• Prologue
    Around the year 2052, a few things began to change around the world. People began to grow thirst for power and began to study something that was probably better left untouched. Magic. The series of elements that form a greater and much unknown power. Some of the great lords began to tap into this strange supply of power and used it for their wars, trying to gain control of the land and the quickly depleting resources.
    In the United States, this power was banned. No one could use it, research it, it couldn’t even be spoken of. This rule was taken in full authority and caused the deaths of hundreds when Britain brought their knowledge of magic over to this hemisphere. The President just wouldn’t stand for some non-physical item controlling the will of his people.
    This changed ever so quickly when a man known as Naris came to the surface. He secretly studied magic and had a huge group of people to back him up. He slowly called forth his followers and initiated himself and his people into what is now known as The Time Wars.
    This war was massive. It was technology versus magic and at first, technology was winning. Naris noticed this quickly and activated a spell that devastated the central southern part of the United States and most of Mexico. The spell detonated at about noon and killed thousands upon thousands of people.
    Soon after the spell was cast, the President authorized a full surrender and retreat into the northwest part of the U.S. His army retreated quickly, trying to avoid any contact with the Mage army. Now, Washington and Oregon is their home. That is where they stay with a wall standing about a hundred feet up into the air and constantly guarded. No one but military personnel is allowed in, or out.
    Everyone else though, they became accustomed to the newly reformed land and adapted to the Old Styles as Naris called them. Magic, swords, all things of this variety became custom life to the people.
    Naris quickly turned to a more in depth study of magic soon after his son, Rodan was born. He studied the six elements; studied them to an utmost and full extent of his life. Naris spent the last 80 years of his life researching all of this, just to come up with only a notebook full of notes.
    Now, in order to try and save a country, a small handful of kids search for this book, hoping to find and decipher its secrets; trying to discover the loss legacies of Magic itself. This is the story of Dark Winter.

    Important Information

    Money Values
    One Pent: $1, Bronze Piece
    One Zellent: $5, Nickel Piece
    One Pezent: $10, Silver Piece
    One Zent: $20, Gold Piece
    One Azent: $50, Platinum Piece
    Dark Winter
    Chapter 1- Beginning
    Valia High --- 12:45 p.m.
    It is 12:45 p.m. Rao is in his 5th class of the day, waiting for the bell to ring. Rao is a normal 16 year old boy. The only thing that makes him really stand out is his ability in the Craft Magics, and his blindness. His hair is as black as the midnight sky, with only some silver strikes in it. He is a very set out kind of person, just watching the world go on around him from a distant view. His one element is Ice.
    “. . .” Rao taps his pencil on the desk. His patience is wearing thin as the teacher continues to drone on about how to write a novel. Rao already knows how so he hardly pays attention to what she says. Even with his carefree attitude, he has written a book that spans hundreds of pages and is called A Blazing Fire.
    In this new land, people who are born into it have a very likely chance of getting born with a magical element. These elements are Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Lightning, and Earth; each one with its own strengths and its own weaknesses.
    As stated before, Rao is excellent in the Crafting Magics. Crafting Magic is the ability to control and sometimes even summon the magical element that rests inside of the person using it. Rao is so good at this though that the ice not only does what he wants it to but defends him without a thought or care (Of course, magic can‘t really think anyways).
    A friend of his, Nakita, asked to meet him in the school courtyard during passing period so he already knows what he is doing during that time. Rao watches the clock as it slowly ticks towards the 12:50 alarm. The bell finally rings and Rao gets out of his chair and begins to walk out the classroom door. As he reaches the main doors, he pushes them open and just stands at the top of the stairs.
    “Hey Rao!” Nakita calls to him from under the weeping willow tree in the center of the courtyard.
    “Hey Nakita.” He faces in her direction. He smiles and then walks down the stairs and then towards her. When he gets about halfway between him and Nakita, he feels the cold of ice race across his shoulder and stop the approaching fist. “Not smart Mikage.”
    "Oh come on.” The boy says. The boy who tried to punch Rao is Mikage. He is dating Nakita and has been for a while now. He wears blue jeans and an old black shirt that has a couple of tiny holes in it. He is 16 years of age. He has dark brown hair. The element that he was born with was lightning and he is very proficient with it in every field other than Craft Magic.
    “You of all people should know better than to try and hit me.” Rao looks at Mikage with a look of anger on his face.
    “Yeah, well. I guess you could say that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.” Mikage smiles and Rao just shakes his head in disgrace.
    “I’ve got to get going guys.” They both wave bye as he begins to leave. Rao turns to start heading off towards his next class when a friend of his named Koriinu stops him.
    “Have you heard anything from Taronako?” She asks.
    “Huh!? Oh. . . No. I haven’t. I haven’t heard from him for quite a while now. Why do you ask?” Rao leans against the tree.
    “I was just wondering if you had heard from him. Is that really so bad?”
    “No. Not really. So umm. . . . Maybe you should go talk to him yourself.” Rao points over towards the main doors. Koriinu looks over at the main doors and notices Taronako walking inside. She runs over to him and stops in front of him. Rao sighs and walks inside.
    “Oh! Hey Koriinu!” Taronako says.
    “Hey.” Koriinu says, smiling. “So what are you up to?”
    “Umm. Nothing really. I was just heading off to my next class. Why?”
    Koriinu blushes as Taronako steps up beside her. “No reason really.” She smiles and almost trips on the top step of the stairway but Taronako catches her. Her face glows red and she turns and runs off and Taronako just stares on in confusion.
    “Hmm. . . .” Taronako shrugs his shoulder and heads off towards his next class. His next class is Offensive Magic II. It is a very hard class that is taught by a 17 year old kid. His name is Orphious. He is a genius of a fire elemental mage. As Taronako steps through the gate and steps onto the field, he looks out towards the edge of the field and sees Orphious and smiles. “Hey Orphious. What are you going to teach us today?” Taronako asks diligently. Orphious grins and steps up towards everyone as the final bell rings.
    “Well. Today we will learn a spell called Magic Energize.” Orphious says to his entire class. “It is a spell that initiates some of your magical energy into your physical abilities and grants you enhanced physical strength. Also, depending on the element of your magic, you may gain a bonus side effect such as this!” Orphious activates the Magic Energize spell without the incantations and punches a nearby tree. The tree bark burns black on contact and everyone stares on in amazement.
    “How in the world did you do that!?” One of his students comes forward and looks at the fresh burn mark.
    “That is what I will be teaching you to do. Now return to your spot among the other students and everyone form a single file line!” Taronako grins at Orphious and Orphious waves back. Taronako is probably one of the tallest students in his class standing taller than most. He is about six feet and five inches tall. Most people are intimidated by him but not because of his size, but because of his strength and abilities. Taronako listens closely to everything Orphious says and does as told; gathering up the magical energy and releasing it throughout his body.
    Taronako’s body begins to feel lighter as the wind magic flows through his veins and courses through his body. He looks at his hands, confused as to what his element does.
    “Jump Taronako.” Orphious tells him.
    “Okay.” Taronako replies. Taronako jumps but instead of barely coming off the ground, he jumps about 8 feet into the air. He lands on the ground and almost collapses, scared to death at what just happened. “What the heck!?” Taronako turns to Orphious.
    “Ha! That was hilarious. You should have seen the look on your face.” Orphious turns and looks out of the grounds of the massive schools towards the mountains in the distance. His mind lost to the distance.
    “Um. . .” Someone starts in a stuttered fashion. “I can’t use the spell for some reason. It just isn’t working.”
    Orphious breaks his stare and turns to face the dumb-founded student. “Where are you focusing your magic at?”
    “Well, in my feet. I’m a wind element like Taro so I thought that is where I would focus it.”
    “No. That is all wrong. You need the magic to course through your veins so focus it into your heart, not your feet.” The student nods and does so and after a few seconds, he as well can jump several feet into the air.
    “Wow! Thank you master.”
    “No problem.” Orphious smiles a little and walks over to another group of students and helps them work their magic the right way. Taronako watches him the whole time in a very curious way. Trying to learn as much as he can about Orphious in deeper depth without letting him know he is doing this.
    Several minutes later, the massive school bell gongs and its sound rings throughout the air. Its noise as beautiful as a bird but it is as loud as an avalanche. Taronako hears the bell even this far away from the school and begins to leave the field.
    “Taronako!” Orphious yells. “You better not leave here without saying good-bye.” Taronako waves at his teacher and walks out of the gate. The vibrant metal shines in the sunlight, glistening almost like gems. Taronako walks away from the school towards a water fountain. The only thing special about this fountain is that it is connected to an underground magic vein allowing it to restore people’s magic and heal wounds with ease.
    Taronako takes a small cup out of his bag and dips it into the water. He pulls the cup out and stares into it. In the water, small little crystal looking things shine brilliantly, showcasing the vibrant presence of magic. He drinks it and almost immediately feels the rejuvenating effects of its innate magic. After a brief brush off from the tingling feeling, he begins to walk off towards his next class.