A small story

Another story, you ask. Another encore. You exhaust me. But, fine. This one is a far more upbeat tale than the one before.

In the old days, boys had to woo the girls they loved through acts of bravery and heroics.
There was one such boy who was all but incapable of such things. He was small and skinny, and lacked any hair on his chin. But, he was a clever boy. He was interested in magic.

It was not the sort of magic of warlocks and mages. He actually had no talent there, either. He enjoyed tricks, slight-of-hand and optical illusions. He had his sights set on the fairest girl in the city.
She was tow-headed and fair skinned. She was a beautiful girl who had her choice of any male in town. When the boy came and asked for her hand in marriage-- she laughed at him.

She jokingly told him she would only marry him if he was able to bring her a vial of actual magic. But, not just any magic, she wanted a pure and volatile element, the essence of what makes up the World. She either wanted the Breath of the Wind, the Tears of the Water, the Core of the Earth, or the Embers of Fire.
Mockingly, she sneered and went away.

The boy was challenged, but willing to try. He left her a love note written on one of his trick playing cards-- the Ace of Rogues, to be exact. He told her he would find one of the elements to prove his love. He left it unsigned, but nailed it to her door knowing that she would know it was one of his cards.

The boy first traveled to the Palace of the Earth, far below. He spoke to the Prince of Stones and explained his plight. He asked for one of the Prince's elements to show his intent to his lady love. But, the Prince of Stones was a hard man and refused. He told the boy he was too soft and that love would not move his heart.

Then, the boy traveled to the Sky World to speak to the Princess of Clouds. He begged and pleaded her to relinquish an elemental into his custody to show his heart to the girl. The Princess of Clouds was sympathetic, and told the boy that his air was true. Yet, the elements of air always remain free.

Undeterred, he went to the Planes of the Ocean. He swam through great length and rode the sea creatures to speak to the Emperor of Water. With the use of an enchanted shell, he spoke through the depth of the sea and requested an elemental to accompany him to the dry lands above. He politely made his argument on why he needed the assistance to help him woo the most beautiful girl in the world. But, the Emperor was a logical man, and knew that none of his people would survive. He needed to protect his water elementals, and told the boy to be on his way.

Lastly, the boy went to the spiked, scorched volcano that was the Kingdom of Flame. It was a horrid place where everything was burned and ash. He addressed the Lord of Fire, who was known to be a cruel man. When the boy bravely told him what he wanted, the Lord of Fire laughed in his face. "Of course. I will relinquish one of my elementals to you. But, know this. Proving your true love will kill my daughter. Take her with you, and if you truly love this woman, capture my daughter in this magic vial in front of your woman. Your lady will see that you have proved yourself in blood and flame."

The boy escorted the Lord of Fire's daughter to his city with the magic vial in hand. Throughout the entire journey, he was torn. He did not wish to kill anyone. The Lord's daughter, too, did not wish to die-- but she was in no place to contest her father's wishes. Then, the boy had an idea.

He knocked on the door of his lady love. When the girl answered, he told her he had the Fire elemental she had requested. He would place her in the vial, too, in a great show of genuine magic.
With his cloak, he preformed the greatest and largest slight-of-hand trick. It was all illusion and grandeur; and with a flicker, the daughter of the Fire Lord was gone, and the vial was filled with smoke, ashes, and fire.

He handed the warm vial to his love. She was surprised and astonished by how he truly captured an element of the world and went through the trials and tribulations to prove himself a man. She agreed to marry him.

The elemental lived free from the torment of her father and was not sacrificed by the boy. To this day, it is said she is the only free elemental of the world, burning in passion with her own will.