"So I'll start with the obvious question."
Berstil, the wind elemental who lived in the mountains outside of Iciclaris, held out his hand and used a light wind spell on the fire, fanning the flames.
"What the hell is a fire elemental doing in this place? Are you going to attack the city?"
The eyes of Berstil thinned as he stared down the overexcited flame elemental sitting next to him.
"Depending on your answer, I may have to fight you here myself."
"Eh? Why would I have come here to attack!? I've come to explore the world. I was recently released from the service of King Leroy, and so I've come to this place first by a whim. That's all."
"Is that so?"
Berstil appeared to be thinking to himself before he let out a sigh.
"Well, if you were lying then I would probably be able to tell. You don't seem like you're lying.... but you're a very strange person. I've never met someone like you before."
"Oh? How so?"
"Most people from your city are a bit more.... aggressive."
Berstil turned the roast as he spoke with grave tone.
"The number of people who I've killed because they've tried to attack the city isn't zero."
Jorris became serious upon hearing this.
"Is.... is that true? My people have made attempts to attack your city?"
"Do you not even know that much? Leroy has been making moves on this city for years now, however his attacks have never been on a full scale. We anticipate that he is planning something big as we speak. My purpose out here is actually to encounter anyone suspicious before they make it to the city. I work for the Captain of the Knights, but I am not a knight."
Berstil smiled lightly as he took the roast off the spit before forming a blade of wind within his hand, which he used to cut up the rabbit.
"I am a ranger."
After dishing out the meal, Berstil and Jorris began to eat.
Jorris however, couldn't contain his interest.
"Oh.... a ranger? So that would explain all this. Well, don't worry..... I have no hostile intentions. I.... I don't know about the men that you've had to kill, and I am hesitant to believe that they would do such things under the orders of King Leroy, however.... I wasn't there when it happened, so I have no right to judge you."
Jorris quietly ate his meal, slurping up the meat and broth quickly before wiping his lips.
"Ahh!! That hit the spot!"
"I'm glad you liked it."
"So can you tell me a bit more about this place then? The city of Iciclaris, that is. I'd like to take a look at it myself if you don't mind."
"Did I say that I would allow you to enter the city?"
Berstil stuck Jorris with a quick retort, to his surprise.
"Eh? You're not going to let me in?"
"Do I have a good reason to? After all, my intuition may be wrong. What if you're actually here as a spy, and a good actor at that?"
Jorris looked down with disappointment.
"I see. So you won't let me go near the city then?"
"Nope."
With a shrug, Jorris stood up.
"Well, that's fine. I'll find another city to explore. Perhaps I'll head to the South? Ah, does your offer to house me still stand?"
"I have no problems with you staying here."
"Ah, thanks! It's getting late after all. It would be troublesome if I didn't have anywhere to stay."
"No problem.", Berstil replied with one eye open, clearly keeping watch over Jorris.
Cleaning up the dishes, Berstil led Jorris inside the shack, showing him to his room.
"You'll sleep here. I'm a ranger so if anything happens don't hesitate to wake me. I'll probably wake up at the slightest sound, so don't worry about my own rest. I've been trained to sleep with one eye open, after all.."
"I see. Then if anything happens I'll do that. Goodnight, Berstil. Thank you for allowing me to stay here."
"You're welcome."
The two parted ways within the home and Jorris laid down on the small bed before him.
Holding his hands behind his head, he began to think to himself.
'Hahaha.... I guess even the life of an explorer isn't all that easy. There are some places who don't trust outsiders within their walls.... so I might have a bit of a hard time.'
Turning on his side, Jorris closed his eyes.
'But well, I suppose that's fine. I'm sure there will be some place out there to explore!'
----
The next morning, Jorris woke up early.
"Yaawn.... ah! It's time to head out! Time is limited after all."
Jorris walked out of the home to see something which he never before this day had seen.
A blinding light filled his eyes, and he looked up in awe.
"Whoa..."
It was the light of the sun.
The entire forest around him was illuminated, and he looked around with glee.
"It's.... amazing....."
"So you really have never seen the sunlight before?"
"Ah! Berstil! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Why shouldn't I sneak up on someone I don't trust?"
"Hahaha... you make me out to be some sort of villain."
Jorris turned to Berstil, bowing to him lightly.
"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be heading to the South then in search of adventure."
Walking away, Jorris began to light up his own flames, preparing to use them to propel himself forth.
"Wait."
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
"Sigh.... it seems like you really are just an idiot who wants to see the world. I never thought one of your type could come out of the city of flames."
Berstil smiled lightly, looking Jorris directly in the eye.
"I tested you. I gave you the chance to attack me in my sleep. If your goal was truly to invade the city, then surely you would have done so. However, you didn't."
Berstil walked forward placing his hand on the shoulder of Jorris.
"That's enough for me to say that you don't hold any ill intent. I'll let you into the city."
Jorris felt his heart leap with joy as Berstil told him this, and couldn't hide his own smile.
"Thank you, Berstil!!!"
"Whatever. Just get going. And I'll let you know.... the people probably won't treat you as nicely as I did. The flame and earth elementals have only ever attacked this city. They don't come here as tourists, so it will be a strange sight for one to be walking around. They might think that you somehow snuck past me. All I'm saying is be careful and stay out of trouble. If someone tries to fight you, you must absolutely not fight back. If you do, no matter what happens, you'll be seen as the villain. Do you understand?"
"I got it. I won't get involved in anything. Even if someone insults me, I can walk that off no problem."
"You really are strange. Most men have pride and wouldn't be able to say something like that."
"Will pride get me anywhere? It was by throwing that pride away that I was allowed to leave Volaciophus."
Jorris walked away with a shrug and a wave.
"Thank you again, Berstil. I won't forget this!!!"
"Please do forget this."
"I won't!!!"
"Sigh...."
The hunter walked back into his shack as Jorris rushed off, taking flight and eventually viewing the peak of the mountain.
'It really is strange to see a mountain tipped with ice and snow.... this world really was hiding so much.... I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.'
----
Berstil declined a set of stairs, entering a room within the basement of his shack.
Before him was a massive gem, green in color and just slightly taller than a person.
It's glow was darkened as if the energy was in use.
"I did as you told me and allowed him to go."
[As you have done this, a new Host will be born. The one who will become the next generation of Envy. My current Host.... is not compatible with me any further. Therefore I must prepare for the new one.]
----
Jorris soon flew past the peak, and as he did the world opened up before him.
It was a landscape of snow and ice.
In the vast distance he could see the light clouds of which were likely filled with snow, and just beyond the base of the mountain he witnessed a breathtaking sight.
It was a city made completely from blue ice. The walls, the buildings, the roadways, everything seemed to be made from the glassy substance.
"Whoa..."
Jorris couldn't help but grin at seeing the magnificent landscape. As a man who had set out from his homeland in search of adventure, such a sight was exactly the reason why he had left.
He felt flaming tears come to his eyes as he breathed in, looking over the edge of the mountain.
'I've really.... I've really done it.'
Wiping the flames from his eyes with a smile, he bursted forth, flying through the air towards the city.
'I wonder just what could be waiting for me? I need to take the advice of Berstil. I understand that I might not be welcomed.... but even so, I can't stop myself from trying.'
Jorris soon made his way down the hill before landing at the city walls.
The gates were opened, and no knights seemed to be manning them or stationed at the walls.
'Hm? How strange. I expected to at least encounter a few people here, but I suppose not?'
Jorris merely strolled through the gate leisurely, without retribution.
As he walked in, he witnessed a few people traversing the streets of the city, yet not many. For a city of such size Jorris would have expected more people, but this was not the case.
'Perhaps they have all gone somewhere else within the city? Oh!!! Look at all these places around me! Shops, inns, taverns, smiths, so many places!!!'
Like a child who was set free from the watch of his parents, Jorris couldn't help but look all around him with excitement.
Even so, he began to notice the glares of the people around him.
'I guess flame elementals really aren't welcomed here.... but they haven't kicked me out or called any guards to attack me, so perhaps it isn't enough of an issue to immediately address.'
Jorris nodded. He didn't know much about the history of these people with the people of Volaciophus, however he now understood at least that there was bad blood between them.
'Well, I suppose that's somewhat obvious.... I guess I was getting ahead of myself. Flame elementals and ice elementals would naturally hate each other simply due to their own polarity.'
Coming to this realization, Jorris did his best to not stand out as he walked through the town, but even so he couldn't avoid the glares of the people around him.
He walked around the streets for a little bit, taking in the sights when all of a sudden he heard the sounds of many people gathered in a crowd.
Traveling through an alleyway in the direction of the sounds, Jorris entered a large open area where a huge crowd of people were gathered- to the point where the entire area was packed with elementals.
Standing in the front row of the crowd were people wearing elemental armor, all wielding some form of weapon at their sides, and standing on a stage before them was a woman.
She was an ice elemental who had a long ponytail as her hairstyle and at her side was a metal handle with no blade.
She stood before all the people with a serious expression, stepping forth and shouting out in a loud voice to quiet the people before her.
"To the people of Iciclaris! I've been officially inaugurated now as the Captain of the Knights, and I thank you graciously for giving me this opportunity to lead you. I would like to begin by thanking all the knights who welcomed me as their new Captain, and by extending this gratitude to those who are committed to serving the people of this city with honor and integrity."
The woman said these words with a loud voice and a serious expression, commanding the people with fervor.
"However, and I am extremely disappointed that I must say this, it appears that there were some among our rankings which were not upholding the codes of honor which the knights should be held to. It has come to my attention that many of those within our ranks were performing acts of abuse within their own families, and that there were even some knights involved in the trading of illegal drugs."
With a straightforward tone, the woman laid out cold hard facts before the people, causing many to gasp in surprise.
'No way....'
'Among the knights.... there were those types of people?'
'This is...'
"Perhaps with the previous Captain this was overlooked, or perhaps no investigation occurred in the first place. I hesitate to say that it was supported, but that is also a possibility as well. However, I will tell each and every one of you underneath me here and now."
The woman stepped forward with a flame in her eyes, determined to do what she believed was right.
"I will not permit such things among those who call themselves knights."
With an unyielding tone, Jorris witnessed this woman from afar as she spoke.
As he watched her, Jorris felt something stir within him.
'A straightforward figure of justice.... that is what this person is.'
A smile crept it's way across the face of Jorris as he watched. Never before had he been so encapsulated by the performance of another.
"I have taken the proper measures, and those who you do not see here today have been stripped of their titles. I am here to cleanse this city, and I will not allow those who are not worthy to bear the title of knight to continue this abuse of authority. It is the duty of the knights to protect the people from that which could harm them, so how then could I allow those who are harming others to keep such a title?"
The eyes of the woman thinned.
"That would be nothing less than a betrayal of knighthood, and of my position as Captain."
The woman bowed, and the clapping of the people ensued. Among the knights present, there were many who clapped as well- likely those who knew of the previous corruption within their ranks but were unable to do anything about it.
'How wonderful.... to think I would see a scene like this.... traveling the world has truly been worth it, even after this short time.', Jorris thought.
The people soon dispersed, and Jorris too made his way into an alleyway, heading through the city to continue his own exploration. He walked through the group of people, courting even more glares of suspicion, but ignored them and made his way by.
'I probably shouldn't stay here too long though. It seems like I really am unwelcome.'
Jorris made his way through the plaza into an alleyway nearby, heading through the city of ice.
Eventually he came to a corridor where there were a number of children playing together with a ball, passing it back and forth while laughing.
'Haha.... it reminds me of the children back in Volaciophus.'
Jorris smiled and waved to the children as he passed by, most of which looked at him strangely.
One child however waved back, sensing his friendly demeanor.
'It seems that even the children are suspicious of me, but not all of them. I suppose even predetermined prejudices have their limits. If I were to speak with the people here, I'm sure they wouldn't see me as anyone suspicious.'
With a nod, Jorris turned into another corridor and as he did so he ran into a woman who was standing before him.
She stood there with her hands on her hips, her pony tail dangling behind her head. She wore armor made from ice, which was also likely a piece of her own elemental body, and on her side was a metal handle without a blade.
"What do you think you're doing here?", she asked with clear suspicion.
Jorris was stunned at her beauty, and for a moment forgot to breathe.
Standing there without response, the woman became impatient.
"I'll ask one more time. What are you doing here, flame elemental?"
Jorris was brought back to reality as he heard these words. The children behind him seemed to stop their playing, watching the spectacle before them as they whispered to one another.
'Hey look.... isn't that the Captain of the Knights?'
'I think it is! What is she doing here?'
'Is that man a criminal?'
Overhearing the whispers of the children, Jorris realized his own position.
"Ah!! Hahah, don't mind me! I'm just an explorer! I've come from up North. I recently set out on a journey to see the rest of the world, and I decided to come to this village. There's nothing suspicious about me!"
"No, there is something clearly suspicious about you.", the woman said. "I'm going to be taking you in for questioning. Don't resist. I don't wish for those children to be caught up in anything, therefore if you resist I might have to kill you here and now."
Jorris looked at the woman with concern.
'Ah, it seems she's mistaken me for some sort of invader....'
Looking back at the children, Jorris understood well that if he tried to fight back they certainly would be caught up in the fight, so he didn't want to do that.
'I guess I'll just go with her for now and she'll question me. If I tell her that Berstil let me in, we shouldn't have any problems if she sends someone to confirm the information.'
"Don't make any suspicious movements. I'm going to cuff you. Hold out your hands."
"Alright. I understand."
Jorris put his hands forward and the woman took out a pair of cuffs made from a gemstone material. These cuffs were infused with magic so as to be resistant even to the magical power of elementals.
Having been cuffed the woman ordered Jorris forward.
"Let's move. Don't you dare try anything suspicious."
After giving him a light push, Jorris began to walk around the corner, however just as he turned the corner he ran into another man.
The man before him was a water elemental. He looked to be middle aged, and had an angry expression.
As the woman turned the corner, she caught eyes with the furious man.
"You..... you bitch!!!! How dare you remove me from my position as a knight!!!!"