Elemental: Heat Rising

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Midnight’s Light

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, a cloaked figure gracefully moved through the large shadows of trees, casted by the full moons light beaming down, onto cold ground.

The cloak swayed in the light summer breeze as the figure kept their footsteps quieter and quieter until they were silent.

They stopped behind the trunk of a large sycamore tree and listened to the conversation being carried on between two Northern commanders.

“Is she going to show up or what?” one said, with brown hair which stuck up on top of his round head.

The figure recognized the commander as Froggut, the second in command in the Northern Army.

“I’d hope so. This is getting ridiculous,” the other said, who still had his uniform and badge from earlier in the day on.

The figure again, recognized the other commander as a man named Dogbane.

Still speaking quietly to one another, the men continued.

“Do you understand the plan she’s proposing tonight?” Dogbane said.

“Not at all,” Froggut responded, “she said it would turn the tides of the war, however.”

“I’m sure of it. What with all her other plans living up to their expectations,” he responded sarcastically.

“Be more careful with your words Dogbane,” Froggut warned, “you never know who could be listening.”

“What?” Dogbane noted, rolling his eyes, “In the forest at midnight?”

The hooded figure stepped out of the shadows and in between the men.

“Yes,” she stated, her two long, titian colored braids dropping from her hood to hang by the sides of her neck as she lifted it back.

Froggut almost gasped, but Dogbane was petrified with surprise by the sight of Violet appearing. The person he’d been talking about just moments ago.

He could tell by the way she glared at him that she had been listening.

Violet stood as general of the Northern army whose life had been started with her being gifted with a touch of ice.

The people of the North said that she was such a talented Elemental that she could weave together winter storms if she set her mind to it.

“Now,” she began again, “how about we get this meeting started.”

She pulled a map from out of her cloak and gestured for the two men to follow her as she lead them towards a large boulder.

As though it was a table, she unrolled the map to reveal a diagram of the land, the Northern territory color coded blue and the Southern territory color coded red.

Various lines, words, X’s, and circles were scribbled throughout the map, in messy print.

“Here’s the deal,” Violet said, pressing her index finger to the point of the Northern castle on the map, “Started from here, half our army starts towards the South, keeping undetected.”

“And how is it they are to do this?” Dogbane said, with an abrupt tone.

“We move through the forests and hills,” Violet responded, “If we were to move by the roads and routes across the land it would draw attention and this is to be a surprise attack, after all.”

She traced her finger along a curving line connecting the Northern and Southern castles as she spoke.

“As they move they only rest once in midday and once at night. We want the attack to start near sunset.”

“Very well,” Froggut said, “Shall I lead the forces?”

“Yes, while you are leading the army I will be traveling a different route to the Southern castles,” she said, smirking, “I will be going to murder General Oak.”

Dogbane smiled at her words but shook it off quickly.

“How is it you are sure this will work?” he questioned, her gaze on him intensified.

“How is it you’re in the military if you can’t even listen to your esteemed general?”

He did not respond.

“After the mission is complete, the Southern castle will be destroyed,” she said staring at the castle’s marked point on the map, “And their military will be forced to scatter.”

“I like it,” Froggut stated, “It’s perfect. We strike without them knowing and they all flee.”

“Exactly,” she turned her stare back to the Southern castle on the map, “the South will be in ruins.”

A blue light began to shed from the castle on the map and seconds later it was frozen over with a thick layer of crystalline ice Violet had created.

She brought her fist down over it, smashing the crystals of blueish ice.

“We leave now,” she said, “wake our soldiers.”

“Yes ma’am,” the two men said in unison as they turned and jogged back to where they came from.

She stood taller and swiftly rolled the map of tactical notes back up into her hand and slipped it back into her dark cloak.

“Icicle, come.” she called into the night. But her pet falcon, Icicle flew from the trees behind her.

“Very good,” she said as the raptor rested itself on her hand which was covered in the thick fabric of her cloak, “Did you steal Dogbane’s notebook while we spoke?”

The bird held out a foot. Laced in its talons was a medium sized notebook filled with pages covered with ink written notes.

“Good bird,” Violet said, “You know what you have to do. Keep Oak’s new trainee distracted as we combat,” she glimpsed the other direction, thinking, "or at least until I have arrived”

Then she sent the falcon off of her hand and into the night sky.

“Get ready Oak,” she whispered, “You won’t live to see the ruins of your castle.”