Ascendance (VampWiz08 x Kishiseta)

General Lefavar grunted as the reports came in his desk. There were more and more sightings of those abhorrents in the world and the forces of the darkwalkers were getting stronger. The nobles were bickering like old wives in their seats about who was going to take the seat of power in this and that. The cities around him were slowly questioning their leaders and the outlying lands of the empire were being neglected and were paying less and less homage to the Empire. The Empress herself, may she live forever, has gone missing. The knowledge was not yet well known, but it was only a matter of time. The high bureaucrats could not keep such a secret for far longer.

He was getting far too old for this, and pretty soon, he would have to leave the world. But before he did, he would make certain he would spit in the eyes of the darkwalkers and set things on the right path before he left. If there was one thing he was supposed to do, then it would be to leave a legacy. And he did not want to leave a legacy of ruin.

The General looked up from the papers he was looking at to Lieutenant Stone. "You are sure you are choosing the right person to hunt down the abhorrent?"

Lieutenant Stone shrugged. "We can't spare anymore of the troops. She's more of a danger in rank than she is alone."

Lefavar nodded. "If we can't get this abhorrent out of the way, there isn't much we can do. If she gets any older, we'll need a whole team of officers to hunt her down. And we can't spare that. Make sure this succeeds."

"I have faith in River."

---

Dawn broke in the city of Pearl prompting the streets to set up shops. People opened their doors and set up their oiled-cloth stands as the smells of the early morning bread wafted through. Wave smiled at the children running to their classes, their parents calling after them. It was a relatively peaceful city where barely anyone knew her. And that was enough. She had heard of tales of havens for people like her but she didn't know where to start looking or how to get there. For now, her undisturbed life here was all there was to it.

Wave froze for a moment at the sight of a Guardian patrol roaming the streets before she gathered her wits and moved out of their way, bowing like the others as they passed. She tried to calm herself as her heart hammered in her chest. Act like everyone else and they were sure to pass you. That was the best way of surviving in the world.

Squaring her shoulders, she headed for the market to buy some more local herbs. And she had to hurry. Who knew who would come knocking at her door this early. It wasn't often but it happened.

"I'm sorry! My God, I'm so sorry!" screamed a young woman. Just in front of her was a general, someone she began training with a couple decades ago and whom was now her superior and commander, ducked and a tent on fire behind him. She looked down at her hands and tears swelled in her eyes.

"Good God, woman!" the general shouted back at her as he rose from the ground. "How have you not learned to control your power yet?"

Her mouth opened as if she was to respond and then quickly closed because she couldn't think of a word to say. A single tear fell and she looked at her feet in shame.

"River..." he replied to her silence, his feet carrying him to her and placing an arm on her shoulder. "You're lucky I've known you for some time now, otherwise there would be even more trouble for you."

She nodded in return and sighed. Her hands clenched themselves into fists and she turned on her heels, letting her feet carry her wherever they could. Eventually, River found herself in her living quarters, the news of what she had done already spread. Her much younger fellow privates in her troop laughed, jeered, and pointed at her as she made her way to her bunk. How could someone two hundred and fifty years old, with powers that some wished they could have, and many others could control by now, not only not be able to control their powers, but still be ranked private in the armed forces? These all were thoughts running through her head as she placed herself into her bunk. She stared at the bunk above her with wide, sad eyes as she continued to think about... everything. Mostly how she never advanced. Maybe it was because she couldn't control her powers, well, power. Singular. She could control fire with her mind, something her parents wished wouldn't have happened.

They had named her River for the fact that they had a feeling that she would have the power of water, as they could control earth and air. So, they stuck with the name, and were extremely disappointed when they found that fire was her power. Though they didn't show much love for her growing up, they gave her heirlooms, a ring, a longsword, and a dagger. A moonstone in which she was able to bend and control light however she wanted, but only if there was a moon high in the sky. The blades had no special powers, but she used as a weapon when fire and light weren't enough.

Eventually, the general that she almost caught fire to came into her quarters, and all around her was silence. She hadn't noticed, as she was too deep into her thoughts.

"Private River..." said the man after clearing his throat. River jumped, startled, from her thoughts and quickly jumped off the bed and stood at the foot of it. "You're needed for patrol today."

"Okay," she mumbled with a sigh, slid on her ring, hid her dagger and put her longsword at her side. She quickly followed the general out into the city of Pearl as dawn began to break. Her, along with many others, wandered the streets. She could see everyone bowing and moving out of their way as they patrolled. River hated that, city dwellers bowing and charging out of their way. It wasn't attention she liked, or felt she deserved, especially after today. She had almost killed the man that gave her orders, and yet, people were bowing at her with no knowledge of what had happened. No one in the city ever knew what went on in camp, especially what happens with River. If they knew, they would find a way to get her out of the armed forces, and possibly have her killed.

After about an hour of just simply walking, the small troop stopped, and the general turned to River. Her eyes widened. She knew what was coming, and she hadn't wanted to do it.

"River, I need you to go to this person's house," he told her and handed her a small strip of paper. "You know what to do."

With that, she nodded and looked at the paper. Wave was inscribed on it, along with the address, but the last name was unreadable. Heaving a heavy sigh, she walked around until she found the correct door, closed her fist, and knocked three times.

OOC: Sorry. Me, being dumb like always, deleted all messages, so I forgot Wave's last name. I had to improvise.

There were herbs and other concoctions in Wave's hand when she saw one of the soldiers knock on her door. The girl--no. This was no girl. She was old, if the red in her hands started to show more the more she controlled fire. High-ranking and definitely dangerous. She would not stand a chance against this woman in combat, not especially if she looked like she was not having a good day. To her experience, Guardians who did not have a good day wanted their way quickly. And force was always an option. Wave wanted to run but she had had enough of running. They would always find her if she didn't find a haven soon, and it did not seem like she would find one.

No. She had to play this right. She was no Harmony, but she had her wits, if she did not have the charm. Smiling, she approached the guardian and asked. "Excuse me, do you have business with the shop owner? I'm afraid she isn't here yet. But if you like, I could offer refreshments inside while you wait," Wave said as respectfully as she could even if she wanted to spit on the woman's face. She looked young enough to be an apprentice and that was all she needed for people to believe that she was apprentice to a spectacular healer who holed herself up and never showed her face.

She opened the door and let herself in putting everything she bought on a table. Sorting them would come later. For now, she had to focus on kicking the woman out. "Please make yourself at home. Would you like any refreshments while you wait?"

"No," responded River as she watched Wave walk through the shop and set her items on the table. She waited for the queue to come in before taking a few steps in, stopping a few feet from the door. River closed the door behind her and stood as a person in the military would, tall and overpowering, but she could feel her nerves starting to get the best of her. She had to act cool and calm, but her stomach was churning to the point of almost vomiting. This was her first time doing this sort of thing by herself.

"I'm here for you," she continued. "There have been reports of supernatural occurrences in these premises. I'm here to check for those."

She nodded gently to herself, so small of a nod that it would go unnoticed by anyone around her. The words she had spoken gave her a bit more confidence, calmed her nerves. But only a bit. Her stomach was still churning, she could feel her face start to gather wetness, and was sure the beads of sweat would soon fall down her delicate features. That, she was sure, would get noticed.

Wave looked at the woman, her heart beating so quickly, she felt like she was going to faint. But outwardly she smiled and cocked her head, an innocent look plastered across her face. "Supernatural? Like what? I'm afraid our little shop couldn't afford any Guardians' help. If we did, we would have made the shop bigger and made more people better. Unfortunately, we don't. So, what supernatural occurrences got your attention?"

She appeared relaxed as a kitten, leaning onto the table, but behind her, her hand clenched. It was clammy and cold and her head was spinning about thinking what she could do to escape if the Guardian attacked. She knew exactly what the soldier was here for, but if she was going to escape this without a hitch, she had to dissuade the soldier from attacking and giving her more reason to suspect her.

Her eyes studied every inch of her visitor's face and body language. The woman was nervous and scared. It was something she could exploit, and even better if she was a Harmony, but as a wisdom, she had to do something else. With fluid graceful motions, she sniffed some of the herbs and made tea in two cups openly without hiding anything from the woman lest she became suspicious, giving one on the table to give to the soldier and drinking one herself.

"Please, relax and drink. We can discuss this like amenable adults, don't you think?" Wave sat down and took another sip. "Please," she gestured to the couch.

River swallowed heavily, reluctant to grab the drink and sit on this stranger's couch. This just felt so wrong to her. There was no way Wave could get into any trouble, she seemed a nice enough woman. And why River herself had to do this, she wasn't sure. She wasn't ready for this, though she was 250 years old. Besides, the tea smelled funny, and she wasn't usually one for tea. Maybe the tea smelled funny because she didn't like it, or she was just scared. There was something in the back of her mind that was telling her not to drink the tea.

"No tea for me, thanks," she finally managed to mutter as she set the tea back down on the table. "And I prefer to stand. You may continue to sit, if you would like, but I prefer to stand." River nodded and followed the "suspect" into the living room, standing across from the woman she was supposed to be arresting.

"Alright, let's discuss this. You know why I'm here, I know why I'm here." She paused for a moment to swallow again and standing up straighter to appear as if she wasn't afraid. "Tell me. What's been happening here? These supernatural occurrences have been reported by not only part of my troop, but also your neighbors." (She wasn't sure if this was true or not, but felt the need to say it to get the information out of Wave.) "We can make this easy or difficult. You can tell me, or not, and if you don't, I'll arrest you, and if you do, I'll probably still arrest you."

Wave hid her nervousness behind a chuckle. The woman was certainly no foolish greenhorn. So much for that trick. She drank the rest of her tea taking her time and smiled at the soldier. "Still suspecting me, are you? Shame. Shame as well if I just let your tea go to waste." Wave drank the tea she prepared for the woman and set it down to show her there was supposedly nothing in it. The soldier couldn't know she drank the antidote beforehand, especially when Wave drank the whole thing and nothing was happening to her. She had to think fast. She was a Wisdom after all. While she lacked the charm, she had her mind.

"Supernatural, you say?" Wave tapped the edge of her mouth with a finger. "Is it really supernatural to have understanding of all that the world has to offer for healing? Or is the quick, efficient movement of a very skilled healer highly questionable? Miss..." she paused realizing she hadn't asked for her name, "Soldier, is it such a crime to help the people when they are sick and injured? When your government only gives the best healing money could buy for the rich and the Guardians? When you arrest me, would you be able to provide the aid that these poor people need without the condescension your kind gives to us normal mortals? I'm very much disappointed. It seems that my activities have angered someone high up, stealing his business fro him probably. No more could he charge the poor and take their properties and daughters as payment. How could he compete when I'm satisfied with chickens, trinkets and words of gratitude? I understand the game fairly well, Miss soldier. And I understand that people like me who have nothing can be easily stepped on. But it is your conscience, of course."

Wave sat back, hoping that she gave the woman enough to chew on and to get her addled. Hopefully, everything she said could convince the woman she wasn't anything special until she could slip away in the night. Again.

River watched the woman she was supposed to be arresting carefully as she spoke, her stomach churning at the words. Yes, Wave Two-fins was right, but River couldn't let her go that easy. Could she? She knew there was a reason she had to be doing this, a test, and her superiors wanted to see if she would pass. But now she felt like a grain of sand standing in the living room of the healer, so insignificant and inferior. The speech the suspect told repeated over and over in her head as she tried to find the words she needed to say. But nothing was coming to her. There she stood, the silence between the two becoming more and more obvious to River, the footsteps of her fellow soldiers pacing also became more obvious. At any moment, she was sure that they would barge in, begin to ask not only her, but Wave as well, questions about everything. Why it's taking so long, why Wave hasn't been arrested yet, and so on.

River couldn't bare to let this woman get arrested, not now, not ever. From behind her through the window, she could see the shadows of soldiers looking in through the curtains, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening. She wasn't going to let them take this woman. Wave was too kind and sweet to allow this to happen.

Sensing that her fellow soldiers would bust in at any time, she finally spoke, but quietly so they couldn't hear through the window. "Okay, so this is what's going to happen," she said, moving her body in just a way to make it look like she was going to make her first arrest. "I'm not sure if I believe you or not, but I won't allow this to happen. Damn my soft heart for this. But I'm going to put the handcuffs on you, and help you escape. I'm only a private at my age, for whatever reason, and I don't think I want this job anymore."

She put the handcuffs on gently but tightly as to not hurt the healer. "I'm going to help you escape, and I'm going to do the same. This will probably cause a stir, and I'm not sure what will happen, but things are going to get hard. Well, maybe not for you because I'm sure you are constantly on the run. But I think I'm ready for this. Besides, I need a friend in my life."

Wave was grinning in the back of her mind as the soldier thought hard and long on what she had said. She was sure she was going to get away soon, but the grin fell as she thought about the people she would be leaving. Damn the Guardians! Damn them for doing this to all of them! She was going to miss little Rose who always walked up to her shop with a tiny hurt animal from chicks to kittens asking her in her big, round teary eyes to help the poor thing. She would miss the old lady that lived next to her and helped her soothe the children she had finished tending to. She would miss the merchant man who ran to her door whenever she sent someone to get medicine and deliver everything she needed and more.

She stood to leave when the woman went up close to her and spoke. She listened to what she was saying and was surprised to suddenly find her hands cuffed. She would have screamed and unleashed her ability but the woman started talking again. Escape? The both of them? Was she hearing right or was it a trap. There was a genuineness to her voice that made Wave believe her, but at the same time, the cuffs made her doubt. In the end, she allowed herself to be led away. Maybe there was a chance she was telling the truth. The woman did believe her still to be a Heirarch, which meant Wave didn't fool her once--therefore, the girl was smarter than she looked. Besides, she might find other times when she could escape. Not in the middle of a crowd.

She decided to follow the soldier without any complaints and asked, "What's your name? You know mine, but I don't know yours. And what kind of guardian are you? By your fidgeting and uneasiness, you're certainly not Air or Earth. By any chance, Fire?"

River pulled Wave gently along through the crowded streets and the cobblestone pavements towards the jail. In the corners of her eyes, she could see many a person or being watching with frowns or even tears as they watched Wave get dragged off in handcuffs. She was starting to feel bad about the whole situation now, realizing how many people actually needed te healer's help.

She jumped slightly when Wave finally spoke, breaking the slightly awkward silence between them. At this point, the crowds were thinning and the city becoming a little less of one. "River," she replied, then nodded. "Yes, I am a Fire."

Just as she asked te question, the "criminal" and the Private arrived at the army base, where the jail was just on the outside. River pulled the healer up to the front gate, spoke a few words to the General, and he opened the gate. She nodded, continued to pull the healer behind her, and eventually threw her into a cell. Once the door was closed, the Fire turned to the Healer. "I have a plan for this, alright?" she whispered. "Just believe me, and we will both get away. Stay quiet, and I'll be back at 23 hundred hours."