[M] Gelid Seraph [Ashen & Argon Jaden]

[Ashen]

[This roleplay is rated mature for reasons that may include but are not limited to: strong language, suggestive themes, violence, and possible mild romance. Reader discretion is advised.]

The sun was just beginning to rise, and tired brown eyes watched it with a sense of amusement. It had been a long while since they had been awake for a sunrise, and they had almost forgotten just how beautiful it was. It was almost worth staying up all night. Almost.

Ignatius was a night owl, who didn't exactly appreciate mornings and hated being conscious during them. He was alone in a tree staring out at the forest, watching as the sun bathed it in light. The forest had been his home for years; he lived under the forest, in a series of underground passages that housed all the members of his guild, Gelid Seraph. This guild, which was made up of the men and woman outcast by society in one form or another, had been the only family he'd really known. Though most of the members tired of his antics long ago, there was one who never would. And he was the reason Iggy was awake at this ungodly hour.

Shi, or Heilyshioune, had been his best friend since he'd joined the guild, some eight years ago. They had grown as close as brothers since then. Throughout the years, Shi had always been the one to have Iggy's back no matter what. Perhaps he wasn't exactly thrilled about all of Iggy's antics, and preferred watching rather than partaking with him, but he had always been there nonetheless. And today, today Shi was turning into a man. He was finally sixteen, finally able to do what he wished. He'd be legal now, and Iggy knew just what to get him.

In his hands was a carved piece of wood that Iggy had pored over for the longest time. Hiding it from his best friend had been the hardest part, but now he had to hide it no longer. It was a whittled piece of wood, in the shape of a chipmunk, and he knew Shi was sure to love it. The kid was a sucker for anything with big eyes, and Iggy had made sure he had spent the longest time on that feature. Though he had never considered himself artistic, he was quite satisfied with his creation. He had used fire to color the wood, which made the small creature seem all the more realistic. Now that it was finished, Iggy could not wait to present it to Shi.

But that wasn't all he had planned for the lad today. He also had a trip in store, a trip he had been planning for years. Everyone in the guild knew Shi's story; the kid's family had been killed by a ruthless band of fire mages long ago, leaving him orphaned and abandoned. Iggy wasn't quite sure what Shi had done before the guild found him, but he had been alone for too long. Iggy still saw effects of that solitude in the boy now. Though they did not talk about it often, Iggy knew how much it meant to him. Those fire mages, they were walking free. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to fix that.

Now that Shi was an adult, Iggy wanted to take him on a trip of vengeance. He wanted to seek the bastards who had ruined his best friend's life, and he wanted to make them pay for all the pain they had caused. He didn't know what to expect, but he knew there would be loads in store for the two of them. It would be a journey of self-discovery, a journey of friendship and brotherhood, a journey of sweet revenge.

Iggy hopped down from his perch in the tree, and he headed back to the entrance of the guild, a floor door hidden by bushes and other vegetation. He slipped through the corridors, walked past his own room, and stopped at the closest room to his. It was early enough; Shi needed to be awake. So, using all his might, he pounded on the door. "Shi get up! It's your birthday!"

[Argon Jaden]

Despite the break of dawn, the room was dark, and quite stuffy. Arrows and hunting knives littered the walls, a growing collection no doubt. Rags towels and mats lined the floors, covering it in plush softness instead of hard ground. The room itself, despite being quite filled, was cozy, just as cozy as the individual curled up on his bed with his eyes staring off into the darkness.

Heilyshioune had one of those nights again, where sleep had evaded him and he was left with nightmares that had him waking up every hour or so. It definitely wasn't a good start, or a good end to any day. He sighed softly and burrowed himself further into the covers. His room was thankfully cold, so the thick blankets covering him were reasonable. After all, Shion just wanted to sleep. in peace. Without the nightmares or without feeling like he was tired.

'Maybe I should've slept outside.' He thought, rolling over to the side. It wasn't really advised to sleep outside, especially not in the forest because of bears and snakes (not that he minded. Cubs were cute and if you know how to handle a snake, then all's well and he definitely \knew how to handle one) but it was one of the guarantors that he'd get a good night's rest. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to himself beforehand and was somewhat regretting his actions.

From his position, he could hear the sounds of movement; of others waking up so he guessed it was about time he started moving as well. He yawned, pushing the blankets off and blearily rubbing his eyes. Today was supposedly a special day after all. Azure eyes scanned the room and rested against a pale, weathered, red hairpin sitting by his desk. It was his mother's, engraved with the family symbol of a red sun with a white rose at the center. His family had this pin once, every member, whether it be on their clothes, their necks. He remembered that he has to make one when he comes of age and the symbol will be blessed by the family elder and bestowed upon him.

Or so it should be. Deciding that brooding would get him nowhere, he slid off the bed and began to go about through his morning routine, trying to keep a swift pace as he usually does. He was in the middle of fixing his hair when someone decided to punch his door. Multiple times. Holding the pin in his mouth, it was a little bit of a challenge to keep the braid in place as he opened the door, making sure to step back just in case Iggy doesn't notice that the door is open and decides to knock directly on his forehead. It happened a few times before.

"Don't call me that." He mumbled, but because his mouth was somewhat occupied, it came out as a whispery 'Shon't cull me shat' instead. Since it was obvious that he was up and awake, he finished braiding the end of his hair and pinning it to the back, almost sighing in relief now that he wasn't getting distracted by the longish strands curling against the left side of his face. Glancing back at his friend, he raised a brow. "If you're going to come in don't get the rugs dirty." He reminded, waiting for him to enter before reaching for his best bow and a quiver of arrows. The daggers he kept were quickly attached the the belt on his waist.

Obviously, like every year, he was trying to escape before any of the guild members catch him to 'celebrate' his birthday. Every year, he goes out to go hunting, before returning at dusk with food, where he'll promptly be ambushed and the chaos of whatever they're trying to do begins. So far, he has only succeeded avoiding the entire fiasco twice. He intends to add another point to that, should Iggy not sell him out. Especially this year.

Hefting the bow on his shoulder, he glanced up at the other boy and scrunched his nose. "You didn't sleep." It was a statement rather than a question as they stepped out of his room, with Shion trying to keep a low profile. "Thanks for the greeting though, don't want to get caught up in today's mess." It was his way of asking permission, or at least informing his best friend that he was going out hunting, unless, he had something important planned after all. Today, as much as he didn't want to admit, was an extra special day for him after all. So he looked at him expectantly, in hopes that if there was going to be a large scale prank on his birthday, he wanted to avoid being caught up in it. "Something on your mind?"

[Ashen]

Iggy chuckled softly at his best friend's response. He spoke in the same monotonous tune he had used the first million times he'd told him not to call him Shi, and this time would be just as ineffective as all the rest. He pushed on the door and found that it was open, that he had pounded it for no reason. He wasn't bothered. Iggy lingered in the doorway, watching as Shi fixed up his long hair. It almost made Iggy want to fix his own dirty and untidy hair. Almost.

Once Shi had grabbed his weapons, they were off. "If you're thinking about ditching us all again so we don't embarrass you, you've got something else coming." Iggy walked in front of Shi, ignoring his comment about sleep enitrely. "There's loads on my mind today. My baby brother is a man today, you know? How crazy is that! It's like just last week you were wee big." He brought his hand down to his thigh. "Look at how you've grown. What's that--is that facial hair I see? No, we can't have that. You'd better take care of that." Iggy held his friend's face in his hands, intentionally embarrassing him. He rubbed his thumb over the stubble while shaking his head and saying, "Tsk tsk." It was a known fact within the guild that the man himself could not grow facial hair, that he wanted to sport his own beard but could never manage to. Now, seeing the hair on his younger friend's face brought a lighthearted frustration.

Iggy started walking backwards, trying to lead Shi down the hall and towards the dining area of the guild. He sat his friend down and tugged gently at his bow. "I don't know where you think you're going with all that, but we have things to do. For one, I made you breakfast!" He turned around, at the small kitchen shared by the two dozen members of the guild. On the table was a cake, with a piece of it missing. As Iggy noticed that he narrowed his eyes, then looked up and down the adjacent hall. "It was whole when I left, I swear," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Anyway, I baked you a cake! Here, try it! It's chocolate. You wouldn't believe what I had to do to get this. Remember when you went off by yourself to ditch me the other day? Well I had to jump a merchant right outside the forest, and I managed to get away with some ingredients, but he sent his dogs after me. I think I've still got fur in the wrong places, and bite marks for days. Never mind--try it, try it!"

He broke a piece off for Shi and hastily shoved it towards him. He then called, loud enough for the whole guild to hear, "It's Shion's birthday!" This he knew would make the kid uncomfortable, but it was all in good fun. None of the other guild members even stirred. Noting this, Iggy waved them off and turned back to Shi. "Oh! Your presents. Right." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the whittled chipmunk, then presented it to him. "I made it myself. It took hours, so you'd better appreciate my hard work for you. But that's not all! I have a surprise for you. Are you ready?"

It was clear Iggy was excited. His brown eyes were gleaming, and the smile on his face was wider than usual. He wanted to make his friend happy, and he had a strong feeling his proposition would. It had been so long since they'd been allowed to go on a trip of this caliber. Now, he could hardly contain himself. "What if I told you... we're going on a trip to avenge your family?"

[Argon Jaden]

Not really feeling all too enthusiastic that morning, he scrunched his nose in embarrassment and tried to inch back from the wandering hands on his face. Facial hair kind of makes him nervous. His dad had some, and if he decided to grow some, well, he didn't want to look like a younger carbon copy of his father. Wrenching his face away, his fingers wandered consciously on his face, feeling the beginning of stubble that he was sure wasn't there yesterday. He grunted.

"I'll let you shave it off if you don't sell me out today." He offered with a snort, but followed his friend nonetheless. It was useless to try and outrun Iggy when he looks this determined anyways. Might as well submit to his fate. A soft whine of protest when his bow was confiscated, but didn't kick up a fuss about it. He did, however, stare at the older male with a look of subtle worry as he glanced at him p and down, checking for injuries while his friend ran his mouth. "You didn't have to." He murmured, brows furrowing before his eyes fixed on the cake.

Cake, especially chocolate was rare. He's only had it once or twice in his life. Azure eyes practically glittered with interest, despite his facial expression remaining surprisingly passive. Iggy would know that he was very touched by the gesture though, even if the smile on his face was small and barely there. Biting into the piece offered to him, he closed his eyes and lightly bumped his forehead on Ignatius's shoulder, a small gesture of thanks before he swallowed and promptly gave the other a sour look.

'Don't yell it out loud." He warned, lightly elbowing him, although it was obvious that he wasn't really angry. His expression, when his gift was handed over to him, was quite similar to when he first saw the cake. His eyes sparkled as he held the tiny thing with gentle hands, running his thumb over the fine details and a look of wonder was on his features. Looking back and forth between his friend and the gift, it was obvious that he wanted to say something but didn't know ow to vocalize it, so instead, he murmured a soft thank you before focusing on the tiny figurine once more.

He wasn't really listening when Iggy talked, offering a small nod of consent as he ate some more cake, completely enraptured by the animal that it didn't register until he had swallowed. Blinking out of his stupor, he stared at the other, looking at him in utter surprise for a minute before glancing down, back at the figurine. Again, it was obvious that he didn't know what to say and was trying to formulate a response in his head.

"... We're leaving right now, right? Today?" He asked after a while, looking quite excited now. "We're really going? They said yes?" He had been trying to get the guild elders to agree into letting him leave, but to no avail. They used to say that it would be hard because he was still a child. Then the reason that there will be trauma involved and he might get killed. And there's also that reason that he doesn't really follow orders to the dot. "We can go? They're letting us go?" He repeated, his excitement palpable despite the lack of expression in his face, except for his eyes. Usually blank azure was burning with energy, a contrast to how he looked when he first woke up.

He tried reaching for his bow, then paused. "When do we leave? What should I bring? Can I bring my knives?" The questions were spilling out now as he bounced slightly in his seat, glad to be able to escape from whatever ceremony the elders had planned and glad to finally be allowed to end the ones who hurt his family.

[Ashen]

Iggy didn't need any form of thanks; the look in his friend's glossy eyes said it all. Just seeing the younger man's face so aglow put a wide smile on Iggy's face as well. Already Shi had seemed to forget about all his attempts to embarrass him. That little animal had done just what Iggy had needed it to do, and suddenly, all the hours he had pored over it were worth it.

It was a look that could only be compared to the one that directly followed it. Realization washed over Shi's face slowly. Shock turned to excitement, and for the first time in a long while Iggy saw a childlike happiness in those azure orbs. He nodded a bit, mainly watching how Shi reacted to everything that was going on. After a few moments, Iggy confirmed all he was saying. "We're leaving today, yeah, if you're all ready. And even if you're not. I was thinking we could head off at about noon or so, after hitting up the shops and getting some supplies. Look at me. I'm planning things. Are you proud yet?"

He shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the cake, aimlessly wondering who had stolen the missing slice. "I haven't asked them, exactly," he admitted. "But you're an adult now! They wouldn't be able to stop you anyway, so we're home free. Besides, I talked it over with Jack, and he didn't... protest, so that's a good sign, right?" In truth, the elder man had not been paying attention to Iggy as he ranted, which was a common theme in the guild. "It'll be fine. We can tell them later, when they get up. For now, we have some packing to do!"

Seeing Shi had not quite finished his cake, he pushed his friend along and encouraged him to finish it later. They went back to his room, and Iggy looked over the place again. "Well, we could start by packing some weapons. When we get to them, we... might have to fight them. So I would recommend your bow, your knives, the works. Also bring some tools, maybe things to keep us warm, things for us to do... I don't know how long it'll be. You're better at this sort of thing anyway." He shrugged, trying to leave the specifics to Shion. Iggy then turned away. "Oh yeah," he seemed to remember. "I still haven't packed myself. I should get on that. Or maybe you can help!" Even if it might have been wiser to pack in advance, Iggy had never truly been known for his wisdom. He didn't have much of a plan. In fact, he had no idea what would happen on this journey: whether they would really find the bastards, what they would do to them, how Shi would take to them, to him. Iggy had never seen Shi kill anyone before, and he wondered if the kid had it in him. He looked down at his own hands. They were not as clean as he would have liked. Would that show?

He cleared his head and looked back to his friend again. "Right, well. We need to bring food! Think anyone will mind if we raid the cupboards a bit?"

[Argon Jaden]

He scrunched his nose lightly at the mention of the elder. out of all of them, Jack was the one adamant on letting Heilyshioune go. It was kind of weird since the man insisted on calling him by his full name, which was annoying and rather weird like he was always in trouble. He stuck his tongue out in distaste and shook his head. "He won't mind then." The dark haired youth huffed, nose raised high as he bounced on the heels of his feet.

He didn't mind getting pushed back to his room much, though he was very careful with the figurine cradled in his hands. As soon as they stepped in his room, he was off, pulling one of his bags, picking the biggest rucksack that was half his size. He had asked someone to help him make it before, and while he was excited, if it wasn't obvious by the way he paced in between packing, he made sure to carry the things he was sure they'd need. Four changes of clothes, a blanket, his hunting knives, his arrows, the small canister of poison for arrows, a flint, some twine, two cloaks, his bow and arrows, some salve, a decent sized pouch of money, another blanket... He huffed through his nose, glancing at Iggy with a raised brow. "... I don't have enough rope." He murmured. Taking that into consideration, he stuffed a few more things inside his rucksack, hefting it easily over his shoulder before grabbing his friend by the hand.

"You should pack more." He muttered, practically dragging the other towards his room. Not bothering to turn on the lights, he rushed in and scourged the room for the rucksack that was considerably smaller than his, managing to find it by touch before he began to organize it the same way he organized his own, only pausing when he couldn't remember where Iggy kept his undergarments. "Underwear? What else do you want to bring?" He asked, making a mental note of something as his eyes glazed for a moment.

"Let's get food in a while. After you finish packing up." He added, managing to put in the basic necessities and was just waiting for Iggy to finish what he started. "Before everyone wakes up and they decide to not let me leave." He said. "We still need to raid the food supplies." Mostly for biscuits, water, dried fruits, stuff. While he was a good hunter, it wasn't a sure thing that they'd find animals in case they wander into a barren road. Speaking of which, Shion hummed.

Leaning back and tapping his floor, a small crease formed between his brows. He needed to steal some maps from the elders. And a book on which herbs were safe to eat... maybe he could get a dog now too? For extra protection? He always wanted a wolf pup. Unconsciously, his thumb began caressing the wooden chipmunk, which he haad expertly fashioned into a necklace that dangled around his neck. "Map." He murmured, and scrunched his nose. Where would they start searching then? His legs throbbed and his back felt like it was on fire again as the scars of old churned at the memory of his hometown. They could start there. "Are you done?"

[Ashen]

Iggy enjoyed watching Shi move about. The kid really was good at this sort of thing, and he was fascinated just to watch him work so silently and efficiently. When he was addressed, Iggy nodded a bit, then gave a shrug. "I have rope," he said. "We'll be fine. Don't worry so much."

He was lead to his own room, and Shi seemed just as comfortable here as the kid did in his room. Iggy leaned back, not wanting to get in the way, and not minding at all that Shi was doing all his work for him. He pulled his own undergarments and threw them into the rucksack, wondering if so many sets of clothing were absolutely necessary. While Shi was busy fixing outfits, Iggy went off to go find rope, which he did at the top of his closet. He stashed it messily into the rucksack, knowing Shi would fix it for him. He threw in occasional other things, though nothing of import, until finally they were done. Suddenly, Iggy paused, and he whipped his head around. As his eyes laid over his twin blades, he let out a sigh. He drew his weapons, twirled them around, and smiled. "Can't believe I almost forgot them!" he said with a laugh. "I'd never forgive myself for that. A man's best friend is his sword, don't you think? Though you count too Shi, don't worry." In his hands were two hooked swords that Iggy often used for swinging through trees. They were his weapon of choice, and he was quite skilled with them. He fastened them to his back like he often did, and he set off out of his room. "Food time!" he said excitedly, and he dashed away.

Iggy wasn't so careful about what he chose out. He plucked dried foods off the cupboards, but also chose sweet things, and things that would not last. He did not pack much food, knowing they would be going to the shops soon to pick up whatever they were missing. Shi had wanted a map too, and this they could pick up at the market. So after Iggy had packed all his food, he turned to his best friend. "You know what we need, right? The shops will be opening up soon. We have some time before they do. Do you want to say goodbye?" He motioned around them, at the collection of rooms and corridors that had made their home for the past several years. "Who knows when we'll be back?" he murmured. "It's been a long time. I'll never be able to thank this place, yeah?"

Iggy walked up to the wall adjacent their kitchen, and he ran his fingers over the dirt. He mumbled to himself about it, about the damp living conditions that had always been perfect, about the family who had accepted him, despite not knowing much about him... It had been a long while since he'd been on his own, but as he looked back at Shi, he wasn't worried. They would be able to handle themselves, he was sure. Smiling, Iggy took a slice of the cake he'd made, and he started messily eating it. "I'm gonna miss this place, you know? But I bet they'll be thankful to have me out of their hair."

[Argon Jaden]

"... I thought man's best friend was a dog?" He asked, refusing to add a and you're my best friend comment after the statement in case his friend would be insulted, though it was mostly in jest but he didn't want to waste much more breath on it if they could finish up with packing. Then he realized that he also insulted himself with that statement, and his ears turned slightly pink as he finished packing them up.

The food carelessly tossed in the bag made him snort and again, the dark haired youth began taking out the food that he knew wouldn't last two days under the sun. The sweets were okay, but he removed a good majority of them since he didn't want any ants in crawling in their supplies. Once he was done, he shifted what was left, less than a third of what was tossed in there, and glanced up at his friend, blue eyes softening slightly as his lips quirked in a small smile.

"You should say goodbye to them." He said, taking a bite of cake from what Iggy was eating before returning back to fussing over their things. Unlike his best friend, Shion was more of a community child rather than an adopted one, with all the elders checking in on him and various people stopping by to talk to him and pamper him. It was good. Unconsciously, he was glancing around the room, sighing contentedly. This place was good, and no doubt, they'd return here someday.

Once he had the map in the bag and another canteen of water added to his bag, he straightened, knives ready and bow on one hand. He packed three slices of cake for them before he sighed once more, taking note of the number of people slowly filling the halls. Any later and it would be hard to leave without anyone noticing. He nudged Iggy, smiling slightly as he gestured towards the door. Towards their way out.

"Time to go?" He asked, both eager and impatient to leave. Any minute and the elders would drop by and question where they were headed off to and Shion wouldn't have any of that. Tugging Iggy by the wrist, he quietly made his way towards the exit, glancing back every now and then in case someone stopped them.

[Ashen]

Iggy had already said his goodbyes to these people and this place, so he wasn't expecting the rush of emotion that came with knowing they had to formally go. He had grown up here, with this family, and this was his first time really leaving them. He was good at hiding it, but inside he knew he would miss this place dearly. All the trouble he'd caused, all the memories he cherished; those were all he needed now. He'd already written a few words to some of the members, and they would undoubtedly find his sloppy writing when they woke. For now, all that was left to do was start their adventure.

The two of them walked to the entrance of the guild. Soon, they were outside, in that same forest that had seen them be kids. Iggy turned to the entrance again and offered a small wave, then turned to his friend with a wide smile. "I guess... this is it," he said, sweeping his arm and gesturing towards the lands beyond the forest. "We'll stop in town and grab some supplies, and then we're off. It'll be every night under the stars, every night on our own, doing whatever it is we deem necessary... It's any kid's dream, isn't it?" His eyes were shining in that way they did when he talked about some impossible dream. He turned back to Shi and motioned up towards the trees. "Think there'll be many of those where we're going? You know I need my trees."

In the next moment, two long swords had extended to a low lying branch, and Iggy used them to propel himself higher into the tree. He continued this, until he was far enough that he'd not be able to clearly make out his friend's face. He then used his hooked swords to swing from branches, between trees, shooting off towards the marketplace. Even if this was a day that marked adulthood, Iggy would never not be a child.

As he swung, he could feel the wind blowing his hair. It was the thrill of it all, being so high and moving so fast, and being so vulnerable to falling, that he absolutely lived for. He had become skilled at this, and presently he swung without even looking at where he was going. "Catch me if you can!" he called down to Shi, who was now quite the distance away. "I'll race you to the marketplace. Loser has to carry all the bags!" Which wasn't saying much, as he had already left all but his own bag with his grounded friend. Laughing jollily, Iggy raced towards the market, perhaps for the last time, with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He had to remind himself that they would be back, that he would see his family again.

He hoped.

[Argon Jaden]

To say that he was unimpressed was one thing. Shion gave his friend a dry look. He probably didn't want to carry it himself. He snorted at that. As usual, the grunt work was left to him, not that he minded. He could use the stamina training, but it didn't mean that Iggy was going to get away with this.

Hefting both bags on his back, he took a deep breath, scanning his surroundings, taking note of the trees, the feel of the ground under his feet before he dashed off, taking the shortcut he knew all too well. The market was one place he frequented, selling his kill was a trade and an art. The forest itself was an art. One needed to know the forest, to feel it under their feet. He glanced around, feet taking him through the trees efficiently.

It reminded him of that time, when he was still a child, learning how to hunt the hunters. Jaguars were fearsome, but they were challenging, not to mention their pelts. He remembered his father telling him to be wary of the trees. In the forest, in order to catch the hunter, in order to be fast, you need to keep your senses alive, let the forest talk to you, tell you where to move next. And with that piece of information in mind, he kept his pace, merely shooting Iggy a grin as he jumped close, a few good feet below, but still there and keeping up.

This was a good beginning. He would win this. He didn't bother look back. Lunging forward, he kept at the speed he was going at, weaving through the trees, the market in sight. The rush left him thrilled, as if their destination was an antelope he was simply sent to hunt. Five meters. Four. He glanced up and grinned, a ferocious glint in his eyes that only appeared during a hunt, before diving and rolling for the place, laughing softly as he lifted his head.

"Did you lose?" He asked Iggy, panting lightly as some of the market people stared oddly at them. Not the first time, but hopefully, not the last.

[Ashen]

Shi really thought he was going to win this. He was keeping up easily, but Iggy wasn't going as fast as he knew he could. When he noticed Shi threatening to pass him, Iggy picked up the pace, swiftly flying through the air. He knew the location of every branch and was therefore unparalleled in speed. Shi was fast, and Iggy had to give him that, but no one on foot could be faster than swinging through the branches. Iggy certainly had this one in the bag.

The town was getting closer and closer. Iggy was nearly there, and Shi was behind. He was getting cocky, and called down to Shi. "How's it like carrying all those?" he asked. No sooner than he had finished his sentence had he felt his sword strike only air instead of wood. Panicked, his brown eyes widened and looked forward. He had missed his branch. So confident in his victory, he hadn't been paying attention to the location of the branches. Iggy scrambled for a different branch, but he came up short. In the next moment he was falling to his death between the trees.

Meters down, Iggy landed square on his back on a protruding branch. He winced in pain, but was finally able to straighten himself. His back was screaming, but at least he hadn't fallen all the way. His friend was already to town, his swords were on the ground beneath him, and it looked like he was going to be made to carry the bags. Iggy sighed. Someday, he would learn to watch where he was going.

He hopped down from the branch and gathered his swords, then jogged after Shi. Every step ached, but he needed to catch up. Despite his efforts to hide his pain, it was still clear in those eyes. He got to Shi breathing shallowly. "Yeah yeah," he said with a dismissive wave. "Did you see that? I got into a fight with a squirrel. He was going after you, but I stopped him, and endured a brutal battle before he pushed me to my death. Luckily a branch broke my fall. I saved your life."

Iggy was able to joke about it. It was better than simply admitting he'd been too careless. He continued in an awkward walk, trying not to hurt his back. "I'll be fine. The squirrel has been silenced. Look, we made it to town." Everyone was staring at the pair of them, but Iggy was used to that. He stood straight, winced, and continued on. "Look! Do you think we'll need fish! That vendor has some great-looking bass, doesn't he?" He was trying to distract Shi, to not have to carry their bags. Classic Iggy.

[Argon Jaden]

The look of triumph didn't last very long on his face as it was quickly replace by a bleak, almost amusing mix of worry and exasperation. Squirrel. Right. Those things throw hard nuts. "My hero." He muttered bleakly, with enough sarcasm to drench an elephant despite the lifeless tone. His eyes scanned for his friend's injuries, before his brows knitted in worry.

"Buy some bait from him, then you're going to let me check you back." He said, in the tone that said he obviously wasn't amused. "No buts." He never liked getting the people he cared about hurt, but with Iggy, the idiot was always getting himself, or Shion, or some poor soul actually, hurt. He hefted both bags on his shoulders, ignoring the strain they were putting on his body. He needed to build up his stamina anyway.

His blue eyes shifted across the marketplace, quietly scanning for a stall that sold the herbs he was looking for. "We don't need the fish. I can fish, you know." It was more of a whining complaint than a statement as he grabbed the other boy's arm, mercilessly dragging him towards the small stall. With practiced ease, he looked over the greens, trying to look for the right one before fishing for some money and handing them over to the weird lady who kept batting her eyes at them. Shion snorted and took the bundle of leaves. "I think you have something in your eyes miss."

The woman panicked slightly, giving him enough time to drag his friend off to the corner, by the woods. Once there, he stopped and set the bags down. "We're barely starting. Be more careful." He said softly, finding a few rolls, some medicinal paste and a small knife that was used to cut plants. "Shirt off." He said stubbornly, not letting up until he has seen and fixed his friend's no-doubt-bruised back.

"You're waddling." He added, a touch of worry in his eyes. "... and your waddling makes an awful duck." The comment was supposed to be an insult, though it was probably hard to take him seriously as he began dressing the numbing herbs with such a concentrated look. "Shirt off. Lie on your stomach." To be honest, he wanted to scold his friend but knew that it wouldn't do much good. Still, it was all fun and games, though he definitely should be more careful next time.

[Ashen]

Shi seemed annoyed at him, but Iggy couldn't say he blamed him. They had left mere minutes ago and already Iggy's dumb ideas had gotten him hurt. He'd be fine, eventually, but this injury would delay them, and he wouldn't be able to deny that. So with a sigh, Iggy followed Shi without protest, all the way to a herb stall and an unfriendly lady.

Shi was taking a while looking for the right herbs. He was always so careful, so calculated, that Iggy was almost jealous. As Shi was busy fussing over herbs, Iggy snuck away, straight to the fish vendor. After looking over the fish for only a moment, he slipped one into his pocket, some bait into his shirt, and walked away with all the confidence of a man who hadn't just stolen several coins worth of goods.

Back at the herb seller, Iggy saw that Shi was just getting ready to pay. He waited patiently, pretending to be fascinated with the other colorful plants. When Shi finished paying, they started off a little ways, and Shi told Iggy to take off his shirt. Iggy knew his friend only wanted to help, and that he was trying to examine his back, but the immature man couldn't help but chuckle. "Take me out to dinner first," he teased, but he did as he said anyway and slipped out of his shirt. His torso was toned, though undernourished, with far too many cuts and bruises from far too many juvenile adventures. On his back was the starting of a large bruise, surrounded by small cuts where the branch had snagged him. Blood was smudged in places, but none looked as bad as the forming bruise circling his back.

Iggy did as he was told, and winced as Shi touched the medicinal cream to his back. "Easy," he muttered, even if his friend was being very gentle. "I'll be fine, really. You don't need to go wasting money on me because I'm an idiot who can't even swing through his own trees." He half rolled over and saw a couple of town girls staring at him and giggling. Iggy sighed. "Hurry up, will you?" he muttered. "We have places to be, after all. And I doubt people want to see the hero of town in such a state as this."

[Argon Jaden]

"I'll cook you dinner later." He compromised, worry etching over his features. "If you behave." Shion added. The paste didn't smell too good and he definitely didn't want to touch them, but he knew that if he left it untouched, the dark haired boy knew that Iggy would have a hard time later. He sighed softly, feeling his fingers grow numb. The paste seemed to be working.

Tying the mess of herbs and paste down with a bandage, he stood up and sighed, handing Iggy his shirt back. He didn't really want to respond to that. "You should just be more careful. Please." He said under his breath, glancing at the girls staring at them. He never understood them, even back then. Deciding that he was done playing medic, Shion repacked his things back and waited for the other to dress. When he was done, the dark haired youth gestured with his shoulder.

"Need information..." He muttered after, glancing at the people walking around them. Of course he should just ask, but who to ask? That and he wasn't very comfortable talking to people. Shion sighed softly, running his hands through his hair and managing to undo the brain, which he quickly fixed as soon as the pin fell off. What now? How was he supposed to do this. He glanced at Iggy, silently wondering if the other would talk to the passerbys that drifted along, some giving the quiet boy curious looks.

[Ashen]

Like always, Shi did not understand Iggy's sense of humor. The older boy rolled his eyes and let go of his shirt so that it fell over his now pasty and sticky back. Iggy flexed, uncomfortably, before turning back to Shi. "Right then," he said. "Let's get going now, if you won't be feeling anyone else up, yeah?"

They went back into the heart of town, and finished gathering what they needed. Afterwards, Iggy noticed, perhaps finally, that Shi was asking him of something. Shi didn't like socializing, and that much Iggy knew. But what did Shi want Iggy to ask for him? He paused for a minute, trying to ask him without voicing his question, but he couldn't. So Iggy, being Iggy, just shrugged it off and continued on. After a few minutes, he realized they would need direction. Suddenly he remembered that he needed some kind of lead. "I'm going to ask around town," he said. Iggy gave Shi a thumbs up, finally understanding what his friend had been asking. "I'll meet you here in a bit."

Iggy was really good at charisma, and so he went through town getting all the information he could. He didn't directly ask anyone; he had ways of working around it. When Iggy did return to Shi, he had a map in one hand, an apple in the other, and a wide smile on his face. "So, we're going to be heading north," he told Shi, offering him the bitten apple. "Those assholes were last seen heading that way, but it was months ago. Regardless, I figure we could find out more about the people up there. I think they would be here, look." He shoved the apple into his friend's hand and pointed to the map. "Look, around here. If we go up here, I'm thinking we could try to find more information, but if we don't it's fine, because we could probably get a boat to... here. I have a gut feeling they're over on the next continent, but don't ask why. Gut feelings, Shi. You gotta trust them."

[Argon Jaden]

He definitely didn't want to feel anyone up, and scrunched his nose at the comment, but didn't take it too hard. So instead, he sat down, on the floor, at the corner of that weird fountain with what looked like a woman with water flowing out of her vase while the two, tiny cherubs sitting over her shoulder spewed water from their mouths. It was an elegant, but strangely gross piece of rock, so Shion took no notice of it.

Instead, he kept his eyes wandering from person to person, watching them walk, talk, interact. He could pick up three different dialects, five different accents and two languages he had never heard before. The dark haired youth sighed, unbraiding his hair and fixing it up once more in attempt to pass the time. The longer he sits, the more anxious he gets. Where is he?

His feet and burns were starting to itch slightly, but Shion was patient, like any well-trained hunter. So he sat still, observing people as they stared at him with curious eyes. Finally, when Iggy came back, he let out a breath of relief. Taking the apple, he ignored the bite, taking three large bites himself before handing it back, exchanging it for the map, which he studied with careful, gunmetal blue eyes, raising a delicate brow. "Here? But that's..."

Up North was a hunting ground, where it was dangerous day-in day-out. He should know. He had been there before. Foxes, bears, wolves, large lizards, poisonous serpents... he remembered the tale of an old corrupted tree spirit eating travelers and hunters who kill the dangerous beasts that reside there. "That's a good place to start." He murmured, scanning the map further. Just a few miles from it, was a body of water separating this continent from the next. Roughly two days on boat. He didn't mind.

"There's a town by the water up north. We can restock there... and buy a boat." They didn't have enough money at the moment, but work wasn't hard to find. He stepped back slightly and exhaled before nodding. "Alright. Up north it is." He said, tugging at his friend's arm before the older could wander. Glancing around, it was no surprise to see the markets and stalls turn into small, quaint houses made of wood and brick as the sun took its place in the sky. It was noon... probably. Shion couldn't check. He was too busy inwardly gawking at the sight of the living area. It was a little weird to see children smaller and younger than two wandering about and enjoying the sun. Then again, he did tend to stay away from crowds, so it was no surprise.

Tugging at Iggy, he paused for a moment, before subtly pointing at one of the shadows of the houses. "Look! Did you see?" He said, voice bleak but his eyes betraying his excitement. "What was that?" It was probably an animal, though he didn't see it clearly, but the thought that it could be hunted excited him all the same.

[Ashen]

His friend seemed perturbed for a moment as Iggy had pointed out a northern city. It took him a minute, but Iggy finally remembered why: that city was a dangerous one, filled with all sorts of beasts and unforgiving cold. He looked to Shi's eyes, which seemed to be thinking to the past, to bitter memories. Iggy didn't know. He shrugged his shoulders and felt at his blades, thinking of the thrill of it all. Fighting off horrifying monsters and finding ways to stay alive together... It was a bonding experience like no other. And beyond that, it would help them train for when they finally met with those fire-bending assholes again.

Iggy took back the apple and let Shi look over the map. He took big bites of it and tossed the core when he was finished. "Buy a boat," he repeated softly, then winked at Shi. "Oh, buy a boat, okay." He knew that wasn't what his friend had intended, but he also knew they didn't have the money to pay for their own vessel. Iggy started for what he assumed to be the quickest way to their new destination, but Shi grabbed him and started pulling him the other way. Shrugging, Iggy followed Shi, smirking at his friend's solid expression. "Lighten up a bit, Shishi," he said, poking at his best friend's arm. "We're adventuring, just like we used to do when we were kids. It's exciting! It's your birthday! Be happy!" He charged ahead again, and motioned for Shi to follow him.

The lands outside the town were less familiar. Houses became more spaced out and more trees and bushes popped up along the dimming road. Iggy was talking nonsense about their adventure, and what they would do when they got to the ports, how he would heroically rescue a man who would then offer his boat as payment, when Shi suddenly stopped him. Iggy paused, looking to the area his friend had pointed out. "Eh?" he mumbled, trying to figure out what had stopped them. He looked to Shi, who seemed overly excited. Iggy guessed he had probably seen an animal. He crouched down and looked into the alley, trying to see into the dark with little success. Iggy sighed, stood tall, and started walking.

He emerged from the alley only a moment later. "I think you'd like this," he said, motioning for his friend to follow. He went back into the alley, and clicked his tongue, again crouching. A few seconds later, a small black animal cautiously approached Iggy. "That's a good boy," he cooed. The animal looked to Shi, then back to Iggy and barked. Iggy chuckled. "Can we keep him?" he asked Shi, taking the small dog into his arms and lifting him to Shi. "Look, he's lost. We can't leave him, now can we?" The dog shied from Shi, but his tail was wagging. He gently licked at Iggy's arm. "He likes me!" he laughed. "Here, Shi, you hold him. I think he wants to join us."

[Argon Jaden]

He had pursed his lips at this nickname, but ignored it nonetheless. Instead, he stared as Iggy went to the dark of the alley. His fingers inched towards his hunting knife, pausing when the older male emerged with a bundle of fur in front of him. Almost immediately, he softened at the sight of the pup. Blue eyes scanned the furball and he fought himself from cooing, instead, accepting the bundle of fluff into his arms. The tongue lapping at his face was a welcomed gesture though. He inspected the animal.

"It's a runt." It definitely was. Black fur, body too small for its age. "Male, around two months old, malamute-mix... probably." He said, reciting his observations out loud. He had been taught to gauge the age of animals, as well as their health when hunting, so it was no surprise that Shion managed to do so with this one. He lifted the animal again, taking note of its coloring. It was very dirty, probably was on the streets for two weeks. Three tops. He hummed. No wonder it was small. Its fur was fluffy enough to hide how thin the bundle of fur was. A wet tongue licked his cheek and he juggled it on one arm, using the other to rummage through his things, while trying not to shudder as the animal pressed its wet nose against his ears and neck, tail wagging happily.

"It's eyes are blue... so it's probably a mixbreed or it's still pretty young." He said, smiling slightly at the puppy. "And it's fur is black for now, but it'll probably turn into light brown or the same shade of your hair as it gets older... I'm hoping it keeps the eyes though." Indeed, the eyes were pretty and he often liked dogs with blue eyes. After all, he did want a hunting dog back when he was a child, but preferred dogs with blue eyes like this one.

A long, thin, leather cord was produced, with a pendant of sorts tied around the middle. Setting the dog down, he began to work on fastening the makeshift collar around its neck, blue eyes narrowed in concentration. When he was done, he picked up the bundle of fur once more and pushed it towards Iggy's face.

"Name him." He stated bluntly. "Or I'll call him Igshi." The last part wasn't a joke. He had never been good at naming things, whether it be pets, people or animals, though there are times when the names actually sounded good. At least the dog wasn't shying away from him now, given the way it twisted and turned in attempt to lick Shion's face, before getting distracted by his friend.

A small smile graced his features before disappearing as soon as it had appeared. Pressing the pup closer to Iggy's face, he let out a whine that sounded just like a dog's that the pup glanced at him. "Daddy. Give me a name." He said in his cutest voice, though Shion's face was completely passive, the puppy barking in consent. Shifting back to his old voice, Shion cleared his throat. "Name him or we can't keep him." A lie. He already gave it a collar.

[Ashen]

Iggy had no idea what Shi was talking about. All this about its breed and age and color. The hunter knew what he was doing, and though Iggy knew he had been trained in such affairs, it still amazed him. "It's... a dog," Iggy said, giving his own contribution to the classification of this little animal. It was the only thing he could offer, and yet, it fell on deaf ears. Shi was too busy musing over him to pay him much mind, but Iggy wasn't bothered. It was amusing to him, seeing his friend like this, and so he just stood back and watched.

Until Shi demanded he name the dog. He had no idea where Shi had produced a collar, and so quickly, but he wasn't about to ask. "Igshi?" Iggy responded, half-chuckling. "I think that's kinda cute. Igshi. Hardly a name for such a noble little hero, though. Let's see..." Iggy started to think, mentally trying on different names and tossing each. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Shi spoke through the dog, in a voice that was uncharacteristically high and juvenile. Iggy laughed again and waved him off. "I'm trying, I'm trying." He knew Shi's threat was moot. It was obvious he wanted this dog far more than Iggy ever would. He had collared it and everything; the animal was as good as theirs, now. Still, Iggy tried to think up a name. "How about... Sir Lancelot Cupid Wright of the Great Gelid Seraph... the Third." Where Shi's names lacked creativity, Iggy's held far too much of it. He looked down at the dog, who seemed unamused. "Or Igshi for short," he said, patting him on the head.

It was clear to see his friend absolutely adored this animal. "You know, Shi, I don't think I've ever seen you like this before. I mean, I've seen you go all gaga over animals, sure, but never like this. " He poked at him. "It's like you're a child again. He's just a dog, you know." But it wasn't just a dog, and Iggy knew that. He just enjoyed making fun of the younger man. "Pretty soon you're going to love that dog more than me. And then what? Will I be the third wheel on the journey that I choreographed? Wouldn't the be a pity." But again, Shi didn't seem to be paying attention. Iggy waved a hand in front of him. "It's a dog, not a trophy, calm down. We should give him a bath, I think. A haircut would probably do him some good too. We'll wash him in that town we're headed to. It works out perfectly." He stared over the dog again, who seemed to have warmed up to Shi fast. "Wonder if he's housebroken," he thought aloud. "Is it called that when the owners don't have a house, either?"

Iggy knew that, if they didn't start now, they never would. So, he grabbed his friend by the arm, and he started tugging him along. "Put the dog down," he said. "Make a leash. We have to go. You wouldn't want it to get dark and we'll still be in the same spot, aye? Come on." Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this. Seeing his friend like this was strange. The kid was acting cute, a shade of cute Iggy wasn't quite used to. It brought a smile to his face. The ever stolid boy was capable of emotion after all. Still chuckling, Iggy raced ahead. "I bet you regret not letting me pack extra food now, huh Shi?"

[Argon Jaden]

Allowing the dog to give Iggy a slobbery lick to the face, he smiled a little. "That's a horrible name. Let's settle for Igshi, right Igshi?" He said, voice turning softer, and if you strained your ears just right, began cooing at the animal. He always wanted a hunting dog, so this was lovely. Turning back to face his best friend, he raised a brow at the accusation, face slipping into a passive mask before he snickered subtly.

"Dog is man's best friend, so you really have to worry about the competition." He said with a playful sneer in his voice. He was just joking though. Setting the animal down, he reached into his bag and pulled out a strip of dried meat, tossing it at the new addition to their group before pulling out another strip of leather, managing to make a makeshift leash. The pup immediately tried to run, but the leash kept him in place. Igshi whined and Shion cleared his throat.

As much as he'd like to start with the basics, he guessed this one needed more outdoor training than indoor. "... He's not housebroken yet and we don't have a house yet." He commented off-handedly, before clearing his throat again and began walking. The firm grip and the eye contact he kept with the pup had its eyes trained on him. "Heel." The command was given and while the pup had no understanding whatsoever, it still trailed between them, tail wagging. Every time, the pup would glance away, Shion clicked his tongue and repeated the command, communicating with his eyes.

"Also, don't insult my baby like that." He told Iggy after a while. "He's not just a dog. You know how much I've always wanted a dog." He muttered, trying not to whine internally at how his excuse sounded. Recalling how he acted, it was a little embarrassing to say the least, for him to be seen by people cuddling a dirty runt. He lightly jostled the maroon haired man beside him, shifting the pup so he was walking on his other side. It was compliant, not surprisingly so, given that it was tossed around because it's a runt. He'd need to groom and train this one into a fighter, not that he minded. As a kid he wanted to have a dog he could call his own, and train it himself, but of course, things happen.

[Ashen]

Iggy watched their new companion as they walked. He was an excitable thing, but to Iggy's surprise he was obedient as well. He knew the dog wasn't really listening to Shi's command--the thing would have no understanding of what the word heel meant--but Iggy liked to believe it was so. "Little early to start training, no?" he muttered, but he knew it would have lasting benefits. Iggy wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to dogs, so he trusted his friend on this one. Besides laughing out loud when Shi referred to Igshi as his baby, Iggy left the two to their own devices.

The trio continued like that, collecting the stares of many different people along the way. Iggy was liking the attention, and Igshi was liking the small food offerings some people gave, but Shi didn't seem too thrilled about all the people. "Imagine how many people will look at him when he's all cleaned up," Iggy said. If so many were looking at the cute group, they'd be even more won over once they saw how adorable the dog would look without all the dirt around him. "Do you think he can run? Come on, the next town isn't far!"

Iggy broke off into a jog, then soon a run. He glanced back at Shi and the dog every few seconds, making sure they were able to keep up. It was Iggy who reached town first, who had lost sight of his pair of companions, and who had to wait by the river town alone. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked around. The two of them had been to this town before, though not often. It was known for its fish market, though many varieties of fish were brought to the market town nearer to their guild, and the more exotic fish this town offered were too expensive for Iggy's tastes. Also in this town was a giant well that Iggy had nearly fallen into several times, and a group of officers that had been wary of him since he'd first stepped foot in town, years ago. Now, they seemed to be preoccupied with some other matter, so Iggy had free reign. After a few seconds he grew tired of waiting for Shi and his pet, and so he started wandering around.

By the time he found Shi, Iggy had already obtained a bar of soap. He offered it to Shi with a smile. "Considering stuff like this is imported, it was very cheap." He knew Shi would know what he meant. "Ready to go to the river? Or do you still need a minute from the jog?"

[Argon Jaden]

"The earlier the better." He responded swiftly, keeping his eyes on the dog. Igshi trailed happily behind them, accepting treats from the passerbys while Shion shied away from the contact. He didn't like people getting too close to his personal space, so he slid a little closer to his best friend. Unfortunately, Iggy decided to sprint towards the next town, exciting the already excited pup. Ighsi bolted after him, until the dark haired youth got the pup in control with a sharp whistle, a click of his command and a firm command. "Heel."

They were able to keep up, mostly, until something distracted Igshi and sent the pup running towards one of the bushes. With a startled yelp, because he didn't expect that something so small was so full of energy. They ended up getting lost for a while, an opportunity Shion took to calm and refresh the dog's memory. By the time they found Iggy, Shion was dirty, with an equally dirty dog. Jogging up to his best friend, he huffed softly and clicked his tongue. "Stay."

There was a moment of recollection before Igshi tilted his head, but made no move as Shion sighed softly, eyeing the bar of soap. It smelled pleasant, but not too strong to make his nose run. "At this rate, they're going to chase you out of town again." He said with a small, exasperated sigh. Clicking his tongue, he called out to the pup, who seemed to know his name now. "Bath. Want me to give you one?" He asked, unpinning his hair and slipping out of his clothes. A furtive glance around him told him that there were no passerbys. Sliding into the water, he pulled Igshi into the water, watching the dirt wash off the fur as he ran his fingers through it.

"Hey." Pausing in his ministrations, he gestured towards the struggling dog. A tuft of dark maroon fur was visible now that the dirt was starting to wash off. "A little help please?" He asked, trying not to let go of the bar of soap as he struggled with the wriggling mutt.

[Ashen]

Iggy chuckled at Shi. He was determined about this training thing, and maybe it was just his imagination, but Iggy could have sworn the dog was listening to his master. He looked down at the soap with a shrug, not caring if he was thrown out of town for the umpteenth time. He shrugged it off with a, "Yeah, yeah," and followed Shi to the river, where the younger man and the dog jumped right into the water.

Iggy, however, did not join them, not even when prompted. It had been a secret he had been keeping for years, just how terrified he was of water. The two of them had been to the river before, sure, but Iggy had never willingly gone into it. He had always played it off somehow. The man bathed, of course, though perhaps less than he ought have, and he was okay when drinking water, but being surrounded by it... He could think of no worse fate. Iggy had never told anyone of his irrational fear, and he tried to keep it hidden as best he could. Though he had feared Shi had his suspicions, they had never talked about it, and he certainly didn't intend to now.

Iggy walked to the edge of the river and sat down. His feet brushed the surface of the water, making him want to reel away, run away. He took a deep breath and looked to Shi and Igshi. "I could help," he said, "but I think it's more fun watching you struggle." And that involved him not having to get wet. Iggy liked that idea a lot more. He brought his cupped hand into the water, then threw the water it had collected towards Igshi. The action had the dog struggling more. "Let him go. Think he can swim? The current's not strong, so you'd be able to catch up with him. Or... If you bring him here, it might be easier. Keeping him restrained will be safer when you're not in the middle of the river, right?" But when had Iggy ever showed interest in safety? His actions were uncharacteristic, but he spoke nothing of them. He could still feel the water on his feet, freezing. If he were to fall in... He couldn't bare the thought.

[Argon Jaden]

The stare Iggy received from Shion obviously said that he wasn't fooling the younger man any more than he was fooling himself. Shion kept his gaze for a few more seconds before he sighed and herded the dog closer to his friend. Igshi padded at the water stubbornly, but a quiet hiss from the dark haired youth had the dog quieting down considerably. Carding his fingers through the dark, maroon fur, he swam closer to the back, scrubbing the dog with soap and quickly rinsing him off.

"You should take a quick bath yourself." He repeated, once he was done with giving the dog a bath. Azure eyes stared at the mutt shaking himself dry on the banks before going over to sit beside Iggy. Shion watched quietly, lips pressed into a thin line. After a moment, he swam into deeper water and began his own bath, washing the grime out of his skin and carding his fingers through his hair.

Humming mutely to himself, he gave careful attention to washing the old scars littering his back, body almost completely submerged. He never wanted anyone to see his old wounds, no matter how old they were. In fact, he felt a little too conscious, despite knowing that Iggy was someone he shouldn't be ashamed of showing these scars to, but it was still a touchy subject. He shuffled closer to the deep end, feeling fish swim between his legs before he held his breath and ducked underwater, lightly running his hands against the uneven skin behind his legs.

Even until now, it brought pain and insecurities to him. He remembered the darkness. He remembered smoke lingering in the air, too heavy for his young lungs as he struggled to breathe. He could feel flames licking its way up his back, the heavy weight of burning wood pressed against the back of his thighs. Even until now, he could feel the fear coursing through him as he screamed in agony. Blue eyes opened in the murky water, thankfully washing away the tears that rarely slipped from his eyes. Gasping as he resurfaced, his face slipped back to its usual nonchalance. Sliding back to the banks, he repressed a shiver as he reached for his bag, managing to pull out a towel to dry his hair as he tugged on clothes over his damp skin, anxious to get the scars hidden and away from view.

Once he was done, he sat back and relaxed, Igshi padding over to him and settling its head on his stomach. "Do you want to hunt?" It'll be a little hard, given the fact that the dun was starting to set, but if they hurry, they could still catch some game.

[Ashen]

That look, it was the look Shi had given to Iggy many times before. There was a wisdom in those eyes, but Iggy didn't dare address it. He was too afraid of that confrontation, too afraid of talking about what he refused to bring to words. Iggy looked away, to the sparkling river beneath him. Maybe Shi wasn't as naive as Iggy would have liked to believe. He shook his head. Regardless, he was going to drop this. They were not going to talk about it.

The suggestion of a bath was mostly ignored. Iggy brought cupped water to splash over his legs, and he rubbed some into his arms, but it hardly did anything to wipe away the dirt. Iggy looked over to his friend, as if to say, "Look, I did it," but Shi was washing himself. He was completely submerged shoulders-down, and Iggy knew it was more to shield himself than to wash himself. Through the running water Iggy could just see the uneven lines, the raw skin and ugly marks left long ago. Shi was still self-conscious about them. It was just another thing those villains had ruined in him. Iggy looked away, disgusted not at his friend's body but at the people who had left him like that. His hands clutched to fists by his side. He'd end them, all of them.

Shi went under the water, and at first Iggy didn't notice that. He was too caught up in thinking of those mages to notice much else. After a while, however, he saw that Shi was still underwater, and he paused. Was he... drowning? Panic washed over the boy as he tried to figure out what he would do. He couldn't just go in there. Would Igshi know how to fetch his master? Would any branches help? How fast could Iggy run to town and grab some help? As thoughts whirled in his head, Iggy got up and looked behind him. Did Shi have that much time? Just as he was preparing to book it, he heard the sound of his friend, finally, coming up for water. Iggy turned sharply to see Shi's wet head of hair. He let out a long sigh. The kid was okay.

Anger followed relief, and suddenly the boy felt his fists clenching again. He turned away from his friend, ashamed and angered. He was willing to let his friend drown instead of diving in after him. Maybe he didn't know how to swim, but he could have done something. And yet, Iggy had allowed his fears to control him. He was willing to put his best friend's life on the line in search of help. He was pathetic. Some friend he was. Couldn't even overcome some stupid fear of water for his own brother.

Iggy's face soon returned to normal, but there was a fire in his eyes. He looked over Shi, now on land, and shrugged. "You're the pro hunter," he said. His voice seemed normal, though there was an underlying tone of some negative emotion. He didn't notice. "You can decide whether we hunt. Actually, I think it would be a good challenge." He looked down to the dog, who was looking up at Shi expectantly. "You going to teach him how to hunt? I shouldn't be around for that. How about we split up? Meet back here, in... two hours, with or without some prey. It gives you a chance to be free of me a little while, how 'bout it?" It gave Iggy a chance to let off steam, too. He loved spending time with Shi, but he didn't know for how much longer he could keep up the act. He was beyond disappointed in himself, and he wanted to handle that like he handled all else: by bottling it up and isolating himself.

[Argon Jaden]

From the deadpan look Shion gave him it was obvious that he was unimpressed with the so-called bath. He made a mental note to get them an inn-room at least once a week so his best friend could have a shower, or something. He sighed and patted Igshi's head, glancing up at Iggy with a curious stare. He could read his friend well by now and at times, he really wasn't sure how to use his words.

Scrunching his nose, he shook his head and drew closer, frowning softly. "Okay." He said, before reaching up and pulling his friend in for a hug. He had a hunch, with the obvious adamant approach towards water, and he only gave Iggy a squeeze before patting him on the back and patting him on the head, similar with how he pets their dog. "S'long as you make the fire." He said, and turned around without another word, calling the pup over his shoulder.

Igshi bounded behind Shion, who had his bow slung over his shoulder and a few arrows in his quiver. Giving his friend one last look, he turned and disappeared into the thicket, dog at his heels. It wasn't that hard to hunt in these kinds of places, given Shion's experience. He knew what to look for, where to look. The hard part was keeping Igshi at bay. At first, he thought that deer would be good, but realized that it would be too much to eat. Next came wild boars, but they were scarce in this region, except for the hoarseboar. Aggressive little shits, barely reaching past his knee. He exhaled.

'Why not?' He thought to himself, and began his hunt. Igshi wasn't that well-behaved, but the pup was a good listener, and that's what mattered. An hour and a half later, they came across some hoarseboar tracks and the youth paused, observing his surroundings and following the trail. It lead to a small clearing, where the pig was scourging the ground for mushrooms, truffles probably, and he waited for a while. Male, a year or two old. Full grown. Good.

Igshi bounded beside him and let out a happy bark, before charging the hoarseboar. It let out a surprised squeal before backing up, charging Igshi with its head lowered, tiny tusks ready to pierce the dog's underbelly. As soon as it got close enough, Shion let his arrow fly, the pointed tip embedding itself in the animal's eye as the dog pounced on the boar's exposed neck. chomping down on its throat until it stopped struggling. Shion sighed and stood up, making sure to shower Igshi with praise as he picked the the carcass up and settled it on his shoulders.

he glanced at the river, before shrugging. Might as well add some fish to the meal. They could sell it if he got the good ones anyway. Shedding off his clothes, and leaving his underwear on, he glanced around, hoping no one was looking and stepped in the banks, eyes narrowing as he notched an arrow. Ten fishes would be good. They could sell the rest tomorrow. He nodded to himself, arrowtip spearing a large salmon to the riverbed.

[Ashen]

The hug caught him by surprise, but Iggy hugged his friend back all the same, only after slight hesitation. He watched Shi and Igshi off, and when he was finally alone, he let out a sigh. Iggy had little intention of finding something for them to eat. He knew Shi would find something far superior anyway. Iggy needed his alone time, and now, he finally had it. He took off at a run, traversing through a forest and getting farther and farther from the river.

Iggy was sporting several new injuries when he returned to the river, an hour and a half later. He paused to listen, but he could hear nothing but the run of the river and the bustle of the nearby town. Good, Shi was still out. So, Iggy knelt down a good distance away from the water, and he got started on a fire. It was up in seconds, a ferocious little thing that seemed awfully big for the sticks Iggy had gathered. It was something of a specialty of his; with Shi always deflecting the fire-making duties to him, Iggy had grown very good at making and maintaining fires. He didn't mind it, either. Shi was probably nearly as afraid of fire as Iggy was of water. Iggy would gladly take up the fire duties if it meant his friend would be comfortable.

A few minutes passed. There was still no sign of Shi, so Iggy lay down and stretched out on the earth. He watched the clouds, thinking still of all he had done to hurt Shi. If he'd just been a better person, if he'd just overcome his fears... He shook his head. Next thing he knew, he was passed out.

When he woke, he heard the sound of splashing water. Iggy was sitting up in seconds, looking around for the water he heard. Memories flooded back to him, and he let out a sigh. He wasn't in the water. He was near a river. His friend was hand fishing. They were safe. Iggy got up and walked over to the river. "Shi?" he called gently, not wanting to startle the kid. The dog was barking at Iggy happily. Behind him was the carcass of a boar, their dinner. "Looks like you had more luck than I did! I got a fire started for us. You can stay there for a bit. I'll get started on the cooking." He was calmer now, thankful for the two hours--had it been two hours?--alone.

In just a few minutes Iggy had the boar in pieces, and he began cooking them over the open fire. He was paying attention to his task, for once, allowing Shi the opportunity to get out of the water without his scars being seen. Alone and cooking, with Igshi watching their dinner hungrily, Iggy started singing a jolly tune. He took a piece of meat off the fire and examined it, then set it aside. "No, boy," he said, when the dog went for it. "You have to wait until I finish. That piece is for Shi." But the dog didn't seem to care, and he tried to snap at it again. "Shi!" Iggy called. "Your dog's eager! Better get over here before he finishes off your meal."

[Argon Jaden]

Glancing over his shoulder, he gave a look to say that he acknowledge his friend and was back to the task at hand. So far, he had been far luckier than he expected, with their catch being rather big fishes that were hard to catch if you were to use a rod. It was a lot simpler to stick an arrow through them after all. Picking up his thirteenth catch of the day, the dark haired male looked up when he heard his name being called. He whistled to get the dog's attention before shyly stepping back out into the banks, making quick work of pulling his clothes over his head.

"Down." He commanded, voice soft, but enough for Igshi to hear and back off slightly. Settling down beside Iggy, he tried to wring the water out of his hair, subtly splashing some drops on the older boy before getting started on his meal, sneaking the dog a few bites. He was relatively silent the rest of the meal, 'sides the silent chewing, before sprawling flat on his back, licking his fingers to get the taste of meat that still lingered on his fingertips.

Glancing at the maroon haired male, he lightly poked his cheek with a spit-coated finger. "You've got new bruises." He said blandly, wiping the finger he used to poke Iggy with on the front of his pants. Igshi settled beside him, having run around quite a lot today and was more than willing to lay down and curl up by the fire. "Something on your mind?" He asked softly, a tone of concern in his usually deadpan voice.

While they were never ones for sharing feelings, especially Shion, it never hurt to let the other know that it was alright. It was a lot lighter that way, to be able to be fine because you know that there's someone watching your back. He curiously tilted his head. "Don't hurt yourself too much." He added, before poking at his side, wondering if he'll startle the other enough to make him jump. Thankfully, it wouldn't end up in a tickle fight because that was a loosing battle for him, but it was fun to simply poke at the older boy.

It was his form of trying to comfort his friend, anyway, especially when he did not know how to get his point and feelings across.

[Ashen]

Perceptive as always, Shi knew something was up. Iggy finished cooking the last pieces of meat they'd be eating before turning to his friend. The boy and his dog, it was a cute sight, and the older man had to smile at them. He batted Shi's hand away, not particularly wanting to be poked but also not wanting to be rude. "I'm alright," he said, already moving to hide his hands. There were burns at his fingertips, cuts on his arms. "I was just out in the forest, looking for something. You know how forests are. You trip over everything, every bush tries to maul you, et cetera. The fire had some resistance too, but don't you worry. I'm right as a whistle. Ah, is that how that saying goes...? Never mind."

Iggy wasn't one for talking about his feelings. He didn't like that the conversation was on him, and he didn't like that he was so unlike himself presently. Yes, he'd made a mistake, but it was over with now, and he would learn from it. Hopefully next time he would act less foolishly, but for now the two of them--or three of them, he thought, as he heard the soft snores of their dog--were alright.

Dismissing the negative emotions that came to him, Iggy concentrated instead on their meal. He wasn't very hungry anymore, but he still ate the entire piece he'd cut himself. "Tastes really good," he commented. "Between your hunting and my cooking, we'd probably make it big, don't you think? Imagine if we owned a restaurant or something. We'd start out as something small, and gradually keep growing until everyone in the world knew of our business. People would flock from the farthest lands to come to us, and it would be brilliant. Except... I guess that requires some money, doesn't it? Damn. What in life doesn't?"

He was joking again, sharing his big imagination with his best friend. Speaking about nonsense was getting his mind off of things, too. When he finished he shrugged and turned to look at the forest. "After this whole vengeance business is done, what do you think we'll do anyway? Think we'll go back to the guild? I think it'd seem smaller, once we're heroes and everything."

[Argon Jaden]

He didn't flinch when his hand was batted away, but did offer a wry half-smile, before poking him again, aiming for his sides. Well, he won't push it. If Iggy didn't want to talk, then Shion wouldn't force him to. It was the same for him. He cleared his throat, before poking him again, a little harder this time, and nudging Iggy's shoulder with his head, before keeping distance in case the other young man decides to get revenge.

"If we owned a restaurant?" He pondered, the thought causing him to snort softly and shake his head. "You need to work on your cooking skills." The dark haired youth commented, reaching beside him to stroke the pup's fur. His gunmetal-blue eyes glittered fondly at the sight of the pup. He was weak, and a runt at that, but given some time, he'd grow strong and sharp. And fast too.

Hearing the words from his friend, he stopped stroking, hand retreating to his side as he pondered on it. What would he do after? What would they do. He worried his lip in thought. "I don't know. We might get cuffed at the back of our heads for going against the elders once we get back. Hero or not." He said after a short while of pondering, knowing that it would be most likely. He glanced at Iggy. "What do you want to do after this is over?" He asked, voice soft. After getting his revenge, Shion knew that he wanted to live in the forests, probably own a hut made from his own hands, only to come into the market to buy and sell his killings. But that seemed a little lonely, even for himself.

[Ashen]

Iggy cast his friend a sideways glance. "My cooking is great!" he commented, motioning around them towards his fire pit and their meal. "Excuse you. I could have left you to cook over the fire, but we all know you can't hold a candle to my open-fire cooking, now can you?" He was joking, of course, and even let out a little laugh. It had all just been his imagination, but it was still fun to think about. The two of them, owners of a restaurant. Iggy didn't think it particularly fit either of their lifestyles, but it was still fun to hypothesize.

The question was bounced back to him. Iggy took a moment to contemplate, wondering what he really would do when they got back. "The elders have nothing to say to us," he reminded. "Your birthday, remember? You're an adult. They can't stop you, and they certainly can't stop me. Besides. We gave ample warning." Though they really hadn't. "I think... It would be fun to be a street performer. I could show off my blades, I think, and that would be really cool. Or maybe I could be a carpenter, or a smith, or something. I like working with my hands. But honestly, I don't know what I'll do. I've had a while to figure it out, and I'm still clueless. Maybe something will present itself on the journey."

Something else was at the back of Iggy's mind. He was thinking of his future, and the possibility that he might not have one at all. What would those fire mages do to the pair of them? Water was one thing, but Iggy would gladly take any burn for his friend. He'd perish by their flames, just so that Shi would be granted his peace. So what if they killed him? He turned away and shrugged, not wanting to think of the possibility. One way or another, Iggy knew the both of them would be coming out of this as different men. He wasn't sure if he was prepared to face what he knew was coming.

[Argon Jaden]

"... I don't think leaving without permission is ample warning." Shion said dryly, before resting his head and giving Iggy a long quiet glance. He lived in a big group, with lots of people he called family, and he was never alone then. He was choosing solitude now, but he knew that it would be different than to actually be alone.

He glanced away, instead, focusing on the dancing flames in front of him. For a moment, his mind wandered, face washed in orange hues as he took in the sight of the open flame. He was fine. At least, that was the lie he told himself. He could feel heat at his back, despite the flame being in front, and the air was so thick with smoke. He could see those tongues of flames licking a tent, consuming it and his cousins who were hiding inside.

Shion didn't realize how clammy his hands were, or that he was practically shaking, bug-eyed and breath coming out it labored pants. It took a while before he shook himself out of it and plopped backwards, fixing his blue eyes on the sky above. He needed to get over that fear. A sigh escaped his lips as he forced himself to calm down. His back began to throb and he grimaced, feeling ghost pain dance across his skin. The flesh had lost feeling in his skin, unable to feel hot or cold, but his muscles remember, despite the skin forgetting. He rolled to his side, huffing softly.

"Y-you'd make a good wood carver." He murmured after a while, after he had considerable calmed down. "Or a furniture maker." Shion added, flexing his fingers to calm himself down.

[Ashen]

Iggy didn't respond to Shi's remark, which placed the two in an extended silence. Iggy looked into the flames, not even realizing his friend was doing the same. His thoughts were much unlike Shi's; where Shi was scared of the dancing flames, Iggy held them in contempt. He loathed them for ruining his best friend's life, and by extension, his. Hands clutched into subtle fists at the thought of it all, but he forced himself to calm down. All in due time, they would get their revenge, and everything would be okay.

When he looked up at Shi, Iggy finally realized how scared the kid was. Figuring saying anything would frighten him, Iggy kept quiet, keeping a guarded eye on his friend. After he started shaking, Iggy reached a gentle hand over to Shi's shoulder, a way to show he was there, and that they were safe. Finally Shi looked up, coming out of his daze. Iggy could guess what he'd been thinking about. Suddenly, memories of his past clouded his vision, of a family he once knew, of the deaths of more than he could count. He turned away, and Shi rolled away, and they were left with a sad silence.

It was Shi who broke it, responding to a comment from earlier. Iggy looked up with a raised brow, then shrugged his prior thoughts away. "You think so?" he asked, looking to his hands. "Maybe while we're on the road and we run into some free time I can whittle you a little Igshi. How'd you like that?" He turned down to the dog, who was either ignoring him or asleep. "Could give all my figures to some kids, too, like a jolly old Father Christmas. I'm sure they'd like that." He lay back, resting his head on a rock. "Think we have time for a little nap before we head off again? The mood seems to have turned down, and I bet it'd be better to head off when you're feeling better, no?"

[Argon Jaden]

"Mmm... I'd like that, along with that two-year promise of a sculpture of yourself." He added after a while, allowing a little bit of playful bite to enter his tone. "The kids would like that too, though you need to get fatter." Still, he felt a little ashamed. The marks on his body burned against his nerves and he shuddered. "It's cold."

That was his way of saying that he wasn't fine. He wasn't, but he can't talk about it. Shion knew he was broken, and there was really nothing he could do about it. Also, what about it? No sense in dwelling about the past, despite the past unable to let him go. He exhaled, knowing that thinking about this would just break him.

"Iggy?" He said after a while, scooting away from the fire. "Thanks." And with that, he forced his eyes shut, allowing his body to slip down into a hopefully dreamless sleep, though the bitter taste at the back of his throat told him otherwise. He would just have to deal with it. He knew, he needed to grow stronger if he wanted to avenge his family. The future can be discovered afterwards.

[Ashen]

He looked over to his friend, a smirk on his lips. "A sculpture of me," he repeated, envisioning just that. "I don't think I need to get fatter. I like the way I look." That was partially true. Iggy didn't like how bony he was, and knew that, if given the choice of a proper diet with foods he actually wanted to eat, he'd grow into a dashing form. But for now, his body was too small for his liking, something he often overlooked anyway. "Maybe some day," he murmured with a dismissive wave of his hand.

It seemed as if Shi was going to take his suggestion for a moment, but then he used the code phrase. Iggy looked up, unsure of how to make his friend feel better. He wasn't okay, and Iggy couldn't figure out what was wrong. "I'm here," he said gently. "You're safe now, I promise." Perhaps it wasn't something he could promise like that, heading out into the unknown, but Iggy was determined he was not going to let harm befall his friend again.

He deflected the thanks he received, not knowing what it was from but not wanting to break the moment in asking. Besdies, Shi was out in a few more moments, leaving Iggy to his fire and his thoughts. He put out the fire quickly and looked up at the sky. They still had such a long journey ahead of them. How were they going to make it out of this alright? He turned to Shi, sleeping soundly. The kid looked peaceful, for once. Would Iggy ever come to make that expression a permanent one? He lay back down and sighed. He would figure things out. One way or another, he always did.

Iggy was haunted by a nightmare. This nightmare, however, was forever ingrained in his memory. It had really happened, so long ago, the reason he had been completely alone when found by the guild. It was something he never talked about, not even to Shi. Normally, it didn't bother him so much, but now, perhaps because things were changing, it was there, taunting him. He tossed and turned in his sleep, getting very little, until finally, at the climax of his memory, he woke with a start. Dazed, he looked around and oriented himself. There were tears in his eyes, which he very hastily wiped away. "Shi?" he murmured, wondering if the younger man had woken first.

[Argon Jaden]

Despite not being a light sleeper (on days when he was emotionally exhausted) Shion felt the air shift and was awake within seconds, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Igshi let out a low whie and was pawing at Iggy, glancing at the dark haired male every now and then. He realized it must be a nightmare. Again. Pressing his lips together, he scooted close until their arms touched.

As Iggy rolled around, he watched, not really trying to wake him up, knowing how futile it would be and his best friend might end up attacking him. A punch to the face isn't exactly something he'd want right now, intentional or not. So instead, he exhaled and patted his head, removing his hands when he saw those eyelids fluttering. When the older youth woke up with a gasp, Shion tilted his head.

"I'm here." He said softly, visibly hesitating for a bit. He remembered how much he wished for his father's arms around him and his mother's soothing voice by his ear every time he had his nightmares, but it was still awkward to show that level of affection. Instead, he lightly nudged Iggy's shoulder. "You're awake." He said softly, keeping close enough so that his friend could count of him for comfort.

He didn't ask whether or not he wanted to talk, already knowing the answer. Instead, he stood up and stretched. The sky was dark, probably a few minutes after mid-eve and that mean a few more hours. "You going to sleep again?" He asked, plopping back down after his little stretch. The fire still had burning embers in it, and it was probably going to smolder for a few more minutes before completely dying out. He shuffled closer to the older boy, frame trembling slightly as the cold gust of evening air blew around them. Even Igshi snuggled closer for warmth. "I'm going back to sleep." He said after a while, reaching for his bag and pulling out a thick blanket he specifically used for sleeping outdoors. Claiming one end for himself, and using the pup as a body pillow (surprisingly, the dog didn't mind) he settled, but his eyes were still open, his body awake as he felt for the older boy.

[Ashen]

He'd woken Shi. Iggy didn't have to ask to know he had. The kid had a way of waking just before he ever did when they were together. Iggy shook his head, trying to shake his nightmare away. He smiled weakly at Shi. "I know," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." He looked to the fire, which had re-ignited in small sparks while they'd been asleep. He stared at it for a few minutes, not answering his friend's question, not knowing the answer himself.

When Shi announced that he was returning to his sub-conscious, Iggy shrugged. "I will too," he said, though he knew that wasn't going to happen. He lay down again. Shi and Igshi seemed to fall asleep again without any difficulty. For a while, Iggy stayed staring at the stars, thinking about his nightmare. He hated those nightmares, hated them with a fiery passion. Thinking about it would get him nowhere. So, when he was sure Shi and his dog were both asleep, he got up and went for another walk.

Iggy returned at sunrise with a whole chocolate cake in his hands. He set it beside Shi, then nudged his friend. "Hey. Get up. I brought breakfast." It had been stolen, of course, but he was sure the baker wouldn't mind. The cake was a day old; it would have only been thrown out anyway. "Shi. Shi Shi, let's go, we have places to be. I'm excited to get out of here." He took a piece of cake with his hands, shoved it into his mouth, and nudged Shi again. "While you were sleeping, some of us were actually being productive. Look." Once finished with his chocolate cake, he pulled a half-finished wooden figure out of his pocket. It looked like the start of a leafless tree. "I needed something to do. Figure it's a good hobby while you're being lazy."

[Argon Jaden]

Hr opened his eyes at the first nudge, blearily wiping the sleep from his eyes. Staring up at his friend, he let out a sleepy yawn before sitting up, undoing his hair and running his hands through it. "What time is it?"He murmured softly, not really noticing the cake or the jabs as he was a little more concerned with getting his hair out of the way.

With one final yawn, he reached out for the cake, taking a dainty bite of the slice in his hands. Cleaning up the slice, he glanced over at the figure, licking his thumb before touching it with his clean hand. "I'm not being lazy, but we could use that to pay for some extra cash." Shion said, before a playful gleam flashed in his eyes. It was gone in an instant though.

"Good job." He said with a grin, before it was gone as fast as one could blink. Dusting his hands, he made his way towards the edge of the water, leaning down to drink and gargle before splashing water on his face. Shaking his head, he glanced over his shoulder. "Let's wrap up."

Technically, it only took five minutes to pack up, and in between bites as well. The chocolate cake was gone by now, and Shion paused to feed Igshi with the remaining meat from last night's hunt. "We need a boat, right? What's today's agenda?"

[Ashen]

"Today's agenda is... getting out of here." Iggy didn't like the sound of a boat. He didn't want to cross any water, but he knew he would have to, if not today then eventually. He put it out of his mind. "Did you still want to say goodbye to everyone? We're a day removed, and we'll be back, so I understand if you don't want to. I don't think they'll mind too much if we don't return for a little while."

Iggy started pacing, trying to plan their next courses of action. He didn't mind or not whether they returned to the guild first. "You're better at this." He shrugged his shoulders, and soon his attention was lost again. He was wandering off, assuming Shi and his dog would follow. Like usual, Iggy wasn't paying much attention to what he'd left: the crumbs and plate from the chocolate cake littered the floor. He took his bag with him, an improvement from leaving everything to Shi. "Come on, slowpoke," he called behind him. "We have things to do."

He started back to town and lingered there, not knowing their next course of action. "Are we going back to the Ol' Seraph?" he asked. "Or are we just leaving? If we're leaving, we should go... this way." Iggy said, suddenly pointing to what seemed to be a random direction. "Gut instinct, Shi. Always trust them."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion scrunched his nose at that, but shook his head. He had a feeling that if they returned, the elders would be at their throats. He could already hear the scoldings they were going to receive. "Let's move then." He said, following the direction Iggy pointed at, despite his doubts.

"Your gut instinct led us to a stampede." He reminded dryly, recalling that one time they went to the woods to hunt and came across a herd of deer. The moment those dainty things heard them, the stags ran at them, charging at both boys as the rest of the herd erupted into chaos. On the flip side, they managed to kill three deer. On the bad side, they nearly got stomped underhoof.

They need to find out where to buy the cheapest boat, and not to mention, how safe their surroundings were. He could sell the fish he caught, and did just that, earning a decent sum for his catch, but not enough to buy them a rowboat. Well... they could probably afford one boat, but that would deplete their coins on hand. He glanced at the forest.

"..... We should go hunting." He stated, then sell the meat to town, buy a boat, restock and get past the river. However, he faintly recalled the forest being very dangerous, home to some odd beasts or something. But then again, they were pretty much alive and safe last night. He hummed thoughtfully. "What do you think?"

[Ashen]

They decided to not return to their guild. Iggy was done with his goodbyes anyway, he had seen the guild members all yesterday and some of them early that morning. Would they even care that the two of them were gone? He didn't care to think on it. They would probably be glad they wouldn't be causing mischief for them anymore. Iggy shrugged his shoulders, and he led his friend away from their guild, their home for most of their lives.

He ignored the anecdote that Shi brought up. The event in question, in which they had nearly died by a herd of deer, was not something he wanted to remember. But then, they had gotten what they had come for. He was glad they could earn some coin from their fishing attempts, but the idea of hunting wasn't too appealing to him. "I don't know," Iggy muttered, looking around the town that they were in. "I think we could make more money if we split up. Why don't you do some hunting? I can stay in town. I think I know a way of making more money than if we both hunted."

Iggy knew exactly how he was going to earn his money. If they put together the money made from the fish and Shi's hunting, they would only need a bit more to cover the costs of a small boat ride. He'd easily be able to pickpocket that much, and with time to spare. After he was done ensuring their wages, he might even have time to get some food and supplies, too. If Iggy could continue like this, they would never be short on supplies. But Iggy didn't want to tell his friend that. He knew Shi wouldn't approve, which was not going to stop him anyway.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Have fun teaching the dog to hunt," he said dismissively. "We'll meet up here when you're done, yeah? I bet, later on, if I have some more time to whittle, I could even sell those. For now... You just leave it up to me, yeah Shi?"

[Argon Jaden]

Shion narrowed his eyes. He didn't exactly approve of the pickpocketing but knew that there really was no other way. He sighed. "Don't get caught." He warned, rubbing Igshi's ear for reassurance. Instead of heading off to the forest, he followed Iggy back to town, making a beeline for the announcement boars smack in the middle of the town square.

Things like these were useful, aside from the fact that he could hunt, might as well hunt and get paid a hefty price. So far, there were cheap ones, ones that were a little dangerous and others that were too easy. Humming softly, he ripped two requests off. "Meet you in five hours." He said, before walking off with Igshi nipping at his heels.

The quests were easy enough; hunt five prickleboars and fish for a Shalefish that was bigger than fifty. Nothing too hard. Shion blinked, noticing that he was already in the forest. Exhaling softly, the young hunter got his bow and arrow ready before darting into the woods.

-Five Hours Later-

The youth hissed in pain as he leaned oddly against the wall. There were scrapes all over his hands, but he wasn't going to let Iggy see those. Walking slowly towards their meeting place, he felt himself getting even more sore with every step. He realized at that moment that he hated Shalefish.

[Ashen]

Iggy rolled his eyes at Shion, wondering how the kid always knew his intentions. He waited for the boy to leave. Once he did, he got to work mingling with the crowd. Iggy was too good at this. He slipped between groups of people, taking what he wanted, taking care not to be seen. No one noticed him, no one even looked his way. After a couple hours, Iggy decided he could relax. He found a bench out of the way of the main streets, and he emptied his pockets.

He'd managed to get quite a bit today, due in large part to the amount of traffic through the town. Iggy certainly wasn't complaining, especially not as he counted up his coins. He'd taken a lot, totaling enough to pay for about two thirds of a decent ship. He'd also snagged a golden bracelet that he would sell later, and a sandwich that was still fresh. Biting into his sandwich, he looked over the people walking by. They were all too easy. Iggy dropped the coins into his coin purse, stashed the bracelet away, and he got up again. He still had time until he had to meet Shion, so he began to explore.

When it came time to meet with his friend, Iggy walked to their meeting place with his hands full. He was holding a piece of wood. Etched into it was a design, still too new to make out. It looked like it was made with fire, the burned parts of wood added to the shading of the design. Iggy was confident in this artwork, but he'd need to make a new fire to continue working on it. Maybe he'd even be able to sell this, his burned wood artwork. Holding it tight, he looked around for his friend. He found him without too much difficulty. Their dog yapped when he saw Iggy.

Iggy walked over to Shion and looked over his friend. "You look exhausted," he said, already moving to feel for a fever. "Hunting couldn't have been that bad? Igshi give you much trouble?" But the dog looked normal, carefree. "If I knew hunting'd take so much out of you, I might have offered to help. Might​."

[Argon Jaden]

Even if Iggy wasn't going for his hands, he had stuffed them into his pocket, stepping a little bit out of the other's space. Realizing his obvious mistake, and probably now, Iggy would notice something off, he tried again. "I'm fine. Fishing just didn't go too well."

He left out the part where his hands bled as he grabbed onto the wriggling large, fish as it dragged him to deeper water and probably would've drowned him if he didn't stab it in the hills before swimming to shore. Trying to switch the topic, he cleared his throat.

"I managed to get more than expected." He said, sliding a rather heavy bag of money from his pocket and handing it to the older male. It should be enough to buy an entire boat and still have some extra. In that sense, the Shalefish was worth it. Igshi barked from his place and nudged Shion's hand, and the boy obliged by rubbing his knuckles over the dog's head.

"We should buy a boat now before we do anything else. I'm sure the meat we have is still enough t OK last us for the trip to the other side."

[Ashen]

Shion shied from Iggy's touch, and the older man knew something was wrong. He looked over his best friend curiously. Maybe he should have helped him, after all. Just what kind of trouble had the kid managed to get himself into? Iggy looked away, guilt creeping into his expression. First the water, now this? Iggy was leaving his best friend alone a lot, and Shi was worse for it. It was supposed to be a journey for both of them. If Iggy kept treating his friend like this, maybe he wouldn't be missed if he did die.

Shion produced a bag of coins, and Iggy was surprised to find it was bigger and heavier than his own. He furrowed his brow. "The hell did you reel in?" he asked, opening the purse and looking through the gold and silver pieces inside. They'd have enough to buy a sizable boat now if they wanted. "I'm impressed, Shi. I wasn't expecting this from you. I mean, I know you're good and all, but... wow." He closed up the purse and looked up at the boy petting his dog. Maybe Shion didn't need him at all anymore.

The two and their dog went off to buy a boat. In a short while they had one, a rather small thing that could comfortably fit three people. They still had plenty of money to spare, too; Iggy even joked about living like a royal for a little while. They could now cross bodies of water, which would make traveling easier, but Iggy didn't like that. He imaged them on their small boat in the middle of an ocean, stranded, prepared to die, and he was completely powerless. The thought sent shivers through his body. It wouldn't come to that, it couldn't come to that.

Iggy looked down at their new boat, bobbing gently in the water. He set his wooden artwork in it and turned to his companion. "Are we... are we riding so soon?" he asked. "I suppose, it would get us where we need to be quicker, if they even are still down there..." He was muttering to himself, but when he realized it he straightened. "You contributed to the boat more; you decide."

[Argon Jaden]

All the while, Shion kept his hands to himself, in the very literal sense of the phrase. As much as possible, he didn't let Iggy see the jagged wounds on his palms. Well, worrying can start later. As the three of them stared at the boat, he blinked, rather surprised that the reigns was being given to him. It urged a small smile from his lips and he nodded.

"Restock?" They had the money, and it would be best if he had something for his hands... And probably some extra blankets. He glanced behind them. "What do you think?"

Obviously, he'd watch the boat, knowing how queasy the other was in water. He does notice these things after all. Not to mention, it should give Iggy some time to clear his head and strengthen his resolve. Humming softly, he tilted his head, prompting for a response.

"You can take Igshi with you." He added, jumping on the boat with a wince, completely forgetting the raw wounds on his hands. He quickly hid them from view before settling down on the boat, staring at Iggy with unblinking eyes and a small, subtle, expectant smile.

[Ashen]

Shion was still acting weird. Iggy cocked his head at the way the kid winced when he sat down. The dog noticed this and mimicked the action, his ears perking up. Iggy noticed and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Igshi," he said, taking the dog by a makeshift rope leash. "We'll be back soon. I'll pick up a few things. We're still good on food, yeah? So maybe just practical things..." He tried to think of things they'd need. "Right. Be safe."

Iggy made his way to town. Igshi's tail was wagging the whole time. "Aren't you tired?" Iggy asked the mutt, staring down at him with an arched brow. "Haven't you just been hunting with Shi? And you're still wanting to walk around. I thought dogs slept all day." A couple people saw him talking to his dog and moved away from him. Iggy didn't notice or didn't care; he made his way to the market and looked over the goods. "Think Shi would want a new shirt or something? A spare couldn't hurt, especially when it starts to get cold. Or a blanket, that might be a good idea. What do you think?" The dog wasn't paying attention. His focus was on a meat cart across the way. "Oi, Igshi," Iggy said, yanking on his leash. "I'm master here. Why did Shi leave me with you anyway?"

Iggy's trip to the herbalist was disastrous. He didn't know what herbs were good for what, and asking the vendor just got him frustrated. In a fit he bought a satchel of varied plants and walked off, not wanting to deal with any more things he did not understand. Shion was better at that, too, and he was wondering why the kid didn't opt to restock himself.

Finally Iggy was ready to head back. He had a bag tied around Igshi's collar, and the dog was happily dragging their herbs along with them. Iggy was carrying everything else: tops, blankets, spare wood, minor tools. Now that they had a boat, they had a bit of room for storage, too. He made his way back to the river and hesitated. Now they would have to head off, on water. He held his breath, and he walked back towards Shion.

His calm composure was back. Iggy smiled at his best friend and set their things onto the boat. "You can look through it all. I left us with quite a bit of money. Igshi helped." He untied the bag from his collar and tossed it to Shion. "Bad move sending me to get stuff. But look, I managed. Now. Let's be off, shall we?"

[Argon Jaden]

As he watched his friend leave, Shion took his hands out and immediately dipped them in the water. He made work of cleaning his wounds, gingerly wrapping them up with the space rolls of bandage he has.

When that was done, he looked at some of the meat he didn't sell, and began to prepare something to eat for when Iggy came back. While dinner was cooking by the shore, he was glancing at the sky, trying to remember where they were and hazarding a few guesses about where their targets were. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to face them.

Three hours later, Iggy strolled back with Igshi and the young hunter greeted them with a smile. "Seems like you had fun." He mused, before nodding at the skewered meat that Igshi seems to be taking an interest in. "Grab something to eat. I ate already." He said, untying the herbs and humming in appreciation at the leaves. There were a few curious choices there, like the pink bulbs, though he guessed they'd need tranquilizers at some point, and the sickle-shaped mushrooms that was used to treat watery bowels. However, he did pause and stare at Iggy before raising a small bag of curiously colored Violet and pink leaves.

"Setivia leaves?" He asked curiously. "Are you planning on using this on someone?" It was a relatively potent aphrodisiac, but wasn't well-known around here. The knot reason he knew about it was because his mother had been quite knowledgeable when she still walked the earth. It would be hard for one not to pick up a thing or two. Then again, this was also a herbal tea that could increase alertness. The aphrodisiac was merely a side effect after all. He popped the smallest leaf in his mouth, humming around the bitter flavor in his mouth. Most of the plants were relatively safe if you knew how the correct dosage.

He used the time to set things in the spaces on their boat before untying it from the shore. With his bandaged hands on display, something he had forgotten about in the time alone, Shion motioned for him to come aboard. "You ready to go?"

- - - Updated - - -

As he watched his friend leave, Shion took his hands out and immediately dipped them in the water. He made work of cleaning his wounds, gingerly wrapping them up with the space rolls of bandage he has.

When that was done, he looked at some of the meat he didn't sell, and began to prepare something to eat for when Iggy came back. While dinner was cooking by the shore, he was glancing at the sky, trying to remember where they were and hazarding a few guesses about where their targets were. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to face them.

Three hours later, Iggy strolled back with Igshi and the young hunter greeted them with a smile. "Seems like you had fun." He mused, before nodding at the skewered meat that Igshi seems to be taking an interest in. "Grab something to eat. I ate already." He said, untying the herbs and humming in appreciation at the leaves. There were a few curious choices there, like the pink bulbs, though he guessed they'd need tranquilizers at some point, and the sickle-shaped mushrooms that was used to treat watery bowels. However, he did pause and stare at Iggy before raising a small bag of curiously colored Violet and pink leaves.

"Setivia leaves?" He asked curiously. "Are you planning on using this on someone?" It was a relatively potent aphrodisiac, but wasn't well-known around here. The knot reason he knew about it was because his mother had been quite knowledgeable when she still walked the earth. It would be hard for one not to pick up a thing or two. Then again, this was also a herbal tea that could increase alertness. The aphrodisiac was merely a side effect after all. He popped the smallest leaf in his mouth, humming around the bitter flavor in his mouth. Most of the plants were relatively safe if you knew how the correct dosage.

He used the time to set things in the spaces on their boat before untying it from the shore. With his bandaged hands on display, something he had forgotten about in the time alone, Shion motioned for him to come aboard. "You ready to go?"

[Ashen]

Iggy was surprised to return to a meal. The sandwich he had stolen and eaten had filled him, but he could always make room for more food. He gingerly stepped onto the boat and took up some meat, trying to distract himself with the taste and texture. While he and Igshi ate, Iggy noticed Shion sifting through the herbs he had brought back with bandaged hands. He raised a brow and looked around, wondering what his friend had been up to.

He finished his food quickly enough, and cocked his head at Shion again. "Hm?" he said when the younger had mentioned something about one of the plants. "Seti--what? Look, I don't know what any of those are. The lady who sold them all to me said it was an all-purpose mixture, so I took her up on her word. Is it poisonous?" But Shion ate a leaf, so Iggy breathed a little easier. Maybe it was safe after all. "You'd know better about any of that stuff than I would. Just be lucky I didn't pick up anything that'll kill us. I mean, probably, right?"

After Shion looked through their new things, he asked if they were all ready to go. Iggy hesitated. He didn't want to be out on the water, not tied to the solid earth, but he knew he would have to be soon. They needed to catch those mages, and he was not going to let his stupid fears get the better of him. But first... "No," he answered, and very carefully he moved towards Shion. He grabbed for his hands. "What happened?" he asked. There was no rising intonation; perhaps he was demanding, instead. When he realized his tone, Iggy let Shion go, and he inched away. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just... I care, you know?"

Iggy looked out at the water. He felt fear crawl into him, so he looked up at the sky instead. "Communication is important, yeah?" he said. "And I know you don't really like talking, or telling people how you feel, but we're all we've got out here, Shi. We're on our own for... who knows how long. And if you don't tell me things, well, it feels almost as if you're not there at all, you know?" He looked back to his friend. "I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you out here, which is why I need to know when something ails you, and especially when I might be able to help with bad potpourri and even worse jokes."

But wasn't he the hypocrite? Iggy averted his gaze again, knowing full well he had no room to talk. His aversion to water, his own past; there were things he refused to talk about, too. But those, he figured, were not life or death. Those he could handle himself, and not plague Shion with. At least, not yet, and not for as long as he could manage.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion snorted, tucking his hands in his pocket. "You bought Setivia. It's supposed to be something to keep you alert, but the can double as an aphrodisiac. Especially with the quantity you bought." He murmured, trying to delay his explanation.

But knowing that he can't really keep his mouth shut, lest he upsets the other, it was best he spoke. Pulling out his hands, he began to gingerly unwind the bandages, wincing when the wound caught on to the cloth. Finally, it was there for all to see; slightly jagged wounds, not deep, but they probably hurt a lot thankfully, it's already healing.

"I... Went Shalefish hunting. It payed really well... But you know how hard it is to catch one." Not to mention, how dangerous. The dark haired youth slowly began to rewrap his hand, eyes downcast. Igshi whined beside him, tongue lolling lit as he stared at the two.

"I didn't want to burden you with a minor scratch, and didn't want you to worry about it is all." He said honestly, once he had finished bandaging everything. Shuloving his hands back to his pockets, as gently as he could, he fidgeted, wondering if he had anymore questions.

[Ashen]

An aphro--oh. Iggy suddenly realized why Shion was questioning his choices. He wondered if the herbalist knew, if she had included that particular herb as a joke. What reason would Iggy have for something like that? He wouldn't dream of such a thing, taking advantage of anyone, not like that. Face coloring, he looked away and shrugged his shoulders.

Then Shion went to show the wounds on his hands. Iggy looked over them with a blank expression. When Shion finished talking, Iggy sighed. "And you weren't going to tell me," he said. "You thought it would be a good idea to cut yourself all up with a dumb fish, one I would have helped you catch at that. What if it had struck a vein? What if you'd developed an infection? And for what--so we could get a boat? A boat we probably could have gotten with regular fish or game? Shion that's more than a minor scratch, and you can't be..."

Iggy had to stop himself. Who was he to talk to the kid like that? He was a man now, and even if they were a pair, they were both individuals. Iggy had to realize Shion wasn't his responsibility. So Iggy let out a long sigh, and he turned away. He felt even worse about the boat, knowing what his best friend had gone through to get it. He took a moment to compose himself, then looked away again. "You do you, Shi. Let's get going, shall we?"

[Argon Jaden]

Shion pursed his lips, chewing the herb in his mouth. Already, he could feel himself getting more alert, and getting his belly warm. Thankfully, it was getting a little chilly so it all worked out. Tucking his hands back into his pockets, he nodded, knowing that Iggy was probably upset that he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to go that wrong." He said, bumping his head to Iggy's shoulder blades. He kept his forehead resting there, letting out a breath through his nose. He knew that it wasn't the best idea, though it seemed good at the time, and he was sorry for overstepping his boundaries. He gently pressed his nose against the back of his friends shoulders, giving him a gentle nuzzle, much like an apologizing animal, before stepping back.

With a soft sigh, he plopped down on the boat and unfurled one of the maps, gunmetal blue eyes staring at the images depicted on paper. "We go to the other side right? Then beware the monsters yonder?" Shion, who wasn't really much for talking, asked meekly, trying to get something done.

[Ashen]

The kid really was sorry, and Iggy could tell. He was nuzzling up to him, and while Iggy didn't like that so much, he didn't move away. He let Shion finish his apologizing ritual, then watched as he looked over the map. Iggy's eyes went to the other side of the river, which seemed like it was miles away. He inched closer to Shion and looked over the map. "It'd be better if we went this way," he said, tracing the river with his finger. "We could dock here, at the southern point, and then walk northeast on foot. We want to get... here," he said, pointing to a dot that resembled a town. "You think you can handle that?"

He inched away again, almost landing on their dog and causing him to yip. "Sorry, Ig," he muttered, though his mind was elsewhere. While he was right, the longer journey on the river would save them more time, he didn't like his idea much. He held his breath, counted the seconds it would take him to drown. He had to keep reminding himself that they'd be okay.

Eventually Shion got the boat moving. Iggy was perfectly still as they bobbed on the water. Igshi jumped happily onto his lap, but Iggy's hands were shaking too hard to even pick the dog up. He sat on them to prevent Shion from seeing them. Softly, he started humming to himself, a lullaby he'd learned in childhood. Iggy had never hummed it before, had never brought up any of his past. It seemed to be working now in calming him. His humming grew less shaky, though he did not remove his gaze from the inside of the boat.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion had deemed his apology accepted when Iggy began to give them coordinates and orders. He nodded and hummed, but didn't say anything else. He squinted at the paper, lips pursed before glancing out into the waters. He knew which path to take, though to be honest, sailing a boat wasn't his forte. He could do it, but he wasn't as skilled.

One glance at Iggy though and he knew his friend was uncomfortable in the water. Try as he might, Shion didn't miss the shaking hands and the uneasy gaze. He wanted to ask, but knew that confrontation wasn't something they'd both like at the moment. So he just focused on sailing the small boat.

Not an hour later, there was a slap against the hull, followed by another, and another. Shion growled softly under his breath, peering over at the restless waters. Anything could be out there at the moment. He just hoped it was fish.

[Ashen]

Iggy was completely concentrated on trying not to panic. He was counting the seconds before his breaths, trying to think he was somewhere else. He imagined an area, and he was tied up, being pulled left and right, but he could not convince his mind that that was the cause of this shaking. His hands were growing hot, too hot, and he could guess what would come next. Nausea bubbled its way to his stomach, and threatened to reach further, but Iggy swallowed and held it down. He was not going to make this worse.

They had been sailing for years, or that's what it seemed like, when their boat quaked. Iggy paused, wide-eyed. He looked around, and there it was again. Something was beating at their boat. Iggy looked at the boat, tried to determine its sturdiness. Would it break and leave them stranded out here? Would it tip over and leave them to swim, or drown? The nausea was coming back, and Iggy didn't know what to do.

He could see it, the water over his head. His lungs slowly filled. Suffocation, Iggy thought. He was going to drown like this. He knew this must have been his imagination, that he was on the boat with Shion, but his feelings were so real. It was a flashback, he recognized, the first time he'd fell into water. The voices above him were of his family members, the people he had not seen in over a decade. His body started shaking harder as they spoke, their words broken up by time. Iggy hummed louder, but that could not drown out the sound of their panicked cries.

Finally he snapped out of it. He got up, causing the boat to shake, and looked out at the treacherous waves. "Come on out," he called, unsheathing his blades. "You want to make a mockery of me, I'll make a kebab out of you. On then, let's see you."

[Argon Jaden]

As the boat rocked, Shion kept his eyes on Iggy, but his other senses were working on overdrive. It was a little distracting to try and see what's attacking you on a moving vessel, but with the subtle bumps, he can say that it wasn't trying to capsize their boat. He inched towards the center, startling a bit when his best friend yelled.

Igshi barked loudly in agreement, voice cracking with youth as the waves churned. Only Shion stared on the hull. It was probably a good thing he did, because the next moment, he felt something slimy curl around him. A startled yelp escaped him and he wriggled free, eyes wide with surprise as his head narrowly missed a large set of jaws clamping before his eyes. "Lemprei Eels!!" He called out, managing to distinguish them now. The things had a long sleek body, with large jaws and milky eyes atop their head. What was concerning was the hands on its sides, with webbed fingers that helped propel it in the water.

There was a hiss and Shion unsheathed his knife, parrying another row of teeth that was after him. "Where's the leader?!" These things hunted in schools, and the only way to take them out efficiently is by killing the leader. The school would scatter after that. But with the rate things were going- "Duck!" His arrow flew into the air, knocking two of the beasts back into the water.

He felt something slimy wrap around his torso and the dark-haired youth gasped when teeth dug in his leg. One of the eels latched on and was wriggling wildly, trying to take a chunk of his leg out. Shion hissed, and began to stab the eel with his knife while parrying the onslaught of jaws and webbed appendages trying to pin down the injured prey.

[Ashen]

Iggy would deny it to his death, but he was terrified. He watched in horror as the things leapt out of the water and tried to latch onto their prey. He stood, frozen, for a moment. Then his whole body shook, and he finally regained movement. He swiped at the closer beasts with his swords, slicing through some, barely missing others. Each movement was far too labored. Iggy was fighting more than these dangerous fish. He was fighting his own memories and fears.

He was far too concentrated to even look towards Shion. The kid could handle himself out here far better than even Iggy could. He would not have noticed his friend flailing if not for their dog barking ferociously. Iggy then turned, and he saw the eel wriggling about on Shion's leg. "No," he said, almost inaudible. Gripping his swords, he slashed at the thing, cutting it off his friend, and nearly slicing off a leg in the process. The now jawless fish helplessly flailed on their boat. Iggy sent both swords through it, and soon, it flopped its last.

The teeth were still stuck in bare flesh, but Iggy figured Shion would handle that later. They hadn't the time to stop and tend to wounds with so many of them about. In the water, Iggy noticed a larger eel that the others seemed to be circling. "There," he said, pointing a blade at it. It was coming towards their boat. When it finally jumped at Iggy, he raised his hooked swords, and he watched as the thing swallowed his blade. It came out through what he assumed to be its chest, and Iggy moved his sword around, causing it a painful demise.

That was when another jumped into their boat and latched onto Iggy's hand. He winced in pain and tried to pry it off with his other hand, dropping both his blades. Its grip was too strong, and he could not even get it to budge. Blood was flying everywhere. He could feel his hands and face getting hot, and sweat began to pour from his pores. He struggled and walked around, and before he knew it, there was no longer solid surface under his feet. He slipped right off the boat, into the infested waters, and he could see his life flash before him.

Every survival sense left him. Iggy stayed perfectly still. He could feel the eel sucking his life away. Another might have joined it, he couldn't tell. Memories were drowning him faster than the water. His body felt like it was on fire, like back then, like what had started it all.

[Argon Jaden]

When Iggy came to his rescue, Shion barely had time to say thanks, ignoring the pain in his leg as he slashed and stabbed at the beasts. A gigantic splash caught his attention and he looked for the source. The attacks had come to a sudden halt. The leader was flopping on the boat, sword stuck in its throat as Igshi made sure of its demise.

Outside the boat, there was wriggling movement. He hissed. "Shit. No." he dropped his bow, grabbed hi hunting knives and dove in. The water was filled with blood, and he was guessing that the creatures were all a-frenzy about it. The blood trailed from the descending figure, a few eels latched onto it. Gritting his teeth, Shion unsheathed his blades and swam down with practiced ease.

The blood was attracting more predators and by the time he reached Iggy, he was almost short on breath. His injured leg was throbbing. Forcing his adrenalin to pump through his veins one last time, he severed the eels from his friend, and dug the blades into their sheaths. His eyesight was turning black and he took a second to compose himself before grabbing Iggy under his arms and proppeling upward. He gasped loudly as he broke the surface, coughing up water as he hauled Iggy on the boat, where Igshi was still tormenting the dying Eel. He winced and flopped in after, taking a look at the bleeding holes on his leg. Iggy had a large number of those too. He hissed, ignoring the way his braid fell out of it's tie and flopped uselessly against his back.

"Wake up. Iggy. Wake up." His voice, normally calm, had a touch of panic to it when the other was not responding. A low whine sounded in the air and he wasn't sure whether it was him or Igshi, who was nosing the side of Iggy's face. Shion pressed his lips together and leaned in, ear to his friend's nose. Taking deep breaths, he forced his hands to stop shaking as he tilted Iggy's head back and covered his nose. This was one of the techniques used to revive the drowned, aside from hanging them upside down, and he grit his teeth, feeling unease creep up on him. He hadn't done this in years. "Wake up." He gave him a few more chest compressions and leaned in to press their mouths together, worry etched into his features as he continued to repeat the action over and over again.

[Ashen]

There was darkness on all sides, a chilling sight for the one born of light. He could feel fire clutching his hands, seething his skin. There was some voice, muffled by the waters that drained him. It spoke to him, called him by name. It was the voice of his uncle, perhaps, or maybe his cousin. Suddenly there were hands on him, gripping him all too hard. A new voice could be heard, the voice of the man grabbing him. He could feel himself breaking the surface of the water. His skin was burning red, as if he could feel the flames dancing underneath. How dare you, the voice snarled. He was thrown aside, and then, he could feel it. It was the flame, the flame of the fire mages, the flame that would now engulf him.

Iggy jolted awake. He bumped heads with Shion, but the pain didn't seem to register. He backed away from the human and dog on the boat, reaching the very edge. His skin was red from the blood he'd shed, but to him, it all looked like fire. He was breathing heavily, and sweat joined the drops of water trickling from his forehead. Slowly he lifted his head and looked around. He wasn't there anymore. His family was gone, the fire mage who had burned him was gone. He was safe.

Finally his breathing began to normalize. He looked at his hands, dark and wet. The smell of an extinguished fire wafted through the air, though Iggy could not tell if it were his imagination. He looked up to Shion, a thousand apologies on his lips, but none making it past them. It was the past he refused to talk about, the past that he had buried deep within himself. And yet, now, it was resurfacing, and Iggy did not know how to cope with it.

The only sound for a few moments was the panting of all three of them. Then, Iggy swallowed hard. His gaze was far from Shion. "The first time I fell into the water," he started. His voice was too low, too quiet. "I was just a kid, playing too close to where I never should have been. By the time anyone found me, I had gone blue. I was so cold, and it was so dark, and I was so scared. I think my uncle pulled me out and tried to bring me back. He thought I'd died. He thought I would never come back. I can still hear his voice, he was so angry, so panicked. And then... And then someone else came by, and..." He paused for a few minutes. Iggy would never admit to the tears that were at his eyes. "He seared me," he finally said. "He summoned the flames used to burn me and my uncle, and whomever else was around us. He... I couldn't..."

Iggy could talk no more. His hands were fists on either side of him. Teardrops joined the sweat and river water on his face. He looked up and turned away to hide it. "I've never told anyone," he said. "Just then, when I fell into the water... It happened all over again."

[Argon Jaden]

As soon as he felt Iggy take a breath, he moved away, but his movements were slow enough that they knocked heads, or in his case, his mouth. The tang of from the small cut on his tongue made him wince, but he kept his mouth shut, gunmetal blue eyes staring deeply into his best friend's. Igshi nosed their sides softly, but the dark haired youth ignored him, not breaking his gaze on his friend.

And then, there it was, the story he's never heard before and didn't push out of Iggy. Shion licked his lips, trying to get rid of the metallic taste of blood and a wave of sympathy and understanding washed over him. He's been there, in that situation, and even until now, Shion still sees the horrors at the back of his mind. The horrors that force him to endure his solo hunts without fire, the horrors that get him antsy in a room with an open flame. Pressing his lips together, he drags himself over to Iggy.

"I know." And he does know. He won't lie and say that it would get easier, because that would be throwing his friend into a sense of false reality. Shion's burns tingle at the memory and he presses his lips, fighting his own memories from resurfacing. He knows that it was there, it won't get better, but it was done. It was in the past. He doesn't say anything else, except he reaches forward, tilts his friend's face up and starts rubbing away at the tears, regardless of Iggy's protests. "It's done. I know." He doesn't apologize, he doesn't say anything else. Shion knows the pain it brings to him, but what can he say?

So he waits for Iggy to calm down, and when he does, he gets out of his personal space, moving towards the pack of herbs. Never had he been more thankful for the bundles. He popped one more pinkish leaf in his mouth, relishing the warmth it gave his chilled body before he continued making the paste. Ten minutes later, he was tugging at Iggy to remove his clothes, so he could apply the sweet smelling gunk on his wounds, handing him two leaves of what he had pointed out as aphrodisiac earlier.

"Should warm you up and keep you awake." Small enough doses were safe, but what was probably more concerning was how Shion lingered a little closer, possibly feeling bad that he couldn't be of anymore help with the experience. He wanted to be, but Shion remembered how he had acted after every nightmare, and that was scary, to be so aggressive and frightened and completely ashamed. In fact, he wasn't even sure if his emotions were on the right place. He sighed, rubbing Igshi's head with his elbow and he tried to ignore the dull throbbing of his leg. He can get to that later.

[Ashen]

Iggy was thankful Shion didn't tell him some lie. He was thankful the kid didn't say much of anything. The older man sat there, lost to his thoughts, for a long while, only dully aware of his best friend's presence. As much as he hated it, hated remembering what had been done to him, he could also find solace in it. This was what he had set out from his Gelid Seraph, his home, for. He'd told Shion different; he had told everyone he was doing this for him, to get revenge on the people who had ruined Shion's life. But that, that had only been half-true. Iggy was doing this to get revenge on the people who had ruined him.

Shion had moved to making some sort of ointment, for their new wounds Iggy assumed. He spent that time straightening himself out, reaffirming his goals in his mind, and pushing the flame of hatred deeper within himself. Finally, Shion told him to undress, and Iggy did wordlessly. He winced as his wounds were touched, but otherwise remained silent until Shion was done. Looking down at his wounds, Iggy could see the blood, his blood, that covered his body. He would have to bathe, when he was no longer on the water, where he hadn't almost died again.

"Treat yourself." The words were stern, an order for his friend to tend to his own wounds as well. "We don't know what those things had in them, and your wounds shouldn't go untreated. The last thing we need is a one-legged human bouncing around looking for some fiery bastards." A smile tugged at his lips, a small one that did not meet the rest of his face. He turned back to the water. "Shi?" he said quietly. "Thanks. I think I might've died if you hadn't come to get me. That's just me, huh? Always needing saving. I'll pay you back soon, you watch."

[Argon Jaden]

When the leaves he was telling his friend to chew on went ignored, he rolled his eyes and handed them over anyway. It was so much more easy to treat the wounds though and when he was sure he had finished everything, gave his friend a wry glance. "I've had worse bites." That part was true, like that one time he had a Lubear attack him and maul his shoulder. But still, he gently lifted his pant leg, cringing when he realized that it was too far up. With a sigh, he stripped it off, not even wincing when the torn flesh dripped blood.

"As long as you don't try to knock heads with me the next time I give you CPR, we're good." He said, voice levelled as he dabbed at the wound. Igshi began to nose the torn flesh and Shion gently pushed the dog away before taking a deep breath. He recalled there being a disinfectant in here somewhere. The small bottle was herbal, obviously, but that didn't stop Shion from whimpering softly when the blue colored liquid met flesh. He got some more paste, wrapped it in pad, and mended the wound. Thirty seconds later, he could barely feel the wound, and his entire leg.

Returning back to manning the boat, he hummed, chewing the leftover leaves before swallowing. His body was pleasantly warm now, and the dosage was just right so it didn't have any undesired effects. "We should hit land in a couple if hours." He said, before eyeing the dead monster their dog had been sniffing. They could sell that. He recalled that they were considered delicacies in some parts. Especially one of that size.

[Ashen]

Iggy rolled his eyes at Shion, his humor slowly returning. "Maybe don't try to kiss me next time then," he jokingly bit back. "How am I supposed to attract the ladies if I'm locking lips with a guy?" He rolled his eyes and looked away, seeing the water around them. Iggy's gaze returned to within their boat, where the dead eel that had attacked him still lay. He didn't want to look at it, didn't want to be anywhere near it. Iggy picked up one of his swords, and he shoved it through the thick skin. He then lifted his blade, the fish along with it. If it weren't worth so much money, Iggy would have diced it and thrown its pieces overboard then and there.

He eventually set the thing back down, out of view, and put his swords away. He cleaned up the herbs and offered some pieces of fallen eel to Igshi. A couple of hours... It was far too long to be spending on water. Iggy peered over the side of the boat, looked at his reflection. He looked more tired now. He had almost died, again. What else would this adventure bring their way? What if he really had died? The man looked to Shion, who was concentrated on steering. He couldn't leave him alone, not after all this. No, Iggy was instrumental in not only finding those fire mages, but ending them as well.

Iggy still wasn't back to normal, but he was talking again. He made jokes about the eels, the water, even Igshi. He was trying to distract them both, to put what had happened behind them and to move on. Iggy knew it would not be the last time he met with his memories, but hopefully, next time, it would be the last.

Finally it was over. Iggy moved to his knees and stared out at the water. "Is that where we're going?" he asked, shielding his eyes from the sun. There was land ahead of them, some few dozen meters away. "We can finally get off this boat?" A smile spread across his face, the first genuine one in too long. "Thank the gods. Hear that, Igshi? We can be on solid ground again."

[Argon Jaden]

He decided not to comment on that on purpose. Instead, he settled for giving Iggy a deadpan look of utter unamusement the entire time. Sailing in silence, he listened to his best friend ramble, until his eyes could make out land. Pulling the map out, he winced slightly, trying not to swallow when they landed.

The wound would make it hard to move around for a week, if he pushes it, but he should be fine. His father often said wounds would teach you your skills, like that time he broke his right arm and couldn't shoot. He learned how to weild a a blade with his left, and how to work his legs. Wincing at he stood up, he patted Igshi's head as he hobbled out of the boat and onto solid ground.

"We're here." He said softly, not bothering to hide the wince in his expression. The town, Kylfrie, used to be one of the major trade towns, despite its small size. What greeted him, was a very different town that what he expected. Houses were half-burnt, obviously being rebuilt, and stalls upon stalls of people selling their wares lined the ash-coated streets. Judging by the look of the place, the mages were here not a year ago. He grabbed the back of Iggy's shirt for support as he tugged him along to the market. "We need information." He said softly, before pausing when he noticed a thick book on one of the stalls.

Automatically, his hand reached for the pin in his hair. The book was old and worn, the dark leather engraved with sigils and symbols. The most prominent one being his family crest. His breath hitched just as the vendor noticed his attention.

"Ah. It seems to be a spell book of sorts. Don't understand a thing written in there though. Doesn't seem to be any living language known to man." Shion's breathed hitched, voice unable to come out of his throat. His fingers tightened around Iggy's shirt as the vendor continued to ramble. "Book looks pretty useless so I don't know why you'd want it. Seems like a buncha bad luck to me. After the flamers sold the thing to us, fires have been breaking out left and right. Book won't burn though. So— you okay kid?"

Shion's eyes were wet as he grit his teeth. He knew that book. He wanted it, but it has been so long. He sighed softly.

- - - Updated - - -

He decided not to comment on that on purpose. Instead, he settled for giving Iggy a deadpan look of utter unamusement the entire time. Sailing in silence, he listened to his best friend ramble, until his eyes could make out land. Pulling the map out, he winced slightly, trying not to swallow when they landed.

The wound would make it hard to move around for a week, if he pushes it, but he should be fine. His father often said wounds would teach you your skills, like that time he broke his right arm and couldn't shoot. He learned how to weild a a blade with his left, and how to work his legs. Wincing at he stood up, he patted Igshi's head as he hobbled out of the boat and onto solid ground.

"We're here." He said softly, not bothering to hide the wince in his expression. The town, Kylfrie, used to be one of the major trade towns, despite its small size. What greeted him, was a very different town that what he expected. Houses were half-burnt, obviously being rebuilt, and stalls upon stalls of people selling their wares lined the ash-coated streets. Judging by the look of the place, the mages were here not a year ago. He grabbed the back of Iggy's shirt for support as he tugged him along to the market. "We need information." He said softly, before pausing when he noticed a thick book on one of the stalls.

Automatically, his hand reached for the pin in his hair. The book was old and worn, the dark leather engraved with sigils and symbols. The most prominent one being his family crest. His breath hitched just as the vendor noticed his attention.

"Ah. It seems to be a spell book of sorts. Don't understand a thing written in there though. Doesn't seem to be any living language known to man." Shion's breathed hitched, voice unable to come out of his throat. His fingers tightened around Iggy's shirt as the vendor continued to ramble. "Book looks pretty useless so I don't know why you'd want it. Seems like a buncha bad luck to me. After the flamers sold the thing to us, fires have been breaking out left and right. Book won't burn though. So— you okay kid?"

Shion's eyes were wet as he grit his teeth. He knew that book. He wanted it, but it has been so long. He sighed softly.

[Ashen]

The town they arrived in had been recently visited. Iggy looked on in awe at the place, the burnt buildings. It had been a good idea, coming here, because Iggy was sure they'd be able to deduce something from this place. He ignored the pain from his wounds as he walked around, examining different buildings and structures. He ran his fingers over a few scorched places, as if the mages had left some clue. Shion told them they needed information, and that was Iggy's cue. He nodded, and he parted from Shion, prepared to do some snooping.

He started effortlessly mingling, gossiping with vendors and passersby both. They told him quite a bit: that the mages had been here about nine months ago, that they had stopped after everyone had fled, that they had gone east. One woman remarked that another town, Gathelo, had been burned worse, and that there had been few survivors. This eastern town had been burned more recently, so Iggy made a mental note to report that to Shion.

He returned to his friend only few minutes later, gathering all this information so quickly. When he did return, he noticed Shion staring at a book. No, more than that, the kid looked ready to cry. Iggy looked over the book curiously. It didn't look like it was a book from nearby; the script was different. Something about it was triggering Shion, though. "Shi?" he asked. "Hey, what's wrong? Do you want that?" He glanced back towards their boat. "If we sell the eel, we should have enough for it. What... What is it?"

[Argon Jaden]

When Iggy returned to Shion's side, the youth flinched a little, watery eyes blinking up at the taller man. Of course he wanted it, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea, because— well, he really didn't know. The vendor only exhaled softly. "Is he mute or something?" Shion blinked up at the question and shook his head before turning to Iggy and nodding.

"It's my grandfather's tome." He said in a soft murmur that was barely heard. Hesitantly, he touched his fingers against the leather cover, tracing the grooves with affection before pressing his hand against the mark. Low humming resonated in the air and Shion let out a relieved sigh. He wanted to buy it.

"Trapping sigils, invisibility wards and enhancement rituals." His hand was raised over the cover making a flicking motion. The book responded to his movements and began flipping its pages for them to see. And just as the vendor described, the language was unintelligible. To anyone outside of their clan that is. He waved a hand over the book and watched as it snapped shut.

Shion gently took the book, ignoring the gawking vendor at he looked up at Iggy with something similar to puppy eyes, trying to ask him for permission to buy the book. They could just hunt later for more supplies and this book will surely prove to be useful. Igshi nosed at their heels, whining softly as he stared at the two.

[Ashen]

Iggy did not understand the importance of this book, and Shion was not helping him. The kid only stared at it, leaving Iggy to decipher what it said for himself. Now that he did look at it, had he seen such runes before? He couldn't quite remember, until Shion finally spoke. It was a family book, then. Iggy looked it over again. Did that mean Shion could read its contents? The younger man reached out to touch it, and suddenly, the book was moving on its own.

When the book shut itself again, Iggy stared at Shion in disbelief. "You know magic?" he asked, incredulous. "How long have you been able to do that? Can you do it with other things? Should you... Should you not show people you can do that?" He suddenly looked around. The only magic people knew of was that of those fire mages. Iggy didn't think it was such a good idea to be carrying around a tome of spells, especially not in a town ravaged by the group previously. He looked to the vendor awkwardly, offering only a shrug.

Suddenly, both Shion and Igshi were staring up at him with pleading eyes. "What?" he said. "Don't look at me. Get it if you want it. I already gave my permission." He looked at the book again. It was a relic of a family that had been destroyed. Iggy shifted uncomfortably. A reminder of the people lost... He turned away, a sliver of envy crawling through him. "We'll take it," he said to the vendor. He then turned to Shion. "We should get out of here."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion flinched. "I don't. The book responds to the blood of its kin." He said, feeling the need to defend himself. As Shion gave him a small smile and handed over the money to the vendor, he tugged Iggy to the woods, ignoring the blackened scorch marks on the bark. Once they were in the clear, he took out his knife and looked around. His hand hovered uneasily over the book. He knew there were enhancement sigils and at its last chapters, he vaguely remembered some spells. His body won't be able to handle the burden alone.

"Iggy, I—" He paused, trying to rethink his words. He set the knife down and watched the pages flick themselves before settling on a page with a sigil drawn in red, the insides had small circles, connected intricately by lines. He wanted to share it with his friend. It won't be fair for him. But, only those of the blood can read it. "Do you want to..." He gestured at the book. "Only the blood of the clan may understand."

It was an emphasis, something he wanted his friend to have a choice in. There were ceremonies in the book on how to do so, and this was the easiest, and least dangerous if them, if his young memory reminded him right. He traced his hand over the book before looking at Iggy.

He didn't want this alone. But at the same time, didn't want to force himself on his friend. His only friend, not counting the dog. Speaking of which, Igshi settled down between them, head on his paws and he watched the two talk.

[Ashen]

Iggy allowed himself to be led away from the crowds. Whether it was the magic in himself or the magic in his blood, Iggy was still going to call what Shion did magic. In truth, it caused him great discomfort to know what the kid was now capable of with this tome. It seemed too powerful, and it was definitely something Iggy wanted no part in. He'd had enough magic in his first few years than he would have ever wanted in his life. His gaze dropped to his hands, as if he could still see the burns there. Snapping back to the moment, Iggy wordlessly followed along, hoping this would not be as bad as he feared.

He was glad his friend was elated, but as they reached the forest, that elation seemed to die down. Iggy watched wordlessly as Shion seemed to consider something, then draw his blade. The book moved on its own again, causing Iggy to shift uncomfortably. When his name was called, Iggy looked up, perplexed. His gaze dropped to the book again, to the blood circles within the pages. It looked like some ancient alchemy circle, some strange and taboo thing that Iggy knew would make most of town as uncomfortable as he. He looked back up at his friend, trying to figure out what he was getting at.

Shion wanted his help. Iggy saw that in his eyes. Iggy's gaze dropped again and he took a few steps back. "I think you could manage," he said with a shrug."I'm not one for magics, you know? I just, I'm alright with my swords, and besides, you could make plenty of use out of all that, I'm sure. I'm alright leaving it to you." He smiled, though it was forced.

Iggy wanted nothing to do with what that book was capable of, and a part of him wished Shion hadn't found it. He didn't want any more magic in the world. Wasn't that why they were seeking the mages? To end them? His gaze dropped to his hands again, subconsciously balling into fists. He relaxed, a labored task. "I don't think your family would want someone like me toying with their things."

[Argon Jaden]

He wanted to protest that sigils was not magic, but realized that if it wasn't magic, then what is it? He stared at the book, furrowing his brows before he sighed. He drew his blade again and sighed. "At least let me do a connection sigil. So we can find each other." It was one of the oldest techniques he had learned. It had to be branded on the two participants, drawn with blood before it turns dark and seeps into the skin. Those who have the sigil would know where the others are, and how they were physically. "Close proximity promotes healing." He sheathed his blade and flipped through the book.

"My family wouldn't mind. You... You're family." He said, before snapping the book shut. There were sigils he'd want to draw on the boat, particularly one that repels monsters and one that would make it immune to fire. Of course, it would've been easy if his family had just drawn the protection sigils before, but at that time, no one met the requirements. "I could probably enchant your swords." He pointed out.

Now, they were here, where to? He knew that the mages passed through here every now and then, so what does that mean? Do they follow the trail or wait here? He glanced at Igshi, who tilted his head in response and yawned before his blue eyes rested on Iggy, as if asking him nonverbally.

[Ashen]

A connection sigil. Iggy turned his gaze away from his friend, considering. It would allow them to find each other. Iggy looked over the book. "You need a blood pact for that," he said quietly. Iggy had no problem spilling his blood for Shion. He would have died for him without hesitation. Shion was like a brother, after all, and Iggy loved his brother. But he also did not want to have any connection to this revered tome. He shifted uncomfortably again, trying to find an excuse that Shion would buy.

And then those words fell from his lips. Shion called him family, and while Iggy had always considered Shion the same, he now knew the meaning extended further than the two of them, further than Gelid Seraph. Iggy opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. To be included in Shion's family, Shion's real family... He shook his head a bit forcefully, and long hair fell into his eyes. "I think we shouldn't play around with this," he said. He was trying too hard to keep his voice level. "Shi, I don't think your family would want me included in your magic. I am an outsider, and I just don't want to upset a bunch of spirits. I'm sorry, really, but I think you should keep these sigils to yourself."

Iggy couldn't offer his true explanation. He could not meet his friend's eye. He turned away and looked around, as if trying to decide their next course of action. There was no way the spirits of Shion's family would rest easy with their ancient practices in his hands. No, not after the atrocities he'd committed.

Iggy cleared his throat. "We need to get going. Practice your magic at our next rest stop. For now, we have some mages to catch."

[Argon Jaden]

He understood where it came from. Contrary to the popular belief, he did understand when Iggy was conflicted. He understood when he was lying. That may have stung a little, and squashed the hope he had, but he shrugged it off. Best not to push him into this then. He sighed quietly and scanned the pages quickly, feeling nostalgia and melancholy clash in his chest. He remembers the soft, but firm words of his grandparents, the sharp pain it made when he first tried enchanting his weapons and failing. A sad smile crossed his face. He didn't need to tell Iggy that most of the tribe weren't from the tribe, and that most of the men and women were runaways and wanted prisoners. That information was not relevant right now. He shook his head again and passed his palm over the tome, watching it slam shut.

"Okay. We're going to follow their trail, right?" He asked quietly, tucking the thick book under his arm. He probably should wrap it up, but for now, this would have to do. Igshi whined softly at them, pawing at the dark ground. He had an idea, but didn't think it would be nice to act upon it, but it was helpful.

"Next town over then?" His gunmetal blue eyes dragged back to their boat. Maybe they should pull the boat in first and hide it. And gather some more supplies.

[Ashen]

Iggy could feel Shion's disappointment. It was like a knife stabbed into his chest, and yet, Iggy couldn't help but feel that it was less than he deserved. He had crushed his best friend's spirit. And for what? What kind of monster was he? Was there really anything wrong with participating in some stupid rituals? He shook his head. He couldn't, and he wouldn't, desecrate that ancient book.

He nodded at Shion's suggestion. This town had nothing more for them, so they had to keep moving on. "Gotta tie up our boat first," he reminded. Sure they could probably dock it in a proper dock, but leaving it there would probably cost them money, and Iggy didn't want to needlessly spend, especially not after their most recent purchase. He started moving towards the water again. "I'll do it," he offered. "Here, why don't you handle the supplies?" He handed Shion the bag of spices and herbs, then turned his attention back to the bobbing boat.

In just a few minutes Iggy had it all tied up and hidden from view by several overgrown bushes. It would be safe there, he knew. He met with Shion again. "Next town," he said again.

The journey there was quiet. Iggy was a jolly guy with a jolly spirit, but he'd been broken a bit too much that day. He'd be back to his perky self soon, but for now, he was in no state to joke around anymore.

While they walked, Iggy kept glancing at that damn book. It was bringing up so much, and he wanted to bury it, just like he buried all of his memories. He could feel his temper rising with anger, so he repeatedly had to hum to himself or count in his head. "I spy with my eye something brown." Iggy's voice cut through the silence, and his random words seemed to surprise himself. He looked to Shion expectantly. It was an effort to distract himself. "Go on then. No clues."

[Argon Jaden]

When they got back to the ship, Shion hopped in and gathered their stuff, managing to put it inside their bags. The book was a little harder to fix, but he managed to fashion a book holder and strap it around his waist, settling the book on his lower back. When Iggy wasn't looking, Shion had glanced over the book.

Digging his canines into the fleshy part of his thumb, he began to work on drawing the sigil, managing to memorize it in one try. It was a small, circular mark, with runes along the sides and the components of the spell inside the circle. When he was done, he quickly sucked in the wound, soothing it with his tongue before wiping it on his pants. Thankfully, it had stopped bleeding. As they walked away, he watched the boat shimmer under the sky before disappearing from sight. Invisibility rune. It should appear when Shion's within the vicinity, but now, it's safe from eyes.

The walk would've been quiet, except Iggy was humming. He knew something was bothering his friend, and he had an inkling to what it was. He didn't speak though, instead, using his uninjured hand to scratch Igshi's ears. Upon hearing the question, he glanced around. "The dirt path."

[Ashen]

Shion didn't sound like he wanted much to do with their game. Iggy's eyes were brought to the path at its mention, but he shook his head. "You think I would pick something so obvious?" he asked with a shrug. "Give me some credit." He continued along, surveying the land with his eyes. They still had quite a ways to go, but at least now they had a game to play. "Try again," he suggested.

Iggy didn't know how many times they had gone back and forth with their game, but he was growing very bored of it. His legs were growing tired, and his throat was dry. He knew better than to complain, though. He was the one who had started this journey, had gotten the ball rolling enough for them to actually leave their guild. And besides, he knew this was something they both needed to go through. Iggy just wished it wouldn't be so long. Even if that time would give him the opportunity to figure out what would become of him, after.

In just a few more minutes, Iggy was able to see buildings in the distance. "Is that where we're going?" he asked Shion, a sort of desperation in his voice. "Thankfully. I'm dying of thirst here." His pace quickened a moment, but then realizing it was too much on his new wounds, he slowed down again. "Look at that, Igshi. Maybe this town will have some really cheap foods, too." Which was to say, foods that were easy enough to steal. Iggy looked over at Shion. "And some information on our mages," he added, the purpose of their mission reduced to an afterthought because of his empty stomach.

[Argon Jaden]

The guessing game was hard, though to be honest, Shion just didn't see what he saw that was brown, or blue (if it wasn't the sky or those rocks then he didn't know what blue or brown Iggy was talking about then he clearly had no other idea) that they had come across. He did, however, humor his friend, though there was that one color he just didn't see. It was a peaceful way of banter, temporarily causing him to forget about the tome in his possession.

As the town came into view, he let out a small chuckle and gave a tiny smile. "I'll hunt and try to sell. You take care of the food?" He planned on going hunting, selling his game and then temporarily loaning a room. Or two... Hopefully two because most places only had single beds. He hummed thoughtfully in his head. But food should come first. He added, feeling his stomach complain quietly before settling. He was also hungry, but not so. He did eat a little more than Iggy though.

Pulling out the map, he tried to check for the name of the town, tilting his head curiously when he noticed that there were a few towns in the area. He didn't know which was which do he paused, squinting slightly at the parchment. "Which?" He murmured under his breath.

[Ashen]

Shion was leaving the food to him. Iggy bowed to show his appreciation. He knew how much Shion did not like him stealing, but Iggy saw no problems with it, so long as they didn't take more than they needed. It wasn't stealing, per se, just playing the system, and Iggy intended to play it well today.

He warned his friend to hunt carefully, but he wondered just how well Shion would heed his words. The last time they'd parted, Shion had gotten pretty bruised up. Remembering that made Iggy want to go with him, but they'd get more done if they went separately. He was broken from his thoughts when Shion said something. Iggy brought his attention to the map and tried to figure out what Shion was confused by. "That's a lot of little towns," he commented. "Know what that means? One of us is bound to have some info. I think we're on the right track!"

He didn't care much what the town was called, just that they had finally arrived. Iggy and Shion agreed on a time to regroup, and the two separated again. Iggy was hesitant, but ultimately decided it was for the best. Within the two hours they had agreed to be on their own for, Iggy had managed to find three sandwiches for the price of half of one, due to his haggling abilities and his pickpocketing abilities. He had even found a few spare coins laying around, or so he intended to tell Shion. They'd agreed to meet at the inn, and while Iggy waited, he peeked inside and decided to talk to the innkeep. He asked about rooms available, of which there were few. The prices were a bit much, but after joking with the innkeep and managing his usual act, he got a single room at a discounted price, with two bed spaces even. He was proud of his work, and hoped Shion was having luck too.

[Argon Jaden]

Nodding at his enthusiasm, Shion didn't bother giving Iggy a lecture on stealing since he would probably do it anyway. Instead, he went to the nearest lush greenery. Shion left Igshi with Iggy this time around, deciding that it would be best he hunt alone first. These woods are less familiar to him than the woods near home. There was also a reason he wanted to be alone. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the book out, splayed his hand over the cover and flipped it to a specific page.

"Gawatanit ok gna nosal gn gibut." He recited, eyes glowing white as the words flowed freely from his mouth. He unsheathed his blades, setting them in front of him before he bit onto his thumb and began drawing runes on the flat of the blade. "Yopa gna tignal. Etnamayd gn apul.
Nayatamak gn banlak." With his hunting knife enchanted, he watched as the blood marks sizzled and sunk into the blade. Satisfied, he did this for his bow and well. The ritual had him woozy and he tucked the book back. He was sleepy, and hungry, but the dark haired youth blinked his gunmetal blue eyes and shook his head. He needs to hunt first.

For the next hour, he watched in fascination as the enchanted weapons worked. Prey was rooted to the ground as he shot them, before they doubled over, choking on something, then combating without burning, leaving him with fresh kill. Of course, that didn't mean his aim was sloppy. His aim was good, sharp and on the mark.

By the time he met up with Iggy again, he had three bags of coins, mostly gold, which he handed over to his friend. "Some monster terrorizing out in the woods. Big reward." He explained, looking quite pleased with himself. Igshi waddled over and he patted the dog on the head. "Did you get us rooms?"

[Ashen]

It wasn't long after Iggy had paid for the room at the inn that he heard Shion's voice behind him. He turned and watched as the younger man placed a trio of coin purses into his hands. "Wow," Iggy commented, peeking into one of the bags. He met his friend's eyes and tried to determine if he were telling the truth. After looking him up and down, Iggy figured it didn't matter either way. The boy appeared to be unharmed, and they had enough money to live comfortably for a little while.

He motioned towards the innkeep, who by now had turned his attention to someone else. "He gave it to me at a discount," Iggy said proudly. "Two beds even. Come on, let's go see it" Iggy was about to call their dog, but Igshi looked content with Shion, so Iggy shrugged and continued upstairs without him.

Their room was near the stairs. It was a small thing, with a window and a desk, and two beds. Iggy claimed the one closer to the door. "It'll be nice to have a real bed for a change," he said. "It already feels so long since we left everyone back at the guild. Think they're thinking about us? Probably grateful to be rid of us." He sat up on the bed and looked out the window. "I think we've made enough money today to rest up. Tomorrow, we can start heading to all those towns nearby." He plopped back down on his bed. "I could stay here forever."

Suddenly, Iggy remembered the fruits of the past two hours. He sat up again and reached into his bag. "Hey, I got us something," he said. He pulled the sandwiches out. They were wrapped together, two full sandwiches and one with about a quarter of it missing. He unwrapped them and handed one of the full ones out to Shion. "There was a great deal at a little shop in town. Got all these and didn't break the bank." That was partially true. The two full ones he'd bought, at a discounted price, but the third he'd stolen. He pulled a slab of meat from that one and tossed it to Igshi. "See? Aren't you glad I'm here?"

[Argon Jaden]

Shion just smiled and nodded in agreement, Igshi at his heels. The room was small, and vaguely smelled of flowers. The previous customer was probably a woman then. He sighed softly, plopping down on the bed, and letting out a content sound. His bed was far softer than this one, but it made him happy either way. Finally, something other than hard ground.

"Thank you." He sat up, stomach growling at he took the sandwich. Hunting made him hungry and adding the spells too. In fact, it wasn't even five minutes and he had devoured the entire thing. His stomach growled again. He wasn't usually this hungry but, granted, his extra activities made him hungry. He shook his head at the thought, before blinking up at Iggy.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he nodded. "Very glad. Even if you tried to headbutt me when I was trying to revive you." He tossed out, removing his boots before falling back on the bed. "What now? Which route are we going to take and how long are we going to stay here?"

[Ashen]

Iggy rolled his eyes. "I did not try to headbutt you," he replied. "I was... I was preoccupied, okay? I couldn't see where I was moving my head." Even if he didn't like the event that Shion had brought up, he was still smiling. Iggy wanted to move on, but he knew getting upset about Shioni just bringing it up would hinder that. So, after they'd had their little joke, he shoved the memory to the back of his mind again and hoped next time it was brought up it would hurt a lot less.

Shion was asking a lot of questions, and Iggy didn't necessarily have answers. He shrugged his shoulders. "You're better with that stuff," he said. "We can rest here until morning, which means we have the rest of the day to rest up, because I think tomorrow we can head out and cover a lot of land. Let me see the map again." Iggy opened up the map when Shion gave it to him, and his eyes looked over all the places they still had to venture to. "We can go here," he mumbled, pointing to a nearby town. "Then, we could probably make the journey to this town..." His finger trailed an invisible line across the map to another, farther town. From the key, it was maybe half a day away by foot. "It'll be nighttime, so we could sleep out, and then start asking around by morning. If we still have nothing, we could go further east? What do you think?"

Iggy was trying to be helpful along this journey. He wasn't the best at navigating, especially not when his subject hadn't been seen for years, but he was giving it his all. Truthfully, he wanted to drag out this trip, to delay their coming face-to-face with those mages. He didn't know what to expect with them, and he wasn't sure he was ready to find out. But they needed some kind of trace soon, or Shion would start feeling helpless. With all the towns scattered nearby, he was sure they would find ​something.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion shot him a bemused smile, like he didn't believe the excuse. Though he did laugh softly at his expression. The youth glanced at the area, humming softly in understanding as he nodded and took note of their supposed you're. Then, with a shy glance outside,he hummed silently. "We could stay here longer. We have more than enough to stay here for three days."

He wanted to practice, and the woods was a great area where he could practice his new craft out of sight and sound. Shion felt guilty that he had to hide it from Iggy, but he had little to no choice. He knew Iggy was probably uneasy about him knowing a bit if runes and spells. He didn't need him worry needlessly about Shion too.

Shaking the thought off, he tucked himself in bed, lifting his blanket just so Igshi could snuggle in with him. He curled around the pup, exhaling softly. "What do you think? I can go hunt in the morning too, and we're probably moving too fast anyway." He pointed out quietly.

[Ashen]

Iggy looked around absently, not understanding his friend's wanting to stay in place. "I'd rather not spend multiple days in a single inn," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "The longer we wait, the further away they could get. I'd like to end them before they can hurt anyone else." Iggy looked back to Shion. He was already getting ready for bed. Iggy was exhausted too, but he had too much to think on. He shook his head. "We can't waste so much money in just lodging. We're here to get going, not sample the inn's linens. We can set off tomorrow morning."

Iggy knew, at least subconsciously, why Shion wanted to stay. He wanted to practice his magics, and he wanted to do it when Iggy wasn't there to watch. Iggy turned back to the window, at the darkening world outside, and he sighed. "I don't want you to keep hunting. We don't need that." Then, the man got up and started towards the door. "I'll be back later. I have things to practice, too."

Iggy slipped out of the inn, hoping Shion would not follow. Tired as he was, he didn't want to be near Shion when he knew the kid wanted to do his magics. Instead, Iggy wandered around town. He watched the sky get dark, watched the streets become more vacated. Then, when he was sure no one at all was around, Iggy wandered away from town, to where he knew no one would bother to look for him, and he practiced things on his on.

When Iggy returned, he took care to be extra quiet. He didn't want to bother Shion in case the kid was asleep. So, he slunk into his bed, his new wounds hidden by the darkness, and he tried to get to sleep.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion closed his eyes, pretending to go to sleep as Iggy stepped out. Once he was in the clear, he let out a soft sigh, rolling on his back. Igshi shuffled closer and licked his cheek. Obviously, he was easily found out. He guessed a lie like that was too easy to see from the standpoint of someone who had known him for the better part of his life. The youth sighed again, feeling rather guilty.

Sitting up, he grabbed the book from. His bags and began flipping through the runes. Once he found the right page, he searched his bag for a thin stick, and began drawing the pattern on his skin. Then, he wrote a name. It was invisible at first, but as soon as he finished drawing the last rune, the marking glowed brightly before sinking into his flesh. He tucked the book back and snuggled back into the bed. The rune was now a faint outline of white, barely obvious on his skin.

By the time the moon was high in the sky, Shion was already asleep, voice softly heaving. Igshi noticed Iggy's presence, but settled back down to sleep. Before dawn, just as the sun was a few moments from breaking from the horizon, Shion slowly woke up, almost seeming trance-like as the sigil on his arm glowed. Bleak eyes blinked open, causing Igshi to jump to the floor when Shion stood up, dragging his feet towards the sun. Once his entire body was bathed in sunlight, his eyes slipped shut, the sigil ceasing to glow, before he slumped forward in a boneless, sleeping heap. If the loud thud didn't wake anyone up, Igshi's alarmed barking probably would have.

[Ashen]

Iggy slept horribly that night. He'd had nightmares all his life, as he assumed most people had, but these were especially bad. After one of them, he sat up in bed and rested his head on his knees. He was too tired, but he would not go back to sleep if it meant seeing them again. It was too dark to make out much more than silhouettes, but still he looked at his hands. He swore he could make out his new wounds. They still hurt, probably would for a while. Self-inflicted, he didn't know why he'd made them. Perhaps he wasn't ready for this trip after all. Looking to the next bed, Iggy silently shook his head. No, he thought. He was ready to get this over with.

He didn't know when he drifted back to sleep, but he was awoken too soon by the sound of Shion hitting the floor. He jerked awake and squinted at the dog barking. Then he looked to his friend, who seemed to be dead asleep still. "Shion?" he called, getting up to check on the kid. He reached out for him, but upon seeing his hands he retracted. His wounds were very visible, hands all too red with patches of skin missing. In the darkness, he had underestimated how bad they'd been. Now, Iggy could see clearly why they had hurt so badly. He had no way of explaining this one to Shion.

"On second thought." Iggy turned towards the door. He shoved his feet into his boots and hastily headed out. Shion seemed just out of it enough to not come looking for him yet, so he had time. He went into town, and searched around for an apothecary. He found one, and the young man reeled when he saw Iggy's hands. "What on earth--" he began, but Iggy cut him off.

"Maybe you can help me wrap these. Don't ask any questions, I don't have any answers. I just need something."

Within a few minutes, Iggy was heading back to the inn. Both his hands were bandaged, and he was very aware of the cloth rubbing against his missing flesh. At least this way they would not get any worse, and Shion would not ask. Back in their room, Iggy peeked around to see if Shion was fully awake yet.

[Argon Jaden]

Thankfully, no one had crowded Shion in their room while Iggy was out. He still lay there, under the window with the soft morning light bathing him. His skin had a subtle, ethereal glow to it that pulsed softly with his heartbeat. Igshi whined softly as Shion's blank eyes slipped open, the gunmetal blue hue dull and almost gray. As if he didn't have any bones, the limp body stood upright, as if it were a marionette being handled by the Strings.

Igshi barked in alarm.

The mark on his skin glowed, sigil burning bright gold against his flesh. The smell of burning skin filled the room as the sigil fully branded itself as a scar. The youth blinked his eyes, seemingly disoriented at the fact that he woke up standing. One glance at his arm made him hiss softly and rub the mark. Immediately, it disappeared, the mark dissolving into his flesh like it was never there. He yawned softly and sat down on the bed, feeling his muscles throb quietly in pain. For a moment he wondered if it worked.

"I'm okay." He told Igshi, patting the dog on the head when he came over. A soft exhale escaped his lips and he leaned back on the wall, feeling far too tired for someone who just woke up. He yawned again, before shaking his head awake. Funny, he should be up by now. One glance at the bed had him blinking in confusion. Where was Iggy? He stared at the dog, as if asking him for answers.

Just then, the door creaked open. Shion snapped his head upward, tired gunmetal blue eyes unblinking as Iggy peeked in the room. "Good morning." He greeted with a slight yawn, covering his mouth last minute and shaking his head. "You're up early."

[Ashen]

Iggy was greeted by the sight of his friend sitting up, cheery and awake. Only a few seconds later, his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of a snuffed out flame. The man paused for a moment, then reeled. "Shion?" he mumbled. "Do you smell that?" He shook off the shock and walked over to the window. The sky was beginning to turn bright, and it was void of smoke. Was he just imagining this, too? He glanced down at his bandaged hands. Shion would ask about those. Iggy wouldn't dare show him what was underneath, but he figured it was better to explain first instead of Shion being upset he hadn't told him outright.

"Never mind." Iggy held up a weak hand, already shrugging. "Went out last night, got my skin scraped up pretty bad by a boar, I think. It was dark, but I could feel its tusks. I couldn't grab for my swords in time. Lucky I got out." He hopped onto his own bed and offered Shion a lopsided grin. He did not meet his eye. Instead, he turned his attention to the dog, who seemed wary of both its masters. Iggy wondered just how much that dog could sense. Trying not to think too hard about it, he expelled a long breath and hoped he would not be interrogated so early in the morning.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" He kicked off his boots and wiggled his toes. The drumming pain from his hands was easy to ignore if he was concentrating on moving. "I still think we shouldn't stay here too long. I don't know about you, but I am starved. We should get something to eat. Wonder what the breakfast board looks like for the inn." He looked at Igshi again. "Might want to take him out, too. We don't want to get charged because puppy over here couldn't hold it in. Right boy?"

[Argon Jaden]

His eyes narrowed suspiciously at the bandages, but the corners of his mouth quirked. Shion looked away, unconsciously gripping the arm where the mark was. He felt bad he was hiding something from Iggy, but... It was for the best. His best friend would probably disown him if he knew. Shaking the thought out, he nodded and stood up, carefully, just in case nausea hits.

"I'll walk him. You get breakfast?" He said, already reaching for his shoes. He could take a dip in the nearby stream too. With that in mind, he looked up, meeting Iggy's eyes for a moment. "That okay?"

He picked up his things and shouldered the weapons. "We can talk later. About where to go from here." He said with a small smile. Map be dammed, they'd still have to ask around for directions on where the group went. Plus, there's the thing that Shion didn't know how to address, but knew that it was necessary. He swallowed and made his way to the door, letting out a soft whistle to get Igshi's attention.

[Ashen]

With their plans solidified, Iggy leaned back on the bed while Shion left. He would rest for a few moments, then go check out the breakfast selection. After several minutes, he slipped back into his boots and made his way downstairs.

The wait was long, and Iggy hoped the food was worth it. He set a platter on either bed in their bedroom, then took a seat on his and peeked inside. There was bread and apple butter, a curious-looking scone of sorts, a cup of coffee, and a cloth. Iggy took his bread and drowned it in apple butter. It wasn't stale, which was an upgrade from his usual diet, and the apple butter gave it a pleasant taste. The scone was too fruity, and he didn't much like coffee, but he ate it all anyway. He watched the platter on the opposite bed. "Shion," he whined. "If you don't get back soon, that'll all be mine, too."

Rather than waiting for his friend to return, Iggy decided to be productive. He picked himself up and headed off again, intending to mingle some more with the locals. By the time he returned to the room, perhaps an hour later, he was munching on a pear and smiling wide. His eyes fell over Shion. "Look who finally came back," he said. "Well, listen to this." He walked to his bed and removed a paper from his pocket. His eyes gazed over its writing. "So, the mages," he said slowly. "I think we'll have some success going to some city called, ah..." He squinted to make out his own handwriting. "Raintspol? I think that's what that says. Anyway, they were there a few months ago, and driven out by the government there. I don't know how far away it is from here, but that sounds like a great start."

Iggy folded the piece of paper and put it back in his pocket. He looked over Shion and Igshi. "Did you eat yet?" he asked, motioning towards the platter. "It wasn't all that bad. I can get used to fresh bread every day, you know?"

[Argon Jaden]

The walk was more of Shion teaching Igshi basic commands. Especially in combat. He breathed out, before taking a bath in the nearby river when they were done. The mark on his arm throbbed and ached, but he guessed it was a very small price to pay. He could feel its tug on his flesh, but thankfully, he knew that nothing bad was happening.

A few hours later, he returned back, all dry and looking for more awake than he had been earlier. As he entered the room, his stomach growled, causing Igshi to look up at him curiously. The dog had already eaten the rabbit it caught earlier, so he was full. Sitting down, he shook his head. "Igshi had breakfast already, I haven't." He explained, tearing the bread in half and offering one to Iggy, expression saying that he wouldn't take no for an answer. He devoured the meal, though seemed to be fond of both the scone and the coffee. Shion did seem to like sweets every now and then.

"Raintspol? That's two months away on foot." He said, pulling out their map from nearby. Sure enough, it was a large distance to cover. Even of they travel by caravan, it was still a large distance. He hummed. "When do you want to leave?"

[Ashen]

Iggy didn't understand why Shion let a dog eat first. "Isn't that teaching the dog that he's the alpha?" he asked, but didn't delve too far into it. He didn't mind much what he did with the dog. The important part was that he had breakfast now. Shion seemed to enjoy the things that Iggy didn't, and he almost wished he had saved them so that he could have his more favorite parts of their breakfast. But Shion still gave him a piece of bread, which Iggy took and shoved into a pocket. He took another bite of his pear, then shrugged his shoulders.

"We should leave as soon as possible," he said. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone giving out horses." It was a joke, but he was hopeful nonetheless. Iggy waited for Shion to finish eating, then motioned towards the door. "Do we have everything we need? Let's go then."

Two months was a very long time, and a part of Iggy wished the town were a lot closer. He recognized that wishing would get him nowhere, though, so he tried to remain optimistic. They traveled by foot outside of town, and towards the long route to the next. By the time they arrived there, the sun was slowly beginning to set, and it must have been late afternoon. Iggy was tired of walking, and he collapsed into a nearby bench to catch his breath. He removed the slice of bread from that morning and broke a piece for Shion before biting into his own. "We still have money, right?" he asked. "Let's maybe use some of it for a horse. I know I was kidding, but we'd make better distance. By the time we get to Raintspol they'll be across the map."

[Argon Jaden]

Truthfully, the walk didn't bother him all that much, though he could make do with a little more water. Taking the piece from Iggy and halving it for Igshi, he nodded. "We do. One horse will be okay." It was fine, he agreed. Two months of walking would kill their feet, plus, a horse would be fine. There were other towns they could make a stop in. He shrugged.

"We could rest here for now, if you want. I can hunt again so we have meat to sell." And eat. he added thoughtfully. Sitting down on the bench beside Iggy, Shion let out a surprised grunt when Igshi jumped up and crawled on top of him. "Heavy." Despite being a pup, a runt no less, Igshi was still a rather large pup. He nuzzled close to Shion and licked his ear, before facing Iggy and showering him with licks as well. The youth did nothing to discourage this behavior.

By the time the mutt had settled down, curled up in his lap, Shion had fur sticking to his clothes. He guessed he'd need a bath later on to get rid of all the fur. No surprise there. He sighed. "Where are we gonna buy a horse though?" He asked, tilting his head in thought. HE didn't recall seeing any horse merchants on their way here.

[Ashen]

It almost bothered him, the way Shion broke his already small piece of bread to share with the dog. They didn't have the resources to be sparing food throughout the trip, and Iggy worried about their future. He just rolled his eyes, not wanting to get into an argument quite yet about it. However, when the dog started to lick him furiously, Iggy swatted at the furry pest. "Oi," he spat, shoving the dog off of him. "No. Don't do that. Shi, control your dog."

Iggy rested for only a moment, then perked up and looked around. "Where there's a town there's someone with a horse," he said. He could see no nearby towns, though, and motioned for Shion to give him a map. It took Iggy a while to locate where they probably were on the map, and he traced the path to the nearest town. "Shouldn't be far. We don't need to hunt. If we can just get here, and get a horse, we can rest on the ride. We'll make good distance to... Where were we going?" His bright eyes looked all over the map, but Iggy saw no Raintspol. He looked back to Shion, hoping at least he knew where they were going.

After just another moment, Iggy was heading off again. His feet were tired, but he did not want to waste too much daylight. If they could get to town before nightfall, it would be much easier to find someone willing to sell them a horse. He carried on, waiting for Shion to follow him. They were on the road for less than an hour before Iggy saw the town in the distance. Filled with a new enthusiasm, he started running, silently challenging his friend to a race. When they reached the town, there was still a bit of sunlight left. Iggy looked around in search of a stable, and he crossed his fingers.

He convinced Shion to let him figure out the horses. Iggy met with a stablehand, and he learned that the horses were not for sale. Iggy pleaded gracefully, and the man hesitated. There was one horse, he'd told Iggy. But he was a problem... Iggy didn't care, and within minutes he was walking a grey speckled mare back to Shion. "Here's our horse!" he announced. "See? Didn't even break the bank. Now we should get going." He moved beside the horse, and he tried to use the stirrup on her saddle to mount her, but the moody mare bucked at him. Iggy moved away quickly enough. He turned to Shion. "You're good with animals," he said. "Fix her." It figures, he thought to himself, that they would get trapped with a horse with an attitude problem.

[Argon Jaden]

"He's your dog too." Shion replied blandly, though his eyes betrayed a bit of mirth hidden underneath all that. Humming quietly to himself, the youth's eyes scoured the map, looking at the routes and the paths they'd take. The nearest town was Marind, which was not that far from where they were. However, the town was encircled.

He hummed again and tapped the area. "Marind. It's the closest town. We can just hop from one town to the other." No one said they had to make the entire journey in one swoop. With that in mind, Shion busied himself with the map, trying to familiarize himself with the landmarks as they approached the quaint town where they were supposed to buy the horse. Of course, that resolve didn't last long. The next minute, the two of them were racing, hopping over obstacles and each other while Igshi yelped and barked while keeping up.

The race ended and honestly, Shion wasn't very concerned about who won. He just went straight to another vendor, splitting up with Iggy. By the time the other came back, with a beautiful horse, no less, Shion had purchased a few sugar cubes, a brush and some apples. His lips only quirked up in a small smile at the complaint. He clicked his tongue, gesturing for Igshi to stay back.

"Hey. Hello there." His voice was light, and his hands were in front of him. Obviously this horse was very adamant to trust either of them overnight. Shion did manage to pet her, and he fed her one of the apples, cooing softly and talking to her. "She's not safe enough for us to mount her yet. Probably give her some more time to get used to us... though a saddle wouldn't hurt." He said, clicking his tongue.

"We should stay here for now, though. I don't see that much sense in getting a horse who would most likely run away the moment she feels her reigns go loose." He said, patting her flank gently, so as to not startle the mare. Thankfully, the horse doesn't seem to mind Igshi though. That was a plus. He clicked his tongue, attempting to hop on her when her ears pressed back, a warning whinny spilling from her mouth. Definitely not today then. He doesn't mind.

They still have some daylight left, so Shion tried his best to get the horse to warm up. So far, she seemed a little more compliant, but riding her right now was a no-no, especially when she tried to kick at either of them when they showed the intent. The horse wasn't tamed yet. Definitely, they'd have to stay here for a while. "Maybe we should find somewhere to rest for the night? Or do you think we could go camping?"

"Aye. Camping isn't such a good idea in this town, lads." A weathered voice said. Shion remembered him as the old man watching them from the bakery a few paces further. "These nights ain't all that safe." He said, causing the dark haired youth to give him a curious glance before looking at Iggy with the same amount of confusion.

[Ashen]

Iggy felt useless. He could do nothing but watch as Shion tried to tame this beast of a horse. Even if the kid was good with animals, and even if he had gotten the mare to at least tolerate his hands, it soon became clear to Iggy that she would not be able to be ridden any time soon. Iggy wondered if it was worth it to even buy the horse, but he shook his head. Between the two of them, they would be able to tame her. In time, she would be a great investment.

But, there was no use forcing the animal too far too fast. Iggy was glad when they decided it was time to move on. He figured they could camp out, that that would be the best option. They would need to watch over their horse after all, and if the beast tried to get away, they would hear her before she could get very far. But something stopped them, a voice that crept into Iggy's ears. He turned sharply to see the man who was talking, and he raised a brow at him. His warning fell on deaf ears; Iggy was overconfident in his own abilities, and he didn't believe this questionable man. He rolled his eyes and turned away from the guy, already ready to move on.

The man started away from the town, intent on finding the perfect location for camping. He was watching after Igshi, leaving the horse in Shion's hands. "Dude doesn't know what he's talking about," Iggy said with a shrug. "Come on. It's better to watch over the horse, and nothing's happened to us before while camping out. We'll be fine." He seemed confident. Iggy didn't have any doubts that they'd be in trouble. Even if they were, he figured, what could be worse than the mages they would have to face eventually?

While walking from town, Iggy turned to Shion again. He looked over the long-faced creature beside his best friend and studied her. "She needs a name too, huh?" he asked. "You named Igshi. I'm no good at names, but... Well, she's grey... Silver... Silver is a good name, isn't it?" He stopped and offered a hand to her, but the horse tried to bite at him, causing Iggy to retract his hand and roll his eyes. "Be nice. The stable guy probably would have had you killed."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion was still uncertain, and felt uncomfortable when those piercing, milky-gray eyes stared at his own. The youth bent his head and muttered a quick word of thanks before quietly clicking his tongue to get the attention of both the horse and the dog. With their eyes on him, he followed Iggy, trusting that his best friend knew what he was doing. Still, it made him feel like he was being watched. The book felt heavy from where it was kept, but he pushed the thought aside.

As Iggy reassured him, he nodded. "Yeah. We need to save the money anyway." He said quietly before glancing at the horse. She stared back at him, ears pulled back in slight irritation, daring him to touch her as well. "I think she likes Silver, don't you, girl?" He asks softly, humming quietly to get the horse to calm down with his voice as he patted her flank. She gave him a look and he only chuckled. "She's probably a year old, probably three? So, she's just a filly, but a strong one at that." Definitely not one of the horses bred for speed at least. His eyes told him that this horse was suited for labor much better than speed, doesn't mean she isn't fast. He nodded.

When they finally approached a decent enough clearing, he stopped and tied Silver to a tree. "Think this is good enough?" He asks quietly, before placing his bags down. "You get some firewood set up, I'll fix up some food?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder. They had a few more minutes before nightfall, so might as well get things done now.

[Ashen]

Iggy had to admit, Shion was a bold one. They way he continued to touch the moody horse didn't make a whole lot of sense to the older boy, but he didn't stop him. Maybe this would help tame her faster, he thought. So Iggy just shrugged along, keeping his own distance, and hoping, whatever she had been bred for, she would be worth the gold Iggy paid for her at some point.

They walked for a bit, then stopped at a clearing. Shion wanted to set up camp for the night already. Iggy nodded, looking around to survey the amount of firewood about. "Find us something really good," he told Shion. "Now we have an extra mouth to feed, and who knows how much this oaf will down in one." He motioned towards Silver, who seemed to be oblivious that she was the subject of the conversation. "I'll find some good firewood for us. That's my specialty after all. I'll see you soon then."

Iggy took off in search of some firewood. It was an uneventful search, which resulted in enough firewood to get a decent fire going. Iggy returned to their clearing, where Silver glared at him. "Hush, you," he said, even if the horse hadn't made a noise. He started making the fire, but had little success naturally. Looking around to make sure Shion was not back yet, he sparked his own fire. From the corner of his eye, he could see the horse watching the flames he'd made, as if captivated. Iggy shrugged, then poked at the fire to make it bigger. "Yeah, beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. "And horribly destructive, and the reason behind this all. I can't wait until the fire is extinguished entirely." He sat back, let the flames warm his skin. "Where is Shion?"

[Argon Jaden]

Before he left, he had ordered Igshi to stay and watch the camp, which would mean, protect the horse from theives and other stragglers. Hefting his bow on his shoulder, he waited for Iggy to disappear before he dropped the rest of his things and ventured off. It was getting dark, and that meant low visibility. The youth huffed.

There was barely any movement nearby. He checked the ground for tracks, humming softly when he saw pawprints. A small animal, possibly a rabbit. Shion stood up, gunmetal blue eyes darting around as he followed the tracks. By the small clearing, he saw a group of rabbits entering a burrow. It was probably a large family. Smart things, already ducking in before it grew too dark. Five of his arrows flew and five rabbits dropped. With a satisfied smile, he approached his prize and picked them up, deciding to skin them when he gets back to camp.

Just as he tied his kills together, the putrid stench of flesh reached his nose. He paused, sniffing the air slightly. Decaying carcass didn't smell this foul. Shion coughed and retraced his footsteps, cringing at the stench of rotten flesh permeating the air. Did they wander off to some body-dumping site?Just then,he heard something tumble out of the underbrush, followed by a thump and a screech that definitely wasn't human. In a heartbeat, his arrow was pointing at that... that thing. Milky eyes rolled around before locking on the youth.

His body froze at the grotesque form. His breath hitched. The creature tilted its head before charging Shion with such inhumane speed that he stumbled back, letting out a loud scream as his arrow flew from his bow.

[Ashen]

Shion was taking a very long time. Iggy was growing tired of waiting, and as the fire he'd struggled to make started to sputter, the boy got worried. He knew Shion liked to take his time, especially with big hunts, but this was going a bit too long. Surely the kid would have returned by now. Finally, Iggy pushed away from his flame. He looked at Igshi, told the mutt to watch over their horse, and with that he was heading away from their little encampment off to find his best friend.

Iggy wandered for a few minutes, not knowing where Shion could have gone. As he wandered, he reeled suddenly. Why did it smell so foul here? Iggy cautiously walked around, his hands going to one of his hooked blades. He kept his eyes peeled for any sudden movements, but there were none. With his free hand, he covered his nose, trying to block the putrid odor. Iggy was baffled; he didn't know what could possibly be making such a horrid smell, or why it wasn't immediately noticeable. He had no choice but to trek on, repeatedly calling the name of his companion.

Then there was a screech. Iggy jumped only for a moment, then ran towards the source of the sound. He was quick, and in only a few moments he saw Shion, arrow poised. His catch was in his hands, an impressive array of rabbit meat. The expression on the boy's face made Iggy pause, then rush to his side. "Shi?" he said, prepared to catch the boy who looked ready to faint. "Shion, come on, snap out of it." He then met his eye, and only then could he see the horrors that had scared his friend just seconds before.

[Argon Jaden]

The arrow hand embedded itself straight between the thing's dead eyes. It was stock still, as if stunned by the assault. Shion jumped when he felt Iggy slide closer. "R-ru--" His voice cracked horribly. The monster shifted again and Shion quickly gathered his kills, tugging at Iggy to get them out of the clearing while it was still distracted.

His breath came in heavy pants, and the look of terror filtered in his blue eyes. Even the hands holding the rabbits were shaking. He remembered what the old man said, and couldn't suppress the bodily shudder that went through him as he recalled what the thing looked like.

It had dirty, murky green skin, with scratchmarks all over the torn flesh. Flies flew around the open wounds and maggots crawled in its flesh. The torn strips of clothing it wore didn't conceal its mutilated stomach, and Shion had a good view of those rotting insides, some of the intestines still hanging out. He remembered its wide maw, sharpened with heavy rows of yellowed teeth that--

He had to stop running, forcing himself to move away from Iggy as he emptied his guts out. Bile and whatever he had eaten that day spilled from his mouth. He teared up, dropping the rabbits away from the mess as he continued retching, his entire body trembling heavily in disgust.

[Ashen]

Iggy could tell from the shudder in his friend's voice that the kid was absolutely terrified. He didn't know what to do either. Fight or flight would kick in soon, but for now he could only look on in horror at the disgusting monster before him. Something had tried and failed to kill it, this undead thing of nightmares, and Iggy didn't know how he would ever be able to finish it. Before he could try, Shion was pulling him away, so Iggy started sprinting, hoping the creature behind them was not very fast.

They had not been running long when Shion suddenly stopped. Iggy soon found out why. He felt helpless watching his friend get sick. The sight had made him nauseous too, and Iggy was thankful he was not a sympathy vomiter. He looked away, owing that privacy to Shion, and waited until the sounds of the poor kid retching stopped. When they did, he turned to Shion. There was little he could say, so he kept moving, heading back to their camp, hoping they would be safe there.

They returned to an excited Igshi and an apathetic Silver. Iggy made sure Shion was okay and ordered him to sit by their sputtering fire. He rubbed some of the sticks together, trying to make a stronger flame, but that was proving unsuccessful. Giving up, Iggy tossed the sticks back into the pile. Finally, he spoke. "What was that?" He scanned the clearing, as if the beast would arise from its mention. It looked like something out of hell. Was that... a zombie?" Iggy unsheathed his swords, dully swinging them around. Judging by all the cuts and slashes on the thing's body, he wasn't sure his own blades would be able to do much. If the thing did return, what would they do? They had to kill it, they would have to protect themselves, but how...?

Iggy turned back to Shion. He was so bothered by the thing, that Iggy couldn't help but think there was some other connection. "You seemed to know something about it," he gently prodded. "Don't tell me you've seen that thing before."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion was still shivering when they got back. His lips were white and his eyes wide. He felt the urge to throw up again, but he could only dry-heave. His stomach was painfully empty. Igshi snuffled by his side, laying his large head on his lap as his trembling fingers lay on the pup's head. Blearily, his gunmetal blue eyes flickered into focus, landing on Iggy. He shook his head.

"Old man earlier, remember?" He said softly, squeezing closer into himself. That did not answer the question though. He had seen it before, well, heard about it. His eyes watched the small flames and he shuddered, fingers picking at Igshi's fur. "It-it's an old sleep-story back in my village." He murmured, trying to remember the actual contents.

"An evil warlock fell in love with a young huntress, but she rejected his advances." He said after a while, summarizing a good portion of the tale in only one sentence. "The warlock tried gifts, being nice, and all that, but the huntress shooed him off." The book felt heavy on his back and he shuddered. "Then, he found out that she fell in love with the boy from the apothecary. In his rage, he kidnapped the boy and tormented him, day and night, until he begged for mercy."

Shion looked up at Iggy, before glancing behind them, as if a little terrified that the thing would come after them from the shadows. "But the warlock had fallen in love with the boy's suffering. He cursed the youth to live on after death and sent him back to the huntress. The boy spread the curse on every man that failed to kill him, and the village was only spared when he fell to slumber in the morning." Shion exhaled softly. "One day, the huntress had enough and hanged herself, ending the curse that was bestowed upon their village."

"It was... it is dark magic, but I never thought it'd be more than a child's tale." Shion pointed at his skin. "I recognized the marks on his flesh. But it was the rotting intestines tha-" Unable to stop himself, he stood up abruptly, startling Igshi and Silver as he ran to the farthest end to throw up once more.

[Ashen]

Iggy listened to the tale, trying to make sense of it. He didn't recall any such story from his childhood, but then, he knew he and Shion had grown up in very different cultures. He grew uneasy at the story, not because he was scared of this warlock, but because Shion's voice was shuddering as he told it. When Shion was done Iggy was about to speak, but the younger man had to excuse himself to once more empty what remained within his stomach. Awkwardly, Iggy waited for the horrid sounds to end.

He didn't fear the tale, not really. Iggy had said himself that the huntresses's death had canceled the curse, so whatever poor creature they had just found couldn't have been after them. The thing was horrible to look at, but it had no malice anymore. Maybe the two of them would be the ones to take it out of its misery. If there was no risk of being cursed, what did they have to lose? Wouldn't it make good practice for the fight against the fire mages later? Iggy turned back towards the darkness, where the creature might still have been stalking. He looked back to his swords, an idea crossing his mind. "So we have to kill it is what you're telling me," he said, getting up and already heading back to where they had come from. "Alright, got it."

He didn't know if Shion would follow him, and wouldn't blame him if he didn't. Iggy knew that they would have to overcome their fears on this journey, and what better way than to face this childhood nightmare? Perhaps, he considered, he was jumping too strongly into this. Perhaps this would only traumatize Shion more than either of them needed. But Iggy was acting on the chance that they would succeed, they would destroy this thing, and in doing so, they would get the confidence they would need for the rest of their journey.

And maybe a part of him was being selfish. Maybe Iggy wanted to prove that he could do this to himself, too. Because deep down, he knew that this zombie, this tortured soul would be nothing compared to what was to come.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion's retching reversed and he quickly whipped towards Iggy. "Don't!" He squeaked, stumbling forward to grip Iggy's arm. Despite the lack of balance, he was able to recover quickly and the tug was a lot firmer than a simple pull. Shion's eyes were wide, and his lips pale. It was obvious that he was in no condition to take this thing on. Neither was Iggy, at least not like this.

"We don't kill it at night. You can't. You'll just get turned." He said, taking a step back. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and treat this as a hunt. This is a hunt. He forced himself to concentrate on a plan, on something so they wouldn't be surprised. They need to know how to hunt it. "We have to gather more information first. We can't just charge that thing. You saw how fast it was." He said quietly, remembering the blur that nearly got them both. He shuddered visibly.

The younger boy shifted, but it looked like Shion had made up his mind. He was staying by his word and was going to force Iggy to see his way, his rare stubbornness rearing it's head. His eyes glanced around warily. Looks like Shion wasn't getting any rest now though. He was too high strung.

[Ashen]

Iggy was startled when he felt a tight grasp on his arm. He turned sharply, glaring at Shion. It was one thing to not want to fight the thing, but Shion had no right stopping him, too. Iggy yanked his arm away and crossed it over his chest with his other. "I won't get turned," he muttered, perhaps overconfident. But he knew this was a battle he was not going to win. So he shrugged his shoulders and let Shion talk, all the while formulating his own plans.

The least they could do was get some rest. Iggy plopped down and sighed, not wanting to talk to Shion much now. The kid probably wasn't up to talking, not after what they had just seen. "Try to relax some," Iggy suggested. He followed his own advice, stretching out on the grass below him and drawing a large breath. As he let it out, he sat back up and looked out at his friend. "I think I need a walk anyway. That will calm me down. Will you be alright alone?"

He wasn't going to let this one go so easy. Iggy wanted to end this beast's suffering, and he wanted to spare anyone who might stumble across it in the future. Killing it would have too many positives on other people. Iggy wasn't scared; he knew he was a lot more powerful than Shion could know. He just had to wait for the kid to doze off, or to leave him alone. Once Iggy didn't have to worry about being tracked, he could pursue it by himself. He didn't like being sneaky, not with Shion, but he knew the pros outweighed the cons. The disgusting look of that beast, the suffering it must have endured... He had to save it.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion visibly flinched at the movement, quickly retracting. His gunmetal blue eyes lowered, thoughts swirling before he lifted his head to look at Iggy once more. He was reading through him, and the boy pressed his lips tighter together, fists clenching. There was no stopping Iggy. Obviously. He let out a sigh.

"I'll be fine on my own." He murmured softly, slumping slightly as he settled down to rest against the wood. It was obvious that the other was going to bolt on him. He huffed sulkily. "Be careful and steer clear of it." He said after a while, turning around to curl up on himself dejectedly. He wasn't trustworthy enough then. He huffed again, curling in on himself as he forced himself to drift off into a light sleep.

His body easily rested, but small sounds brought him to consciousness. If Iggy was going to sneak around with him, then he would as well. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. His best friend loathed magic, and here he was, harboring some that was passed down in his family. He let out a soft breath, swallowing the bitter feeling down as he forced his mind to ease. He'll get to making a small guardian as soon as the steps fade. If he can't stop him, he'll help him from the shadows. That was the least he could do.

[Ashen]

The darkness swirled around Iggy like a cloak. He wandered through it, at first wondering if he should perhaps just go for a walk. Just a lonely stroll might do him some good, he figured, and besides, what if this beast really was as bad as Shion feared? The longer he walked, the more he began to doubt himself. This journey was about becoming closer, not just for himself, but for Shion as well. That meant he had to get stronger with Shion too, and with the kid alone, they weren't strengthening any bonds any time soon.

After a while Iggy stopped. He had heard someone tracking him, and instantly he thought of Shion. The kid had seen through him then, and had manned the courage to join him. That brought a smile to his face. Iggy let Shion believe he was still unnoticed, and he continued his walk.

The beast seemed to have disappeared. Iggy looked around for it but couldn't find it. He looked for a while, but his labors were fruitless. "Sorry Shi," he said, "looks like we're not killing any legendary monsters today." He shrugged his shoulders and turned around, expecting his friend to be there, but he wasn't. Iggy raised an eyebrow. "Shi?" he called. He was sure Shion had been tracking him all this time, so what happened? Unless... Iggy shook his head. Shion wouldn't go behind his back. ...Would he?

He made it back to where they were set up for the night. Shion was there still, making Iggy wonder what had been following him. He couldn't tell if Shion was asleep, so he took a seat on the cold ground and let out a sigh. After struggling to keep his thoughts straight, Iggy dozed off.

[Argon Jaden]

He had dozed off easily enough, but roused when he heard Iggy's steps against the dry leaves. He breathed, then held his breath. One. Two. Shion relaxed his shoulders, his ears barely straining as the sound of footsteps grew weaker and weaker. When he seemed Iggy out of sight and sound, the youth sat up, reaching for the book with shaky fingers. His eyes scanned the yellowed pages, licking his lips nervously while Igshi shuffled to his side, roused by the movements.

"S-singgumi ak atawangka palu." He stuttered nervously, eyes flickering around him for Iggy's presence. None. With a soft snap, he murmured the incantation again, drawing a small symbol on the ground. Slowly, the leaves and the dirt began to swirl together, tumbling over each other. Shion felt himself shudder a bit, exhaustion tickling the back of his neck. "Uck..." He winced, watching as the small, two foot tall golem blinked at him with its rocky eyes.

In a flash, the tiny thing ran off, scouring the perimeter while it's creator stuffed the book back and grabbed his bow. Telling Igshi to stay and watch, he treaded after Iggy, feeling the gentle trickle of energy leave him. Perhaps sending a scout to ward off the monster wasn't the best idea. He was horribly untrained and all this was leaving him exhausted. Shion could feel the golem clicking at his mind. It had found his friend and Shion breathed out a sigh, knees shaking. After giving it specific instructions to stay hidden and out if range, he trudged back to the campsite.

"Useful." He observed, laying his head back down and curling up. Images and sounds slipped into his peripheral, giving him a sense of their surroundings. He could see Iggy pause, and the extra set of eyes ducked. Good. There would be another pair to watch his friend. He kept watching him, wary of the surroundings. By the time Iggy had returned and was seated beside him, Shion was fast asleep, his little minion scurrying off quietly to make itself scarce.

By morning, Shion was tempted to call the golem back to the earth. His eyes felt heavy, and his stomach felt empty. His strength felt sapped, and various joints cracked oddly. Not that he could blame his body; it was completely unused to such activities. Plus, there was the lingering guilt of doing it behind Iggy's back. He could do some introspection, or something, but now was not the time, not when he was pretending to be just fine while his little spy scourged the area for remains, anything to give them a decent lead. He looks over at his friend. "Good morning... " He mutters quietly.

[Ashen]

That night, Iggy had nightmares about that beast. The tale Shion had told him blew up in his imagination, exaggerated grotesquely. The young man twitched and winced in his sleep, but he kept quiet throughout the night. Somewhere in his mind, he was fighting a losing battle, and once he had been thrown aside, the beast went straight for Shion. Dream Iggy could do nothing but watch helplessly as his friend was torn apart limb by limb because of Iggy's stupid decision to pursue an unbeatable boss.

He woke with a start. Brown eyes settled on Shion, who was only just waking up. Iggy sighed. It had only been a dream. He had found nothing last night. He picked himself off the ground and stretched his body. "Morning," he mumbled in response.

The dream lingered on his mind. Was it a metaphor? Was Iggy leading Shion straight to his death? It was the elder boy who had wanted to go on this quest, to get revenge on a people who had ruined so many lives. But, was it, too, a losing battle? Iggy tried to shake the thought. Now was not time to have doubts. They were too far from home now, and besides, Iggy would rather die than admit this kind of defeat to his best friend.

Igshi and Silver were still around. Iggy was thankful everyone seemed to be okay. The beast hadn't come for them, then. He did notice, however, that his friend looked more tired than usual. He was sure by the time he had returned Shion had been asleep. He gently nudged his friend with his toe and cocked his head. "Didn't sleep too well?" he asked. "We don't have to start our day yet. Why don't you get some rest while I find us some breakfast?" He drew his swords and started away. "I'll wake you when breakfast is ready. Really, Shi, you should try to get some more sleep."

[Argon Jaden]

He blearily blinked up at Iggy, frowning to show his displeasure. "I'll come with." He said, shakily dusting himself up as he stood. His left eye was bloodshot, and Shion fought the headache that pounded at his skull. He saw visions of the forest floor and shook his head.

"Sore eye." He grunted in explanation, quickly finding a cloth to bandage his eye with. Having dual vision was distracting, and while, he could easily say that his eye was simply irritated from the dirty ground, the youth knew he had to return that golem back to the earth. With the eye hidden from view, his head began to pound a little less. "village or are we gonna hunt?" He asked, patting Igshi on the head as he got ready to move.

His limbs still felt exhausted, and he had the excuse of coming down with something, but at the same time, he knew that it was his body compensating for the rapidly decreasing energy in his body. He needed to grow stronger too, even if that meant forcing his body overtime.

There was a trilling at the back of his mind and he barely stopped himself from flinching. His golem found the decaying remains of the monster just a short distance away, not too far from where his golem had last tailed his friend. He shuddered slightly, before sneezing. "Eugh." His stomach grumbled. "Hunt or Village?" He asked softly, looking expectantly at his best friend.

[Ashen]

Iggy didn't want Shion to come with him, but he knew protesting would be pointless. So he sighed and went along with it, knowing the kid was going to exhaust himself to the point of collapse later, and it would be another mess to deal with.

Iggy wanted to hunt, but with Shion trailing him, he figured it would be safer to find food in the village. He responded to his friend and started towards the village. Buying food was an expense they could afford for a day. When they got to the village, Iggy looked through all of the options they had. "I think I'll go something light," he said. "Get yourself something, yeah?" With that, he went off in pursuit of food.

Iggy returned with some meat on a stick. He ate it easily and used the stick as an oversized toothpick. "So what's the plan today?" he asked. "We need to get on track and hunt these guys down. The sooner we do that, the better. Who knows how many people they can harass between now and the time we get to them?" He tossed his stick over his shoulder, causing the dog to run towards it and pick it up. Iggy didn't notice. "If we ride Silver, we'll be able to make good distance. Wonder if she's willing to listen to anyone today."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion had a sinking feeling that Iggy was on him and quietly nodded. No sense in being enthusiastic if his ruse was being seen through. With a half-hearted nod, he trudged off in the opposite direction far, far away from prying eyes, grimacing before flipping the large book open. After muttering another spell, he winced before snapping the book shut. His energy began to slowly trickle in, and he sighed in sweet relief. His limbs were still shaking though.

With newfound strength, or what little of it, he opted to go eat something light. There was a small stand that sold milk stew and Shion immediately took the chance to quietly sip the lukewarm liquid. It settled nicely in his stomach. Iggy found him like that, looking very content with a bowl of stew in his hands and a small smile on his face.

"I can try talking to her again." He offered, finishing the last of his step and returning the wooden bowl. The slight tremor in his limbs were still visible as he hobbled off to the direction of their horse. Leaving her at the camp while Igshi stood guard was a somewhat decent idea. They didn't have to watch the animals in their little quest. "Which direction?"

[Ashen]

Iggy headed in the direction of their camp without a word. He pretended not to notice Shion's shaking limbs. It was something the kid had obvious aversions to talking about, which meant it probably had to do with magic, and Iggy wanted no part in such a discussion anyway. He beckoned for Igshi to follow them, and they met up with their horse again.

Silver neighed when she saw the boys approaching. Iggy began gathering the things they traveled with while Shion dealt with the horse. He wasn't very hopeful they would get anywhere, so Iggy started to think of alternatives to their plan. They would have to travel on foot, losing time and possible leads to the fire mages. Iggy tried not to let it bother him. They had all the time in the world to complete this mission because, in the end, he didn't care if he came back at all.

He found himself getting more easily frustrated watching Shion. With everything packed, he had no choice but to watch the younger man interact with the oversized stubborn horse. The kid was still shaking, even worse than that morning. Iggy raised a brow. He looked about ready to collapse; would they even be able to continue if Silver didn't cooperate? Iggy felt a fire slowly burning within him. His best friend, his brother by all means, was keeping things from him, and it was obviously taking a huge toll on him. They were supposed to trust each other, they were supposed to do this together... Things weren't supposed to be like this. Iggy clutched his fist, confused and scared by his sudden anger. He couldn't stay silent about this anymore.

"Yo." It was a sharper call than he usually gave. "Look, we're not going to continue like this." Iggy dropped his bag and walked over to Shion. "I don't know how much you remember, Shi, but when the guild first took you in, you were pathetic. You were in severe need of a family, and we all recognized that. That's why we took you in. But you couldn't possibly know about me. When I came to the guild, I was even more pathetic than you. Your entire family was killed by those fire mages, and you had the burns to prove it, but... Well, so did I." Iggy turned down to his hands. Years ago, they had been burned beyond recognition, though now they showed none of that. He turned back to his friend. "I lost everyone I had ever known to the flames, and I know that doesn't make me special. But... The guild didn't even want me. They didn't want to give me a family. Would you? I refused to talk about it. I refused to talk about it in the years afterwards too, and most of the guild still doesn't know who I am. Fuck, Shi, I don't. But that's why I'm doing this."

He sighed, trying to calm himself down. "I need to do this. I need to come face-to-face with them again. I can't go back to the guild if I don't. And you, you probably have that same ember in you, don't you? We're in this together. I know we need to do this, but I also know... We aren't going to do this like this." The heat under his skin was fading, and Iggy was choosing his words carefully. "This will be a lot easier with help, and Shi, you're my brother, you're the closest family I have. I'm comfortable with you, and I could say that about no one else. So we need to work together, and that means not keeping things from each other. You're going to stop endangering yourself with your magic. You're going to, because I can't keep you safe if you keep doing that. And if I can't keep you safe, I can't stand to do this with you. I can't stand to endanger you like this." He steadied his breath again. "Don't make me do this alone."

[Argon Jaden]

Silver had snorted when Shion approached, and he quuetly clicked his tongue to soothe her. She was eyeing him warily, ready to bite him if he ever got too close. "Hello." He murmured quietly, genrly placing a hand on her cheek. The horse's tail flicked once, twice, before she neighed a greeting in response. The slight tremor in his fingertils seemed to alert her and she whipped her head towards him, nuzzling his hand before snorting.

"Just tired. Sorry." He said under his breath, causing the horse to huff indignantly as if she understood him. She allowed him to pet her some more and seemed comfortable enough to load the saddle on her. She didn't like it when he tried to get up though. Shion sighed. Maybe not today then. Silver snorted and neighed before stomping her foot angrily. He nodded and quietly apologized.

The sharp call had him flinching, and Silver's ears perked up in interest. Shion froze, and he could feel Iggy approach him from behind. And he thought he was hiding it so well. Every word had him flinching and shifting uncomfortably. The youth refused to look at his friend, but he did let him talk. After a while, his shoulders relaxed and he turned to face his friend.

Shion, who didn't cry that often; Shion, who was often quiet and rarely spoke in complete sentences stood there, sniffling softly. His eyes were wet with tears and there was guilt weighing down on his expression. "I'm sorry." He murmured softly, eyes cast downwards as he swallowed.

He wanted to explain himself, to tell his best friend that he felt useless beside him. That he wanted to protect him too. That he wanted to be able to do more, but knew that he couldn't. He wanted to say that he knew his body was vastly uncomfortable with what he was doing, how his family's magic was taking a toll on an inexperienced vessel like his. He wanted to protect Iggy too, but he was always two steps ahead. It made him feel like he wanted to do more than just protect his friend from the back. He wanted to avenge his clan, to be able to use what little connection he has to overthrow those mages. His words wedged in his throat.

He struggled to talk, and large tears streamed down from his cheeks, but Shion seemed unaware of it. He kept stuttering out words. Before looking down. A few heartbeats later, after giving up on trying to say his sids, he nodded.

"I-I'll stop." He said after a while. It was not the answer he wanted to give, but he valued their friendship more than his own need. He quietly took out the book from where he had stashed it and gave it a long look. This book belonged to his grandparents, to his ancestors. He grit his teeth and exhaled, letting it fall from his hands in front of Iggy. Then he turned around and continued to pat Silver, who looked more surprused than upset. He was probably doing it more to comfort himself rather than soothe her.

He wiped his face and schooled his features, not even bothering to shrug out the tremors from his body. "Not today though. She doesn't want to. Which way?" He asked when Silver refused to let anyone mount her. Shion had to make do with letting her carry the luggage then. He saw the book at the corner of his eyss and immediately beat down the emotion that welled up inside of him. "We should keep moving." He added softly, closing the discussion of his magic.

[Ashen]

To Iggy's shock, his best friend started crying. Iggy didn't realize how harsh he sounded, how pointed his words were. Despite that, he didn't dare try to take them back. His words were there now, weighted and expectant, waiting to see what Shion would do with them. Standing there, alone with the one he had made cry, the seconds between Iggy's last word and Shion's first felt like lifetimes.

He hadn't expected Shion's response, but he exhaled in relief when it came. Iggy turned away, glad the hard parts were now over. If Shion stopped dabbling with magic, his body would stop crumbling, and he'd stop being more of a burden than a help. Iggy trusted Shion's skill, but not when he had magic to contend with. Now, they would be spared of that, and they could continue on unhindered. He turned away. "Thank you," he murmured, and he left it at that.

They started off again. Silver as predicted was not willing to cooperate, so they had to continue by foot. Iggy didn't know what to say, so they traveled in silence for hours. Iggy was going through emotional turmoil, and he couldn't figure out how to sort his thoughts. He was relieved that Shion would not be using magic anymore, but was that fair of him? To strip Shion of a family tradition like that, when Iggy had to give up nothing... His hands clenched to fists and he could feel the heat crawling under his skin again. Just why was he getting so heated so easily? He tried to shake his thoughts. It was unfair, and he was an awful person for it, but what was done was done, and he knew they had to put up with it for just a bit longer before Iggy knew Shion would get his revenge.

Suddenly, Iggy stopped walking. He looked sharply to the west, where a town stood several meters away. Around them were vast flatlands with nothing remotely interesting. This town caught his attention, however; Iggy motioned to silence Shion. He looked to the sky, where dark clouds of smoke were rising from the center of the town. "Shion!" Iggy called sharply. He turned and bolted towards the town, swords already bared. He had a bad feeling about this.

[Argon Jaden]

The walk was predictably silent. Shion had a hand in Igshi's fur while his other held Silver by her reins. His body had ceased their shivering, though his eye was still tgrobbing. Overall, he looked like he was in better conditions. Vaguely, he wondered if he was practicing the entire thing wrong. He did jump to the advanced spellsー

His mind halted at the thought and his face went blank. Of course. He should stop entertaining those thoughts. Magic was off the table. He glanced at his hands, which were trembling slightly. Why did his family die if they had enough magic to defend themselves? There was an abundance of immunity magic, healing magic whyー

Shion shut his brain down.

That was the second time his mind had wandered. He should just stop. The footfalls beside him stopped and he felt Igshi tilt his head up. Shion glanced towards Iggy before his eyes widened. The brooch in his hair felt heavier as he saw the thick smoke curling upwards. With a soft hiss, he clicked his tongue and ran behind Iggy, bow drawn. Silver was trotting behind them, with Igshi hot on their heels. The smell of smoke grew stronger and he flinched, fighting back the memories that wanted to surface.

At the edge of town, he saw a large pyre burning by the heart of town. He huffed, fingers trembling as he looked at Iggy. There was a sharp snap that resounded in the air before the smell of burning flesh and screeching people sounded from town. Bloodcurdling screams filled the air. With a deep breath, he jumped past the invisible barrier and into the fray.

[Ashen]

The town was burning. Iggy didn't anticipate finding a lead quite like this so soon, but there they were, running into the flames of an otherwise quaint town. Anger seethed within him, and he charged in with swords raised.

Iggy let the screams guide him. He didn't slow for a second, racing for the best chance to help the people of this town. Finally he found them, a group of people trapped within a circle of fire. They didn't notice him. Iggy paused, trying to determine what was going on. He struggled to see between the taunting flames. There, in the center of the people, was a single person. They were cloaked in white, and their gauntlets were decorated with deep embers. From the tips of their gloved fingers spilled the fire they were creating. This person was a fire mage, the first Iggy had seen in years.

Iggy didn't think. He rushed into the circle of fire, soaring over the flames. They grabbed him like a rope, clutching at and burning his legs, but the man was unfazed. The tossed a hooked sword at the fire mage, whose uniform tore upon impact. "Hey!" they shouted. In their distraction, the flames flickered, and Iggy was able to enter the circle. With his other sword he went straight for the mage's throat, and startled, the mage was caught under the angered man. "What are you doing?" they asked. "Don't you know who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are," Iggy spat, retrieving his second sword and holding it just above the mage's head. "Put down the flames or I'll kill you right now." He used his sword to remove the hood from over the person's eyes, and Iggy was surprised to see this destructive mage was a woman, probably not older than him. She pouted, but the flames died down around her. "Shi!" Iggy called. "Help the people, get them home. This one won't be bothering them again."

As soon as the words had left his mouth a flame erupted between him and the fire mage. Caught off guard, Iggy stumbled back, choking on the smoke. The fire mage laughed. "As if I'd bow down to some dirty old boy like you!" She created a wall of flame around Iggy. "Stupid boy," she called, "so eager to be a hero, and so eager to die." People around them screamed and ran.

Iggy shook his head. This wasn't an end for him, he knew it. The girl was young and foolish, easily distracted. If he could somehow motion to Shion to distract her, he would be able to get away. The fire kissed his exposed skin, burning him. The circle he was contained in was too small. He choked again. Iggy tried waving his swords to disrupt the fire, but the flames were too strong, and he was too powerless. It was just one mage, he could take on one mage... He turned to Shion, wondering if this would be the end.

No. Iggy forced himself to roll out of the circle of fire, severely burning his clothes and skin. Fire remained on his hair, and as he moved it whipped at his back. He didn't make a sound of pain, so the fire mage didn't notice his escape. She had since turned her attention to Shion. "We want her alive!" Iggy yelled. Every fiber of him wanted her dead, but he recognized the advantage of keeping her alive. He was grateful most people had cleared out by now. When the fire mage looked his way, she seemed surprised he had managed to escape. "You got out?" she whined. "Looks like I'll need stronger fire for you!"

Ignoring Shion, the mage suddenly sent a blast of fire focused at Iggy, engulfing him in the flames. She laughed aloud and turned to Shion, her next target. Iggy was toast; there was no way he could have survived such a hit. But, as the smoke cleared away, the man stood, covered in ash, alive and breathing. With his secret now shattered, he ran towards the mage, hoping between himself and Shion they would be able to capture her.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion was busy herding the villagers out rather than focusing on the fight. He could hear Igshi barking outside town, enough to help guide the villagers out. The dark haired youth pulled a cloth over his mouth as memories danced at the back of his eyes. Now wasn't the time. He held his bow ready and ran off.

His eyes flicked over to where the female fire mage. His fingers rested on the notch of an arrow, giving Iggy a curt nod. Her attention was on him. He counted down in his head, aiming for her joints.

Fire roared and Shion let out a strangled sound as the fire engulfed his friend. His bow faltered. Memories rushed in and Shion squeezed his eyes shut before letting another volley of arrows loose. He was breathing heavily, inhaling the smoke as it seeped through his lungs. He managed to hit her wrist, but as the smoke vleared, Shion's gunmetal blue eyes focused on the man standing behind the mage.

For a moment, he seemed surprised, before his eyes lost all their emotion. Two well placed arrows pinned the mage to the ground by her robes. One more arrow lodged itself on its other wrists, keeping his body angled for another cleae shot as Iggy drew close.

[Ashen]

The mage was pinned, the townspeople had scattered, and now Iggy and Shion finally had the upper hand. The fire around them was fading due to the mage being distracted and vulnerable, but Iggy's mind was somewhere else, too. What was Shion thinking? To roll out of the flames with only the ash to show for it? Would it hide his burns? Would Shion wonder how, later, his skin would be as smooth as it had been before? He tried to shake it off. Iggy ran a hand over his cheek, over his dark charred skin. His body ached, but he had to do this. So, with Shion ready to protect him in an instant, Iggy approached the powerless mage, and with his rage threatening to destroy this monster before him, he did all he could not to kill her.

Iggy stood over the woman and watched as her eyes stared in terror at her predator. He looked to Shion for strength and let out a long sigh. "What is your name?"

The girl seemed surprised at his question. "What does that have to do--"

"What is your name?" Iggy repeated. It was not a question, but a demand.

"Mira," she peeped.

Iggy considered this. "Where's the rest of your worthless family?" When she didn't answer, Iggy used his sword to nick her throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that was an optional question. Where are the rest of you?"

Mira turned her eyes away. "Tomorrow we are going to be raiding a city west of here, I just got bored and came out here, but I--"

"You're going to show us the way." Iggy drove his sword through her cloak and shirt, pining her down even further and terrifying her in the process. He walked to Shion. "Where's our map?" he asked. "I think we just found the best lead we could have hoped for." After taking the map, he remove his sword and sat next to the mage. "You'll dictate to me the exact route," he said, and he began to mark the map to their new goal. When he was finished, he walked back to Shion. "Here we are," he said, showing the map to him. "We should get there as soon as we can, and put an end to all of them." He turned his head over his shoulder and looked back at Mira. "How shall we kill her? Perhaps... you'd like to."

[Argon Jaden]

Shion was silent throughout the entire exchange, not even talking as he helped the townsfolk put the dying flames out. Answers were either a nod or a shake of his head. But, after a few minutes, they left him alone, gathering amongst themselves in order to put thwir town back. Shion sighed and sat back, wincing at how much smoke had gotten in his lungs. Both Silver and Igshi had wandered over, sniffing him.

When Iggy walked over, Shion pressed his lips together. "Rather not. She might burn me. I'm not fire resistant like a certain someone." The smoke made Shion's voice raspier than it normally was and he turned his attention back to petting Igshi.

Now words were spoken, but it was obvious that Shion was pretty upset about something. He was just being silent about it. Shion did take the map from him though and began to quietly plan their route.

[Ashen]

Shion's words stung more than the flames that kissed him. Iggy turned away, knowing this would all be a conversation for later. He walked back towards Mira, who was still watching with wide eyes. She asked Iggy a question that he knew he couldn't answer, and, hoping Shion had not heard her words, he dealt her a swift end.

Iggy met with Shion again. He didn't know how to breach the subject. He wasn't fire resistant, not quite, but how could he explain what had just happened? He became fascinated with his hand and started picking away charred skin, watching as it fell silently to the ground. At every angle, he appeared like a corpse, but already underneath the ash his skin was starting to heal far more quickly than was humanly possible. He brushed the soot from his face and cleared his throat. "We should get going," he suggested. "It would be best if we can get to them before tomorrow so they can't raid the city. She can't have come from far, not on foot."

His voice was neutral, though there was the slightest quiver underneath. Were they really about to run into the whole band of fire mages? Iggy wasn't expecting it to all happen so soon. He watched Shion, wondering if he were really ready. How long could Iggy protect him? Would he need protecting at all? He turned his eyes towards the road and began walking west. "How long until we get there? Do you think Silver could help out?" He figured as long as he kept talking Shion wouldn't be able to ask.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion could feel the eyes on him, but he pretended to ignore it. He was rationalizing with himself, trying to find the source of anger and disappointment that was filling him up. Unhealthy thoughts should be eliminated. He glanced at Iggy and shook his head, sighing when Silver nipped his fingers.

"She's reluctant to carry a person, let alone two, but at least she's carrying the bags." That's as much as they could get out of the stubborn mare, despite the fact that she seems to be warming up rather nicely to Shion. The youth side-eyed Iggy, assessing him quietly. But it was obvious what the silence meant. It was obvious that he was upset.

The adrenaline going down, he could feel the exhaustion seep into his bones. The tiredness of the morning mixing in with the exhaustion from a few minutes ago was making him slightly dizzy. He exhaled softly and moved on, pulling the map out and making a quiet gesture that they should move. The brooch that kept his hair out of his face, the last heirloom from his family that he was allowed to keep, was blackened at the edges. As if sensing the damage done to it, the uouth pulled it out and tucked it in his bag, before glancing at Iggy once more, wordlessly telling him to get going.

[Ashen]

It was soon very obviously Shion was not going to be talking. Iggy silenced himself and continued on, feeling the overbearing pressure now between them. There were a million thoughts a minute running through his mind, but he could say none of them. What could he say? Shion didn't know everything, but even with the speculations he was surely making, Iggy knew nothing would be the same again.

The pair started off towards their destination silently. Igshi seemed especially concerned with Shion, and even Silver occasionally poked at him with her nose. Iggy found himself trailing behind, more alone now than he had ever been. He recalled his days before the guild. A nine-year-old child, his family lost and his will to carry on wavering; not even then did Iggy feel as isolated as he did in the moment. By every account he should have been dead, yet Shion didn't appear the least bit glad that he was still breathing. Maybe, he thought, he should have died. Everything would have been much simpler if he had.

They traveled for hours on the open road, thankfully not running into any distractions. The silence drove Iggy mad, so he had full conversations with himself in his head. He plotted what would happen when he saw them, the pitiful band of abominations who had killed his best friend's family. He formulated the apologies he'd give to Shion, the way he would go about explaining all this. By the time they reached the village, it was past nightfall, and they were both exhausted. He assumed the fire mages were staying somewhere near town, perhaps just outside of it, and that they would attack first thing in the morning. Alerting the authorities of town wouldn't work; no one would trust a couple of kids, and Iggy didn't want them to take this from them. He knew he had to watch the end of that tribe, and he wanted Shion to be the one to bring it about. For now, all that was left was to wait.

"I suggest we sleep outside." It was the first thing either of them said in hours, and Iggy's voice cracked in the middle. He hadn't realized how nervous he was, but now he could clearly see his hands shaking. He hid them behind his back and looked up at the starry sky. "We both need it, and the sun will wake us up hopefully before any damage is done. We can confront them when they get here and... go from there." He looked to Shion, painfully aware of the risks of this mission. Finally this revenge was coming to an end. Would they be able to make it? He had no idea what would happen tomorrow, but he was terrified. Iggy cleared his throat. "Are you... ready?"

[Argon Jaden]

Thankfully, the walk was quiet, allowing Shion to sort his thoughts and feelings on the matter. He didn't really liked the results, but was it selfiah to feel that Iggy thought nothing more of him than someone to protect? Enough that they were not allowed to share burdens? He hoped not. It made his self-worth feel lower than what he thought it was. At the same time, he was just glad that Iggy was okay, but the secrecy had hit him hard.

And the exhaustion.

By the time they decided to camp for the night, there were slight tremors in his knees and Shion's fingers were trembling from the tiredness that seeps through his veins. Wordlessly, he helps set up camp, only glancing at Iggy to show that he was listening. He pressed his lips together. Was he ready? To what? To face the murderers who killed his family? Does Iggy really think he can't handle himself? He took deep breaths as he unpacked, before his fingers came into contact with something. Wordlessly, he pulled it out, curiously looking at the wooden animal lying in his palm. A whittled chipmunk. His eyes softened.

"Am I... being a burden to you?" He asked softly, letting the words out in a soft whisper. He wanted to know. Shion knew that he could handle anything. Has been, had been for the past years. Revenge and ending livea, while it stained his hands, had long since lost their hold on him. He knew it would come to this at some point. He never even knew why Iggy wanted to help him, why his best friend was far more eager than he was.

Shion sat down, shaking fingers running over the chipmunk's head. "If you're worried that I won't be able to handle them, I can. A mage with an arrow in their skull is no threat." He says softly. That's what they were to him. Another hunt. Prey.

He sighs, tucking the chipmunk back and gathering some extra clothes. "There's a river nearby." He murmurs, before picking up his things and walking off, the family brooch tucked against his palm. He needs to settle his thoughts once and for all, needs to make plans. His fingers shook and his body trembled. But for now, he needed to make sure his body and mind were both well rested.

[Ashen]

Iggy expectantly watched as Shion chewed on his question. The kid grabbed something from his pocket, and when Iggy recognized it he had to look away. That stupid chipmunk, the one he had carved Shion for his birthday; it seemed like he'd started that projects years ago, now. In truth, the chipmunk had been a backup plan. Iggy hadn't known if he'd be brave enough to actually start this journey. And now where were they? The mages were nearby, and tomorrow they were going to stop them once and for all. The thought made Iggy dizzy, and for several agonizing moments, he couldn't even make sense of Shion's words.

A burden? Iggy thought back to what he'd said. Where did this accusation come from? What had he done wrong this time? Iggy turned away, wondering how to respond. After a moment, he said, "No. When you were killing yourself with magic, yes, absolutely. But now... No. The opposite, really. It's because of you that we're even about to do this. You'll finally get your revenge that you deserve, and think of all the people we'll save. And I'd never have come all this way, I'd never have bulked the courage for this if you hadn't been by my side. No, Shi, you're not a burden, you're an inspiration."

They started towards the river. Iggy watched his friend, noting the lack of emotion. He knew Shion normally wasn't the most expressive, but now he especially could not read him. What was going through his mind? Were they right to take on such a large task with secrets between them? "Shi." Iggy stopped walking. He turned towards the river, a short distance away. "Listen, um." Iggy waited until Shion stopped walking before he continued. "Tomorrow, I'm sure a lot of things are going to go down. I don't know what kind of traumas are going to resurface from seeing them, but I know you can handle it. You can handle this and so much more. You've always been like that. But just... Whatever happens, no matter how carried away I may get, I want you to finish them off. Do not let me take that from you." The tears at his eyes were daggers, and Iggy hoped Shion did not see them. He did not know how to explain them. After a long pause, he finally looked to Shion, and with a serious expression prompted, "Okay?"

[Argon Jaden]

Shion stared at him quietly, once more giving no input. The lighting made it hard to see the exact expression on his face, but his blue eyes were blank. "Okay." He said simply, turning away to shed his clothes off by the water's edge. The cold skin hit the marred flesh on his body, but he barely flinched at that before ducking into the cold water, eyes downcast and in deep thought.

"Why is this important to you? And don't tell me it's because of me." He spoke after a long while, looking completely defeated. "You're not telling me everything, and it annoys me. I don't-" He paused, watching his tone. "You know I don't pry, and I won't, but give me this at least. Tell me everything. I told you mine. It... just didn't seem fair. To me at least."

He understood mostly, but there were so many spotty areas, so many blank areas. Why was Iggy so fascinated with him getting his revenge? Why was it so important? Why can't fire truly hurt him? At the thought, he winced, reaching for the marred flesh on his back and legs, curling in a little. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry. You can just forget it." He murmured under his breath, sinking in until only his head was above the water. They had a long day tomorrow.

[Ashen]

Iggy sat by the riverside, only poking his feet into the water. He knew he had to wash off, to wipe away the ash and soot from his skin, but his hydrophobia had him lingering for now. He thought on Shion's question, trying hard to determine what was running through his friend's mind again. There were dozens, hundreds, of unasked questions, but Iggy still wasn't sure he could answer the one hanging in the air. He tucked his knees under his chin and sighed. He had to say something, but what?

"It's important to me that you get your revenge," Iggy replied quietly. "That's of course a big point. You're like a brother to me, and I'd want peace for my family. If ending these assholes will give you that, then of course I'd do whatever I could to achieve that goal. But... You're right. It's not the only reason I'm out here." Iggy inched into the river. He took handfuls of the chilling water and washed his skin, scrubbing away the blacks and browns and yellows that always seemed to taint his pale skin. His eyes were trained on the water as he plotted his next words. "Like I said, my family was taken from me too. Our stories are different, but they're similar. The fire mages killed my family, and I will never forgive them. While I want you to finish them off tomorrow, if you hesitate, I will absolutely get my justice. I just don't think people like that can go around terrorizing people like this. It's been going on so long, and it's time they were brought to an end. Others have tried and failed, so I guess I just feel like... Well, with you, there's nothing I can't do, and I know we can do this."

The young man was silent as he shivered under the chilled water. Burnt skin fell away, drifting down the river and away from the walking corpse from where they came. Underneath, his skin was healing, almost already back to his normal color. He rubbed at his pinkish skin, at his freckles and the dirt littering his whole body. When he finished, he sat back down and weakly rubbed at his arms. "I know I'm being unfair," he continued. "I know, I know, I've been unfair since the day we met. Look, Shi, I just need you to trust me. That's probably really hard right now, and I understand it, but I promise, I swear on my life, it will all make sense tomorrow. After we deal with the tyrants, after they're all suffering at our feet... That's when I'll tell you everything. Right now, I just... Know that you have my undying loyalty, and I can only hope for yours. I don't think we'll defeat them any other way."

[Argon Jaden]

Again, Shion was quiet, but he nodded wordlessly. That was what they agreed upon and Shion would keep his word. His body trembled in the cold water as the grime and soot washed away completely, causing him to sigh softly at the sensation. Slowly, he rose from the water, too tired to cover himself or his scars up, and made his way towards his things. What little clean clothes he had left, herbs and salves. He sighed, feeling ghost pain slither upon the exposed burn marks. It made him shudder. Quickly pulling up his pants, he glanced at Iggy.

"Bathe properly." He said, a light tone of acolding in his voice. It was obvious that Shion had forgiven him, and would hold him to his word. But it was also obvious that Shion wouldn't change the way they've always been. "Clean up better." He said simply, taking a seat beside Iggy and made a go ahead motion with his hand. He knew Iggy was afraid of the water, but the poor lad needed the bath. All that soot and grime might make older wounds infected. And also, it just seemed fair, so here he was, keeping watch, with a towel hiding his scars, so his friend could clean up before they take on whatever it was they would be facing tomorrow.

[Ashen]

Shion didn't reply, but Iggy knew he was chewing over his words. He felt awful for giving his friend so little to work with, but sharing too much now would jeopardize their whole mission. He had to keep up this facade, had to play pretend just one more day. Iggy was sure he could do that.

He jumped a bit when Shion scolded him. Iggy rolled his eyes and turned away, though a smile returned to his face. He was glad Shion sounded normal again. This would be their last night of normal, and he at least had that to treasure. "Yeah yeah," he muttered in response, lazily throwing more water onto himself. To appease Shion, in part because he felt bad and in part because he knew he did need the cleanse, Iggy scrubbed at his skin, sinking into the water to remove the impurities and returning the color to his once blackened body. When he finished, he stepped out of the river shivering. Brushing wet hair out of his eyes, he looked pointedly at Shion. "Are you happy now?" he teased. "Give me that towel. It's freezing here."

After he dried off, Iggy turned to Shion. "We ought to get to bed," he suggested. "I know I'm not normally the one to suggest going to sleep early, but we've got a really long day tomorrow I bet. We need all the rest we can get." He looked out at the moon, shifting under her watchful eye. "Hey Shi?" he said quietly. "Thanks, yeah? For trusting me and everything. We're going to do great tomorrow, you'll see, and I want you to know... It's been a really great journey. My family may be dead, but I'm glad I got a new one with you." He plopped down on the grass underfoot and yawned. "Right. We should catch some shut eye. Goodnight, Shion."

[Argon Jaden]

The youth just watched him in mild amusement, tossing him his towel and snickering at the right times. He was usually far more vocal than the occasional grubts and nods, but talking didn't really seem necessary at the moment. His mind was running.

It wasn't that Shion was suspicious, but he couldn't help but think of reasons. His blue eyes stared at Iggy curiously, but he said nothing to betray his thoughts. At the notion of sleeping, he nodded, sitting uo from his position and walking over to their camp. He double checked his things.

He had more than enough arrows for tomorrow. All he needed was to aim. His body throbbed with the events of today and he sighed, laying out his sleep space and looking up. Was he ready for all this? Shion mulled over the words.

The phantom pains throbbed sharply on his old burn scars, making him sit up abruptly and hiss, waiting for it to pass. No, he'll be fine. Shion shivered, glancing over at Iggy. He sighed, flopping back to the ground to rest while his back tingled sharply again. He was used to it though.

[Ashen]

Iggy got ready to sleep under the starry sky, but even as he propped an old shirt under his head as a makeshift pillow he knew he was not going to get sleep that night. He had far too much to think about. What did Shion think of him now? What would happen when they got to confront the fire mages for the first time in years? Just how much would change after tomorrow? He knew thinking about those things would serve him no practical use, so Iggy shed those thoughts for battle strategies. With his eyes closed, he pictured the battlefield they would be entering, the fiery land that neither he nor Shion wanted to return to. They were at a disadvantage; the entire tribe of fire mages had magic at their disposal, while Iggy and Shion were using twin swords and a bow. What could they possibly do by themselves to halt this band of tyrants?

Time absolutely crawled that night. Iggy thought and rethought their plan far more times than necessary. He heard the snoring of their dog and horse, the uninvolved beasts who shouldn't have been brought into this. Maybe, if the worst happened, Shion could at least escape with the two of them. Iggy was sure he heard Shion's snoring too. He shut his eyes and let out a long sigh. It was almost like old times, Shion falling asleep after Iggy had kept him out too late. As he thought of that, more memories flooded into Iggy's mind, memories of Gelid Seraph and the tricks they had all gotten up to over the years. At least thinking of those helped to soothe his mind, and though he didn't quite fall asleep, he managed to stay content until sunrise.

The sun's beams landed right over Iggy's eyes. He groaned and rolled over, not wanting to get up. He was exhausted, and that much was clear in his dull, dropping eyes. He sat up and looked around. Shion was still lying beside him. Silver was nearby, still sleeping, but Igshi was looking up at him, as if asking, What do you want? Iggy debated trying to sleep for the umpteenth time, but then he saw it. In the distance, wavering in a direction towards the town, was a trail of smoke. Soon the smell met his nostrils, the unmistakable stench of char. The fire mages were coming.

He didn't have time for subtleties; Iggy shoved at Shion in an effort to wake him. His voice, level and unnerving, said only one sentence: "They're here." He threw himself up and grabbed for his swords. Finally, it was now or never.

[Argon Jaden]

Thankfully, his sleep was an undisturbed one. Shion's eyes fluttered open, naturally awake as soon as there was movement from Iggy. Quietly, he made an inventory of how he was feeling. There was no grogginess and his limbs no longer shook. His body didn't feel like it wanted to fall off. He sighed softly, squeezing his eyes shut once more as he curled into himself. He was well-rested in a sense, but not filled with energy.

The smell wafted over and he forcibly opened his eyes, slowly sitting up. His back arched slightly as he cracked his sleeping bones. Silver whinnied softly and he glanced at the rising plume of smoke. He yawned slightly and stood up, dusting himself off. "Leaving the animals here." He said softly, rubbing the back of his head as he attempted to shake the remnants of sleep off. He wondered about weather or not he should think about breakfast first, but the hollow weight in his stomach warned him that anything he eats might end up being regurgitated at some point. He shuddered.

"Let's move?" He asks, but was already fastening his boots on. The quiver rested on his back as he reached for his bow, the warm wood sitting in his sweaty palm. Shion made a face, gunmetal blue eyes flickering down at the ground before looking up at Iggy for a response.

[Ashen]

Iggy was already on the move, his intentions to surprise the fire mages threatened. He left everything but his weapons and urged Shion to follow. The kid still looked tired, but what could they do? They had to move; there was no time to waste on getting a few extra minutes of sleep.

The duo arrived in the town before the fire mages. The bastards were coming towards the main gate of town, so Iggy stood there in waiting. He watched Shion with a wavering gaze, not quite making eye contact. "Are you ready?" he asked, even though it was obvious they couldn't be. He turned his gaze back to the path before him, and it was then that he saw them coming.

A tall, broad man led the group, his black hair tied behind his neck and his dark eyes filled with fiery passion. He held his hands up, a flame in either of them. Iggy could tell this was their leader, the one who wanted this most of all. He was followed by an older man, a family resemblance strong. Beside them was a young woman who looked ready to fight. The rest of their clan followed, flames held high, ready for war.

When they were just outside the gate, Iggy stepped forward, right into their line of sight. The leader seemed irritated. He glared at Iggy, then at Shion. "Get out of the way," he snarled.

Iggy was steadfast. "No."

The fire mage seemed taken aback by this. He prepared to throw a ball of fire towards his obstacle when suddenly the older man stopped him. The elder stepped forward, an eyebrow raised. "Ignatius?" he murmured.

Iggy didn't move. He didn't dare turn around to see Shion's reaction to this man's recognition. He didn't know that he could take this.

Another man stepped up, this one from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. "Ignatius," he said, his fires dying away as he stepped towards Iggy. "How you've grown. You look just like your mother. Is that really you?" The man moved forward to touch Iggy, but he batted his hand away.

"I don't look like anyone," Ignatius said flatly. "I'm here to end you. It's about time someone did. You can't keep destroying the world like this." He moved his hand to his side and bent it at his elbow, then sharply called, "Shion!" He hoped his friend would get the cue to fire his bow, to act even though nothing at all could have made sense in that moment.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion had always been a quiet person, so it was nothing out of the ordinary when he merely answered Iggy with soft grunts and nods. Not a single word slipped from him as he hefted his bow higher, standing a step behind Iggy. As the mages came into view, he felt something settle at the pit of his stomach. His wounds felt feverish, but he did his best to ignore it. Right until they were in front of the mages.

But of course, they recognized Iggy. Shion's eyes twitched slightly, but he otherwise remained expressionless. His clan's brooch helped keep his hair up. He took a step back, eyes on his opponent as he readied his bow. The cue was given and Shion took off running, putting distance between them before nine arrows flew towards the group in rapid succession.

His breathing was calm, eyes focused. There was neither trembling nor fear in his bones as he let volley after volley loose. He ran around in spontaneous directions, each bow aimed at a vital organ, and always flying with a backup not far behind.

What Shion wasn't doing wasn't hunting. One could feel how coldly his rage and anger burned on the tips of his arrows as they flew. He didn't seem to mind when one was shot down. He merely repositioned and charged back in. It was a dance, it was madness, it was a signature style that Shion had hid for so long. There was nothing magical about his fluid movements, they were all from hard earned practice as one deadly shot after another flew out, while the archer ran in and out of sight.

[Ashen]

There it was, the rage Iggy had been hoping to see in his best friend for years. He watched in shock as Shion let loose his arrows, attacking the fire mages seemingly at random. There was a method to this though, Iggy realized. Shion had been planning this for so long; of course the kid was ready. Iggy had to dodge arrows himself as they flew into the fire tribe, fatally wounding some, just missing others. As the mages fell to the ground before him, the elder again spoke up. "How could you?" he asked, preparing a blue flame. "Ignatius, please, what went wrong with you? You were our prodigy, and we can still help you realize your full poten--"

"Enough!" Iggy yelled. He unsheathed both his swords and ran at the elder. The mage, startled and helpless, tried protecting himself in a wall of flames, but Iggy ran through it and shoved a sword through the man's chest. He could not bring himself to watch the life drip from his eyes as he fell to the ground. Iggy ripped his sword from his corpse and turned to the rest of the mages. They had fires ready, and many of them were sending balls of flames to Shion. Iggy attacked those who appeared to be a bigger threat to his friend, all the while listening to the chorus of people calling his name, begging him, shattering his psyche.

Iggy had been just a child then, though he remembered everything too perfectly. He remembered his father, the astonished look on his face. He remembered his mother, the way ash turned her hair grey. He remembered his grandfather, his idol, who had laid dead by his own hand. He remembered so many of the other children, some who had made fun of him, most who avoided him, now all gone. He remembered the smell of soot and death, a permanent affront to his nostrils. He remembered how the ashes fell like rain, blanketing a land that was supposed to be home. He remembered leaving, vowing to never return.

Iggy was pulled out of his reverie as he saw a woman making a wall of flames. It snaked from the ground by her feet, a small divider, and as it made its way to Shion it grew in length and intensity. Iggy panicked; it was going to hit Shion, and the kid was too busy firing away to notice. So, Iggy did the only thing he thought he could: He betrayed himself.

A wave of fire crashed below Iggy. It burned a bright white, the hottest flame on this steaming battlefield. A few gasps were heard from the fire mages at the sight of the flames. The white fire fizzled away just as quickly as it had come, and as it did, Shion would be able to see his best friend, the creator of his fiery fortress. There were a million apologies in Iggy's eyes, but there was no time to explain now, or perhaps not ever. Conjuring another flame, he hurled it at the girl who had attacked Iggy, charring and killing her instantly.

[Argon Jaden]

The flash of white momentarily distracted him, but one glance at the sneaking flame told him what happened. Shion moved out of the way, limbs fluid as he ducked from sight. His eyes darkened with a negative emotion he couldn't place as he counted the living mages. Twelve. Had he really shot down that much? A quick glance at the dead bodies was enough proof. Arrows were protruding from eye sockets and foreheads. One was sticking out of someone's jugular, another, her chest.

He breathed, feeling his fingertips throb a little. His quiver was almost empty. He moved out from his position and let the arrows soar. They whizzed through the air, landing om their targets. Bodies dropped as Shion stilled, gunmetal blue eyes narrowed with something unreadable as he lowered his bow. His breath came in soft pants, but was regulated from constant practice that it barely looked like he was breathing.

"It's done." He said, voice cracking as he stared at the bodies. His frame trembled. He didn't feel good. No, he felt numb. It curled inside his stomach and settled there. Some mages were probably still alive, but Shion had already exchanged his bow for his hunting knives. His eyes seemed to be glowing, despite it being morning. He stared at the dead bodies around him, squeezing the hilt of his blades.

He stood there, head bent as he flicked his blades. He was numb and confused. The youth just wanted to curl up and cry, exhaustion creeping up on him. He slowly walked towards Iggy, stopping just an arm's width from him. "Are we done?" Again, there was that soft, quiet voice. It had no emotion behind it, awkwardly flat as he spoke.

[Ashen]

Shion was in a blind rage, and all Iggy could do was keep the mages off his back. Iggy hated seeing his best friend so traumatized like this. Was this what he wanted? Was this the revenge he had dreamt of? Iggy imagined things in the near future. Shion would be able to relax, knowing they were all dead, that they would never hurt anyone else. It was worth it, Iggy told himself. Of course it was worth it.

As bodies continued to pile, Shion grew more and more exhausted. He was slashing like a madman, and Iggy admittedly let him do the work. Maybe then Shion would feel this accomplishment, like he deserved to. The number of living decreased, and soon Shion and Iggy were the only two standing on a disgusting battlefield of shock, disappointment, and death. Iggy looked over the bodies of his family members. Some were still alive, clinging to the life they did not deserve. With Shion's words, Iggy nodded slightly. He put his hands to the ground. Soon, the ground caught fire, torching all around them. The fire did not touch Shion, nor did it stretch to the buildings of the town they were in. Instead, the white-hot flames burned intensely enough to turn all of the bodies to ash. Iggy did not even stop to listen to the inhumane screams that emerged from this fallen tribe as he took care of the evidence of his family.

So caught up in the chaos of the battlefield, Iggy did not realize the townsfolk gathered behind them. They were terrified, their eyes showing the horrors they had just witnessed. The elder in the front of the group--a mayor of sorts, probably--did not know how to react to the two boys. Iggy approached them, and he tried not to be hurt at the way they backed away from him. "You are safe now," he said. "The world is safe now. Please, get back to sleep, and start your days as you normally would."

He started off then, back to the clearing he and Shion had slept in that night. He assumed Shion would follow. Once he got there, he dropped his swords at his feet and gave his hands, palms up, to Shion. "We're not done," he said softly. "You're not done. The fire mages live within me." He looked into his friend's blue eyes, his own a dark brown. "I'm sorry, Shion. It was not fair at all for me to keep any of this from you. But... I'm one of them. They raised me, for the first seven years of my life, to be just like them. Except I was stronger than any of them. I was the prodigy, the white flame, and they adored me. I wiped out half of them when I left." He turned to the sky, tears threatening. "I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to kill anymore. So when they refused to let me leave, I forced my exit. I... It was because of you." He turned back to Shion. "After burning your family to the ground, I just remembered your eyes. I don't remember when I saw you, and I don't know how you slipped from our grasp, but your eyes burned into me, and I had to give it all up then." He picked up one of his swords and motioned it towards Shion. "Your family remained unavenged until you finish me."

[Argon Jaden]

By the time his blades were soaked in red, he was stock still, body trembling slightly as his eyes dulled. It was hard to know what he was thinking, his usually expressive eyes bleak and unseeing. Casually, he flicked his blades until all the blood had splattered off before sheathing them. The crowd had approached, and he let Iggy deal with them.

Then, they walked back.

Shion made no attempt to approach, his expression dead as he walked. His body was exhausted, mind blank. Brushing his fingers trough his hair, he paused when they knocked against his mother's pin. Something cold settled in his stomach. He felt like throwing up. As they approached the clearing, he greeted the animals with quick pets, before looking over at Iggy.

And as the man apologized, bringing up that terrible night all those years ago, Shion's eyes dulled even more. He listened, quietly, patiently, like he always did. His downcast head betrayed none of his inner turmoil. At the sound of steel scraping against the ground, he looked up, staring at the blade and taking it.

It was too heavy. It left a sour taste in his stomach.

"You want me to kill you too." It was a statement, soft, tone gentle, as if he were afraid Iggy would hear. His body trembled.

The sword weighed heavily in his right hand, making it awkward to hold. His head was downcast, to avoid looking at the person he once considered his best friend. He stepped back, stance similar to when he slaughtered those mages. Two steps back, three, five. Then his eyes were bright again, filled with fury far colder than ice. He grit his teeth and charged, sword raised as he aimed for the head, and swung.

The butt of the sword collided solidly with Iggy's head, hopefully giving him a concussion as the younger whacked him before tackling him to the ground. The sword hitting the dirt was merely a dull thump in the midst of his screaming. "You asshole!! You fucking idiot!!!" Every word was punctuated by a punch to Iggy's face. Shion's eyes were blurry as he screamed and yelled, swearing so hard that it was almost hard to believe it was the same, mild-mannered, pacifist Shion who barely talked.

After a while, his blows grew weaker, and he leaned forward, sniffling loudly as tears dripped down from his cheeks. "I hate you. I hate you so much." He said in between tears. His hands were curled around Iggy's neck, but they weren't putting in any pressure. He was too busy trembling and sobbing to do anything else.

There was a clatter as Shion leaned forward in exhaustion. The pin fell to the ground, and his blue eyes focused on the heirloom. He leaned forward, glaring at Iggy's bruised face. It was enough to hurt, but not far from killing him. At most, Shion just broke his nose and split his lip. With nothing to hold his hair back, it slipped over his shoulder, causing him to scowl as he hit Iggy on the head once more.

"Do you really want me to kill you too?" He asked, once his tears had paused, though he made no move to get off Iggy. "Do you want to leave me here alone?" His eyes watered again and his body trembled. "You're an ass. Why would you make me do that?!" All the pent up emotion spilled out as he removed his hands from Iggy's neck so he could rub at his eyes, trying to atop the tears. "You're the only family I have left. Why do you want me to kill you?! Why do you want me to be alone?! That's not fair. You're not playing fair. I hate you."

He was crying again, all those emotions he had bottled up over the years spilling out. "I wanted to protect you. I went after them to protect you. I don't want to be alone. And you're making me live alone again. Do you hate me that much?"

He was tired, exhausted, drained emotionally, mentally and physically. "What more do you want from me?" Shion asked in between sobs. He hadn't cried this much in a while, but with the way his body was trembling, it was obvious that he was more than upset. His watery eyes seemed to glow from behind his hands as he mourned, for the family he lost and the family who wants to leave him behind. "Why would you want to leave me too?"

[Ashen]

The silence was killing him. Iggy watched with blurry vision as Shion processed all he was saying. His friend's quiet nature often left him irritated, but this was an all new frustration. But then he finally spoke, and his words were icicles. Iggy parted his lips to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he just stood there, waiting for Shion to finish it all. And, as his own sword came at him, the exhausted fire mage didn't even flinch.

He was surprised to find Shion using the pommel of his blade. It made contact with his skull, instantly causing a severe headache. He remained still as Shion tore into him, and blow after blow Iggy only stood and took it. He could feel blood begin dripping from new, burning wounds. It would be so easy to light his skin on fire, to burn shut the wounds and prevent infection, but what did it matter? He could use all the fire in the world, but it would all be for naught. Today he was going to die, and he couldn't help but think there was some peace to that.

Though his friend's words tore into him. The chorus of I hate you seared him, causing a pain only rivaled by that of leaving his family the first time. So distracted by his immeasurable pain, he didn't notice Shion's attacks grow weaker, nor did he notice the tears blinding his friend, too. When Shion did start to speak, to question Iggy, the older man found it difficult to concentrate. The physical pain was bad enough, but the emotional turmoil was agony. He clenched his fists, trying to focus on something. "Shion," he murmured, though he didn't know what to say, didn't know what could be said.

Iggy knew this would be coming eventually. He knew it nine years ago, when he first saw that Gelid Seraph was taking in another foster kid. He noticed those eyes, the eyes he had seen just a couple years prior, the eyes of a child too broken to be right. Iggy had tried to barricade himself, but he couldn't hide forever. So, he befriended Shion, vowing to make it up to him somehow, not knowing what exactly that would entail. In the past nine years Iggy had been planning to get his revenge, to end the tribe that had borne him, and he knew with that, he would have to come clean to Shion, and to himself. He'd used his ability only minimally in the past decade; he'd have to come to terms with it eventually, and he knew it would be bloody.

He just hadn't been expecting this. Iggy, who often knew what to say, was at a loss. "Shi..." he started, then paused to wipe blood from his mouth. "I understand, I do, I know you hate me, I hate me too. You have every right to despise me. I took everything from you, and I don't deserve this life. That's why you have to be the one to take it from me. It will never make up for any of the pain I caused you, I know, but... maybe with all of us off this earth, the world can start to heal."

Iggy took a shaky step back and wiped off more blood from his face. "You won't be alone," he continued. "The guild will welcome you back, I'm sure. And maybe now they'll like you more, since you won't always be tied down by me. They never did like me all that much, huh? Maybe they could tell all along." He stifled a sniffle. "I... I don't hate you at all, Shion. I want what's best for you, and if that means I die here today, I am giving you every right, every blessing, to end me where I stand."

[Argon Jaden]

Stupid. Stupid. Very stupid. "You fucker." He was trembling again, rage and sorrow building up in his chest. It was suffocating as he wailed, bloodied knuckles rubbing over his eyes. Never again. It was that night all over again. The despair that curled into him when he had to bury the crisp remains of his father, his mother, his family. The longing, the ache, the sadness. He was crying like a child, all loud sobs and incoherent babbling as he tried to get his feelings across, trying to cut through Iggy's words. Those words fueled him, and suddenly, he was on Iggy again, blue eyes sharp.

"WHICH PART OF I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING BLESSING DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, YOU FUCKING COWARD?!" He snarled, shoving at the one person he had trusted. Betrayal. That was what seeped into his chest. Anguish. "FUCK THE GUILD! FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID DECISIONS!! YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE ANDーAND…" His voice cracked, before he broke into sobs once more. Shion slumped on the floor, lower lip trembling as he looked up at Iggy with pleading eyes.

It was like he was a child again, watching in horror as the people he loved were taken from him. "Please don't do this to me. Please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this. I don't want to lose you too." He sobbed, dark hair sticking to his wet cheeks as he cried. The usually silent, unreadable youth was crying his heart out.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "You're my only family left. You know that. You know I love you and I don't want you gone. I don't want to be alone again. Don't do this to me. Don't make me do this." He whispered, choking on another sob. His eyes slid open and he looked up at Iggy once more.

His face was stained with tear tracks, blood and dust smeared on his cheeks. His eyes were red-rimmed, and full of tears. Shion felt his lower lip tremble. "You're only hurting me more by making me kill you. Don't make do this. Do you really hate me that much? You say you don't, then get your head out of your ass and take responsibility!" Shion's teary words ended in a snarl. Rage. That was the other emotion bubbling in his chest.

"You're not omniscient. You're just an idiot with too much guilt that you're begging for a death wish! And you say you care, and you think you're better off dead?!" His voice was rising again but his breath hitched and he quieted down. "Why don't you get it?" The sound was nostalgic to his ears. It was the same, old pleading tone he used when he asked himself in the solitude of his room. Then there was silence.

"I'm going to the river." It was a cold, cold dismissal. "Talk to me when you've got your head out of your ass. Not everything will go the way you want it to." There was a crisp anger in his tone, as bleak as it was. He was very upset, and he didn't know how to get it through Iggy's thick skull. His knees trembled as he walked, eyes downcast.

[Ashen]

And just like that, Shion was gone. Iggy slumped to the ground, bruised and bleeding and helpless. He had never seen Shion so seething, and now, he had to live with knowing he had done this. All of the pain in Shion's life had been caused by Iggy himself. What kind of friend was he? He clenched his fists tightly. What was he to do now?

Iggy had always been different from the rest of his clan. He knew it as soon as he knew how to talk; something about him was off. His flame wasn't orange or red like the others', or even blue like a select few. He had the white flame, the first most of his tribe had ever seen. But even beyond that, he didn't understand the adrenaline that came with homicide. The fire mages seemed fueled by their bloodlust, but Iggy was more interested in physical activity, in sports and games. When he'd finally had enough of their ways, he was on his own, entirely racked with guilt. He'd killed so many people, and he vowed to never use the power of his flames again.

Once Shion had joined Gelid Seraph, Iggy was reacquainted with his guilt. Every single day he had to look into the face of a boy he had ruined. He had the same facial structure as so many who Iggy had murdered, the same hair, the same build. Every day Iggy was reminded of what he had done. He didn't know how he had made it to eighteen without killing himself to escape the guilt.

But Iggy knew he wasn't making it to nineteen. As he sat there in a pathetic heap of sweat, blood, and dirt, he could only think about his best friend, his brother, hurling insults at him, screaming at him, attacking him. He could only think of the years he had betrayed himself, betrayed Shion, leading him on. He was a terrible human being, one without the right to even draw breath. So, Iggy did what he felt like he had to do. If Shion wouldn't end the fire mages, he would.

Shion's family had perished in a blurry wave of fire. Iggy, then, deserved no less. He promised himself this was the very last time he would use his flame, and Iggy summoned a ring of them, white-hot blazes surrounding him on all sides. The walls closed in on him, charring his skin. He couldn't even think to scream. His flame was hot enough to burn even him, despite his resistance. Iggy could hardly fight anymore as he felt the flames in his stomach, in his lungs, in his veins. He was suffocating, choking on his own disease, but he could not stop now. His skin fizzled, flesh skipping grilled texture and going straight to ash on his muscles. With burns all over every part of his body, Iggy's fires finally stopped all at once, and he fell to a wheezing heap on the ground.

[Argon Jaden]

He had stalked quietly to the river, wanting to wash off the grime and dirt off his body when his nose picked up the familiar smell of burning flesh. He paused, memories flashing before his eyes. He didn't know how long he stood there but when he realized that he had frozen, he shook it off, turning back around and running back towards his friend, just as Iggy slumped on the ground.

"You stupid-" He growled running over in attempt to catch his friend. "What the everloving hell do you think you're doing?!" He asked, looking panicked as he saw the burns etched into the skin. "Why are you doing this?!" He asked, before letting out a long whistle, hoping that Silver would hear it. He still had some burn salve there, even though he wasn't sure if it would work.

"This won't bring back my family. This- you're just taking away the only person I have left. Please. Don't do this to me." He said, looking up when Silver came trotting beside him, whinnying all the while. Reaching for one of the bags strapped to her side, Shion felt his fingers tremble as he rummaged for the burn salve, muttering weakly to himself all the while.

[Ashen]

Iggy couldn't hear Shion. Pain enveloped his body, smothering him like a blanket. He felt like he would burst. His entire body tingled in a mixture of heat and agony. Was this the end? Would he go out lying in Shion's arms like this, his own power suffocating him? He was losing feeling, and Iggy thanked the stars for the release from the pain. He wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer. His vision was blurry beyond recognition, he could not hear, he could feel nothing but pain. Soon, he would be exterminated like the filthy criminal he was.

It wasn't long before Iggy passed out. His body was tender and bare; his clothes had burned away. He lay there in a pathetic heap, patches of skin missing, body hair charred. His body had worked to restore him, but his resistance to fire had been broken through at the severe temperature of his own flames. His entire body was red, his skin now appearing more like scales than human skin. His eyes were shut, but burns bubbled around them, too. No part of his body looked normal anymore, and it would be a wonder if he came out of this alive.

However, he was still breathing. His face twitched as if he were having some nightmare. Limbs trembled in his sleep-like state, and ever so slowly, his chest rose and fell. His body was doing nothing to heal him now, as if he had destroyed his abilities altogether. The salve Shion rubbed into his body seemed to do nothing. If Iggy were going to survive, he'd need a professional healer, more advanced salves and mixtures. Life was draining from him, and he had no idea how long he'd have until it was over.

[Argon Jaden]

Whatever he was doing didn't seem to help. At all. Shion murmured a curse under his breath and clicked his tongue to call their horse over. They had a map right? Quickly scrambling for it, he unrolled it and scanned for the nearest town. "It's a few hours…" He murmured quietly. That was better than nothing. Clicking his tongue once more, he ran back towards the town, managing to find a small cart that was mostly untouched by the fire. It was missing a good chunk of the front, but Shion had to make do. Quickly fastening it behind his horse, he worried a bit that the trip might jostle Iggy. He made it as comfortable as possible, before carefully placing his friend on the blankets. "Igshi, up." He called, watching the pup settle on the cart. Silver seemed a little reluctant with the setup but didn't startle too much when Shion climbed on her back.

The rest of the trip was grueling. Time and time again, he looked behind him, hovering over his friend as he urged Silver to go as fast as she can while making sure that it doesn't break his makeshift cart. Many times, the cart nearly did break, but thankfully, he managed to get to town before nightfall. Some of the townsfolk recognized him and it wasn't hard to get Iggy into the local clinic.

All he could do now was wait. He had no control over what happened now. The doctor, a careful man, had shooed him off to go find a place for his horse for the night. Shion was reluctant, but he guessed he needed to reward his pets for behaving on the entire trip. He needed a distraction too. Sighing, he brought Silver to the nearest stable, paid for her to stay overnight before he began grooming her himself.

"Do you think we made it?" He murmured softly, his trembling fingers brushing over her glank. She only sbickered in response. Igshi had settled by a pile of hay in the corner and Shion plopped down beside him when he was done. Silver approached and lay with them too, possibly sensing his inner panic despite his calm demeanor. All he couod do now was wait for morning.

[Ashen]

Darkness wrapped around his weightless body like the most comforting blanket. Iggy had no memory, no form; he could see and feel nothing. Was this a dream? An afterlife? Had he made it to whatever hell the prophets warned against, the hell his own family had damned him to? Where was Shion? Had he found his crumbled body? What had he thought of it? Iggy couldn't begin to imagine his friend's rage, but... Wasn't it worth it? Shion had eliminated all who had had a hand in destroying his family. Didn't that mean anything...?

Suddenly, Iggy could hear. Somewhere, muffled under the numbness of his head, was the whirring of some sort of machine. He could not see, but he could vaguely feel a light prick on his left arm, as if someone were stabbing him with a thin sword. He felt another touch, this time a hand, and a thick paste being rubbed into his arm. That caused a burning sensation to swell under his skin. What was this? He tried to call out but his throat was sore, warm, and he could only gasp out a couple breaths before falling asleep again.

Iggy awoke once more to the sound of voices. A man was standing over him, a face like cold stone. A woman was beside him holding bandages covered in black and red. Iggy warily looked around him. He'd survived? He looked at his hands, his new wounds. Patches of his hands were red, and bubbles had broken through the surface of his skin, leaving ugly discolored dots. They continued up his arms and to his chest, which was entirely red. His legs were covered in bandages, but as far as he could see, he'd come out of this with only some burn marks. His body, then, had healed him faster than his destructive ability could kill him. He'd failed.

The man, upon noticing Iggy had awoken, explained where he was. Iggy immediately asked after his friend, and in only a moment the woman--a nurse, perhaps?--went to get him. Iggy sat there, panicking. What was he supposed to say to Shion? What could he say to the person who must have ached just as sorely as he did?

[Argon Jaden]

It's been a few weeks, Shion really didn't count. It woupd just drive him up the wall. The first few days, he visited as much as he can, often chased off by the town doctor when he finds him hovering beside Iggy's side. It was no use being angry at someone who can't hear you, he says. A week later, he stopped visiting altogether. Not because he didn't want to, but because the fact that Iggy wasn't waking up was driving him mad. He needed time to recover too.

So he spent most of his days out, hunting and exchanging his game with the townspeople. He had stopped talking completely too. Most of the townsfolk had thought of him mute, but readily accepted trade with the quiet hunter. It baffled them that he refused to stay at the inn, mostly staying outdoors or in the horse stable if it was raining. It wasn't a very big town so a lot of the folks knew about what happened and they did try to get to know the stranger a bit more, but he was far too quiet for them to actually converse with him. They never even knew his name, though the kids did refer to him as bowman. He seemed to like the kids and often played with them if he was finished hunting, or if they managed to corner him.

That was when the nurse ran up to him with a wide smile just as he was setting a young child down from his shoulders while trying to weave a small crowd composed of children wanting to be carried and his excitable dog. Bowman sure was popular with the kids, despite his initial fear of them, they easily attached themselves to him. She shook his head fondly. "Bowman! Your friend!" She said with a wide smile. She noticed how he stiffened and flinched, looking expectantly up at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "He's awake now." She said gently. The kids clamoring for Shion's attention all cheered.

"Yay! See mister Bowman! We told you he'll be wakey!"

"Can we shee youw fwuend too?"

"Yeah!"

Shion glanced at all of them, wide eyed. He wanted to leave but he felt bad for telling these kids no. The nurse gave him an amused smile. "Maybe some other time. I think Bowman just needs to be alone with his friend first." She said, Shion sprinting away from the group as soon as she finished talking. Igshi, who took off as soon as he did let out a cheerful bark as they tore down the path.

There was no decorum in the way Shion slammed the door open, eyes wide as he scanned the bed. The doctor had a scolding on the tip of his tongue but stepped back when Shion lunged at Iggy. Shion's body was trembling, arms squeezing as much as he could. "… stupid. Idiot. Dumbass." He whispered, voice cracking from the lack of use as he hugged his best friend in his arms.

The doctor sighed. "Be careful not to irritate his burns, Bowman, and don't squeeze him too much. You're filthy." He said, sighing when Shion only squeezed tighter and igshi strolled in, his nails clacking on the floor as he sat by his master.

[Ashen]

As the minutes ticked by, Iggy wondered how far the nurse had to go. Was it possible she couldn't find Shion? Was it possible Shion didn't want to be found? Iggy's mind was still hazy, but he thought back to the last time he'd seen his friend. The anger in Shion's eye, the rage radiating in his whole being... Had that been bubbling this whole time? And how long had it been, anyway? As Iggy waited, alone, in that lonely room, his thoughts drowned him, suffocating, until he felt he could not breathe.

All of Iggy's thoughts stopped suddenly when he saw him. Shion stood there, a ghost in the room, staring at the corpse-like friend he'd left so long ago. Iggy opened his mouth to say something, to greet this apparition, but he didn't know what to say. How could he say anything at all? But before he could force any words past his lips, he felt the tight squeeze of a friend long gone. Iggy steeled himself against the crippling pain the embrace caused, and he hugged Shion back. It had been too long, and despite the insults, despite the hurt, Iggy was glad to be back in the familiar home of his best friend's arms.

"I'm sorry." Iggy pulled away from Shion and shook his head. "I'm sorry, for everything, I know I've caused you so much agony. I'm sorry." He averted his gaze, not wanting to make eye contact now. "I know you'll never forgive me. I can live with that, I think." He cleared his throat. "I can't believe they're dead," he murmured, quietly. "I can't believe I'm not." He looked at his bandaged hands again. "You must have brought me here, saved my life. I thank you for that." Iggy turned up to his friend and tried on a smile. "Bowman, eh?" he asked, amused. "I didn't know you would go and change your identity on me. I leave you for a minute and suddenly you've got this secret life." He was trying his best to make the situation any cheerier; really, he was just happy to be back with Shion.

[Argon Jaden]

He scrunched his nose, reluctant to part from the embrace, but did so. Irritation flashed in his face for a second before it was gone, the youth snorting softly, unamused. "Stupid." He said, voice cracking as he increased the volume. The doctor and the nurse had looked over at him in surprise, having heard him speak for the first time. His blue eyes fixed on his friend for a few quiet seconds before he leaned in, butting his head against Iggy's cheek.

"I-I'll forgive you if you do… don't do stupid things like that again." He said, scrunching his nose as his voice came out in broken whisps. The smoke from a few weeks ago had most likely wounded his throat, and the lack of speech stopped it from healing properly. Shion sighed, head dropping to Iggy's shoulder, happy and content to feel him alive under his hands. "Don't make me go through that ah…again. Stay." He rasped, clearing his throat and swallowing. Talking was odd. Beside him, igshi yipped, the large pup putting his paws on the bed as he pawed both of them for attention.

Shion could hear the doctor grumbking and the nurse tutting to let them be for a little longer. He was fine with that, if it wasn't obvious by the way he refused to let go.

"It's not really a secret." He never really tried talking, the kids just gave him the name and everyone adapted it. He went back to squeezing the life out of Iggy, murmuring something about what happened and what he had missed while he was asleep. It was hard to understand, conaidering how whispy and cracked his voice was. Finally, the doctor decided it was enough and quite literally dragged Shion off so he could shower and eat before returning. The nurse had to clean iggy's wounds and reapply the bandages too. Half an hour later, to the nurse's amusement, Shion was back, eyes squinting at Iggy, expression telling him that if his friend tried to run, he will hunt him down. Still Shion quietly waited by his bedside, fiddling with a small wooden figure in his hands.

[Ashen]

That day was ages ago, lost in some time much worse than now. Iggy reflected on it as he watched Shion step out of the river after a quick cleanse. Igshi barked and splashed in the river beside his master, causing Iggy to chuckle and shake his head. Those two had grown close over the months, and though Iggy was a bit irritated their dog didn't look his way most of the time, he thought it fitting that Shion was able to command the canine perfectly. The bowman had a way with animals Iggy could only hope to attain.

How long had it been? Iggy looked down at his hands now. Scars snaked across his skin all over his body, memories of a failed attempt, a decision he'd tried to steal from Shion. Iggy saw that now, how wrong he'd been in taking matters into his own hands. He was eternally thankful to Shion, to his savior and his absolver, and sometimes he wondered if he'd ever be able to show that properly.

The guild had been surprised to see them back. Iggy figured it'd be common courtesy to return to those who had raised them, even though Shion had protested adamantly. The guild members were all shocked at Iggy's new look: pale, dirtied skin now appeared more scarred than not. His burn marks bled into his face, leaving what Iggy thought were cool-looking patches over his eyes and cheeks. He sported his blemishes proudly, and he took every chance he got to call himself a "war-torn scarred old man." When he'd told Gelid Seraph he and Shion had more adventuring to do, somehow, they understood.

They'd been on the road since. It was fitting, he thought, after such a journey. What one location could possibly contain them now? They were wanderers at heart, and they had nowhere to stay but the wide-open roads to a new journey.

At the sound of footprints, Iggy looked to brushes at the mouth of the river, where he saw a dappled grey mare grazing loudly. Silver never really had taken to Iggy riding him, but the damned horse loved Shion. In truth, Iggy was jealous of Shion's ability to ride and tame the wild beast. He seemed to understand just what their horse needed at all times, and though he didn't understand it, Iggy admired it from afar.

He still didn't get into the water unless forced. In the months since the incident, Iggy hadn't been able to summon the fires from his blood again. Maybe he had finished the fire mages after all. Either way, he was glad to be without the ability that started all of their pain.

Behind the river, Iggy could see the sun just beginning to rise. He looked down at his lap, at the whittled figures he'd made. He admired his handiwork, the forms of the two humanoid figures, the fluffy canine one, the large equestrian. The four figurines had taken him weeks of late-night whittling, but it was all worth it for this day. He looked back to the sun and sighed. An entire year had passed since they'd left, an entire year since their lives would change forever. Iggy smirked and gathered the wooden figures into his hands. "Hey Shi!" he called, rising and racing towards the river. "Happy birthday, yeah? You didn't think I'd forget just because we're out here, did you?"

[Argon Jaden]

The water dripped down his hair as he attempted to push the wet mutt clambering all over him. "Down." He said, sighing in relief when Igshi stopped, making no attempt to jump him any further. Shion shook his head, shivering when the cool air hit his exposed flesh. He quickly dunked himself back underwater before glancing over to where Iggy was seated, whittling something. Again. He pursed his lips. At least he wasnt gone.

Shion still had nightmares about that. After Iggy woke up, he didn't dare leave his side, unless he was kicked out by the doctor. It came to the point where he would wordlessly trail behind the older male, even going as far as to follow him to the bathroom. He was pretty sure they had an argument about letting Iggy take a bath alone, after the doctor, the nurse and Shion himself forced him into a tub, and wash his own back.

Shion never let him. He clung hard.

The sun was starting to rise so he took that as his cue to get up. He shivered, the odd patches on unfeeling flesh on his skin slightly cold. He wondered if they were getting their sense of touch back. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he sighed, stepping out of the water and onto dry land. At the sound of iggy's voice, his head shot up.

"Oh." Shion blinked, not comprehending the words for a moment as Iggy approached. When it did, his face lit up. "Oh!! I forgot." He said, a smile forming on his lips, excitedly looking over at the gift. He took them gently into his hands, admiring the detail with wonder and amazement. Even after all that, Iggy can still make beautiful things. "It's pretty." He murmured softly. "Thank you."

Lowering his hands, he leaned forward, resting his head on Iggy's shoulder. He didn't know when he picked up the habit, but feeling his friend alive under his hands was still the best gift he could ask for. After a few seconds, he pulled away, setting the figurines somewhere it won't get soaked before playfully gripping Iggy's wrist

"Bath!" He said, beaming brightly at his friend as he tugged him towards the shallow waters deapite his protests. Igshi yipped and bounded after them, excutedly splashing about while Silver lifted her head to curiously watch the commotion. Shion laughed at Iggy as he soaked his friend with water.

He may have lost everything once, nearly did twice, but looking at Iggy as he complained about getting his pants wet while their dog begged for his attention made him realize that this was what he wanted all along. He smiled, signalling Igshi to heel so he can talk to Iggy properly. "Thanks. This is the best birthday gift you've gotten me." He said sincerely, smiling as the sun rose higher above the horizon.

Over by the pile of clothes, a worn, wooden chipmunk sat. It's beady eyes stared at the two figures watching the sunrise together, standing closely to each other in content silence. Sunlight washed over the boys, bathing them in gentle light, and for a moment, everything seemed ethereal. Right now, everything was alright.

Right now, they were both alive.