Elemental Genesis

Chapter Eight: Different Points of View

"Okay, Nuitari. I want you to concentrate on fire."

Nuitari sighed. At the moment, Dr. Diamante was "testing" him for elemental ability. He definitely wanted to see if he did. He hated not knowing things. One can imagine how he viewed his amnesia.

Nuitari, or rather Harry Potter, was currently sitting up in bed, four wires wrapped around his wrist. These wires were connected to a tiny box held by the doctor. The box itself looked a lot like a muggle calculator. However, those machines didn't have blue, yellow, green, and red cords sticking out of them.

It was July 31st, mid-day, though he had gotten up at ten in the morning. His alarm clock was a pretty blonde girl around sixteen that was setting a tray of food by his bedside. She wasn't a nurse; her pale blue jacket had 'VOLUNTEER' stitched on it. When she was she saw that he was awake, she happily engaged into conversation with him while he ate the delicious hospital food. He had to admit the chat they had was informative and helped him understand his new situation quite a bit. She was so open and cheerful that he was strongly reminded of Dr. "Annie".

The girl laughed when he told her this thought of his. Her name was Mirabelle and she was the second youngest of the doctor's family, his eldest daughter. She was seventeen and resembled her mother more than her father. Straightforward and friendly, she quickly put him at ease. He guessed this was a family trait.

Not surprisingly, Mirabelle knew a lot about his condition. "I come from a long line of doctors and healers," she had told him. "Dad talked about you a lot, especially to Grandpa. There was a whole family discussion about you." Cassius Diamante, her grandfather, was a healer of great renown and had even helped found the hospital they were now in. Mirabelle seemed extremely proud of this fact. She spent much of her time here to get some practical experience before she went to medical school in a few years. "I'll be the first earth elemental in the family to become a doctor. My mum's kind of upset about it, but Dad was really pleased. Everyone else who took a career in medicine in the Diamante family are water elementals, like my dad and grandpa."

This was what he wanted to know. Seeing his chance, he obviously took it. "Can you tell me what an elemental is? Dr. Diamante really didn't make what one was very clear last night."

"I don't see why not. An elemental is someone who can control an element. Usually those elements are fire, wind, water, or earth, but there are some people that could manipulate others. See that plant?" She pointed across the room to a pot of pansies on a table; many of them were buds. "Watch." Mirabelle put out her arm, fingers outstretched and glowing a soft green. Ever so slightly, she moved a few of her fingers upward. Before his eyes, a majority of the pansy buds bloomed into full blossoms. She laughed at his startled expression. The pansies reverted back to their original state when she moved her fingers again. Seeing his expression of shock turn to confusion, she explained. "As an earth elemental, I can control earth-related things. Like you saw, I can control plants, but there are other perks. I can heal wounds to a certain extent."

"Wow," he stuttered out. "Can I do that?"

"Dad is going to check in a few hours to see if you do. Grandpa thinks you might be an elemental, considering what Zylle told us about how you got here in the first place. Grandpa is seldom wrong about these sorts of things."

"Do you think I do?"

"It's doubtful, but I trust Grandpa on this. Most wizards don't have that much true elemental ability, though, if any at all. Those who do would probably rank low: maybe first or second class at best."

"Class? So your class determines how powerful your ability is?"

"You catch on quick! There are five recognized classes. First is the lowest and fifth is the highest. Third is usually the level for an average elemental. One person does hold the status of sixth class, first there has ever been. I'm fourth, so that's pretty good. My dad and grandpa are fifth class water elementals. That is one of the reasons why our family is so influential in our clan, the Kiri-Kaminari Falcons."

"I wonder what will happen if I'm not."

"According to Philip - my oldest brother, he's a lawyer - we would have to hand you over to the state. They might place you in an orphanage or something, since you don't remember. It's hard to find records on someone who doesn't remember their past."

He shuddered, recalling Tom's words about his childhood in an orphanage. Mirabelle, though, recaptured his attention before he could begin to panic. "Say, you don't have a name, right?"

"Nope. I'm completely blank in that area. I really hate it."

"Well, we need to call you something!"

"But names aren't important. People are."

"That maybe true, but names make some things a lot simpler." After a lot of discussion, Mirabelle settled on the name of a character in one of her favorite books. Apparently, she was an avid reader and thought that the character's name fitted him. "That's it! You're going to be called 'Nuitari'."

"Nuitari? Why that name? It sounds pretty odd if you ask me."

"It's the name of this god from one of my favorite series: Dragonlance. It suits you perfectly. This guy is pretty mysterious, just like you. Also, Zylle mentioned this 'woman of darkness' was near you when she found you. This guy is a dark god, so it also goes with your situation in a way." He tried to persuade her to pick a different handle for him, like Harry or James (he liked those names for some odd reason) or something else that was more normal, but she wouldn't give in. "Your new name is Nuitari and that is that!" Judging by her nature, he guessed that even if he did take another name, she was going to make sure that everyone called him 'Nuitari'. So he gave in. Evidently, she wasn't going to budge from her decision.

Hence, his name was now Nuitari. It would take some time to get used to. No last name, but it was better than nothing.

Dr. Diamante himself came in an hour later and Mirabelle had to leave. She promised to visit, though, and he was happy to have made a friend. The doctor had made a few jokes about his new name, but agreed that it was better than nothing and that Mirabelle was a bit of a romantic. Dr. "Annie", as he would forever be remembered in Nuitari's mind, claimed his daughter got her stubbornness from her mother Callie. Then they started the test.

It worked like this: he thought about the element, while the calculator determined his level number through the cords. Red was fire, yellow symbolized wind, blue corresponded with water, and green meant earth. That level number affected his class, if he was an elemental at all. He was officially an elemental if he got a number higher than 500 in at least one element. If he received lower, then he had some ability, but it wasn't enough. The score of 500 was the lowest number for a first class elemental, the weakest level. According to Dr. Diamante, if he was proven to be an elemental then an elemental family could immediately and legally adopt him. That family could then train his power. When he saw the hopeful look on Nuitari's face, he said, "Don't get your hopes up, kid. Most wizards don't have any elemental magic altogether. If they do, it's usually under 500."

"What makes the difference in getting elemental magic and wizarding magic? And what is the difference between them anyway?"

"Well, elemental magic is usually inherited by blood, but not all the time. Sometimes it skips. A friend of my father's who was a fire elemental had a muggle daughter, but her son was an elemental despite his father being a muggle as well. Some elementals have wizard or witch children, for some reason. There are two ways you can get it, though, without elemental ancestry. Some muggles have elemental children: we try to find those who are like this quickly. The parents tend to have a strong connection with nature without the ability or they are unconsciously in contact with magic a lot. The other way is through a long line of wizarding blood; usually not having any muggle blood intermingled at all. Squibs are usually the result of this since, as I said before, wizards frequently don't have it all. As for the difference between the two, it's all in the mindset. Our point of view of magic and how it is done is poles apart from the outlook of wizards."

"How so? I know that wizards don't think this kind of magic can be done-"

"Exactly. They don't believe it is possible to have this kind of connection to nature. Wizards generally go by their books and," he made a face here, "wands. Elementals set their own limits and we normally experiment with what we can do. We think that our powers come from nature and ourselves. They think that magic comes from their wands. This is one of the reasons we remain separate from them: totally different philosophies. Now, let's start. Okay, Nuitari, I want you to concentrate on fire."

Nuitari closed his eyes and focused on that element. Fire. It was warm and comforting, but dangerous. Ancient, it flickers and burns, shedding gentle light.

He heard a click and felt one of the wires retract from his wrist. "Good. Now, we'll do wind."

That was simple; though how it was he didn't quite understand. Out of control and free, with open skies beckoning to him: that was the beauty of the wind. He also had fleeting thoughts of Tom, as well as the Lady.

Nuitari, eyes still shut, heard a sharp gasp escape from Dr. Diamante. "...Well! That's interesting! Let's go on with earth." The yellow wire was released.

Earth...what did he think about it? It was nice, he supposed. It was nurturing and brought life. Falling, that's what he disliked about it. I really don't like falling.

"Okay. Water." The green wire let go of his wrist.

Water was clear and pure. It was okay, he guessed. Nuitari assumed this was because he probably didn't know how to swim that well or maybe he had an accident dealing with water somehow. Did it extend to snow and rain? He knew he liked rain for some odd reason. It must be another one of those things I'm picking up, like that falling thing.

The blue wire retracted with a snap. The doctor nodded. "Acceptable. Now, I have to go and record this and decide what to do. You, on the other hand, will eat. A nurse will be up here with you lunch. Make sure you eat all of it; you're far too thin." He turned to leave.

But Nuitari needed to know what his results were. "Dr. Diamante, wait! Did I pass?"

The water elemental healer smiled happily. "You sure did. Now, you better eat! I'm not letting Betty leave your side unless you do!" With his usual happy gait, he exited the room.

Hedwig fluttered down to his arm from where she was perched on the IV pole. Nuitari stroked her white feathers absently. "It looks like we might be staying, girl." The owl hooted in what one could call a joyful manner.

"Lunch time!" With that exclamation, Betty the nurse burst in with a tray piled high with food.

I'm supposed to eat all of THAT?! He's crazy!

<><><>

Number 14 Zephyrus Court was a special house. This three-story dwelling was one of the oldest buildings in the London area, built long before the date written on the deed. It was made from warm gray stone and blue-gray slate shingles covered the roof. Green and purple ivy crept up its side, but it stayed clear of the windows, as if by magic. An elaborate black iron fence enclosed the large yard, home to well-kept patches of tulips and lilies, with an occasional rose bush scattered about. It wasn't perfect. There were some weeds here and there in the green grass. The lilac shrub in the corner badly needed pruning, as did the old beech tree by the front window. That was the way Number 14's inhabitants liked it, though. An ancient willow grew beside the slate stairs, which lead to the front door. The whole place had a homey, but stately, feel to it. Number 14 was a very important place: it had been the home of the Hawking family for centuries.

Zylle Hawking was home on time for once: eight o'clock sharp. She carried a key, but really didn't need to. The house had a mind of its own and it knew the members of the family. Unless you were a recognized Hawking, a friend of the family, or were invited, you couldn't get inside at all. It was one of the many existing security measures that the family had put up throughout the ages. Zylle hesitated before the oaken door opened for her. I have no choice now.

She was hit by a huge blast of music as soon as she stepped inside. The door shut behind her, the many locks clicking and snapping closed. She sighed and dropped her suitcase on the nearby mahogany table. Kicking off her heels, she walked down the hallway towards the back of the house. The source of the noise was in the kitchen. It always was. She also knew what, or more accurately, who was causing it.

It was a tradition in the Hawking family to have everyone live under the same roof, thus explaining the house's large size. This was supposed to strengthen the bonds of unity and blood between them. Number 14 would automatically adjust to the amount of people in the household. There was no breaking this writ of Hawking protocol. If there were a large family at some point, the house would add rooms to adapt to the number of family members without any human intervention. Again, this charm was cast by one of the more vague Hawking ancestors. The house of Hawking, though, had dwindled over the years. During the last century, the family had produced only one child per generation, like Zylle and her father. Currently, the only Hawkings were Zylle herself and her mother, a Hawking by marriage. Her father had died many years ago, months before she was born. That's why there were only four bedrooms. Both women had pondered over the existence of the extra bedroom, since the house was enchanted to only have one guest bedroom. Gradually, as the years passed, they overlooked this.

Zylle stepped into the kitchen. I was right. It was her doing all this.

The kitchen, toned in bright yellows and deep blues, was filled with the smell of spiced chicken. It reverberated with the blaring sound of salsa music. The small woman bustling around the room was humming and partially dancing to the fast beat. With one small click, Zylle shut off the radio.

The other woman turned around when she noticed that the music stopped. Sarah Hawking made a face. "You never let me have any fun." Zylle's mother was a woman of great energy, which was amazing at her age. At a healthy seventy-two, she didn't seem like she was going to go anytime soon. Often, the 'old lady' was zooming around town: running, shopping, talking, dancing, absolutely anything. She didn't even look old. Her dark gray hair still had streaks of black and her brown eyes remained bright. To many who knew her well, especially the older generation of Grey Tower Town, this was no surprise.

Sarah Circe Hawking, fifth class fire elemental, was a hero of the great wars that occurred over fifty years ago. These wars were between elementals that supported the dark wizard known as Grindelwald, called "Phantom Elementals", and the elementals that went against them, the "Shining Elementals". Her father, then the leader of Arashi-Tenku Dragons, was a major leader in the Shining Elemental ranks. However, he died protecting a muggle family from slaughter. Pregnant and widowed, Sarah had taken her deceased husband's position as Black Dragon leader and was a main factor in the Shining side's victory over their enemies. She never remarried and raised Zylle alone, teaching her all that she knew. Nevertheless, Sarah was an "eccentric". For one thing, she and their neighbor Hans (a fellow eccentric and Sarah's best friend) were always organizing giant festivals and events for the town. Zylle often tried to stop this, but her mother and Hans never quit. She also enjoyed bowling. Eventually, Zylle had given up attempting to settle her mother down. It was clear that she wasn't going to anyway. Besides, Sarah could cook and really well at that. Zylle had trouble making the simplest things.

"I just don't get you, Mum."

"Neither did your father. You obviously take after him, always serious. You work yourself too hard."

Uh oh. I know where this is going...

"You need a man! You were six when I was your age! Why don't you get married?" Sarah took out the chicken from the oven and began getting out dishes for the other parts of the meal.

Zylle sighed. They always went through this. "I told you, Mum, I haven't met the right guy yet."

"Honey, men don't rain down from heaven. We may wish we did, but they don't. Well...maybe not. I met your father after he fell out of the sky when he was learning how to fly." She shoved the plate holding that delicious oven-cooked hen at Zylle, clearly meaning for her to carry it.

"Besides, the fact that I outrank everyone doesn't help." Zylle set the chicken and some utensils down on the dining room table, followed by Sarah with a steaming pot of broth. This room was wallpapered with a deep green leaf pattern and the furniture was of the dark variety. Sarah would have liked something lighter, but she couldn't change it. Only the master or mistress of the house could decide on the décor. Zylle was happy with it, so it remained the same. I get enough 'light' and 'color' at work, in any case. "Mum, listen to me. First of all, I'm a sixth class wind elemental. No one's reached that level before in all of our known history. Second, I'm the Black Dragon leader of our clan. You know well enough that the Arashi-Tenku Dragons are among the most influential of all the elemental clans of England and the fact that I'm its main leader doesn't help."

"Your attitude leaves much to be desired as well."

"Mum? You're impossible."

Sarah smiled a toothy grin at her daughter. Fortunately for her, her good health extended to her teeth. She'd die if she had to wear dentures. "I know. It's what makes me so lovable." Zylle couldn't help but laugh at that.

The older woman's expression turned serious. "Really, you will have to get a move on. You are the last of the Hawkings and someone has to continue the line, even if they don't carry our name."

"I know, I know. And I promise I won't get involved at all with David Crowley."

"Good, I don't like him. Never trust womanizers. Now, you're my daughter, which means I know you like the back of my hand. What's got you so mad?"

"Why couldn't you name me something normal?"

"Misspelling or mispronunciation?" Yes, Sarah was used to this question.

"Both. Where on Earth did the name 'Zylle' come from?"

"I have told you a thousand times already. Your name is a combination of the first letters of my mother's and my sisters' names: Zelda, Yvette, Laura, Lucinda, and Elaine. Since they all were killed in the war, I had to find some way to honor them. Hence, 'Zylle'."

"You're mad."

"I prefer 'creative'. Now, the house is trying to get our attention. Who's at the door?"

"What?" Then, she heard the doorbell. It was louder than it usually was, meaning this wasn't the first time it had rung. She asked to no one in particular, "Who is it?"

In curly gold letters, the name 'ANASTASIUS DIAMANTE' spelled out on the wallpaper. Sarah smiled. "Well! I haven't seen him in a while! Always to busy too visit an old lady, isn't he?"

"Mum, he's a doctor and has a family. Of course, he's busy! I wonder what he wants. Let him in!" Zylle pointed this last statement to the house. A few moments later, Anastasius Diamante strode into the room, for once out of doctor's clothing. Sarah jumped up and hugged him as if he were a son.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, lad! How's the family? Here, have some food. Lord knows you probably need it."

"Sorry, but I can't stay long. It's about our mystery boy."

This caught her attention. Zylle asked him, "So you've tested him?"

"Yes. Oh and just to tell you: he has a name now. Mirabelle gave it to him. It's Nuitari. You know how Mirabelle is."

Zylle ignored the pointed look that her mother was giving her. "Well? What were they?"

"It's incredible. He's high level for all of them."

"Why did you do all four? I told you he arrived in Aiken-Quincy Park in a whirlwind."

"You know people can access other elements. Remember that you're also a fifth class fire elemental. It's just that they develop blocks against certain ones. Look at you and water. He has blocks, too. I think it's against water and earth judging from the tests."

"That only happens when two high level elementals have a child, so it doesn't answer my question." She paused here. "Fine! Thank you for all you've given me in my life, Mum!"

"About time I got some gratitude for all I've done for you."

"I was sarcastic."

"So? I still was thanked. Good enough."

"Anyway," Anastasius interrupted. "I thought it wise to. Here are the results. At first, I thought it was a joke." Anastasius handed Zylle a sheet of typed paper.

She looked over it quickly. Then, she reread it. Dropping the paper in her shock, she exclaimed, "You're kidding!"

<><><>

Results of Elemental Test for Patient #004213678

Class Scale: First: +500. Second: +1000. Third: +1500. Fourth: +2000 Fifth: +2500

Earth: 2376- 4th class Water: 2746- 5th class

Fire: 2905- 5th class Wind: 3242- 6th class

Notes: -confirmed wizard, with high power. -highly abnormal.

***