased combing through and grasped the blades. She closed her eyes and thought of the name she heard echo in her mind.
Ayii, she could feel her body warm to the thought of who this name belonged to. It swirled around in her head until it dissolved into particles of light that filled the corners of her thoughts. The warmth of the light flowed through Elysia, channeling into her hand that grasped the grass. A surge of excitement rushed out and poured into the grass. The stiff, pale blades she held softened. The gray faded and a radiant green expanded out from where her hand rested in all directions. It started slow and then accelerated, zooming past everyone’s feet. It stretched to the nearby trees, painting them shades of brown. Within seconds, the nearly dead field they stood in turned into an oasis. The sunlight that pierced the mist bounced off the revived foliage and illuminated the area, creating an inviting green ambiance.
The guards lowered their weapons as they witnessed the transformation. Xoital looked around in awe. It was exactly how it was where she first found Elysia. Ishh, satisfied with what he saw, knelt next to Elysia, removed his shades, and placed his hand on her shoulder. She felt the agitation melt. She looked up at him and watched the waves in his eyes calm. They were as serene as ever.
“Elysia…this is-”
“Wait!” Xoital interrupted. Her gaze set on the trees ahead. Elysia, looking upward at Xoital, felt a wave of tension build. She could feel Xoital tap into something powerful. For a second, Elysia could see a change in the air around her. This feeling Elysia thought. Xoital stepped ahead of the group, focusing her attention on the line of trees. The mist began to thicken.
Grass could be heard crunching in the distance. As the sound drew near. Xoital’s eyes widened. “Someone’s coming.” She turned to the group, looking to Ishh for information on their next move. Ishh locked eyes with her for a moment, then turned to look at Elysia. “We must move.” He motioned to assist her off the ground. The crunching heard past the trees dampened as the sound came closer, entering the space of the now revitalized area of flora. As the group began to retreat to the entrance they came, several figures appeared from the wall of trees. They split into groups, flanking Elysia and her captors.
Though the fog curtained the sunlight, breaks allowed the golden glow to pass through. As the strangers got closer, a voice boomed.
“Halt!” The voice echoed among the nearby trees. The group slowly backed into each other, clumping up. The strange people that encircled the group were all clad in black and gold armor that reflected the light that broke through. Each branding a large metallic weapon they aimed at the group.
Noticing their weapons, one of the black armored figures yelled, “They are armed!”.
“Drop your weapons, now!” another figure demanded, centering his aim at the group.
“Shit, Ome Guardians.” one of Ishh’s guards stated.
“A patrol. Out here?” another questioned.
“Captain, what should we do?” the third guard asked. Ishh, focused on the Guardians in front of him, was racing to think of a plan. He did not expect Ome Guardians to be in this part of the Gale. “Normally, they do not patrol this far in the outskirts of the islands,” he thought, “Were they in search of something?”
Ishh grabbed Elysia’s hand and pushed her behind him, into the center of their defensive circle. Her display of transforming the landscape was something he knew could not be replaced. It was paramount. Ishh looked at Xoital. They locked eyes and understood one another.
“We do not bend to Ome and his oppression,” Ishh spoke to his three guards.
His guards braced their weapons and aimed at the Guardians who now stopped their advance. One of the Guardians commanded again, “Drop your weapons! This is your last warning!” The voice rode across the wind. Xoital could smell Ome’s dark influence on the Guardians. It stunk and filled her with anger. Elysia noticed the change in the air. The calm that radiated from Xoital was gone and replaced with rigid energy. She knew Xoital wanted to kill them. Ishh noticed Xoital’s shift as well.
“Easy Xoi,” Ishh, softly suggested to Xoital. “Control.”
One of Ome’s Guardians noticed the badge on Ishh’s jacket—a symbol he had recognized from briefings.
“They’re Rebels.” He yelled, informing his companions.
With this information now known, all the Guardians hardened their resolve and looked down their sights. The metal weapons they held all at once flashed a bright light. A loud bang echoed over the rustling of the trees. Elysia could feel the heat that burst from these metallic cannons. She had never seen such a device. The bang followed the flash, but what followed the bang startled Elysia even more. She could hear the whirring of something flying past her. It was so fast that she almost didn’t notice it. The air the projectile cut through brushed her cheek. Xoital, as fast as she could move, whipped, and threw her arms around her, stirring up a powerful gust that tore into the ground. The whizzing sound stopped abruptly, and bits of metal deflected up into the air from the wind she lashed at it.
Ishh’s rebels returned fire. Their metal weapons created the same effect – A flash. A bang. An explosion of heat. And the whirring of the air being cut from high-velocity metal. Elysia winced each time.
Ishh waved his arms up into the air. Almost simultaneously, water rushed out from beneath his jacket, following the same movement of his arms. The bullets that were sent to him quickly stopped and were thrown to the side. He made multiple jabbing motions, and the water bolted ahead of him, punching one of the Guardians back into a tree with great force, and knocking him unconscious. A nearby Ome Guardian, witnessing the elemental manipulation, radioed to his team.
“They are Scarred! I repeat, they are Scarred! Switch to Suppressive combat! Ome wants all Scarred alive and unharmed.”
Hearing this, the Guardians stopped firing and turned their backs to the rebels. Their shots repelled off what looked to be a transparent wall made of energy that projected off the Guardians’ backs. The ricochets could be heard ringing through the air. The Guardians faced the group, now each holding a humming plate that projected a wall of purple light and a smaller metal weapon that gave off a similar glow. They slowly began to close in on the group. Xoital, swinging her arms wildly sent blades of wind at the Guardians with all her might. Elysia watched the purple light from the shields blink with white ripples and the Guardians were unphased at Xoital’s efforts. One fired their new weapon and a pulse rushed toward the rebels. The pulse ring refracted the light around it and crashed into the armed rebel guards. They immediately dropped their weapons and fell to the ground screaming in pain, covering their ears with their hands. Elysia was disturbed at the sight of their despair.
Xoital continued to send waves of air but to no avail. Ishh, adjusting his tactics to the Guardian’s new approach, retracted the water he was using and sent it into the sky above the Guardian in front of him. Focused and swift, he wriggled his fingers in the air, motions similar to a masterful pianist. The water above the enemy scattered into droplets. In a blink, the droplets stretched into needles of ice and rained upon the Guardian. Before he could let off a round from the new weapon, he was riddled by several hundred icicles that shredded through his helmet. The guardian adjacent to him let off a pulse, but his reaction wasn’t quick enough. The icy needles burst out of his now dead teammate and pierced through him with the same speed and force.
After making quick work of them, Ishh moved to assist Xoital who was beginning to tire. Her razored air lost its sharpness as she began to fatigue. Another pulse was fired at Xoital and Ishh. It collided with them but did not have the same effect on them as it did the rebels before. Ishh’s attempt to send his water toward them was halted by the pulse. The same icy needles dulled and splashed against the Guardian’s armor. Elysia, still standing closely behind them, dropped down to try and help the yelping rebels on the ground.
Whatever the pulse was, it did something to them on a deeper level. Elysia placed her hand on one of the guard's chest. Her touch eased his pain enough for him to realize she was there. In his moment of relief, he reached into his waistband, removed a key, and unlocked Elysia’s shackles. The glow of the cuffs faded and fell off her. She removed her hands from his chest. The pain immediately welled up again and he was back to cringing on the floor, covering his ears.
The feeling of relief was fleeting as the fight ensued around her. Within mere moments, the pulse shots effectively began to wear down Xoital and Ishh. Their intimidating display of elemental control wavered as they began to fumble, appearing as though they were crumbling under an immense force. As they fell, Elysia rose from behind them.
“There’s one more. Get her down.”
The Guardians continued their assault, firing pulses with little pause in between. Elysia was unaffected by their weapon. She felt the push of the pulses as they impacted her, but little more than a nudge. After a minute, the Guardians noticed that their pulse weapons were not having any effect.
“Target is unaffected by pulse suppression.” One Guardian alerted. “Stand down or we will be forced to eliminate you. This is your only warning!” He commanded Elysia.
They all turned their backs and holstered their pulse weapons, switching back to the projectile ones from earlier. This brief ceasefire was all she needed. In the moments of their tactical switch, Elysia felt the warmth she had been feeling on and off since she awakened. From her interactions with Xoital and Ishh to the rush of excitement brought on by revitalizing the flora. It filled the void within, imbuing her with strength. She could feel it overflowing – the desire to heal what had been damaged. To restore order. Balance. She looked at the injured rebels on the ground then turned to the sight of the nearly paralyzed Ishh and Xoital, struggling to stand to continue their fight. She returned her gaze to the Guardians. What deep, dark intent pushed them to such violence? Her eyes peered into the soul of their leader. She could almost touch the dense pressure on him. It was suffocating.
Elysia focused back on the overwhelming warmth that empowered her. It felt like her heart was about to explode in an intense fire whose force had compounded under compression, locked inside without ventilation.
The Guardians began to turn around with their piercing metallic weapons, to unleash the flash and bangs that ripped through the wind. The intent to kill was palpable. Elysia felt their dark intentions stretch out. It covered the sky, blocking what little light the sun gave. It blanketed the canopy with bloodlust that dripped down, flooding the grassy field. It spilled out from each Ome Guardian that encircled her coming in to overtake her – to snuff out the small light she had.
The warmth consumed Elysia’s consciousness and saturated her entire being. She felt the presence of another. A woman, draped in pure light, possessing pitch black eyes that plumed smoke. Her hand gently rested on Elysia’s shoulder as she stepped forward, looking over her shoulder. She smiled softly at her and stepped out, leaving Elysia in an abyss.
Elysia’s eyes blackened, and ominous smoke escaped from them. The golden brown of her pupils stepped back behind the pitch-black curtains. She raised her hands to the sky, and in an instant, slammed them to the ground. The ground trembled, and the trees rocked uncontrollably. The grass waved out radially from the epicenter of the impact. Roots burst from the ground ahead of the Guardians at a great speed, grappling them and suspending them in the air. Another set of roots emerged and ripped their weapons to ribbons. Their screams fell short on the quiet Elysia who continued her motions, controlling each root with precision. She gathered them deftly, with no movement wasted - releasing them and rebinding them into a single bundle, with no time for them to react or adapt to what was happening. Once they were all together, the roots grew around them rampantly and squeezed them as they slowly lowered the Guardians back to the ground, bound under the weight of several vines that remained. Most of the Guardians passed out. She then spread her arms out to her sides sending a shockwave in all directions. The wave washed over the entire area. It expanded out to the ends of the Gale, past the trees and the nearby huts. It spilled over the edge of the island, painting every plant with the same lush vibrance as the stick she held earlier. Life was returned to them.
In one swift motion, she moved toward the defeated Rebels, running past, making the grass beneath them bubble and carry them on a wave toward the base entrance. She opened the door for them right before they all spilled down the stairs, landing in front of the guards they had passed inside earlier. Elysia entered behind them, slamming the door shut with enough force to warp the dense metal inward, and commanded the ground to cover it up. Vine and rock washed over the outside of the door in layers, further concealing and blocking the entrance from ever being used again.
The smoke from Elysia’s eyes ceased and the black faded, revealing her golden-brown irises. She dropped to her knees and looked up to find the Rebel guards inside aiming their weapons at her.