[M] A Broken Revenge [Sorrow and Ash]

[Ashen]

Ignatius stretched his back again. It cracked, and judging by his facial expression, it seemed to hurt. He shook it off with ease. "Never mind that," he told Iris, brushing off his first fall. "No beast will fell me! Monster or squirrel alike; none will see the end of Ignatuis!" He took a heroic pose and stayed that way for a minute, then broke his character entirely by laughing out loud. He hoped Iris would laugh with him. It was because of her that he did such dumb and dramatic things, anyway. He wanted to make her laugh.

Ignatius started walking again. He was slightly limping, but it was nothing he could not handle. He was heading for the village. "Come on, Rissy," he called to her. "I did tell you we would have to go cause some more trouble in town, right? I don't know about you, but I am absolutely famished. Let's go find you a birthday breakfast." He glanced over his shoulder. "You can have the forest for now, squirrel. I have a lovely lady to take to breakfast." He wore a smirk, as if to say Beat that, and continued walking, hoping his lovely lady would follow.

[DRac0]

"The Great Ignatius." Iris replied to her friend sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and broke out in a small chuckle. These days, the only person who could actually get her to laugh was Ignatius. Over the years, he was the only person she was comfortable around anymore. If it were anyone else, she would have remained silent as ever. Ignatius had this odd charm about him that always made Iris smile. She enjoyed being around her dear friend.

Iris soon followed her friend, concerned about his limping. Even though Ignatius was strong, she still attempted to baby him as if she were his mother. She giggled lightly as he spoke to the squirrel. She found it cute that he had such a playful personality. Her giggle was short lived and it turned into a silent blush. Was she really a lovely lady? Over the years, she never really saw herself as a lovely lady. She just saw herself as a tomboy, but regardless, it made her smile brightly. If the stars had seen her smile, they would have been jealous over its dazzling brightness. At the mention of food, her stomach growled like a beast, proving she was also hungry. She flushed red with embarrassment and followed her friend, not wanting to waste any more time.

[Ashen]

Ignatius caught her blush out of the corner of his eye. It was short, and he wasn't even sure he saw it. The boy had made plenty of people blush before, usually out of embarassment, and usually embarassed for him. But Iris was blushing for a different reason. He hadn't been trying to make her blush, and he didn't know that he should apologize or not.

He laughed a little bit when he heard her stomach growl. "I think your stomach agrees with me!" he said triumphantly. "Everyone needs a cake on their birthday. I do suppose we can head to the bakery and see if they've put any cakes out yet. Or maybe we can find some leftover cakes from yesterday. This would probably be easier..." When he noticed he was thinking aloud, he stopped and smiled. "Oh, we'll find something. Come on, let's go."

It was dark and quiet in the village. No one was out yet, and the stores were locked and empty. Locks had never stopped Ignatius. He walked to the bakery, Iris in tow. The bakery was locked, which would only stall their adventure. He dug around in his pockets until he extracted a thin wire. Using the wire, he was able to pop the lock after only a few tries. "Success," he said happily as he walked in. "Come on, Iris. No one's here. We're good to go." His eyes brushed over the cakes from the previous day. They would be replaced when the bakery opened. Ignatius's mouth was watering. For a guy who was used to getting by on scraps here and there, having a bakery to choose from seemed like heaven. But he was here for Iris, not him. "Ladies choose first," he told her, and he motioned to the different baked goods.

[DragonOfSorrows]

Lockpicking was always a skill Iris wish she possessed. She watched as Ignatius opened the door with ease. It was like second nature to him, and she envied him because of it. She was cautious about entering the bakery. She wasn't always one to cause problems and get in trouble, but when she did Ignatius was always involved. With a small chuckle, she pushed Ignatius away from the cakes. "If you aren't careful, you'll get your drool all over them." She said, cracking a smile. She bent down and eyed the cakes. There were so many options she didn't know what to choose.

"Let's take a slice from every cake!" She suggested. She instantly laughed, but tried to quiet herself. If she was too loud they would soon be caught. "Actually, let's get this one." She pointed to a small chocolate cake. There wasn't anything special about it. Just a plain cake. "It looks yummy, and it might not be missed too much." She pinched a small piece off and quickly ate it. Her smile faded somewhat, but quickly came back. "Very rich.." She muttered. She coughed and cleared her throat. "We're going to have fun eating that one."

"We can't eat it here, though. Do you have a good spot picked out for us, 'Great Ignatius'?" She smirked.

[Ashen]

The teen beamed at his new name. "I'm sure we can find a nice place," he replied. His eyes scanned the place, at all the day-old cakes and breads. "But first..." Ignatius crept around the counter and looked over all the cakes again. He sniffed at some of them, loving the smell of them. These baked goods now were worthless; no one wanted day-old breads. So, Ignatius pocketed a few pieces of bread. He lingered at the safe behind the counter, but ultimately decided against it. Ignatius had nothing wrong with taking old bread, but he was not going to take money, not from the kind baker. Once he had a few pieces of bread and two cakes, including the chocolate one Iris wanted, he was satisfied. He motioned towards the door. "Let's eat these by the river. There's a spot behind the church, facing the bank, that I think would be perfect."

Ignatius let Iris go out first, but he was stopped at the door by the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned around to see the baker, rubbing his eyes, coming out of the back room. "Oh," Ignatius murmured. He suddenly turned away and shoved Iris gently. "Time to go!" he called, running through town with the cakes balanced in his hands. He ran circles around town, hoping Iris was quick enough to follow him. His limp was clearly delaying him, but he still managed to lose the baker, who had hooped and hollered all around town. Finally, at the church, they were alone. The baker had given up and gone back to his shop to get started on the day's breads. Ignatius sighed, and he looked over the baked goods he'd taken. "That was close," he said panting. "And great fun! I worked up an appetite. Come on, Ris, this chocolate is calling my name. Listen to it. Great Ignatius, eat me, eat me."

The place he'd chosen was a grassy hill behind the only church in town. At the bottom of the hill rested pebbles and a small cliff that led to a river. On the other side of the river was the forest, their forest, where a certain squirrel was mocking them. Though Ignatius couldn't see the rodent, he was sure of that. He took off his shirt, showing off his lanky form, and used it as a picnic blanket. He set the cakes on top and motioned towards Iris. "You pick first, birthday girl. Look at that. A necklace, a journey, cake, and a great view of the hottest man of the guild. What a birthday."

Ignatius was kidding, and Iris would know that. He liked bragging, but not about his appearance. Ignatius was nothing special. He was very tall and rather thin, though more from malnutrition than from genetics. He had muscles that many would be envious of, but the scars and bruises from countless falls and scrapes took away. His face might have been seen as attractive to some. Though now a man, he had boyish features. However, his long, reddish-brown hair was tied back in a very messy tail, and his stubble that he had been too careless to shave showed his real age. He didn't consider himself attractive, thought himself quite plain, but many others would have disagreed.

"Hurry up," he said. "You get first dibs, but I did tell you how much I want that cake."

[DragonOfSorrows]

Iris giggled at Ignatius as he ranted on. It always amused her when he did so. She glanced up and gave him a smile that shined brightly. Every time he looked back, she would turn away to hide her blush. She was quiet and seemed lost in a small trance before being snapped out of by Ignatius talking about the cake. "You really want this cake, don't you?"

She slowly pulled her pocket knife from her side and held it at the cake. "What slice do I want?" She muttered to herself. All of her movements were rather slow, as if she was doing it on purpose. "Maybe I want a big piece, or a small one!" The knife barely pressed into the cake before she pulled it away quickly. "I don't wanna start there.." After each thing she did, she glanced up to see if Ignatius was watching her. Finally, she cut herself a small piece and picked it up. "I suppose i can quit torturing you. I'll have this. You have the rest Iggy. Call it a....thank you for the necklace."

Iris ate the small piece she had cut, waiting to see Ignatius devour what was left. "Don't eat too quickly or you'll get sick. Remember what happened last time? You wouldn't quit moaning about stomach pains for hours." She moved a bit closer to Ignatius, but she tried to do it so he wouldn't notice. "Well, this is also a 'thank you' of sorts." She leaned in and gave Ignatius a small kiss on his cheek. Her face turned a deep red as she quickly turned away. She chuckled a bit. "So." She said. "How's that cake?"

[Ashen]

She was torturing him, and Ignatius knew she was doing it on purpose. He looked away from the cake with a great sigh, not wanting to tempt himself with the sight of it. But the smell of it brought his eyes back again, and he was just about to take the knife from his friend's hand when, finally, she cut herself a slice. Ignatius shot her a playfully dirty look and took the rest of the cake. He cut himself a slice that was far bigger than Iris's, and he began to devour it in large bites. "I don't need a thank you," he said, mouth full. "It's your birthday and all. You don't thank me for that." He rolled his eyes at the anecdote, and shoved the rest of the cake towards her. "Go on, you have it then. Make sure I don't get a stomachache, Mom."

As he ate, Ignatius looked to the forest across the river. He really was going to miss that place. Briefly he wondered if he would be back, if they would succeed on this journey. It was a thought he'd been having a lot lately: what would happen if and when Iris exacted her revenge? What would those fire mages be like now? Would two kids be able to take on an entire tribe of tyrannical controllers of fire? The last one Ignatius knew the answer to. Of course they could. Iris had already beaten them once before. She had come out alive when none of her family had, and Ignatius, well... He had his own experiences.

He was pulled from his stupor by a kiss on his cheek. Ignatius blinked, then looked down at Iris and chuckled softly. "A kiss now, eh?" he teased. "Well, I'd say that's new. Has your womanhood made you look at me in a dif--" Ignatius stopped himself, seeing the deep shade of red her face was turning. That stumped him. Was Iris so embarrassed to kiss him? Why? Of course, she was a sister to him, the closest friend he'd ever had, so the oblivious man thought nothing of it. But her reaction... Ignatius let his sentence fall. Instead, he concentrated on her other words. "The cake is great. Almost tastes like I paid for it. And look, I'm not eating it too fast, see?" He motioned towards his slice, only half-eaten. "Tastes very sugary, though. Be careful. Might ride a sugar rush in a bit. Won't that be fun?"

[DragonOfSorrows]

Ignatius' obliviousness made Iris sigh. Did he truly not know? How couldn't he? They had been best friends for years. He acted like a brother when it came to protecting her, but she eventually grew feelings for him. it was odd for her. She never thought she would ever grow up and like someone. She shook the thought from her head. Her glance fell upon the woods, causing her to be lost in thought. What exactly would she do once she got her revenge? Maybe she would tour the world, or fight the strongest man alive? There were many options, but she had time to think about it.

"You're already hyper as is. If I had though about it, I wouldn't have given you the cake." She teased, shooting him a smile. "I guess you'll keep the day interesting though. After all, the most exciting things happen with you around." She pushed the rest of the cake back over to Ignatius. She put a hand on her stomach and frowned a bit. "The cake is delicious, but it's not sitting right in my stomach." She smirked a bit. "I'll regret telling you this, but go ahead and have all of it."

She grew silent, deep in thought once more. "Ignatius..?" She muttered. "Do you really think I can avenge my family? What if they hurt me the way they did them? What if I'm not strong enough?" At this point she was thinking aloud. She glanced up and quickly laughed, trying to play it off like it wasn't anything. "So, when are we leaving?"

[Ashen]

Ignatius looked to the remaining portion of cake, then to his own slice. He nodded his head. "I think I'll pass on it," he said, surprising himself. "Even if you do have the most fun with me around, maybe a sugar rush won't be so beneficial in a time like this. What if more squirrels come for us? Who will save you?" He finished his own slice, then moved the rest of the cake closer to the river. "The animals'll get to it," he explained. "I'm sure they'll love me for it. A peace offering, if you will."

He turned his attention away from the cake and away from Iris, concentrating instead on the rippling river. He listened to Iris talk, sharing her concerns for their journey. They were the doubts he'd been having, and hearing them come from Iris gave him a sense of comfort. He was not alone. He had his best friend on this journey, for better or for worse. What if something did happen to her? First her family, and then her...? Ignatius would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her. But he couldn't let her even exercise the thought. He'd be strong for her, stronger than he'd ever been. This time would be different.

"You are strong enough." Ignatius's voice was solemn, a very strange and unnatural sound. "You beat them once, remember? You made it away from them alive. Now, you have me here. I'll be damned if I let anyone lay a finger on you. Do you hear me?" He turned to her, a seriousness in his eyes that definitely did not belong there. It faded after a moment, soon to be replaced with a much more characteristic smile. "We'll be fine, Ris. I'm sure of that. We'll avenge your family. We'll end the mages before they have a chance to hurt you at all. And together, I'm sure we're far more powerful than they could ever hope to be."

He knew her last question was meant to take the pressure off her prior words, but Ignatius did not respond until the very end. "We can leave... now." He got up and extended a hand to help Iris up, too. Both on their feet, Ignatius looked out at the town, then once again back at the forest. "I'd say the guild is just waking up now. What's say we bid them farewell? We can snag a map from the library, and then... Well. Then we'll be off. I have a hunch where the mages might be, but it's only a very slight feeling. We'll figure things out. Come on. I bet people will be just waiting to give us goodbye gifts. And birthday gifts. But mainly gifts for me, right?"

[DragonOfSorrows]

The small, yet sudden seriousness was enough to cause Iris to stare at her companion. It was as if she was talking to a completely different person. Before she had more time to think on it, Ignatius was soon back to his happy self. She wanted to question it, but she thought it to be wise to leave it alone for the time being. She cleared her throat and nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" She said, pointing towards the guild. Deep down, she felt nothing except guilt. Her excitement was completely faked. Her mind could only linger on how serious Ignatius had gotten earlier. No matter how many times she tossed the thought aside, it always came back. It worried her, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

With a bright smile, she marched onward. "Where do you think the mages reside?" She asked, glancing over at Ignatius. "Surely it can't be that easy to find them." Or would it be?

"You don't think they're still at my hometown, do you? That would certainly be odd. Unless they're still looking for me."

She shook her head and gave a big smile. "Forget I said anything. I shouldn't worry, not with you here!" She chuckled a bit. It made her more relaxed knowing she had someone to protect her. "I'm just having my doubts is all, Iggy. It's just too good to all be real, you know?"