X Fiendfyre X

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Sorry about the delay. I started a new medication Monday, and it's making me a little scatterbrained. I'm just waiting to even out before replying.

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Kaito gasped for air, not just from the exertion of energy he had just demonstrated, but the sheer shock of what he had just done. This land had awoken something within him. By the looks of it, he possessed great power. It was actually rather frightening. The beasts eyes still glowed red within its icy tomb, but it moved no more. It had taken Kaito literally three seconds to end that threat.

Move over, Elsa, he thought to himself wryly.

Without wasting another moment, he dashed over to Gilda. With a loud swear, he heaved the table away from her. Kneeling down, he put two fingers to her throat. She had a pulse. "Gilda!" he called loudly, shaking her gently in an effort to rouse her. "Gilda, wake up! Your house! I'm sorry... But the beast is dead. Look!"

Unbeknownst to Kaito, his eyes had changed from a dark shade of brown to a clear sky blue. Those eyes were narrowed with concern and dread as he continued attempting to wake his only friend in this strange land.

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Kaito was of the same mind, preparing to flee with Gilda when the house came apart. The clothing in his hands scattered in the wind, flapping haphazardly around the room. There was a loud crash, and Kaito looked over towards Gilda as he felt their hands separate. She had disappeared, pinned to the wall by the flying table.

With a gasp, Kaito began to move towards her. Just then, the tornado beast settled into the room between him and Gilda. Kaito's advance froze and he leapt backwards, his eyes wide with shock and fear as he considered the terrible creature before him. It was clearly only here for his life.

As the monster approached, Kaito felt its powerful winds bite at his skin beneath the borrowed clothes he was wearing. The numbness swelled in his hands, his fingers becoming icy and stiff in seconds. The surge of cold was unbearable, but it didn't necessarily hurt. The lack of sensation in his extremities prevented that. Still, it was entirely uncomfortable, and Kaito yearned to be released from it.

The rush of cold at his hands reached a crescendo, causing Kaito to let out a pained and frustrated yell. Without knowing exactly why, he raised his frozen hands in the approaching beast's direction. To his shock, they were glowing with a bright blue light, and small wisps of steam twirled off of his fingertips.

With another yell, Kaito felt the unbearable cold drain out of him in the direction his fingers were pointed. Lances of razor-sharp ice spewed forth from his hands, spinning in a helix towards their target. They met the tornado monster, cutting through its windy barriers and freezing solid the very air it was using a weapon. There was a loud snap that accompanied this violent change in temperature. The very next second, the beast was encased in a solid block of ice in the middle of the room, and the winds slowly died down.

In Search Of A Missing Friend

I take it's time for his powers to spark?

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Kaito accepted the offering of clothing gratefully, adding a polite bow of thanks for good measure. The items looked perfectly plain. He would blend in quite nicely. Hopefully it would help him go unnoticed long enough to figure out exactly what his purpose here was supposed to be.

As Gilda began preparing breakfast in the other room, Kaito undressed quickly. He continuously cast a wary eye at the entranceway into the kitchen, making sure Gilda couldn't see him. Kaito even took his boxers off, certain they weren't going to be of much use to him anymore. After discarding his regular clothes into a pile, Kaito pulled on the borrowed clothing.

Sure enough, they were slightly too big. He had to adjust the cord at the waist of the trousers considerably to keep them from falling and exposing him. Old-fashioned clothes were a pain, he realized. Once he was satisfied with himself, he scooped up his bundle of dirty clothes and popped his head into the kitchen.

"I just remembered," he piped up. "Didn't you say something about a gem yesterday? I'd like to see it, if that's alright." Just then, a strong draught of wind buffeted the cottage. The door and shutters rattled, and a gust of cold air seeped in and spun around them. Loose bits of straw kicked up off the ground, and Kaito found himself instinctively clutching his bundle of clothes against it. He glanced nervously at the door, afraid it might come down at any second.

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Excellent. I should have a reply later today.

Would it be alright for Kaito to specialize in ice and/or air magic, or did you have something already in mind?

In Search Of A Missing Friend

Enjoy your weekend, if I don't hear from you. Whenever you get back, I want to discuss Kaito's future abilities.

In Search Of A Missing Friend

The crow of a cockerel within the village cut short Kaito's vivid dream. Morning's first light was beginning to seep in around the doorframe and the shutters. He gazed around without moving his head, his brain struggling to comprehend where he was for a moment. The previous evening's events returned to him within a moment. Then there had been that dream. It was still fresh in his mind. The Sage had been trying to tell him something about the gems. They were for a barrier, it seemed. A barrier that would keep him from Lilia if not otherwise dispelled.

Kaito remembered Gilda mentioning that she still had possession of some sort of gem. He hadn't been able to ask about it the night before, but it was going to be the first thing he brought up this morning. The young man sat up and stretched his arms and legs out before him. The low mattress had not been as uncomfortable as Kaito had feared, but it still didn't hold a candle to his bed back home. A wave of homesickness enveloped him, as he realized there was a good chance he would never go back. This was the life he had to look forward to, it seemed.

His white tee-shirt was soaked through with sweat at the back, no doubt thanks to the stress of the end of his dream. It had been cold and suffocating, and it felt so real. Only the Sage's words in his ear had filled him with the resolve to see it through. Kaito took a sniff at the inside of his shirt and grimaced. Not the best smell in the world; that was for damn sure. He didn't even have anything to change into. Unless he could borrow some clothes off of Gilda's father, he was only going to get worse.

"Gilda!" he called out. "You wouldn't happen to have anything else I could wear for now, do you? I'd rather not keep standing out like I do. I'm no good with being stared at like yesterday, if you couldn't tell."

In Search Of A Missing Friend

The story kept Kaito's full attention. It all seemed too perfect. A few scenarios coursed through his head as Gilda went on, but he couldn't decide which one was most likely. Lilia couldn't have always had those powers. No, she must have obtained them upon coming here somehow. Perhaps Gilda was not the first person Lilia had encountered on Al-Farna? Maybe she'd already had some experience with her newfound power by the time they met? That made a little sense, but it didn't exactly fit in with Gilda's description of events.

The more of Lilia's prowess Gilda revealed, the more a lump in Kaito's throat seemed to grow. The once-delicious food seemed to turn to ash in his mouth. Though he had initially been hesitant to do more than sip the wine, he suddenly drained his cup in almost one swig. It did very little to parch the dryness in his mouth. Kaito had only imbibed on the rare special occasion with his family, not counting the one time he and Lilia had snuck some liquor from her parents' secret upper cabinet. Drinking that quickly was bound to cause him some issues before long.

Fire. Lightning. Flight. Super speed, Kaito thought to himself. Goodness, what wasn't Lilia capable of?

Gilda's story was over before long, giving way to a stunned silence. Kaito blinked a few times and had another bite of lamb. The ability to discern flavour was beginning to return to him, now that he'd managed to calm down a little. He set down his utensils long enough to give Gilda a little clap in appreciation of her impromptu performance.

"I'd say that tale's almost as good as your broth," he complimented quietly, managing a bit of a grin. "Excellent stuff, by the way." Kaito dabbed at his lips politely with his cloth before continuing. "I take it that means I should go to the Capital as well? If the Sage brought me here, would her Order be willing to assist me, too?"

"Although, I wonder why you didn't go with her?" Kaito added in afterthought, eyeing Gilda curiously. "If you got such a rush from that bit of adventure, why not go seeking more? You can't really be content slaving away as a shepherd's daughter." Kaito had not meant to insult her; it was merely an observation. Perhaps his filter was beginning to wear away under the assault of alcohol.

What Are You Listening To?