A/N: I may be making some changes here and there just to give you a warning. This is basically a first draft, but I like it thus far. Enjoy! I read the review about how it was confusing on who was talking. I didn't really want to keep saying "Amara said" or "Michelle said" so I tried to do it different ways. I'm sorry if it's confusing. I some of it to take out most of the confusion, hopefully it worked.
Chapter 5
"Hello! How are you this morning Nelia?"
"Oh, I'm fine, thank you."
"How's your son?"
"You mean Asher? He's great. Never better."
It took the boys by surprise to see two women talking before them and never even bother noticing that they were right next to them. "Hello? Hello!" Tyson tried to get their attention, but nothing worked. "He-"
"They can't hear or see you, so don't even try," Amara said coldly.
Tyson shut up instantly. "Where are we?" Rei asked.
"In Tiamat's and Bahamut's memory. This is the village as it used to be. The quiet town of Tirlend," Michelle explained.
"Tirlend? But isn't that where were staying?" Rei asked.
Michelle nodded. "Yes, that indeed was Tirlend, the Tirlend that we now know. But that village was not the original one."
"Oh."
"Look! What's Mannix all in a fret about?" While Michelle was talking they forgot all about the two older women talking next to them, but turned to them now and followed their attention over to a very young Mannix. He was only a teenager now, around the age of sixteen and he did look as if he had something important to tell everyone. The curious BladeBreakers joined the other villagers.
"I found them washed up on shore. They were breathing, but not much. I was going to try to bring them here, but I'm not strong enough for two of them."
"We'll help." Everyone turned around to see two younger looking men, around the age of twenty-two or so, volunteer.
"That's Asher." Amara pointed to the one on the left. He had brown hair and mysterious gray eyes. He stood to be as tall as six feet and had a muscular build. "And the woman over there is his wife, Kina." Kina was around the same age as Asher with light brown hair. Her eyes shown to be of a deep amber, ones that lit up her kind face.
"Alright then. I'll show you where I found them." Asher and the other man, going by the name of Sage, followed close behind.
"There's no need to follow. It'll only wear you out more. We'll wait here." The BladeBreakers agreed to Michelle reasoning and watched as the other villagers went about their lives again.
It wasn't more than ten minutes before they returned, Tiamat and Bahamut skipped the memory ahead to make things easier, carrying two young girls in their arms. They looked to be around the same age, though nothing was certain from the angle they were at. "If you haven't figured it out already, that's us," Michelle said, pointing at the unconscious children. "We didn't know anything until we woke up the next day. We knew our names, and age, three, but nothing more."
"Asher and his wife Kina took us in. They didn't have any children of their own and felt it was a good idea." The two dragons shifted the time ahead again as Amara was talking. "We didn't fit in right away, probably because we weren't officially from the town, but we were considered members. And just like everyone other person in the town we had to learn how to fight."
"But why?" Kenny asked.
"Because we were constantly threatened and attacked by other villages in the area. We were the smallest of about ten villages and the easiest accessed by them all. We're what you would say smack dab in the middle." Amara nodded sadly at Michelle's statement.
The time warp stopped and they were back in the village. It was during the winter season now and everyone was bundled up by the fire. Amara and Michelle were easy to pick out because of their red hair, not to mention the fact that they were still wearing their training armor.
"Asher, can I speak to you for a moment?"
"Sure, Mannix." Asher patted his wife on the arm before getting to his feet and walking over.
"Mannix is chief now. His father was the last one and he inherited from him. He was quite young for a chief, I'll give you that, but he had a knowledge that no one could really understand." Amara never took her eye off of Mannix and Asher as she spoke.
"I think they're ready."
"Ready?" Asher asked, not knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"They're ready for the Trial of Elements," Mannix clarified.
"Are you insane! They're only eleven years old!"
"The younger they are the best chance they have. The longer you wait gives our enemy more time to prepare. They are our only chance, Asher. You know this just as well as I."
Asher was silent for a moment before replying firmly, "No." He walked away without another word.
Mannix stood there and watched him return to his family before retiring to his hut.
"What's the Trial of Elements?" Rei asked.
"It's a trial that only the chosen few get to take. The trial goes through a series of mind and physical tests. No one knew what was at the end because no one ever mad it that far." The BladeBreakers looked at Amara surprisingly.
"The only thing that we knew was that there was an enormous power waiting for you at the end. We had hoped that this power would save us from the constant beating that we were getting from the other villages. You see the others had a source of power, but we didn't. The other villages had, what you call nowadays, bitbeasts. Not only did they have the normal everyday ones, like reptiles, mammals, and the like, but each one had a Lord." Michelle knew what question came next so she turned to Amara and bid her to continue.
"The Lords are the eight elemental dragons: Ryonan as the fire dragon, Leviathan as water, Raptrian as lightning, Swavern as ice, Shringard as light, Strata Dragoon as earth, Feariin as Darkness, and Dragoon as wind."
"Wait, did you just say Dragoon?" Tyson looked at his bitbeast as he spoke.
"Yes, Dragoon is the Lord of Wind. But he is special as well. Not only is he a Lord, but he is also a sacred bitbeast. Quite the combination if I do say so myself." Michelle looked over at the fire, smiling to herself. She missed the good 'ole days, but was snapped back into reality when Max asked another question.
"So the one back on the train was the light dragon? I believe he called himself Shringard."
"Yes." Amara responded simply. "But there's one stronger than the eight Lords. There was a village that was stronger than all the rest and because of this it was named after the island, Anidia. The bitbeast, you've faced him actually, is named Amphisbaena, or Enrique's bitbeast."
"Enrique!" Max exclaimed.
"We don't know how he came across Amphisbaena or even how he is able to control him, but we do know that he is angry. Angry that one of the sacred bitbeasts, those supposedly weaker, had beaten him."
It was now another day, everyone was so busy talking that they didn't notice the time warp. "Asher!"
"Sir?" Asher answered to Mannix's call and walked over to him. "Yes?"
"It has to be now. There's been news that the other villages have been gathering up their forces."
"How do you know that they're going to attack us though?"
"Because we're the weakest and the closest to the cave. They have to do the trial now."
"No. They are still very young and still grieving over the lost of their mother. Would you have them go through the trial in such a weak state? No, Mannix. They will not go through it until I say so." With that said Asher left. Mannix's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he said no more.
"Your father seems determined to keep you away from that trial thingy," Tyson observed.
"He did his best, but in the end…" They skipped ahead again, but this time the picture was not so happy. They faced a cabin, one that was burning profoundly and clearly not going to be put out easily. People were gathered nearby, looking on helplessly.
"Is anyone in there?" People shouted, panicing as the looked helplessly on.
"Amara and Michelle are off training aren't they?"
"Asher's still in there! I-I never saw him come out!" The crowd gasped.
"Mannix! Mannix, what's going on? We saw the smoke and-" The young Michelle stopped in mid-sentence once she saw the blaze.
"W-what happened!" The young Amara stammered. She took a step towards the burning ruin, but was blasted back by a huge amount of heat.
"No one knows. All of a sudden we heard an explosion and this is what we came out to." Mannix walked over to them. "I'm afraid your father was stuck In there."
It was so hard to look at their faces. Their expressions were a mix of horror, sadness, confusion, and anger, a very deep anger.
"Our father didn't survive if you were wondering." The BladeBreakers said nothing to Amara's came statement, they didn't need to. You could still see the same sadness and hatred reflected in their eyes now. "Tiamat move on. We don't need to see the aftermath."
"Of course." The image skipped ahead again, but they were now in a different location. They were at the mouth of a cave, the same cave that they were standing in now.
"This is two months after our father passed away. Mannix was now our "guardian", you could say, and decided what we were to do. If you haven't guessed it already, he made us do the trial. We were still very young, at least to the villagers, but he didn't care. We were only twelve at the time, and still very naive." Michelle turned behind her to see the younger version Amara and herself walking up the path. "We won't show you what happened during the trail. That's something that only we will have to bare. Bahamut?"
"Of course, M'lady." They were now back in the village. People were running everywhere. There were cries of panic and fear. People were carrying belongings, babies, anything they could get their hands on.
"What's going on?" Max wondered aloud.
"We were attacked. Invaded by the Tribe of the Black Dragon." Amara's eyes grew dim as she spoke as if she knew what was going to happen next. "As we explained before, we were the weakest tribe and constantly attacked by the stronger ones. Mannix had also explained that they were gathering up arms. This was the reason."
"Mannix! What are we going to do! You can already here our hunters getting slaughtered out in the forest. Where are Amara and Michelle? Shouldn't they have already finished the trial?" Villagers scrambled to Mannix, trying to get some answers.
"Shouldn't they be back here by now!" One asked.
"Mannix tell us what to do!" Another pleaded.
The young chieftain didn't know what to do. He tried to calm the people down, but he didn't know the words to say. "We must flee!" Mannix turned to see who issued the order and nodded approvingly when he noticed it was Sage.
"Yes, that is what we must do. Head to the cave. We will make a stand there. Hopefully the girls will be out-" Mannix stopped in mid-sentence when someone interrupted him.
"They're here! Amara and Michelle have returned!" The group, the BladeBreakers included, followed the man's declaration. It was indeed them, but then again there was something different.
"Girls please! You must help us! I know you can hear the pain and the war cries. We are cornered. Please help! You are the only ones who can!" Everyone rushed to them.
Mannix pushed the man, who spoke first, aside and stood in front of the warriors. "Since you are here before us now we know you have succeeded. Do you have the power?"
Both girls nodded simultaneously. Just the looks upon their face sent shivers down everyone's spine. Their eyes were glowing, Michelle's icy blue and Amara's amber, and a sinister smirk crossed their lips.
"Yes, we have the power." Michelle spoke first. Her voice was mixed with a deeper tone and Mannix took a step back, fearful.
"We have the power to destroy them. That is what you wished correct?" Amara's tone was no different, but her smirk allowed everyone to see the evilness that was radiating off of her.
"But why would we attack them? They have done nothing to harm us." Michelle's smirk matched Amara's and the villagers turned to each other with fear in their eyes.
"Nothing to harm us! Can you not hear the cries of pain from our hunters?" You could tell it was hard for the woman to say. Most likely a son or husband was trapped out there. "Don't you see what is about to happen? They will have no mercy!"
"Did you have any mercy when you torched our home? Did you ever think of the pain that it would cause when you did it? Huh? Mercy is the last thing you deserve." Amara's voice grew strong as she spoke.
"Amara, what are you talking about?" One man boldly asked. "That was nothing more than an accident. How, no, why would we do such a thing?"
"We don't know, but what we do know is that it wasn't an accident." Michelle stated coldly.
"Mannix! They're here! We have no more time!"
Mannix turned back to the girls when he heard the news from Sage. "You're just going to leave us to die? You are the only ones with the power to stop them and you will do nothing! Asher would-"
"Don't you dare bring up his name!" Michelle lit up in a blaze of black and blue flame. When the flame resided she was in her armor. The half-breastplate, leather gloves, and the wings the exact same as Rei had seen it. He was surprised at first, only thinking it to be an illusion before, but then he remembered how Amara had changed and thought nothing more of it.
"Michelle, calm down," Amara ordered and Michelle complied, though she remained clothed in armor.
"So, this is the power. You join with the dragon. But how?" Mannix inquired suspiciously.
"Mannix!" Everyone darted back to the village. Men were rushing in with weapons drawn and shouting their battle cries. The women and children screamed and the men stepped in front of them to form a protective circle.
"Step aside." Amara was now dressed in her armor as well. Her and Michelle had their arms outstretched with hands glowing of black flame, flame that was launched at the enemy as soon as the villagers parted.
"Tiamat!"
"Bahamut!" The image shifted just before the impact. "We told you not to go that far!"
"Our apologizes."
The Black Wings turned to the BladeBreakers. Their faces were contorted in fear and they backed away. Even with the pain that she now felt from their denial, Michelle continued on with the story. "After the enemy attackers were dealt with, we turned on our own people and burned the village. Those who fled we did not chase."
"We went on a rampage then across the island. We visited all the Lord's towns, but they were gone. The King had taken them to his village before we could get to them. We burned those towns too, turning them to ash." Amara continued.
The time travel had now stopped and they were back in the present time, back in the cave. There was still much to tell, however.
"When we reached Anidia, we fought. The Lords were strong, even for us, the Elementals, or Corrupts. We were defeated, but not without dealing a lot of damage." Michelle voiced.
"At the end of the fight we had used up our energy and returned to our normal state of mind. We were no longer being controlled. It was then that we learned of our act and we fled. We fled to a place where no one would ever find us. Where we would be safe." Amara's eyes clouded over, lost in another memory. "We trained there for two years, until we were called upon again and by none other than Mannix."
The BladeBreakers didn't know what to say, or even what to think, so a long silence passed between them. Kai was the first to speak. "You said you were called Elementals, or Corrupts. What does that mean."
"We are called Elementals because we have the power of all the elements, all but one, Light. Because of this the Light energy effects us more and sometimes to severe results." Michelle stated. Neither Kai nor Rei was going to bring up Michelle's wound, knowing that they didn't want it to be public knowledge.
"And Corrupts?" Max asked, urging Michelle to continue.
Amara took over instead. "We are called Corrupts because that is what we are. We're corrupted by darkness, hatred, chaos, and destruction. We lose control when we get angry and lash out at others."
"That was until we learned to control it, at least as much so that we aren't as unstable." Michelle sighed when she knew she had to explain more. "When we fled we trained. The devastation that we caused never left our thoughts. Even now it haunts our dreams. We were determined to control this new power, to control Bahamut and Tiamat. Well, we learned that controlling those two wasn't possible, but friendship was. That happened merely by accident, but that's all that's keeping us, well, us."
"What are you still doing here?"
"What was that?" Tyson blurted and looked around frantically.
"Damn it! Michelle, what time is it?" Amara looked at Michelle, but her expression didn't tell her anything. She cursed again.
"It's time for you to leave. You have overstayed your welcome, Corrupts. Leave now and never come back. We told you that last time! How easily you forget!"
"Silence! We're leaving alright?" Michelle turned to everyone else. "C'mon. We have to go." The others merely nodded, not wanting to argue.
"Yes, leave these lands. You don't belong here."
"You'll never be accepted."
"I'm surprised that you're still alive. You should be dead."
"It would be better for us all."
The voices wouldn't stop. The Black Wings increased the pace in order to get away from them.
"Are you scared of us? You weren't before. I don't know how you can stand being around them, Champs."
"The thing I'm surprised about is that they're still alive."
"Tiamat!"
"Bahamut!"
"Wait, you're not suppose to combine your powers with Bahamut," Aamra warned.
"It doesn't matter. We've run out of time. We have to leave now." Michelle's tone showed that her decision was final.
"Fine." They positioned each other on opposite sides of the group of BladeBreakers. Black flame formed a circle around them, forming a firewall.
"Yes, leave."
"And may you meet a painful end."
They vanished.