Deox and Apprentice walked for an hour in the cold snowy city. Their destination still no where in sight Apprentice started to moan.
“we have been walking for ages. Are we there yet?”
“No stop whining and keep walking.”
“So what’s this guys name and why is he called The Banished One?”
“His names Butch Artwish and I suppose since your an Anti-Exiled One I can tell you. Butch was in the war nine years ago and a great help. he always fought with his four team mates. They were called the elements, fire,earth,water and air. All common abilities but these four were great fighters all on their own equal to be fit to join The Anti-Exiled Ones but together they turned the tide of the battle. Until it happened.”
“What happened” Apprentices eyes and mouth was open within his snow googles.
“The battle was fierce and deadly we lost many people. Butch ability is more a tactician he relies on others and guns to fight.”
“Wait why was he considered to be part of the element? He doesn’t have a elemental power.”
“Butch's ability is more elite intelligence. A master of everything he puts his mind to. I have fought him many times to be left at a stand still.” kicking some snow up with his left foot he continued on “ but on the field his team members all died around him, They ran into a team of Exiled Ones. It was a hell of a fight. Butch was helpless and something snapped in him. He ran from the battle, a coward.”
Knowing how much Deox hates cowards Apprentice stayed silent before talking.”So that’s why he's banished?”
“No what he did after he ran is worse. After he ran he cowardly hid in safety until the Exiled Ones took down the elements. After words he did something to them. And that’s the reason he's banished.”
Apprentice stood in place while Deox continued forward ploughing through the snow.
“What did he do to them?”
“If you walk faster you can ask him yourself.”
The new knowledge Apprentice got from Deox inspired him to walk faster than before even over taking Deox in the snow. Deox was not one to be over taken by a kid and it turned into a race of who could over take the other.
As they reached the top of a hill Deox stood pointing to a large tower block.
“There it is. Portobello High School.”
“That isn’t that a block of flats its four stories high.”
“Used to be eight but that was before the war. Now lets go meet Butch.” turning round to Apprentice “Let me do the talking. He's a little eh..... mental.”
Apprentice just nodded and followed Deox. The three hour walk was about to end. Getting closer to the school Apprentice noticed the School was surrounded by a large blue fence. And with one opening with two large men guarding the gate door. They both stood in the snow with fine black suits. One had scaly skin and the other had rock for skin. Apprentice had seen many people like this before. Deox walked up to them both.
“Hello gentlemen I am here to see my good friend Butch.”
They looked at each other before opening up the gate. Apprentice stayed close to Deox as both them towered over him and he didn’t like the look the reptile guy was giving him. As they entered the ground they made there way to a blue painted door with stairs. Opening them up was easy and they both got out the cold snowy weather. The hallway they entered was pure concrete nothing special all it had in it was stairs nothing else. They walked up twelve steps then a small landing then another twelve steps to a level.
“He will most likely be on the last floor.” Deox said as they passed the level one sign and kept going up.
After what felt like ever for Apprentice they reached the fourth floor. Sweating and inhaling as much oxygen as he could Apprentice finally got up from the ground. Deox as usual found it a walk in the park.
“Come on get up Apprentice it was only four floors, I did this when their was eight.”
They walked through the blue doors of the fourth level to be greeted by a long hallway the length of he building a good twenty to thirty meters long. Doors to the left and right of them. Two women wearing long red silk dresses came out a room near the middle of the hallway. Apprentice felt he was in love they were both beautiful the red lipstick they wore beamed into Apprentices eyes. Deox looked at the grin on his face and shook his head in disappointment. He gave him a small slap to get him out his love trance. After the hit to the head Apprentice noticed that the women were twins both with brown hair and the same face plump with a dubiety mark on each cheek. The only difference between them was their eye colour one was red while the other was blue.
With hands spread open almost hugging them “Samantha and Jade, Hello.”
Smirks across both their identical lips “Deox Butch has been wondering when you would arrive. Who is the both behind you”
Apprentice still in a love trance just giggled a little.
“Ignore him, he's just Apprentice.”
The twins eyes opened up with surprise before turning and walking back into the room they had come out off. Deox grabbed Apprentice and followed them into a large room. It had a carpet rather than white tiling like the hallway. A desk in the middle with books all round it. Shelves all filed with strange objects and books. Behind the desk was large windows over looking the destroyed city. The two twins were both standing at opposite ends of the door greeting Deox and Apprentice in. as they entered the twins giggled and walked out. The chair turned around and showed who was sitting on it, A square headed man. With a strong brown hair and a thick beard. He wore a suit but his shoulders were big and were almost too big for his body. This was Butch Artwish.
“Welcome Deox” his accent was neutral no give or take were he was from.
He stood up his suit and height in full view. It was elegant to say the least the man looked like a proper gentleman. His purple shirt with blue tie all fitted to perfection. His brown eyes shown from his face.
“Hello Butch good to see you again.” Deox replied
Apprentice just stood silent behind Deox looking at Butch.
“Who’s the kid, you been demoted or something?”
“No he's Apprentice.” Deox said while pushing him forward to Butch.
Eyes opened wide he looked at Apprentice while stroking his thick brown beard. “Interesting he cant be more than sixteen years old. His power will also have to be something special to get into The Anti-Exiled Ones at such a age.” sitting back down on his chair “Anyway what do you want Deox?”
“Information.”
“Go on.”
“I want to know if you have heard about anything? We have reason to believe that The Exiled Ones are going to attack the city again. “
a silence hit the room. Butch in his chair just looked at Deox before rubbing his thick beard.
“I may know something but as you know it will cost you, we may be old friends but that does not mean I wont charge you.”
Deox stood silent he itched the back of his shaggy unkempt red hair. Apprentice just stood looking at Butch trying to work out why he was banished then it happened.
“So why are you banished”
the room was filled with awkwardness Apprentice instantly regretted asking the question. Under the thick beard Butch smiled.
“Ill show you.”
With a clap of his hands four figures stormed the room two through the window and two from the room. All four stood in front of Butch looking at Apprentice. Three of them were men and one was a woman. They all wore large brown robes with a symbol on each on of them. Fire, Earth, Water and air. The woman had a very unique look her hair was fire. It looked so natural on her and still gave her the look of a woman not one with a head on fire. One of them men had short brown hair and a big thick jaw his skin looked like it was cracked or made of a hard substance. Another the shortest of the bunch almost looked like he wasn’t there in the room. He had no outline he was almost just a shadow his long hair was white almost clear. The last of the four was a big built man he almost looked more muscled than Baal. His hair was black and dripping wet. All had dead white eyes and a tattoo under their right eye. The tattoo was a strange square with a circle in it. No bigger than a rubber.
“Meet the Elements, Apprentice.” Deox said.
“Wait... you said they where dead.”
“They are and their not.” Butch interrupted. “You see I wont go into detail but their brains and body did die but only for a short time, I fixed them best I could to fight on. This is the end product. Faithful fighting machines loyal to me and me alone.”
Apprentice felt uneasy looked at the four dead people all staring blankly at him with their dead eyes.
“I tell you what Deox, I will tell you what I know if I can spar with the young gentleman their, I want to see how he got Apprentice.”
“Very well. Apprentice we are going outside to spare.”
Apprentice gave a nod.
Standing outside the school they were in a large open area that at one time would have been the grounds for children to play,talk and eat. Now just a open area enclosed around a blue gate guarded by men in suits. The winter air was still as cold as ever. The snow under their feet clear and untouched. At one end of the open yard stood Deox and Apprentice at the other Butch and the Elements.
“Listen Apprentice you need to go all out in this fight. Killing blows are allowed they are undead they wont feel a thing.”
“Why all out?”
“Because....its five against one stupid and even if I was in your place I would only have maybe a fifty percent chance of beating Butch.”
Apprentice took a deep gulp sweat staring to form on his brow. His snow googles on and ready he pulled out his sword and stood in his stance. One sword pointing towards the enemy the other over his head.
Deox raised his hands “Begin” swinging them down.
The fire woman shot forward shooting a fire bolt out her mouth. The air element shot his hand up aimed at the flame and it got larger instead of a football sized flame flying at Apprentice it was almost boulder like in size. Apprentice countered by creating a large wall from the ground. The fire boulder hit the wall stopping it and also blocking Apprentices view of the elements and Butch. A rumbling and vibration came from the ground near Apprentice when the cracked faced guy burst out swinging his fist at Apprentice. He ducked missing the punch and countered with his left sword jabbing it into the guys torso. No wail of pain or scream the body simply hit the ground. A sudden feeling of being controlled came over Apprentice and his whole body moved on its own. Before he knew it he was being thrown by the air into his own made wall. He had no time to completely change the wall into something soft. He used his sword as a stopper but still hit the wall with great force. Pain shot up Apprentice's body, the urge to scream was great but he was taught to never show it as the enemy could use it as an opening. Lying on the snow he noticed something weird with it he could swear it was moving. Then the realization hit him the elements had a water user snow is water. As he got to his feet the snow had grabbed onto him and stuck him to the ground. His back against the wall and his feet ankle deep in snow unable to move he was in a dire situation. Spinning around the corner the fire user bust and flung a bolt of fire at him. He morphed his left sword into a stone shield blocking the fire. It turned into a game of attack and block. The fire would shoot and he would block each flame was getting hotter and hotter while Apprentice was getting weaker and weaker with each hit., He knew we wasn’t going to last much longer. He only needs second to concentrate and he could get the fire user. After a while of this barrage of flames the fire user started to pant and ran towards Apprentice this was it now or never for Apprentice he turned the ground around the fire user into spears that flew at her. She dodged most of them but was impaled by the countless that were around her. She stopped moving at just stood in the snow unmoving nailed in spot. A click came from behind Apprentice's head.
“Bang your dead.”
It was Butch, Apprentice had forgotten about him.
“You did well you got two out of three, Earth and Fire the two offensive fighters. No wonder your Apprentice.”
Apprentice still felt stupid and annoyed he was so busy with his one on one fights he forgot it was a five on one fight. This defeat would always be with him and it would make him stronger Deox could see the pain of defeat in Apprentice's eyes but knew this is what he needed.
“I will tell you what I know.” Butch said while putting his gun in his pocket. “I heard that an Exiled One may be hiding in the castle. I haven’t had the men to scout it out and find out but it came from a reliable source, This is all I know sadly am sorry Deox.”
“No problem Butch thanks though.”
“We better head to the castle now then Apprentice say good bye to Butch.”
Apprentice dropped the weapons and put out his hand, Butch shook it.
“Boy you are going to do great things, Just remember this don’t let him control you.”
Apprentice eyes opened wide with shock. “How do you know?”
“All the signs were their in the fight. Did Deox not tell you I used to be the tactician for the army and with my ability I notice everything no matter how small.”
“Wow....”
“Come on Apprentice lets go we have a long walk ahead of us.”
“Oh and Deox.... If you ever need my help. This upcoming battle may be huge I may have been banished but I will still fight for my country.”
Deox with his back turned just gave him a wave.
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Chapter four hope you enjoy please Read, Vote and Comment.