Chapter One

Aeon leaned against the back of her chair for comfort; the ride back to Argon was not a very pleasant one. They had encountered many beasts and even a few rogue beast riders, but thanks to Aeon, they all made it out alive. The mining company wasn't doing too well and Lena, the founder of the mine, was losing interest in mining on the rainy planet. She was deciding whether to close the mine or just let the miners keep working for what they could to get by. Aeon had spoken to her the night before about the issue, but it seemed Lena was going to close the mine for sure.

Trying to get some rest, Aeon closed her eyes and wiped the dirt and sweat from her brow. She shifted her position, favoring her stomach a little. The deep scar that had been left from an accident many years ago had left her weak and tired, most of her time was devoted to healing the wound. A quick image flashed before her eyes, but she forced it back down into her dark pit of memories. It had been five years now, Liam was dead. She had to get over it and live her life. But even as she tried, she couldn't bring herself to forget. She loved him too much to just let him go.

The ship had come to a stop. They were home back on Argon and on the station where the miner's lived. Aeon grabbed her miner's jacket and tunic from the back of her chair and exited the vessel.

"It took you goddamned long enough." An angry voice cried from the docking platform. It was Suree, the accountant of the mining company. She was always in a bad mood ever since the mining business was going down. But today, she looked for a reason other than money. Aeon jumped off the ship's ramp, pulled her tunic over her head and smoothed it out.

"What's the rush Suree?" Aeon sighed, tired of the woman's constant bickering.

Suree frowned at Aeon and put her hands on her hips. "You know the rules about having visitors here, Aeon."

Aeon frowned in confusion. She didn't get visitors; she didn't know people other than her co-workers. "Visitor?" she asked the accountant as she made her way to the elevator.

"Aeon, this is a secret base! We can't have," Suree went on, but Aeon completely ignored the woman. She wanted to see who her visitor was. "In my Quarters right?" she asked Suree.

The accountant raised an eyebrow, outraged at the thought of being ignored. But she gave a nod anyways. "I gave her the access code to your place."

Aeon, letting curiosity get the best of her, abandoned Suree in the elevator and eagerly went to her tiny quarters. But while she stood outside the door, she started to get suspicious. No one knew she was on the planet or even where on the planet. She reached under her tunic for her dagger. Pressing her back against the door as she opened it, she raised her weapon to eye level. She flicked on the lights with her free hand and instantly brought her dagger up to the throat of her "guest".

The intruder was an old woman, or at least she looked like one, but Aeon couldn't be too careful. "Who are you?" she demanded. The woman glanced at Aeon as if she were looking into her soul. She smiled and blinked slowly. "I am Aereon."

Aeon didn't lower her weapon. "Okay, Aereon, what are you doing in my home?"

"I would prefer you lower your weapon, Aeon." Aereon calmly requested.

"No chance." Aeon narrowed her eyes. "How the hell do you know my name?"

Aereon just smiled again, but this time, walked right through Aeon's dagger. Aeon held back a gasp. The woman was an Elemental.

"You can lower your blade now." Aereon stated.

Aeon lowered it, but still held on to it, she had no idea what this woman had up her sleeve. "Who are you?"

"I am Aereon." She stated again. Aeon was starting to question this air Elemental's intelligence.

"What do you want with me?" Aeon questioned, still wary of this Aereon.

"It is not you that I want entirely." Aereon started to move around the room as if inspecting. "But something your father gave you, the gift of sight as I remember him calling it. You may sit if you wish," Aereon gestured to a seat.

"How did you know my father?" Aeon turned down her offer.

"I am an Elemental. We all know each other in some way or another. But that is not of importance. What I am here for is for answers. You are the sole survivor of the Fire Elemental race. Even though you are only half blooded, you still have the sight in your blood. I assume you know of the last prediction your father made, correct?"

Aeon gave a nod. "Yes. It was to a Necromonger commander."

"Not just to a commander, the Lord Marshall himself. Your father foretold the failure of the Necromonger campaign. And the death of a Lord Marshall. We did not know when or whom this pertained to, until it was fated that you had a dream. One not of failure, but of success."

Aeon knew what Aereon spoke of, it was the dream she had the night before she fled the planet Kadras. "Success?"

"Yes, the rise of another Lord Marshall. Believe me when I say I have calculated this dream for years. And not once have I come to an answer as to why yours and your father's dreams do not match. Now, being an air Elemental, I have a great affinity for balance. Now that balance is no longer in the equation, I must ask, why? And what will happen?"

"Why do you need me?" Aeon gripped her dagger a little tighter.

"You are the only one who knows what will happen. I calculate; only fire elementals know the exact future and the end of the equation."

Aeon chuckled. "You're asking me to tell you the end of this equation? You're out of your mind."

"I can assure you I have already lost it." Aereon grinned.

"I can't help you." Aeon raised her dagger again. "Now if you don't mind, there's the door."

Aereon raised a fine eyebrow. "Very well, I regret to use this on you, but I have no choice."

Aeon tensed. "Use what?"

"No weapon, believe me, we air Elementals are very harmless. But we do use deceit, trickery, and the occasional blackmail. And let's not forget bribery."

"Bribery?" Aeon snorted, nothing could possibly be used as bribery with her. She had been alone for these past years without asking for anything. Money was useless to her, fame was idiocy, and power was too much politics.

"I hear you are a widow?" Aereon started.

Aeon's smirk dropped. How dare she think of trying to use men as bribery! Even though Liam was dead she would never betray him in loving someone else. "My husband has been dead for five years. Don't you fucking dare try to bribe me with men." She felt her anger rise.

"Not even your own husband?" Aereon smirked. That was below the belt. Aeon was ready to kill this Elemental. First bribery, now she's teasing her!

"Fuck you." Aeon growled.

"We air Elementals do not as you say, fuck around."

"Don't toy with me Elemental!" Aeon cried. "Liam is dead and has been for five years!"

"Did you see him die?" Aereon questioned.

Aeon couldn't answer her. It was true she had not seen Liam die, but what else if not death? He would surely kill himself before converting. But then again, the Necromongers were a massive army; they could crush one man even after killing him.

"What are you saying?" Aeon forgot killing Aereon and dropped her arm.

"Do you really believe he is dead? If so, I have wasted my time. But if you think that there is a slight chance of him being alive," she let it hang. Aeon knew what she was getting at.

"I hoped. For two years I hoped and prayed it wasn't true. That he was still alive somewhere."

"Aeon, child of the fire Elementals and Furians, your husband is still alive." Aeon heard her dagger clang on the ground.