Her recovery was slow and the wound 'Father' had left upon her right shoulder was still barely healed but Kythe had never been good at sitting still for very long. Wincing a little she peeled back the bandage that covered the wound and wrinkled her nose at the mixture of smells that assaulted her sensitive nostrils. The scent of acrid herbs mingled with the foul stench of infection and rotting flesh… it was healing but it was slow and the truth was she would have to retrain her right hand to carry a sword again let alone use one in an efficient enough manner to believe she was back to full strength. Wincing again she replaced the bandages and rolled her shoulder a little to loosen the muscles, closing her eyes and breathing through the pain that shot through every muscle in her right arm and down her back leaving her wings to tremble and her fingertips to go numb. The view from the mountain range was breathtaking. She had seen so many worlds; stood atop many a mountain range like this one but something about these floating isles left her with a sense of peace that she had not felt in a long time. Sitting on the mountain edge she watched the wind blow through the flora that clung and made a life to a rock that would otherwise be lifeless. She was not unlike the flowers that grew here - too stubborn to give up on life no matter what the harsh conditions of her existence were, and harsh they had been… never in all her ageless years had she been given a break and she doubted very highly that she was going to be given one now either. What her Gods had done to her had been the biggest blow; not just to her health but also to her mental state… the loss of her family had broken her heart and the distance from Valandil was soul-crushing. She could feel her Bondmate was still alive but she could not reach him, could not hear his voice… she had no idea if she ever would hear his sweet bass tones ever again. 

The one good thing that had come of her exile from her homeworld was her reunion with her beloved Kiba. The man did not need her; not truly yet he still took her in and let her mother him despite the fact that it was quite clear that she was the one who needed looking after at that moment. She would recover; she would regain her strength and get back to being useful not just to her surrogate son but also to the Deity whom he served… after what her own had done to her it was a miracle that Kythe wanted anything to do with any Gods but if Kiba trusted Lokir to the point that he would be Champion for him? Then Kythe would trust him also until such time as he did something that meant she shouldn't. 

Closing her eyes Kythe lay back and stared up at the sky above her. A new home, again, without her family. Tears escaped her closed eyelids and rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed silently at the thought of Pol and the children without her; they would never know where she had gone, would never know what had happened to her and she would never hear them laugh or cry or sing or call her name, she would never smell their hair or hold them close or taste Pol's lips on hers. Her hands closed into fists and she dug her nails deep into her palms as she tried to calm herself down once more; she could not lose it, she'd only end up letting the poison from 'Father' fester and grow strong again if she focused on her anger and hatred towards the Deities that had done her wrong…

A young man stood on a small floating island, marveling at the at the beauty of this area.  He was on one small rock, out many rocks, floating in the sky, a chain of flying mountains.  The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, the cool breeze blew his rippling cloak through the air.  He wore an ornate suit of crimson armor, trimmed with gold, with a crest of a golden phoenix on the breastplate.  His intense sapphire eyes gazed into the distance, while his raven and scarlet hair blew in the breeze.  This whole new continent was amazing, Hiro thought to himself.  It was their reward for winning the war against the tribe of god-slaying insects.  A new continent named Onnen, new adventures, new places to explore.

A whole new world.

Hiro stepped off the rock he was standing on, plummeting down into the clouds, only to reappear flying through the air on wings of crimson.  His Phoenix Armor radiated fiery energy as he flew, propelled by the magic within, and the massive amount of mana in this realm.  This was the perfect place to practice his winged Phoenix Armor's flight.  He soared between islands, cheering in utter joy as he flew.  He swooped downwards to gain speed seeing an island, he wondered how close he could get to it, before soaring upwards, narrowly avoiding that floating island, into the light of the shining sun.  He looked down, realizing that island he narrowly avoided had a person sitting on it.  He might've given them a scare.  He floated down to that island on his wings of blazing red, before touching down, his wings disappearing from his back.

"Ahoy there!  Sorry if I gave you a scare, I was just practicing my flight, and didn't see anyone up here.  This place is amazing!"  Hiro Kouen walked up to the woman, then noticing the way she looked.  She looked upset, sad, angry, injured.  "Miss, are you okay?"

So caught up within her own thoughts and calming her racing heart and torrent of emotions; Kythe had barely registered the scent of someone nearby let alone the sounds of wings in the air - not until they were right over her head at least. She felt the heat upon her face and turned her head away to protect herself, rolling over to shield her body with her wings and hissing as she hit her injured shoulder into the rock she had been laying upon. Screwing her eyes up in a grimace she breathed through the pain for a moment before pushing herself upright to see who or what had flew overhead. Her eyes flickered across the horizon swiftly until she spotted a figure lowering themselves onto the island - flaming wings vanishing as he touched down. 

For the second time since she had come to Revaliir Kythe found herself confronted with a vision of someone she had once known and loved in her way; she knew that armour, recognised it from the countless meetings they had had over the years in DaeLuin and a sob caught in her throat. How? Did that mean that Kiba was not the only one who had managed to find their way from Revaliir from DaeLuin? Were others she had known and given her heart to over the years here, safe and sound when she had thought she had lost them? His name was on her lips; ready to be spoken when the man spoke first and she realised she was wrong, her heart breaking at the realisation. "No harm done. You're fine." She said softly, a small smile on her face as she stood up and brushed herself down, ignoring the stabbing pains in her shoulder as she offered him her hand. "Kythe Sitari, it's nice to meet you and to share such a beautiful sight with a like minded fellow. You remind me of someone I used to know a very long time ago; someone I cared for greatly as a wonderful friend. He wore armour just like yours and called himself a Phoenix Knight. For a moment I thought you were him." She said softly, "It warmed my heart for a moment." 

The woman seemed surprised to see another person, surprised by what she saw.  But she was okay, she said he was fine.  She reached out with her hand, so he took her hand in his own, full of warmth, and gave her a firm, kind, handshake.  Hiro was tall, almost as tall as his father was.  He had the same muscular build, similar blue eyes, though he had raven hair with red highlights, instead of brown and red hair, like his father did.  The woman introduced herself as Kythe Sitari, and she told him that he reminded her of someone else, a close friend of hers.  This friend wore similar armor, and called himself a Phoenix Knight.

Hiro's heart stopped for a moment.

"You . . . know that title?  You knew him?  You were his friend?" he asked, a look of shock on his face.  "I-I'm sorry, I should introduce myself, from the beginning.  My name is Hiro Kouen, Phoenix Knight.  My father is Sabishii Kouen, Phoenix Knight, and my mother Seraphia Kouen.  Your name . . . sounds familiar, like I've heard it in my father's tales of his youth.  Names like Arden "Brwlyan" the Ranger, Schubaal the bard, my Uncle Blaze the Fire Elf, Judge of Wisdom, Lady Moliira the Drow, Gamgi the Stout Dwarf."  He thought back upon the myriad of names of the stories he was told about.

"Kythe the Beastmaster, companion of Dragons?  Something like that?  Father said something along the lines of you having many companions, both human and otherwise; including dragons.  It's a real pleasure to meet someone who knew my father, I'm touched, truly, to meet someone who came from DaeLuin, like Sir Brwlyan, who knew my father.  He's made it here too!  Lady Angela is a Goddess here as well, a couple other people from DaeLuin are here as well.  My father, Sabishii, would be pleased to meet you again, if . . ." Hiro paused, realizing this would probably be like ripping a scab off fresh wound.  She looked a bit upset to begin with.  If he just went out and old her what happened to his father, he didn't know how she would react to it.  ". . . I'm just happy to meet someone from my father's tales!  Stories of wars and battles against evil monsters, terrible forces, victories against impossible odds!  I love those kinds of stories!"

His handshake was firm and full of warmth and Kythe could not help but once more think of Sabishii and their own first exchange; they had been close in their time together and he had always been a loyal friend to her even through the hardest times… even when she had turned against those she loved in her anger at Nifftin's abandonment and betrayal when she had needed her lover the most. Looking at the lad she could not help but think of her friend in his youth; their hair was different but he still looked terribly like a younger version of the Phoenix Knight whom she had admired so deeply… and that's when the lad's expression changed. 

Tears formed in her eyes as he spoke the names of the people from her past; the people she had loved so dearly and lost so long ago. Without a second thought she pulled the lad into her embrace and held him tightly; his armour slammed into her wounded shoulder but the pain went unnoticed beneath the tidal wave of memories those names brought to her mind as the lad spoke. Arden was here… by the Gods she hadn't lost them all… but she had lost one it seemed. Gently releasing him she gave him a soft, sad smile as she wiped the tears from her face. "My apologies Hiro; it has been quite some years since last those names were heard by my ears and it brought on far too much emotion for a moment." She laughed softly. 
"Yes. I knew him, I knew your father well and called him my dear, dear friend just as I did your mother for a time before I left DaeLuin behind." Laughing she sighed. "That is I, though it is merely one of many titles that I went by in that time and I have gained a great deal more since then as well. He was right; I rather have the tendency to gather animals to my fold just as I do people. I think it comes with being ageless - you gather loved ones to you so that you might share every waking moment with them while you can; you appreciate the fleeting things in life when Death evades you as it does me." 

"I've come too late to reunite with him haven't I?" She asked Hiro sadly, sighing softly as she turned her gaze to the horizon. "Oh my dear friend I'm sorry I was not here to say goodbye… but know that I will keep an eye on your son until my last breath." She whispered into the breeze, smiling as she remembered the man's face. "You make it sound very glamourous!" She laughed. "I dread to think what tales your father told of us all though I have to admit that some of our tales, now that you look back on them, do seem rather fantastical." She placed a gentle hand to the lad's face and smiled. "I'm sorry I was not here for your father at the end but I am very glad to have the chance to meet with his son at least. By the Gods you remind me of him when we first met!"

Hiro saw Kythe's eyes tear up when he confirmed who he was, Sabishii and Seraphia's son, and that he was told about her, and so many other people that she once knew.  She embraced him, he accepted and returned the hug.  She looked like she needed the hug, and she was a dear friend of his father.

"I'm happy as well to meet you, to meet anyone who knew and was friends with my parents."  She mentioned being ageless.  "I'm only eighteen years old, but I've been told by my father that I'll age slowly.  Something about the elemental and power of the phoenix in my blood.  Father, he told me he had the spirit of a phoenix within him, and he changed himself when he was a Deity in DaeLuin.  He became more elemental, so he could live longer, even after he fell.  He wanted to spend a long, long time with his family.  It's . . . a shame though, indeed, it's too late.  Sabishii, father, he died in battle.  There was a curse that was being spread among the world some time ago, a curse of the seven deadly sins that was created to test mankind, by Xunatar, and Dalanesca.  Mother was stricken by the curse, so me and Father, we went to put a stop to the insanity, and well, we failed.  Father didn't make it.  But don't worry, I'm okay.  I've gotten stronger since then, I used sense of loss to drive me forward, without being consumed by it.  I just want to prevent other people from being lost to evil forces."

She explained that she will keep an eye on him until her end, and she reflected upon all the tales of fantastic battles fought back in the day, back in DaeLuin.

"I've had my fair share of battles since arriving here in Revaliir.  I defeated a Fire Giant in a Colosseum-type challenge.  One of the former Deities, Lord Torn, the then Prince of Epics, had a Warrior's Gauntlet where you could fight against challenges until you reached some ultimate challenge, and potentially win a favor with the God himself.  I fought through many challenges, and the last one was a Fire Giant, who was immune to my fire.  So I summoned an icy Sapphire Blade, and ended up striking him down with that, through great effort.  There was an insectoid army recently that could strike down Gods, and I fought in that war, until the Gods got their strength back, and I helped in those battles.  Good times.  I met Brwlyan after the insect army was defeated, and he was so disappointed he couldn't participate!"  Hiro said with a laugh.  "I'll be your friend, a friend of my Father is a friend of mine.  I'd be honored to be your friend."  He smiled at Kythe, seeing she was a good person.  If Father trusted her, he could trust her.

Kythe listened to what Hiro had to say; taking it all in. Her heart ached at his words; to think that he was still so young and had already had his parents ripped away from him… ‘Not so different from you old girl, not really. You were the Elven equivalent of his age when you lost your own parents; in that you are no different… though maybe his life will be a little less stricken by grief than yours was hey?’ She thought to herself.
“Well dying in battle is far more fitting for your father than just… laying down to sleep I suppose. Though I still cannot say that any death is better; I do wish I could have been here.” She sighed. “And good; many, myself included, have fall into the darkness when we have lost those we love - it is good to see you use it better than I did at your age.” She smiled softly.

Her smile widened and her heart warmed greatly; to hear him speak so proudly of his achievements reminded her of her own children - she had lost too many children in her time but she fondly remembered days like this one where they would regale her with their adventures for the day and what they had achieved without her. To know they could achieve it without her was what had warmed her all the more; to know that they could take care of themselves without her needing to hold their hands… which meant she had done a decent enough job in raising them essentially.
“It sounds as though you are very much your father’s son!” She laughed. “He would be proud of you Hiro; just as I would if you were my son. And I’m even more glad that we can go from here and be friends just as he and I were once. Tell me Hiro; what are you doing with yourself these days? What lays on your path ahead?”

"I guess the thing that makes it a little easier, is that I had time with him before he died.  When I first arrived in Revaliir, I was alone, then I was able to bring Father here with me, then he was able to bring Mother here too.  It all went to Hell, I won't lie and say I don't hold a grudge against Lady Dalanesca, but if I just seek revenge, I'll end up dead too.  That's not what I want.  I'm sure she'll get what's coming to her.  They all do.  She practically died from the insectoid attack, if that doesn't teach her humility, I don't know what," Hiro sighed and shook his head.  "I'm not going to fall into darkness.  I'll focus on the good, the here and now, the future.  I'll protect people and get stronger."

Kythe said Sabishii would be proud of him, and that he was following in his footsteps.  Hiro smiled warmly at his father's friend.  "Thank you.  I appreciate it.  What I've been doing is training to get stronger.  Father, he focused a lot of his training on being connected to fire more and more, then he realized he needed more than just the power of Fire and Light.  I may not have the ability to use Light yet, but I'm moving in an interesting direction.  I'm learning to control all four elements.  Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.  Not only that, I'm learning to combine them.  Different combinations of elements make potent powers.  I've been training with Lord Drae for this.

"See, if I have fire here," Hiro reached out to the side and summoned a ball of flame to his right hand.  ". . . and I summon lightning from the energy in the air . . . " he reached out his left hand, the humming of golden lightning energy forming around his hand.  ". . . throwing either would cause some damage, burning and/or zapping whatever is in their path.  But if I combine the two spells, the two elements, what will form?  The similar energies of heat from flame meld with the heat and electrical properties of the lightning, they combine together, and form something different."  Hiro placed his hands together, his face taking an expression of intense concentration,  He forced the lightning and the flame together.  Flames and lightning surged around each other, fusing together forcefully, releasing an incredible energy.  A bright purple energy formed in a sphere of intense heat and power.  "This kind of combination, I call this one plasma.  It's like burning lightning, taking whatever particles of air and energizing them to an extreme level.  It's incredibly potent in destruction and takes more mana than just summoning a lightning bolt, or a fireball.  It also takes a lot of focus, kinda like sectioning your mind off in two parts to focus on the magic of both elements at the same time,"  Hiro looked down at this destructive powerful plasma ball he had just summoned.  ". . . Now I've summoned this thing to demonstrate, and I'm not sure where to send it . . . I don't want to destroy something that'll hurt a living being, or cause a landslide or something.  It's too much mana to just dissolve, unlike a fireball where I can just bring the mana back into myself, or just let the flame go out."  He felt a little embarrassed that he put himself in this position.  "Any suggestions?  Like find a rock I just toss this at without doing too much damage to the landscape?"

Kythe nodded as he spoke; at least he had been given some time with his parents - it wasn't something that many could boast to especially her own children… the triplets had been little more than toddlers when she had been cast out of Myna into Revaliir, she would miss out on their entire lives and Pol would be left to raise all three of the children alone… it broke her heart to think that she would never see the children again not to mention her husband. "Violence only ever begets violence and revenge only brings more revenge." Kythe said with a small sigh. "Not that that makes it any easier to resist of course; I'm as guilty as the next person for continuing such cycles of hatred but we'll put that down to my own flaws." She chuckled - sadly it was a flaw that she wasn't always fully in control of… 

She watched him closely as he showed off his talents and she smiled - it was in this that she could see that he was still merely a child; not that that was a bad thing it was merely an observation in how he perceived the world, an excited innocence in his own talents that people such as herself, adults didn't have after a time. It truly showed that he had not been tainted by darkness despite that which had been taken from him and it was more than a little commendable in her eyes. "I'm impressed!" She laughed, her words genuine as she watched him combine the two elements into something entirely new. She had seen similar combinations created and used in the wars she had been in but he was so proud of his achievement that Kythe could not help but smile at the youngster. Chuckling she stood up, closed her eyes and held her hands out before her; she was exhausted and in pain but she had enough magic in her to help. The winds began to gather around her; whipping at them both as they began to swirl and gather strength, rain lashing amongst it. "Into the hurricane! It should contain it and dispel it more peacefully once I cast the winds away." She called over her shoulder to him above the roar of the wind. 

Thinking about losing his father, his mother, still brought a deep pain from his heart.  Dalanesca brought great terror upon the land, she took his family as well.  It was the will of the Goddess, but that didn't make it right.  She was a Goddess of Death and Darkness, but it still wasn't fair that his family was taken from him.  His father, Sabishii, was taken from him because he stood up against her, and his Mother, Seraphia was taken . . . why?  To punish him for standing up against her too, instead of killing him?  He couldn't figure it out, if there was any thing to figure out.  Sometimes bad things happen, but it's not right for his whole family to be taken away from him. He tried to keep a happy face, but she could probably tell it bothered him.

He had trouble figuring out what to do with this orb of destructive plasma magic, because he became afraid of collateral damage. People had complained in the past that he'd set forests ablaze or something like that. But Kythe focused her magic into a hurricane, heavy winds whipping around them, allowing Hiro to send the ball of plasma flying farther up into the sky, "safely" exploding a fair distance away from them in a large blast, the heat of which could be felt from where the pair was standing. Hiro wiped a bit of sweat off his brow.

"That was stronger than I thought it would be, sorry about that, I hope that didn't put any strain on you. I guess I need more practice and training, hah," Hiro forced a laugh. "So, uh, what've you been doing since you arrived in Revaliir, Lady Kythe? We've been talking about me so much, I forgot to ask about you. Are you doing okay?"