“Arh…”

“Gah…”

The Sand Devils were sprawled across the training ground, eating dirt and utterly defeated. They were a tableau of bruised egos and battered armour, groaning and cursing under their breaths. Above them, Warden Poahf stood like a triumphant warrior queen, beautifully silhouetted against the rising sun. The pink energy whip of her Aether Sabre crackled and hissed, vaporizing dust particles that dared to touch its ethereal form.

While smirking, she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "Not bad, boys," she conceded. "You managed to work up a sweat this time. A vast improvement from our last encounter, but the results remain the same. I stand victorious."

Squad Captain Chek whose face was smeared with grime and blood, crawled to his feet, his pride wounded more than his body. "Warden Poahf," he gasped, "Your strength... it rivals that of a Vice-Marshal Commander. With your power, you could even go toe-to-toe with the likes of Kahless."

A faint blush tinged Poahf's cheeks at the unexpected compliment, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.  "Kahless?" she scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Captain. That madman? He fights like a rabid Geoderor (Living Rock Hounds), with no regard for strategy or restraint. He wouldn't hesitate to crush a woman beneath his boot."

She shuddered, a rare flicker of vulnerability crossed her hardened features as if recalling an unpleasant memory.  "Of all the Vice-Marshal Commanders stationed in the Nathor region, Kahless is the one I'd least like to face in battle, unless we’re on the same side. His TerraFlow Kana is said to be unmatched, capable of bending dual natures of earth to his will."

Titus remarked, “Indeed, I’ve heard about his rare ability to control the wood element. He’s truly formidable.”

Swish…

Poahf sheathed her weapon and the energy dissipated into wisps of pink vapor. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she turned and strode towards the prison gates. "Enough of this. I need a shower before the sorting begins. Get yourselves cleaned up and presentable, you look like a pack of molerats."

“As you command, Warden Poahf.” Titus turned and faced the others who were crawling to their feet. “You heard the Warden. On your feet!”

***

An hour later, back in the hall of Sector C, the guards were clearing out the communal eating area, stacking trays and benches with rough efficiency.  They barked orders, "Feeding time is over, maggots! Get up and form ranks!"

The prisoners were sluggish from the meagre rations and the oppressive atmosphere. They shuffled to their feet. Some grumbled under their breaths, feeling resentment and defiance.

"Move it, you lazy slugs! Men to the left, women to the right!" a guard bellowed, shoving a few stragglers with his disabled Aether Sabre. "Move it! No dawdling! The sorting's about to begin!"

Amidst the chaos and confusion, Sorah found himself standing beside Elara and Anya. Brokk, separated by the gender divide, shot them a worried glance from across the hall.

"What's happening, Mister Sorah?" Anya whispered, clutching her mother's hand tightly. "What is this 'sorting' they speak of?"

Before Sorah could answer, Warden Poahf strode into the hall, her presence commanding immediate attention. Her armour was well suited for her curvaceous body, and her Aether Sabre enhanced her domineering demeanour. A notepad was tucked under her arm, and she twirled a pen between her fingers with a casual air of authority.

"Warden Poahf," Captain Chek said, bowing his head respectfully. The other guards followed suit, their earlier bravado was replaced by a nervous deference.

“At ease, Captain.” She surveyed the assembled prisoners with a sharp and calculating gaze.

"So, she's the one calling the shots around here," a voice beside Sorah hissed with venom. It was a young man with a water affinity brand on his forehead. "She's nothing but a scrawny bitch. If these blasted Ethereum Handguards weren't dampening my strength, I'd teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget."

“Hmm?” Poahf's eyes narrowed, her gaze snapping towards the source of the insult. A flicker of amusement crossed her face, and with a flick of her wrist, the pen she'd been twirling shot through the air like a dart, embedding itself with a sickening thud into the centre of the man's water affinity brand.

“Gah!”

Thud!

The man collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

A wave of nausea washed over Sorah as he stared at the gruesome scene. Was it the horrific sight, the rancid gruel they'd been forced to consume, or perhaps a combination of both? He swallowed hard, forcing the bile back down.

"Retrieve my pen, Lieutenant," Poahf commanded with a chilling calmness, as if she had merely swatted a fly.

With a pale face, the Lieutenant, a young officer with a fire affinity brand hurried to obey. He gingerly extracted the pen from the dead man's forehead and presented it to the Warden with a trembling hand.

"Now then," Poahf said, wiping a smear of blood from the pen with a silk handkerchief. "Let us commence with the sorting of these... maggots."

A guard scurried forward, placing a throne-like chair at the centre of the hall. Poahf seated herself with her legs crossed and the notepad resting on her lap.

With a wave of her hand, she instructed the guards to further divide the prisoners based on their branded affinities. Four distinct groups formed on the female side of the hall, mirroring the four on the male side.

" Four groups on each side. Fire, water, earth, and air.” She neglect to mention Aether due to its rareness. “The Elemental Imprinter certainly simplifies this tedious process," Poahf remarked with a hint of amusement. "Pity it's currently out of commission."

As the prisoners shuffled into their designated groups, she glanced at the assembled groups, scanning the branded symbols. On the male side, the longest line was formed by those with the water affinity brand, their expressions sullen and resigned. Among the females, the earth affinity group dominated.

The shortest lines on both sides were those with the air affinity brand. A frown creased Poahf's brow as she noted their scarcity.

"Not enough," she muttered, tapping her pen against the notepad. "We need more... air affinity subjects."

As her gaze swept across the hall, she noticed Sorah who remained standing against the wall with his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. "Why is this one not in line?" she inquired, pointing at him with her pen.

A guard stepped forward and spoke nervously, "Warden, this one... he doesn't have a brand. We don't know his affinity."

Poahf's eyes narrowed as she studied Sorah. "Hmm.” She recalled Titus's report, the mention of the old man's strange staff and his powerful air-based attacks.

"He is an Aerithran, is he not?" she inquired sharply.

The guard hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "We... we believe so, Warden," he stammered.

She scribbled something on her notepad with a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Excellent. We shall have much to discuss, this one and I." She then turned to another guard and ask, "Lieutenant has there been any word from the capital regarding the delivery of a new Elemental Imprinter?"

"No, Warden," the guard replied, shaking his head. "However, our local Aetheric Artificers are still working on repairing the damaged unit."

Poahf sighed in frustration, tapping her pen against her teeth. "Very well. We'll have to make do with what we have."

She stood up and swept her gaze once more over the assembled prisoners. " Commence with the processing. Guards, get these... individuals cleaned up. Issue them their standard prison uniforms, and escort them to their respective cell blocks."

She paused and settled her eyes on Sorah. "Except for him," she added, pointing at him with her pen that still had some blood residue. "Bring him to my quarters after he's been... sanitized."

“???”

A strange look passed between the guards as they exchanged glances. They were well aware of Warden Poahf's... proclivities, her penchant for cruelty and her insatiable desire for power. They could only imagine what fate awaited the old Aerithran in her private chambers.

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