On November 4, 2004, Mike concluded a series of scenarios which resulted in Cliff losing his powers. This also affected the other Elementals (Breeze, Raan, and Fiero). The experience of merging with the other Elementals and the loss of his powers disturbed him. Looking to clear his mind (and for another reason near and dear to his heart), he and his girlfried Mireya went to Cliff's parents in Bradshaw, WV over the Thanksgiving day holiday. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Cliff woke up early and went for a walk in the woods. Eventually he came to a wall of rock and started climbing...

Metamorphosis

Igneous (Part I)

"Why the hell did I do this?" he mumbled to the wind. It was a bright, sunny, cool day in November. The wind whipped intermittently but he had no problem clinging to the rock face.

Glancing down he saw the ground some 60 feet below. This climb was not the most difficult one he’d ever tried but to do it without pitons and rope would have made his climbing instructor cringe. And, Mireya, he’d never hear the end of it from her. With one last burst of strength he hauled himself over the top and lay there catching his breath.

The sun had baked the rocks and the warmth was both welcome and comforting. After all that had happened in his life recently – the merge with the other Elementals and the loss of his powers, he was looking for a moment’s peace and had finally found it. All it took was climbing up the side of a mountain.

As Granite, he could have practically walked up the vertical face. And, even if he did fall, there’d have been little damage. After almost five years it was both invigorating and scary to know he was once again vulnerable and had limits.

In a half drowsy state, his thoughts began to wander. Mountain Power & Energy, the Millennial wave, Atlanta, the Knights, interstellar invaders, etc. But, the sweetest thought was Mireya.

Smiling, he sat up and reached into his pocket. When he opened the case the diamond caught the sun with a fiery intensity no show room floor could ever hope to match. Of all the decisions he’d ever made in his life, he was most sure about this one. He closed the case and put it back in his pocket.

Somehow he managed to convince her to come up with him to his parents place in Bradshaw, West Virginia over the Thanksgiving holiday. While she had met his parents before, this was her first trip to their place and so was understandably nervous. His parents embraced her as one their own and his sisters, Colleen and Sarah, took a liking to her immediately.

Standing up, he surveyed his surroundings. In front of him was the cliff he had just climbed and open air. To the left was a trail which snaked along the ridge to the valley floor. To the right was a rock which jutted out into the air. Looking for a better view he made his way to it.

As he stood atop the rock he felt the wind gust and he took a step back. Next to the rock was a small stream which flowed over the edge into the valley below. Beyond the stream was a burned out stump.

His eyes grew wide and he backed away from the rim. "Oh, my God!", he said with a gasp. There was no mistaking where he was. The rock, the waterfall, the open air, the burned out stump…this was the origin point!

Suddenly, the temperature rose and the ground shook. Cliff staggered and fell just as the stump caught fire. The flames grew in intensity and coalesced into a humanoid shape. It pointed at Cliff and said in a raspy, whisper-like voice, "You".

Cliff scrambled backwards until his back was against a rock wall. He could go no further. "What the blazes! Who are you?" he asked even though he knew the answer.

The heat became nearly unbearable as the thing took flight and hovered closer. In a menacing voice it said, "Don’t you recognize me, mortal? You should for it was you who thwarted my desires! No one does that and lives!"

"What?! Wait!" shouted Cliff.

"I wait for nothing!" the thing shouted back. "I will set you to burn! Plead for your life, beg for mercy and I’ll make your death quick!"

"No! Never! I will never give in to you!" gasped Cliff in the heat. Slowly he stood and faced it. "You can burn my body but my spirit burns with an intensity you can’t match! You’re nothing but a shadow! Do your worst and be done with it!"

Fire lanced out from its fingers as it screamed and pointed at Cliff. However, before the flames could strike, a stone wall erupted up in front of Cliff shielding him from the blast.

"Ahsinneeg!" the fire thing bellowed. "You think this will protect your chosen?!"

The stone wall morphed into a large, rocky, humanoid creature. "Yes", it said matter-of-factly. Squinting, it peered at the fiery being and smiled, "You’re weak, brother. Your ‘chosen’ fights you. Is Raymond turning out to be more than you can handle? Perhaps Raymond is the wisest choice you’ve ever made."

"You miscreant from the back woods! I’ll not stand for this effrontery!!! Why, I ought to…"

"Do what, Fiero?" interrupted a liquid-sounding voice from the stream.

"Raan!", shouted Fiero.

"I stand with Ahsinneeg on this, brother. You will not harm his chosen."

Fiero backed off. "Bah! I can deal with him anytime without your interference." With a dismissive tone of voice he added, "I leave you now to consort with your worm of a chosen one."

"A good decision," said Ahsinneeg, "For he is far more than you will ever know".

Fiero laughed and looked at Cliff. "You should have them tell you how we choose our chosen." With a wicked smile he added, "It’s a real eye-opener."

With a blinding flash and the sound of thunder in the distance, Fiero was gone.

Sedimentary (Part II)

Cliff stood there stupefied. He replayed what just happened in his mind's eye several times and eventually shook his head. "Staring down a fire elemental, basically telling him what to go do with himself...what was I thinking!?!?" he muttered under his breath.

There was a rumble of rocks as Ahsinneeg (pronounced 'Ah-Nee') turned to face him. "A true show of character comes from deep within. Thought rarely has anything to do with it."

"What?"

"A true show of character..."

"No, no, I heard you but you didn't speak."

Ahsinneeg smiled. "If you didn't hear me speak then how is it that we're talking?"

"Telepathy, right?"

"Eshu would say that."

Cliff smiled. "Knock it off."

Ahsinneeg looked at Cliff carefully, "What is it that you want me to knock off?"

"Just an expression. It means 'stop what you're doing'. Speak, man. I want Raan to hear what we're saying."

"She can understand me, regardless."

"Well, ok. But, I need to hear you speak. You're being stubborn."

Raan chuckled. "He's got you there, brother."

Ahsinneeg momentarily shot Raan a look then turned his attention back to Cliff. Instead of using telepathy, he spoke, "White man colloquialisms. I'll never understand them."

"Ah, don't worry. Someday you will", Cliff said and added, "Thank you for saving my life."

Ahsinneeg nodded, "No problem."

Raan chuckled again. "My brother is not one for many words but he has ways of getting his point across."

They stood there a moment in awkward silence. Finally, Cliff spoke. "So, you two are brother/sister?"

"Yes and no," said Ahsinneeg.

"What my brother means", said Raan, "is that while we did not have the same mother/father, we know each other as well as brothers and sisters know each other. With your permission, brother, shall I explain?"

Ahsinneeg nodded.

"Ahsinneeg means 'rocks' in Ojibwe and he is from the area of country now known as Michigan and from a time before the first Europeans. He was a shaman of considerable power and influence."

"I see", said Cliff. "And you?"

Raan smiled. "Kira dreamed of being a princess and that is one of the wonderful things which drew me to her for I was a princess. My time is of the early 1500s and from what used to be called Siam".

"What about the others? Fiero? Breeze?" asked Cliff.

Ahsinneeg snorted and said, "Fiero was a conquistador who got lost in the woods."

Raan and Cliff laughed. "A conquistador," Cliff said, "That doesn't surprise me."

"Yes, he was looking for a mythical city of gold in South America sometime in the 1500s", said Raan.

"And, Breeze?"

Ahsinneeg and Raan looked at each other. Ahsinneeg shrugged. Raan said, "We don't know who she is."

"What?" asked Cliff, "I thought you said you were like brother and sister to each other?"

Raan assumed a thoughtful pose with one hand on an elbow and the other on her chin. "This is hard to explain. She 'feels' like the same person from eastern Europe we know but she's not acting like the person we knew. We don't know who she is now. We sense a little of the old Katia but most of her we don't recognize."

"I see", said Cliff.

Cliff shuffled his feet for a moment, looked down, and lightly kicked the ground to loosen some dirt and rocks. With a swipe of his shoe he brushed the debris aside. Looking at Ahsinneeg and Raan the questions came out all in a rush. "Well, what are you guys? Why are you here? What's all this 'chosen' stuff about? Why me? And, what was Fiero talking about when he said 'you should see how we choose our chosen'?"

Ahsinneeg held up his hand in a "hold on, let's take it one at a time" gesture. "We were once human beings like you," he said. "I don't know what we are now. Maybe Eshu or Hollis could find something out. I don't know why we are here. I just know that we have been here as we are for a long time."

"How long?" asked Cliff.

Ahsinneeg shrugged. "I was the first, Katia next. Raan and Fiero showed up at the same time later on. We're all from the 1500s."

"What happened? I mean, what happened to make you as you are now?"

"We're not really sure", said Raan. "I remember seeing a light across the sky and that night I had a strange dream. A faceless man stood in the middle of a four-pointed star drawn on the ground. On one point stood a man made of earth. Directly opposite stood a woman of air. There was no shape to fire and water, which were at opposite points themselves. The man said, 'Choose'. I chose water."

"What about you, 'Nee?" asked Cliff.

"I saw a star fall and there was a flash in the distance. Nobody else in my tribe saw this so I took it as a sign. I traveled a long way to the very place where we are standing. In a dream I also saw the man without a face but there were no other men or women. I chose earth."

"Why earth?"

Ahsinneeg shrugged. "It is the foundation of all. It was the best choice."

"What happened after you made your choice?"

"I went back to my people. A rival shaman poisoned me some years later. Right before I died the man without a face came to me and brought me here."

Cliff looked at Raan, "And you?"

"I always dreamed of riding the waves and seeing the shore from far out at sea. The choice for me was easy to make. After waking up from the dream I discovered I could bring rain. But, a jealous concubine sought to end my life. She must have succeeded because the faceless man brought me here."

"Do you know anything about the faceless man?" asked Cliff.

"In the dream I asked for his name and where he was from," said Raan. "He said his name could not be spoken - only thought, and that he was from very far away."

Cliff kicked the dirt again. "Tell me about how you choose and why."

Ahsinneeg and Raan looked at each other. Ahsinneeg nodded. "You are better with words, sister." Raan nodded.

"Every so often we are awakened," she said. "We don't know how this is done or why but that it happens. We usually quarrel and sometimes fight with our opposites but I'm afraid we're so set in our ways that nothing ever gets done. The first couple of awakenings were like this. On the third one, however, we began to see lights in the distance. The lights were human beings. We learned to choose. Choosing allows us to stay awake for much, much longer than we would otherwise. We influence their lives for good or bad depending on the disposition."

"Disposition?" asked Cliff.

"Good or evil", said Ahsinneeg.

"There's no such thing as evil", stated Cliff. "Oh, people can do evil things but once they truly see the errors of their ways, they stop. For those who don't see the error of their ways, there's always rehabilitation and/or prison."

"Whether or not evil exists or if it's just a case of people doing evil things doesn't change the fact that things contrary to good do occur", stated Raan.

Cliff nodded. "I understand what you're saying. Whether or not evil exists, bad things happen."

"Yes", said Raan.

"When you choose someone, the chosen can accept or deny you, right?"

"Yes", said Raan.

"Then why doesn't Raymond just deny, Fiero? Or, Maggie deny whatever-her-name-is?"

Ahsinneeg shook his head, "Maggie doesn't want to."

"She doesn't want to? Why not?"

"Some people will do anything for power", said Ahsinneeg. "Even surrender their will."

"Raymond is trying to deny Fiero. He wants yet doesn't want Fiero", said Raan. "He wants to be Fiero but not be controlled by Fiero."

"You mean Fiero controls Raymond?"

"Yes", said Raan. "It takes a person with an exceptional will to throw off one of us with that disposition."

"Wait a minute, 'One of us with that disposition'? Fiero controls Raymond. You're saying that Raymond is possessed?"

"Yes", said Raan.

"He was not offered a choice?"

"Essentially," Raan said, "he was not offered a choice."

"Well, now, that pretty much sucks. Have you possessed anyone?"

Raan looked at the stream flowing at her feet. "Yes".

With anger beginning to show in his voice, Cliff asked, "And you, Ahsinneeg? Have you possessed anyone?"

Ahsinneeg folded his arms. "Yes."

Cliff exploded. "How could you do such a thing?!"

"Your question rings true and it is a good one" said Ahsinneeg. "But, before you condemn us, hear these words. Both Maggie and Raymond are possessed but they also willingly accepted. A willing choice is always preferable to an unwilling one. Air chose wisely – Maggie willingly accepted. Fiero rushed out and chose the first one that looked good. He is finding out otherwise. As Raan said, an exceptional will is needed to throw off possession. Raymond has that potential. Maggie does not. I chose you because you have an exceptional will. You cannot be corrupted. You also have spirit. Because of these things you are strong enough to choose or deny any of us."

"Would you have possessed me if I had been less of what you were looking for?" Cliff demanded.

"No", said Ahsinneeg. "Not while I'm awake this time and in what my sister calls 'this disposition'. I'm good now and prefer it that way. And, even otherwise, you're too strong."

Raan stood straight and looked Cliff in the eyes. "I would never possess Kira," she said. "Even though she is a child she has a joyful and good spirit all her own. If she asked me to leave, I would. That is the difference between what we are now and what Fiero and Breeze are now."

"Their disposition?" Cliff asked Raan.

"Yes."

Cliff looked at Ahsinneeg. "Your good vs. their bad?"

"Raan and my good against Breeze and Fiero's evil, yes", said Ahsinneeg.

"I don't like this!" shouted Cliff. "Who's to say the next time you guys 'awaken' that you won't be of the 'other disposition'?"

"We will be of the 'other disposition'", said Ahsinneeg. This set Cliff boiling. "However, good will always counter evil. As earth and water are good now, fire and air will be good next time. Balance will be maintained. And, there might not even be a next time."

Stunned, Cliff asked, "Do I even want to know? What do you mean there might not be a next time?"

"The faceless man said that there would come a time in which our chosen would be much more powerful than others and we would fight a great evil", said Raan. "The evil would be so great it could destroy everything if not stopped. He didn't tell us what this evil was nor if we would be able to defeat it. It could have been the Bradshaw Creature or it might be the Lords of Creation or it may be something else. We simply don't know."

"This is too much. I don't know what to make of it," said Cliff.

"Then sleep", said Ahsinneeg as he gestured with his hands. "A clearer mind will help you decide what to do next".

---

A chilly breeze awoke Cliff from his slumber. He lurched up, eyes wide open. Looking around he saw the rock, stump, and stream. It was still mid-day.

"Was it real?" he asked himself. Standing up he almost slipped on some loosened dirt and rock. He shuddered. Was it the chill or something else? Walking along the ridgeline, he made is way back to the valley floor and back to his parents place.

Metamorphic (part III)

May 7, 2005.

The wind whipped the snow up all around him and the cold sliced into him like a knife. Fingers numb, he struggled to pull the thin jacket over his face. First one step, then another, and another, and another. “Gotta keep moving”, he mumbled. “Can’t stumble now or I’m a goner”.

Through the driving snow he spied a cave. It was close but yet so far away. Somehow he found an inner strength and trudged to the entrance. The wind blew fiercely as if trying to keep him out but he steeled himself against it and made his way inside. As he broke the threshold of the entrance he slipped on a patch of ice and fell unconscious.

---

He awoke to the sound of dry twigs crackling in a fire. Groaning from the effort, he sat up. He was wrapped in some kind of animal hide he guessed to be bear fur. Peering at the cave entrance he saw only solid white snow. A noise from behind startled him.

Turning, he saw a middle aged man dressed in ceremonial Indian robes. The man held a cup filled with a steaming liquid. Making the motions for “drink” he slowly handed it to him.

“Thank you. Who are you?”

“First drink”, said the Indian. “It will restore your strength. Then we will talk.”

As he brought it to his lips the smell was nearly unbearable and made him pause. But, he took a cautious sip and spit it out. “Gaaa! This stuff is terrible! What is it?”

The Indian smiled. “See, I told you it would restore your strength. My strength needs restoring too. I will drink with you.” With that, he produced another cup filled with steaming liquid and drank deeply from it. “Good stuff. It’ll make you feel much better.”

At first cautiously and then with more gusto he downed the cup’s contents in three swallows. Coughing and gagging he struggled to keep it down. “Oh, that’s the most vile stuff I think I’ve ever had!”

“I know. That’s why I’m drinking tea.”

Flinging the bear skin aside he stood up. “What was that stuff you gave me?!”

“Relax”, said the Indian. “It won’t hurt you. You feel better, right?”

“Uh, yes. Actually, yes. I do.”

“Then sit back down and have some tea. And, yes, it’s actually tea this time. Quite tasty too.”

He sat and took the tea offered him in a steaming cup. Cautiously he brought it to his lips. The smell this time was aromatic and tea-like. Taking a sip he nodded his approval. “This is much better”.

“Good. Now, down to business. Do you know who you are?”

He thought for a moment. “Um…no. What happened?”

“Hmmm. Bad. Not good at all. She must have struck harder than I thought.”

“Who?”

“All in good time, my friend. But first, your name is Cliff Stoner and you are a resident of Atlanta, Georgia. You’re also a millennial and known to many by another name, Granite. You and your comrades in arms in the Southern Knights have saved the city many times over. And, you proposed to a lovely young lady named Mireya who accepted and the two of you will be married on September 17th.” The Indian made a pointing gesture at Cliff. “Any of this ringing a bell?”

“Yes! It does! Some details are still fuzzy but I now know who I am!”

“Your memory loss is a temporary thing and it will return very quickly thanks to the potion I gave you.”

“The vile tasting, make-me-want-to-throw-up, stuff?”

The Indian smiled. “Yep. The very same. Good stuff, no?”

“Uh, yeah, I suppose so. By the way, I know I’ve met you and your name is right on the tip of my tongue but I don’t remember it.”

“Ahsinneeg is the name. And, yes. We have met before. You ready to go?”

Cliff looked around and pointed at the cave entrance. “Arent’ we snowed in? I mean, we’re blocked in, right?”

Ahsinneeg laughed. Standing, he picked up a walking stick and motioned towards the cave wall. “Just because she blocked the entrance doesn’t mean we can’t get out.”

“Through the wall?” asked Cliff.

“Yes. Come. I’ll show you”, said Ahsinneeg. “Pretend like you’re swimming but no need to hold your breath.”

---

They emerged into sunlight, blossoming flowers, and newly green-leafed trees. Cliff paused. “Ahsineeg, hold on. I need to rest.”

“Ok. But, not for long. We have a ways to go and then you must reclaim yourself.”

“Reclaim myself? What do you mean?”

“You remember Breeze, right?”

“Yes, Breeze. I remember her.”

“Then you also should remember that she is evil in this awakening, right.”

“Uh, evil? Now, I don’t know if I’d say that. I mean, all in all, everyone….”

“Humor me,” interrupted Ahsineeg.

“Evil. Right.”

“She is trying to destroy you.”

“What? How?!”

“She struck quickly and at your most vulnerable moment. You are possessed.”

“Huh? That can’t be possible. If I’m possessed, then I’d not be stuck in…”, he looked around, “…wherever the hell it is we are!”

“You’re in your own mind, Cliff. She has driven you deep. In time, on your own, you will cast her out. But, time is our enemy. The longer you remain deep, the more time she has to wreak mischief. You must go to the core of who you are and confront her. I will guide you up to that point but the battle must be fought and won on your own. Do you understand?”

Cliff nodded. “How long have I been out?”

“Not more than a few minutes. But, that’s all she needs.”

“Let’s roll”, said Cliff.

---

Rollins was deep in thought as he glided down the hall. Hooked into everything remotely he concentrated on a particularly vexing problem. So engrossed was he that when the alarm went off he considered it more of an annoyance than anything else. Then, a few clock cycles later he realized it for what it was.

Sending a query to the base’s defense system he pinpointed the location. From where he was, it was right down the hall – Cliff’s room. Looking in that direction, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then the door exploded out into the hallway.

A sudden breeze quickly grew to gale force and buffeted his chair. Just as he put up his shields, Cliff floated out into the hall and faced him. In a voice that sounded both male and female Cliff said, “Ah, Doctor Rollins, I presume. Perfect! Eliminating you will be the sweetest revenge!”