Elemental Awakening

Chapter Seven

Diary entry: day nineteen

Oh my gosh I am sooo tired. We went for a hike through the mountains today, and Cloe has figured out how to feel “voids” in the earth and when she finds them I can see if it’s water or not. We found and made an oasis in the mountain. (Cleo is the earth elemental she can will the rock and earth)

"Too bad my wedding has had to be pushed back. We had to find you elementals." He shrugged, and felt a little peeved that his life plans have to be put on hold. "I will be twenty five next summer, Lamasuli just finished her warrior trials. Every one said that we may start to find each other. I just didn't want to wait any more. It took me forever to work up the courage to ask her to the spring celebration." He paused in his monologue to play with his pants. The three men sat in a loose circle in the common room of the apartment in the warrior house, a brief respite after a long day of training. "I suppose the only good thing is that the spring festival hasn’t been canceled. Though I don't know how they could, because that's how we plant everything."

"We can try out our strengths during the planting. Cleo can open the earth, and I can carry the seeds." Sui mussed more to himself than to his companions. "It would be a test of our finesse more than our brute reflex. I believe we can figure out a task for you as well David." Sui smiled as his conversation came back around to the group.

David shrugged this off then changed topic "Talon you said that you were going to dance with Lamasuli at the festival? Is that just dancing or is something else involved that dancing symbolizes?"

"Well if we dance at the festival…it means that we are Bonded, and allowed to live together. If we have a child with in that year we will be Forged together. It's not like the weddings that you have, because if we are unable to have a child at the next spring festival we can choose to dance with someone else." He looked sad at this thought because now that they were all living in the warrior house they were expected to be battle sworn. To fight and die like brother and sister to never have to worry because they would always be there for each other. The elementals learned this when they moved into the warrior house of the cactus paw village. The strangeness of it all was overcome with the feeling of family. The twenty three other youths in the house became as close as brothers and sisters in training and lessons. The elementals had a lot of catching up to do when they came into the world, even with David's strange gift of sight.

 "So you are saying that if I dance with Dankiyet at the Festival then she and I skip the boyfriend girlfriend step and go straight to being engaged?" David proved that he only had one thing on his mind, and that thing would always be Dankiyet. "How does that work?"

"Oh no it's more than that. I had to tell my parents who I was interested in and they had to talk to Lamasuli's parents and then I had to buy a dress for her and provide a gift of my intentions." He paused noticing that David was literally with stylus in hand with paper taking notes. "Uh what are you doing?"

"I am going to marry Dankiyet. I don't care if it is this year or next, but I am going to make it happen. When I first met her and I was wrapped in fire I had a vision of her holding a baby. It wasn't just any baby, it was my baby. And it had green eyes and red hair like my mother. And for whatever reason I feel like that child is going to be the most powerful person in the world someday. Every time that I see Dankiyet I just feel like I am melting into her." David stopped when he noticed the look on the other two men's faces.

"David, you know you don't have parents here to speak for you right? I don't want to crush your hopes but if you had family here to talk to Ashfoot then she won't kill you. Dankiyet is to be the new shaman, and I don't think that Ashfoot wants her distracted from her lessons that are already being stretched to take care of you."

"I will go talk to Ashfoot. She will have to see that this vision has to come true."

At this point the house leader came into the room to announce bed call and to make sure that everything was in order for the day. "Get it together. Your room is on the team to set up the festival grounds tomorrow. I think that someone got under Avensong's skin." The house leader looked pointedly at David, and then left the room.

"Great what did I do this time?"

The three men turned in for the night all with different things on their minds. Talon was hoping that he would still be allowed to dance with Lamasuli. David was thinking of his speech to say to Ashfoot in hopes that he would be able to persuade her to let him dance with Dankiyet. Sui was just thinking of how he was going to be able to keep his team together for this one simple task with the excitement of the festival rising in everyone's hearts.

Sui had been made the small group's leader almost as soon as he came into the waking world. He had learned a great deal of restraint and his ability to command everyone's attention and respect made him a natural choice. His years as a monk in his tiny monastery in Korea schooled him in leadership, in meditation, and in martial arts. Since his arrival at the cactus paw village one hour of every day he had to devote to teaching his particular style of combat. Lucky for him he only had to train the warrior house. They in turn would be expected to teach the children at the school district.

Sui's team consisted of the four elementals and their guides, except for Dankiyet. Dankiyet only came around for David's lessons from her. All the guides were expected to teach their charge what it means to be in the waking world. A team of seven was actually ideal for Sui. This was a standard Army squad. Since he grew up in Korea some of his lessons were about the military. To be a citizen in Korea you had to join the military for at least four years. At the time that he left he had just gotten his notice to report to his training site.

When Sui's team woke in the evening they quickly got ready and headed to the center of the village, the living heart of the sleeping volcano that they simply called the farm. Magrotin was already there waiting for them. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

"No sir. We came as soon as the bells were finished ringing." Sui replied.

"Good, we prepared food for you. Eat as you need to. It is going to be a long night. I don't expect you to be done before the festival." He gestured to a table that was situated under a cliff eave next to the entrance to the farm. The table was laid out with covered baskets and platters. More than what the team could eat at one sitting. Magrotin must have been up at noon preparing all of this. Sui bowed to Magrotin in appreciation.

"Thank you, Sir. This is really too much for us. I will make sure that our work is deserving of this feast." Sui turned to the team and told them to eat light so that he could receive the instructions for his work.

"Normally the entire warrior house sets up for the spring festival, but since you are all gifted we decided that this would be your final test before all your lessons from us are concluded. The nomad cactus paw have already moved the herd to the access tunnels for the celebration tomorrow, after the planting the nomads will be shepherding them to the grazing lands. Ashfoot feels something coming, and needs all of you ready. Your team will train to your abilities now. No more holding back. The Abysmal plane will need all of you sharp, but effectively they are yours." Magrotin then went to lay out the arrangements for the festival, which actually entailed all the planting and land preparation that the village needed for the entire growing season.

The team would need to till the whole volcano basin. Set up the gazebo for the celebration and the dancing. They would then need to prepare all the food for the entire village. No wonder it's normally the entire warrior house. It truly was work for all 30 youths that lived there. But Sui had a plan. He handed out tasks that were to everyone's strengths, not their preferences, but Sui knew how to get people to mind and do as they are told. He had to have the non-talents retrieve all the materials for the food prep, while he had the talents work to their abilities.

"David, Naaki, Mazy, and Talon you will go get all the food ready to bring it here. I have a plan for the cooking, so we will not need to use the kitchens. Wendy for the time being I need you to help them with moving all the items up here. We won't need any water till the festival its self."

"Wait why is that all I'm going to do?" David balked at being lumped in with the non-talents.

"That is for you to find out in a bit. Go with them now or do it all yourself." Sui turned dismissing David who sulked off with the others. "Cleo, Tunnel down to the lake."

Cleo finished her last bit of fruit stood while she was still chewing, lowered her hands to waist level spread her fingers and braced herself. The ground began to shake as she directed a tunnel straight down to the underground lake avoiding any structures that were for stability and houses. The tunnel wasn't very deep but it didn't need to be. The tunnel was two feet in diameter and wound all the way down to the lake below. It wasn't meant to be permanent just enough to bring the water up to the earth. It would be closed again right after the planting. The center of the farm was to remain as empty as could be for the celebration there would be much dancing and they needed a place to rest and leave the bags of seeds for the rest of the village to use.

When Cleo finished the tunnel he then directed her to turn the soil and divide the basin into four sections with the lines spreading out from the center like the spokes on a wheel. Then in those larger sections he had her make many lines and small hills in the earth. All this work took her three hours and at this time Sui bade her to rest. Shaking with the effort of her concentration she moved to the table that was laden with food and sat. She then dove into the first platter that was within arm's reach.  

The first group was nearly finished bringing up the food for preparation. "Now here is the plan for all the food." Sui drew out his plan for a structure that was basically a huge stove top range that would be controlled by David. "Wendy, seeing how much Cleo has been worn out by this you may leave for the rest of the day. The festival will use every bit of your strength." Wendy looked a little disappointed but understood that her particular talent would be better conserved.

"Very well Sui." She turned to head down the tunnel with Sui calling after.

"You better relax! That's an order!" Sui then turned to the rest of the group. "The only thing that we need is a sheet of metal. Talon do you have anything like that?"

"No but I know where a rich iron deposit is. If Cleo has enough strength left I can direct her to it, then David can heat it while you super cool it. Then we will have steel."

"Very good idea! For the time being though Cleo needs to rest, she just finished tilling the entire farm." Everyone looked astonished that she was able to open the earth in such a short time. "The finishing touch on the preparation will be the gazebo. I want Talon, Mazy Naaki, and Ushas to make the curtains and streamers for it. We are having a celebration and everything should look nice. If we have lanterns we need them too." The four ran off to do their tasks. As the three left Ashfoot came out into the farm. Sui decided it would be a good time for himself to take a break and he walked over to talk to her. Cleo after stuffing herself has fallen asleep in her chair.

"Very nice work, young elemental, and so quickly. I commend the way that you are able to inspire respect in your decisions from these young ones." Ashfoot paused to gather herself. "I am going to need to talk to Talon and David."

"Yes ma'am." Sui ran after the four that were heading down the tunnel to fetch Talon for Ashfoot.

David was munching on a bit of bread as Ashfoot came up to him. "Boy! You listen to me, and you listen well." David nearly fell out of his chair when Ashfoot came to him; he wasn't paying any attention to what was going on around him.

"Yes ma'am…" David slurred out around a mouthful of bread.

"I have seen you Fire. And I'm not sure that it looks good. My vision has been clouded, and I can't see around this child. You will have your chance to dance with Dankiyet, but it is up to you to find the dress and the gift. It is up to you to make her want you. She as a leader of this tribe has every right to choose her own husband. Just remember that I killed my husband and she is my granddaughter." Ashfoot quickly left leaving David flabbergasted. At this point Sui had returned with Talon Ashfoot was walking back down the tunnel with her arm in Talon's.

"What did she say to you?" Sui came up to the table and began dipping himself a plate of fruit and cheese.

"I think my vision is coming true. Can I leave to go buy a dress? I'll be back as soon as I can." Sui dropped his hand full of grapes and looked at David.

"What did she tell you?"

"She said that she had the same vision as me. And that she can't see around the baby. In order for her to get past that vision the baby has to be here. Though I don't know if I want to be a daddy already." David turned white. "What am I going to do? Ashfoot basically told me that I can marry Dankiyet. But we have to have a baby for Ashfoot to get past her vision." David put his hands over his face all of a sudden doubting his desire to be with Dankiyet.  "Oh god I need to…" He then stood up and walked a little distance away from the table and sat on the ground, as his legs folded he burst into flames.

"Huh?" Sui just turned around and continued eating. Talon ran back up from his talk with Ashfoot.

"She secured us a house!" He clasped his hands on Sui's shoulders and nearly screamed his exuberance. "What is the matter with David?" as soon as he noticed the green ball of fire in the middle of the field.

"He got what he wanted." Sui began to laugh with the absurdity of it. "Ashfoot told him that he may dance with Dankiyet. Then he started freaking out about a child that has yet to be conceived." Tears started coming to Sui's eyes as he was explaining what David had told him.

"David!" Talon turned to his friend and yelled. "Are you afraid to be my brother?"

David's flames snuffed out as if they had never been. "What am I going to do? Ashfoot says that her vision is blocked by my kid. That means that in order for her to see anything other than my kid, he or she has to be here." He stood up and started walking to Talon. "I'm only eighteen, I'm not old enough to be a father. I thought that we would marry then after a couple years we would have a baby. Not this year."

"David. It's only a dance. A dance that you haven't even asked her to, and if Ashfoot has agreed to let you, then that could mean a few things. She knows that Dankiyet will say no, and she doesn't have a house for you. Or you will get scared and back out of it. Then she would just use you for the visions, or Dankiyet herself." Talon's words had an effect on David, he calmed then walked to the entrance to the farm.

"I'm going to go buy a dress; I'll be back for the stove." David called over his shoulder.

"Huh." Sui turned back to his food. "Congratulations Talon. Are you ready to be a Married man?"

Talon plopped down on the stool next to Sui's "I have been waiting for this for so long. She is my shining star. And I can't wait to see her dance across the field, in the dress that I bought her. I hope that she wears the dagger I made her too."

"Oh that reminds me. David has to give Dankiyet a gift too right?"

"Oh yes, and it should be handmade, but sometimes bought is just as fine."

"This is going to be quite entertaining." Sui speculated

Talon left to join Lamasuli and Mazy in the crafts as Cleo woke from her nap. Sui had Cleo get to work on pulling enough iron to the surface so that they could build a stove for the food prep. When she had it to the surface, Sui helped her build a gazebo. They constructed the gazebo of stone and wood. Cleo built the base and the columns as Sui sliced the wood with the power of air. He cut designs into the wood of the story of their arrival. Beautiful graphic pictures of Wendy's fall onto Lamasuli in the middle of a rainstorm, Of Cleo's emergence from a boulder, of his own awakening in a tornado and finally David's aggressive emergence in a ball of fire. The roof of the gazebo became the focal point and gathering place for the entire set up. Finally Cleo was able to say that she was finished.

David was in the market section of the village looking for a dress, and an idea of what kind of gift he should get for Dankiyet. Magrotin was making his rounds talking to some of the villagers when he saw David and what he was looking at. "Oh no, not that one, her favorite color is the sky at midnight." David quickly brought his head up from studying the dress that he had been intending to buy for Dankiyet.

"What like a deep purple or dark blue?" He asked his prospective father in-law.

"Yes like that, but so close to black that it's only distinguishable in sunlight. Oh and don't forget the stars." Magrotin trailed off as he left David with ideas.

David thought to himself, sky at midnight huh, might not be as easy as it sounds. He looked through the dresses on the stall and found one the right color, but not the cut that he wanted. He took the dress to the shop keeper and started describing what he wanted to get for his Dankiyet. "Hello sir, is there any possible way that I can get you to alter this in time to present it to my friend before the dance tomorrow?"

"That depends on how much you want it altered, Master elemental." The shop owner replied.

"I want it really simple, bring the waist in just enough so it won't bunch with a belt on it, and bring the neck line down just a bit, but place a different piece of fabric behind it." David looked through the swatches of fabric till he found the color that he wanted. "This piece, I want this piece to show at her throat." He handed an emerald green to the shop keeper. "If you are able to do all this before dawn I will do what I can to get you something that you need. We can work it out when you decide."

"Can you carve a walking stick with your fire, elemental?"

"Sure, in fact I'll find the wood myself, when I'm done with the prep for the festival." David and the shop owner shook on the deal, now the only thing that he had left to do was make her gift. The next stop would be back to the farm basin.

David quickly ran back up the tunnel to the farm to get started on building the stove. He watched and waited till Sui and Cleo were done building the gazebo because he knew that Sui would be needed for the cooling to turn the iron into steel. He looked over the iron and got an even more brilliant idea for the gift that he would give Dankiyet. If he had some metal left over from this project he would fashion her belt from this not just cloth or leather. The only item left to set it off would be the tracking stone that she still had in her possession. He would leave a space or socket on the front of the belt to set it in and still be able to take it out when she needed to. He thought that maybe she would want a few extra sockets in the belt as well for utility purposes for her new role as the village shaman. As he was sitting and waiting for Sui and Cleo to finish the gazebo he started drawing in the sand the design that he wanted to construct. The center plate to the belt would be flat and as wide as the front of Dankiyet's waist. It would be as thick top to bottom as David's own hand, and the utility slots would be wide enough to place a medicine bag in, about half the size of his closed fist. The center slot would be an open faced design so that you could still see the fire tracking stone, and he would have the symbol for fire embossed in a continuing design wrapping all the way around the belt. He drew the design so that it would fasten at the side so that it would be easy to put on and take off again. The remaining links or plates in the belt would be just as decorated but not have the utility slots.

As David was finishing up the last bits of his sketch in the sand Talon was coming back from helping with the curtains with Lamasuli and Mazy. Talon looked over David's shoulder "Nice design my friend. Who is that going to be for?"

"Oh like you don't know. Hey Lamasuli, Dankiyet is about your size right?" David looked up from his drawing to ask his hopefully soon to be sister in law.

"She is a little shorter than me, but her overall size is the same. That belt is going to have to be exact isn't it?" she looked at the design as she set the curtains on the only free space on the table. Mazy started clearing away some of the empty plates and staking them so she would have a place to set the lamps.

"Well it's a good thing that I brought all my black smithy tools. You are going to need it for the fine detail work in that piece." Talon dropped his bag of hammers and chisels next to David's drawing. At this point Sui and Cleo had finally finished the gazebo.

"Cleo, if it's not too much trouble, or if you aren't that tired, would you be able to bring up a few stones for me? Pretty ones, that shine like stars?" David asked Cleo as she walked over to the group.

The ground rumbled and he felt the vibration as her language. She agreed that she would after she was able to rest again. "Thank you Cleo" David said as he stood up to get to work on the stove top. He walked to the huge chunk of iron, he then burst into flames, and he directed his flames to lower in size making them burn hotter. David placed his hands on the metal and began to smooth the rough edges. David dug his fingers into the metal as though it was bread dough and pulled walking backwards. As he pulled the chunk of iron it began to glow red hot. As he pulled and stretched the metal it began to melt at the edges causing a pool of liquid debris and slag; the stuff that was unusable. Sui quickly cooled the slag at Talon's instruction to get it out of the way.

David walked around the edge of his work and found another section that needed to be pulled taught and repeated his maneuver. He did this many times pulling the giant slab of metal till it was as thin as a carpet and could cover the floor of a large dining room. When it was thin enough to David's liking he went to a narrow side of the metal slab and began to roll it like it was a carpet, heating and flattening as walked the slab, and turned it into a huge rectangle. David then dug his fingers in and started the pulling and tugging over to flatten the piece out again. David repeated his process until Talon told him that he had done enough, Sui blasted the large flat rectangle with air and cooled the temperature around it to under freezing and held the temperature there for many minutes. Talon told Sui to release his hold and declared the piece finished.

When the slab was complete it was as long as two men were tall and as wide as one arm length, the slab of metal was as thick as half a hands breath and was so flat that if you placed a ball in the center of the sheet it would stay in place. Now came the time to lift the slab and place it on the foundation that Cleo built into the gazebo's foundation. It would be part of the festivities to have the food cooking during the celebration. The group lifted one side of the slab so that Sui would have enough room to direct an air cushion under the slab so they could float the enormous piece over to the gazebo like it was on a dolly. The group guided the slab to rest on the stone hearth next to the gazebo. This was the finishing piece on all their hard work, just as the first lights of dawn were creeping across the sky.

"Nice work Elementals!" Magrotin called from across the basin.

"How long have you been here sir?" asked Sui.

"For the last candle. All your work is beautiful. I like the Art that you put into the roof. This Piece will surely stand in a storm." Magrotin enthused over the detail that had been put into the entire process. "The curtains and lamps are a very nice touch." He commented on the work that Naaki, Ushas and Mazy had done while the others worked on the Stove. "There is just one thing missing. I assume that you didn't have time to prepare the food."

"We are going to prepare the food during the festival. Let it cook on the new stove top all during the festival. No need to let it sit out now." Sui stood proudly pointing to each of the projects that his ideas brought to life to the council member.

"This will be interesting, I like new ideas." Magrotin smiled, as he walked back to the entrance he patted Talon on the shoulder in passing and nodded his head. Magrotin looked at David as though he hasn't made up his mind on him or not yet.

Once Magrotin left Cleo ran up to David and gave him a handful of uncut stones. They were all about the size of the last digit on David's thumb and came in all colors. "Thank you Cleo these are perfect." David walked over to where he had made the Stove top and sat down to start on his gift for Dankiyet. The only time that he took a break from its construction was when he needed Sui to cool it. Lucky for him Sui hung around to watch him craft his piece. When David finished the gift and the sun was over the lip of the basin he gathered up his handful of stones and the belt and hurried down to the dress maker's shop With an iron tipped scorch carved cane to pick up his commission. The dress was perfect, and he knew that Dankiyet would be the focus of everyone's attention the festival night. David wrapped the belt up in the dress and hurried to her house to present it before the morning warmed the village too much.

David rapped his knuckles on the door to the house that she shared with her sister. Dankiyet answered the door just as David was thinking of knocking again. He stood there wondering if he should just take his gift and walk away. Neither one of them spoke for a few breaths, but looked at the carefully wrapped bundle in silence. "I…uh…" David held up the dress and belt proffering it to Dankiyet.

"David, You know what it means if I take that right?" she stood in the door way preventing him from entering but not completely dismissing him.

"I know, and I don't know if I'm ready for the visions to come true, but I know that if I don't do this that my life will be pointless out here. My visions scare me. But the only thing that I can see in them that keeps me from running like a little kid is how happy you are. And I want to be the person that makes you that happy." At this point Dankiyet does something completely unexpected. She didn't slam the door in his face she didn't tell him to leave, she didn't even make a move to slap him. She took his face in both of her hands and kissed him full on the mouth.

Dankiyet kissed David the way that he had been dreaming of since he first laid eyes on her. She moved her body close to his and he wrapped his arms around her waist in an intimate embrace crushing the dress and belt to her back as he held it in his hand. The only thing that broke their kiss was the discomfort that belt made against her back, she broke their kiss leaving the taste and feel of her lips on his mouth.

"That isn't just a dress is it?" she grabbed his wrist and brought the whole parcel with his hand around to the front again.

"No, I was told I had to make you a gift as well." David grabbed the edge of the fabric and let the parcel unroll as he slowly revealed the belt. The dress was her favorite color, he father guided David right, and the collar was the same color as David's own flame. She knew that this was very well thought out. Then the belt was completely exposed.

"Oh David!" was the only thing that she was able to get past her lips for she was left speechless at the intricate beauty of the piece. She held one hand to her neck as the other followed the intricate lines of the fire symbol that he carefully etched into the plates of the belt. "I don't know what to say. It's just so….perfect." she finally was able to get out.

"Then just wear it, to the festival. Dance for me." David lightly kissed her on the forehead leaving the dress and belt in her hands. Then he walked back to the warrior house, with all the hopes that he would see her swaying and stepping in that perfect gown.