10Prologue
Strange Tidings
There is no need of torture to tell you everything I know about the fifth .I suppose you know about his powers, and the most recent history, but I will start with how he really came about. This is no rumor, but the truth as I heard it from the fifth himself. Dead? No he isn't dead. He has a long journey to complete; the events on this world were only the beginning for him. Didn't know that bit eh? Well neither did he. Now if you'll let me continue I will get to the beginnings.
The building the rider approached was the tallest in the city. The city itself was by no means small; it was, in fact, the largest ever built under the waves. All of the buildings were enchanted against the pressures of the deep, a work of powerful wizards, a work largely done by the man riding over it without a glance. The complex he veered towards was comprised of highly ornate towers and lower buildings which no one could have guessed were barracks. This was the central command of the human's part of the Alliance. He guided his manta over it without giving it notice. The central tower was his destination; it was constructed on arches that were founded on an open-water reception area. The man rode his steed into the lobby and handed it off to a waiting attendant. Striding towards the nearest entrance he passed through the portal entering another smaller lobby that was filled with air. As he entered all conversation and greetings ceased as they glimpsed his face, everyone present immediately had something else to do that would get them as far away from the officer's tower as possible. Taking no notice he continued towards the torn'sha. He entered the water filled chute and willed the water to take him to the third highest floor in the tower. Finding several others in the chute he irritably slowed down his speed allowing the weaker wizards to reach their floors before continuing upwards. He stepped out of the torn'sha and once more into an air filled room. Without even glancing at the guard or the receptionist he strode down the main corridor to the farthest room on the right. Upon entering the two servants stopped whispering to each other and bowed to the man.
"Are they open?" the man's voice was cold yet fringed with a touch of concealed worry.
"I am sorry my lord, it would seem he is just like the others." The servant nervously wrung his hands and took a cautious step back as he delivered the news to the new arrival. With a sigh the man walked over the crib that the two servants were previously huddled over and gently picked up the baby inside.
"Open them. Now," The man's tone had no reflection of the gentleness he showed while holding the baby.
"My lord, your lady wife has yet to consent to such a drastic action, I don't think it wise…" his voice trailed off at a glance from the wizard.
"My lady wife will not know about this, unless it succeeds. If he dies, you will tell her he died earlier than the rest. Now open his eyes." The man who held the most respected and powerful title of the Aquamage of the Human Coalition handed his son to the servant. His pure blue eyes held the weaker one of the servant for a brief moment before allowing him to take the baby from him. With visible difficulty the servant reached for the eyelids of the baby, who immediately started crying, gently prying them open he let out a brief gasp at the sight of its eyes. The right was much like that of his father's. From edge to edge it was pure blue, however; like so many pre-opened babies before him the eye lacked a pupil. This however was not what elicited the servant's gasp. The other eye of the child was not yet claimed by any color, but it wasn't grey like the eyes of any other baby rejected by the elements. This eye was swirling with the colors of the remaining three. "Give him to me. Now!" the Aquamage grabbed the baby and stared down at his eyes in horror. "Take him to the surface. And do not return with him. Tell my lady wife that I already arranged for the burial."
The servants bowed and left with the baby leaving the Aquamage with his thoughts. How could he be so blessed? I knew he would be a powerful water caster, but this is unheard of! There is no way I could control him. I must move on with my plans without another powerful mage at my side. She will understand. She must! I could not bear to go forward without her.
"That is fine, stop fussing over me," the Lady replied lightly to her maids clothing suggestions. "He really doesn't care what I wear. He would probably rather me wear nothing at all," she said seriously, laughing only after her maid sniffed at her. The door bursting open cut off her laughter as the servant responsible stumbled in.
"My lady, I had to tell you, he has ordered your son to be killed," he managed to make out before being consumed by his efforts to breathe.
"Surely, you must be mistaken," after looking at the man struggling to breathe she quickly shook her head, "There must be a reason for it. I will find out for myself." Gliding past the servant out the door she quickly broke into a run towards the main tower. She shot down the two floors to the baby's ceremonial chambers in the torn'sha blowing past another wizard knocking him hard into the wall. Leaping out of the moving water she ran down the corridor passing the surprised looks of the receptionist and guard. Stopping at the door, she had to grab onto the frame for support. Suppressed sobs wracked her body as she stared at the empty crib. He could not! We had an agreement. He would not risk our plans for another dead child. This one must have been different. He must have been powerful. The only reason he would toss our plans away would be if he felt threatened, but how could he of all people feel threatened? His pride could ruin us. I will not allow it to destroy the years and pains we have gone through to get to this point. Her normally average blue eyes cracked like shells to unveil gleaming sapphires, her body shrank and grew thinner; her shoulder blades elongated and formed slight wings. Her eyes glowed blue with fury. The first pixie to set foot on the planet of four elements had finally reveled herself. Her fists clenched she used her innate powers to crush the ceiling of the tower destroying the enchantments that had kept it standing so far beneath the oceans depths. A hole emerged from the wreckage and she flew out and into the water above. She knew where he had her son taken, and she would not allow it. Her speeding form passed startled manta riders and rose quickly to the surface. Once in the air she flew towards land, and her son.
The servant looked one final time at the child he had been sent to abandon. Mentally steeling himself against the act he was committing, he placed the baby on the shore and turned back to the sea. He walked into the shallows with the baby's cries in his ears. He knew they would haunt him for the rest of his life. This is my duty. My lord knows more about the abominations of the elements than I do. Who am I to question the words of the most powerful human mage to live in even our most ancient histories? With his head down preparing to dive back toward his manta, he didn't see the silent wave of focused fury ready to pound him into the sands until it was too late. The roaring waters crushed his body breaking every bone into slivers. The waves quieted and lapped gently at the broken body. The slight, blue form of a pixie alighted next to it and walked silently to the baby, who sensed the nearing power and screamed louder.
"I am sorry it had to come to this my son. I hoped that you would rise with your father to rule this dreadful planet, but it would seem that you are not safe with him. I am left with just one choice. I will send you to the guardians of this planet, they will teach you how to hate the man you will never bear to call father. You will oppose him for your life time perhaps even managing to defeat him in the end. As for me, I can not bear to kill him. Despite this, I love him. Yet, I also can not bear to see his face. My only option is to return to my own world." She took up the baby and carried him to the nearest river. She instructed the water to carry him and protect him until the elementals deigned to pluck him from the waters. Before letting him go she took off the pendant she wore around her neck and sealed it beside the water that carried her son. Then with a final flash of blue light and a stirring of the winds she disappeared to face the wrath of her own family on the elemental planet of water. The breeze slowed leaving an empty river and untroubled sands, all traces of struggle washed away in the unusual tides. The only irregular movement was the quickening pace of a normally sluggish river. Its waters moving swiftly and silently on a new course, the cargo now quiet could only watch as the trees above his head flashed by. This view was replaced hours later with the faces of four beings that would shape his life and all of those who dwelled under the protection they offered. He looked upon magic incarnate. It seemed that the elementals had wasted no time in deigning to pluck their prodigy from the river.