Fwoosh!

“Damn its hot!”

Blazing inferno danced across Sector A, devouring everything in its path. Frantic shouts and the clatter of metal buckets echoed through the smoke-filled corridors as guards scrambled to contain the raging firestorm. They dashed back and forth, faces blackened with soot, their efforts seeming futile against the inferno's insatiable hunger.

“We need more water!” one guard yelled, hurling the contents of his bucket onto a wall of flames that licked hungrily at the ceiling.

“The water tanks are almost empty!” another replied, sounding hoarse from smoke inhalation.

“Should we... should we release one of the water affinity prisoners?" a young guard with a fire affinity brand on his forehead asked his superior. "They could... they could help us extinguish the blaze."

"Are you mad, recruit?" the older guard spat back, wide with alarm. "Do you want to incur Warden Poahf's wrath? Releasing a prisoner, especially an Aerithran, is punishable by death!"

As they spoke, a thunderous thud shook the ground beneath their feet, and a swirling cloud of dust erupted from the stairwell behind them.

"What the..." the young guard stammered, shielding his eyes from the debris.

Warden Poahf emerged from the dust cloud with an unblemished armour and a steely glint in her eyes. She had chosen to leap down from her quarters on Sector E rather than wait for the lift. She stormed towards the entrance of the generator room - the source of the blaze - her every step radiating an aura of authority and barely controlled fury.

"Report!" she barked, cutting through the chaos like a whip.

"W-Warden Poahf," a guard stammered, bowing his head in deference. "The power generators... they've all exploded. We... based on the engineers’ account, we believe it was sabotage."

"Sabotage?" Poahf's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who would dare?"

"We... we don't know, Warden," the guard replied, trembling under her gaze. "But the fire... it's spreading. We've had to evacuate the prisoners from Sector A to Sector C and D."

A wave of anger washed over Poahf. This was a disaster, a direct challenge to her authority and competence. And with Duke Theodore of the Imperial Court present, it could have dire consequences for her career.

She glanced upwards, locking her gaze onto the distant figure of the Duke who stood on the balcony of his guest quarters, observing the unfolding chaos with a look of disdain. Poahf could almost feel his judgmental gaze piercing her skin, and it fuelled her fury.

"Fools!" she roared, unleashing her frustration on the assembled guards. "Stop wasting your time with those pathetic buckets! Use your elemental powers! Smother the flames with earth and sand!"

“Yes!!”

The guards, spurred by her command, began channelling their TerraFlow Kana. Aether Steam poured from their palms, swirling and condensing into mounds of sand and dirt that rained down upon the flames.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Gradually, the firestorm began to subside, the thick smoke slowly dissipating, revealing the extent of the damage. The generator room was a blackened ruin, its walls scorched and its machinery twisted beyond recognition. The fire had spread to adjacent sections of Sector A, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

Poahf surveyed the wreckage with a scowl as she tried to identify the culprit responsible for this act of sabotage. It was a bold move, a calculated strike that had thrown the prison into chaos and exposed its vulnerabilities. It was someone who understood the inner workings of the facility, someone who had access to the generator room, and someone who possessed the power and the audacity to carry out such a daring plan.

Her gaze drifted towards the distant Wind Barrier high above in the heavens, a shimmering dome of swirling winds that imprisoned the Aerithra Kingdom and safeguarded the rest of the Floating Leaf Islands.

'Could it be...?' A chilling possibility crept into her mind. Could the Aerithrans somehow be behind this? Had they found a way to escape their cells and deactivate their Ethereum Handguards?

The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. If the Aerithrans were indeed responsible, it meant they possessed capabilities far beyond what the Dune Directorate had anticipated. It meant that the war was far from over, that the battle for supremacy was just beginning.

And Poahf, despite her initial anger and frustration, couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of a real challenge.

'Bring it on,' she thought, curling her lips into a predatory smile. 'Let them try and escape. I will crush them all.'

…

"Move it, you scum!" A guard's hollered through the smoke-filled corridor as a group of prisoners were hustled away from the inferno that raged in Sector A. They were being escorted towards Sector C, but their progress was hampered by the Ethereum Handguards that shackled their wrists.

Among them was Brokk, his burly frame hunched over as he coughed and sputtered, his lungs burning from the acrid smoke. He glanced back at the receding flames with a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Damn it all," one of the guards cursed. "We should have left them to roast in their cells. Why are we wasting our time saving these worthless maggots?"

“Yeah, stupid thing is, their affinity is earth so technically they should have no problems withstanding the heat.” Another guard quipped while shoving Brokk forward.

Thud—

As they hurried down the corridor, an elderly man stumbled and fell to his knees. His face was pale, and his eyes glazed over with exhaustion and fear.

"Come on, old man, get up! On your feet maggot!" a guard barked, prodding him with his Aether Sabre.

But the man didn't move. He simply lay there, trembling, seemingly unable to summon the strength to rise.

"Leave him," another guard said with a shrug. "He's a goner anyway. Let the flames have him."

Brokk watched in horror as the guards moved on, leaving the old man behind. He knew the man, a fellow villager from their settlement, a kind and gentle soul who had always shared his meagre rations with those in need.

"Wait!" Brokk yelled, attempting to turn back and help the fallen man, but a guard's hand clamped down on his shoulder, holding him firmly in place.

"Keep moving, you oaf!" the guard commanded.

Brokk struggled against the guard's grip, but it was futile. He could only watch helplessly as the flames crept closer to the old man, licking at his tattered clothes and singeing his skin.

“No!”

Fwoosh!

Just as the flames were about to engulf the man's legs, a sudden gust of wind swept through the corridor, lifting him into the air.

"What the..." the guard exclaimed in surprise.

The other prisoners looked back in astonishment as they witnessed the old man floating past them on an unseen current of air.

"How the hell is that possible?" one guard yelled in disbelief. "His arms are bound by Ethereum Handguards! And that old man's affinity is earth, so he shouldn't be able to conjure any blasted wind to save his ass! Unless..."

Their words trailed off as they watched the wind gently deposit the elderly man on the corridor ahead of them. The swirling air then began to coalesce, taking shape and forming into a vaguely humanoid figure.

"Mister Sorah!" Brokk exclaimed, recognizing his saviour's unique aura.

The other prisoners gasped in astonishment as they witnessed the arrival of the Aerithran who had stood up against the branding party in their village.

Sorah, his face grim and determined, ignored their stares. His gaze was fixed on the guards, who stood frozen in shock and disbelief.

"I suggest you step aside," Sorah addressed the guards calmly.

"It's that Aerithran scum! The one who got invited to Warden Poahf’s private quarters." The guard’s fear quickly turned into rage.

"When did he get free?"

“It matters not! He’s dead meat!” Without hesitation, he lunged at ahead, fisting out at the old master's jaw.

"Hah!" Sorah chuckled and effortlessly dodged the attack. He then summoned a swirling gust of wind that swept the guard off his feet and sent him tumbling over the railing. He landed with a thud on the floor below, unconscious.

With their initial amazement subsiding, the other guards pulled out their Aether Sabres and lunged in Sorah's direction.

"Get him!" one guard yelled as his blade glowed with an intense white light.

“Don’t underestimate the elderly!” Sorah shouted back, using his own surging  ZenFlow Kana to meet their aggression.

Swish!

He moved with the speed and agility of a much younger man. His hands were weaving a deadly dance of wind and force through his opponents. He evaded their strikes with ease and deflected their blades with the grace of a seasoned warrior.

Bam!

With a swift kick, he sent one guard sprawling backwards while clenching his gut. The Aether Sabre he was holding clattered harmlessly to the floor.

Crack!

A well-placed elbow strike shattered the helmet of another, sending him reeling in pain. Sorah flipped overhead then delivered a slamming blow with his palms that pressed two guards to the floor.

The guards faltered one by one, having their confidence shaken by the old man's unexpected prowess. They had anticipated an easy victory, a chance to vent their frustration and prove their worth. Instead, they found themselves facing a formidable opponent, a master of martial arts and a wielder of mysterious powers.

"He's... he's too strong," one guard stammered..

"We... we can't defeat him," another agreed, backing away slowly.

One of the guards, a cowardly young man with a earth affinity brand, panicked. He grabbed Brokk by the neck, holding his Aether Sabre against his throat.

"Stay back!" he yelled. "Or I'll kill him!"

Sorah froze and stared at the trembling guard and the blade pressed against Brokk's neck. He could feel the man's fear, his desperation, and it filled him with a mix of anger and pity.

"Let him go," Sorah commanded calmly with a hint of steel in his tone. "There's no need for further bloodshed."

"Shut up, old man!" the guard screamed, his grip tightening on Brokk's neck. "One step closer, and I'll slit his throat!"

Sorah's eyes narrowed, and with a subtle gesture, he released a stream of glowing glyphs from the base of his feet. The glyphs, like ethereal serpents, slithered across the floor, moving with lightning speed towards the guard.

"What the..." the guard gasped as he felt his legs entangled by the glyphs. He struggled to free himself, but the glyphs held him firmly in place, tightening their grip with each passing moment.

"Release him," Sorah repeated. He could feel the guard's fear intensifying and his resolve crumbling.

The guard's hand trembled as he held the Aether Sabre against Brokk's throat. He glanced at Sorah, pleading for mercy. "Please... don't kill me," he whimpered.

Sorah sighed and with a swift movement, he disarmed the guard, knocking him unconscious with a single blow. He then retrieved his glyphs, feeling the drain on his energy reserves.

The remaining guards, seeing their comrade defeated, dropped their weapons and ran away.

Brokk stumbled back, gasping for air as he massaged his bruised neck. "Thank you, Sorah," he said hoarsely with gratitude. "You saved my life."

The other villagers echoed his sentiment, overflowing with respect for the old Aerithran who had single-handedly defeated their captors.

Sorah smiled faintly. "It was the least I could do. Now, we must hurry. Time is of the essence." He tossed a ring of keys to Brokk. "Free yourselves and the others. Then follow me."

Brokk caught the keys and began unlocking the Ethereum Handguards of the other villagers. They moved quickly, fuelled by a sense of newfound hope.

"Where are we going?" one villager asked as they followed Sorah down the corridor.

Sorah replied,  "To regroup with my student and the other Aerithrans. And then, we escape this prison."

 

 

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