Meanwhile, three heroes awaken from their beds within the imperial palace. After the commotion of an intruder, someone moved all three of them to their rooms. Placed under extra guards, each of them had varied success with sleep.
Jasmine fell asleep easily, the very moment she laid down. She was waking up exactly at five am, earth time. Peter could not sleep and only passed out after an intense debate with himself about the magical world he was in. Lucy had trouble sleeping. Thoughts of her parents being lost drew sobbing. Halfway through the night, she left her room, much to the confusion of her guards, requesting to visit Jasmine.
Allowing the young girl in, Jasmine allowed her to sleep in the same bed as her. Clutching the teary-eyed girl in her embrace, she remedied her pain with soft music, lulling her to sleep.
Waking up early, Jasmine silently slipped out of bed, withdrawing her arm from Lucy's vice grip. She approached the dresser in the room's corner. She never really inspected the area. Despite her stoic nature, the notion baffled her she and her associates were in a fantasy world.
Sitting down opposite the dresser, she stared into the mirror secured on top. Looking at her reflection, her messy and unkempt appearance glared back at her. A vision of indelicacy, something she could not abide on her person.
Her family had always demanded her to be prim and proper in life. Their wealth afforded them their desires. Yet, they considered the necessity of perfection a required sacrifice or perhaps a by-product of their situation.
She had learned the hard way from her mother and father. Despite her young rebellious desires in the past, she had to adopt the proper mannerisms befitting her station.
They were habits hard to break. She did not despise her parents for their actions. There was a purpose in them. They were harsh because she was born in both a pleasant and harsh situation. Wealth granted her childish desires, yet the world was only concerned with the grime and filth at the heart of her family.
Tabloids reported accurate and inaccurate occurrences. The tabloids showcased accurate and inaccurate occurrences in full view of the public, but Jasmine remained indifferent to such trivial matters, yet the world wanted to force-feed her with it.
She hated it, the incessant desires of others to oppress their perspective and wills onto her, when she couldn't care less. Over time, she cared, despite everything.
But that was her lot in life. She accepted it and yet now she was in a new world. There were no illusions about her situation. Earth did not have two moons in the sky. A new reality, a new opportunity, of course. She was not some doe-eyed girl straight off the bus for her delusional acting career.
She knows how it works, even if this world is but a fantasy. Cold, hard reality is always waiting behind every corner. You just need to learn how to spot it and then and only then can you truly live.
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she glanced to the side. Hanging on the wall were two ceremonial robes, both a simplistic white embroidered with gold. On the left breast was the insignia of the empire. The image of a creature resembling the mythical chimera.
The head of a lion, the tail of a snake and the body of a horse. The chimera was standing on its hind legs, roaring to the heavens. Three objects surrounded it. Above was the symbol of a raging fire. To the left was a calm wave and to the right was a small mountain. The symbolism was obvious; the chimera was the empire and the surrounding elements were the three spirits they harped on about.
Realising she had little time; she opened the dresser to find a small wooden hairbrush. With its truly poor quality, her hair was not as straight as it should be, but it was still manageable. Her mother would have been thoroughly disappointed and would have sent her to her room to do it again.
Of course, she doubted she could reach her here, since another planet and possibly another universe, according to Peter, she was well out of her jurisdiction.
It only took a short time for both Lucy and Jasmine to get dressed. Both left the room wearing ceremonial robes, exiting they noticed Peter dressed up and with a smile.
The guards ferried them to another room, several twists and turns, and they arrived in a private area. Unlike the throne room, it was only populated with the emperor, several people who called themselves wizards and fully armoured knights.
On the ground was a large symbol. It was rather intricate and had many strange shapes. The gist was the three elements surrounding the symbol in a triangular formation. Jasmine turned her gaze to the emperor, expecting him to speak.
He did not. Instead, another spoke with a strange, gravelly voice. "You have done well Regious, these three shall do nicely." A voice resounded, echoing through the entire room.
Yet the origin of the voice was yet to be seen. All three heroes looked around, expecting to find it, but the origin remained elusive.
Booming laughter filled the air as the earth symbol glowed, and a figure made entirely of sand emerged from the ground, shaping into a humanoid figure. It had arms, legs and a head. It resembled a human made of solidified gravel.
Its face shifted, and a crude image of a smile etched upon it. Peter's eyes widened, shocked and yet curious. Lucy shrieked back in surprise and Jasmine remained calm.
Her eyes locked in fascination with the figure. The first thought that went through her mind was the imperfection. The figure seemed to disregard any form of symmetry, despite its ability to shift its form. It seemed to select a dis-proportionate configuration.
The being's eyes, or more precisely the facsimile of eyes, looked at her. Their gazes locked, and in that moment, time seemed to melt away. The rest of the world faded, and only the two remained.
The being slowly moved towards her. The steps were soft and slow, but his approach did not register, since a voice appeared in her mind. "Greeting's child. I am Terranuk, the guardian spirit of earth. I have chosen you to be my champion." The voice was stern and unyielding. Everything inside of Jasmine compelled her to obey the voice, to yield to its might.
Despite the oppressive nature, she stood her ground, retorting in her mind. "What if I refuse to be your champion?" Mentally digging in her heels in defiance, she fought back as if this was a mental spar.
Prompted by her defiance, Terranuk merely chuckled, as if her words were amusing. Jasmine was neither amused nor interested in anything amusing. The chuckling ended abruptly. Terranuk realised his error, getting lost in his joy, and quickly reclaimed his senses.
"You can refuse, my child. We do not force the power on those who do not wish it. If this is not what you want, we can return you to your world." The notion both intrigued Jasmine and brought forth a trace of fear, something the golem noted. "Yet it seems you do not wish to return, do you?" It Asked as if its keen observational skills had afforded it a higher understanding of her.
Understanding that this being could easily read her, she ceased pretences and get down to business. "It seems you can read my thoughts that I cannot allow." Her statement was harsh and accusatory. She expressed a desire for him to cease his delving into her very essence.
"You misunderstand child, I can only feel what you feel. I cannot read the depths of your thoughts beyond the surface." Terranuk continued. "You desire the power to shape your life to your own desires, to be free of all oppressive influences, to beat and batter fate and destiny!" The rising pitch of his voice and the voracity of his words resonated with her as she listened.
"What I offer is the power to crush all obstacles. You will be as immovable as a mountain, stronger than any mortal that walks this world." The tantalising offer came forth like an avalanche of opportunity, something deep inside pressed against her sensibility to jump at the offer and say yes.
She forced it down, allowing her mind to think and contemplate. After pondering the offer, she spoke again with her mind. "I suspect there is a catch to this," she spoke again after pondering the offer.
Suddenly, the being shifted his tone to a more formal and almost regal pitch. "Very well, young lady, we shall go over the terms of such a deal." The tone surprised her. His words were reminiscent of her father's. His formal mannerism when sealing deals and contracts were something she was very familiar with. "The terms are simple, I shall offer you my blessing, this comes with an augmentation of physical strength and endurance along with an affinity with earth magic and earthen spirits, in exchange, you shall be my representative in the upcoming conflict between the empire and the federation." Detailing the terms only brought forth more questions. She remained silent.
"We, the spiritual trinity, are the guardians of the empire and keepers of the peace. The Federation of Demonus threatens that peace, and we shall not stand idly by. We have summoned our champions to enforce peace, through a showcase of strength."
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Realising it was her turn to speak, she made her inquiry. "So, I shall be your representative in an upcoming war between nations. My father would kill me if I didn't ask specifics. Tell me about the federation?" Starting a line of inquiry, Jasmine remained stoic and unyielding, unable to agree unless all the facts were known.
Deciding to reply as a show of transparency, he explained. "The federation is the antithesis of unity. Their country is barely stable as they bicker amongst themselves. It is to be expected for a democratic nation of various diverse races." The annoyance, or perhaps disdain, in his voice was clear. The concept of disunity seemed to be a trigger for him.
"Amongst the ranks of their federation, extremists have taken over. They preach the purging of humans, they must be stopped, the trinity shall no longer allow this madness to continue. Will you help us chosen?" Making his offer once again, his voice barely cooled from his fury, he waited for an answer.
Pondering, Jasmine thought on the offer, hoping her mind was not read. She noticed she could conceal thoughts not directed at him, or at least she believed that. A short time flew by and she finally came to answer. "Yes, I agree with the deal." With those words, the two entities, one a young woman, another an ancient spirit of earth, shook hands and sealed their pact with an ethereal glow.
Meanwhile, a thick stream of water obscured Peter's vision right next to Jasmine. A surreal image of a waterfall cascaded before his eyes. Despite the initial shock, he remained calm. Watching with interest, his vision remained blocked, and he processed the strange event.
A whisper, similar to the sound of running water, suddenly caught his attention. Right behind his left ear was the melodic sound of an androgynous voice. "Hi there, curious one. You are the oddity I have chosen. I am glad." The words had a feminine quality and spoke in a motherly tone. "I think I have done a good job, don't you? Selecting such an inquisitive boy to receive my grace." The voice turned jovial, with a giddy and happy manner of speech.
Looking around, confused, Peter assessed his situation. After some time, he replied. "You are the elemental spirit that the emperor guy was talking about, the one who summoned us?" He spoke with a certain level of naivety.
The image of falling water quickly vanished. What replaced it was a female form composed of writhing liquid. The form was of similar height to Peter, petite and slim. It could have been confusing for a young girl. Peter blushed, and a wave of heat passed over his cheeks.
The two gazed at each other until he broke the silence. "So let me get this straight. You are some sort of spirit of water. You summoned us and will now give me some cool magic power for some future heroic tasks?" He let loose a barrage of questions.
The being raised her hands and clapped. The action caused her appendages to submerge into each other, splashing water. She chuckled lightly before falling into giddy laughter.
"Oh, my child, I love how your mind works, the perfect combination of being naïve and inquisitive." Her words seemed to have a mixture of an accusation and a compliment. She continued, as Peter frowned, noticing the quip. "You are correct. I shall grant you the blessing of water. You shall be protected from drowning and the crushing pressure of the ocean, along with dominion over water." With a theatrical flourish, she spoke, gesturing her arms in elegant poses, splashing water everywhere.
Still frowning, Peter's expression softened, and his excitement deepened. Images of flinging water spells and ice spikes at monsters filled his mind. The excitement of his future reached a peak, only soured by a grim thought. Deciding to verbalise his thoughts before realising all of this occurred in his mind. He thought aloud, ignoring the telepathic conversation he was having.
"So, what do you want in exchange for this?" The query was an obvious question Peter had asked.
Despite his giddy feelings and excitement over the potential for magic, he was not an idiot. The spirit transformed her demeanour from playful to serious. Her body language, or her representation of it, changed to an upright posture, her arms to the sides.
Her words rang out substantially sterner than before. "Clever boy, what we want is for you to assist us in the prevention of a war, to be a hero." The emphasis on her last words seemed to be slightly theatrical, but the fervent in her voice was obvious.
The spirit reached out with its flowing appendage. Peter did so as well, ready to agree wholeheartedly. How could he not? This was his chance to be a hero, to have powers he had never had before. They decided and struck the bargain. Aquamancy it is! He thought with a grin.
To the side of Peter stood Lucy, her eyes cast upon her two companions, both standing still and with glazed looks. Their eyes gazing at something, off into the distance and yet nothing at all. Lucy turned back, only for her vision to be covered in flames.
Frightened by the gout of fire, she stepped back with a slight whimper. With a meek and scared expression, she gazed in fear at the sight. The fire was everywhere, layered over her vision as if the entire building had caught a flame. Scared beyond belief, she didn't even notice that the flames were not even hot. Despite being in front of her, they radiated no heat.
Shivering in fear, she heard a deep voice in the back of her ear. The voice sounded like a snake or the licking of flames. It held familiarity, the memory of camping with her mother. She quickly let go of the memory, focusing on the strange voice.
"Hello there, little Lucy. Oh, how long it's been since I had another vassal. I am looking forward to our time together." The enticing words came forth from the fire, ironically it chilled her to the bone.
Shivering, she clenched her fists and replied meekly. "Who, who are you?" The voice was barely a whisper, like a mouse squeak. Her tone denoted her barely concealed terror.
The fire laughed before coughing a few times. The gesture sounded fake, and Lucy barely acknowledged that. "I am Pyrus, the spirit of the flame, ruler of fire, lord of the draconian mountains." The gusto in his speech denoted an inflamed ego. His tone rose in intensity after every apparent title.
Realising that he may continue, Lucy mustered up all her courage to speak, only making another squeak. "What, what do you want with me?" Gazing into the fire, she gasped, witnessing the flame coalesce into a humanoid form.
Its appearance was a giant humanoid with flaming red hair and a regal suit of plate armour, finished by a long flowing cape. Atop his head was a circular crown, tiny fires on each extended tip. At his side was a sword strapped to his waist. The blade was long and wide, seeming to be impractical by human standards.
Shocked by the appearance, she tried to step back, but found she could barely move. Her terror was palpable and kept her stock still. Her shivering would not stop, yet her face seemed to display a strained expression, with the beginnings of a frown.
Stepping forward, Pyrus landed as if looking at an insignificant creature and spoke mockingly. "Are you afraid, my child?" His tone left no doubts that he was indeed mocking her fear, his voice laced with sarcasm and derision. In response, Lucy shivered, the fear taking control. Pyrus, as if egged on by the sight, pressed on with his words. "Oh, look at this frightened little child. Perhaps I made a mistake in selecting such a pathetic creature."
The girl's shivering ceased, and she became stiff and unmoving. Her previously hunched form rose to meet his gaze, her eyes glaring. Taking in a deep breath, she let loose her words. "Shut up, you glorified pilot light!" The voracity did not match the meek and high-toned voice. The sudden shift in her demeanour from fearful to downright angry was quick and unexpected. Her tirade continued, still maintaining eye contact. "How dare a campfire call me pathetic, you better watch it mister or ill blow you out like a birthday candle!" Standing her ground, she in so many words, let Pyrus have it.
After her tirade, she huffed in annoyance, waiting for a reply with a scowl. Despite the expectation, Pyrus kept his grin, followed by laughter. Confused by his response, she scowled deeply, ready for another go, but he beat her to the punch.
"I like you, little one. You have a fire in you I can work with." Looking down at Lucy, Pyrus leaned forward, matching her eye to eye. The two stared at each other before he spoke again. "I brought you here to bring peace." Reaching out his right hand, offering a handshake. "I shall offer you dominion over fire, to never fear the heat of flame. In exchange, you will help me bring peace to this world. Do we have a deal?"
Lucy glanced at the hand, bewildered, not knowing what to do or how to respond. She clenched her fists and gulped to ease her dry throat. The impulse to lash out verbally remained, with the fire inside opposing the literal fire before her. She resolved her will, reached out and took his hand.