Prologue:
In a world most unlike ours, an ancient incident altered the people who lived on the planet. Eight elemental powers were awakened, and the world was thrown into turmoil. The war that ensued was known as the Affinity War. Brothers and sisters whose elemental clans were different were forced to fight and kill one another. In the peak of violence, eight archsages, each representing one of the known elements: earth, fire, water, air, wood, steel, light, and dark; rose up and created the Great Seals. Their purpose was to quell the fighting and present a suitable, if not stifled, peace pact. For the sacrifice, however, the most powerful and possibly dark methods of elemental warfare were magically locked away and were forgotten. Most of the clans melded and tried to go about appropriate, everyday lives. But the most prideful clans still existed and tried to bring the old ways back continuously. The seals were scattered and hidden around the world, and the archsages were revered among most. 250 years have passed since those days, and the world is changed. An organization has been formed. Calling itself Daemon, it gathers the strongest people who have affinities to the dark element, creating a modern clan. They are hell-bent on destroying the seals and creating a new dictatorship. None have been damaged yet, but Daemon moves ever closer to their goal. But the leader of Daemon’s son has other plans…
Chapter 1: The Boy of Air/Breakout
Officer Honda Hirocho was waiting for something. A sign that he was coming. The boy. He had caused many difficulties in the past week, including his survival of the tests, which was nothing short of amazing. Hirocho smiled inwardly. His pupil had grown to be an abrasive young man. It almost reminded him of himself at that age. But Hirocho would never had done something this rash and intrusive. No, the boy had to be taught a lesson, Hirocho would see to that.
His musings were interrupted, though, by his subordinate and right-hand man, Merche. He came shambling up behind Hirocho with a smile on his face. Hirocho waited for the obviously good news. Merche came beside him and Hirocho spoke in a low whisper.
“Have you found him yet?” Hirocho asked.
Merche replied in his usual greasy voice, “Yes. Our unit has spotted him north of the Beorc Towers. They are pursuing him as we speak.”
“Good, good. Is the seal still shining?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It seems that that childish fool has reactivated it. It’s in the air now, and I fear it won’t be coming down anytime soon.”
Hirocho’s face became a harsh scowl. He was known far and wide for his unusual array of facial expressions, and though the time was not appropriate for his jokes, he couldn’t spare himself an inner laugh. He sighed as if in resignation and turned toward the West Towers, striding across the courtyard with brisk steps. Merche hurried to keep up with his superior, and began to speak.
“But sir, what do we do?”
Hirocho sometimes abhorred his inferior’s dense questions, but he took it all the same. “Merche, my boy. What do you think we are going to do? We are going to meet this challenge head-on and overtake it.”
Merche, who became confused easily, let the matter go and decided jut to focus on keeping up with Hirocho.
* * *
An arrow hissed through the air, landing a few feet away from him. If the archer’s aim had been surer, he would have been disabled. Nevertheless, he continued running. The shots persisted as well. He fled through the towers, certain of his path, since; after all, he had grown up within these very walls. But they were not safe anymore, not after his disloyalty. Amid these thoughts in his head, the boy reached the gate that separated him from freedom, but Officer Honda Hirocho had other plans.
His guard, unbeknownst to the teenager, had already reached the outer gate and was waiting in ambush. Hirocho himself watched, upon the physical education building, binoculars to his face. He knew what was going to happen next, and, sure as stone, he observed as the boy began to make complicated gestures with his hands. With an extending hand movement from the rogue, the gates burst open. Sensing their cue, the guard squad attacked. To Hirocho’s surprise, however, the boy did not seem to be shocked. I’ve taught him too much, thought Hirocho as the teen began another series of gestures. The guards, not knowing much of the elemental symbols that the boy was making, continued to run toward him, but just then, the wind began to gather.
The ambushers stopped, stunned by his magic. The boy stood still, his hands together in front of him. Hirocho became angered. “You fools!” he yelled. “He‘s just baring his fangs! Attack now while you have the chance!”
The guards didn’t really want to endanger their lives, but they also didn’t want to make Hirocho angry, so they took the high road. They continued their running. Hirocho, however, knew that they didn’t have a possibility of truly hurting his ex-pupil. Sure enough, the boy’s wind grew stronger. The guards were truly scared now, and nothing Hirocho could say would get them to move. They just stood their as the wind began to move their way. Soon, they began to be pushed back. After about a minute, they were thrown like rag dolls.
Hirocho realized that he would have to step in. He called out to the teen. “I see your knowledge of the wind arts has grown, Rikkan.”
Rikkan turned. His shoulder-length blue hair flashed in the light from the watchtowers. He said nothing.
Hirocho grunted. “Going to do this the hard way? Just like your father.” With a giant leap, Hirocho crashed into the ground. His size thirteen steel-plated boots smashed into the ground below. Rikkan made no gesture whatsoever that he acknowledged his teacher’s presence. Instead, he, once again, commenced another set of hand-signals. Hirocho recognized the art, and he ran toward the boy.
“No, Rikkan! Not today!” Hirocho clenched his fist, and with that movement came a thunderous split of the ground. Pieces of the earth floated to Hirocho’s right fist and bonded with it, forming a makeshift glove of sorts. Rikkan noticed this change, and as Hirocho bounded toward him, fist outward, his hands had begun to create a miniature whirlwind. Hirocho, focused on his target; the boy’s face; didn’t see it until it was too late. Rikkan thrust his hands outward at Hirocho, and with a gasp of surprise on his face, Honda Hirocho was blown backward.
Hirocho smashed into the main Beorc Tower with a deafening crash. The guard, startled by the sudden fall of their superior, attempted to attack Rikkan when a voice rang out.
“Stop!!” it bellowed. The guards and Rikkan, who was in the middle of another wind spell, paused. They all stared at the direction of the Beorc Tower, scared in the guards’ case, seemingly bored in Rikkan’s. The smoke that billowed around the side of the tower increased, and then stopped altogether. There stood the Officer Honda Hirocho, in all his glory, with a large, gunlike weapon made of earth in the place of his arm.
“Do not underestimate me, Rikkan,” he imposed. “I taught you. Your moves are second nature to me. I have yet to show you the most powerful arts I have learned of the earth element.” He made a horrible grin that showed no laughter behind the smile. Hirocho would not be playing today. This, he assumed, would be his final lesson to his ex-pupil. With those words, Hirocho lunged.
Rikkan was ready, however. He began a move he invented himself. The wind which he controlled and would manipulate for the rest of his life became a blade around his right arm. With this weapon he parried the great weapon that Hirocho carried. The blast of wind that followed blew Hirocho off his feet. Once again, he fell to the ground.
“What!?” Hirocho inquired loudly after collapsing on his back. He straightened up quickly and was back on his feet in a second. “What…was that?” he breathed.
Rikkan, still turned around, answered. “That was the Wind Saber.”
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