Chapter 1: The Old Man and the Dream

Psionic energy could be used for just about anything. To power homes, vehicles, and even weapons. We even discovered a method to use it to grow crops in abundance. Psionic energy was even being used to advance medicine - lengthening the average lifespan to unimaginable levels. I myself was in my forties, but I looked more like I was in my twenties.

Even still, I wondered what all these comforts were costing us, because people were already going out of their minds trying to get their hands on the stuff. However, I didn’t really have much time to care because I had my own problems to deal with; namely, taking care of my family. I already had children, another on the way, my wife now going through her third pregnancy.

The Ministry of Fire, a bastion of the beauty of nature amidst the backdrop of the urban jungle that made up most of the planet of Tarrus. The main headquarters for the Fire Ministry comprised a gigantic forest around thirty square miles that was surrounded by a transparent glass-like shield. The trees were as tall as mountains and possessed brightly colored leaves that differed depending on the section of the dome they comprised. The sections ranged from forests filled with leaves of green, red, pink, purple, orange, or yellow. At the center of the gargantuan forest was a huge volcano at least a mile tall. Black smoke puffed from the top of the volcano, going through the shield to disperse into the atmosphere. Squirts of lava could occasionally be seen spurting from the top, but this posed little danger to the Fire Elementals who could effortlessly control the flow of the magma. At the base of the volcano were two giant stone statues of a Lion and a Dragon who stood guard over gates covered in runes made of fire. This majestic venue was the place that Ryan Uruks now called home.

Ryan Uruks was a fifteen-year-old up-and-coming Elemental. After living off the streets as an urchin for five years, Ryan awakened his Elemental powers and was taken in by the Fire Ministry. That was the day Ryan vowed to learn as much as he could of the secret arts of Elemency to one day avenge the death of his family and destroy the Dark Creature that devastated his homeworld. Ryan was a half-breed. He was mostly human, but he had alien blood in his family line. Some of Ryan’s ancestry was comprised of Saurians, a reptilian race related to the Dragons. Because of this, Ryan had certain inhuman traits. Though still humanoid and boyish, Ryan’s body was covered in smooth, skin-like scales shaded in gold. The scales gave off an orange hue in a certain light, and could’ve been mistaken as a tan from a distance. Ryan possessed bright red eyes and short, messy scarlet hair as crimson as blood. Adding to his almost bestial appearance were his fingernails which were slightly longer than the norm, making them nearly claw-like, as well as his large canines that somewhat looked like fangs. He was slightly short for his age, and had started off his training looking a bit scrawny due to years of starving on the streets. However, because months of constant training and improved diet, Ryan was steadily growing taller and more muscular, though he had yet to notice these changes. Though Ryan is the hero of this story, he wasn’t feeling particularly heroic at the moment as he just bore witness to a violent assassination that reminded him of his traumatic past.

Ryan had almost recovered from his ordeal, but his hands were still shaking slightly. He sat in the Minister’s office while everyone buzzed around in a panic. Leon and the rest of Squad 99 had been assembled. Kavic, wearing a black nobleman’s business suit, stood in the corner appearing both wary and interested, as if watching a suspenseful holomovie. With his neatly combed blond hair, deep blue eyes, and dashing good looks, he could’ve been a movie star.

The Minister of Fire, Saria, was in deep conference with Eramar. She wore the flowing red and gold robes of a Minister, and Eramar wore the dress uniform of a high-ranking Wielder, a golden cape draped about his shoulders. Though Saria was thousands of years old, she looked like a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a tall, voluptuous figure. Eramar was probably hundreds of years old himself, but he, like most Elementals, wasn’t half as old as the Minister. Indeed, he looked quite grizzled with his scarred face, graying hair, hair, and orange glowing mechanical eye. Most would’ve thought Eramar twice as old as Saria at first glance, and wouldn’t even have guessed that the man had once been her student instead of the other way around.

Both Eramar and the Minister looked intensely worried, as well they should. War was coming to the Ministry, and so far the only thing Ryan had managed to do was show his complete incompetence as an Elemental. He still remembered the way he shut down after witnessing the horrible sight of Senator Randals’ headless corpse. Ryan had actually started to believe that he had what it took to become a top-of-the-line Elemental.

If this is what all Elementals have to deal with in the field, maybe I’m not ready for it ... maybe I’m too weak after all.

The dark voice creeped its way into Ryan’s head again, scolding him as if he were its child. If you’re going to be mortified every time you see something grotesque, then you best quit now. Forget about vengeance while you remain as helpless as a toddler. This is the real world, boy. Did you think it would be pleasant?

Ryan tensed at hearing the dark voice again. Even though he knew that the dark voice was just a figment of his imagination caused by post-traumatic stress, it seemed so real and charismatic ... almost as if it had a mind of its own, or at least a mind other than Ryan’s.

You really are an incompetent little cretin. I’m astounded that a lackadaisical dilettante like you has managed to survive for so long.

Okay, now I’m starting to get freaked out. Never a good sign when the evil voice in your head has a better vocabulary than you!

Saria turned her attention to Ryan, causing him to forget his inner monologue. “If I had time to deal with you, I’d make you rue the day you stole your first cookie out of your mother’s kitchen. But right now, I have bigger things to worry about than dealing with your ... your ... whatever ludicrous catastrophe you might cook up next.”

Ryan hung his head low. Normally, he might respond to people’s criticism with humor, but he got the feeling that now wouldn’t be a good time for jokes.

“Leon, I want you and the rest of Squad 99 to escort our guest to his chambers,” Saria said, gesturing to Kavic. Saria addressed Kavic apologetically, but resolutely. “I’m afraid that I must ask you to refrain from contacting the Emperor until we have resolved this matter.”

“I understand. I can only hope that this storm can be weathered with the least amount of bloodshed as possible.” Kavic remained polite and courteous, and even slightly sympathetic.

Either this guy is the kindest man who ever lived, or the best liar that ever lived.

Saria nodded and turned back to Leon. “Do not let him out of your sight. Also, try to keep Uruks from doing anything stupid.”

“Hey,” said Ryan stupidly.

Ha! I’ve already thwarted your efforts.

“Shut up, Grunt,” said Leon in irritation.

Man, that guy really ticks me off, thought Ryan with a huff.

“My lady, please,” said Leon with a desperate and pleading expression. “Don’t waste our abilities babysitting Kavic and the idiot.”

“Oh, idiot me. That’s just mean,” grumbled Ryan, still trying not to look quite as terrified and worthless as he felt.

Leon ignored him, as usual. “I have more than proven my worth to this Ministry, and so has Grafael. You will need all the help you can get. Please let us fight. Éclair and the others can guard Kavic.”

“I concur with the four-eyed one,” said Grafael, brandishing his giant hammer, as if imagining pounding a few Water Elemental heads with it.

“Well, I don’t concur, not unless you take me too,” said Éclair, fierce enough in her own right.

Leon turned on Éclair in exasperation and said, “This is too dangerous for-”

“For a First ... or for a helpless little damsel like me. You may have a couple years on me, but I am just as much an asset to this Ministry as you, Lurranna. And if you think that I’m just going to let you go off and get yourself killed when I can help, then you don’t know me at all.”

It was the first time that Ryan had seen Éclair stand up to Leon. For just a moment, she seemed so powerful, almost like royalty. Ryan had a slight twinge of jealousy as Éclair’s words meant she still regarded Leon with a great deal of passion. Rachel mirrored Ryan’s feelings as she groaned slightly and rolled her eyes in disgust.

I guess it would be too much to hope for Éclair to look that passionate while thinking about me. Ryan swallowed down his bitter feelings of envy and inadequacy. Now hardly seemed a good time to feel sorry for himself.

Saria put a hand to her forehead and sighed. “None of you are going anywhere but to the guest chambers, where you will be safe. You are all still untested rookies. Even with this team’s impressive accomplishments, none of you have experienced war. It’s an adult’s world. I can’t defend this Ministry while worrying about any of you. Starbeard put this team under my protection when he left, and as much as I may despise him, I still owe him enough to see to it that all of you survive to adulthood.”

“But,” started Leon in protest.

“That’s an order, Lurranna. Do not test the Minister of Fire!” Saria’s voice became cold and menacing. The air seemed to crackle and spark from her presence. This was not a woman to be trifled with.

Leon wrung his hands, but finally nodded his head in defeat.

Moments later, every member of Squad 99 escorted the Viceroy to his room. Although, from the way the Minister had been talking about him, Ryan felt like they were escorting him as well. Pity since this was the first time he could remember them all being together for the longest time.

Grafael wore his standard red and silver armor, his large, blue-scaled biceps proudly displayed as always, and his long tail thumping the floor as he walked. Tork, as usual, barely wore a thing besides his pants and his weapons, his burly, golden-scaled chest appearing as powerful as ever. Tork’s large, leathery wings and long tail seemed quite cumbersome, but he still managed to walk effortlessly through the corridors without bumping into anything or anyone. Both could be considered Dragons, though Tork had wings and Grafael did not. Tork also had horns, long, spiky ears, and black fur on his head that went down his long neck in a way that resembled a horse’s mane. In contrast, Grafael had spikes on the top of his head and small, slightly pointed ears almost like an Elf’s. They were nearly the same height, though Grafael was bulkier and taller at around eight feet whereas Tork was closer to seven and a half feet. Despite being shorter and not as muscled as Grafael, Tork might’ve appeared bigger because of his large wings hanging behind his shoulders.

Leon and Rachel both wore the red armor of the Fire Ministry with markings of Seconds, though Leon’s armor was more maroon than red and he wore a black cloak over his armor. Ryan’s own training armor, though similar in design, was much less adorned than theirs, and lacked the two notches of Seconds. Rachel, not as beautiful as Éclair, was still quite pretty. She was a little taller than Éclair, and looked just as toned, but her breasts weren’t nearly as impressive. Her brown hair was the same color as her grandmother, the Minister of Fire, but slightly longer. Leon had short cropped black hair neatly trimmed as always. The only thing darker than his hair were his eyes behind his elegant glasses which sat on a pale, well-chiseled face. He was also quite fit and lean, as were most Elementals in general. Not overtly muscular like Grafael, but obviously still quite athletic. Worst of all, he was tall. Way taller than Ryan, a fact increasingly nettling.

And Éclair... Éclair was as gorgeous as ever in her white armor and blue coat which showed a single notch on her shoulder, indicating her rank as a First. He always found it interesting how the Fire Ministry allowed Éclair to wear her own colors instead of the traditional red and gold. But since the insignia of the Lion and the Dragon was displayed prominently on her breastplate, he supposed that it didn’t matter. She was just a little bit shorter than Rachel, but still quite tall for a girl. Even more impressive, her figure was somehow just as sensuous as the Fire Minister’s. Though she wasn’t quite as mature as the Fire Minister given her youthful appearance, her feminine grace may have surpassed Saria’s with her long, silver-gray hair, regal cheekbones, and violet eyes. Her fair skin could’ve almost been called pale, but still held a creamy quality that appeared quite alluring. Even with her thin form, Éclair was by no means dainty. Indeed, Ryan knew how athletic she was all too well. Those arms and long legs, though slim, were well-muscled due to years of harsh Elemental training. Ryan could probably just stare at her for hours and feel completely content.

As they walked down the hallway with Kavic in between Leon and Grafael, Ryan figured he might as well try to talk with Éclair a little. Maybe she could make him feel less depressed. She had always managed to do so in the past.

“So, an Elemental war, huh? They can’t be that bad, right? I mean if they’ve happened before and all twelve Ministries are still standing?”

Éclair’s face remained unreadable, which didn’t help with the overall feeling of dread that hung in the air. In a quiet voice, she said, “The last time that the Fire and the Water fought, it nearly decimated both Ministries. What you don’t understand is that the war is not just confined to here, on this planet. There are millions of Elementals across thousands of stars, and now, most of them will be fighting in a bloody conflict without end. The Elementals try to keep the code as best they can, but even so, the amount of destruction will be enormous. Entire planets have been rendered uninhabitable by battling Elementals in the past, and they didn’t even need any advanced weaponry to do so. Their powers alone were devastating enough. I imagine that even if we do survive this war, we won’t survive the aftermath, not if Chissler has anything to say about it.”

“Hmm. Well, aren’t you the optimistic one,” said Ryan, trying in vain to lighten the mood as much for his sake as for Éclair’s.

“This isn’t a game, Ryan!” cried out Éclair with a sudden burst of outrage.

In a moment of clarity, Ryan realized something tremendous about Éclair. She felt just as scared and alone as he did, maybe even more so since she knew more about wars. She tried to appear strong for all their sakes, but Éclair was in just as much mental agony as anyone else. Ryan now felt ashamed that he had allowed himself to succumb to his self-pity. If only he could just find the courage deep within himself ... if only he could just be strong for Éclair’s sake.

Ryan then remembered something his father had told him once. Everything you will ever need to survive is within you. You just have to dig deep enough to find it.

Trust me, dad. I’ve been looking, but there really isn’t anything there. The only reason I’ve made it this far is because of luck or because someone, like that Leon-jerk, always saves me at the last second. I’m not a hero like you were, dad. I’m not anything at all but a burden.

The moment you admit defeat is the moment that defeat shackles you.

Wait a minute, dad never said that.

Drawing him out of his daydreaming, Éclair’s beautiful, violet eyes melted into his own. “Ryan, aren’t you listening to me? This could be the end of the Fire Ministry and you’re treating it like a joke.”

Ryan wanted to soothe Éclair’s worries, but then, he wasn’t much of a sensitive type, so he had no idea how to make girls feel better. “I get it. I really do. From now on, you’re looking at a new Ryan. A serious Ryan.”

As he spoke to Éclair, Ryan didn’t notice that they were walking into Kavic’s chamber, and so he embarrassingly mistook the wall for the door. Startled from running headfirst into the wall, he staggered back, suddenly tripping on a mop bucket behind him. Ryan fell head over heels, the back of his skull slamming against the hard metal floor. Stars floated briefly across his vision, and then everything went dark.

After Ryan had blacked out, that feeling came of being in a lucid dream, giving him slight control over the dream. Ryan entertained himself by flying around the dream world of Tarrus. All the buildings and concrete roads floated in midair like a strange twilight zone. The light was dim and failing, like the light of the setting sun.

Ghostly apparitions of his past haunted the floating streets of Tarrus. Their forms were transparent, and their skin deathly white. Many of them were people he knew from his village. Old Alexander, Elven children, the old human lady that would always shoo him away with a broom like he had the plague. They just floated in the clouds watching him expectantly with their ghostly expressions. Ryan got the feeling that they were waiting on him somehow, or perhaps waiting for him to do something.

Ryan then heard a strange musical noise whistling softly through the air. Grateful for a distraction from the ghosts, Ryan followed the sound to its source. He didn’t have to search for very long. Sitting in a floating rocking chair, playing an enchanting tune from a stick-shaped instrument, was Zand, the mysterious old man that Ryan met at the market.

Zand wore his customary ragged gray robes that covered him from the neck down. Somehow, those robes didn’t suit him. It seemed to Ryan that Zand was a man who should be draped in finery. Given the way he carried himself and spoke, he seemed far too dignified to be wearing something unfit even for a beggar. Zand had bright green eyes behind silver spectacles, long white hair tied in a ponytail, and a well-trimmed short beard, but no mustache. He was tall, taller than Leon, in fact, and seemed well-built for such an old man. There had always been a timeless quality to Zand that made his age difficult to place. With his face and his beard, he could’ve been in his sixties or seventies, but his lean build seemed to indicate a much younger man.