Brett Kirkpatrick

The Hearts of the Elements Brett Kirkpatrick

"The darkness inside people is something that cannot be removed, will not be destroyed. For with a lack of darkness, the light itself becomes destructive. This is true of all things-without death, life has no purpose. Without oppression, the human spirit has no wings. One must never endure a complete lack of good, nor a complete lack of evil; to do so would destroy everything you are, as well as the potential of what you could be. Do not strive to be purely good, for walking always in the light changes a person. Attempt forever to avoid the darkness, for it will rip you apart. Walk instead a hair's width between the two - it is here, in the darkness before the light, that the great, the influential, and the god-like are most often found." -Kayara Kutaragi The world has split into its six core elements. The resulting world of the element Earth has four quadrants, each one perpetually one of the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. For longer than any can remember, the world has thrived, the people and animals evolving to live on the new planet. The gears have begun to turn, however, on a new evolution. A le'mure, close kin to the lemurs of the original Earth, brings the girl Aria a tiny emerald. Ameagla is kicked out of the shelter of his homeland to live-or die-alone in the harshest quadrant. Jade takes it on herself to strike a deal with the merchant of death in order to save her father's life. There, she meets Kaalin and Kayara, who will join her on her task. The players are set on a world-sized chessboard to unravel the mysteries of the ancients, the technology, and the power they possessed over the very world itself. With the guardians of the seasons and other forces out to deter them, it is unknown what questions will be answered and what answers will reveal more questions.