~March 18th, x800~

Leaves crunch beneath their feet as Evander and Catie hike up the Obsidian Mountain. It's been a couple of hours since they left the guild, and they're moving at a steady pace; with any luck, they'll make it to the top and back by nightfall: a twig snaps, and a rabbit darts in and out of view for a second. The dulcet tones of a blackbird's song fill the air, but other than that, it's silent. Just the way Catie likes it.

Evander, however, has never handled silence with grace. He's not about to start now.

"It's been a while since we've hung out by ourselves," he says. The blackbird stops singing, and Catie holds back a sigh.

"I've been busy," she says. "It's hard work keeping the guild afloat, especially since we're so small; it's a miracle we get any requests at all. If it weren't for Dad's connections, we would have had to shut down a while ago."

Evander gives a low whistle, the sound echoed by the blackbird in the trees. He whistles again, and the bird flutters near. It cocks its head as Evander whistles some more and holds out his hand. The bird hops onto his fingers.

"We need more exposure," he says. He hums and scratches the creature under its chin—the bird chirps in joy.

Catie watches Evander pamper the bird for a second before shaking her head with a smile. Ever since they were young, Evander and Ria have always attracted animals. She's never fully understood why.

"Blue was making a bunch of flyers the other day. Maybe we'll get someone new." Evander stops scratching, and the bird nips at his fingers in protest.

"Didn't he make those as a joke?"

"Mostly, yeah. Still, they could work."

"Maybe. It's a shame the Grand Magic Games haven't been revived," she says. "I'd like to think we'd make it past the preliminaries. That would give us a bit of a boost."

She doesn't know why she does it, but Catie reaches out to the blackbird. It squawks and bites her before taking off into the trees. She bleeds.

"Are you okay?" Evander asks. He grabs Catie's hand to check out her finger, but she pulls it back.

"I'm fine. It'll stop soon." Catie allows herself to sigh this time. "I don't know why I keep trying. It never works out well for me. Animal instincts are way too sharp."

Evander frowns. He flicks her in the nose, and Catie yelps.

"Don't make that face. They react the way they're supposed to when it comes to humans. It's only cuz me and Ria are freaks that animals like us."

Catie glares as she rubs her nose.

"You're not freaks," she insists.

"And you're not a monster."

"I never said I was!"

"You didn't have to. You made that pouty face you do when you get all emo." Evander purses his lips and draws his brows together, looking like a kicked puppy. He stares off into the distance and gives an overdramatic sigh.

"I've never made a face like that in my life!" Catie blushes and shoves him, and Evander bursts out laughing. She pretends she isn't fighting down a smile.

"Now that's a better face!" Evander pokes her in the cheek, and Catie smacks his hand away.

"Whatever!"

They hike further up the mountain; the trees growing denser. There isn't a clear path to follow anymore, but so long as they just keep heading up, there shouldn't be much of a problem. The call of birds has ceased entirely now.

"Did you ever talk to Dad about some of us taking the S-Class exam?" Evander asks, once more unable to handle the quiet.

"I tried, but he kept changing the subject. He probably has a plan he doesn't want to share with me."

"Yikes. I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I."

Catie breathes in the smoky scent of the mountain air. It's like the smell Evander and Ajax always carry, and Ria sometimes. Like a fireplace. It's the smell of home, and she can't help but smile. Evander bumps into her, gently, playfully, and she bumps him back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asks.

"They're a bit more expensive than that." She teases. He laughs, just a short little chuckle, before settling into a carefully neutral expression. Catie's mood drops as she guesses what he's going to bring up.

"Have you gotten any more letters recently?" He asks.

"You sure know how to ruin the mood, don't you, Evander?"

"It's not my fault you've been avoiding me," he says. "Don't think I didn't notice."

"I know you noticed. I was trying to clarify that I didn't want to talk about it." Catie tries to put some distance between them, but Evander's legs are longer than hers now, and he closes the gap in an instant.

"I think it'd be good closure."

"Evander-"

"I mean, I know they suck, and they're not your real family because we're your real family-"

"Evander!"

"But your sister at least seems to be trying, even if the rest of them aren't. You should give her a chance-"

"EVANDER! ENOUGH!" Catie's voice is carried and enhanced by the wind swirling around her. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it!"

"I'm trying to help you! You can't just keep ignoring-"

A roar interrupts Evander's ranting as a wyvern charges towards them. It beats its bat-like wings as its maw gapes open, its razor-sharp teeth-gnashing in fury.

"Shit!" They're arguing must have attracted it.

"Get back, Evander!" Catie settles down into a crouch. "I'll handle this!"

He opens his mouth in a way she knows means he's about to argue, but she throws a pointed look at his bare, scarred hands. He clenches them closed and shuts his mouth. With a nod, Evander ducks behind a tree.

Catie breathes deep. Her body glows blue with the charge the oxygen gives her. She holds it, letting the wyvern move closer. When it's in arm's reach, she springs.

"Wind Magic: Hermes' Heels!"

Tiny whirlwinds of air float beneath her feet, propelling her forward. The wyvern swipes its clawed hand. Catie darts out of range, jumping onto a high branch.

"Wind Magic: Twin Blades!" She crosses her arms over her chest and throws them away from her. Twin gusts of air strike against the wyvern. It roars as thin gashes appear on its back. Blood dyes its green scales a deep crimson. Catie jumps down from the tree and rushes the beast.

The wyvern swings its massive tail and slams her into a tree—bark blasts from the trunk. The impact knocks the air from her lungs, and Catie slumps to the ground. Splinters burl into her skin. Catie hisses but forces herself to ignore the pain. She takes a breath, then another, and jumps to her feet. Once more, she calls on Hermes' Heels.

The wyvern roars again, and the sound shakes the trees. Branches and leaves come cascading down around them. Birds take flight in panic.

Another breath and Catie charges it head-on. It swipes its claw towards her but doesn't dodge. Instead, she latches onto the wyvern's forearm. She struggles to get a good grip on all its scales, but somehow she hangs on. It tries to shake her loose, and Catie grits her teeth. The scales are sharp and cut into her hands. Still, she doesn't let go. When the wyvern realizes it can't shake her, it brings her towards its mouth instead.

Catie vaults onto its face.

"Wind Magic: Boreas Breath!" She shouts and blows into its eyes. Icy air blinds the wyvern.

It screeches and flings her from its face. She bangs into a tree again, but Catie is ready for the impact this time and can handle it with minimal pain. She jumps to her feet. Another deep breath, and she charges once more. The wyvern flaps its wings, almost batting Catie away, but she ducks beneath them. Using Hermes Heels, she rockets into the air behind it. She twirls, faster and faster, air swirling around her until she is nothing but a blur.

"Wind Magic: Tornado!"

Still spinning, she drops. With her whole body, she slams into the wyvern's head, and with a crack, it falls unconscious. Catie stands on top of it, panting. When it doesn't move, she drops and slumps to the floor.

Evander emerges from behind his tree. His eyes scan over Catie, taking in her torn shirt and dirt-stained pants.

"You ok?" He asks.

"Yes," she says, forcing herself to stand. "Let's get out of here before it wakes up."

They run. Catie winces as the ground inclines sharply. She can feel the bruises blooming on her ribs, picturing the ugly yellow they've turned on her skin. The splinters still digging in her back bury themselves deeper into her skin. Her hands are tender and bleeding a little. She glances over at Evander; his eyes are clouded over, his jaw clenched, and his nails digging into his palm. He meets Catie's gaze, and she forces herself to smile at him. His lips mimic hers, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. Up ahead, light shines down into a clearing.

They burst into it, only to come face to face with another wyvern.

"Dammit."

"Evander-"

"I know!" He shouts, already ducking behind the trees.

The wyvern bares its teeth and launches towards them while Catie sucks in as much air as she can, ignoring her protesting ribs. She doesn't exhale, and using Hermes Heels again, she jumps onto the wyvern's head and hangs onto its horns. The wyvern thrashes about, and Catie nearly loses her grip as her body bangs against its head. Her lungs beg for release, but somehow, she holds tight.

Digging her heels into the scales on its neck, Catie lays herself flush against the wyvern's head.

"Wind Magic: Bullet Air!" She blows as hard as she can into the back of the beast's head. With a last cry, it slams into the ground, and Catie loses her grip. She tumbles to the floor, yelping as her body rolls into a rock.

Evander runs to her, but she waves off his concern.

"Let's keep moving," she says, pulling herself up.

"You don't have to hold back against them, you know?" Evander prods the cut on her neck. "Ria isn't here. One quick Wind Slicer to the neck, and we'd be done with them."

"I don't care." Catie hisses and shoves his hand away. "I'm not gonna go around killing them. We're the ones who invaded their territory after all."

Evander's eyes flash red. His hands smoke, but he clenches his jaw and keeps walking.

"Fine." He barks. "Let's just hope we don't run into anything else."

Just as he finishes speaking, they stumble upon yet another wyvern.

On and on, the pattern goes for hours with barely a reprieve in between the creatures, each fright more difficult than the last, and as Catie gets more worn down, Evander takes more persuasion to stand down. Still, Catie fends off the creatures without his help. Fortunately for them, wyverns are solitary beasts; who knows how they'd survive if they had to fight several of them at once. By the time they reach the top of the Obsidian Mountain, the sun is setting, and the cold is settling in. Up so high, the landscape is barren, with only black, jagged rocks insight. There isn't a single sign of life, as if charmed to keep out all living beings. Of course, if that were the case, they wouldn't be there now.

Catie collapses on the ground. It's warm to the touch, and the heat soothes her aching muscles. They're not at the peak yet, with half a mile to go, but she's so drained, she feels like she could just sink into the earth and never emerge. It's been a while since she's needed so much magic. Her reserves are near empty.

"We should have brought Ria with us," she says, her eyes closed.

"Hindsight is 20/20, I guess." Evander plops down beside her. He pokes a bruise on Catie's shoulder, but she's so tired she doesn't even pull away. "I wish you'd have let me help."

"And risk setting the entire mountain on fire? No, thank you."

Evander scowls and looks down at his hands; the ragged pink scarring blends into the warm brown skin of his forearm. He flexes his fingers and pictures a flame bursting to life in his palm. Nothing happens.

With a groan, Catie sits up, rubbing her tender sides.

"Don't feel bad," she says, taking his hand in hers. "Once we get the lachrima, you can fight as many wyverns as your heart desires."

"Thanks," Evander mumbles.

Catie squeezes his hand, then stands, scrutinizing what little light they have left.

"We won't make it down in the dark, and I'm not sure we'll be able to find your lachrima right now, either. We'll have to camp for the night. It's warm enough here that we won't need a fire, but we'll need to at least find some shelter. I don't want to be exposed in case some wyvern explores higher up the mountain. Something to eat would be nice as well."

Evander peers around and notices something odd; smoke is rising from the inside of a nearby cave.

"Looks like we're not the only ones up here," he says, already walking towards it.

"What?" Catie grabs his arm to stop him, but Evander shakes her off. She sputters at him but ultimately has no choice but to follow. They tiptoe towards the cave mouth, signaling at each other silently to determine who will enter it first. Despite her injuries and Evander's protests, Catie takes the lead.

She bursts into the cave with a spell ready on her lips, and her body crouched low like a cat preparing to pounce.

An older man with charcoal eyes and silver hair sits at a fire, stirring a cauldron of the most heavenly smelling stew she's ever experienced. Her mouth waters as her stomach gives a small growl.

The man looks up at the sound and spots Catie crouching with Evander prowling not far behind. He smiles.

"Well, hello," he says. "I was wondering what was agitating all the wyvern today. You made it just in time for supper; sit down, and I'll serve you."

Catie glances back at Evander, who just shrugs. She bites her lip before straightening and motioning for Evander to follow her. They settle down around the man's fire, Evander reclining on his hands while Catie kneels so she can stand in an instant. The man chuckles before spooning rich stew into a pair of bowls.

Catie examines the contents: thick cuts of tender beef mix with vibrant carrots, golden potatoes, and a hearty broth. Nothing looks out of the ordinary besides the fact that it's the most enticing bowl of stew she's ever seen. She takes a cautious sip; flavor bursts on her tongue and warms her up from the inside out. She nods, and Evander wolfs down the food without ceremony, some broth trickling down the side of his chin. She tries to be more civilized, but the stew is so delicious Catie soon gulps it down just as fast.

"That's normally how people react after taking the hard way up." The man laughs. "It's tough on the mind and body. Why didn't you use the actual path up the mountain? It has warding magic against the bigger critters."

Evander chokes on his stew.

"There's a path?" He wheezes as Catie thumps him on the back.

The man shakes his head, twisting his beard. "I see. You're not too familiar with the mountain. Most folks aren't. Now, the name's Cassian. Who are you?"

"I'm Evander Cinerus, and this is my sister, Catrina."

"I go by Catie, mostly."

"Nice to meet you both." There is a distant roar outside and Cassian tuts. "It's far too dangerous to try going down the mountain now, especially since you riled half the forest up. You're welcome to stay with me for the night. It's not much, but I have spare sleeping bags."

"Good enough for me," Evander says, and Catie agrees.

The three finish their meal, making small talk, then Cassian unrolls the sleeping bags for them. Catie is the first to settle down; she falls asleep almost as soon as her head hits the ground. Evander runs his fingers through her hair, lightly tracing the bruise on her temple.

"She sure is tired," Cassian says. "I wouldn't expect it, seeing as there were two of you to fight."

Evander flinches slightly, but Cassian pretends not to see it.

"I can tell you're not quite ready to lie down for the night, so why don't you keep an old man company for a bit." He motions towards the mouth of the cave. Evander follows him outside, and they sit on a large rock. Without the sun, Evander can see hairline cracks of red light in the ground.

Cassian lights a pipe of something that smells sweet and herbal. He blows intricate smoke rings that intertwine with each other. The way the smoke curls into the sky is hypnotic, and Evander follows it with his eyes. It's almost like they're dancing.

The stars are so much more prominent up here. For a while, they sit in silence, and for once, Evander is glad to bask in it without interruption. Crickets call to each other in the dark, and fireflies take flight. They blink their coded messages, trying to connect in the dark.

"Tell me, young man," Cassian says, his deep voice soothing and fitting of the night, "what brought you two up the mountain?"

Evander rubs his arms, the scarred skin bumpy beneath his fingers.

"I need a pair of volcanic lacrima," he says.

"Whatever for?"

He thinks of lying, but Cassian's tone is casual, as if he was asking for the time or about the weather. It's oddly comforting.

"I've been struggling with my magic since I was young," he says. "I basically can't control it at all, so a family friend made me a pair of gauntlets that allow me to rein it in. I'm a walking fire hazard without them. The other day on a mission, I landed wrong, and they busted. I can get them fixed, but I need to replace the lacrima. This is the only place to find them."

"Interesting." The man huffs on his pipe. "You say you can't control your magic at all? Any reason?"

"...No. Not really."

"You've got to work on your lying." Cassian chuckles. He ruffles Evander's hair. "Your eyes are too honest. Keep the reason for yourself if you'd like. What type of magic do you use, anyway?"

"I'm a fire mage." Evander shrugs. "Nothing special."

"Lucky for you, completely ordinary fire mage. I'm also a fire user." Cassian slights his finger on fire. "And I knew someone with a similar problem as yours when I was younger."

"Really?"

"Yup. I can't say it was exactly the same, but I have a bit of experience with this sort of thing. If you'd like, I could probably get you back to using your magic as easily as blinking."

Evander lights up for a second, the possibilities flying through his mind. But then he remembers how he felt that awful day, the way the fire flared through his veins. The fear in his sister's eyes. His mother, sickly and pale, calling for him as he ran from the room. He looks down at his scars and draws back into himself.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think it's for the best if I just use my gauntlets."

Cassian takes a final drag of his pipe and shrugs.

"Suit yourself. All I know is that you're gonna keep running into problems, and you'll find yourself more and more unable to help those you want to." He puts out his pipe and dumps out the ash. "It's getting late. Let's get some shut-eye."

Evander crawls into his sleeping bag next to Catie. The dying fire shines on her face, and he notices the cut on the corner of her mouth for the first time.

He turns his back on her, and after a while, he falls asleep.

He dreams of fire. Of burning. Of destroying everything and everyone around him, and the pure elation he feels makes him want to burn even more. He breathes in smoke and ash and has never felt more alive. This is what he was born for. This is his destiny.

He sees a woman, familiar yet like no one he's ever seen before. Long black hair whips around her face, and icy blue eyes plead with him.

"Cyrus," she says, reaching for him. Her wedding ring glints in the light. Sorrow and rage rise within him, and he feels like he's drowning.

He sends his flames to envelop her.

He wakes to Catie poking him in the face.

"Rise and shine, Ev. If we hurry, we might make it back in time to help, Ria. Cassian is going to show us a safe way down."

Slowly, Evander sits up and digs his fingers into the earth. It settles him. He doesn't remember his dream, but this isn't the first time he's awoken feeling so lost. It's been happening more and more recently.

"Are you okay?" Catie asks. She lays her hand flat on his forehead. "You're warmer than usual."

"Yeah." Evander swallows. "Just tired."

Catie squints like she doesn't believe him, but doesn't push him for answers.

"Alright," she says. "Come out when you're ready. Cassian made breakfast."

Once his heart rate is under control, Evander joins the two, surprised to see the vast amount of food cooking before him.

"How did you get all this?" He asks.

"I've lived a long life, boy. I've learned much throughout my tenure. Catch." Cassian throws a small bag at him.

Evander snatches it out of the air and peers inside.

"Woah. Where'd you get them from?" He asks, pulling out the black lacrima. They're pleasantly warm, and a soft red glow emits from their center.

"They're all over the place up here. They aren't available at the market because of how hard it is for strangers to make it up the mountain. If you break them again, just come and find me. Now sit down and eat so I can get the two of you out of my hair. I've got chores to do today."

Evander sits with Catie and Cassian around the fire, enjoying his filling breakfast.

Later, Cassian leads them partway down the mountain, stopping when they reach the treeline.

"This as far as I take you. Keep going south, and you should be able to make it back in about five hours. Don't stray off the path, and you'll be fine."

"Thanks for all your help, Cassian." Catie shakes his hand. "If you ever need anything, or find yourself down in Barberry, call on the Phoenix Refuge guild."

"Thank you, young lady. Good luck with your mission."

"Really, though. You're a lifesaver." Evander shakes his hand as well. "Is there anything we can do for you before we go?"

Cassian grunts and waves him off. "Just think about my offer. That's all the thanks I need." Cassian turns away and starts heading back up. "Remember! Stay on the path!"

"What was he talking about?" Catie asks once he's gone.

Evander shrugs. "He wanted to pay me to help him work on something. I told him I probably wasn't the best person for the job, but I'd see if I could find someone."

"Oh. Let me know if I can help with that."

"Will do. Let's get going."

The two begin the trek down the mountain in silence. Evander doesn't know why he lied to Catie. Maybe because she'd encourage him to take Cassian up on his offer, and maybe he should. He can't say he doesn't miss being able to have full control over his magic. Now that he has the lacrima, though, he'll be able to use his gauntlets again. That's good enough for him.

"What's that?" Catie asks, breaking Evander out of his thoughts. He follows the line of sight from where Catie's finger is pointing and sees a lump in the woods off the path.

"I don't know. I can't tell from here." Evander steps towards it. "Should we check it out?"

"... Cassian warned us to stay on the path."

"It's not that far off it, though." Evander takes another step towards the lump. "How about you stay here so I don't get lost, and I'll go check what it is."

Catie frowns.

"Maybe I should be the one to check what it is. What if it attacks you?"

Evander thinks. He picks up a rock by his foot and tosses it in the air twice before he chucks it at the lump. The rock bounces off of it with a thunk, but the thing remains motionless.

"If it was, I think it would have charged us by now."

"Why are you so reckless?" Catie asks, punching Evander in the shoulder. "What if it tried to kill us because of you?"

"But it didn't."

"You know what? Fine! See what it is! If it kills you, that's just natural selection working it's magic!"

"Alright! I'll be right back!" Evander runs towards the shape before Catie can stop him. He's surprised to find that it's a lot farther away than he realized.

That must be why Cassian warned us to stay on the path, he thinks. There must be some kind of depth magic in the woods.

As he approaches the shape, he recognizes what it is: a person. More specifically, a girl with long ebony hair, pale skin, and more blood than he thought was even possible for a human to have pooling around her. A jolt of adrenaline and panic flood his veins.

"Catie!" He yells, his voice cracking.

"What's wrong?"

"... I think I just found a dead body!

"WHAT?" Forgoing Cassian's warning, Catie sprints towards Evander and the girl. She stares for a second, eyes as wide as saucers, but shakes her head. She kneels beside the girl. Blood soaks into her jeans.

"She's still breathing."

"Are you sure?" Evander bends beside the girl, his fingers flitting over her mouth. Sure enough, he feels the warmth of her breath. "Okay. Okay. Okay. What do we do?"

"She needs medical attention." Catie makes as if to touch the girl but pulls back. She bites her lip. "We need to get her to Apolla."

"How? Is it even safe to move her? What if we paralyze her or something?"

"Well, we can't just leave her here! She'll die!" Catie snaps. "Where did all this blood even come from? I can't find where she's bleeding."

Evander also can't find any open wounds. He touches the girl's skin, and it's cold as ice. He's not surprised; she's wearing what might have once been a dress or a robe but is now nothing but a shredded rag. He takes off his jacket and, as carefully as he can, bundles her up with it.

"Help me get her on my back." He says.

Together they maneuver the girl onto Evander, her arms and legs dangling loosely of his shoulders and sides. They tie her to him with the jacket, making her as secure as they can. Both of them get covered in blood, but they hardly notice.

When they turn to make it back towards the path, they find that the trees have blocked it from their sight.

"The warding magic must work on anything outside the path and not just the wildlife," Catie says. "We'll have to go through the woods again."

They've also lost which way is south, but following the mountain's downward slope is easy enough.

They trek down. Catie walks behind in case the girl slips or the jacket comes undone, and Evander is mindful of every step and tries to avoid any bumps in the road. The last thing they need is for him to stumble. Both of them keep an ear out for the sound of wyverns or any other forest creature that could trouble them, but it's oddly quiet. Faintly, Evander can feel the girl's heartbeat against his back. A blackbird sings nearby.

*Edited January 13th, 2021*