The Elementalist: Sky City (Book One)

Chapter Two: The Streets of Capital City

Years and years passed, and the sun slowly began to set on Capital City. As the shadows of the buildings lengthened, two distinct footsteps crept quietly along the paved roads. Peeking around one of the many shops, two pairs of eyes, both bright blue and mischievous, sneakily stared at their prey.

Standing as stiff as ever were two city guards, relaxed on benches and neglecting their post. It was evident immediately that neither of these two men were the smartest in the bunch, and neither appeared to care all that much for the job assigned to them. Pikes laid to the side, the lightly armored guards were dressed in the royal red and gold of the king's guard, but their armor and cloth showed wear and tear, having not been replaced in the years of turmoil that had persisted in Capital City for the last 12 years.

There was an atmosphere of power from their position as king's guards that brought them a small enjoyment—being able to boss any common person around—but it was not often someone was foolish enough to approach them. Despite their power at the title of their roles as guards, their growls of indifference and unfriendly gaze alone would keep most away. both had long, unkempt hair that fell from their rusted helmets, with patchy beards not too often trimmed for any kind of ceremony.

Still, a sour attitude was understandable to most, given that the guards had the not-so-luxurious job of guarding one of the many gates leading to Capital City's Palace. The towers of polished stone and riches sat above the rest of the festering, middle-class city, a symbol of class and superiority among rotten streets and poor beggars. What had once been the grand meeting place for the many kings and queens of the Elemental Kingdoms had then been the personal home of the cruel tyrant and unfortunate Elementalist, Emperor Krane. Fourteen years had passed since the four kingdoms were attacked by the Elementalist. The city cores had been extinguished and powers were bled from citizens of all elements. In the years after, tyranny had followed swiftly.

The guards and soldiers of the Imperial army were oppressors of the less fortunate around them, taking what they wanted from innocent townsfolk and leaving fear in their wake. Common games had formed among the braver of the children in Capital City to pester and torment these guards and soldiers as much and as often as possible. Punishment for getting caught was often severe and swift, but in streets where food was scarce and luxury non-existent, many of these children were street-hardened and fearless of the cruelty they risked.

Two such boys, both fourteen years of age, stood behind the moss-covered wall of a shop in the distance, staring down these two guards.

"They're just sitting there," Wade, the younger of the two, whispered to his friend Ben.

The fourteen-year-old named Ben snapped his head to look back at his childhood friend, hovering over his shoulder as they both hugged the corner of the tattered, brick building. Like most of Capital City in the last decade or so, the building was in desperate need of repair.

"Just give it a moment, would you?" Ben tells him.

One look from a passerby and it'd be apparent that Ben and Wade were practically brothers, solely in their demeanor and closeness. They were two boys that, despite looking nothing alike and having very different personalities, gave the unmistakable appearance of family. Ben had the blonde hair of a Sky Kingdom citizen that hung just above his eyes and Wade had the dark brown hair of an Aqua Kingdom citizen, though shaven short so that you couldn't really tell the color unless up close. Both boys wore gray, colorless rags of clothing, signifying their social class as either a fisher or a blacksmith's son. They were both the same height and roughly the same age, but to underestimate these two fourteen-year-olds was always a serious mistake—a lesson these guards would soon learn.

"I'm telling you," Wade whispered again. They're not leaving. They've been there for over an hour..."

"They're usually never this good at their job."