The last time she went to one of the prisons, it turned into a disaster, though it wasn't her fault. All three of the primordial dragons showed up and began fighting each other. The prison broke apart and she wasn't able to gather the mana, like she had been instructed. This time she decided she would try to find people to join her, competent individuals who would know better than to try to fight a primordial dragon. That was why she stood in the freezing cold village near the temple, looking for fellow adventurers who would be willing to join her. So far, she found very few who were interested. Most of them were too scared or cautious to dare enter the lair of the dragons, even if they were away fighting on some other part of the continent. 

"Of course I chose the freezing cold island." She muttered to herself. 

There weren't many options left. After the disaster at the sky prison, the only two still standing was either boiling hot or freezing cold. She chose the colder temperatures, hoping her fae blood would make it a little more bearable. She wore a fluffy red coat with an interior hide fabric meant to help block the winds. Her sea blue hair was up in a bun, kept out of her face in case she would have to fight. Ciara asked a few more gathering adventurers, but they were more interested in hunting down easy monsters than helping her with gathering mana. After a while, she plopped down on a boulder and began to think up a battle strategy. 

"I suppose I could go in and use my music as a distraction.' She said to herself, "I just don't want a repeat of last time…"

It was proof that Nyx needed to explore around a bit when she hadn't really heard of the dragons. Surely this would've been significant any place you were at, but the mage hadn't paid all that much attention as she focused on her spell work and getting everything ready. It was only when she asked some others of Iria to recommend some places to explore that the girl learned the extent of the damage and chaos caused by the dragons and the bizarre weather patterns. Fellow mages were in trouble, so it made sense that whatever skill she had should be offered to help the problem. Collecting mana didn't sound too challenging- attacking dragons did, though.

It was how Nyx ended up in Itjivut- within the mountain lands of a frozen island. It seemed best to explore this place and get it over with, since it seemed to just be an incredibly cold and lonely island. How anyone lived here was beyond her, keeping herself active so that she wouldn't become ice. It didn't make sense to use the energy needed to cast a fire spell- the girl needed to keep that for a little longer, when collecting mana. Blue eyes would glance around the milling people within the city, trying to catch anything or anyone that seemed to be here for adventuring. Nyx was fine to go at it alone, but it made more sense to find someone who could help with the mana collecting.

She spotted one such person, walking closer to hear whatever they might be muttering to themselves. Snow speckled dark hair, loosely knotted into a ponytail. Blue eyes would try to catch grey, stepping forwards a bit. Her hands were in her pockets, a quizzical expression as she spoke.

"Music is certainly a good distraction. Did last time have anything to do with the temple?" One hand left the pocket of warmth to hitch her thumb at the temple. "Was thinking about going in there myself." It made sense that the mage would want to know what she was dealing with, especially considering Nyx had never been here before. The more knowledge she could get, the better. Being alive was somewhat important when collecting mana, after all.

At the sound of a stranger's voice, Ciara lifted her head to see a beautiful woman with ebony hair and sapphire eyes. She was on the younger side, possibly still in her teens. Ciara had a sweet smile on her face and observed the girl for a moment. There was a powerful aura about the girl, who assumedly a mage as she didn't have the weapons a warrior might. Perhaps having this girl would be enough to go on the journey. After listening for a few more moments, Ciara made her decisions. She jumped to her feet, filled with a bright excitement and curiosity at this stranger. 

"If you already have plans to go there, then we shall go together!" The woman declared before answering the girl's question, "Oh it wasn't here darling. It was the sky temple that was supposed to hold Etanu. I went there to collect mana with a group of other adventurers. But one idiotic, stupid, son of a- …."

She took a moment to breath in and out as a way to calm herself. Then the fae woman began walking towards the temple and looked back for a moment to check if the girl was following. All Ciara's supplies for the trip had already been gathered, the only thing she needed was another person to partner up with. 

"Well one of the adventurers decided to attack Etanu who had just flown in. If we had waited and let the dragon be, it probably would have ignored us and flown off as soon as it landed. There isn't food at the temple nor is it a comfortable place to sleep. Etanu was probably just checking on its territory." She explained, "But that foolish man with a mask attacked it, making it stay longer than necessary. And when it started trying to kill us, we almost died. Then two more of the dragons showed up and started fighting each other. The floating island holding the temple was destroyed and we barely made it out alive. All of which could have been avoided if he just left Etanu alone!"

There was something therapeutic about venting to someone else, even if the girl was a complete stranger. The blue haired fae watched for a reaction from the stranger, checking her eyes to see what kind of person she was. After a few moments, Ciara reached up and touched the girl on the shoulder. A rich violet filled her eyes as the woman began to hum a strange foreign tune. Swirls of violet light danced around her arms and traveled towards Nyx's shoulders. If the girl didn't pull away, she would feel her arms and legs lose their weight as a strange magical strength ran through her veins. If the spell was allowed to be complete, Nyx' spells would become twice as strong and cost less mana. 

"There you are darling!" Ciara exclaimed enthusiastically, "Now lets get going! I'd rather not stand out in the cold more than I have to. And remember, our mission is to gather the mana and stay out of trouble." 

The quiet moment would cause one eyebrow to raise, curious about how the other would react. The smile seemed nice enough, not as though the stranger would tell her off for randomly butting into her business. That was good, at least, blue eyes shifting to glance up at sea blue bun of hair. Was it natural or dyed? The girl didn't know, but either seemed possible. Strange how the observation made her seem rather bland, her typical clothing in various shades of dark greys. At least she had never particularly cared about her appearance, only truly able to note it in others. So while the observation is there, it had no impact on herself or her demeanor towards this adventurer.

It was the personality that seemed to be energetic and everywhere. Quick blinks would be the only identifier of her surprise as the woman rose suddenly, words once more filling the air. Nyx kept her mouth shut, watching as the other started to walk away. It was only when she looked back that Nyx registered what was intended of her. Long strides would bridge the gap, slowing down as she drew near to walk besides the other. Some hesitancy followed in her steps as she tried to discern where was the best place to stand, deciding finally to walk side by side. After all, both knew where they were going- there was no leader as far as she could tell. At least not yet.

Perhaps there was more of a reason to explore. While the girl had confidence in most areas, understanding social cues seemed to be lacking. This would be good practice, she decided as she listening to the story. The man certainly did seem foolish, all too prepared to die with some idea of glory rather than survive another day. Curiosity also arose- at how one got to the idea of attacking a dragon, but also of how powerful this stranger was. Three dragons, even if distracted, were still quite a dangerous foe. What fate would Nyx have suffered had she been there at that time? Confusion rested in her eyes, but a faint smirk would play at her lips. There was something humorous about thinking of a masked adventurer attempting to take down a dragon.

"Maybe he'll think clearer next time." One could hope.
The girl would stiffen at the touch, glancing over to notice the dancing violet lights that seemed to circle her arms. Certainly an interesting trust exercise, blue eyes would close as she listened to the strange tune. They would flash back open when her arms and legs truly felt weightless, glancing at her arms once the spell was complete. It hadn't seem to weaken her to a noticeable degree, but Nyx wasn't sure what they meant. She'd figure out the actual change sooner rather than later.

"Thank you…" Her hesitation was only thinly veiled, not wanting to lose an ally but also not entirely sure had happened. For all the words the other had spoken before, they didn't seem to offer an explanation on the magic. "Gather mana, stay out of trouble. Seems simple enough." A small smile played at her lips, one eyebrow raised as she glanced towards the woman. Then the girl would march forwards, making sure to keep in line or a few paces ahead.

“Wonderful! You may call me Ciara by the way.” The fae woman said with a smile, “What would you like me to call you?”

Ciara knew she was placing in a situation where trust was needed but she didn't seem to comment on it. Instead, she moved ahead towards their goal, believing it to be the most important thing. The frigid air whistled its frozen tune as they stomped through heaps of snow and ice. The land was covered in a thick layer of pure white snow while the sky was covered with darkened clouds that made one almost believe it was night. Every step they took left a crisp footprint in the snow, only to be covered up by the tiny beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky. Everything seemed to glisten, as though some fairy sprinkled sparkling dust. There was a solemn silence with only the wind to interrupt with its whistling. It was a stark contrast to the bustling streets or even wild forests. Here, there was only the snow and the wind. No buildings and very few trees. Yet there was a beauty amongst all the silence that couldn’t be compared to anywhere else. The land casted no judgement or comments, there was only the cold hard truth. Ciara drew comfort from the big fluffy coat she wore along with the multiple socks and snow boots she had chosen to wear. The fae had remained quiet along their journey as the wind was quick to make the throat dry if she dared open her mouth. After a long trip, they approached the temple.

“Here we are.” She finally said, “I hope you are prepared for this. The dragon won’t be here, I’ve already checked on that. But there will be other creatures who have decided to live in this cold temple. Once we go in, there will be no turning back.”

Ciara had a feeling that her new friend would be prepared to enter such a place. The temple itself was a masterpiece. The entrance doors were made up of silver ice and stone, built thousands years ago and made to never melt. The point of the temple was to be so cold that no creature could enter or exit as a way to contain the dragon it once kept. The doors were covered in ruins and warnings that had been carved into the ice. Reaching up, the fae woman pushed the doors open, revealing a long echoing hallway that led to the main chamber. Before taking another step, she looked back towards her friend and gave her a small smile. 

"I don't suppose you have any fire magic?" She asked, "It would be quite useful if you did." 

Ciara herself had brought some matches and other materials to make a fire but she lacked the fire magic herself. They could still handle the mission without it but having that sort of magic would make their work significantly easier. The temple was frigid and that long hallway was lit up by glowing blue crystals frozen in the walls. The floor was made of stone but had a thin layer of ice that had been growing for years. The hall led to a large room with pillars of stone at each corner. The center had a larch ditch filled with frozen water where the dragon had been freed. 

"Nice to meet you, Ciara." The girl would bow her head for a moment before glancing back at the blue-haired woman. "Nyx is my name." Of course, there was more to that name- a middle name, a last name. But formality seemed gone, replaced by a casualness that was much appreciated. Trying to be polite and courteous while fighting creatures seemed rather stressful. The mage would go silent, thinking about the incantations needed, prepping the spells she deemed most useful. Occasionally her mouth would move with phantom words, but she let the silence fill between them as blue eyes focused on the path ahead. Only the swish of the jacket arms and body brushing past one another and the huff of her breath would mix with the whistling of the wind. Much like her normal life, Nyx only spoke when someone asked or if it was necessary. Hemera, her sister, had always been the one to fill the silence.

It seemed Ciara felt similarly as no words were exchanged until they reached the temple. Or perhaps it was just the awkwardness of being with a stranger- Nyx wasn't entirely sure how to read the other quite yet. Whether that would cause more pain in the future was yet to be determined.

Eyes glanced up at the temple, breath curling upwards as she took in the ice and stone that was this- castle. How strong it must have once been, able to hold down one powerful dragon. How much magic would have flowed through the very walls before her. Such a masterful craft, such a shame it no longer worked. Maybe it would be rebuilt later, but Nyx suspected it would never quite be the same. There would be a pause as the girl took in the words before her, gaze returning to the entrance doors. A sharp nod, before glancing over to Ciara.

"Fighting other creatures sounds significantly better than fighting a dragon. I am prepared…" to my best understanding. The words weren't spoken, nor did she show the uncertainty that was felt. Best to be confident- it wasn't as though she didn't have an arsenal of spells to back her up. Plus, the bard seemed to be rather powerful, therefore they would do just fine. The doors opened, the wind and the frozen hallway dancing in the air. It was going to be cold- even with fire magic to back them up.

"Thankfully." Thankfully- as though she hadn't spent hours- days- working on the spell to master it. Her hand would reach up, eyes half closed as she murmured the words under her breath. Eyes would flash open quickly at how little it had taken to start the flame now in her hand, how easily it had grown. Generally thrown, the flame seemed to itch to leap our of her hand and dance through the hallways. She kept it in its circular form, though, a small smile forming before broadening into a grin. Nyx would stop herself from playing with it too much, the flame providing heat and light for the two of them. "So that was what you did. Thank you."

"Shall we continue onwards then?" They likely wouldn't find any mana in the first section of the temple. Many people would likely have gathered that without having to risk as much further in.