I.

The rumours were true, Anna realized as she made her way through the agitated crowd of the New Kingdom. She had  never seriously considered that such a place could exist - in fact, if it were not for the opportunity of reuniting with her family soon, she probably would had asked her mentor to stay back home. But what a country she would have missed! Now that she looked around, her eyes were delighted with the richness of the land that spread before her.

About one hour ago, she had descended from The Nightgale after a three week journey that took her through wild storms until a turquoise blue sea - the Sea of Fortune, she had been told. She had watched sirens singing in rocks and mermaids flailing their gold, silver and emerald tails as the ship made its way to the White Harbour. Still enchanted by the ocean, she wondered the richnesses that lay ahead. She had been received by one of the knights at the Palace, who had been assigned with the mission of escorting her to the Vanguard, the Elezian Palace where her sisters served as ladies-in-waiting to the Queen, and her father pupiled her brothers in matters of the navy. Now that the day had finally come, she could barely refrain her enthusiasm.

The streets of Elezia were lively. They soon reached the Square, where she admired a magnificent, enormous statue planted at the center and made of bronze. A magnificent peryton stood on its hind legs in a majestic pose, spreading its beautiful wings as if it were about to set flight. 

Around the statue, the country was alive with the hundreds of voices of the people who flooded the streets. No matter the path that the escort chose to lead her to the palace, it would be crammed with the most diverse people and creatures, and the most eccentric shops. Bubbling potions fizzed beneath the glass of The Brewery, the sound of the swords gliding in the smithing wheels and the happy greetings of long known friendships travelled through the air. Anna had to be careful not to bump into anyone as she followed the guard, but this proved to be a rather difficult task. 

Elezians love nature, her Master had told her back in the island. She knew that it was known for its ridiculous diversity of plants, not only grown nationally but that came from other countries, but seeing them was something else. Anna stopped once more to observe the maranijas grown in the Promised Land of Brevylia, the Dragon Tears that were said to cure the Red Plague, or the radiant Rainbow Roses that were sure to help their owners find true love. She was so entranced, that she barely realized that her escort had come back and was looking rather sore.

“My lady,” the guard insisted. “We really must go, otherwise you’ll be late for the royal banquet.”

Anna’s eyes left the stall with much effort, but she promised herself that she would come back later. 

A few more incidents happened that tested her temptation to examine the unknown. The guard was growing impatient at her delay, constantly looking over his shoulder to check if she was still with him or had been enthralled by another shop, another creature... there were too many attractions she wanted to observe! The exotic birds singing at the entrance of Radiant Fauna, the weapons laid out on a market stall, that had been perfectly engineered to draw out the highest energy from crystals, and countless libraries exhibiting books about the various magical subjects.

Was she dreaming?

Anna’s fears of sticking out proved at once to be irrational. There was no chance of her being pointed out as different, not in the middle of this immense, surprising clash of cultures. It was the first time on the Continent where she didn't stand out with her grey dark Hashi robes imprinted with golden stars, and the loose hair that fell to her waist. In fact, she could as well be considered normal as she walked amongst the busy streets, filled with the life of the merchants.

It was as if the West, North, South and East had blended together and produced the most contained racial mix in history. The people were short, tall, blond, brunettes, they were half animals. Normal creatures and fantasy creatures that she had never heard about passed by flying and running. She recognized a few Brevylians, with their curled horns and their brunette skins, wearing scaled cleavage tops and shorts, revealing too much skin. At first, she had thought that Elezia was a small, warm version of Lightsgate, the mages' nest. But this was no regular mages' towns. It was as if magic lived inside the people. As if the town, the streets, were enchanted themselves.

Sharyans with curled blond hair walked around with harps and violins. Strict, serious Haysians fairly distinguishable by the pale white of their sun-deprived skins, and the blue and white of their fine garments, looked plain uncomfortable as they crossed the roads in sumptuous carriages. After all, Anna realized with a chuckle, the serious kingdom of Haysen had to be the perfect opposite of Elezia. Other races that she hadn’t ever met in real life or even in books, passed by casually. Merchants with human bodies and fox heads sold jewelry in stalls, girls with blue skins and long noses gathered around a flower stall ran by a black-skinned woman with radiant green eyes. Anna nearly bumped into a couple - an elf boy with platinum blond hair and pointy years, and a dark, small Brevylian with curled horns. They made such an exquisite pair, yet they walked side by side holding hands.

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But what made this country truly become alive was the laughter and music that travelled in the wind. Elezia was alive with sun and sea, the inhabitants passed by with smiles and in a hurry, magic was performed effortlessly as if it were norm. Anna's jaw dropped. One of two children were using Airshifting effortlessly, flying and spinning amidst the busy crowd.

"Be careful!" Someone shouted.

The children scurried away, laughing. Of course, Anna had seen people fly before. She herself had done it as part of her Airshifting training. But she had never witnessed such a display of magic being performed in the Continent. Even when magic had been partially allowed in Haysen, it had been subjected to numerous restraints. This... she wasn't sure of what this place was, but her heart was beating to the sound of its music, and her body was tingling as if the country called her and welcomed her as one of its own. It was colourful, with the predominant luxurious green of enchanted fauna. Trees bearing golden apples rejoiced in the hem of the streets. She was smiling widely, without being able to control her racing heart as her eyes landed on something entirely new every time she looked away. It was so unbelievable to see all those countless magical artifacts, once hidden away but now shamelessly and openly displayed for everyone to see! This country seemed to have a truly rooted affection, or truly worship of magic. 

“My lady,” the guard insisted as she wandered off, attracted to a book that was releasing a spiraling, turquoise smoke into the open air.

The market stalls exhibiting exuberant magic crystals and different races that she had never seen before caught her attention. Seagulls chanted and wherever she went, she could see the crystalline blue water of the ocean, sprinkled with diamonds which reflected the sun above.

She had travelled through countless countries, and yet she had never felt the brimming energy that transpired from this place. She whispered it to herself, a name that made her tongue roll with delight. Elezia. 

“Wait,” she asked the guard.

A crowd had gathered and she pierced through the guard in order to get a full view of the attraction.

“What is that?”

A girl stood in turquoise blue robes on top of a fountain, and she was commanding the water, making it shape and glide and twirl through her fingers, as the crowd gasped and clapped.

“You don’t have it where you come from?” The guard asked.

He said it with slight depreciation. Where you come from. Anna didn’t bother to give him an answer. 

They had indeed Watershifters, a couple of hundreds of them probably, but magic wasn’t used unless strictly necessary in Hashi. Back at home in Hashi Island, kale - or “mages”, as they commonly called it in the continent - were praised by Hashians almost like gods. They stood out immediately for their silky robes, kaleri, bearing intricate detailed patterns in gold and silver threads. Each of those robes was designed by special kaleri makers and each one cost a fortune.  It would have never been wasted in something as trivial as entertainment or amusal. The girl made the water twirl around her arms, her waist, and then she made it twirl throughout the crowd, making little boys and girls giggle. A baby tried to catch the snaking twirl of water, but the girl was too fast. She couldn’t have been more than fourteen years old, probably not older than Patricia. 

The act ended on a high note. The girl made a slide out of water and glided down, spinning and ending in a victorious bow. The crowd applauded, shower of coins rained in the air. After the Watershifter girl, there were a lot more performers scattered around the street, but the guard pressured them to go on and wouldn’t let her watch the shows. 

“They will still be here tomorrow, my lady,” he insisted tiredly.

A few men exhibited rare species, half eagles half lions, from Brevylia, set on their shoulders. One of them shouted, and the creatures set off flying and breathing fire as the crowds clapped. Every street had a musical group. The rhythm of Drums and violins filled the air.

The music grew distant as they set off through a road that branched from the main one, this one far less populated. Anna was mesmerized at the red sun that was setting throughout the mountains on the distance, slowly tainting the sky on strokes of violet and grey and gold. Now only merchants in their chariots passed through the main road, all of them respectfully greeting the guard when they saw him as if they recognized him. The guard didn’t answer. This road grew into a larger terrain, and there it was in the distance: the Vanguard.

“Gods…”

She had heard stories that it was small, and in fact, it was perhaps ten times smaller than Haysian's Diamond Palace. But it was certainly imponent. It seemed to be composed of one main, larger building and surrounded by two smaller ones by each side. It was painted in yellow and green, depicting a peryton in the front. Beneath the dark, spiralling iron gate stood the most beautiful fountain that Anna had ever set eyes upon. 

The guards located inside recognized her escort at once and let them pass.

“Welcome to the Vanguard, Lady Anna.”

She didn’t bother to correct them. She wasn’t a lady, and she wasn’t a Redfield either.

They were forced to walk around the fountain in order to reach the entrance. As she stood closer to it. Standing in four opposing corners, like a square, stood four elements: a stag, a fish, a dragon and an eagle. They all looked up, the water sprouting off their mouths and reuniting at the center of the fountain, the stream landing as one.

Anna realized that it seemed to celebrate the four Elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air.

She already felt at home.