Run

            Each step grew harder to take as Reinhardt’s legs began to weaken. The effort was causing his legs to weaken, causing him to become unstable. An exposed root snagged his foot as he ran past, sending the panicked man to the ground. With great effort the man ignored the newly formed cuts and continued to run. His heart was beating harder than he thought possible and wouldn't slow.

            It was hopeless to search for pursuers in the thick foliage but he still tried. From what he had seen they had a definite number advantage. A fight would be the fool's choice. He had spent most of his adult life as a farmer and knew nothing of combat. Any attempt to resist would only get him killed.

            Reinhardt returned to his original path and ran with everything he had left in him. The terrain was dangerous due to the overgrown vegetation and freezing waters covering the country. Hills rose and fell sharply as the countryside disappeared into the wilderness of Icile. It wouldn't be long before they caught him.

            Memories of the large black plumes of smoke were still fresh in his mind. They had served as a warning to Reinhardt of an impending danger at his farmhouse. Every second he spent running through his fields had been an excruciating event. Fear and uncertainty plagued his imagination but the reality was even worse. Flames had reduced his farm to nothing more than a large pile of burning wood, and most of his family had been slain.

            Reinhardt's wife ran towards him having managed to break away from the group of bandits, . A brief moment of relief filled him as he caught her in his arms and held her tight. The moment they met was the best moment of his life. She completed part of him that he never had thought was possible. When Reinhardt felt the arrows protruded from her back he began to cry. The light in her eyes that he fell in love with faded to darkness.

            Frustration over nearly tripping on a cluster of rocks took his concentration from where he needed it to be. Death felt like it was quickly closing in, raising obstacles to impede his effort. War had brought this horror to his doors, and his hatred for those who caused it burned deep inside him, continuously pushing him.

            A cluster of vines hanging awkwardly along the path caught his neck. His own momentum forced his legs to leave the path, and sent him to the ground, driving the already limited wind from Reinhardt's lungs. Taking a moment to look around he noticed he now lay in a large clearing. Tall grasses that grew here gave him a place to hide and catch his breath while he waited for his pursuers to pass the area. Sweat dripped off of his forehead and into his eyes. Afraid to move and expose where he was, Reinhardt fought the urge to wipe them dry. Now that he could take a moment to rest, the muscles in his legs was finally beginning to ache.

            Tension in his legs was making it difficult for Reinhardt to stay still. With caution he began shifting his weight from leg to leg releasing a little of the built up pressure. He didn't have much time to rest before his pursuers caught him. Every time he stopped moving they would be closing the distance he had made between them. 

            Not having seen anybody pass by since he stopped Reinhardt decided to stand. The grass was tall but he made sure to stay below the top, remaining concealed by the vegetation. An opening in the tree line presented itself, and he refused to miss the chance. Reinhardt didn't think they would consider him coming back toward them instead of continuing onward.

            By the time he reached the edge of the clearing Reinhardt had begun forcing his body back into a sprint. His theory of passing his pursuers by unnoticed died within few feet and he came to an abrupt halt. Wide eyed and shocked, he watched as a wall of ice rose up from the ground in front of him until it stood taller than him. Light reflected into Reinhardt's eyes as the cold sheet reached across the path and blocked his escape. He was trapped and by one of the most dangerous weapons Icile had at its disposal.

            During the centuries of warfare that plagued mankind a form of combat had emerged that established the species as the dominant race. Having learned to harness the power of nature itself, humans began honing their control over the elements.  The six elements passed through their genetic stream from parents to child and quickly became the staple for every army. Those who could control a power of nature gained the title of elementalists and earned respect and power far about that of any normal soldier.

            Six empires climbed from the ruins of the world. Over time, and at the expense of uncountable lives, they established themselves and swelled their influence. Blood continued to spill from innocent citizens until each of the empires had taken an element as their own. Wanve honored the waters, Fatir took fire, Icile bowed to ice, Ental served the earth, Duzee controlled the winds, and Rornin fought with lightning. 

            It became unsafe for those who controlled a different gift. Soon they became considered enemies and had been driven from their homelands. A self induced genocide had spread the world, until every country had managed to drive everybody different away.

            In these dark and chaotic times something unexpected happened. Stories of elementalist being born with rare and uncontrollable strength began to sweep the world. These gifted individuals became known as Masters, as they grew their gifts led the assault on the weakened governments.

            A small section of the wall parted and a slim woman walked through the opening. Ice cracked angrily as the opening closed behind her. Even though he had never seen one before, he knew she was an elementalist. Stories of their powers and abilities crossed the lips of every person living within Icile.

            Without any weapon's available he had little hope of closing the distance needed to kill this woman. It was unlikely Reinhardt would even be able to hurt her before she cut him to pieces with the ice. Reinhardt cursed the gods for giving these powers to people who became easily twisted by greed and lust. 

            "You have nowhere to go now. Just make it easier and die with dignity. I promise to make it end quickly; like your family." Her deep voice was harsh and raspy, not what he was expecting from this small of a woman. A scar on her neck told of a blade that had given her voice its strange sound. All of these imperfections might make someone feel sorry for her, but no kindness touched his heart.

            "Why are you doing this? We didn't do anything wrong just living our lives in piece?" Reinhardt barely noticed how defeated he sounded. 

            The smile touching her lips was one of pure amusement. There wasn't any reason that could justify killing an entire family. Everybody he ever loved was dead, their body left to rot under the hot sun. Reinhardt stared at the slowly shifting wall of ice and could see the faces of his family staring back at him.

            Gold flickered from an exposed necklace as she began looking for whatever had caught her captives attention. A soft smile crossed her lips as she gave Reinhardt a mocking wink. "Something interesting going on back there? Don't go losing your mind on me before the fun begins. I like my victims to be coherent before playing."

            Not having heard a word, Reinhardt watched his wife's red hair wave in the wind. His son took his mother’s hand and she smiled down at him. A carefully placed kiss on on his sons cheek made the young boy giggle. When his daughter threw her arms around her mother’s leg tears fell freely down his cheeks.

            Reinhardt turned back towards the war hardened woman after realizing he was staring at something nobody else could see. She was no longer alone. Standing around Reinhardt were more men than he bothered to count. Each of them wore the colors of the Joer house, or other smaller factions of the empire. These were men who served under Master Joer, the leader of Icile. The thought of that pompous old man sitting at his little desk reading reports of this whole event made him laugh. Without a second thought he had killed everybody here to add another plot of land to his empire. The loss of his family meant nothing to somebody as grandiose as the Master Joer.

            The visions of his family started to shift and flutter away. A subtle movement in the distance caught his eyes. Reinhardt couldn't tell what it was but something was out there watching them, waiting for them. A cold chill went through his body as he watched two more dark shapes move from one tree to another. He still couldn't make what it could possibly be, but the farmer hadn't known of any animal in the area capable of moving with that type of speed. As Reinhardt watched he realized that it reminded him of large collection of fog flowing from place to place.

            Shadows darted to and from trees in the distance, closing in on the bandits who were unaware of the danger. Nobody else seemed to notice the fog that which was creeping closer with each passing moment. Reinhardt began seeing strange details within the darkness. Shapes that almost resembled living creatures. When the fog would reach a tree it would stop moving momentarily and take on an almost humanoid form, standing on what looked like two feet. The way they moved reminded Reinhardt of an animal that was stalking its pray.

            Clawed hands appeared next to Reinhardt and splintered the bark of a tree with its powerful clawed hands. Black eyes peered through the mist towards him. Even this close to everybody not a single person noticed the shadows swarming in around them. Reinhardt knew he was probably losing his mind from everything that had happened, but something about it seemed so real.

            A long blade of ice grew from the wall, and shot through the air towards his head. At the speed it was moving it would end his suffering instantly, and forever. He desperately wanted to hold his wife and see his children again. Death would be a welcomed gift.

            Coldness ran through his body from head to toe. Reinhardt gave himself to his coming death, accepting it with an open embrace. He could see the shard of ice moving towards him and at that moment the shadows lunged towards him as well. They were coming for him, ready to carry his soul away to a place where he could be with his love forever. In the last moments before his death, Reinhardt caught sight of the Icile bandit. The pleased smirk on her face caused an anger to tear through his mind like nothing he had experienced. If death was going to take him, than she would join him in the abyss.

Rise

       Death was the only choice left for Reinhardt now. An icy chill touched his skin as ice shards approached. Rage burned deep within his heart and refused to let go. A strange new feeling sparked to life, born from vengeance and anger. Reinhardt reached out and grabbed the closest shadow with the buried power, still struggling to free the latent power. 

        Screams filled ears of every person watching the execution. Terror sprang across the faces of every bandit, not able to see where the sounds originated. The ice elementalist hesitated long enough for Reinhardt to avoid the strike. Free from immediate danger for a few seconds he turned his attention back to the shadows, now fleeing from their prey.

        Reinhardt guided the strange new power after the vanishing shadows, unleashing his anger. The closest of the creatures struggled against his pull, but couldn't escape. He drew the screaming entity into his soul and bound its power to his own. More movement from close by presented him with another opportunity that Reinhardt refused to let escape. He drew another shadow to him and then a third. Every essence bound to his soul made him stronger, and soon he began grabbing more than one at a time. 

        Before the Icile bandit recovered, Reinhardt managed to captured enough shadows to feed the hunger. Every inch of his body tingled with something he had never expected. Power forced its way through him until he was suffocating in its warmth. Deep within his mind Reinhardt sensed his opponent releasing power from her body and taking control of the nearby ice.

        Reinhardt seized control of that ice with the strange new power, and pushed her power away. The ease at which he deflected her attack surprised him. Fear crossed her face when she realized what happened. Confusion flickered across the faces of those watching as a ball of ice formed above his hand.

        The power of an elementalist passed from parents to child at birth. Those lucky enough to awaken the latent abilities within their bodies often spoke of a strange tingling sensation coursing through them during the moment commonly referred to as the awakening. Puberty often sparked the release of their power, but it was common for stronger wielders awaken earlier.  Having been an orphan Reinhardt didn't know if his parents were elementalists. 

        After reaching adulthood the orphanage sent him on his way and left him to fend for himself in the world beyond the safety of those stone walls. Reinhardt only had a few friends in his younger years, but in the end he was alone. Those who displayed even the slightest skill with ice had been recruited into the Icile army. At Reinhardt's age it'd be possible for him to never displayed any level of connection to the elements and still awaken.

        "No it's impossible! An elementalist's shift cannot be broken unless they break the bonds themselves!"

        Even before she confirmed his theory Reinhardt knew something was different. Every piece of trash walking the streets spoke of how an elementalist worked. They had thought they were pursuing a simple peasant, but they were wrong. He couldn't shift in the same manner a normal elementalist but he was able to interrupt her control.

       Only anger remained within Reinhardt's soul. Ready to fight, the woman brought the ice she had gathered around her. The other soldiers drew their swords, prepared to do as they had been trained.

        A wall of ice rose around him, protecting him from the approaching soldiers. Blood gushed from one man's neck as Reinhardt cut deep into him. One by one they fell, until it was only the two of them left standing. Their eyes met and refused to waiver. Earlier she crushed his spirit with that sadistic smirk, but now it had been replaced with fear and panic. With everything she gathered the bandit threw a spear of ice towards him, attempting to kill him before he managed to strike.

        The woman's control over the ice weakened and the spear stopped mid throw. Carefully shaping the spear into a sphere Reinhardt began spinning it in the air playfully. Little spikes began to poke out of the ball. Before she was able to run, shards of ice tore through her arms and legs, pinning her to a tree . Reinhardt picked up one of the swords that had been lying on the ground and walked towards the defenseless women. Rage and hatred burned deep within his eyes and her life, what little remained of it, was going to be agony.

Direction

     Smoke and refuse itched in Reinhardt's nose as he pushed the final tree branch out of his way. Large plumes of dirty air rose through the sky from the buildings of a now visible city. Reinhardt had wanted to avoid the city of Odum, but the only passable roads ran through this trade center. During the winter seasons the bristling economy of Duzee came to a standstill nearly everywhere, except Odum. Looking past the city he could feel where he needed to be.

            Tall stone walls loomed before Reinhardt and, even from this distance, he could see they would be nearly impossible to negotiate around. The fortification did what it was intended to do, deter the unwelcome from stepping inside. Knowing that nobody would care if a lone beggar in rags walked through the gate, he preceded onto the soft dirt road nearby and made his way into the Duzee city.

            Winter began settling onto the wind empire only a few weeks prior to Reinhardt's arrival yet most of the scenery was now covered with a fresh, soft blanket of white. Passing travelers and merchants wore heavy winter cloaks. Some of the richer passers wore furs or rode in heavily insulated carriages pulled by large carriage hounds.

            The large dog-like beasts were used by the wealthy to pull their goods from city to city. Having been bread into docility Reinhardt couldn't recall an instance where one had actually attacked a person. A passing hound sniffed the air curiously trying to get a sense of the passing traveler. Reinhardt looked at it turn its attention back to its meal of what looked like wet wheat. Like all carriage hounds it had no teeth, and no claws.

            Its owner was busy chaining the other hounds back to his cart, ready to continue onto Odum. Shaking themselves clean of snow, the hound team began pulling the goods. Watching them walk was always interesting for Reinhardt. To make up for not having claws the docile creatures had been bred with eight fingers, giving them the gift of climbing, a must have for traveling across the mountains of Duzee.

            Snow crunched beneath Reinhardt's feet as he walked, face hidden behind his old cloak. Typically a lone traveler wouldn't be a strange site, but the people of Duzee could tell Reinhardt was Icileian just by looking at him. Duzee natives typically had silver hair, though cross breeding has lead to a more grayish tint. Their skin often remained light due their altitude and the suns inability to break through the thick clouds above their nation.

            Further south in Icilee the peasants had darker skin due to their time spent outdoors but not as dark as the desert walkers of Rornin far across the Sorrows. Their black hair and above average size made them stand out in polite culture. Reinhardt was no exception to this rule. The lone traveler stood a head taller than most of the Duzee natives and had dark brown hair that matched his eyes. These features would instantly announce him as Icileian.

            During most of the year it wouldn't matter where he was from, but war between the two countries always sparked fiercely during the cold seasons due to the snow. Billions of tiny ice particles resting over the entire country gave ice elementalists the perfect tools for striking back at their northern enemies. Heavy winds raged all year long in the mountains of Duzee but Icilee had very little, preventing wind elementalists from reaching out across the lesser expanse.

            Travelers leaving the city turned their heads up to look at Reinhardt as he walked past, giving him more than proper space to walk. The attention, though subtle, would get him noticed if he didn't get into the city quickly. Once he was within Odum's walls it would be harder to pick him out of the populated streets. He was close enough now to see the guards standing near a fire.

            Each of the men wore uniforms of grey and white, colors of the Duzee army. Like most of the Duzee citizens they were small and pale of skin, but they looked to have had countless hours fighting on the battlefield. One at a time he knew he could handle the soldiers but they had experience fighting and would easily use their numbers and spears to counter Reinhardt's size. Knowing he needed to get into the city without causing a scene would be his only hope.

            Travelers and merchants alike were funneled into lines and questioned by the guards before being allowed entry to Odum. With little choice Reinhardt waited in line for his turn. A strange longing to continue ached in his chest. He hadn't been able to place the feeling but it felt like he was being pulled somewhere. Unable to shake the sensation he let himself be guided by it, driven to exhaustion to reach the mystery location.

            As he approached the guards took a few steps back and lowered their spears, putting the heavy metal tips between themselves and the massive man.

            "Lower the hood, Icileian." Complying with the demand, Reinhardt pulled his head free of the cloak and felt the crisp sting of winter air on his cheeks. A few of the guards nearby grabbed their weapons and joined the two questioning soldiers when they noticed what was going on. Looks of disgust and hate sat firmly on a few faces while others looked worried or nervous. Reinhardt couldn't blame them. It was impossible to know who was an elementalist and who wasn't. At this distance a skilled shifter could kill most of them before they could react.

            "What is your business in Odum?" One of the other soldiers asked, almost hidden behind someone else.

            "My farm has been put to the torch by Icilee bandits, my family butchered along with my livestock. I traveled north in hopes of shelter and work." Deciding it was easier to tell most of the truth than lie he told his tale. "Even Duzee has need of workers."

            "We don't need Icileian workers!" One of the men spit.

            "We have no way of knowing if he's a shifter! Gut him and throw him in the fire!" Another one yelled from a safe distance. It was clear these men feared shifters, though he didn't fault them for that. Elementalists could be broken down into different sub groups. Most men and women who could use ice only had the ability to move small amounts, these were known neophyte elementalists. While they were common they could use their gifts for little more than small chores and pranks. Bastion elementalists progressed their skills to the point of being able to use their gifts for defending themselves. The most dangerous were shifters, who honed their skills for combat.

            "Icileian shifters are nobles. Peasants aren't trained in the arts. I have no skill with conventional weapons either." Reinhardt did his best to present himself as non-threatening, but even for an Icileian he was large. Standing almost a full foot and a half taller than all of the soldiers he looked dangerous enough to raise concerns. If they had taken the time to search him they would have been worried further.

            "We can't trust the words of these vultures. Send him away from Odum." This soldier was even further back than the rest. Reinhardt hadn't noticed that nearly two dozen soldiers had gathered now. Nobody was questioning the travelers anymore as they had taken up arms and moved to keep Reinhardt from entering the city. His attempt to enter without causing a stir had turned out to be impossible.

            The door of a nearby guard shack slammed against the wall as another man emerged. His uniform was slightly different from the others, and was silver and grey instead of white, colors of the wind masters guard.

            "What is the hold up? Has one Icileian farmer brought the entire city to a standstill? If this happens every time one of them moves through the gates you all will single handedly have let them end our economy. Peasant, on your way."

            Not bothering to reply with the man's command, Reinhardt returned his hood to its place on covering his head, and walked past the soldiers. Men moved away from him, willing to show their distrust of the Icileian, even though they had been reprimanded for not doing their jobs.

            The guardsman met Reinhardt's eye as they came close. Something about the way the he looked at him made Reinhardt uneasy. From his own travels as a farmer there was never word of being able to tell if someone was an elementalist until they used their gift, but it was impossible to know if the same rules applied to him as the others. Elementalists may be able to tell that something was different about him.

            Finally inside the city Reinhardt soaked in the sights. From outside it was impossible to see the going-ons of Odum, another defense against shifters perhaps, but the city was alive with life. Even with winter underway the streets were full of people. Travelers walked up and down the roads searching through carts of goods. Beggars huddled together for warmth in some of the alleys, fighting over trash and food that clearly should not be eaten.

            It was hard to say how many people actually lived in the market city but it had to be in the tens of thousands. Reinhardt had never been to a city as large as this during any of his trips to sell supplies. every building was crafted with the environment in mind. Harsh winds and heavy storms made the Duzee mountains a hard place to live, especially during the winter months.

            Each building stood one story tall, and was constructed of heavy stone, Reinhardt couldn't place what type it was. Instead of the typical square buildings he saw in Icilee the Odum homes were circular, helping to avoid direct contact with the wind. Small windows limited the exposure to the cold but provided little view from the homes.

            Reinhardt pushed his way through the streets, searching for the closest pub. Spotting a large wooden sign hanging outside one building he decided on giving it a try. People where still eyeing him suspiciously, but they hadn't paid him as close attention since he entered the city.

            The chiseled marks on the sign depicted an interesting scenario of a man being shot multiple times with a barrage of arrows. Reinhardt didn't know much of the Duzee culture so he didn't know if the sign meant anything to them, but it seemed odd for a store's logo.

            With little choice he decided that it would be as good a spot as any to stop for rest. Getting closer he could see the words 'An té nach bhfuil láidir, ní foláir dó bheith glic' scratched into the wood around the picture. Having lived in Icilee for his entire life he couldn't read or understand the Duzee language but something about the phrase just didn't sound right. Not having much of a choice he pushed the door open and went inside.

            Before the heavy wooden door closed Reinhardt could see soldiers walking the streets, emerging from the street connecting to the gate. It was pure luck that the door closed as the guardsman turned the corner and walked into the street he had just been on. Reinhardt was hoping he was not the reason these guards had left their post, but wasn't going to bet money on it.

            Smoke filled his nose as he turned into the Pub. Consisting of one visible room, the small building had one other exit and he assumed that was back into the kitchen or storage room. For a place as deceivingly small as it was there was there was plenty of space. Able to fit nearly twice as many tables as was currently available, everybody was more than comfortably.

            A faint odor caught his attention but he couldn't place where he had smelled it before. The limited light made it nearly impossible to see through the thick smoke of lush leaves, a commonly smoked plant, especially by middle class citizens. Mimicking the effects of alcohol, the leaves were popular nearly everywhere in Icilee and Duzee.

            Everyone was looking at him as he moved further into the pub. Even though nobody moved from where they were sitting it was clear that they all had weapons readily available. Moving quickly yet smoothly between tables wasn't hard considering the distance between each table, but he still did his best to not move too close to any single group of patrons. Something about them all made him feel uneasy and they probably felt the same way with him in the room.

            Before he reached the bar a large mug of beer was already waiting for him. It was a bit surprising to see somebody being kind to him, though he suspected much of that was due to the prospect of money. The shorter man behind the counter was thin and looked to be decently strong. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting from a bartender but he had never met too many of them in his life so his idea of them was probably wrong.

            "How can I help ya this morn'". His accent was thick and he didn't recognize it at all. It didn't carry the simple grace that the Duzee language did, it seemed more harsh and clunky, almost drunken. Even stranger was the man's eyes. Unlike most drunks he had ever met there was a strange sharpness to his dark green eyes. Reinhardt had heard rumors of the Ental people but had never met one before. Why was an Ental bartender halfway across the world 

            "Just looking to lay low and let the chill pass, and a few pints wouldn't hurt." The bartender slid another large mug down to him and pulled out a rag so he could clean some that had been returned to him by the other patrons. Sitting at a tall stool near the counter Reinhardt let the time pass. Hoping that the searching guards would pass the place and then he would be able to continue on.

            While he had some time he tried to figure out where he was going. Something seemed to be pulling him in this direction though he didn't know what. On the other side of this city would be the mountain range that it was tucked near, and after that should be a forests and then the ocean. There was nothing out there that even shows up on a map, but something was pulling him towards the coastline.

            "Looks like we have guests." At the mention of guests Reinhardt turned back around and saw that the elementalist who had been following him had walked into the pub and he wasn't alone. Conversation in the room had dropped to nothing and everybody was watching the guards, and especially the brightly dressed man who wore the colors of the Duzee guard. Where people had only watched Reinhardt walk in they stood now. It was clear the room was teetering between calmness and chaos and this man could be the one who tipped it.

            "I've come for him." He pointed at Reinhardt and began to walk forward. When somebody moved to cut him off the man drew his sword. "Remove yourself and I won't kill you, we only want that man but we will cut down anybody who tries to stop us."

            "May I ask why ya want him so badly? Seems harmless to me?" The bartender had finally stopped cleaning mugs and was giving his new guests his complete attention. His accent had almost faded completely and Reinhardt wondered why he was hiding it.

            "I'm taking him to the Nivged for questioning. The rest isn't your concern." With a motion of his head two of the soldiers who had come in with him moved towards Reinhardt but couldn't get close to him. Some of the men in the room drew their own swords and moved to cut the Duzee soldiers off. Tension in the room grew as both sides prepared for a fight.

            "Enough." Reinhardt's heavy boots hit the floor as he lowered himself from the stool he had been watching from. A few of the nearby men lowered their weapons. "There is no need for a fight here." Removing the old sword he wore around his waist he handed it over to the Duzee soldiers willingly and left with the group. Soldiers waited for him to leave before continuing out the door. The bartender watched him carefully as he was rushed into the streets. Reinhardt was glad he had avoided any unnecessary bloodshed but was altogether shocked that they hadn't checked him for any more weapons. A small smile crossed his face but he tried to not let anybody see it.

Stalk

                It had been several weeks since they had left the Odum. As they traveled towards the capital city of Nivged the caravan, led by the guardsman, took routine stops to perform maintenance and other activities. When they stopped one of the guards would always bring him some food, but they never spoke to the Icileian. Reinhardt didn't know why he was being brought to Nivged but he figured it wouldn't be a pleasant stop.

                After a few days of travel the guards became complacent with their speech near their captives. It was clear they didn't think he was a threat. It had taken some time but he finally learned the name of the Emperor's guard but he managed to overhear it finally, along with their plans for him and the other captives.

                Like all men of his status, his birth name was no longer used. After reaching the rank of guardian he shed his common Duzee bonds and took up the mantle of Zephyrus the West Wind. The man wasn't much taller than the normal Duzee soldiers, but his uniform and discipline was leagues apart. He never spoke near the prisoners, he was an effective leader, and most importantly he was a shifter of rare level.

                His cart came to a stop near a small opening in the tree line, a small field was tucked carefully between two dense patches of forest. The heavy scent of cedar almost made him cringe, but it was better than the stench of carriage hounds. Moonlight broke through the clouds as the winds calmed to a breeze. Flowers that had been hidden sprang to life, drawn to the light of the moon. Dark reds and blues popped through the blanket of darkness and Reinhardt couldn't help but admit that this wouldn't be a bad place to camp for the night.

                With closer inspection of the trees he could see that one side of the field dropped sharply, plants clinging to the slope with strong roots. Nearby soldiers started a fire with left over wood as others began cutting down trees and gathering fallen sticks to replenish their supply. It was their nightly routine starting over. Reinhardt's food was brought to him in a coarse wooden bowl. He ate it casually while watching the fire spring to life, bringing even more of the local plants out of hiding.

                Bright yellow flowers crept out of a nearby bush, stretching vines reaching out, struggling to catch what light it could. A passing soldier was playing with some grass. Reinhardt didn't know why he was messing with it until he looked closer, noticing that the grass flattened to the ground before the soldiers could step on it. Every time the soldier lifted his foot the dark green vegetation would return to normal, only to flatten again when he tried to step on it once more. Reinhardt figured it was a defense against the heavy winds this high in the mountain passes.

         Figuring that it would be easier to stick him in the back of a horse drawn prison cell, they kept him locked inside the box for safe keeping. It was nice to not have to walk the distance but the roads they traveled hadn't been designed to travel in this fashion and resulted in a very uneven ride. Sleep hadn't come easy for him since they had started but he managed as well as he could.
         The setting sun forced the party to slow to a stop for the night. It would be impossible to safely travel the road so everyone set up camp and set to chores. An hour or so after everybody had finished eating one of the younger soldiers was tasked with getting Reinhardt a plate of whatever had been left over from the meal. His young temper was clear on his face, even in the darkness, and Reinhardt could tell that this particular task was beneath him or at least it was in his own mind.
         Taking the plate from the soldier he looked at it to see that it was mainly beans and some rice. Even though the mean was lacking any real substance but that didn't bother him. After that day in the forest his appetite had diminished to almost nothing. Thinking back on the prior month he realized that his need to sleep had fallen to only a few hours a day as well.
         Reinhardt still didn't understand what had happened but he figured it was supposed to be a gift of some kind. Though nothing about it felt like a gift. His heart felt cold, and everything was slowly starting to feel like a dream.
         Outside his cell the fire had begun to die down and everybody was starting to unroll large fur bags so they could sleep comfortably in the brisk mountain air. It must have been cold out because even the sentries brought their beds with them when they left the campsite. If Reinhardt knew anything it was that when guards were full, drunk, and warm it was a recipe for sleep. Tonight would be the perfect night for an escape attempt if he wanted to, but they were going in the direction he wanted to be going in so he figured he would tag along for the ride.
         Listening to the sounds of the night around him Reinhardt realized that it was much more quite then it should have been. All of the crickets were still chirping, and he could still here the regular animals that were running around, but something was different. In the darkness around him men started to emerge from the darkness of the forest. None of their steps made any sound and it wasn't until someone drew a sword that anybody would have noticed them.
         A scream in the distance rang out in the night and the camp awoke. It didn't take more then moments for the sleepy soldiers to notice the men who had snuck dangerously close to them, but it was already their advantage. Taking up the attack, the cloaked men moved in for the kill, swords darting violently in the fire light. The momentum was clearly in the favor of the attackers but in short time it became clear that the trained soldiers were gaining their ground back and starting to hold the enemy back.
         Reinhardt felt a strong shifting in the night air as one of the cloaked men was torn to pieces by an invisible force. The sight startled his comrades who started to fall back towards the treeline. The Duzee elementalist appeared with his sword drawn from a nearby shadow. Having dispatched the attackers who had snuck up on his men, he had made his way back to the primary fight and that would tip the scales of the battle in their favor. Even with the sneak attack it would be impossible for a group this inexperienced to take on an elementalist of his power.
Another blast of wind was directed towards the fleeing men but it was thrown to the side by a large slab of rock that rose up from the ground behind them. It surprised the man enough to give them all time to flee. Regrouping the camp went out in teams to look for signs of their attackers.
         A lone man emerged from the trees and everybody stopped to stare at him. Even from where he was Reinhardt knew it was the bartender who had tried protecting him in the pub. As he walked into the light of the campfire Reinhardt could see a long bow staff in his right hand, tucked close to his body. His face was emotionless and his movements direct, there was no doubting his intent.
         The elementalist moved forward and, without speaking, drew as much wind as he could around himself. Air around the man twisted and turned with as much intensity as a tornado and when he couldn't pull any more from the area it turned on the bartender.
         One hand reached up and grabbed the clasp of his cloak and ripped it off, letting it fall free of his body. The long stave was no free to move as it wanted as it twisted and spun around his body. Smaller patches of wind were turned away without effort by the spinning stave. Reinhardt could feel a few almost harden into a blade of wind capable of slicing into a person. This was how he had been able to cut the other man to pieces. An attack like this wouldn't be able to be pushed aside like the others had.
         Almost as if he could feel the strike coming for himself he slammed his stave into the ground and threw himself into the air over the blast. Almost out of shock the Duzee elementalist hesitated and lost control of his shift for a moment. It was all the bartender needed to take advantage of the fight.
         Still spinning from dodging the blade of wind, the stave whipped around and slammed into the ground, but this time the giant rock slab they had been standing on started to splinter and crumble. The sight broke the already weakening resolve of the Duzee soldiers and they began to flee.
         "He's from Ental!" Reinhardt heard one of them yell as he tried to escape. Now understanding what had happened in the moments before the fight, Reinhardt could only smile. He had the pleasure of watching a Earth Elementalist and a Wind elementalist fight, and over him.

Bow Shock

    "Before we begin this I would like to know your name?" It surprised Reinhardt to hear the Duzee soldier ask for his opponent’s name. Before the war it was considered honorable to give your name and know the name of an enemy elementalist, if for nothing more than to make a note of his rank and title. Soon after the war had started it often became more of a nuisance and it didn't take long before it was considered old fashioned. Asking someone their name would often be met with insults and laughter.
         "My name is Briccio Donovan. I'm a simple pub owner and enthusiast of some particularly strong brews. I hold no position and hold no allegiances. To be honest I have never considered myself much of a shifter either." His accent was much less defined now and Reinhardt was curious if the accent was real or if this was how he spoke. Figuring that it didn't matter all that much he just continued to watch the events unfold in front of him.
         "Well Briccio, I am Sherwyn Zephyrus."
         "Zephyrus? You mean the west wind?" Sometimes being a farmer could hurt in moments like this. Apparently that name means something but he had been so secluded in his years that he knew little about the world outside of Wanve.
         "Yes that is the name I was given upon accepting my position under Master Astraeus. I was on my way to meet with my brothers when you raided my camp, and since I am probably going to be behind schedule now I apologize for having to hurry this fight along." Gathering more wind to his side Sherwyn was clearly ready to finish the fight and move on.
         "To be honest I wasn't expecting to run into one you here, but no matter how long the day, the evening comes." With a whip of his stave a large slab of rock hurled through the air towards Sherwyn which he clearly hadn't been expecting. The spiraling wind around his body condensed just enough to push the attack away but it had been close to striking him in the face.
         Returning with a flurry of his own, the Duzee fighter danced forwards, slashing into the tornado that surrounded him. Each strike launched a thick gust of air towards Briccio which he easily flicked away with his stave or just dodged away from. Keeping his momentum moving towards Sherwyn, the bartender used his control over the earth around him strategically. Never moving more than needed, he was able to block the strongest of the attacks with a rock barrier and then move on.
         Reinhardt was honestly impressed by how well the man fought. With his senses he could tell that when it came to shifting Briccio was by far outmatched by the wind shifter, but he fought intelligently and never wasted movements. All of his attacks were able to get dangerously close to Sherwyn, sliding in between cuts, and moving in from below his constantly changing line of sight.
         Visibly tiring from the level of excretion, Sherwyn began losing control of his shifts and they began to grow week. Knowing the fight was not moving in his favor the man drew as much power as he could towards himself and gained full control over the wind he had gathered. Watching as it started to concentrate itself into a blade, Reinhardt could see that this was a last resort move.
         The now visible blade of air tore through the air around Sherwyn and destroyed everything in its path. Briccio slammed the end of his stave into the ground and caused the earth around him to ripple like a wave. Quickly raising the weapon into the air he dragged a large stone pillar up from the ground. Striking the pillar with the other end of his stave it flew towards the oncoming attack. As it connected with the condensed air it was torn apart easily.
         Seeing that it wasn't going to be as easy to block as the others Briccio threw as many as he could at the same spot of the attack. Reinhardt could feel it falter as one last strike caused it to crack and dissipate into a heavy, but safe, rush of wind.
         Sherwyn collapsed to his knees with exhaustion and didn't bother raising his sword to defend himself. He had been beaten and wasn't going to shame himself any more. Moving in Briccio didn't waste any time bringing his stave down onto his opponents head for the kill.
         Before Reinhardt could warn the man, another blade of wind ripped into the side or his arm, and removed his right hand completely. The stave fell to the ground a few feet away and clunked to a stop. Sherwyn looked around shocked, trying to figure out what had happened. Nearby three men stood watching. Each of them dressed similarly to Sherwyn himself. Though these men looked nothing like him it was clear that these were his 'brothers'. Having taken to long to reach them they had come looking for him.
         "Boreas, Notus, Eurus, what are you doing here?" The impact had thrown Briccio away from the West Wind and onto his face. Reinhardt couldn't tell if he was unconscious but he wasn't moving around much.
         "You were late Zephyrus, so we came to look for you. It seems that it was a good thing we did." Boreas was shorter than Sherwyn but clearly the oldest of the group. His short, stalky build would have been intimidating if his carried a weapon that wasn't a knife. Finding that almost comical, Reinhardt didn't think he was the strongest of the brothers.
         The other two were fairly tall men, though both were thin. Reinhardt could see a bow in one of their hands, which made sense considering he could control the wind and make the arrow fly for as far as he wanted. Oddly the other man had a whip, and he found that to be strange. Of all the weapons he had seen so far from this country had some kind of blade on it.
         "We have eliminated the others who attacked you."
         "Thank you Eurus, they caught my men off guard. We have been too relaxed since we were assigned to the southern cities." So it was Eurus who had the bow, from what he could tell their names all had some special meanings, and he had no idea what they were.
         Notus walked up to Briccio and looked down on him. His blood started to heat up when he recognized the look of disgust on his face. Obviously the most pompous of the group, Notus looked at Briccio like he was nothing but an infected animal. Wind gathered around his whip and Reinhardt could feel how dangerous this man actually was.
         "I think it's time we end this. You have had enough fun at our expense Ental peasant." Notus rose his whip high into the air, ready for the kill. Seeing his turn to interfere Reinhardt released the clasp on his cape and let it fall to the ground. During the fight nobody had noticed that many of the wind attacks had been stolen and used to cut Reinhardt free from his cell.
         As the whip began to fall, a strange steel tip wrapped around Notus' whip and pulled it away from Briccio. Startled, everyone's eyes followed the long cable that was attached to the blade back to where Reinhardt stood. The moonlight shone brilliantly off the vambrace and pouldron attached to his arm. Pulling back sharply, the steel blade sliced the whip in half before returning to his arm.
         Although the weapon was impractical for fighting it had its advantages. The cable ran down his arm, protected by a thick leather and coiled around his arm under the pouldron. Its primary downfall was that it was so heavy, to get the blade to fly forward it had to be heavier than the force pulling the line back in. He preferred not having to use it but the range it gave him was invaluable.
         Having created an opening Reinhardt sprinted forward and picked Briccio up under his arm. As he reached the tree line he felt something flying towards him. His eyes met Eurus' and he recognized the shock in them when his own turned black and the elementalist lost control of his own arrow. Slamming into a tree next to his head Reinhardt didn't waste time and disappeared into the shadows.
         Boreas started to pursue but Eurus grabbed his arm and held him back. "Don't follow him!"
         "You're just pissed because you missed! I want him!" Boreas struggled against his brother but Notus moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder.
         "Eurus is right; there is something strange about him. Just before that strange contraption grabbed my whip I felt my control over the wind falter enough for him to grab it without damaging his own weapon. I assume it was similar to what you felt Eurus?" Still staring into the darkness Eurus could only nod. "I think we should get back to the capital, Master Astraeus is waiting for us."
         Helping Zephyrus back up to his feat they all looked back towards the tree line and hoped they never met him again.

Bound

         Wood burned heavily in the fire as Briccio slowly woke. Looking around in a daze he found the dark clothed man he had been trying to save sitting on the other side of the fire, making careful alteration to a strange device on his arm. The weapon was hiding below the armor pieces attached too his body. A pouldron on his shoulder must have housed the mechanism that forced it to retract. Briccio had never seen anything like it before, and probably wouldn't again.
         "What is that thing?" He managed to ask in a low voice. Not having realized how sore his body was until he spoke Briccio grimaced. The battle with the wind elementalist had taken a lot of energy from him. Not having been a very talented shifter he was surprised he had fared that well against one of the four winds. Looking down at his arm he realized that his arm had been removed up to the elbow. Briccio chuckled to himself realizing that he hadn't done as well as he had thought.
         "This is just a complicated tool that I used to use while I would farm."
         "What kind of farming where you doing?" The tone of his question made the man laugh. Packing up a small pack of tools, the man stood and put more wood on the fire. Without his cape on, Briccio could see how big this man actually was. Although he was only a few inches taller he had to be twice his size. His shirt had no sleeves which showed off every muscle in his arms. Briccio guessed that years of farming had conditioned him to be strong.
         "It's used to pick fruits off the tops of trees without having to climb them. I just modified if a bit for use on the battle field. It has some major drawbacks but it gives me a decent range advantage in a pinch. In addition to that, not many people have seen anything like this before since I made it myself. It's called the Dragon's Tail."
         "Have you ever seen a dragon?" Briccio was having trouble speaking but the name ammused him, even if he couldn't laugh.
         "No, but when I was younger a friend used to tell me stories about dragons, ghouls, and things that lived in the woods outside our house at night. He always said that a dragons tail tipped with a long, sharp point that could reach you from over fifty feet away. When I designed this it reminded me of his stories so that's the name I took."
         "He sounds like an interesting friend. What's you're name anyway? I just realized I haven't gotten it yet." Speaking was getting difficult for Briccio, he was also very tired but refused to fall asleep yet.
         "Reinhardt, and you're Briccio Donovan if I recall correctly?"
         "That is correct, and is it just Reinhardt or do you have a last name?"
        "I stopped using my last name when my family was murdered. I have no use of it now." A long silence fell over them. Briccio didn't know anything about this man, but he had managed to save him from the four winds so he guessed they were both on the same side.
         "I have a family back in Duzee. A wife and a son. I opened a shop up in that Duzee city and we had a good life going. When you entered my pub I knew there was something different about you, something strange. When you refused to let us fight the Duzee soldiers I knew you were a decent man, I couldn't let them take you to be tortured by that damned master."
         "I do appreciate what you have done for me Briccio, but you put yourself, and your men, in the harms way to save someone you don't know. You had no way of knowing if I was worth saving." Silence fell over the campsite again as Reinhardt began sharpening the tip of his improvised weapon. Briccio felt a strange tiredness sweeping over him again, but he didn't feel like sleeping and decided to force himself to stay awake. Stopping what he was doing, Briccio could tell that Reinhardt had something on his mind, and waited for him to speak.
         "What do the words on the sign above your shop mean? I don't understand your language."
         "An té nach bhfuil láidir, ní foláir dó bheith glic. It means whoever is not strong must be clever. It's something my father used to say to me and it just kind of stuck. I've never been a great elementalist so I took the saying to heart. Without the gifts my father had with the use of his shifting, I had to use my mind."
         "You have done a great job at adapting Briccio. You managed to defeat one of the four winds, that alone shows that you are not as weak as you think you are."
         "Thank you Reinhardt but I know where I stand in the grand scheme of things. My father was a great leader, and an even greater warrior, capable of moving a mountain if he had to. The only person in the whole of the country who was stronger was the master. When I was finally old enough to start using my power I found out that I would never be able to be like the man I admired most, and that crushed me."
         "Even though you can't move a mountain doesn't mean you don't measure up to your father."
         "Again thank you Reinhardt. I just hope my son has more skill than I do when he grows."
         "You have a son and you still risk your life for no cause?"
         "I lied when I said I didn't have a cause. We're trying to end this war, and to do it we need to stop the feuding between the empires. We were on our way to the Duzee capital, and the goal was to assassinate Master Astraeus, the father of the four winds. Astraeus has been using the winds to fuel this war since he came to power. Along with the ice master this war could have ended long ago.
         "How will killing two of the six masters help anything? From what I understand about the masters, their power will just jump to the closest person capable of handling it."
         "Killing them will be a good place to start, and for the issue of their abilities jumping to a new host we have found a man capable of handling the wind masters power. If we can kill him and replace him with a better man than we can help change this nation. Otherwise this war will continue to rage until the planet is beyond repair." Briccio couldn't shake the strange feeling running through his body. Fighting the urge to fall asleep he tried to sit up but couldn't get enough strength to move any of his body. Giving up on the desire he forced his eyes to stay open.
         "Reinhardt, I want you to help us. The only thing we have not been able to figure out is how to separate Master Astraeus from the four winds. Each of them is strong enough to take the power of the wind for themselves when he dies. To have a real chance we need to get them away from the master. You can do that for us and help us end this whole mess, and maybe then you would feel that your name means something."
         Reinhardt though about the offer for a while before offering. "What does a name matter anymore? Everything I had was taken from me. Everybody is gone, dead. Even death couldn't end my suffering. The only thing I have left is this draw, a need to find the sea, and whatever lies within its waters."
         "What will it take to get there?" Briccio asked fighting the strange tired feeling in his head.
         "The masters themselves will not keep me from where I am headed. I will leave the bodies of anyone who stands in my way behind me."
         "Maybe you will have reconsidered in the morning. I'm too tired to stay awake anymore. If you don't mind can I rest, at least for a little while?" Briccio was warm enough in front of the fire to sleep, and he was still too tired to move. Reinhardt watched him carefully and nodded. Putting a sleeping matte over him he stood to let him rest.
         "Briccio, you don't have to wait till morning. I will help you in this. Just remember that you owe me for my help." His smile made Briccio smile, wearily. After he closed his eyes Reinhardt waited for a few moments before putting out the fire. Putting his cloak back on he faced the horizon, and the strange draw that ocean.

          "I will help you in this, and know that your life was not wasted. You haven given me a direction. I will end this war, and make sure your family will be safe forever." As he walked away from the camp, Briccio's already dead body laid silently in the darkness. 

Face Off

         Having finally left the strange dark forest he had been walking since leaving Briccio at the campfire, Reinhardt was able to watch a group of birds fly by gracefully. A gentle breeze rolled over the tops of the grass, pushing them back and forth playfully. The sun was clearly visible against the dark blue sky. Everything around him still seemed perfect, even though his friend had died mere hours earlier. The world would never stop turning, and even when all of the humans that inhabited this planet died, it would still live on.
         Even though the thought was calming it didn't calm the fire burning in his chest. Not sure if it was the hatred for the people who took Briccio, the people who took his family from him, or the insatiable desire to reach the coast. No matter where the feeling had originated, it all seemed to mix together and grow. He was beginning to see that everything was linked to the elementalists and the chaos they created with their unique gifts.
         Watching a large dog bound above the grass line, Reinhardt brought his mind back to why had had come to where he was. As he walked the night prior he had seen lights in the distance, probably from a campsite, and considering where Briccio was heading, he was hoping that this was the group he had been sent to meet. If it wasn't then it would probably be the encampment the four winds were heading towards.
         Hoping against the second option Reinhardt stood from where he was kneeling and moved towards the dog, circling out of its way to avoid startling it. As he approached he could feel eyes watching him from somewhere nearby. The sound of paws scurrying away covered the soft sound of grass rustling. As the dog began to move further and further away the sound was hidden less and less. Until he knew he was surrounded.
         Hoping nobody had moved to close to him yet he unlocked the Dragon's Tail and with only a few flicks had it circling through the grass around him. Finally being used for one of its actually purposes, a large circle near Reinhardt was cut away, giving him a large area without cover, or hiding spots. Pulling the weapon back to his arm he locked it and waited. Whatever was near him would have to come to him in the open now.
         A small ball of fire erupted from the grass line and flew past Reinhardt's arm as he moved out of its path. Realizing that the attack was far to easy to dodge he turned in time to see a much larger ball of fire come flying towards him. Having ignited the grass behind where he was standing the fire shifter now had more to wok with.
         Flames jumped to and from the fire as it spread around Reinhardt. Not able to move in from where he had cut the grass away, it roared around him in a perfect circle. Feeling the oxygen starting to be pulled out of the air he needed to stop the fire before it made him black out. Having wanted to leave his own power a secret he decided that he didn't have a choice anymore. Reaching out into the fire he found the essence of the element and destroyed it.
         Almost as if it hadn't been there, the entire fire suddenly vanished. Burning embers fought for life but Reinhardt had successfully managed to completely pull the energy from the fire. Whatever elementalist was nearby would been very surprised about now.
         “Who are you?!” A voice called out from in the distance. He couldn't put his finger on it but the voice sounded different than he had expected. The fire had managed to burn more of the grass away, almost doubling the area Reinhardt had managed to cut down himself. Finally moving into the opening a small band of outcast looking men eye him suspiciously.
         Each of the men had a long spear at their side, and strangely they all wore clothes similar Briccio. Assuming he had found what he was looking for he decided to lower his guard and take on a friendlier pose.
      “My name is Reinhardt, I was asked by Briccio Donovan to join in the upcoming battle against the Duzee Master.” A hushed silence fell over the group as they watched him for any signs of lying. When they raised their spears to him, Reinhardt thought that he might have found the wrong camp after all and began planning an escape.
         “Where is Briccio?” A small relief.
         “He's dead.” And the relief faded as the soldiers, in unison, jammed their spear heads into the ground, causing large spikes to rise out of the ground towards Reinhardt's body. Deciding against trying to grab all of their powers at once he forcible halted the spiked that would have reached him first. Jumping up and over the next few spikes was easy, but the group had managed to collect themselves and begin a second round of attacks.
         Lashing out with the Dragon's Tail, he split most of the rocks easily. Like other elementalists he had met before some of these men were considerably weaker than the others. Focusing on them first would help his chances in the fight. Going on the theory that they wouldn't be able to fight as well without their weapons he used the versatility of the strong metal cord of the Dragon's tail to disarm many of the men. A few minutes and half a dozen disarmed shifters later he discovered he was correct in his assumption.
         All of the men he had managed to disarm were forced to retreat from the fight. Whether it was the inability to fight or panic he didn't know but it didn't really matter. When only three were left he withdrew the Dragon's Tail and raised his hands defensively.
         “I didn't come here to fight!” As if considering his word the Ental soldiers held back for a few moments. When the strongest of them moved began pushing forward again the other two followed as if guided. Getting his weapons ready Reinhardt considered what disarming this level of elementalist would do to their ability to fight. Having never seen an elementalist fight unarmed he didn't know if they could, even though the notion seemed ridiculous, even in his own mind.
         “Enough!” Nearby the grass parted and a small woman stepped into the field. Surprised by her size Reinhardt chuckled. When her eyes reflected her serious nature he stopped laughing. Standing a little over five feet tall Reinhardt made her look like a child. Her long black hair ran down her back and was tied to her with multiple red ties.
         Looking him over thoroughly she nodded to the other three, telling them to back down. Even though she was small she demanded respect and Reinhardt could only assume that she received it, and without question. The red sleeves of her tunic stood out in contrast to the black of the rest of the outfit. Strangely he knew what she was without having to be told.
         “I can see that you know your way around with that thing.” She pointed curiously to his left arm. “Also I believe you had something to do with my fire being put out. What did you do?”
         “It's a little trick I picked up over the years.” Deciding it would be best to stay vague on the topic of his ability he dodged the answer.
         “Is this something others can do? No elementalist should be able to have their power stolen away from them like that. It's never been done before. Are there others like you?” She was worried that the enemy had people like himself on their side. That would be a serious change in strategy considering most people relied heavily on elementalists in battle.
         “No, I am the only one like me, at least none that I know of.” The woman visibly relaxed a little before continuing.
         “Why did Briccio send you to us, and what happened to him?”
         “This would be a better conversation to have with the leaders of your rebellion.” Anger flashed through her eyes like lightning.
         “You will be speaking to me first! If I feel you aren't lying I will consider bringing you to the council.”
Deciding this was a game he could play he let his face reflect how he felt inside. The lightning behind her eyes was swept away by fear as he used his size to intimidate her, which was easy to do. Speaking calmly and clearly he made sure she understood his intentions.
         “I will not repeat myself. If I am going to tell this story I will tell it once. You cannot threaten me with force. Your shifts will fail and you cannot best me in armed combat. I refused to kill your soldiers but if I decided to kill them this fight would not last long.”
         Nodding she turned back around and walked away. He seriously hated getting angry, always seemed so undignified.

Allies

           Reinhardt walked in silence, following the assorted group of elementalists through a forest. The small leader directed them into the trees only a short time after leaving their improvised sparing ground. She seemed worried about being tracked so they all left the easier traveled fields and moved into the concealment of the large, dense mountainside.

            Two of the guards disappeared into the shadows, probably scouting ahead of the group. It was clear to him that this little group was not affiliated with the Duzee government; he guessed they were either bandits or rebels. With that assumption in mind he looked everyone over and figured them to be about the same age as the few men who had traveled with Briccio before being killed by the Four Winds.

            The earth elementalists made sense to Reinhardt, but the single fire shifter didn’t. She wasn’t like the others, and even wore the colors of her home nation, Fatir. No sigil was visible but she didn’t seem to be of low birth, the way she walked and carried herself told him that. It was a mystery to him, one he would figure out in time.

            Nobody spoke as they pushed through the deep green vegetation surrounding them. Shrubs and low hanging branches did the most to hinder their progress, but the terrain played a large part as well. With great effort they fought against the incline of the mountain, trying to stay on the correct course. Large walls of trees blocked their paths from time to time as they had to fight through the vegetation that sprang up in the water flowing down the side.

            Reinhardt enjoyed walking through these large draws, they made it very difficult to see more than a few feet around you, and on a few occasions the group would have to stop and take a break after crossing one. These breaks typically involved someone going back into the natural barrier to retrieve something that had been ripped off of them while crossing. It amused him that a few even lost their spears.

            It was clear nobody would be using their powers to make the traveling easier; most likely afraid their guest would rip whatever they took control of away and restart a fight. While amusing it was also time consuming and was creating a big mess within the group. Reaching the other side of another draw the group decided to stop. After being given the command by the small fire shifter everyone began taking turns going over their gear to make sure nothing had been lost in the travel. The last crossing had been especially bad and nearly twice as long as any of the others.

            One man returned to the draw and vanished while he searched for whatever he had lost. The long thick vines inside had a nasty habit of taking things from your possession if you hadn’t been careful and tied them down before entering. With the group finally halted Reinhardt took a minute to gather his thoughts. He never had to check his gear since he only carried his Dragon’s Tail with him, and his cloak, both of which he would notice being ripped off.

            The small woman kneeled down and checked her own gear. Like him she carried very few things with her out side of her pack, which was synched down tight with specialized straps. Clearly she was used to traveling through the woods, another peculiar trait from a Fatir of special birth. Soon the missing man appeared carrying a small coin purse in his hand. Apparently that had been ripped off and Reinhardt didn’t blame the man for wanting to retrieve it.

            Almost two hours had passed since they entered the forest before the group turned down the hillside. The sudden change sparked curiosity in Reinhardt. In a few more minutes they emerged from the tree line and were again in the fields below the mountain. Unlike the rest of the fields this one had a large hill in the center. Their forward scouts returned to the group and led them towards the hillside. Everyone came to a stop when the two earth elementalists opened a large hole in the ground. As they walked into the darkness the rest followed.

            After a few moments the group emerged into a small room. It was poorly lit, only a single torch glowed nearby, but Reinhardt could see a staircase leading down into darkness. A smile crossed his face as he felt intrigue spread in his mind. One of nearby guards caught his smile and replied with a wink; at least one of these men wasn’t worried about him trying to do anything stupid. It was Reinhardt who had wanted to go with them without any further fighting.

            Without an earth elementalist he wouldn’t be able to escape from this place on his own, nor would he have ever found it. Everyone started forward again, walking down the stairs into darkness. The small shifter drew a small piece of flame from the torch to give them light; she no longer seemed to care if Reinhardt was around either.

            They emerged into a large underground city. Reinhardt thought about it again and figured it was less of a city and more of a war camp. It was a marvelous sight regardless. At a quick guess there would have to be at least ten thousand people hidden beneath the hill, maybe more. To his surprise the air smelled clean and wasn’t heavy with foul odors that would be associated with most camps this size.

            Whoever crafted the idea of burying an encampment instead of risking it topside was a genius. Any enemy forces that happened upon the site would have no idea that beneath their feet stood an entire army. For the first time the group began to speak openly to each other, now unable to be heard or followed. As the group followed the staircase downward the camp grew louder.

            Finally taking their first steps onto the ground below, people stopped what they were doing to look at the group. Their eyes traced over everybody but stopped on Reinhardt. Best case scenario they assumed he was brought to question, hence the large group of soldiers, worst case he was a prisoner.

            “Sergeant, take your men back to the barracks and prep for the next patrol. We will be leaving in a few hours and have already lost too much time.” Reinhardt watched the small fire elementalist give directions to the rest of the group before they departed. After they were alone she turned her attention to him. Her dark eyes caught the light of a nearby lamp and reflected a soft shade of brown. She was a strangely beautiful woman, even if she was very small.

            “What now?” Reinhardt felt the coldness in his voice, but hadn’t intended it to come out that way. A few men nearby were still watching them quietly. Everywhere he looked he could see the signs different nations. This camp was built of people from almost every nation; it was strange to see someone from the deserts of Rornin speaking with one of the Wanve natives. Whoever brought this camp together would have been great in diplomacy.

            “I will bring you to see the council Briccio was affiliated with. If your story checks out they will decide what to do with you.” With that she turned and began walking into the camp. Eyes fell onto the pair when they walked by, clearly intrigued. It didn’t take Reinhardt long to figure out why. After having walked for almost ten minutes he hadn’t seen anyIcileans. Their dark skin and broad features would have stood out against almost everyone except those from Rornin, even though the height difference would have been a clear distinction. Icilean stood on average a foot taller than the Rornin, Reinhardt more so.

            “What will this council want from me? I am only a farmer, I barely knew Briccio before he died.” Reinhardt didn’t care to explain that his being a mere ‘farmer’ led him to being whatever he currently was. He didn’t even know if he could consider himself an elementalist since he had no control of an element, only over those others controlled.

            “They will want to know about Donovan and why my entire unit was held up by a farmer, as you put it.” Her voice had a hint of distrust in it. He couldn’t blame her for it but it wouldn’t help if she put a negative spin on the whole event. Nearby a horse neighed and Reinhardt caught sight of a group of large breeds he had never seen before. This entire war camp managed to have horses underground with them and it didn’t smell like death? Now he was very intrigued.

            “I will not have much useful information for you woman.”

            “Stop calling me woman, my name is Roas.” Even her name was kind of cute. Where did that come from? It had only been a few months since his family had been killed, was he already willing to move on from that? Reinhardt noticed that Roas was looking at him; she had probably asked him a question while he was distracted.

            “Did you say something?” Reinhardt never thought of himself as the coy type, nor did he understand relationships very well. His wife had always warned him that he needed to work on his people skills if he wanted to become a better farmer.

            “What is your name?” Roas sounded agitated with having to repeat herself, which was another useful piece of information.

            “Reinhardt.”

            “Do you have a family name or were unable to buy one?” Reinhardt didn’t know a lot about Fatir but he did know that they were a culture driven heavily by slavery. Family names were only allowed, and affordable, to the wealthy. Slaves were not allowed to have a last name, nor were lower class citizens.

            “Icilee is not like Fatir Roas. The right to carry a family name isn’t restricted to the upper class.

            “So you are Icilean. We hadn’t figured out where you are from yet.” Reinhardt looked himself over and laughed a bit.

            “Is it surprising that I am Icilean?”

            “To you it is a clear fact. Maybe it is also clear to someone born and raised in Duzee, but from Fatir you could easily be a mix of Ental and Rornin. You’re darker skin and features would be from a Rornin parent, while your height could easily be from Ental.”

            “I hadn’t thought of that before, I have never traveled further than the outer cities of Duzee to sell crops.” Still walking through the war camp it was finally clear how large this place actually was. A group of children laughed as they ran past Roas, chasing a ball. If there were young kids here than there must have been women other than soldiers.

            “Why are you traveling so far out of your country now when you haven’t before?”

            “I had nothing left to offer Icilee.” They had left nothing for him. Killed everyone he had ever loved, and burned everything he owned.

            “You never answered me about your family name.”

            “I don’t use a family name any more. I gave it up when I lost my family.” Surprisingly Roas didn’t follow the statement with another question. She seemed to understand when to stop prying into someone’s background. That was a very useful trait. Turning a corner near a food stand Reinhardt met the eyes of nearly twenty armed soldiers, clearly waiting for him. In front of the group was a beautifully dressed woman. Her long blond hair was straight and hung free. Expensive silks flowed from her dress, leaving only the fine details out of her figure.

            “I have been sent by the council to bring you in for questioning regarding the death of Briccio Donovan.” The outer soldiers closed in around him, presumably to not let him escape. His tattered and dirty cloak stood in clear contrast to this woman’s beautiful clothes and style.

            Without a word he took a step forward towards the woman and found several spears being held in his direction. With a twitch of his arm the dragons tail flew free and stripped one of the spears closet to him away from its bearer. Every spear in the group was now lowered in his direction, but he didn’t care.

            “I was led to believe that I was not a prisoner here. Do not treat me as such. Why was I brought here?” Reinhardt didn’t know if he would be able to stand his ground against this many trained soldiers without someone using an element against him. He was gambling with an assumption he had made from meeting Roas. They wanted to know what happened but they were intrigued by him. Hopefully that was enough to get him a slightly better treatment.

            The woman raised her hand and lowered the spear of a nearby soldier and took a few delicate steps forward. “You are correct Reinhardt. We have no intention of holding you as an enemy. Our intentions are to make you an ally. My guards are just protective of me and can sometimes become excited by a possible fight.”

            “You may want to find guards who aren’t ready to start a blood bath with every person you come to speak with.” The comment brought a smile to the woman’s lips. From this distance Reinhardt could see her blue eyes. They had a sense of intelligence to them that he wasn’t used to seeing.

            “Again you are correct. I may need to make a few changes to my personal guard, but that will have to wait. We have business to discuss and the rest of the council is waiting for us to arrive.”

Council

 

          After leaving the site of their momentary confrontation the soldiers appeared less concerned with Reinhardt being near his host. It surprised him how little these soldiers cared now that they had been soothed. He would have assumed that a few of them would at least be suspicious of him still.

            Now walking again he began looking around, trying to figure out everything he could about this army. It was clear that they had plenty of soldiers from Ental. Almost every other soldier bore the uniform of the Ental army, a spear backed by a mountain. Many had more than one sigil but he didn’t recognize any of them. His guess was that they all showed the independent houses they belonged to.

            Ahead of them a large building stood out compared to the rest of the camp. While almost everything else hidden underneath this hill was quickly constructed and made of normal tent cloth this one structure was solid and looked like a house. It would have taken a considerably strong elementalist to build this. Almost four stories tall, this was a very unique construction.

            Guards at the door pulled the large wooden handles, revealing the entrance for them as the tall woman approached. As they passed through the doors their company of soldiers stopped not coming inside. The only person to follow them inside was Roas, who Reinhardt had forgotten was nearby. She didn’t look very happy to have been ignored once their new entourage arrived. Slowing to be besides his only real acquaintance in this strange place, he wanted to ask a few questions.

            “Who is she?”

            “That’s Clara KineTros, wife to the councilor of tactics. It would have been he who ordered you brought to the council if she was sent to meet us.”

            “How many councilors are there?” Reinhardt needed a strong background of what was about to happen if he was to understand the situation he was in. He knew how ill-suited he was this kind of endeavor, having been born to nothing more than a sub-lower class family. With no formal education or training in courtly manners he would stand out in the group, especially dressed as he was.

            “There are ten councilors with one overseer. Only the overseer and three councilors are here at the moment, the rest have stayed with the army.” The phrase ‘with the army’ gave Reinhardt pause.

            “What do you mean by ‘the army’?”

            “This is only a forward division of the army. I am not privileged to know our actual strength in terms of soldiers, but I would estimate that this is only one tenth of our forces, maybe less.” There was a lot going on that Reinhardt didn’t understand. How could a rebel army stand up more than one hundred thousand soldiers? He was in over his head.

            The building was designed for simplicity and ease of movement. One main hallway ran from the front door to a rear exit. A staircase near the entrance gave users access to the upper floors though they didn’t use them. Halfway down the hallway a set of doors stood alone, guarded by a pair of soldiers. These two soldiers didn’t wear the traditional Ental uniforms he had seen outside, but instead wore long brown coats that touched the tops of their boots. Each of the soldiers had two spears black gloves standing in direct contrast to the white spear shaft. In unison the two men moved aside and let Clara pass, they didn’t even show signs of noticing the two guests.

            As the doors parted Clara entered walked into a large beautifully decorated room. People already sat at one large table, centered evenly off all of the walls. Twelve chairs surrounded the dark wooden table, with an equal number of chairs set directly behind them.  Already seated at what Reinhardt believed were their respective seats were four men, all of whom were currently staring at him.

            Clara moved around the table and took a seat behind the more attractive of the men at the table. Reinhardt made the assumption that this was the councilor of tactics, her husband. The man at the head of the table stood and made his way towards Reinhardt. Compared to the others he was a very tall man, though he still had to look up slightly to meet Reinhardt’s eyes.

            “It’s good to finally meet you Reinhardt. My name is Klaas Winern, Overseer of the Council, and we have been keeping an eye on you since we heard about Briccio and your incident with the Four Winds.” Reinhardt noticed Roas turn at the mention of those four elementalists. Reinhardt didn’t know much about this war or how they played a part in it but he did know they were trouble.

            “I’m impressed that you have heard of me. That only happened a few days ago, and in the middle of the mountains.”

            “You had a one on four fight against the Four Winds, survived, and expected someone to not find out?” These four must have been more dangerous than he thought.

            “I wouldn’t really classify that as a fight, it was more of a testing of each other’s skills.” He didn’t feel that he was exaggerating the details of the fight. Only a few exchanges had taken place between them, though neither side had fully devoted to the encounter. There was no way of knowing if he would be able to hold off all four of them in a real fight.

            “Whispers of the event are already reaching the Master of the Winds. It may not have risen to the top of his priorities list yet, but he knows about you Reinhardt.” Klaas turned his attention to Roas before he continued. There was something in his eyes that Reinhardt couldn’t place but after a moment it slipped away. “Lieutenant, you have brought me the man I was searching for. You will have free pick of any duty in the camp and receive a promotion for your service. Please report to your leadership for a new assignment, Captain.” That same look ran through Roas’ eyes before she nodded and turned to leave.

            “Overseer Winern I would like to make a request of you.” Breaking their stare down brought a strange look from Klaas and Roas. Reinhardt didn’t know what was going on between these two but taking a chance to throw himself in the middle seemed like a smart way to handle this situation.

            “How can I help you?”

            “Captain Roas has been with me since my arrival in the camps, and has given me invaluable assistance in the form of knowledge. I would like her to stay with me while I am here as a guide, if that would be okay.” He couldn’t tell if the Overseer was angry or amused. His face was blank as he considered the options. In a split second decision he decided to add more to his case. “Also I hate having to repeat myself, and if I tell you the entire story now I will not have to repeat it to her later when she comes to bother me.”

            “Of course that would be okay, I hadn’t assumed Captain Volkert would want a job that required her to stay in out of the field. If this is what you wish than I accept.” As he turned to take his seat at the head of the table Roas took a seat behind the tables opposite head. While she didn’t the same grace Clara displayed when taking her seat, she did have a slight ease to it. Deciding on a seat to take Reinhardt moved to take a seat near one of the other councilors but Roas stood and took his arm, pulling him to the seat in front of her own.

            “Are you joking, there are seven seats closer to them than this one?”

            “That doesn’t matter here. Every person has their own seat and this one is for guests of the council and overseer.” Reinhardt was happy he had asked her to stay behind and advise for him. The way these people handled every aspect of their lives seemed ridiculous to him.

            “That doesn’t make any sense, am I supposed to yell across the room every time I need to speak?” Roas grinned at the comment but he knew there was a strong point to his argument. The table was nearly fifty feet long, and the room itself was twice as long and wide.

            “If there are any messages that must be relayed to the other members that they cannot hear from where you are sitting I will relay them to their servicers.” She made a motion to Clara and her husband who were speaking with each other at the table.

            “What are they discussing?”

            “It’s very unlikely that they will have discussed everything about you and the conversation you just had with Klaas so the servicers will be filling them in on the situation and any information that might be relevant to this discussion. I will do the same for you as your guide and advisor.” Reinhardt nodded and turned back to the group. From where he sat he could see Clara and her husband to the left of Klaas. He still didn’t know who the other two people at the table were.

            “Who are the two I have not met?”

            “That would be Violet Boren and Ake Brun, they are from Rornin. Violet is the only female councilor and Ake was nothing more than a blacksmith who services these meetings. It’s not known if there is any larger connection between them but there are rumors.” With a quick motion towards the only group sitting on Klaas’ right she introduced them. “That is Alder Bracken and Anders Edzard. Unlike the others these two are dangerous. Alder is one of Ental’s most renowned elementalists and has won his fair share of victories on the battle field. Second would be Anders, who is not any less known than his councilor. He is very a powerful shifter and without a doubt just as dangerous with his mind as with the weapons he carries.”  Finally finished with her introduction she nodded to the Overseer and waited for the council to begin. It was no surprise to Reinhardt that Klaas began.

            “This is a very special occasion! Recently there have been many sad and horrible events falling on our cause. To make matters worse we lost one of our own, councilor Donovan. With this loss we are losing momentum with the Duzee and Icilee people. Luckily we have someone here who was with Councilor Donovan prior to his death, and will fill us in on the details leading to his leaving us.” Lifting a hand in Reinhardt’s direction he sat and waited for the Icilean to begin.

            The story wouldn’t take Reinhardt long to relay. Most of its events began when he had entered Duzee so there would be no need to discuss the murder of his family. Reinhardt relayed the events that led up to Briccio's death, including the battle with the Sherwyn Zephyrus, the west wind. After he had finished his story they all sat quietly for a moment. It was Violet who spoke first, in a soft hushed voice. Her smaller build was interestingly similar to Ake who sat behind her. Reinhardt played with the idea that they might be relatives.

            “Briccio never had any real gift with his shifting. I always told him to pick something better suited for his style but he loved that stave. He was irreplaceable, as a leader and as a friend.” Violet had no further words to give the group.

            “We will need to find another councilor to replace him, but I don't know of anyone who can fill the position as well as he could.” Alder didn’t sound shaken or disturbed by the story, he assumed that Alder was more rational than an emotional man. Reinhardt hadn't known much about Briccio but he was apparently a very important man.

            “I told Briccio before he died that I would assist you in fighting the Duzee master and force someone into power who will fight to end this war. That was my promise to a dying man, who gave his life to save mine.” 

            “Reinhardt, will you take Briccio's place on the council?” Klaas really didn’t waste any time getting to his point. Reinhardt almost fell over in his chair, not having expected the question. Roas also looked shocked by the by the turn of events.

            “We only just met him! You can't just ask him to lead with us! Nobody here knows anything about him!” Alder yelled from his seat.  

            “Andres, please.” Klaas said softly, ending the argument.

            “He's right, I have no place leading your men. I am here to assist any way I can to overthrow Duzee, but after that I will part from this rebellion. You must find someone who will be with you for until you reach your goals.” Silence settled into the room but nobody seemed overly angry. If Roas hadn’t been in the room everything could have gone wrong very quickly. He would have to speak with her more about the groups goals and desires to fully understand what they were trying to accomplish.

            “I accept your decision. As an honored guest here in the camps you will be given anything you need, just ask.” Klaas seemed to be a genuinely kind man, but Reinhardt still couldn’t get over the moment between him and Roas earlier. That is another question he would have to get an answer to.

            “Thank you, I just need to know when I will be needed back? There is something I need to do I continue.”

            “In one month we will be holding another council. All ten councilors will meet and discuss plans for our strike at Duzee and their master.” Klaas handed Reinhardt a map and pointed to a spot on it. 

            “I will meet with you all there.”

Into the Vortex

            Reinhardt struggled to push his way through a small animal trail hidden within the forest. Moments such as these made Reinhardt dislike his size, small spaces didn't like him. As he traveled further east towards the coastline the elevation declined. Increased temperature and humidity prevented the snow from collecting this low on the mountain, but kept the vegetation thick. In his past life as a farmer Reinhardt never traveled this far east. All of the markets he stopped at were along the border between Duzee and Icilee, he never needed to cross into the wind nation.

            Almost a week had passed since he'd left Klaas' camp. During his travel there were no signs of cities, towns, or even people. The southeastern coast of Duzee was nearly uninhabited due to the lack of usable shoreline. Cliffs hundreds of feet high covered most of the coast and prevented harbors from being built. Only one city had been successfully constructed into the cliffs and that was the port city of Elgin.

            More beautiful than any city on the lesser expanse, the Elgin port was taken over by Wanve early in the war. Due to the water systems on top of the cliffs and the numerous waterfalls nearby the water elementalists never lost ground after taking the city. Hundreds of battles were waged upon the plains but only after tens of thousands of men died did the wind master turn his attentions away from the port and west, towards Icilee.

            Reinhardt was beginning to have problems staying still. Every step Reinhardt took felt harder than the last. His entire body was shacking with anxiety and he had no idea why. His end goal was all he could think about now, an obsession that plagued him. No longer bothering to eat or sleep he just forced himself to walk.

            As time passed so did the sun and the moon, endlessly dancing in the sky. Reinhardt could feel his feet bleeding now, but he didn't care. If he stopped moving, as he had countless weeks ago, the simple anxiety became painful until he started in the correct direction again. Luckily for him there were many roads running in the direction he was traveling.

            Pushing his way through a thick patch of branches Reinhardt realized that the trees had ended, finally. With most of the planet uninhabited by humans there was very few places that had been cleared of trees. His encounter with a creature as rare as a dragon was dumb luck, since only a few hundred dragons lived at any time. From what he had gathered in conversations there were a few billion humans on the planet, but they gathered in major cities where the masters could protect them better. With untold numbers of strange creatures living in the darkest reaches of the planet it was impossible to know what you would run into if you took the wrong turn.

After searching the horizon carefully he didn't see anything that made the place stand out. The beautiful green grass was an impressive change from the dead brown leaves that had layered themselves to the forest floor. Walking had been a challenge, the wet leaves left his feet moist and over time it made them bleed.

            Wind started his cloak dancing playfully and for the first time in a while he felt calm. Finally able to think clearly he realized that the strange pushing anxiety had completely left him. He had never felt so good before, and that worried him.

Walking further away from the trees Reinhardt began to see that the acres of grass began to disappear in the distance. Water became visible and Reinhardt began to see that the drop off was actually a cliff, and what he thought was only a slight decline was, in fact, a much larger drop.

            "So this is an ocean." The beautiful scenery was impressive. He had never seen anything in Icilee this magnificent. Miles of water stretched from the coastline out into nothingness. As a child he'd heard stories of the ocean and many of the creatures it held. Most of the creatures were nothing more than fish, but merchants and other farmers spoke of great daemons lurked within the depths. The one that scared him the most as a child was of a dragon that hunted near the island groups that made up Wanve. It was said to strike ships when they became caught in the waves nearby an island. He thought what scared him was the randomness of it all. With thousands of islands creating the Wanve bridge, the only way to travel from the greater to the lesser expanse.

            It would take someone almost two months to travel across the whole mass without flying, and at any time this creature could take your boat down into the blackness within moments, never to be seen again. Threats to the species is what lead to the creation of the elementalists thousands of years ago. The need to compete with giant sea monsters, shadow hounds and worst of all dragons, created a dire need for a more powerful race.

            In the back of his mind images of the deep waters had been driving him for months. The sound, the feel, and the life of this place had been drawing him closer. Moving to the edge of the cliff Reinhardt looked over at the vast ocean below. A sense of unease washed over him when he where the distant roar was coming from. Light seemed to vanish into the center of a vortex, the turning and raging waters sucking the light itself away from the sky above. He didn't know why but that's where he needed to go.

            The roar of the water vibrated deep within his chest. Something strange caught his attention. Reinhardt used his mind to reach towards the vortex, he could feel an almost lifelike presence lurking there. Though it was different than he was used too he could sense something controlling the waters making them turn and spin wildly. Trying harder to take control of the waters he was pushed away easily. Whatever was moving the vortex was no mere elementalist.

            Scanning the horizon Reinhardt couldn't see anything capable of helping him reach the center of the vortex. Deciding to throw caution to the wind Reinhardt leaped from the cliff and into the sky. If whatever was drawing him here wanted him they wouldn't let him die or at least he hoped.

            As he fell through the air towards the water below him he wondered if this had been the best course of action considering he couldn't swim. Mentally shrugging he chuckled as he hit the waters and was swept up within their currents.

Silence of the Void

    Waking in a daze, Reinhardt tried opening his eyes. Still fuzzy from almost drowning he had to fight to see much of anything, instead he relied on his sense of touch. The dirt under his hands left long streaks as he moved to get up. Everything around him was strangely dry, even his clothes didn't have any water on them. Considering how he had come to find himself where he currently was, he was confused. 
         Finally able to see in the dim light he was curious to find out how he managed to get inside of a cave. Turning around to look at where he thought he had come from it wasn't a surprise to see that there was no way out. Not being able to hear the roaring of the water outside left an eerie silence within the small cave. A fuzzy feeling washed over his body when he finally got to his feet.
         Bracing himself with the stone wall Reinhardt moved slowly in the only direction the cave went. It didn't take long before a faint light became clear. The cave stopped and opened into a vast cavern. In the center of the cavern the floor gave way into an abyss. Making his way to the edge required some courage. Reinhardt made sure his balance was correct before leaning forward to look over. All the light from within the cave died away and, similar to the vortex that brought him here, it vanished inches from the surface. Not even a sliver of moment or sound lived within the void.
         The sudden Tap, Tap, Tap from below him made Reinhardt stumble away from the edge in time to miss a blot of lightning that shot past him and into the ceiling. Quickly gaining his balance Reinhardt turned back to the void with his fists up. Realizing the gesture was pointless he lowered his arms and waited.
         From inside the darkness a figure rose. Having no distinct shape, it looked like black water rising before him. The faint flicker of the torches in the room reflected off the surface of the mass, but he couldn't see his own reflection.
         Reinhardt realized that it wasn't liquid at all but actually a strange type of fabric. Points started to spread from the ball and slowly flowed towards six pedestals lining the top of the room. Moving like water the cloth rippled over the rock and stone of the ceiling. The already dark room looked like it was being swallowed.
         When the black flow had reached it's resting spot, the cloth began to clump together, growing, and shaping itself. Almost as if he had been watching water flow the cloth had taken on the forms of humans, enveloped in heavy, dark robes. Each form looked identical and not a single face could be seen under their hoods. The strange mass in the center of the room was now clinging to the ceiling, and Reinhardt was strangely reminded of a droplet of water. woven together into a single form Reinhardt was hands down the most creepy thing he had ever been in his life.
         Not being able to see their faces didn't hide the feeling of him being watched. Reinhardt knew he was the center of attention in this room. The silence was stressful and it felt as if it wasn't going to end. No longer moving, the six figures just watched patiently for something to happen.
         One of the creatures started tapping a cane on the pedestal in front of him. The same Tap, tap, tap, rang through the cavern as before, but this time a wall of water shot from the darkness, arching through the air until it was cascading towards him. Completely off guard by the speed of the attack he reached out with his mind and grabbed the water, forcing it to part in the middle, and forced it to pass by.
         Reinhardt's second hand shot back above his head and caught a ball of fire roared that had suddenly sprung to life from somewhere in the darkness. Another succession of tapping brought his attention to the void. Searching for the feeling of water, Reinhardt almost missed the subtle movement of the earth underneath his feet.
         Dodging to the side, the head of a spike flew towards him. With a snap of his shoulder, the Dragon's tail sprang to life, cracking the rock spike into pieces. Focusing on everything around him he felt the air stir awkwardly. Grabbing hold of the strong metal cable, he kept it from retracting back into his armor. Using his momentum Reinhardt forced the tip of the dragons tail to spin freely through the air around him. As the strong blade of wind flew towards him he kept the attack from fully condensing and cut it to pieces with the spinning tip of his Dragon's tail.
         Before he had time to recover another attack came, and then another. Matching each attack as it came Reinhardt was barely managing to keep himself out of the path of the endless attacks. These dark figures were throwing every element at him. From fire, to water, all six were being used now. Breathing hard now he missed a block and was thrown to the floor by a sharp, thin piece of rock.
         Following through with the fall, Reinhardt used his uninjured arm to vault himself back to his feet. A large ball of fire erupted from above him and another blade of wind gathered and came at full speed. Getting ready to defend himself Reinhardt turned and tried to release his only weapon again. When it didn't extend he realized that the thin piece of rock had hit him it had damaged the mechanism that made the weapon function. Now that it was useless he had no defense.
         A chill went up his back as he watched both attacks fade from sight. Through the darkness the forms of the cloaked men appeared again, their eyes never having left him.
         "You have potential elementalist." A strange voice filled the room. Reinhardt couldn't tell who was speaking because the voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. All six of the figures watched him, calculating.
         "What are you?" Reinhardt asked trying to figure out what was going on.
         "We are the one who created this world, the ones who created the dragons and banished the forgotten one."
         "Probably isn't forgotten if you know about him." Remembering that his wife always hated how fast he was at being sarcastic he figured he probably should stop speaking.
         "The War of Greed has spread throughout the lands, and has infected the whole of your race. It has made you weak and wild."
         "War makes people stronger, they've learned and grown into a capable race." He didn't know why he was defending what they were doing. This was the same war that took the life of so many innocents, Briccio, and his own family.
         "As an individual you may become strong, yes, but your race has been torn to pieces. You have been made weak and that will lead to your demise." The mass in the center of the room began to shift and move. From the middle he could see it begin to unravel and open. An object began to lower from within it. Oddly it looked like a flower unfolding, even if it was a dark, non-reflecting flower. Straining his eyes to see what was emerging he finally managed to make out an object.
         As it dropped further down he noticed that the light didn't glint off the blade like normal steel. The entire sword was black, and when it had finally emerged, he could see how large it actually was. The blade was at least five feet long, with the other foot of the swords total length being its handle. At almost an inch wide the black face of the weapon was covered in an intricate pattern flowing just beneath the surface.
         The cloth flowed towards Reinhardt and he reached his hand out to take the handle of the sword. He was surprised at how light the weapon was in comparison to its size.
         "Even though your creation was unforeseen the results are..promising. You have begun to master the traits of your power much faster than your predecessors."
         "How many of us have there been?" Reinhardt was beginning to get interested in what was going on.
         "The number is less relevant than the reason."
         "What's the reason you created me?"
         "You misunderstand. We did not create you like the others. You were not planned like they were. The events that led up too your acquiring your gifts were random and uncultivated, making you the first to reach this state alone."
         "You keep speaking about creating this, and the state I'm in. So answer this for me..what happened to me?" Reinhardt could finally get an answer to what had happened to him back in the woods of Wanve. Not knowing if it was an answer he actually wanted he just waited.
         "When you stole your own death before it could take you, and in doing so transcended death and took it for yourself. You are death. Simply. Elegantly."
         Refusing to believe that a simple farmer could in fact become what these creatures were saying Reinhardt laughed. "Do you honestly believe that a person can become death?"
         "You are inherently different than any other person now. Your physical prowess will continue to grow, as you have seen, until your body can no longer maintain the stress it will put on you. Death will then find you, and you will be reunited with the ones you lost." Taking a few moments to think about what was being said he realized that parts made sense. Before his family died he had never been able to use the Dragon's Tail as effectively as he now could. His frequent encounters with hostile enemies also proved that he could fight far better than ever before.
         "I will admit that I am stronger than before, but I cannot accept the entirety of these facts."
         "You cannot fight what you are, nor will you. Death must pass on, and when you have reached the limits of your body, you will die again." The figures started to flow in the opposite direction. Slowly disappearing back into the ball of cloth, Reinhardt could only watch.
         "My limits?"
         "When your power emerges you will know. At that moment you will be strong enough to fullfill what you were created for."
         "You said I wasn't created?! Now you say it was for a reason?" Reinhardt was beginning to become irritated with the twisted logic.
         "Just because we did not create you does not mean you weren't created for a purpose." Almost completely gone, sucked back into the black ball, their voices still echoed from everywhere at once.
         "What is it that you want me too do exactly?" Reinhardt asked, still not sure what was going on.
         "End the war of greed."
         "How do you figure I manage that alone?"
         "Help destroy the ones who began the war."
         "You mean that I need to kill Astraeus?" Even though he asked the question he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it. These things were supposed to be smart, and in his head he wanted them to agree with what he already had planned. If they disagreed than Briccio would have been wrong, and he refused to let his plan die.
         "No! You must remain away from the master. They are stronger than you realize. Being near one will hinder your ability to fight." Not understanding how being near somebody could hold him back in a fight, Reinhardt just accepted the fact and continued to listen. "Do what you have to do, but let the others handle the masters."
         Tracing his fingers across the smooth metal blade of his long sword he realized that something about this weapon didn't sit well with him. A presence restid within the dark metal and it wanted to be released. Fighting the desire to hold the sword he used his cloak to tie it down snuggly. Deciding it was best to not use his new weapon, he tried thinking of places that would have the supplies he needed to fix the Dragon's Tail.
         In the distance the cave walls began to open like doors. Throwing the sword over his shoulder he started up the steps, stopping only long enough to let the next step form. His life had taken a seriously strange turn, but it was still his life. A human couldn't become death itself, and he didn't care what a group of strange cloaked men thought about it. All that mattered was that he needed to end this war and to do that he needed an army. Luckily the supplies he needed to fix his weapon were with that army.

War Council

            Reinhardt covered his eyes as the ground parted in front of him. The long walk from the cavern inside the whirlpool took, what seemed to him, some considerable time. Finally back above ground he looked around to get his bearings. Nothing around him was familiar. Wherever the strange events inside the void had taken place, it was nowhere to be seen. 

            Standing within a beautiful field he admired the calmness of it all. It hit him as strange that these nice places kept popping up wherever trouble was about to find him. Praying he was only imagining this realization he began trying to figure out a direction.

            Using the map Klaas had given him to find where he was, Reinhardt caught sight of a mountain range in the distance and used that to give him a general idea of where he was. Turning away from the landmark he kept his right shoulder facing the mountains. Within an hour and having finally made his way out of the empty field a lake became visible in the distance. 

            Finally knowing exactly where he was on the map, Reinhardt plotted south-west and began walking.  Free from the pull of the watchers he was able to do as he wished, and he wanted nothing more than to help usurp Astraeus and finish the work Briccio had begun.

            The long journey to the war council had begun and as the days turned too nights Reinhardt walked, until he had reached the spot he knew they would be gathering. Luckily he had no other distractions, and the trip was safe. From what he could gather it had been almost a week and a half since he had left the fields where he began. If everything stayed on plan the joint army should arrive any day. 

        Deciding to take the time to rest he untied his cloak, which had been thrown around him awkwardly. The strange long sword that had been pinned to his back fell to the ground quietly. Studying it carefully he admired the intricate weave that ran below the surface of the blade. Although it didn’t have a distinct pattern it wasn’t random. Unable to discern the purpose of the pattern he let it be a mystery.

       Taking the opportunity to look at his Dragon’s Tail, released a series of small straps that held it into place. Pulling out a small tool kit that he kept in his belt he began taking it apart, figuring out what he could keep and what needed to be replaced. Using his cloak as a sheet Reinhardt slowly dissembled the weapon.

       After a few minutes he had managed to disassemble the frame of the tool. The hard metal covers of his vambrace and the pauldron doubled as parts of the Dragon’s Tail, as well as armor. Setting them to the side he examined the inner-pieces. Quickly making sure the vambrace hadn’t been damaged he moved on. The hard piece of rock that had damaged the device hit his upper arm and wouldn’t have done anything to the lower half of the device.

       Still taking a moment to look it over he paid special attention to the hard piece of leather that he used to activate the reverse on his weapon. If this was damaged he wouldn’t be able to make the Dragon’s Tail retract at all, and it would be useless after one throw. Moving onto the next piece he placed the vambrace aside. Tracing his hand along the leather tubing that kept the wire from slicing his arm off, he made sure it had no tears or weaknesses in it.

       Grimacing at the damage Reinhardt looked the upper half of his weapon over. A few small gears, carefully placed inside the pouldron, acted as the retrieval mechanism. When he pulled on the hard leather strap, always attached to his hand, it would cause this to retract, and pull the wire back to him. 

       He wondered how much they actually had known about this weapon since the only spot they had damaged was here, and that was the only place that really mattered. This also made it very hard to repair since these parts were custom built and would be hard to make. Luckily for him, he knew a weapon smith that might be able to help him, and even make a few upgrades to the design.

            Reassembling the device was just as delicate as a process, and he took his time doing so. Having finished looking it over he laid backed in the grass and watched the sky. Soon he was going to be thrown into a conflict that he had known nothing about until recently. A war that, for the most part, was alien to him. All of the pieces tumbling along frantically, trying to gain some kind of control over their own lives. Wind fighting the Rock, Lightning fighting the Ice, Water fighting the Fire. Nobody could just live their lives, nobody could be happy. 

            Sitting in the field, looking at the sky he thought about his family, and everything that had been taken from him. So gruesome a scene spiraling through his mind on so perfect a day.Sitting in the field, looking at the sky he thought about his family, and everything that had been taken from him. So gruesome a scene spiraling through his mind on so perfect a day. How strange the world looked through the eyes of death. 

            Footsteps behind him brought him out of his daydream. Tilting his head back he saw Roas making her way towards him. Surprised, he rose and greeted her.

            “I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days. Where is everybody else?”

            “You haven’t learned anything have you? We’ve been here for almost a week now.” Waiving Reinhardt to follow, Roas turned and led him to a small patch of uncovered earth in the field. Waiting silently the ground began to fall out, and a tunnel was exposed. Following her in the descended into another large city-like cavern, only this time thousands of people worked and shuffled about.

            “This is the entire army?” As much as he had seen in the past few months, this many people in one place still amazed him. As a farmer he had only seen about two hundred people in one place at any given moment. His goods and fruits never went to large cities so he never felt the need to visit one.

         “No, this is about a third of our force. The rest will be arriving in a few days. Our  primary responsibility right now is to establish a base and prepare the army for battle. When the other section arrive we will be able to bring the council together and establish our plans for the attack. Until that time feel free to move  about the camp as you'd like and get any supplies you might need.” 

            Catching sight of Klaas walking with Andres. When he caught sight of Ake close to the others he said goodbye to Roas and caught up with the others. Having been in a serious debate before he arrived, Andres refused to greet him and stomped away. Waving the whole incident off Klaas greeted Reinhardt kindly.

            “It's good to see you again brother. I see you have a new toy there!” Grabbing the handle of the strange black long sword, Klass took it off Reinhardt's back. Unexpectedly the enormous man looked strained. Unable to hold the weapon up it slammed to the ground like it weighed as much as a house. Caught entirely off guard he began to laugh. Ake laughed as well and the strain from whatever argument they had all been in seemed to fade away.

            “Well I don't know how you expect to fight with something like that Reinhardt but you could probably crush a person if you threw it at them! Where did you get that thing? I've never seen a sword like that before.” Kneeling down to try his luck at picking it up, Ake struggled to lift the sword and finally managed to pick it up. With his knees about to buckle Reinhardt knew the man was barely keeping it in the air.

            “That's what I went to retrieve near the coast. Is there a way you can make a sheath for that? I can't keep using me cloak to tie it to me.” Struggling to nod, he half handed, half dropped the blade into Reinhardt's hand. Taking the handle he put the blade back over his shoulder without effort, only seeming to weigh a few pounds. 

            “You are a lot stronger than you look if that thing isn't even heavy to you. I'm glad you're on our side!” Storming back into sight from around a corner Andres made his way towards the joking group.

            “The bitch is here.” With only that statement he turned and left.

            “He seems happy. Who is he talking about?” Reinhardt was beginning to like Andres less and less. 

            “Probably the Water Master. He's not fond of her.”

            “Water Master?! We have masters fighting for us?” Reinhardt had gone from being a peasant, to fighting a dragon, to meeting one of the six strongest people in the world. His realized that his life was never going to be simple again.

            “We need masters. How do you expect for us to kill Astraeus and Joer?” This wasn't going to be as simple of a fight a he had originally thought. If what he was hearing was right then at least three of the masters were going to be fighting in the same place at once.

            “Astraeus and Joer? You mean Wind and Ice? Why would they be together?” Reinhardt really felt out of place when he asked the question. Not only had he not know that more than one of them would be here, he had no idea what type of politics were actually involved.

            “I will be explaining everything during the council Reinhardt. For now get your equipment ready and meet me in the council chambers. Ake knows where they are so he will be your guide for now.” Clasping his shoulder in his hand, the big man smiled and walked away.

            “Ake, I have one more request of you. In the process of getting this sword my  Dragon's Tail was damaged. Can you smith me replacement pieces, and fix my pauldron?”

            “Yes, I'll have to take a look at that contraption of yours, but the pauldron should be easy.”

            “Thank you, I don't have any money but I'd be willing to work the debt off.” Staring at him puzzled the smith shook his head, almost violently.

            “You are, at this moment, one of the most important people in this camp. Along with the council and the Masters, everybody has been instructed to give you anything you need for no charge.”

            “That is more than I can accept! There has to be something I can do to help out around here to pay for the goods I'm using.”

            “If you can do what Briccio thinks you can do, and handle all four winds, than we couldn't give  you enough to pay for your help. That's been enough small talk, follow me Reinhardt. If you're going to be in the presence of Masters you're going to need to look like you're supposed to be there.”

            “Wait, did you just say Masters?” Ake didn't answer, he just started walking towards his shop.

 

 

<font;center>*****</font>

 

 

            The doors to the council chambers slid open and Ake walked in. Almost everyone in the room were already seated. Reinhardt's new cloak snapped loudly as he entered the large auditorium. Silence fell over the room and everyone stared at him. Heavy boots thudded loudly against the stone floors as he made his way to where Ake whispered for him to sit. 

            Every pair of eyes was watching him move towards the front of the room. He hadn't been taught much about etiquette and the way these events were handled but from what he could see the more important you were the closer to the front you sat. Spotting two chairs in the  front of the room he knew that was for the two masters who had arrived that day. Ake had explained the Water and Lightning masters had joined Klaas and his army. Having brought a few thousand men each to aid in the fight, their chances of winning increased slightly.

            Reaching his chair Reinhardt saw that he was sitting next to Klaas' who was sitting in a line of chairs that included the two masters and a few other people he had yet to meet. Looking him over from head to feet, the Water Master looked to be somewhere between impressed and skeptical. When he had decided on what to wear he picked something that fit what the watchers had told him he was. Every article of clothing on his body was the darkest black they could get.

            A plainly dressed man appeared and asked for his cloak. Removing the clasp he too his cloak off and handed it to the man. Having forgotten that underneath his cloak he only had a black sleeveless shirt on he felt slightly embarrassed, but refused to show it. The Dragon's Tail, having been fixed, was painted to match the rest of his outfit. Since he couldn't remove it in a timely manner he just left it on. The sheath for his sword had been built into the Dragons Tail so he couldn't remove it either. 

            Everyone was still watching him when he drew his long sword and jabbed it into the ground next to his seat. Expecting more resistance than he received, the blade slid effortlessly into the ground. Much sharper than it looked, the blade slid into the ground without effort. Not being able to shake how foolish he had to have looked at that moment he sat, the metal on his arm clinking loudly in the silent hall. Klaas had an amused look on his face, but the Rornin lightning master couldn't have been more annoyed by the entrance.

                "Now that everyone has arrived we can begin.” Standing, Klaas moved towards a large slab of granite in the center of the room. Stepping onto the stone pedestal he became the focal point of the room.  “Let me begin by introducing our guests.” 

            Reinhardt hadn’t realized that every person in the room was being introduced. Almost an hour had passed before they finally finished the lesser introductions. By the time Klaas had reached the front of the room Reinhardt had figured out a few ways to improve the design of his Dragons’ Tail.  Gesturing towards the two masters Klaas introduced them both. “With us today I have the honor of introducing our first two great accomplishments! It has been only a few short years since we successfully removed their predecessors and established a foothold towards our final dream!”

            The room burst out in cheering and Klaas waited for the noise to dim to silence again. “Now that Water master Yesenia and Lightning master Conners have joined their armies to our cause we have the chance to add not only one, but two masters too our ranks. If we can gain Ice and Wind to our cause, then the end to the War of Greed will be within our grasp!” Breaking out into another roar, the audience was now on its feet. This time Klaas didn't bother trying to settle them down. Looking over his shoulder he gave Reinhardt a wink before he turned back to the audience.

Control

    A strong hit of sweat filled the air as Reinhardt made his way slowly back to his living quarters. The war council had finally finished and the plan for the attack was set. Though he had done he had done very little in the actual planning of the assault, he had been given a decisive role in how it played through. With the tide of the battle resting on his shoulders it was clear that everybody expected a lot from him in the coming days.
         Turning the corner to the street his temporary house was on, and spotted Roas waiting outside on the street. Before he could finish debating if he could escape into an alley before she spotted him, the small fire elementalist made eye contact and began walking towards him. Sighing in annoyance he accepted his fate and approached her.
         “I’m surprised to see you here Roas. Haven’t we seen enough of each other already today?” Trying to hide his disappointment with having to speak with her, he kept the conversation strictly business. If personality wasn't a factor in his discussion than Reinhardt would probably have been able to tolerate the strong willed woman. Her intolerable need to take part in everything often put her in the path of people who did not want to be crossed.
         “Reinhardt, can I speak to you alone for a bit?" Staring into her dark brown eyes he could see that something was wrong. The typical liveliness that so often cracked the hard composure of nearly every person within the camp, was now subdued for some unknown reason. As much as he didn't want to deal with this at the moment it was imperative for Roas to be ready for the assault that would be underway in a very short time.
         During the council meeting it was established that the frontal assault would be lead by Roas herself, with Reinhardt for support. Their goal was to create as much chaos within the enemy encampment as possible and draw the four winds away from Astraeus, leaving the master vulnerable. If everything went the way it was planned than the others should easily be able to bring the lone master down.
         "If you feel you need to speak Roas, than you should find someone who is a bit better suited for that type of thing. I've never been a very dependable speaker." After a few moments it became clear that she wasn't going to be brushed off and onto someone else so Reinhardt gave in and opened the door to his room. Waving her in he waited for the young fire elementalist to enter before closing the door behind them.
         With only a limited amount of light able to break into their camp it always looked like the sun had already set. Near the far corner of the large room only a single light flickered softly. When the room was constructed Reinhardt had requested additional layers be added to the foundation, which dampened the sound that could enter from the outside activities. The deep silence created the exact atmosphere he needed when he wanted to vanish from the world for a while.
         Roas watched as Reinhardt unclasped his cape, all which was held on by one strap on his right shoulder, and threw is onto one of the many chairs in his room. At his request Ake had created him a way to hold his sword without his hands. The complicated device was attached his Dragon's Tail and sat comfortably on his back. Reaching up to the handle of his sword, he pushed it from his right shoulder to his left, forcing the metal clamp that held the blade still, to open and release.
         "Where did you find that sword? I've never seen anything like it before." From where he was standing he found the closest corner and rested the black sword against it. Even the darkness in the room didn't compare to the strange metal of his new weapon.
         "Did you really come here to speak about this?" Taking the hint better than he thought she would have Roas moved on.
         "I'm worried about this battle. Something about it just doesn't feel right."
         "What are your concerns?" With everything swimming through his mind it was hard to really focus on what she was saying.
         "Something about the plan doesn't add up. We're supposed to lead the initial charge and draw the four winds away from their master while simultaneously dealing as many casualties as we can. It almost seems like they want us dead. Our task is impossible."
         "You have the concept of the battle wrong. You're job is to strike them while they are not expecting and create as many casualties as possible before they are struck by the main force. While still risky you will not concern yourself with the four winds, that's for me to deal with."
         "I'm not leaving you alone to handle that all by yourself. I can help you fight them!"
         "Roas, I appreciate the concern but you must understand that you cannot handle them. My skills make me capable of handling them, otherwise I would die, just like the countless others who have before me."
         "During the council meeting I felt what you did with Klaas' power. It's felt exactly like when you stole my fire. How does that work?"
         Realizing this conversation was going to be very long he sighed and decided that since he didn't sleep much anymore it would be an acceptable way to pass the time. "First, bring the flame from the candle over here." Doing as she was told, the flame started flowing in their direction. It came to a stop between them and he nodded his thanks. "As you know, and elementalist must release energy from their own bodies, mixing it with the environment around themselves."
         "Yes and then they combine it with the element they want and gain control of it."
        "That's actually a bad way to think of it. Have you ever noticed that some people are naturally better at shifting than other?"
         "Of course I have, they have huge reserves of power. Some people are so lucky."
         "If that's all that goes into creating a good elementalist than how do you explain Briccio?" Shock hit her face. Fighting for an answer she searched for anything that could explain the phenomena.
         "Briccio wasn't a gifted elementalist, he was really only good with his stave."
         "You're wrong Roas. Please understand that you're not used to looking at an elementalists power like I am. Briccio didn't use his power to 'control' an element. What he did was aligned his power with the will of what he was controlling and used that to guide the power." Looking at him confused he decided to word it differently. "He didn't move the earth, he made the earth decide it wanted to move."
         "That doesn't make any sense." Laughing at the look of confusion on the young woman's face he changed tactics. Releasing his own power into the fire he felt for her energy. While he was in control her energy was ripped away from the flames until only a small portion was left and, guiding her, Reinhardt fit it perfectly to the flames. "Oh!"
         "Can you feel the difference now?" Releasing his own hold on the flames he watched her struggle to maintain control.
         "It feels like I'm barely holding onto it, I need more power than this to hold it."
         "Relax, you don't need to control the fire, you just need to guide it to work for you. This will save your power, and make you far more dangerous when you've practiced enough." Pushing her away completely he took the fire and played with it in the air for a moment. "There is one more thing I am going to explain to you now that I have been working with. I'm pretty sure that none of your fellow soldiers have experienced this so I need you to keep it between us." Unable to break eye contact with him she watched, unblinking.
         Closing his eyes he searched the flame for the opening he was looking for. When he found it he flooded it with his power and the tiny flame rapidly grew until it was the size of his head. Roas fell backwards in shock, and fear.
"What did you do!?" She screamed over the roar of the flames.
         "I did that with the same amount of power you used to control the tiny candle flame. Do you understand now what I am trying to say to you?" Nodding her head in agreement she slowly lifted herself from the floor. "Roas, take control of the flames, I will guide you." As she reached for the fire, Reinhardt guided her until she was in control of the ball.
         "This feels so strange!" Almost overcome with joy she was standing on the tips of her toes guiding the flames. Watching with a great deal of amusement Reinhardt noticed something strange. At first he thought he was seeing a reflection from the fire but then he realized it wasn't that at all.
         "Roas... your eyes." A frown crossed her lips but she didn't look away from what she was doing.
         "What about my eyes Reinhardt?"
         "They're red." Within a moment her power faltered and disappeared. The fire disappeared and darkness flooded in to take its place.
         "That's impossible...no, that can't be." Her voice sounded horrified, and on the brink of tears.
         "What is it Roas?"
         "I can become a master."

March

     With a collective effort all of the earth elementalists in army reached out and removed the heavy rock roof that had concealed them. Sunlight cascaded down onto the camp as Reinhardt and Roas left his temporary room. Covering her eyes, Roas pushed Reinhardt's shoulder playfully.
         "Thank you for keeping me company last night. I needed to keep my mind occupied before we tore down the camp and moved out."
         "Roas, remember what I taught you. There will not be very much time to practice before we leave and it will be hard to apply these concepts while in battle, but if you can, than you will be unmatched by nearly everyone on the field."
         "I will never forget what you have taught me Reinhardt." Turning to face him she paused for a moment, waiting for him to notice her stare. Ignoring her he placed his sword into it's sheath and locked it in place. Wrapping his cape around his body, he clipped it back into place and started to walk. Matching his pace the younger woman was uncomfortable close to him as they moved through the crowd of people.
         "When we reach Klaas and the others I need to know that you wont tell them about what happened to you last night. We don't know what would happen if they found out that you could become a fire master, and to be completely honest I don't believe I agree with what Klaas is trying to do."
         "I thought you joined us because you wanted to help our cause?" Roas took hold of his arm and wouldn't let go, forcing Reinhardt to face her. Having never been this straight forward before he knew he didn't have a choice but to answer her question.
         "What I told the council wasn't true. I don't agree with what you are trying to do. My only goal is to crush the four winds for what they did to Briccio." Without letting go she moved closer to him. Their height difference was drastic and Roas was almost looking straight up at Reinhardt.
         "You're lying, that isn't what you want. What are you actually after?"
         "In the end, my only desire is to end the War of Greed, and to do that I will remove those responsible for it from power." Looking away from her stare Reinhardt could see Klaas approaching. "Understand that one day this may place us onto separate sides of the battlefield."
         "I will never fight against you. That is a promise." Within her eyes he could see the truth in what she said. Wiping away a tear she turned towards Klaas and gave a cheerful wave, one that was absent of any worries, pain, or sadness. Reinhardt hadn't given her enough credit, she was more skilled than he had thought.
         "Good morning! I hope you all slept well because today will be one of the most important days of your life. The camp has already begun to move and the men you will be leading have saddled their horses and gathered to await your orders."
         "Where are our horses? I wish to leave immediately if we are to reach the ambush point before Astraeus arrives."
         Pointing towards a large mass of soldiers gathering nearby Reinhardt left them standing alone and worked his way through the crowd. Happily waving goodby, Roas followed after him. Each of the larger man's steps took three of hers to cover. Eventually she had to resign to running to catch him.
         "You left in a hurry Reinhardt. Is everything okay?"
         "It's time you start getting your mind ready for this war. Remember what I told you last night Roas, I am not here to fight this battle for you all. During the initial assault I will keep them from breaking our advance with their elementalists and do what I can to increase our own power." Having finally reached the mass of soldiers he looked them over. Most of the men looked no more than farmers compared to the seasoned knights serving Klaas. Reinhardt understood what a diversion was, but didn't appreciate the slaughter they were likely to meet at the hands of Astraeus.
         Searching the crowd carefully he spotted what he was looking for. Moving through the men with force he broke through them all until he stood before a large black warhorse. Reinhardt placed his hand on the animals neck and felt his breathing. It had been a long time since he had ridden a horse, but he was happy to do it once again.
         A strong hand grabbed hold of his cloak and turned him suddenly. The size of the man now standing in front of him surprised him. It was rare for men to reach Reinhardt's size, but to be larger was even more rare.
         "Why are you touching my horse?!" Beer soaked the man's beard and breath. Men like this lived lives of drunk fun and crimes similar to the ones that took his family. If not for their looming death he would have made sure they sobered up before the assault. Deciding it wasn't worth the effort he went for a more direct approach. A loud crack echoed through the area as three of the man's teeth fell to the ground. People all around watched Reinhardt carefully to see what was going to happen next, more curious about what had led to altercation.
         Silence fell over his men as Reinhardt mounted the saddle on his new horse. Without having spoken a single word everyone knew he was in charge, and that he was the man elementalists had begun to fear. Having never laid eyes upon him before the carefully crafted image he had wanted to depict did exactly as intended.
         "Today your lives mean nothing. Follow me now and I can guarantee that your deeds will be spoken of for centuries to come." Turning away he nudged his mount into a gentle walk and didn't turn back. Roas followed closely behind on her simple brown mare without speaking a word. Within minutes the entire camp was following behind a man who had turned away from his life as a simple farmer, and taken up his place as a Death Elementalist.

Into the Frey

      Pulling back on the reigns of his horse, Reinhardt came to a stop at the top of a steep hill. Roas brought her horse to a stop beside him and the rest of their force arrived behind them. With a mixture of almost four hundred thieves, thugs, and other criminals, he was surprised they had managed to arrive at the ambush site at all.
         "Are you ready for this?" Reinhardt ignored the question, deciding to go through the motion of checking the Dragon Tails for anything that might make it malfunction. Content with it's condition Reinhardt turned his attention back to the task at hand. Watching the gates to the Duzee city begin to open he moved his horse closer to the edge of the cliff, getting a better view.
         "What do you know of this place Roas?" Since they had some time before the entire force was out in the open he decided that it would be a good idea to learn about the area. A strong wind rolled over the cliff face, forcing his cloak to wave playfully. A view like the one he had only came about once in a lifetime. The sheer size of the city would put most to shame. Hundreds of miles of stone wall protected the city, and master Astraeus, from any threat.
         "This is Nivged, the capital city to the Duzee empire. Actually it would be more accurate to say that it's one of their only cities. Up in these mountains it's difficult to find the space to build anything larger than a town. The opening you see here sits at the intersection of five mountain ranges, making it secluded and very naturally defended. Without our earth elementalist we would never have been able to move a sizable force through the passes to get here."
         "How many people live in there?"
         "I'd say well over two million, and to make matters worse it's typically one in every twenty people who can shift wind."
         "So it's possible that nearly one hundred thousand people in that city are wind elementalists? Those aren't good odds."
         "Luckily for us most of that number aren't very skilled, but the ones who are serve Astraeus. So it's possible that over ten thousand could meet us on the battle field. I don't believe he would pull all of his warriors from the city, that's why he has the four winds, but you can't underestimate the man."
         "Thanks for the information Roas. It's almost time to move into position. We need to focus on the mission now." Giving a quick signal to the nearby earth elementalists they began dragging the earth around Reinhardt downwards. Taking control of their powers, Reinhardt opened the hole wider and leveled it out, creating the opening to a cave. Starting his horse down the steep hill the party fell into line and entered the tunnel.
         Silence fell over the detachment. Stress flooded the empty tunnel, surrounding them with unease. Forcing the slope to level off Reinhardt started picking up speed. Spurring his mount into a full gallop he gripped the reins tightly and leaned forward, balancing himself perfectly on the strong animal. Catching sight of Roas pushing her mount into a gallop Reinhardt turned forward again.
         Pushing his strength outwards and forward the cave wall exploded, having reached the edge of the cliff face. The echo on the towering walls reminded him of thunder, but it was hundreds of galloping horses breaking into the canyon. With only half a mile of space between the charging rebels and the surprised and scrambling Duzee army, they had a slight advantage.
         Already waves of wind attacks were tearing towards them. Only bothering to deflect the ones with enough power to hurt the riders, Reinhardt found it easy to protect his men. In what seemed like moments they had cleared half the distance between the canyon wall and the now advancing army. More powerful gale's had begun approaching and required more concentration to redirect.
         Lights began to flash to life from within the formation of men. Small balls of fire burned into the air along with even more gale's of wind. Gathering the fire into larger groups Reinhardt began passing them to Roas, allowing her to take control of them. Without missing a beat the younger elementalist began returning the fire to their owners. As the front line rushed towards the advancing charge hundreds began falling to the heat of their own attacks.
         Within striking distance of the main defense Reinhardt grabbed the strongest attacks he could find. Turning them back on their casters as he dulled them down, making them non-lethal. Rows of men flew through the air, and out of his way. Without slowing down they raced into the mass of men, continuing to push the men out of his way with their own attacks.
         Screams filled the air as the two groups collided behind Reinhardt's still advancing horse. Finally out of his defensive range, hell poured down onto the men who were now open to attack. Continuing his advance relentlessly, Roas stayed close behind, burning soldiers to ashes with stolen fire. Watching her fight from the corner of his eye it was clear that she could become a master. Having learned most of what he himself had taught her only days before, the beautiful woman fought with a ferocity he had never encountered before.
         Slipping in past his defense, a large slab of ground displaced beneath his horse and threw Reinhardt from the animal. The ground came rushing up at him, cracking a rib as he impacted. Rolling to a stop he quickly forced himself back to his feet. Searching for horse he could see it on the ground some distance away. It didn't take more than a glance to see that the fall had killed the animal.
         Collecting a passing gale Reinhardt pushed the wall of enclosing soldiers back, giving himself some room. In the distance fire was tearing through large groups of men. Swords and spears cracked and splintered like lightning in the night sky. Cries of pain and victory rang through his ears. There was no way to tell who was winning, but with the sheer size of this army he had a fairly good idea who would come out victorious.
         Gaining some courage a few soldiers lowered their spears and advanced on Reinhardt. The first to approach lost his eyes to to the Dragon Tail's blade. Still advancing on where he stood the next few soldier's didn't have time to react before wind threw them into some nearby onlookers. Wrapping the wire of his weapon around another man's legs, Reinhardt pulled him off balance and tripped up a few more running men.
         Finally feeling what he had been searching for, an unusually strong blade of wind tore through a few of his own men. Grabbing hold of the attack he dulled it and sent it whirling back at an approaching line of attackers. The battle died down as a line of men parted in the distance. Searching with the eyes of ravenous animal, Notus' eyes locked on Reinhardt. Breaking eye contact, Reinhardt could see Zephyrus and Eurus walk into the opening made by their brother. From behind he could feel Boreas approach and at that moment he could feel the eyes of all four men in his soul.
         "I'm glad you managed to find me." The fire of their hatred glowed in the night, but Reinhardt didn't care, his own fury burned inside his heart. "I've been waiting to pay you back for what you did to Briccio."

The Four Winds

    “It's been a while.” Notus eyed Reinhardt suspiciously as they began to circle each other. Zephyrus and his other two brothers watched from where they stood, staying out of the fight. Notus wanted Reinhardt to himself.
         “I have to say that I feel honored. You managed to track me down, even in the midst of a war.” They already seen the Dragon's Tail once so Reinhardt had to be careful when he used it. The weapon excelled when it was used as a surprise, but its effectiveness dropped once the enemy knew about it. Making sure he kept his eyes on the other three winds he tried to find the best avenue for an attack.
         “After our run in out in the Shadow Forrest I have been dreaming of this fight.”
         “I'm sorry to disappoint but you haven't crossed my mind once." Unlatching his cloak and letting it fall to the ground Reinhardt felt his opportunity to strike. From somewhere in the distance Eurus shot an arrow at one of his blind spots, hoping to end the fight quickly. Boreas almost fell over himself trying to rush in and close the distance between them both. Notus was visibly furious with his brothers for interrupting but couldn't do anything about it now.
         As the arrow flew towards his back Reinhardt grabbed the wind that was controlling the arrow and let it slide by him. Turning toward Boreas he released the Dragon's tail, but quickly snapped the cord downwards, forcing the blade to whip up and backwards. Notus' whip caught the cord of the Dragon Tail. Pulling the whip tight the tip of Reinhardt's Dragon Tail to lash backwards wrapping around Notus' whip.
         “You're impressive!” Notus yelled, pulling as hard as he could on the whip. He wasn't trying to disarm him, the man knew that the weapon was attached to his arm, he simply needed him to be unable to move. Boreas leapt over a dead body, knife ready to strike. Watching him approach Reinhardt felt the wind gather around the blade like a sharp cover. Having to make the choice in that second he realized that he hadn’t been ready to do what he knew he needed to do.
         The bandits that had slain his family was one thing, but this man was a soldier, no different than he was, following orders and living day to day. Until now Reinhardt had managed to not kill anybody on the battle field. Though an effective weapon, the Dragon's Tail wasn't the most lethal of weapons. It was actually far better suited for disarming and incapacitating its enemies.
         As he grabbed hold of the blade with his will he saw the fear in Boreas' eyes. He understood in that moment that his own weapon belonged to Reinhardt and as the blade slammed into his shoulder he screamed loudly. Zephyreus tried to catch his brother but was off balance and crashed to the ground. Reinhardt thought the man should be lucky that he didn't want to kill him.
         Almost as if the whole event hadn't happened, Notus released his hold on the Dragon's Tail and moved behind Reinhardt to get a better vantage point. When another arrow came whirling at him from behind he grabbed it and threw it towards Notus. Not expecting to have to watch out for his brothers own attacks he barely missed it.
         "Watch what you're doing Eureas!"
         "I don't know what's going on. The arrows just keep flying past him!" Reinhardt was beggining to understand that Eureas was not the smartest person in the group.
         "Stop shifting! He can steal them from you!" Notus cracked his whip, trying to strike Reinhardt but he was just out of range. From what he could see the group didn't have much practice with their weapons without the use of the wind, so that was a massive advantage for him.
         "Notus, I can't shoot this thing without my power. My aim is awful!" Smiling inwardly he was happy that the man had felt the need too confirm his theory. Sometimes stupidity was a blessing. Notus probably didn't share his belief.
         Pushing closer the strikes became faster and faster, but keeping out of its limited range was easy. As he retracted the Dragon's Tail he felt an arrow shoot by his body. He hadn't felt it coming since there was no shift guiding it, but he wasn't worried since the arrow didn't come dangerously close to striking him.
         Changing tactics, Reinhardt rushed Zephyrus. While runing extracting enough of the metal cable on his arm to wrap around his neck and he lept over him. Not expecting the attack, Zephyrus couldn't defend himself. Using his weight and momentum Reinhardt threw him through the air towards a surprised Eureas. The two brothers tumbled to the ground, awkwardly, entangled in their gear.
         Reinhardt watched in amusement as the two started struggling to get back to their feet. In such a short time he had managed to reduce all four of the famed warriors into a joke. Having crushed their moral it was clear to everyone watching who had won the bout. Blood soaked soldiers fell to their knees in despair, while others cheered for what Reinhardt had been able to accomplish.
Watching Notus' carefully, Reinhardt could see rage burning deep within his eyes. Dropping his whip, the elementalist apprentice turned his head towards the sky. Straining his body past its breaking point a storm grew in the sky overhead. With his senses Reinhardt could feel the power of the attack, and understood what he was trying to do.
          "I will never let you defeat Master Astraeus! Our lives for his!" As Notus collapsed lifelessly to the ground the storm began to fall towards the battle field. Fighting to gain control of the attack it became clear that he couldn't, something was blocking his power. Without the ability to move the attack he was helpless.
Weapons clashed to the ground all around him as men from both sides ran in fear. The mass of wind broke into smaller and smaller pieces, gaining speed and hardening. Failing to steal the power from a nearby earth elementalist, Reinhardt knew something was wrong. Not bothering to run or hide, he waited for the attack to come.
         Dust shot up from the ground as gales of condensed wind struck the ground. Zephyreus brought up a ball of air around him so thick the falling blades were pushed away from him. As the final desperate attempt to kill Reinhardt ceased, Boreas lay dead on the battlefield. Zephyreus dropped to his knees, exhausted from the fight. Eureas lay unconscious nearby, a stone having struck the side of his face.
         Blood dripped down Reinhardt's arm in tiny streams. Roas' arm reached out to help Reinhardt stand up. He hadn't when she had shown up but a friendly face was a pleasant change.
         "Are you okay? I felt that strange storm coming towards you, and when it wasn't turned away I knew something was wrong. I barely had enough time to raise a shield before it reached you." Tearing off one of her sleeves, Roas applied it to the cut on his shoulder.
         "You stopped all of that from hitting me?"
         "Not all of it apparently. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to stop wind with fire." For the first time he smiled at her joke. Blood began dripping onto his cheek in small droplets. Looking Roas he could see that she hadn't escaped the blast as well as he had. Tears lined her clothing as well as burns and lots of blood. Her lack of boots also caught his attention, though in the moment it was more of an amusement.
         "Looks like you had more trouble than I did." Making a gesture towards her feet, she smirked innocently.
         "They didn't match my outfi..." Roas' dark red eyes moved past Reinhardt. As the color drained from her face Reinhardt turned around, looking for what she had seen. In the distance, moving through a line of parting soldiers was a man slowly walking towards them. He looked no different than any other man. Altogether average, but his eyes were silver, and Reinhardt knew who he was. The one person he had wanted to avoid was now standing in front of him. Leader of the Duzee nation, Wind Master, Father of the Winds, Astraeus.

Death From Above

     Calmly and confidently Master Astreaus made his way past what was left of the winds. Looking around he shook his head, obviously disgusted with the actions of Notus. Not only had he managed to kill himself, he had struck down Boreas in his attempt to kill Reinhardt. As his silver eyes locked in on Reinhardt he gave a pleasant smile.
         “So you’re the one who has been giving us issues. Let me introduce myself, I am Master Astraeus, Father of the Winds, and leader of the Duzee Empire.” The man’s kind words and pleasantries did little to hide the rage burning within his eyes. Having already lost a considerable part of his army, and worse, two of his students, Master Astraeus stood moments from erupting.
         In the moments during Notus’ final attempt to kill him something strange had happened. Reinhardt had lost his ability to control the elemental shift's of others. While he was within the void the dark watchers had given him a warning about being within the presence of the masters, that it would hinder his own power.
         When the war council had convened and both Master Yesenia and Conners were present it hadn't stopped him from stealing the powers of a couple kids who had been playing pranks while everyone was concentrating. If he had been able to use it then, than what was different now? Thinking it over, he came to a simple conclusion. Even though they had been present at the council neither of the masters had been using their own powers.
         When an elementalist uses their gift they release their powers into the surrounding area. When this happens they mix energy into the essence of whatever they are trying to control. This bond typically cannot be broken but Reinhardt could slip his own energy into the mix and gain control. Could the power of a master be what was blocking him? The sudden appearance of the wind master and Reinhardt’s powers disappearing couldn't have been a coincidence.
         "Master, this is the one who stopped us from capturing Donovan in the mountains. He lead the attack on our expedition force, and killed Notus and Boreas." The look Astraeus gave Zephyreus froze him in place.
         "I know what happened here. There deaths are their faults, not this peasants!"
         "Yes Master, I'm sorry."
         Turning his attention back to Reinhardt, the man brushed his long hair out of his face. Roas had regained some of her courage and stood joined her partners side.
         "This fight isn't for you girl. Go play with the other pawns and let the strong fight in peace."
         "Astraeus, don't be so mean to the poor girl. It's clear that she has some potential with that fire of hers, so let's see if this aspiring warrior can surpass a master." An unexpected man appeared besides Astraeus. Tall and muscular, he was the exact image of power and discipline expected of any leader. Unlike the elegant demeanor of the Wind Master, he was unattractive and rough. Wearing only common black trousers, the man was soaked in blood. The scars covering his body were visible on every limb. While some were old, many were fresh and still bleeding.
         "What are you doing here Birver? I thought I told you to hold the Eastern Line?" Astraeus was not happy at this man's appearance, but he didn't seem to demand the same respect that he had from his own soldiers.
         " There is nothing going on over there. The 'Army' that you had said was going to arrive left without making contact with us. I wasn't about to miss a good fight so I came this way to lend a hand. I left the Reapers over there to handle the defense."
         Listening to them speak he knew that Klaas hadn't attacked as he had originally planned. The change was surprising and cast a dark light over the fate of his already dwindling men. Even with this change he might be able to make a difference. If he could kill Astreaus himself, than Klaas wouldn't have to get involved. This mystery man could pose a problem if he got involved.
         "Can you trust those blind warriors of yours?"
         "I'd trust them with my life, as I have on many occasions. They will fight and die to protect me." With each exchange Reinhardt could tell this was no simple man. He was begging to believe that he was seriously outmatched, and without his ability to steal elements he had only the Dragon's Tail to defend himself.
         In the back of his mind the black creeped into his thoughts. He could use the sword and gain an edge in the fight. Shaking the strange desire from his mind he focused on the two in front of him.
         "Fine if you want to kill the girl than be my guest. This one belongs to me for all the problems he has been causing me lately."
         "That sounds like a good deal to me." Looking over to Roas the mountain of a man winked crudely. "It's nice to meet you girl, I would like to introduce myself before I kill you. My name is Birver Fatir, but you can simply refer to me as Master." Now frozen in fear Roas didn't have time to react before the massive fists of the fire master were connecting with her body.
         Turning to help his teammate a blade of wind blasted by his face, stopping Reinhardt where he stood. Looking back to Astraeus he had a small smile across his lips. Taking hold of a nearby spear, Astraeus began to spin it wildly between a few of his fingers. The tails of his long white coat flapped loudly. A soft fur lining on his color swayed back and forth as his body began to rock.
         "You have your own problems to worry about. Leave that one to her own fate. I'm surprised that you both managed to do so much damage. The size of your force was almost laughable. I told Klaas that nobody would actually attack an army of this size with only a few hundred men, but he proved me wrong. You are as dumb as he thought."
         Everything had begun spiraling into place within his mind. The four winds had been out looking for Bricco because they knew where he was. The charismatic wind elementalist had been trying to get them all killed with this assault on Astraeus. Anger ran over every inch of his body, and once again the sword was calling to him. His mind was swimming with the desire to drive the black blade through all of these men.
         Forcing the idea from his mind again took far more effort this time. Something about the blade frightened him, it seemed alive. Somewhere deep within the metal was calling to him, making him crave the blood of his enemies. As Astreaus began to come towards him the desire faded and his mind focused on the battle.
         In that moment Reinhardt felt something he had never imagined was possible. Instead of gathering power from the sky and surrounding area, the silver eyed master pushed his energy from his body and wind began to form around him.
         "From the expression on your face I am going to assume this is the first time you've ever fought a master. That lack of experience will be your downfall peasant!" Fluidly lashing out with his spear, long blades of wind ripped through the air towards Reinhardt. Unleashing his Dragon's tail he began deflecting the attacks. It was a strategy he was glad to have learned from Briccio.
         "Not bad boy! But this is just amateur!" Increasing the speed of his strikes it became clear how different the four winds were to the master. Each strike required almost no effort, and no energy was wasted in the onslaught. Barely managing to keep up his defense, Reinhardt couldn't find time to attack.
         Slashing across his body at waist level, a huge wave of air threw Reinhardt into the air. Gathering energy behind himself, Astraeus lept into the sky, pushing himself with his own wind. As he continued his quick volley's of strikes, sweat began to run down Reinardt's forehead. Now outmatched and out maneuvered he was in trouble.
         "What is this peasant?! I was told that you were inhumanly strong? You haven't even begun to give me a fight!" Spinning his spear rapidly above him incredible winds began to rotate around him. Growing with intensity every few seconds the wind stretched to the ground and into the sky. "Fear the power of the wind!"
         The roar of the tornado was deafening. Now falling towards the ground Reinhardt watched as thousands of spears, swords, and countless other variations of weapons be swept up within the assault. If he was caught within the turbulent winds of the storm he would be cut to pieces in moments.
         Catching sight of large boulders being pulled into the storm as well a plan formed in his mind. The chances of it working would be minimal, but he had no choice. This would be his only chance to kill the Master before being swept away to his death.
         Hurling the blade of his Dragon's Tail as hard as he could it wedged itself into the nearby boulder. The force of the pulling wind pulled him and the boulder towards the master. Leaping to a nearby boulder gave him the leverage he needed to begin spinning the rock attached to his arm.
         After a few rotations it had the momentum he needed it to have. Timing his shot, he released the boulder. Allowing himself be dragged behind it, Reinhardt was flying towards the center of the storm, and Astraeus. The boulder crashed through a wall sharp weapons and moments later Reinhardt flew threw.
         Almost within striking distance he reached up and grabbed hold of his sword's hilt, not seeing any way out of using the mysterious weapon. Through the roaring of the winds around him he could feel the sword vibrating violently. If he had to give it a feeling he would have said it felt excited, knowing it was about to be used.
         Their eyes met as he retracted his Dragon's Tail. Realization crossed his face when he saw Reinhardt reach for the sword. Applying pressure to the hilt, it began to unlock from his back. The storm around him faltered and blood ran from the Master's mouth. From the corner of his vision another figure came into sight. Zephyreus was almost on him before he could react, following his first attack with a second, cutting Astraeus in two.
         A wall of wind crashed into Reinhardt and threw him away from the dying master. Thousands of weapons began to fall to the ground, having been released from the storm. Breaking the hard rock floor beneath his body as he hit the battlefield again, Reinhardt's breath was forced from his lungs.
         Silence fell over the area now that the tornado had faded. Zephyreus' boots landed softly beside Reinhardt. Looking up at the man he watched as gray eyes turned silver. Having killed Astraeus he had made himself the new Wind Master.
         "I should be thanking you Reinhardt. Managing to distract the old man couldn't have been easy, but I am grateful you managed it. Klaas knew you had potential and very possibly could kill a master. It was unlucky for Astraeus that I discovered his plan to betray us. We need to unify all of the nations, and his plans wold have ruined us."
The War of Greed had gone on long enough.
         In the distance a ball of fire the size of a house tore through the darkness. Looking over at the spot he shook his head. "I would have though Briver could have killed that one by now. She must be stronger than we thought. Not really a game changer though, it'll be done soon enough."
         In the distance a strange sound filled the night. Confusion crossed his face as he watched the dark sky for a sign of what had made the noise. Almost as in answer to the first ball of fire another rose through the sky, except this one was much further away, and from the same direction as the sound.
         A deep humming began vibrating Reinhardt's chest, and grew with every thump. Hearing the sound again he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of everything. Things had looked hopeless and everyone had turned on him, but this was a creature that didn't care about sides, or strategy. The only thing it wanted was food, and at that moment it had an entire city to feast on.
         Releasing another ball of fire into a nearby building, the red dragon roared. Zephyreus didn't stay to finish the weakened man off, he just began running towards the walls of Nivged. Forcing himself to his feat Reinhardt followed and managed to get through the city gates before they closed. Hell had been unleashed upon the city, and the screams of the Duzee people had begun filling the night with music.

Reign of Fire

     The heat from the fires were outstanding. Buildings all around Reinhardt had already begun crumbling under the intense heat. Reaching out with his power he tried to take control of the dragon's fire but soon realized that, he couldn't turn this beasts attack back on itself. Knowing that he didn't have time to consider if there was a connection between the masters and dragons, he decided to leave it for a later moment.
         Wiping sweat away from his forehead and looking was nearly enough effort to cause him to faint, the heat was unbearable. He had nearly been knocked over by the dragon's wings as it swooped down to try and hit Reinhardt with another ball of fire. Quickly releasing the restraint on his dragons tail he spun and lashed out with the whip like weapon. The tip of the blade did nothing to the creatures hard scales. It just glanced away from the creature.
         Already knowing he was in trouble Reinhardt was searching for another option, anything he could use as a weapon, or buy himself some time. Running through the melting streets of the city took far more energy than he thought he had left. Having expended nearly all of his energy in the battle against the four winds Reinhardt was seriously surprised he could manage standing, let alone running.
         Fighting the urge to stop he kept his legs moving. Buildings toppled nearby as more flames fought to reach the skies above. Catching sight of the monstrous creature soothing flames at random buildings he wondered if it was hunting other people or if it just wanted to fly around burning things. The thought would have made him laugh if he wasn't sprinting through the streets. Turning his head to look back over one of his shoulders he could see it circling back around towards him.
         The long street he was on didn't seem to end. Through the fire Reinhardt couldn't see the end and the massive dragon was closing on him quickly. Seeing an alleyway approaching on his right he changed directions and made it safety into the closed off street just in time to miss being fried by a large blast of heat. Searching for another way out he caught sight a doorway at the other end of the small road.
         A deafening roar shot a sharp pain through his ears. Not wasting any time he ran for the door. Bricks sailed past him as a massive head crashed into the tiny opening of the alleyway. Looking back Reinhardt was shocked to see the dragon clawing the buildings around him apart. It looked either very angry or very hungry and he refused to find out.
Knowing what was coming next he wasted no time getting out of the enclosed space. Every brick behind him nearly melted as fire erupted for it's mouth. Unaffected by the now liquid rock pouring onto it's skin, the beast slashed its way between the building after Reinhardt. Taking back everything nice he had ever said about these creatures, he cursed to himself and ran without slowing down, up the stairs inside the doorway he had found.
         Even with all of the fire and claws there was no way it could get itself into the building. Panting hard from the exertion he swore at the dragon over and over again. There was no way it could understand him but it made him feel better.
Reaching the top of the building Reinhardt threw open a door and found himself standing on a rooftop. It wasn't the largest building in the city originally but at this point it was pretty much the only Duzee building left standing. Searching the skies around him he couldn't find the current bane of his existence and that startled him.
         “There is no way a creature that size can just hide...” No longer feeling that swearing could do any good for him he sprinted towards the edge of the roof and hurled himself off just in time to avoid the body of the dragon exploding from the building behind him. Even though the fall only took a few seconds it felt like a lifetime. Trying to force himself into a roll, he only managed to smack the ground and hit his head and the now soft stone.
         “Seriously?! What is this things problem!” Fighting the pain in his body Reinhardt stood. Now completely visible the massive red dragon circled back towards where he was standing and landed. Like a nightmare, the dragons breath was visible as it breathed hot steam. Fiery eyes watched him closely and hungrily, but he still wasn't sure if the hunger was of the eating kind. Every elementalist he had met could tell something about Reinhardt was different than other people, maybe that was what was driving this creature.
         Surrounded by fire and destroyed buildings there was nowhere Reinhardt could run. Watching its body expand quickly he knew another blast of fire was coming for him. Not waiting for it to attack he unlatched his dragons tail and sent it whirling towards the red dragon. This time he didn't waist the attack on its body. Just before fire erupted from the creatures mouth the dragon's tip pierced the beasts eye, partially blinding it.
         Screaming in pain, the creature lurched onto its back legs. Throwing its body around violently it nearly crushed him. Realizing that blinding the creature probably wasn't the best idea, he closed the distance with the monster and found an opportunity to climb onto its tail. Following the large plating on its back he found him way to the back of its neck.
Yelling in frustration he realized that there wasn't a single weak spot on the creatures body besides it's eyes. Reinhardt knew he was in serious trouble, without a way to escape, the fire and buildings would trap him with the red dragon.
         Throwing him off, it regained as much composure as an angry, injured dragon could muster. Still trying to get to his feet Reinhardt was vulnerable. Using its tail as a hammer the beast was able to bring the muscular tail up over his head before bringing it crashing down onto where Reinhardt was standing. Watching helplessly, he could feel his heart slow. Even after everything he had managed to do this creature would be his end. Those cloaked bastards were right, he was doomed to die just like all of the others, and there was nothing he could do.
         The thought of Briccio's lifeless body flashed before his eyes and he thought of that night near the fire. He had said that nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted, but he had never considered fighting a dragon as something he would have to do. Nobody has actually seen one this large in a long time.
         Unfolding its wings the dragon raised its muscled body off the ground and onto its back legs. It's chest started to expand again as it drew in air. It would only take a few more seconds before it could end this fight with a wave of fire. Having no other options Reinhardt reached onto his back and grabbed the handle of the massive longsword the cloaked men had given him.
         When this weapon was given to him he had decided to not use it. Something about it just didn't feel right, almost like it had its own mind. Often he realized that he was thinking about it when he was just walking or not concentrating on anything in particular. Not having a choice now he drew it from its sheath.
         Reinhardt's mind slowly cleared. The pain of his past flowed from his heart and out of his body. Everything around him seemed to realign itself. As a massive wave of fire roared towards him he was surprised to see that he could tell exactly where the attack would break apart if struck. Following his intuition Reinhardt lashed out and watched as the fire parted and missed him. A smile spread across his lips when he saw a surprised look on the dragons face.
         “Fine, if death is what they think I am, then I will be death.” All doubt left Reinhardt's mind. A strange pain ran just below his skin forcing him to grimace. Looking at his arms he watched as black veins spread under his skin like tattoo's. Examining his entire body he realized it wasn't just his arms that were now covered with the strange markings. If the cloaked men had mean anything by awakening his power than this had to be what they meant.
         Power coursed through his body like fire. Every inch of him was in pain but he felt amazing. Every muscle hardened, and his desire to fight was almost too much to hold back. More alive than it had ever been, the strange sword was now shaking with excitement. Reinhardt could feel his power flowing through the sword and realized that was the real purpose of the intricate design crafted beneath surface of the black blade. Dropping back onto its front legs the angry red dragon folded its wings behind it and let out a deafening roar.
         "I would prefer to not kill." Reinhardt grinned and rested his long sword on his shoulder. "But to be honest I don't think anybody will miss you once you're dead."

Awakening

    Gravel began crushing under the monumental weight of the dragon as it began to shift its weight. Steam puffed from the beast's nose and mouth, echoing it's deep breaths. Reinhardt could see scales beginning to flex across the beast as it's lungs filled with air. He couldn't think of a greater way to test out his new abilities. 
         Taking the chance to go on the offensive, Reinhardt sprinted towards the unsuspecting dragon. Within a few steps he was within striking range. The distance he had covered should have taken him twice as long but the newly awakened powers coursing through his body made him endlessly stronger, and faster.
         Side stepping the blast of fire, he threw his sword, end over end, driving it into the animal's side. Crying out in pain Reinhardt easily dodged an attempt to crush him with one of it's massive claws. Closing the distance between them, he grabbed hold of his sword and ripped it free of the beast.
         Raising onto it's back legs the dragon attempted to crush Reinhardt again with one of it's clawed hands. Putting his sword between himself and the beast he caught the strike and held it from crushing him. Although his arms and back were straining to keep the weight of the beast off him it would have been impossible for him to have fought like this before awakening.
         The ground beneath him began to break and he started to lose his balance. Focusing more of his energy into his arms, Reinhardt turned the blade of his sword and sliced through the dragon's hand, letting the other half drop to the ground behind him. Pressing the attack, Reinhardt dodged another blast of fire and drove his sword straight into the creature's chest.
         Not used to fighting anything that could match it's own strength the Red dragon spread its wings and took flight. The speed it jerked up at ripped his sword from his hands. Unlatching his Dragon's tail, he lashed out with it, trying to catch the hilt of his sword.
         "Give me back my sword!" Pushing up with his legs, Reinhardt jumped into the air. As he flew through the sky he couldn't help but feel more free than he ever had before. All of the power that flowed through his body had made him something completely different than he believed was possible.
         Grabbing hold of the hilt, he placed his feet in the beast's body and pulled his sword free. No longer holding onto anything he began to fall back to the earth. While he fell he could hear the essence of the sword calling to him again. The darkness from within his body was gathering inside the blade, waiting to be used. Finally willing to give himself over to the will of the sword he followed its guidance and cut.
         A beam of dark energy tore away from the sword and impacted the fleeing dragon, cutting it in two. Turning over in the air, he impacted the ground, cracking it into thousands of pieces.
         Taking a moment to brush the dust off his body he fell to the ground in pain. The black tattoo's had begun pulsating with heat, nearly burning his body. Pulling his mind back into focus he stood. Since most of the city had been burned to the ground it was impossible for him to find anything, or anyone, that could help him.
         Looking back towards the gates he remembered Roas and her fight with Briver. Searching nearby he managed to find a cloak that would keep his body hidden for the time being. If she was alive he didn't want her seeing him like this, or not until he could fully explain what was happening.
         Taking one last look at the body parts of the large Red Dragon felt a sense of pain for the loss. It was a beautiful creature, but it had been extremely dangerous and it would have killed him, and many other, if he hadn't stopped it. Picking up a steady run, Reinhardt finally began his search for Roas.

Pursuit

    Fires still burned throughout the city of Nivged as Reinhardt searched for Roas. He cursed himself for not having been able to protect her better. Just before his fight with Astraeus she had been thrown into a fight with the Fire Master, Briver. The man was blood thirsty and far more experienced than Roas in combat. 
         Knowing there was nothing he could have done to change what happened he kept searching for her. Bodies of fallen soldiers lay all over the battle field. An eerie silence now rested over the battle field as countless numbers of people lay dead and burned. Without the chaos the dragon had wrought the place was devoid of all life.
         Wind rolled through his hair as he ran through the streets. Reaching the entrance of the city he was happy to see that the fire had burned human size holes in the thick wooden gates. Leaping through one of the holes two stories above where he was standing. After his full powers awakened Reinhardt had never felt so strong, fast, or alive. Blood had begun slowly dripping from the tattoo's on his body, and he could feel all of them burning into his skin.
         Landing outside the city walls and back onto the original battle field, he turned and headed in the direction of the first ball of fire. It was strange how this much destruction could be brought down upon a single place in such a short period of time. Only a few hours ago they had broken through the cavern wall and rode into the battle field. Now hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children were likely to be dead.
         That dragon had expanded the battlefield into the city itself and before long had killed more, by itself, than him and all of his men combined. Even with many of them being armed members of the military, there were still countless innocents among them.
         Arriving where he saw the ball of fire he began searching for Roas. He was surprised to see that most of the bodies lying around were that of the Duzee army and not his own men. What once had been grass and plant life was only charred dirt and blackened blood.
         Nearby Reinhardt could hear the sound of something dragging slowly across the ground. Slowing from a sprint to a jog, he began to search for the cause of the sound. It hand't been hard to stumble across what was the noise. A trail of displaced dirt lead him straight to a badly burned person dragging themselves across the ground with a single arm, the second arm having been completely removed from the shoulder.
         It was obvious she were in extreme pain. With every pull Roas managed to pull herself closer to where she had last seen Reinhardt fighting. Tears soaked what he could see of her remaining clothes. Only a few long black hairs remained intact, tied hopelessly to the burned shirt. Moving next to her he watched her legs dragging helplessly behind her. Long shards of ice had been driven into her back, paralyzing her from her waist down.
         "Roas, it's me, stop moving." Placing a gentle hand on her back he rolled her into his arm, cradling her head like a baby's. Most of her body had been damaged beyond hope of healing. Her will to fight on surprised even him, but it would be unlikely for her to live more than a few minutes.
         "I was...looking for you. When I couldn't...find you...I asked for that...dragon to help." Dried blood lined the sides of her mouth, and her right eye was swollen shut. The fight with Briven had been worse than he imagined.
         "What do you mean, asked for it to help?" If she honestly believed that she had been behind that dragon's arrival on the battlefield than she was losing her mind as well.
         "I felt it...up there. I sent my energy out to it... and it came." Considering her words he thought about the strange blast of fire that shot into the night sky after Zephyrus had killed Astraeus. There was still worlds of unknown knowledge about the powers of elementalist. Maybe there was something to what she had said, but this wasn't the time to consider the option.
         "It's okay Roas, Please stop moving, I'm here for you now." Cradling her head in his arm like a baby he looked over her wounds. One of her eyes was swollen shut and the other had a large cut across it. At least he wouldn't have to explain that he would be joining her soon.
         "Reinhardt... Klaas lied."
         "I know he did. I'm going to make him pay for it."
         "You...don't understand. It wasn't...just Briver. Fire, Ice, and water...we did what...we...could but they were too much."
         This was wasn't about making an alliance between all of the masters. All of the people he had led into this war, everyone who had trusted him to lead them, had been thrown away in an attempt to make sure one of the masters couldn't break away from that union. They were playing with the lives of everyone on the planet, and he needed to know why.
         "Thank you for telling me this Roas. They can't surprise me now. I'll kill all of them if I have to, but Klaas will die for this."
         "Reinhardt, just leave. You can... still live a normal life... somewhere." Tears were pouring from her eyes, honestly pleading with him to save his own life, knowing that fighting a group of masters would be a guaranteed death. With the inability to see his body, she hadn't been able to tell how hurt he was. Blood was flowing more freely from the tattoo's and blisters were begging to form along the burning lines. He probably didn't have much longer than she did.
         "Roas, these men are responsible for this war. I don't know why they are doing this, but I can't let them continue." Unable to get any more words out she just clung to his arm with hers and cried. Rain had begun falling over the destroyed city, and the gentle patter dripped down his hair, onto the dying woman. Not knowing what to say to her he just sat in silence, holding her gently until her breathing stopped, and her tight grip on his arm loosened.
         Placing her on the ground with care, he rose to his feet and opened his mind, searching for the masters. He caught a slight hint of their power and knew where they were heading. With all of his remaining strength he took off running, set on filling the night with just a little more blood.

Legacy

    Dirt crunched underneath Reinhardt's feet as he impacted the ground. Blood was freely running from every spot touched by the strange tattoo's now covering his body. It was a clear sign that he was dying, and it wouldn't take long before the overuse of his powers would kill him. His eyes fixed onto the temple he had finally reached, and he readied himself for what needed to be done.

     The Temple of Ten Heavens was an impressive sight. Reinhardt would have enjoyed marveling at it's magnificent design, but today it wouldn't be enough to tear the pain from his heart. Tears blurred his vision of the building. His last few moments with Roas ran over and over again in his mind. There hadn't been anyone since the death of his family who made him forget his cursed life, but now she was gone.

     Guaging what energy he had remaining, Reinhardt pulled what little of his power back as he could. The power running through his veins took away his limits, his only limitation was his body. Every second mattered if his vengance would be fullfilied before he died.

     Red light peeked over the mountains as a new day began. Trees in this part of the world were scares and didn't grow very tall. The grass didn't react like most of the strange Duzee grass and stood straight up, regardless of stepping on it or not. Reinhardt guessed it was because the Temple of Ten Heavens was deep within a valley that was concieled on all sides by thousands of feet of mountains. Without his enchanced strength it would have been impossible to have gotten in except through the one opening in the valley, the Gates of Twilight.

     It was believed that the ten twilights would bring piece to all mankind when they returned from Paradise, a plane of exsistance for those who died. Nobody knew what the twilights were supposed to be but everybody had a theory about them. Reinhardt noticed movement near the top of the temple and watched as people began to make their way into the morning light.

     Zephyrus was the first to step out into the valley. Hate touched Reinhardt's face when he saw the wind master, but it didn't compare to what he felt when Fire Master Briver appeared. Sitting on a nearby step was the pompous Master Conners, still looking down on him. Klaas emerged from the darkness of the temple, and then Reinhardt knew his suspicions were correct.

     “I’m so glad you could join us Reinhardt. You may have noticed our little deception by now, but I am proud to say that we have accomplisdhed our goal! This war is over, at long last. The Whitlow will soon have control over every nation.” 

     “Spare me your lies, Klaas! You have no intention of ending the mindless   slaughter! The Whitlow used me to kill the only master who couldn't be controled by your sword!” The tattoos on his bleeding worse now. Reinhardt couldn't deny having used a lot of power against the dragon, and even getting to the temple had consumed too much.

     “You’re right, but I wouldn't be the first to attempt it. I only successfully united all of the masters so everybodycould benefit. With a single supply of weapons and goods, I will be able to supply all six nations with the things they need to fight a ‘war’ that doesn't really exist. People need something to fight for, a reason to hate someone else. I plan on giving them exactly what they want. The Duzee will wage countless bloddy battles for centuries with Icilee. Ental and Fatir, Wanve and Rornin. It doesn't matter who the fighting is between, it will make us stronger as a people.”

     “Millions of people will die, and all you care about is money, Klass?” 

     “You can’t expect a peasant to understand something like this Klaas. Just get on with it and kill him.” Master Conners said, apparently bored with the conversation as a whole. Reinhardt did understand what they were trying to say. By producing wars the Whitlow was keeping mankind in a constant state of prepairdness, never letting them go dull and risk being blindsided by a real threat if one appeared.

      "This peasant killed that dragon when nobody else could. Don’t underestimate what kind of an ally he could beConners! We wouldn't have to worry about any elementalist threat ever again!” Klaas sounded angry, but Reinhardt knew it was just the effects of his sword. With obedience on his side he had managed to control everybody and make them follow willingly.

     “Sorry to interrupt your brainstorming session, but I will never join with you. I agreed to help end this war, and if that means killing you all, then I will.” Reinhardt didn't have much time left. Pain ragged freally over his entire body now and he knew he wouldn't be able to fight for an extended length of time.

     “We have all seen you fight! You’re strong but you refuse to kill, and to top it off you don’t use that useless sword! How can you possibly stop all seven of us?” From the temple Master Yesenia Master Joer, and Master Jusbra of Earth emerged. All six masters stood before him now, and formed a barrier between him and Klaas.

     Everyone had different feelings or moods visible on their faces. Conners looked as aruggent as ever, a few others looked interested, and a few were even bored, but nobody looked freightened. Him and the masters wouldn't be prepaired for what was about to happen.

     "Klaas, this ends here, today. You're playing with the lives of people will end along with your own. I hope all of your money follows you to hell."

     With one smooth motion Reinhardt released his cloak, while reaching up to take the handle of his long sword in hand. Master Zephyrus looked confused when he could finally see the vine-like tattoos that now covered Reinhardt. His skin, which had been blistering before, looked to be gray and cracking now. There was no denying that he was dying.

     Zephyrus drew as much power towards him as he could, still unable to completely harness his new abilities, but before the new master could move to attack Reinhardt was moving. The hundreds of feet between him and Klaas disappeared within a few seconds. Even though it was killing him, Reinhardt’s power had made him far stronger than anyone they had ever faced off with before. He had been created to stop wars; to best any person, creature, or even the six elemental masters in combat. If that meant using all of his remaining       power to kill a traitor than he would do it gladly.

Klaas had managed to draw his own sword, but couldn't get it high enough to stop the descent of Reinhardt’s own blade. Blood sprayed everywhere as the blade connected with flesh and split Klaas in two. Organs fell to the ground and his now red stained sword fell from his hands, shattered. Pain flooded Reinhardt's body, and he toppled to his knees. 

     Finally having enough time to react, the six masters put as much ground between themselves and Reinhardt as they could. He hadn't intended on fighting them but refused to turn down a good chance to end the masters as well. Picking his sword back up off the ground he fought the burning pain trying to hold him down. Catching sight of Master Joer creating a long sharp spear of ice, Reinhardt cut the attack in half. Having seen Astreaus create his attacks from his own energy Reinhardt couldn't be surprised by that trick.

     “Don’t let him get close to you!” The fire master yelled, not aware of the Dragon’s Tail. With the exception of Zephyrus, none of them had seen it in a fight. Realizing that they didn't know the full extent of his equipment the young wind master tried to warn them but couldn't before Reinhardt was moving again.  With deadly accuracy the tip of the Dragon’s tail shot through a poorly aimed ball of fire, and struck Briver in the throat. 

     Blood shot from his mouth as Reinhardt launched himself towards the wounded master. When he was close enough he grabbed the blade of the Dragon's Tail and ripped it free, causing more blood to spit free. As large as the man was he could do nothing but fall to the ground and gasp for air. Not waiting to see if it would kill him, Reinhardt moved on to his next target.

      “No!” Master Yesenia screamed. Keeping her from the wounded Briver, Reinhardt kept himself between them. Doing everything she could to break his defense, the woman created walls of water and crashed them down onto the death master. Using his sword to push the attacks safely out of the way was easy. Without realizing he had done it, Briccio had taught him a dangerous defense against wind and water. Yesenia was beginning to become frantic and started launching attacks in quick succession.

     A condensed blade of wind flew towards Reinhardt in an attempt to separate him from the water master. Almost as if he wouldn't allow someone else to interfere in saving her, Master Conners released a bolt of lightning atReinhardt. Master Conners looked proud of himself until he felt his lightning traveling away from its intended target. Even though he couldn't control the power of a master they couldn't change nature.  

     In the midst of the chaos the cable of the Dragon’s Tail had been wrapped around the neck of the water master. A smile creaped across Reinhardt's face as the lighting struck her, she screamed wildly. Conners was horrified by what he had done. In an earlier conversation Roas had informed Reinhardt about Conners’ love for the beautiful Yesenia. He was happy to exploit their love triangle.

      “You masters believe that because you have power you can’t be beaten! Even if you kill me I will have torn your lives apart!” Ignoring the pain crushing his heart, Reinhardt began closing the distance between him and Zephyrus. Simply dodging the wind that came at him, he quickly closed enough ground to strike. Panic filled the masters’ eyes as he watched. Reinhardt released the lock on the Dragon’s Tail and lifted his arm, twisting his body for the inertia he needed for the shot. Just before releasing the blade Reinhardt’s arm fell to his side, stiff and unusable. “Damn it! I only need a little more time!” A large stone block slammed into his ribs, cracking them and sending him flying. 

The damage to his body was finally taking its toll. Without the use of his arm the      Dragon’s Tail was just a piece of metal. Getting himself up off the ground he barely blocked another slab of rock that was flying towards him. Catching sight of the fire and water masters again he realized that their injuries had been healed. Playing the fight in his mind he figured it was most likely the earth master who had accomplished that little feat.

     “Healing? That’s a neat little trick. I have a trick for you too.” Reinhardt didn't have much left in him now; his arm was proof of that. The first time he had done this it was enough to slay that dragon this time the attack would probably take what was left of his power. Reinhardt was determined to leave a mark in their minds, something they would never be able to forget. Drawing everything he had left into his sword; the powers within him flowed like a river. A strange black glow covered his blade as death wound through the small tunnels of the sword.

      A strange muteness fell over the area. Sound stopped and the sun’s light dimmed. None of the master could understand what was happening, but they all felt it. As the the energy within the blade rushed out, terror struck their faces.  A wall of stone rose from the ground, trying to hold back the wave of darkness cascading towards them. 

     The unstoppable darkness ate through the defense without slowing. Zephyrus pushed the earth master out of the way of the blast using his own power, and barely managed to dodge it himself. Even though she had been healed, the water master was frozen in panic. Master Conners pushed her out of the way but couldn't avoid the entire blast. His leg disappeared, vanishing within the darkness.

     Having reached his limit Reinhardt fell to his knees. He couldn't move anymore, but a smile still crossed his lips. “Death finds all. You can’t stop it. If it’s not me, than it will be someone else. I was given this power to end the war and put you all in your graves.” A sobering silence fell over everyone. Knowing the truth to what he said they couldn't argue.

     Heaving in pain, his tattoos were beginning to turn gray. The surrounding skin  was tearing as dark red blood dripped onto the ground. Laughing almost hysterically Reinhardt could only watch as Master Joer surrounded his entire body in ice, encasing him in a frozen prison. 

     “Make sure he doesn't come back.” Motioning to the temple, Zephyrus began gathering the winds and forced the ball of ice into the air. As it crashed through the wall and into the monument, the Earth master collapsed the structure, burying it under a few million tons of stone.

     “Can you heal his leg?” Zephyrus asked the Ental master. 

     “I can close the wound but I cannot make a leg. If his leg hadn’t been completely destroyed I might have been able to reattach it but there is too much damage now.” Moving over the wounded man, he placed his hands on the open wound. Drawing in power from the ground around him he began stopping the bleeding and eventually closed the wound all together.

     “What do we do now? Klaas is dead but we can still go through with our plan.” Nobody was surprised to hear Joer make the suggestion. Under different circumstances the amounts of money they would make would easily be worth the trouble, but Klaas no longer had control over them.

     “That power… Twilight...” Unable to speak the water master started crying. Her mind had been broken duringthe fight; her will to lead a nation for the sake of money was most likely gone as well. 

     “If one death elementalist could be created, than others could be as well. Any one of us would have died if we had fought him alone, and on top of that he looked to be half in the grave already. I will have no part in this anymore, not if this can be the outcome.” A few of the others nodded in agreement. Dust was still settling onto the ruins of the temple as the sun continued to rise. Jusbar agreed with Zephyrus, but the others looked resiliant to continue. Conners and Yesenia were all but useless now but at least four masters could stop the plan, and hopefully the war. The influence of Klaas' obediance had been stronger than Zephyrus thought. Now free of his hold he couldn't see why he had ever wanted a never ending war.

     Looking up at the fallen temple the wind master thought. They had trapped him in ice, and he was already about to die, but they needed to make sure he would never have the chance of escape. Deciding on a plan he turned back to the master.

     “We need to build that temple again. We will surround that man with a prison and hide his exsistance from the world. I will post guards here to ensure nobody releases him.” Joer said.

     “I agree. He should already be dead but we need to be careful. No elementalists can go near this place.”Zephyrus added, agreeing with the ice master.

     “What shall we call this place?” Briver asked having taken a seat against a rock nearby. The large man didn't look very interested in the whole ordeal but at least he was beginning to agree.

     “Temple of Six. It's easy, short and shouldn't bring too much attention.” Everybody nodded their acceptance of the plan and they all looked at the ruins. If the Death Master again roamed the planet nobody would be safe.

Epilogue

     Silence rested inside the darkness as a lifeless body lay trapped within a tomb of ice. Within his final resting place the soul of a lonely warrior clung to the hope that someday something would release him. It had been over one hundred years since the elementalist alliance had gathered to trap him within this cold world. With only one way into or out of the immense cavern temple he knew it would be a long time before somebody would be able to find him.
“Kill them”

      His mind said to him softly. It had been a long time since he had heard any kind of noise, and now even his thoughts sounded like people speaking. Over time the burning pain that had plagued him subsided into a memory, his body having finally become strong enough too withstand the power of the darkness running through him. Now only a strange rage fueled him, giving Reinhardt the strength he needed to keep his soul within his body, refusing to let the ice kill him.

    “They'll never change.”

    Unable to move he had only his thoughts to entertain him, and over time the only thing found himself thinking about was the battle that had led to his capture here. Replaying the events of his final battle in his mind he plotted every step, every instance that he could have done something different. No matter how he tried to change the battle, nothing could have been done differently. Reinhardt knew he just wasn't strong enough to have stopped all six masters at once.
         “I can help you do it.”

         Klaas had tricked Reinhardt into helping them, lured him into the temple by sending him after Zaphyrus alone. Driven by his desire to avenge Briccio he plunged head first into the temple, and soon he was trapped him within this prison of ice. Having learned a valuable lesson about trust he knew what he would have done differently if given a second chance, he would kill every master, but slowly, and one at a time.
         “Yes, all of them.”

         The war of greed would never end because every human was compelled to follow their own desires; it would never change. Removing the masters from power would be the only way to at least minimize what damage each of the nations could do.
         “Humans will never change. They are hurting us.”

      Muffled voices caught his attention. It had been countless decades since other voices had reached his ears. Still unsure whether he was dreaming or not he tried to move, only to be reminded of his cold prison's hold on him.
         “Leemine! What are you doing! You need to stop randomly lighting things on fire or you'll get yourself hurt!” Even though he couldn't smile, inwardly he couldn't help but hope that this young fire elementalist tried lighting something close to him on fire. Once he did, that fire would be his, and he would be free.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.01.2012

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Widmung:
This one is for you Murphy, Tricia, Teagan, and yes...even you Katie. Special thanks to Ren's Book Cover Corner for making a cover that I can actually use!