The Element Series: Part I: "The Awakening"

By Brandon Montgomery

The Element Series is an action-packed trilogy comprised of a gripping, three-segment saga that will leave readers anxious to see whats next. The Elements are diamond-shaped crystals that enhance the natural abilities of each wielder to an extreme level. There are, however, four elements that are exceptions to the rule.

The leader of the Elemental Users Response Team (E.U.R.T.) is a man by the name of Socrates Meridius. Among Socrates many powers is his unique sensing ability, which allows him to detect and recruit members for his elite team of righteous and honorable Element wielders. The leader of Team X, E.U.R.T.s nemesis, is Charles Landenburg, who calls himself X. X recruits other Element wielders for his own selfish benefit and personal gain. The opposing teams mobilize for a legendary battle between good and evil, and, alas, the victor can only be determined by blood.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781463417567

Brandon Montgomery

Imagination knows no limits except for those we create within ourselves. With imagination comes innovation, and with innovation comes the ability to change the world. I strive to create something new and to view things from different perspectives so that the envelope is always being pushed. I have studied narrative and creative [writing] in many different forms, including novels, anime, music, plays, and film, and I cannot get enough. I consume stories at every opportunity I am given. Writing is a medium through which an artist like myself can express his or her artistic abilities. The capacity to think in an abstract manner is a uniquely human characteristic, and it is the fundamental trait that sets us apart from other living creatures. The ability of a story to motivate us is one of the many wonders of that unique and unparalleled human experience. For me, writing is life. It fuels me with the energy to create something that is impossible in the real world. Yet, even though works of fiction are not real, we are still given a prime opportunity to examine our own lives through them. A great story has a way of shedding light on that extraordinary human experience, which enriches our lives. I was born and raised in Saint Louis, MO. I have earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Fontbonne University with minors in Chemistry and Communication Studies. During my collegiate career, I discovered my true passion and calling as a writer. I plan to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing and I have aspirations to attend film school, as well.

Book preview

The Awakening

Brandon Montgomery

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2011 by Brandon Montgomery. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/16/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4634-1295-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-1294-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-1756-7 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011908838

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Power

In the Beginning

Shishini Togasan

And Shogan Togasan

Tyrone Anderson

Claude Simpson

Mercedes Lopez

Timothy Smith

Field Trip Surprises

Indecent Reunion

Sibling Rivalry

Hospital Visits .

Improvised Flight Plans

The Vengeful Team Leader

Sunny Radiance

The Opposite World in Mount Shasta

The Distant Battle

Side Trip

Underlying Softness

Planted Seeds

Ultimate Techniques

Decisions

Diverging Paths

The Participation Prize

Time is Almost upon Us

About the Author

Acknowledgements

I would like to dedicate this novel to important people in my life. They have been there since this journey started and have always believed in me. I dedicate this novel to Cameron, Jazel, Camara, and Alliyah Thomas.

I would like to send a special thanks to my mother Sandra Walker who has always been there to support me to ensure I have the best opportunity to succeed in life.

Power

Power is the ability to influence the actions of another. With such a broad definition, power has as much variety as a crayon box with one hundred and twenty different colors. Power can range from the humblest teacher in a classroom to the most sinister of military dictators who use their power to murder, steal, and force people to submit to their wills. Power also has the ability to turn a landfill into a forest, reduce carbon emission, or bring a smile to a child’s face.

The quest for power is the downfall of man. I have seen too many instances in which we humans will feed on our brothers and sisters to crawl up to the top. Whether we seek power for righteous or diabolical reasons, the ones we leave in our wake can attest to the weight of our actions.

Once we obtain the power that we so desperately seek, then the true test begins. Without a moral compass, intelligence, and the ability to let go, we become nothing more than a child with a big stick among weaponless peers—a mere schoolyard bully who does not want to yield his power or see a rising star among the crowd.

I did not ask for this power, nor would I have. The power that courses through my veins comes with a heavy price. This price has left me emotionally bankrupt, and many a time I thought about giving up. However, at this point, regret is a luxury that I cannot afford because its cost is to lose focus of what is important to me now. My sole duty is to honor those who came before me, to protect those in front of me, and to leave this world in a better condition than I found it.

The questions that remain are, what is my name, and who am I? My name is more than a collection of letters. It is more than a rhythmic tune that is hummed when the letters are said in sequence. My name is the sum of all of my words, thoughts, and deeds. Therefore, if asked who I am, I simply respond with my name, because that is enough. If that does not answer the question sufficiently, then I have not done enough.

The only power that I seek is to leave this fight in strong, capable hands, which will allow me to rest in peace, knowing that the good fight will be left with suitable caretakers. Even as selfish as it may sound, this is the only way that I can atone for being too weak to prevent this situation in the first place.

The only power that I seek is to bring this world back into balance since the scale has shifted too far to the side of evil.

Socrates Meridius

In the Beginning

1500 years ago, the forces of good and evil waged an unrelenting war. It was a war that ravaged the lands and changed the course of human history. The heroes and villains of both sides commanded extraordinary abilities due to the incredible powers of specialized crystals that became known as The Elements. After numerous battles and the loss of many warriors, an uneasy truce was made. Neither side could respectfully claim victory. At the end of the brutal conflict, the survivors hid the remaining Elements to ensure the safety of mankind for future generations, or so they thought… .

Shishini Togasan

And Shogan Togasan

(Six years ago)

Shishini and Shogan Togasan are twins of Japanese descent who grew up in a humble village in New Zealand where they lived by the way of the sword. They have been trained in the art of combat ever since they could stand and hold a katana upright. Shishini has always been the more humble of the twins, while Shogan always leaned more toward the mischievous side. Little did they know that their beginning would be a preview for the paths they were to take in their lives.

Every morning before training, Shishini and Shogan would sit in the nearby temple and meditate for five minutes to clear their minds of any negative energy that may have accumulated during the course of the evening. This routine was done so they could be prepared for another strenuous day of training.

After meditation one morning, Shogan left to go to training ahead of Shishini. While making his exit, he gazed straight into her eyes, and she felt the growing discontent in her brother’s eyes. He left without uttering a word, which left Shishini distraught, so she sought her Sensei’s counsel.

Hayashi Sensei, may I speak with you for a moment? she requested humbly as she bowed out of respect. He bowed and looked at her with sincerity. Shishini’s master was noticeably taller than her, and was a man of medium build. Despite not being the largest man in the village, he still commanded great respect. He was only a couple of years older than Shishini’s father, making him her second father. While looking into his eyes, he gave off the impression that he was wise beyond his years. Yet, that intuition was true, and was easily converted from a feeling to a fact nearly every time he spoke. This is why Shishini knew he would be the perfect one to speak to on this matter concerning her brother.

Yes, what is on your mind, my student? he inquired.

It is about Shogan. I am a little concerned as we continue to become masters of swordsmanship. When we were little, he always played pranks, like switching my sword with a wooden bokken, or putting my fingers in water while I slept. That was back when we were young, but now it seems like he has a deep-rooted anger circulating through his veins that not even meditation has the power to cleanse. I am worried that he is not satisfied with our way of life, Shishini confessed, bearing her troubles on her sensei. She had allowed these troubling thoughts to build up for quite some time. Her teacher closed his eyes and took a moment to reflect on everything Shishini told him so he could respond appropriately.

Is it wrong to have ambitions? Is it wrong to want the most this life has to offer? I understand your concerns, my pupil, but everything will be alright. Right now you both have bigger things with which to concern yourselves. Shishini was not distracted by her sensei’s misdirection, nor was she convinced. She simply held her head down in disbelief, despite the fact that she had an important mission coming up. This mission was going to change the course of her life, yet she could not get her mind off of her brother.

Her master put his hand on her shoulder, forcing Shishini to look up and make eye contact with him. His facial expression changed from his usual day-to-day expression, which showed no emotion, to a gaze that showed concern and understanding.

"Everything is going to be fine, you will see. Tomorrow you two will be given your secret assignments. Upon completing your task, you both will officially become Samurai Protectors of our village. I know these tasks will not be easy, but they have been hand-selected from Lord Shimaru, and I have been told that he has taken your unique skill sets into consideration while choosing your Task Missions. These tasks should cater to your skills, but I cannot stress enough how difficult they will be to accomplish." Shishini accepted and clung to her sensei’s words, and she started to believe that tomorrow would begin a new chapter in her life, as well as Shogan’s.

* . . . . .* . . . . .* . . . . .*

The next day, Lord Shimaru, Shishini, Shogan, their parents, and some of the high-ranking warriors met in the center courtyard so that their new assignments could be allotted. With a ceremony of this magnitude, Shishini and Shogan knelt before their lord as many other villagers gathered close enough to hear the declaration.

Thank you all for being on time; you know how important punctuality is to me. Today is to be a day of days for our village. We are prepared to name two of our highly skilled warriors as Protectors. They will be expected to honor our noble code of conduct, which is ‘death before dishonor.’ It will be their privilege to protect our village from harm, both foreign and domestic. They must put their people before themselves. Lord Shimaru paused for a brief moment. I have watched these twins closely. I have grown to admire their skills with the sword, their compassionate ways toward their kinsmen, and I have noticed that they have excelled in other areas of combat aside from their prowess with a katana, Lord Shimaru finished addressing the crowd, and then turned around to focus on Shishini. He bowed his head so he could look at her directly. Shishini, it has been noted that you have outclassed every other warrior in our village in the area of stealth. You are one of the quietest samurai that has ever existed. You are very light on your feet, which also aids in your quickness and agility. That is a skill set that cannot be taught. This makes you a very deadly warrior. Once finished, Lord Shimaru turned his attention to Shogan.

Shogan, you have the natural ability of starting fires in the worst of conditions, so many in the village have dubbed you ‘The Phoenix.’ It has been said that you can even start a fire in the rain. Your skill with the sword is nearly parallel to my own. Also, for someone of relatively small stature, you have good physical strength. Lord Shimaru then focused his attention on the crowd.

As is customary with our traditions, on their eighteenth birthdays, new samurai are to set out on a quest, which not only proves their skill, but also proves their willingness to serve in whatever circumstances that best benefit our village. These two tests have been designed by myself, as well as the other elite samurai in front of you, as fair assessments of their unique skills. These two tests will not be trouble-free, and as a result, I expect these two warriors to face them with diligence and seriousness, Lord Shimaru concluded with the crowd just before he faced Shogan.

Shogan, your Task Mission is to set out into the Northern Woods with only one set of clothes and your two swords. While on your quest, we expect you to start a fire out of the materials you find in the woods; you must catch live prey to survive. There have been reports of a tiger in the area, so you will need to stay on heavy alert at all times, even in your sleep. Your Task Mission is to last for seven days. We will have a few elite samurai guards around to ensure your safety, but if they aid you, your mission will result in immediate failure. Do you accept this challenge as your official Task Mission? Lord Shimaru asked, and Shogan simply nodded in acceptance. Lord Shimaru then turned his attention to Shishini.

Shishini, your Task Mission is to infiltrate the Southern Temple undetected and steal the Legendary Sword of Hayate. The temple will be guarded by the Southern Monks. If you are detected before you enter the chamber containing the sword, you fail. Conversely, if you are discovered while in the chamber, you will have the opportunity to fight your way out. Safety is important, so you will be allowed your wooden training sword. The monks have been instructed to use only wooden weapons, including wooden round-arrow heads, so if you are hit, it will hurt, but will not kill you. Unfortunately, a hit will end your Task Mission. They have also been instructed to aim low to avoid serious injury. You must bring the sword back to me by dawn three days from now. Even if you have the sword and fail to bring it to me by then, you will fail. Also, if you steal the sword, the monks will attempt to capture you. The rules for fighting are very simple. If you manage to sneak up to a monk and tap him with your sword, or manage to get your hands around his neck, that is considered a ‘kill,’ and he has to lie down as if ‘dead.’ At that time, Shishini, you will have the opportunity to move his body out of clear view. Once that is done, he must stay there, silent, until you leave. You can also use your wooden ninja stars; these projectiles are one-hit kills. Let me remind you that one hit from any enemy attack results in failure. These are your mission parameters, and you have your mission. Do you accept this challenge as your official Task Mission? Lord Shimaru inquired. Shishini nodded, as had Shogan. "Good. From this point on, you two are on your official Task Missions and will not be allowed to contact anyone other than me, one of the elite samurai of your choice, each other, and Hayashi Sensei. I pray that you will honor the Togasan blood that flows through your veins. After all, you are both descendants of the Legendary Matashir

, so I believe you will not disappoint him. Lord Shimaru paused for a moment to make sure that fact sunk into Shishini’s and Shogan’s psyche. You are dismissed!"

Once discharged, Shishini and Shogan went home to prepare. Shishini did not agree with the terms of Shogan’s mission. She did not want to protest in the face of the village Lord or in front of her parents, dishonoring them. That would be very disrespectful and humiliating, especially to Shogan. Now that it was only she and her brother around, she felt she could no longer hold her tongue’s fury. He was dressed in his red armor, which was his favorite color.

Shogan, why did you agree to those insane mission parameters? You have a very high chance of getting killed! Tigers in this region are vicious, especially when their territory is invaded. It will be just you against the elements of nature. The elites will not be close enough to protect you if the tiger is well hidden or gets close to you. If you are attacked, you could be killed, and they will kill the tiger. We will have the greater loss in that exchange of events! Shishini cried with a shaky voice as tears ran down her cheeks. Shogan saw her concern as he fastened his other sword to his left hip. He crept over to Shishini and hugged her tenderly.

"What would you have had me done differently, Sister? Would you want me to decline the mission and miss out on my chance to become a village Protector? Would you have had me disrespect our lord, our parents, and Matashir

’s memory? Would you have preferred me to display weakness and show no confidence in my skills? What would you have asked me to do differently? Whatever it is, I promise you I would have done it, Shogan whispered in his sister’s ear. He pulled away to see the tears in her eyes as she held her head down to avoid looking into his eyes. I did what I had to do. I know you can respect me for that," Shogan concluded, but Shishini thrust herself back on him, embracing him with a sister’s affection.

Just be safe, Brother, she whispered back to him in response. She knew she would not have had him do anything differently, even if the chance had presented itself. Shishini released him, wiping the tears from her eyes. Shogan nodded and left for the center courtyard and Shishini followed him at a distance.

While in the center of the village, their people gathered to see Shogan depart for the treacherous Northern Woods. People lined up in front of their houses just to get a glimpse of him, as if he were a deity. Shogan gathered with three of the elites while he peered around the village until he was able to see his parents. His mother was crying in his father’s chest, who gave him a stern look of approval. Watching her children leave on seemingly fatal missions was an excruciating pain for any mother, but fathers seemed to be able to bear it, at least in the face of others.

Shogan desperately searched for Shishini, but he could not find her among the masses. She was hidden beside a tree to conceal herself, but more so to shield her emotions from Shogan. She did not want to see her brother leave because she feared the worst would happen.

Shishini’s sensei spotted her and walked over to stand beside the tree. As Shogan made his silent exit for the woods, the noncombatant villagers kneeled and bowed their heads out of respect. The warriors rested their hands along their sides and bowed respectfully. They had all gone through