Chapter 2: Everyone Has Their Demons

The angel had held many titles: Magister of Power, Curator of Mercy, Sentinel of Hope. But now, she was just called Eve. She was a rare specimen, being both angel and planeswalker. She had seen many worlds, and many churches that worshipped many different angels. She had witnessed the madness of the angels on Innistrad, the pureness of the angels on Dominaria, and had felt indifferent to both. With the ability to travel worlds, she did not feel the need to align herself with one institution, even if it was of her own kind. But were they truly like her? She didn't believe they were. Humans worshipped angels, but she was grander than most angels. She hadn't started this way, though. As with all planeswalkers, there was a time before her spark ignited. She was an ordinary angel on a plane long forgotten to both time and Eve herself. She had followers, a whole church, hundreds of humans that the world had entrusted to her to protect. One day, a human in her church had fallen ill, and she had failed to save him. His death crushed her, as she had failed in her sole duty to her world. And at that moment, her spark ignited, and she learned that she was greater than her world. Hundreds of years passed by, and she could not even remember the man's name. It was at that moment that she realized her true place, someone above all others. She was infinite and capable of travelling anywhere, she did not need to be bothered with the fates of insignificant lifeforms like the feeble humans. She was greater than them. She was greater than the most powerful dragons of Tarkir, greater than even the gods of the world of Theros. There was nobody greater than her, and she saw this, and said that it was good.

Jason had a fitful night. He had had a nightmare, the same nightmare he had been having for the past month. He was back on his home plane, back in his childhood home. His father stood over him, consumed in a frenzy of fear and rage. His mother and best friends cowered in the corner, terrified. The belt in his father's hand cracked down, and the pain rocketed through his body. He heard the man screaming about how he was a monster, about how he was an abomination of nature that shouldn't exists. Jason wouldn't take it, the fourteen year old by whirling around, hands glowing with heat. He roared as flames shot forward, consuming his father. Unfortunately, he was careless and paid no attention to what was around him, and the fire engulfed the entire building. A smoldering beam fell from the ceiling, trapping his friend. As the young boy screamed in agony, Jason realized what he had done, and he felt something light inside him, and he left the world.

As had become habit, the now twenty-five year old man bolted upright in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He had been trying forever to push that memory down, but each time it rose back to the surface. He had been called a monster, and that day, he had proved his father right. He had tried to distance himself from everyone, choosing to live on a plane that was practically uninhabited. The only exception was Syllia, who's spark had ignited when she was eight. She had refused to leave his side, and the now fifteen year old elf had become like his sister and his best and only friend. And now he had Chandra. He wasn't sure why he had brought her home. Usually he would just leave people there on the rare occasion that he did find them. But there was something different about her, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It could just be that she was another planeswalker, but he sincerely doubted that. Unable to come up with a reasonable answer, he just got out of bed. The sun had yet to rise, but he still got ready, showering and getting dressed. Stepping out of his room, he found the pyromancer that had been invading his thoughts standing over the workbench, attempting to assemble something. She was in a pair of jeans and a green tank top Syllia had provided, with her hair a tangled mess and the goggles she had been wearing when she arrived pushed up on her forehead. She grunted as she tried to unsuccessfully screw two pieces of metal together. "Need some help," Jason asked. The young woman jumped in surprise. "I've got some experience with inventing under my belt."

"I've never been good with machines," she shrugged. "My patience with them usually ends some time before my projects do, along with my fist colliding with someone's face."

"I take it you have a knack for getting into trouble."

"It's usually someone who deserves it," Chandra responded defensively. Jason only chuckled and raised his hands.

"So long as they don't collide with me, I'm good." The two stared each other down before Chandra snorted and they both broke down laughing.

"How is it you two have known each other for less than a day, and you're already acting like old roommates?" Syllia asked as she emerged from her room. Chandra shrugged.

"I guess I just have that effect on people," she suggested.

"I guess that's one possibility, though I can think of another," the elf said, giving Jason a cheeky wink, which caused him to turn as red as Chandra's hair. The younger pyromancer didn't notice the interaction as she turned her attention back to the small machine she was trying to build. "Breakfast anyone?"

"Hell yes, I'm starving," Jason said, sliding into one of the chairs in a single fluid motion.

"Save some for me if you don't mind," Chandra yelled back, not taking her eyes off the machine. "I'm going to see if I can get this damn thing to work." As soon as she said that, the device began shooting off sparks before bursting into flames. The young woman jumped back with a slight yelp. Jason groaned and waved his hand, pulling the flames over to his hand before smothering them.

"I think it's safe to assume that you didn't quite fit in with the general populous of Kaladesh," Syllia said with a smile. Chandra gave a half-hearted shrug and sat down.

"My parents were artificers. I figured I'd give it another shot. And as you can see, that's going wonderfully."

"Well, any skill takes practice."

"Hey, Jason, where did you learn artificing?"

"Learned it from an old man back on Dominaria, and a planeswalker I met around here about a year ago. Saheeli, I think is what she said her name was."

"Oh, I know her. She lives on Kaladesh."

"At this point, who doesn't."

"Well, you live here." Jason rolled his eyes at her comment. Syllia placed two plates of in front of the pair.

"Dig in," the elf said cheerfully. Chandra looked over her food while Jason poked at it with a fork.

"Syllia, you did the thing again," he complained.

"What?"

"I told you, I'm not a vegan. You fixed a damn vegan meal." He was about to say something else before he was cut off by Chandra spitting something out and coughing.

"Who's idea was it to cook a sponge?"

"I'll go find some sausage or something," Syllia groaned. "Besides, you two have a lot to cover, since Jason promised to help you hone your pyromancy, Chandra."

"He did?"

"I did?"

"Yes you did." And with that, the elf skipped off to the door, humming to herself. The two pyromancers looked at each other awkwardly. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Chandra broke the silence.

"Can I burn the sponge?"

"Be my guest," was all Jason had to say.

Backstory and a new character. If you want more, be sure to review. Not that it won't come out, it will just come out faster. Until next time, Driver Out.