by Nicol Terra
She was a princess which until a few days ago she enjoyed her luxurious lifestyle, only to leave that behind for her mother’s political motivations. This didn’t bother Illevetar, at least not at first thought.
The fog was dense as she felt it tingled slightly in the air. She felt as if Time around her froze in pockets of the landscape, as some trees remained stumped to the ground with the great vines of black death to swallow it, hiding them from the sun itself. The trees that shot high in the sky were the only thing she saw, and everything looked so familiar. She felt her heart race again; she was only gone for half an hour, and she felt her anxiety soar.
“Not now, come on!” Illevetar whined.
The fog thickened, blue specks of light fluttered around her. Illevetar’s face turned ghost white; she felt her life was in danger. She grabbed her silver sword, looking from right to left. She saw a shock of lightning appear next to her. In the next instance, she saw big Golem lumber above her, made entirely of water.
It was an Elemental, a magical being created from an element itself. It lunged at Illevetar, but she raised her sword, slicing through him as he burst apart immediately. "I don‘t have time for this." She said to herself. She must head north.
She continued on her hike as she observed the nearby fauna. The mossy green floor, the yellow flowers and the sparks of electricity popped from the ground itself.
She didn't think much about it; however, as she saw the forest warp and twist in front of her. It was losing life. All 8 Elements fuel the world around us, either accidentally or through other means. The Earth and Water were ancient, old and weak. The air itself was stale, tasting like burnt salt. The Plants and Trees that did survive were ones that stayed low to the ground.
"I hate it here already." She said with a spoiled tone; she felt a drop of water drip down her face as she looked above her. She saw a blue, ghostly figure that drooled below her. The more important thing was that it was gigantic, at least a hundred feet tall. His ice like teeth was jagged like stone as the being looked over her as drips of water from the beast itself. The giant monster of water was towering over Illevetar. The Golem even bent the weather, as Illevetar felt a small chill rush across her cheek. She jumped backward just in time as he swung his arm around her, smashing trees and rocks in front of her. In one swipe, he destroyed over a hundred trees, and he still was not done as his free hand move to punch at Illevetar's general direction.
She instead quickly darted to the side as air-popped around her. She saw that not only now that the giant monster was chasing after her; she saw hundreds of beings of water at least ten feet tall, Elementals, eying as they quickly surrounded her as her.
She swung her sword out as thousands of 'jets' of water popped from their fingers. Illevetar dodged as many as she could before she got a single jet shoot out of her right shoulder. Her first reaction was to hold her wound, but she knew as soon as she did she would die for letting her guard down. She sliced through five herself as they instantly dispersed as the large one punched at her. She felt her brain rattle back and forth as she coughed blood. Great, she thought. One hundred beings of water, most over fifty feet tall and the big one being a hundred was gazing at her as if she was dinner. Deep down, she was afraid, but also more annoyed than anything. She spat one thick spurt of blood and readied her stance, front foot forward, back foot back, right arm stout with a sword in hand.
She saw a memory of Alexia in her head as she clenched her sword. She then saw a burst of electricity smash through the trees as she saw dozens of Elementals destroyed before her eyes. She didn't know where that came from, but instinct guided her.
She sliced and diced through tens, dodging jets of water centimeters from her face. Each blast of water 'popping' her ears as sound break itself. She then saw an open Plateau where a singular girl with blond hair was shooting bolts of electricity from her hands. She was human. Illevetar couldn’t help gaze at her in fascination. Her flowing blond hair and slender body dodged gracefully. She too was fighting about a hundred golems of magic, but she was more graceful with it. She jumped from side to side, sliding across the jets of water, she ‘rolled’ around in midair. What amazed her most was her weapon; it was a simple dagger and a yellow-blue crystal. Illevetar was not ignorant; it was a Mookaite. A crystal user, she scoffed to herself, but even with that admission she couldn't help and admire her style. She ‘flowed’ with gravity, and ‘jolted’ down, destroying the golem with electricity in less than a second, instantly vaporizing it.
"H-Hey! Behind you." Rachel said as she bolted to Illevetars direction, grabbing her and darted to a sharp right before she can be shot with a jet of water.
"Thanks! But I had it!" Illevetar said pridefully as Rachel got a small cut on her cheek, blood dripping off as she raised a brow, her gaze was intense.
"Obviously." Rachel growled.
“But thank you for saving me.” Illevetar said.
“I didn't save you yet.” Rachel added.
The two darted back to back into their fighting stances as both Rachel had her knife in her right hand as Illevetar did with her sword in her right. The two sliced and diced through many of them, vaporizing all of them upon the touch of their blades. Illevetar herself saw the large one punch at her, only for Rachel to slice his arm clean in half. Just before the water could land, she dashed a sharp left and smacked him clean in the jaw with her lightning crystal.
"How do you do that?" Illevetar yelled as Rachel was in free fall, but an army of tens interrupted her, rushing at their direction. She didn't have time to cut through all of them and instinct took over, as fire erupted beneath her feet as it expanded outward, engulfing miles of forest and elementals with an explosion of fire. The torched wood bursting apart as the ground laid bare from complete vaporization of all plant matter beneath her. Rachel darted below to the ground below her.
"Well, how did you do that?! That is the coolest thing I ever saw!" Rachel said as Illevetar looked perplexed. Was she amazed? That was a casual blast. She felt her face blush intensely as she saw the largest one levitate off the ground with a spout of water. The large one got up as it tower over them as his body molded into a massive sphere of water. Then, the hundreds of Water Elementals faded and formed into the sphere above until it eventually grew to be a kilometer wide and tall.
"What is he doing?" Illevetar asked.
"He is reshaping, looks like he will blow himself up and destroy us with it." Rachel thought to herself.
"But he will die!" Illevetar added.
“Yeah well, being part of a hive mind, I am sure it won't care.” Rachel said, charging herself up with bolts of electricity.
“Huh?” Illevetar asked ignorantly. Rachel turned to her, not out of spite or anger but with a calm gaze.
"You didn't notice? They all formed together to kill us. All Elementals can regenerate from a small drop of water; they won't care as long as we die."
"What will they do after they blow up?" Illevetar gulped.
"Probably swallow our souls or something." Rachel said casually.
Illevetar face turned white. "I don't want my soul swallowed!"
"Yeah, neither do I. Vaporization is the only method at our disposal." Rachel said.
The sphere grew to be five kilometers in diameter as Rachel and Illevetar turned to each other, and nodded. The both charged their energy at a central point, Rachel with her right and Illevetar with her left as the two extended their palm to the sphere of water flying above them. The Sphere of Water Expanded slightly as the water grew from a sapphire blue to a dark, tainted blue.
Before the sphere of water could explode and engulf the two, the two vaporized it instantly as the surrounding atmosphere moistened. They destroyed the Monster Golem as mist flew around the forest and dispersed. The forest floor felt damp and humid, and the sky parted again. Illevetar used most of her energy there as she felt her legs tumble. Rachel looked relatively fresh and somewhat unexhausted. Illevetar smiled, and so did Rachel.
"You ain't bad." Rachel said.
"Well, you are powerful yourself." Illevetar pointed out, and then it set on her. She knew in the back of her mind; she was more powerful than her. Before she could back away, Rachel extended her hand out.
"I am Rachel. Thank you." Rachel said, bowing to Illevetar.
Illevetar blinked for a few moments as she let out a small giggle, her ears twitching. “Illevetar.”
“You seem to be looking for something.” Rachel said. “You wanna look together?”
A spine shattering shout awoke Tina as loud footsteps echoed throughout the hallways. She felt her eyes shatter open as she lumped out of bed. It tired everyone around her and slipping on their clothes. Tina slipped on her blue Sapphire Dress, turning to Erudite who was also getting ready. Tina’s gaze was broken and tired, and also stuck to Erudite.A few moments later, Erudite turned around to Tina as she bolted up.
“Stop looking at me like that, you gonna make me blush.” She giggled. Tina rolled her brow and winked. Erudite looked away, covering her mouth as she tried to contain herself.
The five walked outside to an open field. The field was usually changed on a day-to-day basis by the commanders, sometimes having a dueling ground or other times a barbed wire field. She sighed in relief. It was just exercising it seems. She looked toward the far back, a cube shack barely intact was in the distance, the classroom where everyone took their tests in silent protest. Robin already in the front as he grumbled in line- Tina got the feeling he hated waking up in the morning.
“Yo.” She said. Robin turned to her like a robot and turned away with a shrug.
“You hear the news? We doing magic exercises today.” He sighed. “I wish I had a crystal instead.”
“Why, so you can cheat and skip the basics?” Tina added. Robin motioned to say something only for Jay to appear before the group of trainees.
Commander Jay flew in front, his face shallow and cold as she shot an icy glare at Tina. Tina felt her gaze drift to the ground. Jay may have recruited her, but that icy gaze always made her feel uncomfortable. Does he hate me?
“Everyone starts easily today. We will be doing pushups and situps today, a hundred each. Afterward, you are dismissed too class for spell crafting theory.
“Oooo I always loved making new spells,” Rose whispered in Tina's ear. Tina let out a giggle as Jay shot another glare at the two. Tina felt a gulp go down her throat.
“Tina and Rose get to do two hundred pushups, it seems.” He said. Tina shot Rose a glare, only for Rose to giggle in response.
“Thanks a lot, Rose,” Tina whispered back.
“No problem, anytime.” She said sarcastically.
“Everyone fall and do your first set of ten.” He said.
Everyone fell to the ground, their hands sandwiched to the dirt below.
“One!” Jay yelped. Then Tina pushed her body up with her two hands as if she was trying to push the earth down and herself up.
“Two.” Jay yelped again. Tina repeated.
Ten sets of ten were usually easy for her, but after the hundredth when everyone fell to the ground, she remembered.
“Ahh fuck, we have to do a hundred more Rose.”
Rose groaned. “I don’t wanna do a hundred more!”
Jay snorted and spat. “Wanna do two hundred instead?”
Rose and Tina grumbled, rushing a hundred as their arms and legs protested in aching pain. Her arms felt like they were on fire and her hands were calloused and cut as she thought the ground was punishing her. She finished and fell back to the field, looking at Erudite giggling in the back. Tina flipped her off.
“Fuck you.” Tina spat.
“Girl, work on them muscles! You never know when you might have to hit someone!” Erudite cooed.
“Now, everyone does ten sets of ten situps.” He said.
She rolled over on her back, her legs bent and her arms behind her head. She felt dirt smother her wings as she groaned, situps and crawling were especially annoying for Faeries.
“One!” He yelped. Tina rolled her chest and belly up as she rose up from the ground and back again. She felt her nerves turn hot as her muscles spasmed out with energy. This strange feeling of not having worked out in six months, especially not this hard. She cursed, if only she were an Aura user this would be much easier.. Her mind was sharp, perfect for spells, just not sit-ups, and pushups.
“Two!” He yelped. Tina repeated. She didn’t even stop at her hundredth, continuing just to finish her other hundred as Rose cried and moaned, stopping halfway to rub her belly and arms. Jay flew forward. Tina continued to do pushups frantically as Rose was planted firmly on the ground.
“What's the matter Rose, can’t do two hundred situps?” Jay shouted.
“Oh boy.” Tina said to herself. The more she did these exercises with Jay, the more she realized she was exhausted by him.
“Should I add a hundred more?” Jay said. Rose stayed silent, as she continued to do her situps, each one Jay counting. Tina stopped halfway to look at her, crawling away to Erudite. She looked at Rose pained expression and grimaced.
“That sounds painful.” Tina said.
“It is painful.” Erudite admitted.
Rose was two away as Tina heard her bones crack and her spine move slow in space. When she turned to Robin and Eve, they held together their Holospheres as a timer counted down.
Fifteen seconds later, Rose finished 200 and Robin cursed.
“Fuck!” He yelled. Erudite smiled as she raised her voice
“Oh hey, I won the bet! Thanks, Rose for beating your previous record!” Eve said, fluttering her green wings in happiness.
“You needed ten more seconds!” Robin protested. Both Tina and Erudite giggled to each other and shrugged. It was a gag at this point that every time Rose was punished for something, that Robin and Eve would count how long it would take for her to finish her extra sets.
Rose finished as she fell to the ground, panting and her body anchored to the earth. Jay flew forward and sighed.
“Today the first day of Magic Exercise Class, you will be sent to the classroom and do a simple test. When you finish with your partner, you may turn it in and leave.” Jay said.
“Partner?” She whispered to Erudite.
“Yeah, we are doing a thirty question test together, half of them essay and the other half multiple choice.” Erudite whispered back.
“Well, that ain‘t so bad,” Tina said. Erudite shook her head.
“Yeah, maybe not for us.” She pointed to Rose and Robin, both of whom look like they were about to break into tears at any moment. She wanted to fly over to comfort Rose and hug her, but she didn’t wanna do another hundred soon. Erudite giggled to herself with Tina slamming her elbow in the side.
“Ow, that hurt!” She growled
“So did your laugh.” Erudite growled back. Before Tina could stare her down, Jay cleared his throat. Tina straightened up in a line.
“All right, let me announce the pairs,” Jay said, clearing his throat loudly.
“First pair: Tina and Erudite,” Jay said.
Tina rolled her eyes. “Great, the only two people who have a degree get to work together on a test that we probably took during our first year.”
“Yeah, almost unfair when you put it that way.” Erudite grumbled.
“Rose and Robin.”
“Ouch, that one must hurt.” Erudite added.
“Yeah, the two most academically ignorant working together,” Tina said to herself.
“Eve and Evelyn,” Jay said, dropping his clipboard to the side. A few moments later, the squads formed into pairs as Jay clapping his hands and waved them to the buildings.
“Get going, we ain’t got all day!” Jay shouted.
Tina and Erudite were the first to fly in. The room had six tables, each with two seats and about five hundred square feet; she realized that her squadron is half the size of most others. She l
ooked to her side, Robin and Rose floating in ghost white. Eve and Evelyn next, laughing and chatting with each other.
Tina pulled out the textbook from under his desk with Erudite. She looked at the chalkboard.
Today was Chapter One and Two
She flipped to the index.
Chapter One: Four Basic Elements
Chapter Two: Four Esoteric Elements.
Tina shook her head. "They should fire the person who thought chapter two had a good name.” She sighed “Just name the chapter ‘Natural Elements.’”
Erudite nodded. “I agree, but they aren’t in academia.”
“Yeah, their primary job is to make sure someone is dead and not change the world for the benefit of all humanity,” Tina said and rolled her eyes. Erudite bit her lip and looked away. Tina sighed and ripped out the test inside and grabbing the pencil clipped on the top. She read the textbook, opening and scanning through most of the first and second chapter before starting on her test. She bubbled in answer after answer with ease and stopping only briefly for the essay questions.
“How much do we have to write?” Tina asked.
Erudite shrugged. “Looks like a paragraph.”
Tina shook her head. “Can we write more?”
Erudite giggled. “Why would you wanna write more? This is for the military, not for an A.” She said.
Tina grabbed her chin and rubbed her, nodding and dropping a snicker.
“Yeah, you make a valid point.” She said.
“No you dimwit, it's a two!” Rose yelled.
“No, It's a nine!” Robin said, already looking at their test and yelling at each other.
“I… think you guys might fail this one,” Tina said.
Rose swung around and hugged her. “Teeny! Oh girl, you and I.”
“I ain‘t doing your work for you,” Tina said bluntly as she turned around to her test.. Rose flew back around to Robin, her spirit crushed.