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Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations, roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called Strongs. They increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between the two groups is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic. The Incendiaries are forbidden from using their fire on other humans, and their original intention is just to burn the barricade across the river. However, when the Strongs start fighting back, tempers flare (literally) and carnage ensues.

Unfortunately, the sample on Google Books ends before the seventh cavalry arrive and I can't remember what they are called. However, they are a highly trained group of Incendiaries whose job is to intervene in conflicts between the different inclinations. Once they arrive they end the battle quickly, but not before many deaths on both side.

The Air inclined are indeed called Swifts and they aid in the battle much as you describe, fighting on the side of the Incendiaries. I don't remember anything about the Water inclined group.

There is a lot more to the book. It turns into a quest to end the reality-changing storms called worldstorms, hence the title. I recall the book as rather sprawling - I loved the world building but it got a bit unfocused when it moved on to the questing. However, it isn't without its subtleties. For example, in the battle it is far from clear who is to blame. Both sides have reasonable grievances and both sides suffer many deaths (though I think the Strongs come off worse). There is at least the implication that the Incendiaries are the superior element and have the responsibility to protect the other inclinations, and there is much guilt and soul searching among the Incendiaries after the battle.

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations, roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called Strongs. They increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between the two groups is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic. The Incendiaries are forbidden from using their fire on other humans, and their original intention is just to burn the barricade across the river. However, when the Strongs start fighting back, tempers flare (literally) and carnage ensues.

Unfortunately, the sample on Google Books ends before the seventh cavalry arrive and I can't remember what they are called. However, they are a highly trained group of Incendiaries whose job is to intervene in conflicts between the different inclinations. Once they arrive they end the battle quickly, but not before many deaths on both side.

The Air inclined are indeed called Swifts and they aid in the battle much as you describe, fighting on the side of the Incendiaries. I don't remember anything about the Water inclined group.

There is a lot more to the book. It turns into a quest to end the reality-changing storms called worldstorms, hence the title. I recall the book as rather sprawling - I loved the world building but it got a bit unfocused when it moved on to the questing. However, it isn't without its subtleties. For example, in the battle it is far from clear who is to blame. Both sides have reasonable grievances and both sides suffer many deaths (though I think the Strongs come off worse). There is at least the implication that the Incendiaries are the superior element and have the responsibility to protect the other inclinations, and there is much guilt and soul searching among the Incendiaries after the battle.

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called called Strongs. They increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between the two groups is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic. The Incendiaries are forbidden from using their fire on other humans and their original intention is just to burn the barricade across the river. However when the Strongs start fighting back tempers flare (literally) and carnage ensues.

Unfortunately the sample on Google Books ends before the seventh cavalry arrive and I can't remember what they are called. However they are a highly trained group of Incendiaries whose job is to intervene in conflicts between the different inclinations. Once they arrive they end the battle quickly, but not before many deaths on both side.

The Air inclined are indeed called Swifts and they aid in the battle much as you describe, fighting on the side of the Incendiaries. I don't remember anything about the Water inclined group.

There is a lot more to the book. It turns into a quest to end the reality changing storms called worldstorms, hence the title. I recall the book as rather sprawling - I loved the world building but it got a bit unfocused when it moved on to the questing. However it isn't without its subtleties. For example in the battle it is far from clear who is to blame. Both sides have reasonable grievances and both sides suffer many deaths (though I think the Strongs come off worse). There is at least the implication that the Incendiaries are the superior element and have the responsibility to protect the other inclinations, and there is much guilt and soul searching among the Incendiaries after the battle.

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations, roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called Strongs. They increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between the two groups is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic. The Incendiaries are forbidden from using their fire on other humans, and their original intention is just to burn the barricade across the river. However, when the Strongs start fighting back, tempers flare (literally) and carnage ensues.

Unfortunately, the sample on Google Books ends before the seventh cavalry arrive and I can't remember what they are called. However, they are a highly trained group of Incendiaries whose job is to intervene in conflicts between the different inclinations. Once they arrive they end the battle quickly, but not before many deaths on both side.

The Air inclined are indeed called Swifts and they aid in the battle much as you describe, fighting on the side of the Incendiaries. I don't remember anything about the Water inclined group.

There is a lot more to the book. It turns into a quest to end the reality-changing storms called worldstorms, hence the title. I recall the book as rather sprawling - I loved the world building but it got a bit unfocused when it moved on to the questing. However, it isn't without its subtleties. For example, in the battle it is far from clear who is to blame. Both sides have reasonable grievances and both sides suffer many deaths (though I think the Strongs come off worse). There is at least the implication that the Incendiaries are the superior element and have the responsibility to protect the other inclinations, and there is much guilt and soul searching among the Incendiaries after the battle.

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called called Strongs. The increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between them is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic.

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove. The book is available on Google books here.

There are four inclinations roughly following the four elements. The people you've remembered as the invulnerables are the Earth oriented people and are called called Strongs. They increase their strength by testing it, hence they pound rocks with their fists to make their fists stronger and harder.

The fire oriented people are the Incendiaries. The fight between the two groups is the Battle of Penresford and happens when the Incendiaries are trying to remove a barrier that the Strongs have created at Penresford to block river traffic. The Incendiaries are forbidden from using their fire on other humans and their original intention is just to burn the barricade across the river. However when the Strongs start fighting back tempers flare (literally) and carnage ensues.

Unfortunately the sample on Google Books ends before the seventh cavalry arrive and I can't remember what they are called. However they are a highly trained group of Incendiaries whose job is to intervene in conflicts between the different inclinations. Once they arrive they end the battle quickly, but not before many deaths on both side.

The Air inclined are indeed called Swifts and they aid in the battle much as you describe, fighting on the side of the Incendiaries. I don't remember anything about the Water inclined group.

There is a lot more to the book. It turns into a quest to end the reality changing storms called worldstorms, hence the title. I recall the book as rather sprawling - I loved the world building but it got a bit unfocused when it moved on to the questing. However it isn't without its subtleties. For example in the battle it is far from clear who is to blame. Both sides have reasonable grievances and both sides suffer many deaths (though I think the Strongs come off worse). There is at least the implication that the Incendiaries are the superior element and have the responsibility to protect the other inclinations, and there is much guilt and soul searching among the Incendiaries after the battle.