Boaz was gliding through the sand-covered desert of Theyra on his raft. He was almost there. It had been two days since Aqila dropped him off at home. Those were the most challenging two days of his life. He told his parents the truth that haunted his earliest memories. He told them that he had to go. His parents' arms were so warm, full of love and support. He embraced his younger brother and sister. He didn't tell them why, only that he must leave them. Boaz wanted to promise he would be back, but he could not. He would never make a promise that he could not keep. As he parted his lips, the distasteful metallic essence consumed his nostrils. He was close.

Pushing on until the desert turned into rocky terrain, he heard screams. The ground trembled over and over again. If he wasn't a Landkeeper himself, walking would have been impossible. To anyone else, they would have thought that Theyra was being bombed. However, Boaz knew better. The scary thing was this was normal to him. He looked around, and everyone walking by attempting to carry out their daily business seemed numb to the fighting. There were children headed to the school house, stepping over dead bodies like how one would walk over a log in the street. Boaz thought about his siblings, Batu and Bali, going to school and stepping over dead bodies. It sickened him.

He recalled traveling to the Ember border with Sheraga and couldn't smell the smoke or blood until he was right up on it. Even now, his nose has grown accustomed to the sight and smell of death. Boaz did not want this for his people any longer.

Up ahead was a metal fortress. It was grand in appearance. When he squinted, he could see heavily armored soldiers on the lookout.

He sighed, "Here goes nothing." Boaz walked for nearly an hour. He could have made it faster, but he was thinking about what he would say. As he approached the line, a great divide in the rocky land wedged a mile deep, someone bumped into him. A tall, incredibly stocky man who looked no older than Boaz himself.

"Sorry 'bout that, brother. Are you gonna fight? You're gonna need to put something in ya hands. Metal demons don't play."

"How long have you been here?"

"Two weeks straight, my old man didn't come home some months ago. Imma take every metallic head I can til I drop dead."

"Do you have a family, brother?"

"Just my maa and sister now. I'm the man of the house, and I'm gonna fight!"

"You should go home, make your house a fortress. Make sure your family is alright. You know, they're going to worry for you. Please, don't leave them alone. If the enemy comes into your home, you can protect the people you love," Boaz advised him.

The young man, who towered over Boaz, thought for a moment, "Brother, you're right! Name's Quillon. You set me straight. If I'm a man, I gotta protect my family. Hey brother, come to the last mudhouse on the border tween here and the desert if you need something. We'll fix ya some food."

"Thanks, I'm Boaz, and I'll fight in your place."

Quillon nodded. Sincere appreciation was evident in his hunter-green eyes, "Bo, take care. You don't look like ya from 'round here."

"I'll keep that in mind," Boaz called out. Boaz pushed his way through the crowd of shouting Landkeepers. Once he got near the front, he saw Landkeepers ushering masses of rock against mounds of metal. "This is it," he whispered.

Placing his hands on the uneven Earth, Boaz summoned his favorite ability. The moment he felt its presence, he captured it and called it forth from the Earth's core. He propelled himself upward into the sky. Gasps could be heard from both sides, and the fighting ceased instantaneously. Boaz wasn't hiding anymore. It was alright to claim himself in his entirety. Fire, Air, Water, they had all been revealed. The moment he had been waiting for had arrived. He knew when he set his eyes on them who they were. He knew the moment they realized the power within themselves. The satisfaction that led to this one moment made the painful waiting worthwhile.

He descended back to the ground. All eyes were on him. "My name is Boaz, and I demand a ceasefire!"

The silence was too good to be true. Several minutes passed, and murmurs could be heard on both sides of the line divide. Heavy footsteps were behind him. Turning his head, his lips parted at the sight of her. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was walking toward him. Her golden-brown skin glowed in the sunlight. Her piercing emerald orbs were emphasized by her malachite eyeshadow. That silver-like armor reflected the rays of the sun. The depth of her voice sent shivers down his spine, "Who are you to demand a ceasefire?"

Boaz turned to face her, "I'm Boaz, and I am the Legend." The Landkeepers dropped their weapons immediately and kneeled behind him.

He could hear his name being whispered among the masses of people. The woman smirked, "What an interesting turn of events. Boaz, my name is Zuriel. Standing behind me here are the Metalkeepers. Now tell me, why should I listen to you? The last Legend was one of my kind; your people didn't listen to her. Ila was not respected by the Landkeepers. Instead, she was mistreated and abused. They did not even give her a proper burial after her death. And now we are here, why should I respect you?"

"Because I'm your Legend too."

Zuriel laughed in scorn, "What is this a joke? How can you be my Legend and theirs? We're enemies, haven't you noticed? You can't be for them and for us. You have to choose a side."

"No, we are all one people. Land, lava, and metal are all Earth. Land and lava have no problems. So there doesn't have to be a problem with metal either."

"Boaz, that's sweet. It really is. But the problem is that it sounds good as words floating in the atmosphere. It sounds great on paper. But the blaring truth is the results of hundreds of years of trying to coexist have only brought misery to both sides. As the leader of the Metalkeepers, I'm trying to solve the problem. I am trying to give my people a separate state where we can live peacefully. Something that we Metalkeepers have never experienced. But your people don't want us to have anything. They were fine with us being kicked around in the street without food or homes. Deep in their hearts, they wish we were all gone. But after years of abuse, we're showing them we're not going anywhere."

Somewhere a massive rock was flailed towards Zuriel. She extended her metal shoulder pad and caught it before quickly flailing it back. "See, we aren't the same. You should see that now." She turned to walk away.

"Zuriel, stop! Let's talk away from the crowds and see if we can find a civil arrangement for both sides," Boaz reasoned.

"Stop? Make me," she turned on her heels, shooting multiple metal bars at him. Boaz covered himself with a rock shield before hurling it toward her. She used a metal beam to divide the rock, and foot swept a metal plate deep into his shins.

Boaz felt pain from the slicing impact and flipped into the air kicking a stream of lava, which melted the metal in her hand. Zuriel dropped the melted metal ball. It liquified and Zuriel attacked him with a shape-bending ball of liquid metal. Every time it touched his skin, it burned. She turned the liquid into a sword and attacked. Boaz was not prepared for her sheer strength and fluidity. This range of motion was nothing utilizing rock. His range improved when he used lava, but he was outmatched by Zuriel. He did not want to hurt her, but he didn't want to lose either.

They fought ferociously as the Metalkeepers and Landkeepers watched on. Zuriel made a liquid metal hand as her defense. Boaz knew he could trap her when she stepped forward by turning the ground to lava the second she moved. Boaz's plan would have burned her entire leg off if she stepped too quickly. He didn't want to make her his enemy. As he turned his face, there was nothing else to do but brace himself. The right side of his face felt like he had been slapped by the sun. The pain made him fall to his knees. Zuriel hovered over him, "We are done here. Don't come back unless you want me to teach you another lesson." Boaz's vision went hazy as he saw Zuriel's metal armor fade away.

When Boaz opened his eyes again, it was nightfall. He was lying in a cot on the floor. Slowly sitting up, his shins were killing him. He looked down to see them wrapped in white cloth. There was a whisper, "He's awake."

Qullion barreled through the doorway, "Man, that was epic! Brother, I can't believe that you're a Legend. The Universe is here to even the score!"

"Quillon, stop shouting. Mother is trying to rest," the young woman was of average height with pretty olive eyes and rich brown skin. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just kinda confused about where I am," Boaz rubbed the back of his head.

"I was headed home like ya said, and I saw ya level up on the huge spurt of lava. Heard ya try to reason with the maniac lady. None of us have ever fought with Zuriel herself. I saw what she did to ya and brought ya back here."

"What happened," Boaz asked.

"All hell broke loose. The line divide became a blood bath."

"I'm sorry, I was trying to prevent that from happening," Boaz shook his head.

"Bo, I respect ya for trying to reason with her. But she's heartless! She can't be reasoned with, and she wants this war. Next time don't hold back on her."

"Quillon, I can't just kill her."

Quillon's hunter eyes looked perplexed, "Why not? That solves the problem, right?"

"No, it doesn't! It just emboldens her followers. Besides, we don't want the young children growing up believing that the only way to solve a problem is to kill someone," Quillon's sister spoke up.

"Armani, ya not out there, so ya don't get it. They took dad from us," Quillon pressed.

"She's right. Killing Zuriel will only result in a complete killing spree where everyone is fair game. Besides, as I said earlier, I'm their Legend too."

Quillon huffed, "Well, I'm gonna protect my family. If Zuriel or her kind come through these doors, they will meet their end by my hands," he stood up and left.

Boaz sighed. Armani gave him some water in a clay cup and brought him some food. She sat several feet away from him, "He wasn't always like that. He's just beating himself up over what happened to father and trying to keep it together. Like we all are. Thanks for trying to talk to Zuriel."

"I'm not done here. I'm going back tomorrow."

"What? But your legs?"

"I promised myself and those who are important to me that I wouldn't stop until I get a ceasefire."

"How much of this can you take?"

"If I don't try, I'll never find out. I have to keep going."

"Have you ever thought that we deserve this? The Landkeepers, I mean. As a people, we have oppressed them for something that they can't change. Now that anger is in their hearts, it is becoming a part of them."

"Armani, no one deserves this. I have a ten-year-old twin brother and sister, and they don't deserve this. Those kids who walk to school every day stepping through dead people don't deserve this. You, me, Quillon, we may all have kids one day. They don't deserve to see this. The Metalkeeper kids being kept in a fortress so they won't get killed don't deserve this. Innocent people are suffering. I'm tired of this."

"Why now?"

After placing his empty plate and cup on the floor behind him, Boaz sighed and lay on the cot, "I've always known that I was a Legend. The blessing and curse of the being that one who knew. I could not tell anyone who I was until the time was right. I knew immediately when other Legends came into my presence and who they were, even when they did not. I couldn't tell them who they were. I would get a sign that they figured it out. I would get voices of the past Legends in my mind flooding out the urge to spill my truth. I started feeling a kind of closeness with them. I've been on this journey for a long time. Recently, I've been watching the other Legends fight for their destiny. We would help each other, and I would always feel guilty because there was a battle in my backyard that I couldn't do anything about. I had to wait to reveal my identity. I have to fix this because it's my destiny. I owe this to the people of Theyra, Ila, and all her memories. I owe this to the other Legends who are fighting for their destiny and the fate of their people. I'm not worthy to walk among them until I do this."

Armani ran her hand through her ebony-colored long, slightly wavy hair. "Boaz, it might not mean much, but I appreciate what you're doing for us. Regardless, I have your back. I'm on your side. I believe in you." She grabbed the plate and cup and turned the light off in the room.

Boaz sighed. It felt like a huge weight lifted from his shoulders to tell someone what was really on his mind. There was also a pang of guilt. The person who deserved to know the most, his best friend, was still unaware of his identity as a Legend. He had to survive so he could tell her face to face. He was thankful to Quillon and Armani for their kindness. His wounds were healing. He would be better by morning, but he did not know how much more of Zuriel's wrath he could take.

She was more powerful than he expected her to be. To be completely honest, he wasn't expecting a woman at all. She was incredibly gifted. He would have thought that she was a goddess if he didn't know better. Beautiful, talented, and strong. He didn't know what to say to get her to listen. He just needed a ceasefire. Then he could ask about Neptune. He had to ask about Neptune and know what kind of business a Waterbearer had in Theyra.

As the night grew old, Boaz found sleep nearly impossible. Zuriel's words were ringing in his ears. The part that nagged him the most was that she was right. Ila was shunned and despised in her time by all Landkeepers. Her parents orphaned her when they realized her affinity with metal. She had a hard life. If it was not for an early friendship with Basir, who knows how the Landkeepers would have treated her. He tried to convince her that he was their Legend, too but to no avail. What would it take to convince her?

In Kashmala, the night was growing quiet. Aqila looked over the beautiful land she called home over the mountains. She sighed and walked back inside and smiled to see her fiance pouring both of them some tea. She sat across from him. Blushing like a schoolgirl, Aqila could barely contain her excitement.

"I think our parents were pleased with how the evening went," Kavi sighed after taking a sip.

"Thank Heavens," Aqila laughed. "It was a spectacular evening. Thank you, you worked so hard on this."

"We worked so hard for this. It felt like old times just being able to spend quality time together."

"Definitely," she whispered while drinking tea.

"What's on your mind?"

Aqila smirked, "How do you do that?"

"I could feel it. You get contemplative when something's on your mind."

"I promised that I wouldn't be preoccupied tonight."

"Well, you actually promised that you wouldn't be preoccupied during the engagement gala. So, I'm not really sure if this counts in the terms in which you made your promise. Just saying."

"Still, that's not why you're here. We're supposed to be spending time together."

Kavi reached across the table and placed his hand over hers, "What's on your mind?"

"Are you really okay with the new wedding date?"

"Yes, I agreed to it before we discussed it with our parents. We talked about it in full detail, or so I thought. Is there something wrong with the new date?"

"No, I just started feeling like you didn't want to wait that long."

"Aqila, do you want to wait that long?"

"Ugh! Do I want to wait that long? Another year? No, I really don't. But so much is going on. I'm caught in a web of multiple sights. One thing leads to another and then some. I just wanted us to have some peace together. Then I was talking to Saar, and he made me feel crazy for asking you to wait that long," Aqila slumped in her chair.

"Why did I feel my crazy brother had something to do with this? Aqila, on our parents' ideal timeline, we would be getting married next month. We both know that it is too soon for us. Is a year too long? I don't know. But trust me, I want what's best for us. In six months, we might say, you know what, let's get married before the month is out. If that happens, fine. We don't want to tell them we want to wait six months and then ask for another six months. That would be disastrous."

"You're right. I've been stressing out a lot lately," Aqila admitted.

"You're not the only one. That's why we need the time. We have been going nonstop. I hope we can have more time like this leading up to the wedding. Now, what was my crazy brother saying."

"Basically, if it was him, he wouldn't want to wait. He wants to jump into his new life with his wife."

"Typical Saar jump first, think later. Let's just come back to it every few months and see how we feel about it."

"That sounds great, Kavi," she lovingly gazed into his heather gray eyes. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Kavi got up to answer it. As it swung open, it was Saar and Haneul. "Really? Do you two know what time of night it is to come to Aqila's house?"

"Brother, trust I know you're trying to relax with the future wife, but I'm here as the Wind Guardian."

Haneul followed Saar inside, "I'm here because we caught a fish on the hook. You're going to want to hear this."