Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Alright, sooo…Matthew did not show up in this chapter as promised, but that was because I decided I wanted to toss in the dinner scene. Matthew and company will be along next chapter! Thank you for supporting this story!

Regarding the food, Ayuthay is based off Thailand. Thai food = spicy, lol.

Also, Amiti has the most ironic parents' names ever. Alex means "defender of mankind" and Veriti means "truth". Look at how that turned out.

Anne Iriel Devay – Haha, yes. I didn't even realize I had Eoleo giving him love advice until I was halfway through the story. I just needed somebody blunt (which he is) and yet more mature than Tyrell (which he also is). I'm also glad that you liked that line! And yes, Alex will make a short appearance in later chapters.

Alysoun Konpaku – I'm glad you liked that line! I enjoyed thinking about it, and I just needed something random to go there. Keep reading!

Knight-Dawn – Of course I don't mind. I'd be honored if the name Stormshipping catches on. I'm glad you liked it, and yeah, when you're taking advice from Eoleo (who is 30+ years old and still single, as far as we can tell) then you've hit rock bottom. Keep reading and thanks for the review!

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A Different Kind of Storm

CHAPTER 7

The Beginning of the Storm

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"Karis, aren't you coming to dinner?" asked Himi.

Karis looked up to see the Venus Adept standing at her door, a frown on her face as her hands curled over the doorframe. She had just finished changing out of the kimono that Himi had given her, and was now wearing some of her own clothes. She liked the gift, but she couldn't walk two feet in it without worrying about ruining it, and it definitely wasn't the sort of gift that she could wear with her sword.

"I'm, uh…I promised Amiti I'd eat with him when he finished working," said Karis with a small smile. "But you go ahead."

"Oh, I see," said Himi with a sudden smile and a giggle. "You and Amiti…"

Karis blushed, her face turning a bright shade of red. "It's nothing like that!" she said. "He's still busy working, and he'd have to eat alone when he's done, so…"

"If you say so," said Himi, still smiling. "Is that what I should tell your father?"

"Honestly, Himi, nothing's going to happen," said Karis. "It's not like we're out on a date or anything."

"If you're sure," said Himi with another small giggle. Karis rolled her eyes.

"I'll come by and talk to you afterwards if you want," said Karis. "And I'll prove it."

"I'd like that," said Himi. "We haven't talked in a while. I'll see you later tonight."

Karis nodded, watching as her friend shut the door behind her. She could hear Himi's footsteps as she walked down the hall. Karis sighed, walking over to her bedroom's windows and placing her hand on the glass. It had started to rain in the courtyard outside, but that wasn't uncommon in this region at this time of year. She couldn't see it, but she could hear the water splashing into the lake from just outside her window.

"Would you join me for dinner…?"

Amiti's expression then had been different. More serious…more intense. It brought back other memories, memories of blue-green eyes and a balcony at night and the two of them standing there. Her cheeks burned. What would have happened if she had chosen differently? If she had stayed? It wasn't the first time she had wondered that. She had been wondering it since the day she left, had wondered it when Amiti's first letter finally reached her, describing his progress in Ayuthay. Had wondered it again as she wrote out her first reply, and rewrote it three different times before she sent it.

Where would she be if she had called his bluff?

She pulled away from the window, looking at herself in the mirror. Karis reached for her brush, beginning to run it through her hair. She didn't need to be thinking like that. It wasn't like she could change the past. She had made her decision. She couldn't change the past. She glanced at the clock. Amiti had promised that he would finish work about an hour after everyone else had started eating, so she still had some time to get ready.

…Not that it was a date or anything like that.

She sighed, falling back onto her bed and closing her eyes. It would have almost been simpler to be Amiti right now. He was probably still hard at work in his study upstairs, signing papers and doing whatever it was kings did.

XxXxX

Amiti leaned back in his seat—a bad habit that he had picked up from Tyrell—and stared up at the ceiling, one arm tucked behind his head. He drew his free hand back, water solidifying in it and freezing into ice as he threw it at the ceiling. The ice dart sank into the frozen sheet of ice that he had placed in the ceiling above him, near the raised ridge that marked the 80 point zone.

He smiled softly to himself, glancing at the pile of finished paperwork on his desk that had been finished for the past twenty minutes, and at the clock on the wall. Only one hour more until the time he promised Karis he would "stop working" and have dinner. He couldn't help but feel a little deceitful about the entire situation, but he had finished sooner than he planned.

Besides, everything was working out extraordinarily well.

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An hour later, Karis walked to Amiti's study. She knocked on the door, trying not to fidget nervously. What was wrong with her? She could go up against powerful monsters without batting an eye, but she couldn't come pick up her friend for dinner? The door opened and Amiti stepped out, smiling at her.

"Did you get all your work done?" asked Karis.

"I managed," he said, an amused smile on his face as he shut the door to the study behind him. "What happened to the kimono?"

Karis frowned. "I took it off," she said. "I kept thinking I was going to rip it or something."

He nodded in understanding, leading her down the hallway. Karis followed him, a frown on her face. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"I was considering asking them to set up dinner outside, but the weather decided not to cooperate," explained Amiti, gesturing at one of the windows as they passed. Raindrops fell against the windowpane, trickling down. "However, the parlor was available." He led her down another hallway, stopping in front of a door that Karis had entered through before. Amiti had showed it to her during her tour, explaining that it was traditionally the room in which the royalty of Ayuthay—especially the queen—entertained distinguished guests.

He opened the door, holding it open for her. Karis stepped through, her eyes widening as she looked around. The parlor had been one of the finest rooms she had looked through in her tour, and nothing much had changed now, except the table in the middle of the room had been moved over to the window. A tablecloth had been placed over it—deep blue embroidered with gold. The lamps that hung around the walls had been lit, bathing the entire room in a faint glow.

Amiti frowned, walking over to one of the chairs and pulling it out. For a moment, she thought he meant to sit, but when he stood there with his hands on the back of the chair and looked at her expectantly, she realized that he was waiting for her to. She took her seat, and he pushed the seat back in, walking around the table and taking his own seat. Even when they were traveling, he made a habit of holding doors open for her, Sveta, and Himi, although he had never been condescending. When the storm broke out after the Eclipse, he had been one of the people that sided with Sveta when she wanted to stay out and help. Of course, none of the others agreed with it and she and Sveta had to go below deck, even though Karis still thought it had been a stupid idea to keep both Wind Adepts out of action during a storm at sea. [1]

"I told them to prepare dinner," said Amiti. "…But I think they may have gone a little overboard."

"It's alright," said Karis with a smile. She picked up her napkin, placing it on her lap. "I like it." The room was smaller than the reception hall and had a lot more furniture, but it made it feel cozier in a way. It was also quiet. The only sound in the room came from the rain, still falling steadily against the window. She knew that they were all the way across the repaired part of the palace from the actual dining hall.

"I'm glad," said Amiti, moving to lift the covers from the dishes. Three different Ayuthayan dishes had been laid out in front of them. Karis recognized most of them from her brief stay here when they first found the Insight Glass. She smiled, remembering Matthew's reaction when he had accidentally taken a piece from the wrong dish.

"They're a little spicy," warned Amiti as he served her some. "But I remember that you were a little more tolerant than Matthew and Tyrell."

"I'm from Kalay," said Karis in explanation. "We get a lot of spices."

She picked up her chopsticks and popped a piece of meat in her mouth, feeling a familiar heat spread on her tongue. Amiti smiled.

"Of course," he said. "Kalayan cooking uses almost as much spices as we do. How is it nowadays?"

Karis frowned. "It's fine," she said. "A little hot, but that's to be expected. Lord Hammett still controls a lot of trade, so we're doing well. He's getting a little old, though, and he hasn't actually named a successor."

"I'd heard that he and Lady Layana had a son, though," said Amiti.

"They do, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in taking over," said Karis. "They're still working that out."

"If he refuses, then your father would be the obvious choice, wouldn't he?" asked Amiti.

"Well…yes," said Karis. "But…I don't know if Dad wants to either."

Amiti frowned. "He'd refuse?" he asked.

"He probably wouldn't," said Karis. "Dad hardly ever says no to Lord Hammett."

"Your father must have a great deal of respect for him," commented Amiti.

Karis nodded. "He does," she said. "Lord Hammett took him in as an infant, and Dad hasn't forgotten that."

"I see," said Amiti. He paused, taking a sip of water. "When things settle down in Ei-Jei, I'd like to take a visit to Kalay, if possible."

Karis smiled. "We'd be happy to have you," she said. "But you'll have to go under Konpa Cave. I don't think you'd want to pass through Bilibin."

Amiti paused for a moment, shaking his head. "No," he said. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea."

The make-up of their party meant that Amiti was allied with almost all of the sovereign countries in Angara. Of course, the make-up of their party also meant that he was enemies with all the other countries in Angara.

"I received a message from Matthew today," said Amiti. "Apparently, as of the time he wrote the message, he and Tyrell had met up with Rief and were getting ready to enter Konpa Ruins. Their parents are with them."

"They should be here in a few days, then," said Karis, looking down at her plate. In a few days, they would be heading to Passaj to celebrate the Alchemy Forge's founding. They would probably stay in Ayuthay a few more days, and then they would be back on their way. Somehow, thinking about that made her heart feel just a little heavier. She popped a vegetable in her mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully.

Amiti raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too happy about that," he said.

"I am," said Karis, quickly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Amiti. I want to see them."

"But…?" prompted Amiti.

"…Nothing," said Karis, shaking her head. "Never mind." She picked up another piece of meat, putting it in her mouth and chewing so that she could avoid conversation for a little while. She picked up her glass of water, taking two big gulps to wash down the spice.

"Karis…" said Amiti with a thoughtful frown, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" asked Karis, looking up.

Amiti smiled and shook his head. "…Just remind me about it before you leave," he said. "It's not really important right now."

"Alright," said Karis, nodding and taking another bite.

A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the room, followed by a thunderclap. Karis and Amiti looked up at the same time, turning to the windows. The rain was starting to come down hard now, and the wind was blowing strongly outside, jagged streaks of lightning tearing through the shadows. Amiti frowned and stood up, moving over to the curtains to close them.

"…It's alright," said Karis, "Leave it."

Amiti paused, his hand on the curtain. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," said Karis. "I used to like watching storms when I was younger."

Amiti nodded, going over to the table and sitting down. There was something nice about thunderstorms, Karis realized. Wind, water, and lightning moving together in perfect synergy. It was destructive, but at the same time there was a certain beauty to it—two elements creating a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Wind and water…

With a start, she realized where her thoughts were turning and she looked up at Amiti. The Water Adept was also watching the storm, a distant expression on his face.

"Lightning can be exciting under the right circumstances…"

She looked down at her plate, wondering why that conversation of all things had to come back to her.

When dinner was over, and they had stayed and talked long enough, Amiti rose to help her out of her chair. Karis glanced at the parlor's clock, her eyes widening. How had it gotten so late?

"I'll walk you back," he offered.

"I'm stopping by Himi's room," she said. "…If she's still awake. She wanted to talk."

He nodded, opening the door for her into the hallway. There was a pause, and then his hand reached out and held hers. Karis tensed, but she didn't pull away, allowing him to walk her down the hallway. The storm had calmed down by now, leaving only a light drizzle in its wake.

They walked in silence down the palace halls. Amiti's hand was warm around hers, and Karis kept her eyes on the floor beside her, trying hard to keep her face from heating up. He didn't say anything, his eyes focused on the path ahead of them. As they walked, his fingers brushed against hers, his hand closing around her hand slightly. Karis's cheeks reddened, her heart jumping in her throat. He came to a stop and she did as well, right in front of Himi's door.

"…She's waiting up for you," he said, glancing at the light that shone underneath the doorframe.

Karis swallowed. "Mm…" she said. "She said she would be."

Amiti nodded. He stared down at her as she looked up, violet meeting blue-green. He was standing close to her, so close that if she moved forward at all, she would be touching him. His hand tightened around hers for a moment before he let go, still staring at her. His hand moved slightly, and for a moment Karis thought he was going to touch her, but he kept it at his side, his eyes on her.

"…Good night, Karis," he said. She could practically feel the words in the air between them—a combination of her Psynergy and his proximity. His head tilted downwards slightly and Karis looked up, her eyelids drooping slightly.

"Mm…" she replied. "Good night…Amiti."

He held her gaze for a moment longer. Karis could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind raced, thoughts rushing through her mind. Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to? He stood there in front of her, so close that if she just stood on her tiptoes, just moved slightly, she would be kissing him. Her mouth went dry as the image of herself doing just that came to her mind.

…What would he do if she did?

And then he was gone, taking a step back and walking down the hallway. Karis stood there for a few moments, staring after him. Amiti didn't even turn around, rounding the corner and heading straight to his chambers.

XxXxX

Himi looked up from her bed when she heard the door open. She was lying on her stomach, flipping through a book that she had found in the library. Amiti had all of the Sun Saga books on one of the shelves, and they had been her favorite books as a child. She smiled, wondering if someone would write Eclipse Saga books about their adventures.

"Sorry I'm late," said Karis, walking into the room and closing the door behind her.

"It's fine," said Himi with a smile. "I was just reading."

Karis's face was flushed and she was frowning. Himi looked at her, realizing that her friend looked…disappointed? Regretful? It was hard to say. The Search Psynergy and her own aptitude for having visions told her much, but not nearly enough. Karis walked over to the bed and sat down, falling back onto it and lying on her back. Himi propped herself up on her elbow, turning towards her friend.

"…Aren't you going to prove to me that it was nothing?" asked Himi.

Karis's silence was answer enough.

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[1] The storm – Anyone else notice this? The storm was clearly at least some part wind, but the two girls were below deck the entire time.