Ruin writhed in pain, as the behemoths came closer, their drool pouring from their giant maws. Just as they were about to take their first bites, Ruin felt the earth tremor! A shadow jumped from out of the ground, and delivered a sounding punch on one of the behemoths, knocking it a good ways away! "So, anyone else wanna try me?", the shadow asked. As if responding, the remaining two behemoths turned away. "You're gonna be ok, just hang tight", the shadow said, as Ruin felt himself being carried. Soon, everything went dark...
A short while after, he awoke and found himself on a cotton bed, and his sword in his sheathe, leaned against the wall. As he got up, he felt a bit woozy. "Probably the effects from whatever Jade injected me with", he muttered, as he picked up his sword. Her words echoed in his head about how he couldn't lift his blade quick enough to attack her...As well as himself being completely defenseless when he was subdued. Shaking his head, he continued down a hall, until he heard, as well as felt something. Someone shouting, and after the shout, a small rumble was heard. He went to a nearby window, and saw someone, around his age punching through solid rock! Astonished, he went outside to get a closer look. The guy wiped his forehead, and winded his arm as he turned around to see Ruin just looking as his targets in awe. "What's up?", he asked. "N-nothing, just watching your training...It's amazing! How do you do it??", Ruin replied. "Well, we Earth Elementals are kinda on the strong side", the guy laughed. "An Earth Elemental...", Ruin gasped. Unlike Nature Elementals, Earth Elementals can harness the powers of the earth, such as rocks, metals, ores, and others in that category. "Were you the one who helped me earlier?", he asked. "Sure was! The name's Terra, nice to meet ya! I was on my usual route, tunneling for metal to sell, when I heard you and some of your buddies above. Can you imagine how shocked I was seeing a Null Elemental leading a Fire, Water, and Nature Elemental to the Valley of Shadows??? So I says to myself, I gotta see what's up with this guy! So I followed a bit more, and kept hidden. I saw what that Dark Elemental chick did to ya, bud. Brutal". Ruin's face turned red. "I-I didn't know she was going to poison me..", he stammered. "Still man, that WAS her going easy on ya! Dark Elementals usually do the slow painful killings. 'Least that's what I heard from the old folks", Terra exclaimed. "Anyway, so, you think you can take her on now? I mean, that antidote worked, right"? "Worked like a charm! But...Darn it, I'm not strong enough to lift my sword now", Ruin scoffed, unsheathing it. The sword grew again, and Ruin used all his strength just to hold it erect. Terra looked at for a bit. "Can I see it for a sec?", he asked. Ruin nodded, and handed it to him. Terra held it up, and did a few practice slashes, which surprised the Null Elemental! Terra was lifting it like it was no problem, and slashing like it was made of paper! "Not bad dude, this is a good weapon! I see you used Infi-nite on it, good stuff", he said, giving it back to him. "What IS Infi-nite?", Ruin asked. "Wait, you don't know?? It's, like, one of the strongest metals out there! We Earth Elementals treasure that stuff, that's why most mines don't have it. Cuz, y'know, we dig it up first", Terra chuckled sheepishly. Ruin just looked at him awkwardly. "Aaanyway, Infi-nite is also an adapting metal, especially if not growing near a specific Elemental race. See here? It looks like your sword absorbed powers from both a Fire Elemental, and a Dark Elemental, by the look of its color", Terra explained, pointing it out. "Which means, if this blade was influenced by any other Elemental, it'd be even stronger"! "That sounds great! ...But that doesn't help me out with my problem right now", Ruin replied. "Well, lucky for you, I got just the thing to help you out", Terra grinned, as he went back in his house. A little while later, he came out with a bracer bearing the Earth Elemental emblem.
"This should give you our strength as long as you keep it on your wrist. And bonus? Your experience will go back to your body when you take it off"! Ruin studied it, and put the bracer on his arm. Immediately, he felt a surge of power go through him, and started breathing quickly. "Hey, just take it easy, dude. Let it find its way, then center it", Terra coached him. Ruin calmed down, and after a few seconds, he stood triumphant. "I have a question.. I thought other Elementals hated us Null Elementals. Why did you help me"?? "I dunno, really. You just seemed ok, despite the rumors, y'know"? "What kind of rumors"?? "Nothing big, just that being near a Null Elemental causes your powers to fade, and you'll be a Null too". "Wait...Is that possible"??? "Who knows? You guys came to be one way or another, just like us. But even if that's true, I'd risk it anyway". Ruin thought about what Terra said. If by some chance it WAS true, would his friends be in danger if they stayed with him? Doomed to be what he wished he wasn't at times? Then he shook his head, and strapped his sword to his back. "Thanks for your help, Terra. I've got to go back to the Valley of Shadow to save my friends".
"Thought you'd wanna go. So, when do we go?", the Earth Elemental asked, cracking his knuckles. "You...want to come with me? Why"? "Cuz, why not? You got a noble cause, Null or not. That means I'm gonna help you out any way I can"! Ruin chuckled. "Well, even with this bracer on, I doubt I could stop you. Which tunnel was it to the valley"? "ROCK SOLID!! Let's gooooo!", Terra exclaimed. And so, the two Elementals made their way back to the Valley of Shadows to save Emby, Aquaria, and Clover from the Dark Elementals. What kind of things await them on the inside of the dark town? Will they be able to actually go through the gates this time??
~Part 15 End
A short while after, he awoke and found himself on a cotton bed, and his sword in his sheathe, leaned against the wall. As he got up, he felt a bit woozy. "Probably the effects from whatever Jade injected me with", he muttered, as he picked up his sword. Her words echoed in his head about how he couldn't lift his blade quick enough to attack her...As well as himself being completely defenseless when he was subdued. Shaking his head, he continued down a hall, until he heard, as well as felt something. Someone shouting, and after the shout, a small rumble was heard. He went to a nearby window, and saw someone, around his age punching through solid rock! Astonished, he went outside to get a closer look. The guy wiped his forehead, and winded his arm as he turned around to see Ruin just looking as his targets in awe. "What's up?", he asked. "N-nothing, just watching your training...It's amazing! How do you do it??", Ruin replied. "Well, we Earth Elementals are kinda on the strong side", the guy laughed. "An Earth Elemental...", Ruin gasped. Unlike Nature Elementals, Earth Elementals can harness the powers of the earth, such as rocks, metals, ores, and others in that category. "Were you the one who helped me earlier?", he asked. "Sure was! The name's Terra, nice to meet ya! I was on my usual route, tunneling for metal to sell, when I heard you and some of your buddies above. Can you imagine how shocked I was seeing a Null Elemental leading a Fire, Water, and Nature Elemental to the Valley of Shadows??? So I says to myself, I gotta see what's up with this guy! So I followed a bit more, and kept hidden. I saw what that Dark Elemental chick did to ya, bud. Brutal". Ruin's face turned red. "I-I didn't know she was going to poison me..", he stammered. "Still man, that WAS her going easy on ya! Dark Elementals usually do the slow painful killings. 'Least that's what I heard from the old folks", Terra exclaimed. "Anyway, so, you think you can take her on now? I mean, that antidote worked, right"? "Worked like a charm! But...Darn it, I'm not strong enough to lift my sword now", Ruin scoffed, unsheathing it. The sword grew again, and Ruin used all his strength just to hold it erect. Terra looked at for a bit. "Can I see it for a sec?", he asked. Ruin nodded, and handed it to him. Terra held it up, and did a few practice slashes, which surprised the Null Elemental! Terra was lifting it like it was no problem, and slashing like it was made of paper! "Not bad dude, this is a good weapon! I see you used Infi-nite on it, good stuff", he said, giving it back to him. "What IS Infi-nite?", Ruin asked. "Wait, you don't know?? It's, like, one of the strongest metals out there! We Earth Elementals treasure that stuff, that's why most mines don't have it. Cuz, y'know, we dig it up first", Terra chuckled sheepishly. Ruin just looked at him awkwardly. "Aaanyway, Infi-nite is also an adapting metal, especially if not growing near a specific Elemental race. See here? It looks like your sword absorbed powers from both a Fire Elemental, and a Dark Elemental, by the look of its color", Terra explained, pointing it out. "Which means, if this blade was influenced by any other Elemental, it'd be even stronger"! "That sounds great! ...But that doesn't help me out with my problem right now", Ruin replied. "Well, lucky for you, I got just the thing to help you out", Terra grinned, as he went back in his house. A little while later, he came out with a bracer bearing the Earth Elemental emblem.
"This should give you our strength as long as you keep it on your wrist. And bonus? Your experience will go back to your body when you take it off"! Ruin studied it, and put the bracer on his arm. Immediately, he felt a surge of power go through him, and started breathing quickly. "Hey, just take it easy, dude. Let it find its way, then center it", Terra coached him. Ruin calmed down, and after a few seconds, he stood triumphant. "I have a question.. I thought other Elementals hated us Null Elementals. Why did you help me"?? "I dunno, really. You just seemed ok, despite the rumors, y'know"? "What kind of rumors"?? "Nothing big, just that being near a Null Elemental causes your powers to fade, and you'll be a Null too". "Wait...Is that possible"??? "Who knows? You guys came to be one way or another, just like us. But even if that's true, I'd risk it anyway". Ruin thought about what Terra said. If by some chance it WAS true, would his friends be in danger if they stayed with him? Doomed to be what he wished he wasn't at times? Then he shook his head, and strapped his sword to his back. "Thanks for your help, Terra. I've got to go back to the Valley of Shadow to save my friends".
"Thought you'd wanna go. So, when do we go?", the Earth Elemental asked, cracking his knuckles. "You...want to come with me? Why"? "Cuz, why not? You got a noble cause, Null or not. That means I'm gonna help you out any way I can"! Ruin chuckled. "Well, even with this bracer on, I doubt I could stop you. Which tunnel was it to the valley"? "ROCK SOLID!! Let's gooooo!", Terra exclaimed. And so, the two Elementals made their way back to the Valley of Shadows to save Emby, Aquaria, and Clover from the Dark Elementals. What kind of things await them on the inside of the dark town? Will they be able to actually go through the gates this time??
~Part 15 End
