A/N: As I said in my previous A/N, even if you've read the O/S please read the chapter. I've made too many changes for you to miss them. Many many thanks to Ninkita and NanKubie for beta'ing and pre-reading respectively. Their patience is a gift.
Shout out to cupcakeriot for being a sweetheart and helping me understand basics of writing (which I may not have learnt well).
This chapter is a birthday gift for the girl who pushes me to do my best, who always believes in me and who is a shameless partner in my crimes - purpleC305. I hope you have lovely birthday, sweetheart!
Chapter 2
Rozee and Mett
There were no warriors fiercer than the Ratniks in Taica. Named after the first Mystique warrior, the legion was known to be both fearless and ruthless. It was fabled that Ratniks protected the Just with their titanium strength and masterful planning. Nowadays, Ratniks protected not only the Just, but also all the rules and regulations created and supported by him. Warriors had become foot soldiers in these modern times.
Rozee, daughter of two Ratniks, wanted to be a warrior since childhood. "There is glory in strength," she was always told.
Rozee, popularly known as Rori, first noticed faint markings on her collarbone on her tenth birthday. Her keen instinct as a strategist warned her to keep the marks hidden till she could find out more about them. It did not take her long to realize that they were the markings of the Warrior of the Seven. She knew that her parents' name, fame and respect on Taica depended on her conduct and actions. If they found out about the marks, her parents would get rid of her, according to the prevailing laws. Fearful of the consequence of the marks being seen, and perversely curious about the potential for strength they offered her, she chose the dangerous path of subterfuge.
As puberty approached, Rori was chosen to be a Ratnik. Her parents couldn't have been happier. And though Rori's soul rejoiced in finding its calling, she was also terrified of revealing her real strength and capabilities.
As the years passed, the wild forests of the West had become wilder, just like the seas were now unsafe for the general population. The Ratniks were doing everything they could to keep the wilderness from harming the Taican population. Rori, now a tall, intimidating young woman at six feet five inches, continued to strategize and manipulate situations to ensure that her secret would never be revealed. Her deceptively thin, shapely body made her appear to be much weaker than she actually was, and with some crafty planning and quick thinking she used this illusion to snag the most insignificant responsibility a Ratnik could be given—protecting the Clan of the Far West, mostly from small animals.
"Oh stop! Will you stop running? You will hurt yourself." Rori chased after the running girl. Her words seemed to have no effect, and the small child continued to pump her chubby little legs in a bid to run into the dark, enticing forest.
"Suit yourself, but don't tell me I didn't warn you, foolish child." Rori muttered, before putting on a sudden burst of speed, which helped her easily catch the runaway. "Now be useful and get out of my way before you become a bleemie's meal."
In one smooth motion, she kicked down the nearest tree and set the child afloat in the nearby river in the direction of her house. Rivers were one of the only remaining blessings of nature left for the Taicans. They were helpful and harmless; only the dying and decaying ever drowned in the gentle pink waters of the Rivers. They flowed both upstream and downstream and they always assisted the lost and the haggard.
Rori huffed with a stern face and a prominent frown, then continued to hunt the bleemie, a large creature about three feet tall and one foot wide. It had an impenetrable hard shell of skin and poisonous stone spikes on top of the shell, which made it an extremely dangerous creature, because it could neither be stabbed with a sharp metal knife nor shot with a metal bullet.
'Damn, my laser gun is discharged. Stupid circuit fused forest with barely functional electricity,' Rori could see how restless and fierce the creature was. Just as she thought she could move closer to one, two more attacked her from behind. Rori fought as bravely as one could with three bleemies at the same time. Since she didn't have an audience any longer, she let go and used all her strength and agility. Within minutes, she had flung the fierce bleemies over at a large rock. Three resounding splats were heard in succession, confirming the elimination of the threat.
Rori was satisfied and proud of her strength. Now that she was in a forest with minimum communication from command, Rori thought she ought to test her strength and skills more often to gauge their limits. She set course to the town when she suddenly fainted from the scratches on her skin from the poisonous bleemies. Fortunately, the little girl's parents found Rori soon after, lying unconscious on the forest floor. They rushed her to the nearest Healer's Chambers. When Rori opened her eyes, she found herself in a dimly lit room. Her body stiffened, and she was looking for clues as to where she was, when her eyes spotted a large looming figure. Rori deduced he was a male from his gait and the thumping of his boots. He was tall, much taller than Rozee. This in itself was rare for her, because she was one of the tallest females on the planet. He was about seven foot tall, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. Rori prepared to shift her stance into attacking position. She relaxed slightly when she realised that the figure wore the traditional yellow robes of a Healer. He could've been a Ratnik with that build.
Rori heard the kind and quiet voice of the Healer say, "How're you feeling now?"
He started checking her wounds with a diagnostic wand without waiting for an answer. Rori's body went rigid in surprise, but she relaxed herself when she realised that she needed the healing. If he noticed her deliberate silence or her sour face, he didn't mention it.
"I'm glad I got you," the Healer murmured in the background of the wand's beeping.
Rori snapped her eyes open and glared at the Healer for alluding to 'getting' her. Nobody could 'get' Rori—she was her own person. She sat up immediately but the Healer easily pushed her back into a sleeping position with a sweet, toothy smile. She rolled her eyes internally. 'Oh boy, another thinks-with-a-cock male or as they call them in Tall societies: a suitor.' Rori was a beautiful female and she was used to the attention she received from males. She hated the attention because it felt like one more responsibility on her already burdened shoulders. There wasn't a male Ratnik who hadn't shown his teeth to Rori. It seemed this one was no different.
"I mean, I'm glad you were brought here under my care. Who are your parents, do I know them? Did you seek me out or did the Enlightened send you?"
"Oh, will you keep your questions to yourself? And no, I did not 'seek' you out, seeing as I didn't know of your existence until a few moments ago. Which big fish do think you are, huh? I don't even know your name, not that I'll bother remembering it if I did. And who on Taica are the Enlightened? Are you actually a Healer or a mind-healing patient pretending to be one?" Rori ranted at the Healer.
The Healer flashed her a look of horror before he answered in a measured tone, "You're right, my questions were unnecessary. I'm known in the circles of the Far West and people do seek me out. I apologise for assuming that about you. My name is Mett. The Enlightened are nothing. You need rest. I shall check on you again in a while."
When he turned around to walk away, Rori caught hold of his hand to stop him. They both felt a static shock at the same time, but Mett recovered and jerked his chin up in the universal gesture for 'what?'
"You can't lie to save your life, Healer. The Enlightened are something or you wouldn't have mentioned them. Who are they? Out with it." Rori demanded.
"The Healers that specialise in poisoning are called the Enlightened. Now rest up."
Rori narrowed her eyes at his retreating form, carrying the diagnostic wand and the flat pad which contained her medical reports. She knew he was still lying. There were no specialisations on Taica. Healers knew about every part of the Taican anatomy and medicine, the same way Ratniks were trained as a one-person army from day one. 'Specialisation is for those that can't handle everything,' her father always said.
Rori quickly assessed her situation. She had two tasks ahead of her: one was to delete her medical records and the second was to find out about that mystery of the Enlightened.
Mett was embarrassed and terrified by his actions. He had put all their lives in danger because his ego needed stroking. More like his cock needed stroking, but that was a thought for another day. And what a rude female—though she talked like his father, so maybe all Ratniks were that rude, condescending and blunt. He couldn't afford a Ratnik sniffing around him. His mission and the people they were protecting were too important.
Mett was mentally berating himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Mett? Are you okay, child?"
"I'm not okay. I'm so sorry, Mata. I made a big mistake."
Jeva, Mett's mother, made him sit down and handed him a drink. "Drink something, you'll feel better. Now tell me what happened?"
"I asked a Ratnik if she was sent by the Enlightened."
Jeva gasped, "Why would you DO that?"
"She came in for treatment. One of the locals brought her. She was poisoned by the bleemies, and no one survives an attack from bleemies. I got curious. I saw visible markings of the warrior on her. I thought she was one of us, but she's an Ignorant. And I'm a fool."
Jeva was surprised he said so much in one breath. Mett was not a talker. He was a sensitive one and kept to himself mostly. Jeva feared the ramifications that ignorant Ratnik could bring to their lives. Ignorants were Mystiques who didn't acknowledge their powers or who thought that their powers would 'go away.' A combination of Ratnik and Ignorant was the most dangerous one ever, because there was no way to ascertain the powers of the Ignorant and they operated with the ruthlessness and training of a Ratnik.
"Ignorant or not, she's a Ratnik, Mett. If she digs deeper into these woods and finds us, you will be responsible for her curiosity. We have maintained the illusion that the far West has a sparse population for years to protect the families of the surviving and budding Mystiques. We have nurtured the belief that Mystiques are truly dead to safeguard the families and children of the Marked. And you, Mett, son of Mazn, the Leader of the Enlightened—you have put us all in the sights of a Ratnik. Ratniks, who have destroyed us, who kill our children, who ostracised us and made us unwelcome on the planet we helped create. Oh Mett, how could you?"
"I know, Mata. there is no excuse. I'll speak to father, maybe we will have to move quicker than we planned. I just really thought her markings were too dark for her to be an Ignorant. Although, she was heavily drugged and in a lot of pain, maybe she won't remember a thing tomorrow. If she asks again, I'll tell her it was a hallucination. That should give us enough time to organise a move."
"You better hope so boy, because if she finds out about us, I'll kill you before your father knows about it."
Over the next few days, Mett avoided Rori as much as he could. He checked on her regularly but always timed it to her sleep cycle. He wanted her to heal quickly and leave, but he couldn't use his skills on her lest she got even more curious. Instead, he did things the Taican way. He kept a steady flow of the Taican medicines in her bloodstream to remove the bleemie poison. He was curious about the Ratnik though. It puzzled him as to how she had managed to hide such a prominent marking from her fellow Ratniks. Mett concluded that no one knew how strong a Mystique this Ratnik was.
One day, Mett was admiring the dark green, almost black colour of her long straight hair, the lightest green shade of her skin, her high cheekbones and her regally slanting nose. His eyes travelled upwards, expecting to see the light green skin of her eyelids, but instead encountered pitch black eyes. For a moment, neither spoke, as Rori stared back at him.
When Rori finally spoke, Mett was instantly on guard. Without wasting a moment, he turned and left. Rori was baffled, but did not give up. Over the next few days, she tried to talk to him often, but soon realised that interrogating the Healer would not work. Mett might as well be a stone door with how close lipped he was. She noticed him glance at her markings now and again. Hopefully he didn't remember the markings of a warrior, or Rori's life could be in danger. Most people don't remember the legends very clearly, and she was hoping he was sheltered too.
At the same time, she found herself wanting to protect the Healer. She couldn't fully understand why, but she decided to go against protocol and kept his Enlightened slip up to herself. The forest was a low-to-no-signal area, she decided it would be a waste of her energy to inform the Command unless she had a solid lead.
A full week had passed, and she wanted to run away from the smell of medicines and the constant beeping of machines. But she also wanted to learn Mett's secret. She decided to compromise. She took leave of Mett's hospice and made her way back to her territory. But she kept a close eye on Mett and decided to 'accidentally' meet him.
The first time she arranged the meeting, Mett was restocking medicines and supplies in the City of the West. The City was a huge commercial centre, though it catered to the smallest population of Taica. It was a mystery why the city was always bustling with traders when not more than ten small clans lived in and around the city. Curious, indeed—
"Watch your step!"
Rori nodded to the trader in apology and turned to stare at Mett, once again her saviour. It was a friendly greeting considering she wasn't glaring at him.
"Are you still terrifying people with your horrendous bedside manner?"
Mett was shocked to see that he just saved Rori but schooled his expression before she could see it. If Mett were to translate his father's dialect, which Rori seemed fluent in, then Rori had just asked him if he was well. Mett replied with his usual patient follow-up.
"I am well. How are you now? Any pain? Dizziness? Any issues in consumption of food or excretions?"
"Stop with the questions! You're like a trans-pod with no stop point. I am not describing my perfect excretions in the middle of a market. Have some shame!"
'How am I a trans-pod? That's a means of commutation and it always has a stop point. Maybe I asked her too many questions too soon.' Mett was thoroughly embarrassed by her rant. She was right in her way, albeit a little rude, but that seemed like a Ratnik thing to do considering his father talked the same way. Mett apologised and quickly left the street and the conversation. His chest ached while leaving, though. He marked it up to his embarrassment and awkwardness..
The ache lessened each time they 'accidentally' saw each other. She was brash and rude but Mett realised after observing her that she was the same with everyone and not just Mett. It was a part of her charming personality. Mett felt something for her even though he didn't know her. He cursed his luck that she was an Ignorant. He would've still tried to introduce her to the Enlightened, but it was his worst fate that she was a Ratnik too.
Rori's plan was not working as fast as she had hoped. Mett was not a talkative male, too quiet for Rori. He was not just 'trying to keep a secret,' he really just didn't interact a lot. A polite nod here and there, a casual hello and goodbye was the extent of their interactions and Rori was extremely unsatisfied with it. She was curious about his secret, but she was sure that Mett's secret, whatever it maybe, was not dangerous.
In the meantime, another phenomenon had got her attention. Lately, she felt like someone was looking at her, only to find empty space in her periphery. It happened only once that she found Mett staring at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. She smirked, he smiled and they parted, maintaining their toothy grins. Rori didn't even realise that Mett was the first male who had made her return a toothy grin.
That night, Rori dreamt of Mett. She had never thought about a male before; yet she dreamt of him in the most delicious way. Oh, the things he was doing to her body had her writhing on her sleep cot. Rori woke up in a burning room the next morning. Her sleep cot was on fire, her desk and her guns melting and rotting in it. She grabbed her communicator and rushed out of her sanctioned quarters. She checked the perimeter to analyse who or what had started the fire. When her search yielded unsuccessful results, Rori decided to keep one eye open.
Her sleep cot was charred and burnt, the desk was usable albeit a little scorched but the weapons were unusable except the metal blade. She decided to order a new sleep cot from the City, but the weapons had to be sanctioned by the Command. Rori made a mental note to request the weapons once she figured out the cause of the fire. She couldn't very well leave the reason for request blank.
Strangely, the fires were quite frequent since that night. They happened on the most unexpected nights. They never went farther than her cot, but Rori noticed that it always caught fire whenever she dreamt of Mett... and lately she dreamt about him a lot.
Rori needed to figure out how to control this fire business. She couldn't keep ordering fire extinguishing pills and new cots, it could raise suspicion. The fire came from within her, that she now understood. This was an additional anomaly in her already isolated life, and it annoyed her. She was not going to be a blue among reds.
She had been monitoring Mett since the first day. There was something not right in the way he looked at her. He obviously saw her marks, she had been practically naked in the healer's chambers. But he obviously didn't recognise them or maybe… he had kept her secret like she had kept his. Rori decided to confront Mett. All this has been happening to her since she met him. He had to know what was going on, this was beyond her usual abnormalities. Maybe he gave her a wrong medication and this was all a reaction to it. Next morning, she walked directly to him.
"What is this?" she thundered at Mett.
Mett tilted his head in confusion.
"What do I do with it?" She raised her hand and accidentally showed him her burnt skin.
Mett looked around.
"Which fish are you looking at?" Rori asked frustrated while she checked her surroundings as people discreetly stared at their strange exchange.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mett said in a low voice and quickly walked to the nearest trans-pod station, deliberately touching the back of her hand on the way, relishing the static that followed the touch.
'That was a pointless encounter,' Rori thought on her way back. She decided to figure out something about the fires because her burnt skin was painful. She looked at her hand and found the skin almost healed. Shock coursed through Rori and she was astonished at the rapid healing of her skin. She was now even more curious about the fire. 'Can I control it? Manipulate it? Is that why I don't have severe burns? How did the burns heal so quickly though?'
It was then that the Mother finally arranged for an unplanned meeting.
The Enlightened gave basic fighting and healing training to each member of their group to improve their chances of survival. Mett was a natural healer, but he was also one of their best fighters. He had been trained in the art by a Ratnik—the only Ratnik to ever leave the force, who later became the Leader of the Enlightened—his father.
Mett was training with three apprentices deep in the forest, when he heard screaming. All four ran towards the noise.
They saw a bunch of bleemies surrounding a trap pit. Mett sent a quick prayer to the Mother to protect whoever was trapped in that pit, because bleemies could devour a person. Suddenly, a bleemie flew out of the trap, landing with a hard thud on the ground, dead. Mett and his apprentices were stunned at the sheer strength of the person trapped in the pit. The rest of the bleemies shifted around restlessly. One of them lost their grip and slipped into the pit only to be regurgitated again with the same force and an outcry of "Vrag!"
The rest of the bleemies ran in different directions after that. Mett and his friends peered into the pit to find Rori in all her glory. Rori had been scouting the best place to practice her fire building skills when she misstepped and landed in a deep trap pit. Mett had never seen her look more glorious, and if he was honest with himself, more attractive than that moment, with dirt and dried leaves stuck to her body. In a flash, he realised that Rori was no Ignorant. She knew about her powers and used them when she thought no one was watching.
When Rori looked up and saw Mett with three boys, her first reaction was relief at not having to stay trapped in this pit for the night. Her second reaction was dread, because they must have seen her kick the bleemies out of the pit. Her third reaction was determination to silence the witnesses. She trusted Mett a little and liked him a lot more, but if he and his associates saw her display of strength, they had to be eliminated. Why couldn't they have rocks for eyes? Rori was dismayed at the waited until they pulled her out of the pit and then swiftly and silently knocked out the three kids, before she grabbed her only weapon, the metal blade, and went for Mett.
Mett was looking through his medicine bag to heal the small bruises he had seen on Rori's body. He couldn't use the diagnostic wand because he needed the camp or his hospital for connectivity. He had just settled on the bandages and cure for poisons instead, when he heard—nothing. There was no noise; the wilderness was too quiet. He could feel a presence behind him and instinctively he grabbed the person behind him and pushed them against the nearest tree trunk. Mett and Rori were inches apart when he saw the blade in her hand.
"What are you doing?" Mett was furious. Had it been any other Ratnik, he would have already killed her.
"I know what you saw and you will not tell anyone. I will not let you ruin my parents' reputation. I may be abnormal but they are respected people on Taica and there is nothing greater than respect in a Ratniks life," Rori said, with an apology in her mind.
"Abnormal? Mystiques are not abnormal." Mett was baffled by the Ratnik's explanation. She wasn't even sorry. Why was she so rude?
"Don't call me a Mystique. I can't be associated with them. They're a myth and I'm a Ratnik." Rori stared into Mett's eyes.
"But, you are a Mystique. You have the marking of the Warrior right here." Mett traced his fingers below her collarbone. Rori felt fire pulsing through every nerve end when Mett touched her body. Her eyes flashed red, orange and yellow like fire for not more than a second, but long enough to startle Mett.'
"You, your eyes!"
"What's wrong with them?" Rori frowned.
Met shook his head slowly as if to clear his head. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful. It's a shame you're a Ratnik too."
Mett's soft words broke the euphoria of his touch. Rori summoned all her energy and raised her arm. She jabbed the knife in his side and muttered, "It's my honour to be a Ratnik." She then twisted the knife, causing Mett to squeeze her arms painfully.
Mett popped his eyes open with a sudden gasp of comprehension, and smashed his lips against hers. He pulled her hair with one hand to bring her closer and pulled the knife out of his side with the other. He bit her lip when the knife was pulled out, wanting her to feel a fraction of the pain that coursed through him. They continued kissing and pulling and pushing until they couldn't breathe.
Rori's hands slowly brushed against the side of his waist when they took a break to breathe. Rori let out a gasp when she realised that his skin had already healed of the stab wound.
"You're one of them! You're a Mystique!"
"Yes, and you're one of us." Mett smiled, still tracing her skin, slowly moving his fingers from her shoulder to her waist to her hip and back.
"But… but, how? Mystiques are dead! I'm an exception!"
"No, Rozee love. You're a warrior. You're The Warrior. I'm the Healer. Look at my markings. You're not the only one. You're not an exception. You are exceptional, Rori."
Mett opened his shirt and showed her the markings of the Healer sitting right above his heart. Rori extended her fingers to trace the mark.
"They're not dead. I'm not the only one," Rori said in a low voice.
"No, you're definitely not. Many Mystiques live peacefully hiding from the Taicans."
"So, regeneration is your power?" Rori asked, her hands still on Mett's chest slowly tracing his mark.
"Uhm, no actually that is new for me. It just started happening a few days back."
"I've had a similar discovery of new powers. That's why I was here today. I wanted to practice and explore it. Burn a few things"
Her arms moved up his shoulders and tugged him forward. Mett kissed her neck and breathed in her scent. "Burn? Why? What's your new power?"
"Fire. I can feel its essence. I burnt a tree to a crisp before the bleemies caught me again. I don't know how to control it yet."
"I know a few pyros but none who can burn a whole tree." Mett thought hard about someone who could help Rori control her fire power, but no one came to mind immediately.
"I know someone who can help us, but you have to promise to keep an open mind and not go Ratnik on them," he finally said.
Rori pushed him away. "Why do you say 'Ratnik' like it smells bad, with your nose scrunched up? We are honest people protecting the land, as is our duty. What do your words even mean?"
Met put both his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder, placing a small kiss on her light green skin. "I just don't want you to scare them. There is a lot of conflict between Ratniks and the Enlightened."
"There's that word again. Who are these Enlightened? Which pond do they hail from? Why do you worship them and stand by them like a lost rampus?"
"Rampus? Do I look like a finger-sized gliding square box to you?" Mett asked Rori with an amused expression.
"They're loyal pets and they do not look like square boxes! They have legs, ears and eyes."
"Mother save us! We are not their pets. The Enlightened are a group of Mystiques trying to survive, living in shadows and hiding from Taicans, Ratniks especially. I don't worship them, but I am devoted to their cause."
"Why tell me all of this?" Rori discreetly checked the surroundings while voicing her suspicions.
"Well," Mett took her face in his palms, "that would be because we have a love bond, don't you feel it? Don't you feel the pull?"
Rori smiled her biggest smile when she said, "So that's what the chest ache is, I do feel it. I thought I have gastric issues."
Mett laughed and kissed her with all his love. They slowly parted their lips and breathed each other's unique scent. Rori suddenly remembered the three adolescents she knocked out and told Mett about them. They worked together and sent the now conscious teenagers off to camp. Once the kids had been transported they headed towards Rori's quarters.
They spent the rest of the night discussing their future and her safety. Mett decided that since her elemental powers were out of control, Rori would be safer among Mystiques who could deflect it and help her, along with the families under protection of the Enlightened. The next morning, Rori picked her porta-pad and fired a quick mail to her clan's chief that she needed a vacation. Since Rori was mostly overlooked in her clan, her request was approved instantly and she packed her porta-pad away to save its meagre battery. Once she was ready with her essentials and packed away without a trace, Mett took her to the Enlightened camp.
Situated deep in the forest near the West River creek, the camp was nothing like Rori had imagined. Hidden away in the serenity of the woods, it was bustling with activity. Rori was astonished to see the myriad signs of new and old culture and technology coexisting. Old ratty tents were held together with new-age stelenium tape and ropes. Here and there she spotted more permanent tents with walls of wood rather than the thick polymer of the others. Despite their sturdier appearance, Rori thought of them as tents rather than houses, as they were set up using the same architectural design as the other dwellings. Further, she was intrigued to see that even the most modern of the wooden structures was covered with writings and symbols of the ancient Mystical culture. Only one building stood at odds with the temporary dwellings, an ancient stone structure which looked like a temple of the Mother.
To her surprise, the camp reminded Rori of her childhood neighbourhood, because it bustled with children zipping through the lanes with traditional gooey candies colouring their teeth, as well as the modern snap-snaps that were easy to chew and didn't leave a trace of thievery like the traditional candy did. Oh, how Rori envied the children of this generation. In her childhood it was impossible for children to hide their candy consumption! Damn coloured teeth.
The porta-pad in Mett's pocket chimed about fifteen times to indicate new notifications. Rori was astonished that they had access to the cyberworld even in the densest part of this forest. Her own devices were useless even in the outskirts of the forest where her camp had been set up. They're not functional even now. Noticing her surprise, Mett explained that the camp carried its own signal device that allowed them access to the cyberworld. The Just and Seven couldn't track them because they accessed an alternate cyberworld which was much more expansive than the regulated world that most Taicans used.
To no one's surprise, Rori got along famously with Mett's father, Mazn. Mazn knew what it was to be in Rori's position. He wasn't marked with the symbol of the Seven, but he was a powerful Mystique nonetheless. Mazn helped Rori realise that she had warrior blood in her veins. Mystique or not, Ratnik or not, she was always going to be a warrior.
Mazn's mate Jeva was not so warm towards the young Ratnik girl. Jeva had never trusted the Ratniks. It had taken her a long time to accept her love bond to Mazn and even more time to trust him. She thought Mett deserved someone better. He deserved someone like Kat, who had been his best friend since childhood. But Jeva loved her son. Thus, when Mett told his parents about their new powers, it was Jeva who told Rori and Mett that their love bond was the reason their powers had expanded. She explained that even among the Enlightened, the strongest Mystiques were the ones with bonded mates.
This led to a discussion about Rori's need for training to learn to control fire. Jeva and Mazn sent them to Wren, one of the oldest surviving Enlightened. A scholar, old Wren was the keeper of all available knowledge on Mystiques. She told Rori and Mett about Nar-Zeme, a fire-breathing creature, whose tough, scaly skin and fearsome size alone were said to be enough to strike down its enemies. Like Lagan, Nar-Zeme was one of the original Mystiques of Taica, who ruled the forests and wildlife. But Nar-Zeme too had disappeared deep into the wilderness when the Mystiques had been wiped out in the Old War. Wren told Mett and Rori that legends said that when the time was right, and if those seeking it were pure of heart and purpose, then Nar-Zeme could be found in the Rexen Mountains, at the heart of the Taica's central forest, a far trek away from the marginal Western frontier where the Enlightened were camped.
Thus, Rori and Mett embarked upon the journey of their lives, towards the Rexen Mountains.
A/N: Thank you for reading.
All my love,
sri
