Elementals
*Intro music*
in
Void Assault

---

Wolgran

The Hygrons are sitting around the small crackling fire. They all still have slightly confused faces, just like when they arrived, but now they look rested and a lot cleaner than then. I took in a couple of lungfuls of the clean, fresh smelling air, with eyes closed.

They came one by one, through the mouth of the cave. They came here, obeying the summoning of Kyra which they received through visions. Most entered with amazed looks on their faces as they stepped into the big underground garden. I gave them food and water which they accepted without hesitation. I tend to forget how harsh and disgusting the world is out there now, it wasn't like this in my time, everything changed since then. But these Hygrons, they may still make it, they may restore what was once grand and powerful.

Now there are ten of them, infused with the ten different elements: Terrae, Flora, Arx, Flagro, Fluvius, Gelio, Zephyr, Fulmis, Lux and Umbra. Since they were all rested and with a full stomach, i decided it is time for them to know. To give the explanation I owed them. I opened my eyes.

"I will try to be short and won't attempt at making things seem better than they really are. Kyra has called you all here promising answers. A lot of you have yet to arrive but we cannot wait any longer; time is running out! Not just our planet, but existence itself is in terrible danger."

I sit down on a flat rock next to the fire, looking at all the young hybrids in the eyes before resting my gaze on the flames. I pause for a short time, and the quiet seems to unsettle some of the Hygrons as the glance at each other suspiciously.

"Existence. It is not something most people think about. It is always there, existence always… exists. It is such a fundamental rule that no one even realises it. Could you imagine a universe where nothing exists? Where existence itself ceases to exist? Never ending emptiness, never ending, infinite Nothingness. The Void.

The Void's only purpose is to cease existence, and to accomplish that, it created beings, it made itself exist. These creatures of the Void are known as Vygorns, a race created for destruction, total annihilation. Their only purpose is that of destroying everything, their ultimate goal as a race is infinite Void, the end of all.

They have destroyed many worlds already, and are right now, this very moment, working on destroying many more, including the planet you call Earth and all life on it. They walk amongst you humans, controlling you through politicians and corruption, they were the causes for most if not all major destructive events in human history, partly to keep the humans busy fighting amongst themselves while they worked on bigger things, but mainly to turn them greedy and easily manipulable.

You all saw the world out there, it is a world of misery. People are being herded into giant factories and are made to work every day, until they die of fatigue, hunger, lack of sleep or some kind of poison getting into their bodies either from the air, the water, or the food. Yet, no one is out to do something against it. Humans have become a slave race, working towards their own destruction. You," I say, slowly moving my arm to point at every one of the Elementals "are to stop this. This, is the purpose of you powers, it is why they were given to you. This place and the drops of strength left in Kyra is all that's stopping the Vygorns from sucking Earth and its solar system into a huge black hole." I sigh, feeling tired just from the memory of all the lost power, then continue in a sadder, quieter tone.

"I was once a potent spirit with the appearance of a knight, custodian of Nature on Earth. I have fought against the Vygorns through the millennia… but I lost… I couldn't protect what I swore to defend. Now I'm just a weak spirit, an old man, more of a gardener, tending to the last little hideout." I raise my head, looking at the young Hygron, suddenly speaking with a rougher, authoritative voice.

"You will rest for one more day here, then leave. The Vygorns are ammassing in Atlanta, they know that the last spot of Nature is somewhere around the city but our power is not large enough to be easily sensed. It is a matter of time before they find this place though, before they destroy Nature's Haven. The Vygorns depend on their leader, Vrail, who is the only one who can summon, with the help of other powerful Vygorns, the black hole to end the Solar System. You must find him and kill him at all costs, else, we die. All of us.

My audience's heads all turn upwards as I stand up
"I advise you not to go to Atlanta directly as you will probably get killed, attack smaller encampments or villages to draw them out in small groups from the city. You should first become strong and experienced enough to deal with larger numbers. The control you have over your Element increases with time and practice, especially with practice."

I turn to leave but stop and turn back to face the speechless youths.
"You might have already discovered the ability to summon your Kjugrons, your Guardian-Spirits. As Hygrons, or Half-Spirits, you all have a special Guardian who will fight for you. I suggest you practice summoning them, or learn how to if you haven't already. They will be extremely useful to say the least."

I turn my back to them and leave. They are still speechless, good for them that I gave them some time to digest all of this. It must be quite a shock to them. I hope they will start making friends with each other as that will be very important. Cooperation is the only way they can win.
I stop, a bad though comes to surface in my mind. What if they won't cooperate and instead-? No, no that won't happen, Kyra has it all planned out, the world will be purified so Nature can take over once again.

"Are any of you guys buying this? There's enough food and water here to survive for a millennium! I say we kill this old man and live it up here."

The room is silent, the old man turns back at Shida and gives him a glare.

Shida stands up, and seems to bask in the light of being the center of attention, with a half grin on his face.

"You all know what its like out there, I can see it on your faces. Death, chaos, famine, thievery, war, whats the point of this world anymore other than to kill or be killed? I say, fuck the human race, and let it be sucked into the black void of existing or non-existing, whatever! This will probably be the first day i don't have to rob someone to get my next hot meal. And what if we do win? Then what? We all go holding hands into the sunset together? All of our problems are still gonna be there waiting for us when we get back. Humans have to be just as corrupt as these Vygorn whatever the hells. So i think for now, I'm gonna live it up here with my buddy nature face over there until the (and he makes the quotation marks with his fingers) "Day Of Reckoning" rolls around. You can all go off and get sucked into a black void of shit for all I care."

Shida pauses for a moment, doing his best to look stern, analyzing everyone. Few of them seem to make eye contact giving him dirty looks, others hang their heads in what he thought to be hopelessness looking into the flames.

"You know..." Will began, sitting at the back with his hat over his eyes and arms crossed."Even if we are these 'superheroes' we are all still human. To fuck the human race is to fuck yourself, fuck your family, your neighbour, your friends." He said. He raised his head to look at the man standing. "Sure, we can all sit here in what very well might be the last piece of nature but didn't you hear what the man said, the 'Vygorns' know where we are, where this is. You had the vision, same as the rest of us." Will finished. He looked to his brother and back to everyone else. "You can decide what you wanna do, but I damn well know you can't do nothing."

BEFORE FINDING THE HAVEN:

Aerilyn was sitting under what may have once been considered a hangar for an airplane, but there was hardly any of it left standing. At least I can hide in here until those giant-ass bird things go away... She thought to herself when she saw several dark figures in the sky, circling like ancient "vultures" may have done. I don't want to wait here for long, though... I'm running out of water and I still can't help but feel like I've got some ways to go. She didn't know what the tugging feeling in her soul was, but it was enough to give her a headache. She took a bottle of painkiller from her backpack and swallowed the pills dry... only to gag and nearly cough them back out again. I wish I'd been able to sneak one of those water filter things that purifies some of this junk into somewhat consumable junk. After she had regained her bearings, she slowly stood up and slunk from the hangar, doing her best to keep a low profile as she made her way in the direction that she felt was right.

Just as soon as she had felt like she had made progress, the bird things in the sky, black as ebony and seemed to be made of fear and pain themselves, swooped down in an attempt to grab her. She gasped and tucked and rolled, making her way through the forest of junk and dirt. Why now? Why me? She thought with a groan as she started running for her miserable life. This had so better be worth coming out here... And just as a set of talons were nearly upon her, the ground beneath her vanished and she fell into darkness.

When she'd woken up, she thought that she was dead. There was a small pool of the cleanest water she had ever seen, and there was something strange beneath her: green and 'leafy'. Grass? She asked as she sat up. That's when she came nearly face-to-face with an older man. She tumbled backwards, ready to strike, but then he had offered her shelter, welcomed her, even. He'd even called her "Elemental".

---

PRESENT

Aerilyn glared at Shida as he suggested that they let the world simply die and they live here in peace. "As appealing an idea that may sound," the young woman said as she brushed some of her short auburn hair, "I can't say that I'd want to spend the rest of my days pent up with you or any of you." Normally she wasn't the first to put in her opinion, but this time she felt like she had to say something. It had been the first thing she'd said in the past few weeks, so her voice was hardly audible. She stood up and pointed a finger down at Shida, "And if I have to work with someone like him, then count me out. I'll push him into the Void myself."

Shida, looked almost shocked for a quick moment, although he believed his eyes would never betray him. He found himself taken aback as heard the words that pressed themselves against his ears. Only few times, had he known a man to speak with such conviction yet understanding. After a small while to himself, what was seconds of relief. The light in him, shifted to a lower burn..
"I left what I thought could have been a human life behind a long time ago, and I've never been the type to dwell in the past. But the only way I've survived up until now is taking what I need and giving nothing back. I'm sure some of you here could truly say the same for yourselves."
His head slowed towards the others.
"Call me selfish if you will, but there are people out there who would destroy the world if they had the power we have, I know, because I spent a lot of my time killing them." He said with a glimpse of what may very well have been, sadness, or anger, unknown to himself.
"I don't know if I can stop myself from having lost faith in humanity, but i think I can learn to hate these Vygorns even more. That is, if tree huger over there isn't lying to us and this is some kinda fuckin' suicide cult for nature."
His eyes moved to the flame as he took a seat leaning against a tree a few feet away.. he propped his arms up on his legs, unmoving, locked away in his gaze into the bonfire.

During his brooding, when one of the girls at the bonfire made a remark about pushing him into the void, he kept his eyes pointed towards the fire and tried to make it seem as though he'd barley heard her.

Ghost grinned, aldo this world was already in ruins, he also didn't truelly saw any sugestion in saving in. If it was true wat the old man said, then why would we even try.
There are ten of us and there would be an entire army awaiting us. Ghost stood up as he walked into the shadows, dissapearing, he only let his blue grimson eye visable.
There wasn't much to be saved, eather would there be a death wish for any who would truelly enter those grounds.
"If we want to fight an entire army, the best way is to know each other first. Once we know we can trust each other, then we can also fight along side eachother. For trust is the most inmportant part in a team. Aldo if what the old man said was true, then we shall also die, atleast a few of us. This would mean that some of us will never see this world back again, nor their family. They won't be able to see how this world has ended and they won't see it bloom again if we succeed"
As this was said, Ghost glanced at the nine others in this room. It would be quite fascinating what the others will do once we truelly start to fight.

Will turned his head to the man with grey hair and an eyepatch. Seems like alot of these people are apprehensive or frightened of the new duty put upon them. "Well if knowing each other is good, what's ya name?" He asked. Someone may as well start. He glanced back at the man who originally decided to abandon the human race. Will hoped he had changed the man's mind because if the flow was that the group do decide to fight back, they will need every man and woman they can get.

Luce sat quietly to herself watching the chaos unfold before her. Sadness overwhelmed her as the man spoke, only to be emphasized by the sense of hopelessness around her, evident in the words being exchanged. Quietly she stood, a bright aura of light surrounding her to bring attention to herself among the small crowd. "You." she addressed the old man with his back to the group. "You who have fought to protect this world for so long. You have lost the one thing that humanity holds onto: Hope. Hope is all we have left. The future is never set in stone. It may be just as corrupt as you say," she said, pointing to the Elemental who spoke first. "or it could be much better than that. If what this man says is correct, we need to act. We can have the final say over these Vygorns and truly live." Luce paused for a moment clearing her throat as a soft blush rose to her cheeks. She hadn't realized she'd been speaking for so long and that everyone was now looking at her. The light engulfing her began to dim as her words came to an end. "I'd like to change what is to come for the better. I hope that you all choose the same."

Wolgran
"I have not lost hope my dear Lux Hygron. I have lost my powers, if i were to step out of this cave, I'd dissipate into the desolate wastelands, for ever. I am immortal in the sense that time doesn't affect me, but this destruction does."
Wolgran turns around to face the group and continues.
"The hope I have is in you. Its you who don't have hope. Your powers are immense, you just don't know how to use them yet."
He turns around again and leaves, disappearing behind a tropical-looking plant with very wide leaves.

[OOC: Just FYI, italics means thoughts or someone else's dialogue. Unless its an emphasizes on certain words.]

***

Flashes of light interrupted her sleep, feeling more vivid and real than any dream ever could. She saw a cave filled with nature and light, with energy, like the place was alive. She wanted to be there. And it felt like she knew exactly where it was, she could find it. There were voices she couldn't make out, whispers of a different nature. A small creature floated in sight, a jelly-type thing. But her mind drifted back to sleep, and the vision blurred out of focus.

"Irys sees you."

"What the fuck?!" Cora snapped open her eyes in the dark. She looked blearily around for the the voice she swore she heard. Jesse rustled in bed beside her, wrapping an around around her tummy.

"Irys is excited to meet you, Cora." 

Cora narrowed her eyes, feeling mighty confused. Jesse didn't respond to the voice in the least, and it didn't feel as though she was really hearing anything.

"...Are you in my head?" She whispered.

The voice chimed like crystals. "Heehee, no."

In a blur of sparks, the creature from her vision shimmered into existence, casting a pale glow on their bedroom. It was beautiful, like a thing you'd read about in fantasy novels. Its body was iridescent crystals, some as thin as a hair. The creature had a similar form to a jellyfish, it hovered in the air like water or something. 

"What are you?"

"A spirit sent to befriend one of Kyra's chosen. You, Cora. The gift you've ignored your whole life has finally begged to be noticed. Hold out your hand, and embrace the ice within you. Make it snow."

Clips unexplained from her past resurfaced in Cora's mind. The constant chill of her body, the random freezes in summer, the frost that covered her footsteps. All her life, she had been blissfully oblivious to it being anymore than coincidence. And here was a real theory that actually stuck. 

Huh. Magic. Who woulda thought magic could explain anything. Or maybe I'm finally fucked.

She raised her hand, felt the chill inside her, and invoked it. Snowflakes birthed from the tips of her fingers hovered in her palm, reminiscent of a snow globe. Cora felt an excitement building up within her. The possibilities of great things that could happen made her feel something she'd abandoned long ago: Hope.

"Ngnn... Cora? What are you--HOLY SHIT!!" Jesse leapt out of bed, grabbing a bat to swing at the strange jelly that hovered over Cora. 

"Stop, stop, stop! I'm fine!" Cora said, pulling Irys into a protective hug. "Shit..."

"Babe... what the hell is going on here?" Jesse said, hands tight around the bat's grip. 

"I have an affinity to ice, apparently." She said, peeking down at Irys.

Jesse shook his head. "...What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. Well, kay. I kind of know. But it's really hard to explain. Just bear with me, babe. I'm so thirsty. We're out of water, aren't we?" Cora stepped out of bed, flicking on the lights in the kitchen next door. Grabbing a pot, she turned up the heat on the stove. With a bit of struggle, Cora managed to create a lopsided hunk of ice in the pot, which started to steam.

Irys tickled her brain inquisitively. 

"I'll explain in a second..." Cora trailed off, watching the ice melt. She scooped up some pooling water, blowing steam off the spoon. The moment she tried the water, her eyes lit up. 

"Jesse, Jesse! Come here! Heavens be praised, we never have to go without water ever again."

He entered the room cautiously, eyes darting from Cora to the pot. His brows furrowed, a look of extreme concern flashed on his face.

Cora's smile cracked. "It's... It's the purest drinking water I've ever tasted, better than the 'filtered' crap they make us pay for. And this would be limitless. Hell, we could even sell some. We'd have money for real food."

"No." Jesse said. "Babe, no one can know. Don't you see? This... This is magic. It's fucking crazy, for one. Secondly, and more importantly, you--"

"What, could be killed? Is that it?"

"I was going to say arrested."

"Same shit!" She yelled, balling her fists in anger. Jesse recoiled, smashing into the cabinets behind him. His look of alarm wasn't directed at her, though. She followed his gaze to the pot where urchin-shaped ice shards had broken through the metal. 

"The ice reacted to my anger?" She stared in disbelief. 

Cora turned off the stove, looking at the busted pot. The ice didn't seem as innocent now. "Fuck, I'm just trying to look out for us, Jesse. That's all it's been these past years. You and me. I'm just as confused as you, trust me. But we can make this work."

Jesse's face darkened. "Cora, stop. Just... Stop."

She paled. "...Jesse?"

He pointed to the door. "Leave. Now."

"Baby, no..." Hot tears fell like a waterfall down her cheek. "I love you, don't do this."

He turned his face away, looking dejected at the floor. "If you don't go... I'll call the cops. Please, just leave. You've done enough damage already." His words cut through her like a knife.

Humiliation coloured her cheeks. She wept, holding a hand to her face. It felt like chains shackled her feet, every step to that door dragged the heavy remnants of her heart behind, staining the floor with sorrow. The door closed and bolted behind her. 

And she had never felt so utterly alone.

***

Cora wandered like a zombie out of the apartment complex. Irys glided alongside her, finally speaking up. "Are you okay?"

"Okay..?" Hot, carnal anger welled up inside her. It consumed her, overwhelmed her with just how much pain she held. An agony felt by the those of a broken heart and soul. Anger that made the mind snap under such anguish. "OKAY?! I HAVE LOST EVERYTHING THAT WAS EVER IMPORTANT TO ME!"

She turned her hateful gaze on the spirit. "And you! This is all your fault! If you had never come along, this never would have happened!"

With a snarl she grabbed the jelly creature by the top, lugging it at the nearest wall. Irys dematerialized before impact, leaving Cora alone. Truly alone. 

Guilt rid so far up her ass she thought it must have reached her brain. Her head was in her hands, her heart in pieces, and her stomach was somewhere on the floor.  

The vision flashed through her head again; there was only one place she could turn to now.

***

The cave in all it's gleam and glory wasn't nearly as pretty as Cora's vision made it seem. Or maybe she just felt like shit. Yeah, probably that. There were other people in the cave, most sitting silent by the fire. There was an old geezer who seemed to make it his home in the cave, which was mega-creepy. Cora had never met a hermit before. But with how shitty the world was, Cora was surprised she hadn't become one yet. 

She came in just as the old man started his little speech. She felt too shitty to sit, but the fire looked inviting. So she stood behind a couple kid's heads and listened. Unconsciously, her hands scanned the pockets of her hoodie, remember she simply left the apartment earlier. Luckily in one pocket she still had her collapsible baton. But other then the mask scarf around her neck, those were the only items she had to her name. 

Pitiful.

"...You will rest for one more day here, then leave. The Vygorns are ammassing in Atlanta...The Vygorns depend on their leader, Vrail... The black hole to end the Solar System. You must find him and kill him at all costs, else, we die. All of us.... I advise you not to go to Atlanta directly as you will probably get killed, attack smaller encampments or villages to draw them out in small groups from the city." The old man seemed coherent, like he knew his stuff. 

The darkness deepened within her. Atlanta was home to Jesse and Cora. Now that it would be unsafe to return... She might not ever have the chance to apologize. She might never see him again, especially if Vygor-whatevers targeted her. 

"No." She brushed the frustrated tears off her cheeks. "I will see him again. I'll hone this gift to be untouchable, and when I'm powerful enough, I will sneak back into Atlanta. Fugitive or not, I have to see him again. No army could ever stop my reckless love."

Cora raised her aching head, opening her palms to the ceiling. "Irys, I'm sorry I got so upset at you. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes."

Cora relished the surprised looks on the kids around her as Irys morphed into existence. Already she could feel an attachment between her and the spirit. Probably just from Cora's life getting utterly crushed hours before, and she was probably just desperate for comfort, but Irys definitely helped ease the pain.

"Awesome. Let's go talk to the old man and leave these squabblers to squabble." Cora said, noting the tension in the room as everyone tried to make sense of the information. For Cora, the path was clear.

Get strong, get some baddies, get back to Atlanta, win back Jesse, beat the bad-baddies before the end of the world. Maybe ride into the sunset, too.

"Hey, geezer dude. I had a question about the Vygorn... thingies.." Cora approached just as the old man took his leave, literally just disappearing. 

"Shit. Who scared off the old man?" Cora's laugh held no warmth; her eyes were still red from tears before. Who would answer her question now? Certainly not anyone here, no one knew any more on the Vygorns than the next person.

Beau sat thoughtfully near the fire, his mind moving quicker than his bouncing leg could ever hope to move. On the one hand, anyone with any sort of reasonableness to them would see that the old man was crazy, fighting wars for nature, nature was practically gone anyway, and the way he made it sound made it seem like it was a suicide mission. On the other hand Beau had more or less lost his right to say that anything was ridiculous when he had begun manifesting his abilities way back when. It was then that Beau remembered something that old Father Time had said, something about these Vygorns being comprised entirely of politicians, cops, corrupted people in general, that generally meant the rich, which probably meant his brother, his mother, his father, his sisters, by taking up this quest he was guaranteeing that he would have to fight them at some point, or at least people that they knew. He smiled widely, enjoying the idea.

At that point a distant barking was heard by Beau, he wasn't entirely sure that he even heard it at all actually, seeing as how it had emanated from inside his head and not his ears, he tried to ignore it but it just kept getting louder, he noticed that a couple of the girls had gotten up to speak, and one was looking at everybody, seeming angry, unfortunately Beau hadn't really been able to pay attention to what she, or the woman who had been cloaked in a strange misty light had said, Beau held his head, trying to weigh all the options, to evaluate everything but not only was this incredibly loud barking noise getting louder in his ear but a small buzzing had also started, almost harmonizing with the barking. Just when Beau thought he couldn't take it anymore he was bowled over by something large and furry. At first Beau was on guard, rolling with the beast, trying to get on top as it used its much greater weight to pin Beau, who figured that this was surely the end, especially as the strange beast opened it's mouth, filled with jagged teeth, as it did so Beau closed his eyes, waiting for his own demise....when the beast began licking his face, he scrunched his face before a smile spread upon it. Beau didn't know why but now he felt stupid having been afraid of Tugg, which he knew, he didn't know how he knew, but he knew that was the beast's name.

After sitting up and chuckling a bit, Beau walked back over to the fire and said "gettin to kick butt, look good doing it, and hang out with Tugg? I'm in, besides, If this guy's a fake then we'll find out soon enough when it all stops working, besides what've we got to lose, right?" He looked at the rest, watching their actions and reactions, all while petting Tugg's furry head, barely feeling the bits of electricity that crackled against his hand as he did so.

Aerilyn glared at Shida, ignoring the others' words, and didn't bother looking at the girl who glowed. Great, we have a glow worm and a plug-in for our electronics to stand up to the Void. I'm sad to say that we are the worst group of vigilantes to ever make an appearance on this earth... She then pushed some of her auburn hair away from her face before she clenches her hands into fists at her sides. How could they so easily lay down their lives for those that would easily takes theirs? It didn't make any sense to Aerilyn, not even the slightest. Despite the anger and frustration that she felt inside, swirling like a whirlwind, she looked rather meek and emotionless on the outside. Her face was a mask of indifference. Suddenly, she turned away from the fire and started towards the entrance. "This blows." she muttered quietly before she started to climb back to the waste. Maybe I should just take this chance to go away, saying that I'll head out to Atlanta and deal with it myself, when I'll just make a mad dash away from these madmen and their crazy notions of heroism.

Her heart dropped into the pits of her abdomen when she remembered how the world outside of the haven appeared. She didn't want to stay there or do what the old man had said. She may have been chosen as an Elemental, but that didn't mean that she had to follow this path. I served a high class family as a bodyguard and passive servant for my entire life. She thought to herself as she sat down and breathed in the chemically embedded air. I just want to live for myself, now. Yes, it was a selfish thought, but it was what she truly felt. She'd never been able to move or act as she pleased until she'd been framed for the death of the family's child. Taking on the mission that he had assigned would mean almost certain death alongside those goody-two-shoes who believed that there was actually a chance of winning this war. I don't know what to do...

Kimberly sat on a rock, head resting on her hand thoughtfully. She had heard both sides of the argument, and felt that neither side was truly wrong. The world had altered humanity in such a way that oppression and fear ruled far more effectively. To be honest, she didn't really want any of the "saving the world" thing herself; all she wanted to do was to protect her hometown. But this was a disaster on a scale far beyond her calculations. If things went to hell, at least she would die taking the perpetrator with her.

"Guys, I know it seems like a suicide mission. This whole thing may seem incomprehensible at best, but let's look at this one other way. We have been living under oppression for so long. Life is hard, we know that. If the old man's tale is true, then that means humanity isn't at fault for this mess we supposedly got ourselves into today. The economic failure, the widespread deforestation: all just a ploy to weaken humanity down to its recesses.

"I believe that this is an opportunity. Humanity had flourished in our history, we had lived through golden ages, ages of advancement and yet we are now trapped in an era of stagnation. Things have to change, and we have the power to do so.

"What are we living for? As fellow humans, haven't there been times where we thought: 'We could be living a better life than we are right now. We could have had dreams to fulfill; our lives would have a meaning. We wouldn't have to live everyday thinking that tomorrow may be our last.'? I, for one, have. In fact, I have thought about this every night as I rest in my bed, dreaming that as tomorrow comes, we will have a happier life. And now, the means for that possibility has shown itself and we choose to turn our backs on it?

"It is a dog-eat-dog world out there. As much as we are supposed to be hunting those Vygorns, I am sure those Vygorns will be hunting us. One small misstep, one revelation that you have mystical powers, and that's it my friends. You are as good as gone. The Vygorns did not become politicians through magical mumbo-jumbo, I'd reckon. They have to possess some level of intelligence possibly parallel to humanity's. It is not a good idea to go alone.

"And so, I beg you all to reconsider: there is a grand future ahead, and we need only make a choice to grasp it. For if we don't, then humanity doesn't have any other option. We need this revolution."

Kimberly finished. She was surprised to find tears in her eyes. Emotions probably got the better of her, as she sat down on the rock once more and stared at the ground, thinking about the struggles she had to endure growing up.

Shida listened to and watched them all in silence, the hour had grown late, and he was restless. When the silence grew stronger, he picked himself up and marched over to the bonfire. He stood, looking into the flames. Suddenly, amidst his staring; he felt something calling to him and his blood grew warmer. It wasn't excitement or joy he felt, but he did feel indulged by a presence. Before he could blink, a great flaming bird cast out its wings from the bonfire, and rose up in front of Shida. He looked into the birds eyes, beady, black and char-coaled like burning lava, he realized then what he must do. "These Vygorn bastards want to control us, they want to take everything from us, our will, our lives, our food, our individuality and our humanity. I've been sick and tired of being pushed down by a force that I can't even see for so long." As he said that, he thought of all the people he knew that had lost their will to survive, lost there passion for life, and he swelled up inside. Shida took a deep breath. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and to all of you who choose to walk this path of death, and shall fear no man or beast, I vouch to protect and honor your life and ask you the same courtesy unto mine. My name is Shida, and from this moment forth, we are brothers of a pact that no man or evil otherwise can influence, and I believe that is something worth fighting for."

Aerilyn couldn't help but hear their words from below. She wanted to drown out their hope, attempting to smother it with her own disdain, but there was little she could do. She felt tears form in her eyes when she remembered how innocent and compliant her family had been to a Vygorn family. Her family had served them for generations without thinking twice about it--eating off of their plates and being their watchdogs for years. She hated that. She hated when people gave into others' influence so quickly. If I give in here... if I simply abandon these guys, then I'm not better than the Vygorn that are going to kill them. They're going to need someone who knows Atlanta, especially the "high ground" of the city, if they're going to want to deal a hard blow. She shook her head and blinked away the tears. Just then, she felt something within her stir--hope. Damn...

Just then, she looked up and saw a small black speck in the sky which was turning into a foreboding dusk. What the...? She slowly started to crawl closer to the hole so that she could make a quick escape if it was another of the Void creatures, but it seemed too small to actually do any harm. In fact, as it flew closer still, she realized that it was simply a bird that she had seen in one of the Alens' books on ancient wildlife. Inadvertently, she felt herself reach out to the raptor and felt it land on her forearm, digging its talons into her skin. The red-tail hawk tilted his head to the side and he made a sound between a purr and a gurgle. She felt a smile form on her lips, though it was slight.
"Hello, little one." She spoke in her quiet, but almost musical voice. Suddenly there was a burning sensation within her heart and her soul, but it didn't hurt. It was as if this bird was embedding its presence within her heart, soul, and mind---making it seem as if they were one and the same. A name popped into her head and she nodded her head to the hawk. "A pleasure to meet you, Skyff. I'm Aerilyn, or the Bandit, according to Atlanta's police." The bird met her eyes with its own and she knew that it was to see the master of the haven, to prove to the man that she was also going to stand up and fight, though she was still very unconscious of this decision.

She walked back to the fire, the hawk resting on her shoulder, doing his best not to tear into her flesh, but failing. Blood trickled down her shoulder and soaked into her jacket. Trying not to make eye contact, she spoke to the elderly man, "You said that we were not to go into Atlanta as a group, and I respect that." Then she spoke up a little more and her aura came into full force--like a sudden gust of wind. Her vibrant green eyes gazed at him almost defiantly, but her face was still an emotionless mask. "But I think that we are going to need a meeting point where we can determine where we can do the most damage to the Vygorns. I was once a servant to a family of them, and they are linked to the mayor, who may as well be the root of the problem. I do not wish to put us in peril, but please, I beg of you to let me be a guide."

(( Can the pets talk or is it like a telepathic connection between the two parties? ))

Will listened to everyone in the group, Shida has had a change of heart and almost the whole group is willing to fight back. He saw that they were all managing to summon their guardians Will couldn't help but to have a go summoning his own. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, his eyes glowed blue for a second or two and beside him was a wolf that seemed translucent and wavy like water. "Tsunami..." he thought. The wolf bowed it's head like it was nodding.

Gilfred leaned against the cave wall, and listened, an impassive look never leaving his face as he listened to everyone. From what he heard two lines were beginning to form, those that wanted to carry out the mission given to them, and those that preferred it to go alone. He sighed, standing straight from the wall, as he walked forward towards the fire , his mind raced with what to do, as both camps had expressed valid points. As he reached the fire he pulled a folding knife from his pocket, it was a simple knife, its blade scored and chipped, he had found it out in the wastes and had taken a liking to it, in this state it couldn't harm a fly, yet he still kept it. Turning it over in his hand he looked into it, as if it would somehow know what to do. He kept his eyes fixed on the blade, even as it slowly rose from his hand to balance on what little of a tip remained in the palm of his hand. "If we do this in earnest, we must remember that it will be bloody, old powers falling to new powers always are." He paused, as his head rose to track Aerilyn, before continuing "That means in the end we will only truly have each-other, against all of the odds. That we must chose to do this, and stay true to that conviction." Gilfred paused for a moment before shaking his head before looking at each of the members around the fire "Gone are the days of being alone, it appears we have lost that luxury. I suppose that Franklin said it best "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately"." His gaze finally settled on his brother, one of the only people he truly trusted, Gilfred nodded to him before turning back to the group "So I suppose, for necessity's sake, I am with you."

As Ghost looked at the others, he realized something: they all were willing to give away their lives so that others could live.
A smile appeared on his face as he stepped out of the shadows and sat down at the fire, if this was his team then there woudn't be any problem at all... They would all give their lives for one another and that is how this group will defeat those Vygorns.
He just sat there, listening to those who were talking, he wasn't in the mood to say much more, for he felt that something dark was brewing behind his eyepatch, and he needed his strenght to fight it off. He didn't wanted to change without being able to control himself.
If Ghoat stood too long in the darkness, his dark side would rise up and try to take control... Wich Ghost never liked at all...
"I am going to sleep... I'll see you all at dawn for when we'll leave to save this goddamned world..."
As Ghost stood up from the group, he felt his crimson eye burning, instead of going for one of the beds at the end of the cave, he walked outside, for he had to lose his darkness before truelly falling asleep.
The moment he felt the air brushing trough his hair, he grabbed his sword from his back. There weren't any trees he could swing at so he just had to imagine it, imagine that there was an enemy standing in front of him, and that he was in a real fight.
He moved his hand for a moment, as a dark grim shadow rose from the darkness, holding a blade in his hands. Ghost smiled as he started to fight his own creation to gain control back over his body.

Under the smog filled sky, a young girl slept, surrounded by the protection of thick foliage. Blooming buds entangled with ivy watched over her as she rested peacefully. How she dreamt of a garden more lavish than hers. Sprawling trees and exotic flora exhumed from the earth’s crust, dressing the grove in vibrant palettes the world had long forgotten about. Gone were the days of brown and grey. But this haven only existed in her dreams, or so she thought.

She awoke in a cold sweat, frightened by her own imagination. Her dream had been interrupted by blurry images of men dressed in business suits. Their faces were contorted and twisted and their limbs were disproportionately long. Images of the outside world flashed before her, showcasing the incessant mining and mountains of waste that rested behind the city walls. Then, the haven flashed before her one last time. Natures Haven. It beckoned to her, much like this greenhouse had so many years ago that she now calls home. She dressed, gathered her possessions, and was out the door before the sun had even risen.

Though she tried to mask it, she could shake the feeling of uneasiness her dream had brought upon her. Thema was a strong girl who was never phased easily, but certain situations had the ability to bring out the worst in her. Her head would twitch at times and her eyes constantly scanned her surroundings. Bystanders probably thought of her as a tweaker looking for her next fix, but Themas conviction was stronger than any drug in the world.

It wasn’t easy sneaking across the border, but Thema had distracted the guards by growing a patch of wildflowers away from their station. She knew they were ordered to kill any wildlife—flora or fauna—that managed to sneak into town and used that to her advantage. But as she walked out towards the desert, she couldn’t help but think, What now? She hadn’t had the slightest clue where this “Natures Haven” was. Sighing, she flared out her cowl and continued on into the valley of trash.

Mounds of garbage offered solace from the rising sun, but she couldn’t stay in one place for too long. The heat beat at her dark flesh and the stench of her surroundings was beginning to get to her. She cursed at herself for being foolish enough to believe in a dream. But she had gone so far already; to turn back now would be futile. As she stepped forth, she lost her footing and tripped a bit. It was then that the ground began to shift beneath her feet. Quicksand? Or some sort of trap? It was as though the Earth was swallowing her. She let out a cry for help as the sand dragged her deeper and deeper. She screamed out of desperation as she sunk into an abyss, certain this would be her last breath.

Rubbing her eyes, it felt as though she had blacked out for days. She ran her fingers through the dewy grass she rested upon and—Wait… grass? She looked around in awe, captivated by the lush grove that breathed life. “I made it!” she exclaimed. A wide smile laid across her face. She wasn’t sure why she was told to come here, but she was glad nonetheless. Unfortunately, her glee dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared. It was then she realized she wasn’t alone. There were others with her, gathered around a fire listening to an older man speak. Thema listened from the shadows as he informed the group about things such as The Void, Kyra, and Vygrons, all things that she had never heard of before. It was like she had been transported into some alien world from a fiction novel. Could it be true?

Most of the group began to bicker upon each other. Some questioned the validity of the entire situation while others blindly followed the old mans words. Thema was unsure of what she should do. As if the situation couldn’t get any more bizarre, the others began to summon unearthly creatures to their side. The old man had said something about guardians… she recalled. But now was not the time for that.

It was then that an older man emerged from the shadows. He fiddled with a small knife while gazing into the fire. How his green eyes contrasted with the red flames. "If we do this in earnest, we must remember that it will be bloody, old powers falling to new powers always are. That means in the end we will only truly have each-other, against all of the odds. We must choose to do this and stay true to that conviction." His speech made the most sense out of all the others, but his next line struck a chord within Thema. "Gone are the days of being alone, it appears we have lost that luxury.” Though her interactions with other humans were kept at a minimum, Thema was far from being alone. Her plants played with her, slept with her, and kept her company when no other person chose to. But how much longer could she guarantee the government would turn a blind eye to her quaint shed. She needed to fight for not only herself, but for the sake of mother nature.

Thema rose from the ground, deciding it was finally time to make her decision. Taking a deep breath, she kept a stern face as she began to speak, “I shall align with you as well…‘for necessity’s sake’.”

Beau noticed that the rest of those gathered seemed tone taking the same road, that they were agreeing with the old man and taking up pledges to fight, all had different ways of expressing it, and several others had summoned strange creatures from wherever these strane creatures came from. He smiled and then yawned, it dawned on him that he hadn't had any sleep in about two days, and that he was close on the verge of collapse, he scratched Tugg's head as he did, and then spoke up, "well it occurs to me that none of us who have chosen this path will be any good to anything of we aren't fully rested, imagine trying to sabotage an entire nation without a full nights sleep, I suggest that we all sleep, and In the morning we can try to find food, have breakfast, learn more about each other and discuss our first move when we are less sleepy, and have eaten, and have an entire day laid before us" Beau wondered where that had come from, he wasn't usually the one to suggest anything reasonable, maybe it was this place, it seemed to bring the wise lighting elemental out of him.

Anyway, after this Beau headed off into the blackness toward a particularly comfortable looking mushroom that sat directly under a hole in the roof of the cave, which Beau then claimed as his own bed via the ancient ways of the elementals "Dibs" Beau said sagely and climbed onto the mushroom, Tugg appearing next to him as he finally climbed up, then he scrunched up, Tugg's furry body serving as a blanket as the large creature laid across Beau's legs.