The Elementiels

The early morning sun spilled across the fields, casting a golden light that danced over the dew-touched grass. Jason squinted into the light as he walked beside Grandpa Mark, his steps as steady as the rising sun.

"Alright, kiddo!" Mark announced, stopping at the training spot and turning to face him with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Today, we're doing a different kind of training. None of the usual fancy element stuff—today's about pure strength and stamina. Push-ups, jogging, and anything else that'll test those muscles of yours." He grinned, folding his arms.

Jason raised an eyebrow, "Really? Just that?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough." Grandpa Mark chuckled. "Now, take off your shirt and give me one hundred push-ups! Let's see what you've got."

Jason sighed, taking off his shirt and lowered himself to the ground, stretching his arms and settling into position. As he began, his muscles tensed, and each push-up became a battle against the growing burn in his arms and chest.

"Keep your back straight!" Mark barked with a grin, walking around him like a drill sergeant. "And pick up the pace!"

Jason gritted his teeth, trying to block out his grandfather's voice as he pushed through each repetition.

By the time he reached fifty, his arms felt like lead, and his breath came in gasps. He glanced up, catching his grandfather's approving nod.

"Good, good! Just halfway there." Mark said, giving him an encouraging slap on the shoulder. "You're doing great, but remember, the only thing between you and that hundredth push-up is your own mind!"

Jason exhaled, focusing inward, pushing past the ache and fatigue. His arms shook, but he kept going, every muscle screaming for him to stop. Finally, as he lowered himself down and pushed up for the hundredth time, he collapsed onto the ground, panting and drenched in sweat.

Jason continued to do more exercises, strengthening his body for hours till noon arrives. He sat on the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "Grandpa…" he panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Why… am I… doing this again?"

Grandpa Mark chuckled, watching his grandson with that familiar twinkle in his eye. "I'm putting you in shape, my boy. The kind of shape that's going to make the difference."

Jason groaned, leaning back against the cool earth. "But why? I already have… godlike powers." He glanced at his grandfather, brow furrowing. "Does my physique even matter?"

Mark walked over, resting a calloused hand on Jason's shoulder as he looked down at him thoughtfully. "It matters more than you might think, Jason. Possessing an elementiel doesn't just grant you immense power, it also amplifies the power you have already."

Jason looked up, puzzled. "Amplifies? What do you mean?"

Mark sat beside him as he explained. "Think of it this way: A baby with the power of a fire elementiel, is weaker than an adult with that same power. A baby is obviously weaker than an adult, even with the additional power that the elementiel provides."

Jason nods his head slowly. "So… it's like the elementiel's power just adds to the strength I already have?"

"In simple terms, yes." Mark gave him a warm, approving smile. "You've got to be able to hold your own, Jason. All this training, the sweat, the bruises—it's what's going to make you strong enough to harness every bit of your power."

Jason groaned but stood, a small grin breaking through his exhaustion. "Alright. But, Grandpa, I've been meaning to ask—why can I control lightning when I'm the fire elementiel?"

Mark chuckled, scratching his head. "Ah, now that's a mystery even I don't fully understand. From what I know, all elementiels seem to have a natural affinity with lightning. Maybe the gods thought it would come in handy." He patted his belly with a hearty laugh.

Jason couldn't help but laugh along, the sound echoing across the fields. "Yeah, maybe so."

The two stood in silence for a moment, gazing out at the fields stretching out beneath the sky. Mark's expression softened as he glanced at Jason. "You're thinking about Adam, aren't you?"

Jason's smile faded as he looked down "I am. Adam's been my hero, Grandpa. When I think about the kind of person I want to be, it's always him. Strong, brave… everything I hope to be one day."

Mark reached out, squeezing his shoulder. "Adam is strong, yes. And he's smart, too. He's been preparing to be a knight for years now. Trust me, whatever he's facing, he and his friends can handle it."

Jason nodded, his grandfather's words settling the unease in his chest.

The old man rose, stretching his back with a wince. "That's enough for today." He winked at Jason. "Now come on, let's head back to the bakery. It's noon already." They packed up their things, and rode back toward the kingdom.

Back at the bakery, Jason tends to customers while Grandpa Mark bakes in the back. After a while, Mark steps out, brushing flour from his hands. He calls to Jason, "Hey kiddo, could you help me with a quick errand? Miss Claire over at the tailor shop has an order, and she'd usually send someone, but they're swamped today."

Jason sighs, rolling his eyes a bit. "Ugh really, Grandpa? You know Miss Claire—she always pinches my cheeks. It's… kind of annoying."

Grandpa Mark chuckles, patting Jason's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, kiddo. She's been doing that since you were a little kid. It's just her way of showing she cares."

"Alright, fine." Jason says, grabbing his things. "I've got a few deliveries around there anyway. Might as well make the rounds." He whistles, and Belle, trots over to him. With a quick nod to his grandfather, Jason mounts and rides off toward the tailor shop.

Arriving, he dismounts, ties Belle to a post, and steps inside. The shop door swings open to reveal a young woman, striking and graceful, who greets him with a welcoming smile. "You must be Jason, right?"

"Yes, I'm here to see Miss Claire about her order."

She nods. "She's been expecting you." Jason follows her through the bustling shop, where dozens of tailors are hard at work, sewing, pinning, and crafting intricate garments. He thinks to himself, "Wow, no wonder they couldn't come."

Before he can finish his thought, Miss Claire appears, beaming at him. "Ah, Jason! My sweet little boy!" she exclaims, rushing over to give his cheek a gentle pinch.

"Good to see you too, Miss Claire." Jason says with a wry smile.

"Come, my sweet boy! How's your grandfather doing?" she asks, her cheeks flushing.

"He's doing well. Working hard, as usual."

"Of course he is! Now, about my order," Miss Claire says, clasping her hands together. "I want you and your grandfather to make a special pie for my daughter. She's expecting, and I want to surprise her when she visits soon."

Jason's face lights up. "Congratulations! That's wonderful news. We'll make sure it's ready before she arrives."

"Thank you, Jason. I know you're busy, so I won't keep you." Miss Claire says, playfully squeezing his cheek one last time.

Jason chuckles, holding back his mild exasperation, then nods. "Alright, I'll get back to work. See you soon!"

As he walks towards the exit, a few of the young tailors pause to watch him pass, whispering and giggling among themselves. He catches snippets—"He's so cute!"—and quickens his pace, slightly embarrassed.

On his way back to the bakery, Jason makes his deliveries and then returns home just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. "Hey, Grandpa! I'm back!"

Before Grandpa Mark can respond, a blood-curdling scream pierces the air, and the world shifts into chaos. People begin running, shouting as the ground trembles. Jason bursts outside just in time to see a massive dragon descending from the sky, its scales glinting like polished metal. With a roar, the beast unleashes a torrent of lightning, striking buildings and sending them ablaze.

"Oh my God!" Jason gasps.

Knights, armed with shields and swords, rush to confront the creature. "Everyone! Evacuate the area!" a captain bellows, herding citizens away from the beast.

Arrows whiz through the air, exploding against the dragon's hide, but the beast shrugs them off, growling as it claws through the knights. Buildings crumble under the weight of its wrath as the city falls into panic.

Grandpa Mark races over to Jason, grabbing his arm. "Jason! We need to leave, now!"

"But Grandpa, I can help!" Jason protests, a spark of determination flaring in his eyes.

"You're not ready for this!" Mark says, gripping his arm tighter. "Please, Jason, listen to me!"

Jason pulls free, looking into his grandfather's worried gaze. "Trust me, Grandpa. Just get to safety!" Without another word, he charges toward the dragon, his heart pounding.

The knights fought valiantly, their swords flashing and arrows flying, but it was as if their weapons were no more than pebbles hurled against a mountain. Each strike seemed to bounce off the dragon's impenetrable scales, barely scratching the beast.

"This… this has to be a high-class C dragon!" One of the knights shouted, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and dread.

"Where the hell did it come from?!" another yelled, his face pale as he watched the creature swat a group of men aside as if they were mere insects.

One of the knights turned toward the captain, panic in his eyes. "Sir, what do we do? Our weapons… they're useless against it! We don't have enough firepower to bring this thing down!"

The captain clenched his jaw, his face shadowed with worry as he tried to assess their options. But before he could respond, the dragon spread its enormous wings and took to the air, its gaze set upon the castle in the distance.

"Oh, no…" the captain murmured. "It's headed for the castle! If it reaches the royal family…"

Without hesitation, the knights fired another round of explosive arrows, each one arcing through the sky toward the beast, but the dragon didn't even flinch. It soared onward, gliding through the smoke and rubble like a storm cloud, its eyes burning with a malevolent light.

Just as it began to dive toward a small group of knights below, jaws open to unleash a storm of lightning, a figure darted forward, intercepting the attack. Jason caught the dragon's massive jaws, pushing against them with all his strength, forcing the beast back just enough to keep it from snapping down on the knights.

"Stand down!" he commanded, his voice calm but fierce. "I'll take it from here!"

The knights staggered back, their faces a mix of confusion and awe as they stared at the young man who had somehow halted the dragon's attack.

Jason leapt forward, meeting the dragon's blazing eyes with a steady, unwavering gaze. "It's me you're fighting now!"

The dragon swings its head toward him, eyes narrowing. With a snarl, it unleashes a bolt of lightning. Jason leaps to the side, barely evading it as he steadies himself, his own hands igniting with flames. He thrusts his arms forward, hurling a jet of fire at the beast. The flames strike, and the dragon roars, infuriated.

It counters with another blast of lightning, and Jason dodges, feeling the electricity graze past him. "Alright, I can do this." He mutters, a newfound confidence surging within him.

Jason unleashed a volley of searing fire attacks, each one aimed with precision at the charging beast. The dragon retaliated, bolts of lightning cracking from its maw, slicing through the air toward him. But with every strike, Jason's movements grew more fluid, his reflexes sharper. He sidestepped the lightning with increasing ease, his confidence mounting with each near-miss. He could feel the rhythm of the battle now, reading the dragon's attacks and adapting to its deadly pace.

He closes his eyes briefly, focusing, gathering energy within himself. "Maybe I can fight lightning with lightning."

With a shout, he attempts to summon the energy, but it fizzles, dissipating in his hands. Before he can react, the dragon lets loose a ferocious lightning blast, hurling him backward. He crashes through several buildings, feeling sharp pain as he lands, breathless and battered.

The ground around him burns, thick smoke filling the air. His ears ring with the screams of the fleeing townspeople, and he looks down to see his hands smeared with blood. All around him, people lie injured, and some… he can hardly bear to look. His heart races as he stares at the destruction and chaos around him.

The memories of Stacey's death flooded back in a violent rush. Her face, her laughter, the pain of losing her.

"No… no, this can't be happening…" Jason whispered, his voice shaking with disbelief. The dragon loomed before him, its massive form blocking out the sun. It began to approach, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. The creature's piercing eyes lock onto him, and it lets out a deep, menacing growl.

What will Jason do now? Can he summon the strength he needs to protect his home and his people from this monstrous threat?