Etheron: Auntie, it's almost time for the choosing, it's been one year now and dad and mom never sent any notice, they never told me how the choosing works, I am so scared.
Carmen: We can't tell, but you will be fine and your parents must have taken the long way there so they can't send notice, you will see them when you go to the capital for the choosing.
Etheron: You are right! I will look for them when I get to the capital!
Carmen: Good now go play with your friend.
Etheron: See you later Auntie.
As etheron walks through the village and it's citizens, it's bustling market and dozens of people working and helping each other, its the city he is tasked to keep even though he doesn't understand what that means, he arrives at the well, the same well he played around all his life, once too tall to look into now a place where he can contemplate the water in the bottom, out of nowhere he feels a hand in his shoulder...
Patrick: Haaaaa, I got you!
Etheron: PATRICK!!!! You almost gave me a heart attack!
Patrick: It wasn't that bad.
Etheron: hmmmm.
Esther: Don't mind him Etheron, you can just get him back some time.
Astra: Did you guys know my sister got became a knight it seems her nature syn was really good!
Patrick: That's so cool!!! My dream is to go to a syn duel academy, I will become a world bearer one day!
Esther: I am going to become a world bearer not you!
Etheron: We can all become world bearers, it has 5 spots.
Astra: We should become world bearers together then!
Patrick: I want the Metal syn, I am going to cut a mountain open!!!
Astra: I rather have an energy syn since it is cooler!
Etheron: Isn't the blood syn the strongest?
Esther: Nature is more fun to be honest, like you can do a lot more fun, imagine you could control the wind, or the earth, or the water!
They kept talking about what they wanted to do when they got their syn, a child's idea of how having a super power would is always purer than reality and they were set to discover it in a few days. In the morning of the subsequent day a giant fortified chariot that moved without horses, from inside you can see two paladins wearing grey and red armor with the church of Aozir symbol in their chests, as they arrive the chariot opens its walls creating stairs in which they leave and allow them to get to the ground, they then scream calling for the village's chief.
Carmen: Oh, my pardon sir, what is it that you need?
Paladin Ome: We came here take the kids to the choosing.
Carmen: I will go prepare them give me just a moment.
She runs around getting all the kids that are 5 and prepares them with white clothes and shoes and using animal masks, Patrick with a white lion mask, Esther with a white fox mask, Etheron with a white jackal, and Astra with an white hawk mask, she whispers in their ears:
Carmen: Be careful.
She uses her nature syn to tie the masks so that they won't fall no matter what happens.
Etheron: Thank you, I am going to come back as soon as I can auntie!
Patrick: I am going to take care of everyone and be the hero!!!
Esther and Astra sight and then they go with the paladin.
Paladin Ome: thank you for your help, we are going to protect them to the capital.
As they depart it is clear that it is going to be a long ride, the kids in a separate part of the carriage separate from the paladins feel anxious and Etheron is the first to say a word.
Etheron: It is scary... I am going after my parents, what are you guys going to do when we get there?
Patrick: I have never been to the capital so I will help you and see the city in the meanwhile.
Astra: I want to help too.
Esther: If everyone is going I want to go too!
Etheron: Thank you.
Everyone:...
Patrick: Those paladins are kind of strange no?
Etheron: Soo true, they are so scary.
Esther: Do you think we will be that scary when we grow up?
Astra: we are going to be scarier!!! *muahahha*
As the tension breaks they all start to laugh, after hours they stop and the walls go down, the paladins nowhere to be seen, only a thick forest at all sides, the sun is setting and the darkness is approaching, in the place where the paladins should be there are 4 knives.
Patrick: What is happening, where are the paladins? Where are we?
Etheron: They must have went to get food and water.
Astra: let's just wait, they wouldn't have abandoned us right?
Esther: I am scared.
Etheron: I think we should get the knives and hide under the carriage that way we are going to be safer.
They hide in the center one looking through the gaps in the stairs from each side, hands trembling but a knife in hand, as the night falls the paladins are still to return noises echoes from the forest, out of the protection of the city monsters roam free light steps can be heard and from between the leaves a strange creature, small bodied but with long legs, it has a disfigured dog head and human hands instead of the front paws, it stands upright in an awkward position and twitches the head as he approaches the carriage, the kids trembling with fear try to stay still, but the little cries attract the weird creature which with every step brings a putrid smell, it then stops in front of Patrick only to then start trying to pull Patrick out of the hiding spot, it's hideous hands holding Patrick's leg, Patrick scared starts to scream and stab the hand again and again, only to fail and be pulled outside by the foul creature, the kids run after Patrick only to see the creature biting his shoulder, Etheron then stabs the creature's head killing it, Patrick is crying but the wound wasn't lethal, the noises make even more creatures approach in no time they are surrounded even though Patrick was hurt he is enraged and starts cutting everything he sees in front of him, Etheron and astra are holding his sides and Esther is covering the back, they are bitten, scratched, cut, the white clothes they had initially now covered of mud and blood, when Patrick's knife fell to the ground he started biting the creatures and fighting with his bare hands even when they were long broken, Astra could barely move from the wounds and her eyes were blurry because of the blood and how tired she was, first fell Patrick, then Esther, then it was Astra, and when only Etheron was left standing he still strived to keep his friends alive, he felt a burning sensation in his body, it was demon time! his hair grew longer and blood red, his body pale, his strength much higher and sharp teeth like no other, from within his body red marks appeared in the skin, this strange effect also affected his friends which start devouring the monsters the masks bringing an horrific sight, as the morning come the entire area was a sea of blood and guts, lying on the ground there were the 4 exhausted clothes torn and completely drenched in blood, their hair now had red tips and their pupils like ruby, the masks red, but for some reason their body even though wounded was alive, with a faint voice Etheron says:
Etheron: I thought I was going to lose you guys... *sobs*
Patrick: I thought I was dead when I fell I couldn't move my body and everything hurt so much, I wanted to ask for help but all I could do was keep going.
The four of them now crying on the ground not understanding what happened or why were they left there to die, they fell unconscious for 6 long hours, and woke up to the annoying little bugs walking across their body, they still feel nauseated, it is a grim sight and the smell is unbearable, but now it is day and they need to decide where to go.
Etheron: I think we are going to have to find the way ourselves.
Astra: I want to go home!
Esther: we don't know where home is either!
Patrick: We should head towards the sunset, my dad always said it was east? or was it west?
Astra: I don't care I want hooomee!!!
Etheron: lets follow the sunset, we have to look for an adult!
they then start heading west into the unknown.