I Claim Your Love novel Chapter 37

In the expanse of blue that lay before him, the toddler gripped his undivided attention to the sky which touched the earth. The surface of the lake was guarded by the lush green hills while the chorus of the birds added to the bustling of the otherwise serene environment. The lake was brighter and a bit glossy. However what attracted the child more was the reflection of the big orange globe whose image was distorted in the unstable water body.

The small kid was accompanied by a pair of opposite gender adults. He seemed reluctant to acknowledge the presence of his parents as his sole regard was for the nature's canvas which was spread before him. The lady kept the conversation going as she introduced the kid to the various earthly beings both living and non living while the male made it a point that the child physically came in contact with things so as to make his understanding better.

Blind from birth the kid was all about tastes, sounds and touch.

Over the five years since he was born the parents desperately tried to make things better for their child but all was in vain. More than his blindness it was the unresponsive behaviour of the kid that was worrisome. He never reciprocated neither did he responded to anything said and done. His mute behaviour depressed the couple as with passing years the theory of him being unable to speak was cementing its way.

After spending some family time in the lake side the mother went to hunt some food for her family while the male was in charge of looking after his kid. The minor was glued to the spot besides his father where he sat and intently looked at the sun. Unknown to them from a comfortable distance to the lake were two figures who were keeping a watch on the family from afar. They were keenly observing every move the child made.

The father went into a slumber as he was assured that his kid was safe in the vicinity. Moreover he was certain that the young one was not capable of any disturbance. A few moments later the scorching heat irritated the male as he scrunched his nose and gripped his eyes even tighter. Whereas his features relaxed when the clouds blocked the heat of the globe from reaching the ground. This intrigued the child like anything. He slowly swayed his tiny hands and the sun was visible yet again as the clouds moved. The heat made the man irked like before as he grunted his displeasure. The kid in his innocence again swayed his little hands to move the clouds forward and again the man's feature was tranquil. This odd behaviour of the man continued for a few more times until the child smiled and eventually giggled.

The kid laughed, a sweet sound unblemished by the hurts of life. The melody of his voice reached the desperate ears of his mother as she dropped the hunt in a jiffy and went straight ahead to her baby. It was something new for the lady. She just stared at the child in awe as tears of long lost happiness drenched her cheeks. The child's shoulders moved and his body bobbed a little as the laughter was overwhelming him. He moved his attention to the lady "Mother look at fathers face.." The angelic voice brought the father out of his slumber. With his half closed eyes he could see a small kid laughing his heart out while slurring words in his amusement. The remainder of his sleep vanished as he sat upright and hugged his child with love. Tears of joy were refusing to stop its flow. The parents rejoiced for they never felt more alive.

****

"So you are saying that when I was five I moved clouds with my hands." Callan gestured towards his hands and looked at Aurora as if she had grown two heads. He was trying to grasp what the witch was implying to say.

"Yes."

The affirmation baffled Callan. He had been in close contacts with almost every mystical creature there was but never had he heard anyone do a thing like moving a cloud. It was nonsensical. "How is that even possible!? And how is anything of it related to me being the unfortunate mate of that jerk?"

"Everything is connected Cally." Aurora said with determination in her eyes "When we saw what you did at the lake that day we were completely shaken. You did something that no one could ever imagine and at that moment we realised that you were special."

"How am I special?" Callan furrowed his eyes.

Aurora took a deep sigh as she leaned her body ahead. She uttered some verse and out of thin air some parchments of primordial times appeared out of nowhere. She handed them over to Callan as he studied them. A slew of images were crafting itself on the material with random images of natures beauty. It ranged from the mountains to the seas, from the ice lands to the desserts, from lush green forests to the beautiful sky. What intrigued Callan the most was that with every portrayal of the physical world there stood some men who had sharp, serene features while they wore a dazzling white gown. Furthermore they had a macule on their forehead with different radiating colors highlighting the spot. The same colors as that of his wristlet and the pots which he saw at Aurora's.

Callan looked at his friend in utter confusion. He shrugged in bewilderment for he did not knew what to make out of the sheets. Aurora kneeled before Callan as she flipped the parchment towards her and pointed finger on it. "The legends talk about a sacred species of living beings. Powerful beings who could control the different components which make our universe; Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Sky. They were known as the Elementals..! The more powerful the Elemental, the more components he could control."

"So you mean that.."

"You are an Elemental!" Aurora said in awe. The revelation left Callan staggered for a moment. If the witch was true than he was bestowed with some mystical powers. He always thought that the strange happenings around him were caused by the metal he wore for years but Aurora dismissed that theory as according to her the metal had no part to play in the unusual events

Aurora continued "They were believed to have been massacred and vanished from the face of the earth. Centuries ago however, a prophecy was made that the Elementals would be born again and reign supreme as they once did."

Massacred!? Why would someone kill them? Slaughter to the point of extinction! And if they were in plural it meant that Callan was not the only one. There were others like him out there somewhere. Could this be a possible link between him and Einar..

"Is Einar also an Elemental?" Callan asked with curiosity and some hope in his eyes.

"No..." Callan's face fell when he heard the answer. This meant that he was truly alone in the entire pack.

"Have you heard about the war of Jodatain?"

"Yes.. It was my bedtime story for years."

The war of Jodatain was a famous legend about the battle between the supernaturals. One side powered by the vampires while the other was lead by werewolves. The ensuing battle was a result of the want of supremacy by the vampires. The greed was such that they sacrificed their own and conspired against various clans to take them down one by one. When the other clans came to know about the devious plans of the blood suckers, they decided to step up and form an alliance. With a large army befitting that of the vampires they marched towards their den and attacked them blindsided. However their strategy backfired for they were in for a big surprise. The vampires were already awaiting the footfalls of their enemy on their land and were prepared.

The battle went for months to come. The vampires were on the brink of victory as one by one the greats of the other side were falling down. The umbrella of clans lacked leadership and coordination which endangered their integrity. The vulnerable situation of the clans prodded them to seek divine intervention. They were denied help everywhere they went. It was eventually the moon goddess Selene who drove her moon chariot from the heavens to the earth and blessed the clans. A suitor was chosen who was fuelled by rage, courage and determination. The goddess conferred the wolf with powers and made him into an indestructible beast. The creature took the vampires by surprise as he annihilated the entire army of blood suckers and their allies. The carnage forced the vampires for a cease fire and they were reluctantly banished to the dark realms.

Callan came out of his thoughts and nodded at his friend to carry on "During the times of that war when every supernatural being was involved in slaughtering each other it were the humans who stayed aloof from everything. Safe from the chaos of extermination they hid in small settlements. They were wanderers and never resided in one place. Whenever the war reached their doorsteps they used to move places to keep their families guarded."

This didn't surprise Callan. Humans were the weakest link in the food chain. They were drowned in their own apathy by shorter life span, comparatively weaker frames and life threatening diseases. Mother nature balanced this shortcomings by increasing their procreation capability. However it was a known fact that humans had no guarding system in place and were left vulnerable in the times of war and otherwise.

"One such settlement travelled a long distance in a no mans land to enter into the forbidden forest. The forest was known to swallow everything that moved. Though they feared for their lives the humans decided to take refuge near the no dwelling land as they had no other choice. That was the biggest mistake of their life..!"

"Why?" Callan's interest piqued.

"The forbidden forest was the place were an out of the world entity resided. A demon by the name of Daragor." Aurora pursed her lips and leaned back with slight fear in her eyes "It was said that the demon drew its life source from the soul of any breathing animal. You can imagine what would have happened when the humans trespassed the place!" Aurora faltered in her stance as her lips quivered "It was like a deer trapped in a lions den. Daragor wrecked havoc as he plundered the settlement and randomly picked his food. The humans were left unprotected and helpless as after every alternative day a life among them was forcefully seized by the demon. The humans of the settlement surmised that there was no way escaping it, that one by one all the members alive would be devoured by the spirit in his hunger. In that grim situation the brave of the clan negotiated a deal with Daragor and it was finally decided that instead of the demon assaulting random humans, one person from the settlement would present himself as the willing sacrifice!"

Callan gasped at the horrific agreement. "The elderly were to go first.. One by one every grey hair comrade gave away their life just to protect their people. After every single one of them were dead, it was decided to send in the weak! Soon, even they were depleting in numbers. The men were worried for they wanted to protect their women and children. In a desperate resolution they considered requesting help of the Elemental head."

"The head of the Elementals?" Callan narrowed his eyes. When she told him about the Elementals she never mentioned any head or leader.

"Zaccio; also known as the Master or the Supreme one. He decided to help the humans and tagged himself on the journey to the forbidden forest. The Elemental offered himself as the next sacrifice and went away with Daragor. That was the last time any offerings were made to the demon. The humans danced in jubilation for now they were free; they could breathe; they could live... They thought that the Elemental had humbled the spirit once and for all but they were wrong!"

Suddenly Callan felt bad about the individual. His heart wanted this man to be safe and healthy. His interest piqued and he asked in eagerness "What had happened to him?"