Chapter Two
Earlier that day in the kingdom of the Oasis a man sat behind a large desk made of a dark wood. Carved into the wooden facets were many ornate designs of warriors doing battle with fearsome creatures such as large snakes and giants made of stone. Etched into the top of the desk was the beautiful outline of a flower, its intricate petals swirling from its center in a revolving pattern. The large windows behind the desk let in natural light supplemented by various candles burning softly around the room releasing the pleasant aroma of sinamon into the air. The room was empty in the middle, but the sides were crowded with sundry pieces of furniture and cabinets each containing important documents or rare artifacts. The man at the desk, engrossed in his work, almost did not hear the gentle hesitant knocking on the large door placed at the opposite end of the room from the desk. Soon he heard the gentle knocking again and loudly proclaimed. “Come in.”
The door slowly opened with a clack and a groan revealing the nervous face of one of the newer guards.
The man spoke quickly, “Forgive me your Majesty, King Malik, I did not mean to intrude. I am terribly sorry for bothering you in your work. I know how importa-”
“What is the matter?” The king of Oasis causally asked.
“Well, my Lord,” said the guard crossing slowly to the center of the chamber “there is a man here who wishes to speak to you.”
“Who is he?”
“Ah, yes. He says he is a…oh how did he put it…ah yes, a flux preparedness tester, or something to that effect. He says he wishes to see you immediately and would not take no for an answer. I tried, sir, to tell him you were busy but-”
“Jarus, it is fine, show him in.” The king said in an affirming manner.
Jarus retreated quickly while perpetually nodding “yes sir, right away sir, he’ll be here in a moment, sir.”
As he made his hasty exit, Malik chuckled and shook his head reminding himself that it was the young guard’s first week after his promotion, and he was still very much getting accustomed to his new position. Malik began reorganizing the papers on his desk as he waited for the visitor to arrive. His mind drifted back to the problems he had been considering before his interruption. He stared at the blueprints on his desk for new defenses and buildings reminding him of his desire for the protection of his people. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat in front of him. He looked up to see a tall lanky young man staring at him. He had dark brown almost black hair and soft shifty brown eyes that continually glanced from object to object in the room, never settling on one for more than a few seconds. He was wearing a blue leather overcoat that concealed his shirt and covered most of his black pants. He shifted his weight back and forth as he waited to be acknowledged.
“The flux tester I presume.” Stated the king matter of factly.
“Close but not quite, I am a kingdom flux preparedness tester.” Said the man flatly.
After a pause the king asked, “and what is your name?”
“Collin Underbridge.” Came the quick answer.
“And what exactly do you do Mr Collin Underbridge?”
“Collin is just fine, thank you.” He mumbled before saying “I am as my job describes. I am a master of high flux and am able to wield many forms of it for extended periods of time.” As he spoke, he awkwardly fumbled with his hands. “I have also been an observer of some of the finest flux wielders of our time allowing me to recognize hidden potential and see certain…insights, otherwise hidden. I have assessed the defense forces of many kingdoms across the face of Renswa and have been able to make many recommendations to increase power.”
“And what makes you think we need to be assessed? We have one of the best protection forces in all of Sjadknaksbaksnan; if not THE best.”
As Collin answered he briskly approached the desk “We live in changing times. Powers are shifting. Growing uneasy. There is no knowing when it will snap.” His voice lowered as he spoke. “Surely you have been alerted of that which no one wants to admit yet remains. The Rising Darkness.” After he said the words, he quickly walked to the other side of the room and became engrossed in the artifacts sitting behind the glass. Malik could hear him mumbling what the artifacts were and what zenothan time periods they came from.
“So, you enjoy history?” Asked the king to fill the awkward and sudden silence.
“As if you knew.” Colin mumbled before twisting to face the king again. He walked to the side of the desk his eyes hungrily feeding on each article contained on its top. “Now, do you see the importance of my skills?”
“I have one question,” he responded which elicited a deep sigh from Collin, “why should I trust you? You have a strange accent and I have heard nothing of you before.”
“Ah yes, I knew you would ask” He replied in a monotone voice as he began patting his pockets as if searching for something. “And I am from the Northsylavic plateau.”
“Near NorthGuard?”
“Ah, here it is. A stack of sealed documents came out of a hidden pocket in his clothes which he thrust towards the king who hesitantly accepted it.
“Where did you get these?” The king exclaimed after a brief read through.
“Those are letters from the leaders, chiefs, and kings, of many surrounding territories. Their signet seals are present. I believe it will validate my authenticity.”
The king sighed as he thought for a moment. “Very well then, I give you permission to assess our battlements, but I want you to be aware that you are under watch and if anything…questionable arises you will be detained.”
“Excellent.” Colin said excitedly his body showing immediate satisfaction.
The king called for Jarus to enter the room. “Jarus, you are to resume duty as a traveling guard temporarily. I wish for you to serve as a guide to Collin as he is inspecting our defenses for the time being. Please assist him in all that he may require and see to it that he is well cared for. I will arrange for his lodging later.”
“Yes, my liege. It will be done, sir. Right as you say, sir.”
Collin gave a brief nod of his head before briskly walking out of the room. Jarus turned to follow but stopped at the gentle voice from the king.
“Keep an eye on him Jarus, if you notice anything suspicious call for help immediately. Alert the Elaōdra if you need to.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Jarus gave a quick bow then hurriedly left the room to join Collin. The king sat down at his desk before standing up to look out the window. He reflected on the conversation he had just had, wondering if he had made the right decision in letting Collin inspect his kingdom. He turned to his desk and examined the letters Collin had brought. He saw no evidence of forgery and when he held the paper up to the windows, he could see the secret shimmer of light off of the seal applied by the rulers of neighboring countries. After thinking a moment, he jotted a quick note on some paper near him then walked over to a Parifage perched on a stick in its cage. He took the hood off the bird of prey and allowed it to hop on his arm. He secured the note and the documents to the bird's leg then gave a series of commands in a quick sharp language. “Elth a le Elaōdra ast Farir iucnet.” The bird bobbed its head understanding its orders to report to Farir, one of the main Elaōdran leaders, before spreading it wings to fly out one of the open windows.
Outside the room Collin, after leaving, had immediately set out at a brisk determined pace towards the walls of the large city. Jarus sprinting to catch up to him spluttered, “So where would you like to go first?”
“The wall” answered Collin.
“Well, it looks like you know the way. Have you been here before?” Jarus huffed trying to regain his breath and also displaying his nervousness.
“You forget, I had to come to the center keep of the city before. I simply memorized the path as I traveled.”
“Impressive.” Sighed Jarus, the awe coming out in his voice.
Collin just replied with a slight grunt. The cobblestone road they were walking on held splashes of sunshine shining through the thick canopy of trees lining the walkway providing shade and relief from the blazing sun. Near the trunks of the trees stood many vendors, their voices clamoring for the attention of passersby as they held their wares displaying them for all to see. Collin’s eyes darted back and forth taking in all that he saw. His mind made quick mental notes on each of the vendors and what they were selling. His eyes never rested on a singular vendor for more than a couple of seconds before taking in another merchants' wares. Suddenly his eyes locked onto one booth in particular which he stared at for several seconds. Collin stopped abruptly in the street and stared at the booth with a hard to read expression on his face. Jarus, who had kept walking, glanced behind him before walking back to join his stopped companion. Jarus glanced in the direction Collin was staring and saw a simple booth made of wood sitting incredibly near a tree. After looking again, he realized the tree itself was the booth. It had unwound itself to create an opening in its trunk. There were shelves made of the roots of the tree, each containing a potion of many shapes and colors. Some were filled with liquid of swirling blues and reds, while others softly glowed of green and yellow. In the middle of all the potions sat what appeared to be a young woman with pale green skin. Entwined in her hair were strings of flowers framing her smiling face. Blue and yellow fireflies swirled around her head giving the entire shop a mystical appeal. Her laugh sounded like a peaceful babbling brook that made everyone around her immediately settle into peace and calmness and caused them to gain a smile of their own. Her long flowy dress spread out around her resembling a carpet of soft moss with flower patterns sewed into the fabric giving it a natural beauty of its own. Collin began walking away, satisfied with what he had seen. Jarus, enraptured with the sight, almost missed Collin heading away; however, he soon caught up.
“I’ve never seen her here before. That was beautiful.” Said Jarus with wonder in his voice. “Why did you stop?” He asked out of curiosity.
“I saw potential there. She has a deep…natural connection with her flux.”
“I’ve never seen the likes of her before! Who would’ve thought! Green skin in a desert!” He exclaimed.
“She is not from here. She is a plantekan from Etlaes. I have been there a few times and have gotten to see them in action. They are powerful flux wielders.” He said with a hint of admiration in his voice.
The two men continued walking until they finally reached the wall. From then, the day was spent with Collin inspecting the entire circumference of the walls from the inside and outside. He did not speak the entire time but would occasionally make slight noises such as grunts and hums to himself. Occasionally he would make sounds which sounded like speech however if it was, it was in a language Jarus did not recognize. Jarus followed faithfully keeping careful watch on all of Collin’s movements constantly aware of what he may be doing. By the time they had finished inspecting the walls, towers, gates, and keeps the sun was beginning to set in the west.
“There is one last thing to inspect. I have heard legends and tales of the mighty Elaōdra and I wish to see them for myself.” Said Collin after inspecting a certain portion of the gate.
Jarus’s eyes brightened at the mention of this being the last thing to inspect. “Right away, sir! Follow me!” Jarus declared triumphantly before leading the way with energy he had not shown since the beginning of the day.
Eventually they arrived at a large circular building capped with a massive dome of a greenish metal. Coming down from the dome were pillars made of marble, their polished hue dully reflecting the setting sun. The high architecture gave the entire building an air of importance becoming of the power it withheld.
“Behold! The home of our fiercest flux soldiers, the Elaōdra!” Jarus announced with satisfaction in his voice.
Upon entering the large arched doorway Collin and Jarus came into a magnificent atrium, the design of which drew the eyes towards the high dome of the building. The inside of the dome was split into four sections two of which represented flux manifestations in the form of colors swirling across the ceiling. The other two contained heroic pictorials of ancient battles. Men and women facing entire armies, fearsome creatures, and singular flux wielders. The impressive display painted across the vaulted roof was masterfully designed to give the appearance that the battle scenes were moving as you walked around underneath the dome. The walls were decorated simply with portraits of the greatest flux masters of the Oasis being illuminated by torches placed on the wall. The room was mostly bare with a manned desk in its center and three hallways at the far back end leading further into the building. The floor was as intricately designed as the ceiling and was imbued in itself with flux, manifesting itself as pulses of light moving through crystal veins in the floor. As one walked their feet let out soft ripples of light akin to ripples of water when a pebble is dropped into a lake. Jarus approached the desk which was flanked by two guards standing on either side.
“This is Collin. King Malik has given him permission to inspect our forces.”
The man behind the desk gave Collin a look from head to toe, his eyes softly shimmering.
“Sir, I am going to need to ask you to remove your weapons.” Said the bald man. Though he was short he still looked as if he could handle himself in a fight. His cold stare was a formidable sight to many however it was met only by a blank stare from Collin.
“There is no need for him to remove his weapons.” Came a powerful voice that echoed around the open chamber. A man wearing a leather breastplate and short, yet loose clothes came striding into the hall.
“Master Farir, how nice of you to join us.” The man behind the desk gave a slight nod in the direction of the newcomer.
“I have been given permission by King Malik to let him through without interference. He is to make a full examination of our students and masters.”
“Yes, Master Farir.”
“It’s nice to meet you Collin, I am Farir master of air.” Farir said while extending his hand.
Collin awkwardly met his grasp and shook his hand, holding it still afterwards before finally letting go. The two men stood in silence for a moment before Farir broke the silence.
“Well, how about we get started then.” Farir stepped aside and made a sweeping motion with one hand to usher Collin into one of the hallways. Collin swiftly walked into the indicated hallway his eyes glancing back and forth while his head cocked to and fro as if listening to something. All that could be heard was a general mumble of voices from teachers training their students, yet Collin seemed to be able to pick out each individual voice. Lining the hallways on either side were openings into classrooms with each room filled with students. Some had desks with students hard at work while others were open with students practicing their individual flux abilities. The trio of men stopped at one of the doorways to listen in to a master giving a lecture to his students.
“What is flux? Many have asked this question. Many of you students have asked this question. Flux is an energy form that was given as a gift from Elios. This energy has many characteristics that you may learn about in higher courses; however, for our purposes you must know that flux can manipulate other energies allowing a wielder to control the many facets of nature.”
Collin stepped away to listen in to another class.
“So, you see, flux is a mirror reflecting the inner mind and soul of the wielder. While the true nature can be concealed it eventually comes out in its true forms.”
“Flux is a gift from Elios. Never forget that. It should be used for good and protection. Never for evil and destruction. He gave us this power that you now wield, and He expects us to be responsible with it.”
After listening in to a few more classes Collin seemed content to continue the tour. While walking the halls he did not utter a word however his senses were constantly engaged by taking in all of his surrounding with a vivacious energy. Finally, Collin spoke at the end of the tour through the building.
“Very impressive. I believe I have seen enough to make my full report however I would like to request one more thing.”
“Of course! And what is that?” Said Farir.
“I wish to see some of your students in action. I need to see how they respond to an actual threat.” He said in a flat tone while staring at a small group of students clustered near the wall. At his words a slow smile spread across Farir’s face.
“Follow me.” He said before walking off down one of the many wings of the hallways. He led the way to a larger room set up much like an arena. The floor was made completely of sand and was piled up in uneven surfaces creating small humps and low hills in various spots around the room. The only other feature of the floor was a ring of stone which marked out the combat area. Farir walked to the far end of the room to grab onto a cord hanging from the ceiling. He yanked down on the cord which elicited the ringing sound of a bell somewhere above the room. Within a few seconds they heard the patter of feet before standing aside to let a deluge of students pass. The students lined up at attention, awaiting the orders from the master present.
“Students, I would like you to meet Collin. He has been observing our facilities and would like to observe a bout between the students.”
A wave of chatter ran through the students.
“Quiet!” Said Farir in a gentle but firm tone. After thinking for a moment, he called out, “Meridian! Seraphette! Forward, please.”
At his command two students, a young man and woman, stepped out. Both looked to be about the same age and were very well kept. The young man carried himself like a soldier in the military and gave off the impression of one who was disciplined. He wore simple yet functional clothes which consisted of brown leather boots of exceptional quality, simple brown pants, and a blue shirt covered by a leather cuirass similar to the chest plate Farir was wearing. His dark hair was worn in a close-cut hair style that further showed his military interest. He stood at a simple attention, awaiting the orders from Farir. The young woman who stood by his side had dark hair as well though hers was intricately woven into braids cascading down the back of her head which stood in direct contrast to his short hair. Her glinting blue eyes foretold of mischief yet compassion which was compounded by her laugh as she stood next to Meridian. She attempted to pull herself together and stand at attention as he was doing so perfectly; however, she would frequently burst out in laughter preventing her from staying still. She wore a long and flowy dress the rim of which stopped right above the floor concealing her feet. The dress contained an outer jacket made of a light tan leather laced with gold. The outer jacket concealed the top half of the dress but held an asymmetrical slit that allowed the blue portion underneath to be seen. The lower half of the dress contained leopard print spots near all its edges that denoted a wilder spirit to the wearer than her militaristic companion.
“These are our best students here at the school.” Said Farir.
Collin stepped closer to them to inspect them.
“Do not tell me their abilities. I wish to see for myself. You may proceed.”
“Very well then. Markus, please bring the scarabs.”
One of the students nodded before sprinting to a case up against one of the walls in the room. Out of it he withdrew two golden objects about the size of his hands. He brought them to Farir who took them and placed them upon the chest of both Seraphette and Meridian.
“What are those?” Asked Collin, expressing more interest in his voice than he had all day.
“These are golden scarabs, an incredibly useful tool one of our High Masters developed. The beetles boost the flux quality of whoever is currently wearing them. It allows for not only more powerful attacks but also grater energy management. Basically put, it means the wielders can use more of his abilities for longer. We have found excellent use for them in practice bouts.”
As he attached them the emerald eyes of the golden scarabs began to glow with a piercing light signifying, they were ready for use.
“Students, you know the rules. You may commence when you are ready.”
“If you get sand in my hair, you will be my worst enemy for the rest of your life.” Seraphette tauntingly called out.
“Really? When I’m done, you will need to shower for a week to get the sand off of you!!” Meridian retorted.
With that He lifted his hands influencing the sand beneath his feet to begin swirling around him.
“Oh, you’re SO on!!” Seraphette called out holding her hands out to her sides. Her palms ignited with fire as her eyes shifted from their piercing blue to a glowing orange. She then swung one of her hands throwing a fireball at Meridian. He quickly brought up his hands in front of him creating a barrier of sand to block the fireball. He then countered with a blast of sand which swirled around his arm before shooting forward in a shower of tiny sand arrows. Meridian then launched a volley of sand which lobbed over his head before coming down on Seraphette. She surrounded herself with a ball of fire, burning any sand that came towards her. She stood inside her shield of fire, laughing, before Meridian released a wave of sand that smashed into her body throwing her out of her fiery shield. He laughed as she shook the sand from off of her.
“Take that!” He called out humorously.
As Seraphette stood up a slow smile spread across her face.
“Uh oh.” Meridian said before lifting his arms creating a swirl of sand that lifted itself around him in a mini vortex. Seraphette aimed her hands towards the ground and tensed before releasing a stream of fire that lifted her into the air. She laughed as she gained height above her opponent. Steadying herself with flames she released a twirling blast of fire towards Meridian. He flung his hands forward creating a thick wall of moving sand to take the brunt of the blast. Creating a gap under his sand wall he dove through to end up beneath Seraphette. He shoved his hands down towards the ground in a quick motion that caused the sand underneath Seraphette to blast up in a spike. She quickly shot flames to one side to avoid the rising point of sand. Her quick motions threw her off balance and caused her to tumble to the ground; however, using her fire she was able to land in a low crouch. While Seraphette was falling Meridian had let out a wild war whoop before using his sand to create platforms which he jumped on to gain momentum and height. At the apex of his platforms, he reached into the sand and pulled out a sword made of sand before diving down on top of Seraphette. She wheeled around and released a powerful blast of fire as he was coming down. The blast hit him straight in the chest and caused him to be knocked back. He stood up and examined his clothes to make sure they were not ignited before looking at Seraphette.
“You got to use one of your special abilities. It’s my turn now!!” He called out.
Meridian closed his eyes to focus on the sand beneath him. He formed a shape in his mind then pictured the sand rising up in pattern with his thoughts. He heard a gasp from Seraphette as a bone chilling hiss filled the air. Behind Meridian slinked a giant cobra made of sand whose sandy tongue flicked in and out as it seemingly sized up its target. Meridian threw a fist forward causing the snake to lurch straight towards Seraphette, its sandy fangs bared. She brought both hands together and released a powerful fire blast towards the charging serpent. The two met and exploded into a flash of sand and fire. Meridian was the first to take advantage of the confusion and darted forward while simultaneously pushing a wave of sand in front of him towards Seraphette. She realized his plan and began charging as well. Right as she reached the wave, she released a stream of fire lifting her body into the air once again. She landed behind Meridian who had released a volley of mini sand spikes in her direction however her blast of fire was ready and plowed through the tiny staves before knocking him back again; this time however, he was knocked out of the ring signifying the match was over with Seraphette as the winner. As soon as Meridian landed on the floor he was doused with a bucket of cold water.
“What!? Who?” He spluttered jumping to his feet coming face to face with Collin. “Were you just waiting with that?” He asked with an incredulous voice.
“Yes.” Collin responded as if it were obvious.
“Why?”
“I knew she would win.” Collin gestured with his head towards Seraphette who was celebrating her victory with her fellow students.
“And how could you know that?” Meridian demanded angrily while crossing his arms over his chest.
“Your opponent will always win if you let them.” Collin stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
“And why would I let her win?” He sneered.
“For that. I have no answer.” Said Collin with obvious curiosity in his voice. “Why would you let her win?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. She won completely on her own.” As he said this he began walking away while removing the golden scarab from his chest. He handed the beetle to Markus before going over to Seraphette to congratulate her on her win. Collin stared at the small group of friends with a piercing stare.
“Why would you let your enemy win.” He mused, more of a statement to himself than a question.
“What did you think?” Asked Master Farir as he walked up to join Collin.
“I must say I am impressed you have students adept enough to handle flight and pattern forming. That is quite advanced.” Collin said, his dull voice belaying his words.
“While Meridian and Seraphette are the best students we have there are many who are quite close in power, strategy, and skill.”Farir said sounding pleased.
Collin just gave a “hmm” before gesturing for Jarus to come closer.
“I believe I have seen all that I need to see. I will begin a report on the defenses in the morning. Lead the way to my room.”
Jarus nodded before heading towards the exit of the building. Collin stared at the friend group one last time with a hard to read expression.
“Why indeed.” He mumbled to himself with a slight glint in his eyes before following Jarus to the room he would be staying in.
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