Age Of Awakening

4. You Are Not Qualified

Chapter Four - You Are Not Qualified

~ Atop Lynthia Villages makeshift battlements ~

We need more time! Their army is huge! Dear God!

The hastily-trained militias morale crumbles watching the enemy army march closer, their numbers reaching thousands upon thousands of men. Yi Wei stares in awe at the flaming war banner carried by the flag bearer. All the citizens of Lynthia Village have been isolated from events like these. They have never tasted war. Xian Wu twists her hair around her finger anxiously, the armys intimidating power ruins everyone's previous eager-to-fight selves. Finally, the brigade comes to a stop and a figure steps forward from the rest. His fiery red armor reflects the after-rain Sun, shining gloriously. He raises his head to the battlements with a curious expression. Youre the only village that actually set up deterrents and defenses. Too bad, they might have worked if I were someone else. Yi Chen glares hatefully down at the man, powerless to stop the inevitable, when suddenly the man states an ultimatum. Give us Yi Xing and Liu Ai, and I will see to it that you all are taken care of. If you refuse then well you can probably guess what will happen. You have five hours to decide your fates. The man grins at the people atop the battlements and waves his arm in a practiced manner. The army begins to unpack their camps on the spot. Yi Wei stares at the man, stunned, by the days sudden developments. They want my parents?! Xian Wu looks at him with wide eyes, Why would they want little Weis parents? She asks no one in particular. The small village sits quietly with its residents. The silence eats at Yi Wei and his thoughts run wild in his head. They cant possibly be considering it right?!?!

Yi Wei turns to the crowd half-expecting them to concede to the offer. Several tens of pairs of eyes meet his, conviction shining in their eyes. Yi Xing and Liu Ai have saved all our lives before. We will return the favor! Yeah! We will stand tall, for the Patriarch, for Lynthia! A grin emerges upon his face at the unexpected response. Xian Wu grabs his hand and squeezes it gently, worry stains her face. The lightning inside Yi Wei explodes with extreme force, unknown to anyone but him. His face contorts momentarily but he quickly recovers and inspects his current condition. I seem to have unconsciously mastered basic control over my element.

Who are you? Hey Im asking a question here?!

A sudden shout from below the battlements draws Yi Weis attention. The man from before stands in the main camp, and is seemingly shouting at someone. A lone woman in familiar attire suffers his verbal abuse, and she responds with a cold stare. This angers the man even more and he launches an attack without warning, a blazing inferno sprouts from his hands towards the girl. From her position, around 50 meters from him, she would have nowhere to dodge and the attack would surely take her life. Just before the fire strikes her, a shield of lightning over 20 meters in diameter blocks the fire ruthlessly, instantly putting it out. The fire-man glares at the surrounding area, a mix of anger and humiliation fill his heart. Who dares disrupt my attack, come out now! Fight me since you see yourself as capable! Fire explodes around him and his eyes scan the battlements and the young woman. Up high in the clouds two figures stand in the air side-by-side, a man and a woman. The woman asks the man a question. Was that young Mei? When did she reach Rank Two? The man smiles at her in response and satisfies her curiosity, There seems to be a dark horse in this small village.

Xian Wu looks at Yi Wei with a questioning expression and Yi Chen glances at him unconsciously. The others atop the battlements search their ranks for the dark horse. The girl stares in shock at the lightning shield, such an elegant and perfect shield, how can it exist? What level would someone have to be at to bring an elemental technique to such a high level of perfection? Yi Wei sighs quietly and swiftly vaults off the short battlement wall. Several eyes follow him, his appearance rather disappointing to the majority. The man in the sky shakes slightly, It's him? The fire-man scoffs at the young boy that dares to claim someone else's glory. You're clearly not the Rank Two master that cast that majestic shield! His laughter rings out loudly in the vast open area, some joining him. Yi Wei stares at the man coldly and shakes his head. You wanted me to come out, now you doubt me? He glares at the man and a beautiful golden lightning spear appears within his grasp. Despite its appearance, the man simply scoffs. He waves his hand and a large fire sword emerges, flying rapidly towards Yi Wei. The latter swings the spear, in an inexperienced manner, and deflects the sword. The fire-man nods in response. Let's see what other tricks you have access to yeah? Fire rides along his arm and forms a small arrow, the sword from before joins it, raising its power and size two-fold. Yi Wei quickly channels lightning and casts a shield half the size of the previous one. The infernal arrow flies at amazing speed, smashing heavily into his shield. The fire dies out and the lightning shield stands firm, ready for anything. The young girl stares at him with every movement, as if memorizing every step he takes. Xian Wu gazes at Yi Wei from the battlements, pride and surprise evident in her eyes. The shield returns to Yi Weis side and morphs into the spear from earlier. Dont you think youve attacked enough? He throws the spear with all his strength, a loud roar following behind it. The fire-man quickly shields himself with fire, expecting a huge impact. The spear merely bounces off the fire shield, dissipating into nothingness.