ÐÏà¡±áÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿRÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ their mind, waiting to see how Flame would take this news. Weary resignation filled her, and she turned the page to see if Flash had any more to reveal. There was only one entry left. "...Dimitry is dead, leaving only Levi left to carry the torch, damn the inept cub. He'll get his, and I'll get my peace. The vision was cloudy, but I understand. Till then I'll be patient, train the good, kill the bad that pass through my salle...and hope that whoever does the deed is kind enough to tell my kin that I went down honorable like." Flame closed the book, running hand over the cover again. A sigh gusted from her, as she went over once again the information she had gleaned from the journal. Suddenly she sat up, something in the far reaches of her memory sparking. Rushing back to the shelf, she pulls down a large tome, almost black with age and layers of soot. Being careful to only wipe her hands on her pants, Flame opened the cover of Forge Quickning's lengthy journal. Careful not to smudge the thick pages, Flame scanned through, looking for a passage in particular, the glimmer of memory nudging her faster. Thinking she'd passed it by already, she was about to go back and try again, when she turned a last page, and was rewarded. "...my sister recently had a run in with a Black Elf carrying a sword bearing powers similar to our own. When Gale tried to use her Air Gift against him, she found that she was blocked from the source of her power, and that the Black Elf, using his sword, was a master of Earth and Water. Grasping the situation quickly, she attacked, managed to slash the Elf's face, and ran while he was blinded by blood in his eyes. In relating the story to me, I have found an intense desire to work within my forge. There is something I need to make..." Flame noted that the handwriting became sort of chaotic near the end of the passage, and the entries did not pick up for a few pages. But finally they did. "It is with a weary hand that I relate this...I did it. I forged a weapon that is the match for those Black Blades, as I have begun calling them. Within the steel I shaped, I inbued a fraction of the Element of Air, so that Gale will have a link unbreakable by those sword banes. A note of interest, when our mother tried to use the sword I had made, all she could feel was "the power coiled inside", as she put it. Perhaps my intent when I made the sword caused it to perform for only one person. I shall have to experiment..." A smile curled Flame's lips as she read the section. She knew what Wind's Razor...Storm's Razor was in truth. It helped...a little. Going over to a small alcove, Flame picked up two carefully wrought protective satchels for the books. Placing the treasures within, she walked out of the Library. She wasn't sure if she could every say what was necessary to Storm's face, but perhaps these books would do it for her. By the Fire that Changes...she hoped so. ð8 We should be working out, to be strong, get the rest of this weakness out of our body.~ Warrior sounded cross, irritated at her forced idleness. Flame took it as a sign that good health was returning. All patients started to complain when they were getting better. "We're here because there is something I want to look up." Here was the Quickning Library. Hidden away in the bowels of a mountain, it was the collected journals, and magickal items of the Quickning line for many generations. Someday, her own journal would adorn a shelf, knowledge for a younger generation to use. Kindling a light to see by, she went to the shelves, the multi-colored spines sitting stately before her, a rainbow parade of history. There was a particular one she was looking for, one that she had not yet the gathered the courage to read. The red and gold spine stood at the end of a lower shelf, fire runes running along its length. With a gentle and reverent hand, Flame pulled the tome down, and found a place to read. ~Is this going to take long? I'm getting hungry.~ In response to Warrior's complaint, their stomach grumbled, causing Flame to sigh. "If you leave me in peace for just a little while, I promise we'll go out hunting. But I need to know something, need to find out of this journal will tell me...so just hush up and let me read, will you?" She smirked as she heard the tiny growl of ascent, the only sign that Warrior would give that she would follow Flame's orders. "Thank you, I'll try not to take all day." A grunt was the only answer that Flame got. She ran her fingers over the leather cover, the indents of the name still deep, as this journal was not as old as some of the others. She mouthed the name, still not quite ready to open the cover, something keeping her from wanting to know... "Flash Aziel Quickning: The Long and the Quick of it." The pun in the title made her chuckle slightly, and lightened her mood just enough to open the cover. Several hours later, Flame stared at the pages of the journal, a ghastly look in her emerald eyes. Over and over the passages she read, not quite believing what she was saw... "...and in time I learned to recognize the feel of a vision coming upon me. Always it would take my normal sight away, and always it would come to pass. When I had seen the Quickning to come, that would free us from the bonds of slavery, I knew that I had to be the one to train her. And to live that long, I had to take the bite...I think she'd be smart enough to forgive me...at least I hope so." Flash had known she was coming, and had trained her on purpose. It was a concept that changed something very fundamental within her, within her and Warrior both, about the Quickning teacher. But that was just the beginning. "This is by far the most potent vision I have ever seen. The Quickning that would save us from extinction at the hands of the Black Elves. Bloody bastards, don't know when to leave well enough alone... There will be a Quickning, mistress of Wind and Wave, who will wield a magickal weapon, to free a friend. The friend will carry the seed that will give birth to a Quickning immune to the efforts of the Black Elves..." She had served her purpose. She had been the liberator, and now could only sit back and watch. Not even the love of her life was free from the effects of the Quickning Gift. It was a comfort to know that perhaps she'd have a child by Thorne. But there was no guarantee. Flash didn't state who would mother this Lyeazic proof child. Warrior had grown quiet while Flame had read, emerging enough to look through their eyes. As the pages turned, her grumblings ceased, and now she hovered, near the back of]‘¯«©§¥£¡Ÿ›™—•“‘]