It was a peaceful day in Sularia. The heat was alright for the desert oasis and there was a very nice breeze. Astrid was flipping the pages in a book that she had borrowed from the shelf of her aunt Angela. “Hey Damon…” Her eyes flickered up to the Phoenix who was nearby. He was always nearby these days. She was sure that he was bored having to protect someone like her. “Isn’t it hot for you? Or… is being Phoenix make it so you aren’t hot?” She tilted her head. She didn’t know many phoenixes. “My cousin Osiria is a walking volcano so I don’t think the heat bothers her but I don’t think all phoenixes are like that… and she is only half phoenix so you must be different…”

Astrid stopped herself from rambling with a blush as she put her face back into the book. That was when the skies shifted. Her eyes looked up as the winds picked up and the skies went dark. “It doesn’t smell like rain.” The skies had been doing weird things lately. Out of instinct she put the book away and returned to Damon’s side. That was when the voices came and she snapped back. Her aunt’s visage appeared up in the sky and her eyes looked up at them. She heard what they were saying.

The world was in trouble and she was useless.

She bit at her lip. “Damon?” Her words came out before she knew and she looked back at him. “I wanna go and help. I don’t know what I can do but I wanna go help.”

It was indeed a rather peaceful day. The body guard stood leaning against the window frame that overlooked the city out before them. Damon had come to enjoy the view that was afforded him each day. From the corner of his eye he could see that Astrid was continuing to read. She was making a rather large dent in the collect that was available to her. Damon had to admit that he was impressed with the amount of knowledge that she wished to comprise with her constant studies. Though she had no need to do anything other than find a husband, Astrid did not waste her time. It was also appreciated that his assignment was relaxing. They spent their days moving about the White District mostly. He had the main guard within the palace to keep an eye on his protectee as well.

At the sound of his name, the phoenix turned his head to look at Astrid over his shoulder. “What is it, lady Astrid?” His tone was gruff as always, though only those that had gotten to know him heard his voice had softened a little. There was no holding back a gentle chuckle with a shake of his head. Astrid always had interesting questions that crossed her mind. “Umm…no, this heat is not hot for me. I feel comfortable. I was born from the Original Flame…so it would be close to impossible to make me feel overheated or even warm.” Damon shifted so his back was against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. Even in the safety of the palace he was in his full leather armor set. Whenever he was on duty, there was no lax in his diligence. “Cold is what bothers me and can be a problem.”

She was quick to go back to reading in an effort to cover up her blush. Damon smiled slightly and turned his head back to look out the window. It was then that the skies changed. In two quick movements he was beside Astrid with hand already holding his bow. Another few signals were made with his free hand to conjure a protective barrier about the pair. He could smell in the air that it was something magical that brought about the change outside. What pleased him was that Astrid had the instinct to come to him when anything felt out of the ordinary. “Stay close,” he said under his breath as the visage of Angela appeared.

Jaw muscles flexed as the guard quickly thought about what had to be done. It was Astrid’s words that made him frown. “Whatever is happening is beyond your tactics, lady Astrid. Besides, your grandmother would not approve such a venture for you. There are plenty that have the ability to look into this.” As the words came out, he felt his stomach turn in somersaults. The phoenix was not the kind to let such important tasks fall to others. Much was at stake if there was failure. Then his assignment would truly be over. He looked down at Astrid again and could see she wanted to truly go. The only way he was going to give in is if she proved how deep her conviction was. This would be a dangerous outing.

Her bi-colored eyes got a bit wider as he spoke but it was only because she was interested in what he was saying. She had never met a phoenix before like Damon and there was only Osiria who was never home in Sularia. Her eyes peeked out over her book for a second time at him. “What… does cold feel like to you?” It was an odd question but cold felt differently to every single person. Her aunt Rose lived in the tundra for many years and was unaffected by it.

When the weird stuff started to happen Astrid nodded and stayed close to him. The last thing she wanted was to make this any harder on Damon. Once the invitation had been given though it was Astrid who was being the stubborn one. It might have been bad for Damon but she wanted to help. She needed to. “Damon, nowhere in what my grandmother told you about said that I couldn’t go where I damn well pleased. She said if I wanted to go you would go with me and I want to go.” Her eyes suddenly had a stubbornness to them that had been missing previously.

“And I am going with or without you.” She moved over and grabbed a pack that she had hidden under her bed. It was a tad wore which showed she had traveled in the past. She opened it up and started to fill it with things like medical kits and other useful things she might need. Astrid changed her clothes to a traveler’s set and put up her hair. It appeared like she knew all the right moves when it came to traveling and what she was doing…

So why was she stuck?

She pulled the cords on the pack to tie it shut. “If you want to come then hurry up.” Her voice was still stubborn and full of spirit as she sealed her wings with magic and put the pack on. “The world won’t wait for you to come with me.” She could tell he wanted to go. Something about this whole thing screamed it to her.

When she started on her way to where she knew the teleportation statue would be she didn’t even have to look behind her to know Damon was following. She had a smile on her face even if it was a sly one as they got to the stone and touched it. She had never been on something like Sihajja before and for a minute she lost her balance as the whale turned. It was a different experience.

Finally, they made it inside the ziggurat and everything seemed to stand still. The water in the atmosphere turned to ice around them and Astrid could see her breath. “A word to the wise Little Niece of mine,” it was her aunt Rose. Rose’s eyes were like the waves of the ocean as they tossed and turned.

“Are you here to tell me to go home? I refuse!” Astrid yelled at Rose but Rose smirked.

“Never. Your father would be doing the same thing. That look in your eye is just like his used to be. I just thought I would give you a heads up. The challenges require logic over strength.” It caught Astrid off guard for a moment. That moment and blink were enough for the ice to hit the ground and Rose was gone.

“…Where did Aunt Rose go?” Astrid looked around. Oracles were weird. “Was she… just here because of me?” She turned back to Damon and tilted her head. "I don't understand why Aunt Rose went out of her way to tell me but… We should be careful. An Oracle only brings warnings to those who need it."

The guard had thought that these questions would have come sooner, but it was good to know that she was finally relaxing enough around him to talk about anything. “Cold? It pierces.” Damon closed his eyes and shook his head. “I can handle a normal cold, but if it gets to a certain point….it hurts.” The phoenix shrugged his shoulders as he tapped the tip of his boot on the floor. “I keep away from certain locations to keep from running into such hindrances.” He did not want to go into further detail since it was his point to avoid the chill. Colder weather would require a jacket for others would push him to wearing heavy gear to remain warm enough. If he exuded a deep heat from within himself it would allow him to tolerate the chilled surroundings.

Slow inhale through the nose. Even slower exhale out the mouth. Astrid was a gentle soul that kept within the guidelines that were set out before her. At the moment, she was most certainly pushing at the boundaries. As her conviction continued to grow, so did her personality. Damon had never heard the shy female swear before. He remained where he was with bow still in hand. There was clearly no stopping the Rosenite. If he attempted to argue the issue any further than it would get him nowhere. There would be the potential that she would a try to leave without him. Astrid changed her clothing and her entire style in mere moments. If there was to be any danger she would be in then he would need to beside her. It was still surprising that she would be this convicted to deal with the situation herself.

The archer put the bow across his back once more as Astrid gave him one more bout of attitude about coming along. He said nothing, but narrowed his eyes towards her as she smiled to herself in triumph has he followed behind her. This had the potential to be a rather large disaster. He could see his assignment being pulled and all funds cut off immediately. If this personality change was going to stick around things were going to be much more difficult for the guard.

The transition from location to location did not take long for them to figure out. Damon was used to the traveling, but he could see that Astrid had lost her balance slightly when the whale changed its direction. There was no move made by the guard to catch her. She deserved a little hard time for the stress she was putting on the man. It was then his turn to have the sly smile.

As they made their way to the ziggurat, Damon could feel the darkness within it. The feeling was one he had felt before on many occasions. It did not matter where he was, whether it was DaeLuin or Revaliir, there were always dark powers that wanted to escape from their confines. Out of the corner he looked to see how Astrid was and was glad to see that she seemed unaffected with the aura. The sudden arrival cold sent a shiver down Damon’s spine. Instinctually, he began to emanate additional heat directly around him. Crystalline eyes shifted to look down at a woman wrapped in a robe. The woman’s name was Rose and was an aunt of Astrid.

Damon placed a hand gently on Astrid’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her. She was rather on edge about being independent. “No one is going to make you go back. Try to relax. If we are going to do this, you need to keep a clear mind.” It was a quick disappearance, but the phoenix was more focused on Astrid. “There are seven doors here. We can remain out in the main area. If you wish to endeavor on one of the trials…you must make that selection. This is your mission after all.” Damon wanted her to take on the decision making since she was making her individuality known. This was his chance to have her grow outside of the confines she had for the past years. There were many that would take advantage of her naivety.

Even if Astrid knew he wasn’t going to catch her it hardly mattered. Astrid wasn’t the type to want to be saved. She didn’t fancy herself a damsel in distress and it didn’t help that her grandmother had practically made her one.

Once inside and after the clue from Rose, Astrid was left in deep thought. So much so that Damon’s hand startled her just a bit. Her big eyes looked up at Damon and she nodded to him with a smile. “I’ll try!” She was so confident in herself as she looked at the seven doors.

It was ultimately the second trial she chose. Taking Damon by his hand she looked up at him. “Believe in me too okay?” She was sure that he doubted how much she could do but she took him through that door and they found themselves warped into the middle of a small room.

The room had several different puzzles many in the shape of cubes. Each one looked very different from the next but that wasn’t what startled poor Astrid. It was the water that was now rushing into the room. The temperature started to drop and her eyes immediately looked at Damon who would be the one in the most trouble. “This is a trial there won’t be a way out.”

Astrid threw her bag down and ran to the first puzzle. Perhaps this would be the way to solve the room? Ultimately by her count, there were eight puzzles in the room. Even the walls of the room seemed to have puzzles on them. By the time she got through half of them the water was halfway up the room. “I’m sorry Damon.” She breathed a bit more before she held her breath and went back under the water. She wasn’t coming back up for breath which showed she could hold it for a long time or not have to breathe.

Finally, she had one left and she came back up and tipped her head up as now there was only a bit more breathing room. “Please, hold on just a bit longer.” She had come up just to check on him before she went to the largest wall and went back under the water. She moved the tiny pieces over and over until she got them. By this time the water in the room was completely at the top of the ceiling and she only had a bit of time. At the final click, the water rushed out of the room and Astrid fell to the floor.

She was breathing hard as she looked at all the puzzles she had solved. In the center of the room, the tile moved and pedestal came up holding two keystones. Astrid looked so exhausted for a moment as she laid on the ground with her hand over her face. Would this be how all of them would be?

Everything inside him was screaming to take Astrid and run away from the entire place. This was not a location that she should be. He wanted to get her to place of safety, but the stubbornness that he read on her face earlier told him there was little chance he would succeed in taking her away without throwing her over his shoulder and leaving. Damon let out a sigh as he resigned himself to allowing Astrid to make the decisions that she wished. It would be his job to make sure that no matter what happened that she would be well. As his hand lightly touched her shoulder she flinched, but recovered quickly. He was glad to see that there was conviction in her eyes as the decision was made to move towards the second door.

His hand was held in her’s as they moved towards the selection. Inside, he quickly glanced around the room in an effort to get a good assessment of what they were going to get into. Crystalline eyes shone as he looked closer at the walls and then the floor. He could smell the cold in the air emanating from the floor. This was going to get rather uncomfortable. Damon and Astrid stood in the center of the room with puzzles placed around. A hot breath escaped the guard’s lips and a small cloud from the temperature lingered in the air. “You have got to be kidding me,” he muttered angrily. The phoenix flared out some of his flames to let it dance across his skin to help keep the temperature around them up. “These puzzles need to be finished quickly. Once the water is too high I cannot maintain the flames.” Damon did not allow his internal alarm to touch his voice as he spoke to Astrid.

Quickly the young woman began to work on the puzzles. Water was increasingly rising to where the sound of hissing sent cool steam into the air as it hit the flames that danced along him until it was extinguished. He followed Astrid around the room in an effort to keep movement to stay warm. His skin felt as if thousands of needles were pricking him repeatedly. Feet already felt numb though they still moved in his manipulations. The challenge was the worst one for the phoenix as he felt the water surrounding his chest now.

Pain seared through his core as he began to tread water the best he could as Astrid continued to move swiftly to complete the puzzles one by one. The water continued to rise at an accelerated pace that now made him feel numb all over. Breath came slowly to him as everything felt as if it were frozen solid in his body. “Don’t worry about me. Keep going.” Damon moved his arms in circles to keep him afloat. He hated that Astrid had to do the puzzles alone as he had to concentrate on not freezing to death. Inwardly he focused on his Flame to keep it ignited. Dying while on the job would not have been a good indicator of his capabilities. Even if he could return, it was always painful on the way out as well as the way back. He had not done it many times and did not relish the thought of having to do it again.

One last breathe was drawn in as the room was completely full of the icy water. A loud click indicated that the puzzles had been completed and the room began to drain. In a heap Astrid and Damon lay on the floor. The sound of her breathing hard helped him feel relieved. Cold began to seep out of him as his body began to shiver violently, though he kept his body curled up. Jaw clenched together to keep his teeth from chattering. He held his eyes closed tightly as he concentrated on his Flame until finally steam began to rise from him as he heated up. Finally, Damon stood up and held hands over Astrid with heat moving over her body to warm her up as well. “I did not appreciate that in the least. Are you alright?”

Astrid had been determined to get all the puzzles done. Her eyes flashed to him. “Don’t worry about keeping me warm,” there was a gentle smile on her face before she dove back into the puzzles. It was hard to worry the angel about herself. She hadn’t been concerned for her own safety so far.

As time continued he told her not to worry about him. It made her worried when things were getting much colder though the angel appeared rather okay with it all. Dying was something that Astrid could not do as she continued to hold her breath and do the puzzles.

With the puzzles completed, she laid on the floor as she tried to catch her breath. She was shivering now but at least she had managed to keep the small amount of magic she practiced at her core. When Damon finally moved she was shaking and his warmth was very welcomed to her. “I’m fine. I was more worried about you.” Her hair and clothes dried up with his help as she managed to get up by grabbing onto him and pulled herself up.

“It’s only physical pain it’s not as bad as it could be.” Her smile was bright as she tried to think about other things. “Let’s get the keystones and head back out to the lobby. We should probably take a breather for a moment or two before the next trial.” She took her keystone and noticed she couldn’t touch the other one. She looked at Damon and nudged her head towards it. A doorway appeared as soon as they completed the trial. “That’s why Aunt Rose turned the room into ice… She knew the first trial would be one of the hardest… Well, the first that I chose.”

Astrid opened up her hand and a white fire appeared in her hand. “Dragon’s fire. The magic of the White Court that is passed down to every member of the main branch. I may not have a lot of it but it burns so hotly that I could stand to be in the water. I normally don’t think to tell people these things because I am normally not that useful with it.” The flame disappeared from her hand. “I can also only heat myself internally with it.” She blushed a bit. “I’m not very good at combat.” Damon already knew that about her.

They went to the lobby and someone was brewing hot tea. She took two cups and brought one back to Damon. “I’ve not been scared of much since I watched the void swallow up my homeworld… They called it DaeLuin. I was a social butterfly there… and I loved someone very much. I lost him there. When the world ended. I woke up in the hot sands of Arri as one of the Rosenite guards pulled me out. I want to help protect this world so no one has to feel that pain too. I think of Grandma losing Grandpa and it breaks my heart. I know I wasn’t old enough to remember my parents dying but I remember the smell… of mom’s corpse. We had been inside the house with it for days apparently before my Grandma was able to get to us. Rem was always good at getting food from around us because Grandma had taught her how to survive on her own. As much of an ass as Rem is she remembers it all… How our father died and how our mother followed him from a broken heart. It gives her nightmares.”

Astrid blew on the tea and drank it down as she thought about it. "The incident that they were talking about… It was over a man who had entered my life through certain circumstances… and I was alone. It was never supposed to end badly but it did. Twice in fact. I'm an idiot but I didn't want to be alone because I have felt alone since I woke up here in Revaliir. I long for the old days of waking up in his bed and seeing his face. Hearing his voice." She trembled a bit but she stopped herself. "But it isn't going to happen because the void took it from me… so I am being stubborn here so that doesn't happen again." She retold him her reasoning as to reaffirm it.

Damon was grateful that the puzzles were completed and that the room was returning to a normal state. The inner flame had grown faint with the intense cold, but it was already on its way to recovery. He finally was able to stand and begin to administer some heat to Astrid. His eyes glanced to her back in concern for her wings. Moving closer to the young angel, Damon hoovered his heating hands just above her shoulders and neck. “I am fine. You got the puzzles done quickly, and we are safe.” Damon began to kneel to get the rest of her clothes dried out. “We shouldn’t mention this to your grandmother,” he finally mused aloud. It was embarrassing that he had been close to if not completely useless with the cold that had overtaken the room. Everything about that trial had been had seemed to be designed to target his weaknesses. There were not many for phoenixes, but this room appeared to know them.

As Astrid reached for help to stand, he used both hands to pull her up by her waist. Damon did not let himself linger in his touch. The angel moved to pick up her keystone and motioned for him to recover his as well. The phoenix grabbed the available stone and tucked it away in one of the pouches along his beltline. “Yes, we should take a rest before we move forward with this expedition.” Damon followed Astrid closely as she continued to think aloud. The antics of the oracle made more sense now that the trial had been completed. He was slightly agitated that they had not been formally warned of what was to come.

He listened diligently though he made no indication of responding to her words. Damon was not one much for talking, but he always listened. Astrid was finally opening up about herself. Normally, she remained quiet and would read or find some other silent activity while he was in her presence. He wondered if his presence was what made her feel uncomfortable and remain quiet all the time. Damon was the one to stay silent while his charges were going about their lives.

The pair exited the trial room and reemerged in the main lobby area where others were taking their own reprieve. Damon was not imagining that the trials would be simple tasks, but there were many that were worse for wear. Gratefully he took the tea and downed in quickly as the boiling liquid helped sooth him. “DaeLuin?” It was the first time that he had heard of the other world in a long time. Few were in Revaliir that were refugees such as himself. “You are from there as well? Is your entire family from DaeLuin?” This was the first time that there was a spark of interest in his eyes when talking about anything in a while. “How did you all come to Revaliir?”

Damon felt empathy for Astrid as she had lost someone dear to her as well. “It is a difficult emotion to long for those that were lost. I have one as well that I have lost. Not to the void, but here. She was taken from me as well as my goddess that I had dedicated myself too. Lose is never easy. Even harder is finding the strength to move on.” Damon tapped his booted toe on the ground as he pushed away the longing that began to stir in his chest. No matter what was to happen, his love would not return to him. She was gone, and moving on was all he could do. His eyes lifted from the ground to look at Astrid. She understood that feeling. He wish that she was not someone that could feel the same. It was never easy to get over.