Around The Clock

CHAPTER 2

"So how was your first day in the Kediotherylan realm?" Ryder barked out a laugh as he walked down the hall with his father to the student dining room.

"Awesome," he grinned and Jarred pushed the doors open.

Loud laughter and chatter blasted Ryder in the face as soon as the doors swung open and he stumbled back slightly, his eyes wide.

Hundreds of people sat in long benches down the room, ages varying from around five to – well, they looked fifty, but Ryder knew better. His father had told him some elementals could live for centuries.

"You can sit up at the front with me until you make some friends," he said and Ryder glared. "What?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Nothing, nothing." They wandered through the gaps between the tables, with people calling 'Advisor Jarred,' with a bow of their head in respect as they passed and Ryder stuck to his father's side with his head down.

When they reached the table, his father dragged a chair over and Ryder sat at the edge of the table.

Una sat in the middle with a female on either side of her, then Jarred and the other male on either side of them.

Their table was higher than all the others, and directly below them – halfway up the steps – was another table with five people seated at it.

"Who are they?" he whispered to his father as soon as he'd finished bowing to Una with a 'My Lady.'

"That's Lady Una's best team of senior students," he replied, digging into the – was it beef? Ryder couldn't tell – on his plate. "Each team must have at least one of every element because they work stronger that way. Earth is the most powerful element when it is shared, but is weak on its own, as all the others can only alter nature to their will but –"

"What?" His father pushed his chair closer with a shrill squeak and leaned towards him.

"Earth elementals can manipulate plants, earth, rocks – you name it. Anything natural, they can handle – but only if it already exists. Right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, the fire and water elementals can make this power stronger. Water elementals can cause mudslides and nurture plants to grow tougher and larger at will. On top of this, they can also manipulate water itself. Fire elementals can manipulate fire, but not only does earth give them a substance to burn and nurture the flame, but if you combine heat with certain ores – you get metal."

"And earth elementals can't do this by themselves?"

"No. Earth is the weakest element, but if fire and water wish to become stronger, an earth elemental basically amplifies their power."

"Okay... What about air elementals?"

"Air elementals have been mistaken for the most powerful element for years, because they are completely separate to the others," Jarred explained, waving his fork around. "They don't rely on earth to make their power stronger – they rely on each other. That's why air elementals always travel in pairs. You see those two males there?" He pointed at the table with his fork and Ryder saw the two men dressed in grey uniforms. "See how there is only one of every other element?"

Sitting with them were two females – one in blood red and another in army green.

The third wore black – but Ryder assumed they were a water elemental.

"So the other two rely on the one in green, but the two in grey amplify their power in numbers?"

"Precisely." He nodded and squinted.