Elementalists: The Pyromancer

Part 4

"I warned you. Didn't I? Now you will serve as an example. Any last words?" Necros asked with a smug face.

"He'll stop you, you know." Zeo said.

Necros raised an eyebrow to this. "And who are you talking about?" he asked.

"You know whom I speak of." Zeo said, "He will stop you." Necros frowned and turned to the village.

"This is what will happen to those who resist and fight against me." He yelled and signaled to the skeleton. It faced Zeo and drove the dagger into its owner's chest. At that moment, a column of flame erupted from the center of the crowd. Everyone moved out of the way from the fear of getting burned. The source of the fire was a boy. Asher stood in the center of the village screaming in rage. He had just watched his brother die, and he was mad. Necros made eye contact with him for a second and smiled.

"The boy." He said then yelled louder, "Get the boy!" his army heard their master's command and marched forward. The rest of the village scattered out of the way. They had no intention of ending up like Zeo. Asher couldn't believe this was happening. He's never been in a fight before, much less than a miniature war. He wasn't so sure about the odds. But at that moment Asher was furious. He had just discovered his powers the other day and was ready to use them. The first ten skeletons within Asher's range were his first victims. He let flames leap from his hands, cremating the skeletons. Asher looked down at his hands and smiled. He was going to have fun with this. In the midst of his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed the remaining skeletons advancing on him; so he was very surprised to look up and see a blade swinging towards him. These things had weapons too? Wasn't it bad enough before? Asher ducked and rolled away from the skeletons. He rose to face the unearthed creatures and produced small balls of flames in his hands. Could he throw them? As a test, Asher lobbed one at the nearest skeleton. As soon as it made impact with the creature; it exploded and launched the skeleton back several feet. Oh. Asher thought. That answers that question. He repeated this with about fifteen skeletons until there were only five left. They must've have some level of intelligence because they retreated back to their master. Necros looked at Asher with somewhat of a bored expression, disappointed even.

"Wow child. I have to say, that was quite unimpressive. I expected much more from you. I should take in account that you just discovered your abilities, but I can't help but think you should be more powerful. Seeako would be ashamed of you." Asher took a step back at that. Seeako was his mother's name.

Asher demanded,"What do you know about my mother?"

"I know a lot of things boy. More than you could imagine." Necros said ominously. Asher was getting tired of this man's riddles.

"What do you want?" Asher asked.

Necros looked at him with a smile. "I want control. I want everything and everyone there is under my control. But the only thing standing in my way is you." He said.

"Me?" Asher asked confused. He's never met this man in his life and he's a threat? Sure he was an Elementalist but he wouldn't consider himself a threat.

"You don't know the rules of the game you're playing child. I suggest you learn fast." He said.

Asher yelled out in frustration, "I don't even know the game!" with that, he threw a fireball at Necros head. He easily sidestepped it and continued. "You want to know the game, boy? I'm going conquer these pathetic lands, but first I have to manifest enough energy to do so. The prophecy won't let me kill you now, so you have sixty moons until I'm ready," Asher's head was spinning. Did he say a prophecy? Necros continued, "You? You have that much time prepare yourself and stop me. Please try, I would very much like to see you fail. I'll be leaving you now. I just stopped by to see what was destined to defeat me. I have to say. I'm not very worried." At that he walked back into the woods and slipped into its shadows. Asher's flames immediately dissipated when his eye caught Zeo laying on the ground. He rushed towards his fallen brother and kneeled down.

"Asher." Zeo said weakly. He was alive!

"Don't worry Zeo, I'll go get some help." Asher said quickly as he started to stand up.

"No," Zeo said "There's no helping me. I need to talk to you. Listen Asher, you need to stop him. You must. You are the only hope."

"But how?" Asher asked in dismay.

"Find the other Elementalists. You will need them to stop Necros' army." Zeo coughed weakly, splattering blood on his tunic. "There is one more thing you need to know Asher."

"What?" Asher choked out, trying to hold back his sobs.

Zeo looked Asher in the eye with the compassion he had always shown for him since he was a young one and said, "He killed mother." With that, Zeo took in one last breath and went limp. With tears rolling down his face, Asher closed his older brother's unseeing eyes. He stood up, but then immediately crumpled onto the floor crying. He sobbed for his dead brother, whom he just watch get murdered. A realization came over him then. He stood back up with a new determination. He was going to avenge his brother. He was going to avenge his mother. He was going to fight Necros.

"Asher." A voice said behind him. He turned to see Weeko there, the one person left who cared about him. Weeko walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you do, I'm with you." Her amber eyes full of compassion and loyalty.

Asher looked at his best friend and said, "I think I need to start making some friends."