Cinis Corruptionis

1014 AD

It started as a cult who specialised in the Dark Arts.
Human beings who could rapidly lose control.
Everything changed.

As punishment, the humans lost all that remained of their humanity. In a moment they were, grotesque and deformed.
So, ugly as they were, they were branded with a new name Daemon -Demon-
To regain supremacy, the Dark Leader, Orion, created six stones of pure crystal.
Grasping power from the fires of the sun, the water from the oceans, air from the world’s atmosphere, Earth from the planet’s soils, Nature heart from the planet’s trees and plants and Ice, from the tallest mountains.

A foolproof plan...but it all went wrong.
Orion had a heart gripped with shadows- greed and hatred- His only spark of humanity had been snuffed out, his thoughts made of only malicious intent.
Those crystals absorbed each shadow, destroying Orion from the inside out, tarnishing the pureness of its gifts with dark desires and selfish wants. Once each shadow seized the crystals...Orion, was no more…

After such a disaster had befallen the once peaceful country, a new council was created, one chosen specifically to counteract the released darkness...Six Elementors.

First, came Ignis, a young man with a fire of emotions, living up to his namesake, but with a pure heart and true sense of justice.

Second, came Aqua, her eyes as blue as the clearest of oceans, her heart and personality as free-flowing as the sea.

Third, A’ris, as light and as pure as air itself.

Fourth, Terrae, giving and as kind as the earth’s soils.

Fifth, Natura, his soul purely one with the trees and skies.

And finally, Glacies, misunderstood, with an icy exterior, but a heart warm enough to melt the strongest of ice caps.

These six were known as ‘The Hopeful’, branded so by its people, people who wanted nothing more than justice and their fair lands back and in peace with its neighbours.
‘The Hopeful’ did all they could to return the country to its former self, only, a new threat had come, made of those who had fallen from Heaven, or emerged from the roaring fires of Hell the ‘Tenebris Societas Daemonum’ Society of the Dark Demons.
Again the country was plunged into a seven year war, as ‘The Hopeful’ and the ‘Daemonum’ fought for territory and control.

After the seven years were over, the lands had finally returned to its formal state, a peace settled on the country until, a millennium later, the society revived itself and once again ‘The Hopeful were called forth, again they would be plunged into another war, one that would last another nine years.

21st November 2003

It had been raining that day, a little over eighteen degrees, cold for New York to say the least.
he had run away from his brother and parents and was now hopelessly lost, as he wandered around crying bitterly and calling out desperately, he met her.

“what’cha doing wanderin’ ‘round in the rain?” The voice was sweet and gentle but with an air of confidence about it.

He turned to look up at the speaker who stood in the rain, hands on her hips. She was slightly taller than he was, smiling a smile that showed off her two missing teeth.

“I’m Jo, what’s your name?”

He stared at her for a moment, short blonde hair, blue eyes that held a look that made her seem a lot older.

He swallowed and stuttered, “K-Keane”

“Keane?” Jo made a face, “That’s a weird name I’m gonna call you Keaney!...I’m five how old are you?”

She was quite abrupt as was expected from a child.

“I-I’m fow” Keane, mumbled holding up four fingers to prove his answer.

“I like you!” Jo smiled, grabbing his hand, “Let’s go play!”

“B-but I gotta find my Mommy”

“Don’t be a baby Keaney!”

Keane’s lip trembled at that and he began to cry, “I-I’m not a baby! Mommy says I’m her big boy! I’m fowr!” He yelled stubbornly, stamping his foot and pouting.

“Sorry Keaney” Jo said hugging the younger boy. “You’re not a baby ‘kay?”

“Yeah!” he gripped Jo’s hand tightly in return, “I’m a big boy! C’mon Jo Jo let’s go play!”

They spent three hours playing in the muddy fields, laughing and smiling, the picture of happiness.

“Hey! Hey Keaney lookit!” Jo pointed to something that had landed unseen on Keane’s coated shoulder.

“A buttewfwy? But it’s night time!”

“It likes you Keaney, it won’t move!” Jo gasped excitedly, her eyes shining with childish innocence.

Keane turned his head trying to see where the small insect had perched. His lip trembled when he realised his dilemma.
“I can’t weach it Jo Jo! Can you get it fow me? Pwease?”

“Kay, don’t move!” The little girl reached for it, only to gasp as the little creature flew away from her outstretched fingers. “oh, it flew away”

That little statement made Keane’s eyes well with tears and he sat down in the damp grass and cried.

“Don’t cry Keaney,” Jo sat down in the damp grass next to her little friend and wrapped her small arms around him, “It’s okay! He had to go to bed, tomorrow when it’s daytime, I’ll bring some of Mummy’s jam, and we can feed the butterflies and take some home, kay!”

The little idea cheered the small child up immediately, his dark eyes shining excitedly, “Yay! Can we have some jam too?”

“Yup and crackers, coz we’re the bestest friends now!”

“Weally?” Keane said in childish awe.

“Uh huh, promise!” jo held out her pinky, and frowned when her new friend just stared at it. “You gotta hold out your pinky too!”

Keane did so, still confused but grinned when Jo wrapped her pinky around his own tiny one. “See now we promised so we’re not allowed to break it! if you do you gotta eat broccoli for a whole day!”
Keane made a face of disgust at that, “Ew...kay! Pwomise!”

“Keane? Keane where are you? KEANE?” Keane looked up at the sound of his name and a big grin spread across his face, “Mommy! Mommy’s here! She came back!”

“Jo? Jo where are you?”

“Mummy?” the two children jumped to their feet and ran towards their respected parents, promising they would meet in the same spot the next day.

Eight Years Later
Jo and Keane had stayed true to their promise for eight long years, but everything changed when middle school came about.

Jo would rarely glance in Keane’s direction, she had found a new clique and became quite popular with the boys and some of the girls.

Keane had fallen into trouble with bullies and causing his confidence and self-esteem to plummet. He would do everything he could to avoid being the target of sneers and punches, choosing the safety of the school's music room and playing the piano there as a type of release.

He knew he should say something, but he honestly feared the consequences. Jo had become quite spiteful towards him now, would leave the classroom before he had even packed up his things and caused rumors to fly around the entire school making Keane’s life a living hell.

It was near the end of his second year of middle school when he decided to confront Jo about coldness towards him, if he could pull her away from her growing group of friends for a second.

He finally got his chance, that day, she was last to be picked up out of her group, she leaned against the rusted gates of the middle school her earphones in and iPod up full blast.

“Jo?” She didn’t even look up as he called. “Um-Jo?” She sent him a frosty glare and turned away from him. “Jo, please, talk to me.” He reached for her arm only for her to pull it back sharply, her eyes dark with hatred and some other emotion he could not identify.

He swallowed and pulled her earphones from her ears, “I know you can hear me Jo, I’m not stupid, I know you’re not even listening to anything.

She growled and turned away from him, “Go away Keane.”

“No.” He was firm, firmer than Jo had ever heard him before.

“What?”
“You heard me, I said no.” She tried to walk away from him but the dark haired boy grabbed her arm before she could leave.
“What’s wrong! Please, just tell me, what have I done? Why won’t you even look at me?” His voice was filled with emotion, trembling as though he was doing everything he could to hold back tears. “Please...just...let me in!”

Jo snatched her hand away from his, her eyes filled with hatred, “We’re leaving” She grit out venomously. “We’re leaving New York and it’s all because of you!” She pushed him sharply with all her strength, knocking the younger boy back against the gatepost hard enough Keane winced, and finally fell on his backside.
“Stay away from me, forget we were ever friends-”Her voice seemed to waver at that, but to hide it she just growled “I hate you!” She said no more turning from him and running out of the school gates,

“Jo! WAIT!” But she was gone.

“Damn it- DAMN IT!" Keane was angry, he couldn't explain it.

The next thing he knew, the bush next to him went up in flames. Startled he stumbled back, heart banging, hands sweating. "What did I-?"

"Well done kid, you've finally found it!" a voice said, shocking Keane and making him stumble backwards. The speaker had snow white hair and violet eyes and he stood there with arms folded a smirk on his face.

"Wh-what?" the dark haired boy stuttered. The white haired man chuckled, "I wonder, can you extinguish it?"

"What-I-I don't even know how this happened, one minute I was-"

"Little Elementor of Fire, glad we could finally meet my friend."

"Wait-who are you? What are you talking about!" Alarm filled every part of his voice.

"You'll find out who I am soon enough, you and I will cross paths again, you'll see" the figure turned to leave.

"Wait-you can't just-!" But he had left leaving Keane standing by a slowly extinguishing fire in confusion.

"Who are you?"