The Earth Realm’s grand hall sat empty of people except for the king on his dais who was dressed in full battle armor.  He seldom took it off anymore, and couldn’t remember why.   The magic of the armor surged through him,  so he would not need to sleep for days.  The Fire Realm had sent small groups of weapon and armor bearers across the border seeking to capture water wizards.  There were rumors of the dead approaching from the far edges of the northern boundary of the kingdom.   The northern forest was full of bandits, robbers, outlaws, demons, and even the undead, depending on which pub or person you listened in on.  The King stood alone in this effort to protect the people of the  Earth and Water Realms.  It had been ten years since the Water Realm had a king to rule and protect its lands, so he made this his duty until the right person could be found.

    Suits of armor lined the walls of the great hall to display the power the king had.  These suits of armor were not built for man, but for elephants, tigers, rhinos, warthogs, and mastiffs.  The armor gave the animals magical enchantments to increase their aggression, stamina, and strength.    These new monsters were taken to enemy lands and given enchanted armor. In the armor, they could not be controlled. They wrought destruction and death wherever they went. The animals would attack anything that moved, living or not.   They would often light themselves on fire, as they were protected by their own fire enchantments.  When they had been given their enhancements, the trainers were often killed by accident before the monsters could be fully released.  The king had collected this particular set himself trying to prove himself to his father.  He had been sent against the most evilly enhanced beasts to see his worth as a future king to the Earth Realm.  Some kings were born to lead the development of lands and fund technology and arts.  He was bred and trained from his birth to be king in a time of war.  

During his father’s reign, the Wind Realm had fallen prey to the Water Realm.  Upon his coronation, he took the lands of the Water Realm to stop their king’s greed,  and prevent him from turning on the  Earth Realm.  The Wind Realm had taken too much damage and death to make a full recovery from the twenty five years of war.  The king  would need as large an army as he could amass to stop threats at both fronts, if there really was a threat at each border.

    The large oak doors creaked open to admit  the king’s assassin, Gortus, and Jace a scout for First Wizard Calvin.  The two men’s leather boots echoed on the floor as they walked through the grand hall to approach the king.  Gortus was a short statured man, though tall for the Kaple people, with a never failing serious look on his face.  Like other Kaples, his skin was dark gray, and his hair was always a shade of white.  The contrast made him stand out in every populace of the elemental realms.  He wore a bastard sword that was almost as tall as he was.  The blade was curved at the tip for ripping enemies’ entrails out during battle.  The width at the base of the sword was a hand’s width from finger to wrist, and it tapered down as it went to the curled tip.  The sword was fearsome, and Gortus’s use of the blade was even more so.  The fact that this small man could pick up a blade this size was daunting, yet he swung it faster than most men could swing a stick.  The Kaple were a hard race, practicing with blades since they could walk, and used them frequently on the wilderness’s predators.  The Kapal were rarely seen outside their own inhospitable lands.  When they did leave, they were even rarely seen as a civilized being.  When Gortus was discovered, he was offered a job as the king’s  personal  assassin, where he would eliminate  any threat that stood before him.  He wore the king’s color, dark green, on his sash, but in contrast to the king’s armor, his was dark to match his skin. His cloak matched his white hair and had a smoky grey lining.  The king had sent Gortus to kill small bands of robbers or bandits during his employment, and even a rogue wizard on occasion.  His success contributed to the king’s power.

    Jace, an ordinary man, was walking next to Gortus.  He was ordinary, of average height, weight, and looks.  His eyes were brown to match his hair that was cut to hang around his face, obscuring it from further recognition.  His clothes were made of plain wool and of browns and greens to match the woods.  He wore two short swords crossed on his back. The only adornment, he wore were three small rings on both hands and an iron bracer on his left arm.   Contrary to his looks, this man was anything but ordinary in his ability to track, infiltrate, and spy.  He was a product of magic, skill, and loyalty to his wizard.  He had been in tight situations since he was taken in as a new soldier and trained by the king’s wizard adviser, Calvin.  With the power of the elements in his jewelry, he could run for days without sleeping and had the strength of ten men combined.  He was a dangerous man to face.

    Jace and Gortus approached the dais and went to one knee, crossing their right fist to their chests.  They spoke in unison, “We have come as you have requested, my king.”

    The king spoke to these men as friends would. They were the closest things to friends the king could have.  “I have a mission that I can only trust to the most loyal and skilled in my command.  I need you to gather information. Correct information.”  They both nodded with understanding, “Gortus, I need you to travel quickly to the northern forest to find the cause of panic in the people there.  I hear the most ridiculous rumors. ‘The dead walk.’  It is most likely a band of thieves or thugs,” he said. “ Do not eliminate the situation; I will make a display of power there myself once I know what I am up against.”  Gortus bowed his head deeply in acceptance.

    “I will accept this unfortunate assignment and do what as my king wishes in trying to avoid confrontation, even though such a task pains me.”  The king rose and moved to lay a hand on Gortus’ shoulder.

    “If it pleases you, Gortus, I shall take you along for the demonstration of power when the time comes.  You will lead the attack on the forces there.”  Gortus smiled  at the thought of disbanding the threat.  The king moved to stand in front of Jace, his dark green cloak dragging on the floor behind him as he moved.  

“Jace, I need your more subtle tactics in the lower Earth and Water Realms.  Travel along the southern border, gathering evidence of the Fire Realm troop movements there.  These forces are pushing on us from both sides: the unknown from the north of the forest, and the Fire Realm from the south.  I do not want them to know that I know where they are traveling to and from.  We are not in an open war, as of yet, but they push me to the edge of my tolerance.  I have arranged for all of the water wizards to be in the Water Realm during Springfest.  This is out of my normal behavior. Hopefully if they want to find any water wizards, they will be looking for them in the Earth Realm cities closest to me.  I lend you your normal magic armor, as I cannot afford to have any additional given to you.  My army must be at its strongest since the wizards will be traveling to the edges of  the realm in all directions.”

    They spoke in unison once again. “We obey in the king’s wisdom.”

    “On a side note, we will have many to train for the influx of soldiers coming from the cities.  I will need you both to make it back soon after Springfest to greet the new arrivals.  These troops will have to provide protection against the Fire Realm.  My towers along the southern border have taken damage in recent days.  The Fire Realm says it’s due to a surge in fire wizard awakenings.  I will try peaceful negotiations until I can no longer ignore their blatant disregard for our land and people.”  They both bowed deeply with understanding the importance of their tasks.  “Go now and return with haste.”

    They stood, clapped their fists against their chests, and departed the king’s grand hall.  The king’s power was under attack from an unknown enemy to the north and an age old enemy to the south.  The kingdom under the control of the Earth Realm would be in dire trouble if the two forces were working together to destroy the king’s people.