Harnio looked around him in confusion. "I thought I was on a vessel before... Why am I standing in this?" He lifted his hand to touch it and felt it move around his hand. He looked at his hand frowning. "Why do I still do that, even though I can't touch it?"
He bent over and looked at it, kicking it with his feet. "It's like I'm in a cloud... It feels peaceful..." He took a long breath smelling the area he was in. "Water in the air... This must be some sort of cloud... Interesting..." He stood up and started to walk around in the cloud. "I don't think I'm dead or anything... Maybe this is in my mind like my palace?"
He walked through the clouds and looked up as colorful lights swam through the clouds. He stopped and watched as they raced each other around the cloud, causing it to change shape. He smiled. "That cloud looks like a face... That one looks like my hammer... and that one looks like..." He paused and stared at the cloud. "I've seen this before... But where?" He stared at it. His mind racing through his palace for the answer. He shook his head in frustration. "Why can't I remember where I saw this? I remember everything else of my life, except for this." He cursed.
"Wake up... Harnio... Wake up."
"Get the fire eater... He's starting to wake."
"step, step, step, step."
Harnio opened his eyes and looked around the cot he was in with his heart racing. "Step back... Give him some space." He felt his heart start to relax as the familiar figure of the firewarrior and the priestess came into view.
"Harnio what happened?" He shook his head. "No idea... I felt pressure from whatever was inside that cloud, and it caused me to faint... I think." He looked down and rubbed his head.
"Did you feel anything from the cloud? Anything at all?" Harnio shook his head. "Nothing comes to mind... I just felt tired and my mind went blank."
"Its fine now Harnio... The cloud has gone, and we're still sailing on the Princess... If you want you can get some air up on the deck?" Harnio nodded and sat up vanishing from their eyes.
He stepped on the top of the crows nest and stood with his hands out feeling the wind on his face frowning. "What was that?"
"Ahhhh..." He clutched his head in pain. "Why can't I remember what it was?" He looked in another direction, and felt the pain in his head lessen. "That's strange... Whatever was in that cloud is causing me immense pain... Why?"
He looked at the moons and sighed. "Blacksmith... I miss you, and need your help." He looked at the clouds, watching as they changed shape around him in silence.
"What are you doing up here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with your friends?" Harnio turned around and stared at the blacksmith in surprise. "You're dead. How can you be talking to me?"
"You saw death... So, you can see me now... I've been following you around... I have been worried, but that statue of me and my family... I thank you." Harnio felt tears fall down his face. "Don't cry my little brother..."
"I missed youuuuu..." Harnio couldn't help himself. Tears just continued to fall. He wiped them with his hands looking up at the transparent blacksmith. "I saw death?"
"Yes... That's why you can hear and see me now." Harnio nodded and sniffed wiping away the last tears. "I'm sorry... I couldn't keep you safe."
"That wasn't your fault... It was our time... Don't dwell on it, and go support your friends as you supported me and my family." Harnio shook his head. "They'll be there, and I'll see them later... Right now I want to ask questions."
He saw the blacksmith sigh. "Fine... I'll answer what I can... If its about things I don't know I won't answer." Harnio nodded. "Do you mean when I was in that cloud I saw death?"
"Yes... That was death..." Harnio nodded. "Where did I see that before?"
"Don't you remember, this is the second time you've seen death... The first time was on top of the tower, it was the reason why you fell." Harnio felt the scar on his stomach. "The one who gave me this?" He saw the blacksmith nod. "Yes... Correct."
"Why do you call them death?"
"Because where ever they go, they bring death... That's a strange question, especially from you." Harnio smiled. "Will I always be able to see you?" He frowned as the blacksmith shook his head. "This isn't my place now... I must go back to where I came from... I'm not a spark, so I'm no longer trapped..." Harnio nodded.
"You should listen to your older brother... Go see them... Your new friends, they seem like a good bunch of people. You need them, as they need you... Farewell little brother."
Harnio watched as the figure of the blacksmith faded he turned and looked at where the cloud headed to. "I must say thanks for letting me see him again... I'll uncover who you really are death... I refuse to call you that name, as I'm the storm demon... A hunter of death"
"Hahahahahha!"
"Harnio... Are you fine up there?" He stopped laughing and looked down at the deck of the Princess. He floated down and stood in front of them, staring at the deck. "Harnio... What happened up there? All we heard was you talking to yourself, and than you started laughing."
He nodded. "Yes... I just saw death, and I told death that I'm the storm demon. Demons don't die... They hunt."
"What are you talking about?" Harnio scratched his head smiling. "I'm fine... Just as I said, I remember who made me have my accident, and I plan to return the favor... I still have to thank them for this hammer... Its a lot nicer than it was before."
"If he says he's fine, than he's fine... Just give him some space, and he'll be back to his normal self." Harnio nodded. "Really, I'm fine..." He looked up.
"Harnio... Your eyes... What happened?" He looked at the priestess in confusion. "What do you mean, there's nothing wrong with my eyes."
"Harnio... They've changed color... They're gray... Your eyes are the same color as storm clouds..." He smiled. "It fits my name after all... It seems I really am becoming a storm demon." He looked around at the people staring at him and felt his heart start racing. "I'm fine... Please stop staring..." He turned and walked to the stern of the Princess, and stood at the railing watching the water pass around them.
"Don't mind them Harnio... They're just concerned after you fainted and all... I know you're fine. I can smell it on you... But also I can smell that you've become stronger somehow." Harnio nodded and looked at the bottle in Cliffhopper's hand. "Yes... I feel stronger... I know who I really have to protect and keep safe."
"That's a good thing little brother... I also have someone I want to protect and keep safe..." Harnio smiled. "You mean people?"
"Hahahahaha... You're right. She's not just one person anymore. There's another." He watched as Cliffhopper stood next to him watching the water pass under the Princess. "To keep them safe, its worth any cost." Harnio nodded. "I agree with you. If I have to be a demon to keep people safe, than that's what I have to do."
"They just called you that because they were scared of you." Harnio nodded. "Because, they were scared, they didn't hurt anyone."
"I see... Well as long as your my little brother, and little uncle, you'll have more people to keep safe." Harnio nodded and looked up at Cliffhopper in confusion. "How do I be an uncle? I've never been one before?"
"Hahahaha... I'm not sure... You'll have to ask Drummen. He seems to know all about that." Harnio nodded. "I'll go and ask him all about being a good uncle... I have another person to keep safe." He looked at Cliffhopper. "Is the color of my eyes a bad thing?"
"No... Color of eyes, just shows something that you can see, no one else can... With your head in the storms... Maybe you just see something we don't?" Harnio nodded and looked up at the sea smiling. "You're right Cliffhopper. There are things that I can see, which others can't... Those things make me feel sad, that I wasn't around to keep them safe." He turned and looked at the direction where the cloud went frowning. "That thing... hurt many... I wasn't able to protect... I'll protect them, so they can go home..."
"Hahahaha... You sometimes say the strangest things little brother... But I like that about you. You're much smarter than I am, but I can see you have passion and desire to be a guard, and make sure that those around you are safe." He smiled, watching Cliffhopper drink wine from his pouch. "Come... Let's go back to the others... I'm sure they're worried about you and all the words you mentioned."
Harnio nodded. "Yes... You're probably right. Give me a moment, and I'll join them in a moment. I just want to look over here a little more." He turned and looked out over the water. "That's fine... I'll let them know your fine, and will see them soon."
Harnio waved his hand ignoring Cliffhopper and stared out over the water. "It seems I can see you... You have nothing to fear from me... I'll keep you safe so that you can go back home." He waved at the thousands of floating figures across the sea. "No one is going to turn you into sparks... Not when I'm a guard." He wrote in the air, and smiled watching the the floating figures started to fade away. "Go in peace..."
He turned and walked back to the others pretending not to look at him. "Harnio, what were you doing back there." He looked at his feet smiling. "I helped some people go home."
"What are you talking about? You haven't been making sense for a while now." Harnio nodded. "I know, but have you ever wondered about sparks?"
"Sparks?" Harnio turned and looked at the firewarrior. "I see..."
"Harnio... What do you mean you see? Can you see her?"
"Her? What are you talking about Stannir? I don't see anybody."
"It's his eyes... He was laughing about death... I think he can see things we no longer can." Harnio nodded at the priestess. "So, a spark is something that was created by the energy of the creator, and something else... I can see the something else, which means I can see sparks."
He watched as the firewarrior walked up to him. "I have one question... Can you see her?" Harnio nodded. "I can see her, and also hear her... She must of gone through torture throughout her life to be in that state..."
"Do you know who she is?" Harnio nodded. "I know who she is... I think if people saw the statues, they would also recognize her." Harnio looked at the firewarrior in the eyes. "After we became a guard, we walked in a hallway full of statues... Do you remember that?" He watched as the firewarrior nodded. "Those statues were the past guards of the Supreme, and of Athlos."
He watched as the firewarrior took a step back with shock on his face. "You mean she was..." Harnio nodded. "Yes she was, and also she was brutally tortured... After that, she was forced into that state... The only way for her survival was to find someone compatible for survival... She found you, and you found her. Both intertwined until death."
"Are you able to make her physical again?" Harnio shook his head. "That's something I can't do... That relies on you." Harnio smiled and lowered his head feeling his face becoming red. "Sorry... That's the longest I ever looked at someone directly..."
He turned around staring at the mast. "Keep her safe firewarrior... She needs you, just as you need her..." He took a step and stood once again on the top of the mast staring into the distance.