Sands of Destiny: Five Lights Appear

Chapter 9: Playing Catchup

"Are you, Igneous the Dark?"

"So you've arrived, my new wrangler trainee. Just call me Igneous by the way. "

"Why do they call you Igneous the dark?"

"Hmmm. I'll show you, just be sure to take a few steps back."

Igneous took a slow, deep breath.

"Ha!!!"

All of a sudden he was covered in black lightning.

"Wait, you too?!"

"So you saw Natura use her green wind huh?! It happens after a Trigger visits their pillar god in a dream, it's called an awakening. Frixius here was my teacher, and taught the strongest wave of wranglers in recent history with my generation. Your father Troy, myself, Natura, and the legendary Midaco and Aux were among his many great students. I plan teaching the next wave, and as the one of the only five I've heard about who is worthy of my training, you are the weakest currently. So I decided that we'd pick you up early, to catch you up."

"What?! The weakest?! Who's stronger than me?"

"Well for starters, the strongest up incoming wrangler isn't even a Trigger. Not yet at least, his name is Medikus, he's your age, and the second son of Midaco. He's a deadly swordsman, and while he has only fought low ranking Sheriff's, the sheer number of men he's killed is astonishing, he can even fight in his sleep, something only his father and Aux before him could do. And of course our own teacher, Master Frixus. Next in line is a tie between the rain trigger Slayer Kruise and Medikus's older brother Ash, who was a trigger from birth. Midaco gave his son an elixir to save his life shortly after his birth, that man would do anything for the people he cared about, even my own power was a gift of his. Midaco saved my life in the same way. His oldest son controls the element of fire, and he's nearly just as deadly as his brother. The gap between you is simply their years of being wranglers and fighting for their lives on a day to day basis."

"But, I put down Titan."

"Let me tell you something, whatever your talking is about, is impossible. There are only four wranglers alive that can even come close to killing that man, and those are me, Natura, a man named Glacio, and Aux, wherever he is. At best..."

--

Natura switched from her black robe to a white one. Not only was Natura a friend and partner of Igneous, she was also a spy, using the alias of one of the Great Eight, The wanderer of the Northeast, the second strongest Sheriff in the Great Eight. She used wind to manipulate her voice to sound like a man's.

"Ugh what happened?"

"Seems you blacked out, I was too late but judging by the elaborate woodwork, that damned Natura must've been here. Are you hurt?"

Titan had completely healed already, looking like he never fought a day in his life.

"Ha, hurt, not likely anyone other than you or my brother could pull that off."

--

"... you might've left a scratch on him, if you're lucky. Titan is the third strongest Great Eight Sheriff alive, things that kill normal people, barely phase him."

"I see, I'm still not strong enough."

"Oh trust me, you will be soon enough. Come with me."

--

"Well that brat escaped huh?"

"Do you mean the daughter of Troy? I believe so."

"Mind getting me out of this tree Natura wrapped around me?"

"Fine. I guess I could help out."

Natura, or The Great Eight Wanderer of the Northeast, kicked the tree, and it slowly cracked a line down the middle of the tree vertically. As it broke, Titan brushed himself off and stood.

"Well then, she's probably too far to catch now, I guess it's time to look for a new number two."

"Giving up, that's unlike you."

"Ha! Not even, I just have a feeling she'll be back one day!"

--

"This is my home here in the Lost Sands. You'll be staying with me now."

Trista looked up to see a big beautiful mansion, with dragon shaped fountains speckled all around it. Her mouth watered as she could already smell a feast in the works. Trista had truly come to a paradise for wranglers. As she followed Igneous inside the house, she was swiftly sat down and served a plate in Igneous's dinning room table. Igneous took his seat at the head of the table, and politely greeted his servers. To his enemies he may seem dark and grim, but in The Lost Sands, Igneous was a king. And a gracious king at that. Trista stared in awe, noticing how Igneous seemed to glow.

"You shouldn't stare too hard, Natura should be here any moment, and I'd hate to see her go all out on you in your first training session."

Trista jumped, forgetting all about Frixius, who had sat beside her. Almost right on que, Natura walked through the door and took the seat between Trista and Igneous. They all sat towards the front of what seemed like a table that could fit 40 people at least, that was covered with a black and gold trim table cloth, and filled with food. Igneous signaled for everyone to quiet down.

"Trista, we'd like to welcome you to the beginning of a new wave of wranglers. Frixius, Natura, myself, and anyone we can get here who might have some knowledge to give you will make sure you and your other peers I've chosen reach a new level of strength. Everyone, cheers to our first student here in the Lost Sands, Trista, daughter of our beloved brother in arms, Troy."

There was a natural moment of silence before everyone started eating, talking, and laughing. Trista forgot about her day of trauma as she stuffed her face full of delicious delicacies. But that night, Trista did not sleep, because she only had one thing on her mind, and that was to avenge her father, at all cost.

--

It had been 4 years since she began her training, and already she was a holy terror. She completely mastered her control over her wind abilities and could even give Natura a good fight if she didn't use her green winds. She still struggled against Igneous, who was just too fast for her. She ran up to Igneous after breakfast, eager to start her training for the day.

"What's it gonna be today?!"

"Today, you are free to do what you like. You've finally caught up to your peers. Go out, and relax, you've earned it."

Trista walked over to her favorite pub in town, for a drink and some relaxation. As soon as she entered the pub, she saw a couple of guys about her age, and walked over and sat with them, noticing they had matching jackets.

"Hello boys, are you two new around here?"

"Yeah you could say that."

"What're you guy's names'?"

"Ash, Eldest son of Midaco."

"Medikus, apparently the Youngest son of Midaco."

Trista recognized both their names, and even more she recognized Midaco's legendary name. She smirked a little, knowing she might soon get a chance to spar with them, two of the strongest three on Igneous's list of young wranglers he'd train.

"Soyou're wranglers? Well, so am I!