Winds Meet (Paused)

Prologue

I was in between life and death. Well, literally. I was a ghost, but here I was, the realm crystal in hand, trying to stay above water, fighting against the tentacle that kept wrapping itself around me, then I saw Wu's hand.

I looked up at his face. He looked calmer than I felt, but it changed to sympathetic, then fearful.

"Take my hand, Morro!" He called.

"Why? So you can take the realm crystal?!"

But I reached for it, a million thoughts running through my head. I looked back, trying to keep my face calmer. I made a decision.

I gave him a sad smile, placed the realm crystal in his hand and stopped fighting against the master's grip, "you can only save those who want to be saved. Goodbye Sensei."

I did want to be saved, to be honest. But I didn't want to be a burden to anyone. I'd just make everyone mad at me. They already hate me.

I didn't say anything. I heard Sensei Wu cry out. I thought I was going to feel the sizzle of the water. The water that was like acid to ghosts.

But I felt the air rush out of my chest, and I flew up.

But

It wasn't me. The clasp of the Preeminent slipped away, but something else was holding me.

I looked and saw a dragon. I looked and saw I was clasped in its claws. I could easily go through them if I wanted. Fall into the water.

But something told me to just let it carry me away. I wonder if Wu saw me being snatched away before I even touched the water.

He did seem to care. But that was probably all an act. I moped in the dragon's talons as I saw land.

Then I felt it. I don't know how I knew but…. There was a Master of Wind here.

My successor. How long had they been in hiding? I was intrigued as the dragon put me down. How was it possible? I had no descendants.

"Anyone here?" I asked as I brushed myself off.

I saw someone come out of a cave. She looked at me confused and a little sassy. At least ten years old.

"Breeze, this is the master? He doesn't look… old or wise." She huffed and walked up to me. "And he's all green."

"Hey! Who are you exactly?!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Euphrasia." She sighed, "and you?"

"Morro, Elemental Master of Wind." I said with matching sassiness.

"But I'm the Elemental Master of Wind." She crossed her arms and turned her nose up.

I lifted her up with a gust of wind, proving my point.

"Ah!" She fell to the ground.

"As you see, it's clearly me." I said, then I looked back at the dragon, "so you told him to get a master for you, huh?"

"Yeah but you don't seem like a master, much less an actually friendly person. Much more less actually a person."

"That's because I'm not!" I snapped, turning back to her, "I'm not friendly! Why was I even brought here?"

She just shrugged, "maybe you're somehow my master."

"No, no you don't want me to be your mentor." I bit my lip, looking to the ground.

"Why not?"

"... I'm not the best person. And I'm a ghost." I sighed.

Her sassiness was getting on my nerves, "but Breeze brought you here."

"How do you know you're the Elemental Master of Wind? Because I am!"

"You said you were a ghost. You're practically dead. So, your successor would have been here sooner or later." She grabbed a leaf and hovered it in her hand.

"How do you even know all this stuff, you're like, what? Ten?"

"I dunno." She said quietly and the leaf fell, "I don't know how I know, I don't know how old I am."

I felt a little sympathetic, then I brought up, "but how would you be the next elemental master? I never…"

"There's something going on. The feeling is there." She turned her back on me and looked towards the woods, "something supernatural." She looked at me, a little smile on her face, "but that could just be you."

I rolled my eyes, "I feel it too. It's just something there." Then I looked back at the dragon. "So how did you train him?"

"He's mine. A wind dragon." Euphrasia walked up to him and stroked him.

"So am I stuck here?"

"No. There's civilization that way, but they don't like me. They probably won't like you either." She looked me up and down again.

".... Guess I'm staying with you for a while." I sighed.

"Yippie." She said sarcastically, "well, at least you can teach me how to master wind."

"I hope." I said quietly, so quietly she couldn't hear.