No Longer Free }{ (Ainutsa, Aedan, Open)

[Summerchika]

Inhaling the flowery and earthy aromas, Ainutsa reveled in the scents of the forest after a heavy rain. Her knee-high skirts swirled about her in ripples as she spun around to kneel in the soft, moist earth that held the flowers she had nurtured since her grandmother's death. Cupping a delicate flower between her hands, Ainutsa bent to brush its softness against her cheek.

Exhaling a small, shaky breath, she drew strength from her guardian forest. The rain, though she loved its purifying beauty, had brought with it terrible flashes of memories that she was still blinking away from her waking mind. For the first time in years she had slept as the rain poured, only to be imprisoned by haunting images for the entire night. Now, blessedly awake, she sought sweet healing from her forest once more, so that she might not have to endure such a night again for years to come.

Glancing to her left, she smiled at the coral-colored lady bug perched on the milky lily next to her face. Tucking a strand of hair behind her pointed ear, Ainutsa brought a gentle hand near the spotted being.

“Hello little one,” she whispered with her mind toward the lady bug. She fed it feelings of safety and peace as she placed a finger beside the edge of its satin perch. Slowly, the lady bug inched toward her finger, and then ruffled its wings in preparation of flight. But the bug did not fly—could not fly—as its right wing was damaged, Ainutsa now saw. She guessed it had been damaged by flying recklessly in the rain.

Steadying the flower with her finger, Ainutsa gently touched her lips on the lady bug's injured side. Channeling energy from the very forest that gave her strength, Ainutsa gave the little one's body energy to heal itself more quickly than it would have been able to do previously. Drawing away, Ainutsa blew lightly on the lady bug, giving it a small draft on which to test its newly healed wing.

With joy, as it seemed to Ainutsa, the little bug took flight, circling around Ainutsa in a playful, almost clumsy, manner only to land on her still out-stretched finger. Letting out a peal of bubbling laughter, Ainutsa thanked the spotted child for its comfort, and let it return to its home with a gentle mental nudge of her own.

As the bug flew into the branches of the surrounding forest, Ainutsa slowly stood, brushing off the dirt that clung to her knees. Though the forest seemed to sing with renewed energy, Ainutsa felt the distant disturbance within its depths, and it worried her.

Frowning slightly, she reached out with a mental question toward the skies, searching for her hawk friend, Ciar. But she could not feel him, let alone speak with him. Her worry deepening, Ainutsa took a lightening quick step to investigate his absence within the tops of the trees, but froze just as quickly as she became aware of a different presence in her woods. She had not been aware of the presence before, but she had been distracted by her own thoughts and had not cared to look beyond her own being.

Realizing now that this may have been a mistake, Ainutsa shifted her position to scan the trees that lined the flowery home in which she stood. She could see nothing, but then again, the trees were unnaturally dark today. Wariness replaced worry as she searched for the presence, but could not find its source.

[Original Sin]

(( Out: I promise next post will be better ))
Aedan sighed. As it was one of his boring days.

To be honest, he never thought about what to do until this day. After finishing his training with elves, he was living a dull life in a village. Living in a shack that barely have enough space for one person.

He was awake early today and wore his sand-colored cloak without the hood and took his Spell Tome to read some of it in the forest.

The beauty and smell of forest made Aedan dizzy and relaxed at the same time.

The smell of earth that got wet from rain danced around the forest, mixing with the scent of flowers and making the one who smelled it relaxed before he/she could think. A smile appeared on his face as something caught his eye.

The trees were really dark. He wondered if it is natural. Or not.

Carefully walking on the moist earth, he climbed the first tree he saw. Lay down to one of the branches that could carry him and began to read his Tome. He began reading the things he practiced the other day to remember them better, as this was the best way to study for him. But he couldn't focus on the Tome as forest was too alluring. Not being able to study well he gave up after reading a few pages and started to walk around the woods.

Sunlight shining behind the leaves, reflecting to the small ponds of water left on earth and making a golden glow cover forest, It was a beauty Aedan never saw. Even when he was living with the elves.

"I shouldn't..." he said to himself. Feeling bad that he stopped his training. He had to train more. He had to be better or people would be disappointed. No. He couldn't take that. The fear of letting people down who trusted him was too much to carry. At least, for him.

He took a deep, nice breath as the clean air of forest passed down to his lungs, cleaning his mind and giving him energy. He closed his eyes and began to train his spells. The water around him started freezing as a light sky blue aura covered his hands which looks like they are holding a sphere. A faint glowing orb, an orb of ice appeared inside his hands. Aedan did not want to hurt any trees so he threw the orb at a rock close to him, making the rock get covered in ice. He smiled as he was getting quicker at casting his spells.

Suddenly a breeze passed right trough Aedan. As a small Huh? came out from his lips. For normal people, It would be a normal breeze. But for someone who was dwelling with magic, they could quickly understand it was something more.

Jumping from tree to tree, Aedan followed the direction of the "breeze". He was sure. That breeze had a really small amount of magic energy in it. Thinking all that, he couldn't see that the next branch was really old and fell down as the branch made a loud *crack* noise.

[Summerchika]

A loud “Crack!” sounded in the trees above, and Ainutsa narrowed in on its source with a speed that surprised even herself. It was this that allowed her to see past the darkness to the body that was now falling toward the damp forest ground below. Without a thought, Ainutsa asked the forest to impede the man's fall—for it was a man—so that he may not come to harm, or harm the plant life below him. Loose branches and vines snaked around the stranger to break his fall, and then to gently place him onto solid ground.

As the vines retreated to their places among the trees, and as Ainutsa thanked them for their help, she took a careful step toward the now grounded man. Was he the cause of her worry? No, the forest still turned in distant chaos. This man was not the cause. This realization increased her unease just as much as it increased her relief.

Taking another step toward the still shadowed man, Ainutsa gave a tentative smile, hoping he was not an enemy. She had not met an enemy before in her previous encounters, but she knew that there was a first for everything. As Ainutsa inched closer, she began to see vague features. Blonde hair, green chest armor, and... was that a book he carried?

“Are... are you alright?” she asked, her light voice failing her ever so slightly. Blaming her fraying nerves for the subtle lapse—had her haunting dreams really made her this weak?—she drew on the forest's strength, hoping that its healing power would take effect more quickly.

[Original Sin]

“Are... are you alright?”

This soft voice echoed in Aedan's head but he couldn't reply. With a dizzy mind and aching head, he was trying to find out what happened. Visions started to fill his mind. A girl. A small girl with short golden hair was looking at him with a daring smile. Her red and blue colored scarf which wind flapped vigorously made small laughing noises.

But then, Aedan felt something. Something that was taking the pain away, he finally opened his eyes but his vision was still too blurry to see right. He felt he was a tree -If that's ever a feeling- and had roots deep in earth and drawing energy.

He quickly remembered the question and raised his head in order to see who asked this question better. Was that... An elf? He wasn't sure. But living with elves a lot, she was definitely an elf. Or had elf blood in her.

Suddenly Aedan realized that he and she was looking to each other for like 4-5 minutes without talking. He gasped and quickly got on his feet. His cloak, because he fell from the tree, fell over his head closing his face. "I'm an idiot!" he thought and threw the cloak back to his back. He put the book to its place on his belt, stood like a stick, bowed and said

"I'm really sorry if I caused you trouble. Or made you concern. And y-yes. I'm okay. Thank you."

Was he too formal? Yeah. Probably. He was always like that. Some would appreciate that. Some would laugh and say "No need" and some would make fun of him.

He stood up again to see her better.

She had long, silky looking blonde hair with small, point ears.
Her green eyes had curiosity in them as he was looking to Aedan. She looked like she was near his age.

Aedan was now more sure that she was an elf with that pretty and beautiful look. He quickly said sorry for breaking a branch.

"I wouldn't want to cause you trouble. I was just here, training. And I felt something weird so I was looking for i-"

Before he finished his word. The breeze came again as his eyes grew bigger.

[Summerchika]

As the man gathered himself, Ainutsa smiled wider in tactful amusement. She waited patiently as he took in her appearance and blinked away the pain. As he was now, he did not pose a threat, so Ainutsa allowed herself to relax a bit. When he stood quickly, Ainutsa made a move to help him up, though he was up before she could help.

Replacing her out-stretched arms to clasp her hands behind her back, she took a step back as the man hooked the book on his belt.

Smiling at his words, Ainutsa shook her head. “No trouble. I am just glad that you are well.” She said nothing about his bow, though it made her uncomfortable. She did not like being bowed to, she realized. However, afraid to offend the man if it was some sort of custom, she held her tongue. She did not know the ways of humans, or any other being beyond her corner of the forest, for that matter.

When the man stood and surveyed her again, she forced herself to stay still while her thoughts worried ceaselessly over her silent forest companions. She bit her lower lip in concern, and her eyebrows drew together as the man spoke. He had felt the “weirdness” as well?

The breeze that made the man stop his words blew her hair into her face, and she brought a hand up to keep her hair from her eyes. His reaction to the breeze made her curious, so she inspected the breeze further. It did feel different, to be sure. However, there were many odd occurrences in her forest, and a strange breeze was a little thing compared to what she had encountered previously. She would not have even noticed its presence had the stranger not reacted as he had.

In the back of her mind, she realized that she should probably have noticed it, for little events played into bigger ones eventually. But the disappearance of her friends weighed on her more heavily than before.

“Was this breeze the thing you were looking for?” she inquired of the man, inviting him to explain why it was so important. “You'll forgive me if I don't know its significance. I'm a bit... distracted.” she said, even as she reached with her mind as far out in every direction as she could. But still she could not feel Ciar's, nor Faolán's presence.

A deeper frown appeared on her countenance as she reigned in her awareness. Faolán, Ciar... where are you??

[Original Sin]

Aedan's mind closed up for a second with the breeze. He was looking around as he could see her trying to keep her hair away from her eyes.

“Was this breeze the thing you were looking for?" She asked. Aedan looked around a bit and answered. "Well.. Kinda. I'm more looking for the source of it. You see this is some kind of draining it drains all magic and mental abilities and some of the life around it."

Aedan hold his palm turned to his face and a little away and tried to make a simple snowball. But only thing came out of his hand was a white, cold, small amount of explosion which covered his face in small particles of ice. He quickly cleaned his face with his cloak.

He suddenly stopped. Was it all right to talk about magic here? Would Elf call him something and threw things like the people of his old village?

"I-I'm sorry if I scared you.. Really. I just wanted to show you that and well.."

Aedan couldn't talk very well so he just looked down and said sorry one more time.

"How much do you know about this forest? Do you know anything that would cause that?" Aedan asked her. He wanted to see if she always lived here, knew what would cause this. The breeze, no, the spell would be the cause which took energy from trees making them look darker.

"Well, I never saw anything like this before. From where I live people don't do too much magic. They trade stuff, go to pubs at night to have fun, Sing songs when it is night at the village center and stuff like that. Anyway I shouldn't bore you with all this. If you wish, I would be glad to accompany you to look around for the source which must be around here somewhere"

Aedan asked. Waiting for her reply.

[Summerchika]

When he explained what the breeze meant, Ainutsa's eyes widened. What he said made sense, she supposed. It would explain why she could not feel her companions, why the trees seemed dark, and why her forest moaned in chaos around her.

His display of magic almost made Ainutsa giggle--almost. If not for the dire situation, it would have been comical. But because he could not finish whatever he was doing because of some sort of draining magic that was harming her forest, it made the event... more serious.

Curious by his reaction and stammering, Ainutsa tilted her head in slight confusion. Why would his display of magic scare her? Other than what it meant: someone or something was draining her beloved forest. She listened to his speech with quiet awareness, pondering all his words and what they would mean for the woods.

At the end of his speech, Ainutsa nodded as if she had decided something, and then smiled at him. She walked closer to him, throwing around her shoulders her red and blue scarf that had been made from the bright and wild spring flowers near her grandmother's cottage.

An arms length away, Ainutsa stopped in front of the man, still smiling. "Your help would be a welcome relief." she said honestly. Even though she knew nothing of the stranger who would be working with her, she had seen and heard enough to know that he cared about the world around him. And for now, that was plenty enough for her.

"Please, call me Ainutsa." By introducing herself, she hoped that it would put the stranger at ease. If they were to work together to find out what was wrong with her forest, then they should at least be comfortable conversing with each other, she thought.

"Where you live, people may not do much magic, but here in the forest, magic flows freely in everything. I haven't come across such a draining before, but..." she grew silent as she tried to explain, thinking of anything her grandmother may have said about such things.

Shaking her head, having remembered nothing, she went on in frustration, "This forest has helped to raise me since I was young--my life is tied to this forest so closely. Yet, I have no recollection of such things happening before. If anyone would know, it would be Ciar or Faolán, my hawk and wolf companion. They--" she stopped herself as the breeze fluttered past her again, this time picking up her scarf along with it.

As her scarf fluttered past the stranger, carried by the draining breeze, she looked at the man questioningly. Arching an eyebrow she said, "That... is in the direction of Faolán's den."

Worry struck her as her mind conjured horrible images of what might await them if they were to follow the breeze. This was quickly followed by urgency, and stopping only to gently touch the man's shoulder to invite him to follow , she bounded off after her scarf, hoping that she would not find disaster ahead.

[Original Sin]

A place where magic is allowed... It sounded a dream to Aedan. Even though he wasn't living in that hell anymore, the memories of painful past wouldn't leave him. He first accepted and loved his magic. But while he was growing, more and more people hated him for his powers. Welli some of them was right. He would hit a guy who accidentally froze all the fruits and vegetables too.

"Glad to meet you. I'm Aedan. Your name was Aniutsa right?" Aedan said and soon realizing he spelled her name wrong, he apologized hoping she didn't offended her.

Following the elf, Aedan looked around the forest. His eyes checking the forest, his mind went away to the deep and rusty corners of his brain, where nothing more than a big pile of ashes. These ashes represented the lost memory of Aedan. His life before the farm. The only visible thing in the pile, a picture. Of a man. Short black hair, light brown eyes and and a sneaky smile.

Not noticing the way he was walking, he bumped into a tree. blushing like hell, he said sorry to elf and backed up while saying all kinds of bad words, curses to himself in his mind.

"So how did you met your companions?"

Aedan asked while still walking behind her and checking his book, in hope to find something useful that will help in this dire situation. Maybe a spell, maybe information or something to help them. But also, he was thinking about these companions of her. Must be awesome he thought. Imagining himself fighting alongside a penguin and a polar bear.

Another breeze came from right in front of them as Aedan got a grip of his Ironbark Sword. He wasn't sure how to react that. Perhaps the elf, knew better.

(( Out: Sorry, since this was my first RP thread, I wanted to give some backstory about Aedan like the picture. Please don't think about them. I'm someone who likes to link all his work together ))

[Summerchika]

In spite of herself, Ainutsa smiled as Aedan mispronounced her name. It was a response she got often from humans, but usually they were not as--embarrassed? For some reason, Ainutsa found Aedan as good of company as one of the small forest animals she grew up with. Already she grew accustomed to his clumsy sweetness.

Therefore, it almost was not a surprise when Aedan walked straight into a tree. Hearing a muffled thump behind her, Ainutsa turned to find Aedan, face as red as her scarf, hastily apologizing to her for bumping into the rather large and protruding tree. She had side stepped it without a thought, the path as familiar as Faolán's mind.

But she remembered her first walk to Faolán's home; she remembered this very tree where she had not only bumped into the tree, but had also lost her footing on one of its roots, and had fallen straight onto her back. Faolán's growling laugh replayed in her mind as she vividly remembered the incident, and her own laughter soon followed the memory.

"Please do not apologize Aedan," she said in between her bright laughter, "that tree has given me much grief in the past years." Grinning, she began to answer his question as they continued to walk--Ainutsa in front and Aedan behind--but stopped as she felt the chilling breeze once more.

Mirth suddenly gone, Ainutsa froze in fear. Faolán's den was just ahead, hidden by thick underbrush. Afraid of what she would find, Ainutsa hesitated only momentarily. With a sudden resolve, Ainutsa stepped forward quickly, brushing aside the branches that stood in her way.

Before she could process anything, however, a loud, furry mass jumped out at her, growling ferociously. Ainutsa immediately recognized the growl, and, knowing the patterns of this particular wolf's attacks, side stepped the being with sharp ease.

"Faolán!" she exclaimed, attacking the landing wolf with a hug.

"Ainutsa!" The white wolf exclaimed telepathically. Faolán's eyes flicked toward Aedan, "Your scent was mixed with his. I did not know it was you." she explained to Ainutsa.

"No matter." Ainutsa said breathlessly, waving away her apology. "What has happened?" she asked urgently. Looking around, she saw the dark, sheltered den and narrowed her eyes to sharpen her vision. What she saw made her stomach drop nauseatingly.

Breaking her contact with Faolán to move toward the den, she felt Faolán's mind retract from hers as if they could not sustain their usual method of communication without physically touching. Saving that thought for later, Ainutsa rushed to the shelter where she found dozens of wolf cubs, motionless on the cold floor.

"It is the forest. It needs strength and it is drawing it from the life it sustains." Faolán explained as she rubbed against Ainutsa. "Why it needs the energy, however, I do not know." Sadly touching the closest cub, Ainutsa felt its slight warmth and shallow breathing.

"They are so weak." she mourned aloud. She turned to look at Aedan with deep, sorrowful eyes, and told him what Faolán had said.

"What is to be done? What would make the forest so agitated?" she wondered aloud. Her sadness made her mind slow, and Faolán's protective worry over her cubs only increased Ainutsa's sorrow.

((OOC: History defines a person and his/her actions. Don't worry, it's fabulous. I do the same thing, too!))

[Original Sin]

Aedan listened to the elf with great focus. His mind wasn't dwelling in old and rusty corners of his anymore.

It was fascinating for Aedan that she and the wolf could talk telepathically. Aedan realized that he should let go of the thought of magic being too supernatural. But to accept that it was all around.

Aedan became quiet for a second as the breeze came back and drained more of the forest's life. His compassion for forest was a lot. Maybe not as elves but definitely more than a normal, city human.

"So... The wolf said forest needed energy? But why would it?"

Aedan thought. Suddenly, as another breeze past, he said:

"Maybe, there is something... No. Someone who may cause this. Someone that took away or taking away the forest energy as we speak."

This was horrible. Who would do something horrible like that to here? A place where many use as home. But still, this was a maybe. But for some reason, Aedan couldn't throw this idea away.

Aedan's hearth ached. There he was, not being useful. He was too busy wanting to be strong. He forgot the importance of wisdom.

"Lesson learned..."

He said in a quiet voice. And stood still.

(( Out: Sorry for the shortish post. The things just ended. And this was all I could write while not wanting to progress in plot a lot. ))

[Summerchika]

Underneath her gentle hands, the cub trembled with greater abandon as the breeze passed over it, draining more of its life. It was close to death, and there was little Ainutsa could do about it. She channeled some of her own energy into the cub, but it, too, was taken away by the breeze, for the cub had not the strength to fight it.

With Aedan's words, Ainutsa's eyebrows pulled together in confused concentration, as if making her mind work was a formidable task. She was not used to this feeling.

But if Aedan's hypothesis was correct, then with every draining breeze that touched her, Ainutsa would become more vulnerable, less powerful, as her life was intimately connected with the forests' own life. It was as if her years of not sleeping and of being sustained off of the forest's energy were catching up to her with every draining sweep.

Blinking slowly, Ainutsa tried to clear the haze that had taken hold over her mind. As she thought more closely on the implications of Aedan's words, images of a place so secluded, so mysterious flashed through her mind. A majestic and twisted pine surrounded by waters of unfathomable depth, lighted only by scarce shafts of light that escaped the maze of branches above. She had only been to this place once with her late grandmother, and it had been a serious journey at the time, just as it would be now.

"If what you say is true, Aedan, and I suspect that it is, then I know of a place where that someone would concentrate their cruel powers." Ainutsa said, her eyes taking on a more hardened and forlorn demeanor as she spoke.

"Faolán, will you accompany us?" she asked, laying a hand on the wolfs' snowy hide, hoping she would have Faolán's wisdom to accompany her as well.

With a shake of her head, Faolán said, "No, Ainutsa. I must stay and protect the cubs. Many creatures of this forest would see them as a free meal if I do not keep diligent watch."

Ainutsa nodded in saddened agreement and stood, but not before wishing Faolán safety. Faolán was a formidable warrior among the wolves, but even she, alone to protect the cubs, would be in danger if another creature decided it wanted a snack.

Faolán silently padded up to Aedan, and touched her cold nose to his hand. "Keep Ainutsa and yourself safe. If even the forest begs for help, you two will need all your wits about you to face the danger ahead." she addressed Aedan, gently nipping at his hand in a silent "thank you."

Giving Faolán a curious glance, for she could not hear Faolán's words and was unused to not feeling her presence in the back of her mind, Ainutsa gestured toward the ever darkening trees ahead.

"Shall we follow the forest's cry, then?" she asked Aedan, shivering as another breeze brushed past, fighting for more of Ainutsa's own life energy.

((OOC: Short doesn't necessarily mean bad, so you're fine! ))

[Original Sin]

Aedan couldn't take Ainutsa shivering more and more as hatred gathered trough a small crack of his ice cold "hate shield". It was enough of this madness and horrible event that was happening just in front of his eyes. Didn't he made a promise? He was and will going to use his powers to help in need. And this time, It was about someone he just met but already saw as a friend. He was prepared. And this was really close to happening.

"If what you say is true, Aedan, and I suspect that it is, then I know of a place where that someone would concentrate their cruel powers."

Aedan nodded as Ainutsa said that. This wasn't making situation any better. But surely, it was making it, at least, something known.

When the wolf touched him, Aedan's body trembled with worry and sadness. At first, he couldn't understand what it was. But it came to his mind eventually as the wolf speak to him telepathically. The emotions of wolf passed trough Aedan's veins in to his heart and brain, making the goal clearer along with raising his spirit.

Even he was fired up, Aedan's heart broke to this gruesome (In his opinion that it is gruesome) situation. If what he was said true. Than he was ready to give the right punishment to the one that deserved it.

"In the name of the great justice."

A quote, source unknown echoed in his mind. If it was another time, he would think about it. But right now, It was best to accept it.

"You are right. I will follow you to anywhere you go. Please believe me when I say I want to save this forest as much as you do."

Aedan took of his cloak and gave it to Ainutsa with a small smile.

"Please, I'm used to coldness as I dwell in it everyday. It isn't something much but I think It will help. Also before we go..."


Aedan took out his book and flipped some pages with haste. He then stopped and pointed his palm to ground with his eyes still on book. He gently said "Ut spiritus hiemis, tueri nos a nocentibus"

A glyph glowed where he pointed as small blue orbs danced around and disappeared.

"Spirits of winter." He said. "They will protect us from harm"

[Summerchika]

The kind and honest words surprised and deeply touched Ainutsa. Somehow, she felt in her soul that this new friend's conviction to protect her forest was strong and true. Her gratitude only deepened with Aedan's next actions.

Accepting the offered cloak, for it would have been rude to refuse, Ainutsa wrapped herself in its warmth. The wave of relief that followed surprised her. She had logically known that her shivering was a result of the forest's draining power, but she had not realized that she was actually physically cold. But for the moment, her shivering dwindled as the wonderfully warmed cloak provided shelter.

"Please, I'm used to coldness as I dwell in it everyday. It isn't something much but I think It will help. Also before we go..."

He dwells in cold everyday? Ainutsa wondered, her infamous curiosity piking. She tilted her head, remembering the show of magic before--how his face and been covered in frost--and conjectures of the meaning behind his words flitted briefly through her mind.

Her conjectures were satisfied for only a moment as Aedan summoned "spirits of winter". Just as quickly as the orbs disappeared, Ainutsa's mind worked in delight at the show, despite the desperate situation. But, looking up from the ground where the glyph had glowed, Ainutsa reigned in her curiosity with thoughts of the spirits' solemn purpose.

"And their protection will be greatly needed, I think." she replied, grateful to have someone as seemingly powerful as Aedan to help her aid the forest.

Without regard to human customs or stigmas, Ainutsa grasped Aedan's free hand with both of hers. "Thank you." she emphasized each word, attempting to convey her sincere gratitude. "I am glad--" she stopped, finding no words to express herself. Instead she just repeated the insufficient words, "Thank you."

After a little while, she stepped back and clasped her hands behind her back again, hoping she had not offended because of her ignorance. Faolán stepped forward and nudged Ainutsa, saying, "Quickly, Ainutsa. The forest needs your help."

"Right." she said, and bent to kiss a farewell on the wolf's head. Then, with a quick glance at the suffering cubs, Ainutsa began a quick pace toward the sacred woods, following the forest's subtle cries as she did so.

As she reached the darker trees at the edge of the wolf den, she paused briefly, tugging Aedan's cloak closer around her. Turning to see if Aedan was following, and then intending to walk beside him, Ainutsa took a deep breath, warily bracing herself for the unknown sights they would find deeper into the forest. But she could not keep herself from phrasing out loud at least one of the questions racing around in the back of her mind.

"You will have to explain your intriguing magic to me as we travel--I have never seen magic like yours before." she said excitedly as she took a step into the dark and subtle paths of the forest ground. "The sacred place is a ways yet, and my curiosity is... insatiable." she said with an apologetic smile.

[Original Sin]

Aedan understood that she was grateful. If he was right, this forest was also her home. When she cupped his hand between hers and thanked. He felt some kind of relief. Relief of knowing he made someone happy.

When he heard her question. He chuckled and gently scratched the back of his head as he closed his eyes and said,

"Well...Basically, I'm a Cryomaniac."

Right after he said that, he stopped and though about that word. Was that even a word? Well he had no idea. But that was the thing that came to his mind.

"There are pyromaniacs who loves fire. Me on the other hand, love Ice and Snow. But only Ice and Snow. Not cold things or cold wind."

After saying that, he realized he was some kind of weirdo in a way. But kept talking while looking out for any surprise attack trees.

"When I was just a kid. A wizard told me that I had magic powers inside me. How? I do not know. But I don't even remember my life before age 8. But for some reason, I feel like I don't know more of it. If that even makes sense. Anyway, I was then found by elves and got trained in Ice Magic."


While telling Ainutsa all that, Aedan skipped the part in farm. It was really unimportant and miserable memory he had. It was best forgotten, not known.

"When I first learned about my powers, I wasn't even sure how it made any sense. Like, anyone with magic powers can freeze stuff. Sure. But this book..."

Aedan said taking the White Tome out.

"It has some Ice and Snow spells inside. I was told it was really hard for normal wizards. But thanks to my affinity with Ice. I could cast lot of them with ease. But also, I can't cast any spells that has something to do with fire and I never tried other spells except these. I don't plan to either."

He then stopped and wondered if it was enough information. He, of course wanted to tell more. But this was the first action ever happened to him.

But then, He realized that the air he breathed was... Dull? He wasn't sure what to call this but it was sure eerie and lifeless. Was that because of the draining? The treed were darker, the ground was dry. It was horrible. But not the forest. Real thing that was horrible was the event.

"Well.. Yeah.. That's all about me"

Aedan said.

"What about you? Can you tell me about yourself a bit more?"

[Summerchika]

Some of the words Aedan used in his explanation were unfamiliar, but Ainutsa could understand their meaning as he answered her question further. Nodding as he explained about the wizard, she found similar threads from her past in Aedan's own. She, too, had no memories before she was found by an old mage--her grandmother, she called her--who had trained Ainutsa in various arts.

When Aedan mentioned the elves, Ainutsa's ears perked up. She had only really met one elf wraith before, and the stories he told her had sparked in her dreams of visiting the many elves hidden among the land in hopes of finding more about her past.

The book Aedan had been referring to often since Ainutsa had met him intrigued her as well. She studied it carefully out of the corner of her eye. Her grandmother had similar books in her cottage, but her grandmother had said that she need not worry about such things--that she should not limit herself by the rules other people had set for magic. Ever trusting her grandmother's judgment, she had agreed, though her curiosity had not been sated.

When her own question was turned onto her, she took a moment to think. There was not much to her story, she thought. Her entire life, that she remembered at least, was in a secluded part of the forest. She had had a few adventures recently, but those were others' stories, not hers.

Stepping over a gnarled root--she had almost missed it in the unnatural darkness, even to her adjusted and sharp eyes--she said, "I, too, have little to no recollection of my earlier years."

Even as she said this, flashes of images fresh from the dark dreams of her past plagued her mind. Closing her eyes and shaking her head as if to clear away those thoughts, Ainutsa gave a little exasperated laugh, then changed the subject.

"My magic.... is not like yours. But your magic and story is much more interesting than mine." she said, grinning. "Cryomaniac...." she tested the word on her tongue, and then giggled at the sound.

Feeling she should at least try to answer his question as he had answered hers, she went on, "My magic is a request, a silent prayer to the world. The world hears, and answers." Taking a small leap toward one of the bigger trees near to them, Ainutsa reached upward as a branch bent down to lift her into its tangled embrace above. The movement was as effortless as a feather's flight, it being an act she had used before she consciously knew she was a magical being.

Ainutsa looked down at Aedan from the branches, and then froze as if she had hit a wall. A confused, suffocated look crossed her face as she felt the very life around her wilt and become dry in response to the simple show of magic. The air she breathed was heavy and made her throat ache for the moistness that had been thriving within the earth just this morning.

Face crumbling, she tugged Aedan's cloak around her more, hid her face in her hair, and slid silently from her perch, somewhat defeated. She landed with a soft thud on the very solid ground. "But right now, the world is in pain. And it is my turn to answer its call." she spoke in a low whisper to quiet the emotion she felt inside.

She clutched at her mother's necklace in determination and stood up from her crouch. Giving Aedan a forced smile, she continued their advance, if at a quicker pace than before.

"These elves you speak of.... do they live here, in this forest?" She asked from behind her hair, her tone lighter than her heart at the moment. Though she knew this forest well, she had not explored all of its magical and ever changing depths. And she assumed that even if she had, she would not find elves by herself, as their homes were sure to be guarded and hidden well.