Aelshen

I walk thirty paces east and then turn on me heel to face Skye like it's high noon. The little spirit once assumed I was in me early forties, but that doesn't fool her anymore. She knows I've got thousands of years o' wisdom at me fingertips, and someday she will, too.

Which is why we're here.

"Day one o' yer training," I grunt. "Wish it had come sooner, but we have gotten a tad sidetracked." I stroke me hazel beard in thought.

"What an understatement," MacLarty mutters. "Get on with it! I wanna see an intense spirit battle!"

The goth Lycan tosses his dark bangs aside and begins to slap his bare feet against the mud rhythmically. Thirteen joins in, humming the first verse of "We Will Rock You."

I roll me eyes, glancing at Xera and Jennifer. They shake their heads as if to say 'boys'll be boys'. I grin, shutting me eyes as I seek out Skye's spirit and home in on it.

"I'm aware Xunnu trained ye in archery, so feel free to use it. Ye can't defeat me anyhow, lass, but let's see ye try," I taunt, cracking me knuckles and planting me feet a shoulder's width apart.

I boast a long tawny cloak, similar to the one Ru-Yeva has draped across her slight frame and tied at the waist with a length of rope. The garment was once Sejka's. On the back, cerulean beading depicts a raven with outstretched wings – the symbol of the Yáahl tribe. I'll have to ask if the Yeva'si can decorate mine with a ferocious wolf on the back. Mayhap that'd strike fear into Patty's cold, dead heart. Eh, probably not.

"Get on, then," I urge. "We haven't all day."

"As you wish, Father of Lycans," Skye replies. She narrows her eyes at me. I curl me lips into a mocking smile and tap me bare toes against the earth in impatience.

Is she tryin' to shoot some trash talk back to me?

Seemingly unable to think of something witty, Skye gulps, twirling her fingers as she summons the flames. I mirror her movement. The familiar tingle o' fire on skin, harmless yet still rather unnerving, makes me shiver.

Skye bites her lip as she hurls the fireball towards me. I casually extinguish the blaze as it comes within a foot. Then I twirl around with a flourish, raising me hands to the sky. Skye blinks, entranced by the spectacle.

What shall I throw at 'er? Another fireball? A wave, perhaps?

I continue to display an air of indecision as I gaze at me opponent. She takes a step forward and then appears to sense something invisible.

Good. Follow yer senses.

Skye whips around to glimpse a wall of earth surging at her from behind, rumbling like thunder. I scan her face to ensure she'll be able to stop it in time.

"Talamh!" she hollers, raising her hand and gritting her teeth as she wills the wall of rock and mud to halt. Not a moment too soon – she takes an involuntary jump back as the mound of earth nearly collides with her. I raise me hands, preparing to enshroud her in a wall of earth.

A sudden gurgling sound akin to river rapids meets my ears and I blink at where Skye had just been standing.

She's gone.

A tsunami-force wave suddenly rains down upon me and I call to the earth again, raising a new wall o' rock above me head like a lean-to.

I breathe deeply, teeth chattering, as the ice water engulfs me bare skin. I pull further upon the earth's energy to warm meself, glancing around in an attempt to pinpoint Ru-Yeva's location.

There ye'are.

I reduce meself in size, scuttling out from me soaked robe an' running in a wide arc towards her, concealed mostly by long grasses.

"Behind you, Red!" Thirteen calls out, and Skye whirls around.

"I know that's you, Mac Tíre."

I leap into the sky. Me tiny furry body moulds into a mass of dark scales. Wings unfurl and beat against the breeze, sending me thirty feet above the little spirit. I enshroud meself in fog, sending it all around the clearing so there's no way she can see me coming.

I feel Skye's spirit calling to the water. She's surrounding herself in the cool liquid and shivering profusely.

Good plan. Protect yerself from my fire.

As me mighty draconic breath engulfs her, the flames sizzle out. She gasps as the water heats, seemingly relieved that all she receives from the onslaught is a hot shower.

Sputtering, she rubs the liquid from her eyes and sinks to her knees. I touch down a few feet from her, still in dragon form.

"That could've killed me," she mutters, glaring at me.

"Ah, ah," Aelshen chuckles. "Don't watch fer it. Feel fer it. Expect the unexxxpected," I instruct through me fangs, flicking my gargantuan tail fer emphasis.

"With you, everything's unexpected."

"'Tis me trademark. Fighting against humansss is different. Their behaviour isss easier to predict – they hide behind their guns and their swords and shieldsss. A spirit, on the other hand..."

I shrink down to my human form and snatch up me cloak again, hastily dressing and then clasping me fingers together like a stoic mentor.

"Lad, ye can't go helpin' Ru-Yeva, givin' her hints," I call out to Thirteen. "She needs to learn on her lonesome. Keep yer trap shut!"

"Why? She's not gonna be up against shapeshifters anyway!"

"Aye," I inform him darkly, "but we will be. Patercius is no holy knight. He's an Earth spirit, an' even though he doesn't know it, he has the same power as Skye an' I do. He'll likely be shapeshiftin' as soon as he knows he can."

"But if he doesn't know—"

"He doesn't have to know. He just has to feel it and it could come by accident. Patty can turn into a ball of light. That's more'n even I can do."

Ace snorts. "No surprise there."

I shoot the Lycan a dirty glance. "Being the Sun God, he has his signature traits."

"You have to admit," Damian breathes, clapping his twin on the shoulder, "despite his evil persona, Patty's got style."

The boys approach and stand on either side o' me, followed by Jennifer and Xera. The two girls, though similar in height, boast a striking contrast. Jen is pale and blonde while Xera is copper-skinned with long raven hair.

"Patty's a flaming ball of sass, literally," Ace grumbles. "I mean—"

"He is hot," Xera mumbles. "In temperature," the Yeva'si girl adds, blushing, but Jen and Skye appear to exchange a knowing glance.

Patercius' current incarnation is a man in his mid-twenties – blonde hair and deep, dark eyes that freeze ye in yer tracks. But, according to the Knight, he fights for all that is good in the world. He truly wants to make peace.

But at what cost?

"Patty still thinks we're all demons," Skye points out. "Instead of focusing so much on fighting him, can't we appeal to his better nature—"

"Ha. Good one, Red," Thirteen juts in. Skye gives him a small shove.

"No, I meant we should try to get into his head. The way we Spiritborne speak to each other. We can show him memories of who we are and why we do what we do."

"That might work," Xera breathes.

Jennifer scoffs. "But what memories would we show him? Huh? All you guys know about him is that he's tormented Nwyfre for years and snuffed tons of Druids and dragons. Do you have any good memories of the guy? At all?"

Skye winces as her chilly, soaked cloak slides against her skin. She grabs her long red locks and twists the water from them, ignoring my chuckle.

"I don't," she admits, "but Nessie does. You all remember Nessie's flashback, right?"

"'Course," Damian says matter-of-factly. "I require more epic spirit flashbacks. You four should sell your ideas to movie producers and make a bloody fortune."

Skye sighs. "That's not what I—"

"I'm serious. You should go into showbiz. I'll be your agent."

I give the Lycan a withering look. He mutters a halfhearted apology, staring wistfully at the sky.

Skye continues, "As I was saying, Nessie was there when he became the Sun God and she was responsible for training him."

"So it's all her fault, then." Ace grins wickedly at me.

"She knew him when he was solely Inti. If anyone's bound to have good memories of him, it's her."

"Does she remember, though?" I ask slowly. "It's been a mite long since then, hasn't it? I'll have to admit it to ye, lass, I don't recall me first few incarnations. Mayhap someday I will, but there are things even I don't know about me past lives."

"We can ask her, at least," she insists.

I give her a sad smile. "Not you, yet, Skye. Remember what I told ye."

We're far from the farmhouse – the current hideout o' the Lìog and the residence of the great dragon Quinn Rhys. As we'd soared over the Welsh countryside, I had contacted Skye telepathically to warn her to keep her mind closed from that point on.

"Patercius may be listenin'," I remind her. "Until ye can master yer spiritual abilities, it's best to keep from speaking telepathically. He could hear our plans."

Skye groans. "This is so frustrating. I want to see how Flint and Nessie are doing. I want to help."

"Ye'll help by keeping yer mind empty."

"Shouldn't be too hard for you," Ace interjects.

I glare at him and add in a bit of adhair for good measure, tossing the Lycan's hair into his eyes. He meets me gaze but then shrugs nonchalantly, glancing sideways at Xera as the little shapeshifter releases a giggle.

Someday, we'll tell Xera ye fancy her, I vow, pretending to ignore his body language and the telltale pull his spirit has towards hers.

"How are they doing, then?" Skye inquires of me.

"Flint an' his girl? They be fine..." Me voice trails off as I make the wise decision not to probe Flint's mind any longer. "Heh, heh. They're enjoying themselves, is all I'll say. I'll try back later."

Ace wrinkles his nose. "Alright. Too much information. Let's get back to fighting!"

"Good plan. Off ye go, shapeshifters!" I bellow. "Let's give Ru-Yeva a real fight! Tooth and claw. Xera, to the sky! Give 'er all ye got."

The Yeva'si girl and the four Lycans split up, peeling off their clothing and preparing to Shift. I send me palm alight with flames.

"Ye have until the count of ten an' then we're all comin' after ye!" I lower me voice to a whisper, adding, "Go easy on 'em, Skye. They're but mere mortals."

The wee spirit grins, shrugging off her cloak and shutting her eyes tight.

"One! Two!"

Her body ripples with the Shift. She grimaces as her mouth elongates into an elegant lupine snout and her teeth grow to sharp points. As soon as she falls to all fours, she's bounding across the field and into the woods beyond, concealing herself in a dense mist.

"Three! Ten!"

Real life ain't fair. She's gotta learn that being nice to Patty won't solve much. He'll have her hide. I only hope I can train 'er well enough afore that rogue bishop is upon us. She's got a lot to learn, that's fer certain.