Triton Prism

CHAPTER FOUR: EDGAR

They passed through the tunnel entry and once they were inside it wasn't just the walls. Most of the houses, buildings and even roads were made from marble as well. All of their jaws dropped at the sight of it, like a strange wonderland. Only a two hour journey south from them. As the train came to a stop at the platform they all got off, showing their special passes at the barrier and getting scanned through. People were bustling about. As they climbed the stairs out the indoor space they all looked around at the strangest city they'd ever seen. Nothing on TV could compare.

"The city back home had a lot of black metal around," Kanra commented "But that doesn't compare to this... so much is marble."

"Come on, Lysander would've told him we're coming." Douglas led them toward the castle in the city's center.

Surely enough once they were identified the uniformed guards let them through. The inside of the building wasn't marble, and Douglas wondered if that was because Edgar was sick of seeing it. They were escorted through a high-ceilinged corridor with red tapestries, it eventually led to a circular room with an even higher ceiling, shaped like an upright cylinder. An enormous oak tree dominated this room, hummingbirds flittering about or playing in ceramic birdbaths. Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling. Edgar sat nestled by the roots and reading a book.

He lowered it at the sight of them and stood, wearing aristocrat robes of red and gold. His appearance was very alien indeed. He had dark-grey skin and light hair, six wings of some kind, oval-shaped like an insect's and a lighter grey than his flesh. As he strolled over to meet them and set his book on a table the teens could only stare with mouths agape.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm surprised Lysander let you come."

"Y-you and Lysander aren't on good terms?" Shari found her voice first.

"I suspect he's wary of how powerful I've become. A handful of people on this world pose a threat to an elemental, I'm one of them." He turned "Come sit with me by the tree."

They followed him over and each climbed up separate roots, easily big enough to seat a person. Edgar sat cross-legged and rested his hands on his knees "Now you'll have to tell me your names, I don't know anything about you five. Me and Lysander don't stay in touch. But us, we're fellow Dranglic crushers, siblings in a sense."

"Pardon our rudeness." Douglas spoke seriously "You and this place, it's just more than we expected. I'm Douglas." The others introduced themselves as well, Edgar listened and a hummingbird chirped and flew over his shoulder and up to join its brethren.

"I may not have been Lysander's first crusher." Edgar began "But I was one of the first, perhaps his twelfth... it's hard to recall our orders as this was centuries ago. You remind me of the first Triton crushers he created, Douglas. The beginning of your clan. Though the first was a set of twins, a boy and a girl."

"Wow, really?" Shari replied.

"Yes." His dark eyes moved to her "And you look genetically similar to the first Dranglic nature-user, though he was a boy. Now Kanra over here is the easiest to recognize, cloud dragon DNA infusion."

"Edgar," Zao spoke up and touched his chest "Me and Yura are experimentals, Lysander tried to recreate your marble and life bomb power."

"The life bomb is the greatest attack in my arsenal, I'm curious to see how he made that into a power." He eyed Yura.

"You have so many powers..." Zao continued with wide eyes "Like the sacred staff you create. How come... Lysander created you with so many abilities and made you so strong?"

"I'm not fully his design." Edgar explained. "There were prophecies of my coming, it was said I'd be the strongest crusher. Lysander decided he wanted to be the one to make me, and so he co-created with those who had my genetic information. My destiny was always known, but it took time to become stronger. Similarly to how you are all training now."