16 What is Power? What is Strength?

Ais was not wearing her armor currently, instead she had on her short dress with no back, it provided little to no protection whatsoever. "I am not, how can I be of assistance?" I answered her question and she gave a nod before taking a seat on a nearby tree root. "How did you become so strong?" She asked and I stopped my hands for a moment before asking a question of my own, "What makes you think I am strong?"

She titled her head to the side confused, "It's obvious?" I gave a laugh at her words. "Strength is not just how well a person can fight...I have seen many strong men, much stronger than me, lose themselves to madness, corruption, or lust for power. Strength is a character trait. If I had to describe it in simple terms, Strength is the ability to cause great destruction, but choosing not to. Power, however, is the ability to destroy your enemies. You want to know how I became powerful, do you not?"

Ais's head tilted the opposite way before she nodded. "Very well, but first I have a question of my own, why do you wish to become powerful?" Ais's stare didn't waver from my face, in her eyes, I could almost see the mirage of a flame, black as night. "I want to kill the One-eyed black dragon." She said with hate in her voice, the first emotion I had heard so far.

"And why is that? What do you gain from killing it? Do you want to be hailed as a hero? To rid a beast in the name of justice? To prove your power and abilities?" I questioned her, pushing at the heart of the matter.

"Revenge...." I glanced up at this and asked one final question, "And then what?" she was more confused now than before and seemed to have no way to respond, "Once it is dead, then what will you do?" Ais opened her mouth to speak but closed it, unable to answer. I sighed and let my blade rest on my lap before giving her my full attention.

"Power can be used to do singular things. Kill this monster, slay this man, burn this city. Power is a tool you use to complete small goals. Power can not prop those around you up, and it cannot save them. I have watched men and women chase the elusive peak of power. Each and every one of them has fallen or went mad. Tell me, do you still want to seek power?"

Ais looked down and silently said, "Then what should I do?" I could hear a slight wobble to her voice, I had most likely shaken the foundation she laid her heart upon. "Power is a fleeting, unsure thing, it can take you to the highest heights and then throw you to the lowest pit in the next moment. What you should be looking for, is not strength, but instead something to protect, or an ideal."

"What do you mean?" She asked me when I finished.

"I was born an orphan, I never had parents or a family. But I had a man I could call family, a brother. I made it my purpose to support him on his journey to discover his own purpose in life. I trained my swordsmanship until my fingers bled each day, I studied my magic(Miracles) until my mind burned, all so he wouldn't fail. But he did. He gained the power to pursue his unclear goal, and he encountered set back after set back until it drove him mad, and I had to kill him. It was when I held his limp body in my arms I realized the difference between Strength and Power. And so I chose what I would protect, and I chose everything."

"Everything? How?" Ais asked, interrupting me, but I didn't mind. "It's quite simple, I had no family, no home, anything. I was a blank slate in a hostile land where death, is not the worst fate. So when I chose to protect everything, everyone, I gained that purpose in my life once again. If I encountered a person that needed help, I would throw myself at it until I succeeded. When something needed saving, I would throw myself at the problem until it was solved. Before long I had a group of people surrounding me I could call friends. So then my goal transformed into, 'protect my friends from the world'. But that was long ago. Those friends are no longer with us, so now my goal is to protect my Familia, and I will do that, by conquering this dungeon." I took a moment to catch my breath before finishing.

"So if your goal for power is to defeat the Dragon, instead make it your purpose to protect your family, or the city, or even the world, from it by killing the beast. And then when it is slain, focus on the next threat. And when there are no more threats, you can either rest or find a new purpose."

Ais's face seemed to scrunch up in concentration before she looked at me with conviction and said, "I will protect my family by killing the Dragon." I could see the flame once more behind her golden eyes, indeed it seemed to share the same color. She stood to leave but I reached out to grab her shoulder and made her sit once again. She looked at me in confusion before I held out my left hand. The pyromancy flame appeared in it, before shrinking until it formed a small crystal of fire.

"This is a pyromancy seed, it can grow into a flame capable of burning down empires, it will grow from this small seed into a tool of unmatched versatility, I would go as far as to say it has no limit on what you can do with it. At least I have not yet found that limit... I want you to have it. But you must promise to remember to always fear the flame, lest you be devoured by it and lose yourself. I would hate to see that happen to you. Will you accept it?"

Ais looked at the flame see in my hand for a long moment before nodding and saying, "I promise." I gave a smile and pressed the seed to her breast, above her heart. Just as Laurentius did to me all those years ago. She gave a hiss of pain as it seemed to phase through her skin. Once it was out of my hand, I felt my own flame drop a level, but I could easily get it back up once I reach a bonfire.

"With this, I gave you a part of myself, please, take care of it, will you." She nodded at this while staring at her hand, which burst into a meager flame, surprising her before she gazed into it in awe. Indeed I was in awe as well, for the flame was a vibrant gold, a color I had never seen before. After recovering from my shock I reached into my box and pulled out one of the many copies of my pyromancy tomes, and held it out to her, drawing her from her musings. "This is merely a few pyromancies developed by others. While they are not weak by any means, the true strength of the flame comes from our own discoveries. Use it as a guide, I wish you luck, now you ought to be off to sleep, a tired mind is never good in a fight after all."

Ais gave a nod along with a smile, which I had yet to see her show. It was almost like the smile of a child, pure and unladen with the stress of life. I couldn't help but smile as well and after standing up I plopped my hand on her head and ruffled her golden hair while saying, "I look forward to seeing your progress, good night, Ais." She gave a nod with that same smile before responding, "Good night, thank you." Before walking off to her tent, and I toward my own.

The flap to the tent was pushed aside and I saw Tsubaki sprawled out on her back, a line of drool coming out the side off her mouth. I couldn't help chuckling at her as I made room next to her. And like a heat-seeking snake, she moved and latched onto me, gripping tightly onto my tunic. I pulled her closer and drifted off to sleep, having a dream of my younger days.