Lord Otto's pov 

Today is the day. I know it in my bones that I must find the earth rings new Holders. I can not be certain of any tomorrow for me anymore. At ninety-eight years old, my life is nearing an end. I can not let the rings fall to legend. I just can't.

My mentors trusted me with their protection when they died but I can protect them no longer. I know this for a fact as I slip on my trek down the mountain I've called home for most of my life. Once I find the four the rings choose and be sure to tell them of the urgency of the matter, I will return once more to draw my last breath. Hopefully I will be able to begin their training. If not, they will have to learn to use the rings on their own.

I slip once again, too caught up in my thoughts to see the rut in my path. This trip was much easier twenty years ago. I know three of the four I'm looking for but the final ring has yet to reveal its new Holder to me. Leave it to my ring to be finicky. Of course it makes sense, I just wish it would choose already and make my life a bit easier.

It takes me another two hours to reach the village at the base of my mountain. The three boys live at the orphanage, which is lucky for me. It means I won't have to take them away from their families. I click my tongue while I search for the building. 

 It must be around here somewhere... Ah yes, that seems about right.

I knock on the door and a portly woman answers, "Yes, do you need something?" 

"Ah, yes. I was hoping to adopt some good boys to help me with my farm. I'm getting up in age and I can't do all I used to," I say, smiling through the lie I'd just told.

"Just boys?" she asks as she opens the door wider to allow me in.

"Yes. May I see them?"

"Of course. I'll call them in. What age group do you want to see?"

"Twelve to fourteen, I believe. Maybe fifteen. It depends."

The woman nods and walks off, presumably to get the children. A young boy wanders in the room. He looks to be maybe six or seven.

I smile and nod politely at him.

He glares at me and walks away.

Such horrible manners. I hope the boys the rings chose aren't as unpleasant.

The woman, I must learn her name so I can stop calling her "the woman," walks back into the room I wait in as soon as the door closes, ten boys trailing behind her.

"Here they are. Choose the ones you'd like or tell me if they aren't what you're looking for."

I nod, already seeing the three I'm going to choose. One is an Asian boy with fear in his brown eyes and soft facial features. He has black hair and I believe he's the youngest in the room. He still has the roundness of adolescence to his face.

The next holds a guarded expression over his face and towers nearly a foot above me. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. He seems to be the oldest.

The last boy has ash blonde hair and blue eyes. He smiles at me when I look at him and I believe he will be the one to resolve any conflicts. He's the most muscular of the three and has an air of authority to his stance.

I point out the three and the woman mutters to herself with malice, "Good riddance. That's three less mouths I have to feed."

I decide I don't care to learn her name and walk out with the three boys, "So, before I tell you why I chose you three, I'd like to know your names," I turn to them.

"What, so you didn't adopt us to work us to death?" the tallest boy scoffs.

"That was not my intent, no."

"Well, I'm Aaron," the blonde boy says, "Mr. Grouchy over there is Kaine and the little one is Zayne. Kaine hates Zayne for some reason so you'll need to watch and make sure he doesn't beat the poor boy to a pulp. I'll help, don't worry."

I nod, "Alright," I pull the rings' case out of a pocket in my traveling cloak and open it, "These are the earth power rings, I'm sure you've all heard the legend, and they have chosen you as their new Holders. You must use them only for good and try to find the other twelve. If you do not, if you fail or lose your own rings, I fear they will be lost to legend forever."

"Ok. So he's crazy," Kaine mutters, turns around, and begins to walk off.

I sigh and hold my hand out in front of me, lifting it slightly to incase him in earth, "No, I'm not crazy." Then I twist my hand and the clump holding him breaks free of the ground and turns to me. Flipping my hand palm up, I curl my fingers to my palm and bring him to me. Once he reaches me, I release him and fill the hole I created back up. I am grateful there is no one out and about on this street, I don't feel like explaining what they would have saw to a crowd.

Aaron grins, "Will we be able to do that one day?"

"Yes. And much more. I am old and frail. I can't do everything I was once able to."

"So... why us? Out of all the people in the world, why all three of us. And what are the odds of us all being in one place?" Zayne asks, tilting his head curiously.

"Nobody ever really understood the rings' choosing mechanisms. It seemed to be at random but always somewhere close enough the previous Holder could reach if they were ailing. I'm assuming the fourth boy will be somewhere in this village but my ring is finicky and decided not to show me who it was." As I say this, I hand the boys the rings that chose them.

"Wait, how do you know it will be another boy?" Kaine asks as he takes his, "And if he wasn't in the orphanage, what about his family."

I sigh, "I guess I don't know if it will be another boy or not. Girls have been chosen for the earth rings, it's just uncommon. Just as it was uncommon for air or water Holders to be a boy. Fire was usually two of each. And I don't know about the family. I'm hoping they will understand the importance of the matter. If not... I don't know."

"Why is it so uncommon for those specific genders to be Holders of those elements?" Zayne wonders aloud, looking at the carvings on the ring.

"As I said. The choosing mechanisms of the rings are a complete mystery to us Holders. We always assumed it was something to do with the personalities. Air Holders were typically kind and playful while water Holders were quiet on the outside while a storm could be raging underneath the surface. Like the hidden currents many bodies of water have. Earth Holders tend to be stubborn and muscular, so strong and unwavering in their beliefs. But, over time, things may wear at them and shape them into a completely different person.

"Just like stone. Fire Holders were hotheaded and tend to be pretty uncontrollable. They could be calm one moment and spark into an inferno the next. Of course, each of those personalities are found in both male and females so who knows."

"What would happen if the fourth Holder did end up being a girl? Would that be bad?" Kaine asks.

"You three and your questions," I chuckle, "It may be bad for you. When an earth Holder is female, she can not only beat the other three without breaking a sweat, but she can also take your own rings and use them to add to her power. The only problem with that is that the power would almost definitely overwhelm and kill her. Oh, one last thing. And I need you to listen very carefully to this."

"What is it?" Zayne inquires.

"Never, and I mean never let your blood get on your ring. Do you understand?" I look into each of their eyes as I say this. They must know the importance of this as well as I do.

They all three nod, but Aaron's brow furrows and I remind myself to watch over them.

"Why not?"

I sigh, "Think of the worst natural disaster you can, what was it? Now, what if I told you that was caused by someone's blood, their life source, combining with the power of their ring? Would you want to hurt that many people just to find out what it's like?"

They all shake their heads.

"Good. Now put your rings on and let's go find the last Holder."

They do as they're told and slip the rings onto their fingers. As soon as they do, they gasp, and I smile, knowing firsthand what it feels like to feel that power. 

I'm about to begin walking again when a vision blacks out my sight.

The fourth Holder. A lithe, girl with tired green eyes and golden blonde hair. 

Well, I guess I'll get the honor of training a Keeper, won't I?