Privet RP for Lunna Dea and TanaChan:
Please do not post.

When the world was young it is believed that the gods created humanity in their own image. Each God creating a different part that matched who they were. One gave humanity the gift of song, another curiosity, a third give them legs to run with. When it was all done the gods felt that they had created a masterpiece. Yet hidden in the shadows the god of mystery felt that something was missing so he took a handful and created in them the gift of magic. For he knew that one day his brothers and sister would tire of their creations and would seek to destroy them. he wanted for their masterpiece to have a chance to fight back and win.

Now the gods powers wan upon the world and humanity now is starting to ask question that the gods fear for them to ask. The time that the god of mystery knew would come is almost at hand. Yet he fears that the humans have squandered his gift and will not be able to win the war.

But this story is not about the gods or the most powerful mages, no this is about a pair of young men and how they must stop a truly gifted mage.

Jess set her foot upon the stage and teetered there, the thin layer of ice making it unsteady footing at the best of times and this was not that. She smiled sheepishly to the crowed as she placed her second foot upon the ice. Someone booed and a piece of rotten veg came flying at her. Spreading her arms up above her head to block what looked to be a red fruit her legs slowly slipped apart. The red item burst into tiny flakes of snow as her skirt caught her before she performed a full split. She smiled and a few of the men in the bar clapped. Gods they are a tough crowed tonight. she thought as a second fruit came flying her way. This joined the first to blanket the stage in snow as she pulled her legs together and performed a dances spin on her toes. From that point on she slowly became more graceful and elegant as she pulled tiny droplets of water from the air and from the small beer every one was drinking. Each one forming a tiny ice crystal upon her dress till she sparkled like the queens crown.

http://www.menewsha.com/forum/pictur...ictureid=58637

Koji walked into the building behind an older man, both of them wore the cloaks of those gifted with fire, light weight airy items that would not keep their body heat in. The older man was powerful, marked by the silver that bordered his cloak, the younger one, Koji, his was marked by gold, he also had the markings of one still in training, so even though he was magically stronger than the older man he still had to listen to those with out the trainee badge.
Koji pulled his cloak around himself, hiding his wrists from view and was grateful for the high collar of the cloak that hid half his face and his neck. The pair sat down at the bar and Koji did not move, he sat stock still and looked off towards the stage, a small smile graced his lips, he had felt the change, the old man had brought them here to see this, so they could try and talk to the woman on the stage. Koji breathed deeply and drew the heat in the room towards himself, him and the old man were now in the only truly warm spot in the place until Koji was tapped on the shoulder by the older man he had come in with. He blushed lightly, his tanned cheeks darkened slightly and he breathed out, returning the heat he had drawn in.
As he relaxed his ability to draw in heat he started to radiate it instead, himself and the older man not noticing as the temperature started to rise steadily in the building.

Jess

Feeling the room grown colder Jess frowned and almost missed the next step in her dance. She had not added cold to this dance so why should it have started to become cold. She pulled her magic in trying to avoid the people around her getting to cold. If any of them took damage for the cold she would be the one that was blamed and she might be out of a job. With the next few steps she drew the ice crystals up along her shoulders and out like wings. Two more moves and she felt the drip of water on her back as she came forward in a bow. If I catch whoever is playing with the temperature in here I am going to give them a bad case of cold feet. she strengthen the wings of ice as she made the last few moves. It was then she saw the red of the fire cloaks at the bar. Her frost blue eyes narrowed in anger as she took her final bow. Did they always have to show off and mess with the other powers? Just because fire was one of the most powerful when it came to raw energy did not mean that they got to push others around. Throwing up her hands she throw all the ice and snow at them knowing full well that by the time it reached them it would just be water. Severs them right to be doused with water for messing with my dance. Turning from the stage she walked back into the wings.

"Koji" Was the only word the teacher spoke, the young man didn't even move, his fire like eyes caught the ice in his field of vision, his eyes blazed. The water never reached them, the water evaporated in the sudden heat the young man gave off, the people surround the pair moved away, sweat drenching their clothes.
Many of the patrons moved either towards the windows and opened them, or left the building entirely. "KOJI!" The Master yelled this time just before the young man's stool burst into flames and fire erupted around him. "Every one out!" The Master barked, people scrambled for the door. The old man tried to touch Koji but bit back a yelp as he was burned, Koji's flames turned a bright blue and the wood in the room caught. The teacher abandoned his student for the moment to make sure every one was out. Koji had once again lost control, and he would make sure that the young man did not kill anyone this time, it had torn him up the last accident that had done so.
Any closed doors he burst into and barked out orders before leaving. He busted Jess' door down. "YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled, just as smoke started filling the building. The Master shook his head and took a pendant out of his shirt on a chain, "BIND!" He yelled, knowing what happened to Koji as he said the single word.
Koji's fire suddenly went out, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the floor. The old man moved back towards his student and dragged him out side, the thick metal bands on his wrist now visible as they glinted in the fire light. The old man undid the clasp of the cloak, the same symbol as the pendant he wore, to reveal the young man also wore a thick metal collar. It was very unusual to find someone of his age with the binds on, and all three, make that five. The teacher had just revealed the same metal encasing Koji's ankles.

Entering her Room Jess sighed and opened her hands to the sylph of Ice that danced about her dressing room. They landed gracefully and melted into her skin. They had been one of the frist things she had created when she had been a young adult, before she had entered school. The one teacher that had seen the Sylph’s had immediately commanded them away and told her never to summon them again. But she never did summon them they just appeared and died upon her skin each time she really needed a bit of ice, like now. She must have been using more energy then she had thought she was using. Looking around she smiled as the room around her glisten with a layer of ice.

The sound of a name yelled and then heat filled her with fear. One of the fire mages had lost control of his power. Grabbing her sliver robe of her magic she threw it on, the trims color was lost in the layer of ice that always incrusted it. Calling all her Sylphs to her she opened the door and looked out, almost getting hit in the face as the older of the two went to bust her door down. She nodded so he understood that she understood what he said. Flicking her hand she sent a few of her Sylphs out acrossed the stage there they disappeared into the wood. As she moved through the building sets of Sylph’s broke off from her mage robe and disappeared into the wood of the building around her.

As she stepped outside she called the ice from the clouds above and sent it into the building, wanting to save it from any fire that might escape the Fire mage control. She watched as the master pulled his student from the inn. Walking over she looked down at the young man who now lay unconscious upon the ground. She had only once seen some one with full bindings and never one so old as he seemed. “how powerful is he sir?” she asked knowing that very few of the people around here understood that the gold could be any high power. There were levels in the gold that only silver and gold trimmed knew about. She could not recall if hers was gold or silver as she had only once seen the color of her trim and that was only seconds after she received her robe. Her training master had said it was not to uncommon for the higher power mages to lose their robe to the ice. Rumor was that there was a master years ago that was an uncolored band because he was so powerful that the ice robe was made of ice not fabric.

Jingo looked up at her and gave a smile, "Very...even the tessters are unsure of what his true strength is...they could not withstand the heat the boy radiated. It is not uncommon for his flames to go blue, a very rare thing indeed." He aid as he turned his attention back to Koji, making sure the bands were all out in the open.
"We beleive he may be a Marked...but with him bound like this there is no really telling, and it is to dangerous to unbind him." Jingo shook his head and ran a hand through his greying hair before he touched the symbol etched into the collar and fed just enough fire to traced it before pulling back as Koji gasped, fire red eyes opening as he turned to his side, the cloak staying on the ground as the young man got into a knealing position, his hands on his thighs and sitting on his ankles.
"I am sorry Master." He said softly, his voice just heard over the din of the patrons, his head bowed and his shoulders slumped.
"Relax." Was the only thing Jingo said in response to Koji's apology, the young man started radiating heat and the patron's moved back quickly thinking he might loose it again.

"Now...Miss, I have a few questions for you. Where were you three nights ago after sundown?" He asked softly.

Jesses eyes went wide at the thought that he was one of most powerful fire masters in the city and he was having a problem training. It was one thing for a earth or water mage not to have full control but a fire master in a city made mostly of wood was something no one wanted to happen. Looking back at the smoking building she could see the smoke had turned white and was dyeing down. So the fire that had been rageing had now eaten up all the wood it had to eat and now had hit her Sylphs. Reaching out with her senses she could feel a few of her Sylphs had give up their lives to save the wood they were protection by her request. “I would think that with this much damage just because someone else challenged his powers would show him to be a danger. Tom will be rather unhappy with what has happened to his tavern.” Turning to look back at Jingo and Koji she raised her eyebrow. “so who is going to pay for the damages. I don’t think that the place is fully safe to go back into. My Sylphs may have protected most of the rafter beams but there is at least one of them that is brunt almost all the way through. We are going to have to get an Earth mage in here to check the damage to the rest of the wood.” While her face showed no emotion her voice was filled with anger and frustration.

They just had to come in here and ruin my place of work didn’t they? Just figures two fire Spell Hounds would do this. If it had been water hounds they would not have thought to play around with the elements. She looked down at Koji as he woke and apologized to his master. Not even an apology to the people who have lost their lively hood and homes. Shaking her head she walked towards the Silver Bird, her home on stage for the last three years. Turning to look back at those two she held up her arms and called her Sylphs back to alight along them. “Saying sorry is not going to change the fact that not only did you mess with a stage act you have now put people out of business just because I challenged your power.” Her voice was ice cold as she glared down at him. Oh she wanted to turn him into an icesicle, but that would have been againt the rules and he was bound. Slowly bringing her arms down she realized that the Sylphs had not landed on her arms as she had expected but had landed upon her back to create large wings of ice. “they said that my gifts were death to any that might anger me but you, you are hells vengeance for a minor upset.”

Turning her back fully on the Silver Bird she stalked away down the street of Hares. “if you want to know where I was three nights ago after sundown ask those around you. They can tell you.” With that she disappeared into the gloom of dusk towards her home. As she walked down the street the sylphs around her danced like snow obscuring her as she pulled her robes hood up to hide her face. Anger and hate for how fire acted boiled up and crested in tears that trailed down her face as they froze. Now she would have to find a new place that would accept her for who she was and not ask to many questions. It had been hard enough to find that tavern where they did not care what gender she really was as long as she could entertain. Other had not been so kind when Jess had approached them in the sunlight and the magic of artfully applied makeup and ice could not hide her true nature.

Back at the Silver Bird a few brave patrons or maybe more drunk then the others approached Jingo. “the Ice queen was dancing on stage till after sundown and then she was drinking with us till the Keep tossed us out for closing. She he paid and sent out the back door on to her home.” A few of the others around the speaker nodded in agreement.

Jingo nodded thoughtfully and looked at Koji who was still kneeling in the dirt. "Go Koji....and explain."
Koji looked up shocked at the command but nodded hurriedly and got up, forgetting his cloak as he hurried after the woman.

"Wait please!" He called out, his steps faltering as he drew in his radiating heat. "Please...I meant no harm.." He said softly as he failed to get to her before she dissapeared. He could not travel very far from his master and he sat on the ground. "I did not mean to...the fire just rages and I loose myself to it." He said softly. He did well in his lessons, but as soon as he relaxed any it was easy for him to loose control of his inner fire. They were still looking for activities he could do to drain his energy enough to help him maintain control. "Nineteen years old...you would think I would have already gained my mastery." He muttered. Fire mages mostly earned a mastery by the time they were sixteen, more often even earlier than that, but here he was almost twenty years old and still completely bound.

Unnoticed by Jingo and KoJi a Ice Sylph danced above them as they talked. When Koji ran after jess it shot up into the sky then dropped down among Jess’ other Sylphs. She stopped and held out her hand to listen to the icy chimes and cracks that was the Sylphs voice. “and why should I turn back and…” it chimed again and put its hands on its hips. This was one of the few that really looked like the Sylphs of tales and this was one of the few that had been with her for some time. “I am not as bad as him.” It stomped its foot and shook a finger at her. “fine I will.” Turning back she walked to where he knelt. “what is it that you want of me fire mage? The answers your master asked for should have been answered by the patrons.”

Kojis Sat up on his heals and folded himself in half, his banded wrists stretched above his head as he prostrated himself. "I am sorry, but the Spell Hounds have Earth mages who can fix the tavern." He took a shuddering breath as he tried to calm himself. "I am almost twenty years old...and I am bound still...I ha e been bound since I was a child. I do not have much of a semblance of control, otherwise one of the binds would come off." He said softly not moving from his position.
"I...did not feel challenged, Master just was trying to let me control myself and it failed, as it does often. I meant no harm, I was overwhealmed by my core." He said softly, it was also unusual for a bound trainee to become overwhelmed with their own magic, so unusual no written records existed of a bound like Koji who still at ninteen needed the binds and a binding word.

Watching Koji Kowtow she sighed and shook her head. “yes they can fix it but that still means that no one can go in the Silver Bird until your Earth Mages get working and decide to finish the work.” It was known in the lower Wards that any time a Hound did damage to something they would take their time to fix it. Some businesses had died because the hounds took their time. “Making excuses for what you have done is not the way to do it. You need to set yourself down and lean to understand your core and find ways of releasing it. Maybe make fire displays can work of some of your heat.” Kneeling down she gently reached his chin and pulled his face up so he could see her.

“you acted like I had challenged your powers when you threw your power out like that to drive the water from the air. And yes I too was acting out in anger and I really should have not done that but when you enter a tavern that has a mage performing, don’t go messing with the temperature in the air. I could have messed up a lot more than I did.” Shaking her head she sighed. “it is mages like you that made my teachers scared of my Sylphs. I hope that you gain control of yourself soon, if you are Marked as your teacher believes then you will have to be really carful with what you do with your life.”

"We have tried! And I did not inteand to draw the heat, I was trying to keep my powers in. I do forms every morning, I eat enough for five men, I did the fire displays for the new year and I was not even breathing heavily." Koji wrenched his chin away and sat back on his heals.when I was eight I killed a Fire Mage and burned down the school...I had three binds then, I currently have five and still can not seem to find peace."
Peace was a large factor for a Fire student to learn control, Koji had not found his own and it made his power difficult to deal with. "No one knows the reason I was spared by the executioner...it was the only time I was unbound since my abilities manifested." Koji looked the ground at his side. "Master Bingo and I are looking for an Ice mage, I sence that he is of middling power, perhapes a blue band...do you know where we may find one such? He is causing havoc in the town, it is the only reason I am here..." Koji thought to himself that he might be able to talk to Terra, she would be able to get the tavern back up quickly.

“drawing the power in and drawing the heat in to yourself are two different things.” Jess said softly as she looked down at him. “I only have known one fire mage and she was not that powerful but she too ate more then most mages did. She told me that all fire mages have to consume more food then others, it’s the price of fire.” When he wrenched his chin away Jesses brows furrowed. What man would hid his face when another tried to look at him? Was he so self loathing that he did not dare look on another? “I was thinking more of detailed displays each morning, something you have to really put power into but will be beautiful that others might wish to see.” Holding her hand out she knelt slowly as she slowly formed a lace ball of ice, then a second ball within the first appeared. After a few moments she had many layers of balls inside themselves, the center one so small that it only could be seen by the lightening of the ice. The largest of the balls was only the size of her hand. “when I started doing these I could not do them this small but they were a challenge.” She did not think to tell him that she had been trying to mimic an earth mage she had seen create a sculpture in the village square where she lived, when she first found out she had her powers. Now each winter she would make ice palaces for the kids to play in to test her tested her ability’s.

“you will find your peace but you need to control your frustration as well. Anger and frustration are peace killers.” Once again lifting his face so she could see it she smiled. “do not blame yourself for what the fire did in times of no control, the more you blame the harder it will be to gain peace. You must let that go and work to become better.” The anger and frustration that had been in her eyes had disappeared to fill with kindness and a warmth that most Ice mages did not have.

“I am an outcast among the Ice mages,” She looked down at her hands then looked back at him quickly. “they do not agree with things that I find true about myself. One of those things being my Sylphs. Sylph’s are of air not ice they say but I have always had them. How can I drive off a part of me anymore then I can cut off a part of my body.” She shook her head. “I am sorry that I am unable to aid you in the direction of one that might be causing Havoc in our town. I hope that you are able to catch this Ice mage before they do real harm.”

Koji nodded his head, his eyes wide at the intricacy of the ice.
""Thank you...you are marked...your sylphs are your mark"He said softly, "I...May we meet again?" He asked his voice low as he looked back up at the Ice mage. He reached a hand out, his fingers brushing against the ice around Jess' band on her cloak, his heat quickly melting the ice. He pulled back sharply and held his hands to his chest as he adverted his gaze once more.
His master came then, "it is time to go Koji, we must move on." Koji nodded and started to stand when he felt it, the drop in temperature. He turned his head sharply and Jingo paused before hurriedly placing the cloak around the young man's shoulders. "Follow it young one." He said softly and Koji sped off. Jingo turned to Jess and smiled, "he could use a friend, other fire mages are afraid of him...even the few marked that we have within our ranks." He told her. "He and I reside in the stone house on the outskirts of town, there is no grass or foliage to be found for several miles. He could use someone like you...someone who was also an outcast." The old man bowed his head before he sped off after Koji.

“If I am one of the marked my masters did not tell me and I never really noticed my band color when it was given to me.” Jess said as she smiled at Koji. “I do not see why you could not see me again.” Looking down at her band she blinked in surprise as the opalescent band was reveled from under the frost. How could she not have realized she was a marked mage. Her memories of the day she had gained the cloak were filled with light and lots of blue and silver. She always thought she was a silver band, not opalescent. “why do you not look at me? I am just as human as you.”

Looking up she smiled as Jingo arrived. “forgive me I was rude to you before. I should not have been so curt to you.” The shift of cold excited the ice Sylphs drawing her eyes up to them and away from Koji. Three of the Sylphs shot off like arrows from a bow only moments after to be fallowed by Koji. “I am still an outcast to all mages who know me and my truth. But I will come for he needs one that knows the touch of anger from other mages.” Bowing her head to the Spell hound she fallowed them knowing that while fire might beat one of ice, having a second one of ice could protect things around them. “My name is Jess.” she said as she caught up with Jingo and jogged at his side. "I can help protect while you take the mage."

"It is rare to see a marked in a small town." Jingo said as they came to a halt, the path was covered in ice except for where Koji had stepped. "We could use the help, this is no Blue Border." He said softly as he started radiating his own heat to clear his path. "I would suggest staying out of Koji's way, I let him handle the capture, it is what he is good at, one of the reasons he was given to the Spell Hounds actually."
Turning the corner they saw a woman in her night gown, shivering as she was held by the Ice Mage, his cloak shimmering with ice crystals as the wind moved it. You could see the stream of heat Koji was feeding to the woman to help stabalize her temperature, the young man not reacting to the Opulent Mage's taunts.
"Do not distract him." Jingo warned Jess, "We need to get the woman away so Koji can fight." He murmured as he took the pendant that bound the young man out again. "Release." He said softly and watched the scene intently. The bands around wrist and ankles that were visiable turned pitch black indicating he had been momentarily released from the binds. Fire flared and surrounded Koji, turning blue instantly and melting the ice. Koji removed his cloak revealing the fith blackened band around his neck to the other Mage as the fire took form, what looked like little birds fluttered around Koji before dashing into his skin on his left side and his back, an image took place as the flames around him died for just a moment, a shimmering blue and violet Phoenix flared to life on Koji's tanned skin.
The bird's head was on his neck, it's wings stretched across his back, one reaching over his right shoulder and the other wrapping around his ribs on the left. The plumed tail trailed over his right hip and dissapeared into his pants.
"It would seem that we need to change his border." Jingo said softly as he started to assess the situation and how they might get the woman out of harms way. Jingo had not needed to release Koji's full potential before, but he knew he was no match for an Opalesent, even as a silver Fire Mage.

“its Rare to see a mark in any place other then the capital.” She said running along the top of the ice as if she was running on regular ground. She did not understand why they had thought they were dealing with a blue as they were coming closer to the source of power, even she could feel the power radiating off him. He was at least a gold if not also a marked. “I would never think to get in his way. That is a quick death for one of my powers.” Flicking her fingers she commanded her sylphs to spread out to ready for any attack they might need to do as they arrived around the corner.

Taking in the scene she organized all the attacks and defenses she could do in order of important. Her first command was for her Sylphs to coat the building around with a thick enough layer of ice that fire would not harm. “never would I think to do such a thing.” Her two oldest Sylphs she told to go around the Ice mages wrist that held the woman and draw all the magic from his hand. If anything it would remove the cold that was making the woman shiver. She tired to think of a way she could aid them in removing the woman from him without harming her. Yet nothing seemed to come to her.

The Flare of the Phoenix caused Jess to flinch away from Koji, her core shrank away from him. Biting back on the fear she locked her legs and summoned a mage dome around her. The ice though clear in some places was covered in lacey ice crystals. “yes it would seem that he has the wrong bindings.” Her voice was cold as she spoke. It was then that an idea burst into her mind. Calling the last of her free Sylphs to her she showed them what she needed of them to do. It would not damage the ice mage but it would hurt him giving her enough time to pull the young woman away. The Sylphs burst from her mage dome their icey chimes pearcing the ears of all the people around. They dove like shooting stars at his wrist where the other two clung to him. Seconds latter a large globe of Ice crystles formed around the young woman. Where the mages wrist entered the globe spikes of ice lanced through his wrists.

The mage hissed and pulled back his hands, the woman fell to the ground and scrambled as best she could away from him. Jingo hurried forward and took hold of her, changing his temperature to more safely warm the shivering woman as he took his cloak and wrapped her in it.

As soon as the woman was out of the way Koji moved, flames erupted around him and lashed out like a whip as he moved. Koji stalked the man like a panther, moving forward smoothly as his flames melted the man's ice, the cloak hung limp and wet, and the ice marking his face had melted, he was breathing hard and unable to drop the temperatures to form ice. He hissed in pain a lash of fire struck his cheek, burning the flesh. The Mage turned tail and ran, Koji moving to follow him till Jingo called out his name and tapped the pendant, the band's took back their metal glint, the flames surrounding Koji died and the mark of the bird on his flesh faded but did not dissapear this time.
Koji walked towards the small group and picked up his cloak, about to put it on before Jingo shook his head. It was against the law to wear a cloak that did not have your proper rank bordering it.

The Sylphs about the mans wrists vanished as the young woman was freed they moved with her as she scrambled away from her capture. The globe fading away into snow. Behind Koji Jess flinched again as the whips erupted. She really should have known that he was going to use fire to attach. Her mage globe starting to melt with the heat of the whips ahead of her. Putting a bit more power into the globe she watched as he lashed out at the mage. It was clear that the mage did not expect that a fire mage would be powerful enough to harm him yet he never called up a mage globe for protection. Even a weak fire mage could do damage to a Marked Ice mage. Ice and Fire were opposites on the wheel of power. Each one could do the damage to the other. Ice would have to overpower fire just like water would have had to but fire could lance through most simple defenses and rip the human flash to pieces. Only mage domes had been found to deflect fire attacks from ice. Had neither of them been taught mage dome?

Thinking back to her training in her small village she wondered if some of the training she had received was more outdated then she had imagined. Could a mage dome be one of those outdated things that they no longer taught even through it was useful. It was true that there were less mage battles then there had been in the dark days, but not to teach it just seemed wrong to her. Fire had their walls, earth had their stone domes. Water and ice had their globes and air had their column. Calling the power back into her from the dome she sighed. “I saw you don’t call on a mage dome before the fight why is that?” she said curiously to both of them as she fought back the fear of Koji’s fire. When the fire was fully gone she held out her hand to Koji. “I am Jess by the way.”

"Koji." He said softly and took her hand. "Domes are not taught here. They would leave us spell hounds at a disadvantage."
"Jingo." The old man said softly before turning towards the woman. "Go home, try and rest, some spell hounds will be by in the morning to talk to you." The woman clutched her hands to her chest and hurried back into her house. "Come...we will take you home." Jingo told Jess. Koji blushed lightly but put his cloak over his arm, he was uncomphortable being uncloaked, all five binds visiable to everyone who looked.

“so your telling me that it is thought that a spell dome will leave you at a disadvantage? I pray you never come up againted some one that is using a spell dome. They are going to be safe inside their domes and your going to batter your energy away trying to get at them.” she said shaking her head. How could it be believed that a spell dome leaves some one at a disadvantage? Now if the enemy knows how to use a spell dome and they don’t it would. But them not knowing makes no sense. Turning to Jingo she bowed her head slightly and smiled. “I am not trying to question your teaching it just seems odd to me is all.” As she spoke the rest of her Sylphs reformed from the ice they had created and flew back to her. A few of them chiming things that sounded a bit rude at Koji, she sighed.

“I do not need to be taken home as if I am a weak woman. Do not worry about me I will be fine, yet I think your student would prefer to be taken home soon.” She said noticing how uncomfortable he looked. “I would offer to make a robe of ice but I do not think that it would stay around long with your body temp.” looking up into the sky she listened to the chimes of the city bells denoting the hour. “I will see you both tomorrow after the noon bell if that would be alright with you.” She looked a Jingo for agreement.

Koji flushed, he did not understand the chimes.
Jingo nodded lightly, "that would be fine, we live on the east side of the town. We will see you then." He said and started to walk away. Koji looked at Jess and gave a hesatent smile before he followed after Jingo. He was looking forward to tomorrow for the first time in a long time.

Once home he washed quickly before the water evaporated and looked at himself in the mirror. The black Mark had not left his flesh, even as he wiped at it. He sighed and sat down on his cot. Why did he have to be a marked...as if he already did not have enough trouble. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair as he flipped back on the narrow cot. At least he would get to talk to Jess tomorrow. Was his last thought before he fell asleep.

As Jess walked home the Sylphs around her cried out different things, some about how pretty Koji had been. Others about how rude he had acted around one of their power lever. Sighing she shook her head and tried to ignore them and their childish ways. Some days she did wish that they were like other creatures she had seen with mages. Without personality and their own will but it did make some sense that hers, specially the older ones, would have gained some human quality’s.

“what are you going to do with the fiery death?” the oldest of the Sylphs said as she landed on Jesses shoulder and dangled her feet over jesses shoulder. “you really should stay as far from him as you can, all he can bring is pain and death.” Her voice was a sing song chime to any she might pass by on the street.

“What I am going to do with him is go talk to him tomorrow.” She said as they turned the street and a few of the high flying Sylphs darted back with news of coming rain. “I think he might gain some control with the way I was taught. They do not seem to teach the same way anymore.”

“You mean you’re going to yell at him to get it right?” spreading her tiny wings the Sylph floated from one shoulder to the other. “I don’t think that would turn out so well for you. I see fire and pain in that future.” There was no worry or concern in her voice. Jess had found a long time ago that Sylphs could never really keep any complex emotion in their mind let along a simple one. They may have personalities but they could not truly feel.

“No not yell at him, even I did not like that. But there are things I was taught and learned that might help him. Their training has become so ordered that they don’t cross train any more. They don’t have earth mages teaching fire or water students, or fire mages teaching air or earth students.” Turning into the last lain to her house she sighed and looked up at the three story building that housed her and two other families. The lights on the bottom two floors were out as they usually were but the windows on the top floor blazed with light. “Now that is not right.” Drawing water from the air she formed a ice mirror and whispered a few words over its surface. The image shifted to a view of the side of her face as her Sylph looked up at her. “Fly up there and look in the windows please.”

“If you say so, but I don’t see the point.” Kicking off from her shoulder the Sylph blazed into the nights sky a trail of ice falling behind in tiny crystals the glittered in the moon light. Cupping the mirror in her hands she watched as the windows came into view. The rooms beyond were covered in pale blues and teals. There was a splash or two of purple but it too was pale. In the light of the candles everything seemed to glisten, a thin layer of ice crystal coated everything. Flitting from window to window the Sylph found more and more candles lit and glowing yet no where could she find a single person who could have lit the candles. Sighing with near exhaustion jess released the ice mirror which fell in a cascade of water to the ground. “see no big bodies mucking about.” The Sylph said as she came back to land on Jesses shoulder once again.

“It is better to be safe then sorry.” With that she climbed up the steps slowly her body protesting each step as if she were thirty or forty years older. Reaching her landing she looked around making sure she had not missed anyone as she walked up the steps who might want to jump her now. Finding no one she opened her door with a whispered word and sighed as the cool of the room seeped into her bones. Though the weather was turning to winter it was not turning soon enough and the heat of the day made her life misable when she was not actively in one of her two ice chambers.

Walking from room to room she doused each candle as she looked over the room for anything that might have changed. Finely finding nothing she walked to her bedroom and started removing her clothing. The robe was first and hung with care on a stand. Her fingers brushing along where he had touched reveling her frost blue bands to the world. It was not truly frost blue but now it was taking on that hue again. Closing her eyes next she removed her bodice and skirt, her body seemed to shift as those were removed. Then came her shirt and underskirt. These too she placed on a stand. Wrapping her arms around herself, trying to hold on to the illusion for one second more she opened her eyes. Standing before her in the ice mirror was not a beautiful young, Attractive, naked woman but a young, very feminine, naked man. He was not completely naked, he did have to give himself that much credit.

His hose were simple blue white that had seen much better days but the frost on them hid the wear and tear from most if they did not look to closely. He had had these for quite some time and would have them for still much more to come. “I will never get used to this.” Running his hands over his muscled chest he sighed. It did not feel the same as when one touched another mans chest and body. Then you only had one set of nerves sending back information, more enjoyable that way.

The makeup was the next thing to come off. He had used kohl to darken his lashes and make them look longer and more female. As he whipped the blue away from his lips he sighed. They were almost the same shade but they did not have the full look that they did with the lip stain on. Finely he wiped away the pale powder that added a shimmer to his skin. “I wish….” His voice trailing off as he thought of all the things he would tell the gods if they ever asked him how his life had been on earth. Turning away from the table and the collection of makeup he sighed and rolled into bed. The last fleeting thought was of what Koji would think of him if he truly knew.

The next morning, after his normal morning routine and breakfast Koji was given some free time while Jingo talked to their superiors. Their home was small, had two bed rooms and a kitchen, the small home was built of stone and entirely smooth from Koji's many outbursts of power. All of their utensiles were made of metal and protected so Koji could not melt them, the only cloth they had was Fire Mage cloth that would not burn even under Koji's intense heat.
Koji stood outside on a polished rock space in front of their home, he took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and called up his fire. he circled the stone and tilted his head to the side as he called up his fire again and directed it creating a crisscrossed dome around him before he started playing with the temperature of the 'strands', changing the colors to reds, yellows, and blues and a single strip of violet. He smiled then as he made each flare brighter for just a moment in patterns. The intricacy of it was making him feel not so full of energy, but not depleted either, and it was yet to be noon when Fire Mages replenished.

Waking from sleep Jess looked around, something was off yet he could not tell what it was. Standing he summoned a handful of ice as he looked around trying to find what had awaken him. As he looked around the room he could find nothing amiss yes something had awaken him. As he entered the public rooms of his home he found a letter leaning up against a candle stick. His heart raced, his hands shaking as he reached out and picked up the letter. When he had gone to bed it had not been there and no one had woken him with the sound of some one coming into his room, yet here it was. Turning it over he sighed as he recognized the seal upon the back of the letter. Opening the letter he caught the gem dust that Hoseki never could get out of his hair or clothes.
Dear Jess,
It has come to my attention that there is a Ice mage moving through your area that is causing danger to all Ice mages. The hounds will be looking for some one to blame and you are most likely to get the blame. Because of this I invite you come back and visit my at my home cottage. I have already prepared your old room for you and will expect you in three days time.

Your teacher
Hoseki.

Sighing Jess walked back to his room and got ready for the day. If his nature really was going to effect how the Hounds saw him then they would only see him going to visit his teacher as running to hide. In only a few hours she was ready to go out into public.

Walking from her rooms she held her head high and smiled as she passed by the other upon the stairs. None of the neighbors knew her true secret yet they all knew something was off about her. She would let them keep trying to figure it out. She owned the building so she did not worry about them trying to remove her from the building.

As she walked to Koji and Jingo’s home she thought back on how she had made the money for the building. There was a chance that Jingo or Kohi might put the Ice mage Jess that had helped raise a carrage from the bottome of the river a few springs ago. She had been going around as a man then, as her proper gender as some of the people would say. She was female even if her body said that she was male. But it had been some time since she had been knew as a male in this town.

As she walked up the path to their home she smiled at the beautiful display of fire that koji was creating on the steps. Waiting for him to finish she studied his display and his body language. “that is a very intricate display, do you do that every day?” she said as she walked up to him.