Impatience (Garden)

[»Míríel«]

The smell of flowers and their delicate beauty was lost on the elf lady that was walking through the vast garden. She didn’t care where she went in here. Her hands ached for something to do. Her fingers itched to feel the sword in her hand, to feel the wind in her hair as Calanon brought her into a fight. Yet here she was, idle.

Her slender hands shook still from the incident of seeing the raw and unrestrained power of Kalos. Her eyes closed as she clutched them. She felt cold and weak. So much had happened in one day. Her emotions went from heaven to hell in one day, her power had been drained and then replenished. Clutching one hand with the other she thought to herself. “Axel, do be careful….” Her eyes opened to see the endless skies around her. Stars stood out like diamonds, yet they seemed dimmer than they usually did. In fact the whole place seemed dull without Axel. It seemed as though the light felt her sorrow and dimmed their brightness for her.

Her pale skin seemed so pure as she continued to walk through the garden. To a person walking by it would seem as though she was enjoying their beauty. Her fingers brushed and stroked the petals, and she seemed to pause to stare at a couple. Yet if you stood there you would notice that her movements were stiffer than usual. The place darker and her touch had no feeling. That is until she came to a cherry tree. Its leaves had not yet come into bloom, instead they were bare and the sign of life was scattered on the ground. Here the maiden stopped as she gazed at its lifeless looking limbs. Her hand reached up and touched the bark softly, gently, before she leaned against the tree. Flashes of Axel came to her mind. His strong yet gentle touch, the way his face lighted up when he was spinning her through the air.

Without warning her back stiffened and she stood up again. “If I don’t stop I’m going to go mad.” It was true, her mind was imagining the worst possible things that Axel could be enduring at the hand of Kalos. It seemed as though an eternity had passed since she had last seen Axel, when in reality it had only been a few moments.

Nothing about this place diverted her attention. The place seemed to echo with emptiness. Raphael was probably somewhere, taking care of matters on the other world. Dai and the other guardians were out doing something. A feeling of utter hopeless uselessness descended on Miriel as she looked up again at the stars. “My place isn’t here.. my place is down on the other world doing something, helping out Raphael and Axel.” How softly Axel’s name came off her lips. It almost was as if she hadn’t said it but that the wind had whispered it.

Her blue eyes searched the stars for an answer, yet none came. “If he’s not back in a while.. I’m going to go look for him.” She searched the stars again for a sign of approval, but the heavenly beings did not answer. They just shed their light like normal. Miriel’s eyes closed her eyes and rocked back and forth on her feet. She didn’t know what to do if Raphael came back. Should she tell him, or act like nothing was happening.
“Oh Axel, do be careful..” She whispered gently again, only those close could hear, and barely at that.

Her usually bright features were darkened slightly by the shadow of worry. She wish she could have just stood up to Axel and told him that she was coming with him no matter what. After all wouldn’t it be safer for the both of them? She would be protected by him, and he would have someone else at his side to fight off Kalos. Yet she had decided to go, she couldn’t have done anything else, not with him looking at her that way.

[aidyn]

What a fool Axel was. Thinking he could hide his lover in a universe more familiar to Kalos than most anywhere else! How arrogant. However, he probably knew Axel better than anyone. He had been literally within that man's dark, tortured mind once before. The motives were understandable.

Pushing those frivilous thoughts aside, Kalos sifted through the gardens as nothing more than a dark shadow. He watched the elf girl's every movement, every action. He did not plan on going after her, not just yet. He would first make them all go mad with the suspense of waiting for his attack. Enemies driven into insanity were much easier to dispose of. He would first hint at a plan of action repeatedly, clues so obvious that you would have to be without a head not to worry about. Then, he would wait. He would wait until every last one of them cracked like a ceramic pot, ever so slowly heating up on a bed coals. He would drive them all wild with suspense and apprehension that they would be at their wit's end. Once completed, then he would strike.

He would hold Axel down, rip his eyelids off if he had to. He would make him watch every moment of every injury he bestowed upon this girl. He would make him listen to her cries of agony, send them echoing through his head for the rest of his miserable life. He smiled at the thought. What a pleasant ending for Axel's not-so-pleasant lifetime. He was just thinking of the possibilities as he continued to watch her with interest. It made him giddy with glee, just thinking about the despair that would be bestowed upon Axel's scarred features. How he would shout out for him to stop, plead for Miriel's life. No longer would he hold any sympathy for the pathetic creature. Playtime had ended long ago.

The pugnant scent of the flowers around him made him sick. He felt like burning them, all of them. Watching them all fall to a blackened, lifeless crisp. But he couldn't; not now, at least. It would give his hiding place away. So for now, he tolerated their flowery, happy scents. This mission could not go awry. It was crucial to his entire plot. His murderous, guiltless, despairing plot.

[»Míríel«]

A sigh came from Miriel's mouth as she looked down. Reaching out she touched a flowers petals gently, softly. Suddenly something within her made her feel nervous. It was as if, something was watching. The hairs on the back of her neck stiffened as a tingles were sent down her spine. "It's just nerves miriel.. only nerves." She sighed again and straightened up. The feeling didn't leave her.

Turning her head she looked around slowly, casually as if she was just observing the surroundings. The air seemed denser than before. "How strange.." She turned back to the path and continued on for a bit. Her eyes shifted nervously from side to side every once in a while. Stopping abruptly she closed her eyes and thought to herself, "Quiet. it's nothing. You are just tired and strained with worry. No one is here. right? Right." She opened them when a dark shadow seemed to flit in the corner of her eyes. Her body whirled around as she gazed around her nervously. "Playing games are we?" She scoffed slightly as she ooked around. If no one was here, no one would hear this. So did it really matter? "Show yourself!" no answer. "Well then.."Holding out her hands toward the sky it seemed as though one of the stars was glowing brighter than the others. It's light suddenly shot down from it and bathed the whole garden in a pure clear white.

[aidyn]

Kalos cringed at the sudden burst of light, engulfing the entire area. He would be exposed whether he resisted or not. With a sly expression, he slinked out from the dark corners of the garden and shifted within a second's notice, leaving his shadowy figure behind. In his place stood a familiar face, but it looked about ten years older. His features showed much more experience and wisdom with age. He gestured to his new appearance. "This satisfactory enough for you?"

He looked her over, thoughts already filling his head of what she could provide him with. If only he could step into her skin for one solitary moment, he would know everything. He was already fully aware that she must have rock-solid defenses at all times, but there had to be an opening. For now, he was content to observe. Rash actions led to rash reactions. He couldn't afford letting the balance fall out. Everything had to be perfect.

((Sorry this couldn't be longer, I had to go ._.))

[»Míríel«]

Miriel's eyes widened at the sight of Kalos. How had he gotten here?! Her feet took her an unconscious step backward. Then her composure was regained, she mustn't show any weakness. Not to this man. He would just pounce at it. Her hand rested on her sword and she frowned slightly at the man. Every fiber of her being was straining to detect any movement that he would have toward her, any attack.

"And what's more, what do you want with me?" Her eyes searched the face before her. The Aidyn that had been there seemed totally consumed, and in its place was only darkness and evil. How had this happened? How did this man do it? Even though these were questions she wanted answered, she didn't want to see them happen.

"You! What are you doing here and who let you in?" Miriel's voice was full of questions, as were her eyes.

[aidyn]

Kalos had a shocked look upon his face. He placed his hands over his chest with the epitome of innocence in his firey eyes. "Why, Miriel! I'm surprised at you!" He took a step closer, drawing her into him. "What is it with all of these accusations? It's quite hurtful..." He pouted for a moment, and then it turned into a devious smirk. He began to pace around her in a tight circle, like a lion closing in on its prey. "No one had to let me in, dearie." He stopped right in front of her face. He held up his palm, and an image of an amulet appeared in a burst of flame. "I have a lifetime pass." He took her by the shoulder, his grip casual, but strong as fire itself. He ran a finger under her chin.

"Now, do tell. What is it that draws you so closely to Axel, hmm?" The grin that was plastered across his face was a wicked and demented one. It could fill the senses with a feeling of imminent danger. He wasn't expecting her to answer at all. He just figured it was time to have some fun with the little elf girl. He glanced away, as if even saying these words brought him shame. "After all, he does have quite the history... I would think you would fear him, more than anything. Having a murder, thieving, and arsony incident under one's belt certainly wouldn't be comforting..."

He would be quite surprised if she had heard any of this from Axel himself. He often liked to hide the evil things he had done in his life from the ears of others. The only reasons others thought him dangerous was his current position. They had absolutely no idea about the past one. Perhaps it was time he informed her of his many incidents and see how comfortable she was with snuggling up to him afterwards. She was a powerful ally for the delivery boy of death, one that needed to be disposed of as quickly as possible.

[»Míríel«]

"He's a guardian!" Miriel thoughts ran rapidly around in her head. "If he is.. then why did Axel think that it was safe for me here.. indeed is anything safe from him?

When his firey hands touched her she wanted to pull away and flee. For from his touch she could almost feel evilness want to come into her soul and over come it. BUt her face hardened and she pushed this away. Kalos, what a demon this man was. She didn't like holding grudges or thinking bad of anyone, but he was an exception. But his past. What a terrible one must have. No one could be born like this, could they? His words seemed so soft, so comforting, yet she knew that there was trickery behind those words, like a spider luring the fly into her web.

She took a step back and her eyes flashed with anger at him getting so close. "My draw to Axel, it would be something you would never understand. How could you? Do you, of all people, know what love is? I love Axel, for not what he has done, but who he is. To tell you the truth, I pity you."

She pulled away from him fully, wrenching her shoulder from his hard grasp. Her hands were shaking slightly, from anger and from the nervousness of being so close to him. True she didn't know much about Axel, and she really didn't want to. She wanted to know Axel as who he was, how she had seen him, not how her father had, or anyone else.

Even though her voice had betrayed some of her anger at him her face showed nothing. Though, her fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of her sword. This man.. if he tried to get closer to her again..No she wouldn't give him the chance. Why was it that her emotions seemed so on edge when he was present? Perhaps he would shift his topic to something else, anger was welling in her heart and she didn't like the feeling of it.

[aidyn]

Kalos listened to her rant with his eyebrow raised. After she had concluded speaking about some love nonsense, he held his expression for a few moments. When he could contain it no longer, he burst out laughing. "Love... You want me to tell you what love is? It's a burden. A no good, murderous burden." He held out both palms, and suddenly the face of Axel appeared in a small flame, floating in his hand. In the other, the face of Miriel. "What happens when you love someone? I'll tell you what happens. You're willing to give up everything you have for someone with no guarantee that you'll even know each other's names in five years." Both of the mirages vanished.

He chuckled darkly. "You pity me? What for? For having the ability to live without another? For not feeling obliged to sacrifice anything for anyone? For being able to walk away from anything without a single regret? You see, young lady.." He drew closer, his lips almost brushing her jaw. "It is I who pities you." Suddenly, the blood red tips of his hair became actual flame, as well as his entire hand. He ran his fingers over her clothing, the flame catching it and burning up the material within an instant. "You see, if you hadn't been so faithful to your dearest hubby, you wouldn't be in this particular predicament, would you?"

He reached down, setting one of the plants into a full flame. Almost instantly, it spread to the rest of the gardens as a whole. A ring of fire surrounded Miriel in an expertly crafted pattern. He took a step back, passing through the now growing rings without as much as a single singe. He waved to her on the other side, appearing as only a dark orange silhouette through the thrashing fire. He turned away, leaving her to fend for her own life in the deathly ring. He wouldn't leave, not just yet. He would wait to see if she were to beg for mercy. He doubted it, but it never hurt to try.

[»Míríel«]

Mockery, this is what the man was full of. It seemed as though no matter what you said he could twist it up and shove it in you face, making you want to change your view to the other side. A pounding fulled her brain as it tried to follow and disarm his response. It was sickeningly clear, yet so foggy. She wanted to leave, to wake up and find this all a dream.

The dreaded man came closer, to close for her comfort. The fingers that were outstretched to her seemed to be born of flames. Some of her clothes burst into flames as those fingers touched her. Yet Miriel didn’t cry out in pain, or for mercy. Instead her body stiffened and her jaw clenched shut, enduring the torture.. Giving in and showing pain would only feed the man’s madness before her. That was something she wasn’t about to do.

The ground seemed to betray her as it leapt into those blasted flames, its hissing and cackling mocked her. His figure disappeared into a dark silhouette behind the flames. “coward.” She thought angrily to herself as she got rid of the fire on her clothes. Soon the scent of burning plants came to her senses. This was the last straw. Anger lighted Miriel's eyes as she felt power flood through her. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she felt the circle’s fierceness. Sweat beaded on her brow as ashes of the world seemed to cause hr pale features be streaked with black. Blue eyes seemed to blaze with inhuman light as they pierced the flames. The heat was suffocating and blistering; it seemed to be baking her, and soon her pale skin was livid with an angry red. Miriel knew she had to get out if she wanted to survive. But even if she didn't make it, she would not let a single cry for mercy come from her lips.

Spreading her hands a force field enveloped her, protecting her from the heat. It’s surface parted the flames and protected Miriel who was inside. Even though this would have drained energy from her, so much so that it would usually have made her feel faint, she felt nothing. No anger had taken her beyond the feeling of pain and weakness. It was to late for that. The force field around her disintegrated as her feet carried her away from the flames. Miriel’s hand rested on the hilt of her sword and with a quick and smooth motion sent it singing out of its sheath. Grasping the hilt tightly she brought it down at Kalos, who had foolishly turned his back on her.

[aidyn]

Kalos's whole body jolted as the blade came crashing down on him. It sliced clearly throughout his whole body, right into his center core. He froze completely, until his upper body began to quiver. The source of the almost spaztic motion was unknown, until a deep, throaty laugh erupted from his tall frame. He craned his head back to face her, ever so slowly. A creeping crooked grin crawled out from the corners of his mouth. No blood was seeping from the wound that would be certainly fatal in an instant in any other situation. There wasn't even any sign of the blade's entrance. It was if it had sliced right through him. He delved his own hands into his core, clutching onto the tip of the blade.

The blade glowed a bright red as if it had just been removed from the smith's furnace. His eyes washed over, becoming the hypnotic topaz entirely. "You're quite angry, yes?" A huge pulse of energy erupted from the sword, shooting right into his body. It made his entire form glow with this amber light. He lowered his head so his eyes were no longer visible, glancing happily at the transaction. A dark smirk danced across his lips. "I couldn't ask for anything more." The energy running through the blade embedded within his lower stomach was coming directly from its holder: the elf girl.

Within a matter of seconds, he had consumed all of her energy that she had committed to that overpowering anger. He released his grasp, the sword immediately sliding backward out of his center. He looked down on her with such a feeling of triumph. "Thank you for your generousity." Everything was just going too perfectly. She had fallen right into his hands. He knew the future soon to come would not be so simple, for he knew Axel could not be so easily played. But he also knew Axel's greatest weakness, his falling point. With the smirk still prominant on his face, he stepped away from her and vanished in a firey shadow, leaving her alone with less than half the energy that she started with. He felt it was dishonoring to kill his prey while they were weak. He would be back for her at a later date, that much he was sure of.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel’s anger seemed at its height as she swung the blade at him, but as it went straight through his form she felt it go cold. “What on…” She said, but that is a s far as she went. His laughter rang in her ears, haunting and penetrating her very core. They blade, her beloved blade seemed to turn a deep red color, as if it was being cast into a fiery bed of coals. Miriel’s blue eyes met his now topaz ones, causing his voice to echo into every corner of her brain, she had come under hypnotic gaze, and there was nothing she could do it seemed.

A sense of coldness suddenly overwhelmed her. It was as if someone had picked her up and dropped her into icy cold water. Yet if you touched her it would feel as though she was burning up. The figure before her wavered before disappearing into thin air. “Wait…” Her voice sounded hoarse as the anger that had given her power, now deprived her of it. The world seemed to tilt suddenly, and unable to keep her balance her body collapsed. The fire that surrounded her seemed to be mocking her, laughing at her actions. A high pitched ringing soon filled her ears, one that would make you cringe and writhe of the floor, but her body didn’t seem to be responding.

The fire before her seemed to wave and become out of focus, turning into the face of her love. She reached out towards it saying hoarsely, “Axel…I’m sorry..I..shouldn’t have left….” His “face” seemed to come move in an out of focus before everything was black. Silence, except that ringing in her ears, seemed to envelope everything. It was as if someone was trying to stifle her with a large black sheet. Her eyes fluttered closed as unconsciousness conquered and overcame her senses.

There she lay, like a small white flower crumpled and trampled on the floor. The world around her a blaze. Her pale cheeks seemed streaked with soot, her blond hair seemed dirtied with ashes. The clothes that were on her body now were singed and raggedy and her pure skin was riddled with burns. Even though the world seemed to be consumed in the fire that surrounded her, it went unnoticed to her. Self preservation was non-existent. It seemed as though her light was flickering off and on, only the extra power of a guardian kept her alive.

[raphael]

Raphael threw open the threshold that led to the garden, his chest heaving as he panted to regain breath. His eyes swiveled all over the perimeter of the quaint little place until he spotted a figure lying on the ground. His heart just about leaped into his throat. He dashed forward, a few steps away from Miriel, when suddenly a huge flame burst out of nowhere. He recoiled, shocked and furious. A familiar name instantly popped into his head at the sight. No, he thought. No time to think about that now. As the flames began to crack and rise, Raphael started to feel his own panic rising. What could he do that wouldn't harm Miriel in the process?

Sylfaen stood back a few feet, wary to come any closer as soon as the fire erupted. He could sense the evil properties of the burst, the way it was so controlled and deliberate. From what he could see, there appeared to be an elf woman lying against the cobblestone, her energy completely drained. His brow furrowed in anger. Raphael was hesitating. He didn't have time to hesitate. Sylfaen raced forward, his staff glowing brighter and brighter in his hand. When he was a meer inch from the explosive flame, he pushed out both his palms and bombarded it with shards of ice and water alike. He hesitanty lowered his hands and took a good look at the effect. The flame had been completely frozen. It stood like that of a poorly sculpted ice sculpture. It was better than the killer heat thrashing all over the place. He took a few steps toward the stranger and leaned down by her face. He touched the side of her neck with two fingers, making sure she still had a grasp on life. He felt Raphael's worried gaze on his back, so he looked up at him and nodded in reassurance. Raphael heaved a sigh of relief.

Raphael strod forward and sat by Miriel's side. He examined her obvious burn marks and checked her for any other deep wounds. There were minor bruises here and there, but the most serious problem were the huge burns running all over the visible parts of her body. He couldn't even imagine what she had just endured. She looked and felt so weak. He could just feel the feeble amount of energy pulsing through her veins. He took her slender hand and grasped it tightly between both of his.

"Replenish a friend in need..." he muttered, his eyes closed as he concentrated. Where their hands touched began to glow a soft, barely noticable white light. Raphael felt a huge drop within him, and he was suddenly consumed with fatigue. With a deep breath he released her hand and laid it back by her side, hoping it had done the trick. His thoughts traveled back to Axel for only a moment. Should he inform him of what had just occurred? His gut told him it wasn't necessary, but Miriel's own heart seemed to be calling out for him, wanting him, needing him.

Grudgingly, he sent a call through his amulet to Axel. He waited. There was zero response. It was like Axel didn't even exist. Absolutely no trace, no answer. Dead silence. What could he have been doing to ignore such an urgent call? He tried again and again, and each time, to the same end. He supposed he and Sylfaen would just have to do this on their own. After all, Sylfaen would most likely have driven an icicle into Axel's head if he had come.

[»Míríel«]

Something seemed to be calling Miriel back as she felt someone's hand on hers. A warm feeling rushed through her body, and seemed to make her control of her body once more. blue eyes fluttered open slightly as some slight color rose to her cheeks. " Axel?" She looked up into the worried face of Raphael. Slight disappointment showed on her face but soon was pushed back.

Raphael then started to touch his amulet, calling someone, something. Her mind reverted to Axel. Struggling up she touched him on the shoulder gently and shook her head, "Don't.." She let her blue gaze drift up to him. "I don't want him to know..." Even though she had enough energy to stand up she still felt like she had just run a race, and now that all the adrenaline was gone, she had nothing left after crossing the finish line.

She then went pale slightly and leaned against Raphael slightly, unable to keep her balance just yet. Her energy was slowly returning, but returning it was. "Raphael.." she straightened slightly as her eyes seemed to show great fear. She paused for a moment, it seemed as if she wasn't even looking at Raphael. The moment passed and she muttered under her breath. "Kalos is back." The sentence was stated quietly, yet firmly. It was an obvious statement, for there were signs of his touch everywhere.

She winced slightly as she turned to the person she didn't know. The man before her seemed pure white, and his blue eyes seemed to pierce, yet had a slightly friendly glow to them. Even though she didn't know much about him, she smiled faintly and nodded hello in his direction. The talking she had done, though little, had worn her out. Plus, now since she had been pulled out of her unconscious state, she felt the fiery sensation from the burns. But none of the pain registered on her face, instead just a wearied peace showed.

[raphael]

Raphael closed his eyes with anger and frustration as she called out Axel's name. What he had suspected had, evidently, become a truth. He supposed there was nothing to be done; their feelings for each other were unavoidable at this point. Her voice was so less strong than what he always expected from her. It was like all of the life had been sucked right out from underneath her. "Alright, I won't contact him." When she said hello to Sylfaen, it reminded him that they had never met. "This is Sylfaen, the guardian of ice nymphs. He's an old friend of mine as well." Sylfaen inclined his head to the introduction.

Raphael attempted to support her as she was forced to lean some of her weight on him out of pure weakness. It was such an upsetting sight, and her words only made it thosands of times worse. He felt his stomach drop and his head begin to burn with such a mixture of unpleasant emotions that it almost made him feel sick.

All of the memories tied with that name were just too overbearing to take on at once. All of the accusations, deaths, countless fights that kept him up all night... Listening to the shouting, cursing, slamming of fists and doors...

His mind began to whir, and he swayed for balance. Suddenly, a frigid hand grasped his shoulder tightly and he was snapped back to reality. He glanced up at his rescuer and breathed deeply with relief to see the concerned face of Sylfaen. "Are... Are you sure about this, Miriel?"

Sylfaen scoffed. Raphael could be so unobservant. "She doesn't have to be sure! Look at this mess of ash!" He gestured to the black marks scouring a multitude of flowers and trees alike. "Not to mention that monstrousity!" He pointed violently at the frozen flame. He buried his face in his hands, muttering furiously. His teeth were set in a fierce grit. Rage was beginning to blind his senses. He wanted to strike out at something, anything. Mostly Axel's head. It would have made him feel so much better. Would it have solved the problem at hand? Probably not. But everyone needs a bit of immaturity in their lives at one point or another.

The rambling of his anguished mind brought up another thought. Axel. He just so happened to be conveniently off in who knows where, not responding to any of Raphael's calls. "Where is the demon, Raphael..." He muttered, his teeth still clenched and his fists balled around his staff. Tundra was fluttering with panic on his shoulder. Even she could feel the waves of adrenaline radiating off of her master.

It took a moment for Raphael to register who "the demon" was. It had been so long since he had ever heard that terminology from his old friend. It almost brought a smile to his lips to hear it again, but it stopped as soon as he heard the rising anger in Sylfaen's voice. "I... don't know," he admitted, worried about where Sylfaen was taking this.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel stared at Raphael as he asked if she was sure. She said nothing just stared at him solemnly. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she let go of Raphael and stood up. This caused her face to go a pure white for a moment, but she just clenched her jaw and bore it. Her blue eyes stared at Sylfaen as he seemed to be shaking with anger. "Hello Sylfaen, I'm Miriel the new light guardian." From somewhere from deep within her she pulled out enough energy to smile. It wasn't full of life and radiance like usual, but it still lightened up her face like the sun through the clouds.

When Raphael mentioned not knowing where the "demon was, Miriel supposed that this was referring to Axel. A curious glance was sent to Sylfaen. What had Axel done to him, what was the past? But then again, did she really want to know? She took a step forward toward the ice nymph and placed her hand gently on his arm. It would have been softly, a touch that was barely noticeable. "Excuse my bluntness, but I think that in order to take care of Kalos, we will all have to work together, putting aside our past hates." Her sea blue eyes shifted to Raphael, "Especially when that problem has more energy than before." Taking her hand from Sylfaen she took a step back and looked at the two.

Her head started asking questions, "What if Kalos got to Axel, what if he was hurt and couldn't respond, how come he wasn't here?" and on an on until her head began to ache.
She swayed slightly, all this had happened, if she had just stayed with him...That time with Axel seemed years ago, instead of just a couple of hours. If only she could go back in time and do it all over again. Her hand Passed through her singed golden hair and she looked at Raphael, "What are you going to do?"