Author's note: Thanks to Lyn, Leah, and Chele! Wouldn't be anywhere in this without you!
Herald Kayla – Well, yeah, she is. But that doesn't mean it's going to end in heartbreak. And even though I'm trying to capture the feelings like she does, I do try and add my own style in.
Esarea – Thanks for that! It made me feel good. It really did.

Fires of The Heart

Chapter One - Empty Eyes

Walking up the hallway from dinner, Griffon and Skif were deep in conversation. "And I heard Dirk and Ylsa talking. They say her gift wasn't what they thought it was!" Skif thrashed his arms wildly about, showing his energy. "I'm not sure what they said it was," the young ex-thief whispered. "But they don't know what to do about it!"

Griffon looked confused and concerned. What has Talia gotten into? "I wonder how she feels about it. All that fuss over her, and she's shy to begin with!" He pulled a hand though his black hair and blinked his tired eyes. The only sound in the hall was of their feet hitting the cold stone floor as thy walked to their rooms.

Skif sighed loudly and shook his head, his messy brown hair shaking from side to side. "Well, I know she doesn't like it much," he started. "She's really worried. Ylsa and Elcarth don't know what to do, or even how to teach her." He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep sleep away. "They're thinking of sending her to the Healers, but they wouldn't know how to use it offensively."

Griffon looked confused and stopped walking. "What kind of gift would they send her to a Healer for!" Skif shrugged. "This isn't making any sense."

Skif paused and looked thoughtful. "Cymry says that she has… Empathy." He and Griffon blinked. "I guess that it makes some sense. Healers have empathy, so they might be able to teach her." A gaggle of Blues walked past them, talking rather loudly. Griffon noticed their sadistic smirks and the superior air around them. Once they passed and were out of ear-shot, Skif leaned over and whispered, "Why do you think they're hanging about here? They shouldn't be he-" He stopped shortly. Griffon looked over at him as he looked around frantically. "Did you hear that!" Griffon shook his head. "Come on!" Skif ran down the hallway and looked at each door as they passed by. They flew past the doors into the girl's section when Skif stopped quickly. And then Griffon saw.

One of the doors was wide open and he could see over-turned furniture, clothing everywhere, and a lone student sprawled out on the floor, half buried in books and papers. Bright Lady, what happened here? Skif stepped forward and started to dig the girl out. Griffon rushed forward and started to replace the furniture, when he heard her groan.

"Are you okay, Chris?" Worry dripped off of Skif's words and Griffon stopped what he was doing. He slowly turned and saw Skif brush a few strands of her hair from her shocked, pale face.

"I… I think so…" Her voice was quiet and shaky, and she huddled close to Skif, quite obviously scared witless. Her breathing was quick and shallow, and a small bruise was forming on her cheek. Skif hugged her tightly and Griffon flushed. "I… I don't know what happened," she mumbled. "I just opened the door, and then people just came at me…" Tears were forming in her frightened brown eyes. "I can't remember what they did!" She cried shamelessly into Skif's shirt while he stroked her messy hair and whispered comforting words. Griffon realized that because the unaffiliated students couldn't get to Talia, the Queen's Own Herald trainee, they took their anger and their parent's anger out on the most defenseless trainee. It was bad enough that it had gone to that, but since that trainee was Christa…

Griffon turned quickly and walked out the door while Skif stared after him. :Harevis, can you tell me if anyone sees a group of Blues leaving the Collegium?: His fists balled at his sides and the only thing that could be heard was his footsteps on the stone. Griffon barely heard anything as he followed in the direction of the small group of unaffiliated students and waited for Harevis' response.

:Deary, they've just gotten outside,: came the quiet response from the nervous Companion. :Sugar, what are you going to do?:

Griffon picked up his pace and ran as quickly as he could all the way to the door. :I don't really know.: He swung the doors open and stood outside on the darkening path into the royal gardens. His eyes darted all around until her found a shifting group of blue near the opening in a row of bushes. They all stared at him, quite annoyed that he had interrupted their conversation. Griffon slowly walked over to the group and stood in front of them. They glared at him as he glared right back.

"Wot th' hell d'you wont, yeh bastid?" One f the three guys, a tall tanned bout with dark hair and eyes, took a step forward to stand in front of the two girls in the group. The girls looked at him and began to whisper between themselves. The other two boys narrowed their eyes even more. Griffon growled under his breath as the leader took another step forward. "Aw, is th' bastid mad b'coz we bruised up his litt'ol wench? Wot? Is she not t'yeh liking anymo' with bangs on her litt'ol face?" He smirked. "Poo' defenseless wench. Her master dun like her anymo'!"

Griffon lunged at him, landing his fist squarely on the other boy's jaw. A sickening crack was heard and the boy went down, passed out from the pain. The other two boys rushed at him and knocked him to the ground, while the girls backed away, frightened.

A shadow fell over the now bloody group of boys flailing about on the ground, and someone gave a quiet cough. The cough went unnoticed as Griffon gave one of his offenders a hard kick to the face. The scrawnier of the two Blues grabbed a handful of Griffon's hair and kneed him in the stomach. The shadow shifted and two strong hands pulled the two Blue students off of and away from Griffon, who was crumpled up on the ground clutching his stomach. "What do you all think you're doing?" A deep resonating voice cut through the crisp autumn air, disrupting the patterns of thought in the minds of all five of the conscious students. Griffon visibly paled as the looked slowly up. Frightened sapphire eyes met with inquisitive green eyes. The Blue students took a step each back and Griffon stood up, head bowed in humiliation and embarrassment. "Child," Kyril put a blameless hand on Griffon's shoulder and he looked up. "What's happened here?"

"Sir-" Griffon started, but was cut off by an enraged holler from one of the other boys.

"He attacked us! That guy just waltzed on into our group and started t' beat poor Keithel! Heard his jaw crack, we did!" The boy was staring at Griffon with such a rage that made his skin crawl. He took a step behind Kyril as the boy started to yell again. "All we did was help keep him off of Keithel so he dun kill him!"

Kyril held up a hand and the boy stopped discharging lies. "Son," Kyril glanced about the lamp-lit yard. "Let's all get inside. My office should be a good enough place to settle this." He turned briskly and ushered the small flock to his homey office. Elcarth met them at the door, Skif, supporting Christa, at his side. She gently glanced up and met Griffon's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Griffon looked away in shame. "Elcarth," Kyril opened the door and let the group into his quarters. "What are you doing here?"

Griffon sat himself down on one of the chairs and Christa and Skif made their way over through the maze of papers, boxes, and files. I'm such an idiot, Griffon thought as he rubbed his temples. She's going to think that I'm a brainless oaf that picks fights with everyone around me. Skif pulled over a chair and turned it so that the back of it was facing Griffon, then straddled it while Christa kneeled down next to Griffon's chair.

She gingerly wiped a few stray strands of hair from Griffon's bloodied and bruised face, a look of concern on her own. "Griffon." Her trembling voice was full of distress, and she knitted her eyebrows. "What happened? Why did you go and do that?" She gently touched one of the bruises forming on his forehead and sighed. "You were outnumbered to begin with, seeing the size of their group, and you should have known better then to rush into a fight like that." She chided him gently and he looked away. "What's wrong with you, Griff?" Worry was present in her voice and she signed when he didn't answer her.

Griffon heard her get up and slowly walk over to Kyril and Elcarth, not daring to raise his eyes for fear that if she saw them, they might give something away. She spoke softly with them, and his heart ached to hear the pain in her words. He knew that he was the cause of some of that pain, and he didn't like it. There has to be something that I can do to make up for this damned mess. As he stared at the floor, he let his mind wander, and soon, when Elcarth and Kyril were finished speaking with each other, the door opened and Griffon's eyes flew up. He saw Elcarth and a Healer lead Christa away and Kyril closed the door after them, and then turned to face the group still in his office.

"Boys, I want to hear all of your reasons for your fight, but I want you to tell the truth about it. There are trainees out there that need practice with their Truth Spells, and this would be a good chance for them to get hands-on experience. You can go without the spell, or you can have it. You can choose, but if your stories differ too much, I'll put you all under it." His eyes shot a warning to everyone in the room, even Skif, who was still lounging in his chair, glaring at the group of Blues. "One by one, tell me your part of the story. Skif, you shall start." He stood up and led Skif into the hallway, and a few moments later, came back looking troubled. Skif gathered the one item he had brought with him, a coat, and ran out the door as soon as he could. "I'm sorry that I have to do this, but I have no time. I'm placing all of you under the Truth Spell," he said, his voice full of distress. He closed his eyes and whispered a few words. His eyes opened and he looked directly at Griffon. "Griffon, you start."

Griffon didn't know what was compelling him to do so, but over the next few minutes, everything that happened just came pouring out of his mouth. "And Sir, I couldn't stop myself. They hurt her!" He sat down as soon as he had finished, not realizing that he had stood up.

Kyril rubbed his temples and stood up. "Griffon, come with me." He walked out into the hallway and held the door open for Griffon, then closed it and turned to face him. A moment of silence passed, and Griffon shifted his feet nervously. "Griffon," Kyril started. "I think you should go to the Healers."

"But Sir, I feel fine! Christa-"

"That is why I think you should go." Griffon looked puzzled. "When I was talking with your friend, Skif, a Healer came down here to tell me something. It seems that young Christa was not faring so well. The minor damage they thought she had, was worse than it really seemed." Griffon looked horrified, and he continued. "As soon as they had her in bed and put some medicinal teas into her, she had a break down." Griffon's eyes widened in shock. "It seems that she not only retained some physical damage, but she acquired quite a bit of psychological damage as well. She's been crying since she's been there, and they fear that along with her injuries, she may get herself sick as well. I'm asking you to go down there to help calm her down."

Griffon shot down the hallway, not bothering to wait for the rest of Kyril's speech, running as fast as he could. There was only one thought on his mind right now, and that was Christa.

Well, thanks again for reading this… Time for me to get working on Chapter 3, I guess.

-Duct Tape Kitten-