War rages over blood soaked fields and forests. Burnt bodies and limbs strewn everywhere, the scorched tree's and grass showed that not even nature was safe.
What was it that caused people to fight so relentlessly?
Land? Wealth? Fame?
In my experience it was nothing more than pride that pushed people to merciless slaughter.
Man can not be without pride, so man shall remain in endless war.

............
I woke vomiting, drenched in sweat and shivering. My body convulsed as another wave of nausea hit me and I continued to vomit. It took a moment but I finally felt that I had emptied my stomach enough to lay back in my bed. I put an arm behind my head and as I lay back. Immediately I felt sick again.
I sat up, leaning over the bucket beside my bed, but nothing came up.
"Elias?" looking up I noticed my younger sister Cynthia.
I must have woken her, she had silently slipped into my room while I was hunched over being sick. Slowly she approached me, a concerned look on her face.
She knew I hated showing any sign of weakness, but, it never seemed to bother me that much when it was her. Being only a year apart she always acted as if she was the older sibling and I needed protecting.
Plus I knew she would never tell a soul and the look in her eyes said she only wished to ease my suffering.
I was the strongest warrior in our clan. That was to be expected from the leaders only son, but it went far beyond that I was the strongest warrior to ever be born into the dova clan. At the tender age of six I manifested my shade, a weapon brought forth from my soul giving me dominion over a certain element.
This was a miraculous feat in itself considering most of the warriors in our clan couldn't manifest a shade at all, a large majority of them had to rely on the fighting style created by the clans founder. It gave the user immense strength, speed, and durability but it came with a price of great exhaustion after using it.
It was named the dragon breath technique. Once a warrior had mastered it they could create flames on their hands, feet, or weapon and the greatest of warriors could breath fire like the dragons themselves.
Since I manifested my shade I didn't have to train in the dragon breath technique, witch started around twelve or thirteen years of age. Instead, at the age of six, I was taught to fight with my shade.
I was a member of the main family making it easier for me to manifest my shade, not every member of the main family could use their shade but it is a higher possibility for it to manifest in the main family compared to a branch family memeber.
It's said we have a closer connection to the gods and that's why we could use them while other warriors in our clan couldn't, but I wasn't convinced that was the real reason. It's like that in all the clans and I don't think all the main families could be that close to the gods.
I was able to manifest my shade with little more than a thought, no training or preparation, to the clan that made me a prodigy.

Since that day I've pushed myself mercilessly to live up to everyone's standards, I started to train in the dragon breath technique on my fourteenth birthday because my father insisted.
Continuing my physical training, mastering my shade, and learning the dragon breath technique took its toll on my body, the result of this brutal training was nights filled with nausea and pain.
"How long have you been there?" I smiled halfheartedly.
She stood silently for a moment, then came and sat next to me on the bed. Her five foot six inch stature couldn't really be considered small for a girl, but she was still small to me at my six foot seven inches in size.
She said nothing. Placing her hand on the back of my neck. The tips of her fingers glowed a beautiful white as my body was filled with warmth.
All the aching in my muscles melted away, the pain in my head faded to nothing, and I was no longer nauseous. This was one of the perks of having a light shade instead of one of the other elements, light shades are one of two shades that can heal people the other being water, before I knew it I was asleep.
The light streaming through my window woke me, and told me it was morning. I noticed Cynthia had fallen asleep next to me after helping, she was probably just worried I would be sick again.
I climbed out of bed as gently as possible so I wouldn't wake her, grabbing some clothes and a cloth to dry myself, I then went to bath away the smell of sweat and vomit from last nights events.
The medium sized body of water in the bathing area of the main house had already been warmed and ready for my arrival, wrapping a small length of cloth around my waist, I splashed down into the water happily feeling it start to wash away my troubles.
"Elias watch out!" The warning came to late, and the splash came with a "canon ball!!" That immediately put an end to my relaxation.
As he surfaced I wasn't surprised to find the biggest moron I knew, one of my closest friends, Dracen Dova. No one would ever believe we're the same age, but in the seventeen years I had known him he never changed.
"Great, just murder my peace and quite." He ignored my comment as he made himself comfortable.
"I tried to warn you." The familiar voice of Brazen Morcello called before he lowered himself down beside me.
He had a half apologetic smile as he added. "But I guess I was kinda late."
"You guys are going to be the death of me." I said rolling my eyes.
At this Dracen cracked a smile. "Stop complaining, you know you need us to bring joy in your life." He stated matter of factly.
We talked and joked for awhile but unfortunately I couldn't lounge around and hangout with my friends all day.
I finished bathing before them and climbed out. I went to dry myself and get dressed.
I left the bathing area and headed toward the clans training grounds, waving and saying "hello" to the friends and acquaintances I passed.
After a few minutes I was in the woods. I started jogging just to get my body warmed up and limber. Before to long I reached the large clear space for the clans training.
Scanning the area I noticed one other person training alone. It was my dear cousin Cailyn.
Steam rose from her body as she focused, the grass around her was charred. I suspected she was working on her dragon breath fighting.
After a moment flames erupted around her feet and she seemed to vanish from sight, only to reappear twenty feet away delivering a devastating kick to a large tree on the edge of the clearing splitting it in two.
As the tree fell I couldn't help but voice my admiration. "That was amazing, you've really gotten better."
Shocked that someone was watching she spun around. "Oh uh Elias, you really think so?"
Even though she was older than me she wasn't as strong as others in her age group, despite this she never gave up. She worked hard to catch up. She started training before everyone else and left long after everyone was done.
"Looks like all the hard work is really paying off." I said while strolling over to her.
"Yeah but I still need to be stronger." She shrugged.
"Actually," she began to fidget with her fingers as she thought about what to say.
"It would really help if I could spar with someone to see how far I've come but..." she trailed off into mumbling, then silence.
"Sure we can have a match." I shrugged.
"Really? Okay!" She jumped excitedly.
"But if your gonna do this then I don't want you holding back on me, i am the older cousin here." After that she smugly walked to a fresh spot in the field and took up a fighting stance.
I took up the spot opposite her and summoned my shade, a sanguine wakizashi. It blazed alive in my hand, the flames putting off immense heat.
"Is this what you meant by not holding back?" I teased.
She had gotten braver with her new found power and didn't flinch away like she would have before. Smoke started to rise from the ground around her as the veins in her hands glowed red.
She charged me head on, at speeds that the untrained eye couldn't follow.
I jabbed my blade at her as she got close, ducking under the attack she drove her shoulder into my stomach pushing me back. She kept the momentum with a swift front kick to my chin, a low leg sweep to take me off my feet and a powerful punch to the stomach that sent me flying.
I skipped off the ground twice then bounced back onto my feet just as she appeared in front of me.
Right before her fist could connect with my face, I encased my body in flames pushing them outward forcing her back.
"Fight back!" She stomped, frustration apparent on her face.
"No one else will fight me! Saying I'm to weak, I would just get myself hurt!"
"But I'm going to prove everyone wrong and show them I can handle myself, and I'll start with holding my own against you. So you need to stop holding back and fight me!" She raged.
"Fine. If that's really what you want." I sighed.
"Get ready, I'm coming." I vanished reappearing behind her.
Spinning with a back fist I caught her wrist, i ripped her off her feet and threw her through a near by tree.
She skipped over the ground once then hit another tree coming to a dead stop, before she could move I delivered a knee to her stomach with enough force to knock a chunk out of the tree behind her.
I was surprised to find that at the last second she'd blocked the attack, the effect of this breaking her right arm.
I put my knee down and took a few steps back. "That should be enough we need to get that healed."
"I can still fight!" She said lashing out at me with a left punch followed by a spinning heel kick.
I easily dodged both by ducking low. Delivering two upward punches that lifted her off her feet, she landed on shaking legs, breathing heavily, and blood running from cuts on her face and body. The skin I could see was beginning to bruise, but she still stood ready to fight.
"That's it, I give up." I put my hands up in surrender.
"No!!" She screamed, tears in her eyes.
"How can I be anything but a burden if I can't get stronger, and unfortunately I can't get stronger by myself! If I could I would, but I can't okay! so I'm sorry but I need someone to help me!"
"Please Elias!" Bloody, bruised and crying she pleaded with me to continue fighting.

I moved behind her faster than she could react. "Your not a burden Cailyn." With that I sent a pulse of heat from my body that knocked her unconscious.
Catching her body before she could hit the ground I picked her up princess style and made my way back to the village, passing people that were heading to the training fields.
A few stopped to ask what happen but most just nodded in acknowledgement as they passed.
Reaching the village I went straight to the healing ward in the main house, laying her on a bed and getting a healer.
Once I was sure she would be well taken care of I left and headed to my families private training fields to start my days real training.