Zeke

Stories from Haven - Water Master

Kat snickered as she watched Jane smooth down her skirt and lick her lips. I turned to look at the man that held her interest, Zeke was a good-looking man. Not the tallest at 5"6', slim, with a dancer's build, that belied the muscle under his Armina jacket. His dark chocolate skin was a nice contrast to the white suit, his large dark amber-colored eyes missing nothing.

"Pull it back in, his partner would shift you to the middle of a desert covered in honey,"

"What?", Jane said doing a double take.

"Armmaunds moral compass isn't close to human and Zeke is his soul-mate", I laughed. "you'd have a much better chance bedding Samson, as long as it's just for funsies."

"Ah, I will keep that in mind. Zeke is a Fire Master?" she asked.

"No, technically he's a Fire Witch, but you can ask him that kind of question." She nodded at me and then held out her hand as Zeke drew close.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Okoro," Jane said as she motioned for him to sit down in one of the director's chairs. "I should warn you that my cameraman is already rolling, though much of this part will be edited out.

"It is a pleasure to be here Ms. Calloway", Zeke said smiling, "I understand, that is fine with me." I backed another step out of camera range, just in case.

"Good Morning, this is Jane Calloway with another Elemental interview. Today we are speaking to Fire Master Zeke Okoro", Jane turned slightly away from the camera to look at Zeke

"You are one of the Sentinels Guardians?" Jane asked getting the interview started.

"Yes, I am Grendals, human Guardian." I flicked my hands at him trying to get him to say more, this would be a teeth-pulling interview if all he did was give the barest of information. "My job as Grendals human Guardian is to make sure he does not become corrupt."

"Is that a possibility?"

"Of course, any being has the possibility of becoming corrupted, some would be much harder than others to corrupt though," Zeke said with a snort. I rolled my eyes and hoped they would be able to edit out the sound.

"How many Guardians does Sentinel Grendal have?"

" I am the only full-time Guardian that he has, Human Sentinels have the full Elemental grouping, plus a human Guardian, so six altogether. Because Grendal is a Greater Elemental he does not need the kind of support that a human Sentinel needs."

"For our audience could you explain who or what those Guardians are?"

"For a human Sentinel, their first Guardian is usually one in their own Element. Samson was Water Master Katriona's first Elemental Guardian, but Alain was her first Guardian, Earth, and he is human. For an Elemental Sentinel, generally speaking, their Human Guardian would be of the opposite Element, because they might not acquire another Guardian. So if Katriona was a Sentinel she would acquire a Fire or Earth Elemental next, then Air and Earth. Spirit is generally the last Elemental Guardian, if a Sentinel gets a Spirit Guardian, sometimes it's just a matter of asking a favor of one." Zeke Explained.

"So you are Grendals Human Guardian and you're an Elemental Witch or Master? Could you explain the difference?"

"The difference is power, plain and simple, what can and can not be done with your own Elemental Magic. Even with the boost in power that we just got, I am a touch below Master on my own. Now with my mate's power, I am technically a Fire Master now. That is the way it works between human Elemental magics and their Elemental Guardian. While Armmaund is not my Guardian, we have a closer but similar bond." I nodded, I had thought as much, but I didn't want to say it, sometimes Guardians like to keep those things a secret. 

"One more question before we wrap it up. What is it like being the Sentinels Human Guardian?"

"It is both easy and hard. Grendal has worked with most of the Elementals that he often calls upon to help, whereas I am new to them and him. But we train together so I will get the hang of the way they fight." 

"Thank you, Fire Master Okoro, this is Jane Calloway with another Elemental Interview" Jane smiled into the camera until the red light went out and the cameraman put it down, rolling his shoulders. "Seriously, Thank you Zeke for a great interview. I have a lot of the background on what a Fire Elemental is and does, but it was nice to get a personal side."

I nodded at Jane and walked away, we had already discussed her next interview. 

"Would you like me to shift us out or do you have somewhere else to be?" I asked Zeke.

"I'd actually like to be able to shift myself out, but for some reason that is a skill I just can't master, and the last time I tried I ended up in the middle of the Mohave." I looked at him and burst out laughing. Then I thought about it for a minute.

"Were you with Armmaund?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Because the two of you leak over so much it's a wonder you didn't shift the two of you to his home realm." I put a hand on his arm, "Seriously, the two of you leak over way too much, you need to get your wards up and him on the outside".

"I don't understand what that has to do with my not being able to shift."

"You can shift and you did shift, just not to where you wanted to go. You visualized home yes?" at his nod I continued. "I can pretty much guess Armmaund was thinking of home also, but his home realm. Which is desert, and since you weren't trying to leave this plan, 'desert' for you became the Mohave".

"Well, shit."

"Yup, Think of exactly where you want to go, not home, not A pizza parlor, but exactly where you want to go at home and shift us there."

When we ended up on the circular stone patio outside the forge, one of our designated shifting spots, I nodded to him and patted him on the shoulder, and walked to the house. Lesson learned, skill mastered.