The Element Keepers

Chapter 8 Forward

"Well, that was a lovely workout after thousands of years of sleep..." Inferno muttered sarcastically between pants.

Seth continued staring in the direction they had come from. Nothing of the shadows or dark sky were seen anywhere. It was as though it never existed. "Where were we just now...?" He asked absentmindedly.

Gaia stood after catching his breath and met Seth's gaze. "We were in a realm between the world that the Elements were created and the world you live in. Chiyo had opened a link between this world and that realm to speak with you." The wolf also looked in the direction they had come, as if searching for the realm, and frowned. "She thought it would be safer there, but somehow, an entity from the Dark Kingdom found a way to get in."

Seth repeated Gaia's words a few times in his head and paused. He blinked and looked at the wolf confused. "'The world the Elements were created'...? The Elements were created?" He glanced at Eric who had a similar bewildered look.

Inferno chuckled at the dumbfound expression on the two teens' faces. "There are many things mankind does not know." His voice carried an amused tone. "But perhaps it is better that way. It is knowledge not needed for you to know in detail. For now, we need to focus on the task at hand."

Gaia nodded. "We need to get moving. It won't be long before our location becomes known to the enemy, especially if they were able to find you in the realm between worlds." The wolf turned to the direction that lead out of the forest. "Come. We must make haste before the sun sets."

Seth and Eric looked at each other in puzzlement, but got onto their feet and began to walk with Gaia and Inferno close behind. Everything was happening so fast that it was hard for the young blonde to keep up. All that had happened and all that he heard in the past few hours were slowly sinking in. He and Eric were chosen by the Elements to protect their world. Their world was threatened by a kingdom of darkness that had been around for thousands of years but had been sealed away thanks to Chiyo's efforts. However, that seal had weakened over time, and the threat and dangers were returning, which awakened the powers deep within the two. But they weren't the only ones. There were two others somewhere in the world that held the same powers, and they had to find them. Though their ability to use these powers came and went sporadically, they now had the Spirits of the Elements to train them to use the Elements at will and to their full potential.

Seth sighed as he was starting to get a headache from processing all the information. Though some of the things seemed impossible, he couldn't deny any of it anymore. As much as logic wanted to reject it, what he had seen, felt, and experienced was real.

They continued to walk in silence. Each one seeming to have something weighing on their mind. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in soft shades of oranges, pinks, and purples, the thick woods began to thin out and clear altogether. Beyond the forest was a vast open field of tall grass, dyed with the same hues as the sky as a soft breeze rippled through the field. It was beautiful and serene, eluding to nothing of the danger that they had been in just hours before.

"We'll set up camp and rest in the cover of the trees," said Gaia gently. They had all been through much that day. If they wanted to be ready for when the enemy came after them again, they needed time to rest and recover from the day.

After gathering food and eating, the group set up camp within the forest's edge. The sun had already set and the remaining light retreated with it, turning the land into a soft deep blue color. Gaia and Inferno fell asleep almost immediately when they laid down. However, Seth laid in his sleeping bag wide awake. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see Cerna in ruins, its people killed, or worse, his parents' mutilated corpses. He laid silently on his back and stared at night sky that peeked through the canopy of leaves, listening to the soft and quiet breathing of the two spirits. Eventually, he sat up from where he laid and noticed that Eric's sleeping bag was empty.

Seth quietly got out of his sleeping bag and crept away from their camp, finding Eric sitting against a tree and staring at the open grassland. The field was a dark blue of the night with white highlights from the brightly shining moon. The scene was beautiful and relaxing as a soft breeze tickled the grass, causing ripples along the field.

"Can't sleep?" Seth asked as he sat next to his friend.

"Not really..." Eric replied without looking at Seth. He didn't not seem surprised that the blonde had found him. "Neither can you, I guess."

Seth shook his head before gazing out into the field. "Not without seeing things I'd rather not." He muttered. He saw Eric nod in understanding before he spoke up. "What's on your mind that you can't sleep?"

Eric didn't answer for a moment, just stared at the night scenery. He opened his mouth to speak. "I... I just can't accept that this task has been thrown at us all of the sudden. I mean, we're barely adults, and we're suppose to save the world?" Seth could hear the uncertainty and confusion in his friend's voice as he spoke. "We barely made it out of that one fight on our own. How are we suppose to defeat an entire kingdom?"

"We don't have to fight the entire kingdom," said Seth calmly. "Chiyo said that if we defeat the Dark King, everyone else under the influence of the dark magic should return to normal." Eric shook his head.

"What makes them think that we can defeat the Dark King?" Eric's voice was rising in volume slightly from his growing uneasiness. "What if we can't control power of the Elements?"

"We will," replied Seth firmly. "We have to. For the sake of this world we live in-"

"To hell with that!" Eric lashed out viciously. "Why should we risk our lives for this world? Everything that we've cared for has been taken from us! Who cares if this world goes up in flames?!" He was shaking in anger and frustration.

Seth remained silent for a moment. It wasn't that Eric didn't care that the world would be destroyed, he was just afraid of failure. This was something that the blonde knew from the years they've spent together.

"If saving the world isn't a big enough motivation for you, perhaps revenge is," answered Seth as he turned his head to look at Eric. The red haired boy was staring at him. The blonde looked into his friend's eyes firmly. "Forget about the world. Forget about saving it. Don't focus on that. The Kingdom of Darkness has taken everything that was important to us, so make it your motivation to take revenge on them."

Seth didn't believe in revenge. It was an ugly desire that reaped nothing but consumed everything. However, Eric needed a drive to push forward. The only thing at the moment that would be strong enough for him to push any doubts from his mind and work toward a goal with all his strength was revenge. For someone who was ruled by their emotions, revenge was the only option for now.

As Eric stayed silent, processing what Seth had said, the blonde could see a flicker of determination set a flame in his friend's eyes. Until the red head could find a better motivation, a stronger reason to live, it was the only thing he could cling onto to keep him going. He looked up at Seth with a grin and nodded in understanding.

Seth smirked and stood up. "Come on. Let's get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow." Eric stood up as well and brushed off his pants. The blonde smacked his friend's back lightly as they made their way back to camp. No matter what the future might hold, no matter what destiny would throw at them, they would face it head on without hesitation.