“Well, I’m not going to just sit around here and wait. I’m going to find answers,” the accountant said as he took off at a brisk pace.
Ares rolled his eyes at how arrogant he had come off, but agreed exploring would be their best option. He wouldn’t go too far as he didn’t want to be separated from Thea.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard the accountant cussing in confusion not too far. “What happened?” Ares asked annoyed.
“I can’t go through,” the older man replied.
”What do you mean you can’t go through?” Ares asked, hastening to the man’s side. To his surprise, the trees were positioned in a way that the trees in the back aligned with the trees in the front to create what was virtually a wall. “Is this even naturally possible?”
“It has to be if we’re looking right at it.”
Ares looked up. The trees were at least ten times taller than them, and their branches weren’t positioned in a way that they could be climbed. At least, not without a tool of some sort. Deeming it impossible to leave, he decided to wake Thea and explain the situation.
“What do you mean we’re trapped?” Thea asked. “And where are we? This doesn’t look like a seafloor.” She looked up to the blue sky, creativity coming over her. “Unless what we’re looking at is water. …Could there be a dime of water in the sky that separates our world from wherever this is?”
”I didn’t take you as the supernatural type,” Ares grinned playfully.
“I’m not, but we did just fall into an ocean after an unnatural storm occurred. I’m open to any and every explanation.”
The two strangers awoke, and Ares filled them in on what happened as well as Thea’s strange theory.
”At ease, children,” a gentle voice said; neither feminine nor masculine.
“Who’s there?!” Thea asked defensively as she whipped her head every which way looking for the source of the voice.
Four beings materialized in front of the group. Each were rhombus-shaped but possessed their own color and element. Blue, green, red, and brown. It took a moment for Thea to realize that the green diamond with flowers represented wind while the brown one formed of rocks represented earth.
“Children?” The accountant scoffed. “Maybe them.”
“Where are we?” Ares demanded.
”Hey, no need to be so hostile. We just saved you from certain death,” Fire spoke.
“I think we did die…” The black-haired lady mumbled.
“Are we still on Eyris or not?” The third man questioned.
“You are not,” Water spoke and Thea recognized them as the original speaker. “You have traveled to the world of Halcyone, a world far away from the one you know.”
“Why save us?” Thea asked. “It seems like an awful lot of trouble for you to save five people from a distant world.”
“Because we saw an opportunity. Allow me to explain: Halcyone has gone through many cycles. Each cycle, we appoint five beings as the protectors of the world. Sixteen times have we failed now.”
“Sixteen?” Ares gawked. “It sounds to me like you need to stop appointing people.”
“Unfortunately, Halcyone would physically spiral into chaos,” Earth said. Their voice was noticeably higher than the others and softer as well.
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“Physically?” The accountant asked.
“These beings are far more than protectors — they’re embodiments of different structures,” Wind explained. “Without light and darkness, there can be no day or night. Our world is stuck in eternal twilight. Without the sun and moon there are no laws to govern wake and sleep. Time is at a standstill. And without someone to govern life, nothing can truly be alive.”
“And here I was thinking they might be like Eyris’ guardians.” The brown-haired man crossed his arms and shook his head.
"Why choose us?" Ares asked.
"Up until now, we had always appointed beings from Halycone to take on these roles. Perhaps it was the reason we had failed," Water explained. "As for specifically you five, you presented an excellent opportunity. Portals cannot be made on a whim. As a being of water, I was able to create a portal when the five of you fell."
"What caused that storm to begin with?" Thea answered.
There was a long silence and an answer never came. Perhaps the Water themself had caused it.
"So, this is it?" Ares asked. "We've been plucked from our world and forced to serve as deities in your new one with no way back?" Something about this didn't sit well with Ares. Especially if it was these beings' doing that they ended up here in the first place.
"Why are you complaining?" The accountant asked. "They saved our lives and now we have the chance to become gods. What part of any of this is dissatisfying?"
"I don't want to be a god."
"You won't become gods," Wind corrected. "You will still retain your human nature, but you will find you don't age with your newly bestowed powers."
Ares huffed but didn't have a response. If he refused, what would happen? Would they kill him?
”Why don’t you tell us your names?” Water asked.
”Call me Jerry,” the brown-haired man said, pointing to himself in the process.
“Jerry, you will be given the title of Solus and reside in the Sun Domain. You will have power over wakefulness and energy.”
“Huh…”
”My name is Linda,” the black-haired girl answered.
“Linda, you will receive the title of Lunelle and watch over life in the Moon Domain. You will have power over sleep as well as the creatures of the night.”
“And dreams?”
”Dreams are the memories of this world as well as fragments of the future.”
”So, no…” Linda said quietly. As amazed as she was by everything else, she had hoped to also bestow dreams to others. Pleasant dreams to children and nightmares to evildoers.
“And you are?” Wind asked the blond-haired man.
”Ballard,” the accountant answered.
”Ballard, you will govern over all life in Halcyone. Both north and death are yours to control.”
Ballard nodded his head in satisfaction.
“Him?!” Ares shouted in outrage. “He’s an accountant!”
“And you’re just a child.”
“Silence. We will not tolerate bickering about your roles,” Water said sternly in a voice that commanded respect. The gentle warmth Thea had felt when they had first spoke had completely washed away leaving her fearful. “For you last two, we will speak in private.”
A gust of wind surrounded Thea and Ares. The last thing they saw was Ballard’s annoyed expression and Linda’s and Jerry’s confusion. Once the wind died away, the two arrived at a fountain on a hill. Twilight loomed above them vaguely illuminating the circular stone fountain.
“You two are our equals, if not our superiors,” Water spoke. “You are elements the same as us, light and darkness. However, you will find that you also exert control over the four classic elements. Thea, you are light and Ares, you are darkness.”
”Light has power over creation, while darkness has power over—“ Wind was cut off before they could finish their sentence.”
”Destruction,” Ares finished.
”No,” Wind said flatly. “What world would benefit from a being of destruction? You have the power to teleport, which is inherently destructive, if you think about it. Your body is being torn apart piece by piece before reassembling at the target location.”
Ares’ expression distorted into confusion and disgust from Wind’s explanation.
“Why are you telling us our roles in secret when the others were public?” Thea asked.
“Because we believe you two to be the key in this cycle,” Water began. “Thirteen times has the world ended due to light’s and darkness’ unconditional hatred for each other. By choosing two existing friends, we hope the outcome will differ.”
“What caused the other three?” Ares asked.
“War among the races. Twice.”
“And the last time?” Thea asked.
“An unfortunate diving accident related to the Lunelle at the time.”
The two blinked, unsure how to respond.
“What about people?” Thea asked. “Surely you don’t want the five of us to procreate with each other…?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Water began. “Each cycle we are able to bring with us fifty or so people among the different races via cryostasis. The cryostasis also has the additional side effect of erasing the person’s former memories, with the exception of the Fae.”
”Fae?” Ares raised an eyebrow.
“In your world I believe they would be known as faeries.”
“We should reconvene with the others,” Wind suggested. “The time for Halcyone’s rebirth is upon us.”