Our power is made perfect in weakness (closed to Flamebird)

It was a bitterly cold winter's day in Tylmerande, but Shinsou wasn’t at all fazed by it. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it. The chill of the snowflakes brushing his cheeks and the beauty of the deep blue sea basked in the whites of winter was something he appreciated in that moment, an image he would gladly hold on to after the struggle of the last few months. Why? Because Osiris reasoned he would like to leave for Raiaera on a high note. He had spent the last year fighting just about every bastard on the continent. He had spent the last year embroiled in a personal, poisonous vendetta against Arius Mephisto that had drained him emotionally and physically. He had been shot.

Life here wasn’t boring, ever.

Now, he was taking his apprentice Felicity Rhyolite to the land of magic itself, Raiaera, to train in the relative anonymity, peace and quiet the country could afford them. Back to basics, without Whitevale's eyes on them, and somewhere where Felicity herself could find some respite from the pressures of command and her own demons.

Back to some sort of normality, really.

Normality? He wondered what that even was for him anymore as he paced the snowy path towards the port and then through a handful of dock workers to the end of pier number four. The memories that lingered in the depths of his mind of his crusade against Radasanth and his vendetta against Arius obscured the concept. There was little that would allow him to be with the people he loved, which were few and far between. Ironically, only the Brotherhood could. That’s why the Brotherhood mattered, but for the first time and it wasn't the only reason he wanted to leave Corone for the land of the elves.

“What will you do when you get to Raiaera?” Raine, his loyal bodyguard, asked the slim man ahead of her, keeping her eyes on the icy water below her feet. She was sitting on the edge of a pier where a large ship was moored, her legs swaying below her. The former Gilded Quint member had insisted on seeing him to the boat, something Osiris had said was not necessary. The caravel bobbing next to them had seen better days, and judging by the state of the wood and the wear on the moorings, it had seen its share of action during its service, but it was solid and enough for Shinsou and his apprentice to get to Raiaera on.

“Training, mostly. I think it'll do us some good to be away from here for a while. Maybe when we get back, we can have a proper drink.” Shinsou replied, pausing for a couple of seconds to look towards the woman. Her expression warmed him and Osiris knew that he would miss her until he got back to the island. Though he couldn’t say it to her face, he could say it now to himself without a shadow of a doubt in his mind. He adored his charge and Shinsou hated to be away from her.

“A proper drink? Will the Brotherhood be paying?” she inquired again, this time turning and smiling over her shoulder. It was a look only Raine could perfect, a glance that made her grey eyes sparkle gently and a smile that lit up her face. Shinsou repositioned his swords around his waist and smiled heartily at her question.

“What’s the point in being the co-leader of an organisation like that if you can’t get into some of that treasury once in a while? Besides, I’m not letting Storm drink, gamble or fuck the rest of our money out of the door on his own.”

Raine managed a giggle at his rather partisan humour.

“Good. So you’re paying. That’s all I needed!”

The bodyguard concluded with a grin, turning her head back to the freezing water below.

“Last call to Kirann'at! All passengers make your way to the loading ramp!”

The cold fingers of the bitter winds swept themselves through the Raine's tumbling red hair, but it wasn’t that which caused her to wince. That call meant Shinsou would disappear again for weeks. She pouted in an almost childish way as Shinsou grabbed his luggage from the wooden planked floor and slung it over his shoulder. Chuckling to himself, the Telgradian shook his head.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back in Corone before you know it. First round is on the Brotherhood when you get home.” Shinsou added before he stepped towards the ledge with Felicity at his side and joined a line of people queuing to be added to the manifest. “Also, take care of Storm, ok? Make sure he doesn't touch anything in my office.” he continued in a much more serious tone. She lifted her head upwards and looked at his face as the Telgradian ascended the ramp and disappeared onto the great deck of the good ship.

***

It had been years since Shinsou Vaan Osiris had ventured beyond Corone's azure seas. It had been even longer since he had been to the once-broken nation of Raiaera, but as he and Felicity Rhyolite stepped down from the gangplank of the caravel Independent and onto the wooden docks of this small but now thriving coastal township, he was already starting to feel the shackles of reputation and responsibility fall away from him. Here, he was an unknown quantity. The Telgradian and the red-headed Neanderthal could walk relatively free people, able to wander in any manner and direction that pleased them. They could pause for thought at any moment without fear and so, with a heft of his lungs that felt as if he were sighing his sins away, Shinsou took a moment to stand still and take in his new surroundings.

The newest product of the elven renaissance, the coastal port of Kirann'at, was a beautiful place. The sky above the coast was pale blue, with not a single wisp of cloud to be seen on the horizon beyond the Raiaeran seas. In the other direction, the surrounding wooden piers led to a small but well organised dockyard which bore all the hallmarks of having been constructed recently. As Shinsou's eyes gazed beyond the wooden crates, carts and human, elven and animal traffic in the port, they caught the blueish purple hues of newly tiled slate roofs poking up from the central district. There was a steady stream of people heading in both directions through what seemed to be the main road into town, organized like worker ants into two distinct, orderly rows.

"Have you travelled much, Felicity?" Shinsou asked as the pair began to walk in tandem over the slick wooden planks of the moor towards the town. "It has been a while since I last came here; not long after Pode's death. Everything was still pretty raw here. I remember seeing about how bad things had gotten, that Xem'zund and Pode had succeeded where Alerar had failed. They had torn out Raiaera's heart. At that time, it seemed far-fetched that we'd be seeing new towns like this one and smiling people here within a couple of years. It goes to show that much like individuals, nations can also move on, with the right encouragement."

Shinsou and Felicity slalomed between two tall men burdened with sacks of rice and scanned the port for the appropriate route out towards town. The main stretch they eventually travelled down opened up to a wide boulevard, really more of an elongated courtyard that led to a row of inns.

"Which one is ours?" Felicity asked, brushing a hand through her wavy, crimson locks and shouldering a heavy looking travel satchel.

Shinsou chuckled. "I didn't come with one in mind, honestly. I just thought we'd wing it when we got here and see what was available. As long as there is a bed, some good food and at least one decent malt, I'd be happy."

This reply seemed to take the girl aback a little bit, who was unused to her mentor not having a plan in place. He never struck her as the most spontaneous of people. Shinsou's eyes flitted to her, and picking up on the slight reaction, smiled.

"Relax, we're not in Corone now. There's not as much need to plan every little detail or organise things down to the smallest nuance for security. We're here to train, but we might as well enjoy the slack." The Telgradian reminded his apprentice, slinging his own luggage behind his back from his side and eventually pointing to one particular inn with a bluish tint in its masonry. "Is that one ok with you?"

Felicity nodded. "Sure."

The walk down the boulevard towards their chosen respite funnelled Shinsou and Felicity through what appeared to be a row of brand new shops and merchant stalls, and as the pair cast an occasional glance through windows and doorways, the Telgradian made sure to make a mental note of ones that piqued his curiosity. The Raiaeran merchants were shrewd and proud professionals in the fields of magical artefacts, and he could see that some of the stores were filled with magical instruments of uncertain use. It wasn't like the Radasanthian bazaar back home, which would be more likely to be filled with useless tat that caught the eyes of tourists and lined the pockets of the criminals that peddled it. Here, he was more likely to find something useful.

It was only another five minutes until Shinsou and Felicity found themself in front of the inn, which the Telgradian roughly translated as "The Crest of the Moon", or so the engraved sign said. In truth, the Telgradian was quite looking forward to a good rest. The previous night had been quite a trying one, with the choppy seas and a storm depriving them both of precious sleep, and the weariness tugged at him. Magic could only do so much for a body that needed sleep.

The inn was rather homey. The wooden walls were engraved with extravagant swirls and designs. The walls were dressed in elegant tapestries depicting the history of the elf lands. The breaking of the two groups which would eventually become the two nations of Raiaera and Alerar; the great cities; the Corpse Wars... Yet, in the ashes of the terror of the undead, hope remained. This town was filled with a dignity that sharply contrasted the slums of depression Felicity saw elsewhere in this land. The tapestries themselves, the walls and curved furniture, everything was a testimony to culture and pride. The elves here actually kept their heads raised as they ate and drank in the corners of the tavern. True to the supernatural culture of the elves, Felicity's magic senses were prickling constantly as a mage or two passed by. The building itself even seemed intertwined in magical energy. Near one of the roaring fires of the spacious dining quarters, a minstrel played a lavish melody on a lute. Raiaera, after so long, was rising from the dead. Raiaera was discovering new life. Raiaera was recovering.

If Raiaera could recover from its demons, why couldn't anybody else?

As Felicity followed Shinsou through the cozy yet brilliant tavern, Felicity was alarmed by a familiar yet glorious prospect. Food. Food! The delicious scents of roasts, fresh baked breads, berry pies, and rare ales all wrapped themselves in a package that made the girl's stomach scream in a lust for substance. Felicity had a much larger appetite than the average person due to her biology, yet Corone's disastrous climate prevented that many crops from growing. Remaining rations were small, meaning many went hungry. Felicity herself had needed to resort to taking gross salves and bizarre potions to sustain her high maintenance body. She barely had enough, and she often went with a growling stomach despite getting enough energy to operate. Hunger was such a common feeling since she joined the Brotherhood, but now... She was free. The freedom of being in a new land that was scarcely affected by the ash clouds came over her for the first time. She was unaware of the drool seething from her lips and dripping off her chin as Shinsou bought two rooms. Still, the moment Shinsou stepped back and tried showing her the key to her room, Felicity had darted to the counter. Shaking, her hands slammed the wooden structure as her body vibrated in glorious anticipation.

"A full turkey! The whole thing! And a strawberry pie! And a salad with those little orange sweet berries! And a whole wheat bread! And cheese! And-"

She rambled the large order to the rather confused and even scared elf behind the counter. It was another waiter behind him who wrote down the order.

"We've had cases of refugees from Corone ordering too much to stomach," That waiter mumbled as he jotted the long list of comfort foods down, "But this..."

Soon enough, as Shinsou was getting the luggage in their rooms, everyone in the tavern was watching a spectacular show. The buff yet short redhead teen was shoveling food into her mouth in ravenous, half starved mouth fulls. Some were taking bets as to how long it would take for to finish it all. Others appeared rather disturbed as they were unaware of the situation in Corone, as well as Felicity's unique bodily needs. The entire tavern watched as this near-human shoved an entire loaf of bread into her mouth in eight seconds. Felicity herself was too obsorbed into the bliss of this feast to notice any of this, or Shinsou joining the edge of the crowd in disturbed awe.

Needless to say, she spent most of the afternoon in one of the bath houses outside.

~~~

Once Felicity's stomach finally settled, she was inside her room the key had been lazily tossed onto the counter, and her possessions were tossed onto the unused second bed. Wearing much more loose, sloppy clothes than she usually did, she sat on her bed with her back against the wall. It was dark out, the wooden beams of the window closed to keep cold air out.

Felicity's awe of Raiaera was starting to die down.

Her magical affinity was now used to the passive glow of magic in the air. Her stomach was full and happy. Her bowels were no longer screaming, and for the first time in a while her body was completely content, comfortable. The warm, straw bed asked the sleepy girl to crawl under the sheets, but she remained icely still. Her thoughts were growing disturbed as the joy of this trip drifted further back in time. She remembered why she was here, or so she thought. To train. Shinsou brought her here to train. Without even knowing why, Felicity wanted to start immediately despite the night. She got up from the bed, pulled the key from her desk, and stumbled towards the door.

The hallway was on a balcony overlooking the main floor. The curbed, elegant rails rolled along the edges as Felicity walked next door and pounded the door.

A groggy voice sounded from inside. "Yeah?"

"Ready?" Felicity called, "To train?"

A moment of silence. Then.

"It's night time. I'm tired and so are you. Go to sleep."

Disappointment dimly glowed in Felicity's heart, then was replaced with the much stronger waves of discomfort and fear. Her hand twitched on its own as Felicity took a step back from the door. Looking over the balcony, she saw that a seldom few people were still awake, let alone down there. One or two people drinking the night away in the corners, or passed out from drinking, were all that remained. Reluctantly, Felicity trudged back to her own room.

She found herself, once again, sitting on the bed bed with her back against the cool wall. Once again, discomfort cried for some sort of action. Anxiety caused her chest to throb in dull pain as exhaustion from seldom resting overtook her. She was soon asleep where she sat.

~~~

Was she under water?

She felt thick liquid swirling around her. Her vision was murky at best, unable to tell how deep or shallow the hot liquid was. Confusion. How did she get here? What was this place. She pulled herself up, not knowing how, and found herself gasping for air in a hot, sticky world of dim red.

The liquid dripped from the top of her body into the large pool she sat waist high in. As the sound of dripping echoed in this strange place, Felicity's senses started to come to.

She heard sizzling. Sizzling like remains of a burnt out fireplace or meat hissing from high temperatures. The air was filled with wisps of steam as Felicity took in the most revolting smells possible. Flesh, rotting and burning and cut. Her throat throbbed as the gag reflex overtook her for several moments. As she bent over, trying not to vomit, she saw a familiar shape in front of her.

A decapitated human arm, the hand cut up and limp.

Felicity immediately bolted from her place in the pool. She fell back down, on her knees, as her heart pounded with such intensity. There were more. The more she looked around, she saw more. Corpses, so many corpses. All faces frozen in the eternal shock of their moments of death. These faces were all familiar, she recalled them being victims of... something... Something familiar. Something cold. Something that brought images of frost to the brain.

Yet, Felicity stood up. Panic raced as she bolted through the shallow, red pool. She realized this was blood. As she ran past more bodies, the pool grew deeper. She went from the pool being ankle length to at her waist line as she skidded to a halt. One body stood out amongst the rest.


His elderly body had wrinkled skin and black hair just starting to turn grey. He was still too young to die. His hands were over his chest, as if his last agonizing moments were spent grasping his malfunctioning heart.

Her lips parted. Uncle...

She finally emptied her stomach’s contents.

Vision growing hazy, she darted in a random direction. Her heart pounded in the quiet as she tried desperately to get away. Instead of pulling herself out, she found herself suddenly drowning in the pool. Her arms and legs flailed as her eyes darted to find escape.

Then, she heard a noise. Metal? The current of the pool was like a river. She found herself drawing closer. Up ahead, she saw a horrifying sight. Atop a pile of strange ice, a cloaked figure held a longsword as she towered above another figure. His hands were tied, he was blind folded. Yet, even as he was on his knees, she recognized him.

"Jonathan!"

The hooded figure looked up. So familiar. Her blue eyes, black hair, and pale skin were the most bitter of features to a woman made of ice. She raised her sword.

"No-" Blood flooded Felicity's her mouth as paralysis overtook her. She was unable to even cry as the sword cleanly sliced off his head. The figure, once again draped in shadow, kicked the body into the sea of corpses. Then, the figure looked up again.

Now, Felicity stared into the eyes of her own self.

Panic caused her to immediately sink into the waves again. Then-

She awoke.

Fortune seemed to shun him once again, slipping from the grasp of his listless fingers. There would be no rest tonight.

Shinsou had no idea how long he had laid in bed, motionless, battling against the waves of agony that bled through the wall. The howling of the redhead's night terrors made mockery of anything he had heard from her before, and the erratic thumps of movement were starting to worry him. He had tangible proof that her rage was the trigger for her unusual powers, so how long would it be before this nightmare kicked Felicity's whole arsenal into life?

One arm rested on his lap, gently cradling his sword Kadingar, while the other was placed knuckle-down on the bed as he sought to maintain a fragile grip on his self-control. If things got out of hand, Shinsou's life and the lives of the patrons would depend upon his quick reactions and monstrous Tenebraen power to put Felicity down. But as the pale in his cheeks started to bleach through, there was a sudden quiet. Perhaps she’d somehow regained control over her dreams? The anxiety leaked in erratic waves.

Fuck this, Shinsou decided, collecting his things and making for the door.

The door creaked loudly, complaining of a lack of upkeep. Considering the hours that Felicity had passed in such a state, the only surprise was that no-one else was awake. Shinsou clung to the corridor wall and gingerly opened the redhead's door, cautious as ever not to startle her or catch her indecent. With great care he brought his head around the door, tucking Kadingar deep into the warmth of the folds of his coat, and clicked it shut behind him.

The moonlight lapped greedily at her bed, illuminating her strong but curvy figure. Her eyes were open, gazing at him, and her skin glistened in the lunar glow from sweat. Her loose clothes clung tightly to her, patchwork from moisture.

"Are you ok?" He finally asked, trying not to let his eyes wander where they were not welcome. "Sounded like you've had a rough night. Seeing as we're both up, maybe we should head out north, see if we can burn off a bit of energy. Are you up for it?"

The distraction he offered was two-pronged. Firstly, it would take Felciity's mind off of whatever it was that was bothering her so much, and would quench the threat of her erupting into something beyond anyone's control. Secondly, the chance for real sleep had passed, and Shinsou was already way past trying again.

She was in a state of confusion. The room was unfamiliar and strange. She was wet, completely coated in sweat and laying in a damp bed. Completely bewildered by the surroundings, feeling a sense of terror she could not put her finger on, she laid in a state of strange deja-vu as the quiet room was filtered with the light.

When a man walked in, she was even more confusion. He was familiar, but she was unable to properly put things together. Was that Daisuke, the alchemist who gifted her powers her long ago? No, this man was too young. Jonathan? Wait, no, he was dead, he…

“Are you okay?”

His voice was like a distant echo as she felt glazed in a thick fog as the ithil light shone into the room. As white rays bounced off the wooden walls, she suddenly remembered the white coat on his frame. Oh! This was-

She scrambled to a sitting position as he continued to talk. In a state of rapid thought, she suddenly pieced together the trip to Raiaera in insane speeds. Panting heavily, she watched him trying to keep his eyes focused and she flushed red. Yanking the soaked blankets up, she became aware that she had had another nightmare. Shinsou’s somber features made her realize he had heard her…

Her face grew to even hotter temperatures as embarrassment mixed with her insane heartbeat. “You heard-“ Shinsou had watched Felicity break before, but Felicity was still unused and uncomfortable with the moments he saw her… weakness… She was unaware of how crazed she looked as she rose to a knee and bent leg on the bed. He offered a midnight walk and exercise, potential training, and Felicity realized she was up to it. She nodded, gulping as she felt the sweat trickling down her back. “Be ready in’a moment. Nee-eed to get ready.” Her words were slurred and blurted out. She obviously was still caught up in the terror of something she did not even remember. She knew she had a nightmare, but the contents she could not recall. Many nights of this left her used to waking up like this, yet she never could get rid of the mixture of confusion, anger, and pain that made her want to scream and cry at the same time.

Shinsou left the room for her to get ready. With shaking hands, Felicity rapidly changed into a green shirt and brown, long pants. Flinging her katana, in its sheath, over her back; she pulled her hair back in a manner that screamed that she did not care. Soon enough, she and Shinsou were walking down a deserted, dirt road outside the town.

The cool air was enough to bring Felicity back to reality. Even though she still caught herself hugging herself frequently, she felt comforted by the familiar form of Shinsou, his signature white coat, and the fact that he was here again… she almost lost him recently.

With a shudder, Felicity decided to move things along. She had bought her katana, Copycat, when she first became his apprentice. She meant to learn as much as she could from him and meant to memorize his fighting style. Of course, Shinsou was far more, well, thoughtful than Felicity. His elegance and finesse was incredible compared to her own and Shinsou had a phenomenal gift of foresight she could never have. Still, she meant to compliment him to the best of her abilities. Thus, the katana on her back.

Shinsou himself had a new weapon, and Felicity was still in the dark as to how he got it. From the moment he returned, she could feel the dark change in him vibrating from his magical energy, his signature. And he was more… aggressive… Felicity was seriously concerned for her teacher. They both needed this getaway, with the Brotherhood now in general peace. Under the stars, Felicity’s mind was bombarded with concern after concern. Despite coming here for respite, Felicity’s doubts and fears never escaped her.

As the sound the crickets and frogs sang in the grasses beyond the path, Felicity’s feet skidded in the dirt until she came to a stop. She needed out of her head. Now. She wanted to cry, and she could not let herself show more weakness in front of the man she desperately wanted to please. With a deep sigh, she pulled the sword in front of her. Holding it in her sheath, she gave into the old habit of numbing her pain instead of facing it.

“’Far enough.” She muttered in a monotone that barely hid her wild emotions, “Wan’ a spar?”

Beyond the beaten track leading north from town, she had led the Telgradian to an open field of grass that contained the knee-high remains of a much older, derelict part of the port town. There wasn’t much left, but even the rotting wood and shattered masonry of the remnants spoke of an age that pre-dated the settlement they had set up shop in. The elves of Raiaera were known for weaving their natural elegance into all of their buildings, but the differences in pre-Pode and post-Pode construction was clear to the keen observer.

Amongst the assorted debris, Shinsou took a more thorough reading of Felicity as her question about sparring carried itself cleanly from the centre of the grass. In terms of her combat potential, the girl was like a battle-axe. She was crude and unorthodox, but more than made up for that raw power and her unpredictable abilities.

As a living, breathing person, she was damaged and vulnerable. The redhead seemed to be a prisoner of her history, from the events of Eiskalt and from personal issues that even the Telgradian was probably unaware of. This being so, Shinsou was wise enough to know that spoken words of encouragement would only go so far with Felicity. In order to truly get the girl to realise her potential, he would have to shake those chains that shackled her to her grim childhood loose.

“Before we start,” Shinsou spoke, gesturing to a part of a broken wall behind him, “Please sit. I want to ask you something.”

“Huh?” Felicity had been bobbing about from tiptoe to heel, limbering up for a fight, but her hands drooped to her side as the Telgradian postponed the festivities. Her eyes glinted in the starlight as she walked, her katana Copycat glimmering silver in the glow of the moon as one slender hand poised upon the hilt of the sword.

“What do you want to ask?” The neanderthal queried, a puzzled expression etched on her face as she peered at the now seated Shinsou. He matched her gaze knowing he was facing a veritable wall of personality to climb, well beyond his usual remit.

“Forgive me for prying beyond what’s reasonable, but I need to know. I need to know about Eiskalt, and about your past. I want to know what makes you tick in there.” The Telgradian spoke in turn, his rune-encrusted blade Kadingar swaying at his side in its sheath as he reached over and tapped her head.

Coolly, he tossed away a few bangs of his chestnut hair from his face. A few moments passed without answer, but it was clear that the redhead was thinking about how best to reply to him. Shinsou wasn’t sure what surprised him more, the fact that he’d managed to ask the question when he had promised himself previously he wouldn’t pry into her past, or the fact that she’d actually deigned to listen to his request. Highly conscious that her eyes were now squarely focused on him, the spellsword tried not to break the stare to inject a veneer of confidence into his question. It would not do for Felicity to see the lack of self-assurance in himself about her.

Clean-cut, youthful, and sober, the purity of this moment was distinctly out of place amidst the maelstrom of feelings caused by the Tenebraen power brimming beneath the surface of his skin. Part of him wished that he could simply take back the moment and just spar, but he was her mentor now. He could not allow the seeds of doubt to take root in her without opposing them.

Oh! He just had to ask!

Of course he asked! When I probably scream in my sleep, I'm screwed!

Felicity's anxiety and anger rose as she began to rip tufts of grass from the ground. She was shaking again as she was faced with the opposite of numbing her problems - facing them. A part of her wanted to scream at Shinsou, ask why he dare to ask her, but that was only her initial defense and she knew it. Dry lips sealed shut, she glared down at the grass as she searched for the answer as to how to approach this. She wanted to ask if the sparring was more important; or turn the conversation on whatever Shinsou had gone through as of late. But the girl knew Osiris all too well to know none of that would work. She was trapped. She was forced to look back...

Her sword had been cast on the ground in front of them. The black blade was bathed blue in the moonlight as Felicity regained her composure. She needed to trust that Shinsou would not leave her now. He trusted her this far, somehow...

With a long, slow sigh she looked up the the sky. Unlike Corone, Raiaera had clear skies with sparkling stars. Head leaned against the wall, her heartbeat roared. Gazing into them under the moonlight, after what was ages after the question was asked, she parted her lips.

"Yeah, I was born in Eiskalt." Her voice cracked. She swallowed and cleared her throat before continuing. Rapidly avoiding eye contact with Shinsou, her gaze darted to a nearby tree. "You should know, all throughout the country's history, humans and neanderthals were at war with each other. They hate each other, wish to destroy each other."

Felicity closed her eyes, trying already to keep the tears back. She tried to remain calm, despite her heart pounding like a large beast in a puny cage.

"My mom was..." She had to swallow again, head lifted, her eyes shut tightly as she continued to yank grass from the ground, "Well, she was raped-"

Her back throbbed, her voice finally cracked, "-by a neanderthal. She and everyone else wanted the demon spawn from that dead, or-"

The sheer ferocity, venom in her voice was unmistakable. Hard feelings was an understatement as the words tumbled out faster, angrier. "They wanted the abomination dead! But they let her live! Cause she was half human, half valued! Like I was only of importance for my human side! Wretched! They only-"

She took a sharp breath, holding back the burning bitterness as she started to wipe the tears from her face. She had just about lost hope of being composed in front of Shinsou, but she still tried to be somewhat decent here. She rested her head back on the wall. "My uncle felt pity, or something, and took me in. I lived with him and my cousin. They were the only ones who were ever kind to me."

She sniffled, "They had enough of the townfolk. My cousin kept getting into fist fights over me, and my uncle was losing business. Over me. We eventually moved. To Corone. I saw grass and flowers for the first time..."

Felicity finally lowered her wetted arms, once again tugging at the grass below. "It was nice there. We lived in a quiet woods, uncle ran a blacksmith shop in a nearby town, Jonathan joined the Coronian Rangers. I helped in the shop, ran around the forest, but wanted to do something more." Felicity opened her eyes, her tight expression filled with self loathing, "I should never have."

Felicity slumped, placing her chin in her palm, elbow in her leg. "It was nice, simple. No more taunting, no more murder attempts. Then some so called hero came along and offered to train me. Said I was weak, she could make me strong. I regret taking that offer..."

Felicity shuddered, "That was my first mentor. She had a break down and snapped, cause she lost so much, and she just..."

Her eyes glazed over as the memories took over. It was obvious, she was traumatized by her treatment in Eiskalt, but that was not what caused the PTSD. This was.

Felicity's voice shook as she went pale, "She-she murdered, tortured, she - killed - murd..."

A sudden bout of nausea overtook her turning green, she shook her head as she tried to push on. "Justified. She justified everything. She was always right, even when she slaughtered hundreds cause they were crimina-" she lunged over suddenly, her stomach emptying of the meal she had that evening. As she vomited, she continued to shake violently. She was suddenly stuck. Frozen in the past again as the physical weakness set in. She still felt the horrors in front of her, what her old teacher did in the name of justice. After a series of coughs after the fit of bile, Felicity pushed herself up and scooted further down the wall, away from the vomit and Shinsou. Hugging herself, she whimpered through the horrid taste in her mouth. "Even the brutal training to make me 'strong.' Even the screaming and hitting for getting in her way..."

Tears blocked her vision as she continued to avoid looking at Shinsou. She was too ashamed to. Hugging herself, huddled, just trying to avoid the sight of her hideous self, she was in a small ball as she panted for air.

"When... When I got home. - Home- Jonathan..." She gaze was lifted to the sky again as she swallowed, "I watched him die. On a mission for the Rangers, he died."

A sudden flash of anger caused her face to turn red. "I could of stopped it! Done something! He died! And my uncle died! From a stroke or something but I should of been there! I should of saved them! I never should of-"

Felicity, storming with emotion, attempted to stand up only to crash down. Still, as she continued to avoid Shinsou’s eyes, she spat, "I never should of left! They needed me and I left! After everything they did for me, I was a selfish brat!"

She looked down at the ripped up grass. Just like everything else she touched, it was ruined. She was just about ready to cause more destruction, punch holes into the wall behind them. Yet, the shame was stronger than the anger as she balled her fists and squeezed. She vibrated as she spat, "Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn't of existed at-"

Dread and weakness flooded her being as she slouched again, limp. No, she wanted to prove the Eiskaltian people wrong. She wanted to live. She had done a terrible job, however. Even Shinsou’s recent disappearance and trauma by Arius’s hand could be blamed on her. All she could do, subconsciously, was mutter I'm sorry's to him as her energy was completely depleted.

Shame.

Everything was her fault. Shame.

"I'm sorry..."

It felt like an eternity had passed before either person spoke again, Felicity fighting to leash her feelings as Shinsou absorbed her jarring story.

Hell, I could barely point out Eiskalt on a map, and I had no idea about the conflict between humans and Neanderthals. But it’s all starting to make sense now; this supposed mentor of hers ripped her from a life of boredom, and threw her right in the fire. She blames herself for this Jonathan and her uncle’s death. She’s terrified of abandonment. Yeah, it’s all making sense.

“You have nothing to apologise for.” The Telgradian finally spoke, breaking the fragile silence. He leaned back against the rough cut of the broken wall, breathing the fresh night air in. “It is unjust to suffer persecution, especially for doing what is right or being who you are. I think it's our reactions and attitudes to coping with it, though, that will determine our futures. In time, you’ll come to see just how far away from Eiskalt you are, now.”

With a sigh, the Telgradian reached down and retrieved Kadingar, returning it to the cool air from its sheath in a single fluid motion. “On the loss of your loved ones; obviously, I am sorry to hear of it. It is a curious thing, death, but realise this; Jonathan and your uncle’s memory will never die a natural death. It will only perish if you don’t know how to replenish yourself. It dies of blindness.”

With that, Shinsou, without thinking, put a comforting arm around the girl. It wasn’t practiced, and the Telgradian suddenly felt a cold chill gripping his stomach. Was he going soft? The sudden realisation hit him, and he carefully retracted his arm and lent his next words a harsher tone.

“We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when we turn to stare the reaper dead in the eye. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.”

Felicity’s expression didn’t waver as he’d feared. Shinsou leaned back further, raising his gold eyes to the moon.

“Tenebrae was a hard lesson. They came for me, sent their demons to rend my flesh from my bones and incinerate my soul. But I stared death in the eye, and I then I became him. I made Tenebrae’s Obsidian River my killing field as I slaughtered their legions with their own power. I had no choice, because I had to come home. To Storm, and to you. But it's come at a price. I've watched you work, and now I’ve come to understand your motivation. The only way for me was to kill them all and leave nothing behind. For you, you have to leave everything behind. I did what I did because there was no choice. You have one.”

Shinsou looked out to the night sky at those last words, his Tenebraen power flaring on the surface of his skin for more than a fleeting instant. The passionate fury of his memories of Telgradia’s hellscape was equally matched by his smouldering determination to help Felicity realise her potential. For the first time that night, the two Brotherhood warriors saw into each other’s souls, and he knew that there was something they could both do to sway the Neanderthal’s path. Shinsou gave her a small bleak smile. At times, it could be so difficult to discern what the redhead was really thinking, such as now. It was nigh impossible to tell whether she was really thinking about his words, or if she was only putting up a front.

“Now,” The Telgradian finally stood, carefully righting himself and offering his hand to his apprentice, “I paid the price for my power. I might as well flaunt a bit of it, if you still want to see how you measure up?”

Felicity had calmed just a bit in time to hear Shinsou speak. The Brotherhood's leader had a wonderful way with words. His speech was as elegant as his swordplay. Yet, it was not empty words of sympathy he offered her. No, he was genuine and raw in every vibration of his vocal chords. He truly wanted to help her.

And that hit her. She was terrified of her past, ashamed of it, but Shinsou was not even flinching at her. She had acquaintances in the past who accepted her, but she knew some feared or or were only willing to dig so far deep. Shinsou, on the other hand, just wanted to see her true potential met, her wounds healed. It was enough for her to listen, and listen well.

When he opened up about Tenebrae, she winced. Once again, the guilt that she let him go there was tugging at her, but he spoke of strength. He spoke of overcoming it. He grew stronger from the experience, like Felicity grew physically stronger every time she bled. He said that Felicity, her motives, and her work... needed to leave everything behind.

She always wanted to forget what happened, but the strange thought of leaving it was... awkward... There was no closure, there never would be, and Felicity was chained to all the things she felt guilty for. How could she leave it behind? She searched Shinsou’s words and found no peace to overcome the fear of death, just the bizarre ability to move forward.

When he moved on to the prospect of sparring, it ripped her from something she had not been ready to sway from. Questions cluttered her head, swarming like bees in a hive. Yet, the challenge of a duel caused Felicity to stand on her feet, strangely still. She was not shaking anymore, only slightly shivering in the night breeze. She slowly walked over to her sword and glanced down at it as Shinsou awaited her next move.

"You have to leave everything behind."

It reminded her of another time he spoke to her, told her that if she could not move, she would lose everything she still had to Arius’ cruel terror. Indeed, remembering that encounter with the trickster wizard was quite frightening. Yet, she remembered. She was a General now. She fought for Whitevale, and the Brotherhood that protected it. She fought for Shinsou Vaan Osiris, the man who led it and guided her. She bent down to the black katana, steadily gripping it as the scratchy grasses lightly danced in the wind. Steadily rising with the sword in her hand, she pondered.

To leave everything behind was to truly protect Whitevale. Could she move on when her past bound her with thick, metal chains? Shinsou fought. He fought with everything he had to get home. While he fought literal demons, however, Felicity had to fight the demons in her head. It was no easy fight.

She turned to Shinsou, shaking her head in attempts to clear it. Everything was so confusing. What was right and wrong anymore? Her old mentor robbed her of that clarity. But, but she had a new mentor now. She had a new life. Maybe, maybe it was time to attempt to walk forward, step by step, in time. If she could not protect her old family, she would have to learn to protect the family she had now.

She entered a stance similar to the ones she had seen Shinsou pull with Enpera, the weapon she had observed him fight with before. As the moonlight shone over the deserted buildings, her eyes narrowed and lips tightened.

"I'm ready."

"I hope so, for your sake. I'm different to the man you fought in the Citadel."

Weaving his arms out of his coat, Shinsou spared one last glance towards his apprentice. Her cheeks had been gaunt, her eyes sunken and haunted, but colour now returned to the skin and life to her gaze even in the cold of night. He smiled to himself, believing his words had somewhat reached her. They would not be enough to hold the effects of her trauma at bay forever, but they had done enough for now.

The Telgradian quietly began to channel his Tenebraen power. It rose from the depths of his stomach up his very being, burning up his insides like acid. These were the murderous impulses he felt in the Obisidan River bubbling to the surface as they had done every day since he was given this power. The metallic taste on the tip of his tongue reminded him of fighting Arius inside the demon Niliatus. The great evil had finally been put down, and the bastard who had caused so many to suffer beneath his attentions had gotten exactly what he deserved; an overwhelming and final death, with Shinsou and this power the final word.

He exhaled a stream of of steam, clearing his mind. Unchecked emotion served no greater purpose.

Shinsou wove two orbs of Ardor's Flame into their swirling cocoons within his palms, smouldering ember and the scent of charcoal warring in his nose as the night's shadows shuddered beneath the flaring light. The silence was broken by the crackling of the fire, but his mind didn't falter. Unlike his Telgradian powers, there was no need for words to slip past his lips.

At the behest of his thoughts, the Telgradian's limbs went to work. He darted forward with frightening speed, throwing the first fireball straight towards his redheaded apprentice. At the same time, his legs carried him and his second fireball to the desired destination: just left of the swordswoman and her Copycat, hoping to trap her between himself and the first Ardor's Flame. The explosion from the first fireball struck just before Felicity, shattering the concrete foundations of the ruined house at her feet, sending splintered shards fizzing through the shadows. The resulting heat cast a million burning splinters out into the night and splashes of purifying white flame took life among the debris.

It didn't hit, but that didn't matter.

The head-sized second fireball still within Shinsou's grasp was already mid-flight, threatning to slam into the side of the Neanderthal's skull.

Similar to the way her old mentor sparred, Shinsou was unrelenting. As opposed to the ice she used, however, Shinsou was a master of fire. The twisted magical energy buffeted Felicity's magic sense. It was a toxic, sour magic filled with such potent evil, it caused bile to bubble up her throat. Felicity was... scared.

She stood there, frightened by the memories of her old violent sparring matches, as Shinsou moved.

The first fireball exploded, causing the abandoned building to burst into flame. The night was suddenly illuminated in the bright hostility of fire. Sharply opposed to the calm dim lights of the moon and stars, hellfire engulfed the entire building in a whirl of flame. As burning debris rained down from above, Felicity was trapped. She turned to see Shinsou, blinded by a magical rage similar to her own, aiming a fireball at her. Felicity winced, flashes of something familiar creeped from her memory. However, Felicity was awake enough to move by instinct. She blindly acted.

Reacting with raw survival reflex, avoiding the burning of the flames, Felicity dropped to her knees. The fireball flew over her head. Sweat already coated her body, yet she shivered in cold terror. Still, flashes of ice holding her in place as her old mentor "trained" her threatened to take over. Copycat was dropped, the long weapon useless in such close quarters. It was obvious she was unaccustomed to using the Akashiman sword. Shinsou’s new, violent style completely crushed the elegance of his first. This was something new. Felicity reverted back to all the things she was good at, abandoning learning to use the katana tonight. It was brighter than day as the fire roared behind them. Crouching, she brought a leg into a sweeping kick, meaning to unbalance the cruel firemage.

This was not how the training was supposed to go. She was once again threatened by her past trying to freeze her; while the present meant to roast her. Was this even Shinsou? She now knew what he felt like when her own powers blinded her in rage, her consciousness stolen by her own magic. Felicity leapt away, whether or not the kick hit, and attempted to move. Still, she fell again.

On the ground, she turned to see the hell tormented Shinsou glaring down in a menacing, ferocious manner. Teeth barred, forehead wrinkled, eyes glowing in cruelty. She had seen this before. Felicity instinctively pulled her arm in front of her, wincing as she looked away from the danger in front of her.

"Ayle-Shinsou! Stop!"

The past was hard to beat. She was not even thinking as it took over again. When would the cycle break?