Fighting with Fire (Triniel)

by **Fenilen** on December 30th, 2010, 3:24 am

4th of Winter, 510 AV

Fenilen lean frame was hunched over the wooden table in the corner of his room, head in one hand, teeth gritting. His eyes were shut tightly, blocking all light from accessing the two portals. Think, Fenilen, think! Think about how to put the words down onto paper! The hand holding Fenilen's head massage his forehead gently, trying to loosen to pulsing veins that undoubtedly were the cause of this headache. A few more deep breaths were drawn through the boy's cracked lips before he set down his arm, using it to brace himself. His other hand clutched a quill pen tightly in its fingers, poised over the blank page of the book, ready to transcribe whatever the artist holding it wished to transcribe. But that was the problem! Try as he may, the words did not come! He could not focus! They were all around him! They were just waiting for him to drop his guard so They could strike! Ink dripped from the tip of the pen, creating small dots of black on the starch white of the paper. Finally, after a few more moment of blankness, the Inarta began writing.

"The Vantha ar-" he was interrupted mid-sentence by the sound of a dagger flying from its scabbard. No! He was done with Them! The boy rose to his feet, slamming the book closed, smearing the still-wet ink on the page opposite of it. He couldn't take this anymore! He knew that these people, these ones that struck out at him in his room, were fake, but how would he be able to defend himself from the real ones, the ones that attacked him outside of his room!? His sword wasn't enough! His bow wasn't enough! He couldn't use either well enough! He needed something more powerful, something that could kill them there and then, something that could stop them in their tracks, something that could save him when his sword and bow could not!

Fenilen needed something he had only seen. Magic. Yes. This was what he would obtain. There was a woman in the Icewatch who was skilled in magic. He would approach her, convince her to teach him! Then he could defend himself! Then he could defend Sairque, and Aidara, and Emory! Yes! The Inarta frantically walked across the room, lifting his Katinu from the ground, slipping it on over his bare chest. Silently, with a hurried pace, he lifted his book from the table, slipping it into it's satchel. A cork found its way into the vial of ink, and that followed. Knee high, leather, fur-lined boots found their way onto his feet, and then he set out into the cold, face down towards the ground like it always was whenever he had to enter the blizzard-like conditions of Avanthal's winter. His eyes only glanced up for brief moments to right his course through the now semi-familiar streets of Avanthal.

Eventually, he came to the Icewatch Barracks. Contrary to what he thought, there were no door guards. One would think a building of this sort would have armed men at the door. Curious. The man spent little time pondering over this, however, instead only deciding to scribble a small note about it in his book. Once finished, he elected to enter, pushing open the heavy wooden door with a certain shove. Upon coming fully inside, he shut the door, and lowered his hood, shaking his head multiple times in a poor attempt to warm his rosy-red cheeks. A poor attempt to smooth out his fiery-red hair was made as he ran his fingers through it once or twice. Finally finished, he scanned the area, and realized just how much attention he was attracting.

Men and women alike had turned to face him, eying him with inquisitive gazes. The Inarta averted his gaze awkwardly, forming the sentence in Common in his head. Finally, when the slippery words linked themselves together, he spoke, slowly and measuredly. "Hello. I look for the magician who shoots fire from her hands. Is she here?" His brow furrowed in worry as he realized none of the people looking at him understood a word of what he was saying. By the Gods, he would have to use Vani. His mind began to piece together the few words he did know, trying to make a sentence that would at least get what he wanted across to the men and women around him. "Hello. Look for girl. Make fire hands. Want talk." he thrust his hands forward and made a sort of whooshing noise, hoping that would help get his meaning across. Thankfully, one of the women understood, and responded. Unfortunately, she responded in Vani so rapid-fire he had no time to dissect it, and could only gather that she was indeed within the building.

Petch. Now he had to wander looking for her! Every fiber of his being screamed out at him. He did not like being here one bit. Something was off about ALL of these people. They didn't seem entirely... human. With a quiet thanks, he set off, watching his back carefully. For all he knew, they were all one of Them! Hell, this was probably They're headquarters! That would explain why They were looking at him so strangely! As he wandered through the halls of the barracks, garnering weird gazes and glares from its inhabitants, he repeated a single set of lines.

"Hello? Is the woman who shoots fire from her hands here? I want to talk to her."

by **Triniel** on January 3rd, 2011, 7:36 am

Ah, a typical day! Snow, spending the day with Marrick, and doing rounds of the city were amongst the many things that filled Kaivanna's day. Having already done her patrol, Kai was lounging around with Marrick in the Icewatch Barracks. As per usual, Kai was laying her head in Marrick's lap, as her Kelvic mount stroked her head. "Oh Marr, at least there is no mission today and we get a break. I heard another soldier taking about a rough winter this year and they might be in need of my services more," she said, more to thinking aloud than to Marrick. As she was listening to what he had been doing earlier, Kai heard another soldier talking fast and to a stranger. Lifting her head, Kai saw what was the cause of the problem. There was a fire haired young man speaking a language other than Vani, and she understood as Common. Hearing bits and pieces, all Kai was able to gather was 'Magician' and 'Shoots fire from hands'. With her ears perking up, Kai sat up and eyed the man. Marrick, sensing her discontent, moved to her side, as he seemed to assess the fire haired man. "It's alright Marr, he's probably confused," he said, as she patted his arm.

Kai watched as the man seemed to give up and move on, to the soldier that was across from her. As he repeated the sentences in Vani, Kai smirked. "This aught to be good Mar," she said, as she raised a brow at the man. "You there, Fire Hair, what brings you to the barracks? More importantly, do you have a death wish? You should probably think twice before approaching soldiers," she said with a pause, glancing at Marrick before continuing, "for they can be rather...jumpy," she said, a small chuckle coming from her lips, as she heard a small laugh come from the Kelvic beside her. "Why are you so interested in this girl anyway?" she asked, genuinely curious as to why this stranger had come searching for her, and her specifically.

MOD NOTESorry it took so long! I was trying to get her JUST right!

by **Fenilen** on January 23rd, 2011, 3:15 pm

The frail man that wandered through the barracks jumped in a combination of fright and surprise when the pair emerged from the depths of their room, instantly bombarding him with harsh questions and accusations. He whirled around, resisting the reptilian instinct to draw his sword, to defend himself against the servants of Them. Quiet, sharp breaths left and then refilled his lungs until he finally regained control of his mind. This woman meant him no harm. He was overreacting. They were simply a pair of warriors that lived here, come to investigate him. He was, after all, intruding in their home. Hey, at least the woman spoke Common! Once more, he collected his jumping thoughts before continuing. What did he want from the woman? To interview her for his book, yes. He needed to see if Reimancy was any different in Avanthal than it was in Wind Reach, see if the Vantha had developed new, unique techniques never seen before in Wind Reach. That could be worth something to Kaden, could it not?

So, the man spoke to her, his Common slow, but understandable, his tone more certain that it had been a few moments before. "I come to the Barracks in search of The Woman who Shoots Fire from Her Hands. Heard she was in Icewatch's payroll, came to look around the Barracks for her, hoping to find her. Need to ask her questions about her Magics," When his interrogator asked him if he had a death wish, a curious question for her to ask. Was this an opening into a following assault!? His entire body tensed as his fingers clenched and unclenched once, ready to fly to his hip and unsheathe the blade that rested there, let it swing at his opponent and bury it in her gut if she saw it fit to attack him. Fortunately for him, she did not, and she carried on with her sentence. During her pause, he spoke. "If all thought twice about everything, when would anything ever get done? Entirety of lives would be spent thinking, but never would anyone spend any of it doing. Lives would be wasted. By doing, simply progressing the world, I am," Fenilen explained, nodding firmly when he finished. "Be they jumpy or not, someone must do something, or world stagnates."

Yet another question. This girl was a little too curious about why he was searching for one woman in particular. He didn't like how the Vantha were, as a whole, so social, so prone to dig into one another's business. In Wind Reach, people had kept their noses to themselves! They hadn't gone interrogating strangers when they were simply looking for a single woman! Nonetheless, the Inarta answered, his tone somewhat sharp, as if he was becoming somewhat offended that she was digging so deeply into him. "I search for her for answers for my book. Speak with her, I need to, for she has the answers I seek. Know you where I can find her? If not, I shall continue on my search," green eyes met her shifting orbs, a sight that had disturbed him at first, but now, after almost a season of being amongst the Vantha, had become as common to him as a person breathing, or a person shoveling food into their mouths.

by **Cheshire** on April 19th, 2011, 8:01 pm

Mod NoteThis thread has been innactive for too long so I am going to take it over.
A bright smile played on Kaivanna's lips. "Well, you found her. I am the girl you speak of. Kaivanna Iceglaze is the name. What do you want to ask?" She was a little unsure about what the outsider wanted from her. From what she had heard he was one of the strange Inarta from Wind Reach. The one's who lived side by side with fire and lava. She chuckled a bit. Perhaps they would get along well then. "Okay, okay. Enough of the philosophy lesson." The boy's endless talking was a litte strange, if not a bit neruotic. "Perhaps I should send him to Whitevine to get that head checked out..."

As the two talked Marrick took to Kaivanna's side defensively. "Who is this Kai?" His voice was low and a little protective. He was not sure what this fire haired man was doing in the barracks and he seemed a little unstable to say the least. Marrick was not going to let him hurt Kaivanna if his little neurotic episode decided to take a turn for the worst. Kaivanna simply smiled back at him. "This is..." It then occured to her that she did not know the man's name. "Excuse me Inarta, what is your name?" After he introduced himself Kaivanna turned to Marrick. "He is the visiting Inarta from Wind Reach. He works with Faycia." Marrick's deep eyes gave the man a quick once over and he held his hand out to the strange man. "Name's Marrick. I am Kaivanna's bondmate." He gripped the man's palm tightly in a subtle show of power. "So tell me Inarta, why are you looking for her?"

by **Fenilen** on April 23rd, 2011, 9:27 pm

Fenilen raised a curious eyebrow at her when she interjected in the middle of his ramblings, but it was soon gone, replaced by one of defensiveness as the bulky man beside her finally opened his mouth to join the little conversation that they were having together. He took a long moment to respond to Kaivanna's urgings, not realizing that it was in fact him that was being addressed for the longest of whiles. When he did, he spoke quickly, a frown decorating his face as red eyebrows came together, pointing downwards at the edges-- an expression of apology, no doubt. "Apologies, apologies! Was lost in my own thoughts! I am Fenilen," he nodded vehemently after this statement, as if he was confirming his own identity to himself as well as them. His hand met Marrick's firmly, shaking it quickly before splitting from it. "Bondmate. I see," the term was completely unfamiliar to him, but he didn't feel like prying. It must simply be something unique to the Vantha and their curious customs.

Without asking permission, because that was something completely and utterly foreign to him, Fenilen just sort of gently judged his way past the pair, finding his way into the room that they shared together. Once he felt he was safely past them, he nestled himself in a corner, looking up at them curiously, as if he was asking, "did I do something wrong...?" With this expression still on his face, he spoke, inflecting it in his town ever so slightly. "I seek Kaiva-" he choked on the name a bit. So long, so odd for an Inarta tongue. Instead, he decided to shorten it to the monosyllable Marrick had. The perfect length. "Kai because I heard of her from others within the city. All spoke of one whom could fire fire from her body's depths, and, naturally, I was fascinated by such stories. In Wind Reach, some were capable of manipulating the Earth around them, but I heard nothing of fire. I thought, are such things related? Am I capable of learning such things? I thought, if I can learn such things, I would be capable of defending myself and the people I know and love from all of the things that this world around us throws at the people around us in attempts to pick them off one by one," when he finally stopped speaking, Fenilen folded his arms across his chest, looking up at Kaivanna.

"So, I came here, and now I stand before you, asking you questions and asking you to teach me. That is why I seek you out and why I have come here now. I can only hope that it is reason enough for you to impart the knowledge you hold unto me, milady."

by **Cheshire** on May 17th, 2011, 11:33 pm

Kaivanna nodded at the Inarta's words before turning to Marrick. "I think I can handle this alone. Go head to the barracks and see if there is work to be done." She spoke in fluent Vani to the man before he nodded and walked off. Next her eyes turned to Fenilen, turning a bright orange. "Fenilen. The Inarta who has taken up residence here I presume. You seem to be the talk of the town." She smiled slyly as the boy walked past her into the room. Quite the intrusive personality. Were all of the people of Wind Reach like this?

Kai smiled at him sweetly. Marrick was so abrupt sometimes. "You are fine. Marrick is just… overprotective." She sat down in the corner by him trying to show she was not as edgy as her ursine counterpart. "You have heard correctly. I am what is called a romancer. You are interested in the art?" She looked the man over. He was a bit scrawny to be looking into the magic of the elements. What if he didn't make it past initiation? "I would be happy to help you out but I need to know you are ready. What do you know about this magic? I can assure you it is more dangerous than you think. You can die." She leaned forward as she spoke the last word. The words didn't scare her off when she wanted to learn. It was quite evident due to the fact she was one of the top reimancers in icewatch. "I would be happy to help you out but you seem a little… fragile. Do you know what learning reimancy takes right? It is painful as shyke if you know what I mean." She was all for helping the boy out. She had indicated many people into her art. She was always a little worried though. The weak tended to die on her. It was quite the heavy burden for a girl to handle. "Are you up for that? I'll be cutting you up and injecting you with things" She laughed a bit as she let her Res escape from her palm and ignite over her hand. The flames danced in the boy's eyes almost as if they were beckoning him to put his life on the line for them. Would he take the chance?

by **Fenilen** on June 4th, 2011, 10:08 pm

The frail boy met her eye with his gaze, one that, though it showed his vulnerability and weakness, also showed the determination that burned thoroughly in his heart. "Death is not something that I am afraid of, Kai," he spoke ever so softly, "what I am afraid of is not being able to protect the ones I love. I'm afraid of not being strong enough," she could see the honesty in his gaze, the love that he felt for those closest to him. Silently, he leaned back, crossing his legs under him so that he could sit on his feet to make himself just a little bit taller. "I know that it is used to summon the elements to oneself, and as you said, that you can die. That is all." He continued to listen attentively as she stated that learning the art was painful. He could see the worry on her face, in her eyes. He didn't need her sympathy. He didn't need anyone's sympathy.

"What pain can be worse than the pain of failure, the pain of losing those you love because you weren't strong enough to protect them? I could never live with myself if I knew that I could have been stronger and they could have lived. Failure is the only true pain. All other pains are inconveniences," with that said, he extended his hands, watching as the fire flickered before him. The eerie light and the heat associated with it assailed his extended arms with their full force. Normally the laugh that she had let loose would send him running, but for once, he remained stationary. If she was with Them, she was making a grave mistake in making him stronger. If she was not, then all she was doing was joining a conflict that she would never understand.

Soon, the power to create flame would be his. Never again would he be cold. Warmth would always be there.

Most importantly of all, never again would he be too weak to save his loves.

by **Cheshire** on July 15th, 2011, 3:03 am

Kaivanna listened to the Inarta. He seemed to be determined despite looking to be a bit jumpy. "Well, if you have no fear then I don't see why I shouldn't help you." Kaivanna was willing to help but she wouldn't do it for free. Only a fool would initiate someone into Reimancy for free. "If I help you, you have to help Icewatch. Those are the rules. Are you good with that?" There was nothing that she wanted from the Inarta but if he could help Icewatch it would be a fair enough trade.

"Okay Fenilen, follow me. Lets get started." Kaivanna motioned for Fenilen to follow as she led him out of her room. As the pair walked the woman turned to the Inarta. "Better make peace. You know, in case you don't make it out of this alive." At one point the girl might have been more compassionate about the initiation. After seeing so many die she had become more cold to the entire process. If the man died she would be sad for his parting but she had warned him. If he died while the Res made it's way into his body it would be his own fault.

Once the pair had stopped they found themselves in a open arena. "This is were we train the cubs. It will serve well enough for this initiation." Kaivanna's eyes flashed a bright purple as she looked over Fenilen. "Before we start, would you like to sit or stand for this?" The woman pulled her blade from her side as she waited for an answer. "Either is fine with me. You will end up on the floor regardless."

by **Fenilen** on July 27th, 2011, 3:32 pm

He had already made peace with himself before coming here. He had made peace in the sense that he had told himself that if he didn't go through with this, that if he backed out, that he would die in the future because he didn't. He either conquered death now, or succumb to it later. He felt that it was apparent which one he had chosen here and now. A false sense of bravery coursed through every fiber of his being as each step of his scrawny body took him to the testing grounds, the place where the Gods would decide his fate, whether he was strong enough to be a guardian or whether he was simply trying to create a destiny that almighty Lhex had never intended for him.

Kai asked a question of him once they arrived, and he locked eyes with her, extending his hand as he did so. "Fears and challenges are not faced on one's ass," that was all he said. A few flexes of his hand showed that he was nervous, that his false sense of bravery was fading, that perhaps he was even afraid, but there was no time, no room for second doubts now. His hand remained extended. Fenilen, the scrawny, short glassworker from Wind Reach was ready to risk his life to gain the power to defend himself and others from Them, omnipresent, omnipotent. All he needed was for her to begin.

by **Lullaby** on August 13th, 2013, 2:38 am

Fenilen :