The Watchers –Elementals

Adike Coldbreaker raised her hand, forming Ice daggers, not perfectly made but sharp enough to kill. She threw it at her opponent, who raised her two hands palm close to her chest – forming an ice shield that shattered as the dagger collides with it.

Adike's best friend – Bukola, gave her a feral grin, eyes glowing ice blue as she uses her Watcher power, she turned in her drawn duel circle, doing a series of fast frost dances that she brings to an end by slamming her two hands on the ground. The ice-covered floor turn to pure solid frost that shoots sharp ice crystals, fast and deadly towards Adeke's direction, she took a deep breath, feeling the ice that is her birthright move in her veins. Eyes glowing like two small ice stars, she brought her right hand down, the iced floor shuddered, the force of the power make the ice crystals broke, sending them back.

The force of it sent Ola falling backward, even with her ice shield. She lay there a minute, groaning. Adike flung back her black braid, giving her grinning friend a hand up.

"One of these days, an going to win one of our duels," Ola said, removing her training leather gauntlet. She was clad in the black training armor, her black hair weave in a watcher's braid.

"Maybe when the ice Castle melts " She replied. Which is the truth. You were either born with the watcher's blood or you are not and if you were born weak you can only hope to attain perfection in the Arts of the elements.

Adike was born strong in the Arts of the ice element. The strongest, except of course her father, The West Watcher Lord.

"You shouldn't have used so much of your power, my lady." Yina the captain of her guard– it's made up of him and Bukolasince there's no need for many guards in the ice Castle. "You should reserve as much as you can in case there's more enemy."

"There's no enemy here cap." Ola gave him faked puzzled look.

"You know what am talking about Bukola." He said sharply. "If it's in real battle her ladyship must be conscious of her power usage, not use brute force.

Even though she tried not to feel hurt by his words, she feel the stings. It's the truth after all. She did use brute force more than the perfect precision that most watchers use.

She was saved from replying by the arrival of a page boy, who bows deeply at her.

"His grace requests the presence of her leadership in his study." He said, voice squeaking. Adike smiled at him, his face blushed blue, hardly noticeable with his ebony black skin. Adike knows from experience that her father did not "request" but rather a command.

She moves from the training ground, walking into the castle proper, the castle is built for its beauty but also for defense. Made of white stone and ice, its three towers standing proudly with the west flag flying at the top.

The keep inner walls are made of frost sleet that glows soft blue, Only the West lord can make that kind of ice. She moves swiftly through the corridors that lead to her father's study, the guards at the walls straighten and salute at the sight of her. She acknowledged them absently, her mind on what her father wants her for, it must be serious if it's the study she was called to. Her father only use the study for important things, far from the court eyes.

Two watchers guard the door to the study. The most loyal of them. They wore the west watcher uniform, which is made of half metal armor and blue leather. They wore one short sword and daggers at their waist, in case they run out of power in a fight. They gave her a nod, eyes hard – the watchers bow to no one, only their lord. The

She entered with her friend and guard. The study was surprisingly sparse, made so by her father. The walls and bookshelves are painted blue, ice crystals glow softly from their hanging place in the ceiling.

She bowed, her companions following. Her father's back was turned towards her, he was a powerful man, tall and muscular, with a face carved from ice, his black blad head shines from the light of the crystal.

"Father?" She knows from the temperature If the room that her father was angry, watches lords had worst tempers. He turned to her, eyes glowing brightly, it looks as if blue orbs had been plug Into a tall shadow. she shuddered, her father can be terrifying if he so chooses.

"He had been found." Her father's voice is iron.

Ola in a salute post gave her a puzzled look, it took a few seconds for what her father said to penetrate. Her heart rate speeds up, found, that change things for them, for the whole realm of watcher guardians.

She looked at her father. He was conflicted with the new situation, that much she can tell. She had been training since to read faces for their hidden secrets. She had to since she's the heir and future watch Lord of the west. Why is the conflicted?

"He was found in my domain, west of the human realm."

Now she knows why her father was having concerns since the Demon portal is in the human world and each portal is given to the five watch lords to guard and protects. This is bad news for the west, both in the human realm and the one and five realm – the name of the home of Ànjanu since it's one realm divided into five different domains– East, West, North, South and the Central, capital and royal seat of the king.

"What are we going to do?" She asked quietly.

Her father gave a short laugh. "Do? There's nothing to do but send watchers to bring him home"

"Shouldn't the rest of the council know?" Her father gave her an unreadable look for a while before losing a big breath, he sat in one of the two chairs there. "The council is turned Adike, the North want him for sure, but East and South? They are keeping their opinions to themselves.

She gave her father a pointed look. He smiled at her, touching the blue wolve that is etched into the cloak he wore, he didn't need the cloak of course anyone from the west doesn't fear the cold elements – it moves in their veins. But her mother sews the cloak, she had put detailed attention in it, she can see their crest –the howling wolve.

"We are the family of the wolves, Adike, loyal to the end."

"You will go and bring him." Her father said. His voice is now that of a watch lord – commanding. "Nobody will think it odd that the heir to the west watch is visiting the outposts of the human realm. Take your guards with you, I will be in the capital, am calling a council for him.

She wanted to argue, but to what end? Not now, she'd find him later. She bow, her guards giving him sharp salute.

It was rumored that the clouds were locked.

Mikel Adele didn't believe in it of course but the fact remains the same – the rain is not falling, it had been a seething mass of black clouds since last week which brings the suspicious rumor by some people online that posts a short video of strange lights that glows in the sky. The video had show the sky been lit up of different colors –blue, green, red, and yellow. The light had formed a chained-like image in the sky. Mikel's new roommate at the rented apartment said it looks like an avenger movie gone wrong – Mikel had to agree with him, but whether the cloud was locked or some science problem, it's not going to help him if he got late for his first lecture.

Mikel's rented apartment is not far from the college, but it's far enough to get you late if you wake before 6 a.m., especially if you have lectures by 8 am – Mikel has lectures by 8 am and he's running late.

"Wait for me!.' Posi, his new roommate shouted from the veranda of the rented bungalow, using one hand to tie his shoes, the other to comb his cut short black hair. Mikel didn't know what to think of his roommate, it seems Posi is the cheerful type.

"Can't wait, am running late." Mike returned, it is often said that Nigerians are not conscious of time, which mike is not proving wrong by not being a Nigerian – which can't be helped but by also running late.

"Come on Mikel, you know we are attending the same lecture," he said. Mike didn't know they were having the same lecture, come to think of it he didn't know much about him either – he had met posi on the school group on Facebook a few weeks after the admission was confirmed, posi had posted that he's looking for a roommate to rent an apartment, which he had commented – he had replied to numerous posts like that, guessing that at least one person will reply and chat him up since he didn't have time to go for apartment hunting, which is common for most of the newly admitted student.

" Oya – come on let go," Posi's cheerful voice startled him, he didn't know he had gotten so close to him, he moved like that sometimes," we have a lecture to keep!"

The ride to college or half ride deciding on how you look at it since they have to walk from the inner part of the street where their apartment is located into the main street to board a motorcycle or bus –whichever comes first.

The community college buildings are split into two parts, the one on the right side for science, the one on the left side for the art students. Mike heads to the ones on the left side, he was running for the X–the building where he was to have his first lesson, introduction to history – he was running so hard he almost collides with a girl standing in the corridor, almost because the girl moves smoothly away and posi, who Mikel has almost forgotten pulled hard at his shirt.

Mikel gape at the girl, she had moved so fast!

The girl for a second gives him a surprised look but then her gaze moves to posi who has gone rigid beside him, all his cheerful expression gone replaced with a hard glare aim at the girl. Mikel was happy not to be at the receiving end of that look, but then he looked back at the girl, and shivers, it looks like a deep freezer staring at you, the already cloudy sky seems to grow darker, and thunder rumbles breaking the staring contest between Mikel's roommate and the girl, who both look up at the black cloud – Mikel take the time to study her, hard face with strong cheekbones, her eyes are black like most Nigerians but something cold flicker in them, her skin is almost as black as her hair with is raven black and pull in a thick braid, the thing that struck him most is her lips which is bloodless, Almost blue.

"Lovely weather." Her voice chilled, but also make his skin ting. He didn't know if she's talking to him but since there is only him and posi here he decided to answer – posi didn't look like he'll reply to anything since he's still glaring at her.

"Yes," He said, he attempted a smile – it didn't go well considering the look she gave him. "It's all over the country, only in Nigeria." But she wasn't looking at him anymore, she was looking at Posi and he can almost swear he felt a flicker of cold in the air and the smell of open flame.

She gave posi one last cool look – which he returned with his own and turned to go. moving briskly between the students, she moved like a ghost or what he supposes a ghost looked like since he had not seen one before.

"Come on, we don't want to be late." Posi's voice startled him again.

"Thank you for saving me," he said and gave him a brief smile. "It would have set a record for my year here in the college.

Posi gave him an odd look. "Records?.

" Yes, haven't you heard of the first day of the week, month even year can tell how one will spend the rest of the year?

He gave him a long look before smiling cheerfully again spreading his hands. "Well, since you haven't started it by knocking down somebody, why not continue without being late too?

They were late and they had to sit at the back where they heard nothing but Mikel didn't think he'll have heard anything since his thoughts are full of blue lips and the feel of lightning.

The Guardian of the five portals – The Ànjanu, watchers. Chained the cloud over the five portals to hell, which is unfortunately under Nigeria, well not literally under since the hells is another realm altogether but Nigeria has the 5 portals that lead to the ell where the most dangerous demon lives and the demon king holds Court.

Well, it's not all the Ànjanu that chained it, most of the Ànjanu are just farmers with blue, yellow, or blue blood. The watchers, the ones that know and use the arts of the elements, have magic in their blood – which is very advantageous when fighting a demon. The watcher's lord combined their power to bind I, to keep something that had nothing doing in the human world prison. For how long, nobody knows. But what is known is that it won't be enough. They need the fifth watch lord.

Since the Ànjanu– The watchers also live in another realm they made outposts that protects the portals from their different realm.

Adike was thinking of this and more as she moved smoothly between the students – her true form hidden by the glamour that all watchers can conjure, heading for the main gate where her team is waiting for her. Thunder rumbles in the cloudy skies and she reacts without thinking, making the human around her shiver with a coldness that comes and disappears just as quickly, she pitted and envy them sometimes, the human, they looked so venerable, weak and sometimes she looked at them and feel envy for their independence, their ignorance.

She passed the main gate and moves to a tinted black car across the street from the college gate, where her team of two guards had been waiting – her best friend and partner Bukola; who graduated from the watch Tower last month and the captain of her guard.

"You should have permitted me to come with you, my lady."Her guard, Yina said in a disapproving tone, though his face betrayed nothing.

"Relax captain, the princess's not about to get abducted."Ola said, rolling her eyes. " besides, you know that no demon will get within ten feet of the west Princess."

Ola liked to annoy the captain, which didn't impress or seem to provoke anything out of him.

Adike gave Ola a warning look which she returns with an innocent smile.

"Speaking of Princess."She said casually, opening the back seat and getting in.

"Well?" Ola scans the road before getting into the front seat with Yina who will drive, even though she liked to teases, Alike knows her best friend takes the job of guarding her seriously. " don't put us in suspense! Who do you see?" Yina didn't say anything just continue to drive, the only reason she knows he's listening is the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"Who do you think am talking about?" She said dryly, " the Prince of the Ànjanu of course."

She was pleased by the silent surprise that falls in the car, even Yina looked surprised, which is not an easy task to accomplish.

"So soon," Ola said, breaking the silence. " I thought it'll take some weeks to see him".

"He ran into me."

Ola cleared her throat and Alike knew the question that's coming next by the serious expression on her friend's face. She wished she could stop it. From the back seat, she saw Yina's hand tightened on the wheel.

"How did he look?."

She loosed a breath she didn't know she'd held, maybe she should give her friend more credit. She saw Yina's hand relaxed. She's not the only one who misjudged her friend's question.

" He looked...." How do you describe how a supposed Prince looks like? She thought. " human, he looked like a human."

Ola gave her a weird look, raising her eyebrows. "Human? That's all."

She raised her shoulder in a shrug.

"What of his power?". Yina's harsh voice breaks the silence, he cleared his throat. "Do you think he'll be able to tame the wild lighting?. "Ola glanced at the sky at the mention of the wild lighting.

Alike thought about his questions, what of his power? , she shuddered because looking back she hadn't felt any ripple or echo of power from him, the only power she felt was that of the Twin guard who was with him – his power had echo deep, she didn't know both of his elements but she can bet that fire's one of them, his heated glare is enough to melt a sloppy ice spear.

" I hope." She said. Yina gives her a long unreadable look from the rear mirror, the three of them not saying the obvious– that hope will not be

enough.

"We have to get to the nearest outpost to tell my father he'd been found. And that it seems central has already claimed him." She broke the uneasy silence that has fallen.

"And quite easily at that," Ola muttered. "Shouldn't the Twin watcher make sure he wasn't found easily, or at all?"

She had thought the same thing, but then her father had told her of his "spies" who are in the human realm and had been looking for him and his mother since his father take him off the radar of any watcher, even the North watchers, who are known ally of the dead prince.

She didn't know what to think of the Prince, she had thought she would feel anger or deep hatred after all his father had been the reason her mother died, and the reason she woke up sometimes with frozen sweat on her, caught in a helpless nightmare of her mother's death and what she did.

Instead, she felt pity, this boy who thought his life was ordinary and simple is about to get his feet knocked off under him. Who would like to know that the saving of the world may depend on them? On their ability to master a gift they did not even know they possess.