Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or anything related to Ben 10.
The Trap
The elves started leading the three teens to their home city, Uretha. Gwen was bursting with questions, while Ben and Kevin quietly followed, both in their own worlds. "You mention Kings and Queens. How many do you have?" Gwen asked Brustus, however, Luis answered.
"We elves have one each, King Jos and Queen Amil, they govern us and no other race. The faes have Queen Teria, they don't follow males, only females. Queen Teria governs all faes. The dwarves follow only males and have King Orote to govern them. However, we do, or at least use to until just recently, lived in perfect peace working off of each races strengths to better the good of all. The kings and queens formed the Circle, where they all come together to work out what would be best for all as one. The Circle also includes the Element Masters, the Miners of Vast, and the Leaders of Rowan."
"Are you telling me this world has only elves, faes, and dwarves?" Kevin asked with an amused smirk
"Until just recently, yes. You lot make up the fourth humans to come upon our home. It was quite surprising to find out one of our mythical creatures turned out to be real."
"Tell me about it," Kevin murmured.
"Wait, you said that we make up the fourth," Gwen reasoned. "Who was the first?" She asked, feeling she already knew the answer.
"The Professor of Paradox; he appeared in the Room of Reckoning during a Circle meeting. Telling us that three humans would be arriving. He failed to mention, however, that one was a transformer, one a wielder of manna, and one absorber. That is why we have been dispatched. The Element Masters would have surely found you first, but they are dealing with a much more pressing issue and the Miners of Vast are stocking up on all ores for the battle."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up a little," Ben said crossing his arms across his chest. "Professor Paradox is involved with this?" He received a nod from Brutus. "You mentioned a battle, what battle?"
Brutus and Luis both sighed, "That is hard to explain." Brutus replied, looking to the ground. "Many things have happened in such a short time that the course of our very world hangs in the balance. Strange things have been happening here, Omnitrix Wielder. Many things that could be the end of us."
Gwen turned to Kevin. "Why wouldn't Paradox come to us? He always has before."
Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "When has Paradox ever done something that I understood?" He whispered back.
"Good point," Gwen murmured.
"What types of strange things?" Ben asked, trying to get as much information as possible.
"All questions shall be answered once we reach Uretha and you have the chance to speak with King Jos and Queen Amil," Luis responded.
The group stopped as loud booming sounds could be heard from the sky. "Rowans! To the trees!" Brutus ordered, the elves quickly following orders and disappearing among the trees. Brutus turned to the three teens, "Stay with me," he said as he climbed up into the branches. Gwen called upon manna stairs for the three of them to climb to the top of the tree, taking up position around Brutus and Luis.
"What's going on?" Ben asked over the booming.
"Battle," Luis replied.
"Then it's hero time!" Ben dialed his watch and pressed down. A flash of green and "Big Chill," Big Chill said, flying up past the trees.
He spotted what looked like a green, brown, and yellow woman flying away from a dark flying figure. Fire balls and lighting strikes were raining down on the black figure, not seeming to do much, if any, damage.
"Time to cool this down," Big Chill said, letting out a big icy breath and the two figures got close enough, both becoming enveloped in ice. As they started to fall towards the ground, the black figure broke free easily, launching back into the air and two thick branches came shooting out of the trees, shattering the ice cell of the flying woman, who quickly took chase after the figure.
As Ben was about to follow, a funnel of wind surrounded him. Two glowing gold eyes faced him and a female dressed in silver clothing and silver blue wings emerged from the wind. "Who are you? Why do you interfere?" Her voice, as soft as the wind, but commanding all at once, said.
"No time, we must help," Big Chill replied, turning invisible and pushing through the wind. He quickly scanned the sky and found the black figure wrapped in vines and branches, but was quickly breaking free. Before he was able to fly towards them, a bolt of lightning came from above, hitting him square in the chest, making him visible and sending him spiraling down.
Gwen caught him on a manna disc and was about to throw a manna disc in the direction of the lightning, when Brutus caught her arm. "Do not interfere. If help is needed, help will be asked."
Gwen sighed and Kevin, still moved to absorb the wood but Gwen stopped him. "What are you doing?" He demanded.
"We don't know what is going on here. We don't know who to fight."
"We fight the ones who smoked him."
"Fight with brains as well, Kevin, we watch."
There was a flash of green and Ben was standing there, a scorch mark on his jacket. "Oh man!" He complained, tearing his eyes back to the sky.
There was a sphere of fire and water encasing the black figure, to flying women, one dressed in dark reds and the other in light blue hues, struggling to keep the sphere together. The woman who had trapped Ben in the wing funnel and another dressed in dark purples appeared next the green woman. The woman who had Ben trapped joined hands with the green woman from before. The ground started shaking and then two half sphere's made of woven vines and dirt came flying into the sky, encasing the water and flame sphere. In a gust of wind, the sphere disappeared, along with the woman with the glowing gold eyes.
The four remaining flying woman all looked at the trees where the elves and three teens were. There was a flash of lightning, a ball of flame, a small whirlwind of water and then three of the women were right in front of them. The last one came riding on a branch. Brutus and Luis both bowed, the four women saluted, then turned their attention to the teens.
"Where is the flying blue monster that interfered?" The woman with glowing purple eyes asked.
"Hey, Big Chill isn't a monster!" Ben replied, crossing his arms. Two vines picked him up by the wrists.
"You shall speak with respect when addressing Element Masters." The woman with glowing green eyes replied.
"Dreca, lower him," the one with glowing red eyes replied. Dreca, looked back surprised.
"She's right," the one with glowing blue eyes replied. "These are humans, aren't they Brutus?"
"That is correct, Flurina. We have come to escort them to Uretha," Brutus replied.
The vines retreated and Dreca's eyes stopped glowing, yet remained completely green. The other three's eyes also stopped glowing.
"What happened to the dark figure and the other woman?" Ben demanded.
The women all looked at him, before turning back to Brutus. "As long as Spury makes it, and we are able to confine it, we have finally caught one."
"Hey, caught one of what? Who is Spury? Where did they go?" Ben asked, moving forward, not liking being ignored.
A pair of blue eyes glowed and funnel of water picked Ben up, the woman levitating into the air. "Do not question our ways, human. Do you truly feel this is the time and place to challenge us?"
Gwen pulled Ben free with a manna rope, the funnel of water disappearing as the eyes turned on her. Kevin quickly absorbed the wood from the tree and stepped in front of Gwen.
"Flurina, you know our orders," the one with red eyes called. Flurina's eyes returned to normal and the funnel of water disappeared and she took her place with the others.
"The Circle convenes at the moons highest point," the one with purple eyes replied. "Make sure the humans are there, we shall inform Queen Teria of their arrival." With a flash of flame and water and a circle of dirt, all but the purple eyed woman were gone. "Take warning, humans, fight not what you do not know. Do not charge into battle without knowledge of your enemy or the attack at hand." With a flash of lightning she was gone.
"Who were they?" Ben turned on Brutus.
"Those were the Element Masters. Forca, Flurina, Lauric, Dreca, and Spury." He replied. "Come, we have a meeting to prepare for."