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Anae stepped away from the snarling flames swirling around her and stepped up to the edge of the lake. Like a little rocket, Fuego landed gracefully on her shoulder. He smelled like burning wood. She smiled slightly, then surveyed the water in front of her. The blaze reflected beautifully off the crystalline waters. She bit her lip and slipped her gloves back on her hands and adjusted the fur around her shoulders.

Anae peered at soldiers standing around and wrinkled her nose, pushing through them. Stepping up to Ferros she delicately placed a gloved hand on his shoulder in an almost loving manner. Fuego chirped quietly. Her fingertips tingled against his shoulder. "Your Highness?"

Just as the soldiers were commanded to attack Alaura, a dark and foreboding mist came overhead. The nearby lake began to freeze over. The soldiers did not back down however as they seemed to be trained well. Dropping down out of the mist, Shane ran an ice-made blade through the body of the nearest man. He turned his head to Alaura. "You have saved me twice now from death, it would bring me great honor to fight alongside you." He turned back to the soldiers and he lowered his blade to his side. He opened his left palm and felt the energy flow through him. A downpour began. Steam arose from the smoldering cinders of the half charred forest, making a small hissing sound as the raindrops hit. Shane stood ready.

Seth watched Vivian disappear into the shadows. He climbed down the ladder and made his way toward were Alaura had run to. He made it to a frozen lake and saw Alaura and Shane fighting a group of soldiers from the fire kingdom. He climbed up into a nearby tree and looked over the scene. He noticed one man that appeared to be giving orders to the soldiers. He recognized this man to be Prince Ferros. "Let's have a little fun..." He said to himself with a smile. He stretched out his arms and began to weave an illusion.

From the mist, a large roar could be heard. It rumbled through the forest causing the soldiers to look about. It came again a few seconds later. The men began to squirm uneasily out of fear. The roar came once more as the head of a dragon came out of the mist. It's body was clear and gray as it took on the form of the surrounding mist. He circled the soldiers as the few cowardly ones began to run.

Malachi finished putting away the now clean dishes and he came back out to Acario. "Shall we be on our way then?" He led the boy through the house, passing a room with a large garden and koi pond. They traveled through the house and out onto the grounds, walking along a gravel pathway, until they came to an open space with nothing but dirt and a small stream that ran through it. Many unlit torches surrounded the area. Nicolai was faced away from them sitting cross-legged on a rock in the middle of the stream. "I will have your bed made and bath ready for you when you are finished, but I must go visit my brother for the night so you'll have to go into town to eat dinner," Malachi spoke softly to Acario, "this is where I take my leave young master." He bowed to him and was off, back down the pathway that they had come.

Adel had lost the connection with the Prince's mind as some sort of attack began. I guess I have my answer. They are there still, and by the looks of things, they don't intend to be flushed out. They will soon see why I chose to send the young Prince by himself. Try as they might, they will not quell his flame. Adel smirked as he turned and exited his room. He made his way back out of the castle and down through the streets of the kingdom.

Anae let her hand fall from Ferros shoulder and set her gaze on the group across the lake. She could feel a deep trembling quake beneath her feet. Cringing, she covered her ears. The flames that were being extinguished screeched for her help, saying her name in all their efforts to be saved. Fuego lept off her shoulder and took off across the lake, towards the unburnt forest. Anae slammed her eyes shut and begged the dying embers to cease their pleas. She fell to her knees and removed her gloves, touching her milky fingers to the ashes beneath her. "I'm so sorry my friends. Please.." Her fingers begin to twitch. A small flame lit beneath each finger tip.

Opening her eyes, she took a shallow breath and pressed them deep in the ground. An instant ring of white hot blaze burst from the ground around her. She stood slowly, shaking. Whispering almost inaudibly, the flames spread across the edge of the lake at lightning speed, like there was something left to burn.

Turning slightly to the Prince she spoke softly, delicately. "We are at your command." The pouch around her wrist dangling quietly, beckoning.

Shane watched as the dragon flew about. Seth seems to be aiding us with his illusions. But it's only a matter of time before they realize that it can't actually harm them. So... let's make it so it can. He held open his palm concentrating on the fog above, moving and changing the water. He clenched his fist as yet another dragon, identical to the first, had appeared. They will not be able to tell which one will not harm them and which one will rip them apart with it's ice-like fangs. Shane then looked to the nearby frozen lake and raised up his arm. The ice began to break apart as the water churned, forming into a whirlpool and rising up. It looked somewhat like a small tornado made of water. As the water spun, he clenched his fist to freeze sections of it that were propelled from it toward the fire prince. The shards of ice stuck themselves into the ground in front of the prince. "Let that be your final warning."

Anae let her hands fall to her side as she watched the ice melt and transform in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and the flames whipping around her ankles sunk deep into the ground. Clenching her fist, she took a step forward towards the water with black slippered feet. "Seems we have run across a minor obstacle.. Don't worry sire, I'll take care of this." Stepping into the water, she could feel a deep pulse withing her. The coolness was almost a shock to her naturally fiery state. Condensation arose on her skin, as the water around her feet begin to evaporate. Slowly but surely, she was diminishing the water from the lake. Fuego chirped loudly overhead and swooped across the churning water.

Acario nodded silently to the servant and watched him leave before turning to Nicolai. He just might be able to get used to this place. The training grounds seemed to stoke the fires within Acario. He was ready to learn, ready to fight. He was going to become stronger, and when he was the strongest earth elementalist around, he would destroy the fire kingdom once and for all.

Nicolai seemed to be meditating, so Acario sat down in the dirt without interrupting him and began to doodle.




As the ice shards landed before him, Ferros couldn't help but give a chuckle. "Warn me? What is there to warn me of? I can tell by your actions alone that you are a mere novice at controlling your element." As Ferros spoke the shards before him melted away rapidly until they became nothing more than the damp ground he stood upon. "Spare me your galant acts. You are no match for someone of my power." Ferros clenched his left hand into a tight fist and a blue flame ignited around it. Without removing his gaze from the water user, Ferros lifted his fist towards the second dragon made of ice and opened his hand. A blue ball of fire shot upward and struck the dragon in the chest, melting it almost instantly.

Now the prince turned to his men. "Fire nation soldiers are no cowards! Don't sit there and let one woman defeat you all! Attack her or I'll kill you myself!" Ferros' words could not have been more serious nad true. His eyes were alight with disgust. Weakness was for those who deserved to die. If he could not count on his men, then he had no need for them, just like anyone else.

For a moment his gaze flickered to Anae. Though it had been quite some time since he had seen her, Ferros' childhood friend was someone he could always count on. She was far different from Ferros, but something about her attracted his attention and they had been friends ever since. "I told you to drop the names. You know I hate that."

As far as Vivian has seen, many men were devoted to the task of bringing that rebel group to their knees. Each time one drew too near to where she paced the smoky darkness she'd draw into shadow and wait them out... determined to hear at least some news of her former homeland and why the attack was sprung so unfairly.

But then again, who was Adel to fight particularly fair? Especially when his regime was so threatened. He predisposed image of the Dark King was pretty low, more from whispers she'd heard than actual experience near the man.

With an angry hiss she struck out again, taking the head of a soldier completely off in her fury. As his shocked body dropped lifelessly to the earth Vivian turned to storm away, coming face to face with another Dark Soldier. Slight shock registered in her eyes as she tried to step away, her molecules slowly dissolving.

"Not so fast, Princess." The man sneered, eyes blacking as dark as the night. Her body slammed back together with the force of his power... a perfect counter to her own. She cursed softly and took a physical step back.

"Don't call me that.... I am no Princess." she hissed, her eyes searching every flicker of muscle movement.

"I am certain you are somebodies Princess... be you of royal blood or not..." he responded idly, a bored expression making it way onto his face.

"What are you playing at?" she whispered, eyes flicking about the smoky veil, "Get it over with already."

The man seized her suddenly by the throat, as if her words had some provocation to them. Vivian let out a choked cry as he feet lifted from the ground, "And why would I do that? Especially when Daddy has a reward out for your safe return." he snorted, a thoughtful look came to his eye, "Although he wasn't clear on 'safe' .... nor was he specific about what route took you back to him."

Vivian had a few choice words for the way the man's words sounded, a little too cruel for the casual gaze he beheld her with. Such as it was, she was unable to speak with the breath being choked out of her. And so the soldier continued, "I think your family would be quite shocked to hear you've turned traitor to your own kind... and to think you were so promising... you'd have been a great spy."

The teenage girl glared at her captor as best she could, finding the barrier of darkness that pinned her body into its human form also bound her so that she was incapable of striking at her foe. It angered her to be held in a cage so to speak.

She worked her mouth to find words and breath, but neither came save a short swallow of air that the man allowed to keep her from passing out entirely. "I am willing to collect the handsome reward... but I want to see what the leader has to say."

Sheer will forced the words from her lips then, sacrificing the last of her air to allow them voice, "If you take me to Adel I'll kill you both!" she cried, pulling at the hand that crushed her throat.

He chuckled, shifting his grip as quick as lightning to drag her by the wrists into the dense foliage, "Then I wont be taking you to him, will I?" was the amused response.