THE MISSING EMPEROR ~ The Elemental Seven Book I

PROLOGUE: ~ LaMahaya ~

He was walking through the snow, eyes blank and empty. They gaze without seeing, tears pouring in despair. Walking. I am forever walking. He thought to himself. Now, I am walking alone, forever alone. He kept walking until he reached the edge of a cliff. The water below was thousands of feet down and probably thirty degrees below zero. He stared at the water, thinking how easy it would be for him to join her, to fall and sleep forever beneath the water.

"No." A small voice chimed in his head. "Live and one day find true happiness and peace."

Mother? He said in a daze. Right before he fell into the snow, he saw her hand reaching to him, heard her whisper into his ear. "Be happy and remember, I love you." He blacked out.

When he awoke, he could not tell whether what he experienced was a dream or a vision. Then, the pain in his heart returned. The pain was real. And that pain was all he had left and he clung to it.

I will balance our country and avenge mother, he promised himself.

He sat straight and looked around the room. My room. He thought to himself. He got up and dressed. He accidentally knocked over a vase with a blue ice rose, his favorite flower, on his bedside table. Mother's favorite, too. They only grew in the south and in the greenhouses here in the north. He looked for his swords. His room was well furnished, befitting the son of an emperor. His futon, covered with silken sheets, is in one corner of the room with his blankets. Beside it is a table made of oak. A similar but larger table is in the center with writing instruments on it. The wall, where his closet and wardrobe were built, is decorated with golden frames. On the door is a symbol with a white whale, a rose, and a white dragon. The Wolfert crest. He thought. He found his swords sheathed on the wall beside the door. He named his swords Shino and Raifu.

He walked around the mansion where he lived with his father, Emperor Skye Wolfert, and a few servants to do their bidding. The mansion was built at the back of their palace, beside the servants' chambers. He walked into the dining hall and sat down on the floor cushion. All the tables and chairs in LaMahaya are like this except in the palace where everything is grand. A maidservant came to the table at his request. He asked of his father's whereabouts. "He has traveled to the capitol to speak with Lord Ainsworth. He told us to let you know he will see you as soon as he returns." The maidservant answered. Unlikely. He thought to himself. "I see. Thank you. Now please bring me breakfast and some brown rice tea." He said. "Of course, young master River." the maidservant replied.

Within a few minutes, breakfast was served. Mochi with Miso Soup and Genmaicha tea. After eating, his butler Keith, read him his schedule for the day. "You have History Lessons at half past one with Master Cordiel, Weapons Training with Master Archer at three in the afternoon, and Hydraulic Power Training at five with Master Keiya." Keith said. "Understood, Keith. Kindly inform Lady Emerald that I accept her invitation for dinner tonight and will be there promptly at half past six." River said. Keith smiled and thought, This boy will make a fine successor to the House of Wolfert. "Yes, my lord." he said and left.

The History Lesson was, as usual, quite boring to him. He decided to make things a bit more interesting by irritating his teacher, Cordiel, whom he really dislike.

"Now you see, my lord, when Wolfert, Sandabado, and Kharzaan, were fighting-"

"Who are the other two again? I seem to have forgotten." River interrupted smiling innocently. Cordiel scowled. "If I may inform you my lord," he said putting delicate stress on the word "lord". "The Kharzaan and Sandabado Clans are the two other factions that control LaMahaya. 'Sandabado' means 'Thunder Bird' in the common tongue and 'Kharzaan' means 'Black Elephant'. They were created around the same time as Wolfert in 2000 B.W.-" again, his pupil cut him off. "B.W.?" He asked. His teacher's eyes narrowed. "Before the War is what B.W. means. The war between what would one day become the three great clans. Castellion, a master who could use the powers of all three factions, brought peace. Alas, soon after peace was achieved, he was killed by an assassin-" "But who killed-" he tried to interrupt again however Cordiel had had enough. "But nothing! This lesson is done for today! Go! Just... GO!" the teacher said rubbing his temples as though he had a migraine. However, his pupil could not resist one more dig at him. "Are you sure? It seems so interest-" he did not get to finish.