Fragments

Aecus was forced to skid back along the ground, unable to hold his footing against his opponent's latest attack. Finn's blade followed him regardless, aiming to break through the will-o-wisp's defenses completely. While he managed to block the powerful swing, his flame sword was blown into embers. As Finn threw a follow-up swing however, his weapon sliced the man effortlessly, causing him to vanish in a pile of ashes.

Knowing what came next, he swung his own flame sword around to intercept Aecus' attack from behind while he was distracted by the defeated flare clone. The will-o-wisp smirked as he went on the defensive once again, realizing his trick couldn't fool the young man any longer. It was a mere few sword slashes later that he found Finn's new blade just above his neckline, stopping just short of the kill. Both combatants smiled, nodding. Dissipating their flame swords, the two shook hands.

"Well done, Finn. You're as impressive as the stories say."

He scanned the metallic sword as it slithered back to its usual position along the flame human's arm. Unlike the lava vine, which accumulated various nicks, cuts, and burn marks from sustained combat, the weapon's new alloy grafting left not even a scratch upon its surface.

"Hephaestus wasn't kidding when he told you that metal's properties. Its durability is astonishing."

Finn looked his arm over, seeing the alloy shine in the light. He formed a fist.

"Yeah."

Aecus patted the sword-baring arm.

"You're carrying the hopes of his entire family on that sword. Don't ever forget that."

The hero shook his head, glancing over at the side of the cavern. Sibley and Aleen were with them like before, cheering them on. The older girl waved to him with the same enthusiasm, which he found touching.

"Never."

He shifted his gaze to the younger one, who gasped and briefly turned away, her eyes shifting back and forth from him to the side. While pondering, Finn heard Aecus sit on the volcanic ground, prompting him to do the same. The two rested as their flames gradually settled from their intense sparring, ensuring they'd have the energy to move to the next training. As they waited, Finn decided it was time to clear something up.

"Hey, Aecus, about Aleen…"

The will-o-wisp's expression slipped up noticeably, yet he waited for the young man to continue.

"I don't know if I'm imagining it, but, she seems to look at me a lot and is always trying to get closer. Do you by chance know what it's about?"

The man before him took a pause, followed by gently letting out a breath, looking over at the girls. Sibley was creating some designs in the floor with her powers, which Aleen then attempted to step around without touching.

"I might, yes."

He turned back to Finn, though seemed to stare at the ground between them.

"Aleen and her father came to the village not long ago. The poor girl had just lost her mother to a terrible illness that had struck the kingdom. They wanted a blank slate, somewhere they could start over together without the bad memories of their old home. They found it here, and were happy for a time."

Aecus narrowed his eyes.

"But sadly, her father contracted the very same disease soon after. It was isolated enough that it didn't spread, but we knew the man wouldn't make it, no matter what we tried. On his deathbed he spoke closely with his daughter, myself and our doctor being the only others in the room. She cried as he talked of staying strong and encouraging her to embrace the village as her family, wiped away her tears with his last strength. Seeing her so unwilling to lose another parent, he made her one last promise to try easing her suffering."

Finn listened intently, as Aecus finally looked him in the eye.

"He swore that he would do everything in his power to send someone to watch over her, from wherever in the afterlife he arrived, he would beg Death to not leave his little girl all alone. Aleen asked how she would know if it was the right person who came, if it was the one he'd sent."

The flame human tilted his head slightly.

"What did he say?"

Aecus raised a hand to his face, placing his fingers just beside his eye.

"He said she could tell by their eyes. They would have special eyes, ones filled with warmth and caring."

Finn stared back at him, not so much as blinking. A moment later, he formed his metal sword, staring at his reflection in the blade. His ocean blue eyes stared back at him, the anomaly that made him stand out among fire elementals. As the weapon was retracted, the hero looked back at Aecus.

"Me? She thinks it's me?"

The will-o-wisp nodded. Finn furrowed his brow, scratching his head.

"But, I wasn't sent by anyone, I just floated down a river."

Aecus actually chuckled, reaching out and placing a hand on the confused young man's shoulder.

"Finn, you were on the brink of slipping away from our world, discarded into the lava and remaining comatose for who knows how long. Death found you, but refrained from taking you."

He looked back to Aleen and Sibley playing around. Finn flowed his gaze.

"That's how she sees it. In her understanding, you were the soul that Death spared and allowed to arrive here per her father's request. And nothing will convince her otherwise, not after all the child has been through. Frankly, none of us would have the heart to do so anyway."

The will-o-wisp bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I know this might make you feel uncomfortable or even obligated, but please, just being a friend to her is enough, we've all tried our best to make her feel like part of the village."

The flame human had been watching the girls the entire time Aecus had been talking. There was a look in the hero's eyes that Aecus couldn't quite read, a trembling gaze that seemed to draw from the deep recesses of Finn's mind. The man wasn't sure if he'd been heard, honestly. He was about to ask, until Finn suddenly got to his feet, walking over to their spectators. Aecus stood as well, observing intently as Finn approached them.

"Mind if I give it a try?" he heard the flame human ask.

Sibley looked surprised, but quickly just smiled and took a step back, motioning to a patch of unaltered ground. Raising his unbound hand, Finn carefully fired a steady stream of flames at the weak crust, burning several lines and curves into the earth. Aleen watched for a few more seconds, seemingly debating, before slowly placing a foot between two of the lines. She hopped to another open spot, careful to avoid Finn's still moving stream. Another combo of steps placed her to his right, then a short jump back in front of him.

The next landing caused her to lose her balance, but Finn was quick to offer his hand to steady her. They continued on, Sibley cheering her friends on from the side. Finally, Finn cancelled his flames, letting out a breath from the effort. Aleen finished clearing the drawing, now standing directly beside him. All three of them studied what Finn had imprinted into the ground, with the girls blinking in confusion. This was followed by a giggle from Sibley.

"Wow, Finn, you stink at drawing!"

The young man rubbed the back of his neck as he put on an embarrassed grin. Truth be told he aimed more at giving Aleen a fun challenge than creating an actual coherent design, leaving the floor marked with a very abstract assortment of lines.

"Yeah, sorry, my imagination isn't the best."

He allowed himself to join Sibley in laughing, until he felt two tiny hands take hold of his right one. Setting his sights down, he found Aleen looking up at him, her shiny black eyes appearing solid and innocent.

"I… I had fun," she stuttered.

Finn felt her grip on his hand tighten ever so slightly.

"Thank you."

Taking a knee to be at eye level, Finn lightly ruffled the girl's fiery hair, earning him the same amazed expression she always gave him. He smiled with care.

"I'm glad you did."

Standing back up, Finn heard Aecus walk up from behind, turning to face the man. He found the will-o-wisp with a heartfelt expression etched onto his face, smiling to the young man.

"I think that's enough for today. Why don't you take Aleen with you while Sibley and I get back to Mayel's; there's some housekeeping she asked for my help with."

Finn nodded to him, offhandedly placing his hand gently against Aleen's back.

"Sure. I'll keep her safe."

With that, the group exited the cavern, eventually splitting off by the time they reached the village. As Finn and Aleen waved off their friends, the flame human offered a hand to the girl, who, after a second of contemplation, took hold. The pair walked off, following the town's outlying perimeter, watching as the daily life of the will-o-wisps passed by.


Finn found himself exploring large parts of the village he'd never seen before. Their walk along the outskirts had brought him to various people who had still only just heard of his arrival. As always, they eagerly greeted him, with many commenting on how nice it was of him to spend time with little Aleen. A few even whispered to him that they looked adorable together. He replied to their praise in kind, thanking them as they trekked on.

As they neared one of the main roads that cut through to the village center, Finn spotted an oddity out of the corner of his eye. Tucked almost out of sight, beyond the borders of the town, was an innocuous little hut, build atop a low hill and surrounded on either side by rocky outcroppings. Its isolation was obvious, as everyone seemed oblivious to its very existence.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Finn took a step towards the branching path that would take them past the hut. He was stopped as Aleen allowed herself to drag, tightly clinging to his leg.

"What is it?" the hero asked in concern.

Aleen hid behind him, taking peeks at the hut.

"T-the scary lady lives there," she whimpered.

Finn raised an eyebrow, studying the anxiety in the girl's face.

"Scary lady?"

She nodded.

"She… she comes down sometimes, but goes back out fast."

Her grip on Finn's pant leg tightened.

"My friends say she's a wi… a witch."

The flame human knelt down and placed a hand around her shoulders, trying to ease her nerves.

"Is she mean to you?" he asked, trying to work things out.

Aleen shook her head, though looked uncertain.

"No, but… she's not nice. We try to say 'hi' to her, but she doesn't even look at us."

Finn hummed in thought.

"Why do your friends think she's a witch?"

Aleen pointed towards the outlying hut, her finger trembling.

"They said weird lights come from over there sometimes. No one knows what they are. We're too scared to go look."

Finn couldn't help it. Seeing the girl's face so full of uncertainty, fear of the unknown. She'd been alone, deprived of her loving parents. Now she had friends, people who would defend her, play with her, and yet, she was still scared. Because she was young, too young to have the strength he did. She didn't have a sibling who always stuck with her, nor a drive that gave her the need to find courage. At her age, learning was all that she should have experienced, and this was not the case.

At least in this moment, Finn thought, he could teach her acceptance.

"Let's go."

He began leading the way towards the hut, immediately getting a terrified reaction from Aleen, who dug herself into the ground again.

"W-what?! No! I'm scared!"

In that moment, she fully wrapped her arms around Finn's waist. He actually felt his skin being dug into his hip bones. Moving as gently as possible, the flame human once more took a knee, nudging Aleen off of him and placing his hands on her little shoulders. He offered a smile as she grew close to sobbing.

"Hey, tell me, has this lady ever done anything to hurt you, or threaten you?"

Aleen shook her head.

"N-no. She's just not nice."

Finn brushed a lock of fiery hair out of her face.

"Maybe, like you, she lost someone important, or made a bad mistake, and is hurt on the inside. Maybe she doesn't know how to deal with it and so she hides herself by being distant from the rest of the village."

Aleen seemed turned by his words, again facing him with that look of wonder. Finn continued, dwelling on the past.

"I was like that too."

The girl gasped at that, her hands moving to her mouth.

"I lost myself, and I wasn't nice to a lot of people. I pushed them away. But I found friends who showed me it wasn't right to be alone. They showed me just how much they care, and reminded me how to be my nice old self."

Finn stood back up, holding out his hand.

"What do you say, Aleen? Will you come with me to talk to her?"

The will-o-wisp visibly flinched, only to peer deeply into his blue eyes with her own. It occurred to Finn that it was the first time he had addressed her by her name. Steadily, she reached out and took hold of his hand, shakily nodding.

"Ok."

Finn held up his right arm.

"And I'll protect you. I promise."

She nodded again.

"Ok."


The brief trek up the hill to their destination didn't take much effort, save for the lingering nerves that Finn could still feel from Aleen, evident by the way her hold somewhat weighed him down as they walked. Eventually though, the two stood at the front door to the hut, which seemed to be constructed of a scrapped plank of wood. There was no noise from inside, nor any source of light that could be seen.

Before reaching out to knock, Finn's attention was caught by Aleen tugging on his arm. She pointed to the side of the structure, allowing the young man to find the intended sight. A window, carved into the hut's wall. Initially unsure what the girl was trying to tell him, he realized a second later that there were heavy scorch marks along the edges of the portal, indicating that something made of fire had made significant effort to either escape or break into the hut.

On alert, Finn moved Aleen partially behind him, readying his right arm while his left held her back.

"Stay close," he ordered, to which she nodded.

The door appeared to open inward, so a firm push was all it took for Finn to uncover the entrance. Inside was as dark as could be, with little light filtering in from the pair of windows in whatever room encompassed the building's front. The flame human led their way, relinquishing his defensive hand near Aleen to conjure a soft flame, providing better illumination.

The pair slowly advanced inside, their steps barely registering against the solid earth beneath. The room was nothing unusual, fairly vacant, with nothing out of place. Walking closer to the furniture, Finn noted some scorch marks on several pieces, indicating a struggle. Whatever happened here in the past had been cleaned up, minimally of course, but nonetheless. The flame human began thinking that they'd misread the physical evidence.

Until he found a massive mark on the wall leading to the next room.

It too was from a flame. The positioning made it seem like whoever caused it had flame dashed rapidly and impacted the wall, before continuing on through the living room. Prioritizing Aleen's safety, Finn abandoned prepping his sword arm and used it to instead shield the girl, figuring he could conjure up a flame sword in his left if necessary. Leading further into the hut, the two passed through a short corridor, leading them to the second room, which seemed just as large as the first.

The most evident feature was a large mass of objects hanging from the walls, covering nearly the entire area. Finn cautiously approached one of them, holding his lit hand closer to get a better look. As he reached the object, two hollow eyes stared back at them with an ashen face. Aleen shrieked, burying her face in Finn's shirt. He held her close, backing away in case the thing was alive.

Waiting a few moments, he registered no movement. Stepping to the left, he tried identifying the other objects. To his distaste, they were all identical to the first. He had to agree with the cowering Aleen on this one; the mannequins were creepy.

Each figure had ashen grey skin, its limbs connected by what Finn could only guess were metallic joints. The craftsmanship wasn't all that impressive, but the sheer volume was. The most interesting feature of all however, was that they were all designed as females. Moreover, Finn could swear they looked familiar, the faces anyway. He didn't have time to think on it however.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The sharp voice had the flame human spin around and fully extend his metal sword, standing between Aleen and its source. To both their surprise, an elderly will-o-wisp, carrying a cane made of a stalagmite, gazed upon them with irritation and suspicion. She narrowed her eyes, hobbling forward a few steps until she could clearly see Finn's face. Her eyes grew wider momentarily, before she placed both hands on her support and sighed flatly.

"Oh. It's you."

Finn blinked, letting down his guard, though Aleen remained hidden halfway behind him.

"Have we met?" he inquired.

The woman grumbled tiredly as she resumed approaching them, only to walk past the pair and stop in front of one of the mannequins. The flame human waited as she stared almost wistfully at it, until finally turning to the side and walking towards a table on the far side of the room.

"In a way. Though truth be told, it wasn't the most pleasant of exchanges."

She arrived at the cup of tea sitting on the table's edge, taking it in her hand and using a brief burst of fire to heat it up.

"There was conflict, struggle…"

The will-o-wisp took a sip, taking a moment to tell if it was still good.

"Then you impaled me through the matrix."

Finn's pupils shrank, his heart skipping a beat. The thoughts in his mind at that moment were in debate, whether or not to believe what she was implying. As if to help him along, the woman reached out and swiped her hand across the room. In an instant, a dozen or so candles ignited, bathing the hut in light. Though the dark had vanished, the sight of the mannequin racks still unnerved the two visitors beyond belief. Although, with all the angles of light now present, Finn could make out the faces of these empty husks in greater clarity.

"Aphrodite."

He locked his eyes on the exceptionally calm woman.

"You're Aphrodite."

The older will-o-wisp took another sip of her tea, then set the cup back down.

"No. I'm not."

Using her cane, she strolled over to one of the mannequins, sliding her fingers down one of its cheeks.

"They are."

Finn took a step forward, still in disarray at what he was seeing.

"What are you talking about? What are these figures for?"

The woman sighed again, an annoyed tone in her voice.

"Beauty is more than just a physical description. It can be a sound, a characteristic, any number of traits. My only goal is to perfect those traits."

She lowered her head.

"Unfortunately, I lack immortality, or the ability to preserve my own youth. I was unable to accomplish my goal, and so I turned to leaving behind the legacy of that dream instead."

She nodded towards the ashen figures.

"What you see here are conduits. Each is a simple shell, constructed in my image, missing only the essential spark of life."

The woman opened up the side of her robe, revealing that her entire upper chest was heavily bandaged. She carefully moved one of the coverings, astonishing Finn and Aleen with what lay underneath. A gaping hole was present where her skin should be, giving a clear line of sight directly to her elemental matrix, which, even more shocking, had a large portion missing. The will-o-wisp reached inside and took hold of an edge, snapping it off with little effort.

She held up the matrix sliver for them both to see, before turning and placing the object in the chest of the mannequin. The fragment instantly sunk in, causing the entire figure to glow from within. As Finn and Aleen watched in awe, the construct burst into flames, only to have those flames cling to its surface and shape itself into skin, hair, and clothing. The process was over a minute later, with the newly created being slumping to the floor, barely able to keep itself conscious.

After shaking its head, it looked up, blinking to restore its vision. Finn still couldn't move. The stunning female elemental was exactly the same as the one he'd speared weeks ago, watching her disintegrate before his very eyes. Yet now she stood, wobbling to her feet, in front of him. Her eyes fluttered about the room, searching for anything to focus on. Her gaze landed on the flame human, at which point her expression quickly progressed to shock, then fury. A glare beset her features.

"You!"

She ignited her fists, taking a step forward.

"I'm going to tear you apart for what you did to-!"

Before Finn's sword could even fully form, Aphrodite stopped, appearing as if something was choking her. The woman's flames died out in a flash, leaving her a shade of maroon. Then, she was out, embers exploding out of her until only a charred frame remained. As the ashes settled on the floor, the elderly will-o-wisp began to tisk, shaking her head.

"Vengeance, such an ugly thing."

Aleen had opted to simply shiver behind Finn, clinging tightly. He couldn't blame her, not after watching someone be blown into ash.

"You create them. They're all you," he realized.

The woman nodded.

"Yes. The sliver grows into a full matrix soon after animation. Each holds a portion of my own memory and power. When one dies, everything they experienced returns to me. I use this as input to improve, hoping to finally create a perfectly beautiful fire elemental."

Finn looked at the pile of ash.

"A portion? Exactly how much power do you have?"

The will-o-wisp closed her eyes, hands on her cane.

"Manipulating matrices is simply a subset, a result of the natural force of entropy. As the original source, I am not restricted to one's core, but to all flames, regardless of their creator or owner."

The hero narrowed his eyes, thinking carefully.

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?"

The elder didn't change her expression as she studied his face, looking for something.

"Aside from the fact that you are not a normal fire elemental, I have no quarrel with you. I assume you only came here due to the rather conspicuous state of my home. Understandable. I am in no danger however, so you don't need to concern yourselves."

Finn found that he still didn't understand everything.

"No quarrel? But I killed yo- one of your… clones, or whatever."

The woman sighed, again with annoyance.

"You still know nothing. My fragments are free to do as they wish with their lives, I only seek their perfection, what they do with it is up to them. If anything, I should thank you for destroying the previous one; it means she wasn't strong enough."

The flame human furrowed his brow, but took a step forward.

"So, you aren't allied with Zeus?"

The woman scoffed.

"If you knew what that young fool was planning…"

She frowned.

"Hmph! Torching the earth in the name of 'cleansing'. What a radical. There can be no beauty in a blank world."

The will-o-wisp's features softened.

"Of course, nothing an old hag like me can do to stop it. Hopefully a perfected fragment will survive long enough to see the planet's 'rebirth', though there'll be nothing to compare herself to."

As she turned to walk away, Finn took a firm step forward.

"You can!"

She turned back, raising an eyebrow. The flame human was standing firm, holding his gaze to hers.

"You can help us. Help us stop the Olympians."

The elder narrowed her eyes. Before she could speak however, Finn went on.

"Please. I'm trying to protect what's important to me, and so are you. Your power can make a difference in the fight, and I'll do whatever I can to help you shape the best, well, you, there ever was."

His face was set in pleading, refusing to break eye-contact. The woman stared at him for a good long time, contemplating his offer. Aleen even poked her head out to watch the mental confrontation happening before her, unsure of exactly what would happen. Finn seemed to have noticed her movements, because he moved his hand to gently grip hers, either to calm her or to strengthen his own will to protect, impossible to say for sure. The elder watched the two, looked into their eyes and studying their postures. The analysis consumed nearly a whole minute, until she finally turned her back to them.

"Very well."

Finn felt himself become lighter.

"I will offer what I know, and my power. Though my fragments have free will, our goals are currently in conflict."

The young man behind her gave a bow, grateful for her cooperation.

"Thank you very much, Aphro- um…"

His thoughts were broken in a second.

"Delane. I will speak with you soon," she replied.

With that, the elder left the room, leaving the two visitors to stare after her, still absorbing everything that had happened. The moment was eventually interrupted by Aleen, who tugged on Finn's shirt to get his attention.

"What is it?" He asked softly, kneeling down to her level.

The girl fiddled with her hands, eyes full of uncertainty.

"F-Finn, you said you'd promise to protect me."

The flame human nodded, at which point the will-o-wisp continued.

"Does that mean… I'm important to you?"

The young man flinched, watching as the little one awaited an answer, appearing almost afraid of what he would say. Her hands had stopped moving, yet remained together in a clump of fingers, as if she were praying. As he recovered from the initial surprise, Finn found his smile, giving his reply first with an act, rather than words. He wrapped his arms around the young girl and held her close, feeling her heart beat increasing against his chest.

"Of course you are, Aleen."

It took some time, but he felt two arms try their best to hug him back. The two remained that way longer than they could remember, all the while Finn was unaware of the tears welling up in Aleen's eyes.


Anyone lese feel like season 7 has been going on forever? Granted, they did take lots of breaks. But hey, finale is coming up, and the titles alone sound enticing.

gamelover41592: Glad to hear it.

nrbuer: I have confidence. Heck, we got three FP appearances in rapid succession without any negative vibes at all.

Bio team2: Story of my life.

TimeManipulator99: Ready glad I gave him a balanced weapon, was worried it'd be too much.

TheMentalAdventurer: I suppose everyone tweaks mythology and legend in some way to stay unique. Well, except God of War, which just craps all over it.

Ledgeion: We'll get there, we'll get there.

Major144: Happy to hear it. I'll keep the reveals coming.

Fiery Crusader: Yeah, this is definitely the phase of the story where our heroes gather resources and allies. All leads up to the big battles.

MUTO TOHO: Can't say that I have.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!