Lake of souls Chp. 4

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I stared at the Earth King for a moment thinking before I spoke, "Why did you make me climb up all this way? We could have settled everything down at the foot of the mountain."

The Earth King shook his head, "No we couldn't. You wouldn't be able to pass into the kingdom of air from down there. The only path there these days runs down this mountain and since I know you'll go there after you're done here. So I needed you to come up. You wouldn't have been able to get to this place otherwise. Why didn't you look around while you were walking up? I have such a beautiful home and I would have loved it if you had taken some time to look."

I shrugged, "I'm ready to leave this place. I have been here longer than I would have liked. Now please tell me where the lake is."

The Earth King sighed, "I don't even know what you are talking about. I truly wish I did. I sense that you have no real desire for conflict. But I also know that you will not leave here without the ultimate proof. The proof that can only be given with my soul. So what will you do now?"

I sat down looking at the Earth King, "Tell me something first. When I was leaving the fire kingdom I stopped briefly to talk to a young girl. She told me that the kingdoms were at war. That was the reason why there was no other real element present there. However from my understanding back when I only stood in the place of my birth was that the kingdoms worked together. That was why you all were able to conquer this world. So why are you fighting now?"

The Earth King walked up and sat in front of me, "You're right. Long ago all of our ancestors fought alongside each other and they cleared the beasts from this land. For many generations after that we all stood together and worked as one. We shared the elements amongst one another and we thrived and prospered. But then we began to argue about our respective roles in the world.

The fire kingdom felt that since they were the great warriors of the land they deserved more resources than anyone else. My father argued that since we were the ones responsible for bringing forth the trees and the animals of the land we deserved the most. So on and so forth they all argued back and forth between each other. As we argued we blockaded ourselves off. Only one kingdom still walked anywhere they pleased and that was life. Because without them none of us could do anything. So we left them alone. That's the short version of how we got here."

I nodded taking in all of the information. After a few moments of thought I spoke, "That sounds ridiculous. You know I started my journey thinking I was just a bystander who was looking for something that everyone else took for granted. I'm starting to realize though that as much as I've been called a monster by people, that all of you are the monsters here. I felt uneasy that I came here to potentially kill you but now not so much. Now I'm starting to think that perhaps I'm helping this land." I stood up now. "So will you tell me where the lake is or will we fight instead?"

The Earth King stood up now as well dusting off his clothing, "I still don't know what you're talking about. So I guess we'll have to fight. Would you mind giving an old man the first blow? It's not like you will die."

I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again simply nodding. With that the Earth King slammed his staff on the ground, I was then encased in earth, and crushed. I open my eyes to see the lake. I sighed to myself softly having known this would happen. I watched the souls swim around in the lake with contentment. It didn't matter how many times I died and came here, every single time was just as wondrous as the first. Something about watching them swim put me at ease. I closed my eyes again and woke up laying on the ground covered in a light dusting of snow.

I stood up brushing myself off. The Earth King was sitting and drinking his black liquid. He looked up, "Ah. You're awake now. Good then I guess we can continue this game of ours. I know it may sound a bit like I'm bragging but I feel like that was a good opening blow. What do you think?"

I nodded, "Yes it was an excellent opening blow. It gave me an opportunity to remind myself why I'm doing all this in the first place. So thank you." I clasped my hands together and brought them over my head swinging down with a hammer fist. The Earth King simply waved his left hand. A dome of obsidian formed over the top of him to block my blow. My hands are stopped but I managed to crack the dome.

The Earth King looked up, "My, your physical strength is quite impressive. I don't know of anyone currently living who could crack that. It may seem like that was done so whimsically but in reality that's my strongest defense." I raised my hands above me again, this time the blow crashing through the rock only to be blocked by the staff. "Besides this staff of course."

I stepped back now and looked at the staff, "May I test my strength against it again? Last time I didn't give it my all admittedly. I was worried about breaking an old man's walking staff."

The Earth King handed it over to me, "Be my guest. I really don't think even with all your might you could break it. That staff and I are connected to the land itself. To break it would mean you had the strength to break this mountain if you wanted." I gripped the staff at both ends looking it over noting all the little cracks in it. Though I knew those cracks meant nothing to it's integrity. I closed my eyes channeling all of my desires into this moment. I thought of the lake and what I would have to do to see it. At this moment I decided I would do whatever I had to do to make this dream come true. I took a deep breath and brought the staff down over my knee snapping it as easily as a twig.

I looked at the Earth King now handing it back to him, "It was never a matter of physical strength. It was a matter of will power and determination. I am stronger than you and your mountain."

The Earth King took the two pieces looking at them, "You're right Xea. You've proven yourself. So take my soul and move on. Good luck on your journey Xea. Farewell." With that he bowed his head and took a final breath. I waited for a moment for his soul to appear and once it did I took it in. I felt my body tightening and stiffening along my muscles. My body becoming like the mountain on which I stood. I closed my eyes calling forth the mental map of this land. He had not been lying to me about one thing. The lake was not here either. I found the path he had mentioned noting it. As I opened my eyes the earth began to shake.

I could hear the sound of the earth cracking underneath me. I went ahead and started running past the body of the former Earth King towards the path he had told me about. As I ran I consulted the mental map in my mind to try and make sure I stayed on the right path. My body felt a little slower than it had before and I was needing to adjust as I ran. Everything felt heavier as I pumped my arms and legs. I took a step and the ground started to give out from underneath me. I saw the rest of the path all of five feet ahead of me so I tried to jump for it.

I landed on the other side safely. However when I landed my feet hitting the ground was no longer light like it had been. It sounded like I had jumped and intentionally stomped upon landing. I could feel the ground beneath me staring to crack so I took off running again. With every step I could hear my feet thudding into the ground and the earth beneath wanting to crack. The earthquake continued all around me and up ahead I saw a large wall of rock begin to jut up out of the ground. As if it was being pushed out by some unknown force but I knew this was just an effect of the earthquake.

I lowered my shoulder as I approached this fresh wall of rock preparing to crash my way through it. That would be my only chance. I no longer had the mobility needed to jump like a mountain goat on all the small outcroppings that were around me. If I couldn't push my way through this wall I would fall to whatever was beneath me when the ground gave away eventually. I met the wall full force with my shoulder and barreled through it like it was made of paper. I continued forward checking my mental map again. I was about halfway now to the border of the air kingdom.

More walls of rock started to jut up as the earthquakes continued on and grew in intensity. I thought briefly on how the people of the earth kingdom would be affected but I put out of my mind as I pushed forward through wall after wall of rock. Soon I could actually see the border between the two kingdoms. The earthquakes here were much less severe. I finally stepped into the air kingdom and the ground was no longer shaking so I stopped. I looked back towards the earth kingdom and could see the mountain I had come from was starting to crumble. I turned away from the scene of devastation only to be met face to face with a griffin.

It stood up to about my chest standing on four thick legs. It was a multitude of colors all shimmering in the sunlight. Two massive wings were folded up resting on its back while the head of a falcon studied me. Its eyes narrowing and its head twitching back and forth as if it were trying to determine what I was. I reached a hand towards it slowly, "Hello there. I've come to see the Air King. Would you know how to get to him? Or perhaps you could answer my question. Do you know where the lake of souls is?" The griffin backs away from my hand, screeching in response. Its call was shrill enough that I thought I heard something pop in my right ear. Within seconds I was surrounded by another ten of them and I could see ten more circling above me in the sky.

I looked around and stretched myself slightly trying to watch as many as I could, "I'd rather not fight if we don't have to. I just have some questions, that's all." Suddenly a roar came through the air shaking everything around me. The griffins all took off screeching in panic and confusion. I sighed in relief that I wouldn't have to fight all of them. My relief was quickly wiped away when an all white dragon landed in front me.

I sighed again this time in mild annoyance, "Do you know where the lake of souls is? If you don't then do you know where I can go to talk to the Air King?" I kept my body tense just on the off chance the dragon decided to attack me.

The dragon roared again, shaking the ground under me and causing the air to vibrate. It then slowly lowered its head to be able to look me directly in the face. Its head was almost as large as my whole body so I wasn't certain what I was going to do if it did attack me. It studied me for a moment before speaking with a growling voice, "I do not know of any lake of souls. But there is something about you that makes me hesitate to take you to the Air King. I can smell blood on you and also I saw you running from the earth kingdom as it was destroyed. You ran as a being who carries the guilt of destruction in you. From looking at you I wonder, are you the vessel everyone has been speaking of?"

I nodded knowing my next words would probably seal my fate with this dragon, "I am the vessel but I have a name now. It is Xea. The Earth King gave it to me shortly before I killed him."

I waited for what I felt like was the inevitable answer when the dragon surprised me. It began to laugh. It's laughter rang through the air becoming so loud and raucous that the ground around me began to crack. Finally the dragon called down but was still chuckling, "Someone finally killed that doddering old fool. This is a momentous occasion indeed. Did you also kill the Fire King?" I nodded and the dragon laughed again though not as much this time. "Good good!! Then you are a friend to the air kingdom. Come with me. Let us take a walk amongst the kingdom before I take you to see the King. We will go talk to other denizens of the land and ask about your lake."

The dragon turned and began to walk. As I followed him I realized the air currents around me were starting to pick up. I could feel the currents trying to push me around but my body was simply too large to be pushed. The dragon looked back on me, noticing this and giving me a nod of respect, "Many beings who travel here have issues walking amongst the currents. They get pushed around and fall over. You are truly a strong warrior indeed."

I ran up a little bit so I was walking beside the dragon's head and not its backside. I looked over at it, "I'll admit I didn't think I would be met with such graciousness. My time in both of the previous kingdoms was spent either in combat or running to avoid it. All the citizens I encountered except one in the fire kingdom ran away from me out of fear. I've killed two out of the five Kings of the world. So I have to ask. Why have you met me with so much joy?"

The dragon continued lumbering forward, never bothering to look at me as it spoke, "You are changing the dynamics of our land. For too long we have been matched in a stalemate with the other kingdoms. All of us vying for resources from one another but never giving first. Many have suffered from this but it has been needed. The air kingdom truly needed more for ourselves but no one was willing to give it. They have forgotten how we used the winds to spread life across the planet. So now that you have disrupted the power hierarchy negotiations may go more favorably for us. Whether this was your intention or not, you have brought all of us here a great gift."

We arrived at a small grouping of caves. At this point the winds were buffeting me from all sides to the point that it was becoming hard to hear. The dragon led me into one of the caves and immediately the noise of the winds died down. We walked side by side for a little while along the path lit by bioluminescent moss on the walls. Soon we entered into a massive cavern where there were many dragons all laying down. Some sleeping and others conversing or eating. The dragon with me did something like a cough though it came out as just a softer roar. After all the other dragons turned their heads in attention the dragon spoke, "Brothers and sisters. The great vessel Xea has come to us. The one who has struck down the Kings of fire and earth. He has come to our land in search of something precious to him. He looks for a lake. A lake filled with souls. For the vessel desires a soul of its own."

The dragons all murmured amongst themselves. It was obvious from the looks on their faces that none of them knew of what I was talking about. Though eventually they all spoke at once, "We know not of a lake of souls. He should go speak to our King. Our King will know of this for he hears of all spoken on the winds. No secret spoken can be kept from him. Go, go to our King great vessel Xea. He will know your answer."

With that the dragon led me back out of the cavern to outside in the winds. He laid himself down and called to me, "Mount my back and I will take you to the castle of the Air King." So I jumped up and landed myself on the back of the dragon. He let out a labored breath, "You weigh much more than I would have thought. It will take me a little bit to generate the force needed to lift us up. Hold on tight to me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as best as I could. The dragon began flapping his wings. It took him over twenty full flaps before his feet left the ground but once in the air he seemed fine even if his breath was a little labored. He took us straight up first and then deeper into the air kingdom. As we flew I watched the ground underneath me and I could actually see the currents that swept across the land. I also saw many of the other creatures of air in the skies around us giving us a wide berth.

Soon in the distance there was a large temple we were approaching. All the winds of the land converged and came from this temple resulting in a large tornado that encased the temple. The dragon landed us in front of the tornado and looked to me, "Call out to the Air King. Tell him who you are and why you are here. If he wishes to let you in then the winds will subside to let you into the temple. After that I don't know what will happen for I have never been inside myself. Farewell dear Xea, may you find what you are looking for." With that the dragon took off again and flew away.

I watched it fly away before turning to the tornado and screamed out into the winds, "I am the vessel Xea. Slayer of the Kings of both fire and earth. I have come to seek your audience to ask you something. Have you heard of the lake of souls?" I waited for a moment and then directly in front of me a patch of air simply stopped moving providing me a tunnel to walk through. As soon as I was through the tunnel on the other side the wind started back up again behind me. Before me stood the temple where the Air King lived.

I hope you all enjoyed chapter four of this story. What will happen next? We'll find out soon enough. Below will be linked the next chapter as well as the original short story. If you enjoyed this story then please like, subscribe, and feel free to leave a tip. Till next time.

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