An Absent Gale: Elementalist

By Nathan Howe and Derek Howe

Prophecy. Bane or blessing?
Alexi does not know which way to go. Everyone and everything is pulling at him. He thought achieving his goals of becoming an air Elementalist would be enough. Instead, people are trying to kill him!
Between trying to dodge assassins and pass his third-year classes things are getting worse each day.
Life has become pass or fail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Howe Brothers
• Release date: Apr 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201980566

Book preview

Prologue

The sun peeked through the many windows of the large lunchroom as Vitaly sat at the table. It was boisterous with the students talking about plans for the next day. Alexi and Zoya were at the table eating when Vitaly joined them.

It took you long enough, Zoya said.

Vitaly shrugged. Wasn’t that long.

On the table was a salad with potatoes and chicken with several different vegetables, and large bowl of soup. Vitaly grabbed a bowl and ladled some soup and a plate with potatoes. He was apathetic towards the food in front of him. Before he was even able to dig in, the large ornate doors to the lunchroom creaked and then parted.

Everyone in the room turned eagerly to see the headmaster stride in. His long black hair flowed behind him with a hint of gray peppering it. As he scanned the room it was clear he was looking for someone specific. When his eyes reached Vitaly’s, he stopped, and then strutted towards him with a stern yet sad look on his face. The click of shoes echoed through the hall as the headmaster strode. Vitaly gulped, anxious as to why the headmaster was approaching him.

When the headmaster reached Vitaly, the hall fell deathly silent. Every set of eyes in the cafeteria turned on like a lanterns. He gulped.

The headmaster leaned over next to Vitaly. You need to come with me, he said.

Everyone was staring. Vitaly could feel everyone’s eyes burning into the back of his head. He’d never felt so uncomfortable in his life. He didn't mind attention, but not on this kind of scale. Vitaly could be the jokester at times to relieve the stress at school, but the attention he was getting now was much more off-putting, and pretty much unwanted.

A couple of trays rattled throughout the hall, breaking the eerie silence. Vitaly bit his lip and felt slightly faint. He stood, leaving his plate untouched, and followed the headmaster down the aisle to exit the lunchroom.

Vitaly’s mind raced. What was going on? What had he done? When had he done it? And why had he drawn the attention of the headmaster? Before they had even left the lunchroom, whispers were springing up throughout the hall. They too must have been wondering what the headmaster wanted with Vitaly. Outside, it was quiet, making it even more terrifying for Vitaly. Each step down the stone hallway echoed as they walked towards the headmaster’s office on the top floor.

It was one of the longest, most terrifying walks of Vitaly’s life. Sure, he had been in trouble a few times with Petrov and Kutuzov, but while he wasn't the best student, he’d never been called to the headmaster’s office before.

The final hallway felt like the longest one yet, as if Vitaly was walking his last mile on his way to his own execution. He couldn't help but wonder what he had done, a million things crossed his mind as he pondered the possibilities. All the pranks he’d pulled. Then his family and friends floated through his mind. His brother in the war. His dad. His mom.

Finally, they reached the headmaster’s ornate mahogany door and entered. Inside the office, Sitting in front of the desk were his parents. Soft grief-ridden sounds emitted from his mother. Vitaly saw an unusual mess of papers that were scattered across the headmaster's desk. The room was stuffy and as he entered, his stomach clenched. Vitaly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

As he opened his eyes, he saw several paintings along one wall. It was evident they had been painted by former students, and they were intermingled with professional portraits of former headmasters. It made for an eclectic collection. Vitaly even noticed a piece he'd done in his first year here. Scattered around the office were many other paintings of the headmaster’s family, including his own son who had graduated from Oblako in Vitaly's first year.

Honey, his mother said. Her voice was weak, trembling. Her eyes puffy from crying. A scent of lilies lingered in the air, providing a brief moment of respite from the panic that consumed Vitaly. His father stood to greet him, his face covered with disapproval and sadness.

Son, his dad said, his voice stern as usual. Vitaly didn’t get along with his father as well as his older brother did.

He looked away from his dad, past the desk and the headmaster’s comfy chair, to the skyline of Pryamo. Several buildings rose into the air. The largest of them was the stadium that was home to the Repon team. Vitaly’s favorite sport.

What’s… Vitaly said, unable to continue. What what could be possibly going on? With his parents both here and sad, his mind flashed to his brother serving in the war, who had been deployed to Erdreich. Vitaly worried that he might be hurt or even worse. So many had been killed in the endless war that had consumed the world for millennia. Emotions washed over Vitaly. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Unsure of what to expect next. He prayed that their visit had nothing to do with his brother, Erik.

The headmaster placed his hand gently on Vitaly's shoulder. Vitaly peered up at him as a wall of grief hit him. We've received news of your brother.

Vitaly’s knees weekend. He nearly fell to the floor. What could be possibly going on? His stomach tightened. It was almost too much to take. The idea that Erik was gone. That he wouldn’t be able to see him again.

He opened his mouth to speak. Nothing but unrecognizable words emerged. His shoulders drooped, and he took a deep breath in and exhaled. What happened?

The headmaster appeared next to Vitaly’s dad. His father shrugged  and muttered, the war.

Vitaly gasped. Memories of Erik flooded into his mind. Happy moments of spending time with him during the summer out in the woods exploring the unknown or getting in trouble with his parents for sneaking out of the house after bedtime to watch a Repon match. Vitaly even had fun with Erik here at school. While they only had one year together at school before he left for the war. They took in all of the Repon matches they could together. Erik also took him under his wing and showing him the ropes. Having Erik here made it easier to adjust to the school.

A scent of cookies hit Vitaly. A fun time, one summer, of making butter cookies with Erik. Throwing the dough around at each other. And his father giving disapproving looks at Vitaly and blaming him for making a mess.

Vitaly's hand reached into his pocket and fiddled with a coin that Erik had recently sent him. A rare coin. It was from Erdreich. Since they were at war, they didn’t get much from that country. Vitaly rubbed the coin with his thumb. His brother had sent it with a note talking about how different Erdreich was from Nebu. That it was mostly a giant desert with cities scattered along the edge.

Vitaly closed his eyes, trying to see the world that Erik had died in. A victim of a war in a foreign land. Lost and lonely. It pained Vitaly to picture it. Erik in so much agony and being so far away from his family. Vitaly hit his thigh with his fist. This isn’t right, he said.

The idea that Erik was gone was too much. It couldn’t be true, it wasn’t true. His brother was going to walk through the door any moment to give him a big hug. Vitaly turned to stare at it, waiting.

Vitaly’s mother stood and walked over to him, using a handkerchief to wipe away her own tears. She pulled Vitaly in tight and kissed the top of his head. She held him tighter than she ever had before in his life. Her tears started up again. As she held Vitaly he realise he would never see his brother again and  his family would never feel whole.

Can I leave? Vitaly asked.

The headmaster nodded. If you want.

Thank you.

His mother released him and rubbed his head before Vitaly departed. The trip back to the lunchroom seemed quicker. He arrived in time to join Alexi leaving the cafeteria. Several heads turned at Vitaly’s arrival. They went silent again. Vitaly didn’t want to deal with all these people asking about it. It was too much. Erik was gone. He’d never see him again. Never play Repon or Kontak with him again. He had fond memories of going to the alley and playing. His brother would let him win, but the game wasn’t the fun part. There were the stories Erik told about his first year at school, and the stuff he saw being one of the upperclassmen Airmen leaders. So many students had tried to get away with the craziest stuff. Erik had regaled him with those stories, each of them funnier than the previous one. But now, Vitaly would never hear them again.

Did you hear me? Alexi asked.

Vitaly shook his head. What? he asked with a distant voice.

Alexi appeared concerned. It was clear that Vitaly was distraught. They had been friends ever since the first year here at the Academy. People had picked on Alexi for being from a poor family. The one good thing about Vitaly’s father was that he didn’t believe in the old ways. He did not hold any prejudice against Elementalists that weren’t born into certain families. Unlike several the other students here that looked down at Alexi and the others like him. They had a derogatory term that Vitaly wouldn’t repeat.

I asked, 'what did the headmaster want?'

Vitaly remained silent as they walked down the hallway towards the dormitories. They didn’t have a class for another hour, so this was their free period. My brother… It was too much to voice. His heart ached. He fought to not let it overwhelm him. To cry and breakdown in front of his friends. To show show a side of him they have never seen. That wasn’t a battle Vitaly was up for.

Vitaly didn’t have to continue—everyone knew that his brother was in the war, since everybody who graduated went on to serve. Plus,Vitaly talked about Erik all the time he'd been in Erdreich. I’m so sorry, Alexi said.

Before they reached the dormitory, Zoya joined them. Well?

Alexi shook his head and gestured for her not to ask. Zoya understood. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. There wasn’t anything to say, as no matter how prepared you were to lose someone to the war, it was not enough. Nearly everyone here had a family member currently serving. It was just a fact of life, and of being an Elementalist. The only thing certain in life was that a war was going on.

They entered the boys' dormitory, leaving Zoya behind. Vitaly plopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Alexi sat on his own, trying to console Vitaly. But it just wasn’t enough. Vitaly shut his eyes and let his emotions wash over him. He couldn't hear a thing that Alexi was saying.

Vitaly needed to get away. To escape the confines of the school. The dorm. His life. His family. Vitaly wanted nothing to do with it all. With his brother gone there was nothing left. What did it matter? For his whole life, Vitaly had struggled to gain his father’s attention. To make him love Vitaly as much as he did Erik. It would never happen. Vitaly wasn’t the best student, unlike Erik. He didn’t get the highest marks on grades. Vitaly was confident that Petrov reported every infraction that Vitaly had on his record to his father, who always seemed to know when Vitaly had gotten into a little bit of trouble and was regularly threatening to cut Vitaly’s allowance. It was an idle threat. Vitaly’s mother would never allow it. She did care for Vitaly. She showed him the love that his father never did.

Though if his mother knew that from time to time he had placed some bets on Repon matches, she’d be furious. Might even let his father cut him off or remove him from the inheritance and remove his title. But the later wouldn’t be a big deal. Titles were what those in the high society of Nebu cared about. Even his own father never used his own, though they both loved the money that came with it. For the first time, Vitaly didn’t want the money. Just to be out of the whole place. He wanted to not feel abandoned by Erik and father. Then he wouldn’t be empty anymore. Now, more than ever, he didn’t want to be a silenced breeze like his brother. A wind smothered too young.

Vitaly's mind shifted. If he couldn't escape, maybe he could at least find something to dull his pain. Numb the mind. He wanted anything to get away. With that in mind, he leaped from his bed, startling Alexi.

I’m worried, Alexi said.

I'm all right, Vitaly said. He opened his trunk on the floor at the end of this bed. He dug through it, looking for a book.

What are you doing?

Looking for a book.

Uh. Okay.

A knock sounded on the door. Alexi jumped and answered it. The headmaster stood at the entrance of the dormitory. His face held concern as he examined Vitaly kneeled over his trunk. He regarded Vitaly with sadness and fear. Are you all right?

Vitaly stared up at the headmaster. Much as he wanted to say that he was, he wasn’t. He was angry at the fact that Erik was gone and that no one seemed to care but him. It’s just too much, Vitaly said.

The headmaster motioned for Alexi to leave. A moment later, just the two of them remained in the room. The headmaster sat down on Alexi’s bed across from Vitaly. Come, sit.

Vitaly got up and sat on his bed and stared at the headmaster. He held the loan book that he had retrieved from his trunk. The air in the room was thick, dense ,difficult to breathe. Are you certain it was my brother?

The headmaster nodded. I’m sorry Vitaly, but it is. They sent a letter last night. Your parents rushed over as soon as they learned.

Vitaly nodded. He knew that it was true. They wouldn’t lie to him. He didn’t want to accept the fact that his brother was gone. That he would never be able to see him again. Or to create new memories, or to have happy moments again. The world suddenly changed.

Going forward, nothing would be the same. No matter how much Vitaly tried. It wasn’t easy accepting that.

The headmaster leaned forward. I know it's tough. We’ve all lost someone to this battle.

Vitaly nodded. I didn’t think it would be me. That Erik would be gone.

We never do. It’s impossible to wrap your mind around it. No matter how much we prepare ourselves, we are never ready. No matter how many times we do this alone, it’s never easy. The pain we feel for those we love is so intense that it seems like the world will never be the same.

Vitaly’s eyes watered, turning puffy and red. He didn’t want to cry. For Vitaly, men crying was a sign of weakness. He tried his best to hold it in, but he failed. Tears trickled down his cheeks. He leaned forward and covered his face with his own hands. I miss him.

The pain and sorrow overwhelmed him. This was the first time Vitaly had been directly affected by the war. It had been different seeing others deal with it. But having it thrust onto him it hurt. He hated the war.

The headmaster stood up, walked over to Vitaly, and rubbed his shoulders. I know.

Vitaly looked up at the headmaster. Do I have to go to class?

Most certainly you do not.

Thank you. The tension in Vitaly's body lessoned. He nodded at the headmaster with a glow in his eyes.

The headmaster lingered next to Vitaly, watching him. Vitaly could tell that he wanted to help to ease his pain. To make it go away, to erase it from his mind and body. But that wasn’t possible. Vitaly knew that the pain would never go away. That he’d forever be in pain, longing to see Erik again. Wishing he’d get another letter from him. Hearing from him about how exciting the world was, and how much Vitaly would love seeing it too. Of course, the only way to see it was in battles. They weren’t allowed to travel freely.

Is there anything I can do? the headmaster asked.

No. Vitaly only wanted his brother back, and that wasn’t possible. He wanted to escape.

The headmaster noticed the book sitting in Vitaly’s hands. Hmmm. We could arrange an off-campus visit for you tomorrow.

Vitaly’s eyes perked up at the mention of leaving school. He wanted nothing more in the world to leave. Unfortunately, the next pass day was weeks away. Once the school year started, every student was allowed one day off campus a month. You could?

The headmaster nodded. Of course, we can. I can have Professor Petrov take you to the bookstore down the street.

Vitaly smiled. While he wasn’t the biggest book fan, anything would do, plus the store was one of the most amazing places in all of Pryamo. He had been there many times with Erik. While his brother had been looking for books, Vitaly always wanted to see if they had new artifacts. Most of the time they didn’t but he still enjoyed looking. The objects told stories to Vitaly, stories he could never get out of books like Erik. Vitaly sniffled at the thought of his brother again.

You can find some interesting reads to help your studies, the headmaster said.

That would be fantastic. Vitaly could have his father give him even more money for the trip. If it were under the pretense of buying something to help with school, his dad would be for it. Can I bring some friends?

The headmaster nodded. Of course, you can. Just a few, though.

Vitaly smiled. His sadness eased, if only for a moment.

Later the next day, after the intense experience at the bookstore and the events that followed, Vitaly sat in the dormitory with Alexi. Both had had a traumatic two days. For Vitaly, learning that his brother was gone and for