INFERNUS ARC               

              The four of them rode slowly into the village before Infernus Pass. For being only a day’s ride from a known war zone and potential risk for monster attacks, the village was quite lively. It wasn’t large but it had enough of a population and farmlands surrounding it to be self-sufficient.  There was a large wooden wall built around the village, the entrance guarded by two armed Knights.

As they passed through the gate, Amrin looked around at the people going about their business. Villagers haggling prices with merchants peddling their wares and produce in their stalls that surrounded the center fountain of the village.

It seemed that the village was founded around the well, which wasn’t uncommon. The well, which was more a fountain at this point, was built up and was made of polished stone with cobbled bricks surrounding it on the ground making it a more pleasing focal point for the center of the town.

The roads branched out using the fountain as a central point for the city, each road leading towards a specific quarter. The stalls and carts strewn about the center square were packed with various items for sale and had vibrant covers or flags to bring attention to them.

Amrin smiled as he watched parents pull along their children, men ogling pretty young women that walked by, and a few kids running by him as they shouted incoherently in their playfulness.

                “The village is quite lively for being so close to Infernus Pass.” He said absent mindedly.

                “Well, nothing happened after thirty years except for the occasional wild beast or monster attack, which was able to be handled by the local guard.” Lestith replied.

                “Did you mention something about the beasts from Randess occasionally attacking villagers? I thought they were quite powerful.” Amrin asked curiously.

                “They are, but the guard captain stationed here was appointed by Commander Braddock personally, so he is quite capable.”

Amrin nodded in acknowledgement and continued to observe the locals as they carried on ignoring the fact that four strangers had entered their village. It was then he noticed something he thought odd, after hearing what Elynara had mentioned about Demi-humans. There were a few feline and canine subspecies demi-human children running along with human children. Their tails and ears fully visible and no indication of caring one way or another.

Amrin couldn’t help but smile at the scene and find that demi-humans being treated as lesser beings was something only larger cities were inclined to do, for some strange reason he couldn’t fathom.

                “So where are we headed exactly?” Amrin finally asked, shaking the depressing notion from his mind.

                “We’ll need a few provisions and supplies before the final stretch to Infernus Pass.” Lestith answered.

                “I believe after the horses rest, we should be able to make it there before night fall. We’ve made really good time on this trip.” Grandall said proudly.

                “Grandall, go ahead and see if you can find some Ice Crystals and water skins. I’m going to see if there’s anywhere around here that can provide us with a strongbox for the Adamantine.”

                “Ice crystals? And why do we need a strongbox for the ore?” he asked.

                “Oh umm…how would I explain it?” Lestith began to ponder how best to answer the question.

                “Ice Crystals are a compressed form of water element magic contained in small crystals. Once broken they will cover anything in the area with ice.” Kaia said simply. “The strongbox is necessary due to the inherent toxicity of Adamantine. The strongbox will prevent that toxin from causing any harm to us or those that will handle it before processing.”

                “Ah, thank you Lady Kaia. Once we have procured the items we need we shall meet at…hmm…” Lestith began to survey the area for a moment. “How about we just meet at the north exit in half an hour?”

The other’s nodded in agreement at the suggestion. Grandall began to head down a busy street filled with merchant carts and stalls in either side. If the sheer number of them was any indication of the variety of merchandise, finding an Ice Crystal wouldn’t be an issue.

As Lestith began to head in another direction Amrin realized that he had no idea what he was supposed to do. And not knowing whether Kaia had been in this village before, he began to wonder whether or not they should accompany one of them.

                “Oh, Lestith?” Amrin called out to him before he got too far away.

Lestith pulled back on the reins of his horse and slowly turned it to face them.

                “Yes?”

                “What are we supposed to be doing?”

                “Well I suppose if there are any specific supplies or necessities that you require you could search for those? But if not, you could take this time to relax and explore the village before we head out.”

After saying this, Lestith tugged on the reins and continued once again down the street in search for a merchant that could provide a strongbox to contain the Adamantine ore.

Amrin didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help but think that it was thanks to Grandall and Lestith that it wasn’t as awkward being around Kaia, but now that it was just the two of them, he felt slightly self-conscious. After the events of the night prior, the feeling of being scrutinized felt like a series of daggers on the back of his neck.

Ever so cautiously he turned to face Kaia expecting her to be staring at him with judgmental eyes. Instead what he saw made him question just who Kaia really was.

Her gaze followed the children as they played along the side of a building. Laughter filling the air and smiles full on their faces. Through the small slit in her helmet, Kaia’s gaze fell onto the children and were filled with longing and sadness. Every movement they made, the brilliant orange eyes followed, not wanting to miss a second of it.

Amrin knew there was something there, something she wanted, missed or couldn’t have. Perhaps she wished to have children of her own, but her duty as a Knight prevented that possibility? No, there was no reason Ely would ever keep someone from seeking happiness and the love of a family like that. It had to be something else.

Her eyes followed the children until they disappeared from sight around a corner, but she continued to gaze onward as if they were still visible. The image of them playing and laughing replaying in her mind’s eye. In the corner of Kaia’s vision she noticed Amrin was watching her and quickly turned away making sure to compose herself.

                “So is there anything you want?”

                “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She replied quickly.

                “There’s no supplies or provisions you wanted to get before heading towards Infernus Pass?” Amrin said, elaborating on his previous question.

                “Oh…no.” She paused for a moment, realizing she had jumped to conclusions about the question. Assuming he was asking something in regards to the children caused her to put her guard up.

                “No, I do not need any provisions. If there are any items you wish to obtain, I shall accompany you.”

                “If there’s somewhere you’d rather go, or want to have time to yourself, you’re more than welcome.” Amrin said.

The expression on Amrin’s face softened, indicating that he knew something was bothering her. She appreciated the thought, but couldn’t bring herself to admit what she would like to do. The task given to her by Elynara was to protect Amrin, and it was a task she intended to follow fully. Although from what she had witnessed and heard of his abilities, there was no reason for Amrin to require aid. The idea of anyone foolish enough to cross him was ridiculous.

                “Well I suppose we can get something to eat and drink in the mean time? It’ll give our horses a chance to rest too.” Amrin wanted to try and have Kaia open up, even a little bit, and attempted to include her in what they should do next. “Sound good?”

                “That will be fine.”

Her reply was, as usual, quick and to the point. He couldn’t help but think that trying to get her open up was not going to work any time soon.

                “Ah, ok.” Urging his horse forward, he followed his nose towards something that smelled like cooking meat.

The scent was becoming more and more intense as they rode along the road. It was then Amrin noticed a crowd of people gathered around a small covered cart, clamoring for whatever it was selling. The smoke rising from the sides of the canopy drifted along the air, enticing anyone that was able to smell it.

Lifting his nose into the air, Amrin took a long whiff of the cooking meat, his mouth watering in anticipation of whether it would taste as amazing as it smelled.  A smile filling his face he lifted himself up on one side and came to a depressing realization. How could he have forgotten something so simple, yet again? He had no money.

                “Umm….Kaia?” he was reluctant to ask since it was his idea to try and find something to eat.

                “Yes?” she replied indifferently.

                “I uhh…I know I suggested getting something to eat, but…” he forced a laugh. “I don’t actually have any…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Kaia stretched out her right arm and held a small leather pouch in her hands. Not bothering to face him as she did this. Amrin couldn’t help but feel guilty and embarrassed at the fact that he had to resort to taking money from the person that he invited.

                “No, it’s fine! I mean…if you’re hungry you can definitely get something. You don’t have to worry about me.”

                “These are funds provided by Lady Elena for this mission. She has told me to make it available to you at any time for any reason.”

Still facing forward, Kaia explained just what the pouch of money was for. Reluctantly, Amrin took the pouch from her. It was much heavier than it appeared to be and he could only imagine just how much money was inside it. It was definitely something he had to keep out of sight and close to him in case of pickpockets.

                “Thank you.”

                “There is no reason to thank me as I am not the one providing it.”

She was definitely avoiding conversations with him. Even the first time they met she wasn’t this direct, short and to the point. He had no idea what he could have done to cause her to, from her behavior, hate him, so much. The knowledge that she could very well be wary of him due to her witnessing what he did in the forest and letting the void magic get loose was the top of his list of things that could elicit this level of animosity.

                “I see. I’ll go get something from that stall and be right back then.”

Dismounting his horse, he handed Kaia the reins since there was no reason for him to walk the horse along with him to get the food. The throng of people also would have made it inconvenient.

                “Umm…how about you head over there and I’ll meet you?” he pointed to a clearing just outside the village, low grass and large rocks were strewn about the area. It was most likely used as a rest area or park.

Nodding her head, she urged her horse along the road and kept to the other side of the road to avoid the large group of customers still attempting to purchase whatever the merchant was peddling.

Now that he was close enough to see just what foodstuff the cart was selling, he was excited to try it. Small chunks of meat and vegetables were skewered, dipped into a type of marinade and then cooked over a hot charcoal fire.

After fighting with a few of the other customers, Amrin was finally able to put in his order and obtain six of the skewers. There was nothing to carry the skewers on, but whatever the marinade was made of it was able to caramelize and prevent any juices from really dripping off and making a mess. Making his way through the crowd of people, Amrin was able to finally see the clearing he mentioned to Kaia.

Hurrying his pace to make sure he got there before the skewers got too cold, he could see that she had tied the horses to a hitching post and was standing beside them and waiting. Her helmet was still equipped, making her appear quite imposing to anyone that walked by her.

                “Sorry about the wait. It was a lot more hectic to get an order in than I thought.”

She was handed three skewers with nothing but meat on them. Kaia couldn’t help but notice that hers was quite different than the ones Amrin had.

                “You appear to have purchased something different?” she asked simply.

                “Oh, no. I figured that since you were a feline demi-human you would appreciate the meat more than the vegetables. So I made sure to ask the vendor to make three with nothing but meat.”

Kaia wasn’t opposed to eating vegetables, but she had to admit that if given the choice, she would certainly prefer more meat. Although it confused her as to how Amrin would know that. Granted, demi-humans had animal subspecies, they were still omnivorous, therefore eating things other than meat wasn’t a problem.

                “I saw you eating the dried meats that Lestith had a few days ago and you seemed to enjoy it more than the soup from before. So I just assumed…sorry.”

                “No, it’s fine. Thank you.” She said, the tone of her voice more relaxed than normal.

Using her free hand she grasped her helm and pulled it off. Rocking her head back and forth she let her long hair fall free along her back. If not for the strong smell of the grilled meat, Amrin would have smelled the jasmine and lavender. She placed the helm onto the horn of her saddle and brushed a few strands of her hair back across her shoulder.

                “Let’s have a seat over there.” Amrin said as he headed towards a few small boulders near where the horses were hitched.

Kaia followed him without saying a word, taking in the smell of the fire grilled meat, causing her mouth to water more than she thought they would. As soon as she sat down she took the first chunk of meat from one of the skewers, it was still piping hot, causing her to breathe out of her mouth in quick breaths and move the meat around in her mouth to keep it from burning her tongue. When she was able to tolerate the heat, she bit down and smiled. It was delicious, she’s had grilled meats before, but whatever this vendor’s marinade was, made all the difference.

                “It’s nice to see you smile.” Amrin said.

She quickly lost the smile she had and turned to look at Amrin. Her piercing gaze gave him room for concern at his sudden mention of her smile. Not saying a word, Kaia turned away and began to take another chunk of meat from the skewer and ate in silence.

Amrin scratched the back of his head in frustration. What was he supposed to do to convince her that he wasn’t a bad guy? No matter how long he lived there was one thing he was never good at, and it was understanding women.

                “Look. I know you don’t like me. You have no reason to trust me or wish to follow me on this errand. Ely asked you to, and as her subordinate you’re obligated to listen. But…” he let out a loud sigh. He had no idea what he was trying to get at.

                “I am here because I wish to be. Lady Elena has never given me a command I was not able to refuse if I so choose.”

                “I see.  She always was accommodating like that.” He said with a chuckle.

                “And contrary to what you may believe. I do not dislike you.” She said before taking another bite of the skewered meat.

                “Then why does it feel like you can’t stand to be around me? Is it because you think I’m some kind of monster? You’ve seen some of what I can do…does that scare you?”

Kaia was still busy chewing on the piece of grilled meat and didn’t indicate any acknowledgement of the question. Shaking his head in frustration, Amrin lowered his head and felt lost as to how to proceed from here.

                “You do not scare me. You interest me.” Once again, it was a simple and quick response before she took another bite of her food.

                “Interest? In what way?”

                “You should eat quickly, we will need to meet with Captain Lestith and Lieutenant Grandall shortly.”

Once again he knew that he was going to get nowhere with her at this point. But he took solace in the fact that she opened up just a little. And to him, that was victory enough. So taking this small victory, he took a bite out of the meat skewer and smiled.

After they had finished their meal, the two unhitched their horses and began to make their way to the northern exit of the city. Deciding that going back into the village and then heading north would take longer, they instead mounted their horses and travelled along the outskirts towards the designated rendezvous point.

Since the northern exit led to Infernus Pass, it seemed to be more fortified than the other exits. While the southern entrance they came through was surrounded and fortified with a wooden wall, this exit also had stone barriers strewn around the entrance. Large wooden spiked barricades were laid out along the road and grassy fields further from the gates to slow down any oncoming enemies.

Multiple guards stood at attention in full armor, some wielding a sword and shield while others brandished long poleaxes. There was only one reason they would put this much effort into stationing men this well-armed here. The potential that something from Infernus Pass would make their way to the town was possible.

Among the guards at the gate Amrin took notice of one that was slightly larger, and louder, than the rest.

                “Gahahahaha! Is that so!? Well I’m glad you boys have had it easy recently!” Grandall’s loud voice carried far enough that Kaia and Amrin could hear it clearly.

There was still time before they were supposed to meet, so why would Grandall be at the gate already? Amrin thought to himself. As they moved closer to where he was talking with the other guards, Grandall noticed them. Waving into the air a little more enthusiastically than he thought necessary, Amrin smiled and waved back.

                “Was expecting you two to show up a bit later. Did you get all you needed?” Grandall asked as Amrin and Kaia dismounted and came to stand by him.

                “Well we just got a bite to eat and made our way over here slowly. I’m surprised you’re already here. Were you able to find those uh…” Amrin was drawing a blank on what they were called.

                “Ice crystals? Oh yeah, this town has quite the variety! They were a bit more than I was hoping, but I was able to bring them down a few silver in the end!” standing tall and puffing his chest out, Grandall smiled wide in triumph.

                “Is that right? Well since this was a mission I decided to take, I can…Ely can, reimburse you for the cost I’m sure.”

                “Agh, that won’t be necessary. It’s a common item the Knights around Newrand use. I’ll donate what we don’t use to the folks here after we’re done, and once we get back to Arestoth I’ll be reimbursed from the war chest.”

                “I see. That’s great.”

                “There is Captain Lestith.” Kaia interjected.

Riding through the gate on his horse the group noticed a rather large box lashed to the back of the horse.

                “Uhh, Captain? How much of this stuff do you think we’ll be able to find?” Grandall asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

                “Quiet. This was the only strongbox I was able to find that could contain the toxins from Adamantine…It’s not like I wanted to carry this huge thing around.” Lestith said, frowning and his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

                “Well I suppose now that we’re all here we can make our way? Ely said that it was at least another day to reach Infernus Pass itself?” Amrin asked.

                “Not an entire day, no. We should be able to make it there by nightfall if we keep a steady pace” Lestith answered.

Amrin, Kaia and Grandall mounted their horses and began to follow behind Lestith as they made their way through the stone barriers and barricades.

                “So if we get there by nightfall, wouldn’t that put us at a disadvantage?”

                “If it were anywhere else, I would agree with you. But…” Lestith paused. “You’ll understand when we get there.”

Shrugging at the response, Amrin decided not to push any further. It wasn’t as if knowing the answer right now would keep them from continuing onto their intended destination.

Since the strongbox Lestith found was larger than he would have liked, the pace they were able to maintain was much slower than preferred. But if they pushed the horse along any faster the weight and shape of the box would cause the horse to unbalance itself and potentially fall, injuring itself, Lestith or both in the process.

Continuing along the path for a few more hours the sun began to set, coating the sky in a vibrant orange-red glow. It was curious though, the sun was setting in the west and he could still see the glow of it along the western horizon, just above the tree line. But the further they continued north along the road, the same orange-red glow grew brighter.

                “Ugh, we’re still a few hours away, but it’s already this ridiculous!?” Grandall shouted randomly, causing Amrin to quickly turn his attention to him.

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                “I believe it’s about time we set the horses free. Any further and it’ll only cause them harm.” Lestith declared as he came to a stop and dismounted from the horse.

                “We’re to continue the rest of the way on foot? Why?” Amrin asked as he dismounted as well.

                “If we push the horses any further they’ll either collapse from exhaustion or spook from any of the monsters in the area. I’d rather not have to deal with that.”

Lestith began to untie the large strongbox that was fastened to the rump of his horse. Pushing it away from him it fell to the ground with a loud thud. He looked at the others and shrugged as he did it. It was much easier than trying to pick it up off of the horse and lay it down. It was built incredibly sturdy, a simple fall from that height wouldn’t be an issue.

Taking the rope that was used to secure it to the horse, Lestith began to wrap the strongbox in various places around, over and under. Once he was finished the rope was able to wrap around and support the strongbox but enough left over to be used as handles for two people to carry on either side.

                “Grandall, if you could be so kind as to help me carry this…monstrosity?”

                “Aye Captain.”

Before Grandall could actually take up his end of the rope handle, he made sure to pack up the provisions he had purchased in New Randess into a leather satchel and strung it across the opposite shoulder from the hip it lay against. He patted the satchel, satisfied they were secured and safe for the remainder of the journey.

After each of them had made sure all of the items they wished to keep were retrieved from the saddle bags, they set the horses free. They were confident that they would be safe and return to the nearest village or city, as all mounts of the Capital Knights are trained to do. Grandall and Lestith frowned at the prospect of the return trip being without the mounts though.

The group began once more to traverse down the path towards their destination. A few more hours had passed and Amrin couldn’t help but notice a change in the behavior of each of his travelling companions.

As they continued along the road, Grandall had started to take off bits of his armor. The easiest portions to remove, such as the gauntlets and tassets, came off first. Fastening the items to their waist with a bit of twine. Turning his attention to Lestith, Amrin saw that he had done the same. He had no idea why they would be taking off their armor when they were going to a place they described as a fiery hell.

Amrin, fully confused, turned to ask Kaia what was going on but was quickly stunned silent as he saw that she had removed her helm and gauntlets as well. Holding the helm upside down under her right arm, the gauntlets resting inside them. His eyes went wide at the sight. She had also taken her hair and put it into a tight single ponytail.

Her normal flowing blue black hair that cascaded along her head gave her an almost regal appearance Amrin thought to himself. But the ponytail wasn’t bad either. It made her appear younger and more approachable for some reason, she looked cute, he decided. Of course he would never say that out loud, he rather enjoyed being in one piece.

                “Uhh…why are you all removing parts of your armor? Isn’t that the opposite of what you should be doing the closer we get?” his voice thick with confusion and concern.

Kaia glanced to her side to address the reason they had done so and noticed that he was unfazed at the increase in temperature.

                “Are you not hot?” She asked, her eyes narrowed as she wondered how he could be so comfortable.

                “Hot? No, not really.” Amrin shrugged as he answered simply.

It was then that he noticed why the question was asked. The beads of sweat began to drip from Kaia’s forehead, her body was moving up and down more noticeably as she began to breathe heavier. Looking to Lestith and Grandall, he noticed the same thing. They were sweating profusely. Grandall constantly wiping the sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hands.

                “You are quite lucky then. It must be your lack of armor. The closer we get to Infernus Pass the worse it’s going to get. I hate this part.” Grandall began to fish around the side of his cuirass.

                “Stop it Grandall. You know better…than to remove your armor to that extent…” Lestith’s breathing was labored, his normally perfect upright posture had instead adopted a slouched and exhausted forward leaning one. “We need to get closer…before we can…use the crystals.”

They looked to be in pain and there was nothing Amrin could really do that wouldn’t guarantee him unwanted questions. He had no idea what was going on but he cringed at the thought of the three of them being in pain from some unknown heat source for an errand that he could have done by himself in a matter of moments. He finally realized the obvious.

The glow to the north! It wasn’t the setting sun, it was the flames from Infernus Pass. He couldn’t believe how dense he was. It was simple. Cataclysm calls forth the very hellfire from the earth. If those flames and magma were still fully active it would make sense why they were hot.

                “Wait, what crystals? The Ice crystals?” His head flinched as he grasped what Lestith had just said.

                “Yes. Another use for them…is to break them…within close proximity to us…allowing the ice and cold to affect us as well…to protect us from the flames and heat.”  Kaia answered.

Her eyes slowly opening and closing, the sweat dripping down her forehead, cheeks and neck. Taking her left hand, she wiped it along her neck to keep it from dripping down into her armor.

                “That sounds dangerous…and ridiculous!”

                “There’s really no…other way. The amount of energy…needed to keep a water spell active…and with enough force…to keep the level of heat and flames at Infernus Pass at bay…” Amrin cringed at the amount of effort it took Lestith to speak in a normal manner. “Are too taxing on any one person.”

                “But there’s no way to control the amount of ice that the crystal will cover you in is there? That sounds….”

                “We have no choice. None of us are Water Chanters…” Grandall managed to speak. “Darkness. Earth. Light.”

The closer they got to Infernus Pass the more Amrin noticed a change in the surrounding scenery. The grass and trees went from green and vibrant to dull brown, some even completely dead and starting to decay. Taking the worst case scenario into play, if what Ely was afraid of was still alive and nesting at Infernus Pass, any injury sustained would only cause the group’s rate of survival to plummet. They were already weak and on the verge of collapsing as it was.

                “Agh! This is ridiculous…” Amrin shook his head and shouted.

Raising his left hand he made a circle in the air with his finger. In a split second a flash of blue coated Lestith’s, Grandall’s and Kaia’s bodies. Just as fast as the light encompassed them, it disappeared, but the results of the light caused all three of them to stop dead in their tracks.

                “Wha…what…this is…but how…?” Grandall couldn’t compose a complete sentence. He began to inspect his hands, turning them over and clenching his fists.

                “This is Frost Barrier.” Lestith quickly whipped his head around, his eyes open wide and mouth agape. “How did you…?”

                “I just did. That’s all you need to know.” Amrin interrupted him before he could ask the obvious. “Now, let’s continue on, shall we?” he said raising a hand towards Infernus Pass.

Knowing that it would be pointless to ask questions right now, Lestith turned away and began to proceed down the path. He needed to figure out just what Amrin was, this was yet another example and further proof that he was not a typical Chanter.

                “That’s the third time.” Kaia said to him.

Furrowing his brow, he watched as Kaia passed by him, confused as to what she meant by that.

                “Kaia?”

There was no response as she continued walking along the path a fair distance behind Grandall and Lestith. Not wanting to let it go, Amrin jogged forward and came alongside her.

                “Kaia? What did you mean, that’s the third time?”

                “That was the third time you have used magic without uttering a chant.”

                “I see…”

                “Not just that alone, you also cast Frost Barrier on three people simultaneously. When the skill and power necessary to do so for one person would cause tremendous strain on even the greatest of Water Chanters.”

Not knowing how to respond to what Kaia was saying, Amrin just continued to listen to her speak. Her voice was smooth and steady, typical of her, which made him more curious as to what exactly she was thinking or feeling at that moment.

The four of them continued in silence, although Amrin could hear the occasional whisper or hushed tone coming from Grandall and Lestith as they walked further up the path from Kaia and himself.

                “What would you like to know?” He finally asked her.

There was little point in hiding things now that she had already seen more than he intended for her to. He couldn’t quite figure out why she was paying such close attention to him though. Not sure whether to be flattered, concerned or if he was overreacting and she wasn’t paying that much attention to begin with. Perhaps he was just being that careless.

                “There’s a great many things I would like to know. But it is not my place to ask. My role is to protect you…to the best of my abilities.”

The last part of her comment weighed heavily on her. It was the third time she had seen a level of magical prowess the likes of which even a Master Chanter could only dream to obtain. Why was she even here? There was zero reason for her to be Amrin’s guard.  She was confident in her skills, even though she had not put them to practical use for quite some time, she made it a point to practice in her off time to keep from getting rusty.

Everything about Amrin was a mystery to her. He was immortal. He could control magic on a whim with tremendous power. He was impervious to the elements as evidenced by his complete lack of reaction to the intense heat from Infernus Pass. But the greatest mystery to her was how he could create something out of nothing.

The sapling in the forest that night caused her to question who or what Amrin was multiple times. The rainbow of color in the droplet of magic, what kind of element was it, how powerful was it, and most of all…could it fix what was broken inside of her?

                “I would prefer that you didn’t talk like that.” He said, the tone in his voice indicated that he was being quite serious.

                “I don’t understand.” She said

                “You constantly devalue yourself. You believe yourself less than others for one reason or another. Whether that reason be you’re demi-human or your position as a servant of a higher rank. It’s all ridiculous and stupid.”

                “…are you not the master of Lady Elena?” she pointed out.

                “It’s never a title I demanded I be addressed by, nor is it something I wield with the expectation that my word is law. I treat Ely with respect. Like family. I love her and will do anything I can for her because she is special to me.”

He didn’t mean to start lecturing her, but he had had enough of Kaia’s self-deprecation. There was no reason someone of her caliber, ability and presence should think less of themself. 

                “I’m afraid I am unable to accommodate your wishes.” She said reluctantly.

                “Why is that?”

                “As I mentioned earlier, I was injured during the war. The only reason I am alive today is because of Lady Elena. If not for her I would have died along the road leading to Arestoth. As she is the one that gave me a second chance at life, I am her servant until the day she no longer needs my services.”

                “Tell me…has Ely ever once said that you were required to do that?”

                “Of co….” She stopped immediately.

The memories of the time she was saved by Elynara flashed through her mind. The day she was found, the day she was healed and the days afterwards when Elynara checked in on her to make sure that she was doing well not only physically, but mentally. Every day until this moment…not once had Elynara ever asked her to repay her, or imply that her life was indebted to Elynara.

                “You’ve said so yourself. She has never asked you to do anything that you were not allowed to refuse.”

She didn’t respond. The memories that flashed before her had told her everything she needed to know. Her eyes began to water. It was all her own doing. Elynara had never once expected Kaia to be in her debt or force her to vow her services and loyalty to her. Every interaction that replayed in her mind realizing this provided the same outcome each time. Elynara never viewed her as a servant.

                “Regardless of how you think you fit into everything and this world, or what you believe you are worth. I assure you, you are worth so much more.”

Kaia swallowed hard. Everything Amrin was saying was true. Deep down she realized it, but refused to believe it. She knew why, it wasn’t because she was demi-human, or a servant or believed her life was indebted to another. She knew she was not whole. There was a part of her that was missing and she would never get it back. And after the war, she would never be able to try for it again.

                “Thank you…for your kind words.”

The way she said it didn’t convince Amrin at all. But he would take it regardless. There was no rush. There was plenty of time for him to try and let Kaia trust him.

                “So I ask again. What do you want to know?”

                “…”

                “This is your chance you know. I don’t usually give people the opportunity to ask questions like this. So either ask now…or forever hold your peace.”

Now that she was feeling more calm and refreshed after having Frost Barrier cast on her, she decided it would be best to take Amrin up on his offer. The chance that he would offer this level of openness or the chance she would be alone enough to ask what she wanted would most likely never happen again.

                “Very well…” she paused to think of the best question to ask first. “What magic did you use in the forest to grow a tree from nothing?”

She didn’t waste any time at all. Smiling and shaking his head at the question, Amrin couldn’t help but respect her honesty and personality even more.

                “Well, don’t waste any time do you?”

                “You offered.” She said succinctly.

                “That I did. Well, being a man of my word I will answer any questions you have. For now.” The smile he once had was now replaced with a face that was emotionless and deadpan.

                “Creation magic.”

Her heart stopped, as did her feet. Did she hear that correctly? Magic that was able to create something out of nothing? That was ridiculous. There was no possible way something like that can possibly exist. Thinking that Amrin was taking her for a fool and teasing her, she began to walk once more, her eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance.

                “If you do not wish to answer my questions honestly, I would prefer you not give me the option to ask them to begin with.”

                “I am answering them honestly. Well, I guess it’s not really creation magic. But the ability to manipulate the very quintessence of all elements. It’s just easier to call it that.”

                “…You’re being truthful?”

                “I don’t really have a reason to lie.” He shrugged and curled his mouth downward.

                “It would serve to trick and misguide me.”

                “What would the point of that be? If I was going to go through the effort to make you think something completely different than the truth, I wouldn’t bother allowing you to ask the questions to begin with.”

                “That’s is true.  Forgive me. I spoke out of turn.”

She was quick to admit her faults and apologize. Amrin was becoming more and more interested in her. It was no wonder Ely liked her so much as well.

                “I can’t say I blame you though. It’s pretty hard to believe. It took forever to convince Ely I was telling the truth. So if you don’t believe me that’s fine, I understand.”

He wasn’t about to force her to believe something that honestly sounded impossible if thought about it from a logical standpoint. Or at least from any standpoint not of his own. There were limitations on what Creation magic could do though. And unlike the name would indicate, you couldn’t create everything or anything you wanted. There were rules that had to be followed.

                “I believe you.” She said simply.

                “Really? That’s it?”

                “You said so yourself that you have no reason to lie.”

                “R…right. But…I expected more of a, I don’t know, shock?”

                “Sorry to disappoint you. But I am fully aware that there are things in this world that are beyond my comprehension or understanding. Shock, panic or denial will not change that or make the truth any less of a reality.”

Amrin couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. He loved it. She was amazing, simply amazing.

                “Did I say something funny?” she asked, tilting her head slightly as her ears flicked around.

                “No. I just…you’re amazing. I’m truly glad to have met you Kaia. I really am.”

                “I-I do not understand…what about me is amazing?”

Her ears began to flitter about, changing directions and twitching uncontrollably. Once more she felt her tail wriggle around in the small bulge at the small of her back. She wanted to let it free, but without taking her armor off, that wasn’t possible. An almost unnoticeable tinge of pink blushed across her cheeks.

                “Everything.”

The tinge of pink became more apparent. The pain and tingling sensation in her tail made her want to scream.

                “Was there anything else you wanted to know?”

Pushing the feelings she was experiencing to the side, she wished to know more.

                “Yes. How many elements are you able to manipulate?”

                “Oh, umm…twelve.”

                “…”

                “Kaia?”

There was no response. Silence fell between them for an abnormally long time for someone that was supposed to be asking any number of questions. Thinking she had asked all that she wanted to, Amrin continued on in silence alongside Kaia. Grandall and Lestith still farther ahead of them, making any conversation they were having, inaudible.

                “I see.” Kaia said out of nowhere.

                “See, what?”

                “My apologies. I was just now able to come to terms with what you told me. It appears that I am not as able to accept the answers to the questions I have as I once thought.”

Amrin started to laugh. It took her minutes of silent contemplation to digest the answer to how many elements he was able to manipulate before Kaia was able to speak again. The entire time she was doing so, her stoic and unwavering seriousness never leaving her face.

Lestith and Grandall both turn quickly to see what the commotion was about and only notice Kaia walking casually alongside Amrin, who was laughing quite hard at something.

Kaia was hoping that they didn’t notice the embarrassment she had on her face. The tinge of pink on her cheeks from earlier was now fully flushed with red. But her expression did not indicate it. Her eyes forward, mouth still and posture straight. Fully serious from an outward appearance, but inside her mind was screaming in embarrassment.

                “Ah, sorry! Don’t mind me. I just uh…I just remembered something funny.” He finally stopped laughing and shouted to ease Lestith and Grandall’s mind.

He cleared his throat and stood straight up, making his face purposely serious in its expression. Brow furrowed, lips pursed and chin elevated only slightly and walked in pace with Kaia.

                “Sorry. I didn’t meant to laugh at you.”

                “It’s fine. I realize my ignorance may be amusing to one such as yourself.”

                “No, no that’s not why I was laughing.” He shook his head. “You’re not afraid to admit it when you’re wrong, confused or lost. You’re able to take things head on and logically and calmly assess them until you come to a conclusion. Even if it takes time, you’re able to think things through. You’re brilliant. And that is one of the things that makes you amazing. And I love it.”

Kaia pursed her lips after hearing Amrin’s compliments. She had never been complimented over such things. Her combat prowess, her skill, her strength and capability in war or even her physical beauty. Those are the only times she received compliments. But for the first time, someone complimented her mind. She never believed herself to be intelligent or wise, in fact, there were times she felt that her mind was slower than that of her peers.

She wanted nothing more than to continue her talks with Amrin. So many more questions were floating in her head. But whether or not she would be able to accept them or understand them was another issue entirely. Regardless, it was then they all noticed the first signs of Infernus Pass.