Missions

"Again!" Ramzes annoyed voice yelled out from his perch on a tree branch. He found it comical, explaining earlier that watching Zhizhan make mistakes from a bird's eye view helped him ignore the fact that he was failing. "Honestly, how do you expect to learn anything if you do not even try?" taking a breath he forced fire to leave his finger to ignite a branch in front of him before pulling it back. Rolling his eyes, "Do you need another demonstration or are you old enough to figure it out now?"

Zhizhan yelled in frustration, "That is it! You are so infuriating. Has anyone told you that?" He marched up to the tree to point his finger at Ramzes, "Maybe I have not learned anything because you are terrible at teaching. Have you ever thought of that? Has it ever crossed that prideful mind of yours that you are the most inadequate instructor!" Kicking the tree, "I have tried to be respectful but you know what? I have had it." with each word he hit the tree in frustration, "So if all you have to do is insult me for not learning with your stupid teaching style then do us all a favor and stay silent!"

As he saw the steam coming from Zhizhan's body Ramzes smirked and sat up, no longer lazing away, "Please." he scoffed, "A 5 year old could pick up the things I have tried to teach you." Breaking some leaves he threw them so they would fall on Zhizhan, "I am working really hard to make pauper a king, you could at least try."

Zhizhan clenched his fists so tight he drew blood, "Shut-up!" As he yelled fire erupted from his fists burning the grass and trees in a kilometers radius.

Ramzes watched as the fire crept up the tree in glee; before putting it out and jumping down. As the rest of the life around them burned Ramzes smoothed his pink robes and smiled, "Let's do this on command next time." Then he pulled all the fire to him, "Next time avoid the trees animals do live there you know."

Zhizhan ignored the snide comment this time too focused on his hands. The fire didn't just come from there, he felt it leaving his arms as well. He ripped the singed sleeves off. Without the help of beads he released blue fire. All those times they chained his hands he had thought he was defenseless, there was so much he did not know about his own abilities. Feeling vengeful, "Teach me how to do that again."

Weeks passed of Zhizhan practicing and he had only managed to call the fire once or twice more. He was told to practice keeping his body warm, to use his fire all throughout his body and last through the night. If he could do it in his sleep he would have a better hold on controlling it.

Ramzes thought it a great idea to wake him up with buckets of ice cold water to see if he was keeping his body warm. Zhizhan wished he had better control so he could burn him to a crisp.

There were also the times when Ramzes would pull the heat away from Zhizhan's body and force him to struggle to keep himself warm.

Much to Zhizhan's disappointment the terrible teaching methods seemed to be working. For after months of training he was able to maintain the fire in his body to keep him warm without thinking.

It was then that Ramzes decided to give him his first mission back in the real world.

Ramzes rubbed his hands together, "How about you do something for me before we continue our next lessons?"

"Do something for you?" Zhizhan immediately felt on guard, "Do what? This was not the deal."

A high pitched laugh escapes Ramzes, "We never had a deal." Crossing his hands behind his back, "But I am not your enemy you can drop your guard. I am always only here to follow my orders from the Spiritual King." He tilted his head, "Do you not want revenge for the people who forced your family to be broken?"

Zhizhan sighed tiredly, "I do not need revenge for anyone but my sister. My father and brother never loved me or my sister; she is the only one who deserves anything."

Ramzes rubbed his chin, the smile on his face too big to be erased, "Well for you sister then. Let us learn about what your enemy's next step is."

A sly smile appeared on Zhizhan's face, "Does the Spiritual King wish for me to kill them?"

Ramzes pulled Zhizhan into a small hug, "Now now, little flame. For now let us learn what they are doing first. After all the information is gathered, I assure death will be solely in your hands."

Zhizhan pulled from the hug, "Fine. Who am I watching?"

"Men from the east are making a weapon. I need your skills to go spy and tell me what it is?" He smiled kindly.

"Men from the East? The Randin Kingdom? I do not have enemies from there."

Ramzes shrugged, "They could be in the Randin Kingdom, but that does that mean they are from there."

"And why do you need me to go? Why can't you go?" Ramzes was powerful, more powerful than him, why couldn't he go and spy?

"They are on the lookout for me. They have traps, but those traps will not work on you. As a man from Colored Mountain Sect you were raised with the skills of a spy, you should easily be able to get in there and get out."

"What kind of traps do they have?"

Ramzes waved his hand, "Nothing for you to make a fuss about, as I said they will not work on you."

Zhizhan took an uneasy step, "I do not like doing missions without an adequate amount of information. Where am I going? Who am I spying on? What weapon am I expected to see?" He shook his head, "Whatever information you know I would like to be informed."

Ramzes chuckled, "You have no power to demand anything of me Little Flame." He played with a flame and let it travel across his fingers to Zhizhan's face. "Deep in the woods behind the East gate of the Randin Kingdom there is a group of beings." He held up a finger, the flame just barely touching Zhizhan's cheek, "You need not know what kind they are, but they plan to make a weapon, a weapon forged of ice. I simply want to know what kind of weapon it is, and how far along they are on making it."

"A weapon of ice? Is it dangerous to you?"

Ramzes snorted and pulled the flame away, "Me? No. Us fire users need not worry about weapons of ice, but for those sensitive to cold it can be quite a deadly weapon." Ramzes could see the hesitancy in Zhizhan's eyes, "Besides I wonder if a certain Prince is connected to all of this. There is only one way to know."

Zhizhan weighed the dangers. He hated not being told enough information, but he had been with Ramzes for months learning from him. He doubted after months of teaching Ramzes would set him up to be killed. Not when the Spiritual King wanted him.

"It will be your first time out in the world." He pulled out a money pouch and placed it in Zhizhan's hand, "Go have a day of fun when your mission is over." He snickered, "Meet a woman, I hear they have many talents these days."

Placing the pouch in his chest pocket, "I have a woman, I just need to find her."

Ramzes rolled his eyes, "Yes yes, I have heard of your jewel. There has not been news of her for years, maybe the flames will grant you a miracle and you will find her again."

Securing his weapons, "When I return you will teach me more."

Ramzes waved his hand in a bored manor, "Yes, yes The Spiritual King would expect nothing but."

In Blood Cloud Sect, San-nin stood in his office with an unrolled letter in his hand and waited for his niece's reaction. "You have earned your right to return home La Yae." He smiled finally saying her name, knowing the work and punishments she has experienced to be able to hold it again.

She allowed her uncle to see her eyes. "I have done nothing of the sort." Her father's health was getting worse and he most likely wished to see her restored before he died. It had nothing to do with her earning anything.

"Nonsense." San-nin motioned for her to sit. "It has been almost 3 years. You have followed every rule, saved countless members of my sect. Assisted in the saving of numerous beings. Has it occurred to you that we need not punish you anymore because you do a great job of punishing yourself?" He ignored the coldness he felt when her gaze changed at those words. "You have not been back to your brother's grave in," he stopped seeing her raised hand.

"Please." She took a deep breath, her left hand resting behind her back. "I wish not to speak of this."

"Very well. How about this," He walked to his desk drawer and pulled out a powder. "This will help you remove the paint from your face. You were punished for not following orders. Do you dare disobey one so soon?"

She closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself. "La Yae, she is not who she once was."

Reaching out his hand he tapped the wooden hairpin in her bun. "Go home. Wear your hair down again the way you loved. Wear the gold and yellow fabrics that I am sure you have missed. And more of all be reunited with your sword. It has missed you as much as you missed it."

She looked out the window, a tactic to help her hide her feelings, "Returning to Sun Pond does not mean I will have those things. It simply means I receive the token, the right to the clothes, and my name. It is not certain I will have my sword." She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat, and her left hand reached out before tightening into a fist at her side.

San-nin sighed and rolled the letter back before placing it in her hand. "I hope you can take this as an order." His voice lowered, sounding more authoritative, "Stop using your love for your brothers to punish yourself." He squeezed her hands, "Xaemin needs his sister, stop pushing him away. When he takes the mantle as leader he will need his sister by his side, not a shadow of who she once was."

La Yae bowed deeply, "I am aware of all the ways you have protected my identity in the years I have been here. I will always be in your debt."

"Family need not be in debt to family. Stop bowing, it makes me uncomfortable," He said trying to lighten the mood, "Send word when you return home, I will wait for it."

Raising, "I will. Thank you," She forced herself to smile slightly, "Uncle."

Sect Leader San-nin waited for her to walk out the door before calling his 2 best fighters in. The loving expression leaving his face, a domineering stance taking over, "Follow her, make sure she reaches her sect safely." lifting a hand, "Do not get caught, she notices quickly."

When they left he sat at his table and pulled the second letter from his sleeve.

'Samson, I fear the worst is coming, and I will not be alive to help. There are many things I wish I could have told you. Those things lie in a place protected by my heart. You are the only living being who will know where it is. The time of Fairies is returning. I have taught my children as much as I can, but they will soon be in danger. They must grow more in their power; and they must stay together. As my sworn brother, I will leave you with children. It seems this is the only way you will become a father. Watch over my children, and do not come to my funeral. In time you will learn why you should not be there.'

Marlin

San-nin sucked his teeth and rolled the letter back up before burning it. Dropping the ashes onto the small tray he sighed, "Dear brother if I knew years ago this would be the end like a fool I still would have sided with you."

Meanwhile on the outskirts of Randin Kingdom Zhizhan sat perched in the trees watching a group of men play with snow.

As he rubbed his eyes he fought his boredom off by throwing leaves. It had been a day of the same thing. A group of 15 men would make what seemed to be snowballs, infuse it with energy and then try to turn it into an arrow. It never worked, the energy always melted the snow. Yet they kept trying as if there would be different results. Most times it backfired, placing energy in something that had no life form was always dangerous. Only fairies could match the energies of what came from the sky; rain, snow, sunlight, these things were impossible for humans to match. So far 2 people died trying, you would think they would come up with a different tactic.

If it was Zhizhan he would try placing energy in an arrow and then attempt to merge it with the snow. Or create a dark being and have them try, because if they die it does not affect anyone. On top of that he had not seen anyone from the Cozbi Empire, or anyone who would have connections to them. These men wore clothes from the Rais Kingdom, which was confusing.

Rais Kingdom and Randin Kingdom were not the best of allies. Their ties were thin since the War of Ashfan Kingdom. So why were their men allowed entrance into Randin? Did Randin not know? Did they not care?

He sighed and sat up when an older gentleman came. His face was young, and haughty, his eyes wide taking in all around him. He moved with a few guards behind him, he was probably in charge because of his parents, not because of his talent. It was evident in the way he carried his sword; he didn't. The guard behind him carried two swords, one that obviously belonged to the bratty leader.

This man dressed in orange clothing did not seem to belong to a sect he had heard of. Then again there were plenty of small sects that he was not aware of. Most people knew the main ones. Many small sects were formed but did not have much power or reputation. Unless you had been to the city or towns they lived in you would not be aware of them.

Zhizhan watched as the orange dressed leader yelled at all of the subordinates and ordered for them to try the same things that they had already done the entire morning, except this time he had them cut their hands first.

Jumping down a few branches to get closer he watched as the 3 men picked up the snow and poured their energy into it, then tried to make the shape of the arrow. Zhizhan watched as the men slowly seemed to die, their body aging, their skin becoming thin, their veins showing. Watched as their black hair turned grey; slowly dying. But this time half of the arrow was forged.

Blowing air out, blood sacrifice. He had heard of it, but never seen it done before. Especially not for snow. If not for the fact that it seemed to work, Zhizhan would have laughed.

The orange leader dismissed everyone saying they will pause for today. It seemed that he was not as incompetent as he seemed.

Zhizhan watched as the orange leader slipped in the snow and was caught by his guards.

Shrugging his shoulders, guess not.

The small arrow only had the shaft and fletching made. There still needed to be a point and knock; even so Zhizhan was close enough to see the cold radiating off of it. The snow on the ground around it turned to ice. This weapon was not completely made, but already he wondered of the fatalities it would create.

He waited a few more days, before returning to Ramzes to report what he saw.