Rendezvous at Phoenix Mountian

Katherine knew she should not have been on that mountain. She knew of her own tolerance, or lack thereof, to lower temperatures, but she needed money and she was getting desperate. For the last few days she'd had nothing but scraps to eat with what little pocket change she had. Her stomach grumbled at her and she paid it no mind, keeping her steady march, determined to succeed and have a decent dinner for once.

The cold had begun to seep through her thinning cloak and her tearing sweater into her pale skin, gooseflesh rising across the back of her neck and shoulders. She could feel the energy beginning to leak from her body and she panicked a little. Losing her strength at a time like this wasn't acceptable, she had work to do. The mage shook her hands out and tucked them underneath her armpits, trying to think of some way to keep herself warm. All of this walking she'd done had been slow and tedious and didn't help much to conserve heat. She'd have to run the rest of the way. Physical activity was supposed to help, right? With a momentary pause, she scoped out her surroundings and eyed what remained of her ascent. No other options presented themselves so she broke into a sprint. It was almost ridiculous and she felt moronic doing so, but if it meant prolonging her livelihood as long as was possible then she'd do it. At first, the air bit her cheeks and nose and it burned to breathe, the rest of skin prickling from the exertion. Soon though, it was working just enough that she couldn't feel anything but the lightheadedness that usually came with these situations. Katherine was beginning to feel slightly more optimistic about the whole ordeal. Maybe she wouldn't blackout this time.

She kept her sprint despite how tired she was becoming, her crimson locks waving behind her like a burning flag. With her tattered clothes not being of much help to keep her warm, she was glad she'd thought to do this. The many holes that had picked their way into her too-big navy sweater made channels for any of the bitter wind to nip at her stomach; that on its own being a major discomfort for the woman.

She'd come up fairly far and grinned a little at her progress only to trip over her own feet moments later and slam face-first into something hard, yelling out a harsh "FUCK-" She'd only call it a 'something' because she couldn't actually figure out what it was until after she'd fallen back on her tracks. The red-head landed ass-first on the ground, flopping stupidly onto her back and cradling her now-aching nose. She groaned painfully as she tried to draw back the breath she'd suddenly lost, resting into the dirt and peeking open her eyes. Only one could she actually see with, the right, while the other had been faded to a pale blue as a result of her blindness. The bloody hue stared up at a man; tall and clad in a cloak similar to her own, but newer. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, her nose still covered by her pale digits. She'd run into some strange guy's back.

She didn’t know what it was about him, but when he turned around to face her after catching his footing… She stilled with a barely audible squeak escaping her throat. Her eyes widened a fraction and a faint blush bloomed across her cheeks as she stared up at him with her hand still hiding her throbbing nose. Katherine hadn’t ever seen someone like him before; with skin so warm and deep compared to hers, bright emerald eyes and locks as purely white as fresh snowfall. Her heart skipped a beat and there was a spike in her magic for a moment, ruffling her hair with a bright burst of flames. Though it had been short lived and she hoped not too noticeable, the pink color dusting her cheeks turned into an unforgiving red and she bit the inside of her cheeks in embarrassment. That had never happened before and it boggled her mind, but the reason was clear. The butterflies in her stomach made it obvious. The mage found this man attractive, and it troubled her that it was so, because that was not what she was there for. Mulling over the fact that he held a foreign beauty she’d never witnessed the likes of was nowhere near acceptable considering what had just happened.

In the midst of her mental tirade, he’d asked if she was alright. She’d been about to answer before he mumbled to himself or, seemingly, something invisible to her eye. Her ancient mind tried its damndest to process his mumbling, but it the end she decided to ignore it as there could have very well been a reason that she didn’t care to understand. Katherine took his hand as he offered it and let him pull her to her feet. The warmth of the contact shot through her arm and reinvigorated some of the energy she’d lost. She took a breath of relief and sighed briefly, staring blankly at his chest for a moment before she realized that she had to look up. And fairly far, she had to say. Their height difference was staggering and she leaned back to better see him.

The man voiced his apology, but she was utterly confused. He had nothing to be sorry for. "There is no need for such manners, the fault is entirely mine, I assure you." She spoke softly, her voice quiet and with a slight strain from her travels. "I should have been more watchful of my path-" She paused when her stomach growled again. He'd obviously heard. The mage tried to interject as he offered his rations, but he'd already gone to sit and rifle through his things. She followed, but only in an attempt to stop him. She really didn't want to be a bother; after all, she'd just run face-first into his back. "No, no please don't. I'm not deserving of your kindness. I-"

The smell of homemade dumplings wafted up to her nose and she shut up, her mouth watering awfully. She tried not to let her mouth hang open, as it was unladylike to do so, but she failed in slight with her lips being parted the tiniest bit. "I suppose a little wouldn't hurt..." She mumbled and took gingerly what he offered. She could only stare at it for a good while in disbelief before she finally started to eat it, taking the smallest of bites in order to make it last as long as possible.

Katherine flinched in surprise when the man laid a red coat over her shoulders. It was much too large for her small figure, but oh was it warm... She couldn't help but relax into it as it protected her from the draining cold of the mountain. His question stopped her mid-chew. She blinked and turned to face him with a full mouth and swallowed slowly. "Lacking...? Uh, why am I here, right. That is a good question." She started choppily. "Job. A job, I came here for a job. That's right. Right..." It was clear that she was half talking to herself at this point. Despite what she'd previously thought, the cold had gotten to her a little too much and made it difficult to recall her current purpose. "My apologies, I seem to have become more disoriented than I'd anticipated. The cold and I don't mix well." She tried a laugh, only it came out as more of a scoff. She stared at him for a few moments before she finally spoke up again. "I feel it's appropriate that I introduce myself. My name is Katherine; Katherine Neel. And, if you don't mind my asking, you are?" She stuck out her hand, the pale digits seemingly like a doll's compared to his.

"P-pretty?" She'd mumbled, just before her stomach had interrupted. Now she sat facing him with food in her hands and a warm coat on her shoulders. He introduced himself as Aemon Trahaearn, which she thought immediately was a very strange name, but only because she'd never heard anything like it. Everything about him was foreign and that fact brought some form of excitement into their situation for her. He shook her hand gently and once again she felt herself recooperate. She tried not to sigh in relief, as everytime they'd touched she felt brighter, more awake. As she'd expected, he had more questions. Everyone she met did; she wasn't exactly the most readable person and sparked curiosity in many.

"Ah, well... It's a hitman's job, I suppose. It isn't the type I'd take normally. I don't particularly care to kill, but if it must be done..." She trailed off but was then stunned by his question after. He'd mentioned her attire again. "That's..." Katherine looked down at her hands with hunched shoulders. She studied the holes in her sweater, remembering exactly how they'd gotten there and felt suddenly melancholy. Popping the last bit of the dumpling into her mouth, she puffed her cheeks and shut her eyes, contemplating what she should tell him. First impressions were important and so far she'd destroyed her's completely. She pulled at her bangs nervously before she finally turned back to him, but didn't meet his eyes. "I... can't afford new apparel just yet. Well actually... I haven't been able for years now... So many years..." The mage jolted, realizing what she'd just said. She met his eyes once more. "Ah, that's not important! I-I'd like to ask the same! Why are you here?" Katherine had unintentionally raised her voice and she blushed again. Clearing her throat she said, "Er... Um, what have you come here for and also..." She scrunched her eyebrows curiously and grabbed at the coat to wrap it around herself tightly. "Who were you talking to before?" She had really tried not to think about it, but the longer she spent talking to him, the more she wondered. Maybe he hadn't meant for it to be said aloud; she'd heard of people having a conscience that they talk to, perhaps it was something like that? It'd be a shame if it were something else. She thought. Such an intriguing work would be ruined by a disorder like that. Katherine mentally slapped herself. After all these thousand plus years, she still hadn't learned that to think such things about people was rude, even if you didn't say them. She hadn't let her thoughts be known, but she felt bad and frowned a little.

Did I say that out loud? No… I’m sure I didn’t. She thought with slightly raised brows and lips pressed into a thin line. Aemon had taken a moment to reply, but he reassured her that there was nothing wrong with him aside from a bitter recollection. She couldn’t help but believe what he told her, as she was in no position to be doubtful. He’d fed her after all. Apparently, this place held significance to him; a previous home that had been destroyed. She could sympathize. Her own home had been destroyed, but she had yet to return to it for reasons she’d rather not think about. Otherwise, she might break down and that wasn’t something she was too fond of doing in front of someone she’d just met.

“Oh,” Was all she could manage. Do I apologize, or…? Avoiding her own past was making it difficult to show how she really felt, so she just smiled sadly. A reflex, she’d noticed. If there were no words to speak, make a face. Clearly, that would be situation-dependent; if she smiled inappropriately, she’d probably die.

Before she could say or do much else, he conjured a stack of clothes between them. Katherine didn’t know how to feel and just stared at him, at the clothes, then at him again. They looked similar to his own, which made her chest flutter and she had to scold herself mentally. Would you quit being so easy? Damn… It was much too kind of him to do such a thing for her, considering. Way to kill a stranger with kindness… She’d been rendered speechless. Even though she opened her mouth to speak several times, nothing came out and she blushed again.

He stood up, requesting that she tell him more about her job when she was done and rounded the corner. She jolted from her stupor, now alone… -ish. She wondered if she would even be able to change with how cold it was. It would be best to make it quick since she couldn’t exactly ask him to keep her warm. Just the thought of it-- No. You put those thoughts back. Change, idiot. She sighed at her conscience and readied herself for what might be best called a cold-streak. Holding her breath, Katherine removed her cloak and her sweater after. The winter air bit her bare skin immediately and she yelped in shock. “Shit!” She ground out the curse through tightly clenched teeth. With shaking hands, she shoved her pants down her legs and nearly slipped. She refused to sit down and make the task easier; there was no way in hell she was sitting her ass on freezing cold stone unless she had a death wish. As soon as she got them off, she kicked them away and yanked on the new clothes as quickly as she could.

Katherine reveled in the warmth they provided, releasing a sigh of content and hugging herself to soak it all in. She held her hand in front of herself curiously, snapping her fingers. A small orange flame lit the tips and she smiled. “Ah, thank god…” Letting the fire fizzle out on its own, the mage braided her hair to the side to keep it out of the way.

Turning to face the wall her new acquaintance had disappeared behind, she stepped over and peered around the corner. She whistled shortly to get his attention.

“Hey, thank you,” she said, smiling more brightly than before, pearly whites and all. “I feel much better now.” Clearing her throat, she pulled a more serious expression and stood next to him. “If I remember correctly, I was told it’s an assassination contract. Copycats or something. Really, not ideal, as I said before but… I need the money.” Previously, she’d thought about bringing the scrap of paper with her, but she couldn’t read it anyway so what would have been the point?

Katherine was visibly more energetic than she had been when they first ran into each other, bouncing lightly on the heels and toes of her boots and gesturing flippantly as she spoke. Her pale skin had regained some of its color as well.

Turning to face him fully and tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear, she asked, “I’d only assume you’re here for a similar reason, if not the same? Unless it was just a visit, but I doubt that because not even I have-” She shut up. The topic of her own home was off limits and she’d nearly let it slip. It was on her long list of flaws that she blurted things when she got excited, more specifically, things she wasn’t supposed to talk about. She did wonder though if he could tell how old she was. She hoped not. Such information wouldn’t be so easy to digest, she was sure. Especially with the added mystery of her youthful appearance. Despite what he might think, she was quite literally an old soul. But he didn't need to know that; it was virtually irrelevant.

"Ah, what I mean is..." She tried, but couldn't come up with much. "I doubt because... It can't possibly be enjoyable to visit a place with painful memories connected to it?" Her statement ended up sounding more like a question. She turned away from him awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck and pursing her lips.

It was as easy to ignore his comment about her smile as it was to ignore a thorn in your hand. Virtually impossible; but having a viable reason to dodge the reaction that bubbled to the surface made it quite simple to hide how she really felt. She pulled herself out of her awkward spell when he held out a folded square of parchment for her to see and confirmed that they were indeed on the same job. They'd both been correct in their assumptions and Katherine couldn't help but be a little thrilled. It'd been quite some time since she'd had someone to accompany her. Aemon was offering her the paper, which she gently refused by nudging his hand back with her fingertips. It was likely that whatever it was she wouldn't be able to read it anyway, so there was no point in taking it. He pulled his arm back into his cloak and smiled at her, to which she couldn't help responding with a slight quirk of her own lips. As he said, his efforts were definitely not wasted and she followed as close as she could behind him. Her legs were shorter than his and it took a tiny bit of extra effort to keep up, but she did just fine. Luckily for her, he did slow his pace a little and she eased into a more comfortable walk. She listened to him explain the terrain to her, genuinely interested as it wasn't common for her to explore these areas of Fiore. His explanations were quite helpful. The mage glanced up at her new partner briefly when he asked about her abilities. She wondered how she might be able to keep her answer short and simple, as her magic seemed fairly complicated to some.

"Ah, well... it's fire based, but probably not like anything you've ever seen." She started, steepling her fingers in front of her and tapping them to her lips as she thought. "It is... tricky sometimes, but if the intent is strong enough it can be quite damaging. Emotion controlled magic can be such a pain sometimes." She dismissed these facts with a shrug. "However, if the attacks aren't enough I can assist with healing at the very least. That is if you need it." Katherine sighed through her nose and pursed her lips as she tried to find something else to add. "If this goes the way I think it will, I shouldn't have a problem conjuring the worst I have to offer. Anger is, of course, the most powerful emotion and considering what happened the last time I killed someone... Well," She laughed to herself. "We will have no issues. I can almost guarantee it."

Katherine flicked her braid over her shoulder and looked up at him with a curious glint in her eye. "And what might you have to contribute? Besides the clothes and food, of course. Which I feel I must thank you for again; strangers are never usually this kind." She touched his arm to show her sincerity before pulling away to fold her hands behind her back.

"Dragon slayer magic...?" she asked slowly with furrowed brows, fleeting memories of her childhood coming up from the depths of her foggy mind. The last time she saw a dragon, she was 11 years old and there wasn't anything about the creature that made her think it needed to be killed. "Is there need for such a thing now?" The idea that there might be made her a little sad, but she brushed it off. "Um, no though. It's more like... a Phoenix." That ancient, beautiful bird, older even than her. It was her teacher's inspiration for the magic; the reason it was so finicky and frustrating at times. He'd once told her that her lack of control over her emotions made her the perfect person to use it. Ironic, considering her mother had always tried to stiffle them and turn her into a numb, empty shell of a girl.

He used weapons, and a good variety she gathered. How he kept them all was what shocked her.A lacrima? Inside his body? she thought and looked up at him strangely. People are putting those things in their bodies now? How much has the world changed? She stared down at her feet for a moment, utterly lost. "I still have so much to learn about you modern people..." she muttered, not at all intending for him to hear what she said and she hoped he didn't. It was times like these when her age caught up with her and she had to adjust even further.

They were coming up to the opening of a cavernous tunnel and as they did he asked her about her method preference when it came to fighting. "Up close and personal," she answered. "It's easier to stay angry that way." She looked into the tunnel with a kind of awe, Aemon going in ahead of her but turning back toward at the last second.

Her? Take the lead? That was an insane idea. Why is he smiling at me?

"Uh...no. No, you can," she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "You know this place better than I do anyway." It occured to her then how stupid she had been to take this job on her own initially. She really had no idea what she was doing. Alone she wouldn't have failed, but the task would have been much more difficult. She just got insanely lucky that she ran into him. Literally.

Hundreds of years? Well, that explains it. I was asleep. Katherine would think to herself as he revealed that Dragon Slayer magic was well-known and, she guessed, considered 'old' to them. "Ah, well it's difficult to explain. Maybe some other time?" She offered, laughing awkwardly. This she said with confidence that after this job was completed they would never meet again and she wouldn't have to tell him how old she really was and why considerably modern concepts were a subject of gray area to her. He stayed silent for a while, with a look of curiosity about him. She couldn't blame him but with such little confidence in herself, she wasn't cocky.

Aemon smiled confidently and she quirked an eyebrow. How could one person smile so often? Not that she was complaining, really. It was pleasant to look at if she were honest with herself. A refreshing change of personable scenery, as it could be put. Katherine then watched in stifled, childlike awe as he conjured a quiver of arrows and a bow from blue particles. She hadn't ever seen anything like it, but before she could focus too much on it, it was made known that they weren't alone anymore.

Looking in the direction of the new footfalls that approached and hearing the low voice that called out ahead of them, the tingling of a flight or fight decision came upon her. Of course, she would choose to fight. That was her job, but it didn't stop the twisting feeling in her stomach or the rising of her heart into her throat which choked her slightly. She swallowed the sensation, keeping her attention on the men before her. Their size made her feel puny, but perhaps that could be used to her advantage. The girl eyed her partner, hoping to gauge his actions when he spoke, interrupting the larger man who was speaking. She wanted to smirk at what he said, but then...

"G-girlfriend?" She squeaked, barely audible to the normal ear, as what he said dawned on her. She couldn't help blushing at the comment and looked down at her clothes. The two were near perfectly matched and she sighed in slight annoyance. Still grateful she was, but it had to be the reason he'd said that... right? Not because they looked like a couple in any other regard, surely. What she really should have focused on was the threat because she almost missed him coming forward until Aemon stepped between them and blocked his attack route. As quickly as she had ever seen, he shot an arrow into Wade's shoulder and the man dropped to the ground. Katherine flinched a little as she watched. However, she imagined it would be something she'd have to get used to and she blinked out of her momentary shock. He seemed to have things under control with the eldest brother and she couldn't simply stand around waiting for him to save her ass; she had to do her part as well.

Throwing a side-eye to the younger of the two, Randy, Katherine cringed. A nasty sneer grimed her face just looking at him. He was disgusting; a heavily obvious lack of hygiene and an attempt to fit a rotten stereotype that was laughable. What a disappointment, she would think. He caught her look and shared a glare, perfectly provoked. Just as she wanted. With her partner and his brother distracted with each other, they had a great opportunity to fight each other. By this the girl would, of course, intend to show that she wasn't just a girl, as many might assume. He came toward her at a fast pace, clumsily and in the split second before he could grab at her, she made a smooth evasion and ducked between his legs to leap up behind him. She slammed her foot into the forward curve of his spine and he did little in response but stumble. But this was good enough for her. He whipped back to face her and swung at her with his club in hand. How primitive... Ugh. Her hand shot up and she gripped the worn wood of the thing, crushing half of it into splinters with a surprising amount of strength from her dainty hand and letting the rest burst into flames the same bright shade of red as her eye. He growled at the destruction of his weapon and swung at her instead with his fists. Again she would block him, her forearm meeting harshly with his, and glare at him with such intensity that his soul very well should have burst like his club had. With a scraping grit of her teeth, Katherine grabbed his wrist and pulled him down so her knee would meet his face with a sickening crack. A broken nose; she'd forgotten the joy of inflicting such an injury, but she didn't let that curb her anger. As he came up, his nose dripping (or rather gushing) with blood and his gaze disoriented, she brought him to his knees with a low blow. She took his head in her hands, a palm covering either ear and gripping firmly. And just for some extra flair, she lit her hands and engulfed his entire head in flames. She grimaced at the sound that escaped him as he burned slowly and opted to put him out of his misery so she wouldn't have to hear it much longer. With a quick twist, his neck snapped and his body fell limp to the ground. She released her grip on him and kicked his now smoking form away from her so she wouldn't have to look at him either. The feeling she had as she turned away from him, now dead, was a mixture of pleasure and guilt. Mostly guilt. While there was a satisfying factor to taking a life, she'd rather not. It made her feel dirty. However, in the long run, she'd just saved a lot of people a lot of trouble. That was something to be proud of, right?

With an irritated sigh, Katherine wiped her hand on her knee, the one that had gotten bloodied by the bastard she just killed. The blood not being her's was what grossed her out and she frowned as she rubbed her thumb and forefinger together, smearing the crimson fluid over her fingertips with an odd, disgusted fascination. Not having any way to clean her hand now that she'd dirtied it, she wiped her hand on the front of her shirt. There was a stain she'd never get rid of. "Ugh... That's just fucking gross..." She mumbled to herself, a frown digging into the soft lines of her lips. What a way to break in new clothes.

Aemon was the one to break into her thoughts and pull her back to the real world. She looked to him as he offered his cloak to clean her hands of Randy's blood and she took it gracefully, not speaking a single word. Katherine wiped around each of her fingers, every stain being removed from her skin until there was only the paleness of her own flesh to be seen. When she was done she nodded her thanks and handed it back to him, never meeting his eyes directly. However, he would force her to as he brought this fact to her attention: her methods had put their stealth at risk. She swallowed and averted her eyes, her hand going to the back of her neck. "Sorry..." she mumbled, but there was the ghost of a smile on her lips for one reason; he was impressed. The girl felt flattered, but kept it to herself for the sake of maintaining what dignity she still had.

And of course, he had to be correct about her giving away their presence. She cringed internally at her own mistake, clenching her teeth as she stood beside to him and looking on to see the next two that would approach. "Not long at all," Katherine said lowly. "But I'm not surprised. Randy had quite a loud mouth on him." What she had said was meant to lighten the mood, but being so darkened herself, it had little effect. It could hardly conjure a chuckle from her despite having come from her mouth.

The two ahead of them chattered, readied to leave and tell their one other companion of the pair's presence in their territory. Katherine stood quietly with her hands folded in front of her though, confident by then that Aemon would stop them before they got even an inch away. Maybe even before the took their next breath? The thought was fascinating, but not something she would focus on. Instead, she watched as he did just as she assumed he would, stopping them in their tracks with his arrows. She had to say, he was fairly impressive himself. If she got the chance later on, perhaps she would tell him that as a return of favors; a compliment for a compliment. She watched still as he stepped over them to stand in their way. He looked at her and spoke. He would tell her to go ahead and he would catch up with her; this didn't make her nervous then as she was far too consumed and turned off by her negative emotions to be bothered. If anything, she could use this to feed those emotions and finish the job more quickly.

She nodded and was about to be on her way when the boy called Toby spoke up from his spot on the ground. Katherine would have moved to defend herself on her own, but Aemon already had it covered. She fought a smile, but it broke through just the tiniest bit as she passed him, a hint of a blush kissing her cheeks. At the last second and on a whim, she pressed her lips to his cheek before she ran off.

~

Now on her own, it wouldn't be difficult to find out where she should go. The easiest way she had discovered to find someone whose location was undefined was to feel out the nearest sign of warmth. Anything behind her would be crossed off of her mental list, as she already knew who that signature came from. Ahead of her though, she began to feel something. It was very slight, but it was a lead all the same and she followed it to find her next opponent

Katherine was, admittedly, a little anxious. It'd been a long time since she'd been in a fight with another mage. She'd fought with a few, sure, but against one? Well... in that area she was rusty. There was hope though that she could pull through and take him on like she would have those thousand years ago. This was a risk she was willing to take. The worst that could happen was her magic taking an unexpected halt. They were rare, but could still occur so she would be careful. Of course there was also the cold, but the clothes Aemon had gifted her were doing a pretty good job at keeping her warm enough to function, so she didn't think to worry about it.

The warmth she followed grew stronger as she got closer to wherever Storm was until she saw him standing mere feet from her. A rush of nervousness shot through her, but she shoved it down and kept herself composed. It was easy to conjure the emotion she needed; all she really had to do was look down at the bloodstains that covered her breasts. Katherine said not a word, made not a single sound and stepped up to him on light feet. Wearing a dead expression, she tapped his shoulder. He turned around and looked down at her, first in surprise and then he glared, clenching his fists at his sides as she dared him to make a move with her gaze. He did of course, swinging at her with such swiftness that she almost hadn't had time to dodge. She ducked and he missed her by just a hair. The girl moved to try her own hit, but just as her elbow was about to meet his stomach, he gripped her by her hair and yanked her back up. She didn't react audibly instead igniting her very being and burning his hand where it held on. He yelped and let go, shaking his hand to put out the flames."Who are you, girl?" he asked, glaring so intensely she thought he might get a headache. "My identity is none of your concern, Storm," she spat back. "So you know who I am?" He said. Katherine grit her teeth, sick already of this unnecessary small-talk. "Let's just get this over with..." she growled and lunged toward him. To her annoyance though, he leaped out of the way, causing her to stumble. She steadied herself quickly and whipped back to face him, teeth bared. She kicked at him with the intent of hitting his head and disorienting him, but he caught her ankle and pushed her back. Again she caught herself before she could fall, recuperating quickly and never letting herself wait to strike again. At hand-to-hand, they were well matched and it frustrated the girl to know she would get nowhere using just that. In magic skill, she could feel that he was stronger, but flames it would be then...

Katherine's arms were lit up to her elbows with bright red fire, the same as her hair. There was one thing she knew she could succeed at and that was using her short stature to her advantage. She dared Storm to come after her and stupidly, he took the bait. She ran and slid on her back between his legs, bringing her own up above her once she got behind him and pushing herself up with her hands. She slammed her feet into his back and for once, he took the hit. Storm landed face-first on the ground and she stood up on his back, gripping the back of his neck with burning hand, digging her heels into his spine and the fire eating through his clothes. Lifting one foot, she would have pressed his head down into the gravel, but he threw her off balance and she stumbled, falling off to the side. Katherine landed roughly on her back, momentarily winded. This was long enough for him to stand though and for the first time, he used his own magic to cut her down. A strong gust of wind blew over her and she gasped at the chill that broke through her clothes as she was pushed back. She could feel the freeze coming on now, slowly but surely. This was likely the last opportunity she would get to fight back. Her attempts to hide her sudden weakness were weak within and of themselves, she knew he could tell the effect his attack had on her. But still, she stood, bracing herself with a hand on the ground. One long, shaky breath and a shake of her head later, she was up again. Her vision wavered but she blinked it away and stared him down. With her last bit of strength, as she could feel it slowly slipping away, she summoned her wing ability and slashed at him to pose a distraction. He would feel like he was on fire then, but the flames in this were virtually harmless and caused no damage whatsoever. When they were starting to go out, she swung up at him and felt her fist meet his jaw roughly. He was stunned for less than a moment and shoved her back again. This did her in, whether she liked to admit it or not. The wind chilled her to the bone and she was too faint to fight any longer, instead sitting down on her knees with her head hung low. She breathed heavy and with great effort, just trying to keep herself awake.

She was cold. But cold was an understatement. She couldn't move a single muscle, make even a twitch of her finger. Her vision was beginning to go and all that could still be seen were blobs of color, yet even then... They were desaturating rapidly. Needles like those you get when your limbs fall asleep from lack of movement; it was all she could feel aside from the flux in the air around her. A sudden shift and she felt weightless, but that wasn't unusual in these situations. The ringing in her ears was loud and the muffled speech even more so. Someone was talking, but she couldn't hear it, not really. It still hurt though and through her growing vegetative state, her eyebrows drew just slightly closer together. It wouldn't have been too noticable unless someone were watching her closely.

Outwardly, one looking down on her would see something like this; her skin paled to an even sicker white than was normal for the girl, making her appear to be on the verge of death or perhaps already there. Her eyes completely unfocused, unblinking and blank, dull of their usual brightness. Her lips would be bluing and parted, barely a breath passing through them and instead tiny wisps just enough to keep her feeling alive. The girl would be limp, unable to move her own limbs or even feel them.

Something was touching her. She shouldn't have been able to feel it, but because she had that meant she was getting warmth from somewhere. Some of the saturation in the blobs came back, though all that appeared was red. Red, everywhere. It didn't scare her; rather, it was somewhat comforting and she couldn't think far enough to figure out why that was.

Suddenly she heard a voice, loud and clear unlike everything else prior. It was him, and he was close. He was close. As this thought registered, her body temperature made a jump just big enough that she would be able to respond to what he'd asked her. She said one word, breathily and so soft the normal human ear wouldn't be able to hear it: "Heat." The strain of just that alone scraped her throat and she shuddered, now physically aware enough to feel how the cold wind continued to seep through her clothes. Whatever had stopped it from happening before was useless now, Storm's magic having ruined it for her. Using what was left of this sudden energy spike, Katherine said little more. "I need... heat."

Warmth wrapped around her body like a soft fleece blanket, every heated particle seeping in and gathering to wake up her numbed limbs and bring her to life. Slowly but surely, her senses began to put themselves back together and function properly again. Once she felt full, complete, she blinked to clear the lasting blurriness from her comatose state. She was staring up at the ceiling of a tent; her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she sat herself up. Looking around her she would see a fire next to the sleeping bag she'd been laid on. She felt herself relax into its aura, almost wanting to reach out and touch the flames, but she would have been too weak to heal the burns and held herself back. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took in the last of what she needed to feel totally cooperative. It was like feeling a hot river run through her veins, as if her blood were still flowing. Katherine sighed through her nose, a hum of content escaped her throat and then--

Her eyes snapped open as she remembered where she was and she jumped to standing. She ran out of the tent, a risky move really, though just in time to see Storm be brought to a fatal end. She stared out in awe, her mouth hanging in what must have been the most unladylike way. She didn't care. She'd never witnessed anything like what had just occurred before her. The world fell into silence, slowly at first and then suddenly as she registered the figure that stood in front of her. The heat signature was familiar, despite her having only known it for the past few hours. This red dragon, this beast she saw that was unlike anything she'd ever seen with her one operational eye; it was him.

"A-Aemon? What the fuck?" And that was all she had to say about it.

When he turned to face her, her mouth was still hanging open and her body was plagued with a plethora of sensations as it tried to figure out how to feel. She wanted to stop gaping, but she couldn't. She was too surprised, in too much shock to hold herself together. "The soul of a dragon...?!" She squeaked. Katherine was about to say something else, but he continued and then... another voice entirely joined their conversation. It addressed her politely and had she not already been stuck in a state of awe, her jaw would have hit the ground again. Not knowing what else to do she whipped around so her back was facing him and slapped her cheeks. "Holy shit! A dragon? He's got a fucking dragon inside his body?! This is madness, but also kinda badass and really cool and-" The girl froze when she realized she was thinking aloud. Putting her shoulders back to emulate a calm posture, she turned back to face him. "Ah, um, hello... D-ddraig? Ddraig. Well, this is... This is very curious indeed and not at all what I expected. But now I know why you struck me as so odd before. You were talking to him weren't you? Much earlier. Right? Ah, I-I well..." Katherine sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "I have... so many questions." A soft breeze blew past her and she winced. "Damn it... I'm going back in. I'd be glad if you would join me." And with that she turned once more and hurried back into the tent to let herself finish recuperating.

The return of the fire's heat on her person was blissful enough as it was, but when he really did join her, Katherine couldn't help smiling. The beam was one she had no control over, one that reached her eyes and made her cheeks glow pink. He was himself again and to her the sight was comforting as it was something she was more used to. The whole armored deal had definitely awed her, but something human and recognizable was always more... soothing. As he talked she kept silent, just listening to the sound, and let the tips of her fingers touch the flames at their hottest point. It burned, but she kept her smile and pulled back at the last second when he paused in his speech, to open her mouth and speak herself. He cut in and her smile faltered, the tilt in her emotion slightly amplifying the sting that made her fingers throb as they healed. She looked him in the eyes, the fire that separated them reflected in her own as she stared.

How are you feeling?

The question echoed in her head because for some reason, she hadn't expected him to ask. Not many did. Did he... care? The thought made her feel silly. They'd only met that day and known each other for a handful of hours, there was no way... right? By the time she actually composed herself enough to reply, her smile had fallen to nothing but a small quirk at the corners of her lips. "Oh, um... I feel... fine. I feel fine," she said, not fully sure what she was supposed to say. And then she had a thought. "Wait... How did I get here in the first place? Did you...?" She remembered the color red and that subtle warmth before she blacked out, then to wake up in this tent next to this fire. If that was his doing then he must have questions for her as well. Like why she was so sensitive to the cold, maybe even why she said the things she did the way she said them. The air was just thick with mystery, wasn't it?

"You could have left me here, why did you stay?" Katherine asked and leaned forward against her knees.