Announcement box

[Produde]

Alex gaped. "Wow! Can we do that?"

Yes. You didn't know?

"Of course not! Well, no one told me back home. Let's try it and help him." Alex was all revved up and ready to go.

Okay, sire.

"Would you shut up about that?" Alex exhaled, trying to calm down. "Okay...Zeruel, before we team up, enchant my smoke bombs."

Certainly

Sure enough, a yellow aura surrounded the objects when Alex produced them from his bag. He tossed them, hoping for a momentary breakup of the troll's teamwork and focus.

A cloud of purple smoke filled the area.

[I]Okay. Zeruel, now![I]

[Hayate]

Jayson continued walking until he saw light coming from the end of the forests "I made it! he was thinking to himself. He took the map out of his bag and checked for his current location. "The next location is still 1 day travel from here. But since those Fugi guys have found me it'd be best to wait and see what they are up to before I continue to the next town." Jayson smirked, and calmly sat down in the grass, waiting for more Fugi to arrive. "Hope they better hurry up, I want to go to the next down". Aeriel appeared for a second, but Jayson just asked him "Why you won't take a break, too?" after which the angel disappeared. Jayson sighed. "Guess it can't be helped"

[Produde]

Alex felt it first as a vibration. Looking at his body, he saw nothing different about himself. But it was when he stared at the knife that he noticed it. The golden intricate lines on the hilt were now a glowing, lava-like red, and the knife itself had begun glowing, but after about five seconds it was just as normal as ever. The transfer was done.

Sire, I am in your body through the power of the pocketknife. You should be able to feel my presence within.

"Yes, I can," Alex said with a nervous nod. He was kind of creeped out.

He hadn't even noticed that the smoke bombs had caused one of the trolls to catch fire. Aside from that, this other boy that recently appeared had easily pounded the second troll to a pulp, as if it weren't even there.

NOW, it was his turn.

Charging forward, Alex slashed the third troll in the arm. A searing cut was left where the attack connected, and in response to this the troll grabbed him by the neck and flung him backward, several feet into the air. Suddenly, before impact, he stopped in midair and stood. Zeruel had used his powers to levitate him back on his feet.

He now felt one with his angel. The powerful being descended from above had probably saved his life.

He smiled in satisfaction. The bond they now had seemed unbreakable. He knelt down, and hoped this attempt would prove successful against the now charging trolls that were still fighting back. The burned one had ripped the tattered, flaming clothing from its bulky chest, and headed shirtless straight for Alex.

"Shoot, c'mon, work!" With that, he jabbed the knife down into the rocky grond, and a split appeared in thr ground, advancing toward both trolls by dividing once more.

The ground beneath them crumbled, and they were flung into the utter darkness down below-straight toward the Earth's core, and their dooms.

Alex sighed, allowing Zeruel to free himself. The shocking experience was over. Now to deal with the boy...

Who was he? Friend or foe?

The only way to find out would be to interact with him. Hopefully that wouldn't be something he regretted later on, if there was a.later...

[Banov]

((Hey, you can't do that earth-stuff! That's MY territory. Stick with the fire. >___o ))

"Wow, nice one." Tore says, half-facing the guy who just kicked all the troll's asses untouched. "Those powers of yours... are they from some sort of angel, perhaps?"

His grip on his hammer tightened slightly.

[Produde]

Alex gulped, confused and a little surprised that this guy was talking to him. "Erm...yeah. So? Are you an elemental keeper too?"

That may have been a dumb mistake. Perhaps this new kid was an expert elemental keeper hunter, if such a thing existed. In that case, revealing his source of power was foolish. Alex stashed away the knife, keeping it at the ready just in case. This boy seemed like a pretty dangerous fellow. He'd better get ready for any attacks coming his way, he figured. Not like he could do much with a knife.

But with Zeruel...that was a different story.

[Banov]

An elemental keeper!

Tore's angels' voice boomed in his head.

That's no good, Tore... he's your rival. You're both after the same thing, representing your respective villages.

He doesn't seem all bad. Tore replied, displeased. I don't think he's any threat to us now.

He's a potential threat, Tore. Sooner or later you will have to kill him. The fate of the village depends on that... all your friends, and your family.

That's not fair.

It's been your destiny from birth.

All this inner monologue is raged while Tore gives his friend's feet a blank, quiet stare. In the outside world we've got quite an awkward moment going on here.

[Produde]

Alexander, I see now.

"What?" Alex asked, his eyebrows perking up at this.

(In the outside world we've got quite an awkward moment going on here.) :P

The ally I sensed was the boy's internal feelings...however, I can sense his angel, and it wants you dead. We had better move along. Zeruel appeared only to Alex and Tore's angel, staring down at it's partner with worry.

"No," Alex yelled out firmly. He then followed with the thought, I'll stay to fight. I just want to talk to him. If we have to beat each other senseless for that to happen, then...

Then you're a fool! We shouldn't be having such a pointless fight with someone who has nothing to do with us.

That's where you're wrong, Alex replied in his mind. HE is an elemental keeper, which means he has everything to do with us.

But the other elemental keepers are-

Oh, come off it! If things get nasty, we'll ditch this place. Until then, I have a few questions to ask of him

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!

Alex ignored the enraged and frustrated Zeruel. He blocked out his mind, hearing only the wind. The communications faded, and finally ceased. Sighing heavily, he stepped forward to speak to the other Keeper, who wasn't even paying attention to him.

"Hi," he began confidently. "I'm Alex, Keeper and friend of Zeruel. "

[Banov]

"Hm... hi." Tore said warily. He thought about oustretching his hand to shake, but, deicded against it. "I'm the keeper of Sed-ra-thu-something or another. I need to name him something better."

I am no pet. his angle muttered grumpily.

"So, we..." Tore treid to choose his words carefully, "You and I are... in some ways... enemies, right?"

[Produde]

"Yes...well, I guess so. Unfortunate how these thing's happen, huh?" He stepped forward, putting up his hand to calm the older boy down. "Don't do anything hasty. Let me just explain! I have no intention of killing you. I'm hoping you can say otherwise."

He stopped for a moment, unsure about what to say next.

"...Uh...so, yeah...what do two destined rivals who've never met say to each other?" Alex laughed weakly, nervous. "First of all, I-that is to say, we-have no reason to go head to head right now. We're both just trying to find our way. I was wondering if you knew anything more about this whole ordeal and our destinies than me."

He shrugged, staring at the remaining blob where the warrior had smashed the troll brutally into, well, a brutally smashed blob.

Alex felt a chill in his spine. He was losing his nerve...? No! It was because Zeruel was penetrating his mind block.

Bla-na-gh-g-co-none of the-

Part of the message was getting through. When the rest of it did, and the connection was reestablished between their minds, Zeruel was going to be very angry with him. He forced him away again with difficulty, and kept on talking.

"We must fight sooner or later I believe. Maybe we could coexist peacefully for now. Until then, I mean. Maybe up until that fateful time, or just until we get some clues...we could work together to find our way? I know it's risky but, two heads are better then one, right?"

Alex slapped himself in the face. Dumbest thing to say, he thought.

He hesitantly stepped forward again, and sighed, waiting for a reply. The two were at least five feet apart now. Well within striking distance of each other. If anything dangerous were to happen, it would happen now. Alex only hoped that the guy wouldn't lash out blindly at him.

"So..." He cleared his throat. "Um, what is your element?"

[Banov]

Tore eyed the boy very warily as he talked. He was hearing, but not entirely lisening. While he didn't feel this person was an enemy, he still heeded the words of his angel. He felt ready to burst at any moment.

Judging by the way this guy moved, acted... he seemed harmless. Like a snake, more afraid of Tore than Tore was afraid of him. But this guy was a Keeper- who knows what kind f special skills he possessed. tore wanted to trust him, but, he couldn't risk his village like this so soon.

When the boy took a firm step forward, Tore took a step back.

"I don't think I'll be interested in helping you." he said. He decided that it would be best to give little information. He didn't want to say he didn't trust the boy; honestly, he didn't want to let this person know anything about what he was thinking, true or otherwise. Ideally, he could just leave now without saying anything.

He held up his hammer, threatening to strike if you go too far but leaving some room for discussion. I've got no reason to kill you. Tore thinks, So please don't give me a reason to now.

[Produde]

"Whoa, watch it!" Alex's expression turned fierce, alert. He snatched up his knife. He held it out, ready to counter with Zeruel's help if it was needed.

"I get it. No reason to bring out the big guns. NOT saying I won't take you on. Just hear me out. If you want me to go, I will. No problem!" Zeruel was let back into his mind willfully. But now he had nothing to say. For both knew what may or may not be coming, and now wasn't the time to talk, if there ever would be another time to talk.

The game was set. The players had made their moves. Would there be a battle or not? Neither of them was certain, but they also weren't going to take any chances by lowering their guards.

[Banov]

Tore looked at him warily, straining to hide any fierceness from his expression. He really didn't want to get into this, but he especially didn't want to be the one to drop his weapon.

"...Go ahead. Just leave. I won't attack, I really don't want to."

[Produde]

Alex agreed grudgingly. He had really hoped to make some progress with this boy. It looked as if the elemental keepers would forever be enemies. He hated admitting that fact, but it seemed all too clear to him now. WHY must it be this way?

Turning his back with Zeruel behind him for guarding purposes, Alex scanned the horizon. The light had dimmed just a bit. It must at least be noontime.

He took one last look at the other Elemental Keeper, and ran. Alex felt as if he were running away from the only opportunity he had for information and possibly even friendship, but it couldn't be helped...

Suddenly, when he had gotten at least forty yards from the boy, three enormous rock snakes emerged from the ground. They were ugly and had dirt and plants caked onto their craggy skin. Inside their mouths, eyes, and noses (yes, noses!) was an endless void of lava, bubbling as if to call for Alex to burn within it.

Creeped out and shocked, Alex raised his knife in defense. Zeruel gasped in surprise. He quickly inhabited the pointed object. The rock snake descended upon them...

BOOM! A flash and plume of brown dust erupted from the spot. A strange tortured roar rang out to as far as the forests beyond.

Nothing was visible for an entire minute. Suddenly, the smoke cleared and Alex was completely unharmed. His weapon glowed like the sun, and a red barrier faded from around his body. He was stunned, but only for a few seconds. Life and death situations had become quite routine for him now. Zeruel informed him that there was a hole nearby where the snake had gone underground. The angel had levitated him out of the way before impact and put up the shield.

He looked back, searching for the other keeper. Alex called out, "Don't worry about me! I can handle them!"

And with that said he got to work. Summoning his strength, he pounded the ground with his now flaming fist. At first it seemed as if nothing had happened. Then, a relatively small chasm shook the ground, wrenching the snake out from its hiding place underground.

Heat waves melted the earth like ice to water. The first rock snake was obliterated by the intense blast of flames sent underground, and perished down to a single tiny pebble.

The other two lowered their heads, ready to strike.

"Wings!" Alex ordered.

Come again?

"Wings!" Sweat dripped down his face as the creatures lifted themselves up, ready to slam down onto him.

Another smoke cloud filled the area. Just what had happened to Alex?

[Banov]

Tore watched the kid as he ran. His widened as he watched a huge battle suddenly unfold before him, plumes of heat and flame fighting three giant rock snakes. This guy seemed to know a hell of a lot more about using his power than Tore did, which scared him.

Should he help? Could here be any harm? He looked around nervously, half expecting someone else to show up and join the fight. No one did. He chose to hang back and watch... see what other tricks this guy had up his sleeve. it was likely that he could finish all these snakes on his own.