ELITE MARCH
Chapter 1
"The Boys of Millin"
Millin Village — Early Morning
A small village tucked between two sleeping hills. Smoke climbs from chimneys. Chickens wander. Nobody is in a hurry.
Nobody, that is — except the Sato twins.
THUD!!
The wooden sparrow skids across the floor.
AYATO
"Give it BACK, Hiruma!!"
HIRUMA
"I'm not HOLDING anything!!"
AYATO
"You're SITTING on it!! I can see your butt!!"
HIRUMA
"My butt is sitting on the FLOOR. That's what butts do."
CRASH!
They collide. A lamp wobbles. A stool tips over.
AYATO
"That's MINE—"
HIRUMA
"It's OURS—"
AYATO
"Then stop HOARDING it—"
HIRUMA
"I was keeping it WARM—"
AYATO
"...WHAT does that even MEAN—"
Kitchen Doorway
Sakura Sato watches from the doorway. She has the expression of a woman who has seen this exact scene 400 times and has simply become the documentary filmmaker of her own household.
She raises two fingers. Barely an effort.
FWOOSH
A ribbon of wind curls through the open window like it was waiting for its cue. It slips under Hiruma's elbow — and lifts the wooden sparrow clean into the air.
The sparrow drifts peacefully across the room.
It lands on the kitchen shelf.
Both boys go completely still.
HIRUMA
"..."
AYATO
"..."
HIRUMA
"Mama that was—"
SAKURA
"Breakfast is in ten minutes."
HIRUMA
"Yes, Mama."
AYATO
(He is quiet, but his eye is twitching slightly.)
Outside — Midday
The twins are lying flat in the tall grass behind the house. The sky above Millin is the kind of blue that makes it hard to be productive.
HIRUMA
"Hey, Ayato."
AYATO
"What."
HIRUMA
"What do you think you'll get?"
AYATO
"Get what?"
HIRUMA
"Your element. When you turn ten."
Every person awakens to their element at age ten. Not through training. Not through birthright. It simply... arrives. Wind, Fire, Earth, Water — the four that fill the world.
And then there are the rare ones. Light. Darkness. Elements that appear maybe once in a generation. Maybe less.
No one inherits their parent's element. The world doesn't follow that kind of logic.
The twins are eight. They have two years left to wonder.
AYATO
"...Don't know."
HIRUMA
"I want FIRE. Obviously."
AYATO
"Why obviously?"
HIRUMA
"Because it's FIRE, Ayato. Come on."
AYATO
"Papa has fire."
HIRUMA
"Exactly! How cool would it be—"
AYATO
"You just want to set things on fire."
HIRUMA
"I want to set things on fire RESPONSIBLY."
AYATO
"..."
( He is going to set everything on fire. )
HIRUMA
"What about you? Don't you want something cool?"
AYATO
"I don't really care what it is."
HIRUMA
"WHAT. How can you not care—"
AYATO
"I just want to be good at it. Whatever it is."
Hiruma stares at him.
HIRUMA
"That is the most Ayato thing you have ever said in your entire life."
AYATO
"Shut up."
HIRUMA
"No I mean it! Most people want the flashy element. You want to be COMPETENT. You are eight years old and already boring."
FWIP
Ayato throws a fistful of grass directly into Hiruma's face.
HIRUMA
"PFFT— hey— HEY—"
FWIP FWIP FWIP
Hiruma throws grass back. Then more grass. Then a small stick, which was probably too far.
AYATO
"That was a STICK—"
HIRUMA
"It was a SMALL stick—"
AYATO
"I'M TELLING MAMA—"
HIRUMA
"SHE'LL USE THE WIND AGAIN—"
The Sato Home — Late Afternoon
Their father returns before sunset. Honji Sato — lead hunter of Millin, man of few words, owner of flame magic he treats like a pocket knife: useful, reliable, nothing to show off about.
THUNK
Two pheasants land on the table.
HIRUMA
"Papa!! Did you see anything cool today?!"
HONJI
"Big cat tracks near the northern ridge."
HIRUMA
"A BIG CAT?! Can I come tomorrow—"
HONJI
"No."
HIRUMA
"What if I helped carry things—"
HONJI
"No."
HIRUMA
"What if Ayato came too—"
AYATO
"Leave me out of this."
HONJI
"... No."
Honji ruffles Hiruma's hair as he passes. Hiruma grins. Then Honji ruffles Ayato's hair.
AYATO
"Papa I'm trying to read—"
HONJI
"How was your morning."
AYATO
"Hiruma sat on my sparrow."
HIRUMA
"I was keeping it WARM—"
HONJI
"Mm."
He does not weigh in. He has long since learned that this is wiser.
HIRUMA
"Papa. What was it like? When your fire came in?"
Honji pauses. He sets down the water basin.
HONJI
"I burned a hole through my bedroom wall."
HIRUMA
"AMAZING—"
HONJI
"Your grandmother was not pleased."
HIRUMA
"Did it hurt?"
HONJI
"... A little. The first time. Then it felt like breathing."
( Like breathing. )
Hiruma goes quiet. That's a rare thing.
Ayato watches his brother's face from across the room. He doesn't say anything either.
That Night — The Boys' Room
The village is quiet. The fire in the hearth is almost out. Two eight-year-olds stare at the ceiling in the dark.
HIRUMA
"Hey."
AYATO
"Go to sleep."
HIRUMA
"Do you think it'll change things? When we get our elements?"
A long pause.
AYATO
"...Probably."
HIRUMA
"Like, big things? Or just... small things?"
AYATO
"How would I know, Hiruma. I'm eight."
HIRUMA
"You act like you're forty."
AYATO
"Go. To. Sleep."
Hiruma is quiet for exactly eleven seconds.
HIRUMA
"I hope we get cool ones."
AYATO
"..."
AYATO
"Yeah."
( Me too. )
The village of Millin sleeps. The hills hold still. The river does its quiet, patient work.
Two ordinary boys. One ordinary night.
For now.
— ✦ —
End of Chapter 1