Free Water Shaper (World Aflame) by Jon Messenger Page B

out wide and opened its mouth. Smoke poured from between the full lips, dripping sickly down the woman’s chest and spilling onto the ground at the Elemental’s feet. From within the dark cloud, flames grew and sparked, illuminating the heart of the dark smoke. Starting from the ground, the smoke burst into flames. Like a living serpent, the fire rolled around the Elemental’s ankles, wrapping itself around its form as it coiled up its legs and over its narrow hips. The Elemental leaned its head back as the flames consumed its torso and arms before it rolled over its head.
    The flames pulsed, and each throb of power enlarged the circling flame around it. The aura of flames grew larger and larger, spreading wider and wider. From within the core of the flames, a guttural growl rumbled. Large, leathery wings burst from the back of the mound of flames. With a shiver, the flames fell away, revealing the massive red dragon beneath.
    The giant orbs of its eyes scanned the cars beneath it. The Elemental snorted and flames rolled from its maw. The dragon spread its wings and launched into the air, knocking humans and Fire Warriors aside with the downdraft created. With its eyes set on the remaining skyscrapers of Los Angeles, the Fire Elemental soared toward the city.

The water rushed back into the void as Xander released the whirlpool. As the ocean collapsed into itself, the pressure shot sea spray hundreds of feet into the air. Rainbows sparkled through the misty salt water as it reached its zenith and fell back to the ocean.
    Ocean waves rolled over the spot where the whirlpool had been. As the last of the geyser settled over the sea like rain, the last indication that there had ever been something as remarkable as a whirlpool in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean was swallowed and washed away. Below the trio, the water rolled as though it had never been disturbed.
    Xander raised a hand and blocked the glaring sun from his eyes. Of all the things he had taken from both Wind Warrior island and from White Halls, he wished he had remembered a pair of sunglasses. The glare as the sun reflected off the ocean was causing a headache.
    He glanced over his shoulder and watched Sean and Jessica removing their jackets and stuffing them into bags on their backs. The temperature above the drowned city was far warmer than at the bottom of the ocean, and even Xander began feeling beads of sweat rolling down his back.
    Though he controlled the wind as the surrogate Wind Elemental, it still struck him as bizarre to see two people hovering in the air, going about tasks like taking off jackets as though they were standing on solid ground. He was sure there’d come a time when it felt normal, though he doubted it would be any time soon.
    “Are you two ready?” he asked as they finished stripping down to their summer clothes.
    “Ready?” Sean asked. “Are you asking if we’re ready to fly back to London? Or are you asking if we’re ready for the three of us to take on an entire army of Fire Warriors once we get there?”
    Xander smirked. “Let’s start with the first one.”
    Sean shrugged. “Then sure, I’m ready to go.”
    A shimmering bubble of pressurized air appeared around the trio moments before Xander started flying north. At first, the ocean rolled lazily below them, but they quickly picked up speed. Soon, the white-capped waves were passing in a blur. A thunderous boom split the air as they reached supersonic speeds. Despite the bubble suppressing most of the noise around them, the sonic boom physically shook them all.
    The flight was exhilarating to Xander. No matter how alive he felt under the ocean when he was connected to the Water Elemental, the air was where he belonged. He had known the rush as a child when his family took their first airplane flight, and he was able to look down on the miniaturized world over which they flew. Now, flying by only his strength of will alone, the pleasure saturated his very being.
    With a