I was slower on my way back down the mountain than I was going up, as I had a lot to think about. An elemental… I had to admit, the thought had occurred to me that I had become something 'unique' spiritually, but this wasn't the direction I was expecting. I tried to wrack my brain about everything I knew about them, but the answer was very little. Aside from my second hand knowledge of Swamp Thing, the only other information I had on them was from Queen Mera.
Speaking of which, why didn't she tell me what I was? Did she simply not realize it? I would have thought she would know what an elemental looked like, but I guess I was so different that she hadn't recognized exactly what she was looking at. So, where did that leave me?
The only difference with you is that you remember what it's like to be human. That'll fade with time.
Hephaestus's words sat in the back of my mind, gnawing away at me. It wasn't the first time I had wondered just what my current… existence was doing to me as a person, but it did bring it back into focus. After a century of being an elemental, would I even care about organic people anymore? Would I only focus on other synthetic beings? I certainly didn't want that to be the case, but what if I just lost my empathy over time? The problem was I just didn't know.
I needed to learn more, but I wasn't sure how. Mera was at the top of my list, but I was pretty sure I exhausted most of her knowledge on the subject. I knew Zatara didn't know much, and Fate… well, getting anything out of that bucket was like pulling blood from a stone. It'd be nice if I could ask a once-human elemental directly, but the only one of those I knew about was Swamp Thing. And he was not the sociable type.
I could only ruminate for so long before I arrived back at the city. Flying over revealed it to be oddly empty, though. I looked around for a moment before I heard the roar of a crowd coming from the Grand Arena. Ah, of course.
I flew down to one of entrances and walked though the short tunnel, emerging into the inside of the coliseum. Thousands of Amazons were packing the simple stone benches that went up and down in tiers along the wall, in various states of clamor. No one paid attention to me as I walked down the steps to the central arena, a massive ring that was at least 100ft across, and walled with thick stone. As I got to the lip of the pit, I saw that the current fight was between a phalanx and a group of more mobile women, armed with axes and light gear.
I didn't have too long to talk it in, as I soon heard my name cut through the din. "Jacob! Jacob Morgan!" I looked to my right and I saw an Amazon excitedly moving towards me from the center of the row she had been sitting in. She had creamy skin and long red hair tied back. She also nearly pitched over a few times as she stumbled past the other Amazons seated between us.
She came to a stop in front of me with an excited expression. "I've been wanting to meet you ever since I heard about you coming here! Is it true you're a scholar too?"
I hesitated, taken a little off guard by the peppy lady. "In a manner of speaking. And you are…?"
"Oh, sorry got ahead of myself. I am Alexa. I'm responsible for looking after the library here on Themyscira."
"Jacob." I said, if only for the sake of completeness. "I assume you're interested in what knowledge Man's World has to offer?"
She nodded vigorously. "I mean, I know some of my sisters say nothing of any worth comes out of Man's World, but you can only read the classics so many times before you find yourself wanting something more."
I hummed and cupped my chin. "Well, my specialty, such as it is, is more about mathematics and engineering than literature. I'll do my best though." I wonder how Diana would feel about me airdropping volumes of JoJo's onto the island?
"That's fine too! The last men here talked about machines they had in their homeland, but they didn't know exactly how they worked. If you could tell me about the math behind it…?"
"Maybe later. This doesn't seem like the best venue." I looked around at the crowd of yelling women around us. "Besides which, I'd like to find my companions." Glancing about I tried to see if I could spot them amid the stands. Inevitably my eyes were drawn to a large viewing box on the opposite side of the arena.
In the box I spied Hippolyta, Diana, and Donna sitting side by side. Notably, Kori wasn't with them. I swept my gaze around the stadium, trying to spot her among the crowd, but I didn't see her. By the time I had checked every spot I could see (including the sky), the fighters in the area had cleared out.
Let's see, if she's not in the box and not in the stands, that inevitably means…
Hippolyta stood, walking to the edge of the terrace before projecting her voice loud enough that the entire coliseum could hear her (whether by magic or excellent acoustics, I wasn't sure). "My sisters, it is normally this time when we would reenact the Siege of Amazonia. However, this year we have a change. Or perhaps more accurately, a return to form. A Trial has been called."
All the Amazons present broke into surprised chatter. "A Trial of the Gods?" Alexa said next to me. "I didn't hear about anyone wishing to attempt such a thing this year! Oh this is what I get for staying in the library all the time!"
Hippolyta raised a hand, and a few seconds later the Amazons quieted down for her to speak. "Rare is the time when one of our own risks the arduous task that the Gods may set out for them in order to gain their favor. But today we have something rarer still. For the Trial has been asked and given… to an outsider."
The excited chatter picked back up, but Hippolyta raised her volume to be heard. "Everyone, I give you the challenger," Hippolyta gestured to one of the entrances to the arena. "Koriand'r!"
Walking out of the tunnel into the arena was Kori, who had apparently been given a set of hoplite armor. She had forgone the helmet, letting her hair stream out behind her as she came into view of the crowd. She had a spear slung over her shoulder, which she then rose in salute.
And there she is, I thought to myself ruefully. Really it was only a matter of time before she ended up in the Amazon's fighting pit. And naturally, she did it in the most dramatic way possible.
"Oh my," Alexa brought a hand up to her mouth before looking at me. "What could she want that would be worth the risk?"
"Don't know," I said, before I cupped my hands over my mouth and yelled "Kori! You can do it!"
Somehow she heard me over the din of everyone else. She turned to look at me, and I saw the smile she flashed my way.
Hippolyta continued, ignoring the stir my girlfriend's appearance caused. "While Trails in the past could be adventures or a series of challenges, Koriand'r requested of the deity that her task be a suitable one for her time with us. And as such, the task of this Trial is simple, and shall be carried out here and now." The Queen of the Amazons spread her arms wide. "Kill the monster!"
At first, nothing happened. Then the whole coliseum began to rumble. Lightly at first, but was growing intensity with each passing moment. The cause quickly became clear as the sand in the center of the arena started to fall inward, and a chasm opened up in its place. Thick stone pillars shot up around the space, and the groan of the earth became something much more monstrous as something rose from the depths. It didn't climb, but was rather pushed up by the earth filling up underneath it, and it quickly became clear that the pillars surrounding it were its cage.
The creature was 15 meters tall, and while generally humanoid in shape it's body was covered in misshapen muscle. It's skin was a leathery black, though it had blotchy patches of paler flesh. As It swung it's head around to roar at everyone present, I got a good look at a gaping maw full of razor sharp teeth… and a single massive eye in the center of it's brow.
"A Cyclops?" I said out loud. "Something looks wrong with it..."
"It's corrupted." Alexa said, though her eyes remained fixed on the creature. "I didn't think there were any left. This one must have been imprisoned for a long time."
"Corrupted? By what?"
"Years ago a group of mages from Man's World breached the gates of Tartarus, intent on finding objects of power. They had some kind of… corrupting darkness which they used on anything that got in their way. It required the intervention of the goddess Nyx to expel them."
The facts clicked together in my head. "Wait, are you talking about the Brujería?"
"I don't know, we never learned their identities. Nyx herself hasn't been seen since that day."
"... But Hephaestus told me-"
I was cut off as the monster slammed it's hands into the earthen pillars that encaged it. It roared as it flailed in it's prison, each hit causing fractures to run up and down the pillars. Kori settled into a low stance, spear held at her side as she waited. She didn't have to wait long before the cyclops spread its arms wide and the pillars broke apart. In that moment, Kori brought her spear back and hurled it straight at the thing's eye.
Her aim was dead on, but whether by the creature having good reflexes or just luck, it closed its eyelid just before it stuck. The spear shattered from the force of impact, and the cyclops's head rocked back. Bit of a waste, but that spear probably wouldn't have done much anyway, I mulled. While it was reeling, Kori moved laterally to the beast, firing starbolts at its center of mass. The energy bolts didn't do much damage though, some actually skipping off the monster's hide.
The cyclops recovered and tried to catch her, its motion oddly jerking and sometimes moving on all fours. Kori kept to the ground, but her legs were just as strong as the rest of her, so each 'step' carried her forward a few meters at a time. She darted around the arena as the monster tried to claw at her, dashing in to strike at it's ankles and knees before pulling back again. Each hit made it a little more off balance before it pitched forward, going down to one knee. Kori saw her chance, quickly moving back around to strike the back of it's head.
Even as she was moving though, I could tell something wasn't right. Something was off about the way it had fallen,the way it's muscles were bunching. Before I could figure it out, the cyclops twisted, one of its arms moving at an unnatural angle to swipe behind itself. The motion was so unexpected it caught Kori mid jump, flinging her to the edge of the arena.
Kori slammed into the stone wall that ringed the arena hard enough that cracks formed, but she barely let that slow her down as she used it to launch herself away. And not a moment too soon, as the cyclops's fist smashed into where she just was, blasting the stone apart. The Amazons in the front didn't exactly flee, but they did get up from their seats, ready to move at a moment's notice. Luckily for them, Kori was keeping it's attention.
The battle settled back into hit and run tactics, but now Kori was having to deal with unusual counter attacks. The cyclops could seamingly twist it's joints at strange angles, striking from positions that shouldn't be possible. She was still getting hits in, but given the creature's massive body and thick hide, they just weren't doing enough. And as deranged as it's movements were, it was smart enough to protect its eye anytime she went for it.
Just as I started to wonder if this was going to turn into a battle of attrition, the cyclops changed its tactics. It turned its next charge at Kori into a sort of roll, grabbing one of the broken pillar fragments as part of the motion. It threw the improvised projectile at her as it righted itself, forcing her to shoot upwards to avoid it. The cyclops didn't stop, picking up whatever pillar pieces it could reach and throwing them with wild abandon. This forced her to dodge, blast and in one case catch the rock chunks thrown at her, in order to stop them from going into the crowd.
When it turned away to pick up a particularly large section of pillar, Kori shot towards it. A large starbolt formed in her hand which she tossed ahead of her, slightly off to the side of her target. It was such that the cyclops had only started to turn before the bolt exploded in the air, turning into a massive green flare which blinded it for a moment.
As it screeched and Kori closed the distance, she turned her body sideways and started to spin. Her hair followed her motion like a streamer around a top, and at the last second she extended her leg to bring it down on it's collar with crushing force. I just barely heard the crack over the sound of its screech increasing in pitch, and the arm attached to that side of its body started to spasm.
Kori didn't let up, her hands glowing green as she hammered the cyclops in the chest and face. It flailed and tried to get away from her, but she kept pace with its stumbling motions and flew around the limbs that tried to knock her out of the air. The crowd was full of people roaring in excitement, and I was one of them. "That's it! You've got this, just kept it going!" I bellowed.
It was slow, but the damage started to pile up. The sections of its body it was focused on became more and more burnt, and I think I heard a few more cracks that meant she had damaged bone. It also meant the cyclops was getting more desperate. Once she had pushed it almost all the way back to the arena wall, I saw something that caused me to narrow my eyes: the cyclops bit its tongue. For a moment I wondered if it was because it had been hit in the jaw, but the next time Kori came in, the creature twisted its head and spat at her.
The dark glob splashed over her chest and face, and she faltered as she was suddenly blinded and caught in a coughing fit. She tried to pull back and up, but was clipped by the creature's good arm swinging at her. She spun in the air, and by the time she righted herself, the cyclops had grabbed her legs. With another screech it slammed her into the arena floor hard enough a plum of sand shot into the air on impact.
What followed was a chaotic mess of the cyclops slamming its hand into the ground and starbolts shooting back up at it, all obscured by a cloud of sand. Eventually the creature just pressed it's hand into the dirt and gripped, pulling it up to reveal her had Kori clenched in its giant clawed fist. The cyclops brought Kori up to head level, and with a snarl clenched his fist tight. Kori screamed in pain, and I could tell from the motion of the fist that she was trying to pry her way out. She couldn't quite manage it, and the creature's head leaned in closer.
The crowd around me was yelling, but all of my focus was on her. As loud as I could, louder than anyone else there, I roared "Ventra Hal Sur'mec Dunarish Cortar!"
Because I was so focused on her, I noticed when Kori's hair started to flare up more than normal. I saw the build up of energy from her skin, and her cries had changed from pain to fury. I only had a split second to see her eyes glow before green beams shot out from them, burning right into the cyclops's eye at point blank.
That was new.
The creature roared and reeled back as it's eye blackened, and Kori broke out of its grasp. She immediately shot forward and slugged it across the face with enough force that I felt the impact from the stands. The cyclops toppled backwards and hit the arena ground with a crash, and Kori was still moving. She dashed to the largest remaining piece of the downed pillars, a jagged piece of stone that was five times the size of her. She grabbed it in the middle, and lifted. Slowly it was hoisted over her head, and keeping the momentum she jumped into the air.
Kori kept rising, clearing the top to the coliseum just as the monster was pulling itself up. It blinked several times with its ruined eye, trying to make out what she was doing. And then, with a battle cry, Kori fell, turning the rock into a spear which she powered with her own flight. The cyclops realized too late what was happening, just before the rock pillar's jagged end came down on its head.
The thunderous impact shook the entire coliseum, several Amazons even being knocked over from it. The cloud of dust that was kicked up completely concealed the arena, so a hush fell over everyone present. We all waited with baited breath.
Finally, the dust cleared, and we saw what remained of the cyclops. It's head had been completely pulverized by the impact, leaving little more than a red smear. And a figure was standing on its chest. She was covered in blood, dust, and grime, but Koriand'r was burning oh so brightly.
She pumped her first in the air. The crowd went wild.
I breathed out a sigh of relief and satisfaction. "Someone get me a fainting couch so I can properly swoon for that beautiful woman."
As much as I wanted to, I wasn't able to spend much time with Kori after that. Aside from the horde of Amazons who were also trying to meet her, she was ushered away by some priestess in order to get her wounds healed. She promised me that we would meet up later that night. Specifically, at the feast that was going to be held.
The festival dinner was taking place in the main square of the city, a large open space in front of the palace lined by columns. It wasn't quite big enough for the entire population to fit in, so there was some spill off into the side streets and roads. The feast itself was laid out on rows of tables that lined the edges of the square, and the center of the area was set up for dancing. The sun had set a short while ago, so the entire area was lit by torches, and the Amazons present were well on their way to embracing the revelry.
For myself though, I was standing off to the edge of the festivities, and was having Diana explain something very important to me. "Oh, those are Kangas," She said. "We use them as mounts. Much more versatile than horses, in my opinion."
I stared at her for a long moment before asking "Diana, why do the Amazons have giant war kangaroos?"
"I believe Hermes had something to do with it," She said with a slight frown. "One of his favorite things has always been to steal herds of animals. One day they simply… appeared on the island. And after living on Paradise Island long enough… well, creatures here tend to be bigger than their counterparts out in the rest of the world."
"I guess Hermes has been causing trouble for you for a while, huh?"
Diana expression softened. "Well, as irritating as he can be, Hermes never goes too far. And out of all the gods, he is the one who responds to us the most." A hint of a smile crossed her lips. "I believe he does care, he's just… well, him."
Huh. Now that I think about it, Hermes was the sole male god that granted a gift to Diana upon her creation. It would be a big stretch to say that he was like her father, but maybe he viewed Diana as a sort of relative?
I pushed that thought aside and, not for the first time that night, glanced around the area. "Do you know where Kori is? She said she'd be here, but it seems she's missing her own feast."
"It's not for her, this feast happens every year." Diana remarked. "That said, she would normally be the 'guest of honor' considering her performance in the Trial today… but she declined."
"Really?" I looked back at her. "Why's that?"
"Perhaps she has different plans," she said, and I saw the corners of her mouth turn up slightly. "If you'll excuse me, I must go find my mother. She'll be addressing the people soon, and it's important I'm by her side." And with that she left me to my own devices.
For a while I just leaned against the wall of the nearby building, taking in the sights and sounds. But, as much as I tried to focus on what was in front of me, my mind kept drifting back to the Forge, and what I learned about what was in store for me. Nope, not dealing with this right now, I thought, pushing off the wall. Maybe I can find Alexa, she was pretty keen on talking earlier today.
Before I could act on that though, a voice grabbed my attention."Hey," I looked to my side to see Donna approaching me, dressed in the same traditional clothing that Diana was wearing. "Kori asked me to get you. Follow me."
I did so, but as we walked around a nearby building I asked "Why? What's going on?"
"She wants to avoid crowds. She's a little more popular than expected… and I'm guessing she wants some privacy." She took us down a narrow alleyway that was devoid of people, though I could still hear the sounds of the festival behind me.
"Ah… for what exactly?" Donna turned and put her hands on her hips, giving me an expectant look. "Alright, fair enough. This is still a little odd, though."
Donna's expression softened, and she stepped towards me. She made to step past me, but when she drew close she paused for a moment, laying a hand on my shoulder in an oddly intimate gesture before moving on. I looked after her for a moment before I noticed someone floating down in front of me I looked back forward to see-
Oh wow.
Kori had changed into a fancy white tunic, with embroidered threads around the hem and sleeves. It was shoulderless, though it did have a thread looped around the neck attached to the low cut front. It had small cuts running up the outside of her thighs with additional embroidery. She had also placed a few flowers in her voluminous hair, and the result in total was absolutely stunning.
For a moment, all I could do was stand there and take in the smile she gave me before I stepped in and embraced her. "You're beautiful," I said. "So, what-"
I was confused when she placed a hand on my lips to silence me, but she was still smiling when she said "Come with me."
Kori led me away from the festival, and when we were around a corner she took my hand and took flight. I was surprised, but I let her guide me out to the edge of the city, right where the wild of the island brushed up against the city's walls. The forest was thick, though I saw a path leading deeper in. I remained silent as we moved down the path, the forest enveloping us until I lost sight of civilization.
After a short while we came to an… arch of sorts. I almost didn't notice the bending trees at first, but the path took us between them. As we did I couldn't help but feel like I passed through a threshold of some kind. Because just past that the woods opened up into a large clearing, a pristine spot of nature that seemed to radiate a sense of peace. There was a ring of flowers around the outside border, and above us the night sky bathed the area in soft light. "It's beautiful," I said. "But why take me here?"
"So that I could meet you," A feminine voice echoed through the clearing, and a moment later a figure moved out of the treeline towards us.
She was… too much. Much more than should have been able to fit in this clearing, let alone the body that was no bigger than me. In the body of the woman walking towards us I could see mountains rise and fall, the oceans pulsed through her veins. I could see entire ecosystems draped about her like a robe, and her face was a vast plane which held a topography that looked at me with warmth and interest. The forests of her hair were in vibrant autumn colors, and she gave off the air of a woman in her middle years.
Gaia was not exactly a god, and in spite of what many people thought she wasn't a Titan either. Gaia was a primordial deity, one of the first that were spawned directly from unformed Chaos. Even more than the gods I had already met, Gaia just… was. I was halfway to a bow before I heard her say "Do not trouble yourself, at least not yet."
"Sorry, it's just… you're a bit overwhelming." I stammered out.
A chuckle that was the waves lapping at the shore was the response. "So, I have been told. I had wondered if you would be able to see me with more than just your eyes, and so you are. And now that I see you… yes, I am quite glad you have come here."
"...Why?"
"Well, it's difficult for me to leave this island these days," the air had an almost wry tone as she said this. "Quite the state for the one who created the world, isn't it?"
I opened my mouth to question that, but stopped. It probably wasn't a good idea to ask a deity what their thoughts were on carbon dating.
But somehow, Gaia sensed what I was thinking. "You are wondering how such a thing is possible when this planet is eons older than myself?" I hesitantly nodded, and she continued. "When dealing with the 'higher' aspects of the world, things are not always as cleanly answered as you might expect. I have existed since the beginning of existence, predated by only Chaos itself. I am also only a few thousand years old, having been created when the Greeks first thought of me. Both of these are true, and there is no need to choose one over the other as correct. As such an aspect yourself, this is a facet of reality you will come to accept over time."
The way she said that, the weight behind her words, told me that she knew. I felt a wave of melancholy, and looked down. "Yeah… guess I will."
Gaia's tone changed to one of concern. "And yet… this distresses you? Why?"
"Jacob?" Kori said from behind me, having noticed the mood shift. "Is something wrong?"
I looked back at her. "I was going to tell you when I got the chance, but Hephaestus… he told me that I'm an elemental."
Kori straightened. "You mean… you're like a spirit? What does that mean?"
"...I don't know." I admitted. "In the short team, probably little. But, he also said I'll forget what it's like to be human given enough time."
"But you wouldn't do that," She insisted, stepping closer. "You would never give up on what you care about."
"That's true now, but what about in 50 years? 100? 200?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair. "I don't even know what living past the normal human lifespan is going to do to me personally, let alone having an elemental soul. What if I change and don't notice? What if I change… and I don't care?"
"If I may?" We turned to look at Gaia, who was staring at me with sparkling eyes. "Elementals fall under my purview, and in days long past I would be the one to help a human reborn into their new existence." A sigh caused the trees around us to sway. "I am regretful that I couldn't even determine your nature until you stood before me. But your very nature is… created, rather than formed naturally."
"...and what does that mean?"
"For you, something very important." She said. "Because, in spite of your aspect with the Artificial, the elemental purview that you have created is one of life. A Kingdom, I believe is the term you mortals use. And elementals of life are more than just the specific physical form, they embody aspects of life itself: The will to survive, propagation, dominance, community… these things are just as important to elementals of Life as their physical structure."
I frowned. "So… what do I embody?"
The smile of a sunny day in summer was the response. "Self determination." She said. "More than any of the other Kingdoms of life, you embody conscious thought. I don't know what it was that caused your rebirth, but I can tell you made a choice. And from that choice, you became what you are." She stood up a little straighter, somehow taking up more of the clearing in spite of being the same size. "Jacob Morgan, you will always be the man you choose to be, nothing more and nothing less."
It was said with such finality, that I felt my anxiety just… melt away. I was going to have to ponder the implications of that later, but for now… "Thank you, Gaia. That's what I needed to hear."
"It is the least I can do. As well, our little discussion allowed me to properly take your measure, before we got to the matter at hand."
"Oh," I said. "That wasn't it?"
Saying nothing, Gaia reached out and touched my chest.
Everything became… more. For an instant I felt everything, every rock, every tree, every drop of water. I couldn't tell where I ended and the world began, because it was meaningless. I was part of the world, and it was a part of me.
Gaia withdrew her hand, and the sensation quickly faded. I actually swayed on my feet as a wave of disorientation washed over me, though it too quickly faded. "That was… interesting." I said. "Just what did you-"
A warm breeze blew through the clearing.
I froze in confusion, and it took a few seconds to realize what I had felt. It wasn't just the feeling of warmth, it was my body's reaction to it, the feeling spreading across my body. I looked down at my hand and rubbed my fingers together, the sensation new yet familiar. "I feel… I feel..."
Almost unconsciously I licked my lips, and I froze again, a faint metallic sensation on my tongue. Taste. "I can taste..." I breathed in through my nose, and almost reeled. Flowers. I could smell the flowers in the clearing. "I can smell." I looked at the god before me. "You..."
"I brought Diana to life from simple clay," Gaia said in amusement. "I can do this much at least, for a soul that remembers what it was like to be flesh."
I stood in stunned silence for several long seconds."Thank you." I said in a small voice.
"Your Koriand'r did me a service in ending the suffering of one of my children, an act I could not bear to do myself. Her love for you chose this favor to ask of me. And it is one happily given."
I felt giddy, the sensation rising up in my chest in a way that, for once, I did not control. "I can't… I can't thank you enough. I've been trying to get this for months and I was worried… oh god, what do I even do first?"
"What indeed?" Gaia said with a coy smile, and without saying another word turned and walked away. In a few moments she seemed to simply fade into the trees around us and was gone.
I looked after her for a while longer, and then turned back to face Kori. She…
She was so beautiful.
I felt my body heat up, the heart in my chest beating faster of its own accord. Everything I knew I should feel, everything I wanted to feel for the past few months came crashing over me. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she took slow steps towards me, never taking her eyes away from mine. "Jacob..." she said softly, her hands coming up to cradle the sides of my face. Then, our lips meet.
Everything around us just fell away, letting me focus on all the sensations that were important. The taste of her lips against mine, the smell of her hair, the feel of her skin against my fingers.
And the sound of her dress softly falling to the ground.
=====A=====
A/N: Kori had planned to bring them back to their little house after this, but then she saw him 'see' her for the first time and, well... she was very excited you see.
So, this originally wasn't how this Jacob getting his full senses back was going to happen, or at least wasn't the one I planned on. The problem was all the other methods were variations on 'he got a thing' or 'he made a thing', and those just felt kind of... hollow to me. It wasn't until I realized that with this approach, Kori could be the one to do it for him, not because she had to, but because she wanted to, that it finally clicked for me.
Oh, and to ward off a particular line of questioning... for those of you wondering 'Can Jacob _', the answer is yes. Yes he can.
You pervert.