Nightfall, Children of the Elements Part 1

Isaac surveyed the damage. The windows were shattered, part of the wall was missing, and several bodies lay among the wreckage. One body in particular bothered him, his father, blood-soaked, at his feet and he forced himself to look away. He died in vain, trying to slow down a Greater Demon. It swatted him away like a fly, killing him nearly instantly, along with several other of the tribe's warriors. Isaac ran in late, and managed to make it flee, though he couldn't help but think that if would have arrived sooner, he would have been able to save his kinsmen. He sighed, and looked away. He turned around, finding that the survivors were gathering in the room, staring at him with wide eyes.
While not the youngest member of the tribe, he was still only sixteen, and younger than every other warrior. He took a deep breath and straightened up. "I know I am younger than most of you. I know you are more experienced than me," he stopped, looking at everyone in turn before continuing, "But I know that I can lead you. I know I can keep you safe, even at the cost of my own life. I promise, with everything I am and everything I have, that I will lead and protect you."
He felt a tear trace it's way down his cheek. "My father was killed. As were many great warriors. Brothers, sisters, friends, children...They have been lost. I understand your pain, my people, but you can not let it make you weak. You must move along. They are at peace now. They died protecting you, so that you may live. Don't throw it away wallowing in despair. Keep your head held high, and become stronger. Become stronger, so that their memories will live on in our hearts. Make them proud."
Several more tears fell. "I know it will be difficult. For I am not yet a man, but no longer am I a boy. I miss my father greatly, and I know the he would know what to do in this situation. But he is dead, and I must step up to his place as chieftain, and lead you like I know he would."
The sound of clapping echoed through the room. It increased, getting louder and louder. People started cheering. Isaac looked up in surprise, shocked to see that the tribe was cheering for him. They supported him. Trusted him.
I can not let them down. he thought, wiping the tears from his eyes and standing taller, holding his chin high. He held up his hands, and the cheering quieted. "Thank you. Now is not the time for celebration, though. We must hurry to fortify. The Greater will be back. He'll want my blood. I need carpenters up here, rebuilding the wall of sealing it off, and I need people to prepare treatments for the injured. I need guards posted, and I need people to start training. I am going to raise flags to alert and aid that may be coming." he said.
The crowd gave another cheer, then set off to work.

Isaac made his way to the ground floor, along with two others about his age, both male. They raised flag poles, and attached large, brightly-colored blankets that were scavenged to them, setting them up on every floor they could, and by the doorway. It was about three hours before it was all finished, and Issac decided to rest on the front steps, while the other two headed in for some dinner and rest.
He leaned back, propped up on his elbows, dwelling on the memories of his father, and what he was going to do.

The loud sound of his hover-cycle's engine roared, as Jim tore right down the road, passing a sign that said: Denver, 2 miles.

Almost there... He thought, recalling the radio signal from awhile ago.

Zack walked with his naginata strapped to his back. As a cycle passed him. He paid it no heed. He'd be there in his own time, why should he rush?

Jeff walked along a bit cautiously, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. The radio broadcast that her group had received had piqued her interest, and she'd gone off alone, as she didn't really need the rest of them to survive.

Noticing a person off in the distance, she hung back a bit, doing her best to blend in with the scenery.

Xone hadn't quite understood the radio broadcast his parents had been listening, but he knew people like him were needed in Denver. He went to his parents stables, for once being glad his parents were old fashioned and had horses, because his ability let him ride them with ease. He jumped on his horse, Cadoc, and took off toward Denver. I hope I'm not too late, he thought.

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As the broadcast finished, Neveah was already setting out. She lived in the nearby national park, and knew she would get there soon. She almost forgot her rapier, but went back for it and sheathed it, then set out for Denver. I hope there will be some action on the way, she thought.

Jason was slowly walking, looking around at the wasteland he let out a sigh. So much life had been erased by those demons. "Technology was the worlds greatest downfall." he said aloud. Far off in the distance he could see dust rising. "Probably a hover cycle or something" he murmured again.

T'aint good t'be talkin' to yerself, ya crazy li'l git. A voice echoed around him, almost as if it were next to him. He had long since given up on flinching when this happened, the voices in his head that had arisen because of his element he had grown used to since the day he'd destroyed everything.

This first voice, Jason envisaged as tall, battle weary man smoking a cigarette, wearing an eye-patch with a bottle of alcohol in his free hand.

Leave him alone. He's only got us for company, and we're not exactly the funnest conversation. This second voice was an unintelligent, protective women.

Eh, bite me ya' crazy bitch. The first voice responded to the more maternal second voice which had a female tone to it.

"Can both of you just shut up..." Jason said aloud with a sigh. The constant bickering between the main two voices was always annoying.

The kid's got the right end of the stick. A third voice spoke up now, this voice seemed to be the most normal of them all. This voice always came with the image of a well dressed man with his nose in a book.

SHUT THE FUCK UP. There was the fourth voice, a ball of pure darkness with red demonic eyes. This was the one that took control when Jason used his element.

Jason meanwhile shook it off and increased pace slightly, he hated the voices, he hated everything to do with this world. But there was nothing he could do about it.

Isaac's ears picked up the roaring of some sort of engine. reinforcements...? he thought, getting to his feet. He whistled loudly, and a blonde head popped out from behind the door. It was a little girl, about seven, whose name was Amanda. "Amanda, go get the welcoming party." he said gently. The girl nodded and ran off to fetch the older members of the tribe. Isaac jogged down the stairs, and part way down the street before he took off at a dead sprint towards the direction of the noise. It was getting closer and closer, so Isaac stopped, looking left and right, spotting a rather large snow drift. He ran towards it, jammed a fist into it, and a rather large ice pillar shot up about forty feet into the air to try and alert the source of the noise to his presence.
He stuck his hands into his pocket, clenching the butterfly knife he always kept on him, just in case.

Jim spotted the pillar from the corner of his eyes, and quickly changed sirections, heading towards it. Well, they know I'm here...

The engine noise was getting closer. Isaac took off at a sprint, rounding a corner before seeing a hover cycle hauling ass down the road. Isaac raised one hand in a wave, waiting until the rider was close enough to hear him speak. "You heard the broadcast?" he asked, slipping his hand back into his pocket. "I'm Isaac. Isaac Ahmaht."

Seeing the ice pillar off in the distance, Suzume mumbled to herself, changing directions. This fucking well better be important.

(~)

Zack was getting closer and closer...

Jim pulled to a stop nearby, parking before removing his helmet, as he got off the vehicle. "Yeah, I heard your broadcast, thought you guys could use my help, name's Jim."

Jason saw the pillar as a mere speck in the distance and sighed mentally he couldn't get the optimum speed out of his body in this state, but he wasn't going to get any help from his element. It hadn't allowed him to learn or develop any techniques that helped with travel. But he did have a theory about shadow travel.

For now he merely sped up to a power walk. "An ice demon maybe. That'll be interesting."

Let me at 'em. I'll kill it 'fore it can do fuck all. Eyepatch spoke. Jason could already picture the sick grin.

Manda saw the pillar in the distance. "...Hm." Was all she said out loud, and began to make her way towards it.

Isaac offered a hand. "Welcome aboard, Jim. I can show you to the building we're camped out in. Follow me." he said, turning around, retracing his steps back to the tribe's skyscraper. "And so you are not alarmed, I am an Element Child. I control ice, as has been displayed." he said, indicating the rather large pillar which was starting to crumble. Isaac snapped his fingers, and it shattered into tiny pieces, which all seemed to fall neatly into a snow drift.
"It's the skyscraper with the brightly-colored flags all over it." he said, pointing over the top of a building, at the tip of a building from which a red square of cloth could be seen. "I'll probably create another pillar there, to try and get some more attention drawn. Go ahead and introduce yourself to the tribe. I have already arranged for some rooms to be cleared out for living quarters. Just let me know if you need anything." he said, leading Jim through an alley, coming out just in front of the building.

Dammit... I wanted to melt some ice off of it. Manda thought with a frown. Her bag was only half-full. There better be water wherever that pillar was...

Zack frowned as the ice pillar had vanished. "Alright then..."

(~)

Suzume neared the tow/whatever. "HEY! IF ANY OF YOU ARE ALIVE IN THERE< SPEAK NOW OR ELSE!"

Jason made good time and he was quickly closing the gap towards where the ice pillar had been. His hands flexed slightly and the shadows around him seemed to bend before falling back into place.

Try not to get yourself hurt... remember, if you're too in danger or you push your power to hard against this ice demon, he'll come out and none of us know how long he can remain in control for. And we can't make friends if you are a dark boy. Mother had spoken now, always wanting him to meet more people.

Jim nodded. "I us Air, anyways, I'm just going to lock up my bike, and I can start helping" He said, turning back to his hover-cycle.

Manda quickly hid in a group of bushes when she heard someone coming.

Suzume thought sdhe heard something from a bush. So, she turned aruond to give the bush a glare.

Jason kept walking at pace, any speech that he would have with the voices was kept solely in his head, he didn't want to give any demon's warning about his presence by speaking allowed.

His optimistic reasoning was that despite the dark side that he battled with threatening to take control he could probably kill any demon's that came near him easily enough.

You could do with a shot of realism. Spec's piped up.

Despite the power of such a glare, Manda crouched very still, looking down at the ground.

Jason still kept moving. The fact that most human race members were faster than they had been the past had been helping greatly. But Jason had always been faster than everyone he knew, and stronger. Maybe it was something to do with the fact he could control Darkness.

Ya' think way t'much idyit. I mean I'd unn'er stand if it were battle strategy an' tha' like. But t'ain't. Eyepatch again chose to voice his opinion, and again Jason chose to try and push it to one side. He needed to stay alert.

"Come out or else." Suzume said dangerously.

Zack stood in front of the village, near the ice pillar.

Manda curled up into a ball and rolled out into view. "Don't hurt me. I'm out of bullets and my backpakcs half empty. It'd be like killing a turtle with it's shell upside down."