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The sky began the spasmodic change between sun and rain. The rain would hardly fall for an hour before the sun would break through. There were standing puddles in the low parts of the dirt roads and the path to the training grounds completely turned to mud from the amount of travel.

As army training ended the groups clustered as they prepared to enter the woods. Those with long pants tucked them into the tops of their boots while others tightened their laces for fear of loosing their shoes in the thick mud. The air was crowded with soldiers who didn’t want to waste time trucking through the lowlands of the forest.

“We should find some high ground to practice on. The clearing is going to be a disaster since the river is so close,” Umbro mused.

“Can you think of any place that hasn’t been claimed?” Durza asked tightening her boots knowing that the mud was unavoidable for her.

“Come to the lake.” The group turned to see Barren standing by the entrance of the training grounds. “We have something we’d like you to try.”

The leaders had gathered on the hill overlooking the lake. Their unit stood at the edge of the lake sinking in the mud up to their ankles. Clouds passed over the sun as the sky threatened to rain again.

“Do any of you control water?” Gathee asked as he descended down the hill to meet them.

“We do, sir,” Pye told them as he and Tornado stepped forward.

“Come with me.” He led them out onto the water. They stopped at the edge and stooped down to take off their boots. “Keep them on. You’ll have to learn to stabilize water without sensing it with your feet. Now,” he turned to them stopping in the middle of the lake, “I want you to lead the others out here. Have them walk with you.”

“All at once?” Pye asked unsteadily. “The concept is solid enough but-”

“We’ll start with one and work our way up,” Gathee instructed, “I will stay here as your goal. Go choose a partner and return to me.”

They walked to the shore where the others waited for them.

“What’s the task?” Umbro asked.

“We have to be able to get someone who can’t use water to be able to walk with us. So we each need a partner,” Tornado explained.

“Ah,” Umbro stepped back as he offered, “Durza, do you want to train with me while they do that?”

“Y-yeah. We’ll let you guys do that.” Durza laughed nervously stepping away from the group.

Charizo looked between them confused as he tried to process the situation. “Wait, you want us to walk on the water?”

“Yes,” Pye told him, “That’s what we’re going to try anyway.”

“I don’t think so,” Ember stepped back and pushed Charizo towards the lake, “I think I’ll go practice with Durza and Umbro, right?” She turned but the two had already run up the hill to join the other leaders.

“I guess you’re just stuck with us.” Pye smiled.

“No way! The lake water is probably freezing, especially in this weather. There’s no way I’m going in there,” Ember whined.

“Have a little faith,” Pye told her holding out his hand.

She shook her head furiously. “I’m going to fall in.”

Tornado ignored their fight turning to Charizo. “Try one foot first. I’ve never tried holding someone else on water so I’ll have to adjust to it slowly.”

“Okay.” He stepped onto the water and it bulged around his foot bursting like a bubble as he fell forward.

Tornado winced as Charizo pulled his foot out of the muddy shallows of the lake. “Sorry, I think this is going to take a while.”

“It’s fine,” Charizo told him, “Let’s try again.”

Meanwhile Pye was enjoying the frantic responses of Ember. Though she had consented to helping him she freaked out every time she went to step on the water.

“There’s no way!” she exclaimed scurrying away from the edge, “I can’t step on it. I don’t want to fall in, Pye.”

“What you can’t trust me? I thought we were friends.”

“But it’s cold,” she complained.

Pye sighed walking onto the land. “Here, take my hand and close your eyes.” She hesitated but did as he said. “Now just follow me. It will be the same as walking on land you won’t even notice.”

She hung back slightly as they walked together. She moaned slightly as another splash sounded from Tornado’s failed attempt to keep Charizo afloat.

“You still don’t trust me even if I’m right beside you?” he asked hurt.

“I just don’t want to fall in. It’s not like you’re going to get it right the first time, I mean, Tornado is even struggling.”

“Maybe it just isn’t his strong point,” Pye told her, “Take a look.”

Ember opened her eyes to find herself a few feet from the lake’s surface. Charizo stood shakily on the water already soaked up to his knees from previous attempts. Ember grabbed his hand tighter feeling even more afraid knowing how much deeper the water must be below her.

“Can you swim?” Pye asked innocently.

“Don’t joke around!” She grabbed his arm with her other hand. “If you make me fall you’re coming with me.”

Pye laughed. “I wouldn’t do that to you. And you don’t have to worry about falling. The truth is I’ve played with a similar idea before. I dropped my sword once during training and it fell to the bottom of lake so I tried to retrieve it with water. Tornado is focusing the water to stay steady just under Charizo’s feet so it’s difficult for him to stay balanced for long and makes walking very slow. I make the a wider range of the water steady so it’s easier to keep you held on the surface.”

Tornado turned slightly towards them as he heard this. He solidified the surface around him and Charizo and noted the sudden ease in Charizo’s stance.

“Ah, I think we got it this time,” Charizo told him as he walked around.

“Come this way. We have to walk over to Gathee,” Tornado told him.

“Let’s go Ember,” Pye raced ahead pulling Ember after him.

Durza and Umbro watched the race from where they sat on the hill. Water splashed from their footsteps as they ran rippling the smooth surface of the lake.

“Look at them go!” Umbro exclaimed impressed by the display.

“Tornado wins the race though it seems Pye has better control,” Durza added.

“But once Tornado grabs a hold on one skill others fall into his hands seamlessly,” Barren spoke sitting beside him.

“You’re very proud of that child aren’t you?” Amunet asked leaning against him.

“You can’t deny that he has talent. I was surprised he withstood our training as long as he did. The rest of us were exhausted just looking at him,” Fatchna added from where he stood nearby.

“He needed to learn where his breaking point was. He was becoming too proud of his abilities,” Barren explained, “He had to know how far he could push himself before he reached his limit. It’s better to learn now then during a critical situation.”

“Barren, what do you think the Dark Lord is training us for?” Durza asked still watching the on water training.

“I believe he wants us to go to war.”

“I do, too. I think he wants to attack the Light Realm,” she told him.

Umbro looked at her curiously. “Why do you say that so suddenly?”

“I was sent there,” she explained, “He had us map out the capital city.”

All eyes turned to her and the air grew oppressively heavy. Fatchna sighed holding his forehead and Amunet sat up straight.

“Don’t tell the others,” Barren instructed, “we’ll talk it over with Gathee later and decide what to do.”

“Does this cause complications?” Umbro asked.

“Yes, things may be moving faster than we expected. We have to keep our eye on the situation.”

“What should we do about Aero?” Durza questioned her eyes boring into Barren’s. “She’s living in that city. The Dark Lord is getting too close to her and I don’t think she’s aware of just how dangerous that is.”

“I’ll talk it over with the leaders,” Barren told her calmly, “Don’t worry. We’ll keep her safe.”