Kokushi

The Elemental Legacy

I think its down... no idea

The Elemental Legacy

46.

The following morning, Summer wakes up to Ember snuggled up to her and Damien still asleep in her floor. It took her a moment to remember what had happened the night before she decided to just let them be as she quickly got dressed and left her room with them snoozing away. Once she was positive that the two had not woken up, she left the tower and decided to explore the University. As she wandered the hallways, she took her time to admire how everything seemed to change around her. To her, the hallways were designed to create a tunnel of trees that allowed light to leak through their branches, creating uneven splotches of light as she walked. The orbs that usually floated within the halls were no longer there, as there was no need for them to be.

Unable to stop herself, Summer put a hand on one of the wall trees and smiled as she felt the rough texture of bark under her slim fingers. After a few moments, she began to walk again, lost in thought as she allowed her mind to wander to the events of last night. She still couldn't believe that she was a shifter, and that she could change into such a large animal, but how was she supposed to do it on a whim? Still lost in thought, Summer ran into something, or rather, someone, and fell back on her butt with a small squeak of surprise. When she looked up to see what it was she had bumped into, she saw Jade Fist peering at her through his mask.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Summer stammered out as she rushed to get to her feet and dust off the green sun dress she was wearing, "I... I wasn't watching where I was going..."

"It's alright, Summer." Jade replied, raising his hand in a calming gesture. "What are you up to?"

"I'm just... wandering the halls really. Between classes and trying to catch up with you all... I haven't... really had the chance to explore... What brings you through these halls?"

"Thinking. Just... thinking. Walking helps me think."

"Oh... I see... well... how has your first week of this place been?"

"So far it's been pleasant enough. Still can't shake off that thought of Lucerna's slaving rings recovering while I'm away though. Irks me that there's nothing I can do about it at this time."

Summer looked down at her bare feet, as she never did like the feel of shoes, and rocked back on her heals a bit, "I wish I could help them... I mean, I'm finally learning how to do things that I couldn't before and I feel like... I should be helping our people... you know?"

"Hmm. That's exactly how I felt when I first crawled out... out of..." Jade fell silent for a moment, and shook his head. "Nevermind. It's good to feel like you have a purpose. Cherish it."

"May I ask... why do you wear all that armor? It seems like it would be stuffy in this type of place."

"When I first donned it, that was indeed a problem. But after you wear the same thing for over a century... well, it really feels like a part of you. Guess it just doesn't bother me anymore."

Summer simply nodded her head as she continued to rock back and forth on her heels, she wasn't sure what to say to that as she felt like it would be a bad idea to question why he wore it at all. She still bore the scars from when she questioned things that she shouldn't and though she was aware that Jade more than likely would not harm her, she felt it safer to remain silent.

"Summer, may I ask you a question?" Jade said suddenly.

Snapped from her thoughts, Summer looked at Jade and simply nodded her head to indicate that he could do so.

"Those doors. In the main hall. Each one represents one of us. I wanted to ask you... what do you think is behind the door belonging to you?"

Summer looked up at Jade for a moment before adapting a thoughful look as she thought about what he asked her. She remembered one of her teachers explaining that the doors were there when it was time for a Sage to face what they either feared the most, or if they had unfinished business. The only thing Summer was truly afraid of was Fredrick, and she didn't feel as if she had any unfinished business with anyone. Well... there was one thing she was afraid of more than Fredrick...

"Honestly? I am not certain... Is it possible to face yourself do you think?" Summer asked softly.

Interesting response. Jade thought it a valid enough possibility.

"Perhaps..." He said, "Internal conflict is one of those timely... cliches, people always read about in books and play scripts. But then, it seems like the greatest of triumphs, doesn't it?"

Summer couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped from her as she thought on what Jade said, "It really does seem cliche doesn't it? I guess we won't ever really know what is t is behind our doors until it is time for us to open them. It is just... I have one side of me I know nothing about... I wonder... a lot actually, about what it means to be a shifter really..."

"You ask me? It's a greater kind of freedom. Oneness with the living of nature... something many elves dream of achieving. But a shifter has a much greater connection, I'm certain."

"Jade... what do you think is behind your door?"

Somehow, he was expecting her to ask that question.

"Summer... I know exactly what's behind my door."

She nodded her head, perhaps it was like that for most of her companions, maybe not. "I do not, but I would like to... I would like to offer you my help, for what its worth, if you will accept it."

Jade's voice began to lose a bit of its usual stability. "Summer, as much as I value your companionship, the same for all of the Sages... I don't think that's a good idea. You don't deserve to see what's inside Shatterbrain." He hadn't even noticed he'd said the name until seconds after it escaped his lips.

"Oh..." Summer murmured, Maybe he thinks I'm not strong enough to help..., "I don't... right, I'm sorry..." She focused her gaze back down to her feet as she softly chewed on her bottom lip, not knowing what to say next.

Jade shook his head. "Because..." He paused for a moment, and then brought his hand up, raising Summer's chin to meet her gaze once more. "I don't want you, or anyone, to face the madness I faced. I would never forgive myself if that happened to any of you."

"But... isn't the point... to not have to face it alone? I mean... we are all suposed to work together and everything... If you think it's too bad for me to face then... maybe it's too bad for you to face alone?"

An honest loss for words. Jade lowered his hand.

"You..." He muttered, "You could be right. But I... we'll see what happens when the time comes. I don't have any power over you. It's your choice whether you aid me or not."

Summer met Jade's gaze with a steady one of her own before offering her hand to him, "Then I am coming. I consider you a friend so... so I won't let you do it alone."

Jade raised his hand to lay it upon hers, but... he paused for a moment. He raised his other hand, tugging on the fingers of his gauntlet... and off it came. His hand was... red. Rugged. Riddled with burns and scars. Didn't even look like skin. His ring finger... you could see the bone. And emblazoned on his right hand was a circular insignia bearing the letters SSJ, branded into the skin, charred and darkened enough to stand out amidst the red and yellow.

He raised his hand once more. Now he was the one offering his. To his suprise, without a moments hesitation, Summer place her pale hand into his burned and scared one. She didn't so much as flinch as her soft hand met with the sensation of scars upon scars that would turn any hand hard. She wasn't afraid of what she had seen, in fact, a part of her was happy that he allowed her to see that part of him, no matter how small.

After a moment, their hands separated. Jade placed his gauntlet back upon his mess of a hand.

"Let's walk." Jade said, "Together. See what sights the University holds."

Summer offered him a genuine smile as she nodded her head, "That sounds good to me."

The Elemental Legacy

44.

As dinner continued, the six sages chatted away as they enjoyed their food, though eventually Summer quieted down and tried her best to stiffle a yawn as she fed some meat scraps to Merlin who had decided to perch on the table next to her plate. She managed to stay awake long enough for Damien to notice that she needed to get to the tower, and into bed. The elf/shifter seemed slightly embarrassed that Damien had noticed her stubborness and reluctance to leave the laughing group, but she also welcomed it. She politely excused herself and promised Calixta that they could talk some more tomorrow before heading to the Tower with her Werewolf roomate.

Once they finally made it to their tower, Summer thanked Damien for walking with her before she made the short climb to her room. The bed was still unmade from when she had practically jumped out of bed when Damien had gotten her for dinner. She had just started a nightmare before he had woken her, and she had been relieved that he had saved her from that horror, but there was nothing to save her now. Summer slowly changed back into the nightgown she had worn earlier and placed Merlin on his perch before climbing into bed, falling asleep minutes later, only to meet Fredrick in her nightmares.

---

The next week past in a blur, as the sages were kept busy with classes, Summer was finally getting a handle on the fact that she did have power over the wind, and it thrilled her to no end. She was a fast learner and did the very best she could to catch up to the other five sages that had had years of practice with their power. Despite the fact that she had awoken in the middle of the night every night since she had gotten to the University, she managed to stay awake during the boring portions of her class. Her nightmares of the night Fredrick had had his way with her in the barn were getting more frequent and more violent. Though Damien never came to her room, she was aware of his presence by her door every night since the nightmares had started and she felt horrible for waking him up, but she was also curious as to why he never came in.

On top of the nightmares, Summer was beginning to feel sick, which was out of the norm for her as she had never been sick before. In fact, she could have sworn that her race was impervious to any form of sickness that befell man. She wasn't sure if it was because she was finally able to use her magic and that it was taking and unexpected toll on her body, or if it was because she wasn't getting enough sleep thanks to the frequent visits of Fredrick. Despite all this, she pushed on through her classes and never gave up, no matter how sick or tired she felt while she was practicing and because of her perseverance, she had finally caught up to the others. No one really saw Summer unless she was in class or the very rare occastion that she would eat what little food she could stomach, she also actively avoided skin contact with anyone as she knew that she was burning hot. She didn't want to be sent to the infirmary just to find out that she wouldn't be able to be a sage anymore and be sent back to a world of Slavery.

It was after lunch on the seventh day that Summer's exhaustion caught up with her and she had collapsed during lunch, causing Calixta's food to fall on the poor Nymph.

"Oh!" the Sage of Water said aloud, leaning back to avoid most of the spill. Unfortunately though, her clothing caught the fruit blend, young soy beans and quinoa seeds that came tumbling off the table. "Summer? ...She spilled all over me..." The last part was said more to herself, and a small frown appeared on her face as she brushed off the solid food and dabbed at the wet spots. Calixta gave the elf-girl a poke to the arm and upon feeling her skin, noticed her temperature was well above normal.

"Ostel, I think Summer may need some help... I would take care of her, but I have to clean up before the juice beings to stick..." She looked down at a trail of fruit juice that began to slide down in between her cleavage, and she rushed away back to her tower.

Thankfully for the two of them, Ostel was in the mess hall at that time as he was reading an old history book. He was in more of a blue colored scholar's robe now rather than his armor. Seeing Summer fall though he quickly packed up his books and came over to the fallen Sapientis Ventus long before Calixta asked him to.

As he leaned down he muttered under his breath, "I told you that you were going to run yourself ragged Summer." He then checked for any serious bruises from the fall, and thankfully other than a bruise to the knee she was fine. As an afterthought though he checked her forehead out of habit, and quickly he he swore, "Divine's arsehole!"

Soon Ostel was tearing down the hallway towards Summer's tower, with the limp elf in his firm hands. He finally arrived in Summer's room and found no sign of Damien thankfully, he needed to focus if he was going to be able to help his fellow sage. After resting Summer on her mattress, he soon went to work on trying to heal the elf, but was frustrated to find that this was no mere fever resulting from exhaustion as he thought.

For hours Ostel poured his best efforts into tending his fellow Sage, with Snow beside him whining all the while and licking Summer's hands ever so often. While Ostel was able to prevent her fever from rising, she was clealry beyond his skill to heal, and the Sage of Light came to the conculsion that she more than likely needed rest more than anything else.

So the Sage of Light went ahead and tried to make her as comfortable as he could. He opened up a window to let the cool air in, disrobed her and dressed her in the emerald colored nightgown that he gave her, and even had Snow stay with her to comfort her. He told Snow to stay with her until he came back, which since Snow already had taken a liking to the elf, it did not take much convincing.

Before he left though, Ostel ran his right hand through her silver hair and offered a quick prayer to whatever gods that were listening to help her through her ordeal. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, rubbed Snow's ears as his canine companion nestled beside the stricken elf, and then he departed the room.

About a hour after Ostel had left, Summer had awoken to find Snow laying at her feet, watching her with what appeared to be worried eyes. As she redirected her attention to the ceiling, she began to try to ignore the fact that Damien was calling for her from her door, asking her to come out to eat dinner with him and the other 4 Sages as it seemed he was not aware of what had happened to her at lunch. She was afraid that if he came in and found out that she was burning up then he would try to talk her into being seen by a Nurse. When he stopped knocking on the door, she let out a relieved sigh, which was cut short by her door being forced open.

"Summer, are you ok? I haven't really seen nor heard from you for a while now." Damien said. "If anything's wrong, just let me know. I promise, whatever it is, I won't tell anyone unless you want me to."

Summer slowly withdrew her covers from around her and looked up at Damien as Snow quietly left her room, no doubt to 'report' to Ostel. Her silk nightgown was stuck to her body due to her profuse sweating and her hair was stringy for the same reason. She was breathing heavily and it was obvious that she hadn't been drinking enough water. "I don't know what's wrong," she managed to say, her tone strangled as if she were trying not to cry, "I don't know what's going on... Ostel already tried to help... I know he did... but nothing worked..." She reached out to Damien and grabbed his hand, her skin burning against his.

Damien's gaze fell down to her hand and then to her face. "Summer," he mumbled. Damien quickly went to Summer's bathroom and began letting some cold water fill the tub. He then went back to Summer, put his arms under her body, and picked her up off the bed. "I understand you don't want anyone to see you like this, and I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, but I don't know what the problem is either. All I know to do right now is to get you cooled off. You're burning up like my fire." Damien brought Summer to the bath that now had a modest amount of water inside, and sat her down in the tub with her head resting against the edge. He shut the water off, grabbed a cloth, rung some cold water through it, and placed it on her head. "That's the best I can do for now, Summer. The only way I can help you more, is if I get someone else in here."

When Damien picked her up, Summer let out a whimper of pain and nearly screamed when he set her in the water. She wasn't aware of how cold the bath was, as the moment he set her in steam seemed to rise from her skin. She only knew pain, a pain that felt as if her very body was trying to rearrange itself into a different form, a foreign form. "It hurts," she groaned, [b]"Damien... it hurts... the pain won't-"[/]b] Before she could finish her sentence a scream ripped its way from her throat as the sounds of snapping bones could be heard.

Damien looked on in shock, awe, and horror, as Summer began to morph into. . . something. As her bones began to rearrange themselves, and her skin changed into fur, he knew then what was going on. She wasn't changing into a were-animal, but he knew the pain of the first change. Her bones began to increase in size, arms turned into legs and hands and feet turned into paws. White hairs began protruding from all over her body, soon developing into a thick fur. Three tails formed out of her lower back, and her nose and mouth turned into a snout. When the transformation was complete, A three-tailed white fox 1.5x the size of a normal man sat where Summer was before.

The Summer-Fox looked around and let out a yelp before jumping out of the cold water. When she landed on the floor, she shook out her fur and looked at Damien, her violet eyes full of confusion as the pain slowly disappeared. "Damien... w-what happened to me? Why... why do I look like this?! I'm an elf! Elves don't turn into animals!" Summer said telepathically, her mental voice full of panic as she turned to face the floor length mirror in the bathroom. When she saw that she now held the form of an abnormally large fox with three tails, she started to panic even more. Her first thought was that she must have gotten bitten by a werefox, but that was ruled out quickly. No part of her looked like a humanoid, she was all animal. "Damien... what am I?"

The Elemental Legacy

40.

Once the remaining Sages reached the center table, Summer sat next Calixta and Jade as she wanted to try to talk to people other than Damien and Ostel. Even though she knew that she wasn't expected to act in any form of a serving roll, Summer shifted uneasily as she tried her best to refrain from offering to pour people their drinks, which was all that was on the table.

"So... umm... Jade," Summer murmured, hoping that the elf to her left would not get mad at her for shortening his title, "I remember you saying you had freed elven slaves... was it... was it hard? To see your people beat and slaves to whatever whim their Master's had?"

"At first..." Jade replied in a hushed tone, "It was. But none of it was worse than what I had seen before."

"Worse than..." Summer motioned slightly towards him as if to ask what he went through as she tried to avoid drawing the attention to him in any way, "I know I got off lightly compared to what other slaves had to go through..." As she said this, her hand absently wandered to the scar on her right cheek.

"There exist... far, far worse forms of slavery than most people know." Jade said, "Even most elves are unaware of it. Slavery of the mind. Literally chaining one's soul to the wall. Not just exploitation... transformation."

Summer shifted uneasily in her seat, the way Jade spoke made her think that what he said was something he had experienced himself. The very thought of someone owning her soul did not sit well with her, she imagined that it was far worse than someone owning her body.

"I know it still goes on." Jade's voice fell into a whisper now, "And I hope you never have to see it."

Summer offered Jade a small smile, though it was more sad than anything, as she gently laid a hand on Jade's arm for a moment before setting it back into her lap. She wasn't very good at comforting people, but she wanted to show Jade that she wanted to be there for him, even if it was in a small way.

"I am sorry that you had to witness such things," she whispered to him, "No one should have to."

Jade turned his head ever so slightly. He didn't say anything, he just nodded. Summer could almost see his eyes hidden beneath his mask, yet... it still didn't look like he had any eyes at all. Summer didn't shy away from him even though the appearance surprised her slightly, she just gave him another smile.

"Thank you... for talking to me," she said, "Even though it seems to be something you don't like to remember."

Jade remained silent, yet content with the conversation. He turned his head away and waited patiently for... whatever food they were bringing.

Aegar was paying more attention to the surprising amount of students filling the hall than to the other mages and incidentally ended up sitting down in between Calixta and Damien. This situation was very new to him, as the only school he’d ever been to was the small-scale one back in his birth village. He figured now that he was here it was probably in his best interest to get to know the others a bit, even if just to make them less suspicious of him. To his right was Calixta, who he figured he’d leave alone for a bit longer, so he decided to turn towards the taller girl first out of curiosity. “Hey you. Summer, right? We hadn’t met yet, I’m Aegar. Are you from Zephyru? And is Summer your real name?”

Summer seemed startled that Aegar had decided to talk to her, but she managed to smile a bit as she shook her head. "No... I am not from Zephyru, I'm from Lucerna... and Summer is the only name I was given by Ostel so... I guess it is my real name...." She didn't seem to upset about telling Aegar the truth, and she wasn't, her tone was matter-of-fact without any form of resentment, "I believe you were originally from here yes?"

“Yes I am.” The possibility of her being a slave suddenly occurred to him once he noticed her Elvish features, which were initially drowned out by the much-more-obvious silver hair and purple eyes. He fell silent for a second as he thought back to the few encounters he’d had with the slave trade. Slavery existed on Tenebra as well, mostly practiced on a small scale by the hordes of outlaws that roamed the country side. Whatever slavery took place around the big cities was very underground, thus why Aegar had clashed with them only very rarely. If the stories were to be believed though, in Lucerna slavery was practiced in bright daylight, the very thought of which caused a surge of anger to well up from inside him. He quickly shook the thought out of his head to prevent himself from getting too worked up. “How long have you known Ostel?” He was tempted to ask her whether Ostel was considered her master, but decided against it with the human so close by.

"Um... about a month... I never interacted with the Grimward children as I was primarily a stable hand... since I do so well with animals. I... my first encounter... with the oldest.... it wasn't..." Summer trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath and trying to steady her now shaking hands as one, once again, moved to her scared cheek, "It wasn't... a good meeting. Ostel... saved me..."

Aegar idly shook his head and let out an almost invisible sigh. A slave too, now? It’s like the Warlock really went out of her way to find the most ragtag band of misfits to fulfill her prophecy. “I’m sorry for whatever happened to you. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought it up. Have you learned how to transform yet? You are a shifter, aren’t you?”

"That's what I am being told... but I'm 18 and I've never experienced a shift, from what I've heard Shifters have their first shift in their early years... I mean, maybe I'm late because elves age differently? I don't know. What about you? I mean, I've never seen a demon that looks like you... may I ask why it is you are so different?"

He frowned a bit in response to the question, not so much towards her as towards himself, but quickly wiped the frown away as to not scare her off. “I… don’t know, honestly. I was born this way.” It’s a question that had been bothering him his entire life. “I suppose all of us might have something special about them.” He made a subtle gesture towards the rest of the group. “Why else would we be here? I’m sure you’ll find out how to use your shifting sooner or later.”

Summer nodded her head, "None of us can help how we are born... we just have to be careful how we act I guess... and how we apply ourselves. I just hope that they didn't make a mistake bringing me here... I don't really have any experience with magic."

“Oh I have my doubts about some of their choices too.” he said, getting partially pulled into thought again. “We can only hope they were right. Only time will tell now.” he mumbled right before he found his eyes arbitrarily dwelling away from the Sages around him and towards a buxom demoness sitting a few seats away at the table of darkness.

Noticing where his eyes had gone, Summer fell silent and was surprised when food just seemed to appear on the table. Figuring the conversation was finished, she took a small amount of food and slowly began to eat as everyone's conversations rolled over her. It had been nice talking to Aegar and Jade, but she also wanted to talk to Calixta, though she wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Excuse me," the Sage of Water mumbled not a minute later as she shifted her tiny body more towards Summer. The demon made her nervous, and for the most part while he and Summer talked she had kept her gaze fixed toward Amalia. Then, trying to get her mind off of her proximity to him, she turned towards Summer and gave her a bright grin. "You know, I really do like the nickname 'Calla.' And I apologize for leaning this way. I have... mixed feelings towards his kind..." She whispered the last part very quietly, eyes wide with an unidentifiable emotion, but it was gone in a moment and she followed suit in grabbing a plateful of food-- plenty of fruits and vegetables, and a handful of various nuts.

"I understand," Summer said with a bright smile as the other female addressed her, "Oh... um... you like fruits and vegetables? Um.... maybe you should try this one?" Summer hesitantly offered Calixta a deep purple fruit, "This is... one of my favorites on the rare occasion that I got to eat fruit."

"I don't eat meat," the nymph responded, taking the purple fruit and placing it on her plate. The nymphs are immortal and have a deep respect for life. Many of them are on vegetarian diets, although I have eaten fish on an occasion or two. Please, do tell me more about the fruits. I may have Queen Raina start importing different foods to Nymphe!"

Summer couldn't help the radiant smile that spread across her face at how excited the Nymph before her seemed. "From the fruit I have head, they are all very sweet and juice, my favorite is Honey Dew... actually, it's that green diced up one right there. I was only allowed to have some on very rare occasions and even then it was usually a few days old... I've never had it fresh before."

"Fresh fruit is what I usually eat, so I'm sorry that you have never tasted any until now. I may have to take you to Nymphe one day so you, too, can go through all the gardens and orchirds to pick out whatever fruit you want to try!"

"You have gardens and orchirds of such things? That sounds wonderful! I would love to see such a place... it sounds like heaven.... underwater," Summer exclaimed as her smile stayed on her face.

The nymph laughed. "Magic keeps our home dry under the water. And yes, the best fruits are grown at the royal gardens near the palace. You would be an honored guest!" Calixta grinned very child-like, excited at the possibility of a friend coming to visit her home.

"I would like that very much Calla, we should do so after the fight is over... it would be... nice to see a friends home."

The Elemental Legacy

Why did the OOC post go shhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

The Elemental Legacy

31.

"I would have volunteered," Summer murmured to herself, "She looked hungry..."

With that said, Summer hesitantly stepped towards the door that had an intricate carving of a flame surrounded by swirls of air. Her hand stopped just above the carving as a feeling of uneasiness washed over her. She was about to room with a man, even if they were in separate rooms, they would still be in the same tower. Lost in thought, Summer didn't notice Damien as he came up behind her, that is, until his hand appeared on the door next to her's. This action caused her to jump a bit and let out a startled squeak as she retracted her hand from the door and just stared at Damien.

Damien let out a chuckle as he pushed open the door and offered her his hand. "Come on Summer," he said with a smile, "I promise, I don't bite... unless you're into that sort of thing."

Summer just stared at him for a good while, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. The moment she spotted his smile, she decided to put a little trust in him and set her hand in his. He pushed open the door and lead her through, stopping just long enough to allow her to wave briefly to Ostel and smile a bit, just before the door swung closed. Summer turned away from the door and allowed Damien to lead her up the stairs, mildly interested in the lights that led their way. Each light was a string of floating, spherical lights that continuously changed their color, gently fading from one color to the next. No matter how dull the color was, the spiraling staircase was always brightly lit.

"Damien, what do you think the school is going to be like?" Summer asked softly as they neared the end of their climb.

"Hard to say, really," Damien began, " The school is technically in Tenebra, but looking at it, you would never have figured that. What also comes to mind are those seven doors we passed." Damien could see they were just about to cross the threshold into the living space, "Going off of both of those facts, I couldn't really tell you. Hopefully it will be awesome and fun, but I guess only time . . . and ourselves will tell." He took in the scene that was before him. A room fit for nobles, just for two people. "Now this is what I call living," He said while hopping onto the couch and laying his head down on the arm rest. "So what do you think the school's gonna be like Summer?"

Summer sat on the other side of the couch as she studied the room, there was a large fireplace in the center of the far left wall with a love seat directly in front of it. On the adjacent wall was a bookshelf that spread the entire length and width of the wall. The large couch they were sitting on now was the main object in the room, large enough to sleep on if one wanted too, but cozy enough to be comfortable when close to someone else.

"I think... that it will be interesting," she finally answered, "I'm looking forward to learning and... making friends perhaps? I've never had any before... so, I think it would be a nice experience." She managed a small smile as she spoke, watching the fire dance in the pit, it's blue and red blaze dancing around in a hypnotic rhythm. "Would you be my friend Damien?"

"Hmm, I've never been asked directly to be someone's friend, but sure, I'll be your friend." Damien saw how Summer was mesmerized by the fire and got an idea, "Wanna see something cool?" Before getting an answer, he stood up and pointed his palms towards the fire. Small fist-sized balls of fire floated straight towards his hands. He then combined them, stretched the fire out into a string, and turned it into a miniature vortex. Damien then increased the temperature of the fire where the color changed from reddish-orange to different shades of blue. He let the fire sit in his hand for a while, to let both parties admire the beauty. The flame then dispersed into five smaller lights and slowly danced their way to his fingertips. He then shot the sparks back towards the fireplace to rejoin its maternal flame. "What do you think?"

Summer smiled as she watched his little show, "That's amazing," she murmured, "I can't do much.... actually, I can't do anything with my magic. I'm not even sure I have magic..." Summer let out a soft sigh and leaned back until she was up against the back cushion of the couch, a small frown set upon her face. She couldn't recall ever showing any signs of magic when she was at the Grimward Manor, if she had then maybe they would have left her alone. I have a lot to learn if I actually do have magic... everyone here has had the chance to progress with their Elements... I'm just sort of... here. Lost in her thoughts, Summer let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling, she couldn't help the feeling of uselessness that washed over her. Here she was to learn, but what if she wasn't what she wanted? What if they threw her out because she had no magical properties like they thought.

"Damien... what if I'm not really the Wind Sage? I mean... I've never used magic in my life, nor have I ever had the urge to do anything when it came to the element they are saying I represent..." Summer asked, feeling panic start to build up in her chest.

"Summer, calm down, I'm sure you wouldn't have gotten this far if your Ancestor didn't think you were the right one," Damien said with a hint of a smile, "Plus, haven't you ever noticed strange things happening when you get worked up?"

"Well... there was that time before Ostel and I left Lucerna that a gust of wind knocked his brother Fredrick onto his... butt..." Summer smiled at the memory as she absent-mindedly pet Merlin, pulling loose feathers off of him every now and then. After a moment of doing that, she looked over at Ember and smiled. "Come here," she said, her voice soft and soothing, "You have some Burs in your fur."

Ember wagged his tail and panted happily before looking at Damien, "Its alright boy, go ahead." Ember gingerly walked over to Summer and rubbed his head against her hands and legs, wanting to be petted. Summer smiled a bit and gently patted Ember's head and kissed the top of his forehead before she used gentle fingers to remove the burs. Her fingers were swift and gentle as she removed them, ensuring that she did not hurt them. When she finally finished getting the burs off of Ember, she scratched him behind his ears and smiled.

"There you go Ember," Summer said with a smile, "All the burs are gone... though you could use a bath... you smell of Sulfur."

"Really?" Damien asked when Summer said Ember could use a bath. Damien knelt down and sniffed Ember to gauge the accusation, "Eh, he smells fine to me." Ember looked at Damien and continued to pant and wag its tail. "But if you think he needs one, then we can give him one. Come on boy, off to the tub."

Summer giggled and gave a small wave to them both, "I'm going to turn in for the night, I look forward to getting to know you Damien. Good night." With that said, she gave one more smile and turned to go up the small set of stairs that led off to her room. Once there, she took a moment to look around, mostly gawking at what was occupying the space within. In the center of a room was a large, canopied, King sized bed with so many pillows in varying shades of light blue that she wasn't sure she would be able to sleep with all of them there.

She put out a tentative hand out to fell the sheets and was surprised to find that the heavy blanket was made of velvet. All her sheets were a teal color while the canopy was a slightly darker shade of blue. On the far right wall sat a cherry oak dresser with the drawers open showing an over-flow of clothing, which went for the same with the closet that was right next to the dresser. On the left wall was a vanity, also made of cherry oak with gold edging. The mirror was of adequate size that allowed Summer to view herself brushing her hair if she so wished.

Along the Vanity was a series of brushes and cosmetics that Summer wasn't even sure she would use most of. It was nice to have things so fine, but she liked the dress that Ostel had given her and wanted to wear it for as long as she could. Though I guess it couldn't hurt to wear one of the night gowns, she though as she pulled out a silver, floor length night gown, It's silk... so soft.. Summer quickly changed into the night gown before pushing most of the pillows off the bed and slipping between the covers, going to sleep almost instantly.

The Elemental Legacy

28.

Upon noticing that everyone had finished their interaction with their Ancestor/Predecessor, the cloaked female finally pulled her hood down to reveal the face of a young looking female. Her eyes were a piercing crimson color framed by dark lashes, eyes that seemed to miss nothing. Her hair fell around her shoulders in auburn colored curls that did nothing to hide the horns that were set just behind and above her ears, they went straight back with a slight curve to them. As she looked around, she rested her hand on the glass globe that held the 6 gems within. The moment her hand came in contact with the glass, it shattered and a blinding white light accompanied the shattering.

When the bright light subsided, Damien's bow was bestowed back upon him. However, it looked much more different than when he last saw it. The ends and curves of the bow were more elegantly pointed and the whole bow had a silver-brownish hue to it. The most eye-catching pieces, however, were the six gems embedded into the bow. Just above the handle was a ruby, followed by a topaz gem just above the handle, with the diamond halfway up and an oval Opal at the tip. An emerald gem lay just below the handle, with a black diamond half-way down, and an aquamarine at the bottom tip.

Aegar was the next to notice a difference when it came to his weapons. He looked down at his belt only to find that his swords had returned to their previously empty sheaths, though it seemed they had changed. He pulled both swords out, one in each hand, to examine them: both 2-foot long, slightly curved blades made of a dark grey non-reflective metal, with a black leather grip. Unlike before however, the cross guards were richly decorated with a variety of colored gems. The center of both cross guards held a large black diamond, in the shape of a half skull, the left and right sword holding the left and right half respectively. Around each black diamond were five much smaller gems - diamond, emerald, ruby, topaz and aquamarine - laid around the skull gem like a pentagon. On the blade, just above the hand guard, sat a large half Opal on each blade, reflecting every elemental color already present.

Once his eyes readjusted to the normal, faded light of Tenebra, he held up both of his hands, and gazed at the augmentations made to his gauntlets. The steel rim of the right gauntlet had been adorned with the Diamond, the Emerald, and the Blue Topaz. His left hand, respectively, now bore the Ruby, the Aquamarine, and the Black Diamond. When he turned his hands over to inspect the underside of each, Jade Fist noticed that there was an oval Opal embedded in the steel rim. "Hmph..." He muttered, with a sense of intrigue, "Alright. This'll work."

Calixta was confused when she saw she had nothing in her hand, I thought we were to be given something, she wondered as she went to rub her forehead, only to be met with the brief, cold bite of metal. Confused, she removed what was on her head only to find a circlet within her grasp. It was made of yellow gold and rose gold bands that spiraled and intertwined to make a tiara-like shape. It dipped down along the hairline, almost touching the forehead region with an intricate swirly flourish. The circlet itself was scattered with small, golden leaves and flowers that resemble the florae native to Nymph; there are five flowers on each side with each holding a small jewel representative of the other elements: Ruby, Emerald, Blue Topaz, Black Diamond and Diamond. In the center of the circlet, above the swirly flourish, lies a much larger Aquamarine stone that is also decorated with swirls of rose gold. Attached to the large Aquamarine at the bottom sat a half size smaller Opal, outlined in the same rose gold that decorated the Aquamarine.

When Ostel's eyes readjusted from the bright flash of light, he felt the weight of Dawnbringer in his hands. As he took the time to re-inspect the hammer, he noticed that the ruins seemed so much brighter. The white diamond that stood for his element hung from the curved point of the hammer on a chain made of gold. Spaced evenly on either side of the hammer, from flat head to curved point, the remaining gems lined up starting with the Black Diamond at the flat end of the hammer, followed by the Aquamarine, Ruby, Emerald and closest to the clear Diamond was the Blue Topaz that signified Summer's element. As he lowered his arm to his side, a glint of multiple colors caught his eye and he spotted an oval Opal, the same size as his diamond, on the very top of the hammer just before the curve.

Finally, Summer opened her eyes after the brilliant flash of light, she wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure wasn't what happened next. The wind around Summer began to swirl in front of her. As she looked on, a staff began to take form. The swirls in the wind solidified as it jumped from one point on the staff to the next, creating twisting spheres around different areas of the staff. Embedded into the center of every twisting sphere starting from the center of the staff up are the Emerald, Black Diamond, Aquamarine, the Clear Diamond and lastly, the Ruby. Each gem shifts into the shape of a perfect sphere as the cyclone of wind twists and turns until it meets at the top, creating a large Blue Topaz on the top that twists out and spreads tendrils along the Opal stone that now created the main body of the staff. Within the opening of the top was a never dying, visible, swirling, ball of air.

"Well then, now that you all have what was meant for you, I would like for you to follow me please," the woman said, "Oh, and my name is Amalia for those of you who wish to know... and I'm a Warlock." She offered a smile as she made a small motion for them to follow her.

When they all finally got over their initial shock, each Sage and their companion (for those that had one), proceeded to follow Amalia to a gate on the other side of the Courtyard, a gate that lead into Darkness. Without another word, she opened the gate with the wave of her hand and led them into a cave that was so dark that they could barely see their hand in front of their face. They walked like this for what felt like hours, but was only seconds, before the cave came to an end and they stood in front of a portal. Before stepping through, she smiled at everyone and motioned for them to follow her once more.

When everyone was through the portal, they found themselves in a vast field with rolling hills and not a tree in sight. No, no trees, but there was a large castle like structure about 300 yards away from them. The castle was built of a mix of Black Onyx and Gold laced Marble stone with three towers aligned behind the structure, nearly reaching the sky. The Towers themselves were black in color with the gold-laced marble acting as the roof. The Gothic structure looked out of place in the sunny fields, actually, the whole "Sunny fields" seemed out of place with Tenebra.

"Parallel dimension so to speak," Amalia said with a smile as everyone looked around, "If you like the outside, wait until you see the inside, it's literally whatever you want it to be."

She led them all to the University, once they reached the large front doors, they opened silently revealing a large Front Hall decorated in vibrant colors with the Dining hall branched off to the left. On the right side of the hall were 7 doors, 7 doors that seemed so out of place when it came to everything else. Each door was the color of an element, except for the seventh door, the seventh door was a mix of all the colors and seemed more… foreboding.

“Don’t mind those doors just yet,” Amalia said with a smile as they walked up to a young woman that was paler than Summer, “They will come into play when you are ready for them. Now, please follow Evelyn here to your respective towers… Summer, you will be rooming with Damien, Ostel with Jade Fist and you Aegar… you will be with Calixta. Calixta, don’t even think about arguing understand? You will try to get along like your life depends on it because… well… it does. Now on your way.”

Amalia made a shooing motion with her hands just before she turned on her heel and walked away.

The Elemental Legacy

23.

Having been left to her own devices in front of the cylinder of clouds, Summer decided to inspect the woman further before doing as she had been instructed. The woman was wearing a dress very similar to Summer's own teal one, though the sleeves on the woman's dress were caught in the bend of her elbows. The woman's hands were gripped together in front of her chest and upon closer inspection, she noticed a wedding ring on her finger, which confused her. She was under the impression that the Sages never got the opportunity for love, they were sealed up in these tombs shortly after their victory... or were they? Finally, Summer looked up and stared at the woman's violet eyes, so like her own, but also so different. As Summer stared at her eyes, she nearly jumped in surprise as they slowly closed, a small smile forming on the encased woman's face. This alone was enough for Summer to finally reach towards the cylinder, her hand coming into contact with... a cloud?

Summer found herself standing on a cloud, but... How is this possible? I was in the courtyard not too long ago, how am here... and there?[/b] Summer looked around and nearly froze when she came face to face with the very woman who had been in the cylinder.

[i]"Hello my dear, I am Havā... and your Great-Grandmother." the woman, Havā, said with a soft smile on her face.

"My... my what? But... but how? I mean... what is... how is this? I don't understand, how am I here?"

"I have allowed your mind to meld with mine for a time, there is much I wish I could both tell and show you, but our time together is short... and I am sure that Earth Elf will want to speak with you shortly. First, I want to apologize... I am sorry that I could not be there for you when you had no one, but this is where I was needed until it was time for you to come to me. Your experiences were also necessary, though cruel, in order to ensure you were... on the right path. Though you have been beaten and abused in more ways than anyone should ever have to be, you have remained kind and gentle. You stepped up to a Lord and requested to save a living animal, you have given Ostel the benefit of doubt when he came to save you from certain death. You chose to trust a Human male even though it was, in fact, a human that took your virtue and scared you, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. You have a pure heart Summer, don't let anyone tell you different, or change you. I am proud of you Summer, so proud, and I am sure your parents would be as well. Stay strong young one, and please, be you, never settle for less than you deserve... and remember, your power is tied to your emotions. You will need to learn to control them, but that shouldn't mean that you are unfeeling. Never stop being compassionate, and never EVER hate, not even the Dark Lord. Hate will twist you and your powers, turn them dark and that is just not a way to win."

Summer looked down at her feet before looking up at Havā, "So... all those things that happened to me... were supposed to happen? I was... I was supposed to be... taken advantage of?"

Havā let out a soft sigh and put a gentle hand on Summer's shoulder, it was warm, "I do not have to pretend to like it Summer, and neither do you. No one should have to go through something like that, ever. But, you are all the stronger for it... you can empathize better than anyone here, and you... you are going to be a great friend to many people here. Don't be scared, and remember, always speak your mind."

Summer nodded her head and before she could say anything else, her eyes opened and she found herself in the courtyard. "But I... thank you..." she murmured softly as she looked at Havā within the Cylinder, her eyes now closed "I want to be strong, just like you... but I also want... to be my own person." Summer closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, trying to suppress the nerves and the fear as she held out her hand before her.

~~~~~Aravan~~~~~

Once the other's left him, Aravan found himself wishing he wasn't there at all, he didn't like the idea of having any relation to a man like Dunkelheit. He had no need of friends nor did he wish to be anywhere with these people, that was why he had tried to sneak away in the first place. If that Elf girl hadn't stopped him he knew he would have managed to get away, now? Now he had no idea what was to happen and he had no intention of touching anything that was near him. He hated the fact that he had been forced into this, and he felt that he just had to find a way out.

Why is it that you are not doing as you were instructed? a deep voice resonated in Aravan's mind, One of the six, refusing to listen? Has the world really become so desperate that it is calling on worthless demons now?

Aravan was startled, but said nothing in return to the voice, he saw no reason too. He thought that, maybe if he ignored it, he would be able to go about his own day. Maybe if he got rejected he could just... go home?

You want to go home? No... you will never go home, you who have decided to ignore a world in need... you who have decided to ignore his destiny... there will never be a home for you. There is never a home for those who refuse to accept their fate.

Aravan was confused by this statement, but he had no time to dwell on this confusion because soon, soon he found himself engulfed in black fire. He felt a scream try to work its way from his throat, but no sound came out as his skin melted from his body and his bones turned to ash as everyone watched. Let it be known to everyone, this is what happens to those who ignore their destiny. Dunkelheit's voice resonated through everyone's mind, his voice dark with anger, BRING ME THE REAL SAGE!

The Elemental Legacy

We could, though I'm sure it really doesn't matter lol

The Elemental Legacy

21.

It appears that everyone was at the Courtyard, does that mean that something is supposed to happen now? Summer wonders as she looks around the courtyard, trying to get her rapidly beating hear under control. There was something about the newcomer that made her flustered in a way that was unfamiliar to her. She didn't get the chance to elaborate more on her own thoughts as a Cloaked figure appeared in front of them, cutting off all conversation.

"Well then, hello everyone," the cloaked figure said, it's voice soft and feminine, "I'm glad that I have finally gotten the chance to see you all. It seems like so many years ago that I sent out those summons." The female grew quiet and faced Calixta, the silence between them seemed to hold disappointment, or surprise, it was hard to tell. "You are not the one I sent for," the woman said, "Though it seems you are much stronger... so why is it that I didn't see you?"

"I, well, um..." the nymph stammered as she thought about Geneve. Calixta's cheeks turned a bright pink which contrasted against her milky white skin, and she looked down to the floor out of embarrassment. "I know that I am not Geneve. But Raina- long live the Queen- gave me the task instead. The nymphs do not often meddle in the affairs of those who live above the waters, and I apologize...Maybe you did not see me because I... I lost someone I loved dearly... I was... essentially dead though I lived. I only came here because I was told to by the Queen, despite my wishes to stay away from this Continent with all of my heart."

The Female smiled beneath her cloak, though no one could see, and she waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "Long live the Queen indeed, I assume she failed to tell you that she no longer holds power of you, but you hold power over her? Judging by the surprise in your eyes, I assume she has not. You no longer answer to her, if you need something of her or your people, then she is bound by duty and honor to provide it."

It was curiosity that made Calixta snap her head up, eyes full of wonder and interest. She was no longer bound by the monarchy of Nymphe? The queen did fail to tell her that, but it was both a compliment and an insult. An insult to be with held from vital information, but the fact that Raina had chosen Calixta over Geneve was a compliment because that meant she trusted her to not overthrow her rule...and Calixta wouldn't. She would gain nothing by it.

"I am honored, then, to be on this journey. I'm sure that if I ever need help, Nymphe will be ready to come to my aid. But that day can wait, for I am here to learn as is everyone else." She gestured to those around her, and whatever indication of embarrassment that was there before was no longer present. Instead she donned another smile which seemed to brighten up her entire face.

"That is good of you, to say you will not overthrow Raina," the woman said, "That makes you better than most, Geneve would have tried to replace Raina, she was right to have chose differently."
"Well, now that we understand why Cali... Cali... Um... Calla looked as nervous as me... may I... may I ask who it is you are?" Summer asked, stepping forward.

The Cloaked figure turned her attention to the Elf female and placed one pale finger to the girl's lips, "All in time my little Wind Sage, all in time. For now I must show you all to your respective predecessors." Without waiting to see if anyone had anything else to say, the female motioned for the others to follow and it was obvious she expected them to do just that.

The woman first led the group to the Large Crystal that seemed to resonate light and turned to Ostel before speaking. "Look within this Crystal, and you will see the former female Sage Hikari." Doing as she instructed, Ostel looked within the Crystal and saw a child like human within it. Her golden-blonde hair framed her face in curls and her arms were set across her chest, her hands resting on her shoulders. She couldn't have been more than 14 years-old at the time of her preservation.

"It is a girl, barely past childhood. Why is she here?" Ostel asked, slightly appalled by what was set before him.

"Do not worry Ostel, those that are within these 'tombs' are there because they wish to be. We have not forced this upon them." the Female responded.

Ostel just nodded his head before taking his position in front of the Crystal with Snow as the Woman moved onto the Pillar of Water. "Calixta, take your place with Shuǐ," she instructed as she pointed to the Pillar that now showed a male nymph. His hair was an aqua green color and it appeared that his wings were a rainbow of colors now unheard of to the Nymphs. The smaller, female nymph lifted an arm as if to reach through the glassy-looking film of crystal clear water, but seemed to think better of it and instead put her arm back by her side. She admired the set of wings that shimmered even in the meager light, and she longed to have a set of the gossamer material herself. Shui was beautiful just like all nymphs, but even in death he carried an aura of power. She bowed her head in respect, and took her place with Garon without a word of protest as the woman continued onto the next representation of the Sages.

The four that remained with her were confused as to why they were now able to see people within the objects that were meant to represent their elements. Before anyone could ask what was going on, they stopped in front of an Oak, but to everyone's surprise it was not solid, in fact, it was hollowed out. A window of tree sap had formed over a large hole, revealing a rather tall elf with silvery hair, much like Summers. His hands were at his side and a bow was strapped across his back.

"This is Zemlja, Jade, and it is he who chose you to take his place," the woman said, "Please stand with him while I move on with the others." Jade Fist simply nodded to the cloaked woman, taking his place before the oak tree. He eyed the elf held within with some sense of... uneasiness. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd want to end up like his predecessor did.

The woman watched Jade with a small bit of curiosity, but let it fall as she continued on to the Onyx Structure. Inside it was dark, it seemed like all the light had been drained out of the area, giving an almost depressing aura about it. Suspended in the air between the floor and Ceiling was an Incubus. his hair was long and black and his body reminded those that remained of a shadow. A shadow that would swallow any light that came across its path.

"I don't... I don't like the way this one makes me feel..." Summer said, her tone strained from the fear she found gripping at her heart, "Something... doesn't feel right... it feels... tainted."
"And right you are Summer, this is Dunkelheit, he was the Sage of Darkness... and also the one who betrayed his friends in the beginning," came the response, " He only just came to his senses when Bonketsu nearly killed his love... and even then he did not come in time to save the Lost Continent."
"He... betrayed his friends? But... why?" Summer asked.

"Power... and I hope that none of you succumb to that basic want. Now, Aravan, stand here in front of the structure... and touch nothing."

After she was sure that Aravan understood and would neither touch nor leave his area, she moved onto the Volcano. The volcano itself was made out of lava rock that had been conditioned into a substance that could be seen through, yet could still hold lava. Inside was a Woman with fox ears and a fox tail, obviously a werefox. Her red hair fanned out around her and moved slightly as if the heat from the lava was causing small currents of air to move it.

"This is Ignis, one of the most faithful companions that were in the group... faithful and kind. She stood fiercely by what she believed and refused to budge no matter how many times the Dark Lord tried to sway her to his beliefs... in a way she was the best of us all. Damien, I require you to stay here with your dog Ember... I have one last person to place... Come young Elf... it is time to meet your Ancestor."

Ancestor? Doesn't that usually imply that we are related somehow? Summer wondered as she followed obediently to the cylinder of clouds. The woman said nothing to her, instead, she just motioned for Summer to step up to the Cylinder and wait. Summer did as she was told, but not before she studied the figure within.

The women held within the Cylinder seemed to be the only one with her eyes open, but this isn't what startled Summer, it was the color of the woman's eyes. Summer found she wanted to reach out the moment she looked at the deep violet eyes that matched her's so well, but she with-held the urge and just studied. The woman's hair was silver, almost blue, and her face seemed so kind. Who are you? she wondered, You who look so much like me... Summer was so lost in thought that she did not notice Merlin perched on her shoulder.

The Woman left Summer where she was, fully aware that she was confused, but she knew that everyone's answers were soon to be answered. The Woman stopped in front of the Nymph Fountain and let out a sigh before she spoke, "I want you to touch the tombs in front of you now... and when you finally come to terms with both who you are and who you want to be... I want you to hold your hand out... and hope for the best."