The only sound was the small bells of water droplets every now and then as I walked through the cavern. It was typical of Jonal to pick a place such as this. A place full of pitch black darkness. My eyes shifted, my cat eyes proving more useful, helping me see in the dark.

A sudden rush of air came through and echoed off the cavern's wall, howling above the distant crashes of the waves of the Rialos Sea. Suddenly, blue light flooded the space, breaking the walls, streaks of blue fire seeping through the cracks, casting a hue over the area long after the wave of bright light disappeared. I touched a vein of the glowing rock, feeling the pulse of power. A simple spell, which manipulated the mineral deposits in the rock walls, causing them to emit light. I smiled, remembering when Master Zchenezzad taught the class how to "make rocks glow" in my first year at the Sorcerer's Globe. Of course, Jonal had tweaked it, being the know-it-all he was during our school years. He would simply determine what major mineral was in the rock, and light that single type, causing "veins" which were more potent and could emit the same amount of light with less exertion of magic.

"Well, you sure haven't lost your touch..." I said, knowing Jonal was there. He is the only person I know who can wield blue fire magic.

There was still no actual movement in the cave. Jon was hiding. Again, typical. I rounded a bend, finding the old ruins. The narrow path opened into a spacious cave with carvings all over the walls in a dialect I could not decipher. A sea tribe used to live in these caves, but that was long before I was born. I don't even think Jonal was born yet.

I lingered there on the outskirts of the space, waiting for a sign of Jonal. If I remembered anything, I figured he would be using a cloaking spell.

"Ladies first," a voice sounded, a deep baritone. Even after so many decades, I would still know that voice anywhere. It was one that gave off the charm of a sword's blade.

"Oh, of course. We can't neglect our manners now, can we," I retorted. Walking out into the center of the ruins, I stopped before one of the broken carved tables. Turning slowly, I searched for his hiding spot.

In a moment a shadowed figure came and stopped a few feet away from me. The blue light from the walls didn't even touch him. Did it really come to this? Cloaking himself in shadows kike he used to do in school?

It made me sad and frustrated. I knew Jonal had stayed in the shadows, hid in his forest, but now he was hiding in his own personal shadows. What has the world come to if one of the oldest Fae is resorting to such means?

"Oh, come now, I am already tired of this," I snapped, raising my palm, shooting out a blinding white light above his head. It hung there in the shape of an orb, and dispersed the shroud of shadows from him.

He stood a head taller than me, almost 6 feet, dressed all in black. His dark hair fell in his icy blue eyes, his delicate pointed ears showing. He stood there with his arms crossed and his head bent, very annoyed at my spell-light.

"Serin, don't push it." His tone was even more deadly than before.

I simply shrugged. "It's not my fault you chose the look of an evil shadow-caster and hate to reveal your true self..."

I got a growl in response.

"Oh my-"

"I dare you to finish."

I gulped. "Apologies...anyways, to the reason we're here..."

"Please get on with it."

I stayed silent for a moment and then took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"Jon, Rhinse is talking of an Empire."

Silence

"Jon?" I couldn't tell what he was thinking - his eyes were glowing with a far off look."Jo-"

"There are only two possible ways for that to actually happen, and one is impossible...Why aren't you telling Iyllian? She is the one in danger, " Jon snarled. His eyes were back to shards of ice and his glare was burning through me.

"She listens to you," I stated. It was true. Illyian and Jonal were cousins. Back in the beginning, Jonal had been like a brother to her and her twin sister, Adtianna. She always spoke highly of him. Still does, even though they haven't spoken in over a century.

"Last I checked you were her most trusted friend and unofficial advisor."

I sighed. "You know as well as I do that Illyan chooses only to see good in people - especially when it comes to Rhinse. That hasn't changed in the past century, nor the last millennia."

Jon groaned. " You expect me to go to the capital and speak with her?"

I smiled. "Yes!" Finally some normality.

"No."

My face fell. "What?! Why?"

" I chose to stay in my realm at the beginning of all this. This is where I will stay." Jon squared his shoulders, solidifying his answer.

I couldn't believe this. Not giving up so easily, I spoke again, with more conviction, " Iyllian needs you right now. You would give her some much needed stability, power, and advice." Jon needed to get over his millennia old stubbornness. This was fatally serious.

Jon turned away. "I already gave my answer. I refuse to meddle with affairs of the Capital."

He said it with such determination, that I felt the licks of ice and fire on my skin. Jonal had not changed in the past seven centuries. If he believed something was right, he would not change course...not until everything went fatally wrong. It wasn't helping that he was usually right. But not on this. Rhinse would only stop his plans if the great King of Anolia came out of Skellin forest and made him run back to his Mountains. He always was and always will be terrified of Jonal. That has been proven over and over again.

But I also knew there was nothing more I could say that would change his mind right now. "You're the most powerful man in Teltorra, and you choose to hide in your forest...fine. Hide. I wonder what Rhinse will think of that," I said, letting him sit on it. Time would do more than me arguing with him. I started walking away, looking back once more before I stood in the shadows of the pathway.

"This world could be so much different if you only helped it...I may have caused this curse, but know I regret the world it's made...Iyllian needs your help to fix this, just as much as I do, and just as much as every single person under this curse's power...don't let Rhinse abuse it anymore than he already has."

And with that I left.