Weeks had already passed. Jet felt awful. The working schedule kept everyone working almost all day with little to no breaks. It didn't take more than a few days for them to dig out the section of land. Soldiers had soon brought in more equipment following their completed task to do more of something he wasn't sure of. The equipment was all machinery. Jet didn't get in the know-how to help put the section together, so they moved him to building the walls.

Nadreen had been working in the food supply for the prisoners. She wasn't too happy that most of the women Ahrurians were put into serving food. Currently, they were set up near the walls.

"You holding up well?" Jet asked, trying to remain working on the wall.

"I am. You?" Nadreen stated simply.

"As well as I can be."

"Is the Empire not open minded? I feel with this technology, they wouldn't treat women like this."

Jet chuckled dryly, understanding her frustration. "I'm sorry. Not all lands can be as open minded as Lonava or the Kingdom apparently. You'll be happy to know that the Kingdom is ruled by a Queen."

"Heard anything that could help us out of here?" Nadreen asked. She didn't want to get caught talking about other lands. She was glad that the Queen was a powerful icon in the west.

"I met another Spirit Elementalist. He claimed to be a Planes Walker too."

Nadreen turned to the boy. "Did you believe him?"

Jet nodded. "He knew something only a Planes Walker would know."

"That's good," Nadreen sighed in relief.

"He said if we waited, focusing our Element as best we could, we could eventually break out of these devices."

"Oh?" Nadreen questioned.

"The devices are harvesting our Element to power the machine...it'll take some time, but we might be able to help people eventually."

Nadreen looked upset but she nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Jet turned back to the wall. They were building them quite high. There was a wooden frame for where the wall would go once it was complete.

The area was constantly wet from the snow that seemed to never cease. It caused the ground to be muddy always. It made Jet feel happier that the food supply was kept near the wall at the time. Instead of the wet and muddy smell that he had almost come used to, it was now the aroma of Calbar bakery bread and pastries.

The two of them only got to talk a few more times as the wall was built. He spent some time trying to gather his energy. Slowly but surely it was coming back to him even though the device on him sapped it. Nadreen had told him that she too felt a little stronger the more she had time to relax and focus her Element. The only bad thing was, they didn't have much time at all to do that.

A few months had soon passed and the walls and ceiling were completed. Jet and the others worked quickly enough to avoid the harsher winter weather that followed. The ceiling ended up being much higher than Jet had originally thought. The area was now completely encased. It was now a tower-like arena of sorts. It didn't take long for them to relocate Jet to patrol duty. With that answered at least one of his many questions. The soldiers wearing the chest devices were promoted "volunteers." They were once the laborers from the desert, but had been promoted when the Emperor's commandant, the general himself, decided not to have his own men in the muck. The floors eventually dried and soon became paved over. The construction site now smelled of sweat and oil. Jet wasn't sure if he preferred the wet mud smell or not.

They gave Jet a uniform to wear. It didn't feel right at all. He felt like one of them now, a soldier of the Empire. The only reason he took the position to patrol duty was the free time they had to focus his energy. The chest device was still worn over the purple and black outfit. His original vest and trousers were still on under the uniform. The tower still remained cold, so a few extra layers never hurt.

With the ability to patrol, Jet was able to talk to other Spirit Elementalists about the idea that they were prisoners. Some could see Jet's perspective, while others ignored him. He knew it was going to be a while to convince them all.

Jet ended up patrolling near the cells. They had been moved to the outer rim of the tower. The machine remained in the center and had already managed to reach the top of the tower. It wouldn't be long now till it was done.

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"Is that you boy?" a familiar old man voice asked. Jet was patrolling alone, so he walked closer to the cells.

"It's me."

"They haven't turned you, have they?" The old man hadn't been able to talk to Jet since his first day. He looked weaker. The device was taking a toll on him.

"No of course not. How have they not released you yet?" Jet asked him.

The old man shrugged weakly. "I think they figure I'm liable to start a revolution with the way I talk. Better to keep me in here."

Jet could understand. He was actually surprised they hadn't killed him yet. Perhaps they knew he housed more Spirit energy than a usual Spirit Elementalists. Jet did too. Unless the soldiers or commandant were Planes Walkers, they wouldn't know for sure.

"Volunteer number 752," another patroller said as he rounded the corner. Volunteer 752 was Jet's assigned name because the commandant didn't care about they're actual names. His excuse was to treat everyone fairly.

"Yes volunteer 304?" Jet replied. He had to memorize most of the patrolling soldiers' numbers.

"Commandant wants to see you."

Jet's heart began to race. He nodded to the volunteer and gave a quick worried glance to the old man. The commandant set up an "office" of sorts that was right in the back of the machine's core, which was the center of the entire tower. It didn't take long to reach him. There were no doors in the tower. Only long ramps and pathways that led all around as the desert dwellers continued to work on the machine.

Sparks could be heard going off all around. Jet could see a few Elementalists that he inspired, while others gave him dirty looks. It had torn the community. He knew when they right time came, they would rise up with him.

"Ah, there you are 752," the general said to Jet as he entered the room. It was a large room. Pillars held the ceiling up. The general stood looking out into the machine's core. There was a large window that separated him from the glowing green energy.

The general was always watching the prisoners. He had eyes and ears everywhere. It made Jet's and Nadreen's goal much harder. When he wasn't spying, he was using his Element to talk to other Soul Elementalists, inspiring fear of him into them.

"You asked for me, sir?" Jet asked, remaining in character.

The general didn't look any different from the day he had found Dustan and Jet in the bakery.

"Yes. I wondered why I recognized you."

Jet froze. He held his fists clenched. He wasn't sure what he would do if the general realized who he actually was. "Oh?" he questioned carefully.

"Yes, you were the one from the wall. I'm actually quite glad to see you've stuck to our cause and been promoted."

Jet let out a silent sigh. He hadn't recognized him at the wall, so his chances were that he wasn't going to recognize him from any time before that.

"Of course, sir. I know we are about to change the world." The words were like fire leaving Jet's mouth. He hated saying them.

The commandant beckoned Jet over. "Come over here 752. I want you to see what is changing the world."

Jet was curious at what the commandant meant. He walked up the gray stone ramp. Before he even reached the commandant, he saw what was on the other side of the window. In the midst of the green energy that was powering what parts of the machine that were already established, was a boy. It was Dustan.

"Strange isn't it?" the commandant asked, "None of the other Ahrurians recognize the kid, but strange enough, his body is acting as a core for this machine."

"What...what happened to him?" Jet tried his best to remain in character. He held back the tears of seeing his brother's body being used as it was.

"He was the original inspiration for this machine. The energy of his Element is somehow keeping his body preserved. You desert people are a curious bunch."

"How...intriguing."

The commandant nodded. Jet stood next to him. It was hard to look at his brother. He looked just like the last time he saw him a year previously. "The reason I asked for you was to ask you to retrieve the old man in the prisons. I'm sure you recognize him. He's been in there for just about the entire time this project has been going on."

"You want me to bring him here, sir?" Jet asked, breaking his gaze away from his brother.

"Yes, I believe it's time we dealt with him. He's been a nuisance for too long. Report back to me as soon as you can, with the prisoner."

Jet saluted the commandant and turned away. He marched out of the room as quickly as he could. With the order he was just given, he had to try to break out of his chest device now. He couldn't wait for the army. Jet wasn't going to let a Planes Walker die.

The cells were not being patrolled when Jet reached them again. "We've got to get you out of here, now," Jet started to say as he looked behind him. When his eyes returned to the cell. It was empty. Only the chest device on the floor remained. A smile spread across his face. He did it. The old man was able to escape.

Thoughts raced through his head. What did he do now? Would the commandant be mad? The longer he waited, the more he would seem suspicious. He decided to quickly return to the commandant to seem as stressed as possible.

"Sir!" Jet yelled into the commandant's room.

"What is it 752?"

"The prisoner is missing!" Jet panted.

"What?!" the commandant yelled, his eyes and arms flaring up with Soul Element.

"The cell was empty, except the devices we were issued."

"You've got to be kidding-" the commandant started to say but suddenly stopped. He looked as if he was listening. Jet could tell it was the Soul Emperor himself talking to the commandant.

Jet stood still. He didn't want to move to potentially put himself in harm's way.

"An army? Fine," the commandant stated. His purple clouded gaze returned to Jet. "752, you're free to go. There are now more important matters that I need to attend to."

The commandant marched passed Jet and began to leave the tower. Jet smirked. Once the commandant was out of sight, he began to head up the tower. At the top, there was an opening. It took Jet half an hour to climb up the ramps of the tower, but eventually he burst through a metal trap door that separated the outside from the machine. He hadn't been outside in quite some time. It was even colder than he thought it would be.

Jet looked out in the distance to the west. A smile spread across his face as he could barely see the horizon covered with people. It was the army he had been waiting for this whole time. Heyvl and Irina had succeeded. They had reached safety. It was time for the Spirit Elementalist rebellion.