Fire

Chapter 5

Their home was really nice. Like one of those log cabins or something; the walls were wood and the decoration was sparse. Bayle led me into the kitchen.

She motioned to the table in the center of the room. "Please, sit. I'll make us something to drink." Got to be honest, I was nervous and felt awkward. Of course, as I go to sit down I stumble on the chair and almost fall. I heard Kala giggle from the door. Maltro walked past the kitchen and headed upstairs, presumably to his room. To think that they're able to act like everything's normal after what happened. What is this place?

I sat silently watching Bayle as she made our drinks. It seemed strange but the water boiled unusually fast for the stove it was on, and Bayle didn't use anything to protect herself from the heat. In a short time she fixed up our drinks and sat down with me. 

"I can't thank you enough for what you did," Bayle said while handing me my drink.

"So, um, what exactly was going on when I showed up?" I asked.

Bayle looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" she questioned. "The army has been trying to recruit soldiers for the war, but there are less and less willing to fight."

"If I may ask what war is going on?" Bayle stared at me with utter disbelief. "I'm not from around here."

"That shouldn't matter," Bayle stated. "Everyone knows about the war. It's the one consistency our lives have ever had," she said looking at her feet.

I pleaded, "Could you tell me? There could be a way that I can help." Bayle laughed.

"Alright. I'll tell you," she said. Bayle began, "It happened about one hundred twenty years ago, I forgot how much exactly. The four Element Kingdoms lived in relative peace. It was the Age of the Protectors. Each nation had their Protector, and they were the ones responsible for the peace. Then one year a man rose up and defied them. He challenged the Protectors saying they weren't worthy of power and called them pawns of their government. The Protectors, in order to prove themselves, rose to the challenge fought him but to no avail. That man killed all four of them. Without the Protectors the nations became uneasy. Some blamed each other for the loss of the Protectors while others saw the opportunity to wage war. For the first time the nations fought a large scale war. Pyron and Eden became allies while Marina and Venten allied together. Ever since it's been a never ending war. And while the Kingdoms fight one other a fifth power slowly appeared, led by the Protector's murderer. That's when the Darkons came to be."

Wow. This place is weird. I mean Element Kingdoms? Really? Guess I'm not in Kansas anymore. You don't say. Hey! I don't need this right now.

There was just one thing bothering me about what Bayle said. "Um, Bayle, could you tell me the name of the man who killed the Protectors?"

There was fear and despair in her eyes.  She voice shook with fear as see recounted the name, "Dravos."

Dravos. Of course it's Dravos. The man who brought me to the forsaken world, the one who took Alice would also be responsible for starting a war. But how is he still alive? He's got to be pushing a hundred fifty by now. And why search for Protectors now if he's killed them all?

"Bayle, what do you know about the Protectors? Well, more specifically when one dies?" I questioned.

"Well the stories say that when a Protector dies their weapon chooses a new Protector. The power is transferred only if the weapon deems the person worthy enough."

The weapon chooses, I thought. I glanced at my sword while slowly putting the pieces together in my head. "Would you also know what the weapon of fire was?"