Chereads / A Whole New World: Valoren Series Book 1 / Chapter 10 - Chapter 8: Memories

Chapter 10 - Chapter 8: Memories

The shore was a short boat ride away and Rhaegah had already begun to get goosebumps on realization that the main journey was about to start. They were making plans to go ashore when a rumbling brought their attention to the shore as a platform of earth began forming heading their way in a straight line. Getting a closer look Rhaegah saw that the platform was in fact a mix of earth and water blending together to create a platform linking solid but having transparent spots at random locations on it.

Symmone descends onto the platform and to his surprise the translucent parts of the platform felt no different from the spots made of pure earth when stepped on. Symmone looked ahead as orbs of flames sprouted up and kept burning midair lined up on both sides of the platform and a gust of wind kept the surrounding water body from going over the platform "A welcome gesture only the elementals can provide....Surely they were expecting us" he said silently as others dropped onto the platform and began walking to the shore.

Getting to shore they were met by two humanoid creatures completely wrapped in binds sort of like Egyptian mummies. The taller of the two was a female looking one and a male beside her. "Welcome mortals" the female spoke and gestured to follow her "we have been awaiting your arrival" she added and without another word, began walking further into the island.

Rhaegah, dead last in the makeshift line of Legion members was already lost in the scenery. From where he stood he could see the whole island stretched wider than he initially assumed or at least more accurately, he could tell that the island was split into three parts. This island was actually divided into elemental regions as the three parts had distinctive features of individual elements. To his left was a rocky and mountainous region that he was sure was the earth region. Opposite that on his right was a vast region of waterfalls and since he couldn't see anything but the high elevations he concluded this was the water region.

Further down he could see a region glowing past the earth region and with the level of smoke that rose from there he concluded that region was without a doubt.... The fire region. Even with the obvious distinctions that would most definitely draw the attention of anyone that laid eyes on the island, what had him stuck in place were the three colossal towers that stretched from the three regions into the sky. "Rhaegah!" Auia called from far ahead and he realized he'd been left behind before moving to catch up.

Rhaegah was without a doubt fascinated by the appearance of the elementals. The binds seemed to cover every inch of their bodies except for the slit right over their eyes so they could see. Even their mouth region was bound making him wonder if they even had the need to eat. Judging from the glow from within them he guessed their elemental attributes could be determined from that. The male had a burning red glow which meant fire and the female's was a white glow "Air perhaps?" but he still couldn't wrap his head around the idea that all that resided within those wraps were simply air and fire.

They neared a small settlement but were surprised that no one lived there "This place was created for the mortals that visited this island long before we elementals were born" the female elemental spoke upon entry into one of the structures. "We'll get straight to the point" Symmone stated firmly rejecting the seat offered by the two "We have come with the belief that the Pillars can help us attain a means of pushing this coming war in our favour....as well as provide us more information on the dark dragon-born" he added looking to Nygel who nodded in agreement.

The two elementals looked at each other and then back at Symmone. Looking to the others waiting for her response she realized they were indeed serious as to their reason for coming "Coming war?! Dragon-born?! Whatever do you speak of?!" the female elemental even though completely wrapped couldn't hide her confusion.

"So you mean there is a war brewing and one individual that can greatly influence the turn of events is this dark dragon-born you speak of?!" Aeris as the air elemental had introduced herself to be asked after listening to Nygel brief them on the situation of the outside world. "Precisely..... And we need to meet with the Pillars to gain their favour" Almer stated this time as was what she was instructed to. "Gaining the favour of the Pillars is not something that is possible for any of the mortal races..... more so for a human" Aeris said making Rhaegah cringe at the fact that his own thoughts were just realized. For a race that banned all other races from setting foot on their island, getting them to help simply because they asked or they need their help wouldn't be anywhere close to a reason to actually help. Judging from how low the tone of Aeris's voice went when saying that made him sure that there was more to it than she revealed.

"But we can't simply dismiss your story either. The Pillars were indeed expecting you else you would be at the bottom of the sea for daring to approach this island"

"What are the pillars anyway?" Rhaegah asked unable to hold his curiosity anymore. "They are the prime elementals that govern this island, and the first elementals to exist" Rhaegah went eyes wide realizing he'd been taking it literally thinking they were actual pillars that had magical properties. With a face palm he walked towards Aeris now feeling confident "So they are people we can actually reason with? That's all we need. But first, why has he been staring at me this whole time?!" Rhaegah twitched pointing to the make elemental that was introduced as Ignis "That's beyond creepy given that he hasn't even said a word since we got here". No one could hide their shock at what Rhaegah considered a priority "Forgive my brother..... He has a habit of glaring at things he cannot comprehend" the air elemental stated with a chuckle. "Anyways, given the nature of things I feel we should head to the water elemental- er I mean Pillar" he continued "And what led to that decision?" Nygel asked "Well one thing I've gathered in all my years is that anything relating to the water element is calm natured and is kinder than all others. So surely whoever he or she-"

"She" Aeris cut in

"Really? That confirms it. A woman with a water element attribute is the best option for now" he ended with a smirk oozing self confidence.

"What's this about a woman with a water attribute? Do you mean to imply that such a woman is weak willed and would bend easily?"

"Woah Woah... Phrasing"

"What"

"Nothing..... And no that's not what I meant, I simply meant that water signifies calmness which I believe brings reasoning. And besides, a woman is naturally kind. Combining the two brings about the most reasonable person to have a conversation with is all"

The two elementals simply observed the exchange and Aeris only uttered "You know nothing boy" making Rhaegah cringe at the thought that he was now being ridiculed by two females "First off I'm no Jon.....and why am I the only one seeing the logic in this?"

"They seem to be in there" a voice followed by footsteps drew closer to the building. The while party stood ready hands on their weapons waiting for whoever would appear "I believe no one on this island is a real threat to us" Nygel stated making everyone do a double take and ease up "The dark elves must have really had a lasting effect on them" Rhaegah thought to himself before realizing that his hand was already on the hilt of his swords as well. "Expecting any-" Nygel looked back to where Aeris and Ignis stood to find none of them there. The voices then came into view revealing four elementals one of each element. "Apologies, we assumed you would still be at the pier. We are here to escort you to see the pillars. I am Pyrah" the fire elemtals spoke.

This fire elemental's appearance was different from Ignis. Ignis had binds that were obviously cloth like almost as though he'd gone through mummification yet this other fire elemental wasn't in those binds but instead was more of a rocky feel, like the look of rocks cracked by larva. The signs that binds similar to Ignis's were evident and it seemed like those binds changed into this rock-like appearance of molten magna though no such heat was emitted nor was lava dripping out of him. "We are aware of the reason you are here and will help you as capable" Pyrah added.

"Speaking of which, there were two-"

"Two things we had to clarify before anything" Nygel cut Symmone off aware of what he wanted to bring up. "First who gets to meet with the Pillars in person?"

"The dragon-born may bring a single companion to meet with each pillar" Pyrah replied almost expecting the question

"And what happens if any of the Pillars does not find him worthy?" Nygel asked this time more seriously

"I cannot say..... That is up to the Pillars to decide"

Nygel then explained that the dragon-born had decided to see the water Pillar first and the group set out led by Pyrah and the other three elementals whom for some reason did not feel the need to introduce themselves nor did the group feel the need to ask.

They walked through a typical forest region that served as the border between the Terra region and the Oasis as described by Pyrah. At random intervals they could feel sudden thuds coming from a distance more precisely from the Terra region. What felt odd, was the unspoken though that those thuds were from something that was alive in there as they all seemed to have the same reaction to the noises. The plants were nothing like any he'd seen on earth and even on Valoren so far. Flowers seemed to sprout straight out of rocks as though the seeds were planted within the rocks and depending on how close the flowers were to each region, their shade would vary from the somewhat brown and typical leaf green of plants towards the Terra region and cerulean blue with a blend of soft green flowers for those closer to the oasis. Though they were the same flower, their colors were dependent on the region they grew.

The trees were thicker and more spread out towards the Terra region than the Oasis which had less trees but not so few that one couldn't find one or two trees every short distance travelled. Getting closer to the Oasis the sound of rushing water could be heard and at that moment Rhaegah snapped out of his observation realizing he was thirsty. "I wonder if the concept behind fresh water is the same here" and with that thought he pushed through tall grass plants to set eyes on a flowing river. The water was almost nonexistent as he could clearly see what lay at the bottom. The clarity of the river wasn't the only shock as while completely clear, the water seemed to reflect every bit of light that hit it in the form of infinite sparkles flowing with the current.

Topping it off was the violet overglow that covered everything perfectly reflecting over the water bringing about the variation of the sparkles giving a harmony of white, violet and green glittery view over the water. The sound of splashing water brought his attention to his left where Herke was simply gulping down so much water, he seemed to want to drown himself. Looking round at the group he remembered that this was their world so they would have seen such sights all their lives and would have lost the need to bask in the beauty of each surrounding "Either that or every one of them was oblivious to what he was seeing"

Not able to help it he takes a drink as well. A few gulps later he immediately finds the reason behind Herke's suicidal drinking. Each gulp felt like he was quenching not only his thirst but his fatigue as well rejuvenating him instantly. He gets up and out of sheer curiosity tries to trace the river back to its source. Looking up now and on closer observation he realizes that what he saw as a tower upon entry into the island was in fact a waterfall, which also seemed like the source of all the water in the region. "Annai will take the dragon-born and one other to the Water Tower" Pyrah says pointing to the water elemental among the three accompanying him. Annai had his binds moving in a swirl around him. The binds had gaps here and there around him making Rhaegah get a view of what was under the binds. A bright blue glow could be seen within the rapid flow of water under the binds, dripping out but dissipating as soon as it does. This only confirmed what Rhaegah had been trying to dispute. They were actually living elements wrapped in binds giving them their structure.

Without a second thought, he stretches a hand to Auia who let's a small smile escape her lips before returning to her cold gaze almost immediately. Being the one chosen to accompany him to see the water Pillar was common sense but seeing as someone with centuries of experience in magic arts like Nygel was also present she had suspected he would want to go with someone who was fully capable in helping him in convincing the Pillar. Choosing to simply take the opportunity, she steps closer to Rhaegah. Once the two were ready, Annai walked towards the river and with a corresponding glow from within him, water from the river began swirling around the moment he stepped on the river.

The increased glow of his body then began accumulating to his hands and he motioned for them to get on. Rhaegah was once again intrigued on stepping on what he expected to be water felt hard as the ground, taking into account that the water looked no different from the flowing river. Taking another step he felt the reality of what was happening...He was walking on water "So did he infuse mana into Peter?" he found himself saying out loud "Who?" Auia asked picking the word 'mana' concluding he was most likely referring to something of Valoren. With a rush, all three of them sped over the surface of the water heading upstream. Rhaegah looked behind to see the fading image of the group far behind and for some reason, maybe his core personality, could not help but wonder if this they were going to be fine. Pyrah he was certain had no ill intent but the others gave off a vibe he couldn't quite figure out.

Having another opportunity, he looks around and feasted his eyes on yet another part of the Oasis. Streams lined up and spread out infinitely as well as other river bodies came into view. Majority of the plants were so green he began to wonder what the earth had looked like before humans happened. Along the shores were tons of water lilies.... The only plant he'd recognized so far. They shone white under the sun and the reflection of light from the water made them glitter as well. Glancing over to his side he stops when his eyes rest on Auia who was also in awe. Her hair shone just as bright as the lilies under the sun and the blue stripes of her leather armor brought about a certain emphasis on her water attribute. The half elf turned swiftly towards him to find him staring off into nothing and whistling the most awful tune. "This uncultured boy who cannot recognize such beauty in the world will have no desire to save it" she flicks her hair in irritation looking the opposite direction.

"My world was like this once" she heard him say turning her attention back to him "The Earth was filled with green life and clear waters...but we began killing it ourselves in the name of advancement. Now there's so little plant life we might have to manufacture our own oxygen if we continue that way. So much life is gone from the planet but people are so immersed in their struggle for technological advancement that they don't realize that they're killing the planet in doing so" Auia had no concrete idea what he was talking about but she could clearly feel the seriousness in his voice and simply listened on.

"Honestly... My world is the one in need of saving. And from ourselves. Cos we are the threat to the Earth, and come to think of it any world we can get our hand on" he immediately remembered the footage Anna showed of he and Nygel going through the portal, bringing about a dreadful thought "If they do find a water to reach this world, the dark elves won't be the only problem this world will face" he looks to Auia who maintains her stare at him "I can't tell them that..... At least not now. They've got too much to worry about"

Auia had regularly caught him staring off into nothing or at random intervals, just lost in thought looking around him. She now had an idea of what was going through his mind when he was in that state. "We are here" Annai stated and to confirm his statement, a massive shadow was cast over them from the waterfall that brought them here. The stepped onto the shore and Annai stepped off the water but did not move from the spot he rested. "What now?" Rhaegah asked fearing the worst. At times like this the hero of the story has to face the challenge of getting up there without help from the guide. He hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Up the waterfall you go" Ananai stated matter-of-factly

Rhaegah face palmed "Typical" he looked up at the towering waterfall losing all hope instantly. The water fell so smoothly that it looked like a glass wall around the structure behind it Come to think of..... There's almost nothing in there" Rhaegah looked through the waterfall to find that there was indeed nothing on the other side of the waterfall making him question the structure itself. He motioned to touch the falling torrent "I advise against such actions if you value the use of your limbs" Annai warned and returned to his steady gaze at nothing before him.

True..... From that height the force of the water would exceed the regular crushing force of any waterfall but the calmness of this one made him doubt. "Have you had enough time to ponder on the obvious?" Auia's voice came from behind "Perfect! A water user! You should be able to do something 'bout this right?" he said aloud as was the logical way to speak near a waterfall but again he realized that there was no such noise that would prevent easy hearing "Just what is this place?". Auia stretched a hand forward and a mandala formed instantly but his extreme senses gave him little time to see the base, content and bind form simultaneously. For someone to instantly project a written language that wasn't hers, she must have studied for a long time. All these thoughts brought a certain uneasy feeling he couldn't quite figure out. He thought for a moment staring at the water mage so as not to lose track of what he was trying to figure out. Staring at her long enough he realized the problem..... Nothing was happening.

"Auia, is everything-"

"Impossible!" Auia exclaimed before the sudden shattering of her mandala. Rhaegah shielded himself from the burst not sure what just happened. "I can't manipulate it...This is impossible. There should be no water body I can't control" she said shakily making a sharp turn to Annai, her expression demanding an explanation but he was gone. She began trying spells simultaneously, aiming at every body of water she could see to no avail. Mandala after mandala breaking apart the moment she attempts to force the water into submission. "I thought you could create water yourself. Shouldn't we use that to get to the top and then figure this out?" Rhaegah asked in an attempt to comfort her and get her mind off that for now. "I don't have the mana to create such amounts of water that will get us to the top in a single attempt. And this waterfall has no foothold to use as a resting point on the way up"

"That means whatever way we devise must be a continuous one that'll get us to the top in a single try huh?"

"Precisely" Auia replied, her voice revealing how extremely difficult the task will be. Looking to the top again, the situation only seemed bleaker.

"How do you keep those ice platforms in the air to be used as a stepping stone?"

"They can only be used in that manner the moment they are formed. Since they form at the centre they are stuck in place and that is when they can be used before they fully form and drop"

"And how many can you create continuously?"

"Not enough to get us to the top if that is your intent"

"Hold up..... I've been meaning to test something for a while now" Rhaegah motioned for her to give him some room. His physical abilities had been shunted even without the use of his lightning ability. His speed and strength were the only things he'd focused on so far, neglecting all other things he could possibly do..... Something as trivial as extended jumps. He stared up once more trying to give himself an estimate and entered his stance, bent his knees though not so much that he wouldn't achieve maximum thrust. He obviously had no intention of clearing the height in one jump, but what if.....

Nygel had been in thought as to what challenges the two might face as he looked over to Symmone who was twitching with impatience already. "You never change do-" a loud boom drove everyone's attention upstream towards the colossal tower "What in the world?"

Rhaegah shot into the air after the initial burst in a manner anyone would mistake for flight. Ripples formed on the surface of the waterfall as he zoomed upwards. This was something he'd only seen in movies and the tons of anime he'd seen, and the sensation was unreal. Just as fast as he ascended he could feel himself coming to a stop slowly decelerating until he finally stopped his ascent. He looked downwards and to his surprise couldn't clearly locate Auia as the distance he travelled in that instant was unbelievable more so for him. Now came the conundrum "Oi Oi.....Can I handle the drop?"

He felt the whoosh of the wind on his face as he fell straight down. The faster he dropped the more he considered imminent death. He felt his stomach churn the closer he got to the ground and his head felt so light he was afraid it might leave his body to fall.

A loud bang reverberated from the waterfall spreading to many regions in the Oasis

"Like I said,  he surpasses expectations very easily. That jump is something not many can pull off. But did he really think he could make the jump?" Herke asked absentmindedly

"Most certainly not. His mind works in many mysterious ways. But I assure you that the next attempt will not fail" Nygel replied staring fervently ahead.

"He cannot accomplish much with the lady he chose to accompany him" Annai said from behind them. The water elemental had returned to the others relaying what happened until he left the two. "And she is not one to hold people back or inconvenience others. She will definitely prove her worth" Symmone said staring at the tower as well.

Auia stood behind a wall of ice protecting herself from the shockwave that burst from Rhaegah's landing..... Or more accurately, Rhaegah's crash. The dragon-born had a less than graceful landing crashing on his side knocking the wind out of himself. He groaned but got up all the same looking at the surrounding to find it intact given that there should have been a small crater where he landed earlier "It got fixed?". He looked towards Auia who was expectedly perplexed.

"I choose to believe there was a reason for that pointless display of your jumping prowess"

"As a matter of fact, there was" Rhaegah retorted with a smirk "But first, how high can you jump?"

"What you just did, is something not many can do regardless of how one trains himself. It would seem the power of the dragon-born is truly remarkable"

"So.... No" Rhaegah cut in with a chuckle

She had been trying to avoid being inferior to him knowing he just awakened his powers compared to her who had been developing her strength from a tender age.

"I guess we'll have to improvise" Rhaegah added, stretching his body to relieve the effect of the fall.

CRONUS REACTOR ROOM - LEGION RESEARCH FACILITY: EARTH

"How far along are we?"

"There's still too much we don't know. This is uncharted territory in the field of science" Anna replied the static voice from the screen next to her. "But with the resources you provided, nothing can stop our progress" she added turning to another screen displaying several people working on a large construction project. "So he would rather be on some pointless school related trip than be here? The youth of today are really something" Anna sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose before reacting to the sudden blare of a siren. "What's going on in there?!" she demands from a worker standing next to her. Seeing perplexed look on his face, she shouts staring into the screen "Someone say something!" the rumblings got louder.

THE OASIS - PRIMORDIAL ISLAND: VALOREN

"I'm not sure I can survive another fall" Rhaegah wheezed struggling to get up. "Remind me why you can't do anything to this waterfall"

"The purity of a body of water is the determinant of how difficult it is to control such water body. Though difficult, there has never been a water body I could not control. The purity of this Oasis must be unimaginable" Auia replied between breaths "But I am certain we will make it to the top this time"

"That's exactly what you said last time...in those words" Rhaegah stated staring straight up... Determination evident on his face "But yeah. We'll definitely make it to the top this time. Cos I realize what we've been missing" he looked over to her "but you need to keep up this time. And be ready for anything"

That last statement left Auia puzzled. Surely they had gone over all the possible ways they could ascend the waterfall and considered all needed enhancements before now. Just what was Rhaegah thinking.

The dragon-born in question took his stance once again sending all the lightning he could muster Underneath his feet. The force built up and with the sudden crack of the ground beneath him, he shot up with his lightning cloak now enveloping him. It blasted him like a bolt of lightning straight upwards leaving the half elf behind. Auia stood ready with a mandala already forming in her hand. With her keen eyesight she kept track of his movement and the moment the lightning cloak dissipated, a water tendril shot out of the mandala with unimaginable speed going straight up until it covered Rhaegah hand gripping it firmly. Rhaegah anticipating this, pulled with all the strength he could force out, hurling Auia from the ground straight up towards him. She readied a mandala but seeing as she did not slow down as expected, she waited a while longer zooming past Rhaegah who's plan was indeed to send her way above him.

Looking down she notices his deceleration and projects an ice platform linking the tendril to it giving Rhaegah a rope like setup. The dragon-born not expecting that couldn't delay for a second since the platform would drop the moment it was complete. He pulled hard on the tendril shunting himself further upwards while Auia created a platform for herself as well leaping off it just as Rhaegah shot past her with a crazed smile on his face. "I cannot believe he thought of using the tendril as a mere rope just after seeing it once before. And combining both the platform and the tendril so I don't have to use my own strength to pull him upwards" she says creating another platform for him and with another lightning boost he blasts himself higher this time even higher than before "But he now bears the burden of making sure I catch up as well as pushing himself higher. How reckless can person be? Regardless, I will not let him bear the burden alone"

Rhaegah deactivated the lightning cloak and was waiting for the tendril as was the plan, but after a moment's delay knowing Auia to be a very meticulous person, he looks down to see her headed straight for him. "what the-"

She had created a large platform for herself and used a water cyclone with to boost herself if only to get much closer to him. She then sends the tendril as planned only this time, she was much closer making it a whole lot easier to firmly hurl her upwards sending her much higher than the initial toss which was quite the distance. She soared much higher and the rush of wind on her face imbued her with the confidence that she could reach the clouds. Proceeding according to plan, she attaches the tendril to a platform which Rhaegah tugged on sending him tearing through the air only this time catching up to her and not passing.

They were now side by side flying upwards together with the same ecstatic look. He pointed a finger upwards retaining the smile on his face. She had no idea how she understood what that meant but she wasn't backing out now. She created one platform which Rhaegah stepped on locking his fingers signifying a boost. She stepped onto his hand and he pushed hard sending her even higher much faster. The good vibes could only last that long as the platform suddenly shattered under him making him lose his momentum. This height was one they had not dared reach in any of their previous attempts and Rhaegah was sure a fall from this height would kill him. His thoughts went blank and his heart suddenly began threatening to burst from his chest. In that split second his vision blurred but he could see that the top of the waterfall was clearly within reach. His breathing became haggard and he could not utter a single word.

The splash of water snapped him back to his senses looking beside him to see Auia's failed attempt at creating a platform even while she was still ascending. She had panicked on seeing the ice break under him and a rushed attempt at recreating one resulting in her creating a pool of water that splashed into the waterfall spreading the mix around him. Rhaegah suddenly had a thought and with a desperate struggle, "FREEZE IT!" he yelled and just as he expected, the water Auia created froze over the scattered water from the waterfall freezing it in place and connecting to the waterfall itself. That split second was all he needed. He grabbed the jagged platform and with another giant leap he was headed straight to the top. "Two more jumps!" he exclaimed on catching up with Auia who nodded creating one wide platform for them both. With another leap they rose to a point just above the waterfall but were still suspended in air. "THERE!" Rhaegah yelled pointing to a piece of land just ahead. With one final cast, Auia created an ice platform which pushed them forward rolling into a landing on the spit of land the saw.

Both were out of breath as the final moments of the ascent were in all meaning, horrifying.

"They did it" Nygel said with a smile staring intently towards the tower.

"I've gotta say, you are a life saver" Rhaegah said between breaths chuckling as he did.

"And you have a knack for always being at D'harak's door" she replied

"D'harak?"

"The Elven god of the dark elves. He is often described as the god of death"

"How many gods are there?"

"Nine new gods. Symmone says-"

"Hold up" Rhaegah cuts in sensing that something was off. He gets up looking ahead to see four water elementals standing outside what looked like a large temple made of glass. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to be lost in observing the structure, given that the vibe he sensed from the elementals stationed outside wasn't one that was friendly. "I get the feeling they aren't very friendly" he whispers to Auia who already had her hand on her sword's hilt.

Several lumps of dry earth stuck out of the water speeding towards the temple which had quite the landmass itself.

"Out of respect to your tenacity for making it this far, we will allow you return whence you came. Else we employ force" one of the elementals spoke with a tone indicating he was dead serious. Though Rhaegah realized he meant every word, he could not believe he just heard that.

"I'm only gonna say this once. Move..... Or you WILL be moved" Rhaegah stated coldly not able to hold back his rage at the audacity to be able to tell him such. Annai definitely had some explaining to do. Better still, the 'Pillar' that was expecting him. A huge spike of ice suddenly landed where Rhaegah was but the dragon-born was long gone from that spot. The elemental who sent it went eyes wide not sure what happened.

"Burst" Rhaegah's voice resounded appearing a hair's breadth from his target sending the burst of lightning straight to the elemental. There were immediately three water elementals left as the attacker had been sent over the fall.

"He always was too hotheaded" an elemental spoke "We did say he was too young to guard this temple" another said sending Rhaegah deep chills. He motioned to move but instantly realized he was caught in a triangle between three elementals "Shit.... I messed up" he panicked as a torrent of water rushed at them splitting three ways and solidifying into hard ice, making the elementals break their formation giving Rhaegah a chance to escape their grip. "Thanks"

"Don't make such a stupid judgement call a second time" Auia snapped back, eyes trained on the elementals before them. "The Pillars are expecting us" Auia stated loudly "We received no such news. And do you expect us to believe such ludicrous story after watching you knock one of us over the fall?" one of the three spoke. These three looked a lot like Annai but there was something quite different about them. Their binds looked like solidified water, swirling rapidly round them with the excess water that dripped off dissipating immediately. Rhaegah could almost swear that Annai was way older just by the appearance but how can one tell an elementals age?

That would have to wait. His mind had to focus on defeating these three or at least finding a way past them into the temple. The Pillar on the other side would definitely vouch for them

"How the fuck am I sure that's not who's behind this?"

He looked past the guards to the entrance of the temple to find a glass door the only thing between him and whoever was inside "This is gonna be easier than I thought" he thinks to himself before drawing his swords, lightning cackling with his every move. "This is going to be very tricky. Can you keep up with me?"

"Such arrogance. Did you already forget who was training you?" Auia spat back boosting his confidence that his back was covered and he didn't really have to worry about her.

"There's one missing!" he exclaims as an elemental lunged out of the pool of water around them heading straight for him. It completely slipped his mind that they were in their domain. He swung his sword towards the coming enemy but was surprised when the elemental blocked his sword with his hand. The sound of his sword clashing against something rock solid discouraged him slightly because now he wasn't sure he could deal much damage with his sword even if he got the chance. Clash after clash brought about the same result and with a strong swing, he pushed the elemental back as Auia zoomed past him sword in hand headed straight for the two preparing themselves. Three mandalas formed before her as she maintained her sprint. She slashed through one which covered her sword in ice making it look even thinner than it already did. One of the other two sent ice spikes towards the two ahead of her and the last one created a path of ice heading towards. Using the momentum she'd built up she slid on the ice path and leapt in the air catching the two elementals between herself and a barrage of ice spikes.

Rhaegah was sure the spikes would have no effect seeing as his sword had next to no effect. To his surprise they leapt out of the way of the spikes. One landing feet away from them and the next heading straight for her willing to take her sword head on. She swung down and to both Rhaegah's and the elemental's surprise, his arm was cut clean off. Auia gave him no time to process letting loose a barrage of sword swings which the elemental dodged remarkably well even with the sudden loss of an arm. Rhaegah wasn't faring better. The elemental he was fighting was tenacious and would counter his attacks with almost little effort. He thought back to his battle with Auia, remembering how he made her use her armour suit. He looked towards the elementals tossing his sword straight for him. The elemental simply hit the sword out the way sending it flying. Looking ahead Rhaegah was gone and all that remained was a tiny spark. He appeared midair catching the sword and hurling his other sword at the elemental this time, he had channeled his lightning into the sword before hurling it straight for the elemental.

The sword closed the distance in a mere second clashing against a thick wall of ice. The elemental could as expected manipulate the water around. The sword shattered the ice wall but was met with several more between the sword and the elemental creating the walls. Rhaegah landed and without a moment's hesitation, rushed towards the unsuspecting elemental heading straight for the ice walls. He released his mana which his armor absorbed activating the enchantments on in. His feet felt lighter than air and his body was in fact lighter. His lightning flowed with ease shunting him forward obliterating the walls of ice slamming into the elemental who arched back shooting a pillar of ice launching Rhaegah into the air before crashing into a nearby rock. The impact with the pillar made Rhaegah wince in pain until he realized there was actually no pain. The part of the pillar that made contact with him had been shaved off by the stream of lightning that was constantly flowing all around his body. For some reason the lightning knew exactly where it needed to be.....like it had a mind of its own.

Rhaegah quickly looked over at Auia who seemed to be doing fine keeping the remaining two in check. He made for the glass door with extreme speed and was ready to burst through when he realized he was rushing to his death. That was no glass door, but a super smooth waterfall over the entrance. The waterfall they spent ages trying to climb was nothing compare to this. What sent him the death vibe however was the steam he noticed on getting closer to the door. He stopped abruptly only a few feet from the waterfall and the heat he felt confirmed what he saw. This was a waterfall of super hot water. Water so hot he could feel the boiling feeling from many feet back. "You will never make it to Lady Iara" one of the elementals said. There was no way he could go in even if there was no one here to stop him as Auia couldn't do anything about it anyway. "Just how much do you wanna mindfuck me?"

Inside the temple, a throne was placed at the centre of the grand hall. A female sat on the throne staring furiously at the door leading into that room. Sounds of weapon clashes and loud thuds and bangs phases through the door to her ears.

A Long Time Ago.....

"Is this what mortals consider love?"

"Iara, love is not when you offer a person a meal"

"But what if you feel specially bonded with the bearer of such gifts?"

"It is still simply a meal. You don't have to get mad, for a true profession of love is guaranteeing you that I will walk the world with you for as long as you live"

"Karnaq, you are surely aware that I can never age"

"Then forever it is"

.................................................

"You dare to walk away after everything you have done here?"

"As a mortal, I do not have forever. That was something an immortal being would know. Your error was believing I came to this island for you Iara"

"My work is done. And now powers you granted me will cause despair for many more. When this world descends into darkness, know that you assisted the one who made it so"

"Are all humans truly this vile by nature?" she asked, her voice barely able to sound the words

"Before I leave, an advice to you. Any one looking to learn from this island has no good to do with that knowledge. Goodbye Iara, truly it has been pleasant"

.................................................

She opened her eyes, sensing the same mana of the one who betrayed her all those years ago. She would never find someone with mana so vile worthy of her anymore, nor will anyone else ever be.

The waterfall sealing the entrance split down the middle and parted, opening a path. The two elementals fighting immediately stopped in their tracks. The waterfall parting could only mean that their Lady had granted passage to whoever was asking. They stood on both sides of the entrance maintaining an upright position like any true guard would. Rhaegah had a brow raised and Auia still could not fathom what just transpired "You have been invited by lady Iara indeed. Go in..... Her patience is thin" the elemental Rhaegah knocked out said walking towards the entrance, and stood dead centre. Rhaegah and Auia glanced at one another then head into the temple, taking cautious steps in case this was just some trap.

Getting past the entrance, the waterfall sealed the entrance "No going back now" Rhaegah said heading further inward. They came upon a large circular room that was in itself, its own hall. Floating orbs of glowing liquids lit the place spreading round the room bringing everything into view. Streams of water flowed by in several pathways coming from further within the temple. The movement of a certain tiny figure made him reach for his weapon before realizing they were fish "There's an aquarium here? How dare she live so peacefully?" Rhaegah heard himself chuckle at the relaxing sight. He notices a large door straight ahead and made for it when a single fish swam past him. He stopped in place refusing to look in any direction while processing that. Another swam past and on closer inspection he noticed the fish themselves were entirely made of water. What spun this scenario out of control was the fact that the fish swam through the air like they would in any ocean body. Long hanging plants gave the fish something to manoeuvre as they danced around the room reflecting light as they moved. He motioned to touch one but it scurried away like any sensible fish would. Schools of fish moved alongside other slightly larger fish giving this hall an immersive underwater feel. He shook his head trying to focus on the task at hand. The battle with those elementals still causing rage to build up in him. He pushes the gold doors open heading inside without haste.

Auia followed suit stepping into a large round room. A figure on a throne sat at the centre of the room as though waiting for them. Suddenly the room got brighter and Rhaegah confirmed what he saw. A female he concluded was the Water Pillar Iara as the elementals outside had stated. She donned a long blue gown, the color a gradient of two shades of blue. He immediately lost sight of all else looking towards her head. Her hair shone beautifully reflecting all sources of light in the room. He stepped closer and what he noticed stopped him in his tracks. That was no hair on her head... At least not in the conventional sense. Her hair was literally falling water from the top of her head. It flowed like any normal hair would except this one connected with the floor flowing into the pools around the raised platform where her throne sat. Unable to shake the thought he was getting, he followed the flow of water from her hair to the floor till it connected with the pool and realized it was flowing outside. "This is the source of all that water?" he couldn't believe such a thing was possible. A single person being the primary source of all the water in the Oasis.

"The deserving of the two is unfortunately not worthy enough yet to be in my presence" a soft echoing voice reached their ears bringing with it a sudden chill down their backs. With no single gesture, the surrounding water body reached out, wrapping Auia in a cocoon of water. "Begone" Iara softly said and with that, the half elf was flung out of the room with crazy speed leaving Rhaegah utterly speechless as the door shut behind him. All she could see was the mana of the one she vowed to destroy the very next time she laid eyes on him. Her rage had blinded her to Rhaegah's own appearance. She raised her head, several mandala etched unto her body pulsing as the steady flow of her hair was now getting violent.

She looked him dead in the eyes.....Her hair now a raging torrent of water and eyes that shone bright white in response to the rise in her tone. "You dare return to me?" Iara bellowed. Rhaegah instantly regretted coming here. He should have thought things through but all that was too late now. He could hardly breathe and he felt he had no strength left. The godlike figure drowned him in the feeling of insignificance. He clenched his fists and with new found resolve, he raises his head refusing defeat. He had made it to the beast's den..... He'd have to make the best of it.

* "She fell deeply in love with a mortal long before the elementals you see all around came to be. Against her better judgement and not heeding any of our warnings, she opened her core to him"

"And I'm guessing he betrayed that love?" Rhaegah asked understanding how such stories go

"Precisely so. And that is also the very reason I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Because you reek of that same man. You are the exact replica of him, both body and mana"

"What are you talking about-"

"Leave this place now!" the wood golem standing by suddenly turned towards Rhaegah burning bright green from within in response to his lady's tone. "Or he will certainly make sure you do" she added pointing to the wood golem

Chapter 9: The Earth Loli