Hidden Meanings

Eternal Loss [Intro]

If you haven't know, I'm starting a new story called Eternal Loss. It'll be started once I finish one of my own stories, which I'm mainly aiming for Heart of a Lion. So, here you are.

I stared at the palace in awe. Grawgner was one of the minor regions, but I never expected it to be like this.

It's just the ritual for selecting Elemental Rangers, I told myself, It's not like they have it like this all the time.

Elemental Rangers. The people who ran and looked over the three main regions the the four minor ones. They were treated as royalty. Every two years, three more were selected.

Elemental Rangers lived up to their name. When they're chosen, they're allowed to pick two elements of their choice to control. As each choosing passed, they had the ability to contact the head of the Rangers to switch one of their elements.

"Hey," I whispered to the nearest person to me, "Have you been to one of these before?"

The man who I asked looked over at me. He had a friendly enough face, his emerald eyes just barely laced with seriousness, otherwise full to the brim of curiosity and friendliness. "Yes. Everyone above the age fifteen has to go. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do. But I just turned fifteen two months ago. Could you possibly direct me to the ritual?"

I was guessing he's been to about two of these before, seeing how his age seemed to be about twenty to twenty-two years old.

"Ritual? You have a strange ways of words. We just like to call it the Seri."

"Seri?" I echoed.

"Yeah. It's Dragonic for choosing. Alright, let's go!"

He nodded to the lady he was talking to. "Well, Lady Otara, nice talking to you."

I stared in surprise at the lady. She had pitch black hair, light brown eyes peeking out from under her bangs. "Lady Otara...? The Ranger?"

She leaned forward, peering down at me. I was small for my age, standing at about five feet. "That's me, kiddo."

I made a hasty bow. "Nice to meet you." I said politely.

The man clapped me on the back. "This one has manners. Maybe he'll be elected for Ranger one day."

I looked up at him with confusion etched upon my features, getting a full look of him - Blonde hair, and a scar running just below his eye. "Are you a new Ranger from last...Seri?" The term still felt strange slipping off my tongue.

"What? Oh, no. Do you see any cloak?"

I peered at him carefully, not spotting the usual black or dark navy blue cloak Otara wore.

"The name's Erythos." He said, "Now let's get a move on it, or else we'll be late. As well as you, Lady Otara." He added.

Otara nodded. "Might as well,"She murmured, swirling her straw in a circle in her drink. "Otora and Rei will be waiting."

Rei. The leader of the Rangers. Most people say she's a robot in disguise, other goes as far as calling her a demon, even when the demons of Ragber were around.

"Well, Lady Otara, I hope I will see you at the Seri."

"It's been a pleasure to meet someone as polite as you." She replied, turning on her heel, her cloak billowing behind her as she vanished into the crowd.

"She's a peculiar one, isn't she?" Erythos whispered. I merely glanced at him.

"I suppose. Now, shall we go?"

~

"Do you take me for a fool?" As Erythos finally tugged me through the crowd of beings, two men waved their knuckles at each other - A sign of declaration of a fight in the Saxier land. Since we were in Grawgner, however, it meant nothing.

"Well, you little slug - Maybe you should pay more respect to your seniors!"

I took a hesitant glance around, looking for any Rangers. There was only the platform where the new Elemental Rangers were chosen, two holes besides them as flames crackled from it, flames leaping into the air, forming flames.

The one who said the last line was a Ranger, of course, but it would do no help to try to stop him.

"Why you -!"

The other man was a brown-haired man, his hair tufted up in wild spikes. I pursed my lips, reaching up to tap Erythos' shoulder.

"Should we stop him."

Erythos looked at me. "Nah. The Seri's about to start anyway, it's required to be in complete silence besides the leader of the Ranger."

"Why you what?"The Ranger spat back, and the man opened his mouth to reply.

"Silence."

The single word, spoken softly, yet it seemed that they were heard like it was spoken through the speakers. The uttered command carried over the crowd of people, tranquility hushing over the group, including the two arguing men.

"La-Lady Rei!" The Ranger fell to his knees as the flames soared, and I could actually distigush the words they seemed to whisper. 'Be mute, be soundless..."

At the platform, a lady draped in a Ranger's cloak, yet this was a very dark green with flames and splatters of blood sketched across it, narrowing her eyes.

Unlike Otara, she wore her hood down, revealing her crimson hair. Back at my home in Saxier, people had whispered it used to be black, but it had became so stained with blood it became a red color.

Unlike the other Elemental Rangers, the head of them was granted with three powers. I heard that Rei already had fire and the power of healing, and I heard she chose poison as her third element.

Some individuals really enjoy making a tale out of her.

"What is the meaning of this, Kodas?" Rei asked, arching a thin eyebrow as her grey eyes glittered.

"I am sorry, my lady." The Ranger, Kodas, muttered, keeping his head low.

"And who is this?"Rei's gaze switched to the other man, who was also kneeling.

"My name is Hayden, Lady Rei."

I stared in disbelief as Rei merely raised her hand, the flames swirling as it moved from the pit as it weaved between her fingers. "She's going to burn him?"

"Lady Rei doesn't like people arguing with her Rangers, especially at the Seri. I've seen her do this nearly seven times." Erythos whispered.

The flames coiled around her wrist as it lashing out, snaking into a whip as it slashed across Hayden's back, leaving a scorch mark.

Hayden let out a cry, clearly trying to restrain himself from releasing another. "Please forgive me, Lady..Rei..."

The flame whip flashed back to Rei's hand as it seemed to slither between her fingers like a snake. "Do not do it again."

Hayden bowed his head as he straightened, wincing and turning to run towards the healing center. At least what I supposed the healing city would be.

"Now, since that was settled..."The flames left Rei's hand, shooting back into the hole as it once flared to life again. "Allow the Seri to begin!"

A/N~

What do you think so far? Plus I haven't picked out a name for the Main Character yet. And they're a male. Trust me.

So, whose's your favorite character so far? Rei(I am rather proud of her)? Kodas(The Ranger who was arguing)? Otara?

If it's a little confusing, feel free to ask me. I'll answer it if I feel like there's no spoilers for it.