Raging Elements
 

The sun was barely on the grand and waking nation of Einheit. It was a relatively peaceful country, at least on the surface, that tolerated and housed people that belonged to any of the four elements. These elementalists were able to bend the element that they held sway over to their very will and whim. Of course this required years of practice and not everyone was able to be labeled a bender or elementalist. Citizens, be they benders or regular, began to wake and stir about on this seemingly peaceful morning. Among the crowds a male, slender and tall in form, that held blazing red, short, semi-spiky hair and golden eyes that could almost match the burning and fiery sun itself was up and about, strolling the streets as he worked on finishing his patrol of the city for any possible social disputes that dared to threaten the peace of the morning. His clothing, a black cloth shirt, adorned with silver colored lining around the edges and center, a scarlet colored tabard with the kingdom's insignia inscribed, long, black cloth pants, soft hide black boots, labeled him as one of the high ranking fire imperial guards that were tasked with protecting the kingdom and its citizens. Lately however there had been talk on the streets of unrest and rebellion against their current monarch and government. Of course the male knew just how true some of these rumors actually were, after all being an imperial guard did have its advantages when it came to finding out information.


His golden gaze glanced about the street before him, nodding his head occasionally to a merchant setting up as he passed by in greeting. Unlike most guards no sword clung to his side, however he wasn't unarmed. Upon his back a single and simplistic bow had been strapped on, although in true he didn't even really need that, as his reputation had proven time and again. He wasn't the most violent of fire elementalists, rather he preferred to be more in a peaceful zen-like state at all times and thinking with his head rather then with brawn. It was this sort of calm attitude that made him a rather valuable secret ally...for the rebels, well that and the fact he had created the fire arrow technique. As simplistic as it was, it required quite a bit of concentration, least things go awry and it exploded in the users face. Typically he chose not to use the bow, slung against his back, unless it required for him to use a shot of his arrows that required him to take his time with his aim. Generally though he could hit is mark fairly well, despite his slowly failing eyesight, which he tried to fix somewhat with the silver rimmed glasses he wore. They were nothing fancy in looks, with the only really valuable thing with them being the glass he used for them. It allowed him to see well enough for an almost perfect aim every time, and helped to limit the fire and power he used. Like many fire benders he had to be careful how much he used since it didn't take much for it to spin and flare out of control.


Either way though he did not walk down these streets as unarmed as he appeared, nor was his guard down since the peaceful times seemed to be slowly slipping through the nation's fingers.. A silent sigh escaped his lips as he thought about just how much had changed in such a short amount of time. Before the kingdom had enjoyed a peaceful prosperity, however soon it was shattered as accusations and rumors began to spread of corruption in not only the government that ruled but the figure heads, their very queen and king, were corrupt as well. This sparked revolts and confrontations between the guards and 'troublemakers' on an almost daily basis. “Only twenty-four and already having to worry about war once again. It seems only a few years ago that the war we held against our neighbors had ended and peace began...” he whispered quietly to himself as another sigh formed, shaking his head at the current state of the nation. He was a patriot of his nation, or at least he tried to make it seem like he was, when in actuality he couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment towards the current government and rulers. In truth he actually supported the rebel group, and at times even acted as a sort of 'eye on the inside' for the group. In fact it was one of only two reasons he bothered to remain an imperial guard, the other being it gave him an opportunity to keep an eye on his younger brother Kira. There were certain things that he and his brother disagreed on, many being decisions made by the government officials and rulers, but he still cared for his water bending younger brother.


A frown appeared on Kaji's face as he thought of his brother. He was surprised he hadn't crossed paths with the younger male. “I wonder where he went off to...” he thought with another shake of his head.




As the morning sun continued to rise in the sky, a gleam of light blue strands began to capture the morning sun's rays. Attached to the blue strands was a slightly short, slim and light skinned young woman. Soon blue eyes that matched the very sky opened sleepily as a pale hand came up to rub the eyes ever so lightly. As her vision came more in to focus she could have sworn what she was seeing now was the sky itself. As the fog of sleep lifted from her mind she suddenly came to realize that she was indeed staring up at the sky as opposed to her usual wooden ceiling. Frowning slightly her hands moved and began grasping around her. Her frown only increased more as she came to realize that this was not the soft covers of her bed she was feeling but rather rough wood. Daring to take a glance around her a bit more she came to see rooftops of various buildings that surrounded her. Turning her head and glancing down she came to see that she was currently resting on a rooftop herself.


Letting out a startled 'eep' she sat up and glanced around, looking to see if any had noticed her strange sleeping on the roof. She was relieved to find there were no strangers gawking at her awkward position on the roof. Rather she could see the merchants and various residence begin to awaken and start their own days. She stared, watching the people slowly begin to move about and file out of their homes, when she again realized that she herself was not currently in her home...Her gaze glanced down, a bit nervous to see just what attire she had managed to slip on in her sleep. She was a bit relieved to find she didn't wear the silky tresses of her night gown, but rather a short, yet fitted dark yellow top that revealed her slim stomach and the tornado shaped birth mark that it bore, and white yet equally short long sleeved jacket. Her bottom region consisted of shorts, the same milky white color and came down to her mid thigh that fit snugly around her hips. At a closer inspection one could almost make out the slightly faded blue wind spirals that decorated them. A light brown colored cloth belt was tied loosely around her waist and matched her thigh high, but low heeled cloth boots on her feet. All were typical day clothes of hers. Reaching up into her hair, she noticed her typical wind shaped beret was in her hair, labeling her as the air bender Sylph.


Relieved her moment of embarrassment wouldn't be increased by her attire, she slowly and carefully began to rise. It wasn't the first time she had awoken atop a roof, as she had a bad habit of bending air in her sleep, or at least that was the excuse she liked to use. In actuality she knew that this had merely been the result of the exhaustion that had come over her from her now nightly activities of her self appointed patrolling the skies. As a citizen of the nation of Einheit she was well aware of the unrest and increase resistance and she wished to do her part to cease it. She loved her nation and felt the government and rulers were doing all they could to be just and fair to the people of the land. She had heard some of the rumors being spread around and easily passed them off as a misunderstanding, although that didn't stop others from questioning whether they were true or not. Either way it had caused quite the stir among the people and the young woman felt it was her duty as a citizen as well to do everything she could to stop the fighting.


Shaking her head to clear her mind of such thoughts so early in the morning. Right now her priority was to come down off the roof so her own morning could begin. Slowly she stood, stretching light colored limbs as a yawn issued from her mouth. She could feel a light breeze from up here, which always made her smile. Waving her arms she tempted the breeze to get a tad stronger so that she could attempt to use it to cushion herself when she began her descent. Glancing down again she could see in the distance the sight of an imperial guard on patrol, causing her to smile. “Always working hard to keep the nation safe...” she whispered to herself as her smile increased. She had thought many times about joining herself, however she just hadn't had the opportunity. Stretching one last time she began to make her way off the roof and into a back alley between the building she was on and the neighboring one. Once her booted feet came in contact with the ground she glanced around once, before emerging out onto the main street with a cheerful smile on her face.

As the sun rose higher into the air, the streets began to become busier as more people began to awoke and tend to their daily regiment. The golden eyes of the imperial guard walked in silence for the most part, only saying a friendly good morning to those that he passed. It wasn't much longer before he reached the area that his reliever guard was suppose to be. If he remembered correctly it was suppose to be an auburn haired woman with fierce green eyes by the name of Heather, however the one standing in the spot she was suppose to be was completely different.

A male, almost the same height as the fire bender himself, dark green hair that almost looked black unless seen in the sunlight, matching green eyes, and a rather dark tan, stood in the spot the woman was suppose to have been in. A slight grimace appeared on Kaji's face, the only real crack in his calm mask, as he recognized the male as Alkaid, or Al for short as he preferred. He was an earth bender, however how it was he managed to weasel his way into the imperial guards, Kaji had no idea. He was especially brutal when it came to dealing with 'terrorists' as he commonly called people who stirred trouble. From his experience usually the skirmishes that ended in rather bloodied fights were usually caused from him. 'I'd rather do a double shift then let him take over...' he thought with a shake of his head. Of course he wouldn't as he knew well that his younger brother, the current coliseum champion, was going to be defending his title yet again today, and although Kaji didn't entirely agree with his younger brother's choice to participate in such activities, he would still at least go and support him as best as he could.

As he approached closer Al called out to him, waving his large and gnarled hand at the fire bender. Another sigh escaped Kaji as he returned the wave reluctantly. "How did the night shift go? Anything to report? Any terrorists that needed dealing with? I hope you left some for me" the earth bender bellowed out to him with a hardy laugh. Kaji shook his head, not really wishing to report anything to the brute, let alone talk to him. Al had a bad tendency of trying to coax the fiery red haired male into a fight or a 'challenge' of some sort, ever since the last assignment of ranks. He had been one of the forerunners for Kaji's current position and would have perhaps achieved it had he not been pitted against the fire bender so early on. "No it's been a relatively quiet night. Now...if you'll excuse me I have someplace I must be..." he said quietly, hoping that his words would dissuade the other male from any provoking.

Al laughed before slapping the back of Kaji's shoulder in a 'comradely' gesture, although the fire bender would never consider him as such. "Ah but hope about a quick bout before you go hm? The streets look relatively safe right now and I'm sure it would be a good warm up..." the male said trying to tempt the calmer male as a malicious thought of beating the bender in a fight and claiming a rank that he thought should have been his. Kaji however shook his head. "No...as I've said I've somewhere I need to be. On top of that our duty is to serve and protect. Even if the streets seem calm here there could very well be a different section undergoing distress. And now I must take my leave. I wish you a good patrol...Al.." the golden eyed male replied back quickly, before turning on his heels and quickly leaving. The last thing he wanted was to be drawn into the fight with the other male as he knew it would lead to the endangerment of many of the area's citizens. Although he was sure the earth bender would fall again, that wouldn't stop him from causing some sort of earthquake or damage to the surrounding area.

He could hear the earth bender attempt to call something out to him, but the fire bender simply ignored it. Instead he began slowly making his way towards the arena. He had an inkling that, that is where his Kira would be eventually. After he would perhaps go and get a bit of breakfast himself, after of course his brother's match when his worry for Kira's safety was satisfied. When he finally did arrive Kaji took up a spot near the entrance way, leaning against the arched entrance, closing his eyes briefly for a rest, and folding his arms loosely over his chest.


Sylph went from stand to stand that was being set up, searching for her upcoming breakfast. She was on her own in this nation, as she had elected to move from her reclusive home with her family, to the busied life of Einheit. Her family had initially disagreed with her decision and she did miss them terribly, but she was too comfortable in her life here to return to seclusion. She paused at a stand that was still being set up, but had already placed out a bit of their stock. Her eyes fell onto a pear-shaped fruit that was almost as red as the hair that she had seen on the imperial guard from before. She dared to pick it up, knocking on the outside of it lightly. A hollowed sound answered her, making her smile as it showed the fruit was relatively ripe at the moment.

She glanced around for the owner of the stand, her eyes falling onto an elderly woman and her husband coming out of a nearby building with more of the fruit in hand. They offered the girl a kind smile as the man set down his stock and approached. "And what can I do for you Miss?" the elderly man with clearly graying hair and light hazel eyes asked with a kind smile. "I'd like to get this one if I may?" Sylph replied with a smile. The man nodded, stating the price of the fruit. With a happy nod the air bend checked a hidden pocket within her shorts and was delighted to find she still had her money there from the day before. Withdrawing it she counted out the amount before placing it on the counter. A thank you issued from the elder as he then wished her a good day, and her in turn to him.

After she had procured her fruit breakfast, she then began making her way to no where in particular. The streets were buzzing with news of a fight in a coliseum between two promising combatants. "Hmmm might be fun to watch..." she said out loud to herself, and began making her way towards the area, taking a few bites from her fruit as she went. She wasn't usually one to watch people fight for sport, but it was an alright indulgence once in a while. She could see from the distance that the guard she had spotted from before was leaning against the entrance, perhaps he was there to ensure everyone's safety, although from the look of it he might have just been waiting for someone.

Kaji continued to remain in his relaxed position against the entrance, opening his eyes only when he heard the squealing of girls who were fans of his younger brother. For a moment a small smile played on his face. He watched as his fan based asked Kira for autographs and he obliged with his icy breath. As the white haired male finished obliging the fans, his expression again returned to its natural calm. Hiding their kin relation was both easy and yet a difficult thing, at least in public, but for the meantime it was for the best. He didn't wish for his brother to be forcefully placed in a lifestyle he didn't want, as it would have been expected of Kira to become involved within the government, rather then making his own decision on what he wished to do. Although he didn't entirely agree with how his brother chose to fight in a coliseum he was still proud of him for rising up on his own.

His thoughts were soon pushed aside as Kira made his way towards him. The tone his brother used sounded harsh, but Kaji knew it was only teasing. A quiet chuckle came from him as he shook his head. "Well now, have to ease the minds of the government that a secret army isn't being created against them after all. Plus I've heard talk that there is to be a battle of prodigies. I'm curious to see how well the champion fares." his own tone held one of teasing. To the outside person it would sound like a sort of malicious tease, while his brother would be able to know it as the playful one he intended for him. Of course in any battle he'd be supporting his brother, but it was always interesting to see him fight against strong opponents. He could see his lightly tan sibling growing as he fought, in both strength and wisdom. In truth he could even see a bit of himself in the white haired male, but then it was somewhat natural since they were related and he had taken over the care of his sibling at a young age.

Out of the corner of his eye he spied another youth passing by. He seemed excited but clearly held some sort of strength within. The golden eyed male had seen him a few times, here and there on the street and in the coliseum recently. "I think it may be an interesting battle today indeed..." he said with another chuckle.


It didn't take too long for Sylph to arrive at the arena and to finish her fruit breakfast, passing by another imperial guard, probably the one that he relieved the other from before. She could see that a fair amount of people had already arrived, in particular a white haired male that had suddenly been swarmed by females all asking for autographs. At least that's what she assumed as she watched him using a sort of icy breath to hand out autographs. Watching still from a distance she could see him approach an imperial guard, and judging from the red hair it was the one she had seen earlier.

It was a bit curious to see the two talking, however from the sound of the wind it was mainly harsh words and teasing between the two. She was surprised that the imperial guard would handle such words with such ease, as she was certain the other one she had seen would have done something a bit more drastic. Of course it wasn't her place to judge, after all the white haired male hadn't really said anything that would warrant either an arrest or a cause for violence. Besides with the arena she was certain that there would be plenty of violence today as it were. She wondered if perhaps the two would end up fighting one another in the arena, but then from the look of the red head's calm features she doubted it.

She waited a few moments more from a distance before carefully approaching, intending to enter as she saw a sandy-brown haired male enter. Quietly she tried to slip by, but noticed the golden gaze of the imperial caught sight of her, as he had the male, though quickly returned to the white haired male in front of him. She continued on, not quite certain of where to go entirely, but simply followed the one in front of her. As she still continued on she couldn't help but frown just slightly as she felt as if somewhere along the way she had taken a wrong turn. It was taking far too long for her to reach the stands.

Seeing the smile on his younger brother's face, brought a small one to Kaji's as well. Kira's was perhaps the only one that could prompt a true smile from him. His golden gaze slowly turned to a slightly apologetic one as Kira stated that he doesn't typically come very often to watch a fight. He wished he could support and watch his brother more, however there usually some menial task the government had for him to do after his patrols. Today however he had managed to convince the council to allow him a bit of time off from his typical duties to 'investigate' and keep an eye on the arena's activities today. With a quick tongue he had managed to convince the council that potential fighters and potential disturbances in the crowd from the sheer mass of it for today's fight, however it was their invention of a potential army against them. "Yes they are relatively paranoid. They don't realize that everything isn't designed to overthrow them. It's usually the reason they ask for requests that are typically ridiculous. There are times however that they can prove to be beneficial, such as today. I do apologize that I don't come here often enough" his voice was lower in volume so that only his brother could hear, while his tone was sincere.

A small chuckle escaped from him as he could tell Kira was beginning to become fired up by the idea of his upcoming fight and the buzz it was causing. The amount of people filing in to the coliseum was impressive. It usually drew a fair crowd, however with today's match it seemed to have increased almost double in its usual size. It seemed to be the fight of the century, or at least that's what the crowd was saying. He had managed to gather a bit of information about his brother's upcoming opponent, after all being an imperial guard at times had its uses.

"I know a bit. From all I gathered he's a rather formidable opponent. As an earth bender I have no doubt that he possess a fair amount of strength and will prove to be quite a challenge. You may have to be on your toes with this one to say the least" the fire bender replied calmly as he gathered all his information that he had on the one called Zeno. He hadn't seen the earth bender fight too often, as it was hard enough to find an opportunity to watch his brother, let alone anyone else. Rather most of the information he had gathered came from the file that the government kept on practically everyone. There was even a file on himself and Kira, although he had managed to do a bit of manipulation on them to protect his brother.


Sylph continued wandering around, feeling herself getting more and more lost by the minute. She paused for a moment, as she tried to gather where she was. There was a rather large amount of people gathered in the area, most signing some sort of paper. 'A check in sheet I wonder?' She wondered if perhaps she should sign it, but something told her it would not be a wise idea.

She was startled out of her thoughts at the sound of a voice. Turning her blue gaze towards the owner of the voice she found the male she had previously been following. An embarrassed smile appeared on her face at the question as a pale hand came up to rub the back of her head. "Unfortunately...I'm afraid I am. I can't say I've ever been to these sorts of events so I've no idea exactly where to go. My name's Sylph by the way" she answered, feeling still rather embarrassed by her current situation.

Even with his brother's words Kaji couldn't help but feel still slightly guilty at not showing up too often to watch Kiril, after all he wanted to show his brother support even if he didn't fully agree with the activity. His curiosity increased as his brother mentioned he would put on a special show tonight. "Just be sure not to do anything...foolish" the red headed male called as his brother left to probably sign-in or stretch or prepare, the fire bender wasn't entirely sure to be honest. His curiosity rose though as his brother mentioned that he had a secret so he wouldn't lose.

Frowning slightly as he remained by the entrance a bit longer, he tried to think of what it could possibly be. He was certain that he knew close to everything about his brother, after all he had taken over raising him after their parent's deaths. Then again he wasn't around all the time so he supposed it was natural. His golden eyes directed themselves towards the light blue sky now that the sun had risen more, and stood at the entrance for only a few more moments of contemplation, before pushing himself from the archway and began to make his way inside.

It only really took him a few moments to reach the stands, passing by a fair amount of people on his way, some giving him a few...nervous glances. It wasn't usual for an imperial guard to show up to one of these events without causing some form of commotion, although whenever Kaji did manage to come himself he usually held no such intent. The cause of nervousness had mainly been stemmed by a few of his fellow guards, such as the earth bender Alkaid or even one of the more hot tempered fire benders. When he had reached the stands he could see a fair amount of fans had already stationed themselves somewhere. Choosing a spot that was less occupied the fire bender calmly took a seat, his usual calm and serene mask once more in place. His eyes closed to try and gain a bit more rest before the events began.

After a few moments he could feel a presence near him and cracked an eye open. He could see the nervous face of the arena's owner fidgeting nervously. He was a rather tall and muscular man, with a crop of golden hair and hazel colored eyes. His clothing gave sign of a higher middle class, as he wore a white v-neck ruffled shirt with the first button open, and long black slacks with gold trim and designs of what looked to be a dragon on one leg and a tiger on the other. His shoes, though simplistic in style held the same black tone and golden trimming around the top and bottom. Kaji knew the man to be rather gentler in nature then one would expect of a coliseum owner, which probably explained his fidgeting as he took a seat beside the fire bender. Kaji already knew what this would be about and calmly held up a hand as the owner opened his mouth to speak. "Ease your mind friend, I'm here to watch. I've plan on causing a disturbance although if one does occur I am obligated to silence it. I assure you however unlike many of my...colleagues I don't plan on making a large scene and shall disperse it as discreetly as possible, and shall ensure you are not held accountable for anything so you may continue your work here peacefully" he quietly stated, his words sincere and unwavering as it seemed to bring some relief to the man beside him. The two had already encountered each other before and the owner knew the fire bender was good to his word, now that he fully recognized just which imperial guard had come to spectate. In truth he had seen the uniform and hadn't bothered to look to see who exactly the wearer was.

Personally Kaji couldn't blame the male beside him, after all the disturbances that had been caused by others in the past, some turning rather violent, and offered him a kind and understanding smile before closing his golden eye again. The fire bender would have preferred to have come without his uniform, however since the reason he had managed to convince the council was the work of a guard he really didn't have much of a choice. Politicians and other higher ups never looked kindly upon those that chose not to wear their imperial colors and dress when dealing with their duties.


Sylph couldn't help but rub the back of her head again in embarrassment. "I can't say I'm a fan of anyone in particular no. As embarrassing as it is to say, I can't say that I don't really know many of the fighters that are fighting today. I heard though that there was a must see fight today. Actually...aren't you one of the two?" she asked feeling even more of a idiot as each second passed. Then again as she had said she didn't typically come to these sorts of events so it was only natural...right?

The sight of white caught her attention temporarily. Looking towards the source her eyes locked for a few moments with another set of eyes that were crystal blue in color. The eyes belonged to a male that she vaguely recognized though couldn't really recall the name of. As an air bender she mainly watched people more then interacted with them too much, and she had always been relatively bad with names anyways. Either way she offered a kind smile towards the male and a kind wave of greeting before he went off to sign the paper she had previously been contemplating signing herself.

Turning her own light sky blue eyes towards the male she had previously been talking to, she noticed he seemed to be trembling. She had missed the gaze the white haired male had given him. Lightly a cream colored hand came up to rest on Zeno's arm. "Are you alright?" her voice full of concern, as she doubted the trembling came from the cold since it was rather nice and warm at the moment.

Kaji's golden gaze drifted from the arena owner to the actual arena itself. It reminded him of ones of the past that he had managed to see due to his early imperial career. Before he had been sent out quite often as a foot soldier or as some sort of scout before he had reached the position he currently held, visiting many of the neighboring countries and kingdoms though usually only for a day or so since he still had his younger brother to think about, however nowadays he found himself more restricted to Einheit. Not that he would entirely complain, after all visiting other areas was fine but in true he preferred staying within Einheit, since he could keep an eye on his brother a bit better, not that the white haired male couldn't take care of himself now, but as the older brother and technical 'parental' figure he couldn't help but want to look out for the younger.

His thoughts were snapped out as another seated themselves next to him on the other side. Glancing sideways he found the person was female with relatively dark skin and rather...intriguing clothing. A dark ruby colored, ruffled dress, complete with golden and sapphire trim with matching golden jewelery that held glittering ruby and sapphire jewels within them adorned her. He didn't need to gaze at her for too long before he recognized the woman. "Good morning High Council woman Rahmiria...I'm surprised to see you here considering your...house arrest" the fire bender stated in a calm yet relatively cool tone.

The woman beside him laughed in a sort of sharp manner that would make most cringe. There had been many rumors about her corruption and it had only been recently that the fire bender had been able to catch her in the act, putting her under house arrest himself. Despite it though she had managed to keep her position on the council, under the condition that all of her activities were approved and she remained under house arrest for at least two more weeks. "Ah well how could I possibly miss this? They say that the fight tonight is a must see event, so here I am. Besides I managed to get the approval of the other council members since an imperial guard was going to be here anyways" the woman replied, her tone sharp with a touch of sarcasm.

There wasn't much the red haired male could technically do if she really did get the approval of the council. His duty was to uphold the law, and if she was following it at the moment, well he couldn't really step in. A sigh came from him as he wondered how long the council woman would remain seated by him. He wasn't particularly fond of her, and she of him, but then in an area where her popularity was low it was natural for her to seek out one of the few that would protect her, even if it was merely out of required duty. Instead his attention drifted again to the arena. He could see a few competitors warming up while others were slowly getting into the position for the fights that would soon commence.


A light blue eyebrow rose a bit at Zeno's words. He had seemed shaken up more then zoning out causing a bit of curiosity to brew within her. It was soon answered somewhat though as he spoke again. Frowning she glanced around to see who he could have been referring to. Her eyes came to rest again on the white haired male in her search and finally took note that the sandy brown haired male had his gaze fixed on the other male as well. Things seemed to almost immediately click into place, at least for the most part. She figured the male he had been referring to was the one they were both gazing at. Aside from that really there wasn't too much more she knew.

She watched then as the haired male began heading towards another area. He had acknowledged her greeting, which she had been relatively pleased about. As an air bender it wasn't too unusual for most to see 'past' her, as if she were air herself. Even from her slight distance she could tell the male was relatively attractive, especially with a smile. Although the sandy haired male she had been talking to was relatively attractive as well.

Turning her attention back to Zeno she realized her hand had been resting on his arm. Embarrassed again she pulled it back quickly. "Sorry" she said as a slightly nervous laugh accompanied her words. She decided perhaps a quick somewhat change in subject would be good. "So um...I realize the match probably isn't until quite a bit later and you've probably been asked this a fair amount of times already, but how are you feeling about it? I know it's not exactly my business so if you don't want to answer I'd understand"

Sylph felt slightly at ease when she saw Zeno's broad smile. "I thank you then for not taking offense" the embarrassment in her tone had decreased slightly as her uncomfort and awkwardness of the situation had also decreased since he seemed relatively calm and friendly.

She was slightly surprised by his answer. From what she heard from the commotion going on around them, many of the fighters were either eager or seemed relatively confident about those they were fighting and working on achieving the top. Then again she could understand Zeno's feelings as he went further on to describe what she had missed transpire between the two. She took notice that he seemed to be intent on her eyes, causing her to unconsciously glance down. " Well doing your best is all that can be done. If you do that then I'm sure your parents, friends and everyone rooting for you will be proud" she said with another smile as her tone turned to reassuring as her smile had. "It's surprising what can come from some people. Granted I may not know much about this, but if you're able to aspire such a look from someone like that then I would think he clearly sees you as a worthy challenge, you know? Seems he'll be taking you seriously, so hopefully that'll make it enjoyable to you both."

At the motioning to follow the air bender graciously complied. It was nice to talk to another person, even if they had just met, especially one that was extremely kind. " Yeah, that might be a good idea. I know a lot of people have showed up and they seem to still be coming in" she said as a playful giggle came from her, though she knew that both of their words were relatively true. The place was already starting to become cram packed, although Zeno had managed to find a section that hadn't been filled too much yet and a front row seat at that. She was certain that soon enough it would be filled though with the amount of people that were still filing in.

She was further surprised when Zeno mentioned the fighter he was going against, and the one she had heard called the champion, had no one. " I think he must have someone out there, or at least I'd like to think so. From what I could tell, and now granted I can't know for certain, but I doubt he does this for the fame and money, otherwise I doubt he'd be a good fighter" she said, recalling words that her own older brother back in her technical 'home' country. Her thoughts though were suddenly changed as questions about herself were suddenly asked. "Ah, no I don't mind. Well I've recently turned nineteen, old enough finally to convince my family that I'd be alright living on my own, even if it was in another country. I suppose that could be one of the reasons why I came to this event. I've only come to live here for a few months and haven't really been to anything or immersed myself here. Plus I've never been to an event like this before, or seen really any others in action here. I wanted to see what it was like, plus seeing others fighting sort of reminds me of my older brother" she explained, laughing a bit at her own reasoning and words. They were a bit silly now that she said them out loud, but they were the truth nevertheless.

Her gaze had drifted out to the arena as she spoke, taking note of some of the people filing in. Since she was in the first row she could see the expressions in the fighter's eyes a bit better then if she had chosen an aerial seat like she had originally contemplated before she had met Zeno and he had escorted her here. " So many here with passion for fighting in their eyes. It's exhilarating to see, especially with such rumors of discord in the country. It makes me wonder what got them into fighting in the first place you know?" she said, her gaze turning back towards Zeno's.

Sylph smiled as it seemed her encouragement seemed to help. "Exactly, which means that you'll be able to fight without any reservations that he might be holding back, and make it a fight you'll both be proud of too" she added on kindly. A fight that both fighters would and could fight with their all was indeed one worthy of such popularity. It's probably the main reason most of the people had come here, well that and to show support to their favorite fighters.

She was relatively glad that Zeno had come to her 'rescue' when he did and even though he was a fighter he still maintained a kind nature, which only added to his appeal. His physical features were ones to admire, but that wasn't what had drawn the air bender to the sandy haired fighter. It was rare, she believed, to find a fighter that still maintained a rather generous personality and a heart truly full of kindness. Her brother was the same way, a bit over protective of her, but he was still a kind hearted fighter, and she was glad to have possibly found the same in Zeno.

As Zeno then mentioned another who had a rise to fame in the imperial guard she immediately tried to place the name with the face. She was more familiar with the imperial guards rather then the arena fighters, since she had held an admiration for the fact they were doing everything they could to ensure the safety of the people, even if a few had methods that were...sketchier then others. " Perhaps, although I don't know if I'd call them monsters. After all if you're second in ranking then wouldn't that mean that you've got quite the talent yourself, especially if you're competing against so many people to get ranked. I think I would classify you as someone who's naturally talented wouldn't you? And I for one don't think you're a monster" she replied with a playful though reassuring chuckle.

As Zeno questioned about her brother she couldn't help but smile with pride at thinking about her older sibling. " Yes he's a rather talented earth bender in the country I came from, perhaps the best in that land. He has a rather kind personality, although he can be a bit over protective at times. I actually had a rather difficult time convincing him to allow me to come to this country by myself. I actually see a similarity between you two as strange as that may sound" She wasn't too surprised by his next question and gently nodded her head. "Yes I'm an air bender actually, although I don't really fight unless I must, but then being an air bender can be relatively handy. Most people don't pay much attention to the wind that blows gently you know?" It was probably one of the only reasons she had actually slipped in without being charged now that she thought about it. Then again since she didn't come to these too often, perhaps it was actually a free event? Sylph couldn't be completely sure, but she figured she wouldn't question it. If the issue did arise however she would do her best to pay with what money she actually had.

Another smile poured onto her face as she seemed to almost beam at Zeno with admiration as he explained his reasonings. " That's rather noble of you. I can't say there's many people in this world anymore that would try so hard to support their family given what the economic conditions are. Plus fighting for loved ones always seemed honorable in my book. And I don't think it was all luck though. To get to the top you still have to work hard and do your best, so I think that may have also played a part in it" she replied gently as her smile never wavered.

Sylph smiled and nodded her head, glad to see that Zeno seemed to be relatively excited now for his match. "I'll look forward to watching you then. I'm sure you'll do spectacularly." She was relatively excited now to see the match and seen Zeno in action. Of course first she would have to go through watching the other matches, which she didn't mind too much and would do so with a pleasantly.

The light blue haired air bender laughed playfully. "Well I can't say I've seen you in action yet, but I've a feeling you've got a rather impressive natural talent yourself. But as you said I'll see soon enough. Either way I'm sure it'll be a good fight to watch." She could tell that enough from the excitement that the fight had caused, if not from just speaking with Zeno.

As the conversation again shifted to her brother, her smile broadened. "Yes I would say he's rather unique, but then I might also be a bit bias since I am his younger sister" she said with another playful laugh. Her brother was indeed talented and was a rather impressive sight to watch, however she was a bit uncertain how well his talent would compare here, since she really had yet to see the best here in a fight. As the sandy-brown haired bender inquired about him being a metal bender too she gently nodded her head, causing a few strands of light blue hair to swish into her face. Bringing up a pale hand though she quickly relinquished their liberation from behind her ear. "Yes he is, although I don't think he typically uses it in battle unless he must. Typically he used it to make things like this beret." she gently explained as her hand then shifted to the wind shaped piece in her hair. It was the last gift she had gotten before she left her family's home to establish her own.

She was curious then as Zeno explained who he wagered who was the strongest in Einheit, and even further as possibly the strongest bunch in the world. She hadn't really seen most of the guards in action, but she figured they would have to be strong in order to protect the nation and people. As the male bender went on to say that only two of the imperials had went out to battle rogue benders she was relatively impressed. "That is rather impressive to say the least." It was hard to imagine only two against rogues, but if they were the elite then it definitely wasn't impossible.

"I don't know, I've seen others who have completely abandoned their families rather then support them during my travels, before I came to Einheit. It's rather chaotic in quite a few areas and countries. I was rather surprised that it seemed rather peaceful here, although I have heard some things about unrest, but at least people aren't up and abandoning their families or killing people on a daily basis." She figured the reason was mainly due to the imperial guards and government, but she figured a portion also had something to do with the arena itself. It offered fighters a chance to use their skills on each other rather then on the citizens. It also offered entertainment for others that could cause trouble, at least while there were fights, after it would be up to the guards.

As she continued on to listen to one of the main rules of entering the arena, she did have to agree that it was relatively lucky not drawing the champion's name immediately. "I suppose that's true enough. I can only imagine what it would be like to draw out the champion's name first when just applying. I never thought luck would really play into it like that, but I suppose it keeps people on their toes and helps people advance their skills" she said with an agreeable nod. An announcement that seemed to ring out throughout the arena suddenly caught her attention. "Would the first fighters of the day make their way to the ring if they have not. The fights shall begin in a few minutes"

(We could time skip now to the fight so that Kaji and Kira can have a bit to do too, before they get too far behind. XD)

Sylph nodded her head in understanding. "Of course and good luck. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully too" she replied encouragingly, flashing him another warm and friendly smile. "I would like that" she answered honestly in regards to meeting up again. She then watched with a smile still as he went to go prepare for his upcoming fight.


There were dazzling displays in the fights that commenced. Sylph was amazed to see so many different techniques that were used by various benders, including air ones like herself. She had never imagined using the air in the ways she had been witnessing, although she knew a few techniques herself. She was certain if her brother had been here he would have been enjoying the fights with her, instead though she knew somewhere in the back of the crowds Zeno was probably watching. Occasionally she would glance around to see if she could spot the sandy brown haired fighter, but with the crowds as packed as they were it was close to impossible.

As another fight ended she glanced around again trying to see if she could spot Zeno and instead found not the male she had been talking to before, but instead an imperial guard sitting with a high rank looking woman. Immediately she could recognized the blazing red hair as the one she had seen before, and now that she was somewhat closer then she had been earlier this morning on the rooftop, she could see the insignia that classified him as a fire bender and a high ranking one at that. Immediately her mind went to the name that Zeno had mentioned earlier when it came to the strongest in Einheit. Perhaps that was him. She glanced around quickly again to see if she could spot Zeno and somehow signal to him, but then with this crowd that would be probably close to impossible without causing a disturbance.

Between fights and occasionally during them she would glance towards the guard. He didn't seem particularly surprised when the winner was announced, at least from the calm expression on his face. Occasionally the woman beside him would whisper something and he would say something back. She knew if she used the wind she could probably hear what he was saying, but then he was an imperial guard and it wouldn't be proper to eavesdrop on the conversation of two high ranking officials.

---------

Kaji occasionally cracked an eye open to watch a bit of a fight that was occurring, before calmly closing it again. Typically one glance at the fighters and how they carried themselves could easily determine who the winner would be in most cases, and was about all the guard needed to predict a winner. Occasionally the council woman beside him would ask who he thought would win, and was relatively surprised when the red haired male's predictions usually came true. After awhile the woman flagged someone from the crowd down, a servant of sorts, as she tried to take advantage then of Kaji's predictions.

"Gambling again council woman?" he asked calmly though the look in his eyes were full of disapproval. Of course the activity wasn't illegal, especially with the arena, but he preferred not to get involved. There had been a number of disturbances and arrests he had been forced to make because of the activity, and he'd rather not be in such a situation himself. "Well it's not as if it's illegal so why not?" the woman replied with a wicked sort of smirk.

As the fights continued she would again try to beseech Kaji into who he thought would win, but since she decided to gamble based on his answer he generally chose not to any longer, making the woman beside him frown and pout as if a spoiled child that was denied a toy. Instead he decided to primarily just focus on the fights themselves and resting up himself after a long night of patrolling.

--------------

Eventually the day turned to evening as the announcement for the main event rang out through the arena. Excited eyes drifted to the entrances as first the challenger for the title of champion was announced. Both of Kaji's golden eyes opened now, sizing up and inspecting his brother's opponent from his seat. Before long a small and faint smile appeared on his face and a quiet chuckle came from his lips. This would be a challenging and interesting battle for his brother indeed. He knew first hand from his various clashes with Alkaid that earth benders could be rather powerful and formidable opponents and this one looked promising, especially given his record for being new. Out of respect he rose with the rest of the crowd, giving him a clap and whatnot, as was expected.

His gaze then turned as his brother was announced. An eyebrow rose as Kiril's introduction name. It suited him in many ways really, though as his older brother he would still tease him playfully about it later, after all he couldn't always be the 'parental' figure, especially now that his brother was older from when they were kids. He couldn't help but have a proud smile as he heard his brother's own record, and impressive one by far. The numbers may have made the one named Zeno's be dwarfed, however they were both still undefeated so far.

Intently the woman beside him again asked for Kaji's opinion on who would win before the crowd suddenly roared with excitement after a brief silence. The fire benders golden eyes glanced from one fighter to the other, before another chuckle escaped him. In truth it was hard to tell, though he wanted to say Kira, although he knew it was based more on the bias of him being his brother then anything else.

-----------

Light blue eyes danced happily as Zeno was introduced into the ring as she cheered happily for him, adding in her encouraging shouts. She knew somewhere his family must have been doing the same as her at this moment. He looked confident and eager, especially compared from this morning when he had looked a bit intimidated from his opponent's first gazed at him.

As Kiril was then announced she turned her gaze towards him and was slightly stunned. He had indeed been the male she had seen and waved to before, as she could clearly remember the snowy white hair that had caught her attention. He came in confidently and with the elegance of royalty. There was indeed a vast difference with the two's entrances. Her blue gaze then drifted again to Zeno as the crowd went berserk for their champion, and while he was rather impressive she would still be rooting for the sandy haired fighter.

---------------

Both light blue and golden eyes in the crowd rested upon the fighter they were rooting for as the anticipation and excitement for the battle rose and blanketed the crowd. Who would truly win this battle that both had no doubt would go down as possibly legendary.

(Woot. XD)

(It's been brilliant so far and I can definitely picture the fight pretty clearly so I think you're doing great. :D)

Golden and light blue eyes watched the fight with two very different perspectives. The calm and battle wise Kaji carefully studied the two with his more refined gaze, while Sylph could only really base most of how the fight was going from what she could see. Initially it seemed the earth bender held the advantage, pushing the champion back with his barrage of powerful and damaging techniques, though the fire bender could clearly make out that not one blow had managed to be landed on his younger brother. He could even see similarities between their fighting styles, though there was a slight difference in Kaji's. He figured though it was to be expected since he had even taken over his brother's training when they were younger. Occasionally he would still even offer a 'play' sort of fighting to further assist with the water bender's training and even a bit of his own.

The red haired bender couldn't help but also see a bit of similarity between Zeno's and Alkaid's techniques. Both were more aggressive in terms of close range, favoring damaging and powerful techniques. Of course the main difference was perhaps experience between the two, but Kaji could still see the potential to even possibly be a sort of 'rival' for his brother no matter the outcome.

The council woman beside him began screeching out her support for initially Zeno as she couldn't see how the fight was truly going as the guard could. Then it happened as the earth bender over extended giving Kiril the opportunity to deliver a blow, which he clearly too advantage of. His golden gaze followed the earth bender as he landed and immediately got to his feet. The cheering of the woman beside him had suddenly switched sides to root for the arena's champion. For a brief moment his gaze slid slightly disapprovingly at the woman beside him. Sure he didn't mind she was rooting for his brother, however to switch sides to rooting for the winner, abandoning the other in support was something he really didn't approve of.

His gaze then moved back towards the fight. He couldn't help but quietly chuckle as the water bender taunted his opponent, which the earth bender ended up falling for. 'Not a wise move...' His thoughts ended up being correct as Kiril delivered another blow, first to the other's gut and then another two to the boy's face, sending him flying again. The council woman beside him screeched out her support, the sound making the fire bender cringe just slightly at it.

His gaze again followed Zeno's path as he again landed on the ground. As the male got up again it seemed that there was something now very different about the earth bender this time. The fire bender could recognize the stomping of the ground as a bender technique, as now earth became the attacking reagent. His brother seemed to dodge the flying solid masses of earth well enough, however surprisingly this encounter ended with blows to Kiril, as the shouting of the one beside him switched again to Zeno. He seemed to have the advantage, at least until water became accessible to the water bender and a surge of water was sent at the brown haired fighter, sending him flying again. Again the screeching, piercing noise of the one beside him moved to his brother.

The eyes of the crowd watched then as mist began to fill the arena, one of the many famous techniques of the arena's Lord of the Mist. The outline of the fighters were now only really visible, but Kaji knew that visibility would be practically impossible inside. The crowd around seemed to grow silent as they tried to make out what was all going on in the arena. The sounds reverberated around the arena. The sounds and outlines of the two giving an exchange was somewhat surprising to Kaji, and even more so as the mist was recalled back by Kiril.

The two were now fully visible again as the exchange of attacks were again renewed, however now each fighter's bending techniques were incorporated. The crowd cheered wildly, as again golden eyes carefully studied each fighter's attacks and movements. Kira seemed to gain the upper hand in the fight, though soon the champion was engulfed in a sort of sand tornado. The cheering beside him again switched sides rapidly, but before too long the champion made his attack. The sight of arrows of water brought another quiet chuckle to Kaji. He was somewhat surprised at the attempt that Zeno made to control them as they sailed towards him, however the elements simply separated and the attack landed on the mark. It was a surprising indeed to see as most of the crowd gasped in surprise that the earth bender perhaps had felt as well. 'He's definitely gotten better from the last time. I may have to be a bit more careful from now on...'


Away from where the guard was sitting the owner of the light blue hair and eyes shouted her support for the earth bender. Her eyes weren't quite as skilled as really the only the fights she had watched were ones with her brother, however that seemed so long ago now that she thought of it. It seemed at first that Zeno had the upper hand as she shouted her support loudly from the crowds, cheering and whooping for him as he fought on, though of course her voice would be lost in the crowd's.

She gasped as the first connecting blow was received by the earth bender, but he immediately got up. A sigh of relief came from the air bender as she smiled and cheered as loudly as she could, though shook her head as if trying to persuade him not to fall for the taunt that the water bender issued. Her hands flew up to her eyes as she peeked through her pale fingers as more blows were again issued to Zeno. She winced a bit at the landing, hoping he was alright.

Her worries were soon abated as he again got up, as a flood of relief surged through her. Again she shouted her encouragement to the earth bender. She stood, clapping excitedly as he managed to land a few blows on the water bender, though being the caring person she was she also hoped that the silver haired male would be alright as well, though soon that worry left her mind as water suddenly came flying towards the earth bender, throwing him back. She winced slightly though was happy to see him stand once more. Water again came flying towards the sandy brown haired male, though he seemed a bit more ready for it this time as an earth wall rose to shield him from the blow.

Light blue eyes then widened slightly as the arena then seemed filled with mist, leaving only the fighter's outlines and forms visible. Like the rest of the crowd Sylph grew quiet, watching with as much intensity as any other in the crowd. The sounds of battle and taunting filled the air, her eyes drifting towards the sounds, like many of the others, fooled like many others at Kira's thrown voice for a few brief moments despite their eyes. Soon enough though the mist began to clear, revealing both fighter's fully once more.

The fighting again commenced with full sight, as the air bender continued to shout encouragingly at Zeno, though she couldn't help but be impressed by both as their bending abilities were incorporated into their attacks. Soon the battle seemed to be tipped in the favor of Zeno as he captured the champion in a sand storm, as the earth bender made use of the sand in the arena. She shouted excitedly, thinking perhaps soon the battle would be over, as there could be no way that one would be able to escape the entrapment of earth. Watching as Kira sent flying arrows of water as they turned to mud. She figured that Zeno would be able to easily turn them back, but was surprise as his attempt turned into the elements separating from each other and the water continuing on its path. 'How...' She was surprised and shocked as she had never imagined such a thing could be accomplished.

(Lol indeed though I'm sure there'll be plenty of fights up ahead too that can be a bit longer. It was still a brilliant fight scene though. :D)

Kaji's golden eyes continued to watch the fight, although he could already tell who was going to win by now. It was clear to see the gap in strength and experience to his trained eyes. Despite that the council woman beside him continued to cheer back and forth between the fighters, trying to ensure that the one she roots for in the end is the winner. He could see from a slight gleam in her eye the fire bender could tell that a sudden idea had sprung into her mind as she watched. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to see how well those two fair against even stronger opponents? I wonder how they would fair against the elite don't you Kaji?" the woman suddenly asked, causing Kaji's attention to momentarily turn to her. His gaze had a slight cold edge that could almost rival the chill of his brother's ice, giving her his silent answer to that. Glancing over towards the fight, he noticed it had turned back into a martial arts type fight, however the bending now was one sided, as was the fight.

The council woman's attention seemed to also return to the fight as well, although he could tell she had understood his answer. Of course though she would probably ignore it, since she didn't really need to ask an imperial guard, no matter how high in rank the guard was. She was a council woman and thus higher then a 'mere guard' as she would call them...behind their backs of course. Alone she feared confronting them as her bending powers were minimal if not practically non-existent.

Turning his thoughts again to the fight he managed to witness his brother again conjuring mist yet again, however this time it was much thicker. Even with Kaji's trained eyes he couldn't make out really anything in the ring now. Instead he and the crowd could only hear only a few things that none could really make out. Was his brother making a verbal exchange? He couldn't really tell, and perhaps later he would question his brother, though more then likely he would simply stay out of it.

Before too long the mist was soon cleared and the unconscious and mostly frozen form of Zeno was now visible. The fight was now clearly over, even before the announcer announced it. Kira was again the winner and still reigning champion of the arena. The crowd stood and cheered their champion as he went to leave the arena. The fire bender soon stood as well, deciding perhaps he would go and congratulate his brother personally, sooner rather then just waiting to do so at home. Unfortunately the woman beside him also stood and suddenly latched onto his arm. Passing a calm though slightly icy gaze to the woman he tried to free his arm. "Let's go see the champion! I have something to propose to him and you're going to escort me. I don't want any of these hooligans harming or touching me you got that?" the woman demanded with a sneer, knowing that technically he wasn't in the position to refuse. Golden eyes calmly closed as he repressed the urge to simply roast the woman alive. Bunching up the urge mentally he released a deep sigh, calming his inner fires.

The woman clearly saw that as a sign and insistently tugged at the fire bender arm, clutching it as she suspiciously glanced back and forth between people, almost daring their 'filth', as she called it, to touch her as the two made their way slowly to the locker rooms. On the way the fire bender could hear rumors already beginning to circulate on how it was Zeno ended up in the condition that won Kira the match. A few speculated it was a fixed match, other that a cheap trick was used, while others simply believed it occurred fair and square, after all Kiril was a water bender and could easily produce ice from mist. Perhaps later the red haired guard would inquire what truly went on in the thick mist, if there was time that was.

Either way it was an impressive match as it was clear both fighters had given a good show of skill during the match. He was proud of his brother, and would be regardless if he had won or lost. Once the two arrived in the locker rooms, Kaji immediately set to work at freeing his arm from the tightened clutches of Rahmiria, who tried to catch glimpse of the champion actively. Once he had managed to wiggle his arm free he calmly took perch against a wall to lean against, preferring not to cause a scene with his own presence amongst others. Although among the guards he was the more well liked, he was still a guard and that fact typically caused more trouble then anything else with the fire bender.

His calm gaze lightly passed over those filing from watching or had already been there to recover from their own fights so as to endure their various fans, however most of the attention would more then likely go to the water and earth benders that had just fought. Eventually he caught sight of the white strands he had grown up seeing and the water bender who bore them. A slight smile appeared on his lips as his gazed warmed at seeing his brother. At first he opened his mouth, perhaps to start a playful exchange between his brother followed by his congratulations, but it was immediate interrupted as Rahmiria seemed to have spotted Kiril as well. "Excellent fight, as usual. I believe it lasted a bit longer then usual when you've a new opponent. You know I've been watching you for awhile now, and I've had something I've had running around in my mind that I've wanted to propose to you for some time now..." she started, pausing slightly to glance back towards the leaning guard. "Kaji get over here so you can protect me better. That wall can hold itself up after all" she sneered at the guard, trying to send him a glare, however it clearly didn't faze the fire bender in the least.

Kaji's gaze hardened slightly at the woman's demand and tone. "I assure you that you're perfectly safe here. After all who, pretell, do you expect to attack you?" came his own calm though slightly hardened tone. Nevertheless he moved away from the wall and moved only slightly closer. The last thing he wanted was his arm to again be brought into a death grip by a woman he wasn't entirely fond of. The gaze of the two though came to rest not on each other, but on Kira instead. Kaji already had a feeling he knew what it was Rahmiria was going to dare to ask the water bender, and despite it all the fire bender wouldn't hesitate to object either way. He wanted to ensure the government stayed away far away from his brother and he would do whatever was needed to ensure it went that way.


Sylph continued to watch the fight on the edge of her seat. The air bender watched excitedly as it again seemed again that Zeno was again gaining an upper hand in her eyes, as their battle paused briefly before raging again with only the earth bender bending. Perhaps the water bender was too tired to continue? As Zeno was again hammered by another attack, it was clear to her that, that wasn't necessarily the case. Still she cheered for the earth bender, even though from the look of the two now, that the chances of the sandy brown haired male winning were pretty slim.

Standing she again shouted her encouragement as loud as she could. A part of her wished she could give the friendly male a bit of her own energy to so he could keep fighting, however there wasn't really any way she possibly could. Suddenly the champion stuck his arms out as mist again encompassed the arena, however this time it was much thicker. The light haired air bender tried her best to strain her eyes enough to see into it, however it was no use. The crowd once more fell silent, as ears all around strained to hear the fight. Had there not been glass the air bender knew she could have easily used the wind to hear, since she wouldn't technically be allowed to clear away the mist. Then again it would have shrouded the entire area in mist and no one would be able to see, and not everyone had the ability of wind. Still though she wished she knew what was going on.

Soon enough her wish seemed granted as the mist cleared, revealing Zeno frozen from the neck down and unconscious. Sylph gasped in surprise, a hand going to her mouth to cover it. "I hope he's alright..." she whispered quietly to herself. As the fight was announced as over and the fighters were either taken or carried away from the arena. The crowds began to slowly file out as talk replaced the sound of fighting. It was only at times like these that she wished she wasn't an air bender as all the talk surrounded her and came filing to her ears. Despite it her own thoughts filled her mind as she decided she would go and try to find Zeno, as well as congratulate him on the fight, as it seemed he had tried his best.

Slowly she began following the path back from where she had come from, being bumped into and pushed around slightly from the crowded conditions. She had heard that a few were going down to the locker rooms to visit or chat with their arena favorites, so she decided to try and follow them. Although it was crowded she had managed to catch a glimpse of a pair that seemed fairly muscular. Were they fighters? Possibly, but it didn't appear they were ones that had fought in the arena, after all she was fairly good at recognizing faces. Soon enough though they disappeared with another crowd, before she had a chance to get any closer.

Before she knew it she arrived in an area where a fair amount of the people she had seen had fought, while others were various people of the crowd that had watched, either family, friends or fans. Glancing around she wondered if this is where they would bring Zeno, though she figured probably not. First the arena workers would probably have to see to his wounds, since she was certain he had gained at least a few from the blows he had received. Regardless her light blue eyes glanced around to possibly give some sort of hint of him, instead she found his opponent first. Despite the fact she had been rooting for Zeno she figured it would be polite of her to congratulate him on his victory, however before she could say anything another woman approached him.

She wondered for a moment if she was a fan, after all hadn't Zeno said Kiril didn't have any friends or family? She didn't wish to eavesdrop on them, however as the female shouted towards another in the shadows that had been against the wall, she couldn't help but hear her mention the name Kaji. What was an imperial guard of that caliber doing here? No, she was here to see Zeno, not incur trouble. Shaking her head she again glanced around for any sign of Zeno since it seemed most fighters found their way here in the end.

Rahmiria sent a rather chilling glare, one that would perhaps make most cringe or shrink away, towards the red haired fire bender when he spoke. It was clear that it really held no effect as the calm remained on the bender's features. In fact it was almost as if he hadn't noticed the glare at all. Her attention shifted to the champion of the arena however when he spoke as a flush of embarrassment painted her cheeks that was slightly visible against her darkened skin. "Ah do forgive me, I'm simply use to most knowing who I am. I am Rahmiria Krushnial, third seat on the council" the woman said with a pompous air about her. It was clear that she thought herself higher then most, believing that her words were really the only ones that truly mattered.

Kaji figured the cause of the woman's attitude came from being descended from a famously rich family line. In a sense it made him feel somewhat relieved that he and his brother had grown up on the streets, learning that such vanity would only lead to an early death and true misery in a kingdom full of hatred. In fact the fire bender doubted that any council member came from a poor family.

"Now that the formalities are over, shall I presume you're prepared to hear my proposal to you?" the woman continued as she still held a sort of spoiled air about her as well as a clearly stubborn look in her eyes, that she attempted to shield with false sincerity and kindness. "If I may be as so bold to suggest that you at least allow him a bit of rest before hand. He did just finish a battle after all so I'm sure he's in need of some relaxation before he's...troubled with any sort of...'suggestions' made by anyone..." the fire bender calmly replied, as he attempted to dissuade the council woman from any plans that she held for his younger brother.

The woman again directed a glare towards the guard. "If I want your opinion Kaji then I shall ask for it, until then simply remain quiet and do your job and assure my safety. Do you understand?" the woman snapped haughtily. She held no interest in hearing the guard she thought beneath her, despite the fact that he had been the one to place her under arrest before. Perhaps though it was the main reason for her shortness with the guard and rather nasty attitude.

In reply the fire bender merely closed his eyes and lightly crossed his arms over his chest. His face remained emotionless, at least to all who didn't truly know him. He still would protest anything she said, after all why would he allow one already proven corrupted with power to even touch his brother?

-------------------

From her position in the locker room Sylph could still somewhat hear the conversation somewhat going on between the three, though she tried her best not to pay attention. From what she could tell though there were at least two on relatively bad terms. Before her mind could wander into further curiosity she suddenly heard her name being called. Instinctively she turned towards the sound with a quick turn of her head, causing her light blue hair to glide in the air with the motion. As her matching gaze came to rest upon the the owner of the voice, her face immediately lit up.

Turning her body fully to face him, and her mind temporarily taken away from the scene going on between the champion and the other two. "Zeno! Congratulations with your match, you did spectacularly" she exclaimed, although it wasn't exactly loud, giving a radiant smile with her words. Although he had lost the match she could still tell he had given it his all. She had been curious though about what exactly had happened in the thick fog at the end, but she figured that, that would be a question for later.

Her gaze lightly brushed over the sandy haired bender, trying to see just how injured he ended up. She was relatively relieved that he wasn't entirely too roughed up, though it also gave her an opportunity to again gaze upon his rather handsome face and muscular features. "How are you feeling?" she asked, fairly concerned for the male, despite the fact that they had technically met only today, and wanting to quick change her thoughts, least she do something that she could end up regret. Perhaps it was the friendly air he gave, that drew her to him in a friendly manner, or at least she hoped it was merely a friendly manner...for at least quite some time.