___“Good morning David!” Alex chirped from across the room, face now covered in a rainbow of creams. It warranted a slight smirk in return.
___Shaking his head, David rounded the table, arching a disbelieving brow as Alex eagerly patted the chair next to him, a few crumbs bouncing into the air. It didn’t take much guessing where he was supposed to sit, and so he did, ignoring the gigantic array of food on the table completely. The first thing he reached for was a napkin, and the next Alex chin.
___“Hold still kid,” he gruffly instructed, watching Alex eyes bulge in confusion as he cleaned his mouth. “Whadda mess…”
___As soon as David was done Alex idly whined, “You treat me like Nina,” promptly biting into yet another pastry. A new filling dotted his face in no time. David couldn’t help but sigh in defeat, somehow content nonetheless. Alex had a weird way of making anywhere seem comfortable.
___I might as well eat too, he decided, finally giving the table‘s spread a real examination. Slowly but surely he filled his plate, curiosity getting the better of him. It certainly looked good, whatever it was.
___“So tell me Alex,” David announced, still picking from the various dishes. “What happened last night?”
___“Hmm,” Alex hummed, mouth full and eyes curiously wide.
___“How did we end up here?”
___It was a necessary question. From David’s standpoint, he had fought the Prince and woke up in a castle. To make matters worse, none of the servants seemed surprised to see him which made it terribly awkward to ask.
___“Oh yeah, that’s right, you slept all the way here.” Alex giggled, licking the cream from his fingers. “You got knocked unconscious during your fight with Erik, and his guards thought you saved him from a demon or something. They aren’t sure though so they brought us back here to explain.”
___“A demon…” David repeated disbelieving. He shook his head as he mulled it over, eventually concluding that Erik must have won the fight. “Wait, how did that idiot manage to take me out?!”
___“He didn‘t,” Nina calmly interjected, belatedly making her presence known as she sauntered toward them.
___“Nina!” Alex cheered, waving his hand like an idiot. One would think he hadn’t seen her in ages.
___Silently rounding the table, Nina took the chair adjacent Alex opposite David, absentmindedly raising her hand to smooth the rowdy curls on the boy’s head. The child couldn’t help but sneak a contented peek up at her face, smiling despite Nina’s empty expression. Their was just something undeniably maternal about the gesture, even if she was only dispelling her magic.
___“Good morning miss,” David cooed, almost coming to life with her entrance. Alex was all but completely forgotten with this new regal incarnation of her. The lady’s decidedly enchanting dress was a perfect silhouette, gently hugging her hips and torso, revealing just enough skin to be enticing.
___Lillian isn’t the only woman here, David realized, biting his lip as he watched her survey the selection, gradually leaning forward across the table. Of course he caught the slight bounce of her breast, a self proclaimed connoisseur of such things, cursing the fence of white lace that just barely guarded them.
___The things I could do with her…
___Nina never audibly returned David’s greeting either, instead bringing her emerald gaze to his and letting it obliquely linger for a moment. Looking at David without really seeing him, she watched his breath catch, his boyish infatuation obvious, cute even, and sadly felt nothing more than hunger.
___I want… fruit, she eventually concluded, letting her eyes fall to the child between them.
___As Nina’s attention graced his face it was easy to see what she wanted. Sunken in his chair, Alex was all too happy to let the previous subject rest, contentedly munching on yet another pastry.
___“Tell him,” she lightly breathed, turning back to her plate without a second thought. It was a distinct command to the boy, and somehow whispered seduction to David, at least until he realized her meaning. He suddenly recalled the dropped conversation, rightly annoyed at being so easily distracted.
___“Yeah kid, tell me how I got knocked unconscious,” he reiterated, refusing to let it slip again.
___“Well, you see, it was kinda…”
___“He‘s coming,” Nina sighed, once again capturing their attention, and for much longer than desired. They both just watched her in silence for a moment, waiting for something more as she mechanically flipped her hair and bared the elegant curve of her neck. Seemingly unaware of her words she added a warm croissant to her dish, subsequently biting into a glistening strawberry.
___“Who…?” Alex asked confused, seeing no one down the hall. “Is it the Prince?”
___David was motionless, momentarily mystified by Nina’s mouth. She never did anything without a hint of seduction and now was no exception. A subtle moan drifted from her throat, supple pink lips pursed around her morsel. The fire breather couldn’t help but lick his own, mentally tasting her berry flavored kiss.
___“Hey, it is him!” Alex gasped, watching Erik and his two servants turning onto the main corridor.
___Like Nina said, the Prince was on his way, visible through the dining hall’s immense glass panes. Causally carrying on conversation with his obvious guards, he seemed like a whole new person. Posture perfect, hands clasped nonchalantly behind his back, he moved with a fluid grace obviously comfortable in his formality.
___Unlike David he wore a complete suit, though his was notably more extravagant. More precisely it was a tuxedo, but just casual enough for daily use, well… for a Prince anyway? The whole ensemble was a stunningly bright confection of pastel sea foam green, which at first mention would seem terribly awkward, but the young heir actually retained a distinctive stateliness about himself. He of course donned a matching checkered tie and silver cuff links, contrasted by the brilliant white of his starched shirt. Even his shoes matched, some kind of exquisitely tanned pale green reptilian hide with silver clasps, which luckily weren‘t so gaudy as to be immediately noticed. Outfit tailored to perfection around his lithe athletic frame, the color made his ginger eyes sparkle.
___As for composure, the young noble was nothing like before, radiating this aura of superiority and command. It wasn’t repulsive like last night, simply appropriate as you noticed how easily his servants spoke with him. Raising his chin he warmly met David’s leering gaze, expression telling of a smile that never formed, before doing the same to Alex and lastly Nina. Without saying a word he set the tone, and for a moment David felt his stomach tighten in apprehension. It wasn’t everyday you shared breakfast with a Prince.
___Just before reaching the dining room Erik paused, allowing Minos and Lukas to step forward in unison and open the double door’s before him. The whole act was a bit much, but it didn’t register on any their faces, clearly just a mechanical habit. Oddly, Erik didn’t immediately step forward, instead letting his unique orange gaze sweep across his three new guest once more in quiet inspection, a subtle guile coloring the warmth of his face.
___“Minos. Lukas. I would greatly appreciate if you allowed me to enjoy the company of my guest in private.” Erik kindly yet incontestably pronounced, eyes still sparkling with delighted secrets. No reply came from his Armâre, both bowing and pertly disappearing without any sign of complaint. They wouldn’t go far.
___Finally stepping forward, Erik’s eyes darkened, his next words being tactfully chosen.
___“First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your visit. It‘s always pleasant to have guest in the manner…”
___Manically aware of his audience, their setting, and even the rhythmic quality of his own voice, the Prince was focused. From every aspect he imagined himself to be approaching this correctly. Confident, he unhurriedly covered the distance to the large table before him and unlike the others, the noble purposely took a chair across from Alex. It placed him in direct view, in control, where a monarch should be.
___“…though, I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Last night I wasn’t quite myself, as you may have gathered…”
___At this, Alex shot David a wary glance and received an annoyed one in return. Even Nina rolled her eyes at the gross understatement, breaking her croissant in half with an almost tangible irritation.
___First fault…
___“…At any rate, my Armâre filled me in on the gist of last night, most of which seemed farfetched, but that’s why you‘re here in the first place. I was hoping you could give me your perspective on what happened.” Erik eloquently explained, focusing his gaze on Nina as he finished. It would seem he wanted to hear from her more than anyone. All Nina did though was place a flakey piece of croissant between her lips, chewing the sweet bread unnecessarily slowly as she met his gaze. Given the situation it would seem a challenge, though hunger and dissatisfaction with the flavor was more likely the root cause. David merely chuckled at this, leaving Alex to fill the silence which was quite fine by him.
___“Well, Nina and I were sitting with David, and he had just got me some milk in this giant cup when you came in. You were acting weird and started bothering us, well just David mostly, cause you wanted to sit by Nina real bad,” Alex merrily explained, sparing the Prince no shame with his childish gestures and facial expressions. “You just wouldn‘t stop, and even started a fight with him. It was crazy!”
___Embarrassed couldn’t begin to describe the heir, though thankfully it didn‘t register in his face yet. Hearing his exploits retold by a such an honest child in front of the very two people he offended the most was definitely not turning the conversation in his favor. What could he say in apology that wouldn’t be laughable, even if he was particularly drunk at the time?
___“…You pulled out this really cool sword and David didn’t even get scared. He just started throwing one punch after another, and it seemed like he was going to beat you up until you started disappearing and running away!”
___At this, Erik’s mood surfaced a bit, his lips drawn and teeth grinding as he swallowed. He’d never gotten so drunk he openly used his powers in public. All he could think was damage control, although it didn’t escape his notice that no one seemed terribly mystified by his abilities. In fact, they didn’t seem to care at all, which was probably the only reason he allowed the conversation to continue.
___“Yeah, I gotta admit you shook me up a bit with that one,” David confessed, leaning back in his chair, “But I‘m the kinda guy that wont stop till something‘s done ya’ know,”
___“Yup, he chased you all over that room! Jumping over tables and everything, but you just kept running away with your light trick.” Alex reiterated. “I knew I had finally found another Element watching you,” he laughed, pointing an accusing finger across the table, careful to measure the Prince expression as he named his condition.
___As expected, the noble’s gaze immediately narrowed hearing the child unabashedly tip his hand. Who is this boy? He called me an “Element,” whatever that is, almost as if he’s knows all about me?! But, he can’t- can he?
___“I was only half right though cause you’re both Elements and Nina knew before I even did.” Alex continued, watching David begin to fidget as well.
___He should have seen it coming, knowing full well his performance wasn’t any less paranormal, even if he was a fire breathing street performer. Unfortunately, Alex never got a chance to press them about it, watching the tables mood change before his very eyes. Everyone was suddenly calm, silent and contemplating… no just silent.
___Looking around, he realized they were all steadily slowing, his breaths becoming strained and a hazy rainbow vertigo tainting his vision. Looks like she couldn’t wait, he thought, already starting to get used to the phenomena. It wasn’t nearly as frightening when you understood why. Alex could only grin as he forced himself to remain calm, to inhale as if nothing was wrong and feel the air sympathetically respond. Without his frenzied panic it was almost effortless, wiggling his body free of time’s constraints. Only a few seconds passed before the child was fully mobile, proudly smirking as Tiffany defiantly strolled into the now colorless room from the kitchen.
___“Were you ever actually going to call me!”
___“Well, there‘s no point now,” he halfheartedly complained, smiling anyway. It didn’t really change much if she showed up at this point.
___“And what‘s with all this food?!” Tiffany scoffed. “There‘s no way four people could eat all this!”
___Plopping down next to Erik she dutifully snatched a plate, readily picking from the various dishes.
___“I can‘t wait to see everyone’s faces when you show up,” Alex giggled, reaching down to pick another pastry off his plate. It wasn’t until then he realized Nina had replaced them with fruit. Apparently she didn‘t like the idea of only sugar filling his small belly. Shaking his head, he devoured a juicy melon slice instead. “Are you ready?”
___“My brother,” Tiffany arbitrarily interjected, “he’s the only other person who‘s ever seen my power,” she explained, voice dotted with worry. The girl tried her best to remain aloof, her hand hovering indecisively above a bowl of apricots and gaze lazily focused on the same. Am I ready for this?
___Deeply exhaling, her mystical gaze locked on Alex, the boy’s childish face eerily reflected in her eyes once again. “Are you sure this is okay?”
___She had no secret more precious than her ability and was about to share it with strangers. Of course she’d have reservations. The Prince of all Urchine was sitting at the table for goodness sake. Alex truly believed in what they were doing though, and his faith would just have to become hers as well.
___“You might not know it, but you‘re already connected to these people. You share a special gift, and it‘s about time you at least learned each other’s names,” the boy assured her, promise and hope sparkling in his eyes. “You‘re all exactly the same, and it’s my job to explain why. Just give me a chance okay. Everything will be fine.”
___Taken off guard, Tiffany blankly stared at him wondering if her trust was really that easy, but apparently it was, because she found herself acquiescing, her hold on time steadily unraveling.
___“Dear God,” Erik gasped, jumping in his seat as he beheld the small girl flash into existence beside him.
___“Hello to you too,” Tiffany dryly replied, peering at the Prince as if he had a problem.
___Alex only giggled before clearing his throat.
___“Everyone, I would like you to meet my new friend,” the young boy proudly announced.
___Aware of the room’s warped air, Nina raised darkened and penetrating eyes. She wasn’t taken aback, having expected something like this since Alex mentioned her. Tilting her head, she merely linked the girl’s uniquely adorable appearance to her name.
___So she’s the one…
___Tiffany honestly didn’t appear threatening, her petite body still bordering on cute, even if incredibly developed for her youth. Nina’s newfound awareness wasn’t enough to sense the girl’s approach though. She’d definitely have to find a way around that.
___“What, how many people can just show up outta thin air?” David demanded, irritated. This was the second time in less than a day. “Are more gonna pop out any minute now?” he asked, looking around just in case.
___“They should be the only ones I think? It‘s just a coincidence they can both do that.” Alex answered him.
___“Why doesn‘t anyone care that this conversation is ludicrous?!” Erik exploded, finally getting his wits back after the shock of seeing Tiffany. “Does everyone have powers here?”
___“You‘re a quick one aren‘t you,” the young girl laughed, sarcasm not nearly as biting as it could have been. “Last night you were almost burned to a crisp by his scorching breath so you should know better than anyone.” she reminded him, tilting her head in David’s direction.
___“Yeah, sorry about that…” David apologized, sheepishly scratching his head. He’d definitely gone a bit overboard.
___“I‘m not quite sure what her power is,” Tiffany continued, “but I know she stopped the building from burning down.”
___At this David and Erik both turned their attention to Nina, watching her calmly dine with newfound interest.
___“Yup, Nina controls wind. She was the first Element I met and we traveled here to find all of you.”
___“You‘ve been looking for us?” Erik echoed, arching a questioning brow at the boy. It went against his nature to simply trust anyone. It was practically the first rule of foreign diplomacy.
___“Yup, I just never expected to find so many of you in one place?” Alex happily explained. If he felt cornered by the Prince question it certainly didn’t show. He just seemed to beam childish honesty. “I‘m glad I got to meet a Master of Time though,” he casually added, smiling at Tiffany.
___“Master of what-?” David stammered, disbelievingly glancing between Alex and Tiffany.
___“She‘s the Element of Uncertain Past, able to command the very flow of time.” Alex dutifully quoted, finally thankful for his diligent study.
___“But you can just call me Tiffany,”
___“This just keeps getting better and better,” Erik sardonically added, looking over the elfish girl next to him. Something about knowing other people had powers was so much more disturbing than merely having your own.
___“What can I say, I‘m gifted…” Tiffany shrugged, smugly aware of their awe. Her power was every facet of daunting, time seemly an immutable concept. To some extent she was truly unstoppable too, but like anybody else she had weaknesses just waiting to be exploited. Alex knew this for a certainty, and he fully intended on showing the others soon enough.
___“Okay, if we‘re all ‘Elements’ as you call it, what pray tell does that make you? Why is it exactly that you’re seeking us?” Erik mordantly questioned. Something about this just didn’t sit right with him.
___“I’m an envoy,” Alex frankly answered, “tasked to gather and prepare all Elements, for… the end of world.”
___His mature words flowed with an eerily calm surety. With countless years to come to terms with his mission, it was no more outlandish to the boy than the air he breathed. Sure, the cataclysmic events about to unfold scared him, but his hope was equal to the fear, if not greater, and it sat around him.
___What’s an envoy, David thought, lost without enough context clues. No matter what it was, the ‘world‘s end’ part was still more important. He could figure the rest out later.
___“Whoa, run that by me again.” Tiffany insisted, swearing she heard the child wrong.
___“By direct order of the Great Guardian himself, the source of your abilities, I am to find, gather and train you.” Alex seemingly recited once again, pausing somberly before sharing his next explanation.
___“You’re all free to decline,” he heartily emphasized, “but… a great war is coming, and the fate of the world will be decided.”
___“That’s absurd!” The Prince spat, finally feeling justified in his suspicions. What the boy stood to gain was a mystery but he was an obvious charlatan. “You can‘t honestly expect me to believe some child‘s doom‘s day pronouncement.”
___“Yeah kid, he‘s got a point,” David added, voice not nearly as charged as the Prince. It was slight, but his tone held some hope he could be persuaded. “Why should we believe you?”
___“Cause right now I don‘t,” Tiffany warned, plopping a berry in her mouth. She was more inclined to trust him than anyone else, but that didn’t really mean much at the moment. They were all of similar mind.
___I knew it was too easy getting Nina, Alex thought, fighting to find a neutral explanation. There was no need to tell them everything if they weren’t even going to join him.
___“Why should you believe me?” Alex repeated, acutely contemplating the question. It wasn’t a statement he could merely evade; either convince them now, or risk their permanent lost.
___After a short silence, Alex answered, “You‘ve all had it too easy up to now. You have powers beyond human comprehension and nothing better to do but play with them.” He explained, rightly disgusted with the sad waste. The string of words stampeded into the silence. It was certainly not what they were expecting and you could tell by the way they all shifted uncomfortably. David made a living off his power, Tiffany using hers for thievery, and the Prince was certainly no saint.
___“I know you’ve had to wonder why me, realize that there had to be some reason, and if you must know it‘s because of your hearts. Out of everyone in the world, you four have the purest hearts and strongest will. It was known before your birth that you would be willing to fight for those weaker, for the righteous and corrupt. The Great Guardian hoped you would never be needed, but he did prepare just in case, and unfortunately the worst is near. The lives of everyone you hold dear hang in the balance. Right now, the world‘s hope… is you.”
___He left no space for uncertainty in his tone or his expression, but there wasn’t much else he could do, having no real proof to show them. His speech would just have to suffice for now, and hopefully their hearts would push them to do the right thing. It was why they had powers in the first place.
___The once bold Prince now merely remained silent, still seething all the same. It was impossible to deny his own power, or even the gifts of those surrounding him. Even if he didn’t want to, how could he believe otherwise. The same thoughts plagued David’s mind, as well as Tiffany. They all knew they had a purpose, but could this really be it? All this coming from such an unassuming young child was far-fetched at best.
___Tense silence ensued, the air ignited with nearly visible thoughts before Nina found it necessary to speak. Finally finished with her food she calmly declared, “I’m with him.”
___She couldn’t care less what the rest decided but her choice was clear, roaring from her stoic composure. Like them she knew it was the right choice, only she had nothing to debate. Thankfully, it added a certain credibility to Alex words. Even if distant she gave no indication she couldn’t be trusted, in fact silently dictating the very opposite. Nevertheless, no one else was immediately ready to commit themselves. With the boy’s enthusiasm pulling at their hearts they wanted to, but their was an unspoken knowledge that their choice was final. They knew saying yes would change their lives forever and it rightly scared them. They’d all grown accustomed to their lies, almost believing they really were normal. Joining this boy meant accepting the truth, fighting to save a world they hardly even knew with the powers they denied. Would it even be worth it?
___“I, I just don‘t know...” Tiffany sighed, getting up from the table. “I need, time to think.”
___Her appetite had vanished and it was obvious that Erik and David shared her sentiment. They all held the same distant expression, Erik’s a little more haughty than anyone else, but distressed nonetheless.
___“You don’t have to do anything right now. I know this is a big decision,” Alex assured them, “but, I must ask one thing before you go. Even if you don’t join me when everything starts there’s no escaping, Element or not. I have to see if you’ll even stand a chance.” Alex ventured, “I need to know how skilled you are with your power. Show me what you‘ve got, and after you’ll never hear from me again if that‘s what you want.”
___Three degrees of skeptic glares faced him. As bizarre as the scenario was though, something about the youngster enchanted them. His small voice was a bright promise. How could a face like that lie to you?
___“I‘ll do it.” David promptly agreed, easily shrugging his broad shoulders. Mulling things over for hours at a time just wasn‘t his style. Life passed you by if you weren‘t decisive. “I don‘t know about joining you, but I‘m always up for a show.”
___He was a performer after all.
___“If I said yes, what exactly would that require of me?” Erik warily inquired, disturbed by David‘s rash acceptance. For some the choice was much easier apparently.
___“I’ll need to measure your physical ability and Elemental control. A sparring match would probably be easiest. You against David and Tiffany versus Nina probably.”
___“Sounds like fun,” Tiffany dryly murmured, stealing a furtive glance over at Nina. Grinning through her gaze, Tiffany‘s gray eyes danced with devious intentions. There was no concrete reason why, but something about that girl just annoyed her. A chance to beat the crap out of her might not be so bad…
___Drawn back into the conversation, but unwilling to retake her seat, Tiffany propped herself on the high back of the Prince’s chair instead. She didn’t think much of it, aware but unimpressed by his status. The Monarchy as a whole wasn’t something she was especially found of, but she could at least be amiable. Erik on the other hand was finding himself growing increasingly annoyed with her presence. He was supposed to be the one in control here, the noble among commoners, but Tiffany’s nearness seemed to discredit him somehow. It was bad enough to have the little nymph sitting beside him, simply destroying the austere dignity of his isolation, but now she was standing just to his left, all but siphoning his regal command away. It… didn’t look right, her giant breast hovering beside his head. Lodged in his peripheral vision, he couldn’t help but glance over whenever the green silk covered bubbles giggled.
This is so disconcerting…
How long is she going to stand there!?
I think, they’re really considering it! I might not suck at this after all?
With my power all of them together couldn’t beat me.
I almost feel bad for her… almost,
The rack on that chick is ridiculous!
Heheh, I’m such a pervert…
I only just discovered my power…
I wonder how I compare?
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