From Part II, Chapter 15 “Onyx” (originally titled “No’va”)

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“Found this little fellow on the way. Thought I’d give it a go.”

“This?” Jenario poked its side but it didn’t move. “You sure you didn’t smother it already?”

“Its eyes are still open,” Shafari returned, but Jenario cocked an eyebrow in doubt.

“I don’t see its throat moving like they normally do.”

“You’re confusing it with a bull frog.” Shafari waved a hand. “Okay, stand back! Here goes…” After looking down at the paper a moment, he began a slow chant that Jenario could only compare to croaking. It was a mesh of slurring which produced a mid-way hiccup. Then, they waited.

Jenario lowered himself so he could be eye-level with the tabletop. “It’s dead.” With a sigh, he straightened. “Where did you find it again?”

“Oh, just near some piled stone. Look! See, it’s moving!”

“I thought you said this was a sleep spell?” Jenario eyed the twitching from one of its tiny toes when a burst of flame lit along its back and soon engulfed the rest of the body. He sat back and rolled his eyes. “Wow….”

“Hmmm.” Shafari shuffled through his notes scribbled out along the edges of the papers. “Must have mixed up the meanings.”

“Just promise me you won’t try this on a person…unless we need a pyre.” He got up from the table and went over to a shelf. There, he picked up a container to scoop the smoldering toad into.

“Oh, shush! Let me think.” However, the smell of burning skin started up a fit of coughing. While Jenario let the tent flaps open, Shafari made a hasty departure and gulped in fresh air. “May I?” His voice cracked as he held up the vial of pink sand taken from the Study.

Jenario finally agreed. “Sure. Why not? Can’t imagine how you get anything out of it.”

“It’s all in the potential.” The mage waved a hand to signal his leave. “Until next time.”

Jenario only shook his head and watched the mage go, still coughing as he went. He glanced back at the tent with dark smoke beginning to drift out.

“Can’t wait….”

What are Healers?

A Healer is a shape-shifter who takes on animal forms, depending on what element it has chosen. While actual healing abilities are limited to certain elements, Healers are hands-down the masters of magic, are fairly social but stubborn beings!

There are four basic elements: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. These elements are what comprise the magic within Nature. And yet a Healer is born with no bond to Nature whatsoever. To become One with it, they must first accept one of its elements, and has the option to purge all magic in order to change over to a different element – but can only change up to three times.

The Great Elemental Masters

Throughout history, Nature has controlled the seasons without the need of Healers. But times change. Now, these three masters have been selected for their powerful talents to help balance out what Nature has done for millennium.

To become a master of the elements, one must be "reborn." Once reawakened, their connection to Nature intensifies. Energy does not burn out as quickly as regular Healers.

Masters cannot die, unless Nature no longer needs them. When death does come, they are simply regenerated to the level they left off. This, however, may not be possible due to the growing Darkness infesting the land, sucking away at Nature's energy needed for regeneration.

EDIT: I've been rethinking this and I think theses masters ARE their actual element, making it impossible for them to die until the Darkness affects their abilities.