“Yes, an Elementalist,” Kelile echoed. “We can’t be sure though. I know someone that would be able to tell us for sure though.”
“This is all so crazy. Here I am just a normal geologist one day and now I am what, some kind of Prince? Who are these people that are supposedly my parents? Why have I never met them?” Alex blurted, tears stinging his eyes.
Kelile sighed and looked at the floor, “Because of me.”
“What?” Alex asked.
“You never got to know your parents because of me,” he said quietly.
“I don't understand,” Alex said.
“Your mother, Adelina, had a vision. One that she couldn't see clearly, but she knew it was something that needed to be told. We had set up a meeting with the human liaison to go over what she had been seeing,” Kelile started.
“Human liaison?” Alex muttered.
“Yes, our people do not live openly among humans. Well we didn't," Kelile said softly. “Anyway, it was my job to get them there safely. It was my job to protect them, and I failed.”
“What happened?” Alex asked softly.
Kelile stood up and walked to the window leaning his forehead on the panes, “A war.” Alex stared at him and waited for him to continue. “We were ambushed, betrayed by one of our own people. Your mother sacrificed herself to get you out,” he turned then tears shining in his eyes. “I was coming back from the front assault. I was battered and bloody but I would have given my life to save her. She knew that and she stopped me. She sealed you and sent you to me under the ground. When I had you, and she knew you were safe, she powered herself up so brightly it blinded everyone, giving me the chance to run with you. Her dying wish was for you to live.” He finished looking back out the window as a tear rolled down his cheek.
Alex stayed quiet for a moment before asking, “What about my father?”
“He was already gone when I could see them,” he said quietly. “I am sorry Alex, I failed them and in turn failed you.”
“Why have I never met you before today?” Alex asked quietly.
Kelile sighed and turned to face Alex, “I left you. I knew that whoever did this would want to finish the job. I dropped you off at a police station with the humans. I figured it was the safest. So many children end up in the system up here. I needed to find out who had done this and I needed to be sure you were safe. After what had just happened I knew I couldn't keep you, despite everything in me wanting to keep you near.”
Alex stared past him, his head feeling dizzy with the story he had just been told. “Did you find out? Did you find out who killed them?”
Kelile turned and looked out the window again, “I did, but it didn't end there. I have been hunting down this network for more than twenty years now.”
“What was the point? Why did they do it?” Alex asked
“To take out your bloodline,” Kelile said simply.
“But why?” Alex asked.
“That is the true question, and unfortunately a question I have not been able to get a clear answer on,” Kelile answered, turning back to face Alex. “What I do know is that you are now in immense danger. You have exposed your powers on live television. You not only will have humans like that general after you but the others like us that don't want this known. There are also the people I have been tracking for all these years. They will come after you now.”
“What do you mean? Why would they?” Alex questioned.
“Well the point of liaisons was because few humans knew of our existence. An agreement was made to keep it quiet so we all lived separately and in peace. With your little stunt there you broke that. It would be questioned why you would have done that, and they will want to know,” he finished.
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“Well, crap,” Alex muttered. “My luck, I swear.”
“Did you have a good childhood at least?” Kelile asked softly.
“Huh?” Alex said.
“Your childhood. Was it good? I always felt guilty leaving you, but it was the only way I could think to protect you at the time,” Kelile said.
“I mean I guess I did. At least until I was about twelve,” Alex answered.
“Twelve? Why only until twelve?” Kelile asked him.
“Well, my parents passed away. They were in an accident. After that happened I was bounced around foster homes until I could leave for college,” Alex said quietly.
“I am sorry. I had hoped you would have had a good life to make up for the one you were deprived of,” Kelile responded.
“It was good, until that day. It was my parents' anniversary. We were all going to go out to dinner, but I pretended I wasn’t feeling well. They always put me first. I wanted them to do something together. So I insisted that they still go out to eat, that I would be fine alone. I was supposed to be with them. I fell asleep on the couch that evening, but I had nothing but terrible dreams. Later that night the police rang the bell and took me to the station. They told me that my parents car had exploded in a freak accident,” Alex finished.
“Their car exploded?” Kelile said, staring off into the distance.
“Yeah,”Alex said.
“And the dreams? Do you remember any of them?” Kelile asked.
“I mean not now,” Alex started, “why do you ask?”
“I don't know much about the Gemeente process. I wasn't gifted with it, but I know a
little from your mother. I mean we won't know for sure but it is possible that what you thought were dreams were actually visions of what was to come,” he finished.
“You mean I could have stopped it?” Alex said softly.
“No, most likely not. I am going to look into it though. Something is not sitting right with me on this,” Kelile finished rubbing his hand across his grizzled face. “Are you hungry?” Alex’s stomach growled loudly in response making Kelile laugh, “I take that as a yes. Let me go see what’s in the fridge.”
Alex laughed and followed him to the kitchen. “So is this your house or something?”
“Or something. Its a sort of safe house,” Kelile said as he opened his fridge. “Good with a sandwich?”
“Yeah that's cool,” Alex answered. “Why do you need safe houses?”
“Well since the assassination of your parents many of the beweegists were slaughtered. Those that escaped went into hiding. Some stayed to fight. For those that went into hiding we started these safe houses until we could get them somewhere permanent.”
“Why were they slaughtered? Who would want to wipe us out?” Alex questioned.
“Not just us, there were attacks on the people of fire and water as well. Those came after so they were more prepared for something and were able to fend off the initial attack,” Kelile said, as he turned and put a plate in front of Alex.
“The people of fire and water?” Alex asked as he took a bite of the sandwich.
“Yes. How we can control the material of the earth, there are others that can control fire and those that can control water,” Kelile said, sitting at the table with his own sandwich. “I forget you don’t know these things. I apologize.”
“It’s okay. It’s just, this is so much. I feel like my brain is going to explode,” Alex replied flustered.
“Hey, I could see how this would be overwhelming,” Kelile said.
“So, what I don't understand is why. Why would someone want to wipe us out?” Alex asked, taking another bite.
“After all these years I still am not totally sure. I came across something in my travels though. A long forgotten prophecy, but it doesn't make sense,” Kelile replied.
“What was the prophecy?” Alex asked, a crease etched on his forehead.
“One day a child will be born that will end the separation of the elements and save the world,” Kelile said.
“Okay, why doesn't that make sense?” Alex questioned.
“Well this prophecy was made thousands of years ago. So long ago that it was mostly a myth today. I have gone through a lot trying to track down the people behind these attacks. This prophecy was something that no one believed in except for the people of the Air,” he finished.
“Wait, people of the Air?” Alex asked, confused.
“Yes, at one point there was a fourth elementalist group,” Kelile said. “But they faded away long ago becoming one with their element. They haven’t been seen in over a thousand years but they were once called Sky People.”
