Chapter 30: Negotiations Break Down

Due to our unnatural technological advancement inspired by the Dragon, we discovered a new source of energy known as psions. It was the purest and most powerful substance in the universe, and we found out that it resided in almost everything, especially living tissue. But the process of drawing it out and refining it was a tricky business.

The only sure method we discovered came from the psions that we withdrew from the Dragon, which seemed to possess the ability to renew the energy an unlimited number of times. But soon, even with the refinery daily drawing energy from the Dragon’s veins, there was not enough to go around. Psionic energy from the Dragon became the most precious resource available, and many people were willing to kill to attain it.

By some miracle, Ryan managed to survive his disturbing ordeal with the crazy hag. He asked her to close her eyes and then he wetted his fingers with spit and placed them on her cheek. Ryan made kissing noises with his mouth and Eliza giggled.

Cedric watched with what might’ve been judgement, or gas since it was difficult reading a guy who never talked. Ryan made a shushing gesture at Cedric, which was actually a little funny when he thought about it. And so ended the little side adventure of surviving the affections of a senile old woman and her mute minion.

After barely escaping with his life, Ryan immediately made his way to the volcano. He found the council chambers on the east wing fairly easily with the many guards being a dead giveaway. What would prove difficult was getting past the security which stood in front of the double doors in the dark corridor, blocking Ryan’s path.

Éclair would’ve just frozen the pants off of the guards, but Ryan figured that wouldn’t work for him. Besides, he suspected that the only reason Éclair got away with stuff like that was due to her relation to the Minister.

Just as Ryan hit the wall with bad ideas, he heard the footsteps of several people coming down the metal hallway. Ryan hid behind a pillar as a column of a dozen Elemental guards flanked people in blue robes that were obviously not from the Ministry of Fire. Though Ryan got the feeling that several of the strangers had Elemental powers judging by their bearing and a certain confidence in their stride.

As the strangers and their escort strolled by the marble pillar, Ryan got an idea so stupid that it just might work. Since Ryan wore his combat armor, he was dressed fairly similar to the guards, and in this dimly lit hallway, maybe even enough to blend in. Ryan had seen so many corny holodramas where the hero of the story just walks behind a column of marching guards and somehow manages to avoid detection. But there was no way that the Elemental guards could be that stupid.

Then again, they wouldn’t expect anybody to be that stupid, so there might be a chance that in this situation, stupidity trumps intelligence.

Before Ryan had the chance to talk himself back to his senses, he quietly tiptoed from behind the pillar to march behind the last guy in line. Luckily, the last Elemental guard was completely focused on the strangers and paid Ryan no heed.

Ryan tried to appear confident and at ease, like he actually belonged there as he walked past the two sentinels that guarded the door. The guards didn’t even bother checking Ryan and the strangers as the doors disintegrated, allowing them entry. Ryan almost thought he had gotten away with it, until a strange orange light shone from above the door. It appeared to be scanning each individual as they entered the council chambers. Ryan figured it was some kind of mystical light searching for anyone with foul intentions.

Would the alarm go off for me for being here when I am not supposed to be? But I’m technically not doing anything to harm the Ministry. I’m just curious.

Ryan prayed silently under his breath to any divine being who would listen not to let the alarm go off. Fortunately, as the orange light passed over Ryan’s body, it didn’t sense anything amiss and remained silent. Ryan exhaled softly in relief.

He followed the escort into a large room not unlike the first council chamber that Ryan had entered with Éclair, but with slight differences. The room was round, as seemed to be the norm within the Ministry of Fire. But instead of a table at the center of the room, there was a sort of spherical pyramid-like structure that had balconies where the Wielder Council sat in comfortable chairs above the strangers.

There was a total of four layers, starting with five chairs at the bottom, four chairs in the middle, and three chairs in the next row. At the very top of the miniature, golden pyramid sat Saria Kaves herself, as imposing and intimidating as ever. He also spotted Eramar on the second-to-top layer right under the Minister of Fire wearing his usual armor and cape along with the other Wielders.

The balconies had been arranged so that all the Wielders faced the door where the strangers entered. There didn’t seem to be any stairs leading up the pyramid, so Ryan wondered how the Wielders got up there. But then he remembered the floating figure of little Suzy, and considered that there were still many powers of Elemency that he didn't fully understand yet.

Scarlet, hexagonal rubies each the size of a man’s head, decorated the outer parts of the pyramid that glinted from the torches arrayed all over the gray-metal room. A soft hum rang out throughout the room, and the rubies started glowing red. Then a circle of fire erupted at the blue-robed people's feet, revealing a round platform that floated into the air until the strangers were eye-level with the Minister of Fire.

Ryan didn’t get the vibe of a trial because the strangers seemed totally at ease, and even a little bit smug. He then fell in line with the other guards, hoping no one would notice him, especially Eramar.

            Saria rose to her full height with Minstrel dress robes that made her seem even more authoritative, and then she spoke in a commanding voice. “I hereby dub this meeting as the fifth peace conference between the Grand Ministry of Fire and the Grand Ministry of Water. Let the negotiations commence.”

            The lead stranger, the one dressed in a nobleman's dress suit and who also seemed to be the smuggest of them all, walked to the end of the platform to address the Minister. “There is no need for formalities, Minister Kaves. We’re all friends here.”

            Saria smiled dryly. “Of course. As I’m sure you are aware, Senator Randals, the Ministry of Water has been making several maneuvers along our borders. This leads my intel division to believe that Sorric is preparing for an incursion into our territory.”

            Senator Randals spread his hands out nonchalantly. “Your intel is correct, of course. But what do you expect, Minister? For our Ministry to stand idly by while you devise our destruction. Our maneuvers are strictly defensive, and we will only attack the moment the Ministry of Fire makes a move into our territory. On that, you have my word.”

            “For what it’s worth,” murmured an officer standing next to Ryan.

            Ryan expected the Minister to go ballistic at the bull-fudge that this creep fed her, but instead, she continued cordially, “And are you also aware of infiltrators from the Ministry of Water who have been causing havoc within our district? They've already kidnapped several of our initiates! I can only assume the missing candidates have either been killed or brainwashed into Ministry of Water ideology, as was custom during the last Elemental War.”

            To his credit, Senator Randals seemed genuinely surprised to hear the accusation. “I admit that we have agents in the field just as you do, Minister Kaves. And yes, they have been keeping an eye on the Ministry of Fire, just as you have been keeping an eye on us. But if you seriously believe that I will even acknowledge these ridiculous allegations set against the honorable Minister Sorric, then, my dear lady, you are sorely mistaken.”

            Saria leaned forward over the balcony railings. “Enough of this! It is not a question of whether or not your ‘honorable’ Minister Sorric has attempted to deceive us. The Ministry of Water has been guilty of even more elaborate trickery. What is in question concerns the assurances you can give us to ensure that this injustice does not happen again. Otherwise, you face not only the might of this Ministry, but the Imperial militia as well. A fate not desirable to either parties.”

            Senator Randals observed Saria as if she were a specimen on a petri dish. “Your words are full of both passion and logic. An interesting alliance. Very well. Tell me of these agents and I will endeavor to put your worries at ease. Perhaps there is still enough time to reach an agreement that will be mutually beneficial to both-”

BANG!           

Ryan heard a loud noise like thunder and suddenly the senator’s head exploded. Blood sprayed all across the room as the senator’s headless form crumpled from the platform to fall to the floor below. Ryan could hardly believe his eyes. Never had he seen such a horrific act of violence since…

Ryan stood in a field of crops as buildings burned, people screamed, and Dragons roared. To his left, an old woman struggled in midair as two Dragons fought over her for the right to eat. Eventually, they settled their dispute as one grabbed her head and the other her feet, and then they ripped her in half. Ryan heard a sickening crunching sound as both Dragons flew off, content with their prize. To his right, a man exploded in a torrent of flames as a Black Dragon breathed lightning down on him. His final screams still echoed into Ryan’s head before the man’s life was extinguished.

But behind him stood the most fearsome sight of all. The Dark Creature, with its cloak billowing in the wind and its unnatural four eyes glowing with pure malice. It hovered in midair and seemed to be the focal point of all the darkness in the area, almost as if it fed off the violence that permeated around the village. Like a black hole, men, women, and children were dragged toward the monster by invisible hands.

They clawed at the ground in a vain attempt to postpone their fate, but futilely so. As they were flung towards the black creature, its scissor-like black tail swung back and forth, cutting them to pieces with lightning-quick accuracy. With one clawed hand, the Dark Creature reached out and grabbed a man that had been hurled toward him by the invisible force.

The man writhed in the creature’s grip, screaming and begging for mercy, but the only answer that the Dark Creature gave him was a malevolent chuckle from the depths of hell. Suddenly, the monster roared. Its colossal cry seemed to pierce into Ryan’s soul, filling him with dread and terror the likes of which he never felt before.

The man that the creature held by the throat only moments before seemed to dissolve into black dust. It reminded Ryan of the way a rotten piece of wood would crumble in his hands after being exposed to the elements for too long.

            Figures began to assail the Dark Creature. Elven warriors and Elementals glowing in red armor as they fearlessly sped toward the demonic beast … weapons raised, faces resolute. For a moment, Ryan dared to hope that they might be able to slay the fell creature and send its minions back from whence they came.

But as the creature leisurely turned towards the heroic warriors, it seemed to smile coldly at their pitiful plight. With one hand, the beast pulled a gigantic sword out of thin air that was about the same length as the creature itself.

            The sword resonated with the same dark aura as its master, almost as if the blade had been forged from the creature’s black heart. The handle of the sword was forged in the shape of a serpent, and at the serpent’s tail was a human skull whose mouth opened up to the blade itself.

The metal was a combination of black and gold, and glowing red runes spiraled up the length of the sword, no doubt engravings of curses and other foul omens. The two edges of the sword were like a saw as jagged, tooth-like protrusions went up the length of the weapon. And at the tip of the sword were scissor-like blades glowing red that seemed to mimic the shape of the Dark Creature’s own tail. All in all, a foul contraption almost as terrifying as the Dark Creature itself.

Laughing coldly with mad abandonment for bloodlust, the Dark Creature leveled its weapon at the small army arrayed against it with a playful attitude. And then, with a single swing of its massive sword, the creature decimated its foes with a blast of black fog that shook the landscape.

The dark fog blasted away hundreds of warriors, tearing the flesh from their bones as if it were fire. The blast went out for miles in every direction, like a natural disaster given the will to kill.

Ryan screamed in terror and in sorrow as he fell to the ground, covering his head in a vain attempt to keep the dark thing out of his head.

Only a second had passed between the time that the senator’s head exploded to the time that Ryan's mind journeyed back to that dark day. Just seeing someone so violently destroyed had awakened Ryan’s inner demons and brought back the nightmare that he desperately wished to forget.

            Pandemonium broke out in the room. Saria quickly detected the origin of the blast and shot a bolt of lightning from her finger towards the assassin. A large man barely managed to dodge the attack as he threw off his helmet exposing his face.

As guards surrounded him, the man shouted in a loud voice, “DEATH TO THE WARLORD AND THE MINISTRY WHO PROTECTED HIM!”

Then the man drew a dagger and slit his own throat before the guards could get ahold of him.

The other members from the Ministry of Water turned on the Minister, both horrified and furious.

The one who had stood by the senator’s side shouted in outrage. “ARE YOU MAD, KAVES?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE?!”

Saria raised her hands apologetically. She seemed as shocked as the screaming man, maybe even more so. “I assure you, Lord Konamay, this was not my intent, nor the intent of the Ministry of Fire! We want peace between our peoples! Please, I beg of you, listen to-”

“SAVE YOUR LIES FOR THE LORD CORRUPTOR, WITCH!”

The man’s face was a mask of pure fury beyond reason. He raised his hand and a column of white steam left his fingertips and raced towards the Minister. Ryan sensed that this fog was very different from what Hamma had used … this fog had a lethal intent to it.

Just before the fog hit her, two iron gauntlets appeared in Saria’s knuckles and crackled with lightning in one hand and fire burning in the other. Saria crashed the gauntlets together, creating a bubble of pure orange energy that enveloped her and redirected the steam.

As the fog bounced off the shield to dissipate into the floor and ceiling, the iron walls, strong enough to hold lava, melted at its touch. Ryan had to duck out of the way as mist hit the floor where he stood. A scorched crater his own size sizzled through the iron floor in front of him.

If that mist is hot enough to melt steel, there wouldn’t have been anything of me left!

Eramar appeared next to the Minister in a flash of light, pointing down at the Water Elementals. “They attacked the Minister of Fire! Seize them but take them alive!”

The other robed passengers on the platform jumped from their perch faster and more gracefully than any human could. As they attempted to flee, they were swarmed by guards in red and gold armor that seemed to appear out of thin air. The guards did their best to tackle the Water Elementals but had a difficult time from all the rocks and streams of water that were being hurled at them with frightening speed and accuracy.

Lord Konamay looked down to see his companions fall one by one under dozens of guards, who pummeled them into unconsciousness or tied blue glowing ropes on their hands and feet in order to bind their powers. With one last venomous glare at Saria, Lord Konamay jumped from the platform and dissolved into blue light and mist. The mist lifeform that was once Lord Konamay flew through the door at the end of the room before anyone had the chance to react and disappeared into the darkness.

Ryan just sat there on the floor in shock, panting in fright … not fully comprehending the horrors that had just befallen his young eyes.

“RYAN! RYAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, BOY?!”

Ryan sat on the floor with glazed eyes while Eramar shook him back and forth, desperate for some answers.

The meeting had been going as smoothly as expected, but it didn't seem too hopeless. Randals even demonstrated a desire to cooperate which seemed genuine. Next thing Eramar knew, the senator lay on the floor without a head and one of their own Elementals was screaming like a madman before taking his own life.

Eramar recognized the man as Christopher Palms, a Third who had lost a brother in the last war with the Lightning and had harbored a grudge against Senator Randals for supplying arms to the Ministry of Lightning, even though the suspicion had never been fully confirmed.

Palms was one of many Elementals who had reacted angrily after Randals had been cleared of all charges and his name had been carefully marked off the list as one of the guards in attendance to these secret negotiations. How he managed to get past security was beyond Eramar, but Ryan’s appearance puzzled him even more.

Just as Eramar intended to give chase to the mist-wielding Konamay, he noticed Ryan with a dazed expression lying a few feet from Randals' corpse.

How the hell did he get in here? There was an army of guards and cameras guarding against the possibility of any unauthorized personnel even coming near this place. And then there was the special barrier at the entrance created by the Minister of Fire herself. No, wait! It doesn’t matter! I have more important things to do than deal with Ryan’s mischief!

Turning to his fellow Wielder, Victor, Eramar screamed, “Take care of him until he comes to his senses! I want to know how he got in here and if it has anything to do with the assassin!”

Eramar turned back to Saria, who seemed to be a picture of calm, but he knew her better than that. “Stay here with the Wielders in case there are other assassins in the vicinity. I have to find Konamay and stop him before he leaves this Ministry, or else it will mean war. The rest of you with me.”

Usually, Saria might have objected, but even she adhered to protocol every once in a while. In the possibility of hostiles within the walls of the HQ, the safety of the Minister of Fire takes top priority. Saria was powerful, much more powerful than Eramar, but even she wasn't invincible.

One lucky shot could catch her unaware, and that would be the end of the Minister of Fire. It had happened in the past to overconfident Ministers, and Eramar would be damned if he let it happen again, especially to this Minister. Saria nodded in reply and gestured to the guards within the room in a silent command to follow Eramar.

As Eramar raced down the corridors with the guards in tow, he heard Saria say in a commanding voice that travelled all across the Ministry, “Initiate lockdown sequence, Level Five. No unauthorized entry or exit. All Elementals First and above, begin search pattern for anyone not of this Ministry. Primary target, Konamay, a Wielder of the Ministry of Water. Subject is not to be harmed! I repeat, subject is not to be harmed!”

Easy for you to say. Even though I’ve never fought him personally, I know his reputation. Lord Konamay won’t be an easy opponent to take down, even for me. I almost wish I asked Victor to come along. No, he needs to stay with the Minister! Even though the killer has been identified as Christopher Palms, there could still be more to this tale than meets the eye.

If the Water is behind this and is willing to assassinate their own ambassador to get the job done, then who knows what else that they may have in store. It’s going to be especially tricky considering that I have to take Konamay alive. Master Zanderius, wherever you are, I could really use your help right now!

            As he turned the corner, Eramar heard shouting and cursing outside. Instead of waiting to find an exit, he made his own with a little fire Elemency concentrated into his fist. By concentrating all his psions into his hand, Eramar combined the explosive nature of fire with a tiny bit of enhanced strength. Eramar heard the uproarious clunk! as his fist made contact with the hard, metallic material that made up the wall.

It worked! Eramar wasn't a Physical-Type, so he couldn't use strength-enhancing Elemency. But since he was a Wielder, he could bend the rules a little to suit his purposes, but his strength would still never be comparable to that of a natural Physical-Type.

Still, it got the job done. Daylight streamed through a large hole just big enough for three men to fit through. Even more important, Eramar saw a cloud of mist making a dash for the exit. Eramar turned back to the guards, who gaped at the hole in awe. Eramar mentally scolded himself.

Always give out a warning to your allies before you pull out powerful Elemency. What's worse, I’m depleting my psions before a major battle. Either I’m getting sloppy from not being at the front lines for a while, or Ryan is rubbing off on me.

Eramar shouted, “I see Konamay. Back me up and prevent him from escaping. But do not engage in direct combat. None of you could hope to match a Wielder of his caliber.”

            Eramar jumped through the new door he had just made and dashed across the fields as fast as his legs could carry him. His red robe billowed behind him as he ran with inhuman speed, greater than that of a cheetah.

As Eramar neared the mist form, he saw several dozen guards already trying to apprehend Konamay. But arresting a cloud of mist was easier said than done. Plus, every time one guard made the mistake of physically grabbing the mist, he screamed in pain and withdrew his hands, suffering several burns. Fortunately, Konamay was too focused on escape to finish off his victims, so there were no fatalities so far, but there would be a lot of hand injuries.

Soon Konamay was in range. Charging up his psions, Eramar switched elements from fire to lightning. He wasn't nearly adept at lightning as with fire, but still competent enough with it to suit his purposes. The key to disrupting Konamay’s mist form lay in an electric shock to short-circuit his psionic control.

Using Elemency to take on the form of your element was an extremely delicate process and could be disrupted with a certain amount of force, lightning being the preferred method for Water Elemental transformations. There were other methods as well, but none of which Eramar had any control over as a Fire Elemental.

With a tinkling sensation in his fingertips, and a loud, crackling noise that followed, Eramar opened up his palm and let loose a bolt of yellow lightning. Eramar mentally guided the bolt of electrical energy until it made contact with its target. Eramar heard a grunt coming from the mist, then it solidified to form a man. As Eramar expected, his lightning had disrupted the mist form, but Konamay remained undamaged since he managed to absorb and dissipate most of the lightning throughout the mist.

Eramar raised his hands in a show of friendship and spoke in a calm voice. “Lord Konamay, listen to me. This was not planned by me or any of the leaders of the Ministry of Fire. What happened was a tragedy caused by the bitterness of one individual. I recognized the assassin as Christopher Palms. He lost a brother in the Lightning Rebellion and blamed Senator Randals. He has died for his crime, so there need not be any further bloodshed.”

            Konamay sniffed in anger, his face a mask of hatred. Konamay was a tall man, taller than Eramar. His blue armor had no arm guards like normal Elemental armor, leaving his muscular arms exposed. A greenish-blue cape with the Water’s insignia of a bear and a mermaid bellowed behind him, matching his turbulent mood.

His eyes were dark green, and his hair was blonde and long enough that it went down his shoulders. He looked a lot like a caveman mixed with a surfer from Ancient Earth, which seemed ironic considering that he was from the Ministry of Water. He had a clean-shaven face and that timeless look to his features that accompanied all Elementals that attained level Four of mastery.

            With a sweep of his hand, Konamay drew a large scythe out of thin air … although this scythe was obviously not meant for agriculture. This scythe was black and pulsated with psionic power as it glowed slightly with a faint blue light. The blade itself had been fashioned to look like a bird’s beak as it had two blades curving together to make a beak-like structure with razor-sharp iron. The blade below had been forged slightly shorter than the top, but no less deadly. Eramar didn't like the look of that thing, and he liked the look on Konamay’s face even less.

“I recognize you. You’re Eramar Razor, hailed as the Demon Slayer. You have quite the reputation.”

The man spoke in a calm voice, but he analyzed Eramar with a soldier's judgement. Konamay glanced briefly at the other Elementals that slowly surrounded him, but he knew Eramar to be the real threat.

“You have quite the reputation yourself,” replied Eramar, slowly inching forward. “Robert Konamay, the Grim Reaper of the Water Ministry. I would be a fool to leave someone like you to start a war that is both unnecessary and unwise.”

“And I would be a fool to believe that you mean me and my comrades no harm. Not after what I just saw.”

Eramar could see that the man wasn't totally stupid, so he tried to appeal to his sense of logic. “I assure you, if you will take a moment to analyze the situation, you will realize that we are not responsible for-”

“Of course you’re responsible! Randals and I came here under the ancient codes that all Elementals abide by. While we're under your roof, you are responsible for our lives. Even if his death is due to incompetence, as you say, then you are no less responsible for his demise.”

            Okay, maybe not quite as sensible as I thought.

“I assure you; we took every precaution available to ensure the safety of the ambassador and his escorts. Even if you don’t believe me, is war really the only solution to solve our differences? Your comrades are safe. Please, there’s still time to-”

            “Do not speak to me of who my comrades are!” Eramar was confused by Konamay’s reaction, but he got the feeling that he had said the wrong thing. “Randals may not have been an Elemental, but he was still my comrade, and more importantly, he was my friend! You allowed your prejudice and shortsightedness to get in the way of reason! That is just like you Fire Elementals! Even when I knew it would be pointless to seek peace with you people, Randals still wanted to try, and look where that got him!”

            The man actually had tears in his eyes. Eramar realized the situation to be much more bleak than he first thought. This man would not only fight for the sake of his Ministry, but for vengeance as well.

            Eramar spoke calmly, but he still charged his psions, preparing for the battle that seemed inevitable now. “You speak of reason, then prove it. Lay down your arms for the sake of your Ministry as well as our own.”

            “ENOUGH! THERE WILL BE NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS … NO MORE COMPROMISES! YOU WILL RELEASE ME AND MY MEN AT ONCE OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!” His eyes were dark and his voice commanding. It was like Konamay honestly believed that Eramar would just give him what he wanted because he said it.

            “Can you promise me that you will not call for war when you return to the Ministry of Water?”

            “I MAKE NO OATHS TO THOSE WHO SO FLIPPANTLY BREAK THEIR OWN!”

            By his behavior, Eramar had already gotten his answer. This man wouldn’t rest until he had seen the Ministry of Fire reduced to rubble. “In that case, you leave me no choice.”

            With his right hand, Eramar summoned his own blade. By transforming his sword into psions, Eramar was able to store his weapon within his own body until he needed it, a common ability among Elementals.

Eramar’s choice of weapon was a thin sword similar to a rapier glowing faintly with orange energy emanating from the metal. Though deadly, his weapon seemed weak and flimsy in comparison to a mighty double-edged blade which served as the norm among most young Elementals. His sword was more adept to fencing, allowing for maximum speed and accuracy instead of power.

The air shifted ominously, causing the other lower-ranked Elementals to back away slightly as two powerful Wielders prepared to do battle against each other. Konamay had the advantage of water superiority over fire, though hardly a deciding variable between two skilled veterans.

Konamay made the first move, rushing Eramar with a burst of speed. Judging by how quickly he concentrated psions into his legs and the power that Eramar felt flowing through his arms, he was most likely a Physical-Type, relying on strength and speed to give his weapon as much destructive power as possible.

As Eramar dodged under his blade and aimed his sword to strike under Konamay’s guard, he felt something amiss. While Eramar aimed his attack to strike under Konamay’s first blade, another beak-like blade appeared on the opposite end of the scythe almost impaling Eramar in the eye.

Fortunately, Eramar detected the threat and teleported out of reach of Konamay’s double-bladed scythe. Eramar realized why the blade had bothered him so much. By the shape of the staff, and by Konamay’s fighting stance, it was a weapon meant to hold two blades on both ends, one hidden by mechanical ingenuity to be used as a surprise attack.

Eramar had almost been tricked into believing that Konamay was nothing more than a brute that relied on power over strategy, a mistake that nearly cost him his life. Eramar remembered with bitterness that such behavior fit the personality that seemed prevalent for most Water Elementals, fluid and manipulative.

Peace is irrelevant now; the only thing that matters is taking down the man who stands against me before anybody I care about gets hurt.

As Eramar teleported out of reach of the second blade, he teleported himself back to Konamay, not giving him a chance to realize that his sneak attack had been defeated. If Konamay was at all surprised by Eramar’s counterattack, he recovered quickly enough to parry the lightning-quick thrusts of Eramar’s sword. Eramar was an excellent swordsman, but Konamay had the aid of physical Elemency on his side, making him stronger and faster in a close-quarters fight.

As Konamay’s powerful, double-bladed scythe came at Eramar from both sides, instead of trying to match Konamay’s power, Eramar simply redirected his attacks by slightly altering the trajectory of the blades with his own fencing style. After an exchange of speedy strikes for a few seconds, Konamay raised his scythe and brought it down not on Eramar, but at the ground itself.

The power of the attack was strong enough to cause a shockwave that thrust Eramar back a few dozen feet. By aiming his attack on the ground, he created debris and a cloud of dust that sped towards Eramar because of the way he had angled his weapon. Even though Konamay couldn't directly influence earth through Elemency, he still had enough raw strength to alter the landscape with one sweep of his weapon.

As the debris flew towards Eramar like rockets, Eramar pretended to buy into the distraction and angled his weapon to slice through the rocks as they came at him, but he purposefully didn't use any Fire Elemency. As expected, Eramar sensed the presence of Konamay behind him, going for his blind spot.

Eramar then opened a portal right where Konamay meant to strike, a portal that he set to reappear right in front of him. Eramar stabbed his blade forward just as Konamay appeared in front of him, teleported by the portal Eramar had created in his blind spot. His blade connected to Konamay’s back, right between the shoulder blades. 

Unfortunately, a thin layer of water caused Eramar’s blade to slide to the left side of Konamay’s body, so he escaped with only a small cut instead of a fatal injury. Though not a strong barrier, it was still powerful enough to deflect Eramar’s blade, which made it strong enough. More than that, it was so thin that Eramar hadn’t even noticed until he had sliced it with his blade.

The water barrier caught Eramar off guard long enough for Konamay to sweep his massive scythe behind him, slicing Eramar in the arm before he had a chance to teleport away. It was a small wound, about the same size as the gash Eramar had just given to Konamay. However, judging from the records of those who had fallen to Konamay, his blades were likely drenched in a deadly poison, a common trick used by many Elementals, and not just the Poisoners.

As Eramar teleported to safety, he pulled out an antibiotic from his belt and jabbed the needle into his arm just in case of toxin. Konamay inspected the wound that Eramar inflicted on him, and appraised Eramar with what might’ve qualified as either contempt or grudging respect.

The other Fire Elementals still surrounded Konamay and Eramar. After seeing Eramar injured, they started to rush forward, but Eramar quickly raised his hand to stop them, and they halted their aggression.

Any attack they make will only get them killed. I was right to be wary of him. Konamay is not an ordinary opponent. His style is both unconventional and imaginative. He’s almost as dangerous as the ‘Demon’ was. This could take a while.

An unofficial ceasefire ensued between the Wielders, so Eramar to took a moment to study his wound. After examining their cuts, both warriors shared a mutual respect for one another. 

            “You are a Spiritual-Type just as I thought you were,” observed Konamay. “However, I don’t think that I’ve met a Spiritual-Type with your talent for teleportation. Others would usually struggle with such a technique, pausing for a second too long, giving me the chance to cut them down with ease.

“You, however, are quite adept. You teleport where I least expect you to and keep yourself from falling into predictable patterns that can easily be countered by a Physical-Type of my caliber. I suspect it's because you put most of your time and energy into honing your skills with teleportation instead of mastering the other two spiritual powers.

“A wise precaution since I am prepared for both of the other two abilities. As you may have surmised, I have dealt with skilled Spiritual-Types in the past. You made the mistake of revealing your abilities to me when you teleported to the Minister’s side. It will cost you in the long run of this battle if you wish to settle this physically.”

            Eramar silently scolded himself more for the fact that he had forgotten his actions. He still believed that he had made the right decision when he teleported to the Minister’s side in case there was a second assassination attempt. However, he should’ve realized that Konamay already knew that he was a Spiritual-Type, and therefore, he shouldn’t have wasted any time in hiding his abilities.

            Smiling slightly to throw his opponent off guard, Eramar said, “You are right about one thing. A close-quarters battle would be counterproductive to both of us. Since the pleasantries of the Elemental duel have been observed, what do you say we move on to the main event?”

            By pleasantries, Eramar referred to the custom by which most high-level Elementals engaged in one-on-one duels. To avoid as much collateral damage as possible, it was customary to first attempt to settle disputes through physical combat, the first plane of battle. On the occasion that physical combat proved redundant, the combatants could move on to the second plane, spiritual combat.

Spiritual combat involved a battle with natural Elemental powers and was usually much more destructive. The other Elementals now jumped back a few paces to avoid death, but even that wouldn't necessarily guarantee their safety. Eramar could only pray that they were sensible enough to keep on their guard in case of falling debris or ricocheted blasts.

Raising his hand, Eramar shot a bolt of lightning at his opponent. He could’ve used a much more powerful attack with fire, but he wanted Konamay to think his first element to be lightning. As Eramar predicted, Konamay smugly responded with a cloud of mist that absorbed the lightning and redirected it back at Eramar. Like the relationship between water and fire, mist was the natural superior to lightning, and could be used to absorb and redirect electrical blasts like a thundercloud.

This trick is only going to work once, so let’s make it count.

As the lightning sped back towards him, Eramar managed to catch it in his hands with a technique that Saria had taught him and threw it back towards Konamay in short and fast bursts, like a machine gun. Konamay was put off by this counterstrike, preventing him from redirecting the bolts with the mist, so he absorbed them instead.

However, Eramar had purposefully directed his bolts so that most of them hit the ground around the Wielder instead of Konamay himself so as to create a debris field. Too late, Konamay realized that he should’ve concentrated his efforts into dodging the debris instead of blocking Eramar’s lightning attack.

Using the debris field as cover, Eramar then teleported right in front of Konamay and raised his fist, only this time with fire. As powerful as Eramar’s lightning attacks were, they were nothing compared to his fire attacks, especially when he concentrated all of his psions into a fist.

Konamay instinctively called forth water to repel the fire, but he had yet to realize just how skilled Eramar was with fire, so his water barrier proved barely adequate to repel Eramar’s fire attack. As Eramar’s fist connected to the water, a shock wave went out much like the one that had occurred when Konamay had struck the ground.

Fire, mist, and debris spread out as far as the eye could see. The blast had been so powerful that even the surrounding Elementals were swept up into it, forcing them to dash away quickly to avoid injury.

For a split second, Eramar lost sight of Konamay from the cloud of smoke and debris that his fire attack had caused, until a giant lance made of ice launched itself at him from within the cloud.

Now that Eramar had focused all of his psions into fire attacks, he couldn't afford to waste psions with teleportation, so he dodged the attack instead of teleporting out of the way. A second lance came at Eramar while he twirled through the air. Eramar barely had enough time to twist his body in midair in an acrobatic flip to avoid the second ice lance. Calling forth fire once again, Eramar broke the two ice lances with a fire whip summoned from his free hand and then launched a barrage of fireballs from the tip of his sword.

If not for the fire coming out of his blade, it would’ve looked like Eramar stabbed empty air repeatedly. He focused his attacks on the origin of the ice lances and finally caught sight of Konamay desperately trying to block the attacks with water whips attached to the ends of his scythe that he swung back and forth to deflect the fireballs.

Yes, water was naturally superior to fire in most cases. However, if the fire was powerful enough, it could evaporate any water source. Water was much more difficult to produce than fire, being more tangible, whereas fire was an energy source. So, if Eramar kept his barrage up long enough, Konamay would run out of water and be defenseless.

Eramar specialized at short, controlled bursts of fire instead of just continual jets. This made his thrusts much faster and the direction of his attacks much more unpredictable than a single stream of flames. Even though Konamay was a Physical-Type, he didn't possess enough speed to avoid all of the fireballs that Eramar shot at him with swiftness and precision greater than most bullets.

Switching to a smaller technique that was less powerful but even faster, Eramar called forth his favorite form of attack, his fire bullets, which were approximately the same size as most bullets and were much more difficult to see. Eramar’s thrusts became faster as his barrage increased in intensity.

His efforts finally paid off and not a moment too soon. Konamay caught a slug in the shoulder, then in the leg, and finally one more on his right side next to the stomach. The big man went down like a sack of bricks.

Eramar let loose a tired breath of relief. He had somehow managed to do it without killing Konamay, and without calling out his trump card which would’ve left him completely depleted. As difficult as close combat fencing could be, spiritual combat was even more so. Since it relied completely on psions instead of muscles, it took a greater toll on Eramar’s psionic system to keep up a long-ranged battle.

And also, it took extremely precise psionic control to change the size and speed of his projectiles like that in mid-battle. Eramar’s hands and sword smoked from the effort. There was a time that a battle wouldn't have taken such a toll on him.

Eramar walked cautiously to Konamay’s crumpled form. It seemed very unlikely, but it could still be a trap of some kind. However, Eramar felt reasonably sure that even if Konamay planned something, he was in no shape to act on his plans. Konamay’s water barrier had been tricky, but hardly enough to stop Eramar’s pinpointed fire bullets at full speed.

At least now, we can postpone the war … perhaps even manage to convince Konamay and the others to listen to reason.

But then, just as Eramar neared Konamay’s body, he noticed that the wound he had dealt to the Wielder’s left side, the cut from the sword, had vanished. Suddenly, Konamay’s entire body seemed to break down, crumbling as if it were made of broken glass, or more specifically, ice.

The ice-double looked up at Eramar and spoke in Konamay’s voice. “I underestimated you, Demon Slayer. A mistake I will not make next time we meet. I'll be looking for you on the battlefield. We will settle this dispute then.”

The ice-double crumbled back into its original form, losing the color and texture of a human body. In place of a heart, a glowing pink crystal had acted as the source of life for the ice-double. The Sun Gem slowly crumpled to dust, all its psions having been spent.

Eramar heard a metallic roar in the distance and saw a small ship rise from outside the Ministry and disappear into the clouds.

He fooled me! Apparently, Konamay had it all planned out from the start. He had already formulated an escape plan before he even got here. Eramar knew of such doubles created from the Elements with the heart of a Sun Gem to power them, but he had rarely seen them in action. They took a lot of power to create and were even more difficult to maintain as they required a steady stream of psions from the user. Only Fourths or higher had any chance of making one right.

When did he make the switch? Eramar thought back to the first time that he lost sight of Konamay when he had pounded the ground with his scythe to create a cloud of dust. But then Eramar looked down at the cut on his shoulder and decided against it.

No, there's no way that a double would have that kind of power afterwards. It must have been the second time, when I created a cloud of dust with my first fire attack. Kneeling to the ground in defeat, Eramar clutched his injured shoulder panting in exhaustion.

Quietly … respectfully, one of the Elementals walked to Eramar’s side and spoke softly “Sir, what happened?”

“I failed, that’s what happened,” replied Eramar bitterly. “Konamay escaped. War is inevitable now.”

Eramar assessed the aftermath of his battle with Konamay. The destruction was almost a mile long in diameter, but it would soon become a hundred times worse once the war went into full swing.

The young Elemental glanced down at the pile of ice. “A Psionic Double. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before. What … what do we do now, sir?”

Regaining his composure, Eramar spoke to the young third with as much confidence as he could muster. “What do you think we do, Third? Sit around on our asses and play patty cake? Prepare for battle. We’re about to have a war on our hands."

THE END OF PART 1 OF VOLUME I

RYAN’S ADVENTURE CONTINUES IN

THE MINISTRY OF FIRE PART 2