Making Amends and Finding Solutions

Kyran paced in front of the library of Clover Town. Usually a feeling of curiosity and excitement would have had him in its grips. Instead, there was only a feeling of dread. It had been a little while since Kyran had seen his girlfriend, Gaia. They hadn't exactly parted in the best of ways. They had fought a crazy snow witch with Yona. Then Ahriman had stolen control of the body from Kyran and attacked Gaia. It had been the worst way to reveal the fact that Kyran played host to a few measly demons. MEASLY?! Who are you calling measly demons?! Medea pouted. There was a strange urge to pet her. Medea could fluctuate between cute and mean. Today seemed to be a cute day. Erebos was similar. He could fluctuate between fun and dangerous. It was the other two that brought Kyran to Clover Town to find a solution. Malinda and Ahriman were a problem. Kyran needed desperately to curb their ability to influence him.

There was a rumor he had heard during his travels about a angelic requip magic. Presumably it had the power to seal demons within its weapons for a short time. Even a short respite would be a welcome change form the constant agony he was in dealing with the demons. It was stressful to even try to sleep most days. With his separation from Tolgalen due to his brother, the stress was getting worse everyday. He needed interaction with his friends or at least his guildmates. He was glad he could call upon Gaia. She offered him a much needed respite. He was hoping they could research this magic together before heading out to acquire it. Not the most romantic of dates but Kyran was trying.

The letter Kyran had sent to Gaia had contained his iLac identification number. He had also asked her to be at Clover Town at noon, both for a much needed talk and asking for her help. Kyran hoped he wouldn't get a message on his iLac saying they were through. Too many times people had turned away from him because he was a monster. He wanted one person to see past that. Just one person. That was why he was nervously pacing in front of the library a full two hours before noon. His fingernails were nearly gone bitten down to the nub. He didn't usually bit ehis fingernails but he hadn't been able to help it this time. Calm down. There are plenty of pretty girls around. Look there goes one now. Go talk to her and I bet she'll have you forgetting about Gaia in a sex-ond...I mean second. Kyran groaned hoping Gaia would want to appear early. He would rather listen to her voice then any of his demons.

WC: 466

Gaia had been rather upset since the date that Kyran had decided to ditch her and Yona at the ice cream parlor and didn't even come to face her. After what happened, Gaia hadn't felt in the mood for ice cream, and offered her iLac number to the other mage before she had noticed Kyran's bag still at the place. She had grabbed it, but hadn't looked inside of it as she wasn't a nosy person and held it in her home till Kyran sent her a letter. She put down his number in hers, but she didn't know what to text him, as she was still rather upset about the attempted ice cream date, but she did make her way towards Clover Town via train.

When Gaia finally made it to Clover town, she was wearing a black and pink halter-top dress with a wing collar and a red cape over it. She wore black leggings with pink tie's at the top, and a pair of dull, dark pink booties. Noya was in her usual spot around her shoulders as Gaia held her staff, and both her own bag, as well as Kyran's in her arms as she made her way to the library. The train had been a little late, so she had finally messaged him saying that the number was hers, and that she was late due to the train being delayed. She noticed him in front of the library and walked right up to him with her lips pursed out as she raised an eyebrow to him. When she showed up, it was only five minutes past noon. She didn't entirely know what to say to him, and didn't trust herself to have a good attitude as she was still upset. She glanced down to his bag and let her face go back to relatively normal as she held it out to him. "You left that at the ice cream shop... I never looked inside it. I don't think that's something I should go through without permission." She tells him as she takes a deep breath. At least she said something.

She had noticed his nails, and clearly had something on her mind. She then growls quietly to herself as she puts a hand on her hip as she gripped her staff and fixed her bag onto her side. "What happened at the ice cream shop?" She asks rather bluntly. She felt she at least deserved an answer to that after what happened there. Noya looked up to Kyran, she wanted to know as well with how Gaia had been kind of angry at him after he went after her.

Kyran very nearly ran to Gaia when he saw her. However, his doubt caused him to stop. What if she was really angry with him? Could he have possibly ended the greatest thing that had ever happened to him? Maybe he could crawl back to Sylvia, see what she was doing. Stop being a pussy. That's my job. Medea hissed at him. Get over there and stand up like a fucking man! Did someone mention fucking? I can get behind that. Or you can get behind me. I- Medea slapped Malinda and the two got into a cat fight. Or a snake versus cat fight anyway. Kyran grimaced putting a hand to his head. Why did they always have to act like this? Medea's verbal slap got Kyran moving though. He could see Gaia was upset as the distance between them closed. He couldn't really blame her. Thought the urge to kiss her was great, Kyran restrained himself. Now was not the time.

Taking his bag from her, Kyran made a face. "Thank you but the only thing in here was a gift for you." He fished the fourth Dark Phoenix trilogy from the bag. Hesitantly, Kyran held them out to her. "Also, what is mine is yours, Gaia. You have my permission to look through anything of mine."   If she didn't take them, Kyran looked sad and moved to sit on a bench. If she did take them, Kyran smiled broadly. He gently took her hand before leading her to a bench.

"Sit please. This isn't exactly easy for me to talk about. It's something you need to know but..." The terror on Kyran's face was clear. The fear of losing her even though he wasn't sure where they were going with this, had put a cage upon his tongue. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should have told you off the get go. I don't know. I've never done this relationship..." His hand twirled in the air as he searched for a word. "...thing." Kyran finished lamely. Seeing Claudia at the ice cream shop had shaken his confidence in himself. She had messed with his mind the entire time. Would what they had had even count as a relationship? Kyran looked over at Gaia before burying his face in his hands. "What happened at the ice cream shop was a total loss of control. And I don't mean in the usual sense. You see I have four demons in my head." Kyran turned his face toward Gaia so she could see his eyes. "Erebos, Medea, Malinda, and Ahriman." His eyes changed as each name was spoken. This was humiliating but Kyran pushed himself forward. "I have little to no control over all of them. Sometimes when I feel highly emotional, they push their way into control of my body. That's what happened at the ice cream shop." Kyran paused to let Gaia absorb what he'd told her and to ask questions if she needed to.

WC: 495
Total: 961

Kyran blinked at Gaia's first question. Could the demons influence his thoughts? He had no idea. They could influence his emotions or nudge his thoughts but was that the same thing? Kyran didn't know and he wasn't sure he wanted to. If the demons could influence his thoughts, it was all that more important to find this demon sealing magic. "I don't know... they're separate entities that share my body. It is possible that they can influence my thoughts in a limited manner but from my experience, they can only nudge my thoughts. I have to already be aligned with what they want me to do. Otherwise, they have to take control in order to do what they want." Kyran reached out to cover her hand. He was trusting her with this. That was a huge step for him. Gaia didn't know how hard it was to hand this piece of himself to her. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. It's... not easy for me to trust people. Nearly every time I've placed my trust in someone, I've gotten my heart smashed to a pulp."

Gaia standing up took Kyran by surprise. However, it was her calling the demons silly that brought out the strangest reaction. The demons clamored in his head, each protesting being called silly. Kyran however, simply laughed. It was a laugh of one who hadn't had a good laugh in a long time. A joyful sound that usually brightened the day of those who heard it. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Gaia. His lips brushed against her temple. "Thank you." He whispered, realizing he had needed that laugh. The past weeks of building stress seemed to have dropped away. Kyran pulled back but only enough so he could see her face. "I wasn't laughing at you, Gaia. People don't tend to call the demons silly after seeing them." He smiled broadly. It was probably best to address her questions before she became irritated with him. "My apology isn't going to stop so easily, Gaia. I have a lot to make up for. Ruining the date, leaving without explaining, letting Ahriman off the leash even if it was by accident." Kyran resisted the urge to brush back her hair.

"You did a modeling gig?" He asked softly looking into her eyes. His gaze was intense full of appreciation and what might have been the flickerings of love. "And you brought pictures for me?" Oh I hope they're XXX. Seeing that body on display would be... Malinda made a noise that Kyran did not like at all. He struggled to keep his expression happy. The fact that Gaia had wanted to share something like that with him made Kyran feel fuzzy inside. Malinda was not going to ruin that. "Do I still get the pictures or did I ruin my chance to receive them?" Kyran asked. It wouldn't be the first time a 'reward' had been taken after a limited time but this one would make Kyran especially sad. He was solely responsible for losing it with his running away.

"I asked for your help because of the demons, yes. You love books nearly as much as I do. I need to find information on a magic that can temporarily remove the demons from my body. Everything I've fond regarding permanently removing them seems to point to my death." Kyran gently brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheeks. "I found something worth living for. I'd rather not die to deal with these demons." He wanted to kiss her. Badly. This time he couldn't blame Malinda for anything either. Gaia was worming her way past all his safeguards over his heart. It was only a matter of time before he handed it to her. Kyran hoped she wouldn't stab it as many others had. "I understand if you don't want to help me with this, Gaia. Just say the word. We'll continue through my apology and when you're on your way, I'll slog through the books to find the answer. You are under no obligation to stay and help me. However..." Somehow, Kyran's lips were hovering over Gaia's. Her breath was mingling with his. The desire to kiss her was overwhelming. How did his heroes deal with this situation again? Some would tease. Some would brutally take what they wanted. Others would pull away and deny themselves. Kyran stuck with teasing. "I'd be grateful if you helped me. I might even hand over the rest of the Dark Phoenix series. Or we could go on a rather pleasant date after a day of hard work. Your choice."

WC: 775
Total: 1,736

"Sounds like you had quite the time at the modeling gig. You'll have to tell me all about it." Kyran searched her face for some clue to how she was really feeling. He was too used to Gaia being an open book with her feelings. "The demons... you'll learn about them today. Of that, you can be sure. I think knowing everything about them that I know, will help you deal with them in the future." It seemed wise to not comment upon her feeling awkward. He had messed up bringing Yona last second. Lesson learned. If bringing someone along, have it planned well in advance.

Kyran managed to school his expression into something like apologetic when she talked about accidents. "That's why I need to learn this magic. It'll help me control the demons better and therefore reduce accidents." It perked him up when he realized something. "Does this mean I'll be seeing your house?" His voice got husky, dripping with desire. "The inside of it?" Kyran wasn't sure where that was coming from. He was constantly blaming Malinda for most of his reactions. It was possible they were coming from him alone. That was a scary thought. Gaia had awoken something Kyran long thought dead. That left an uncomfortable feeling behind.

A deep laughter bubbled out from Kyran's lips at Gaia's reaction. "Don't stick your tongue out unless you plan to use it." He teased snagging her chin. "Let me show you." His tongue touched her neck, drawing a line toward her jaw. His lips brushed lightly over her jaw. Kyran left his lips near Gaia's ear, whispering as he spoke. "You drive a hard bargain, milady. I acquiesce your request. One condition only. Our date is about learning more about each other. He pulled back to look into her eyes. "I don't know enough about you and I've been holding too much back from you." Kyran lowered his head. His hands were cupping Gaia's cheeks. If she allowed it, Kyran kissed her slowly, thoroughly.

Once Kyran felt satisfied, he pulled back. "Shall we go into the library, baby?" There was a brief pause. A feeling of forgetting something permeated Kyran, freezing him to the spot. "Oh!" He snapped his fingers grabbing a small package out of his pocket. "Here is some spiced meat for Noya." A small piece was offered to Noya. The package itself was handed to Gaia. Once the ferret accepted or rejected the offering, Kyran marched into the library. He was determined to find this magic. "We can start in the ancient myths and legends section or the ancient history. The overlap in the two should help us find where the magic is supposed to be." Kyran said looking back where he hoped Gaia would be. He wasn't sure if his girlfriend was the type to wander off in a library.

WC: 478
Total: 2,214

Gaia's sarcastic answer to his attempt at flirting brought a smile to Kyran's face. His eyes widened at her squeaky sentence. "Is that how it works? I thought one had to either demand information or coerce it out of people." His tone conveyed that he was completely serious and not joking. He felt as if he had never gotten any information for free. Kyran peered down at her when she accused him of being confusing. "I don't understand what you mean, baby. How am I confusing you? Am I doing something wrong?" His voice sounded sad, his expression was sad. Kyran hated the idea that he was doing something wrong and hurting Gaia.

Gaia's questions about his nicknames caused Kyran to blush. "Friends gave them to me. One friend, Advent, misunderstood something I said. That's where Key comes from. Yona is the only one who calls me Bear and I would prefer if she didn't. She got fairly drunk after a job and spilled a few things I'm sure she wouldn't have otherwise. I didn't know where her room was so I brought her back to mine. When I tried to sleep on the floor, Yona yanked me back onto the bed and treated me like her teddy bear." Kyran made a face. "I wish she had forgotten the entire thing. I really don't like that nickname. It's too intimate and I have no feelings like that for her." Kyran looked at Gaia. "I only feel like that for you."

Kyran looked at the magic section. He was sick and tired of it. For days, he'd scoured it for clues. Nothing had led him to where the magic should be. "I've searched that section top to bottom. The most I found was the general region where the magic was and its name: Salvator Alitis. You may find something I missed though. Go. Look. I'll grab a few books from the history and myths sections and join you." Kyran kissed her cheek before hurrying along. He was back within thirty minutes his arms full of books. He was pretty happy with the selections he'd gotten. The Tower and the Moon was a rare find as was the Angel's Advent and The Mountain of Cold. Hopefully all these books plus the others he'd grabbed would help him find what he was looking for quickly. Kyran looked around for Gaia hoping she hadn't gone too far. These books were getting heavy.

WC: 408
Total: 2,622

Kyran rubbed the back of his neck when she questioned where he'd lived. "I had very few positive social interactions until I met Adalinda." Kyran muttered, looking away. He was constantly messing up socially, he knew it. Having Gaia point it out made him feel absolutely awful. That was until she mumbled an explanation in his ear. Then he was kind of glad he had messed up. A stupid grin was spread across his face. It was probably best to clasp her to him before responding. His hand shot up to keep Gaia from moving her head. "Maybe you've changed my mind on sex. It still terrifies me but I want to give it a shot with you." Risking his balls for Gaia was worth it. Maybe she wouldn't be as vicious as Claudia had been. There wasn't a prayer that she'd give him sex like those in his books. That was pure fantasy.

Kyran's eyes widened as Gaia placed the books in front of him and informed him of what she had found. When she was finished, Kyran picked her up bridal style. He spun them around, laughing happily. There was a way out! A way to control the demons when they went out of control. This wonderful woman had found it! Kyran showered kisses down upon her face. His barrage ended in setting her back in her chair. "If the trial really is in the Phoenix Mountains then I have the info we need on the trial and possibly where it is, precisely." He opened The Mountain of Cold super excited at what he thought things were. "There is a legend in here that refers to a mountain that's impassible guarded by, get this, a tribe of angel warriors." Kyran looked over at Gaia. "I never would have thought about it without your information. That impassible mountain is probably where the magic is." Kyran picked up the Angel's Advent. "There's another legend in this book that speaks of fighting an angelic being atop a mountain that was neigh impossible to climb. Again only thought of it because of your brilliant information." Kyran rubbed his nose against Gaia's. "Thank you. Now I have a tangible lead to follow. We have a tangible lead."

WC: 375
Total: 2,997

Kyran's  brow furrowed as Gaia asked about Adalinda. "She's...uh...she's... I'm not sure what description fits her to be honest. I don't know what a friend is and I don't want to use the wrong description for her." With the new revelations he was having, Kyran wasn't sure exactly where Adalinda fell. Was she a friend? An acquaintance? Someone he used to know? Just a guildmate? It was impossible to tell. Not until he talked to her again and Kyran had a feeling it would be a long time before that happened. While he thought about the dragon slayer, there was a troubled look on his face.

Gaia's assertion that the test was new confused Kyran. There were clear signs that a test was required for the magic from well before now. "Perhaps the Murifri Wafaiors added a secondary test to prove someone was worthy. Or there is another piece to the puzzle we're missing. Whichever it is, we'll find out when we find them." Kyran kissed Gaia before sweeping up the books he had brought. It didn't take him long to put them away. This was exciting. Kyran was surprised the demons weren't protesting more. Prodding them, he was surprised to find them asleep. Did Gaia send them to sleep? Or was something else at play here? Kyran gently took Gaia's hand when he was back at her side. "Shall we go then, baby? Or maybe you can teach me more lewd acts to embarrass you with in public?" His teeth flashed in a mischievous grin.  

WC: 257
Total: 3,254

Continued in Part 2