A New Figure

"Joseph" Harold had called out upon recollection of the face in front of him. And without even needing to think, the forest man had immediately recognized him as one of the Triumvirates. Joseph almost dropped on one knee to show his respect but was stopped. The girl behind him seemed to follow his every move because she had also dropped down on one knee just like Joseph did.

Sian had finally allowed Violet to leave with her cousins even though she wasn't allowed to hug them, not in the state they were in. She has already made it known to the three of them that they were cleaning up this house afterwards, not her.

"Why do you look so unkept?" Harold asked. Joseph proceeded to explained his ordeals to them, and that was just when it dawned on the three of them that they had forgotten that other people were actually in the building, and they were responsible for hundreds of death.

They all kept mute, reflecting on the fact that their fight had actually lead to the death of many and rendered this man and his sister homeless.

Aside from that, they had another problem on their hand, A psychotic maniac had decided to go on a Killing spree. He had dubbed himself the Elemental killer and just as his name insinuated, he specialized in the capture, torture and killing of anything that might posses the powers of an Elemental. So far, it had been rumored that five people were dead, and the shocking part of the entire story was that people actually supported this motion, terming his work "The cleansing" Harold had notified Edmund about this and had just come to inform Warren.

Things weren't looking so good for their kind any longer. They had all expected this to happen but their expectations had dwindled after spending nineteen years peacefully. So why now?

The scary part of the entire thing was that this killer was so good that nobody had actually escaped him or seen any trace of him. And now another Elemental was here annoyed at the fact that he had been rendered homeless and was probably going to seek revenge.

Harold just stood, puzzled and afraid, not for himself but for their children. If the rumors were actually true then the young Elementals were in deep trouble. This rogue assassin could be anyone and nobody really knew when he struck. They all just wake up to a dead body in the towns hall with the body of his victim mutilated and the word "Cleansed" carved onto their forehead. It was just a gruesome way of killing someone, and he was really shaken up by the fact that people actually supported this.

******

Edmund walked towards the door weakly, he had been traveling for two days non stop after he had received a letter from his friend informing him of a new threat in town. There was never peace for Elementals, they always had trouble following them every here and there.

He approached the door only to be welcomed by silence no one was home and he could almost see himself strangling Harold if he was to meet him now.

He had been standing for half an hour now, only to be informed that Harold had gone to Warren's place.

Edmund could see people standing in front of the door and he had instantly recognized the twins before they went inside. He chased after them making it just in time before the door closed. His sudden appearance had suddenly knocked the air out of everybody's lungs.

Edmund stared back at them and they did too. The twins probably didn't know him since he had left with Inferno almost immediately after their parents wedding. But he had been in touch and he had heard so much about them, infact he probably knew them more than they knew themselves.

Sian finally broke out her shocked state and threw her arms around the new guest leaving her son's both shocked and surprised.

She and Edmund had grown tight after the fight with Alexander, she had made out time for him always, steadily helping him from falling into depression and rebuilding the relationship with his father. She hated it when they left but she had to respect their desicion.

"Look at my boys" Edmund said to the twins ignoring Harold, Warren and the two forest dwellers that stood there. The boys were a little stiff with their response but their mothers eyes had changed everything. They had seen how their mother hugged the new visitor and they were sure he wasn't a stranger in her life. Edmund finally turned around to meet Robert and he could tell immediately that this was Lucas's son.

"Robert, come give your godfather a hug" Edmund said opening his arms for the boy to run inside but nothing happened. "Come on, don't be shy" He coerced but still nothing. The child was as stubborn as his father. He had walked closer to the boy by himself and embraced him tightening the hug a little bit too much to teach him never to disobey his godfather, before finally turning to the other two men.

"Harold, Warren" He began, not wanting to break apart the seriousness in the atmosphere even if he might have already.

"Edmund" The two chorused while hiding in their charisma. Edmund finally noticed the remaining two figures which he definitely had no recollection of who or what they were, and he really didn't make efforts to socialize, he has just waved at the the pair and walked towards the nearest seat to rest his tired legs leaving the small group to finish whatever they were doing before he approached.

****

Sian had taken the two forest dwellers to clean themselves up and had helped them with spare clothings before serving them a proper meal. But throughout this time all she thought about was what Harold and Warren were discussing and now Edmund had joined them.Sge didn't know why, but for some reason, they didn't want her to be a part of it. She felt cheated, she was capable of almost anything they could do and why they had decided to hide something from her seemed strange.

*****

Warren felt bad having to keep this a secret from Sian. They were aware of how she would react if she heard of an Elemental serial killer on the loose. She would overreact and probably take everything literal from then on and that was not what anyone needed right now. Throwing fear into people's mind by overreacting was the exact thing this killer wanted. When you're scared, you become weak and become an easier prey to catch.

Aaron sat aside from his partners, Nathaniel was playing with their cousin sister while he was peeping through the door constantly watching the two people they had just rescued from themselves eat. Occasionally, he would turn to his father and uncle's conversation and attempt to read their lips. The new man had also joined in on the conversation and he could see just across the room, behind a wall his mother listened carefully probably trying to get a glimpse on anything they were saying.

He was also curious but not desperate. Aaron watched his mother storm out of her hiding place and finally confront the three, she didn't look happy and he was enjoying the drama until suddenly a figure squatted low in front of him, catching him off guard and throwing him off balance.

The girl from the forest was on her knees in front of him, watching him sternly. He had been so lost on spying on his parents that he hadn't noticed when she had crawled up towards him. She was completely noiseless, spending her entire life in a forest where the slightest of noise could cost you your dinner had definitely taught her the art of stealth.

He stared back at her, watching her also. The dirt on her had been washed off and he had just noticed she was cute. She was lean, her neck bones already showing due to lack of proper nutrition. She tilted her head towards the inside of the room, now watching Nathaniel play with Violet while Robert entertained himself with a book.

She leapt over him, stood erect and walked inside the room, her sudden entrance startling the three. She had landed on her feet and still barely made any sound. Aaron watched as she walked over to the little girl and touched her hair.

"Soft and beautiful" she commented, that was the first time she had spoken since they met her and they all just stared in shock, still watching her twirl the little girls hair around.

"Thank you" Violet replied not by the least afraid of the girl that played with her hair. She wasn't aware of where she was from and how she had lived her life, so she had no reason to be scared. She saw her as a normal human being unlike the others.

Aaron turned away, to continue spying on his parents but they weren't there any longer, they were all gone including her mother and the girls brother.

He didn't know if he was to be scared or not but he chose not to. He trusted in his parents capabilities and he had seen what his uncle Harold could do. Anyone who crossed their path was definitely going to fall.