~ Onyx ~ 

-_-_-_-_-

The fire burned brightly under the large pot, boiling the contents perfectly. 

Harry stood there watching and stirring the food he was making for his parents; lost in the dancing flames, lost in life, lost in thought, lost in love, lost. He knew he didn’t belong here, doing Mistress Nuria’s bidding.

‘Heh, these dancing flames, they remind me of Damian, I feel like he’s out there.’ Harry thought solemnly to himself. 

Harry now only lived by going through the motions, a life without happy, bouncy Damian in it, was no ‘life’ at all to Harry. How could he be happy, since he was told of Damian’s death? He always secretly refused to believe it; he could feel it in his heart, in his bones, there was something wrong with this, Damian had his heart and he had Damian’s. 

He placed the pot on the counter and served up the food into three large bowls along with some fresh soft bread; the beef stew smelt divine. 

A few moments later, like clockwork, both his parents returned home from work. Harry was always the best at cooking in their family and made a point to cook whenever he could for them.

After dinner, Harry went out for a long walk; he needed to clear his head. Since he had been given that job to do by Nuria, his head had become cloudy and things hadn’t seemed as clear as before, somehow this felt like a chance.   

The central promenade was lit up; adorned in a million twinkling lights, lights of all colours, shapes and sizes; the huge river ‘Cinder’ ran through the centre of the city and glimmered prettily in those lights. The promenade was an area where amusements and fun places were most concentrated. The water was always clear and fresh, and there was a multitude of fire and water jets, fountains and flora. It was a beautiful place, a romantic place. The air in the evening was clearer as Mount Pyre slept through the night.

Harry sat down on a bench next to the water’s edge and stared at the reflection of the lights in the water, lost in time and space, all he could think of was Damian. His Damian, his heart ached deeply, but he didn’t know how best to leave the city, Nuria’s spies were everywhere; he was never allowed to leave unless he was sent on a particular errand. 

“May I sit here?” came a voice, soft and smooth, with a hint of cheekiness, blowing through the cobwebs of Harry’s troubled heart, mind and soul. 

Harry blinked a few times and turned to look up into the face of a sweet and gentle-looking man, with golden blond hair, whose clothes were sky blue with silver and grey tones.

“Sure, of course, um, where are you from, may I ask?” Harry said cautiously, recognising the clothes as the traditional colours of people from The Sanctum. 

“I’m Will Southern and I am on an important errand to find someone in this city, I am from the floating sky city, The Sanctum,” Will said coolly as he watched the water calmly. 

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Will got in there before him.

“You, you are Harry Lee, correct?” Will turned to Harry who simply gaped at the man before him, Will smirked at the reaction. 

“Okay, yes I am he, so, are you saying you were sent here to find me? Why, and, HOW do you know my name!? Who are you?” The air around the two became noticeably warmer to Will, who simply smiled at him. Harry was clearly getting a little agitated at the situation.

“Yes, I was sent to find you and to tell you that, based on trustworthy sources, you were fed lies, Mul, the Kingdom of the Bards of the Waves, the royal family and Damian Jang are safe, there was no attack. He lives.” Will paused to let it sink in. His mind flashed back to the life-changing envelope Master Qi handed him, which is now safely tucked away in his secret breast pocket. 

Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his beloved was alive!? Harry was overcome by emotions that he cried, he cried steaming hot tears of fire, burning and scaring his cheeks and as he wiped them away the scars were gone again. 

“He, he is alive!? But, but how!? What!? How do you know this!? What is going on!?” Harry stood up, arms flailing frantically; the emotions of the day, of all the past years, of everything, it all finally caught up to him and he fainted on the spot. 

Will reacted quickly, and conjured winds to cushion his fall, stopping him inches from the cool water. The winds then carried Harry to A Cloudless Sky Inn, where Will could keep an eye on him and give him more information when he awoke. 

~ Hellsgate ~

-_-_-_-_-

“Why did no one tell me that kid was with two other elementals?!? And YOU! YOU bunch of cretins, what do I pay you all for? Get out there and get me those ‘Children of the Sources’!” Lilith was livid. She had suffered a few cuts and bruises only, but to her, that was nearly a defeat, no one, no one ever dared to touch her, let alone attack her.

One of the army members quietly said to the person next to him: 

“She doesn’t pay us though George…”

“SILENCE!!! They will pay for what they have done! I want those three to be found and dragged back here! To ME!” Lilith continued her screaming; she was standing up on the large balcony of the castle of Hellsgate, her base of operations. 

“I need them found! Alive! Skin their families alive if you have to! I want them here!!!! NOW, GO!”

The army couldn’t move fast enough to arm themselves and march off towards the city of Gaia. 

Lilith returned inside and was greeted by her generals, who bowed deeply and went to join the forces outside. She then turned to the leader of her ninjas: “We, on the other hand, shall go after the others, who is the most vulnerable at the moment? Oh, and have this note delivered to that store in Gaia for me, I’m feeling generous at the moment, let me give them a little head start….” Lilith asked in a surprisingly soft manner. 

The ninja leader bowed and stated, “Intelligence reports that the fire elemental is with the air elemental, it would be unwise to attempt the capture of these two. The water elemental, Prince of the Bards of the waves, Damian Jang, however, is currently riding a water horse towards the city of Onyx. He is alone and reports suggest he is emotional and weakened, he is possibly the easiest option, my lady.”

Lilith smiled darkly to herself, looked up at the ninja and stated “We leave immediately then! To the harbour! Prepare the boats!” she demanded as she strutted off to change her clothes. 

The ninjas immediately disappeared, in a puff of purple-black smoke.

~ YinYang City ~

-_-_-_-_-

“Grand Sorceress, Melia, I have finished ‘The ancient days with the gods and the elementals’, but, what does this have to do with me? And you? I have so many questions!” Sloane blurted out in a rush as soon as she had finished in the library and raced to Melia’s private quarters. 

The woman simply smiled and motioned for Sloane to join her on the balcony, which overlooked the whole of the island city of YinYang.

It was a beautiful paradise island, full of lush green forests and waterfalls, pools, lagoons, birds, trees, plants and hot springs. It was unparalleled in the entire world, at least to Sloane, who had little knowledge of the outside world. 

“Sloane, my dear, I have many things to tell you, I, I don’t know where to start….” Melia’s gaze became unfocused as she cast her mind back, Sloane led her to a large comfortable seat, where Melia could regain her composure. 

“You have always treated me so well, you are such a pure-hearted and kind person, who believes in the good and the just things in life. Remember this always - that there must be balance with everything. For every death, there must be a birth. For every good deed, there must be a bad one. This is one of the only two constants in this world, change and balance.” Melia said softly, as she looked at Sloane with adoring eyes. 

Sloane smiled and hugged her closely. 

“You have always been there for me, looked after me after my parents abandoned me, I do wish that I had known my real parents, but, you are more than enough, you know. However, these days I feel different, somehow….” Sloane said while shaking away various thoughts; she wandered back over to the balcony and Melia leaned forward as she could sense she was about to say something. 

Sighing, Sloane said quietly: 

“I have been thinking a lot recently and because I am getting older. I want to go. No. I think I should go. And find my real mother and father if possible, I need to know why? What were their reasons for abandoning me, I…I’m sorry, I’m not saying this to hurt you, Grand Sorceress Melia, you have raised me and been there for me, but, I don’t know, I feel restless…” Sloane trailed off, as she gazed out over the Wandering Sea. 

Melia knew this day would come, but not at this point when there was so much to prepare, to sort out, to teach and say; she sighed heavily, not knowing where, nor how to begin.

“I, Sloane, perhaps you should think a bit more about this decision, I mean where would you go? Where would you start? You know very little about life outside this place, and your destiny has finally come knocking, perhaps this can wait?” she ventured, which only served to anger the young woman.

“My destiny? You’ve mentioned it before but you haven’t told me what it is. I’m sorry, I don’t think I can wait. I just need to... I have to know the truth! I need this, please, you don’t understand!” Sloane stormed off in a whirlwind of pastel silks.

Melia tore her eyes away from the door where Sloane had just left and looked out over the land below and out over the glittering Wandering Sea and sighed heavily, tears pricking at her eyes.

She whispered, “But, you see, I do understand, because, I am your mother.” 

Finally, she said the words she had been holding in for 21 years…and so too did the tears.