Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Something about the wind on the cliff sent shivers down his spine, despite being warm. It stroked down the back of the mountain, pushing out from the very edge, where a boy stood, too close to the valley below to be comfortable.
The smoky structures clustered around the base of the mountain, with gray snow still clinging to the edges of the streets all appeared dollhouse sized. It was enough to make him weary, though he'd never even been afraid of heights.
"What are you doing…?" He called over the wind's bittersweet howl.
The boy, in dirty clothes with long black hair, turned just enough that he could see his wide green eyes and an odd smile. "Flying."
The wind slowed as he lowered his arms to his sides, and observed him with that same odd smile.
He didn't seem intimidated by the gold capped horns peeking out of his yellow hair, or the fangs that stuck out from his lower jaw. A little unnerving and comforting at the same time somehow.
The boy couldn't have been more than fifteen, his pale face round and his eyes big and green.
At last, he spoke again, not sure he was comfortable in the silence. "Do you know who I am?"
He regarded him for a moment, then shook his head.
He took a breath. "I am Lloyd Garmaddon. And, you're the master of wind."
***
The breeze around the courtyard steadily grew stronger with every strike from his wooden sword. One, two, whack- their training weapons collided again, and Aric was pushed back.
"Keep your breathing steady. The air goes in your lungs, not-"
A sharp gust of wind billowed his robes as Aric slid left again. He regained his balance on a sharp updraft and got ready to block again, but Lloyd put his sword down.
"You've got to stop using your powers as a crutch." He scolded.
Aric sighed in frustration and threw his sword on the ground.
"I know it's hard, but my father taught me you can't always rely on your powers to save you."
"Why not?" Aric muttered as he walked away. More a complaint than a question, but Lloyd answered it anyway.
"Because a time might come when you don't have your powers, or you can't use them, and you don't want to be defenseless."
His pupil just left in search of the water fountain, a sulky draft following him.
He rolled his eyes and picked up the swords, neatly depositing them on the rack before following Aric indoors.
"Master Lloyd." A messenger was waiting when he entered the front room. "I have news regarding the masters of water and earth."
Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Are they coming then?"
The messenger nodded. "Their supervisors have approved your request to train with them. They'll be escorted here in three to five days."
"Thank you." He dismissed him with a nod.
The messenger left, and Lloyd was alone. The new masters of water and earth, Nya and Jay's child and Cole's adopted one. Ten years after Nya and Jay were shot and killed in their home, nine years after Cole disappeared and was reported dead. Their children who had inherited their elements upon their death. The elements seemed to favor offspring, though of course they could manifest randomly, as proved with Aric.
Aric had been a farmer's son, and a runaway. Since Lloyd had taken him in his powers had been flourishing, but he still had much to learn about… well, everything else.
He had often thought about the irony of him training the master of wind, but truly Aric was a good child. Unruly at times, but then again, Lloyd himself was known as a troublemaker when he was the same age.
It had been fifty years now though, even if he didn't look it. Instead of the usual signs of age, he'd developed more oni features, so now everyone could see his heritage as clearly as if it was stamped on his face.
No one had seen "The Green Ninja" in public for a long time, just his guards and messengers. Some had even started to call him a myth, which he wasn't sure to be amused or sad at.
In any case, he was here, even after most of his team was not, and it was his duty to take care of the next generation of elemental masters.