Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I actually had it written on paper all the way back in November.
Comet~ Yah she was just too lazy to type it up.
Ummm… Yah…. Sorry no I'll save you my rambling and just get on with the chapter.
Disclaimer~ Never have and probably never will own anyone in this fic. I just use them to play with.
Elemental Magic
Sandry and Briar ran as hard as they could back to the ballroom. Sandry's skirt and Briar's cloak waving in the wind.
Briar was the first to reach the room. Skidding to a stop he let out a string of curses. Sandry, right behind him gave a loud gasp at the sight.
The head table was a light trapping all the people that had been sitting at it against the wall behind them, including Duke Vierdes. All the other guest were drenched in water and were slowly being pushed by an invisible force closer toward the balcony which led to a steep drop of into the water.
Alone in the center of the dance floor stood Evvy and Pasco. Evvy's eyes were closed and she was breathing steadily. Next to her Pasco was attempting to dance a spell to help something. Suddenly the ground shook throwing him to the floor.
"Stop that!" He screamed at the girl who opened her eyes.
"It's not me. I'm trying to stop it!"
"Pasco! Evvy!" the two students looked up to see their teachers running toward them. Just as they got there an explosion rocked the roof over head.
"Sandry. Ward." Briar took over and pulled everyone so they were standing in a tight circle.
Finishing her circle with some thread from her gown Sandry looked around at the chaos. The room glowed spectacularly with strange loose magic.
"There's more then one mage in this." She called out to Briar as she grabbed a string of air that was shooting toward the high table threatening to fan the flames closer toward the people.
"Ok. Rosethorn, Lark and some other mages at Winding Circle are coming but Rosethorn said the roads are flooded."
"What?" The roads never flood at this time of year."
"Phan Briar what should we do?" Evvy asked as she sat catlike on the ground looking scared. Pasco was next to her looking at his own teacher.
"Pasco, a protection spell on the crowd." Sandry ordered while trying to find her uncle behind the flames. The roof shook again causing one of the chandeliers to fall on the almost empty dance floor.
"Evvy. Try to keep the roof up and all the pillars in place." Briar warned as he watched tears start to run down Sandry's face.
"I'll try." She looked up nervously as she went back into her trance.
"Briar here." Sandry reached into her pocket and pulled out a circle of thread.
"You brought it?" He exclaimed in surprise.
"I had a feeling we would need it." She said taking in a deep breath. Taking her lump into her hand and holding out for Briar to grab his. I wish Daja and Tris were here. Sandry called out to Briar as they fell into their meditation. Both of them opened their magical eyes.
Yah .Typical that they're not here when we need them.
Briar. Don't say things like that. I know you don't mean it.
Briar!? Sandry!?
"Daja!
What's happening? I can feel you all the way out here.
Where are you? Briar called as he watched Sandry grasp strange pieces of magic and pull them apart.
We're about five days away from Summersea. What's happening?
A strange mage or should I say mages are attacking the citadel.
Why aren't you helping Sandry!?
I'm a Plant Mage! I can't do anything! The roof is far too high up to reach and Pasco's got everyone else covered!
Let me through.
Gladly. Briar moved aside to let his foster sister see through his eyes..
Sandry, why are you taking the magic apart? Daja asked as she took stock of the situation.
It's weaker separated. Like a single thread compared to a rope. Who ever is doing this is combining their magics.
You mean like how we did with our thread?
Kind of…
Our thread! Briar hold my lump. I should be able to reach out and help with that fire.
Can do. briar stuck out his hand and found the lump that felt like hot coals and glowed red in his magical eye.
Daja reached through her link with Briar. Let's see what I can do about that fire.
Reaching out a magical hand she took out a bit of fire and began to gather them into one area, further from the people at the high table.
Another loud crack lashed through the air and a strange magical glow momentarily blinded the mages.
"Well, well, well." A female voice echoed through the hall. "What do you know, they are almost as strong as they are rumored to be."
"Yes, what a treat." A male answered the voice.
"Finally something to challenge us." It was a different male voice that spoke that time.
"Fantastic." A second female voice broke through. "Though we mustn't get carried away right now."
"Who are you?" Briar called out looking every which way for the source of the voice.
"Oh the plant mage's impatient aren't you Briar Moss, or is it Roach." Briar froze at the first male's careless way he threw his old thief name around.
"Surprised." The first female continued "We know all about you. Even things you might not know yourselves."
"Oh indeed. We're always thorough in our research." The second female explained. "Always know thy enemy."
"So I guess since we know who you are, you might as well try to find out what you are up against." The Fist male spoke up again. "If you feel compelled to look us four up. It'll just make your defeat so much better."
The second male finally spoke up yet again. "You'll find us under our mage names; Firewing, Earthshaker, Windtamer, and Watersnatcher."
"Now we must go. So much to do when you're trying to destroy you're competition. Until we meet again. Hopefully your weather mage will be back by then. I heard she's the strongest of you four and you'll need all the help you can get." And with a final laugh the voices faded away as did all the traces of their magic.
"Uncle!" Sandry called as she immediately returned to her body. Breaking out of her protective circle she rushed to her uncle's side. The Duke had just about collapsed from the mere shock of all that had happened. "We need a healer now!"
Meanwhile Briar was organizing everyone, trying to maintain some form of order. Pasco and Evvy had just collapsed from the mere shock of all they had to do.
It was not more than ten minutes later that Lark and Rosethorn appeared with several others from Winding Circle. Dedicate Moonstream among them.
"Oh, no, Lord Duke." She called out as soon as she saw him. "This was all to much for him. He was recovered, but he wasn't up to this much yet." Shifting Sandry she checked his vital signs and called two of the helpers to assist her.
Knowing there wasn't much she could do to help her uncle, she walked over to Briar breathing deeply. He was over in a corner with Pasco and Evvy talking with Lark. Rosethorn and Crane, the first dedicate of the Air temple, had taken over organizing the masses.
"How is he?" Was the first question they all asked her as she walked over.
"I don't know." She almost yelled in her frustration. "Moonstream's tending to him but…" She trailed off closing her eyes to the tears that were threaten to fall.
"It's okay." Briar awkwardly pulled her into his arms, patting on her back. "We did the best we could. You know as well as I that fire isn't either of out strengths. That's more Tris and Daja's thing."
"Yes, I know but I just felt so hopeless." Her muffled voice came from where she had her face pressed into his shoulder. "Just like when my parents died and when we were caught underground."
"But you weren't helpless that time." Briar said sternly holding her at arms length to look at her straight in the eye. "Honestly if it wasn't for you, Duchess, I don't think any of us would have made it out alive that day."
Sandry sniffled in response and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I never remembered you being so open before." Sandry showed the beginning of a smile as she composed herself.
"Living with a bunch of girls would do that to a person." Briar rubbed away the last residue of tears on the girl's cheek. "Imagine an old Street rat like me going soft."
"You were hardly old." Sandry said as she watched her uncle being raised on a stretcher. Coughing sporadically with Yasmina by his side. She had been caught with the crowd and hadn't been able to get to him. "It's a good thing Daja was able to reach us. I don't want to think how much worse things could have gotten."
"That's in the past now. We can't think of the 'what ifs' now." Briar released his hold of the smaller girl and looked over at Lark who had engaged their two students in a conversation and was slowly leading them out of the room. Most likely to get some rest.
"I asked Lark about the mages and she said the names were familiar but she couldn't remember off the top of her head. I'm going to as the other dedicates as soon as everything calms down." Sandy nodded in agreement though her mind was miles away.
~*~*~*~*
The next day Briar was walking once again in the citadel gardens. Closing his eyes he let out a fury of curses.
"Ever the street rat aren't you?" Briar spun around in surprise.
"Lark!"
"Getting rusty are you not. There was a time when you first came to us that no one could get five feet from you without you knowing." She smiled and sat down."
"I was just thinking…" He trailed off looking at the great building before him.
"About Sandry?"
"No… Yes…" He sighed and sat down next to her. "It's just that… I couldn't do anything yesterday. You told me to protect Sandry but I was useless. Pasco and Evvy were able to do more than me!"
"Briar calm down." She lay a calming hand on his arm. "The gardeners would not like it if they come and a\see that all their plants have moved."
Briar looked around, and taking a deep breath sent out a thread off magic to make all the plants go back to their original place. "It was all pure luck that Daja was able to reach out in time to help."
"So I figure it was good you were there." Staring at him to silence his protest. 'Do you honestly thing Sandry was calm enough to explain to Daja what was happening and to help her get though."
"No…"
"And since Pasco and Evvy do not have the same connection to the girls…" She left off knowing he could figure out what she was going to say. "You did all you could. Now come along I believe Moonstream has some information on these mages of yours."
~*~*~*~
Up in the conference room Sandry was pacing nervously. Moonstream said her great-uncle was as well as could be expected and was resting. She knew there was nothing she could do for him so she came here to find out more about the strange magic users.
Looking up as Briar and Lark walked in she took a seat and looked at Honored Dedicate Moonstream walked in. They all took their places around the table set up for the four of them. Briar on Sandry's right and Lark on her left as sat down across from ther Dedicate.
"I've found a bit of information on your mages." She started as soon as they were all set. "They seem to have been from Nogard across the Pebble sea."
"Just like the prophecy" Briar blurted out.
"Yes indeed. There wasn't much on them but we have managed to find that they are all siblings. Each an ambient mage, yet more powerful than has been seen before your group."
"How powerful?" Sandry's voce asked quietly.
"You know of the four great elements, have you not Duchess Sandrilene?"
"Don't call me Duchess. My uncle's not dead yet!" Briar grabed her hand to stop her from doing anything she would regret later.
"No, but until he is once again capable of ruling, you, as his heir are the ruler of this land. Now do you know of the great elements?"
"Of course who doesn't Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. The basis of all magic."
"Yes certainly. Well these four seem to control not a part of a great element like normal mages."
"What?" Briar's eyes opened as he realized what she was saying.
All she could do was nod confirming his revelation. "They do not control a part of a great element. They control all of a great element each."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Done. I once again apologize for the long wait.
Comet~ I'm sure she is.
You be quite. I really hope you will review and let me know what you think. I've been seriously lacking in the feedback area. It seems that no one wants to review my fics. ='( I love you're reviews. Please I need to know if anyone care what I'm writing.
Comet~ Yah stop with the pity party and get working on your next chapter
Ok Ok. ^coughslavedrivercough^
Comet~ What was that?
Nothing. *Runs away*
Comet~ Hey get back here!