The being was a sight to see. Hanging up side down from the branches of the oldest Oak in the grand White Forest. She seemed to be in her late teen years, even if her features had been hardened by war. Somehow, she found peace in this awkward position, her hands folded neatly at her stomach, and her lips, barely noticeable, parted in deep meditation. She blended perfectly with her surroundings. The forest's trees somehow pure and white, she was just the same. Her long white hair cascaded downward, pooling like ink below her. Her eyes were shut, but if opened, she would reveal their striking beauty, the misted blue had flecks or sliver and purple; her eyes were always her favorite feature. Luckily, her dress was cut below the knee, as she hung, the silver cloth was pinned to the branch securely. Her small feet were bare; shoes only got in the way. She took after her mother, being a tall, lithe girl. A small dagger was held in place by a black scabbard at her side, the contrast of the black against the rest of her being was odd. A name, if someone would ask, just happened to be Annalayan Tanyal, of the Ice. Simply that, no nickname, no extras, just that.
Annalayan's mind centered around only one thing, her task. To group together strong people, train them, be-friend them. More to the point, to bring down the Ark, the Dark Ruler of all Chikakra. Re-gain her rightful place on the Throne of Five, The Throne of Ice. Herself, Almika of the Fire, Arrian of the Earth, Ahjink of the Spirit and Aalonia of the Air devised a plan to bring down the Ark, once and for all.
But first, she would need to create this group, and this was what she was doing at that very moment. Now, one might ask, 'How will she complete this task hanging up side down from a tree?' Simple, my friend, through the power of song. A small set of panpipes suddenly appeared in her pale grasp. She lifted the instrument slowly to her lips, and then blew. An unexpected melody erupted into the air, its sound was sweet, yet longing. The few who were destined to hear this, would hear. All others, would not. The song went on, as she hoped that the few, who were able to hear her, would come.
"I will ask you once more. Where is your sister hiding? The girl of Ice!" The Ark, the current ruler of Chikakra, his heart purged by darkness long ago. The figure held tightly in his grasp stood emotionless, her will un-breakable by this man of evil. Almika, of the Fire, oldest sibling of the Throne of Five. The man gritted his teeth.
"You will not answer me then?" His eyes flashed a crimson red as he tilted his head back in laughter. An evil cackle suddenly merged into the air, the few around quickly scurried away. The Ark threw the girl aside, her body landing with a loud thud on the cold marble covering the castle's floors. The man reached inside his cloak. A dagger emerged in his hand, the girl stood, looking into the man's eyes.
"Yes. You are a strong one, my dear." His voice rough as he rocked the dagger around his fingers. He suddenly looked at her with a twisted grin, his yellowed teeth making the scene all the more worse. Almika steadied herself, ready for anything.
"I will give you one more chance. Die…" his grin widened at the word. "Or tell me where Miss Annalayan resides. I will find her either way. My scouts have already picked up her scent. It's only a matter of time before they find her. Before I find her…" His grin faded, suddenly turning serious. "It's your choice." The dagger rested in his right hand, he inched menacingly closer to his victim.
"I won't tell you anything. Annalayan might be the youngest, but she is the strongest. In strength and mind that far surpasses yours." Her voice was stern, this was the truth, and she would let this evil know it.
"As I said. It was your choice." The man grinned, lunging towards Almika.
The young man lay carelessly upon a hillside covered with an arrangement of tall grasses. His arms were crossed behind his head as it was a bit more comfortable to lay his head there, than on the hard ground of winter. Why did the winter have to bring so many cold, hard things? He wished for the answer. A breeze swept across the land. Pushing his some-what long, chestnut tresses to the side. He combed his hand sloppily through his hair before returning it to it's before mentioned position. His emerald eyes scanned the sky, gray clouds hung low over-head.
"Great. Rain…" he laughed sarcastically, his voice sounded as if it had only just deepened, meaning he must have been in his mid-teen years. The teen's clothes were simple. A loose, tan, long-sleeved peasant shirt with a few tears here and there, a pair of brown pants and a pair of black boots that he had obviously gotten a good use out of. He was currently lying on a black, hooded cloak. Winter was coming. You had to keep warm.
Two birds flew by, chirping wildly. But, the chirping was suddenly blacked out of his thoughts. A new sound had caught his attention. His first thought was that he was hearing things. Then he realized, he was hearing panpipes. Where were they coming from? It sounded like, no, the White Forest?
He quickly stood, grabbing the brown sack that lay at his side and flinging it over his shoulder quickly. Who in the world was in the White Forest? Hardly anyone ever went there. It was just too easy to get lost. And, the beasts that resided there, they could rip a person to shreds.
"Should you really do this Erin?" he questioned himself. He nodded a 'yes' to reassure himself and set off at a steady pace towards the origin of the sound.
The crunch of his boots across the leaf litter sent chills up his neck; the White Forest just wasn't somewhere to go. But that music, he was getting closer. His hand abruptly clenched into a fist, something had just ran past him. Erin cautiously turned to the right, then the left.
"Nothing… I could have sworn." he whispered to himself. A small field mouse ran across his path, making him jump slightly. He laughed quietly, continuing on. The path twisted and turned, a path that was only taken on the worst occasions. At least the Ark's minions wouldn't be around here, even they would not step foot into the forest without a proper order, and even then they were weary.
The origin of the sound, it was just ahead. He pushed past a few fallen limbs, looking into the eyes of a girl. She was playing the panpipes, and why was she hanging up side down? Against his better judgment, he approached the lady, who was she? The melody kept its rhythm, but somehow, the girl spoke. Her lips did not move, but her eyes flickered open.
"Hello, young warrior. I bid you well. I am Annalayan of the Ice. May I ask of your name?" her voice was sweet and powerful, echoing from the trees around them. The boy stood a few yards away, in shock. 'Is this really one of the Throne of Five?' he thought, questioning the girl in his mind. If she really was whom she said, he would show respect and answer. If he could only get his tongue un-tied.
"I am Erin of the Earth, son of Molory and Fashelia." His voice quivered at the name of his mother, Fashelia, who had died at the hands of the Ark years ago.
"Welcome, young Erin. When the others arrive, I will explain why I have brought you here." Her song pressed on as Yirnate stood quietly. 'Others?' he thought. 'What have I gotten myself into?' his mind questioned as he waited for these others.
The girl leaped high above the ground, treetop to treetop. She was following a sound, a melody that seemed to be leading her towards it. Her name was Slaynia Cortan of the Fire; her spirit had a mission, find what was calling her deep into the White Forest.
Her short raven hair looked almost boyish in length. But she kept it at a long enough length to keep her girlish stature. Its tips were coated ginger, some might say she died her hair. No, all beings from the Fire Region looked like this. Their skin was tanned naturally, their hair was short, black and tipped a reddish-orange, they had beep brown eyes flecked with gold, and they all had the same fiery attitude. The tall fifteen years old was no different.
She scanned the ground beneath her, eager to find what was calling her. Just as she was from the Fire Region, her clothes were their normal attire for a teenage girl traveling in the beginning of winter. The tight black pants, worn black boots, a red top that's sleeves ended at the tip of her shoulder and looked to be wrapped tightly around her figure, and a black cloak. She was normally quite warm in this apparel, being from an area that was usually around seventy degrees Fahrenheit. But it always got colder the closer to the center of the land one got. And the White Forest was the center of the three land regions, excluding the Ark's land.
"There." She said to herself happily. She landed with a soft thud on the frozen ground below, looking towards a girl dressed in white hanging upside down from a branch and a boy who appeared to be a year or two older than herself.
"Welcome, my dear. I am Annalayan of the Ice." The song again, continued to play as she spoke. "This is Erin of the Earth." Her pale hand motioned towards him. "As I said before, all will be explained when the others show themselves." She cast a glance towards a bush, then to the top of a nearby tree before lifting the instrument from her lips. The song stopped as she flipped upwards then jumped to the ground. Erin nodded at his name, then turned towards the bush and the tree, as did Slaynia. Annalayan waved her hand towards the bush. It suddenly froze, and then collapsed in a heap of ice crystals.
A girl seemed to have been crouched behind the bush, hiding. "Uhh… hello. I am Kanita of the Air. I was just journeying to the Ice Region, and heard a song. So, I followed it and found myself here." Kanita grinned sheepishly.
"All is fine, one of the Air is expected to not have shown themselves. Aalonia always was quite good at Hide-and-Seek." She smiled, extending a hand towards the girl of Air. Kanita took it and was helped up. She brushed herself of, straightening her deep purple shirt, then her long, white, flowing skirt. Picking up her purple cloak, she shrugged it over her shoulders. She loosened her foot from the pile of icicles revealing a pair of white flats.
"So, you're a girl from the Air Region? I've met a lot or people, but never one like you. By the way, I am Slaynia of the Fire." She looked around at the different types of people. All coming together, but for what?
"Nice to meet you all. Annalayan, Slaynia, Erin." She waved her pale right hand and smiled towards them all. She too examined everyone, her lavender eyes scanning every detail. Kanita swept a piece of her mid-length blonde hair behind her ear, looking towards Annalayan.
"Now, there is one more person who needs to emerge from his hiding place. I promise, that we don't bite." Annalayan smiled, slowly walking towards a tree.
"Most of us anyway." Slaynia laughed to herself, watching the tree closely.
"I just hope this new person is a guy. I feel kind of overwhelmed my the majority of women." Erin combed his hand though his hair awkwardly. Suddenly, a figure emerged from behind the tree.
"Well, you're in luck." The newest member smiled, nodding at Annalayan. "I didn't want to interfere." He said towards her with a smile. "I am Leomari of the Fire. If you would all prefer, you may call me Leo."
"Well, Leo, it seems that the Fire Region is the majority here, eh?" Slaynia grinned. Leo looked somewhat like Slaynia, different by only a bit because he was a young man. His attire and figure was different, he wore black pants, looser than his fellow Fire being, he wore a loose red shirt that's sleeves also stopped just above his arms, and his shoes were also worn black boots. He ruffled up his black, ginger tipped hair a bit and nodded. "Yes, it does seem so."
"All we need is someone from the Spirit Region and we'd all be from different areas." Erin added with a smile, placing his hand on the strap of his brown, leather pack that was currently hanging limply from his right shoulder.
"The people of Spirit would never get involved. I've lived alongside them my whole life; they are just too peaceful to help with any sort of fighting. Even if they are one of the most powerful elements." Kanita said somewhat quietly with a frown.
"We will be quite strong enough for this task, I am sure of it." Annalayan said to the group, who happened to be standing in a circle.
"Not to be to hasty, but, why are we here anyway?" Erin questioned, his voice full of youthful curiosity.
"Oh course, I will explain to you in a matter of moments. But before we begin, I must know that you are all willing to band together and fight for good against the Ark, that you will not back down no matter what the circumstance, and that you will all work together no matter where to might be from." Annalayan said, her tone of voice serious. She put her hand out in the center of the group.
"I'm in." Kanita said happily, finally some action in her life. She stretched out her hand, placing it softly upon Annalayan's with a smile.
"Yeah, me too. It's about time somebody does something about the Ark." Slaynia put her hand on the top of the other two's, ready for some action.
Leomari was next. He set his hand upon Slaynia's. "I agree. The Ark best be ready, because he's going to need everything he's got."
Erin hesitated, trying to grasp all of this. Was he really strong enough to fight the Ark. No, but maybe with everyone else he was. "Alright, I'm ready for this." He set his hand on the top with a crooked smile.
"Alright, I will now explain our task." Annalayan said with an enormous grin spread across her face. They were all ready for this, whatever this was.