Elementals.

Nature’s shock-troops. They were a much rarer sight now than they’ve been before and they weren’t a common occurrence to begin with. The true Great War took care of that. The First War. Back then, goaded and begged by the masses of the Wild, huge Elementals came in from their respective planes, toppling mountains and boiling seas.

This wasn’t one of them. Oh, Regitris knew that Az spoke the truth when he said it had been much larger at the beginning of the fight. After all, the ground was tainted red and puddles of blood had appeared all over. That could have only been cut off pieces from its body. But even at the size it must have been, it was still a junior, compared to the heavy-weights of old.

The problem wasn’t its size, no. The problem was its nature.

Unlike slimes, golems and other summoned or created beings, Elementals were only composed of one thing. Scratch that, maybe more, but Regitris preferred to keep those thoughts for his nightmares. Yes, only one element, as their name suggested, but that element they could use to the fullest.

Water could take any form, form any weapon and even launch parts of itself as high-speed streams. Almost impossible to destroy by physical force. Earth was just as impossible, but it had less mobility, though with the added advantage of being able to crush ruin everything for miles around it by the tremors it could create. Wind could fight whole armies at once, fire could make even approaching it a suicide mission, rot could end your life long after you defeated it. Different dangers, for different opponents.

And the danger here? The danger was that this Elemental had been hand-picked for this battle.

Its nature was Blood. Which wasn’t often one of the more destructive types. Yes, if it touched you, you were basically dead, outside of great Spells and Potions, since it sucked out your life’s blood. And if you were a mage, that blood could be ripped away right alongside your magic. It could empower individuals and animals, even monsters fighting by its side. It could harden itself, thought not as strongly as Earth or Stone and it was mobile, though not as much as Air or Water. A good for all threat, yet one that excelled at nothing.

Save one thing. Manipulating blood.

Normally, it had to touch you or form a link to you in order to do that. But its kind of magic was… older. It didn’t play by the rules as much as other forms of magic. It worked by concepts, instead of rules and those concepts could be made to be mutable. As was the case.

Az was a Djinn. His very body was magic and his blood was the purest form of it. But his body wasn’t a set point, as others were in the world. It was flexible, shifting by its own nature. That gave Az strength, but it also made what he had as its own less stable. Thus, when Az’s Spells touched the Blood Elemental, the thing used them to form a link. And drained Az’s ‘blood’ though it. Magic lost.

Regitris could see it, looking at his teacher. His body had diminished. That thing ate at him, until Az finally managed to close the gateway and chip away at its body. Even now, he had to be careful not to cast any direct Spells. He was too frail for another robbery of essence.

Regitris didn’t like to think of him as frail. He didn’t like seeing him this way.

“Stop fucking daydreaming and cast!”

Shit.

“|Magma Stream|, |Implosion Orb|, |Incineration Ray|.”

The thing reared back, struck harder than last time.

“Good. But ease up on the direct Spells. You’ll get tired eventually and that’s when it gets you.”

Regitris nodded, returned back to the present.

Their fight had already lasted an hour. Az’s fight had lasted even more. They were tired and Regitris had already started downing Mana and Stamina Potions. Az would have too, but few worked on him and none of which they had. They had baited the thing into attacking them, Az mostly and then unleashed a barrage of Spells on it. Each time they did, they tore chunks of its body away. Burned it, vaporizing the liquid. And yet, each time it grew back.

From where?

“Teacher, I think it’s adapting to our Spells. We think we do damage, but we don’t.” Regitris exclaimed.

“Finally starting to think a step ahead, I see. Good. But no. Our Spells are taking their toll.”

“But look at it!” he gestured. “It’s barely even decreasing now.”

“I know.” Az quietly said.

Regitris turned to his teacher, as the Djinn conjured a swarm of |Fireballs| and unleashed them on the Elemental.

“It’s saturated the area with Blood Mana. Blood magic. This entire damn battlefield is now a demi-plane.

Demi-plane…

Az had taught him about those. Millennia ago, when the Elementals were called to this realm in greater numbers, the places they touched upon for long changed. They turned into areas much like the very primordial planes from which they came from.

If this is a demi-plane… than we’ve lost. But that’s impossible!

“But how?!” Regitris shouted in frustration. “It isn’t one of the old ones. It’s been here for hours, not centuries.”

“I suspect the Green knows something we don’t then. But… I thought about it. The periodic sacrifices, the nymph’s blood. It must have something to do with this. It wasn’t all for opening a gateway. A ruse withing a ruse.”

“Then… what? We can’t kill it, not here. We have to lure it away. Or retreat and regroup.”

“It won’t be lured away, Regi. Think! It’s not a monster, for all it looks as one. And if we retreat, then we’re just surrendering our second line of defenses.”

“Then we block it. We use…”

He stopped himself. That was forbidden magic, even for his own people. And far above his own ability. But Az… even weakened as he was… Maybe.

“Heads up. |Mass Stonespear Impalement|. |Mana Link|.”

“Uh- Oh! |Spell Alteration: Fire|, |Mass Flame Jet|.” He cast, continuing the link Spell Az started.

The Elemental was caught from its advance in thousand of spears, lodging into it like barbs. Which Regitris turned into an array of miniature flamethrowers. It sizzled and shifted and backed away once more.

“Good one.”

“Thanks.” The elf panted.

“We use what?”

“Oh. I was suggesting we use… special magic? And then time magic, maybe? Catch it in a cut-off are of space and then slow down time inside it to give us time to prepare? …maybe?”

Az looked at him with a long-suffering stare.

“If you are to ever become a leader, you’ll have to learn how to put your mouth where your ego is. Or better off, where your mind is. Command or suggest, don’t ask.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“But it is good of you to be warry of such magic. Yet… no. I could not slow down time enough, not in my current state. And if I fail… by the time the Spell ends it would have gathered enough strength to counter any force we could muster.”

“Right. Then… Az. What do we do?”

“I have a plan.” The Djinn stated. “But I need you to keep it locked in place for me. Seal it down, as long as you can.”

“Got it. What are you planning?”

His teacher turned to him.

“Magic beyond your comprehension, whelp!” Az grinned. “Get cracking!”

It came at them, once again. It always did. It drew back, dodging Spellfire and it replenished itself, absorbing ambient tainted mana from the crimson soil. Faster and faster each time. It had even started to grow back again, not only to heal itself. And each time the Elemental felt it had returned to a fighting state, it went on the attack.

But this time, only Regitris met it, as Az focused his mana.

“It is time for you and your pathetic followers to learn why I will be the greatest elf to ever live!” Regitris shouted, a defiant grin splitting his face ear to ear. “|Area Spell: Mana-Soaked Grounds|, |Magic Overdrive|, |Concentrated Mana|.”

The earth, the literal earth over which Elemental had been shuffling over, began to glow. The magic that was being pumped into made it glow physically. Regitris felt the thing try and connect to his magic, but he resisted it. It slowed, perhaps warry, but this was only the prep-work. The true magic came after.

Regitris needed to lock it down. He could have used arcane chains. Spells that paralyzed movement or that dampened inertia. But Az taught him well. Once kind of magic worked best for what he wanted.

And so, he pushed himself to the absolute limit and cast.

“|Summon Monolith: Frozen Stillness|.” He shouted.

And he fell on his knees, blood trickling out of his nose and ears, but he had enough strength to raise his head and watch. A misshapen tower of stone appeared in the area of he had prepared, appearing inside the Elemental. And froze it solid.

Regitris felt it struggling to pervert his magic and break free, but the heard part was now over. He had expended his magic and all he needed now was to keep control of his Spell. He had worked its magic inside the Elemental and used the cold magic to infiltrate the very material which made up the being freezing it solid. Sheer strength could not help it break free. Regitris felt it fighting for control, but he could hold. He was exhausted and almost depleted of mana, but for a while at least, he’d make sure the Elemental would stay put.

“Good. Keep it locked down. No matter what happens, don’t let it get away. Got it?”

“Yes, teacher. But what… are you going to do?” Regitris asked, straining.

In response the Djinn simply floated over… and entered the Elemental. He phased right in.

Instantly, Regitris felt a lurch from the being, its fight for control becoming frantic, desperate.

“Teacher? Az? Az!”

“Quit yelling, Regi.” Az’s voice sounded in his ears. “|Faraway Voice| is a novice Spell.”

“Oh. Well… sorry. But what are you doing?”

“Killing it.”

“Uhm… how?”

“Regi, I need to focus and you keep blabbering. Shut up for a minute.”

“Got it. Sorry.”

Regitris waited and true, in less than a minute, the fight for control ended. He saw and felt the Elemental’s magic, but sensed no more will from it. As if… it had given up.

“Az? I think it gave up.” Regitris said, finding that his Spell had dissipated.

“Wrong yet again, my pupil. It hadn’t given up. It’s simply fighting me now.” Az said and his voice sounded amused.

“Huh?”

“Eloquent. I have taken over your Spell. Linked it to my being by placing my magic inside your own. And through your Spell, I can now affect this wretch, without it stealing away my magic.”

“Oh. Didn’t know you could do that.”

“And I bet you didn’t know I could do this either.”

The frost turned to flames in a second and though the Elemental started to thrash around, it was pinned in one spot. Unable to flee and unable to regenerate, not faster than it was being burned.

“Wow. Kind of gruesome. You’re going to have to teach me that.”

“I regret to say, my pupil, that I will be unable to.” Az said, voice sounding tired.

“Why?”

“Your magic is acting as a conduit, but I am now linked to this Elemental. My magic is fueling the fire, but the fire is burning us both.”

“Az? What are you saying?” Regitris lurched to his feet, voice unsteady.

“Manage the troops in my absence. I doubt this is just an attack, as opposed to a small part of a greater plan. Lead them, inspire them and most of all, protect them. I have taught you both magic and leadership. And for all I regret I can not teach you more, you are ready to-“

“Az! What- What the fuck is happening? What’re you doing?!”

A sound like a sigh was heard.

“I could not have ended it any other way Regi.” Az said, sounding finished. “It created a demi-plane. Even had we somehow defeated it, it or something like it would have come back. And there are no mages or beings on our side capable of wiping out such a place, at least not any capable of reaching here fast enough. I had to destroy it and through its magic, destroy the demi-plane too. No matter the cost.”

“But… but you’re a Djinn. You’re Az’Shaliq! You know more magic than my elders! You-“

“Know very well that there is no any other way. Because I am who I am. Many of my kin have died aiding you and yours. I will not be the last.”

“But…”

“I am sorry, Regi.” Az said, tired, but somehow still amused. “But look upon my death and see the truth. This is why we fight. This is why we give our all. If it wins, the Green and the Wild would overtake it all. Our entire world would be once again slaves to their will. The past must not come back.”

“Az.”

“You and your people are the heralds of a new age. Guard it! Protect the younger races. Win Regitris. Fight and win and when it is all done, guide whoever remains. So such misery could never again take place.

“Az!” Regitris shouted in despair.

“I am truly sorry. And I am truly proud. Goodbye, Regitris. My pupil. May magic guide you until the end.”

By that point, the fire had consumed almost the entirety of their opponent. Enough that Regitris could see the form of his teacher, diminished, but proud. He felt his eyes on him as he spoke his last words. But his teacher told no lies. After his farewell, the last blaze caught both Elemental and Djinn, searing light and heat blasting by Regitris. After it passed, only the elf remained. The grounds around him where charred and tainted with magic, but it was no longer crimson. The demi-plane was gone, as was its master. His teacher too.

He didn’t know how long he had stood there, shouting and crying. Using what little magic he had left to cast Spells, the most destructive he was capable off, all in a futile attempt to let out his grief. He only stopped when he received a |Message|.

“Sir. Second Garrison |Captain| reporting. We’ve just received multiple reports or urgent nature. Sir, we have received word that three- no, four First Garrison’s have been attacked. Two have already fallen. Reporting multiple enemies, of varied nature. Werewolf packs, earth golems, satyrs, even a lesser treant. And- sir, we I’m looking at a report mentioning an Elemental. I-, I don’t know if it’s an illusion but in light of what has been reported to me by your own garrison… Sir, is your fight over? Can you and Az’Shaliq provide support? …Sir. Sir, we need help. Sir? Regitris, sir? Please!”

The words came on, but he stopped hearing them. Multiple attacks. All grand in nature. A coordinated wave of attacks, the start of a campaign, not a paltry, few raids. Az was right. This was just the start. And they lost their best fighter. Regitris had lost Az. But… they needed his help. At least until others came to support them. His kin and their allies. But what could he do? He… he was spent. And grieving. What… what could Regitris do?

His answer came to him as he looked at the place of his teacher’s last stand.

I will fight. And if I need to, I will die. Just- just like Az. But I will be no less.

And so, he fought that day. And the next day. And the next. He fought until help came and he fought after that too. He killed and cursed and cast, and both grieve and anger could be heard in his voice. He slayed enough of the enemy’s hordes, that people called him the Slayer. He led enough armies into combat that he became the leader all looked up at.

His heart hardened and his magic sharpened and he fought until there was no one left to fight. Only then, when anger had burned away at who he once was and only sorrow remained, he went to fulfill the last of Az’s instructions. He came to Gnosis. To guide the young ones. May they never know the horrors he had protected them from.

And in time, he found happiness once more, however fleeting. Peace.

The Academy had its issues, but they were minor compared to the past. The past was gone.

Until it was not.