Arcane Overlords: Proving Grounds

Prologue: The Founders' Tale

Pain was all he felt before he went unconscious...
Flint awoke from what felt to him like a week long sleep. He looked around and observed that he was not aboard the Azure Servant like he thought he was, in fact, he was on a desert island, but something about it was different. There were others. Koda was laying next to him, which immediately caused him to jolt upright. His head ached from sitting up too fast, as he almost fell over again. He caught himself and looked around even more, and saw that there were plenty of others, although they seemed strange. They wandered the small island without purpose, almost as if they were looking for something.
Aruga was already up, leaning against a tree. "Mornin, Flint" he called out. "Any idea where we are at all?" Flint turned to look at his friend, and said "No idea man. By the way, do you even remember how we got here?" It was at that point where both of them stopped to think for a minute, but came up with nothing. "I don't even know how this happened either" Aruga said with confusion. "All these people here are out of their minds. It's almost as if they want to kill something." It was at that sentence that one of the crazy wizards turned to look at them, bloodlust in his eyes. He and 3 other people  started slowly approaching, as Flint and Aruga looked on. Aruga was able to kick one of them They tried to run away, but more wizards had came up behind them. They were surrounded.
Or so they thought...
Without any warning, a blurred figure drops down in front of them, and water emerges from his hands as he creates a pulse that knocks all of the wizards away. It was Koda. "Sorry I was out for so long guys." He says clumsily, looking as if he just got hit in the face with a brick. "We have to get to safety. Somewhere we can hide from these guys for a little bit." Flint and Aruga look on, and almost chuckle when they see Koda of all people come to their aid. Usually one of them has to save his skin, but now, he's stepped up to the occasion. "What the hell did you just do?" Aruga exclaimed. "To be honest, I don't even know what I did either." Koda explained. "Something just came over me, then... BOOM! It just happened" Aruga and Flint looked at each other with confusion. "Whatever it was, you looked pretty badass doing it!" Flint exclaimed. "Well now's not the time to discuss the matter." Koda says. "Unless we wanna get cornered again, we have to go, now!"
They start running in the opposite direction, with crazy wizards hot on their tail. Fireballs and lightning bolts fly past their heads, as the wizards try to take the trio out. As they are running, Aruga senses a powerful aura amongst the chaos, something much more powerful than any of their pursuers. "This way!" He says subconsciously as he leads the group a different way. All of a sudden, an old man with bright orange armor, and a glowing staff in his right hand walks in front of them. All three of them stumble to a stop, with Koda falling flat on his face. With one swing of his staff, he puts up a barrier around them, blocking the crazed beings from getting in. Flint, Aruga and Koda regain their composure, and walk up to the man. "I was about to come and help you travelers, however, your friend here insisted that he be the one to rescue you." Koda twitches after he hears this, saying "I don't even know who you are!" As the man lets out a chuckle, nervous laughter emanates from the group, as they are all still winded after just narrowly escaping being blown to smithereens. Flint turns back to the wizard that saved them. "Who are you?" Flint begins, "And where are we exactly?"
"My name is Theos, I am a wizard that travels the seven seas, helping people in need, while also in search of my nemesis, the dark wizard. This land you tread upon is called Newground Island. Plenty of wizards like you wash up on these shores, only a select few ever make it off. The rest go insane and end up like the people you just encountered out there. I chose to protect you three because I sense a great power in all of you. One that I haven't seen in a very long time. I also sense a sort of determination in you as well, but I still wonder what that determination is for. You have already proven yourselves to me that you deserve to leave this wretched island, so as a reward, I present you all with a special dagger handmade by the blacksmiths in the third sea. Each one of these can channel magical energy through them, and utilize its properties in battle. I hope you all use them well" Flint looks around at his comrades, then back at Theos. Aruga steps forward and exclaims "That sounds cool and all, but how do we know what elements we control?"
Theos smiles and continues to speak.
"Flint, your heart burns with the passion and loyalty for your friends. You possess great leadership potential, and I feel as though you will bear the torch that leads your group to the end of this journey. As such, you shall learn to bear the element of fire." Flint looks up at Theos and tells him "I shall bear it proudly."
"Koda, your devotion and defensive spirit towards your comrades flows in your veins like a raging current. You are constantly looking out for your friends and allies, and trying to support them in any way you can. Therefore, you will learn to manipulate the element of water" Koda takes his dagger from Theos. "That's what I'll always be here to do" he says proudly.
"Aruga, you bear the courage of a lone wolf. You help your friends in times of need, but have a constant feeling as though you need to prove to yourself and your friends that you can grow powerful on your own. Because of this, I shall teach you control of the shadows." Aruga takes his dagger from Theos with a grin. "It's as if you've known me all my life. I will use this power to the best of my ability." Aruga said.
The Barrier expands and the crazy wizards get pushed back even further. Theos speaks again. "The only way to access your magic is if you believe you can do it. Reach down into the deepest parts of your soul, and give yourself a reason to be able to use your magic." Aruga is the first to tap in to his magical energy, sending dark clouds sprawling out of his hands, and up into the air. Koda is the next to do it, creating small streams of water that circle around him like a ribbon. Flint is the last one to unlock his magic. He closes his eyes and envisions flames, and before he knew it, there they were. Bright red fire came out of his hands, as he shot an inferno up into the sky like a pillar, stronger than anything the other two could create. Theos smiled at the sight of the new wizards, as all of them gathered around each other.
"I am very proud of you all for learning to use your powers so quickly." Theos said. "You will all grow to be exceptional wizards." Koda looks confused, and says "Learning all of this magic stuff, and receiving these daggers was really nice of you and all, but why are you doing all of this for us? Is there something you want in return?" Theos frowns at the question, and looks off towards the open ocean. "I feel as though you are the only ones capable of helping me defeat the dark wizard, Durza." Just the name was enough to cause Flint's head to start to hurt. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was seeing something different. He was back on the Azure Servant. The storm was obstructing all of his vision, as water and wind whipped his face and body. He looked up to see a cloaked figure, dressed in black. All he could identify about him were glowing red eyes that were hidden underneath his cloak. Then, he comes back to the real world, with Koda and Aruga holding him up. "You okay, Flint?" Aruga exclaims. "You fainted for a few seconds, man. What happened?" Flint looks around to make sure that his mind isn't playing any more tricks on him. "Yeah I'm fine. Lightheaded is all." Both friends look at him, confused, then help him up and turn to face Theos once more.
I have summoned a set of rowboats down by the shore for you. I can keep you safe until you leave the island. After that, you're on your own." Theos explains. "I wish you all the best of luck on your travels, and I hope you use your powers well. I will contact you three soon, when you are stronger." Feeling reassured and confident, Flint, Aruga and Koda head to the shore, where their rowboats were waiting for them. They look back at Theos one last time, before he turns and walks out of sight.
"Couldn't Theos have given us a bigger boat for all three of us or something?" Aruga asks the group. Just then, a tiny rock flies up out of the ground and hits him square in the forehead, causing him to stumble back and fall into the water. Flint and Koda laugh uncontrollably at the event that just unraveled in front of them. "Deal with it, man. I think he heard you!" Koda exclaims, still laughing a little. They board their rowboats and begin towards the nearest island. A crescent-shaped island with towering cliffs and storm clouds around it.
The waves were rough and the wind was strong, but somehow all three wizards were able to make it to Doom Island. Stepping out of the boat, Koda takes a big stretch and says "Wow! That was a workout and a half right there." "Tell me about it." Aruga continues. "I swear I almost fell over a few times." Flint looks at the two of them and says "Well at least we're all still in one piece, so that's a good thing. Let's head up to the village and see what's going on there." "Agreed" Aruga says, and joins Flint near the cliff side.
Just as they are about to start towards the town, Dakota stops and asks "Guys? When we get up there, what do we call ourselves. We obviously need a name for our group, so what should it be?" Both Aruga and Flint stop to think about the decision. Flint steps forward and says "How about... Overlord?" Aruga and Dakota nod in agreement. "Who's going to be the leader of the group?" Aruga asks anxiously. "Theos said it himself." Dakota exclaims. "Flint has the leadership here, and is going to be the one to carry the torch to lead us. I guess that's all the explanation we need. Flint, guess you're the Overlord now." Koda raises a fist in the air to try a salute. Before he knew it, Aruga had thrown his fist in the air, too. Flint smiles at the both of them and raises his as well. "Hail Overlord" they all chant in unison, and with that, they head towards Doom Village, not as friends, but as who are soon to be the founders of one of the biggest wizard clans on the seven seas.