The Elementals

The men spot me as I walk towards them. I stop at the bottom of the ravine, my feet in a small, trickling, stream. I stand there with my arms crossed, as they make their way down the hill. Once they’re all gathered, one steps forward. Popsicle guy.

“Agent Shylock.” I spit out, remembering his name from the badge.

“Yes,” He leers at me. “I’ll be needing my ID back, by the way.”

“What do you want?”

“Why you, of course.” He says, sensing my discomfort, and feeding off it.

"Just me?” I ask cautiously.

“Well, having your little friends would be pleasing.” Shylock smiles coldly. “But you, according to our orders, are the main target.”

An idea starts to form. He could be lying. It’s my only lead, though. The creek is small; I might be able to hold them off as long as they don’t get to the cave...

“Flippers?” I hear Coal’s voice.

That second makes up my mind. Shylock’s eyes flick up to cave and I know he can tell Coal’s in no shape to fight. I could try and fight, but they would go straight to cave.

Fast, so that the men have no time to react, I throw all the stream water at the entrance of the cave. It freezes into a wall.

The men start to run up to break it.

“Stop it you idiots, the ice is too thick!” Shylock shouts, then quieter, to me, “You made sure of that didn’t you?” Shylock turns to me. It satisfies me a little to see anger in his face. He doesn’t know that I made the wall to keep Coal in as much as them out. “Well, well,” He says smoothly. “A little overprotective are we?”

“I’ll go with you,” I snarl, “On one condition.”

“And that is?”

“Leave my friends alone.”

Shylock nods lazily, like he’s heard this many times before. “Oh I suppose. It’s not like their very useful anyway. And that earth one, she was a buzzing pest. Won’t miss her.” He grins slyly at me. It looks like a snake hissing. “It’s a deal.”

I hear a thump and turn around. Coal has reached the ice wall and is pounding on it violently.

“Ah, here he is.” Shylock says, his voice sounds inhuman and cold. I step away, shuddering. “I was beginning to wonder where your little body guard had gone.”

I take a step towards Coal.

“You aren’t turning your back on our deal are you?” Shylock asks innocently. “Because I can just call a team here to drill past your pathetic wall and we can get both of you.”

I grit my teeth. Then I take one last look at the cave and turn slowly, following Shylock.