Prelude.

(Written By Doctor Paracelsus, 1493-1541)

"Elementals...

You assume you know about them because you have read about it in a book, or seen it in paintings, or sculptures, or plays in the amphitheatre...

But, you truly do not.

How would I know, you may ask... Well, I know, very much in fact.

Why?...

Because I was there...

I have come up with hypotheses and philosophies, but this... This is a story I have not told to a single soul...yet

It is a story unlike any you have ever heard - because it happened, because it was real. It is a story to describe the creatures that are outside of the light of nature, how they are to be understood, what marvelous work God has created. A tale about beings between creatures and spirits, generally being invisible to mankind but having physical and commonly humaniod bodies, as well as eating, sleeping, and wearing clothes like humans. Beings that their very existence counters every law and rule of science and nature.

The Undines are similar to human in size, while Sylvestris are coarser, rougher, longer. Gnomus are short, while Vulcanus are long, slender and lean. They are able to move through their own elements as human beings move through air. Gnomus, for example, can move through rocks, walls and soil. Sylvestris are the closest to humans in this conception because they move through air like we do, while in fire they burn, in water they drown, and in earth they get stuck. They stay particular healthy in their own 'chaos', but hardly survives in the others.

We human beings are known to be composed of three parts: an elemental body, a surreal spirit, and an immortal divine soul. Elementals lacked this last part, the immortal soul. However, by marriage with a human being, the elemental and it's offspring could gain a soul.

I dismissed the conventional Christian view of elemental beings as devils, instead I argued that they are significant parts of God's creation, and I study them like I'll study the rest of the natural world...

Perhaps, this was why I was included in the prophecy... The Prophecy of the Union; The Flaming Snow.

-Theophastus von Hohenheim

1512

Einsiedeln, Schwyz."

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Note; This text was translated from German in 1566 and the year after in a collection of the author's philosophical writings.

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0:- The Elemental Realm.

"Let's start from the beginning... Through the thickest of forests and oldest of trees, where the lay-lines meet, there be a veil between this world and another; the Elemental Realm. A world of magic and powers, witches and monsters, populated by creatures in the likeness of men, but not men, for they are invisible to mankind. They are supernatural beings, best referred to as 'Elementals'.

"This Elemental Realm exists in the chaos (the void state preceding the creation of the universe or cosmos in the Greek creation myths, or to the initial "gap" created by the original separation of heaven and earth), with hazardous terrains and habitats peculiar to each element, and quite inhospitable for mortal men. Each elemental, on its on elemental habitat, has its own appearance, characteristics, behaviors, abilities, culture, customs, importance to the human race, and even tribes with their own fashion taste.

"In ascending hierarchy:

Right at the center lies; The Psychic Tribe of Dwarch; Espritia, which lays on a great terrain with the combination of all other elemental habitats. Espritia is the smallest and least populated tribe of elementals which will appear as Dwarfs to thy eyes. At most four feet and a few inches tall, different body shapes and sizes, some resemblance to other elemental's appearance. They are ghostly eyed as if they were blind, some bearing rune tattoos on their skin. Espritian dwarfs are silent and quiet creatures, not easily provoked and can avoid conflicts, and they mind their business. They are also fearless and feared for their unique wisdom and power. Espritians, being psychic, commune telepathically withholding opening their mouth except to eat and drink, they could read and control the minds of others, manipulate memories and dreams and energy, and their ghostly eyes have the ability to see into the past and future. Espritians are also blessed with unlimited wisdom and knowledge on everything in the universe. The Espritian dwarfs existence birthed the sleeping subconsciousness of us humans, and so they control the Dreamworld. Espritian magick include enlightenment, findng your life path, spiritual knowledge, seeing and understanding karmic paths of life. In Espritian culture, the Owl, amongst other critters, is a sacred creature, an emblem and symbol of their God-given wisdom. The dwarfs are seen as non-violent, only because they choose to appear so, therefore, they are frequently underestimated, but an Espritian can be very, very deadly if provoked, even to the extent of self-destruction.

"Flying up the Sky Pillers in the East, you shall arrive at; The Wind Tribe of Sylvestris, Aria, which has it's foundations deep in huge puffy clouds hovering the ever blue skies where the winds are strong. Elementals of Aria, the Sylphs, resemble tall, lithe humans- with exceptions; sprouting from their backs are a pair of huge feathery wings (birthing the myth of angels), or fringe wings (birthing the myth of fairies), these wings are almost two body-lengths long, but fold in the spine of the Sylphs when not in use. They also have large hawk-like eyes, long ears, sharp and angular faces. Sylphs are blue skinned with lighter or darker tattoo markings depending on the skin contrast, most of them possess white coloured hair and some gray or even blue. Arian sylphs are mirthful, changeable and eccentric, they love freedom and harmony is their passion as they are artistic and festive. Sylphs fly with their wings, but hover about without, as they own walking, they are about to control and manipulate their element, that is wind. They can also control the weather, can sense the slightest shift in wind, humidity, temperature and air pressure. Arian magick using air energies include divination, concentration, visualization, wind magick, feather magick, prophecy, and karma work. Arian related rituals include playing a flute or wind instrument, tossing objects in the wind, burning incense & aromatherapy, hanging objects in trees/high places. The Arian sylph community is tagged as the weakest tribe because they care little for machinations and politics of 'ground folks' and rarely interfere with the society. By customs, they are non-violent and always neutral with no interest in warfare. The sylphs are tasked with the brewing of the spring season. Arians bear the emblem of the Eagle, therefore, Eagles are sacred creatures of the wind people, often kept as pets.

"Jumping down to a great canyon in the earth's crust, towards the North, lies; The Earth Tribe of Gnomus, Terrai, whose city was built inside the walls of the canyon, deep in the earth, and on the rocky hills around. The Terrain elementals, Gnomes, and their tribe was the most populated in the realm. Terrain gnomes were just one foot taller than the dwarfs, but they were stronger, solid and stable, some bear short pointy ear, besides that, the rest of their appearance looks human. The gnomes can be stubborn, even dirty (which is like health to them), and can easily throw a fist, but they unite thougts (air), feelings (water), and will (fire) into productive activities, analogous to consciousness, one might even say they are down to the earth. Like an elemental should, Terrains gnomes can manipulate and control the earth, some females posses special ability to control plants and vegetation as well. Types of Terrian magick using earth energies include gardening, grounding, working with stone/crystals, knots, binding, money spells, and runes. Rituals include burying objects in the earth, herbalism, planting trees/plants, and making images out of wood or stone. They are not really cultured like other elementals, they live life as it comes and goes, or as they'll say 'You live only once, no soul, no afterlife. So enjoy the lasting days as they go by'. Despite their rugged nature, d gnomes help with the beautifying of the earth in every season, in between seasons as the seasons change. The Stag serves as the Terrain emblem and sacred creature of the element.

"Diving deep down in the Great Waters that covers the West; The Water Tribe of Undina, Oceania, resides. A city more beautiful than the Lost City of Atlantis under the Atlantic, or any other kingdoms in the Realm. Oceania was the only tribe with advanced machinations and developed weaponeries, popular in the Realm. Oceanides have been called many names; sprites, nymphs, mermaids, potamides, naiades, oreades, nereides... But one crowns them all- Undines. They resemble humans in size and appearance, but some have webbed fingers and toes, gills at the sides of their ribs to respire underwater and still have noses to breath on land, some have the ability to grow a fish-like tail while are just born with it. Oceanides Undines are embodiment of fluidity, nurturing, soothing, receptivity, and beauty of water in nature. They very forgiving, easy going, sensitive, gracious, compassionate, wise, relatively benign, but like any other elemental, they have got a temper when crossed. They can sometimes be overly emotional, weepy and lazy too. Male undines are less and rare, leaving the power and popularity to the love-lorn female water people. An undine can sense what another undine is feeling, so as other sea-animal, including humans. They talk underwater as well as they can control and manipulate their element. Types of magick using water include mirror divinations, magnet work, love magick, lucid dreaming, cleansing, or protection spells. Water related rituals include ritual bathing, dilution, washing, sprinkling, brewing, or tossing objects into water. Due to the lack of available males, the females can copulate with each other, some in polyandry. And they are most eager to get a soul, so they usually slip into the human world to mate, acquiring souls in the process. The Oceanide undines are responsible for the autumn season. Dolphins are selected sacred in Oceanide culture and are treated with much respect amongst other sea-creature.

"Shifting far South from the Great Waters and into the mountain ranges, lies; The Fire Tribe of Vulcanus, Incendia, a city built into the vents of active volcanoes and the lava flooded plains and valleys around them, a place of never dying heat. The Incendian elementals were the humaniod form of Salamanders, above six feet tall, and slender, with black, red or gold calloused skin, or combination of any two, their skins were thick even to the point of bearing scales to shield them from the excessive heat. They also had golden-red eyes, long tails, and tongues, some even bearing short horns, but entirely beautiful all together, you could say they were hot. Incendian salamanders represent change, energy, inspiration, love, sexuality, passion, will, leadership, faith and trust, elusiveness, innocence, physical and personal vulnerability, relationships with others and self, renewal, self-healing, stress, courage, strength, and protection. They can also be energetic, daring, passionate, enthusiastic and intelligent as they can be resentful, angry, jealous, stubborn, greedy, arrogant. In Incendia's case, its the females that are rare, and highly precious and powerful. The Incendian salamanders possess the ability to generate, manipulate and control their natural element, some able to manipulate molten lava and they are very good combaters. Types of magick using fire include healing and destroying, purification, love spells, and energy work. Fire related rituals include burning objects, lighting candles and fires, cauldron work, and baking. The Incendians are tasked with the caretaking of the summer season. Both the Phoenix and Salamander are sacred creatures in Incendian culture but the Salamander serve as their emblem.

"Ruling above all elemental tribes, and just a few miles from the shores of the Great Waters to the Southwest, lies huge and tall mountains, reaching for the clouds, covered with snow, ice and cold resides; The Ice Tribe of the Abominable, Glacilia, a city of ice growing on the cold mountain ridges like standing crystalline icicles that sparkle in sunlight. Glacilians would be what we know as Yeti, or Abominable Snowmen (but not the ape like ones in the Himalayas...that creature was as a result of a sexual accident). Glacilian yeti were tall, reaching up to ten feet, fully grown, they had pale white skin where their furs do not cover, yes, fur. From their elbows to their fingertips and from their knees down to their feet is covered in snow white fur to aid warm them from the cold, some fur extend to pubic areas granting mild coverage aided by clothing. They are also white haired, blue eyed, with a long, thin tail, and also horn extensions on their heads. The Glacilian yeti are cool, calm and collected, one might think them shy because they talk less, only when spoken to and when necessary. The yeti possess the power to manipulate, generate and control ice and snow, and they are the best swordsmen and archers. Glacilian yeti represent coolness, rigidity, stillness, unexplored and clarity. They can also symbolize the absence of love, in some rare cases anger, and some characteristics gotten from their parent elements. The Ice Tribe, been exhaulted above all other tribes, rules over the Elemental Realm, it was their sacred duty to see to the balance in the realm and tending to the winter season. The Snow-Leopards, Lynxes are seen as sacred in the tribe's culture and serve as their emblem as well as other uses. Glacilia and Incendia has been on each other's necks since the birthing of the Ice elemental, an abomination of Water and Wind whose creation lead to the Ice Age and they hence earned the name Abominable Snowmen. The Incendian salamanders, therefore, wanted to curb them under their command, saying the abomination Abominables should not rise up to power. But the yeti turned out to be more powerful than expected and they have tussled ever since... But it is not them Glacilians should worry about...

"Extremely far away from all other elemental tribes and habitat, isolated and discarded was; The Dark Tribe of Shadower, Oscuria, a pleasant name for a dreadful place of darkness and death. Oscuria was a okace where the sunlight refused to reach, it was always dark, gloomy and horrid, full of dreadful dead and dying things, it was forest, a wasteland of withered and dried black lifeless trees, with a thick a fog to company the fright it gives. Oscurian elementals are what we see as monsters, or demons, or beast, but only a few may have manlike features but with disabilities and alterations. They are wild, ruthless, voided of life, feelings or emotions, living only to destroy. These Oscurians possess variety of dark abilities like manipulating and controling darkness and shadow, black magick, control of demonic spiritual entities, fear inducement, torture and all other dark arts you can imagine. They were nightmares. Oscuria as always been an enemy of the Realm, even to the human world and beyond. Their only aim and ambition is to acquire power and dominate the Realm and worlds existing by any means possible. But through the past centuries, their armies has been annihilated by the past rulers of the Realm, and their plans put to naught. In Oscurian culture, it's kill, or be killed, eat, or be eaten, only the darkest of the dark can survive. Bats are the only beast immune to this barbaric culture as they serve as their sigil and emblem if darkness.

"Now, every elemental has a language peculiar to them, but they are also multilingual. Each tribe as its own Royal family which breeds the rulers called 'Sovereigns' to rule over the tribe, but in the case of Glacilia, the whole Realm. Each elemental tribe also possess a House of Shamans with elemental magick powers peculiar to the tribe and they serve as the root of their cultures and costoms. They also have a military force, except Espritia and Aria who don't possess a formal military because of their nature and culture.

"On this present day, in Oscuria, there are no Sovereigns, no rulers. They had just been killed by an evil young shaman, a demon succubus, a witch that also slew the rest of her shaman bloodline and gained their dark spirits, enhancing her dark magick prowess. She, unlike other Oscurians, was ineffably beautiful, so she believed she was made special, made to rule. Possessed by legions of demonic entities, she presently overseas Oscuria, and with the assistance of her able minions, she plots to accomplish what her predecessors could not- taking over and controling all existing realms. She had waited patiently for years since infancy, searching for a way to fulfill her diabolical plans and supposed destiny. And after years of tirelessly researching where her ancestry did not, she stumbled upon a way to bring all tribes to their knees... She should be the one *everyone* should worry about...

"But yet... Unknown to her, ages before her birth, a prophecy was declared by an old Espritian shamaness: An heir and an heiress would be birthed of opposite tribes, and the union of both would be the union of all, and would then vanquish the darkness for all eternities..."

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To Be Continued in the next Episode 🔥

1:- On Thy Day Of Joy...

The ice has never been colder, nor the flames hotter for centuries. Simultaneously, in the Royal Castles of Glacilia and Incendia, maidens, stewards, decorators, cooks, servants and castle guards roam about the corridors and hallways, there are sweet smells in the air oozing from the kitchens, and happiness is printed on every salamander or yeti's face as they prepared their castles for a grand feast to celebrate new lifes, the birth of the newborn heirs in both tribes.

Sovereign Firn Snowdrop II, and his wife, Sovereigness White, rulers of the Ice Tribe, Glacilia, and leaders of the Realm, celebrate the birthing of their son, Heir Frost. A perfect and handsome yeti. They have waited so long for an offspring and a son was born to them.

Sovereign Inferno Magmis, and his wife, Sovereigness Agrimitra, rulers of the Fire Tribe, Incendia, also celebrates the birthing of their desired, long awaited daughter, Heiress Fiammetta. A salamander of rare beauty at birth.

The feasting halls were set, and their long tables assorted Glacilian or Incendian delicacies, with nobles, well-wishers, friends, families, and servants present to felicitate and feast, yeti and salamanders apart. In both kingdoms, musicians, actors and jesters perform to entertain as well as celebrate the newborns. Gifts were showered upon the Royal Babies, and as custom demands, the Head Shaman of each tribe cleansed and blessed the child of their Sovereign, and the merriment continues.

Also, as at the same time, very, very far from the jubilations, deep into the dark of Oscuria, growling, squeaking, screaming and squealing of different beasts echoes as the fog moves through the wasteland, and at the largest dark tree, at the heart of the Dark Tribe, upon it a crooked and horrific castle is built, bats of varying sizes flutter in, out and around it. Inside this nightmare, in a spooky room filled with bats and eats, cobwebs and spiders the size of your fist, and moving shadows, illuminated in an eerie green tint from the green flames of Hades burning on the touches and candle chandelier, there a large, black, well carved and decorated throne, floating on a cloud of shadows, a rather smaller dark elemental sits.

At the sight of this small, shrewd elemental, one would suppose it is a nine years old child, but no, this child has actually lived for nineteen winters. She was small, light and smooth skinned, raven black hair over her cute round face, with sparkling dark eyes, small nose and try perfect mouth, and two small horn protrusions beautifying her forehead whereas a tiara beautifies her head - all together, exceptionally beautiful.

This child was Zella, the Demon Queen of the Dark Tribe.

She sat majestically on this throne, looking to two huge antique mirrors hanging in front of her in midair, smiling. One mirror showed the celebrations of Heir Frost's birth at Glacilia, while the other reflected the celebrations of Heiress Fiammetta's birth at Incendia. She watched them, giggling and smiling evily. A relatively huge bat with clear green eyes and broad wings flew into the room and landed on Zella's waiting arm.

"Hmm... Slendid, is it not?" She said to her pet. "How they smile, and laugh, and merry, look at," she spoke slowly and in a sweet, gentle child's voice. "Birth of their feeble offsprings, they celebrate." She giggled harder.

The bat opened its mouth, and it spoke, "Zha zeneralz zha zull zedri, zmi zivulnezz."

{The generals are all ready, my evilness.}

Zella squealed in excitement, "Ooooh, the perfect way to ruin such a perfect day, this is going to be, is it not, Letoz?" She stroked her per bat, Letoz, as she spoke smilingly. "To all tribes at once, dispatch the Grand Guerrillas, except for these two. The strongest rival tribes, I'll take care of myself."

"Zimmezetli, zur zvickeznezz." Letoz said, and took off.

{Immediately, your wickedness.}

The mirrors disappeared with the wave of her hand, and with a snap of her fingers, shadows encompassed her, taking her away and she reappeared on the balcony at the top of the castle to watch her army of beastly creatures take off to do her bidding on big monstrous bats.

"Go, my children! And what we deserve, take!" She exclaimed at the top of her small voice, raising her hands to the black sky, greenish lightning flashed. "Go! Their day of joy to a day of sorrow, go turn! The day they shall know who to rightfully serve, today is!" She laughed demonically as the thunder posted in the background.

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Whilst the celebrations was still incessant, a sudden noise is heard, loud and vicious, the blaring of horns and the banging of drums - it was a noise of war. So loud, it could be heard from both Glacilia and Incendia.

The Grand Guerrera of the Glacilian Army, Lanche Frostbite, stomped into the feasting hall in full body armor, silencing the cheerful chatters and laughs, replacing it with whispers and murmurs as he marched to the Sovereign, and bows.

"Where is this noise coming from?" Firn asked.

"Reports say that it is coming from the Frost Fire Valley. I believe it is the Incendians... again." Lanche replied, only to aggravate the murmurs.

"Inferno..." Firn hissed under his breath. "Rally up the guerrillas. I'll send him off himself." And he hoped quickly too. Lanche bowed receiving the order and then marched out in the same manner he came. Firn stood from his seat at the table, "Beloved Glacilians, this celebration is now on ice!" He declared to every yeti in the hall. "Please, I apologise for the irritating interruption, but, return now, safely, to your various homes. Guests are welcomed to stay here in the castle, we have more than enough rooms. Go now, and hope that matters will be settled in time to continue our festivities! Raise your goblets all!" He ordered, and everyone raised their wine goblets. "Forever by the Glacier Line!" He called, holding up his goblet.

"Glacilia shall never die!" Every other yeti responsed, then they emptied their goblets and orderly exited the hall.

Firn faced his wife, who now cuddled the Heir, "White, take Frost and wait for me in the throne room where it is heavily guarded."

"Today of all days," White sighed, cooing at baby Frost. "Stay safe, my love." She said softly, placing her furry palm on his cheek.

"I will return to you," Firn smiled, brushing her fur before moving her hand from his face. "Escort the Sovereigness and the Heir to the throne room, and keep them protected!" He ordered some castle guards as he marched out too.

Similarly, at Incendia...

Inferno's Grand Guerrilla, Ignis Burrn, marched into the feasting hall, unnoticed by the wild partiers as she approached the Sovereign, she bowed.

"What noise is disturbin' a day bunin' with joy?" Inferno enquired.

"The soldiers heard it comin' from the Frost Fire. I have already assembled the legion. It appears to be the Glacilians matching on us." Ignis answered.

"Ha! Firn finally attacks first!" Inferno said to his wife and they laughed. He stood up at the head of the table, "Silence!" He roared, and silence answered, even the air stopped moving. "We are goin' tah hold dah celebrations till when'ah return. 'Nd where am'ah goin'? It seems tha' those prickly icicles have mustered up some smolderin' flames tah strike us first, 'nd whilst we merry!" The salamanders booed and laughed. Inferno raised a palm to silence them again, "Ah'was in no mood tah battle, but if they asked for it... They're goin' tah get it, hot!" A cheer erupted. "Somebody go warm mah armor! Ah have a boilin' feelin' tha' Ah will return victorious, 'nd it will be double celebrations!" The fire elementals present cheered happily. "For now return tah yah flame boxes 'nd pray by dah Burnin' River, Ah'shall return victorious!" He declared, they cheered and everyone started to scurry out. "Don't forget tah grab a flagon of wine here or a lump of meat there on yah way out! Haha!" He laughed as he watched them tussled for the leftover foods on the table while they rush out.

Agrimitra stood up with Fiammetta in her arms, laughing too. Inferno faced her, "You too need tah get. Keep our Heiress safe till I return. Secure yourselves in dah throne room where it's safe."

"We'll be fine. Go, burn some yeti for me," Agrimitra said smirkingly, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, I will," Inferno smiled, then walked away. "Protect yah Sovereigness and Heiress with yah lifes!" He commanded the castle guards on his way out.

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Frost Fire Valley, a wide valley separating the Ice Tribe from the Fire Tribe. In it runs two unnatural rivers, one of molten lava, the other of glacier. The valley has been a battleground for yeti and salamanders since the Abomination. The presence of the opposing elemental rivers made the valley not too heated for yeti and not too harsh for salamanders, perfect temperature to condone both elementals. And it is this Frost Fire Valley the rival Sovereigns meet for battle on hearing the noises of war.

By the side of the glacier river, Glacier Line, Sovereign Firn sat in his battle armor, on his huge armored ice-spitting Lynx, his Grand Guerrilla Lanche by his side atop a Ice-Wolfe, and his army of yeti behind. Opposite them, by the side if the molten river, Burning River, was Sovereign Inferno in his war armor, mounted on his burning battle Phoenix, his Grand Guerrilla Ignis on a huge lava drooling Salamander while the rest of the army behind them, ready for war.

"Inferno!" Firn yelled across the valley to him. "Always with the awful timing. You chose the wrong day to armor up for war, my friend!"

"Awful timing?! Me?! Yah drums of battle disturded mah pleasant day!" Inferno yelled back.

"What do you mean; 'my drums'?! If not you, then, whose horns and drums drew me out for battle?!"

"You chose tah attack me first, snowman! And today, Ah will be victorious!"

"You speak unmeaningful words, Incendian!" Firn summoned his vitarma•, ready to end this quickly. He locked his vitarma; an ice bow and aimed for Inferno's head.

"But yah gon' die a meanin'ful death, Glacilian!" Inferno formed his own vitarma, a fiery blade dribbling with molten lava, and pointed it at Firn.

★A 'Vitarma' is a weapon formed from the élan vital of an elemental. It could be in the form of any weapon, principally the one the elemental is most comfortable with, and its acquisition enhances the offensive abilities of any elemental tenfold. It is a characteristics mostly accustomed to battailous elementals.

As the Sovereigns raised their weapons, their subordinates behind them, too, armed themselves. And at that point, the sound of war horns and battle drums begun to play in battailous symphony and everyone paused, surprised as well as discombobulated, because none of them blew horns, or beat drums.

"My Sovereign, look! Up there!" Lanche alerted, pointing to the rim of the valley.

That was when they all saw it.

Dozens upon dozens of hideous figurines flew over the valley, shadowers riding monsterized bats, blowing war horns and banging drums, growling and laughing, announcing their arrival. At the head of the flight was the largest bat you could ever see, and mounted atop it was Zella, with a smirk. She looked down at the battle ready salamanders and yeti.

"At them, look. Like little children, they argue." She said in her sweet lovely voice as she lowered her hovering bat closer to them.

"Who are you, child?" Firn calmly asked, sensing her intense dark aura.

"Who am I, he says..." Zella chuckled loudly, her followers laughed after her, then suddenly she stopped, demonically yelling, "Who am I?!" She took in a deep breath, calming herself. "Right, about me, you wouldn't know, since discarded, we have been. Listen up, for only once, I shall say," she cleared her throat and sat upright, "Zella Nefaris, Sovereigness of Oscuria, Demon Goddess of the Dark, and soon to be Superior Sovereigness of the Elemental Realm and Beyond, I am." She proudly acknowledged.

"Zella?" Firn and Inferno said in unison.

Inferno erupted in sudden laughter.

Zella furrowed her brows at his attitude. "Something amusing to cause this unacceptable attitude you are displaying, I don't recall saying."

"Oh, no, no, no... You didn't. It's just all tha' gusto in tha' tiny little body tha' makes you feel all chummy - tha's funny... Imagine it all burstin', hehehehe...!" Inferno snickered, and his guerrillas laughed along.

"Ugh, unspeakable..." Zella shook her small noggin, pinching her nose bridge. "Well, go on. Fight and eradicate yourselves. Easier for me, make things."

"Go back to whatever pit you crawled out from, young witch. Your ancestors have all tried and they have all failed. So will you, if you move further." Firn spoke firmly.

"I - am not - my ancestors." Zella growled, matter-of-factly.

"So, what is it you want, dark child?" Inferno asked her.

"Inferno! We do not bargain with a witch! Especially an Oscurian one!" Firn shunned him.

"Ah'am just askin'... Might be yah fault she's here!" Inferno faced Firn.

"My fault?! You're the hot-headed, troublesome one... perhaps it's your fault she's here!"

"Enough bickering!" Zella roared, and there was silence. She inhaled deeply. "Yes, for a reason, I am here, and either of you figureheads, it is not... Give to me, each of you, your elemental gems." She said slowly and softly. The two Sovereigns glanced at each other, surprised by her demand. "Take it without even asking, I know I can, but asking, I am, and ask me again, don't." She added, noticing their hesitation.

"You know what' you ask cannuh be given," Inferno spoke first.

"Do. Not. Make. Me. Ask. Again." Zella repeated her words one after the other to relay the full message.

"Begone, witch!" Lanche suddenly lunged an ice spear at her.

"No!" Firn exclaimed, but it was too late.

The spear went straight for Zella, but she effortlessly stopped it with her palm sheathe with shadow. The ice spear shattered on collision and mixed with the shadow, and it crystallized to form a pure black shapeless solid compound with shimmers of blue and white, hovering around her palm.

"Hmm... Dark and Ice. Such beauty." Zella spun the compound over her fingers and it sparklened in the sunlight. She smirked at the disbelief on everybody's faces below her. "Strong allies, we could've made, you and I, but busy ruling selfishly, you were - you discarded us, you forgot!" She roared demonically, reshaping the compound into a sharp spearhead and sending it hurling back to Lanche. Firn, acting on impulse, fired a counter shot to deflect the dark-ice spearhead, saving Lanche from seizing to exist.

Zella took another deep breath. "Fine... Again, I will ask... Give to me, each of you, your elemental gems." She repeated.

Inferno and Firn looked at each other - for the first time, they agreed on something.

"The answer is still no, with," Firn said, steadying his Lynx, readying his vitarma.

"Okey... Fire Tribe, what about you?" Zella asked.

"Ah'cannuh comply to yah terms, either." Inferno stated, doing the same as Firn, their guerrillas too.

"Hmm... Hoping you'd say that I was, you see," Zella smiled from ear to ear. "To fulfil my destiny without some dramatics and bloodshed, I wouldn't want, would I, now?... Oh... Elementals don't shed blood, I forgot." Her army of evil monsters began to growl and drool, "Besides, dying for action, my children are. To bite off some fiery or icy heads, they would like. As we speak, that fate, other tribes are suffering... The time you joined them, it is! My children, attack!" She ordered, raising her two arms to the fleet and the Oscurian shadowers dived down to the Frost Fire Valley below.

Battle commenced...

To Be Continued in the next Episode 🔥

2:- Battle Of The Realm.

This has never happened before, an Incendian army and a Glacilian army fighting together in the Frost Fire, side by side, and not against one another. Streams of flames and sparkles of ice and roars of darkness and shadow flooded the valley as yeti, salamanders and shadowers kill, and get killed.

At the heat of the battle, Inferno, on his fiery phoenix, took to the skies, and with raging fire from his hand and vitarma, he burnt a lot of the horrid flying monsters and beast, headed towards the Dark Queen herself, Zella. Her small lips bent in a smile as she saw him coming. With her pointer, she drew a ring of shadow in the air and flicked it at Inferno, the ring expanded as it sped through the air and locked itself around the phoenix's neck. She, then, began to fold her fingers into a fist, slowly, tightening the ring of shadow, strangling the mystic bird. Inferno lost balance as the phoenix struggled to breathe, he fell off the saddle.

Firn, atop his snow-lynx which roared sprays of freezing ice at any approaching beast, noticed Inferno falling. With an upward swing of his arm, ice from the Glacier Line rose, high and flat like a slide up to the sky and caught falling Inferno and he slid safely to the ground beside Firn.

"You just saved mah life... Why?" Inferno asked, perplexed by his action.

"Why? Are you proposing I let you expire and face a swarm of dark monsters all by myself?" Firn replied, standing on his critter, freeing arrow after arrow at anything dark and scary.

"You're a good salamander, Inferno. Same as all your predecessors. You are just blinded by your jealousy for the Ice Tribe. But I hope as the real enemy as risen, your eyes shall be opened."

Inferno tossed an explosive fireball at an attacking shadow beast. "Until today," he said thoughtfully, "our tribes didn't know we had a common enemy."

"And will the enemy of my enemy- be my friend?" Firn rapidly released rain of ice arrows, non-stop.

"We have been at each other's throats since dah Ice Age." Inferno threw his sword at Firn who instinctively ducked and the fiery blade passed over him and struck a beast preparing a sneak attack.

"A little heads-up next time?" Firn eyed Inferno who just shrugged. With ****** assistance from his tail, Inferno leapt over Firn and kicked the sword further into the beast's chest, reducing it to nothing but a waft of shadow. A winged monster noticed Inferno's distracted state and dived for the kill but died instead, killed by arrows from Firn's bow.

"The birth of the yeti isn't our fault... Maybe we should come to a common understanding- for the good of all?" Firn dismounted his lynx, whispered orders into its ear and it charged out into battle. Firn walked up to Inferno, "Let's form an alignment," he said.

"An alignment, you say? A battleground is no place for such formal event."

"Then, shall we meet again after this to formalize our bond?"

"Only if we make it out alive." Inferno smiled in response.

The two Sovereigns shook arms in agreement, and like newly found brothers, they charged into battle.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

It isn't just the Frost Fire Valley that suffers the attack of the dreadful Oscurian army. Whilst their battle commenced, some happened in the other tribes. By their blessed power of precognition, the Espritians had foreseen the attacks and put up a strong defence mechanism to hide the entire tribe, making it impenetrable and invisible, and preventing the dark creatures from finding or getting into or even near the tribe. The victory was the quickest for the Oscurian at Aria because they were bounded by their non-violent nature and culture, the Aria Sovereign gave up their tribe's elemental gem when, of course, the Oscurian Grand Guerrilla of the Wind fleet couldn't listen to reason and slew the Arian Heir in the presence of the entire court.

In Great Waters, at Oceania, aquatic adaptable Oscurian beasts raided the city, but the undines fought back hard to protect their tribe and the shadowers were no match for their weapons - but Zella knew that. As planned, the Oscurian Grand Guerrilla of the Water fleet released a dark pollutant in the waters, removing the oxygen from therein. It spread so quickly and the impossible happened, undines began to drown in their element, suffocating from lack of oxygen to respire, many began to die. Some tried to escape to the shores but their gills would never feel the same. To stop the pollutant from sucking all life underwater, the Oceania Sovereigness had no choice but to surrender their elemental gem. The Oscurian held up his end of the bargain and recollected the pollutant, but the Great Waters would never be the same again.

Battle was at its fiercest at Terrai as the gnomes, disputing their small size, crushed and squashed the attacks horrid monsters with so much ease and pleasure. They had both individual strength and strength in numbers that the Oscurians could not contend with- but Zella knew that. Ordered by the Oscurian Grand Guerrilla of the Earth fleet, the monster began to throw down black pots from their flying humongous bats into the canyon and as the pots landed, they shattered, releasing frightful evil spirits trapped within, and these evil spirits began to possess the Terrian gnomes. The possessed gnomes' eyes turned all black and they began to attack their fellow tribe people and destroy with stronger powers because of the evil fuelling them. The other gnomes could not bring themselves to slay their kind, but the possessed gnomes did not hesitate to kill any living being it sights. It was a massacre. The Oscurian beast laughed horridly as chaos filled the Terrian canyon. To prevent more deaths, the Terrian Sovereign shamefully gave up their elemental gem to end the slaughter. And at the sound of an Oscurian beast's horn, the evil spirits left the bodies they possessed, leaving them paralyzed, and floated up into a bigger pot under the arm of the Dark Grand Guerrilla.

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The Ice and Fire Sovereignesses worry deeply for their Sovereign as the noise of the battle become aggravating and never-ending Each in their castles, took comfort in rocking their babies to sleep. Simultaneously, more castle guards suddenly flooded the throne housing them and their child and surrounded all sides of the room to protect them.

"Wha' is dah meaning of this?!" Agrimitra demanded as the castle guards took their positions.

~

"What is going on?" White asked, also, in her wide.

"We're sorry for the inconveniences, my Sovereigness. It is of the utmost importance that you are kept safe and protected." The Chief of the Castle Guards replied to her.

"Utmost importance...?"

~

"... Wha' has happened on dah battlefield?" Agrimitra questioned her own Chief of Castle Guards.

"It's an Oscurian invasion, Sovereigness," the Chief answered.

~

"Oscurians? What of the Sovereign of Incendia?" White enquired.

"It appears that the Incendian army seems to have come to a ceasefire and have joined forces with our army to battle off the dark ones." The yeti Chief explained.

~

"Yah sayin' there's a collaboration...?" Agrimitra started.

~

"... Between Fire and Ice?" White ended.

~~

"This is bad." Both said in unison, apart in their different castles.

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Down in the Valley between the Fire and Ice mountains, the battle is intensifying. Many had been vanquished on all sides but the battle holds strong. Suddenly, squeaks of Oscurian monster bats are heard in the sky, along with horns and drums. Firn and Inferno look up and sees damnation in form of an Oscurian calvary. Zella looks up, smiles as she sees victory.

"Well done, my children!" Zella chuckled menacingly as her Grand Guerrillas approached with their troops, and waved their bounty for their Mistress to see.

"Yes! To me, bring them." She ordered, raising atop her bat.

Her Grand Guerrillas flew towards her, dropping the gems in their possession before her, hanging in midair. She looked at the colourful gems before her and noticed there was one less.

"I see in possessing the Gray Matter, you failed," she sternly looked at the Grand Guerrilla she assigned to Espritia.

The Oscurian general hung its head in fear and trembling.

"Calm yourself, beauty. Acquire it later, we will, hm?" She spoke sweetly, and it raised its head again.

In that second, her dark aura ignited and out if it solidified into multiple tentacle-like spears and impaled the beast of a failure, deleting him from existence.

"And by 'we', I do not mean 'you'..." She added as it faded.

Her shadowy aura subsided. She reached for the pronounced pendant on the necklace around her neck and plucked it: it was a solid black crescent encased in golden wirings. She, then, separated the crescent from the decorative - the dark elemental gem, Black Night. It floated off her hand and joined the collection of similarly shaped colourful elemental gems in front of her.

These elemental gems are the known source of elemental abilities and the very source of their existence, and each tribe as to itself its own; Snow White to the yeti, Red Hot to the salamanders, Deep Blue Sea to the undines, Green Land to the gnomes, Sky Blue to the sylphs, Gray Matter to the dwarfs, and Black Night to the shadowers.

These gems weren't all separate at the beginning, they are all each a piece of a whole, a whole orb called the Kügel, the Elemental Orb, which is the powers of all elementals. Some say the first elementals formed the Kügel, another says the Kügel formed the first elementals, but whichever way it was, it was all-powerful It can create and eliminate an elemental, it was a weapon with a powerful beam of energy known as the Gestrïn Light. The Kügel, as a whole, could make one omini-elemental with unlimited magick powers, thus leading to its splitting, for in the wrong hands- it will bring destruction.

And now, Zella possesses four of seven quarter gems of the Kügel. The quarter gems began to spin in a circular pattern as Zella began the joining ritual. Firn and Inferno saw this and they were utterly surprised how she, a child, acquired four of the gems. How did she even know about the ancient artefact?

"Impossible!" Inferno exclaimed at the shocking sight.

"She possesses four-quarter gems?!" Firn wasted no time, he aimed three arrows at Zella, then fired. Inferno threw several lava balls to accompany them, but as they got to an arm's length, they dispersed to nothingness, leaving her unscathed.

Zella slid her hand, enveloped with her darkness, in the air, slowly, from left to right, fingers wide apart as she formed her vitarma: a shadowy black sceptre. With the vitarma present, the Deep Blue Sea, Green Land, Sky Blue, and Black Night magnetized each other, forming more than half of the Kügel, after that, she took it and slap it in her sceptre. The incomplete Elemental Orb began to glow in the colour it was made of, its glow then expanded to the whole sceptre, and then to Zella's whole body, and she mourned softly, eyes closed, as she felt it fill her up with power. She smiled.

"To perfection, close," she said as she stopped glowing and opened her eyes: her left eye remained it's natural black, while her right eye was a colour spiral wheel of grey, green, light and dark blue and black.

"Now over, this battle is" She roared, raising her Kügel powered vitarma to the skies and it began to blacken, unruly winds blew as bolts of lightning of different colours flashed, followed by deafening thunders that shook the ground. The incomplete Kügel shone brightly in its lights and she pointed the sceptre downwards to the valley below.

"******Destroy******!" She roared demonically and a bright multi-coloured energy beam and sparks of the Gestrïn Light shot down to the yeti, salamanders, and even shadowers all the same within its destructive range we're exterminated.

Zella roared with evil laughter, "******Splendid******!" She guffawed amid the flashes of lightning and thunders.

Firn and Inferno, lucky to have evaded the Gestrïn blast, were extremely terrified, as well as surprised. No one has witnessed the power of the Kügel, for millions of centuries, let alone use it. The Sovereigns could feel the fear filling the Valley as the surviving lot scurry about, fighting off the shadowers.

This child, Zella, the Evil child of Darkness and Queen of Death and Fear hold four-quarter gems of the Kügel.

What will happen if she gets it all...?

To Be Continued in the next Episode 🔥