Record Six - Stone Fortress in the Mist

"Damn what's with this fog?" One of The Earth Legionnaires guarding the North side of the fortress sighed in annoyance. He was leaning on his spear, getting a little bored of waiting around. "I can't see a thing!"

"Isn't it normal for this area?" His partner was leaning against the wall just as bored. He peered through the fog as best he could but the white air was so thick they could only really see about six trees in front of them and while the forest wasn't that dense the fog certainly was. "The air in the Blinkem Wetlands is too heavy with Water Mana, that's why it's so humid, the ground is soggy and fog rolls in like this even out here in the Kalidah Woods."

"Keep your eyes peeled!" The masked Earth Spirit raised her voice, annoyed by the murmurs of her subordinates. "Just because it's normal for this area doesn't mean it can't be The Water Legion!"

"Commander Therris?" One of The Earth Legionnaires up top with the masked Spirit couldn't help but wonder what her plan was involving the little girl that had wandered their way. "Forgive me if I'm out of place Ma'am but was it really necessary for you to use your curse on this little girl? It's not like she's done anything wrong."

"All of Humanity is a hazard to the Spirits! They are the only ones that create Darkness. We are cleaning the trash that taints our perfect world! Ending them early is only natural!" Therris had a sadistic smirk on her lips as she tipped the petrified Lee back and forth. "I'll shatter her when we are finished using her as bait. We'll wipe out all those that oppose Lord Turfurius's will in this region and nothing will stop us."

"That's a bit ambitious don't you think?" Aliya's voice carried through the fog. There was no mistaking that they were warriors of Turfuris. Their traditional white robes looked boxy with thick golden trim were a dead give away along with Turfurius's crest emblazoned upon them. Most of them had either black or dark brown pants and boots. 

Therris was the only one that stood out from the rest, it was clear to Aliya she was pretty highly ranked. Her white robes were sleeveless and more form fitting with thinner trim giving them an air of elegance the normal robes didn't have, it was shorter in the front than in the back, the inside had a bright amber lining. A grandiose chain belt of golden hexagonal plates and beads hung around her waist. Loose black pants were tucked into brown leather boots armored with similar hexagonal shapes. She wore protective leather sleeves with light armor similar to her boots. Her long hair was a rich golden blonde that was pulled back into a thin straight ponytail with bangs to frame her golden mask. The golden mask only covered the upper half of her face and consisted of three narrow hexagons, the center one was larger than the others, no visible eye holes but it was apparent she could see just fine through it.

"You don't look like you are from The Water Legion," Therris hissed, her lips in a thin grimace. She saw Aliya's ice sword in hand as she approached them with over confidence. When Aliya stopped and stood in a rather relaxed stance, Therris gave a short and quick nod to The Earth Legionnaires on the ground near her and they walked wide around Aliya trying to see if she really was by herself and to surround her.

"Looks can be deceiving," Aliya shrugged and pointed her sword up at Therris. "Safe to assume you are the host of this party?" Her eyes were fixed on the one who spoke, she didn't even appear to pay any mind to the Spirits behind her taking an offensive stance, ready to attack at a moment's notice. 

"Yes, and you were stupid to come alone. Consider this a celebration of your death!" Therris flashed a smug smirk as she gestured to the overall fortress and her subordinates.

"Looks can be deceiving, you know?" Aliya laughed noticing as Kindle launched out of the tree tops and winded her arm back for a punch, igniting her gauntlet in smoldering ash before landing a flying punch on The Earth Legionnaire closest to her atop the fortress, knocking him out quickly. "You see, showing up to a party alone is kind of boring."

"We going to get this party started or what?!" Kindle landed, immediately rearing up another punch this time for the masked Spirit before her. Therris back-stepped to allow the other guard with her to charge in while she cast a magic arte. Kindle took out The Earth Legionnaire that charged her and launched off the ground towards Therris.

Therris simply used hand gestures rather than words and fully invoked it by saying the name of the magic arte, "Earth Crusher!" Before Kindle could reach her a gravity field weighed down on Kindle, dropping her out of the air to the stone surface they were standing on. Therris looked over at The Earth Legionnaires behind Aliya. "What are you idiots waiting for?! Kill her!"

They charged Aliya. She waited until they were close. She narrowly avoided the spear and the sword swung at her. She swung her ice sword at the spearman who backed off immediately. She had elbowed the swordsman hard and swung her fist upwards in one fluid motion hitting his face and knocking him back into a tree. He slumped down and wasn't moving. She charged the spearman swinging the sword wide and upwards, slicing the shaft of the spear. She released the sword on her upward swing and while he was distracted watching the sword as it flew upward, she threw a punch with her other hand, effectively knocking him out. 

"What a dull party!" Aliya caught her ice sword and rested it on her shoulder with a smirk.

"That's cute," Kindle smirked as she stood up in the high gravity field. All it did was knock her out of the air as she was lunging forward but she had been in stronger gravity magic artes before by just training with her Brothers. "You think you can keep me down with this?" She confidently walked out of the arte's area of effect.

"Of course it would be a Fire Spirit helping the Water wretch!" Therris hissed. The fortress trembled under their feet. Therris was stunned when half of it fell away near her feet exposing the fact that Terbius had already taken out her subordinates on the other side. "Why in the world would Earth Spirits be with you pests?!"

"Is it so hard to believe that not every Spirit follows the command of Celestials?!" Kindle glared at her. Spirits like her were the reason her brothers couldn't live peacefully and just listening to her was starting to get under Kindle's skin. 

"The will of Turfurius is absolute! Humanity isn't worth protecting! It has always led to the downfall of Spirits!" Therris noticed Lee was just on the edge of the drop off not that far from her. A sadistic smirk returned to her lips as she positioned herself to place a hand on Lee's head. "You know, this curse isn't lethal. Unfortunately it wears off a lot faster than most curses. It's just an anatomical perk of my true form after all, but when you shatter them into little pieces, well, that's another story…" Therris laughed as she tilted Lee just enough towards the edge that when she let go of the small petrified child started falling over the edge. 

"No!" Kindle panicked and dashed forward but Therris pulled out her chained dagger from beneath her robes and swung it towards Kindle causing her to try and step back to avoid it but it ended up cutting into the side of her waist rather deep. A blur of dark green dashes past Kindle and Therris, just below the top of the wall. Vox snatched Lee out of the air before she could even touch the ground.

"Ah, too close!" Vox sighs in relief. His heart was pounding so hard. He was glad he was able to manifest just his wings rather than completely transforming. He wasn't sure he would have been able to grab her with his talons without damaging her. Holding her tiny stone body in his arms still weighed heavy on his heart.

"Vox! Take her back to town! We'll finish up here!" Aliya called down, having made it up top with some well placed Frozen Shots creating bursts of ice along the wall. Vox nodded and took to the sky without hesitation back towards Ervic. "Terbius, round up the other members of The Earth Legion and make sure they stay down! Leave this one to us!" 

"You got it!" The twins nodded and went to work.

"Run while you can," Therris's quiet voice was seething with rage and hatred, "Because as soon as I eviscerate you scum that dare to stand in the way of the Earth Celestial's will, I will finish off that pathetic town like I should have in the first place!"

"Shut the hell up!" Kindle moved so fast with fire mana boosting her steps. She punched Therris in the face, knocking her through the earthen wall they were standing on. Kindle recoiled from the pain in her side, pressing a hand against the bleeding wound. "It's Spirits like you that makes it so the world hates my precious brothers. Mindless drones spouting the nonsense of a fossil that wants to be relevant again!"

"Y-you dare mock Turfurius?" Therris choked out bitterly trying to catch her breath after having the wind knocked out of her. She rolled out of the rubble and slowly got to her feet. She covered her cracking mask, not wanting it to break further since it was both her tether and what kept her eyes from affecting the world. "He'll wipe out all of humanity! We should all be helping him! Humans are pathetic, destructive, and slaughters!"

"The only thing I've seen that fits that description around here has been you," Aliya jumped down from the wall and swung her ice sword at Therris who quickly jumped back. "You are just a hypocritical tool. Do you honestly think that or are these things Turfurius taught you?"

"Shut up! You are just a cog in the Water Celestial's machine! What makes you different from me?!" Therris screamed, throwing her dagger towards Aliya. Aliya backs off and tries to swing her sword to knock it away but it was moving faster than she expected and she caught the chain. Unable to completely duck out of the way in time it grazed her forehead leaving a small scratch.

"I don't follow Lady Azurius blindly!" Aliya raised her voice. "I chose to use her powers for my own reasons. In the end I'm the one in control of my life. Everyone should have the power to choose! Even someone as annoying as you! That is why I will be the one to put a stop to this war even if I have to fight all Four Elemental Celestials to do it!" 

"You chose to use her power, huh? You are her Kinbound then?!" Therris laughed, Aliya's shocked expression at her words was all the confirmation she needed. She slowly reached up and placed a hand on her mask. She looked over at Aliya with an intrigued smile still filled with malice. "That changes things!" She pulled off her mask and her eyes closed turning towards Aliya. "I'm done playing around!"

"So am I!" Kindle shook her head and jumped back into the fight. She was so caught up in Aliya's determined words before, but it wasn't the time to be swayed. She lunged for Therris with all the strength she had hoping to take her out before she had a chance to look at either of them but as Therris opened her eyes she turned and looked at Kindle. Aliya swung her sword at Therris forcing her to change the direction she was looking but Kindle's right arm and leg were already petrifying. Kindle groaned at the intense pain.

"Does it hurt?" Therris laughed still trying to catch Aliya in her sights but the Water Spirit kept moving and remained in her blind spot. She knew she couldn't keep it up forever. "It's usually painful for Spirits of another element. It's a flood of Earth Mana that slows everything in your body to a halt!"

"Then I just need to speed everything up then!" Kindle smirked, getting an idea as it was spreading through her torso and up her neck. The darker parts of her hair slowly turn as bright red as the tips of her hair. Sparks started flying off her body and every inch of her started overflowing with energy that vibrated through her. The petrification halts and starts to reverse slowly as she sped up the mana coursing through her even more.

"Impossible!" Therris's moss green eyes widened in shock. She'd never seen anyone counteract her curse on their own.

"What did you call it before? Anatomical perk?" Kindle gave her a jeering smirk. She was only able to generate such fast moving mana because of the ability her true form granted her but it was only the speed that was halting the curse. Since it was only Fire and Wind mana generating electricity, it was temporary, and reversing way too slowly she wasn't ready to move just yet.

"Fine! I'll just kill you the old fashioned way!" Therris threw her dagger in Kindle's direction knowing she could hit her before Kindle could finish reversing it. Aliya intercepted it with her ice sword but as the chain wrapped around the ice. The dagger's blade gashes the side of Aliya's neck rather deeply. The ice started cracking so she quickly grabbed the chain and wrapped it around her arm so she couldn't try again. Aliya began turning to stone under Therris's bitter glare. 

"You aren't the kind to abandon your weapon and you use your hands to cast magic artes…" Aliya smiles through the pain coursing through her body. Kindle was completely taken by surprise that Aliya would risk her life like that. It made her all the more enraged and electricity started arcing off of her as she finally grew able to move. Aliya smirked, seeing it out of the corner of her eye, figuring she bought her enough time to strike Therris down, "It looks like Kindle is all fired up."

In a blink of an eye and a loud crack of thunder, Therris was on the ground unconscious. Kindle had run past Aliya with such blinding speed and struck Therris with purely momentum, saving the mana to help dispel the curse on Aliya so she could dispel hers in turn.

"That was reckless, Aliya! What were you thinking? She could have killed you!" Kindle walked up to Aliya who was frozen in place because of how far the petrification was spreading.

"It bought you time, didn't it?" Aliya smiled warmly at Kindle. 

"That looks pretty deep, but it isn't bleeding really," Kindle noticed how deep the gash on her neck was thinking that she should be bleeding out and she grew even more concerned. She sighed and placed her hand on Aliya's arm and focused the mana to heal her, "Updraft…"

"It was a calculated risk, so you know." Aliya said as the mana coursing through her healed her wounds and started reversing the petrification. "I figured you'd be able to take her down with that. Besides I can take hits like that and not be put in life threatening situations because of how slow the blood in my veins move. Anatomical perk, I suppose…" Aliya shrugged, able to move again. 

"I see…" Kindle still felt a little bad that Aliya risked her life to save her. "Well my Power Surge is an overflow of Wind and Fire mana to boost my speed and power. I usually need to cast a magic arte after in order to dispel the mana overload. It works to balance out the curse. I might crash soon though it usually wipes me out," Kindle yawned and stretched, a tired smile on her face satisfied they actually got the job done even if it was a bit sloppy it could have been worse. Aliya noticed Kindle's hand starting to turn to stone again. 

"Standing brave, Healing Wave!" Aliya's singsong voice cast her only other healing arte as jam packed with as much water mana as she could make it to clear out the nasty curse.

"Aliya! Sis'! What should we do with them!?" One of the twins called over to the ladies while the other one had waved them over to the pile of Earth Legionnaires. 

"Well Vox said his brother went to retrieve members of The Water Legion." Aliya approached them as Kindle picked up the unconscious Therris and threw her on the pile. "I'll place a binding arte on them and The Water Legion can deal with them." She held out her hand and a glyph appeared on the ground underneath all of them. "Wander in the silent forest, becoming embraced by the ice, remain still for eternity, Frigid Coffin!" The Earth Legion members were frozen in ice. Aliya stood up tall and clapped her hands together, satisfied with her work, "I used the full casting this time and since binding magic artes are my specialty that ice won't break or melt easily. Now let's head back!" 

Aliya spun around and made a fast stride towards town. The others weren't far behind her. Kindle remained silent in the back of the group, partially because she was growing tired but also because she was questioning what the next move would be. Surely they could stay in Ervic after this but was that what they really needed to keep her brothers safe? Being in the territory of The Wind Celestial didn't stop The Earth Legion. Her last idea was to go to the far north where no Celestials dwell making them unseen to Humans but how long would that area remain unaffected by the war?

"So Aliya?" Terbius matched Aliya's stride and they were both a little curious what she'd be up to next because they still really wanted to tag along. "Where are you heading after you leave here?"

"I'm heading to Lurline next." Aliya smiled. "My brothers and I used to frequent the capital. I haven't seen them in over a century because my research took me down a separate path from their interests and I didn't want to bore them."

"Really? That long?" Ter was rather shocked at the idea.

"I don't think we could be separated from Kindle that long," Bius finished up with exactly what his brother was thinking. 

"I didn't intend to be separated for so long," Aliya shrugged with a sigh. "Before I knew it, just over a century passed in a blink of an eye. Really they could be anywhere with how much they tend to travel around, but I figure that's the best place to start. Even if I don't find them I'm sure I'll be able to find some other people to back me up in stopping this war in case my negotiations aren't enough and it boils down to a fight."

Kindle watched her brothers chatting with Aliya in a cheerful mood. It was a strange sight to see a Water Spirit so chummy with her brothers. She had a feeling about her since they met and it started becoming a little clearer now that she was spending a little more time with her. She had a small glimpse into what motivated Aliya and a touch on what she was capable of. On top of that she knew the power of a Celestial Kinbound was nothing to sneeze at. Kindle saw first hand what the Spirits of The Earth Legion were like. They were soiling the good name of her brothers merely because they shared the element with their Celestial, she couldn't stand it. Kindle still couldn't help but wonder if Aliya and her companions really could turn the tide of this war.

They arrived back at Ervic before Kindle could dwell on it further. There was still one thing they needed to do before she could rest like her body was screaming to do. Terbius had slipped off to go fix the town more, she didn't even have the energy to tell them to be careful. Kindle and Aliya found Vox in the center of town near where the tents were. He and Molly were on their knees next to the petrified Lee, Molly had looked like she was crying before.

"You're back!" Vox perked up as soon as he saw them. He jumped to his feet quickly. "We can turn her back like before, right?!"

"Of course we can!" Aliya smiled warmly as she watched a visible wave of relief wash over Molly. Without missing a beat all three of them cast a healing magic arte to balance out the amount of mana inside Lee. When she returns to normal she starts falling backwards towards Vox. He steadies her so she remains standing and kneels down next to her.

"Where am I?" Lee looked around confused as to why she was back in town. "Last thing I remember was that mean, scary Earth Faerie was glaring at me…"

"Oh! Lee!" Molly pulled Lee into her arms almost on the verge of tears again. "Please don't do that again! Mommy can't take it!"

"That scary Earth Faerie won't be around here anymore!" Aliya smiled at Lee who was looking at her and Kindle over her mom's shoulder.

"We all beat her up so she won't be a big meanie anymore!" Kindle chimed in. "My brothers helped too."

"Did you all really?" Molly released Lee and looked up at the two female Spirits in astonishment. She figured they would have just fought for the rescue and then left but the fact they actually defeated The Earth Legion unit that attacked them made her so happy to hear.

"You all really beat up those bad guys?!" Lee bounced up and down rather excitedly.

"Kindle and Terbius did most of the work," Aliya bent the truth a little, she knew she probably didn't need to for them to be welcome there but she wanted the town's favor to be on them. "At most I was a distraction and Vox got Lee out of there as fast as he could."

"Thank you very much!" Molly sent her praise in Kindle's direction.

"Oh! It was nothing!" Kindle waved her hands in front of her. 

"But you stopped The Earth Legion and dealt with the Demons that resulted from our misery. Not only that but you are helping this town so much by rebuilding and healing everyone in it. How can we ever repay you?"

"Well I don't imagine there are too many places left that accept Earth Spirits, without being isolated completely," Aliya looked over at the twins restoring another building. "I think a place for them to call home would be more than enough."

"Well I'm very certain the town would have no problem with you all staying here," Molly stood up and gave Kindle a welcoming smile.

"Yeah! You guys can stay here all you want!" Vox cheered.

"I appreciate it…" Kindle smiled but part of her was hesitant. "I'm going to go see what the boys are up to and let them know…" Aliya's small lie didn't sit right with Kindle. She knew what she was doing, she was grateful for it. However, even after hearing their welcoming wishes and praise she realized it wasn't what she really wanted after all. It was finally clicking that she should be making an effort to fix the world so her brothers could live anywhere without judgment.

"Is something bugging her?" Vox tilted his head towards Aliya, catching the slight unamusement as Kindle walked away.

"Probably, if she's the kind of person I think she is…" Aliya suspected where Kindle's heart was swaying towards. She saw a fire was lit after that confrontation but she still wanted to leave them the option of having a home in case Kindle's overprotective nature won her over like when they first met. 

"Yay! It's going to be so exciting to have more Faeries around!" Lee cheered.

"It will be fun won't it?" Molly smiled at Lee, taking her hand. "Why don't we help with cooking dinner for everyone?"

"Yeah!" Lee skipped alongside her mother as they walked towards the tents.

"Vox there's something I'd like to discuss with you if you don't mind," Aliya stopped him before he wandered off with them. 

"Sure…" He noticed her light mood dulled a bit and grew a little concerned.

"It's about Lee," Her tone was still rather light but he was definitely more concerned. "You two are pretty close, right?"

"I guess we are," Vox couldn't help but grin as he said that. "She didn't have many friends at first so I was always around to play with her. She's got more now but she still seems to hang out with me more."

"That's good," Aliya nodded with a smile. "You should have no problem keeping an eye on her then. The adults that were cursed will have no problems but her small body was just loaded with an excess of all four mana. She'll likely have fevers on occasion as her body tries to adjust most likely until she grows a little older."

"I didn't know that would be an issue…" Vox felt bad that she was put in that situation because he wasn't more careful.

"She'll be fine in the long run, so don't look so upset," Aliya could tell he was blaming himself by the look on his face. She placed her hands on her hips and a playful smile on her face. "Listen, I'm telling you right now instead of her mother because I think in a place without a Celestial's Protection she will be able to see Spirits and Demons even when regular humans can't. Since you are her friend I don't think it would be a problem if you stuck with her if she ever traveled around. Right now, given how close we are to The Wind Celestial it won't be a concern. She does seem to have quite the love for Spirits. Maybe one day she could be a great Druid if she wants to be."

"I'll be there if she does!" Vox perked up at the prospect. "We already said we were partners. If she were to become a Druid it'd be because I tethered with her. At least I like to think so."

"I don't doubt it, given that she ran towards danger because you were too," Aliya laughed.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Ice Queen herself!" A smug voice Aliya found rather grating on her nerves called from down the road. She knew who it was since only one person dared to call her Ice Queen solely because she hated it. She whipped around and shot him a glare. Sure enough she saw Geysis standing there with several members of The Water Legion in tow as well as a few members of The Fire Legion. "The one too good to fight with The Water Legion is butting in on the war after all?"

"Geysis… Of course you'd be the one out this far!" Aliya sighed bitterly, rolling her eyes, as he approached her with swagger. He looked a bit different from when she last saw him. His silver hair was now more of an undercut with the lengthy top portion of his hair kept loose and hanging off to the right side of his face slightly curling under his sapphire eyes that held disdain for her. She could tell from his Water Legion robes that he had ranked up from Commander to General. She wasn't surprised but she wasn't pleased by it either.

"The Water Legion is here? That must mean Exal is back!" Vox bounded off rather excited to see his brother again. Aliya wished he'd take her with him but she had to stand her ground against Geysis.

"I have my own mission from Lady Azurius," Aliya hissed as Geysis stopped in front of her. "I also have my own reasons for wanting to stop this war."

"Tch, you Kinbound always get such special treatment from Lady Azurius," Geysis hissed, looking down his nose at her.

"You're just jealous!" Aliya's jeering smirk made him even more annoyed that she was around.

"Why you-!" Before Geysis's temper could boil over one of The Fire Legion had also approached from behind and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Geysis, show some respect! She's your elder and superior!" The female Spirit scolded him. Aliya felt as though she'd seen her before but she didn't really know her name. She had teal eyes and long hair that shifted from ginger to a dark red, worn tied into a high ponytail on the left side of her head, which reached halfway down her back. She was wearing the white and red tunic of The Fire Legion more like a dress underneath a black double-breasted corset and two belts each carrying a short sword. Her boots were white-heeled dark red boots with wide vamps which reached down to her toes, filled in with white slips. She had a passionately warm smile when she held her hand out to Aliya, "Sorry, my name is Novis! You're Aliya, right? I hope you don't mind us taking over here."

"Go right ahead and do your thing," Aliya shook her hand, returning her warm greeting. Aliya liked her mostly because she could put Geysis in his place and he didn't really talk back. "Please know that the Twin Earth Spirits in town are with me. They are not in any way associated with The Earth Legion. They assisted me in dealing with The Earth Legion, in fact."

"Ha, slumming it with Earth Spirits, how typical of you," Geysis scoffed, getting under Aliya's skin.

"Now listen closely, Geysis," Aliya was smiling but everything about it and her tone was ice cold. "If you or any other members of your unit don't treat them with the utmost respect I will exert my authority as Lady Azurius's Kinbound and assure that your punishment is a brutal one."

"I assure you he doesn't speak for all of us," Novis glared over her shoulder at him. She huffed and turned to The Legion members that were with them now having a more commanding presence. "You hear that everyone? There are Twin Earth Spirits in town that are not a part of The Earth Legion so keep that in mind when those of you on patrol keep an eye out for the Gorgon woman and any other members of her unit. The rest of you do what you can to help the town!"

"Did you not find the ones I captured on the road?" Aliya tilted her head in confusion.

"We found the six in your binding arte," Geysis's tone was more formal but his voice still held a hint of annoyance.

"So the Gorgon got away? There's no way," Aliya placed a hand on her chin. She didn't think Therris would be strong enough to escape her binding arte on her own, and even if she did she couldn't fathom why only she would have escaped and not the others. "Why leave her allies?"

"I guess you aren't as all powerful as you think you are!" Geysis snickered in a sardonic manner.

"Like you have a right to say that," Novis poked him hard in the shoulder. "Who was it that asked for help against the Gorgon from my squad?"

"That's different, it's a strategic decision on my part," Geysis flipped his hair and stood tall with overzealous pride. "If I didn't have you and the Wind Spirit in your squad many humans and members of my unit would still be petrified."

"Yeah whatever, why don't we get to work then!" Novis grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him down the road. She could tell how much his presence was annoying Aliya from their brief interaction. She knew how he could be, he wasn't exactly the most tolerable person. Unfortunately for Novis, she was already getting used to him.

"He's a rather pompous jerk isn't he?" Kindle appeared at Aliya's side having heard the commotion. She was standing there watching for a short while, not wanting to interrupt, before she decided to approach Aliya again.

"You have no idea…" Aliya rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned and looked at Kindle with a slight smile, relieved that she had someone a little more relatable to talk to. "Not all members of The Water Legion are like that, unfortunately since the war started many more have been. Since I'm allowed to do this mission my way I've been trying to find people that aren't necessarily part of the Legions to help me. Easier said than done though it seems."

"Do you really have a plan?" Kindle asks out of curiosity. Aliya seemed so sure about her mission ever since she met her, but was never straightforward about exactly what her plan was. 

"Work in progress, it really depends on those who join me," Aliya shrugged. She knew things would likely resort to a fight so once she had support she would make a better strategy knowing what she was working with. 

"Oh good you're still right where I left you!" Before either of them could speak again, a cheerful voice reached out to them. Vox bounded up to the girls excitedly with his brother in tow. "This is my brother, Exal!"

"Vox tells me you Spirits helped our town out something fierce," Exal smiled sweetly, he was extremely impressed by the state of the town. When he left he was in such disarray it was heartbreaking. It was a relief to see the town he'd watched over for centuries returning to normal so quickly. After all the damage he never expected the town to be so close to being restored in just a few days. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"Seems like Kindle and her brothers are looking for a place to call home," Vox grinned, he was glad his brother was home. "Considering they fixed up the town no problem, I think it'd be pretty great if they could stick around."

"The more the merrier, right?" Exal beamed. He'd known Vox to be pretty excitable but the way he was acting since returning was a whole new level. Exal found it rather endearing and figured it spoke volumes about these strange Spirits.

"Actually we don't need a place right now…" Kindle shifted nervously. She felt bad about turning down the perfect place to go on a mission she had previously bashed.

"What?! Really?!" Vox sounded a little bummed. He was looking forward to having Spirits other than his brother around.

"Well, there aren't many places left untouched by this war. After seeing how The Earth Legion acts I am pissed off that those kinds of Spirits are how the world will see my brothers!" Kindle's heated attitude died down a bit when she thought about what Aliya had done for them thus far. "Plus she saved my butt out there… Not only that, she stood up for my brothers even though she doesn't really know them." Kindle spoke quietly, "I feel like I owe her."

"You don't owe me a thing, Kindle." Aliya smirked, placing her hands on her hips, proud of the fact she guessed Kindle was coming around to her side but she didn't want her to feel obligated. "You healed me a couple times now. I feel like we are even. Also, I wouldn't want a debt repaid like that. I would prefer it if you joined me because you wanted to."

"Are you really going to make me say it?" Kindle could tell that Aliya had figured it out by the tone of her voice. It bothered Kindle how quickly her mind changed in such a short time. She couldn't help but wonder if it was always there in the back of her mind and she just ignored it. She didn't want to have to say it just yet.

"Yes," Aliya stated simply with a gleeful smile on her face. She needed to hear it. What she was doing was dangerous and she wanted to be certain that those coming with her were just as ready as she was to handle it.

"I want to help you stop this war Aliya!" Kindle looked her in the eye. "There I said it! Are you happy now?" 

"Yes," Aliya saw the fire she was looking for and a satisfied smile fell across her face.

"Well you guys are always welcome to come back," Exal's warm smile was rather welcoming. It reminded Aliya of Molly's.

"Yeah! You guys better come back and visit!" Vox whined, he felt like he might not see them for a long time after they left town.

"If we are around," Aliya smirked at the wind boys. She looked at Kindle again, "Let's rest up and head out tomorrow. You look like you could use some time to refuel."

"Oh you have no idea," Kindle sighed in relief. "I'm running on fumes."