"I still must insist your lack of faith offends me, brother," Lorielan
muttered with a frown.

Agatheis pursed his lips and looked away from her penetrating gaze,
surveying the massed legions stretching from the horizon to the base of
the mountain upon which they stood. His eyes paused on the sea of
glowing elementals at the flanks of their powerful army, their frenetic
movements like a rambunctious, almost-chaotic dance, and he began to
absentmindedly trace the multi-hued runes on the Staff of the Elements,
the surface still warm from its creation.

"I mean no offense, sister, but it is for our own protection... if we
were to fail..." he trailed off, a scowl creasing across his weathered
face.

"You fear failure, then?" the voice of Khalas rang with a hint of
disapproval as his divine form solidified to join the two upon the
mountain peak. "If that is the case, why are you still here?"

"I do not fear failure, but neither can I deny its possibility, brother.
It is foolish not to prepare for eventualities. Can we risk my power
over the Elemental Lords falling into the hands of those who would
oppose us?"

"Your doubts only weaken us. We risk all or gain nothing!"

"I have risked as much as you, Khalas," Agatheis barked, his scowl
deepening.

Lorielan, who had been listening to the exchange intently, now spoke,
her voice hushed to soothing tones as she murmured to Khalas, "He is
right."

"Are you both mad?" Khalas growled as his eyes searched their faces for
signs of betrayal. "You predict a loss before war has even begun to be
waged."

Lorielan made a conciliatory gesture with her hands and stepped smoothly
between the two. "I agree that his apprehension is disconcerting, but it
is wise to protect his power. Go on, brother, but be quick," she said,
nodding to Agatheis. "Our army awaits us."

Agatheis lifted the Staff above his head, invigorated by the feeling of
its immense power. In response, the energies of four elemental minions
split from the sea of elementals rushing around the base of the
mountain. First, the blue elemental flowed up the side of the mountain,
coalescing into a sparkling column of water. Next the fire elemental
bounded upwards, chased by the swirling air elemental, streaming yellow
energy trailing behind it. The ground trembled as the earth elemental
followed behind its counterparts, until all four of the elementals
rested obediently at the feet of Agatheis.

With an expression merging determination and apprehension, the Lord of
the Elements leveled his staff at the elementals, and their energy began
to condense into fist-sized balls of glowing light. As the sweat beaded
across Agatheis' furrowed brow, Lorielan quickly summoned a legion of
Kx'Khrah, bending their forms to solidify around the orbs of swirling
energy and sealing them within crystalline statues. Without a word,
Agatheis gathered his treasures to him and departed to conceal them.

As is recorded, the War of the Triumvirate was lost, and the God of the
Elements stripped of his powers and imprisoned in the form of a unicorn.
When he was freed, he found to his consternation that the statues,
imbued as keys to his power over the Elemental Lords, had vanished,
though it is unknown when or how.

Penned by my hand on the 20th of Scarlatan, in the year 448 AF.