The skies were just as gray as Jet remembered. Calbar was only beyond the quarry that he was now in. He could see the Emperor's tower peeking over the city, just branched off the castle that he used to look up to in admiration. This time, the city smelled of smoke, sweat, and blood.

The cage door swung open. The soldiers began to separate the Spirit Elementalists as they came out. Jet looked at the numbers between him and the soldiers. He and Nadreen were going to get split up. Quickly, he turned to her. "They're going to split us up."

"What? They can't!"

"I don't know why, but it looks that way," Jet told her as he kept the line moving to avoid unwanted attention. There was no room for either of them to move around the Elementalists behind them. They were stuck in the inevitability that they were going to get split apart.

"Stay strong. This place looks awful," Jet said to her. Nadreen tried to remain calm. She wasn't happy about the idea of being apart from the only other person who knew this place was a sham.

"Find me, if you can," Nadreen said to Jet as he was pulled out of the cage. He nodded to her. The soldier pushed him to one side and pushed Nadreen to the other.

The soldiers escorted the prisoners roughly. Some of the soldiers wore strange devices on their chests that had a purple light coming from the center. Jet wondered why only some had it, but others didn't. The ones he had seen up to now never wore such a device. As he and several other prisoners were being pushed and prodded forward, Jet could see other prisoners working. They all wore the strange device too.

"Keep moving you lot!" a soldier shouted. One pushed Jet roughly. "No standing around."

Jet frowned back at the soldier, but kept moving down the path. The ground beneath them was muddy. With each splashing step, Jet realized how difficult it was to walk without anything on his feet. The soldiers all wore boots while prisoners wore nothing on their feet.

"Ah, yes, a new group of workers," a familiar voice spoke loudly, as if it were all around. It made Jet's skin crawl. It was the Emperor, standing on a platform at the end of the path. He had looked like he had aged a bit since Jet last saw him, though now he wore a suit of armor. Jet began to feel nervous standing in front of his brother's killer. His hands began to shake.

"The world outside the Empire is full of hate and envy. There is only hunt for power. There is only a thirst for war. War causes many innocents to die, their lives cut short. I would believe this to be wrong," Wrathel preached to the new prisoners. Jet looked up angrily at the man who was spewing lies to them. The Emperor continued, "You all were brought here to make the world a better place. Around you is a machine of change. With it, I can change the world. It will become something far greater than anyone could imagine. That's where you come in. With your help, we can build it together. Through only your works of labor, your sweat, can we remake the world."

Jet continued to stare at the Emperor. Wrathel returned his gaze through the crowd, Jet seemingly unrecognizable. The soldiers behind Jet and the other prisoners escorted them away. He wondered if the others actually volunteered to come here. Did the Empire promise them a new world? A world where they were free to explore and not be trapped in the Ahrura? He couldn't be sure what lies were told individually. There were no chains or shackles on the prisoners. Only the chest devices.

The soldiers pushed Jet and the others until they reached a barracks-like building. It smelled of sweat and mold. The constant rain and snow Calbar would get probably didn't make it easier to dry anything off. "This is where you will be staying," one soldier explained. Another soldier wheeled in a wheelbarrow full of the chest devices. "These will be a requirement to wear at all times. Whether you are awake or asleep, you must wear these devices as a physical contract. Once you put it on, you cannot take it off. You cannot leave the area. If you do, the piece will activate. You don't want it to activate."

Jet frowned as the soldier began to fit each of the others into one. He wondered what would happen if it activated. His turn was coming up. The soldier's boots clapped as he walked on the flat surface of the barracks. He approached Jet. "This is yours."

Jet nodded and took it. Wanting to avoid suspicion or possible punishment, he put it on. Jet managed to put it on and then wrap his usual vest around it. As soon as it was on, the device fit itself onto Jet's body. The purple light came on. He couldn't be sure exactly what they were for. If they were for the 'volunteers,' then why did some of the soldiers have them on? Perhaps the other Spirit Elementalists assumed they were protective gear of some kind. No one seemed to question the threat of the device activating.

"You will all begin working immediately. Don't think about trying to use your Element either. That device hinders all Elemental activity." Jet could feel it almost immediately. He couldn't activate his Spirit Element. Panic began to rise up in him. How could he plan to free his people if he couldn't use his Element? He hoped Nadreen didn't panic. They had to be strong enough to start a rebellion, but now they were without the Spirit Element. He felt his training had been wasted.

The soldier waved his sword at them, telling them to get moving. Then, another soldier began to lead them outside once again. It almost didn't feel like outside when Jet got a better look. Walls were being built around the area. It even looked as if they were planning to build a ceiling too.

The soldier led them to a small section of the area where people were digging. "You lot will begin here. Grab a shovel. You'll dig this land until it's even with the rest." Jet did notice the land was higher. It was mostly mud, so he assumed it wouldn't be too bad.

Grabbing a shovel, Jet joined the others. He felt like a stranger around the people of his homeland. They were all Spirit Elementalists, yet they didn't know him. Nadreen and the elder were nowhere to be seen. He always thought that Elementalists of the same Element had a special connection. He was so wrong.

Looking around, Jet could see a feint green aura trail seemed to flow out of each Spirit Elementalists. No one else noticed it. Jet wanted to ask, but he felt it would be too suspicious.

"You're a bit young to be here," an older man's voice mentioned. Jet looked around. Near the digging area was a row of cells. They were shoddy-looking, being made out of metal that looked deadly. Spikes that pointed towards the sky and the ground came out of each bar. They didn't look like they would hurt too much if touched. Jet wondered if they were for decoration sake.

"Why is there a prison here?" Jet asked.

"Why is a young Elementalist like you here?" the old man retorted with a chuckle.

Jet frowned at the comment. "I'm here just like everyone else."

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"No idle chatter with the convicts!" a passerby soldier screamed at Jet. Jet straightened up and began to dig in the mud. After a few minutes of the soldier moving passed, the old man walked closer to the bars.

"You can hear him too, can't you?"

That caught Jet's attention. He turned back to the old man, wanting to confirm his suspicions. "Him?"

"The ancient."

A shiver went up Jet's spine. No other Spirit Elementalist had mentioned the voice from the plane before.

"You can, can't you?" the old man pressed eagerly. Jet realized he probably reacted different than anyone else he's asked that to.

"How can you tell?"

"I can see it in you."

Jet leaned where he stood. He could see a chest device on the old man too. He wasn't sure how a Spirit Elementalist could sense that with a hindered Element. The green aura flowed out of him too.

"I've been here since the beginning, boy. I'm almost used to having this device on."

"Really?" Jet asked as he moved closer to the cell. "Can you get us all out of here?"

"Why would we want to leave?"

Jet's heart sank. The prisoner was just like the rest of them. Blinded by the sweet words of a demented murderer. "Why are you in prison then?"

"They made these for us when they feel like we've been spreading rumors. The Emperor wants us to do our job so he can reward us."

There were several empty cells next to the old man's. "What of the others?"

"Taken elsewhere by the commandants. They never came back. I assume they were reassigned."

Jet sighed. Reassigned sounded like a flowery word for killed. "So how do you know of the ancient?"

The old man grinned a nearly toothless grin. "Only Planes Walkers can know of that."

"You're a Planes Walker too?"

The prisoner nodded. "I can almost access the Plane again too. These devices don't hold up in the long run, especially when you've got time to focus."

That gave Jet the idea. All he had to do was wait. He had nothing else better to do. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'm just a crazy old desert dweller. These Imperial folk don't know the difference between someone crazy and someone smart."

Jet's spirits raised a little. He realized the old man was playing for anyone who could hear them. He smiled slightly. "Do you think it's possible that we could get everyone out?" Jet said as quiet as possible.

"Everyone? Not too sure. Just you, I'm almost positive."

He backed away from the prisoner just as a pack of soldiers walked by. Jet pushed his shovel into the thick mud.

"You'll have to be patient, Planes Walker. This device is going to take time, and so will your Element to build up through that device," the prisoner hissed carefully.

Jet nodded to avoid sparking any more attention to them. He wouldn't be any good if he got put into a cell and was 'reassigned.'

"Try not to die out there kid," the old man had said while he faded to the back of his cell. Jet didn't plan on it. He wasn't exactly sure if the old man was telling the truth or not. He had to believe him. He just had to hope it wouldn't be too long. He did want to stay and talk about the Planes but he knew he couldn't. It would have to wait until they were all free.

The day moved slowly as Jet and the others worked. His mind continued to race with questions. What were the Spirit Elementalists all doing here so willing? What did they hope would come out of giving the Empire ultimate power or risking the world? He knew it would be a long time before his questions would be answered.

Heyvl trudged through the thick snow. What he used to think was magical, was now the cause of slowing the army down almost to a complete halt. It had been weeks since they had begun their journey to Calbar, and they had barely made any progress into the Empire's land. Moving several thousand people all at once was long and hard work. Not to mention the bandit camps they came across on the way. Thanks to Irina bringing the attention to the plague that they were, the Queen made sure they dealt with the pests which called themselves raiders or bandits.

The air was filled with the smell of blood and wet clothes. There were now several tents treating those who were wounded in the bandit fights. It had slowed their process even more.

"Heyvl!" Irina called out as she approached him. She was happy to see him.

"Any word from the Queen?" he asked. Heyvl held Jet's old sword in his hand. He had already been using it to fight bandits. After the training he had received from Coria, the practice made him grow attached to it. The blade began to turn purple.

"It seems like it may be a couple months before we reach Calbar. This weather and our wounded are slowing us down too much."

That is what Heyvl feared. He knew it would take a while, but he almost wished they didn't have to take their time. Was the element of surprise really worth it while Jet was forced into slavery for so long?

"Where's Rujar?" Heyvl asked. Purple rippled through his eyes.

"I think he is in the northern medical tent. I think Coria had come back with more reports."

Heyvl started heading towards the north end of the army. Irina frowned and followed him. "Is everything okay?"

"No. We are taking way too long."

"We'll get there in enough time.'

"How do you know?" Heyvl asked as he looked back to the Crystal Elementalists with a serious expression. Soul Element began to flare from his hands.

Irina stared him down. She didn't want to look like she was just trying to be supportive for his sake. "As much as you may not believe it, but we'll make it in time. Jet will be okay." She hoped his affliction wasn't hurting him.

Heyvl looked away. He wasn't going to agree with her, even though he didn't feel differently. The last few weeks had made Heyvl feel more hardened. He had finally seen battle and was ready for the march on Calbar. The cold didn't help either.

The Lonavian boy held his cloak close with one hand. He kept the glowing sword in the other. They had to expect bandit raids at any point. Their numbers were far greater, but that didn't stop the raiders from wanting the army's loot. He shivered as a cold breeze blew by him. More whispers crawled into his ear, but he ignored them.

The medical tent was one of the larger ones amongst the camping Kingdom knights and Lonvian volunteers. A large red cross was on the top of the tent.

The camp was filled with chatter. People were laughing and telling jokes. Normally, Heyvl would have been happy to see his homeland's people getting along well with the Kingdom. Now, he saw it as if they were slacking off. The general's words almost slipped out of his mouth.

"Heyvl," Rujar said as he came out of the medical tent followed by Coria. "Glad to see you over here. The wounded could see a friendly face of one of our leaders."

"I'm not here for them, Rujar. I'm here to ask you why we aren't moving."

Rujar's smile faded. "Heyvl, you need to know these things take time."

"You keep saying that! Why do we need the element of surprise?!"

"Funny you should ask," Coria chimed in. "My scouts have brought information back that tells us we need surprise more than anything."

"Why?" Heyvl questioned.

"It seems whatever the Emperor found this machine in, he has found several other technologic devices. These devices use Elements in ways we've never seen."

"How would that stop us?"

"Figuring that almost all of our Lonavian recruits are Elementless, and only a few hundred of the Kingdom's knights have an Element. They would reduce our numbers far too quickly. We need surprise."

Heyvl sighed. He knew she was right. He had no idea that the Empire had that technology at hand. He pushed through them and into the medical tent. Irina followed him. She gave Rujar and Coria a look that asked them to forgive Heyvl.

"Perhaps he can be reasoned with. He is too eager. Jet is a strong kid. He'll make it through," Rujar told Irina and Coria. "Pray the Souls don't take him."

"I'll try," Irina said as she disappeared into the tent, agreeing with Rujar.

Rujar shrugged to Coria, and the scout gave him a smile.

"You all fought well," Heyvl said to the men and women who leaned on their cots to look at the boy. Irina smiled as she stood behind him.

"These bandits will be ridded from our lands. Someday this will be looked as a great crusade. Not only are we stopping the Empire, but we are freeing the Kingdom and Empire of a taint. Soon, the lands will be better because of our march. And you, who have fought well and hard, will be those remembered. I believe you all will get through your wounds and continue to march. Soon we will be able to tell the citizens of Lonava and Kingdom that they can finally relax."

The knights and recruits cheered to the best of their ability. Irina smiled widely. "Thank you Heyvl," she said. He looked back at her and returned a smile, the purple aura fading from his hands and eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm impatient. I haven't had to deal with this before. You all are right. We need to take our time. I have to believe Jet is strong enough to wait for us to arrive."