Chapter XV: Tender Flames

 Trik left the base. As much as he would rather stay inside and catch up with others, he felt it necessary to check on Za'Fia to ensure she heard everything Viraa said.

 He detected her somewhere close to the base, so he'd decided to fly out to her. About a quarter of a mile from HQ, he arrived at her signature's location, but she was nowhere to be found.

 "Up here," he heard her say.

 Trik looked up to see Za'Fia floating down to the ground. On her back were a pair of beautiful red reptilian wings thirteen feet wide. They had red scales tracking the top and outer edges and a sharp claw protruding from the top of each wing. Each flap of her wings created a powerful gust of warm air that blasted loose dirt and twigs away as she made a landing area for herself.

 When she landed, her wings folded as they seemingly shrunk into her back.

 That's smart. Flying with her wings instead of her spirit energy is helpful when she wants to stay discreet. However, she can't move as quickly.

 "I saw the recording...why'd you do that," Za'Fia asked as she sat on a nearby stone.

 "Some mysterious figure had just appeared and claimed to be the first Primordial. I figured you had a right to know," Trik answered.

 Za'Fia's finger glowed like hot metal as she used it to carve into the stone. As she traced her finger, sparks flew outward. Trik hoped this didn't start a fire.

 "Hm...," she said.

 "Even though I'm terrified of you, I still recognize you as our most capable ally. While we attempt to figure out the mess surrounding Avarice and Greed, we'll need you. Even Viraa mentioned ensuring she'd be here to aid us, so whatever difficulties are ahead must be worse than we can imagine," Trik inputted.

 Za'Fia continued to carve into the stone without looking at Trik. When Trik tried to peek at what she was carving, she threw a warning glance at him.

 "I'm not getting involved," she said, redirecting her attention to the stone. "I'm only looking out for Tymon."

 "Since Mr. Kage is being watched and was previously killed, he's most likely heavily involved in whatever Mr. Gulliver and Greed are up to, so wouldn't you have to be involved," Trik asked her, hoping she'd see that and feel more inclined to help them.

 Za'Fia continued to carve.

 "And risk him finding out about me? No, that's not happening."

 That reminded Trik. He needed to tell her about Alissia finding out. He preferred to keep it a secret, but doing that after trying to get her to reveal hers would've made him seem like a hypocrite.

 "Uh...By the way...Lisa knows who you are now," Trik croaked.

 Za'Fia went still.

 "What," she growled as her eyes flared.

 Trik threw his hands up in an effort to keep her from possibly attacking him.

 "I didn't tell her," He quickly added." She saw your name on a list with each Primordial's real name, but I told her to keep it from Tymon. You can trust her."

 The fire in Za'Fia's eyes faded.

 Why didn't you use a different name," he asked her.

 Za'Fia's gaze drifted. 

 "It was the first word I spoke," she said quietly. "For the first thirteen years of my life, I survived in the wilderness. I'm not sure how I got there or managed to survive the first few years, but my first memories were of feeling small and alone. After 13 years of living on my own, my powers began to manifest, and I accidentally started a forest fire. After firefighters came to put the fire out, I was discovered. I'd been living alone, away from others, my whole life, so I became defensive when they approached me. After they managed to calm me down and I understood they meant no harm, I was given something to cover my body and taken to the city for help. The only word I could say was Za'Fia, so that's the name I was given. At first, while in the system, I would get into a lot of trouble with others due to my unfamiliarity with civilization. However, I quickly grasped the value of clothes and communicating through words. After that...I remember living with my adoptive family, but I can't remember how I met them or how I learned to control my abilities. I remember my dad dying somehow and my mom disowning me later...."

 "The whole thing's a mess and gives me a headache, so I try not to think about it," Za'Fia said, her voice trembling slightly.

 Za'Fia sat silently as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

 "Wow, that wasn't supposed to happen. I've never told anyone that," Za'Fia said as she cleared her throat and wiped the tears away.

 Of course, she told Trik the same rules applied; keep this to himself.

 As Trik observed her, he realized he hadn't had the chance to get to know her properly. Seeing her vulnerable a little helped her seem more approachable.

 Trik slowly drifted toward Za'Fia in an attempt to comfort her. When he glanced at what she'd carved, he saw it was a well-drawn portrait of Tymon.

 "Hey, why don't you just tell Mr. Kage the truth? Then, you'd have the one that means the most to you to vent about these things," Trik said softly.

 Za'Fia sighed heavily. Then she placed her hand on the portrait of Tymon.

 "It's probably too late for that now. He'd stop trusting me after finding out I've been lying for so long."

 "You know, it'll only make things more difficult the longer you keep it a secret," Trik advised her.

 "Mind your own business," Za'Fia replied.

 Trik figured that was about as far as he'd get and thought it was about time he left before his luck ran out or he said the wrong thing. He began to float skyward.

 "Just think about it. I'm heading back to help oversee his training."

 Once Trik's back was turned, Za'Fia spoke softly.

 "Thanks, Trik. It was nice to have someone to talk to."

 He turned around to tell her it wasn't a problem, but she was no longer sitting on the rock. According to his sensors, she was already long gone.