Power Of Four

                                                                                                                       

In the land of Karyn there is a forest that was once enchanted until the elves were forced to flee from the Dark One. When they left the magic disappeared along with them. The forest became like any other. But deep within is a clearing where the magic still lives inside a pool of crystal blue water. This pool held secrets. Held the secrets of the world and everyone and everything in its depths. Many have tried to find The Pool Of Blue Water. And none have sesussed. Most who searched vanished. Others were sometimes less lucky. Those that  returned came back crazed, mumbling nonsense of horrible beast from the pits of Hell. The rewards for finding this amazing pool were  great. The one who found it would hold the future of the world  in his hands.                                                                                

It was a dark night, one of the darkest the world has yet to see. The moon floating high above the clearing was the only source of light. It sent the pool ablaze like  liquid fire. The air was strangely still and filled with an electric charge that went unnoticed by humans.                                                                      

Bushes at the edge of the clearing parted and out stepped a glorious, black and gray female wolf. The wolf bristled as she felt the strangeness in the air. She walked slowly towards the pool, ears pricked for any sound out of place. Her paws made no sound over the fallen leaves. She sat patiently at the edge of the pool and gazed at the moon in longing. One by one in the  distance wolves howled a greeting to the moon. A howl roused in her own throat, but she held it in, knowing this was not the time for such things. Instead she dranked some of the moonlit water. A misty fog roused from the pool, like gray clouds. It circled the pool and the wolf. The wolf sat calmly as it surrounded her. The mist grew thicker, dew clinged to the wolf's fur. The fog slowly faded, revealing four people, two men and two women.                                                                                



The first woman was the tallest and fairest of all, with high cheek bones, and full lips. The second woman was not quite as beautiful as the first, her beauty was more wild with red hair and dark eyes. The first man was easily the most handsome. He had jet black hair and bright lively green eyes. The last man was good-looking in an ordinary kind of way, with blonde hair and serious blue eyes.                                                  



The tall woman spoke first. "Welcome, my friends," she said in a voice full of  authority. "You have all felt the dark stirring in the air and know what it foretells." She paused. "The Dark One has raised again. Her power grows even as we speak. It is time to choose others to hold the powers of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water."                                                                                                                                  

"Why can't we go after her ourselves?" The redhead asked. "Aurora, we destroyed her once , we can do it again."                                                                                                                        

"Did we?" Aurora countered quietly. "If we 'destroyed' her how is she back now? And even if we could go after her, what could we do? We are dead."                                                                                          

"But think!" The red-haired woman cried with passion. "Think.....about how our lives were taken from us.....how we were forced into this against our will. How can we do that to others?"                                                  



No one spoke as her words sinked in.                                                                                          

The man with the black hair moved to the her side and said gentle, "Sita, its something we must do. It has to be done. The Dark One can not be allowed to gain control again. The ones we choose will not be without help. We will guide them, teach them how to control their powers." Sita turned away. "Think of our daughters, Sita. Think about what will happen to them if we don't choose."                                                            

Sita nodded in agreement. "Who will go first?"                                                                                

Aurora looked at her and nodded. "Nate can go first," She decided.                                                  

The black-haired man stepped up to the pool's edge. The moonlit water turned a dark silver with swirling smoke. As the smoke vanished a picture of a young man appeared with dark brown hair and honey brown eyes smiling crookedly. "Earth," Nate declared in a powerful voice. Something dark that was not liquid nor gas flowed from Nate's body and into the image of the boy, vanishing.                                                  

"Nate, are you sure he is the right one?" Aurora asked. "How will he handle the pressure? He has after all left his family."                                                                                                              

Nate nodded his head firmly. "He needs this just as much as the world needs the Four. His name will be remember as one of the greatest men who lived."                                                                                

Aurora said nothing. She agreed that the young man would be great, but he had to be able to handle the pressure of knowing the world's fate rested upon his shoulders.

   

“I will go next,” said the blonde man. He stood at the edge of the pool with closed eyes, picturing the young man he chosen. Smoke covered the pool yet again revealing as it disappeared a young man wearing a crown and a smug smile. No one questioned his choice though they all thought the same. “Air”



“Lucas,” Aurora started. She took a deep breath but didn’t go on.



“One of the Four must be from Esson and who better for the job than the Prince of Esson himself?” Lucas looked at each of his companions. “With him as one of the Holders we can almost gartee that Esson will help fight the Dark One when the time comes.” He stepped back from the pool’s edge.

     

“Sita?” Nate asked from beside her. “Will you go next?”

   

She nodded unwilling.  Standing at the pool’s edge she closed her eyes. Swirling within smoke was a picture of a girl with long black hair and a slight frown. “Water,” Sita said quietly and took a step back looking anywhere but at the pool.

 

“She is a good choice, Sita.” Aurora said as she took her place at the edge. Unlike the others Aurora didn’t close her eyes but watched as the image of a beautiful girl with fiery red hair appeared. “Fire!”

 

“NO!” Sita and Nate cried together. The she-wolf leaped forward growling threateningly at Aurora.

 

“You can’t!” Sita said. “Please, Aurora, not her,” she begged near tears.

 

“I already have,” Aurora informed them. Nate and Sita both turned as the picture of their daughter disappeared. “She will be great.”

 

Sita turned her back on Aurora her eyes furious and rimmed with tears.

 

“What happens now?” Nate asked still staring at the place where his daughter’s face had been.

   

No answer was given.