Chapter XVII: Unwelcome Guests

It was the night of October 15th. As usual, Za'Fia was posted in the forest surrounding the Heart's HQ.

She'd spent the previous three months watching over the place in case anyone came for Tymon. During Tymon's training, she'd sit on a rock or roam around the woods and constantly think about what Trik had said.

Should she just tell him? He may understand. Besides, depending on how well his sensing has developed, he'd probably be able to tell as soon as he saw her. Plus, continuing to keep it a secret would only make things more complicated. But, if she did tell him, what if he gets angry and she loses his trust? But if Avarice and Greed are a threat and he needs her help, she wants to be able to stand by his side.

After three months of those thoughts running through her head, she finally decided it would be best if she told him. Even if she lost his trust, she was prepared to work hard to regain it. Za'Fia was also happy because it would mean she could openly travel with them.

Trik had informed her earlier that Tymon was done with his training. Once he returned to his place, she'd tell him everything.

Za'Fia's c-chip suddenly receives an incoming call from Tymon.

"Hey, I know I said I'd return right after training, but there's been an unexpected update. We're heading to a convention Avarice is hosting tomorrow. Figured you should come too," he said.

Why would he figure that? Za'Fia thought. She worried he might've already learned about her identity. It's not how she wanted him to find out...but he didn't seem mad.

"Why would you ask me to get involved," Za'Fia asked him.

"We're only going to get a look at the guy, not start a fight. Figured, since you were so worried about me the other day, you might want to see him for yourself, too," Tymon answered.

Za'Fia declined the offer.

Like the other Primordials, she's been aware of Avarice and his forces' presence for a long time. She didn't want to antagonize them by having two Supreme Primordials showing up at one of his conventions.

Tymon told Za'Fia they'd meet her back at his place in a couple of days after learning more about Avarice.

Now that Tymon had completed his training, Za'Fia felt he could somewhat protect himself. If she sensed a spike in his spirit energy, she'd hurry over to help him if needed.

For now, she raced back to Tymon's place. She needed to practice how she'd tell him everything so it'd be perfect.

After running at over 900mph, Za'Fia reached Tymon's place in under two hours. She didn't want to risk Tymon sensing her flying away using her energy, and flying with her wings would've been too slow.

She went to open the front door but noticed it was already cracked open. Za'Fia knew she'd closed and locked the door, which meant someone had broken into Tymon's home while she was away.

Someone very stupid.

Za'Fia couldn't sense anyone in the house, so she figured the culprit was gone.

To her surprise, when she entered the house, she saw she was wrong.

A blonde woman stood in the living room down the hall, flipping through one of Tymon's books. She was slightly taller than Za'Fia, wore a teal off-the-shoulder top with her stomach exposed, a large pink transparent cloth tied around her shoulders, dark pants, and dark shoes. Around her neck was a necklace of silver pearls with four elemental symbols hanging as pendants.

The woman clearly wasn't an ordinary woman. She had a powerful air about her.

When the woman finally noticed Za'Fia standing there, she rolled her eyes.

"Finally," she said with exasperation. She closed the book and tossed it aside as she headed toward Za'Fia.

"We were getting tired of waiting," she said.

We?

Suddenly Za'Fia felt a presence behind her.

When she looked back, there was no one there. Just the open front door she came in through that led into the night.

When she turned back forward, she saw a six feet tall, dark-haired man now standing next to the woman. His hair was long and worn in a ponytail, and he wore a thin open black coat, a white button-up shirt underneath it, solid black pants and shoes, and a dark purple cape hung from his shoulders. An odd object was hanging from his hip that he kept his hand on.

"You could do with some practice in patience," the man said to the woman while his gaze never left Za'Fia.

"And you could stand to relax sometimes," the woman replied.

"I am Junichiro," the man said, introducing himself to Za'Fia. "This is my sister, Wren."

Za'Fia used omni-vision to peer into the two strangers. She could tell that not only did they both have a huge amount of energy – more than she did even in her hybrid form – but their spirit energies also seemed unnatural. The man's was black and dark purple and seemed cold and sharp as metal. While the woman's, on the other hand, continuously changed from a wispy light green like a breeze on a summer day, to a violent dark blue like waves crashing against each other, to a destructive orange-red like her own, to a greyish brown like a sturdy mountain.

"Well, that's rude," Wren remarked. "Some people take looking inside them as invasive. I'm one of them. Don't do it again."

"I take it you're Avarice's High Gods," Za'Fia said coolly.

Wren looked shocked that Za'Fia knew this, while Junichiro's facial experience displayed his disapproval of her already having that knowledge.

"Where did you learn this information," Junichiro demanded.

"The same way you've been keeping track of Tymon. You're not the only ones who can spy," Za'Fia answered deceitfully.

Junichiro stared down at Za'Fia.

"Didn't know we knew about that either, did you?" Za'Fia continued smugly. "What I don't know is why are you here now? You've been watching Tymon, so you know he's not here. Why wait at his house?"

The slight lift and lessening of Junichiro's scowl gave Za'Fia her answer before he spoke.

"For you." He said dreadfully. "We were dispatched here to collect you."

Za'Fia's eyes began to glow as her body began to heat up. She didn't know why they wanted her now, but she wouldn't make it easy. She planned to blast them with flames and escape through the front door behind her.

"Don't bother running," Wren said, casually examining her nails. "You won't outrun us."

Za'Fia stood her ground as flames erupted from his skin.

"I guess I should be flattered he needed to send two of you to capture me," Za'Fia said as her flames began to swirl around her.

"Put out your flames before you burn this nice house down. We were told not to harm you, so we were sent together to show how pointless putting up a fight would be," Wren said tiresomely.

"What, he just assumed I'd cower before you? I admit you're powerful, but you won't capture me without being burned," Za'Fia warned them.

"No," Junichiro replied. "He knew you most likely would not. Therefore, if you don't cooperate, we were instructed to remind you that we know where Tymon is. And where he's heading tomorrow. In his current state, it would be quite simple to kill him and the human with him."

Damn it... Damn! Damn! Damn! Za'Fia cursed internally.

If it had just been her life on the line, she would've fought them with everything she had since she knew they couldn't touch her if she burned as hot as she could. But she couldn't do that with Tymon's life in jeopardy. Or the others.

Za'Fia extinguished her flames.

"Fine...I'll go peacefully," she said, defeated.