AHHHH AN UPDATE TWT I feel horrible about never updating. But college has been crazy and I stopped playing PW a long time ago so I admit my motivation was completely gone w

BUT then i looked at my fanfictions, reread this, stared at screenshots of PW over and over, remembered how beautiful the game was, how fun it was, sat my ass down, figured out the plot of this story (yes, thats right, i was able to re-figure it out so now i have notes again! yay!) . SOOOOOO NOW at least i have the OUTLINE so i SHOULD be able to update (so long as I have the motivation, and after looking at so many pix of PW lately I feel motivated again 3)

Unfortunatly I have finals the next couple of weeks so i WONT be updating until theyre over xD Im basically deciding to post this update as a "hello! guess what! i have notes now and im craving the game again!" so you have time to, if u care enough/like this story enough/whatever to remember wtf it was about, skim over the chapters, do whatever the hell u want (b/c im sure half of u are like, wtf story WAS this o.O its been so long I cant remember...) so yeah.

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The mirrors around me were starting to bug me out. Was I high?

I mean, I know they were supposed to reflect concentration back at you, or whatever the hell was the reasoning for this, but they were starting to make me wonder if I were actually here, or just a reflection...

"Xeria," the Oracle sighed, "please try it again."

I opened my mouth to 'yes ma'am' her but my humiliation silenced any words. I closed my eyes, concentrating, clearing my mind, spread my hand out before me, palm upwards, and envisioned warmth and flame. I peeked; my hand was empty. Again. Fuck fuck fuck.

"Can't you give me a tip or something?"

The Oracle tried smiling kindly, but any comfort her smile could have offered was canceled out by the emotionless gaze of the Elf behind her. I swear the air felt impatient.

"All I ask is for you to simply light a flame atop your palm. I ask for no more, and therefore there are no instructions. You must understand how to conjure fire on your own; it is one of the elements which you posses control over, and therefore you must figure out how to call it to you. Once you can call forth fire, then instructions on technique and skills will be given to you."

"Right. But," I squinted into my hand, "where am I supposed to be calling this fire from?"

Arcon stepped forward, "Xeria, listen to the Oracle. She has told you before; fire comes from the sun. Therefore, you are not calling it from anything, so much as conjuring it yourself, pulling from the warmth within and merely using the existing flames in the universe to aid you."

Right. Because that totally cleared everything up.

I shook my head, trying to clear the annoying Elf from my mind, and tried again. Concentrate, feel, inhale, envision, exhale... sparks. Sparks?

"That's it, Xeria," the Oracle crossed her legs over her throne-like seat, resting her chin atop her fingers, "Try to create a flame now."

"Flame, got it."

The air spiraled around me impatiently.

Damn Arcon, why did he even bother staying if he was just going to make this harder?

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"Did you see it!" I stared excitingly into my palm, "It was there!"

"I saw, Xeria, good job," the Oracle smiled, "please do it again."

I had done it! I created a flame in the palm of my hand! And I didn't kill myself in the process! Ha! Take that, you Elf!

I mean, sure we've been in this mirror room for, what, four hours now? But this was real progress!

"Do try to keep it alight for more then two seconds this time."

I sent a glare over in Arcon's direction.

Ignoring now.

I shut my eyes. Spreading my fingers again, I felt much more confident this time. I could feel the sparks dancing around my fingertips, followed by the sudden burst of heat and distant sound of sputtering as the flame danced and wavered. Now...don't let it go out...

This part was hard. I could feel the flame dying, growing smaller and smaller, and then back to it's full size for a second, as I concentrated with all my might, only to shrink again, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

I heard the chamber door glide open, let my eyelid lift slightly to peek, and almost gagged. Aani had stuck her head in, and was motioning for Arcon to follow her out. And the worst part? The damn Elf was actually doing it! His eyes all smiley, the air cheering up from its swirling boredom and whatnot to dance around the room.

That furry slut.

Before I knew what was happening, or even why the hell I was so angry, because honestly I don't really give a crap who Arcon does or doesn't like, (honestly, I swear), my anger condensed in my chest, whipped into a heated ball, and erupted from my palm and fingers like a volcano of flame.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I cried out in shock, as flames poured from my outstretched hand and danced around the room. The fire struck the mirrors in front of me and folded back on itself, spiraling towards the ceiling and filling the space around me.

Aani had pulled her head back out the door, shutting it to keep the flames from exiting the mirror room, and Arcon was back at the Oracle's side, the Oracle herself now on her feet, yelling instructions to me that I couldn't make out over the roar of fire.

My hand began to overheat, my skin sizzling and burning at the touch of its own conjured flames.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I tried to back away from the flames, to pull my hand from their embrace, only to find that as I moved, they, of course, moved with me, continuing to spew from my hand. I frantically swung my hand back and forth, in a sad attempt to blow out the flames, which, I admit, probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Fire was now spiraling around me, blocking the Oracle or Arcon from coming to my aid.

The fire was growing stronger, and hotter. The pain was unbearable as it singed and burned my skin; the smell of smoldering flesh brought bile to my throat. And then, suddenly, I was paralyzed. I could see the Oracle watching me, composed as always, but fearful in her gaze. The flames seemed unable to touch her; they struck an invisible barrier and then curled back, away from her. Her magic.

Arcon wasn't there anymore.

My vision fogged over; I felt like I was dreaming. Was I?

Fire was no longer only coming from my hand, it was erupting from both hands, from my feet, from my...from my everything, it felt like. Fire was just all around me, everywhere, cooking me. I couldn't move, I couldn't stop it. But the pain was gone. The warmth was still there, but the pain was gone. And yet I could feel my skin crisping, and I knew I was being consumed. Or was I only dreaming I was being consumed?

Well, at least Dul wouldn't have to worry about me killing him anymore.

Sploosh!

Sploosh?

I coughed; what the hell? Here I had been surrounded by huge ass flames and now I was soaking wet. I lifted my dripping arms, coughed again.

"Xeria?" The Oracle stepped forward, cupping my chin in her hands and raising my face to hers, "Are you with me, Xeria?"

My eyes found Arcon to my left, holding an empty barrel that looked way too big for him to carry. Of course, there was his magic and all so really I guess the size had nothing to do with anything. Damn, this magic stuff was getting-

"Xeria?"

I looked back at the Oracle, "What?"

She smiled in relief, "You're awake again. Good."

"Awake?" I pulled away, "I'm pretty sure I wasn't asleep."

"You were being consumed," the Oracle furrowed her brow, "I'm sorry. I wanted to train you in a way that wouldn't cause this to happen. I'm not sure how...Xeria, whatever you did to make as much fire as you did, you weren't ready for that. You almost died."

I frowned, "I didn't mean to do it."

Arcon stepped forward, "Sometimes Xeria's emotions get the better of her."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The air smiled mockingly, "You see?"

I pouted and looked away.

"Xeria, you must learn to keep your emotions in check while wielding magic. For now, any emotion, any extra push of your powers that you're not ready for, can consume you. I understand you had an experience like this before?"

She was referring to Jewelscalen; I guess Arcon filled her in.

"Well, then, no offense but I don't know what good three days of training is going to give me."

The Oracle sighed, "Xeria, I would love to train you longer, however, in three days it will be time for you to leave," she bit her lip, debating something, "Xeria, one of the reasons I cannot allow you, or Elf Arcon, to stay is because I have prophesied about you. I am not supposed to partake in any events that can affect you and damage, or even help along, the prophesy. I must stay as an out-looker, a third-party observer. It's one of the reasons us Oracles hide away here, in Twilight Temple. We must stay apart from the outside world. I admit, I took a personal interest in you, Xeria, when I decided to train you. I have a soft spot for Mages, a soft spot for you ever since I watched you as a child, through my Sight. Three days is all I will chance; a day for each of the elements you own; fire, water, and earth. I cannot offer you the ability to control your power, nor can I teach you various techniques when you have so little control. I merely hoped to help you understand the feeling of each element, and understand how to call upon them."

I stared at my feet, "Thank you, Oracle, and I understand. But I don't know how to control my emotions, how to keep a clear mind, or how far I can push myself before I break."

"Of course you do not, Xeria, and no one expects you to. Those are things you learn through time."

"Lady Oracle, if I can interrupt," Arcon inclined his head, "I think I will leave the room for the remainder of today's training."

"A good idea, Elf Arcon."

"Rest of today's training?" I looked from one to the other, "You're still going to teach me after what happened?"

"If you wish to learn, Young Mage."

"O-of course," I was feeling nervous again, "But do I need to rest? And what about my wounds?" I gently placed a hand on my charred shoulder, only to find it was no longer charred. I looked at the Oracle questioningly.

"When we realized what was occurring, Elf Arcon rushed to fill a barrel with water, which he Blessed to Heal, and used to stop your magic from consuming you."

Well, that explained why I was wet.

The Oracle raised a brow in my direction, "Are you willing to continue, Xeria?"

I met her gaze, inhaled, exhaled, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready."

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"How'd the training go?"

"Didn't you hear?" I grimaced.

Dameria offered a small smile, "I meant after you almost died."

I sighed, resting my hand over my eyes as she rinsed my hair in the water pouring from the rock wall, "Well, get ready to congratulate me, because you are currently washing the hair of someone who can, dundundun, create a flame! And get this, it's like, an amazing one inch big."

Dameria chuckled, "Your sarcasm is too obvious, Young Mage. It is quite a feat to be able to sustain fire for the number of hours you can."

I frowned, rolling my eyes, "Yeah, I can hold a flame steady for three hours straight. Bring on the Wraiths!"

"Well, you must look at the bigger picture," she finished with my hair and slipped into the hot spring next to me, "tomorrow, you'll be able to float a pebble."

I laughed at the ridiculousness, "That's what I have to look forward to in tomorrow's training? Floating a pebble?"

Dameria winked, holding a finger to her lips, "But you didn't hear it from me."

I smiled, "You know, you're a lot cooler then that Aani girl."

Dameria lowered herself up to her mouth, "She's a bit of a joke with the other Oracles."

"Oh? I can't see why."

She rolled her eyes at my sarcasm, "Ckal and I hardly understand what Churl sees in her."

"Churl?" I tried to bite back my curiosity but couldn't help it, "Churl has feelings for Aani?"

"Well, I don't know about that, but, he has chosen her."

"Chosen her?"

"In Twilight Temple, the Venomancers, or Oracles-in-training, pair up with the Barbarians, or the guardians of the Oracles. Barbarians pledge themselves to us as our personal guardian, and we have the choice to accept or reject. Each Oracle is allowed only one guardian, and the better the Oracle, the more guardians who propose to her," Dameria shrugged, "I had about eight before I accepted Ckal's proposal. Churl was Aani's first, obvious why she would agree to bind to him. Not only because she had no other suitors, of course, but because he is the Lady Oracle's son, as well as a very talented and strong Barbarian. The only possible reason I could see for him pledging himself to her is if he had feelings for her, unless she has some special talent that's kept secret from the rest of us, although I highly doubt that, seeing as she can't, well, See."

"Interesting customs."

"Should I thank you?"

I smiled, "Your people are interesting. I admire them. They're nothing like those damn Elves."

Dameria giggled, "You always act as though you hate Elf Arcon, Xeria, but is that really the case?"

I raised my brows at her, "Yes, that is."

"If you say so," she smiled slyly, "Care to know more about our race?"

"Sure." Anything to change the subject, which, I suspected, was what she was doing.

"Hm, then I'll start with the fact that Barbarians and Venomancers can conceal themselves as animals."

"Eh?"

She laughed, "What animal do I have the features of?"

I studied her horns, "Goat?"

"Correct," she tapped the tops of her horns, "which means I can disguise myself as a goat. Of course, I'm absolutely useless in that form, so there's really not much of a point."

"So," I pulled myself out of the hot spring to sit on the edge, "so there are Venomancers and Barbarians above, in the outside world, but they're concealed?"

She smiled, "Good thought, Xeria, and I will tell you; you're correct."

"Oh wow. So, would they attack me or..."

Dameria laughed, "Of course not. We merely use our animal forms for surveillance," she pulled herself out of the spring as well, "I think you have the right idea. It's getting a bit too hot."

"Was there anything else?" I wrapped one of the two silk robes around me, "You said "start with" so..."

"Ah, right," she pulled on the other robe, "Venomancers can also enchant themselves a pet. Of course, this pet is formed from the elements around them, whether it be earth, water, lava, air... Each Venomancer has an element which they have better control over then the others, and that's usually what they form their pet from."

"So, it's not like, alive or anything, right?"

"Well," she contemplated, "It's not alive in the sense that you and I are, however, we do form bonds with our pets. The better it likes me, the more willing it will be to help me in times of need. However, pets do not always come when called. It takes months to create and tame one, and can take years to build a strong enough relationship where it will help you in battle."

I scrunched my nose, "Weird. Do you have one?"

She smiled, "I do." She raised her hands above her head, chanting in that strange, magical language I've been hearing so much lately, and then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed the spring water gurgle and ripple. A few drops pulled free from the surface, rising into the air, followed by more and more, until a blob of water hovered above the spring, twisting and changing shape until it pulled itself, in the form of a transparent horse, onto the rocks next to us.

"This," Dameria smiled, reaching her hand out to pat the animal on the nose, "is Klwen."

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I was leaning against my bedroom door, where Dameria had left me, "Where were you all night?"

Arcon spared me a glance before pushing his bedroom door open, "The Oracle and I had much to discuss, and then I went for a walk with Aani. Would you like me to get your permission first, next time?"

I flushed, crossing my arms over my robe, "I was only curious."

He stepped into his room, leaning back out for a moment to utter, "Go to sleep, Xeria," then closed the door behind him.