Four-The choosing

General Ryuu stood tall atop the rocky outcrop, his grey eyes emotionless as he sharply observed the warriors training on the ground below. The wind whipped around him, making his dark hair fly behind him but his expression remained unmoving, as usual, his eyes fixed below. Thier shouts of intensity filled the air as steel clashed against steel. The clang of weapons and the rhythmic chants of warrior filled the surrounding area, a testament of thier discipline. Time was not in his hands ,he only had few hours left to select the best of the warriors from the army.

His keen eyes roamed over the fighting figures of all the warriors, the vanguard were engaged in a magical combat and the ordinary warriors in steel combat. His gaze fell upon the vanguard,- the first line of defense where magic met magic . It was an impressive sight, warriors welding mostly elemental power enhanced by years of training and battlefields. Tonight, his focus was on something more urgent than training. He needed something more than just skilled warriors, he needed something that could match the black scorpions ferocity.As he observed the warriors below, he heard boots crunching on the ground, from behind him. His second in command approached and stood besides him, focusing his gaze on the training warriors.

"Ryuu," he began, determined "l am a warrior too, l have to join the mission "

Ryuu turned his gaze slightly, his eyes piercing yet unreadable. The kind of gaze that scared most people but Fuji remained unfazed, in fact he was more determined than before.

"No" Ryuu replied simply, his voice like gravel.

"l know the terrain, l have been there. And the enchanted forest, l passed there thrice." his voice was calm yet firm.

"Fuji, l need someone here, someone like you. Someone who can command if something... happens"

"Then the more reason l need to come, Ryuu."

He knew Fuji well, they had known each other for the longest time. Even though Fuji didn't possess any magical abilities, he was a force to be reckoned, having honed his skills such that, even Ryuu doubted if he could win against him in a nonmagical combat. Furthermore, Fuji was loyal and his skills unmatched, if he were to join Ryuu, he would be of greater importance but Ryuu had already made up his mind. Ryuu remained silent, he had always been a man of few words. Fuji understood what his selince meant. He paused, sensing the weight of Ryuu's words, he knew what it meant.

Ryuu was noone to entertain the thought of death, even when he had faced fierce battles in the past. Ryuu had told him the mission and he knew that the black scorpions were not something of magical ordinary. The last person who had defeated them, Kagimo and his white army had perished in the last battle. That how vicious the black scorpions were. With a deep sigh, Fuji reluctantly agreed,

"Very well" he said, his voice betraying his hesitation, "Who will you choose to join you?"

Ryuu glanced over the warriors below, his mind already working. The task ahead was far too perilous for ordinary warriors, he needed those who possessed exceptional abilities. Warriors who could handle the treacherous Northern mountains.

As he observed the warriors below, Ryuu's sharp eyes singled out two individuals who stood out.

His keen eyes were drawn to a vanguard combat, a warrior, her dark hair flying with determination that he could see from a distant.She conjured green vines that knocked her opponent to the ground. Her opponent, a male, threw ice spikes at her but she managed to avoid them by conjuring a wall of intertwined vines that managed to knock out her opponent, making her the winner. She was the first to earn his attention. Her movement were fluid and graceful, her power the essence of nature itself. She could bend the earth and manipulate the nature to her will, the perfect ally for the mission,especially in Kage mountain. Fuji, noticing where his attention was drawn, he added,

"Hana, she is talented. She will also be valuable for defense and control of terrain"

Ryuu nodded, "l need warriors who can control and use thier abilities expectionaly well"

Next, he noticed a man standing in a trio, he instantly stood out to him. He was a young man brimming with raw talent and unquenchable spirit. Though he was not part of the vanguard, his mastery of combat was unparalleled, Ryuu was sure that he could beat almost every vanguard warrior when it came to a hand combat. He had an innate understanding of weaponry and strategy that could bring down a stronger opponent than him. His mastery of the blade would prove strategic and a valuable asset.

"Him, how long has he been in the army" Ryuu asked.Even though Ryuu was the general, he knew very few warriors personally since he spend all his time away from the Empire, on the Emperor's continues missions.

Fuji traced his line of focus,

"Jiro is new, it's been a year since he joined. He is one skilled lad and to think that he had never been military trained. He was a broken soul that one, but it seems the army is treating him good"

Fuji smiled slightly at the memory of the warrior, already thinking of two more candidates.

"There," he pointed to the fourth section of the training ground.The atmosphere was tense in that area as a necromancer and an elementalist were engaged in a fierce battle that seemed to be more than regular training. "Those two have each other throat since day one. If you were to take them, you will only hope that they would not kill each other before the black scorpions"

A necromancer cloaked in shadows. His power emanated from the darkness itself, a force that would prove valuable against the black scorpions, whose magic was tied to the darkness itself.

The fire manipulator was fiercy in both temperament and skill. Flames danced on her finger and her passion for battle was evident. Though her abilities were different from the darkness, fire was a potent weapon and perhaps the right element to fight the darkness.

Ryuu watched them for a while, watching as they sparred and tested thier abilities. The necromancer, a brooding male with eyes like smoldering cool was welding a dark twisting energy that seemed to pulsate with life as it coiled around his arms . His opponent, the fire elementalist had a red bolt of scorching fire, her red hair flying as if it had mind of its own. The female threw the bolt at the necromancer, and it came crashing with the dark twisting energy of the necromancer, with a loud bang . Their fight was more about animosity than technique, thier magic tearing through the air in a dangerous dance of power and fury. The warrior leader, Gonk sensing that the fight was about to escalate commanded them to stop immediately.Amused, Ryuu watched, each one demonstrated qualities that made them worthy of his selection, despite thier hatred towards each other. He could sense the power and potential within them.

"Good, l will take them" his lips twitched in what could be considered a smile.

Fuji stood, now more at ease beside Ryuu, watching as the warriors collected thier weapons after the training had finished.

"I still don't like the idea of you leaving me here" He said slowly. Ryuu remained silent for a while, his eyes once again scanning the warriors below.

"l trust that you will make the right decisions" he added, "That why you are here. And Sakumi needs someone here"

Fuji's cheeks tinted a fleeting pink that was hardly noticeable at the mention of Sakumi. It was easy, especially to Ryuu's scrutinizing eyes that, he was more than fond of his sister. Sakumi was more than capable of taking care of herself, possessing abilities that went beyond that of a shaman but the mention of her helped to keep Fuji's mouth shut.

As the sun dipped low in the horizon, Ryuu had already made his choice, he only hoped that he had made the right decision . When the evening creeped in,casting a veil of secrecy upon , he sent his second in command to summon the warriors.

The warriors stood before Ryuu, nervous as they had never directly conversed with the general. Standing before Ryuu, they tried to mask thier uneasiness. The necromancer and the fire elementialist exchange a venomous glare before focusing thier attention to the general. Ryuu clearly aware of the tension, payed no attention to it.

"Gather close" he called, his voice steady and clear. Ryuu, his posture as commanding as ever, regarded each one carefully. The necromancer dark eyes met his, followed by the fire elementalist firmer gaze. The earth bender calm aura contrasted with Jiro's steady grounded presence.

"Each of you has the strength and abilities that l seek. Under the command of the Emperor, l have been tasked to hunt the black scorpions. I am sure that you have heard the whispers." he began, his tone direct, cutting through the tension like a blade.Hana, the earth bender, her eyes bright with curiosity, nodded,

" we will fight alongside you general"

The necromancer gave a slow deliberate nod, "If it serves the Empire then, l will do what is necessary"

The fire manipulater,Miko, cracked her knuckles, her smile confident,

"Let's burn them to death"

Jiro stood tall,his muscular arm crossed on his huge chest,

"l fight for the Empire"

Ryuu observed them, sensing thier determination.

"Then, it's settled. We depart tonight under the cover of darkness. Say your farewells to the necessary people but do not mention the mission" Ryuu said, his voice calm and commanding.

With thier agreement, the warriors prepared for the journey ahead.