Share Your Splendid, Silent Sun

[Kiri de Kismet]

Tagged: @Koga!

____

The beast was at least ten times her size.

With the face of a tiger, wings of a gryphon, and the lean, cruel body of a cheetah, the corrupted chimera was on a warpath. It stood in the center of the manor's grand entrance, blocking the main stairway, pawing at the ground like a bull ready to pounce. Its fur and wings were a shadowy and verdant— as of midnight had meshed with the forest to produce this belligerent beast.

Sio stared down at the monster from atop her main stairway, biting her thumb with furrowed brows. There were many days when the seer awoke, hoping for some sort of adventure, but having a rampaging creature storm into her manor was not her idea of fun. The fae was still in her bedrobes— silvery in color, accented with gold— her hair a royal mess, her eyes still glazed with sleep. All she had wanted was to ask one of her servants to set some eggs for her on an open skillet... but now, knowing them, they were probably cowering in whatever corner they could lock themselves in.

"Honestly..." Sio murmured to herself, placing a hand to her forehead, shaking her head.

At the sound of her voice, the chimera snapped its eyes towards her, spreading its wings, charging directly for the seer. It opened its jaws, letting a fearsome howl rip from its jaws, rattling the chandeliers, rumbling the armoire and the china in the cupboards. Thankfully, Sio was quick, flighty on her feet, and was able to leap out of the way in time, letting her airy fae feet drift her out of the beast's warpath. It collided into a bookshelf— an unforgivable act— and let loose another roar of annoyance, bearing its teeth.

Sio took the time to catch her breath, pulling her bedrobes closer to her chest. Her day had not been particularly busy— no one had needed a seer as of late, despite the villagefolk whispering more of her prominent talents throughout these woods and the lands beyond— so this little problem wouldn't make her late for any appointments... Still, who could have sent it? Was this really a random occurrence? Had the forest really been harboring such creatures, who wanted to make an appetizer out of her? Or had someone— who had heard of her talents— sought to take her out?

Still, there was no time to ponder on such things now. As Sio stood to her feet, the noise attracted the chimera again, whose dull, white eyes locked onto her once more. Sio grit her teeth, rushing over towards the bannister and leaping off it, down to the entranceway below, to escape the chimera's charge. Thankfully, the chimera completely missed her again, and hadn't noticed her graceful leap. It let out another primal roar, gnashing its teeth, pacing...

Sio's silvery eyes looked down at her hand, where she gathered silver mana. She would have to use the Void to fight it, although the Void was more of a defensive weapon than an offensive one. Truly, she was beginning to learn the usefulness of offensive magic...

While she could outsmart the chimera with her Void barriers, it would definitely eat up her day. This was probably the only time Sio would ever wish for more explosive magic. What she wouldn't give for a properly timed fireball right about now!

[Koga]

Ask and you shall receive.

With the caw of a mighty bird, a window shattered in a fiery bliss.  In flew a perfectly timed sphere of vibrant red and yellow flames, charring the window sill and clashing with the ferocious Chimera. An unexpected blow to the rear; fire began to overtake the beast, burning it all over. With great speed, the Monster turned its' gaze away from the stairwell and to the flaming window. A dark shadow blocked the incoming light for just a moment, and a gust of wind brushed against the side of the manor. The Chimera gnarled in pain, the flames enveloped themselves around the its' body, burning even into the thickest parts of its' fur. As the sensation of fire began to overtake the creature, its' cold white eyes saw something in the window. The beast clawed at the wooden ground, getting ready to charge, but at what?

"Sorry"

Wildfire said, as he stood in the entrance way to the manor. The door was still swinging behind him, "about the window." Indomitable yellow eyes met with the Fae girl standing in the entrance way, then flickered toward the burning window sill. When he told Fia to help the girl, he didn't think the Phoenix was going to make a disaster of the mansion. However, he should've expected as much.

The Chimeras' eyes sneered at the newcomer, and a low growl began to fill the room. Was this the being that just set the Chimera ablaze? The beast couldn't rationalize whether or not that was true, but it saw an unarmored boy standing in the center of the room now, and no longer cared about whatever was out side the window. Slowly, the beast began to creep its way toward the stairwell, but The Man waiting at the bottom of the steps didn't seem to care at all.

A blazing red and yellow spear, roughly the same size as him supported Wildfires' weight as he paced into the hall way. Every sound seemed to echo in the long abandoned manor, from the long heavy breaths of the Chimera, to the cackling of flames. Light feet trekked deeper into the entrance way, and old wooden floors creaked beneath them. This building was near ancient; it definitely existed for a long time before Wildfire was even born. For a moment Wildfire began to wonder just how old this building could be? And how it had remained so resilient throughout the years, but there were more important matters at hand. A soft gust of wind blew in from the swinging door way, while wisps of fiery red hair trickled around the finer features of Wildfires' face. Dark red robes made of fine silks grazed the wooden floors, and blew to his side in the passing breeze. Along the borders of the robe inlay brilliantly detailed patterns depicting yellow flames which appeared to sparkle in the morning light.

The Chimera opened it's fierce jaw, and let out an unbearable roar down at the flame-haired boy. A gust of wind so powerful it shook the manor itself came from the Chimeras' ferocious mouth, while heavy drops of saliva flew into the air. The spit sprinkled across the floor, a few drops managed to land perfectly on Wildfire's face. "Eww..." Wildfire said quietly, as he wiped the drool off with his free hand. The Chimera remained there with its' mouth still open, and a massive red tongue dangling out of it. Thick slits of drool fell from the creatures lips; this beast was not only mad, it was hungry. With a body still ablaze, the Chimera charged toward Wildfire. Then, suddenly a second caw was heard, and in flew a second ball of flames. Only this one was larger than the last, and had a pair of wings attached to it.

The beasts clashed in the air; fire blazed across the floor and speckled the walls. The once silent manor was now filled with the blaring sounds of battle. The roars of the Chimera and the squawks of the Firebird reverberated in Wildfire's ears, forcing him to cover them with his palms. This battle was loud and explosive, surely to be heard from miles deep in the Niahi woods. The fearsome giants crashed into the wall, and then battled it out on the ground. One constantly trying to remain atop the other, clawing, biting, and burning each other. The Phoenix managed to get a good peck at the Chimeras' eye, and the beast squealed out in pain. However, it wasn't going down easy. The Chimera snarled, then dug its teeth deep into Fia's tail feathers. To which the bird responded with a furious cough of flames.

"Fia!" Wildfire shouted, as the Chimeras' teeth dug deeper into the Phoenixs' tail. Smoke was beginning to fill the room, but Wildfire didn't seem to notice. He swung his staff into the air and with it flew a slash rich red flames. Then Wildfire began to twirl the staff in front of him, spinning it around his arms and up his shoulders at incredible speeds. The staff spun around his arms so quickly, it almost appeared as though the staff itself was made of flames. With absolute precision Wildfire caught the staff with his opposite hand and sent another slash of fire across to the Chimera. The man spun the staff around his neck, "Stay away from her!" He shouted as he caught the spear with his right hand, cast it ablaze, and tossed it at the Chimera.  The burning spear collided with the Chimera's mouth, effectively separating it's grip on Fia's rear, before clattering to the ground. The beast growled at Wildfire from a distance, and dug its claws deep into the wood floor. It was preparing to charge again, and Koda had just thrown his weapon.

Wildfire stood there, unarmed and all offensive. Fire began to form at his finger tips, as the beast darted at him. The flame-haired boy wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do now, but he was going to do something alright. For a moment he was lost in thought as he stared down what seemed to be imminent doom. How did he even get himself into this situation in the first place? It seemed like just minutes ago he was riding on Fia's back, soaring through sky on a bright morning day, searching for a seer in the woods. Well he found her alright.

[Kiri de Kismet]

Sorry about the window.

She had wished for a well-timed fireball, but had forgotten to ask for a well-placed one as well. But despite the broken window, and despite the flaming chimera that was now rampaging about her home, Sio found herself hitching a small sigh of relief. Where had this man and his flaming hands come from? Who could say. But he and his phoenix companion strode into battle as if this was where they were most comfortable— in the thick of a fight, mowing down demons.

Or at least, that was how the battle started. The man of fire had the upper hand with his surprise entrance, but once his phoenix and the chimera exchanged blows and bites, the chimera regained control of the battle. Sio picked herself up off the ground— after she had leapt from the stair's bannister to escape the chimera's rampage, she'd laid low— clutching her bedrobes to her chest. With a snarl, the monster had dug its fangs into the phoenix, and was now charging straight for the manor's intruder— the man of smoke 'n flames.

The fae bit her lower lip, grimacing. Void mana— silvery, wispy— collected in her hand, but what to do with it? She recalled the spear that the man had thrown at the beast— he'd been able to mold his flames offensively and chuck it straight for the chimera, enraging it further. Could she use the Void mana in a similar fashion? She'd only ever created barriers for it— never someone to take the offensive, that was all the fae had needed to do to keep herself safe. But now this beast was laying waste to her home, charging straight towards the man who had somehow been roped into this, who had only wanted to help.

Her silver eyes narrowed, determined. She crawled up onto a bookshelf that the chimera had toppled over in order to get a better shot, wobbling a little as she did her best to stay balanced. She gathered up Void mana in her hands, forming a large sphere— a cannonball, almost— of mana in front of her. "Watch out!" she warned the stranger— since she didn't exactly know how Void mana would react if used as a weapon. With a flick of her wrist, the Void sphere was launched at the chimera, lightning fast.

The reaction was immediate. Since the chimera had turned its back to her, its rear end was the biggest target for Sio. The sphere had been launched at its tail— and upon collision with its tail, the sphere exploded; the mana became sharp as daggers, slicing at the chimera's skin. So big was the blow that the chimera's tail had been sliced off by the impact, laying in a heap behind the beast. It let out a mighty roar, lifting its head, shocked still by fearsome pain.

Sio blinked back— stunned at first, but then grinning. Could Void mana really be used as a weapon? She waved over at the stranger, cupping her hands over her mouth to better project her voice. "Now's your chance!" she urged.

[Koga]

Wildfire didn't waste any time. As the Chimera called out in pain, he took in a deep breath. All the fire in the room dimmed for just a moment, before moving toward Wildfires' open mouth. All the while, the Firebird across the room waited eagerly next to the Chimera, her red eyes fixed on Wildfire -- preparing herself for his next command. The mage stood there solemnly, as the fire in the room danced toward him. He closed his eyes, and the flames twirled around him in vibrant red and orange swirls. They circled him completely, then gathered in a giant orb in front of his mouth. When he held his breath, the fire stopped, then dimmed to the size of a candle flame. At this point the Phoenix realized what was about to happen, and took a few steps back, while opening her mighty beak. Small flames started to gather within her mouth. The Chimera however, was still roaring in pain.

Wildfire roared nearly as loud. The air from his voice seemed to push a massive stream of fire from the once tiny flame. The inferno gust of light blew from Wildfires' lips all the way across the hall, straight into the Chimeras' open mouth. Its pained roar slowly began to shift into a dying wail.  While the beast was distracted by Wildfire, the Phoenix struck the Chimera with a brush of flames from the side, searing straight through the beasts' thick fur. The beast roared out even louder than before, digging its claws deep into the wood. In a final attempt to save its' life, the Chimera attempted to charge at Wildfire, but merely stumbled before collapsing to the ground. Its' body lay there still breathing, but burning away slowly. All it could do was roar, as the life slowly began to escape its' body.

A wince twisted on Wildfires' face. Even a Chimera didn't deserve a death like this. The beast may have threatened three lives today, but it was acting out of instinct not hatred. Wildfire took a moment to catch his breath; he leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. A single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, as he took in a few heavy breaths. The cackling of flames filled his ears, followed by another whine from the Chimera. Wildfire sighed; being unable to take it anymore, he stood backup and walked across the hall to his spear. With both hands, he lifted it up from the bottom, then moved toward the Chimera.

The Monsters' white eyes sneered back at Wildfire, it roared angrily revealing its massive fangs. Then clawed at him with all fours, desperately trying to reach him. Even in death this beast was relentless, it held no regard for its defeat. Somewhere in that Chimeras' mind, it still thought it could win this fight. Losing was just not an option to it. Wildfire sighed, a new found feeling of respect grew within him as he lifted the spear high above the beast.  Sorry buddy... He shut his eyes and slammed the spear into the Chimeras' skull. All the flames on the beast as well as the rest of the fire in the room absorbed into Wildfires' spear-staff, leaving charred black splotches where they once burned.

The room fell silent now, and Wildfire embraced it for just a moment. When he was done, he stood up and yanked his staff out of the beasts' head. "That.." He said, as he shook the blood off of his spear, and placed it back on his back.  "was a little too close Fi." His voice was low, nearly a whisper. He took the time to look around the room, inspecting the damage. It was bad: burn marks everywhere, broken wood, bloodstains, fallen furniture. This place had become a real mess over the past few minutes.

"Sorry about your house..." Wildfire turned to face the Fae, only then realizing that she was still in her bed robes. His cheeks became a light pink, and his voice began to stutter. "Oh-uh- Did we come at a bad time? Sh-Should we come back later?" His stance shifted awkwardly, trying not to look at the Fae, while also trying not to be rude.  He was never really good at talking to other people.

[Kiri de Kismet]

The chimera had been bested, but at what cost?

As the stranger thrust a spear into the beast's head, Sio could not help but notice the blood that oozed out of it, staining the wooden floorboards. That was not the only mess that had been left in the grand entrance— the flames from earlier had died down, but had still left burn marks on the floor, ceiling, the curtains... Her precious bookshelves had been toppled over, vases spilt, and, oh! Not to mention the window...

She frowned a little, contemplative. Perhaps the servants would know how to remove burn marks from furniture... This would take weeks, or maybe months to clean! Sio was not a very prideful creature, but in this wide world, this manor was the only place she knew as home. The fae tapped her chin, thinking, only to be broke out of her thoughts as the stranger approached her, apologizing for the damage.

It was only then that Sio was able to get a good look at this man. He seemed to be the personification of fire itself. With burning red eyes and flaming red hair, Sio felt as if she'd be lit aflame if she even dared to touch him. Despite that, she could not help but feel a touch awed in his presence. Such explosive magick! If only her own abilities weren't so passive... He'd managed to take out that chimera so quickly— and despite the damage, the fallout might've been worse if he hadn't shown up.

"Don't worry about it," Sio said with a laugh, shaking her head. "That was an impressive display back there! I've never seen such amazing magic! You were practically a dragon— with that last fireball you cast?" She spread her arms out wide, to signify the fireball's size. "It looked as if you were breathing fire!" She laughed a little, giddy, despite the dead chimera in her grand entranceway.

But as soon as he had apologized, he was was asking if this was a bad time, turning away, almost embarrassed. Sio tilted her head, confused. "Hm? No, this is a great time! Why do you ask?" She slid back into his view, totally forgetting she was in her bedrobes still. "In fact, why don't you join me for breakfast? Then you can tell me all about how you ended up here." She laughed. "It's the least I can do to thank you for taking care of that creature."

She looked up at the phoenix. "And your friend is welcome, too."

The Seer looked back at the chimera's corpse, though, before anything. "But maybe we should figure out how to get rid of this thing's body first... That is, if you don't mind helping me?" While her servants could probably clean up the mess it had left behind, getting rid of the corpse was another matter entirely...

[Koga]

The flames of the Phoenixs' body slowly began to shift back into red and orange feathers. The only part of the birds' body that didn't resemble fire, were the speckles of blue and green feathers on her forehead. The bird was about 7 feet in height, with a massive 20 foot wingspan. She was a force to be reckoned with to say the least, yet now she looked like a petite little bird. The Firebird cooed gleefully, happy that the battle was over. As she shifted back into her passive form, she walked her way over to Wildfire and the Fae, and nuzzled her massive head into Wildfires' side. Cooing with delight all the while. The battle had been fierce, and for a moment there Fia was scared that Wildfire wasn't going to make it out of there alive.  However, it was over now, and she was ecstatic to see that everyone was well, aside for a few cuts and bruises.

Gently, Wildfire brushed the lightly colored feathers atop her head with his fingertips. He took this opportunity to avoid what would be a potentially awkward situation. Moving his gaze from the Woman, and to the Phoenix. "It's okay little dove." He whispered to her, making soft little circles in her feathers. "We had this from the beginning, and you know it." He continued, but that was a lie. To be honest, when he walked in and saw a Chimera atop the stairwell he was a tad frightened, never before having seen such a beast. However, they've been through worse, and Wildfire learned a long time ago that it's never good to show your fear while in the face of battle. He preferred to turn that fear into fire.

He looked back at the girl, trying not to show his discomfort as she wiggled her way back into his line of sight. Then he heard her complement, and couldn't help but smirk at her. Honestly, he didn't think his magic was that special. Fire magic was pretty much the only thing he really knew, but he had seen magic used in such different ways. To heal wounds, craft items, enchant weapons, even raise the dead! All fire could do was burn and destroy. It felt right whenever he used fire, like he was born to do it. Yet part of him wished he could've been blessed with the gift of healing instead, but his personality just didn't fit with that kind of magic.

"More like a Phoenix!" Wildfire exclaimed before chuckling a bit. He moved his hand down the Firebirds' neck and scratched her gently. "Fia taught me that one, isn't that right Fi!" The bird cooed in response, nuzzling her head deeper into Wildfire. In truth the bird had taught Wildfire pretty much everything he knew, when he first met her he couldn't even cast a simple fireball! However, now he stood here wearing the robes of an Elementalist Guild Salamander, a near master in his field of magic -- and it was all because of this bird. "Don't think I could've done it without you though, you obliterated that beasts' tail with one quick spell. What kind of magic is that anyway?"

It was then that he got a good look at the girl, trying his best not to look away in order to avoid awkward-tension. She was only a couple inches shorter than him, with disheveled brown hair and shiny silver eyes. This girl was definitely no human; could she have been of Fae descent? It seemed likely, but Wildfire hadn't seen many Fae in his lifetime. Regardless, the girl made an unfamiliar sentiment grow within him, and Wildfire wasn't quite sure how to describe it.

At the mention of breakfast Wildfire heard a grumble in his stomach. He was definitely hungry, the two of them had skipped breakfast this morning to make it here early. It was probably a good thing they did so, had they showed up even a few minutes later who knows what would have happened here? The damage would've been sizably worse that's for sure. Wildfire smiled, "Food sounds great right about now." He said rubbing his upset stomach, eager to eat. Then he looked over at the bleeding Chimera. "Oh right, we'll take care of that."

With that, Wildfire brushed his crimson red hair out of his face and walked over to the Chimera. This beast was huge, much bigger than both Wildfire and Fia combined. How did it even get in here in the first place? He wondered as he attempted to lift it by its charred up back. As he did so, his Phoenix nuzzled her beak in the crevice between the fallen monster and the floor, and began to raise the creature with her head. Together they managed to hold the beast about a foot off the ground, and walk it toward the exit of the manor, hoping that it would fit through the doorway. "So, do you often get attacked by Chimeras?" Wildfire joked, heaving the massive creature inch by inch toward the door.

[Kiri de Kismet]

Sio couldn't help but laugh softly at the sight of the phoenix and the fire mage together, covering her mouth with a curled hand as she did so. How different they were— one was a majestic phoenix, and the other was a brash, explosive man— but how well they complemented each other. How wonderful it must be to have a companion to call your own— to have someone to adventure with, through the darkest of caves, through the harshest of deserts! For some reason, when she looked at them, she couldn't help but feel as if they'd went on all kinds of adventures together, and for a moment, she wished she was that phoenix, joining him.

At his praise, Sio shook her head, waving her hands back and forth in front of herself. "Oh, no! My magic is normally quite passive. In fact, that's the first time I've ever used it against something..." She looked down at her hand, flexing her fingers, remembering how warm the Void mana had been in her hand. It was the first time she had touched it, felt it, molded it... "In all my years..." And how long she had lived, not even Sio could say. But today had taught her that she still had so much to learn about her own abilities.

Thankfully, the mage was even gracious enough to lug the chimera out of her manor for her. At first, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise— had he really just picked up that huge chimera corpse, just like that? — but then found herself shaking her head in amusement. No, if not for the phoenix, perhaps he wouldn't have been able to pick it up. Their teamwork was really quite something— she had never stumbled across a duo so in sync before.

While he picked up the chimera, Sio turned around to find that her servants— a few of them at least, had poked their heads out of the corridor to see what the commotion had been about. (This experience had also taught Sio that if her life was in danger, she could not rely on her servants...) "Hey!" she called out to them. "Do you think some of you could clean up this mess? The rest of you— please start fixing a breakfast for me and my guests!" As she waved to them, the servants scurried off— some to grab a cleaning brush and pail, others to take up a spatula.

After giving her orders, Sio rushed to catch up with the fire mage, who was nonchalantly dragging that beast out of the manor door— and thankfully, the chimera could fit through them! At his quip, Sio  laughed lightly at herself. "No, never! In fact, this is a first... If you hadn't showed up, taking care of that beast would've eaten up most of my day."

She moved ahead of them to push open the manor doors for them. They creaked open slowly, revealing the bright, shining morning sun before them— Sio was near blinded by it. She shielded her eyes with one hand, squinting in the sunlight— but as she did so, she could not help but notice the fire mage's form. The sun loved him— in fact, his form looked most natural when he was illuminated by the sun's rays. It was as if he was borne of the sun's rays, merely taking a human form. Sio blinked back, stunned— never before had she met such a being full of light.

"What were you doing in this part of the woods, anyhow?" she asked, watching as he dragged the chimera bit by bit out into the woods. "Not that I'm complaining, of course! But it's been awhile since I've had visitors."

[Koga]

The duo hauled the Chimera through the doorway, and into the grass a few feet away from the manor. Wildfire took a moment to catch his breath afterward, that beast was a lot larger than him, and even with Fias' help it was still extremely difficult to lug her all the way out here. Once he regained his breath, he set both of his hands ablaze and cast fire down upon the beasts' corpse. The flames burned into the corpses already charred up fur, and its skin slowly turned to ash. Smoke rose from the corpse, the scent of blood was soon replaced by the scent of burning meat.

"Well there's a first time for everything!" Wildfire joked, a shy smile growing on his face. The Phoenix opened her mighty wings, and fluttered them gracefully. Light as a feather, the bird flew off the ground and took flight in the air. She cut through the air so swiftly despite her size. She moved as quickly as a falcon, yet was the size of bear. Wildfire gazed up at her with envy in his eyes; he wished he could fly the same way she could. He could fly when he rode on her back, but flying on your own just looked so liberating! After circling the two of them for a little while, the bird flew up and perched herself atop the manor, watching over them vigilantly.

Upon the question of his arrival, Wildfire was brought back to his reason for coming here. "Oh yeah that's right! I nearly forgot." He said, still staring up at Fia. Then he paused for just a moment, lost in a day dream. His mind brought him to the thought of flying up, and perching next to her on the manor. Sadly that would never be possible, but a man can dream. Then, realizing that he just completely zoned out, he shook his head and looked back at the girl. "I actually came to see you!" He said smiling. "I heard that a seer lived in an abandoned house out here, and well Fia and I both agreed that that was definitely an adventure worth seeing through."

Wildfire laughed a little bit at the thought of the villager who told him about the seer in the first place.  The man had met Wildfire in a tavern, and after sharing a few drinks with each other they started sharing stories. Wildfire had shared a tale about a time when he and Fia fought off a cyclops in the woods, and the man told him about a seer who lived in the same woods. However his version of the tale was far from the truth. He called her a "witch for hire," and said that she was centuries old, fould and wicked. Wildfire was skeptical to begin with, the last legend he heard told him of a demon whose voice heralded death; turns out it was just a lonely guy with a hex cast upon him. The things people will say to attract an audience.

Wildfire thought about mentioning the tale to her, but decided against it. Not wanting to hurt her feelings. This girl was definitely not a witch. She was just a young girl, definitely not centuries old. Or.. could she be? Wildfire didn't think she was human, but did Fae really live that long? He didn't have much knowledge about the beings, but the idea didn't sound far off to him. Regardless, this girl was no witch. She was just an innocent, petite young woman gifted with the power of magic, but cursed to be judged for it. Not to different from him in some respects. He began to wonder about all the weird rumors that might be surfacing among the masses about him. They had to be saying something about the salamander who rode atop a Phoenix.

"So how much will it cost for a fortune telling?" Wildfires' eyes locked with the Faes'. For a moment he was entranced by them, he stared into them deeply. His mouth drooping open slightly. He paused for a moment, staring at her. "You know, I still haven't caught your name." He spoke softly.

[Kiri de Kismet]

As the fire mage incinerated the beast's corpse, Sio pressed her hands together, closing her silvery eyes, saying a silent prayer for the creature. After living in the Niahi Woods for so long, she had almost come to believe that there were no truly evil creatures in these parts — just creatures that were understood. Now, she wasn't so sure...

Had someone sent the beast? Had it just been corrupted? Sio couldn't say for sure, but regardless, it deserved a proper send off. Her words were not Common, but in the language of the Fae: Qualla al'doer nindol dalhar ulu dosst Oirna Li'xin'drassa.... Please welcome this child to your Eternal Garden.

She was brought out of her prayer by his reason for stopping by. He had come to visit her, of course! Sometimes she forgot that she was a seer-for-hire, truly; weeks and months would pass by without anyone consulting her, until suddenly, someone crashes through her window, looking for a reading.

The seer placed her hands on her hips, looking up at the mage— she was only just now noticing that he was a great deal taller than her— giving him a grin. "So crashing through someone's window is an adventure now, huh?" she asked— but laughed, obviously joking.

You know, I haven't even caught your name.

His voice had grown soft when he asked it — something Sio hadn't expected; he was normally boisterous and animated, that his soft, genuine query caught her by surprise. She looked up at him, at his figure illuminated by the sun. She could not help but think back to the basement— how she savoured the streaks of sunlight that peaked in into her dusty room, for she'd never seen the sun before, until then. It was as if that feeling was recreating itself all over again; looking at him was like looking at the sun anew.

"It's..." For a second, she almost forgot her own name. "It's Sio," she said, with a smile warm, extending her hand for him to shake.

"Sio, Seer of the Void, at your service," she said with a grin, "And would you think me cruel or greedy enough to charge someone who saved my home? For you," she gave him a flighty wink, "a reading will be free of charge."

"Now, you'll have to tell me what you want for breakfast," Sio urged, leading him back to the manor. Already, one of her servants was taking measurements of the window, to replace it. While the grand entranceway was still a mess, two other servants were busy mopping up the blood the chimera had left behind. Despite this, Sio seemed unfazed as she lead him up the stairway.

"My servants will probably have a spread laid out— but they're great at taking requests! Steak and eggs? An omelette? They can do practically anything. They can probably even whip up something for your friend here," she noted, grinning up at his phoenix. "But I'm not sure what phoenixes eat..."

[Koga]

Eyes filled with wonder watched the woman pray for the lost Chimera. The Fire Mage had never heard such strange prayer, not to mention the language. He listened to it with open ears, all the while pondering its origin. None of the words were even remotely familiar to him, and while he only spoke the common tongue, he had heard a few other languages in his short lifetime. This one was nothing like them. It had to be of Fae descent, and that would mean that this woman was in fact a Fae. Wildfire was almost certain of that by now. The girls' race didn't really matter to him, but it did mean that she could potentially be hundreds of years old. He glanced at the manor, then flickered his eyes back to the Fae. Could she really be as old as this mansion? She looked so young and divine. It was hard to believe that she so youthful could in fact be as old as the manor itself, but Wildfire supposed it was possible.

The Mage couldn't help but laugh at the joke. Not only because it was witty and clever, but also because of how easily the Woman went straight from something so solemn and somber into a jest. "It's quite fun!" Wildfire said, still stifling laughter. "You should try it some time." He wasn't lying, flying through that Window did look rather thrilling, and the fact that a Chimera was waiting on the other side of it made it seem even more exciting! For a moment, Wildfire wished he was the Phoenix and Fia the mage, but unfortunately a soul swapping didn't seem possible, or likely to end well.

When the girl responded with her name, Wildfire realized that his mouth was drooping open and almost immediately closed it. What was this odd feeling growing inside of him? It was digging its way deep within his soul and taring him up from the inside, but in a good way? It made him incapable of even the most basic things, like keeping his mouth closed, or talking normally, even breathing. Wildfire took in a deep breath, realizing he had been holding it for quite some time now.

It's... Sio

Her voice was so delicate it tickled Wildfires' ears. He opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't. He sat there staring into her eyes with his mouth once again open. Bloody hell... was the only thought his mind could muster up. Every time he looked into her eyes, he felt that strange feeling crawling up his skin and giving him goosebumps all over. Could this be some strange sort of magic? No definitely not. It felt too... natural. He saw the hand, and snapped back into reality. Immediately, he grabbed it and shook it firmly.  He spoke with the same softness in his voice, "My-" He paused, he too having forgotten his name for just a moment. He had to hold back an instinct to shake his head out and scream at the top of his lungs, instead he simply blinked rapidly. Then he spoke again, forcing the softness out of his voice, "my friends call me Wildfire."

Wildfire caught the wink, and laughed lightly. "Are you sure?" He asked as he followed her into the manor, glancing at the busy servants. "I'm sure those servants don't come cheap." He continued, he was grateful for the gift but did not wish to become more of a burden than he may have already been. After all he did nearly burn her house down.

Hearing all the different options for food made his stomach growl audibly. So many choices... but which should he pick? Being unable to think of anything special, Wildfire decided to keep it simple yet plentiful. "I'll take six eggs over easy, with bacon, ham, sausage, grilled potatoes, toast, a muffin and any kind of juice." Wildfire spoke rushed, his eyes filled with eagerness as he held onto his grumbling stomach. He wasn't a very large man, but he sure ate like one. Hell, Wildfire could probably eat all of that and still ask for seconds. At the mention of the Phoenix Wildfire laughed. "Oh she's easy!" He said waving his hand in front of him. "Any kind of meat you have will do well for her."

Now that the matter of food was settled, Wildfires' mind was free to think about more pressing matters, such as the Chimera. "Pardon my curiosity, but I'm pretty sure Chimera aren't native to these woods." He stated, glancing down the steps at the pool of blood. "Or if they are, I haven't seen one until just today." His eyes flickered back to Sios' and suddenly the feeling hit him again. Damn it! What is this? His mouth trembled a bit as he tried to continue his sentence, but he couldn't--of course not. The feeling had taken over him once again, and now all he could do was stare at the girl with an open jaw and googly eyes. He mouthed the word "I" a few times, desperately trying to speak the words, but they wouldn't come. A sentiment of anxiety mixed with the unfamiliar one inside of him. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he talk? Wildfire was always good at talking, sometimes he was even too good at it! He could talk a mans' ear off if given the opportunity, but this girl managed to render him incapable of speech altogether. The softness in his voice returned when he finally managed to finish his sentence. "I just think, c.. could it be possible someone's out to hurt you?"

[Kiri de Kismet]

Wildfire, huh? His name was a little too fitting.

"It suits you," she noted, laughing. "Whoever first gave you that name must've seen your flames up close. Truly, a power to behold. Like a wildfire, consuming, overwhelming..." Now that she knew her name, Sio had to keep her Void mana in check. Hungry for knowledge, sometimes her abilities acted on its own, wanting to delve into a person's past, or peak into their future.

It was as if the Void mana could feel flames flickering around his person— and the seer grew warmer just to be 'round him— as the Void desperately wanted to peer into this person's past. Not now, she thought, biting her lower lip. Such a hassle this ability could be. Sometimes it seemed like she'd forever have to reign it back.

She lead him into the dining hall— today, it was not very large, despite the size of the manor overall. The table was circular, perfect for two, since Sio normally took her meals alone. However, every inch of that circular table was laid out with foods: it was as if the servants had heard Wildfire and taken his order before he had even sat down. Six eggs, bacon, ham, grilled potatoes, sausage, a raspberry muffin and a large glass of orange juice sat at his end of the table.

On Sio's end was a cheese and tomato omelette, a blueberry muffin and a cup of steaming chamomile tea. She looked over at his portion and laughed. "Are you sure that's enough for you? We can roast up a whole pig for you, bacon and all, if you're still hungry after this," she teased, grinning. But honestly, she wouldn't have minded if he did want more after this— it had been a while since she had company...

She gestured for him to sit, while the servants brought out a large plate with a slab of red meat on it, setting it near the phoenix. Before he sat, however, he seemed worried about the chimera— the beast— that had slammed through her home and caused such chaos. He was having trouble getting the words out, but finally, he asked, I just think, c.. could it be possible someone's out to hurt you?

Sio could not help but smile sadly at the thought, gesturing for him to take his seat again, while sitting herself. "Ah... well..." she murmured, shrugging. "Someone has been out to hurt me for as long as I can remember..." She wrapped her slender fingers around her tea cup, letting the warmth of her creamy chamomile tea soothe her. "So that would not surprise me, sadly. It would be nice to know who has such a grudge against me, and why, but..."

Ah, she didn't want to get sad, not with company here. She smiled, despite herself, looking back up at Wildfire. "Oh? And where did this question come from, all of a sudden? You wouldn't be worried about li'l ol' me, would you?" She twirled one hand in the air, letting her Void mana— silvery, glittering— shine at the tips of the fingers. "Don't you worry about me. If anyone thinks they can pick a fight with the Seer of the Void and win, they're surely mistaken."

"But... thank you for caring enough to ask," she murmured, grinning. "Most visitors don't much care for the safety of the seer that they've sought out."

She took a sip of her tea, letting it warm her. "So— why does a skilled mage like yourself want a reading, anyhow? You seem like the type of man who forges his own destiny."

[Koga]

Thinking back, Koda couldn't remember where he had actually gotten his nickname. People have been calling him Wildfire for as long as he could remember, "Actually... it was long before I ever cast a flame." He hadn't truly learned fire magic until he met Fia, and the little magic he did know he had to practice in secret. Struggling to bring himself back to when he had first gotten his alias, Wildfire squinted his eyes and wrinkled up his forehead. But nope! The memory just wasn't there. He scratched the back of his head in an attempt to concentrate. "Come to think of it, I actually don't recall where I got the name." He smiled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed by his poor memory.

Then, he and Fia followed Sios' lead to the dining hall. It was a little room with only a single round table. Yet, the small size of it made Wildfire feel cozy. When he saw all the food on the table a sentiment of sheer joy took over him. He rushed over to the dinner table and took a seat as quickly as possible. Without hesitation, he stabbed his fork deep into one of the eggs, then lifted it above his mouth and swallowed it whole. After hearing about the roast pig, Wildfire smiled even more widely than before. "It's like a dream come true!" He exclaimed, stabbing another egg with his fork. 

Fia was equally pleased with her meal. She dug into the thick red meat with her beak, ripping it into tiny pieces and then swallowing each bite whole. She took a particularly large piece of meat, tossed it in the air above her, sent a cough of flames at it, and then caught it in her beak. Wildfire looked at her and chuckled. "She likes hers well-done."

He listened to her explanation for the Chimera and sighed a little bit. Sio had been so friendly to him. She opened her doors to him, offered him a free reading, and fed him a giant breakfast. Wildfire could officially consider her a friend. Which meant that she was under his protection now, whether she liked it or not. "Well, if you ever need some extra muscle" Wildfire wasn't the type of person to leave his friends in the dirt. No, in fact friendship was one of the most important things in the world to Wildfire. He valued it above all things, it was a lesson Fia had taught him without even trying. He stuffed a piece of ham in his mouth then took a couple of minutes to chew and swallow it before continuing, "I'd be more than willing to help if it means more food." He laughed a little bit while cutting into another egg. He was serious though, definitely more than willing to work in exchange for more home-cooked meals. When she thanked him, Wildfire shook his head. "Nonsense, I should be thanking you! This food is delicious." He stuffed four pieces of bacon into his mouth at once and chewed it loudly. It had been a long time since he had a home-cooked meal. Wildfire was getting a little bit too used to his usual meal of rabbit and berries.

Wildfire chugged his orange juice so quickly he nearly drowned. Then he burped obnoxiously before answering her question, "Oh believe me I am." He took a bite out of the muffin, and then continued, "But just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean I didn't forge it." He said, almost inquisitively. "Right?" He asked, he was never sure if life was something that was pre-determined out or if it was something that you created with each step you took. It was a strange question to ask ones self, perhaps the seer would know better than he. "I wanted to see if it was possible to challenge destiny." Wildfire said, while chewing on a piece of meat. "Is it?"

[Kiri de Kismet]

Come to think of it, I don't actually recall where I got the name.

She couldn't stop it. The temptation was too great.

The Void wanted answers, and her insatiable thirst for knowledge allowed it to dig for the answers it sought. Sio closed her eyes— as she did so, Wildfire might have felt a warm, pleasant tingling sensation in his head, as if someone were gently rubbing his memories, polishing them, making them shine as she shifted through them.

His past played out for her quickly— as if she were swiftly flipping through a photo album of his life. Suddenly, she stopped on a childhood memory. She could see his past now, but again, it was sketchy and not very clear— but it was all she needed to see to get the point across.

As Sio folded through the memory, she found Wildfire, playing in a forest nearby his home as a very small boy. With a flick of his wrist, sparked from the tips of his fingers— latching onto trees, consuming blades of grass, devouring the forest. He stood amazed at the majesty of fire, and stood watching flames 'til his mother came to rescue him, putting out the flames with a skilled swish of her hand. What she had mistaken for a wildfire that day, turned out to be her own son's doing.

Sio pulled herself out of the memory, blinking rapidly as she was brought to the present. She put two fingers near her temples, easing her mind back to functioning in the present, grinning at her findings. "You nearly set a forest ablaze when you were a child," the seer deduced. "Your mother thought, at first, that you'd been unlucky enough to stumble across a wildfire. How proud she was, when she realized the flames had been your doing all along."

The seer smiled sheepishly, taking a sip of her chamomile tea. "I hope you don't mind me peering into your buried memories..." She turned red— was she flushed from the heat of her tea? "I was curious myself, about your name's origin..." She squirmed in her seat. "Sorry! Sometimes I can't help myself..."

After all, he was someone who had offered to help her if she needed it. While Sio prided herself on her independence, it was nice to know that someone out there would have her back, if she needed his support. If another chimera should come crashing through her estate, she'd know who to call.

When he asked of the possibility of changing one's destiny, the seer gave a nod. "I'd say it happens every day. Many people have different definitions of destiny... Some people say that it is the plan that the gods have in store for them. But if that's true, can such a thing really be changed?" Sio furrowed her brows in thought.

"No... I believe destiny is the path that you're set on, from birth, but one that we can change, as long as we know how to steer the boat, to change the train tracks. That's the toughest part of it all, really..."

She watched him eat while taking a small bite of her raspberry muffin, chuckling at his enthusiasm. It had been so long since she was able to share a meal with someone, it was almost hilarious to see him downing orange juice (as if he hadn't drank liquid in days), or scarfing down bacon, as if he'd been on the brink of starvation. He sure knew how to appreciate a meal! Perhaps using so much fire burned up a lot of energy within him... Or maybe he was just exceptionally hungry! Either way, it felt good to share the table with someone, for once. If only she could get used to the feeling...

"When you're ready, I can take you upstairs to my room, for your reading." The seer grinned, leaning back in her chair, her silvery eyes watching him carefully. "I can only imagine what the Void has to say about you..."

[Koga]

Upon feeling the tingling sensation in his head, Wildfire laid back in his seat to embrace it. It was oddly relaxing to him, definitely not something he was used to. He tried his best to sit still during the experience, but to no avail. Koda was not an easily relaxed person, he shook in his seat and furrowed up his eyebrows, struggling to remain calm throughout the process. What is this...? The Fire Mage saw bits and pieces of memories within his mind as the seer sifted through his past experiences. Old memories, long forgotten began to resurface inside of him; he felt sensations he hadn't felt for years, and saw flashes of faces he thought he'd never see again. It was almost overwhelming to him, especially since he hadn't been expecting it.

When Sio was done, Wildfire had to take a moment to catch his breath. He curled over in his seat, and hid his face in his palms. Trying to readjust himself to the present. Curious yellow eyes peeked up at her silver swirls, and suddenly the sensation began to overtake him again. However, this time Wildfire was a lot more comfortable with the strange sentiment. No longer did he fear it, he did not know what it was that made him feel so strange, but he decided that he liked it. He listened to her tell him of his past, and couldn't help but smile. "You, saw my mother?" He said, his eyes fixed on the seer. "Wow..." He looked down at his hands for a moment. How could magic be used to do such extraordinary things? How could the same energy Wildfire used to create fire be used to do something as beautiful as this? For a second, he felt ashamed of himself. All he could do was destroy things with his flames, yet this girl could do so much more with her magic. She could literally change lives, and time itself. Her magic was so powerful, but in a much different way from Wildfires'. Which lead him to question the true meaning of the word "power."

"Don't be sorry, that was... amazing." He said, peering back up at her. Now he was even more eager than before, if this woman could see his past so clearly... then what must his future look like? Oh the wonders it may behold, Wildfire began to day-dream. He saw a vision of himself wearing a black sash on his waist, looking as mighty and powerful as Drogas: The leader of the Elementalist Guild. Now, he knew he was a far different man from Drogas, and that his life may lead him to do much different things than he. However, a boy can dream. Drogas was sort of an inspiration to Wildfire, even though they had only met once. It wasn't necessarily Drogas' influence that meant a lot to Wildfire, more so Wildfires' image of him.  "I don't mind at all!" Feeling giddy with excitement, Wildfire scarfed down the rest of his meal, eating even faster than before.

"No... I believe destiny is the path that you're set on, from birth, but one that we can change, as long as we know how to steer the boat, to change the train tracks. That's the toughest part of it all, really..."

"Now that sounds like an adventure!" He said, and truly an adventure it would be. The Seers' words were filling Wildfire with all sorts of excitement. Now if only he could eat faster. He  had a sizable portion of ham and potatoes left. However, he sucked it all up like a vacuum; what would take a normal person several minutes to eat, Wildfire swallowed in a matter of seconds. He dug his fork into his last piece of meat and swallowed it whole before hopping out of his seat, giddy with delight. "Alright alright let's do this!" He exclaimed, making his way passed Fia (who was still dining on her meat) and over to the doorway. He stood there in the door way, waiting for Sio. "Who is this Void anyway?" A curious look grew on his face, for he was not too sure if the Void the Seer had mentioned a few times was a person or an essence.

[Kiri de Kismet]

It was rare for someone to be so excited about getting their fortunes told, so Sio couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. The people who came to see her were mostly hardened heroes, or wizened warlocks, or merciless mercenaries— they were the sort who took a miraculous thing, like a seer peering into their future, for granted. But Wildfire was much different; he did not even seem to mind that she had peered through his buried memories. If anything, it seemed to make him all the more excited!

She laughed at how quickly he was scarfing down his breakfast, giggling as he seemed to suck up his food like a tornado. "Careful! You'll choke if you eat too fast!" she warned, but it was too late; he was already done, already in the doorway, waiting for her.

The seer slipped off her chair, shaking her head, walking toward him. "I must say, I've never met someone who was so eager to have their future shown to them," she laughed. "Most people are so cavalier about it... But you, Wildfire," she placed a hand gently on his arm, looking up at him, smiling gently. "You're a breath of fresh air." His smoldering, fiery personality had already lit up her life in the span of seconds; it wasn't every day that she was able to host such a fine guest.

She lead him up the stairs; and one might note now that Sio barely walked; she floated. Such was the power of the Void; it enveloped her, wrapped around her person, protected her; Sio and the Void were one— more than just a source of mana, it seemed to be embedded in the fae's soul. "It's not a who, really," the fae explained. "But a what. The Void is my mana— it allows me to peer into timespace. But it also protects me. That's how I shot that chimera's tail off back there," she said, shaking her head at the memory. "But I don't normally use it offensively... It is best used passively, for things like seeing into the past, or the future."

Finally, they came upon a large, ornate door, which Sio pushed open, revealing her mana room— the room she brought clients in when they sought to know their future, or learn more about their past.

Despite it being morning, her room was rather dark; the curtains on her windows were pulled closed, and the only light source in the room was her flickering chandelier, and a few candles lit around the room. In the center of the room was a very large cushion; around the cushion, silver candles were lit, which would help Sio focus her Void mana.

The room itself felt like the guest room of a king or queen. There were a myriad of tables in the room filled with items that could help Sio focus her power; items that appealed to her fae nature. Baskets of wildflowers, honeycomb, blackberries, ginger, spices, incenses and basins of fresh water. The room smelled lightly of citrus and sandalwood incense; slightly spicy, but mostly sweet, like a field of berries and fruits.

"It's a little dark, but don't be shy," Sio urged, stepping into the room. "Please close the door on your way in— and join me on this cushion, won't you?"

Sio floated over to the cushion in the center of the room, sitting with her legs cross. The cushion was large and silver and color— it could've fit four people in total. She motioned for him to sit in front of her.

"For me to see your future clearly, I will have to rummage 'round in spacetime... and rummage through your memories, as well," Sio explained. "This might be an uncomfortable process, at first, but if you relax, you'll feel a pleasant sensation enveloping you. Just like before. But you'll have to relax, hold my hands in yours, and trust me."

She searched the mage's eyes, holding out her hands towards him. "Do you trust me, Wildfire?"

[Koga]

You're a breath of fresh air

Now that wasn't something he heard all the time. In fact, thinking back Wildfire remembered several occasions where people have told him the exact opposite. Including a time where he had accidentally gotten too mad at a patron in a local tavern who called Fia an "oversized chicken." The Fire Mage nearly burnt the whole tavern down in his rage, without even realizing it. The owner of the establishment called Wildfire a few choice words before kicking him out into the dirt and banning him from the tavern permanently. Not to mention the last time he came crashing into someones window, on the back of his Firebird and on accident. Different story, same ending: the home-owner kicked them out of his house and called him a "flaming ball of catastrophe."

It was safe to say that Wildfire wasn't used to the feeling of companionship with anyone other than Fia. The color of his face nearly matched his hair, and he chuckled softly. "Well, that's the first time I ever heard that." He scratched the back of his head as he followed her up stairs, noticing that her feet were not touching the ground, and staring at them with envy. Oh how he dreamed of being able to fly without Fia; It was not necessarily possible with his sort of magic, but a boy can dream. Sio may have just barely been floating, but it was enough to amaze Wildfire alright. The Void was an interesting thing to Wildfire -- it being so different from his own magic. Through The Void, Sio was able to peer into the spacetime continuum and learn so much about a persons past or future; she could even use it to manipulate the physical world to some degree. How could someone come across such a magic?

"Wow.. I've never heard of anything like that." Wildfire scratched his chin as he walked through the ornate doorway. "And how did" He paused for a moment for effect, before continuing with much more dramatic flavor to his voice, "the Seer of the Void come across such a power?" He asked laughing playfully, before closing the door behind him and taking a seat on the giant silver cushion. He took notice to all the candles surrounding him, the flames atop them seemed to become a bit more intense. Slowly they began to sink themselves with his aura, becoming larger then smaller with each inhale and exhale. However, the Mage didn't seem to notice. Fire reacted to him, pretty much any time he was near it -- it was out of his control. Over time he had grown so used to the aura of Fire, that his own aura had become accustomed to manipulating it.

The Fire Mage sat there, adjusting to the new room. He took a moment to embrace all the scents that filled his nostrils, while his eyes slowly adjusted to the new lighting. A soothing feeling began to take over him, and the candles dimmed down some. Wildfire shut his eyes, and breathed very slowly. Then, he took Sios' hands in his own. It was at that moment, that the flame atop the candle grew nearly 10 times as intense. His eyes shot open, and noticed that the candles were melting rather quickly. Taking a few deep breaths, Wildfire shut his eyes once more and the candles slowly dimmed. This was not going to be easy for him, relaxing wasn't something he was good at.

The Fire Mage nodded his head, "I trust you, Sio."

[Kiri de Kismet]

As Wildfire took his seat on the cushions and placed his hands in hers, Sio gripped them gently, smiling. Even as a candle's flame seemed to erupt— in response to his explosive mana, no doubt— Sio did not jump; in fact, she was barely phazed. For Wildfire trusted her, and so she knew he would control his fiery aura around her. As she expected, the candle's flame dimmed, back to normal. "And I trust you, Wildfire," she murmured, closing her eyes softly.

He had asked before about the origins of the Void, and Sio figured he had a right to know— since the Void was about to pry into his mind. "I believe the Void was always buried inside of me," she explaining, thinking back to her memories of the basement. "One day, I realized that I was my own, autonomous being. I was free to make my own decisions, to live my own life... The Void awakened inside me, then— as a way to protect me... as a way to help me help others. I think that's always been my biggest dream... to help someone see their own dreams become a reality."

Speaking of the Void, it stirred in her palms now. As she gripped Wildfire's hand, she could not help but notice his heat... even touching him like this made it easy to feel how warm and welcoming his soul was. She flushed red from the heat. "Try to stay still..." Sio urged. "Just focus on my hands in yours."

As she said it, the Void enveloped Wildfire's mind. At first, Wildfire might feel a migraine coming on... but if he stayed still, the Void enveloping him would feel safe, warm, inviting... Sio shut her eyes closed, tight, and reached forward into Wildfire's future; as she did so, the fire mage would be able to see quick glimpses of what lay in store for him, as if Sio were flipping through a photo album at warp speed.

When Sio was using the Void this intimately, the person whose future she was reading would be able to see the visions spread out in front of their eyes as well. Such was the power of her mana room. So unlike before, Sio would not need to interpret the vision; Wildfire would see exactly what Sio was seeing too.

Strangely enough, a lot of Wildfire's future... seemed to include Sio. There she was— no, there they were. She was at his side: fighting with him, protecting him, nursing him back to health... Was that Wildfire, Sio and Fia, all gathered together, laughing, like a family? And ah— as the future stretched further before them, pictures became more clear... Wildfire's ability as a fire mage grew more explosive, and yet, more refined...

Until finally, Wildfire stood in front of a group of mage, holding a fist in the air, declaring freedom for all mages, everywhere on this continent. And— was that Sio, still standing beside him? It was, yes! He was taking her hand, and thanking her... for what, Sio wondered? But before she could figure that out, the Void deemed that they had seen enough of future events to come... In one sudden, swift movement, the future disappeared from their eyes, and they were brought back to the present.

The seer gasped at the swiftness of their removal from the future, placing a delicate hand to the side of her head. True, she had been greedy, had tried to look more than she was permitted, but... this was the first time that Sio had been involved so closely with a guest's future...

"Did you see that, too?" Sio asked, searching Wildfire's eyes. She just wanted to make sure— sometimes, her guests did not see the same visions that she saw, but in her mana room, and with Sio's concentration, the fire mage should've been able to see the same things she had. "It looks as if you will be a leader among mages... Perhaps a liberator of some kind...?" She smiled, remembering the swiftness and speed with which he used magic, in the vision... "Your technique improves vastly. You'll become not only brave and courageous, but a tactician to be feared on the battlefield.  And, on top of all that..."

She could not help but smile. "I was there by your side, Wildfire." And her visions had never been wrong before... The thought of following Wildfire's adventures was exhilarating— already, her heart was thumping in her chest— but she couldn't help but wonder: how did they end up travelling together? Did it start today, in this room? Or would he— years later— cross paths with her once more? She wasn't sure. The Void had closed its doors, for now.

[Koga]

Wildfire too gasped as the vision ended, and with his gasp all the candles in the room blew out. He shook his head from side to side, breathing heavily while a single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. For a moment he sat there silently, readjusting his mind to the present. What did he just see? It was hard for him to even understand, there was just so much all at once. All he could so was sit there in silence while Sio translated the vision to him.

His thoughts brought him back to his earlier idea of challenging destiny, and for a moment all he wanted to do was hop of his Phoenix and fly as far away from his destiny as possible. However, this future didn't look like one he necessarily wanted to avoid. No, this future was perfect! Wildfire looked as remarkable as Drogas himself casting fire down upon him enemies, burning them to ash with just a single touch of flames. They burned so hot, Wildfire could almost feel the heat through his vision, the flames burned as ferociously as the sun. That was something he expected to see, since he had been practicing with fire his whole life. What he didn't expect to see was himself.. liberating mages? ..and Sio with him?

None of this made any sense. Wildfire loved being free, he loved flying through the air, and casting his magic without being bothered. Yet, he just didn't see himself actively fighting the mage oppression until now. The Mage usually just avoided the Mordecai, and Connlaoth altogether, what could make him do something like this? Shutting his eyes, Wildfire began to think about what was going to become of him.

Destiny told him he was to liberate all mages, but how could he possibly do that? He was just one man, and even the help of Fia and Sio wouldn't be enough to free all the mages on the continent. They would need to rally much more people to their cause, a whole army! Wildfire shook his head from side to side once again, but then he remembered something. The image of his mothers' face popped into his head as he sat there on the cushion, and an old memory resurfaced within him. A memory of him and his mother, during one of his first magic lessons. His father was busy with his Knightly duties in Ketra, but he and his mother remained home, and in secret his mother taught him the basics of magic. A smile grew on his face as he thought about all the times he tried to cast a simple ice spell, but almost instinctively hurled flames into the air. He even recalled Fia's reaction to the flames; she was much smaller then (about the size of a parakeet), and she sat perched a silver birdcage. She was cawing angrily at the flames, attempting to copy Wildfires' magic, but she was far too young at the time. Little did Wildfire know that one day she'd be much more powerful than he was.

It was then that he realized that he had to do this. Not just for the secured freedom of all mages everywhere, but for him. He needed to do this, if he didn't he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to sleep again knowing he let this opportunity go. The time to act was now. Connlaoth was in the middle of a civil war, this was the best time for him to start developing influence for his cause.

Wildfire opened his eyes. "I think we have to do this." He said, sounding a lot more serious than earlier. He looked straight at her with his smoldering yellow eyes. "I don't understand how or why, but I don't think anyone else can." The Mage glanced down at his hands. Normally he was ashamed of his burning fists, because they hurt people, and destroyed things. However, now a sense of pride filled him as looked down at them. These were the hands of a liberator. These were the hands that shall pull the shackles off of chained mages everywhere. Wildfire looked back to Sios' silvery eyes, and the strange feeling set in once more. He embraced it as he continued his statement, "I know its a lot to ask, especially since we just met. But I just can't shake the feeling that we're supposed to do this." Wildfire sighed, not knowing how exactly to convey all the strange emotions he was feeling. When words escaped him, he did the next best thing. Wildfire moved in and embraced the seer in a giant hug, ignoring the awkward feeling growing within him. After a few moments of silence, the Mage opened his mouth, "Will you stand by me?" He asked quietly, his voice was soft and seeking reassurance.

[Kiri de Kismet]

[ Sorry for the wait, Koga! ]

I think we have to do this.

Sio nodded, her silvery eyes serious, clasping her petite hands. It seemed as if she had been waiting all her life for such a moment— to meet a man with charisma, strength, and a singular goal that he wanted to achieve. Except, little had she realized that this person who she had been waiting for— while she sat in her manor, like a canary in a gilded cage— would come to her, seeking her fortune... and she would find herself amongst the vision.

True, her eyes had never deceived her. While many things had played tricks on the fae in this life, she knew she could rely on her eyes. Wildfire's future and her own were intertwined, destined to rely on each other. "I think so too..." Sio murmured, contemplative. "My visions never lie. It seems like we must do this together."

Wildfire then sighed, trying to find the right words to convey how he was feeling, and Sio giggled, watching him. She almost wanted to tell him: don't worry, I understand how you feel! She had seen his future right along beside him. This was their Fate. And yet, it was cute to watch him try to find the words to explain their entangled destiny— Sio was having so much fun watching him that she didn't see it coming: his huge hug, his arms wrapped around her small, petite body, softly asking her to stand by him.

Sio's mouth fell open in shock. When was the last time she'd been hugged by anyone, if at all...? The feeling was warm— he was warm, like an eternally burning light, stoked by the flames of her vision. "Wildfire..." she murmured, took back by the abruptness of it all, but despite it all, she brought her arms around them, her petite hands hugging him close, tightly, as if afraid he would slip out of her grasp. She buried her head into his shoulder, taking in his smell— of burning ashes, charcoal, flames. She felt a tear come to her silvery eyes— and this was normal, really, as the Void was taxing on her eyes, and then often shed water after a vision— but this time, it felt different... Like a tear of sadness, after finally finding her purpose.

"Of course, silly," she said, laughing. "It's our Fate, right?" She chuckled, hugging him closer, her body pressed to his, light up by his warmth. She loathed the idea of letting him go. "Your goal is admirable, Wildfire. I want to be there, on that day, when you gather the mages, uniting them, freeing them..." Her breath was but an airy whisper 'gainst his skin. "I want to be by your side, Wildfire."

[Koga]

((Hey it's no problem Kiri, I've been busy with finals anyway))

A smile formed on Wildfires' face. Never had he dreamed that he would be the one to complete such a task, but today he had seen himself do it with his own two eyes. How was this even possible? Did this future begin today? If he had decided against visiting the seer this morning, would his fate have remained the same? So many questions, but so little answers. Wildfire hugged Sio tighter as he struggled to think. Her presence was welcoming and comfortable. He felt safe in her arms, and with her in his. All his troubles seemed to wash away while he held her close to him. His mind was at ease; there was so much to worry about, and so much responsibility to be placed on their shoulders, but none of that mattered in this moment. All that did, was him and her.

Its been a long time since Wildfire felt this close to another person and the two of them had only just met this morning. Yet, he felt as if they had known each other for years. It was no wonder they were going to be able to accomplish such great tasks together; their personalities were so different, yet somehow the two of them just clicked. Their opposite characteristics complimented each other. Where Wildfire was bad at one thing, she excelled and vice versa. The adventures the two of them will have will be great and many, Wildfire smiled at the thought. For a long time he thought Fia would be the only company he would ever need and sure he would have done fine with just her. Yet, it just felt so nice to have another person around for a change. 

"Right!" Wildfire said, feeling her grip tighten on him. A light blush formed on his face, while soft laughter escaped his lips. "It's our goal now, remember?" He reminded her, digging his fingers into the skin of her back, not even realizing how tightly he was holding onto her. He didn't want to let go. It had been so long, so painfully long since he's hugged another person that he almost forgot what it felt like.

"I want to be by your side, Wildfire."

Wildfire lost his ability to speak at that moment. Could this really be true? Or was this all just a dream? At a loss for words, all he could do was think to himself, 'Don't ever leave...' His heart beat increased steadily, and the Fire Mage felt the emotion taking over him once more. He pulled back from the hug, and gazed into her warm silver swirls. Lips quivering as he tried to speak, but still he couldn't find courage to release the words. It didn't matter, his eyes said it all, they were fierce, yet soft. Whoever said, "The eyes are the window to the soul" wasn't lying. Wildfires' soul was blazing right through his pupils. All his pain, all his joy, his insecurities and his strengths were right there in those burning yellow irises. It was clear to see that he was feeling a great deal of emotions, one could tell just by looking at him. For a moment he seemed a bit overwhelmed, but then he smiled, deciding to give up on talking. Instead, he started laughing uncontrollably. With his laughter, the candles rekindled and the room was once again illuminated. He was happy. Truly happy, and so the fire within his heart lit the room up bright. The joyful sentiment within him was intense and a bit unexpected. All he wanted to do was laugh, hug, and sit there spending time with the Seer.

But alas, there were important matters to be discussed. "There's just so much to do, I don't know where to start." He said, forcing himself not to once again embrace the Woman. The Seer had said that one day he'd be a great tactician, but that day seemed so far away now. Strategy wasn't something he was necessarily great at, not yet anyway. However, he'll get there in time. "What I do know is that we need more people -- a following, an...army" Wildfire winced, realizing how much he sounded like his father in this moment. Now that was a tactician. John Loghaine was true leader; he lead soldiers into battle, he knew how to plan and think strategically. He would have been a right choice for this task, why hadn't fate chosen him instead? Wildfire sighed, if only his Father felt as strongly about magic as he did. The Man always told Wildfire, "Magic is a weapon for the weak. Soldiers win wars, spells cause them." Now he was beginning to realize that his Father may have been right, to some degree anyway. Wildfire just hoped he inherited some of that strategic thinking.