CHAPTER 5

Ignis Tenebrio was out for four days, while Avani and the healers dutifully tended to him. He woke up, disorientated, and throat dry.

"Where am I?" He winced as he attempted to bolt out of the bed, he felt a force press down on his chest, and then noticed a pair of green eyes looking down at him.

"Calm down," Avani's voice said sternly, "I'm almost finished."

"With what?" Ignis' voice scratched the back of his throat, and he found it hard to annunciate his words properly.

"Healing you," she answered simply, but noticed the distress in his eyes, "and before you hit me, I was trained by Professor Enlai Mainova, while he was still alive, I know my way around a healing spell."

"I thought..." His voice faded out as he realised he had no idea where he was, "wait, what happened?" Meri's soft footsteps interrupted Avani from answering.

"My friend Nuri carried you back to the village after you were injured by that monstrous thing." She said timidly, handing him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted, and downed within in a matter of seconds.

"Thank you, I suppose," he said, head still clogged up with sleep and disorientation, "I don't think I've had the pleasure." He looked up to her, with his signature smile on his face once more, "I'm Ignis." He held his hand out to her in a polite manner. She shook his hand gently.

"I'm Meri." She replied with a slight nod.

"What exactly happened?" He asked, slightly embarrassed, "my memory's not at it's best at this time of... well..." he attempted to peer out the window, but it was for naught, he could barely sit up without a tsunami of pain tearing through his entire being, he felt Avani's soothing magic push him down again, and she offered him a smile as she excused herself, "what time of day is it again?"

"I'm not sure either. I just remember Nuri melting my ice barrier, and then carrying me to the garden. Next thing I knew, he was holding you and covered in blood, and we rushed back to the village to find a healer. I'm sure Nuri will clarify everything once he returns," she nodded, "it has been four days since then. It's about lunch time, are you hungry?"

He braced himself against the wall slowly, and nodded, attempting to make his voice sound less hoarse, but failing gloriously, "I'm famished, actually. Thank you."

"I've just made lunch, so you are lucky." She said with a faint smile gracing her face, and disappeared into the house, returning with two plates filled with sandwiches. She placed one onto the table draped over Ignis' bed, and sat down next to him on a small chair. Famished was an understatement, Meri thought as she prepared the third one.

"These are great!" Ignis declared as the third one disappeared from his plate.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, "my brother used to love them too."

He deflected quickly, "where's Nuri?"

"He's somewhere in town, gathering supplies for our journey." She replied dutifully.

"What journey?" Ignis asked curiously.

"We are travelling to the City of Gold, to find my father." She answered, and saw him fading quickly. She excused herself from the room, and peered past the doorway to see the chatty mage fall into a state of rest once more. After about half an hour, Nuri returned, dumping the supplies onto a nearby table and removing his hood, to check on his friend. He entered the room silently, and saw how Ignis' eyes fluttered open.

"You're back." He remarked groggily.

"And you're not dead." Nuri shot back with a laugh, while Ignis laughed softly along.

"What exactly happened after I blacked out?" He braced himself against the wall once again, attempting to ignore the tidal wave of pain shooting through his body once again.

Nuri grabbed a chair, and sat down next to his bed, "I followed you after you darted out of the garden, and hid in the wreckage. I watched your fight with Hades, and after you collided with a couple of walls, he came to me and told me to keep you alive and make sure you train rigorously so that when he stops your heart you'd be alive and kicking." Nuri gazed to his injured friend grimly, "hopefully, there won't be an opportunity like that."

Ignis stayed quiet, pondering until he gazed up, almost startled, "did he see your face, Nuri?"

"I'm not sure," Nuri admitted shamefully, "it was dark and I was scared. He did address me directly though."

Ignis' aura went a panicked grey, "this is bad." He said slowly.

"Why?" Nuri wondered, cocking his head to the side in a confused gesture.

"Hades never forgets a face," he uttered disheartened.

"Unlucky me, then." Nuri said half-heartedly.

"You don't understand the gravity of the situation!" Ignis' voice rang through the small room, startling Meri in the other room, "Hades always kills everyone who sees him. If he doesn't, that usually means he's got plans for you. He sees something in you – it could be anything from friendship to power – that he wants to nurture, observe and finally extinguish. Like it or not, your life just got a hell of a lot more complicated." Just as Ignis was about to erupt like a volcano filled with anxiety, Avani entered the room, a sceptical expression stuck on her face. She put a cup of herbal tea down next to Ignis, and then said, "I'll handle Hades." The name sounded poisonous on her tongue, like she was spitting it out, like she hated saying it with every fibre of her being.

Before Ignis could say something, however, Nuri interrupted, "can't be much worse than being hunted for your blood, or some psychopath willing to commit genocide over the fact that you exist," he looked over to the panicked mage, his aura calm and nonchalant. He could handle another death threat, that he was sure about, "next time I see him, I'll just incinerate him. Just like I incinerated all those people back in my village." Nuri gazed forward, stare blank and determined.

"If entire nations have fallen before that monster, then how do you expect to fend him off?" Ignis asked, almost rhetorically, and he gazed forward, dread shining in his once bright eyes, "he'll turn your own flames against you," he announced softly, "and leave behind nothing but a pile of ash. I've seen it before!" he attempted to jump upward, but another tidal wave of pain pushed him downwards. The pain was evident in his scrunched up face.

"Drink," Avani gestured to the tea, "it's infused with redroot, and it'll take the pain away."

"You're injured, and I know you're worried about Hades, but right now you should be focusing on getting better, and not killing some other worldly demon." Nuri said, concern evident in his soft voice.

"You're right," he admitted shamefully, "where are we anyways?"

"In Lapid," Nuri replied, "but I have to continue my journey to the City of Gold. I have to get her there in a couple of days."

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Ignis asked, "this town and all around it are going to be in a state of emergency. Only emergency supplies will be let inside."

"I was going to sneak in." Nuri sighed.

"Not happening!" Ignis laughed, "that place is going to be locked tighter than an old hag's alcohol cabinet!" He turned his legs so that they swung over the edge of the bed, "seeing as I still owe you a favour for saving my life, and that lovely dance, I could get you in?" He asked with his signature grin.

Nuri smiled as he nodded quickly, "I'd appreciate all the help I can get. And maybe Milo can help you, he's a very skilled filii aurea, he might be able to guide you toward your ultimate goal."

"I'm thinking of sticking with you for the time being. Seeing as my plan to kill Hades obviously failed and I now have nothing else to go on," Ignis admitted sheepishly, obviously forgetting about the tracking spell he'd put on Hades, "we'd have to get my luggage from the inn. There are a few things in there that would prove difficult to replace." Nuri nodded in agreement.

"I'll organise us a carriage if you can convince Avani to give me the recipe for that redroot tea," he suggested with a playful wink, and Nuri laughed as he agreed and stepped out of the room, after Avani.

"Shall we go then?" Ignis asked energetically, as he rose to his feet.

"Yes," Nuri agreed. The carriage arrived shortly afterward.

"Being top of your year at the Academy has its perks." Ignis remarked with a wink, as they got into the lavish carriage. He caught Avani rolling her eyes in the back of the carriage, but chose to ignore it. The landscape blended together like an impressionistic painting as they dashed through it. Meri's eyes seemed to be glued to the dingy window as usual, but Nuri held a small, but amused smile on his face. As they approached the City, Nuri could see the signature gold tops of the Aurean Mecca gleaming in the midday sun. The typical Aurean architecture was always something he admired, but before they could enter his beloved city, a bored-looking guard stepped in front of their car, stopping them in front of the usually inviting gates. He was dressed in red and gold, the colours of the filii aurea, but his aura was as bland as he was.

"You're not allowed in," he told the driver, "come back in a week!"

Ignis leaned out the window with an amused smile on his face, and held out a black card, with the Royal Magic Academy's sigil on it, "would you care to see this?"

He looked at the card and then hesitantly stepped out of the way, letting the car pass.

"That's nifty." Nuri remarked.

"It does have its perks." Ignis said with a playful grin. Nuri directed the driver in the direction of the Manor, which sat on the edge of the City, in all of its bland eminence. They approached the old, wooden structure, predating Aurean architecture, and Nuri knocked on the door three times. It opened shortly after, revealing a man in his early forties, with dirty blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes. He embraced Nuri in a bone-crushing hug the moment his eyes fixated on him, afterward pulling Avani in for the same hug. Then he smiled gratefully up at the sky.

"Our Mother has returned you to us, my children," he said, as if praising some upper power, the Aurean traditions were unfamiliar to Ignis, Milo's eyes landed on Ignis, whom he regarded with suspicion.

"Uncle Milo, this is Ignis Tenebrio, he owes me his life." Nuri said playfully, as he watched Milo relax. Ignis shot Nuri a dirty look, which inevitably turned into a polite smile as he extended his hand for Milo to shake.

"Pleased to meet you." He said with a genuine smile.

Milo extended his hand, and shook Ignis' with a warm smile on his face, "any friend of Nuri's is a friend of ours. I am Milo Aro, please come inside, Mr Tenebrio."

They followed Milo inside, as Ignis laughed sheepishly, "please, sir. I am not even of age yet, Ignis is fine."

"As you wish," Milo said, "then you must refrain from calling me sir. Welcome to our home, Ignis." Ignis nodded gingerly, with a smile stuck on his face.

"You are not of Aurean descent, I see." Milo remarked.

"Nuri and I are sticking together for the time being. It's a mutually beneficial relationship, and I'm not Aurean. I'm Magi." He admitted.

Milo nodded, "ah, I see. You are a fire mage then, I presume. Much like Nuri."

Ignis nodded as well, "that is correct, I presume you would like to spend some time with these three?" He gestured to Nuri, Meri and Avani.

"More so with my daughter. But I am sure Nuri is capable of showing you around, no?" He asked in Nuri's direction, while he turned to face Meri.

"Um, Milo." Ignis inquired quickly before Milo was able to disappear, "Nuri mentioned something about training for Meri. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to join some of the sessions, I'd be happy to contribute as compensation. I was top of my year at the Royal Magic Academy!"

Milo smiled, "of course, but the Aurean way is different from that of the Academy, so I do not know if it will be of any help. You are welcome to sit in, however." He excused himself and Meri and they disappeared into a long hallway, where they took a sharp left and the door closed with a soft thud. Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the study in a soft, golden light, and casting a golden aura around Milo.

"Sit down." He said, but before she could, she dashed over to him and hugged him as hard as she possibly could.

"Papa," she smothered herself into his abdomen, taking in the familiar scent that she'd so longed for as a child.

"Yes, Meri, it's me. Your papa." He said, voice filled with nostalgia and eyes shining with unshed tears and sentimental memories.