Elementalist

Chapter 1

                    Wind rustled the delicate leaves, their soothing sound carrying throughout the small grove. The arrival of the cooling night air set the wildlife in motion, the small scurrying scratches, the soft whish of wings, the glint of shining eyes. The collection of sounds marked the end of the day for some animals, and the start for others. It also served to relax the trio as they walked along the predetermined path, heading towards their destination.
                    Even without the path, or the evening sun's light, they would still have no problem making the trek. They had made this trek many a time before, and had stayed in the same little campsite every time. Their previous visits had lasted for varying amounts of time, each no less than a few days, yet sometimes up to an entire month.
                    As they had entered the grove, after riding the rise and falls of the hills preceding it, the trees had been small and few. Not too many animals could be found this close to the grove's edge, yet there was still the odd squirrel that would chatter loudly as they entered their territory. As they travelled further into the forest, the trees and plants grew in abundance, surrounding them in a variety of soft green tones. The gentle hum of the night bugs and the scurrying of the night critters began to start up, replacing the sounds of the daytime wildlife as they settled in for the night.
                    Having lost track of time, Tanith barely noticed the lack of trees as they walked into the glade. The two boys had already dropped their bags and were beginnng to unpack, determined to get settled in before they lost what little light they had left. The small glade they had settled in was relatively small, yet the trees growing around the edges were still plentiful, with their foliage limited the amount of sunlight that reached them. Yet this didn't prove too much of a problem for the experienced travelers.
         After the two young men laid their heavy packs to the side, they began shedding all of their weapons and excess travel clothes. They double checked that their blades were secured in their scabbards, that arrows were properly stored, and that any exposed metal on their armour was covered to prevent rusting in the morning dew. Not having time to enjoy the scenery, Tanith quickly followed suit. Once they were done, they set about their usual tasks in preparation for their overnight stay in the gradually darkening glade.
                    "Feels good to be rid of our packs, doesn't it?" said one of the men, looking towards his companions. "I'll go grab us some meat for dinner tonight. It'll be a small though considering there's not much wildlife about at this time."
                    After the hard travel, his skin carried that thin layer of sweat, making his skin glisten from the moonlight. His short black hair was streaked with a disorderly array of light blonde streaks, some being a brilliant gold colour, while others were pale as snow that capped the highest mountains. Yet despite his dishevelled appearance, his light brown eyes were brimmed full of energy as he went to grab his beloved bow, and a few select arrows.
                    "In that case I'll go grab us some berries. We don't have that much bread left, and it was getting hard anyways." Tanith replied, already heading out towards the glades edge.
                    "Hey, wait!" came the other boy's harsh reply. His hand held fast just above her elbow, preventing her from taking another step forward.
                    "What is it this time, Damean? Surely you aren't stopping me just to throw in another jab or two before I go?"
                    She had had enough of it lately, Damean's mocking that is. During their entire trip so far he had done nothing but poke, prod, and push her buttons. She knew he did it just for her reactions, but just knowing that fact didn't make any difference. She refused to back down and take it, it felt like she was giving up, retreating even. That was a cowardly thing to do. She hated cowards most of all.
                    "Not this time, I'm being serious." He gave her a small smirk, but not the kind given out of his normally joyous nature. He hooked a figure underneath her loose belt and gave it a shake. "This, my friend, is a little lighter than it should be."
                    Picking up on the hint, she gave a short unhappy "Hmph!", before retreating back into the glade to where they had left their gear. She picked up a thick black rod and began strapping it her belts. It lied horizontally along the crook of her back, with each end protruding just beyond the edges of her small frame.
                    She quite liked this weapon of hers. Not only was it nicely concealed with it's odd shape, but it also matched her pitch black hair. At first she hadn't liked it, her hair colour that is. It had brought her much trouble in the past. But after meeting the two strapping young boys, they had changed her thoughts about it. As well as the new opinion on her hair style, they also provided her with a new set of clothes before they had set out from their village. She wore a tight, bare shouldered, white tank top and a forest green pair of baggy pants that cut off just below her knees, with her shoes made of simple black leather. Although she wasn't wearing it at the moment, she usually dawned a short lighter green cape that reached to about her knees, just long enough to cover her various weapon filled belts.
                    "I don't see why you're so paranoid about this lately. I mean we haven't even seen a single demon since we left the city. Why would one turn up now? Especially in this glade. Every time we've come here there hasn't been a single one that crossed our path."
                    "That's what worries me. Up until we got to the city, everything was as it should have been. Both animals and demons were both noticeable, whether we saw them or their tracks. But now they're no where to be seen." His face went from being serious, to a faint shade of worried. It wasn't often for him to go into these types of moods, he had always been a bouncy happy go lucky guy, but it still happened. It worried her a little, but she still didn't take him seriously.
                    "Oh what of it? Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there."
                    "But I can't sense them either, Tanith."
                    Now that was weird. Damean's ability to sense something's presence was second to no one she knew. Although she had never been quite able to understand it, Damean seemed to be able to use his energy to sense things, only living things though, even if they were outside of his own element. If he concentrated, he was able to locate even the most camouflaged of animals, sometimes even the smaller insects that lay hidden beneath the ground or inside the trees. For him to say that he can't sense them was more alarming than if it were anyone else's words.
                    "Well, you're probably just getting rusty then." she huffed. Although she wouldn't admit it out load, Damean still seemed to be right in his caution, and she heeded his words.
                    Just as she was making her second attempt to leave the glade, she almost collided with the last remaining member of their group. Although the two boys shared the same height and stature, while Damean had a sleek toned build, Nathanael's was much stronger. His muscles stretched at the hems of his t-shirt, which poked out underneath the small arrangement of metal plated armour that usually hid underneath his vest. He was built for power, not speed, and even his thoughts and actions reflected that in his personality.
                    "Don't forget." Were his only words to her. In his hand hung yet another one of her belts. She had many belts, not all were worn at once though, and this was one of the many that she had left behind tucked within her pack.
                    "Ah, yes, of course. Thank you Nathan." She managed to squeek out. He rarely talked, always preferring to watch as an audience and ponder long and hard about his decisions. He was a very reliable man, and she greatly respected his words.
                    As she gently accepted the belt, and strapped it on, Damean grabbed her arm and turned her around once more to face him.
                    'Does this guy always have to be this way? I mean seriously, treat a girl a little more gently why don't you!' she screamed to herself. Yet before she had a chance to bring voice to her opinions, he stuck something in her face, a mere hair's breadth away from her dainty nose.
                    "Don't forget to take this as well! Poor Fang-face hasn't been out much lately, wouldn't want him to get all cramped up in this little contraption of yours."
                    Stepping back a little to let her eyes focus, she set her eyes upon the object he had been pressing upon her. It had been a while since she had seen the stone armlet. Usually she was able to wear it all the time, and even release it from it's constraints so it could move about on it's own. Yet when they had entered and lived in the city during the prior weeks, she had been forced to keep it hidden away in her pack, for fear of a civilian recognizing it's odd magic.
                    She gave him a slight smirk as she grabbed the armlet and began fitting it around her left forearm. Damean had always seemed to find a reason for her to wear it. Sometimes even getting her to use it so that he could try and prove himself against it's dormant magic.
                    Although she didn't feel like releasing it around him, she had had enough for tonight and just wanted a good dinner and rest, she would certainly release it while she was looking for berries. It always liked to be free to adventure on it's own while she took these strolls. It often brought back useful information that helped her finish her job earlier too.
                    Without any interruptions this time, she finally entered the forest to begin her search.