Prologue

 

    Mary looked back before she entered the pass between the Earth and Fire Realms. It was as if there was a line drawn in the dirt. On one side the land was lush with green trees shading the grass. On the other were nothing but sand, barren jagged rocks, and the unrelenting heat of the sun.

    She looked back longingly at the only realm she had ever known. She smiled and waited for the last few soldiers to pass her. When she looked back towards the Fire Realm Pada stood to stare back. He had taken charge of the men in King Rekkan’s absence. Together the highest ranking men chose to take what was left of their veteran army and return to the queen.

    Pada waved her on, and she followed. He was busy handing out small scrolls of paper to the Fire Realms version of wind wielders. The wind wizards she knew all used their robe to catch the wind and travel in the skies. These men wore no such attire. Each man strapped on leather triangles from wrist to ankle and from ankle to ankle. She supposed that the leather cutting would perform much like the extra flaps of cloth in a wizard's robe.

    Each of the men strapped the scroll into a small satchel and took flight. She watched them disappear before Pada started to walk down the mountain path.

    “How long until we reach your queen?” she asked.

    He stopped, “No longer than a month. Some of the men will break away to their homes as we travel. We will be left with very few by the time we arrive.”

    Mary was excited to see the Fire Realm. She had finally taken control of her emotions so that she could be happy. Before the battle, she had been torn by her emotions for years. She had dreamed of training in the Fire Realm. The only thing that had kept her in the Earth Realm is that she had the responsibility of being a councilman. It was a seat of power that she could look out for the interest of the one place she wanted to go. The two choices caused a constant conflict in her life that she was unable to gain control over her passions.

    After she had attacked King Atmos, the choice was simple, and it had set her emotions in balance. Finally, she was not a danger to those around her. Mary looked at her hands, waiting for the familiar spark to leap off but none came.

    Pada looked up from down the path, “Are you coming?”

    She nodded and bounded down the path to keep up with him. She was very happy that he was the leader of the troops now. Pada was almost the only one that did not look at her as if she was the enemy. Still, she slept with a dagger in hand waiting for someone to try to slit her throat in the night. She remembered Pada saying that men were the least of her worries while crossing the desert.

    Giant lizards called dragons waited to kill you if you came too close to their eggs, deadly scorpions slept in the sand and under rocks, and of course, the aggressive giant pigs that would kill just because they like the taste of human flesh. Pada warned that the scorpions were probably the most dangerous to her because they liked the warmth and fire wizards were always hotter than a normal being.

    Being a fire wizard would have its advantages while in the desert. The heat from the sun would not touch her as it touched the others; it would rejuvenate her instead of wearing her down. With that heat, she could make an endless supply of fire as long as the sun was up.

    Pada’s tent was the only one left standing. They would leave it as they crossed the desert. They had no need for tents or wagons. The Fire Realms soldiers traveled light and quick for soldiers with no imbuements. Each man carried their weight, and that was a problem for Mary. She had traveled by horseback to the battle, and before that, she had spent her days lounging in the castle. She was out of shape and had barely made up the mountain pass with weak knees and sweat soaked leathers.

    Before following Pada inside his tent, she watched as men filled their water skins before starting their journey across the desert. The sun was a setting which gave the best conditions for non-wielders to travel. Once their water skins were filled, they began jogging into the desert in a long line devoid of rank and file. Their run was silent and determined. She watched as the line of men began to disappear in the fading light.

    “Mary, can you come in here?” Pada said from inside.

    She walked through the tent flap to find a blackened tent. Holding up her hand, she lit her fingers a flame and found Pada smiling back.

    “I could use a bit of torch light before heading to sleep,” he said looking down at a couple of scrolls laid out on the ground.

    “Will you be able to teach me more as we travel?” She questioned.

    He looked up from the map he was studying, “Of course.” He reached to his side and pulled a leather satchel to himself. While he searched the contents, she could hear metal clinking against metal. Finally, he pulled out a thin silver rod and held it out to her. “You are going to want to learn to use this; it will help the men get to know you.”

    She raised an eyebrow, “How will this help the men get to know me better?”

    She took ahold of the smooth rod and felt the power of water flow through her. Twilix once let her hold the imbuement she gave to Kilen a month before the graduation. She taught her how to use it just in case Twilix had to leave her. Mary knew she wasn’t very good at water magic but had been able to summon a trickle before.

    She closed her eyes and concentrated on the magic of water and soon felt the cool liquid dripping off of her hands. When she opened her eyes, Pada was collecting it into a pan. She stopped, and he took a long drink before handing the pan to her.

    While she drank, Pada spoke, “Water is a precious thing in our lands. During the day you will be able to refresh your energy in the sun and summon water for all of us to drink. Giving the men fresh water during their travels will keep them alive and give you a moment to engage each one.”

    “What if I didn’t know how to use this?” she asked.

    He did not look up when he replied, “Then I would have taught you. Just like I will teach you to use a sword, and a knife.”

    She concentrated and filled the pan with more water and then tucked the rod into the leather lacing along her thigh. She had always looked at the leather clothing as a hindrance, or as a label put upon her. Seeing the people of the Fire Realm dressed in similar leather outfits made her feel more at home. She felt as if she had finally found her people.

    Pada wore only leather covering from his hips to just above the knee. A strap holding his swords crossed his chest but did nothing to cover it from her view. He saw her looking at him, and she glanced away when their eyes met.

    He spoke as he attempted to look busy unpacking for one last night, “Do you think that the weapon bearer was being truthful?”

    She stopped, “I told you before Pada, he had no reason to help Atmos. King Atmos had tried to kill him on a couple of occasions. Atmos even sent him to his death by having Kilen force the Elder Wizard’s hand or die to try. He was honest in his dealings. Besides, if you look at the situation, he gave you the upper hand.”

    Pada scoffed, and she continued.

    “Think about it; he controlled all three elements except for fire. When the meeting started, it was all that the wizards council could talk about. They were scared we were being led into a trap. They tried not to show their fear by laughing, but they were scared. At any moment your forces could have burned them to ash.”

    He seemed to accept the answer given to him and rolled out a blanket to lay down for the night. She began to unroll hers but was startled by his voice.

    “We have no fire tonight, if I’m to survive the night you will need to sleep beside me and keep me warm,” he said.

    Without saying anything, she moved her blanket next to his and laid down. With a thought, the torches light extinguished. She lay flat on her back in the darkness listening to him breathe. Amongst the noises of the night and his deep breath, she heard him slowly shuffle his bedroll. The sound crept closer until his back casually pressed up against her arm. She smiled in the darkness feeling his bare muscular back resting on her flesh.

 

Chapter 1 - Stones of Water

 

    The second day’s sunrise was just as impressive as the first. Leviathan sparkled and cast rainbows in all directions with its prismatic shaped walls. Large fish jumped as the first reflections of light started hitting the lake’s surface. Kilen overlooked the sparkling city from a hallway outside of the throne room. Twilix had done her best to fill him in on everything that had transpired over the last few weeks. He did his best to understand everything she had said and turned the information over in his head.

    What city inhabitants they had managed to get inside the walls from Keepers were starting their work day far below. Jobs were still being assigned, and mostly everyone just pitched in anywhere a job needed doing. Kilen could see a man in a green jacket walking along the walls with a long trail of people following behind.

    Bowie, in his supposed only functional jacket made of dark green wool, had taken the mantle of ensuring that the Earth Realm’s soldiers would not try and traverse the gates at night. Bowie looked oddly out of place displaying the dark green color as he walked the battlements. He carried a bow in hand and a quiver that was bristling with arrows as he paced. Even though the Earth Realm had come to claim their fallen soldier’s bodies, they had not attempted any further attack. Bowie kept a vigilant watch anyway.

    Behind him followed two women. The first one walked at his side with raven-black hair and the other with deep red followed shortly behind. Kara, with black hair like their mothers, had a new body and still seemed foreign to Kilen. It was odd hugging her. He felt as if she should still be trying to learn to cook or sew with Sahera. Instead, she followed Bowie asking questions about the army’s capabilities and what he planned on doing if they all attacked. She was a fire wizard and had the ability to kill as swiftly as his bow or the wind imbuements he carried.

    The red-haired girl, Auburn, was a bit younger, but only just. She would grow at the same rate as a normal person because she was not a wizard, which was good for Bowie as he possessed only imbuements as well. Kilen was confused by the girl’s odd loyalty to his friend. She followed him everywhere and watched everyone in Leviathan as if they were enemies. Kilen was grateful that she didn’t aim her bow at him as she had done when they first met.

    Behind the two girls followed a fire wizard by the name Al’tore. The man had taken to following his sister because of her success in helping him control his emotions. The man was large and had only a few pieces of tattered clothes. In the last few hours, Al’tore had managed to cut his hair, which was quite an improvement. Cutting his hair, he also revealed a pair of eyes that looked about wildly as if he was having trouble understanding the world. The wizard would often cast dirty looks or stare at normal things as if he had not seen the world for a long time. Kilen couldn’t help but feel happy that his sister wasn’t in the dungeon as long as that fellow, but still, the man would have to be watched.

    Al’tore had also begun teaching the other fire wizards how to use their abilities. Each of those wizards looked to Al’tore as a leader, and he gladly accepted the role. Kilen wondered when the day came that it would be safe for them to leave where they would go. Would they stay? Would they return to their homes? Perhaps some of them would do as the wizard law states and move to the Fire Realm for training. Kilen hoped that the majority would. It would certainly help his relationship with the queen of the southern realm.

    Lastly, Brent followed behind the group of fire wizards waiting, for them to erupt. Kilen laughed at the skinny wizard’s poor ability to pretend not to follow them. The man continued trying not to upset the delicate nature of the fire wizards which he pursued. Kilen was glad to have Brent along. He was experienced in things that Kilen had only scraped the surface of, such as politics. He smiled at the memory of Brent taking great care of his sister during the days after her awakening.

    “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Twilix said, joining him at the balcony.

    She startled him. He was so involved watching the business of the morning he hadn’t paid attention to his water vision. He watched her a moment, golden curls flowing over her crown and shoulder, down her blue dress. She seemed in a constant state of bliss since the wedding. He wondered why, since he has spent so little time with her privately. He slid closer to her, touching his elbow to hers, trying to apologize in a way.

    “It is very beautiful. Thank you for all your work,” Kilen replied while Twilix slipped her arm through his.

    Twilix had taken to carrying around the book he received from the Elder Wizards. It revealed many secrets about Leviathan that none of them knew. Turning the pages carefully, she would find something and then go running around the city to bring it life. She used magic to bring about never ending fountains and small pools of water that contained fish from the lake. She was currently searching for a secret chamber deep in the castle’s underbelly that contained books fitting for the wizard's library.

    The book was secured in a satchel on her side. He wondered what mysteries of the town she would uncover today. She had said something about an irrigation system that would bring water directly to each shop, street, and home in the city. These are things that only the Elder Wizards would think of when building a city on a lake.

    They stood there a moment just watching the sun rise. She laid her head against his shoulder. She felt warm whenever she touched him. He had truly begun to like the feeling of having a woman at his side. They had professed their love for one another and given their promise to be loyal. It was an oath that Kilen knew he would not take lightly.

    A gentle breeze ruffled the ribbons on the hilt of his blade. Kilen looked down to make sure they were both intact. Two ribbons; both blue in color to represent two of the most important people in his life. He smiled, glad to have both Kara and Twilix with him. He needed only to regain the presence of his mother to correct decisions made long ago.

Kilen’s pocket was laden with a small heavy book. It was one he had taken to writing in for others to learn through his adventures. He had not shown the contents of the book to anyone other than his elemental friends. Pulling the book out, he handed it to his new wife.

“I would like you to see something. I started writing this book just after the first time we met. I mean, I didn’t start writing because of you, but because of the path you helped me start.”

Twilix ran her hands over the brown leather cover and began untying the knot of string holding the pages closed. Opening the first pages, she read aloud.

“To become a weapon bearer,” She smiled as she read it. Turning the pages slowly, she looked over his drawing and scribbles with much thought.

He did not speak to her or point out some of his favorite parts. He simply watched her learn about him through the pages she turned.

Kilen saw someone approaching through the water vision and turned to see his good friend Leroy, son of the castle’s head chef.

He bowed deeply and waited for Kilen to wave him forward.

“Your majesties, a council has been gathered in the main hall. They request your presence at once,” Leroy said, bowing again.

“I told you, Leroy. You don’t need to bow when no one is around,” Kilen said waving him forward.

Twilix placed a hand on Kilen’s forearm, “I have instructed him differently. If he is to perform the task you have asked of him, he will need to play the part. He must do this at all times, even if you think nobody's watching.”

Kilen let out a sigh, “Well I don’t have to like it. Leroy, tell them I’m on my way.”

Kilen started walking forward when Twilix’s tug pulled him to a stop. She smiled, “Do not be so eager to answer their beckon call. They will use you to your fullest if you do. Besides, I still have not received my good morning kiss.”

The idea of kissing her made his armor seem to swelter. A cool gentle breeze did nothing to stifle the heat as he pressed his lips to hers. When the kiss ended, he lingered a moment leaning his forehead against hers. She stood on her tiptoes to reach his.

Turning to go, she threaded her arm in his. “Your book will need to be finished, but I do not think it should ever be placed inside the wizard's library,” Twilix said pulling out a map of the castle.

Kilen smiled, his strength imbued armor gave him the ability to remain awake at all hours giving him ample time to wander. He had traversed the castle several times, learning the hallways and rooms. Where the others got confused by the unadorned halls, Kilen could walk them in the darkest parts of the night without faltering. He waited until Twilix tugged him in the wrong direction and he pulled her a different way.

“If my book does not make it to the wizard's library, where should it go?” He asked.

“The book you're making is not for wizards. It is for weapon bearer’s, and if there were such a place as a weapon bearer’s library, I would recommend it go there. Seeing as there is no such place, perhaps make copies and begin to send it to the nobles of this land. Give them a book from which to teach their children and the inheritance recipient of their weapons,” she replied.

The large arched opening leading into the throne room did not have doors. He could only guess that years of being under the lake helped them rot away. New ones would have to be constructed before too long. As for right now, Kilen trusted everyone inside the castle, except for the captured Earth Realm Wind Councilman, Mica.

Kilen stopped short of the doorway, “Give me a moment. I must gather my thoughts.”

Twilix curtsied and stood to give him a kiss on the cheek, “Do not keep them waiting too long, my king.”

The throne room was circular with the center of the room depressed into the floor. He watched Twilix descend the stairs, disappearing from view. Two elementals stepped out from the other side of the doorway but did not speak to him. His elemental friends Max, made of stone, and Joahna, made of water, were alive and only known to be to him. They would not speak to him now to keep Kilen’s ability a secret. He looked at each of them in their elemental eyes but said nothing.

Pulling the crown out of his satchel, he ran his fingers over the smooth surface. Each side marked equally with the marks of elemental magic. Slowly, he placed it on his head and began his descent after Twilix. From the top of the stairs, he watched as people from Keepers poured dirt on the floor in the center of the room. Ria, a rogue earth wizard, supervised their efforts to build the mound. To the right side, stools had been set up for the other Wizards Council. Brent, a water wizard, was sitting in the Water Councilman's place. Kilen’s sister, Kara, took the seat for the Fire Council. Ria would take up the Earth Council, and the wind seat meant for Alexander remained empty.

Twilix found herself to the left of the mound of dirt; it was the place reserved for the queen, but she would serve as his advisor as well. When Kilen reached the center, he looked down at the large mound of dirt that was where his throne was supposed to be. Ria opened her hand and dropped a single seed on the top. Kilen watched as the seed turned to roots and vines snaked their way in and out of the dirt. Some twisted tendrils of leaves and branches crept into the air.

It was an already unnatural event when plants grew faster than they should, but watching them twist with a purpose was even more unnerving. Vines laced together forming a chair back, seat, armrest, and legs. One last worker poured a bucket of dirt where Kilen was supposed to sit. With a sprinkle of what seemed to be powder, a cushion of moss sprang up.

Ria waved Kilen into the new chair, motioning that she finished. She bowed very deeply when he approached it. All the others in the throne room stood, which caused him to falter. Bowie was one that remained seated until he let out a squeak. Kilen thought he saw a vine disappear from behind where his friend sat down. When he took his seat, so did the rest of the room. Bowie looked as though he would remain standing just to spite whoever poked him with the vine.

Kilen faced the first row of people, consisting of his head chef Pete Bradley and his son Leroy, Bowie, Captain Wells, and the few fire wizards that followed his sister. Everyone that was doing their part of leading this city was present in the room except for Alexander.

“Where is Alexander?” Kilen asked as his voice echoed through the empty hall.

The room was shaped to help those in attendance to look down upon the king from their terraced seats surrounding him. The echo and seats made Kilen feel very intimidated. A spirit within him pushed courageous emotion into him helping bolster his voice. He wished he could thank Tokeye again, but it would have to wait till he was alone, lest he appears to be talking to himself.

Ria remained standing but held out a hand to the empty stool, “Alexander said he had pressing matters to report to the Elders. I have discussed these matters with him and will speak for him in his absence.”

Kilen nodded and waited for someone to speak. The room remained eerily silent as if Kilen were to say something.

Finally, Twilix leaned in, “You have to give her permission to speak.”

Memories flooded Kilen’s mind of Humbridge. Mayor Bingham held town meetings every three months at the inn. It was always very formal and no one speaking out of turn unless there was a heated discussion, and even then it was brought to order by the banging of a wooden mallet. Kilen smiled at the memory of Bowie stealing the mallet, mid-meeting causing quite an uproar later on.

“You have the floor, Ria,” Kilen said as he leaned back in his new chair.

She bowed deeply, “We have summoned this meeting for the purpose of discussing what the townspeople are to do next. We have ample supply of food from fishing and gardens grown by your elemental and my strength. The Earth Realm army has retreated across the Heathmos Pass except for twenty soldiers stationed at each exit over our city's main bridges. In just two days your subjects have completed all tasks that we are capable of completing.”

Kilen replied, “Are there any suggestions?”

Bowie did not wait for his name to be called, “We get a lot more bloody soldiers, that’s what we do.” Bowie leaped off of his seat rubbing his buttock but did not stop talking.

“The rest of the Earth Realm’s army is on their way here. You know that Atmos will not stop until your head is on a platter. We need to get more soldiers and get them here now.”

Ria now had her arms folded in front of her staring at Bowie, “Master Crescent, how do you suppose we do that?”

“I’m not the king; I don’t know. We all know that is the first problem to take care of,” Bowie said looking around the room.

Kilen sat forward a bit, “Brent, do you think more will come to support us now that Leviathan has returned?”

“It’s possible word will travel to areas saying that a new king has risen. Although, I do believe that they will require more than just idle chatter at a bar. Perhaps we should send messengers through the realm?” Brent asked.

“You can’t just send messengers. Kilen has already told us every Earth Realm soldier stationed in the water realm is looking out for him. They had soldiers at the gates and stationed at every nearby city as law keepers. Any messengers we send out will be captured and imprisoned. I’m sure new recruits will be lining the streets to get here if we do that,” Bowie said sarcastically.

“Yes, you have a point. It would have to be a group big enough to cause some commotion and be able to stand their ground.” Brent said rubbing his chin.

Kilen knew he didn’t have many men to spare and almost none of them were soldiers. If he did take the soldiers he had, there would be no one left to guard the castle. It would be lost before he reached his first Springfest celebration.

“It will need to be me,” Kilen said suddenly.

The room went quiet after the few words, so he continued.

“Not only will I be able to defeat any Earth Realm force in the cities, but it will also build confidence in my strength. I can ride faster than anyone here so that I can reach the farthest city before I need to return,” Kilen said.

Twilix smiled, “I think your place is here. There is a castle that needs to protected. Besides, why would people come if you leave?”

Brent stood and dropped his hand from his face, “No, he’s right. He must make a presence, but it must not be just him. Wizards must go with him and spread the word. We have to have as much pomp and circumstance as possible. Anyone we can spare that has armor and horses should join him. I will go; I know some of the more powerful nobles and will be a testament of Kilen’s station.”

“I will go as well. I know a lot of merchants and will be able to spread the word through them,” Bowie said.

Kilen was sure if Bowie were going then Auburn would go as well. He didn’t want the entire castle leaving, so he waved them to silence to stop them before they get ahead of themselves.

“I need most of the people we have here to stay. They must continue to prepare the castle for the arrival of soldiers. Twilix, will you remain to watch over matters?” Kilen asked.

“I will do as my husband requests, although I will miss you while you are gone,” She said bowing her head to him.

He took note of her uncharacteristic obedience in public. He wondered if she really did agree or not.

Kara finally spoke from her seat on the council, “I will go with you. I do not have a purpose to remain here other than cook food. I’m sure others can handle making a fire. With the escape of the fire wizards from Atmos’ control, perhaps we may help sway a nobles mind.”

Kilen noticed a nervous-looking Wells sitting next to one of the fire wizards, “Captain Wells, I will charge you with protecting the castle and my wife while I am gone.”

“Yes, your majesty.” He said with a scared look on his face as he bowed.

Ria shook her head in disappointment, “You are all forgetting we have an army guarding our gates and amassing on our border. How do you think these soldiers you recruit will get inside the gates?”

The large chef cleared his throat, “If I may? We use to have boats come to and from Leviathan on a daily basis. If you are able to secure Basham, they would be able to transport the soldiers here by way of boat. At least until we had enough to push the soldiers from the bridges and hold them from the inside.”

Brent clapped his hands and jumped up, “It’s decided then: we will depart to recruit soldiers and nobles at first light. Taking Basham will have to be our first priority. There are a few nobles there that will be able to hold the city.”

Ria cleared her throat standing between Brent and Kilen on his throne.

“Right, of course. I mean we can leave at first light if you wish, your majesty,” Brent took a deep bow.

“Yes, we will leave at first light,” Kilen repeated.

“Still, you don’t listen. There are more matters at hand that will need seeing to. Perhaps you forgot that we have a rogue wind wizard in the dungeon. Who will keep him in check if Kilen and Bowie leave? They are the only two wind wielders that we have left.” Ria said as if chastising everyone.

There was a moment of silence before Kilen spoke, “Let him go. We have no purpose to hold onto him. Let him return to Atmos and tell him that the castle has been raised. Let him return to his king and tell him he stood no chance against me.”

Bowie laughed but stopped after Ria gave him a stern look.

“Perhaps I should return to my wagon. Surely this place will sink if it is continued to be run by children,” Ria said angrily.

Twilix took a set forward, “Sit down, Ria. We are hardly children. I will not stand here and let you berate my husband. You called this meeting inquiring what we are to do, and he has made a decision. Perhaps next time you call a meeting, you should make council with him first about your concerns instead of surprise him with issues tough for any experienced in politics.”

Ria nodded and took her seat leaving Twilix as the voice of the meeting.

“Ria and I will stay to tend Leviathan. My husband will be accompanied by Councilmen Everheart, Councilmen Parker, and Master Crescent to meet with nobles and recruit soldiers. If any of the others wish to accompany this group leaving, please stand now.”

Kilen watched as his presumptions were confirmed. The red-haired archer, Auburn, stood beside Bowie. Al’tore the leather-wearing fire wizard stood behind his sister along with one other fire wizard. One he did not assume would be going stood beside his father; Leroy, who was supposed to be playing the part of Kilen’s man servant. Kilen shook his head at Pete who reluctantly sat down. Kilen gave Leroy a nod and a smile hoping to show him some appreciation.

Twilix’s voice echoed through the chamber, “Go and prepare yourselves. We will meet in the courtyard before sunrise. Bowie, Auburn, I will need you to remain after.”

Bowie made a deep bow, almost in mockery of the wizard queen, but he remained in place.

Twilix came to stand in front of Kilen, “We need to secure you a way out of Leviathan, and I think I have found one.”
    Kilen shrugged and followed Twilix over to where Bowie and Auburn talked. “Master Crescent, I have a mission for you and your lady.”

“As your subjects, I guess we can’t really refuse,” Bowie replied.

Twilix let out a sigh, “I have already dealt with an ancient earth wizard today, Bowie Crescent, do not make me deal with you as well. It will not end as nicely as it did with her. I am a queen and a wizard, you will treat me as such.”

Bowie inclined his head to say he understood.

“Now then, I saw your horse on the shore to the east. I can make you a small boat of ice that can get you to your horses. When you find them, you will need to ride them to Basham and find yourself a boat, one that can be here for first light. Send or ride the boat back here, and the rest will join you in Basham tomorrow. Do you understand?” She asked in nice enough tones for it to sound like a suggestion to Kilen’s ears.

“Go and get Charger, yes that sounds good. I really didn’t like the idea of one of those Earth Realm soldiers getting their hands on him. I will go and get my things,” Bowie said.

His friend seemed happy enough but cursed when he reached up to run his hands through his hair. The red haired girl curtsied and followed Bowie out of the throne room.

When Twilix was left alone with him, she turned and put her head on his chest, “Kilen Everheart. You will return to me whole and in as short amount of time as possible.”

Kilen did not know if it was a promise that he could keep, so instead, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her gently. She must have understood his answer because she squeezed him in return then left him to his thoughts.

When she crossed the doorway out of the chamber Jace’s voice echoed down, “We are free to talk.”

The stone man at the edge of the room crossed to its center to stand before Kilen, “It’s about time. We need to get out of here. Whenever we are around you, we have to keep our mouths shut.”

Joahna, in the form of a man of ice, waved his brother to silence. “We can travel faster by ourselves, Kilen. Perhaps we should see about breaking away from the others as soon as possible.”

Jace’s voice whispered out of nowhere, “The council is right; Kilen will need the others to convince those of highest authority. What I am afraid of is that they will be unable to protect him. We will need to be very vigilant when Kilen starts to draw a crowd.”

The elementals all seemed to agree with that statement and began talking amongst themselves. The discussion was about how to better communicate to Kilen while others were around him. Jace gave a brief lecture on dangers to look out for in the water realm. All of the discussions would stop at the same point; that they needed another man in their group. One that could watch over Kilen during the night without being seen or looking suspicious.

Finally, Kilen interrupted them, “It’s time to get Tokeye out of my head.”

After a brief moment of silence, Max spoke, “Which element would you like us to give up for him?”

Joahna answered for him, “None, Kilen has the ability for summoning a fire elemental.”

It only took a moment for Max to reply, “Tokeye does not do well with fire.”

“He is right, I was weakest in fire magic,” Tokeye replied in his head.

“You were a fire wizard, Joahna. I think it’s time you took up your old post.” Kilen said facing away from the others.

Kilen did not need to wait for an answer; he felt the familiar concussion in his head. He wavered on his feet and reached out for the throne. Joahna’s spirit had been out of Kilen since he left the Elder Wizard’s town at Idleton, he was almost happy to have the familiar knot in his head.

“Sorry, I should have warned you,” Joahna said, feeling apologetic inside Kilen’s brain.

Kilen turned around to see the Iceman form still standing where Joahna left it. “Tokeye, get ready to take hold of the ice,” Kilen warned.

Focusing on the ice figure, he used water vision to see each and every blue particle that composed it. He closed his eyes and willed Tokeye into the form. A snap of emotion left his brain. Kilen opened his eyes and searched himself for what had happened. Upon searching his thoughts, he did not find Tokeye among the emotions. The ice figure moved, and Kilen knew he was successful in moving the spirit out, but the departure did not cause him to waver.

“Is something wrong?” Joahna asked.

Kilen shook off the question, it was not the time to experiment with Tokeye learning to use an elemental as his actual body. “I will be fine. I must still be a little shaken by your return,” Kilen said.

Stepping away from the throne, Kilen looked about searching for something to burn. He found nothing except for the newly woven masterpiece made by Ria. He shook his head, “Ria is not going to like this.”

Max laughed, “Neither is your wife when she finds out the mess you made.”

Kilen stifled a laugh, nodded and concentrated on the wood. A pop echoed off the walls, and a small flame ate away at the throne’s armrest. The excited knot that was Joahna grew in intensity, anticipating his new elemental body. With Joahna’s willingness, the transition was easy and left Kilen’s head empty to his own thoughts and emotions for the first time in a long while.

He knew The Crying Man was somewhere deep in the back of his mind where Tokeye had put him. He hoped that the chains that bound the insane man stayed intact.

Kilen and the others watched as the flame left a trail that burned towards the bottom of the chair then spread to each leg. After the bottom had been covered, the throne was an inferno of burning wood being consumed at an unnatural pace. Kilen stepped back because of the heat, even though he knew his fire imbuement allowed him to stand in flames without being harmed. He laughed a bit inside, thinking about his reaction to back away from the flames, then came up with an excuse to give the others that Twilix would not like him getting soot on his clothes and armor. The thought made him smile, and the idea that no one else shared it made that smile widen.