Kee was having the strangest dream of her life.
She stood in a forest, with moonlight filtering through the leaves, setting a silver hue to everything. It was an incredibly strange feeling, as she found herself in her uniform, the hood of her cloak pulled up to his her face in shadows. Around her was possibly the coolest village she'd ever seen.
It looked medieval, with small wooden cabins arrayed in neat rows, dirt paths that were obviously well trodden linking them all. Men and women traipsed these paths, talking and laughing together in medieval clothing. The children raced around them, giggling as they tried to catch each other, and being scolded by the adults all at once.
However, she was incredibly confused as to why they couldn't see her, she was hovering right over them, cloak flying in the wind and eyes glowing silver in the moonlight.
" Is this a dream?" Kee whispered in surprise, staring around her.
Yes, she whispered, and it sounded like she had used to when she was a girl. What was happening?
" No, Keelan, it is not a dream. Rather a memory," A scratchy voice murmured.
She stiffened, turning midair to find a man standing behind her, garbed in a brown tunic and cream shirt. The same style as most of the men in the village.
" But, but I've never seen this place before. How could it be my memory?" Kee asked in awe.
Better yet, how could he see her and the others couldn't.
" It is not a memory of yours. No, rather a memory of our people as a whole. Their last memories," The man grumbled, his voice deep and rich.
Kee backed away from him slightly, unnerved by how he was floating as well. Did this man have powers? Why did he mean?
" Our people? I don't understand!" Kee seethed anxiously, balling her hands in to fists.
" Of course you don't. No one remembers our people anymore and no one will unless you choose to understand. Do you not want to know who your ancestors are?" The man inquired, an eyebrow raised as his piercing eyes studied her.
She backed up more, not trusting him one bit, and yet one thin resonated with her.
Do you not want to know who your ancestors are?
" Why do you want to tell me? You don't even know how I am!" Kee asked, a slight tremor in her tone betraying her mistrust.
The man's shoulders slumped, as if he carried the weight of the world. His face suddenly seemed much more weary.
" Child, I know more about you than you yourself know. And I do not want to tell you, however, for the sake of your ancestors I must tell you," The man murmured, ending in a sigh.
They both floated there for a moment, neither of them speaking as they gazed at each other's faces. He did seem reluctant too hare with her, which begged the question why was she here?!
That's just it Keelan, you aren't here. This is a memory, so stop acting like a wuss and see what he wants, after all, you've gotta be here for a reason right?
" Tell me. What is this memory you must share with me?" Kee asked finally, eliciting a relieved sigh from the man.
" Thank you, Keelan. These are the last moments of our people, and this is the birth of your abilities. You are not human, as you have undoubtedly discovered. And I, as your great ancestor from your mother's family line, am in charge of delivering this message.
You are an Elemental, and ancient tribe of human cable of harnessing and creating the elements around them. And, like the Superman, you are the last of your kind.
Centuries ago, we lived in our village of Praesidium, with myself as its king. And yet we were not without enemies, we were constantly at war with an ancient form of the league of shadows, the same league who were in charge of destroying your mother, Keelan," The man explained, gesturing around to the scene around them.
Kee didn't know what to say to that.
The league of shadows were responsible for my accident, and mum's murder. I knew that already, not that dad would have known. I don't understand though, what happened to these people? My ancestor, the king, me the only survivor of our race, this is totally knew to me! What am I meant to say to that?
" What happened to them?" She asked quietly, gazing over the happy scenes below.
The king took in the scene with tender eyes, a sad, wistful smile on his face.
" They were wiped out in one night. Watch, and you will learn," He ordered.
So she watched, she watched as the families slowly filed in to their homes, calling children up to bed with minimal resistance. And for a while, everything was peaceful, until she saw the first black shadow.
And after the first flickered in to view, so did the rest, hundreds upon hundreds of shadows lurching from the forest with silent movements and katana drawn. She saw them relay a few sent signals, and then they moved, racing silently towards the sleeping village.
She wanted to warn them, but she couldn't, she could only watch.
A horn blared to life, obviously a warning horn from the lone sentry. The horn cut off almost as fast as it was first blown, as the sentry was impaled in the forehead, the horn slipping from their grasp as they too slipped from their tree where they stood watch moments ago.
Men and women, blinking sleep out of their eyes and still dressed in white sleeping robes stumbled out of the huts, ushering children back inside. They all started to race towards the entrance of their fortress in the woods, a few drawing weapons, but the rest summoning fire or water or plants to spring to life round them.
They weren't prepared to be impaled as the rounded the corner to attack.
Hundreds of the first to react all dropped to the ground, assorted spears or crossbows protruding out of their bodies. The next wave of defenders slipped on the fast growing blood, and tumbled to the ground with shrieks of horror before they too were slain.
Kee could only watch with wide eyes, tears streaming down her face as she watched the adults, her people, falling swiftly.
The assassins were deadly, and their had the surprise.
Then the children came, cries of rage on their lips as they ran to avenge their parents and relatives. Kee had to shut her eyes as they were cut down, frozen at the sight of the carnage. She couldn't bring herself to watch their eyes go dim, and their mouths to stay parted open in fear as life left them.
The assassins scoured the houses for survivors before leaving, but Kee hardly noticed, instead she just floated there, paralyzed by her helplessness.
" Tragic, wasn't it," The king whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She couldn't reply, she wouldn't, what she'd just seen was horrific. And she floated down slowly, kneeling on the reddening ground to cradle a child, the same age as her, whose body hadn't quite given up yet, despite the sizable arrow in her spine.
" I failed," the dying girl whispered, not even looking at Kee, but instead at a younger boy who lay beside her.
Apparently they'd been siblings.
" James, I'm sorry I failed you," The girl murmured before she too became limp and lifeless.
Kee cradled her, weeping ferociously as she held the body. This girl could have easily been her, in another time, in another place. This was her people's past. And she was the last one.
" How am I here?" Kee hissed brokenly, unaware that any would have survived to carry the power through the ages.
" I escaped the battle, since I was on a royal mission for peace with the regular humans of England at the time. I came back to find this.........and now you are the only one left, the only royal still alive to carry our heritage. You, my Dear, are a queen, the queen of the Elementals, that is who you are and who you will always be," The king explained, taking the boy from her reluctant arms.
Kee just knelt there, her hair falling in front of her eyes. He had been right, she wasn't willing to have received this memory. She should have refused.
" How do I know this wasn't just a crazy dream?" Kee whispered brokenly, eyes pleading for it to be a mere dream.
" My dear, we both know this is the truth, though I wish this was a dream too," He sighed, caressing her cheek slightly as she gazed at the horrid red blood staining every inch of her pajamas.