Having not considered keeping score, Cora briefly mused with Yahtzee over their points. She was in this more to gauge Yahtzee's performance, and she knew he wanted to test his skills. Their last point would be his to claim, as he so poetically put. Cora scoffed, wondering what flashy fire move he'd pull next. Her hands twitched in anticipation as he drew in a breath, held it, and nodded.

When she thought 'flashy', she wasn't expecting dragon's breath. As in literally. Yahtzee blew out a great wall of hot flame that licked its way to her, roaring with raw power. Acting on pure instinct, Cora threw up the quickest shield of ice in front of her, and the fire met it in a great hiss of steam. Fiery flames rushed around on all sides of Cora, almost encircling her in wicked heat for several agonizing moments before the dragon attack abated. 

As the smoke cleared, Cora's shield crumpled and fell to the ground in a heap of steaming, shattered ice. Along Cora's blocking arm were dark, ashy embers that thinly smoked. A few places on her cheek and face also had the same burn marks, though these were more intense and stark in contrast to her pale skin. 

Wincing, Cora gingerly touched her face to feel the damage. "Well, I think the last point goes to you. You're saying Salamander taught you that?" Under her touch the burns iced over, covered in a thin layer of frozen water. She did this for all her burn marks to soothe them and take out the heat. 

"Don't worry about these, I'll have Phil look at them in the morning." Cora said in response to his eyes gracing her burns. She didn't hold him responsible or anything, she knew what she was getting herself into. 

With a nod to Yahtzee she walked back over to the fire pit, donning her black hoodie but not bothering to zip it up. "Phil," She said, plopping down on the other log beside him. "Tomorrow morning, as soon as there's enough light, do you think you could try healing me before we take off?" She gestured to the burns along her cheekbone. 

The fire burned low as the night went on. Cora added the remaining logs to the fire, but for the most part watched it die down. Will offered to take the first watch, to which Cora nodded appreciatively. Quite drained from her matches before (plus whatever shit she sustained), Cora curled up on some dead grass. Not as shitty as sleeping on stone, at least. She considered, patting down grass that flaked away under her hand. Rolling her hoodie up, she used it as a pillow in the effort to get comfy. Surprising to her insomniac self, the moment she shut her eyes she was out. Little snores escaped her lips, but besides that Cora was still as the grave. 

Will's voice woke her sometime in the night, but her grogginess made it hard to remember exactly what he said. Groaning, she dragged herself up from the dirt, draping her shoulders with her hoodie. It took an excessive amount of energy to stumble to the entrance, but through half-open eyes Cora only saw Will in the low fire light. "Mm, what's going on, Will?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her eye. 

"Phil tomorrow morning, as soon as there's enough light, do you think you could try healing me before we take off?" Cora said to the sleepy Hygron. Phil, looking at her burned face, said "yeah, but if it starts hurting bad, I can try healing it tonight". As the fire grew lower, and Phil became more exhausted, he started to think about Atlanta and about what he did lose. He lost his friends, his home, his wealth, his future... and something a lot more important. His thoughts vanished as he heard Will shout "That depends, who's asking?". Phil knew that something was up the second Will shouted that out. He followed the recently awoken Cora out of the cave, but didn't call to Will as Cora did. All Phil knew is that if Will had attracted the Vygorns, the entire group would be in trouble now.

Yahtzee strained to keep the jet of fire going but it was hard work. The oxygen in his lungs only changed to fire in his mouth but he still had to breath it out and after only a few moments he had to stop to draw in another breath. As spots danced in his eyes he looked up to see if he had done any damage and saw Cora still standing there and thought at first that his attack had been completely inefective. Then he saw the burnes on her cheeks and his eyes widened slightly and he opened his mouth to apologize but she spoke first dismissing his concerns for her. "yeah... Salamander taught me." He said slightly shocked that he had caused such damage. At the mention of his name Salamander looked up and gave a soft snort that sent out a small lick of flame as if demonstrating his power.

At the mention of the point going to him Yahtzee cracked a small smile and nodded. "I guess it's still a draw though. Until next time..." He tipped an imaginary hat towards her and gave a small bow and straightened up yawning. It suddenly seemed to be so late to him and his eye-lids began to feel heavy. "I guess it's time to turn in huh?" He asked to no one in particular. Looking around the small enclosure he found a spot near the fire and walked over to it. As he started to lie down the small dragon moved over to him and lay down too and within moments both of them were asleep.

He slept through the commotion from Wil however when Cora and Phil got up to investigate Salamnder shifted and that finally woke Yahtzee up and he followed sleepily. "Guys?" He asked wiping his eyes as he stumbled forward. "What's going on?" He stared bleary eyed at everyone else and raised a hand to eye level in front of his face before bringing forth a small flame that rested in his open palm to light up the are around them.

Gilfred blinked, the familiarity of the voice had caught him a bit off guard, still he persisted not wanting to lose the momentary advantage that he had achieved he gritted his teeth and shifted the sleeping Thema. "Gilfred Mason, Metal elementalist." He said with a clarity that surprised him given the situation. Still he set his jaw and turned his mind to the shards and Gawain, the first of which had begun to spin slightly as if anticipating having to cut through the air. He silently hoped for a better outcome than that, though silently he prepared for the worst.

Silently behind the figures, Gawain lifted his nose, breathing in familiar smells, he too began to be caught a bit off guard. This feeling betrayed the creature as it rose slightly, sending a few pebbles from it's perch, all of which sounded like an avalanche to the Enfeild, who began to inch backwards trying to mitigate whatever giveaway it had just committed.

Will looked back to a sleepy Cora, Phil and Yahtzee who had illuminated the place with a snap of his fingers. The man finally announced his name. "Oh my god..." Will said, he took a step foward and immediately powered down. "Gil? You're... alive?" He asked. "It's Will" he said taking a step foward. He could see Gilfred more clearly now despite tears welling up in his eyes, it wasn't often Will cried, but this was too much. "I thoght you were dead!" He said, smiling. "Is that..." Will began, looking at Thema. "Thema!?" Will was in complete shock. Gil and Thema didn't die? Will was almost certain they weren't alive, positive that they were dead but here they were infront of him and for that he was glad, more than glad. Tsunami formed from a puddle nearby and ran up to Gil pawing at his legs.

Phil just stared as Will was reunited with his brother. Phil was happy for Will, to find that his relative wasn't dead was a good thing. But Phil also felt... jealous, He wished his loved ones could just return like that. Phil pushed this selfish feeling back and just looked at who Gilfred was holding. Thema also survived, it seemed these two survived the last battle. But Phil had a feeling that this was the last shard of their previous group who'd return. Phil just turned to Cora saying "At least they survived, This means that half of our original group has returned... Do you think anyone else survived?". He then turned back to the scene in front of them, of Will and Gilfred.

Yahtzee's light illuminated their party, and Cora could see silver metal glinting in the air. Hah! I know what that is.

A sleepy grin rose on Cora's charred, burnt face. "Will and Gilfred Mason, united at last. Where the hell where you, man? We've been here for hours--" Her voice dropped a note. "Well, mourning everyone, really."

"At least they survived, This means that half of our original group has returned... Do you think anyone else survived?" Phil asked. 

Cora gave the question a moment to sink in. Her gut feeling was usually never wrong, but not even it was giving her any hunches. Nothing. Her feelings were listless. 

"No." She said finally. "No, I think this is it."

She glanced around Gilfred, moving to avoid the water splashes as Tsunami appeared. Outside the black world was silent, obscure. It wasn't the darkness she didn't trust, it was what could be hidden within it. All the more reason for them to leave as soon as they could in the morning. 

"Well, what are we all doing standing around the entrance? Let's welcome our new family in like real people." She chuckled, moving back over to the fire pit. The flames were quiet, but some more logs and some expert fire-poking got the pit healthy and bright again. Cora sat facing the cave entrance, pulling her arms through the sleeves of her hoodie and zipping it up. 

It occurred to her that Yahtzee wouldn't recognize these people. She beckoned him to come sit by her. "These two newcomers you see were part of the rescue party when Will and I were taken hostage. Gilfred is Metal, and the lovely lady he has with her, Thema, can control plant life. She's also a healer, from what I can recall."

Her gaze shifted. "I'm probably going back to bed in a couple minutes, but I want to hear how you two got out of the battle." Cora said, a hint of curiosity in her voice. 

Yahtzee stared at the two with a bleary-eyed expression as he tried to focus on the others around him to assess whether or not they were friend or foe. Both Will and Phil seemed to have warm reactions so Yahtzee assumed they were the former and he took a moment to try and check them out. The man struck him as someone that was on his last dregs of resistance and was pushing through with sheer force of will and Yahtzee felt an instant warmth towards the newcomer. The girl on the other hand... He had no idea what to make of the sleeping figure in the man's arms other than she looked like she had the right idea and Yahtzee had to suppress a yawn as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

He vaguely paid attention to Cora as she spoke and he felt a small twinge of remorse for the suffering that those around him had gone through. He turned his gaze to Cora and kept his eyes fixed on her hoping for an explanation of some sort and he followed when she went back into the cave and sat down next to her. Salamander got up and sauntered over to the newcomers and sniffed the man's legs for a moment before giving a dismissive sneeze. "Don't be rude Salamnder." Yahtzee said through another yawn. "I'm sure they're lovely people." He let his eyes drift closed for a moment but opened them again as Cora spoke about who these people were and he gave a brief nod of understanding.

"I'm Yahtzee" He said to Gilfred. "An honour I'm sure." He gave a sort of bow from his sitting position and Salamander made his way over to him and lay down beside him and started snoring softly within moments. Yahtzee looked at the sleeping dragon beside him and looked back at Gilfred and Thema then back at Salamander and then finally back them again. "Wow. He really likes you." He said to them as he lay down on his side near the dragon and rested his head his companion's side. Salamander gave an exaggerated snort but otherwise didn't object to being used like a pillow. "I'm listening to every word you say so don't mind me." Yahtzee said as he closed his eyes and struggled against actually falling asleep so that he could hear what Gilfred would have to say about the battle he had heard Cora mention.

Gilfred Mason

Gently resting Thema's slumbering body on a bed of withered clovers, Gilfred took a moment to glance around what remained of the Haven. "I am grieved by this... Nature's Haven was an oasis, and now even it's a skeleton."

He turned to face Will, and with his hands finally free he embraced him. "But I am overjoyed to see you alive, Will." He pulled back, staring into Will's eyes. "Think before you run off again. I don't care if it's to save a damsel in distress, I was so certain you were lost. We're family, we have to stick together."

Glancing over the faces staring back at him, Gilfred noted the ones missing. He could assume that if the others hadn't shown up before him and Thema, they probably weren't ever gonna show. Which meant four of the original Elements were missing, and this weighed heavily on his mind. He met the Light Hygron's eyes. "I'm glad to see you made it too, Phil. But you look exhausted, maybe even more than I."

He looked curiously down at the dragon sniffing his leg, taking a seat on one of the extra log seats by the fire pit. He was a few seats down from Cora who briefly filled in a man Gilfred didn't recognize. 

"I'm Yahtzee," Yahzee said. "An honour I'm sure."

Gilfred smiled back. "Nice to meet you. You would be a..."

Cora jumped in. "Fire Hygron."

"Oh yes, of course. I couldn't see it before. So Shida...?" Gilfred trailed off.

Cora gave a slow nod. Looking disheartened, Gilfred lowered his gaze to the fire dancing in the pit. The dragon from before curled up by his seat, falling asleep in seconds. Yahtzee stared at what Gilfred assumed to be his guardian, his eyes wide. "Wow. He really likes you."

Gilfred chuckled. Glancing at Cora's expectant look, he leaned forward. "Thema and I were back-up for Aerilyn's storm. No alien could reach her through the sand, thankfully. We had our hands full as it was. I took a couple hard hits myself, but when we eventually retreated I couldn't see any friendly party. I didn't know what to think.

"We didn't get far before I had to stop from my injuries. Thema very kindly healed most of it, but she passed out shortly after. I carried her the rest of the way to Haven. I was hoping there'd be someone here, but I had resigned myself to the thought that only Thema and I survived."

He took a breath. "Thankfully I was wrong."

Conversation continued around the circle in murmured voices and soft words. With the combination of all current elements together, the cavernous hole left by the Vygorns only deepened. There was a sense of empowerment too, though. Maybe they could handle Kyra's summons after all. 

Everyone slumbered the last hours of night away, the crack of a smoggy dawn filling the sky sooner than expected. 

Cora Rishaw

Phil was gently rustled awake. Cora hovered over him, a finger to her lips. "Shh. Follow me."

Quietly standing again, Cora stepped around the multitude of sleeping bodies in the Haven. She tried her best not to wake them, but Salamander snapped an eye open as she tiptoed past. Winking at the guardian, Cora continued making her way to the cave's entrance. The sky outside was just lighting up, dawn on the edge of the horizon. Cora found the wasteland air most refreshing in the morning before the sun had time to bake mountains of junk under its sweltering heat. 

She sat on a stone a few meters from the entrance, removing her hoodie to expose all the ashy burns she received last night. A couple lined her left arm, but she was more concerned about the ones on her face and neck. Hopefully Phil can reduce the scarring too. She thought, gingerly touching her cheek. After a couple hours on ice they definitely looked better, but they were still raw and blistered. 

"Mind taking a look at these?"

It was a hot day, again. Patrols would not be out in a desolate place like this anyways. The burning rays of light in this junk desert made the chances of meeting anyone drop to almost zero.
Sig didn't feel like walking, especially right into the sun which was shining in his face. Instead he lied down on top of Spike, who was walking pretty fast for a big turtle, and started sunbathing. Spike's steps and the heat made Sig very drowsy and was very clise to falling asleep.

He set off a few days ago because of an uncontrollable urge. He had no idea where he was going, nor why. But it was still better than spending time with people. People, Sig learned, are horrible. They lie, steal, hurt... and kill. Their selfishness is such that they could betray their own family for their ill gains. Sig had enough of it. If he were to see another hhuman being now...
Spike slowed down and Sig heard his friend's booming, deep voice in his head. There was someone ahead of them. The sun shone in their eyes so it was difficult to tell. If they were guards or some kind of robbers, Sig would make them regret ever having met him.

"Lets show those bastards the Earth we're made of!" Said Sig challengingly.

Without warning, Spike dove into the ground as if it was water, with Sig still on his back. They disappeared from sight and erupted out of the ground a couple of metres away from the group by the fire, Spike got on his hind legs to show his full height, and Sig stood there next to him with a challenging look in his eyes.

However his expression quickly changed to reflect his confusion. One of the weirdest groups of people was standing in front of him. All of them were different; different clothing, different expressions and a general different "feel". Then Sig noticed the creatures as well.

"Huh?" Was all he could say.

It took a few moments for Thema to gather her thoughts. She awoke from a bed of lush clovers, rubbing her eyes. As she ran her fingers through the grass, a sudden realization made her gasp aloud. She looked around the Haven in bewilderment and saw a few bodies of other men sleeping in similar patches of earth. Last night, i… she thought. She plucked some clovers from the ground and smashed them in each palm. Her frustration was apparent. As she pulled more clovers, her memories finally hit her like a truck. “Gilfred!” she exclaimed. Last nights memories began to flood back to her.

The rescue mission, the escape, and the healing session overwhelmed her thoughts. She stood up in shock, unsure of how she ended up back in the Haven. Thema frantically looked over her shoulders, searching for some sort of answer. “Gilfred!” she called out again, her voice echoing through the cave. She could feel the tickle of the clovers stems growing by the moment. They thickened and began to disperse around her as a defense mechanism. Had she passed out? Her mind drew a blank. The last thing she could remember was leaning over the metal bender and treating his wounds.

Trying her best to keep a level head, she walked over to the nearest body and gave it a soft nudge with her boot. Her eyes still hadn’t adjusted to the darkness of the cave, but she could see that the man had fairly tanned skin and wore dark clothing. She gave another nudge, this time a bit harder to see if he was even alive. Though she tried to stay calm, the flora that grew around her showed her true emotions. A trail of wildflowers and clovers grew sporadically in the steps of the plant mage. Large flowers well above their average size spurted from the earth as well in no particular pattern. Two large vines reached for the sleeping body, seductive in their movements. She needed to know something, anything about how she ended up back at the Haven and the whereabouts of Gilfred. As the vines crept closer, she reeled her foot back, preparing a final kick that was sure to wake the man if he was alive.

Phil, barely conscious, tried to hide his drowsiness. But was quickly pointed out by gilfred saying "I'm glad to see you made it too, Phil. But you look exhausted, maybe even more than I". At this point, Phil decided to turn in. "yeah... Actually I think I'm going to turn in for the night" he said light-heartedly. He found a small patch of grass about 2 metres from the fire and laid down. As he was about to go to sleep, Toran trudged up to Phil, his wings dragging along, and asked "do you see me as lowly as a Librarian?". Phil sighed and said "your not like a librarian, you just can't harass that over dragon because he is sleepy. He's a baby compared to your hundred year old ass". Toran chuckled and said "maybe your right...". Toran then tucked up next to Phil and fell asleep within minutes. Phil fell right asleep a few seconds after.
Phil experienced terrible nightmares of Atlanta during his sleep, as well as nightmares of their last battle. But during his night terrors, he felt himself being slowly rustled awake by someone. Phil opened his eyes and, after his eyes readjusted, saw Cora's burnt face hovering over him. Before Phil could react she whispered "Shh. Follow me". Phil dragged himself to his feet and followed Cora to the entrance of the cave, where the sun had begun to rise. When the light hit Phil's face, he smiled as he felt the energy flow back through his body.
Cora removed her hoddie to reveal the burns on her left arm, and she asked "Mind taking a look at these?"
Phil answered by saying "sure, close your eyes and... Think of something nice". Phil softly touched Cpra's cheeks and focused a smooth light through his hands. The amount of times he healed people during his time getting to the haven was more than he wished he had to, from simple cuts to complex fractures. Phil healed nearly any afflicted wound. The responses he got however, where mixed. He had been called a savior and a monster. He had been rewarded and exiled. Hell, someone even tried to kill him, but then again, they must of heard of what happened in Atlanta to give such a horrified look to him as he healed their fractured arm. That was one thing Phil had to remember, people won't be nice to you just because you have nice intentions. Cora's face was healed up, a plus was that her face didn't even show signs of scaring or repair after Phil healed the burns.
"now I'll heal your arm and then we're done" he said in a positive tone. He gently held her wrist to keep her arm in place and placed his other hand on the wound. It wasn't as bad as the burns on her face so it only took a few seconds. When he was finished, he let go of her arm. "all done... Sorry I don't have a lollipop to give you" he said laughing.

Will fell asleep near the Hygrons, especially close to Cora and Gilfred. He didn't mind the hard ground, not at all as he was exhausted. His emotions today were... like a rollercoaster. The capture, a failed rescue attempt dismayed him and yet, new Hygrons came forth and perhaps more to come, and he truly cared for the people that were safe, and for this he was overjoyed. He slept soundly that night but went to sleep later than the rest.

That morning, Will awoke to the call of Thema. She was looking for Gilfred. Will scrambled up as fauna spread across the cavern floor as Thema panicked. Will spun to his left seeing Cora and Phil at the entrance of the cave. "Guys!" He yelled to them before whipping right and looked at Gilfred. "Gilfred, bro! Wake up!" He said as he shook his brother alot. He looked to Thema then back to Phil and Cora but this time he noticed a thrid figure, and a large turtle-like creature. "Dammit!" He said. He shook Gilfred once more before running out the cave scooping up his fedora at the same time. "Phil! Cora! Deal with this please!" I'll deal with him!" He said runnig towards the man and his pet. He powered up but didn't attack. "Look buddy! I don't know who you are but would you be so kind as to go elsewhere for now before I make you regret staying!" He threatened at the man and creature.

Sig heard the words the man with the fedora said, but wasn't too worried, since he was just a man anyways, or was he?
In any case, no one can tell Sig what to do. No one. His confusion turned back into anger and Spike straightened his back even more to seem bigger.

"I'm not your buddy and I can stay wherever I want!"
With that Spike fell to all fours, roaring at Will and shaking the ground. This man here clearly doesn't know who he decided to start a fight with, Sig decided its time to show him.

He raised his arms suddenly, creating a pillar right under his feet, which lifted him up in the air. If the man had any common sense, he'd have started running and not have looked back.
Sig grinner triumphantly, loving the feeling of being more powerful than the race he hated.

Another Hygron!? Will followed Sigsmund on his own pillar but made out of water. 'We're not so different huh?" Will said, smirking. Will's eyes glowed that signature colour as held the pillar in place with a bit of difficulty, water was hard to keep still. "So tell me? Do you want to sit back and let me get back to you or do you REALLY wanna start something?" He asked coyly. He raised his fists up in a boxing pose. "Cause you really don't wanna start something.' Will said, almost threatingly. He awaited a response and was hoping he would be able to return to his friends and help, but Hygrons are an... unpredictable bunch.

Sig's surprise was such that the dirt pillar collapsed on itself, covering large part of Spike and Sigismund himself. He couldn't believe that man just made water out of nothing. Sig was so stunned that he even forgot about the fight. He was not alone...
Living amongst humans was a pain, a real pain. It was either loneliness or disgust Sig had to chose between, until he found Spike. But now, it will all change. If there are more people with special powers, they could show the humans a thing or two. Sigismund always liked to sabotage things. A deep bump suddenly appearing in front of an offroad was usually enough to send it flying, and at best of times, it would explode.
Now, however, he wouldn't have to limit himself to petty sabotaging. They could attack army camps, military bases, why even take over cities! A grand future stood ahead of Sigismund and the people who could control the elements.

"Say, are there any more of your kind?" Sig said while both he and Spike got out of the dirt half covering them.

Yahtzee was just beginning to stir from his slumber and idly wondered what it was that had woke him. He didn't even bother opening his eyes and tried to simply fall back asleep but suddenly something hard and small and surprisingly foot-shaped slammed into his side making him yelp in surprise and pain and he leapt nearly a foot in the air from a s lying down position and he hurried to his feet looking to see what the threat was. "Salamander!" He called worried that his dragon was in some sort of trouble but he saw the him standing not far away staring intently at the girl he had seen Gilfred bring in earlier. "Aw no. Man why does the psycho have to sleep next me? This is so unfair." He complained bitterly to no one in particular. "Look psycho, I can't remember your name right which might have something to do with being woken up but leave me alone!" He snapped to the girl and suddenly her name occurred to him. "Hey, it's Thema right? Well you're Gilfred's pro-" He stopped talking as he heard a commotion nearby and he stopped talking to check it out.

Wil was atop a huge pillar of water facing another man on a pillar of earth. "What the hell is going on here?" He asked exasperated. "I'm going to find Cora and Phil!" He called to Wil although he had doubts that he could be heard from where he was on the ground. "Just entertain your new friend until I get back!" He turned and sprinted in another direction. Salamander in the meantime had followed Yahtzee outside after checking out Thema and had only just gotten out as Yahtzee ran off again. With an annoyed huff he launched into the air to fly over to his human and cling to his back like he normally did. The extra weight made Yahtzee stumble but he kept going until finally he found the other two members of the party.

"Guys!" He he yelled with a note of urgency. "I don't know what's going but Thema woke up and she's a total psycho! She woke me up I mean can you believe that!" He trailed off then remembered the other reason he was looking for them. "Oh and also someone else is here an is being beaten up by Wil. At least I think that's what's going on but more importantly I think Thema needs to be dealt with before we all get murdered or something in our lack of sleep." He said as he headed back to where Wil and the stranger were.

Phil lightly touched her cheek, making the burns sting. Cora refrained from wincing, her fingers nervously playing with the links attached to her metal cuff. She had never been healed before, especially not with the Sun's energy, which sounded incredibly hot. Phil gave her some instructions for the process. "Close your eyes and... Think of something nice."

Not much to go off of, but Cora closed her eyes regardless. Images appeared in her mind that were tagged with 'nice'. Her old apartment in Atlanta, covered from ceiling to floor in an abundance of green plants, pots, shrubberies. The scent of flowers was most pleasant, overpowering the city smells outside. The night she had a vision of Nature's Haven in its heavenly glory, that dream resurfaced vividly in her mind. Irys, her icy jellyfish-like familiar, floated around the beams of light shining down, playing amongst the six-foot high mushrooms and lush grasses. Babbling, crystalline water fell from the ceiling and traveled all throughout the cave, rolling below the walls of eternal fires. God, the Haven was truly beautiful before...

Before those bastards destroyed it!

Cora snapped her eyes open, anger rippling through her body. Phil was still working, she had to focus. Come on, Cora. Think of something nice. Forcing her eyes shut again, Cora cycled through the lighter memories in her head. Her burns began to tickle and heat up as the energy mended the damaged skin. She had to stop from itching them, knotting her fingers together. 

Phil took her arm, healing the burns along it in record timing. Cora opened her eyes, amazed to see the change. It was like night and day, one moment her burns were there, and now her skin was clear. Smooth, unmarred. Even the skin along her cheekbones felt repaired and free of scars. 

"Wow." Cora said, grinning. "You've outdone yourself, Phil. If I could see my face I'm sure there'd be no trace of burns. But uh, what's a lollipop?" Cora never had the luxury of candy when she was growing up. 

A translucent, crystal jellyfish appeared in a flourish in front of Cora's eyes, and she immediately stood. Holding a finger to her lips, she glanced at Phil. "Elemental incoming. Be on guard."

He's under the earth. Irys chimed. 

"Get behind me, Irys. Just in case." Cora commanded. 

A huge turtle burst from the dry, cracked soil, a man sliding off its large back. He brandished a hammer, ready for a fight. Why? What's got him on edge? Cora briefly wondered. Almost simultaneously Will emerged from the cave, joining them outside. 

"Phil! Cora! Deal with this please! I'll deal with him!" Will said, powering up. 

"Deal with what?" Cora furrowed her eyebrows, glancing back into the cavernous mouth behind them. As if on cue, Yahtzee ran out from the darkness with a figurative fire lit under his ass. 

"I don't know what's going but Thema woke up and she's a total psycho! She woke me up I mean can you believe that!" He said in an exasperated tone. 

"Thema must be confused. She's been asleep for a while." Cora said, strikingly calm. "We have a situation out here too."

Sig instantly struck her as someone with a lot of hate, and a defier of authority. As cold as she was, Cora could relate. But, she couldn't put her finger on it, but something was giving her bad vibes. Their work as Elementals was equal to a holy crusade, it meant the life or death of Kyra and everyone living upon her. Cora felt extremely protective of their ultimate goal, so the fact she instantly felt a tension in her gut from appraising this man made her suspicious. 

As Will and Sig faced each other upon pillars of their respective elements, Cora felt that creeping apathy taking hold of her chest. It was the same as the time Vygorns approached their encampment, and she slipped away to take out their military base by herself. She felt dangerous, on edge. 

She set laser eyes on Sig, snarled, and turned away. "Talk him down, Will. You know what to do." She reigned in her voice as much as she could, but a harsh tone still escaped her lips. With a trail of frost coating her steps, Cora disappeared into the Haven. Irys twirled behind her a moment before disintegrating out of this dimension. 

Trying to shake off the bad vibes (and her pissed off attitude), Cora walked toward Thema. She took in the scene, noting the life growing in the steps of Thema, including the bed of clovers Gilfred rested her in. Last night they were withered like the rest of the Haven, but now they were curiously alive. And huge. 

Thema didn't look so good. Maybe a little psycho, even. Cora approached her slowly, palms open. "Hey, Thema. How are you feeling? Gilfred brought you here last night after you healed him, you were sleeping pretty heavy. Yahtzee's a little flustered outside, can you tell me what happened?" 

"You know what to do!" Cora shouted to Will. Yeah, he did, one of two things actually. "Yes..." he replied to Sig. "All of us are Hygrons, Elementals." Will said proudly gesturing to the others below. "We're like... protectors... of the earth, and all of her inhabitants." Will explained as he levelled with Sigsmund. "There are.. beings who wish to destroy Mother Nature's work, or who we know as Kyra. These beings are known as Vygorns, we do not know them except they have the look of a human and all the charm of a snake. They are many, usually in high up positions, and they are the cause of the junkyard wasteland. This place is...' Will trailed off. He sighed then carried on. "Was the last piece of nature untouched. It was Nature's Haven, beautiful, serenic, and now destroyed." Will described. He look at the Earth Hygron in the eyes and was more serious than ever. "But I warn you, if you ever undermine our work or hurt my friends. I will see to punish you, severely." He threatened. Will couldn't help it but he cared for all the Hygrons, and the earth, if anything threatened them or it then Will will make sure they pay. Like the Vygorns will. "If you want to help protect humanity, then you can join us." Will offered the new Hygron.

Sig decided it was time to put agressiveness aside, for now, and answered.
"Nice welcome you're giving me... I just thought you guys were one of those patrols or raider groups, which are practically the same thing."

Sig knew he had to get to know these people to effectively fight together with them. He was mostly curious about their abilities and powers. This waterman seemed fierce enough to be promising.
Sig stepped forward. "I'm Sig, and this is Spike." He said nodding towards the giant turtle.
He listened to what Will said. Vygorns must be what they call those shady dudes that are always everywhere, telling people what to do and killing who doesn't obey the rules. Sig dealt with a couple already.
He looked inside the cave for a second then decided to point out the obvious. "If you guys have nature powers, why dont you just rebuild the place?" Maybe these guys were actually idiots with supernatural abilities.

The last thing the man said though, was not something he was really happy about.
"Protecting humanity? Why would you ever wanna do that? They'll want to kill you on sight. Everyone will want to kill you. I learned... but my friend didnt." He lowered his voice "He's dead and I'm not"
He was quiet for a while and decided to join his kind... they will realise, with time.

"All right" he sighed "you can count on me".