Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ben 10 or anything related to Ben 10.
The Cimmerian Meeting
The group walked out of the forest and stood in front of a fairly large white stone city. Each building was constructed from a white stone with what looked to be gold inlay. In the center of the city was a tall building with three black spires. The walkways were lush green grass that carried no damage of foot traffic.
"This is Uretha, our home," Brutus addressed the three humans. "The king and queen reside in the palace," he indicated the tall white building with the black spires, "and Dreca comes each turn of the moon to mend our grass and any plants." Brutus looked up to the sky. "The sun will fully be set soon. We don't have long before the meeting. I have business to attend to at the palace and will inform the king and queen of your arrival. You most likely won't see them until we converge. I leave you in the hands of Luis ROWANS!" He called and the elves snapped to attention. "You are on liberty until the moon is high! Dismissed!" The elves quickly dispersed, Brutus gave a nod to the teens before heading towards the palace.
"Come, you must be hungry," Luis said as she headed down a walkway to the left.
"What was that black being back there?" Ben asked, yet again as they followed Luis through a series of walkways.
"You shall know soon enough," she replied, turning another corner.
"Can we get answers to any of our questions?" Gwen snapped, still trying to piece together why they had been transported here without any notice.
"Let me guess," Kevin cut in. "You shall know soon enough," he said in a mocking tone, rolling his eyes. Luis shot him a glare, biting her tongue.
"Come on! We were pulled here, we were forced here and now everyone is being all cryptic and Element Masters this and Element Masters that! Oh, we can't do this because of the Element Masters! We can't help fight cause of the Element Masters! What's so damn special about this Element Masters?" Ben vented. "Half my aliens in my Omnitrix can do what they can!"
Luis grabbed him and had him pinned against the side of a building in the blink of an eye. Kevin absorbed the stone and Gwen had manna discs ready. "You sure you want to go there?" Kevin asked walking forward to put himself in front of Gwen.
"You know nothing!" Luis yelled, slamming Ben against the wall before she was blinded by a green light and Big Chill appeared, turning invisible and flying up out of her reach.
"You know nothing about us," Big Chill replied. 'We do not sit back and allow an enemy to attack and possibly kill innocents. We fight."
Luis glared at Big Chill. "You think we like watching everyone get attacked and killed?" She threw back at him. "Do you think we it's easy for us finding yet another body? Or fighting these beings only to be defeated time and time again? To bury your comrades?" She shook her head before raising her eyes back to Big Chill. "How many wars have you fought in? How many comrades and soldiers or teammates have you lost due to battle?" All three remained quite. Luis let out a sigh laugh, shaking her head. "Don't you get it, this is not our first war. We've been through many. Don't you see? Strength is not the issue here. Numbers is not the issue here. The unknown is the issue. You ask me questions expecting answers, but I have none to give." She sighed, lowering her head shaking it. "We have been dealing with this new enemy for four moon cycles, and the being you say today, is the only first captured alive. The Element Masters are the only ones with the right powers to keep them at bay, to be able to fight them in an efficient manner." She raised her head to look at them. "We Rowans, we fight and we fight hard, but we fight with weapons, not with powers. We hold no powers. We can defend ourselves, but it takes us far too long to defeat just one, how are we to defeat an army?"
"Can't you get the Element Masters to train you? Or have their army take the lead in the war and fight most of the battles?" Ben asked, transforming back into himself.
"Army?" She asked. "There are only five Element Masters, there cannot be more than one master per element. In order for a another master to be born, one most die. As your energy being friend, "she nodded towards Gwen, "should know, balance is extremely important for a world to successfully grow; offset the balance, your world is doomed to fail until the balance is corrected. Only the master of the element can control it. The Element Masters harness the power of their element to such extremes, that they aren't Fae's anymore, but the element itself in mortal form." She explained.
"This new enemy of ours," she continued, "we have named Cimmerians. They are extremely powerful and extremely deadly, even to the Element Masters who harness such deadly powers themselves. The Cimmerians have thrown the balance of this world off. The Element Masters are the leading experts on them, because they are the ones who fight them the most. As I've states before, you shall learn more soon, but we eat now, for we leave for the meeting soon."
Ben, Gwen, and Kevin entered a dome shaped building with four long tables and chairs in the middle of the room arranged to form a square. Runes were etched all along the circular walls letting off a golden glow. The top of the dome was open, letting the moon be fully seen in exactly the center. Floating though out the room were glowing orange orbs, softly lighting the room.
Luis indicated to a table with the omnitrix symbol etched into it. "This table is yours. Everyone will be arriving soon. It would be best if you assigned a speaker. It's been a pleasure, humans, I look forward to battling beside you in on the battle field. We part ways here." Luis bowed slightly to the three and headed to the table with crossing swords in front of tree etched into and stood behind her chair.
"I'll do the talking," Kevin said, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Really?" Gwen asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"No offense, Kev, but you aren't the best speaker in times like this," Ben pointed out.
"What was that Tennyson?" Kevin got into Ben's face and before Ben could reply, a pink force field appeared between the two boys.
"I'm sure it's safe to say that I am the best choice for this task," Gwen replied, lowering her manna. "You two really need to keep your cool here. We are dealing with this world's leaders; let's try not to offend anyone for a change." She stood behind the chair in the middle, both boys taking a chair to either side of her.
As the boys pulled out their chairs, they were pushed back in by manna. "Hey!" They both complained.
"We stand until it is time to sit," Gwen replied softly.
All three turned their heads as the doors opened. King Orote followed by the five Miners of Vast, taking their seats at the table with a pickaxe and shovel etched into it. King Jos and Queen Amil entered with Brutus and two other elves, taking their seats, along with Luis. As soon as they sat, a single Fae flew into the room, Queen Teria, took her seat at the table with wings etched into it.
As soon as she sat, there was a flash of lightning, a blast of fire, a burst of water, a gust of wind, and a flurry of leaves. The Element Masters arrival. They all took their seats next to their queen.
"First things first," Queen Amil addressed to the group, wasting no time. "A few introductions are in order. As you all can see, the humans that were foretold, have arrived. On behalf of the elves, I am Queen Amil, and this," she placed her hand on top of the man's beside her, "Is my husband, King Jos."
"On behalf of the dwarves, I am the great King Orote."
"On behalf of the Faes, I am Queen Teria. On behalf of the Elements," she gestured to women beside her, "Forca, Flurina, Lauric, Dreca, and Spury."
"On behalf of the planet Earth, Ben Tennyson, wielder of the omnitrix. Kevin Levin, an osmosian. And myself, Gwen Tennyson, an anodite," Gwen replied with slight bow taking a seat, using her manna to push the boys seats out for them to sit.
"Now on to more important issues, the Cimmerian," Queen Teria's voice rang out. "Were we able to keep the captive alive?" She asked, addressing the Element Masters.
They all turned to Spury as she rose into the air and levitated in the middle of the square. "We were," he voice whispered across the room, "but there were losses. I could not get him to converse with me, so I send for a Reader. The Reader died seconds after breaking through and creating a bond." She turned to Flurina and Lauric, who's eyes were both glowing. "Is the captive ready for transport?"
Yes," the both replied. Spury nodded and Flurina and Lauric both disappeared only to reappear in the middle of the square managing a sphere of electrified water. "We believe to have finally found a way to keep the Cimmerians detained," Flurina addressed the group. "The electrified water is the only way we have been able to successfully transport the captive. After four long moon cyc-AGH!" She was cut off as the Cimmerian shot through his spherical cell, forcing Flurina to the ground and landing a solid punch to her face before a volley of fire balls and lightning bolts rained on him, sending him crashing into one of the walls.
Ben hit his watch, "Spidermonkey!" He screeched, shooting webbing at the Cimmerian. Gwen got into a fighting stance, manna discs ready, and Kevin absorbed the stone from the ground, positioning himself in front Gwen.
The Cimmerian fixed his dark eyes on Spidermonkey, tearing free from the webbing and flying right at Spidermonkey who quickly flipped out of the way and landed a kick to the enemies back right as Kevin came charging and threw a crushing punch to his face, sending the Cimmerian crashing to the floor. "Man it feels good to hit something!" Kevin exclaimed.
"I know how you feel!" Spidermonkey screeched, spraying more webbing on the fallen enemy.
The Element Masters were in the air ready to fight, the elves had their weapons drawn, and the dwarves were calculating and preparing traps. The Cimmerian ripped free from the webbing and charged Kevin, only to be met by a wall of flame that quickly circled around him. Forca's eyes glowed a dark red as the flames grew hotter.
"Forca, we need him for information! Do NOT kill him!" Spury called to her fellow Master. Forca growled and the flames grew hotter and the circle started to get smaller around the Cimmerian. "Flurina," Spury called. "Stop her."
Slight worry crossed Flurina's face before her eyes glowed a dark blue, a massive wall of water grew behind her, throwing her arms out in front of her, the water wall quickly took over the flaming circle, leaving steam hanging heavy in the air.
"NO!" Forca screamed. "How dare you interrupt an Element!" She turned on Flurina throwing fireballs. Flurina easily extinguished them.
"You over step your bounds, Fire!" She replied.
Forca was about to attack again when the Cimmerian tried to escaped. Gwen boxed him in using her manna. He slammed his fist into the manna wall, causing cracks to quickly spread, before he locked eyes on Gwen's.
"Ugh, guys, a little help!" She yelled, feeling something trying to force its way into her head.
Kevin and Spidermonkey charged the Cimmerian as the manna box crumbled away, Gwen grabbing her head. Kevin landed another punch, sending the enemy flying, and also Gwen, who screamed out as her head hit the wall. The boys looked from Gwen to the Cimmerian. Spidermonkey wrapped the Cimmerian in a web cocoon, sticking him to the side of the wall, looking back at Gwen, she was also unable to move.
"He's formed a bond on your energy bring friend," Queen Amil said.
"The bond must be broken before your friend dies," Dreca added softly.
Kevin didn't' hesitate before throwing multiple punches at the Cimmerian. Spury quickly trapped him in a whirlwind. "What are you doing? Let me go!" He yelled. "I'm not losing her!"
"Look what you are doing!" Spury screamed at him. Kevin turned his eyes on Gwen to see bruises forming on her face and blood trickling down from minor cuts. That's when it hit him, everything that happens to the Cimmerian, happens to Gwen. Spury released him and the whirlwind died down. Spidermonkey transformed back into Ben.
"How do we break the bond without harming Gwen?" Ben asked.
Spury looked back at the Element Masters who all shook their heads. She turned the elves and dwarves who all shook their heads. Turning back to the two boys, she softly said, "We do not know. Unless the Cimmerian releases her, we know no other way."
"How do you not know?" Kevin exploded, pissed off and scared at the thought of losing Gwen.
"The enemy is still a mystery to us," Dreca replied. "It's amazing your friend even still lives. No other under it's bond has ever lasted this long. But I can tell you this, if the Cimmerian dies while the bond is in place, then your friend dies with him."