“Must we?”

“You know that question is pointless, the Call has been made. We are bound to answer it.”

“Can we not postpone for another thousand years?..”

He stared at her, she knew that his eyes if he had any, would be boring into her very essence. An annoying habit of his. Her older sibling was always so annoying.

“It’s tonight, be at the Henge when Luna is full. You know the consequences if you fail to answer.”

His form smuldered and sputter, small pieces of molten slag popping off him.

“Do not make me come get you… again.”

With his final word his visage vanished from her sight, leaving her thoughts alone again.

“Irritating lump of charcoal.” She said aloud

She was far too busy anyways for something so trivial. The verdict had already been decided anyway, it’s not like a formal meeting would waylay the inevitable.

“Even without my vote, it’s not like they need me.”

With the force of her will, she jetted from the depths of her ocean to the surface. An impossible speed for any living creature besides her. The endless afternoon sky towered over her.

“This is pointless, it’s not like my siblings care what I have to say anyway…”

She took human form, in the shape of a woman. Her form made entirely of water, She walked and skipped along the surface of the waves. Like a child, playing effortlessly with the vibrancy of their youth.

“They won’t even notice I’m not there.”

She pulled a small ball of water from her body. Tossing it between her hands, tossing it in the air, and rolling it across her shoulders and chest. A nameless game with no rules.

“Not like Mom or Dad even bother to check in, so why should I?”

She flicked her arms up in the air, the tides obeying her command. As they rised and then fell, taller and taller she compelled them. Like they were an extention of her very existence.

“This is so stupid, why must we go through this charade every thousand years?..”

She was annoyed.

Her form shifted, the human form abandoned as she compacted herself into a single orb of water. Static in space above the currents. With a pulse of force she stilled all around her. The noise of the water silenced in a moment, replaced with an absolute calm.

“This is so stupid.”

She let herself fall, breaking the tension of the water. A single solitary ripple, that kept going. Moments later, the waves resumed their normal rythmn. The calm of the water lost in a flash.

**

**

**

It had been exactly one thousand years since she had last been here. This sacred place of balance and judgement.

As she passed through the last of the thick fog shrouding the island, she emerged at last inside the sacred circle. Untouched by time it had remained as it was, clean and unsoiled from the worlds ails. At it’s centre was a granite stone.

On this stone was intricate heavy symbols of meaning and power. Cut into four sections was the glyphs of meaning that represented herself and her siblings. Each one different from the others. These heavy symbols were their truth made physical, their trust made manifest. Here the four of them bound themselves to their sacred and immutable duty.

Surrounding the stone was four towering monoliths, reaching tall into the sky, piercing the mist. She was not sure how high they went, never taking the time to find out. Each stone held their symbol of Unity upon it, she often thought that was silly. Like the four of them needed to be told where they needed to stand.

Only one side was currently infused with power, it’s red ethereal glow cast a fierce light. Her brother stood in front of his monolith, she could feel a glimmer of both pride and disappointment coming from him.

“You’re late.”

“If I’m late, then so are our siblings.”

So annoying. He was always so annoying.

She gracefully took her place, her monolith vibrated in response. Her condensed form, a sphere of ceaseless water. She was always so uncomfortable out her element, the open air was so open. The comfortable pressure of ocean left for bitter air of her sibling.

So annoying.

“At least I didn’t have to fetch you, Undina.” He said

“I am not a child, Ifritul.” She answered

“Perhaps not, you came after all, and of your own volition.”

So annoying, his high and mighty attitude. Her older brother, Ifritul. The Magnus of Fire, he who fills the world with light and warmth. Always so annoying.

“Tch… I’ve been known to keep my word from time to time.”

His true form, much like hers, was a condensed sphere of his essence. Like a small shimmering star, he cast bright light in all directions. His eternal flames flicked and wisped about him.

“I’m glad you’re here, Undina. I have thought often on how you have been these last thousand years.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond. Her brother had never really shown her any sort of affection or concern. None of her siblings ever really had, over time they all just went off and managed their affinities as they were entrusted.

Before she could respond, the air around then kicked up. A mighty gust of wind, the pressure alone was enough to encompass all sound. The air pressing hard up against both Undina and Ifritul, both weathering the storm as if it was nothing.

“Enough, Sylphok.” Ifirtul boomed

“Ahhh you’re no fun, as boring as ever.”

The wind slowed as it was pulled in a singular direction. All the air rushing back to to a source as it crashed in on itself, the air being put under immense force as it became a sphere with a terrifying storm inside.

“Must you always be so childish?” Undina said

“Oh half-pint, I didn’t see you there?”

Her younger brother Slyphok, Primus of Air. Warden of the skies above, master of the storms that filled the world and nurtured the living. As the youngest, he did as he pleased and rarely listened to anyone. So annoying.

Undina compressed and gathered the water particles on the air, forming into a tall glass of water. She then dumped it all over her younger brother.

“You should know, I’m always the glass is half-full kinda girl…”

“Oh you little…”

Her brother was both happy and angry, she could feel the pulse in the air. She had given him the excuse he wanted, a chance to feign disrespect. Like a heartbeat of waves vibrating all that surrounded him. It looked like Slyphok was planning a dangerous counter-attack. He was planning to slice her in two, attacking her very core.

“ENOUGH.”

The very ground quaked and rumbled. With a single word she silenced her younger siblings. The Earth shook as her presence neared, the very pressure of her aura was both oppressive and freeing. Her siblings could feel it too, their intangible selves feeling the burden of her strength.

The First Born of the Elements.

Their big sister always did like to make an entrance.

“Ughh as boring as ever, Erdfeis… we were just about to have a bit of fun too…” Sylphok said

Erdfeis. Argus of Earth. The proclaimer of all that existed, the very plane of existence itself made manifest. Her duty was above all others, to maintain the form of their world and beyond. Absolute was the burden she carried.

“I bid you greetings Sister.” Ifritul said

“So formal. How’s it going sis? Up for a scrap?” Sylphok said

Sylphok barely had a chance to gather strength before heavy roots emerged from the ground. Before he had a chance to react he was bound in their tight embrce. He was slammed into the ground repeatedly.

With a flick he was thrown clear of his monolith and off into the thick fog.

“I am not, Sylphok.” Erdfeis responded. “I bid you greetings in return my kin.”

Just like her siblings, Erdfeis came before them in her true form. Her sphere was simple in comparison to her siblings. Simple earth bound tight, encased around her shell was moss and grass. Small plants would grow, live, and die in life cycles of seconds upon her. The dead refuse would fall off of her and disintegrate into the air before ever touching the ground.

Out of all of her siblings, Erdfeis was the only one that didn’t annoy her. Much.

“Hello Sister.” Undina said

Erdfeis changed her direction, instead of heading for her seat. She headed towards Undina circling around behind Ifritul until she was face to face with her. It had been a very long time since the two of them had been this close. Not because of some grand reason, they just never had any reason to since they were born.

“How have your faired Undina?” Her big sister asked

“My duty remains standfast, as does your own.” She responded

Undina could feel a feeling of anxiety creep up from within her. Like a cold hand exerting a firm grip over her. This foreign and forgotten feeling was unwelcome, she attempted to shanke it off.

“Shall we get to it? Our millennial discussions of the human domain?” Undina pressed, annoyed

“That will be discussed later little sister.”

Little Sister? Undina had not been called that since…

“What is it Erdfeis?” Ifritul asked, his dull voice carrying across the empty air

“Oh it’s on!” Sylphok roared as he bolted across the sacred circle towards Erdfeis

Undina didn’t even feel him coming, such speed as recovered from Erdfeis’ attack. In the blink of an eye, he was on top of her. A powerful burst of concentrated air towering down on top of Erdfeis.

“Father has gone missing.”

In an instant, Sylphok stopped. His power diminished into nothing.

The silence between the siblings of the elements was the loudest it had ever been. A cacophony of sound, oppressive and dense. No one moved or spoke, as if doing so would make the words true. Sylphok was the first to speak.

“What did you say…?” Sylphok asked, he voice quiet

“Father is no longer on his guilded throne.” Erdfeis responded

“How do you know this sister?” Ifritul asked, his orb of fire becoming brighter

“Can you not feel it? The Threads… they.. are… not as were.” Erdfeis answered

“What of it? That does not mean Dad is gone. He takes naps all the time. Explain yourself Erdfeis.” Sylphok demanded, he hovered dutifully to his position, his child like personality quelled

“Father has kept the Threads intact since before we were sang into existence. Before our duty, and he will tend to them long after our purpose has expired.” Undina said

“This is Truth. Our Mother and Father, the Great Eternals have kept all under their gaze and stewardship. Since time before time, our Mother has been in her Great Slumber. Father joins her, when his burden is too great.” Erdfeis said

“Speak plainly. What is it that you know Sister?” Ifritul demanded, his voice loud and forceful

“The Threads have stopped spinning…” Erdfeis spoke to her siblings

“IMPOSSIBLE.. Dad would never shirk his duty. Even when he communes with Mother, he remains his Vigil over the passage of our reality. You speak nonsense Erdfeis, he is likely taking us into a new age is all. You are wrong… he is not gone…” Sylphok said, his essence a turbulent storm of emotion, the air around him gusting violently

“What would you have us do Erdfeis? You who are closest to them than we can ever be.” Undina asked

“One of you must find him.” Erdfeis answered

Undina felt her sisters eyes, it has to be her.

Father Time and Mother Nature

Mother Natura

Father Kron

Undina - Water (her) Magnus of Water

Sylphok - Air (him, youngest) Primus of Air

Ifritul - Fire (him, second oldest) Dominus of Fire

Erdfeis - Earth (her, eldest) Argus of Earth