For three days Yarro and Kael traveled up winding paths and bridges in disrepair. It was a difficult path and at times very dangerous. In some areas, their horses would be too scared to cross, and they would have to get off and guide them themselves. Some areas they got stuck in some surprise wet marsh part.
They camped on each of those three nights in a tent, and each night Kael slept closer and closer to Yarro after their first night camping. He mentioned it got colder with each night, but Yarro didn’t feel any change, temperature-wise. The two had slept on the opposite ends of the tent in the start, but by the third morning, Kael was quite literally wrapped up in Yarro’s arms.
Yarro awoke first on the third day. Kael had his arms wrapped around his torso, his head rested on his arm. He didn’t even realize that he had snuggled into the embrace with Kael. Still half asleep. Still half dreaming. Still in a world where none of this happened.
Yarro slowly came to consciousness and realized the position he was in. But he suspected Kael wasn’t awake so he decided to steal what little moments he could before the other awoke. He kept his eyes closed, content to simply feel Kael’s embrace and breath in his natural scent.
Some minutes later, maybe 5, 10, or 15 minutes later Kael awoke. It wasn’t any burst of energy, like Yarro thought would happen once he woke up. Perhaps Kael thought he wasn’t awake and didn’t want to wake him either. Or perhaps he wasn’t fully awake.
Some more while later, Kael disentangled from him and yawned as he turned over. The second he left however, he shivered and Yarro saw cold breath escape from his lips between teeth clattering. “Are you that cold?” Yarro murmured. “It can't be that cold this morning.”
Kael turned his head to look at him, his eyebrows raised high in playful offense. “It’s freezing! It even snowed a bit last night. Look, you can see how high it is through the tent. How are you so warm?”
Yarro left the tent to look outside. That’s when the cold brittle morning air hit his face and he gave in to a shiver. One the ground laid a fresh, thin layer of snow. Soft and fluffy. The kind that would melt before noon. They were rather close to the volcano now, so surely it should have been a bit more warmer than the previous days.
However, the most drastic difference from last night was the air quality. It stunk, firstly. It smelled like a burnt forest. And all around them the smoke they were trailing had turned into a foggy haze. They couldn't even see a few feet passed them. Yarro let out another shiver and went back in. “Wow, is it hot in here or is it just me?”
“It actually got colder the moment you left.” Kael was in the middle of changing into warmer clothes. He has just finished putting on a turtleneck.
Yarro had no idea what he was talking about. “The smoke has gotten worse so we should be careful about inhaling it.” Which meant it shout be hot, not so cold that Kael was rushing to dress himself in multiple layers.
Kael picked up a second shirt, looser but also heavier. Yarro opted to change into warm day clothes as well, but he didn't feel the need to put on too much. There wasn’t much room for them both to be changing but he made it work by choosing the furthest corner he could and making himself as small as he could. They both put on a cloth over their nose and mouths to limit breathing in the foul air.
The duo carefully traveled up the mountains and around the ridge. Luckily the path here was wide. The sides of it were decorated with various trees and shrubbery, but the closer they got the more of them seemed to be burnt to charcoal. The snow melted like Yarro predicted, but the area immediately around him seemed to melt faster. He would look back and the snow trail they had walked would already be melted into the dirt, almost like it was never there. Any snow leftover would look grey and ashy. He wasn't sure if all this strangeness was the Deity's boon or the unnatural mountain.
Around mid-morning, they arrived at the volcano. A flat top with only dirt. Any foliage that was left was burnt. At the center, a raised circle had smoke coming out of it. Kael took a glance inside the giant hole that was supposed to be oozing with lava. “There isn't any lava. In fact, it’s pretty dark and dry. Where's the smoke come from? Hot dirt and rocks? Why is it hot in the first place if there isn’t any lava?”
Yarro looked around. They had encountered no lava on the way up there. The area around the step of the volcano also lacked snow. Just black dirt all around. Something didn’t seem right. Carefully, he walked his horse around the edge of the flat mountain top. On the opposite end of where they came in was a path, with rather large oval footsteps and burnt shrubbery and trees on the way down. “Well, would you look at that?”
Kael looked at where Yarro was pointing. “What could possibly make those footprints? An injured dragon?”
Yarro snapped the reins. “Let’s find out.”
The footprints were deep and much drier than the rest of the freshly snowed on dirt. The plants that surrounded the path were charred to a crisp. Kael tried to touch it but the moment his fingers touched some it crumbled to dust. Thump, thump, thump. Further down the path, Yarro heard something that rattled his bones.
He was first to spot a Master Fire Elemental just around the bend. It was just as tall as the Master Earth Elemental he saw back in Dawic, though more wide and top heavy. This one was covered in molten rock, with fire for eyes and hair. Its two small legs burned anything it came near as it traveled down the path.
“But why would a dormant Master Fire Elemental awaken just now? What’s going on that woke it up? And why here?” Yarro continued to follow the new path after it, but far, far behind it so they wouldn’t be detected. It paced back and forth. It's obsidian orbed eye focused on the direction that Rylin sat.
“That’s what we should find out. Something, or most likely someone is corrupting nature.”
Yarro held out his hand, parallel to the ground. Water slowly rose from the dirt and began to wrap around his hand. Now was his time. “No. We’re just two people. We’ll never get people to talk.”
Kael looked at him in horror and began to shouting in a whisper. “Don’t be stupid! A whole town couldn’t even hold back the Master Earth Elemental! You're not going to defeat a fire one, and defeating this thing isn’t going to stop the corruption!”
"I have to try! ” Yarro yelled back. "Water can easily put out fire." It was pointless or maybe too loud of a whisper because the elemental turned around. Its piercing gaze directed right at him.
The ground shook as its feet turned its body, its form slow and heavy. The Master Fire Elemental groaned, and magma escaped from its mouth, dripping down like drool from a baby and pooled on the ground beneath it. Smoke rose from its mouth. It seemed to be waiting. For what, Yarro didn’t know. And he wasn't going to find out.
Yarro threw the ball of water towards it. Unfortunately, the water sizzled and dissipated before it even landed. The magma that was once flowing from its mouth stopped, and formed into a ball itself before spitting it out at the two of them. The fire landed right in front of him and kicked up the dirt and rocks. Yarro’s horse reared up and kicked him off.
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The Master Fire Elemental swung wide, and coming towards them at an alarmingly fast rate were multiple balls of hardened molten lava. Yarro and Kael managed to dodge them, but one hit the spooked horse and instantly incinerated in. Yarro watched in horror as the wind blew away the dust of the former horse.
Kael attempted to steady his horse as the skittish animal tried to rear up as well. The Master Fire Elemental roared once more. With no horse, Yarro had no choice but to start running. Kael gained control of his horse just as another ball of molten lava was forming. He raced towards his partner and held out his hand to him as he approached. Yarro quickly scrambled to take his hand and was pulled up with the help of a bump of earth.
The second he was on, Kael turned the horse around and kicked it into gear. The horse sprinted away from the Master Fire Elemental, narrowly missing another large splatter of fire and lava. “Are you fucking crazy!?” Kael shouted over the roar of the wind and raining fire. “I thought you wanted to give Dawic revenge, not commit suicide!?”
Maybe. Yarro kept silent as they raced down the mountain. They heard the thumps of the Master Fire Elemental’s footsteps following them for a bit. Thankfully the horse was faster than it, even with two people on its back. Yarro simply wrapped his hands around Kael’s waist and leaned on the other’s back. Partly to keep himself falling off the horse and partly for comfort. He almost got the two of them killed for some petty revenge against something he knew was impossible to kill.
That was such a stupid decision. A heat of the moment choice pushed Kael even further away. And even if he had succeeded, somehow, at defeating the Master Fire Elemental, what would that have accomplished? It wouldn't have brought back the Dawic villagers. It wouldn't have revived anyone, or rebuilt the town. It wouldn't have turned back time.
Yarro buried his face against Kael’s back and was silent the rest of the trip down. They slowed down after about 5 minutes when the footsteps seemed to fade from their ears. Once they were sure they weren’t being followed, Yarro got off the horse and they half walked and half rode the rest of the day, as well as a good chunk of the night.
At night, Kael helped clean and bandage the wounds Yarro had gotten during the scuffle, but otherwise the two of them went to bed still silent with each other. It seemed Kael was still mad with him, and he knew he should apologize but he still wasn’t sure how. He spent all day thinking of one. He laid awake at night thinking of one. Though the longer he waited, the further Yarro felt him drift away.
By the third day, it was eating him alive. They were almost back home and they still haven’t spoken. Kael seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face and was always leading the way. Never looking back to him. They reached Dawic late in the afternoon. It looked even more spooky with the misty fog and completely empty town. He only had one more day with Kael. If he left it like this… Yarro opened his mouth. He was going to do it. He was going to. Right now. He just needed…
Kael never stopped. Yarro hesitated, staring at the back of the horse and watched as all his confidence began to drift away. “Wait!” Yarro finally shouted. Kael finally stopped the horse and looked back. “I”m sorry! For my recklessness, and almost getting the both of us killed. I shouldn’t have done that. Not even the Master Earth Elemental with an entire town could defeat it. Like you said.”
“You're right! It was reckless! And stupid! Do you have a death wish or something?” Kael scowled. Yarro stood there silently, his gaze averted. Kael sighed as he got off the horse and put his hands on his shoulders. “Look, I care about you. So much. You really scared me back there.”
“I’m sorry,” Yarro repeated. Kael cupped his hand on his cheek and tilted Yarro’s head towards him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Yarro placed his hand on top of Kael’s hand, and squeezed his fingers. His eyes seemed to water up but he didn’t mean to start crying. His feelings overwhelmed his own body and the waterworks started up. "I don't know what I was thinking. That's not what I wanted. The Master Fire Elemental isn't even related to Dawic."
“It’s just us, Yarro. We need to be careful. We can’t save our country when one of us is running into suicidal situations. I don't know what I would do if you died.”
Yarro sniffled a bit and nodded. There was a bit of relief that Kael was no longer seemingly upset with him. The stress of wondering if he ruined his relationship with him was gone as well. Yarro slept much more at ease that night and even woke up to Kael sleeping closer to him than he had been these past few days. It wasn’t even cold that morning either, now that they were in town. He was secretly ecstatic with the situation and tried to be as quiet as he could in the morning until it was time to get up. He was content to just watch him, with a soft smile to himself.
The duo arrived back in the capital almost a week after they had left it, just as Yarro had predicted. When they told the royal guard up front they had a report for the Queen, they were directed to the Lord Council room.
“What do you mean you lost contact with the spies in charge of my daughter?!” Yarro walked into the council meeting alone to see Secretary of State Arnold shouting at the Queen. They paid no mind to Yarro’s entrance. "Seila is out there, and you’re not doing anything!”
“Arnold, please calm down,” Queen Illa said. She seemed rather relaxed despite being yelled at by an angry father.
“You’ve got no control of your soldiers! First the company sent after the Master Earth Elemental stopped reporting, now the spies in Obraria too!” Arnold was stomping around when he finally spotted Yarro. “You again! You’re done with that mountain, right? Go to Obraria, for me and my husband. Find Seila, please.” Arnold clenched his shoulders.
He couldn't save Dawic. He couldn't save Governor Erica. Could he save a child? “Uh, I-I guess I could…”
“Great! Leave today!” Arnold turned him around and began to shove him out the door. They stopped just short of opening it when the Queen cleared her throat. They both turned around to see her less-than-pleased face.
“Yarro, what is the status of the volcano?” She asked politely
“Well, it's clear of lava, but we did find a Master Fire Elemental up top. I think that’s why that mountain erupted. It wasn’t an actual eruption, just the Master Elemental coming out after being dormant for so long. We weren't able to defeat it. Additionally, Governor Erica Beaumont of Dawic was the only villager to escape the Master Earth Elemental with her life. But her injuries were too great. I assume your company met the same fate, Lord Marshal Eris.”
Lord Marshal Eris rubbed her temples. She looked simultaneously horrified and like she was trying to fix the situation. “Those were my best soldiers…” She mumbled.
“Were there any signs of the Master Fire Elemental making its way down the mountain?” Queen Illa asked.
“It seemed disinterested in me and Kael once we got far enough away. I doubt it would go far from its birthplace”
“Unlike the Master Earth Elemental, “ Lord Marshal Eris added.
Queen Illa sighed. “The Master Fire Elemental makes our mining operations more dangerous.”
“Our economy is on the verge of collapse. If there are no survivors in Dawic, it’ll make recovery that much more expensive.” Lord Treasurer May said.
“That can all be fixed though. Our first priority should be figuring out why these Master Elementals keep showing up. All but the Master Air Elemental have shown themselves,” the Queen said.
“We can figure all that out while Yarro and Kael go find my daughter.” Secretary of State Arnold seemed to be getting more irritated and desperate as time passed on.
“Agreed. Yarro, you have leave to find Arnold’s daughter in Obraria while we discuss this new information.” Queen Illa waved her hand to dismiss Yarro. He formally bowed and exited. The conversation seemed to ramp up in intensity as he closed the door.
Right outside the door was yet another impatient and frantic person. This time it was Kael, pacing in front of the door. He didn’t even speak. Simply grabbed Yarro’s hand and ran down the hall into a little dark and secluded corner. “What—”
Kael clamped his mouth shut and glanced out of the hallway. Nobody was roaming around in this area. “I overheard the King,” Kael began with a whisper. He looked around some more. “ Yarro, we were wrong. It wasn't political corruption. The King had a huge factory in Keford, making numerous huge war machines. Way more than planned. The Queen doesn’t know about the extras.”
“What? How many more?”
“Hundreds. These things look like huge, metal turtles. Even non-elementalists are capable of using them, he said."
Hundreds of huge metal war machines would be the exact sort of thing that would wreck the ecosystem enough for Master Elementals to awaken and start destroying things, like the mines that took away the ore, and flooding the city where the machines are made. “This must be the corruption! Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s go now. Oh, I’m so lucky to have you. I could just kiss you right now!”
Kael faltered a little and his face turned a bit red, but said nothing of it. “... Let’s go.”