"Slow down!" Mecal yelled as they reached a muddy area of the trail, "we are going to walk," Mecal jumped off his horse and splattered the dirt over himself.
"Why Captain, our horses are not tired yet" Young Henn says.
"The trial of the water monks will sink any men on their horses, even if they weighed the same as 5 nickels, just like you." Mecal grinned,
Henn sighs and reluctantly gets off his horse and followed Mecal, "Is it close then? A trip like this better be worth every penny."
"Those monks are mad men, but they have something you will not find across the 5 great houses."
"And that is?"
"Honesty, and a lot of liquor," Mecal said.
Henn was utterly shocked and annoyed, "Monks with liquor? We came all this way for liquor? Hell, I can find liquor in 5 minutes. Why did General Kynt really send us here Captain?"
"Its not just liquor, its god's honey, a cure for blindness, an age reducer, and most importantly it rids all poison from the body,"
"Who's poisoned?"
"The King Henn, he is bedridden, on the brink of death, or so the General says, it's a secret that his enemies must not know, else our house will be seized. No one besides the general and we know about this"
As the trail neared its end, the mud got thicker, they had to leave their horses, Mecal and Henn shared a sense of unease, Mecal's 25 years as a captain let him know that he and young Henn were not alone, they were being followed.
"Hold the rear Henn" Mecal whispered, "don't hesitate to fight"
A gritty voice from the trees halted their movement. "Stop there! Who is entering the temple of Hydro, Why are you here?"
Mecal looked around, he spots a silhouette of a person in the canopy's mist "We are merchants. We came to buy God's honey."
"We do not sell God's honey, certainly not to mere merchants, so I ask again why are you here, merchant?"
"Alright, we are not merchant, we are from the house Ashpafult, I am captain Mecal, this here is my steward henn, we are on a mission to obtain the Liquor,"
The person disappeared and the mud began to shrink until it was completely gone. Then a creature emerged from the mist, "follow me"
Mecal and Henn stared at the creature in awe, it wasn't a man, but it was man shaped, every step it took water would splatter onto the floor.
"If I used pyro, would you die, creature?"
"My name is Rah, and I am no creature, nor will i die"
They eventually reached the temple, everywhere was wet, humid, and cold. They were brought to a room.
"Sit," Rah pointed at the marble floors, "we must pray before you are allowed to meet the elders."
For what seemed like hours they sat and waited while rah prayed. Mecal and Henn began drifting into a sleeping state, fighting to keep their eyes open.
BANG!
The sound of a Gong shook the room and Mecal and Henn jolted up, their back straighter than metal bars. The room was no longer wet, Rah disappeared again, and the constant sound of water droplets faded completely.
A few seconds of silence pass and the two can hear the echoes of footsteps and see the approaching shadow of the monks.
Three water monks entered the room, they were dressed in flowing water, so crystal clear that every part of their body was exposed.
"Who wishes to obtain liquor?" the elder in the middle said.
Mecah stands up, he towers a foot above the monks, "how much do you sell them for?"
The elder monk analyzes Mecal up and down, "You are?"
"Captain Mecal of the Asphalt house, you must know that right?"
"Yes, yes, the asphalt house, a house of great fire power revered across every nation. I've heard about your kin's state of being, i assume you want God's honey for that purpose"
Mecal stutters in confusion, "you have? What source might that be I ask"
"Visions, you must know Captain Mecal, God's honey will cost you greatly."
Mecal throws bags of gold on the floor, "The cost does not matter, We have more than enough gold-"
"The cost isn't gold" The elder interrupts, he looks into the eyes of Mecal very intently, almost like casting a silent spell.
"No, no!" Mecal yells, "that can not happen! It will not!"
"Then your business here is done," the monk said as he turned around.
"You dare turn your back to the asphalt house?! You will regret this monk! I'll make sure of it!"
"It's a crime to make threats in this temple captain, I wish you well."
As the monk walks away Mecal begins to shake in anger, his body heats up and sparks fly out from his fisted hands.
"What are you doing captain?" Henn asks in fear, "lets get out of here"
"Yeah you go Henn, I'm going to explode this god forsaken place up, and I will take that liquor with me."
Henn scatters to the exit, he knows what the captain is planning, He's heard of the fire power Mecal truly has. As Henn reaches the horses and mounts them, he hears an explosion, then a burst of wind blasts through the forest, and a few seconds later the screeching scream of captain Mecal. Too afraid to look back, Henn rode his horse away as fast as possible, disappearing into the thick forest.