Like a fallen leaf on a fast-moving river, Ret’s First Father sat perched upon his horse, clinging to its mane, shifting his lean frame back and forth to keep astride the steed as it sped across the barren landscape. The horse’s ivory hide sparkled in the early morning light, its breath heavy and its body quivering. Ret’s First Father was suffering as well; his side ached; his hands trembled; his light-colored robes glistened with his own crimson blood. He gripped the surface of his white, spirally twisted staff tightly with his left hand as a single, undeniable truth came to his mind: he was dying.
He’d suspected Lye would betray him. His ambitious partner felt they should use the Oracle for what he called a “greater purpose.” Instead of using the Oracle to keep the Earth and its elements forever balanced, Lye intended to harness its great power to strip the world of its resources, forging them into wealth and weapons to use in his quest for domination. No one, especially Ret’s First Father, had anticipated the lengths to which Lye would go to accomplish his evil goals.
Ret’s First Father closed his eyes, a frown creasing his ancient face as he considered the task before him. It would break the world … and it would break his heart.
He opened his eyes, but the vision still haunted him. In it, Lye stood above his bed, knife in hand, eyes filled with rage, and the blade came down, piercing him. If it wasn’t for his staff, he would surely be dead already.
Ret’s First Father twisted his body to look behind him, letting out a groan of pain in the process. In the distance a dark-robed figure on a strong black horse followed, moving fast across the dull landscape. His frown deepened. Lye was still in hot pursuit, and gaining.
It was sad to think how Lye had once been a noble being, full of light and goodness. But he allowed ambition and greed to take over. The transformation happened slowly at first, as service gave way to selfishness, kindness shifted to callousness, and love changed to lust. Once Lye’s thoughts turned to treasure and power, his heart and actions followed until evil consumed him completely. Now he was nothing more than a plague to the world, a pathogen in pursuit of the means to inject poison by using the Oracle. Ret’s First Father wouldn’t let that happen; he would keep its power safe.
He coughed and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. He swallowed it down.
Months prior, he’d begun formulating his plan, meeting with his trusted partners, even with some of his own family line. Six were chosen as Guardians, pledging to protect the Oracle’s elements for the rest of their lives, however long that might be. And now, the final step of his plan was upon him. Traveling alone to the Great Expanse—the endless blue waters of beautiful ocean surrounding Earth’s single landmass—he’d then scatter the elements to hide them and protect them. In the process, he’d keep humankind safe from Lye’s evil plans. But a great distance on land still loomed before he’d reach the Great Expanse, south of the heart of the continent. He felt himself growing weaker by the second. Despair was creeping in: he wasn’t going to make it.
His horse faltered, lost its footing, and then went down, giving way to exhaustion and fatigue. With a thud, Ret’s First Father collided with the hard ground, pain exploding in his chest as the fall knocked the wind out of him. He gasped for breath, lying on the ground. His kingly robes were streaked with dirt and blood. Although his brow was pale and ghostly, his mind was clear, and his resolve remained unsoiled.
With his staff still clutched in his left hand, he called upon its power, feeling a surge of electricity flash through his body, momentarily clearing his vision and steadying his hands. With effort, he got to his knees, facing the direction of the approaching black rider. Ret’s First Father then reached into an interior pocket of his robes and retrieved the Oracle. He leaned his staff against his chest for support and took the sphere in both hands, where it rose slightly, self-sustaining. The Oracle came to life, opening its identical wedges, each containing one of the planet’s six original, pure elements: earth, fire, ore, wind, wood, and water. Still on his knees, Ret’s First Father lowered his hands to the earth, releasing the Oracle. It hovered just above the frigid tundra. A small patch of lush grass and tiny white flowers erupted from the barren ground just below the Oracle. Leaning heavily on his staff, Ret’s First Father struggled to his feet and took a few steps back as the black horse came to a stop a short distance away.
The robed rider dismounted in a smooth, fluid motion. His hood shrouded his face. He stepped closer, his eyes moving from the hovering Oracle to Ret’s First Father, then to his blood-stained robes.
“You don’t look so well, Ogan,” Lye said as he removed black gloves from his hands. He tucked them away and motioned to the blood on Ogan’s robes. “It looks like you’ve lost a great deal of blood.”
“I have lost much more than that,” the ancient man said in a soft, calm voice. “But you shall gain nothing more this day.”
Lye laughed. “How are you going to stop me?” His eyes cold, he gestured to the empty landscape around them. “You’re all alone out here and dying.”
“I may indeed die. But even when I am gone, there will always be those who will fight against you.”
Lye laughed again. “I suppose you’re talking about your chosen line,” he spat the words out. “Those charitable-to-a-fault fools aren’t incorruptible. In time, they will succumb to my … influences.”
“Not all of them,” Ret’s First Father said.
“Oh, Ogan, I suppose you are referring to your precious Guardians.”
“If you insist on using my name, my son, I’d prefer you use it properly. My full name is Oganesso.”
“I am not your son!” Lye said, drawing his dagger and pointing it at him. “And, as for your Guardians, they will either fall in line or die at my hand.”
“The Guardians will perform their labors honorably. In this I have full confidence,” Oganesso said. “But they are not of whom I speak. You see, long after you and I are gone, one of my children will rise and heed the call of the elements. He will cure the world. He will bring the world back to its true order.” Oganesso looked kindly at Lye and continued. “However, it is not too late. It doesn’t have to go this way, my son.”
Lye snickered and sheathed his knife. “You old fool, you’ll soon be dead, and the Oracle will be mine to use at my pleasure.”
“Then, I’m afraid,” Oganesso said, using the last of his strength to straighten himself, “you leave me no choice.”
“What exactly are you going to do?” Lye asked. “You can barely stand and you’re too weak to use either the Oracle or that cane of yours against me. If you could, you would have done so already.”
“Perhaps,” Oganesso said. “But I think I may have just enough strength for one more go.” With that, he raised his staff high into the air.
“No!” cried Lye. He lunged forward, his blade drawn again. A bright bolt of lightning erupted out of the clear blue sky, engulfing the staff. Oganesso immediately brought it down, striking the open Oracle with all the forces of Nature.
Both of them flew backward as the six elements shot out of the Oracle, an instant and catastrophic shockwave erupting from its epicenter. Powerful tremors traveled across the entire surface of the earth as they carried five of the Oracle’s elements in different directions, with the sixth—the water element—shooting straight down, disappearing below the ground.
The earth shook violently as its tectonic plates began to shift and pull away from each other, ripping apart the single Pangaeaic landform and breaking it into separate landmasses, each following an element. The Great Expanse transformed into oceans and seas as it poured into the gaps created by the now-drifting newly-formed continents. The earth continued to shake, tornadoes touched down, tempests tossed the seas, tsunamis rose up, volcanoes erupted both above the land and below the water, and the skies darkened. Mountain ranges thrust up as others crumbled. Molten lava sprung up from the seafloor, forming new islands; while in other places smaller areas broke off, creating archipelagos. Cities sank into the waters, taking entire populations with them. Thousands of Oganesso’s descendants lost their lives in moments.
* * * * *
Lye awoke and staggered to his feet, feeling as if he’d been out for days. He found the world around him calm and unrecognizable. He stood on what appeared to be a star-shaped island under a clear blue sky. Next to him, lying on a patch of shriveled grass sat Oganesso’s staff and the Oracle. Both appeared undamaged but the glass, translucent sphere was now completely empty. Mother Nature’s six original elements, which had always previously been housed inside the Oracle, were now gone, separated by their steward and his staff. A few paces away, Oganesso himself lay crumpled and motionless except for the almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest.
Lye reached down and picked up the now-empty Oracle. He slipped it into his robes, then reached for the staff. A strong electric shock coursed through him as he touched it. He stepped back in surprise. No wonder he calls it the Staff of True Power, he thought as he considered its white, spirally twisted surface.
He scowled and seized it with both hands, holding it tight and pulling it close to his body as the electricity surged through him. He screamed from the pain. After a long, excruciating moment, the shock ebbed and then stopped completely. He turned, held out the cane, and pointed it at Oganesso, shooting an arc of electricity at the ancient man. The electricity acted like a modern-day defibrillator, reviving him. Oganesso moaned and stirred in response, his grey eyes opening to meet Lye’s.
“I admit,” Lye said, stepping over to Oganesso and kneeling so their faces were close together, “you have dealt me a formidable blow, but at what cost? You have literally torn your world apart.”
Oganesso’s eyes glazed over slightly as he looked into the iridescent sky. “The right path often comes with consequences, both positive and negative. What’s important is that the elements are safe.”
“For now,” Lye said.
“It is enough,” Oganesso said. “I die in peace.”
“Oh, I’m afraid that option has passed,” Lye said, returning to his feet. “No, this world now belongs to me and I will make sure you live to witness its inhabitants become my followers, my pawns, and my servants. As for your prophesied guardians and healer, if they don’t join me, I will turn this planet against them so there’s nowhere they can go, no place for them to hide, and no solace for them to turn to without someone, somewhere hunting them. No, Ogan, I’m afraid death is not an option for you now. We must keep you alive at all costs.” He shot Ret’s First Father with another arc of electricity.
Oganesso moaned. In the midst of his pain, he noticed six opaque designs growing on his hands, three curious scars on each palm.
Lye turned about, scanning his newly formed island. “Let’s find you some living water.” He turned and walked away, smiling as he felt the shape of the Oracle press against his ribs as he moved.
And so it begins, Lye thought to himself as he pulled a small leather drinking flask from his dark robes. He headed for what appeared to be one of many newly-formed pools of radiant, clear water that now dotted the surface of the island. And so it begins …