Elements of Change

Crumbling Down

The north gate of Pramas looked no different than the south gate had, except that this gate was closed and men defended it. They were still scrambling to get there and it was obvious even to Ezo's inexperienced eyes that they weren't used to being called to duty like this.

"I'm sorry I got us into this, Kammon," Ezo said as they stared through the gaps in the crates left behind the baker's stall where they were hiding.

Kammon looked at him and shook his head before he turned back to the gate. "Don't be sorry. Just tell me how you think we can get out of this."

"You said it, before. If we want out, they can't keep us."

"Yeah, but I'd prefer not to do it with the blood of innocent men."

"What?"

"The men on that wall. Do you really think we can take that down without hurting them?"

"There must be a way. What if we tunneled under?" He was strong in earth. He could dig a tunnel quick enough. If they were combined, it would be much quicker.

"Then you leave the entire city's defenses compromised if something really did attack them," Kammon said.

"Do you care? Lestan is an ass."

"And I'm not fond of the people of this city in general," Kammon said, "but I won't have more blood on my hands, no matter how willfully ignorant I find them."

"Hide in a passing trader's wagon?"

"They won't wait that long to search for us."

"Knock out a guard and disguise ourselves as them and run out when no one is looking?"

Kammon laughed at that as he looked at Ezo. "Jacob taught you the strangest way of thinking."

Ezo smiled. Even if they were in a bind, he felt if they were in this together they'd manage to get out of it. "Then what would you suggest?"

"I don't mind pulling the gate down. Just not the wall."

"And doing that without killing anyone?"

"Where are you strongest, Raven?" Kammon asked. "What do you use most comfortably?"

"Earth and air."

Kammon nodded. "Air it is then. Can you project a wall around us and shield us?"

"I can do that."

"From their arrows? And any magic that might come at us?"

"Are we combining powers?"

Kammon closed his eyes and nodded. He looked incredibly sad when he opened them again. "I don't think we have a choice in that anymore."

"Then yes, I can. What are you going to do?"

"You keep us safe. And I'm going to take the damn gate down."

"I thought you didn't want to leave them compromised?"

"They'll have time to build a new gate. If we undermined the walls with a tunnel they'd never know it."

Ezo nodded. He reached for the elements and felt the bond between himself and Kammon as soon as his magic came to him. He watched Kammon as the bond expanded and felt whatever it was he'd seen behind his eyes. He didn't know what caused such pain in the man, but he could feel it like his own. Tears welled up in his eyes but Kammon gripped his shoulder and shook him slightly.

"Ezo, can you do this?"

He nodded. The bond had never felt so secure or so full before. He could feel so much more of Kammon now. He felt beyond the overall exhaustion and daily aches and pains. He could feel the emotional turmoil that was the man. War-Sworn. The Calamity. The first and last defense of Distria. A good man, buried under a mountain of ash and gravestones.