The Retriever had ascended the first few floors with them though kept a respectable distance. Until they cleared floor four or someone new arrived where it would depart and see to their needs in the likely event it was dispatched. Since it knew what to grab those that feared that the creators of the Retrievers could check what they had been reading did not always use them if wishing to keep their work secret, especially if working on something embarrassing. The Retrievers did not care but if their creators found out then rumors could spread and that was what people feared.

“The Retrievers … they are not human, not really Golems either but genie spirits or Genie Kin … in this case Djinni the air Genies, well spirits related to them sort of like Elementals. These Genie Kin come in all forms depending on their element and enter into pacts with spell users, well some do. They search for particular spells that their Masters need and return with a portion of that spell allowing them to cast the retrieved spell once.

“Someone got the idea that if they could seek out particular magic then retrieving a particular book or scrap of knowledge should be easy for them. Initially the Vault didn't have them so whoever created it knew how the information was organized is my guess and since it was discovered and only the first few floors were detailed. Someone came up with the Retriever idea. An illusion masks them in their current form until needed so as not to disturb people.

“The Retrievers are made by gathering the spirits of these Genie Kin and sealing them in a new vessel and giving them life again. I do not fully understand the Necromantic process but the Genie Kin love to serve so carry out their instructions so they are not being held against their will or compelled. I guess instead of collecting spell energy for their Masters their Masters, these Necromancers, who by the way are not always evil just that their magic tends to have more gruesome and unnatural effects amongst the evil ones … these Necromancers just order the Retrievers to collect any of the materials here for anyone and not just themselves.”

This part he had at least some knowledge about though he could not say who's idea it had been or who did this in the first place.

He had been in no hurry removing her hand either feeling the enticing thrill wash over his spine as he looked towards her, a smile evident over his features. “That is certainly a nice sentiment. Of course you'd have to deal with the Golems if I were not here and a few other matters.”

Whether or not he had been kidding about the security measures had been another matter entirely, if there were hidden defenses that she had not seen at all, or if he were making sure that she looked him up when she had a need to come here. He had not considered that when they first came here that she had to come to him whenever she had need to access the Vault.

“Just don't go spreading the word about the place. Not everyone knows about it and since the Efreeti are looking for the city it might occur to them to follow some scholars that know about this place and find it and the city for that matter.

“Time for an Immortal is different … there are no limits and no need to rush because you only have a few decades. You can take your time with matters after all. I guess there is just a different mind set that goes into it. For us a week is not too long but a fly can live out a life time then. Imagine what our life spans translate to them.”

He colored slightly, unwilling to read more into the matter though at the same time allowing those words to dance in his head, fantasizing about them a little. Perhaps she meant it more in the way that a grand child could be educated by a grandfather. Maybe that was the enjoyment she had meant though there were other matters too, that nearness that could be mistaken of course and he had been unwilling to read too much into it not wishing to revolt her if she had not been thinking along those lines of course.

“I find our time rewarding. Usually there is no one their to listen to my rambles or discoveries. That was one of the reasons I got into gardening, no one looks at you funny when you're talking to plants.”

His eyes followed hers upward. “But he will come down eventually … at least I hope. It's been a few years and with the Teleportation Circles he could get down easily enough. My theory is that he keeps getting distracted on the way back to it and will eventually reach it but is in no rush but only time will tell. Perhaps if he's gone for another few years someone will send a Retriever to get him. They bring him food so they know where he is after all.”

As he turned walking towards the Retriever he answered her query. “There are only three types of magic. Psi magic, the magic fueled by the mind. You are either born with the talent to use it or not. Divine magic where the Gods often select you from birth or place you through trials so that you can use their Blessings and Arcane magic which encompasses two types. Bloodline magic, inherent magic like most Fae, Demons, Angels and the like. Each species being born able to wield certain gifts though in addition to this is book magic that anyone could learn if they posses an average degree of intelligence. Some creatures are stupid as all hell but have a few minor spell-like abilities past along through their bloodlines.

“Now Arcane magic is usually universal in nature though some folks specialize, such as yourself, becoming stronger with certain types of magic but either deficient or unable to use other sorts. You cannot use Water based magics, correct? It goes along with fire magic. Now there are six schools of magic, each school can be a specialty in it's own right …

“Necromancy is life magic that effects the body or life force, it can bind souls or animate the dead. Enchantments are compulsions by which you control or compel someone, Evocations are your flamboyant destructive spells, Transmutations the ability to alter yourself or objects. Illusions encompass things like deceiving the mind by altering perceptions such as invisibility and Conjurations that summon creatures to you. There are numerous specialties though … the six main ones Necromancers, Enchanters, Invokers, Transmuters, Illusionists and Summoners.

“There are many others, Elemental magic, Chromancy or time magic, and some even are sub specialties like Demonology which is a sub field of the Summoner with a focus on summoning Demons. There are as many types of Arcane magic as there are stars in the sky it may seem.”

Magic was quite varied amongst what could be learned after all. Universal magic was by far the most common.

“Do not fret, I'm sure it will return and if it does not then it can be relearned. I'm happy to show you. I know a little about magical theory, not much but enough. Your friend probably used an Enchantment, a compulsion to rebel the Half Orcs and Feather Fall, well you're half right,” Whitney smiled. “It is a Transmutation as is anything that alters the effect of an object but Elemental Air magic places that in their prioritized lists of studying since all magic in the specialty is drawn on by the universal fields.”

He paused, part way to the Retriever. He only wished to know what floor such books could be found on though the brush certainly got his attention. Was it innocent with her not knowing what she was doing? Perhaps … he wanted to think otherwise though. “Teleportation Circles … well they're similar to the powerful Teleport effects, Transmutations that alter one by moving the object through space and time.

“With a Teleport you can go where every you want that isn't shielded though the clearer you envision that place in your mind the better. With lesser Teleport effects you might travel only a few dozen yards or be off target by a few or several hundred miles. The greater ones the distance is usually spot on. Teleportation Circles are manufactured using similar effects. Normal it is a portal from one place to another, from one portal to the one it is linked to but it was discovered that these work differently, that they are all attuned to each other.

“You simply think what floor you wish to be on and get transported there. I recommend holding hands. Objects touching one another can't be separated so we won't get separate and sent to different floors for instance. But it is fairly basic. No one knows how many floors there are or how many Teleportation Circles. A single set is expensive to make and that is why I believe more into some sort of Divine creation of this place.”

Flame had been concerned for their freedom and while other Constructs were meant to obey, knowing the importance of free will she seemed far more content with their presence upon his revelation that they loved to serve in the Vault and weren't forced to be here.

"Oh?" An inviting thought had been the notion that Flame would have to seek him out every time she sought to sate her thirst for knowledge even though bringing him along for protection alone wasn't truly on her mind. He provided the alluring sorceress with merely another excuse which would allow for regular visits in the future, but at the same time she wondered whether it was simply his wish to have her stop by each time she found herself back in the City Within the City or the safety measures of the Vault.

She smiled warmly. "Well, I certainly wouldn't mind the company." Given the tempting contact of their hands the young woman concluded that he either didn't mind or even appreciated her nearby warmth for he hadn't appeared the slightest bit uncomfortable, therefore her feminine touch remained until the very moment they departed from the railing. She was testing the waters, exploring her possibilities in regards to how far he'd allow her to proceed and at which pace though for the moment their union in such a manner had been more than enough.

Naturally their secrets weren't meant to be told and Flame didn't wish to endanger their favorable relationship by speaking of the shrunken settlement. "I'm well aware of the importance of the places I'm shown. I wouldn't tell anyone, Whitney. You have my word."

Most likely her mindset had been akin to humans in that regard despite being immortal herself, unlike her father time did play an important role for his daughter and she would loathe losing decades or even weeks for the remainder of the world never stopped moving, treasured friends would pass away in her absence, the family she wished to have someday would inevitably grow older and further evil would grow strong in the darkness. Perhaps in time her perception of the circumstances would change given her relatively young age, but for the time being not a single lost day had been irrelevant.

Flame teased with these largely ambiguous statements which Whitney could appreciate in any ordinary way without truly confirming her hidden intention without the slightest shred of doubt in the back of his mind, the unseen threat of seduction looming over the old man in slowly inflamed desire. He turned out to be a great scholar and good natured human being when they first met and even though he had sexual appeal, paying attention to his every spoken word surely invoked the idea that she admired him for his wisdom much like a grand child would for how many beautiful young women considered an elderly male equally as attractive as their younger and athletic counterparts?

"I envy your plants for that particular privilege." Another warm smile graced her features, ruby red eyes keenly indulged in his own though she took note of his slight crimson coloration. "Of course while they are rare, I've truly enjoyed our conversations thus far despite how little time I usually have to spend before heading to my next assignment .. It certainly doesn't feel like I've wasted any of my time listening to you, quite the contrary if I'm being honest."

Fire came naturally to her and her expertise came at the cost of being deficient in the realm of Water, but Flame recalled the fabricated memory which had been injected into her own and wondered how much of the contents were true. "Can you not learn both fire and water based spells once you've become a generalist? I strive to explore the possibilities of the two elements combined and possibly become a pioneer in a new Paraelement someday. Steam might very well be the result of my efforts."

Sadly not all of the aforementioned schools of magic were achievable for the red head by his side although with an eternity to spend, certainly looking for alternatives in the decades or even centuries to come seemed to be a wise decision. His lecture had the female newcomer wonder what the witch specialised in, what could possibly hope to destroy an Angel considering that she fought one of them before and failed, but then again she found herself limited to what little she remembered at the time.

Crimson eyes turned to him when he spoke of the recollection of her memories, mildly saddened by her initial confusion those few days back. "Hazy bits and pieces of memory return to me every now and then, but when your entire life has been taken away from you save for your own name and the knowledge of the hellish prison you find yourself in, what value do these minor details have? When I regained consciousness initially I couldn't bear the thought that I might've been a terrible person to deserve such a fate."

Slowly Flame began to lighten up again. "I'm glad that it didn't turn out to be that way, but even the slightest measure of help is much appreciated and I'd be more than happy to be your student at some point in time, but unfortunately I have to hold off on accepting your offer for a while." She smiled, knowing that the delay would only be temporary. "We have a lot more left to do aside from freeing Abdul before I will have the time to study. Besides, my companions and I have been trying to recover my memories through other means, but even if we manage to restore them fully I'd be delighted to come back and travel here with you."

The teleportation devices were unknown outside of the three rings which were capable of opening portals to other Shadows and the occasional journey with Spencer and yet the nubile sorceress used the opportunity to grace him with her touch. "Ah, you travel from one Circle to another of your choosing rather than limiting yourself with the use of portals or running the risk of ending up somewhere else than your destination with regular Teleport effects .. Seems simple enough. I can't wait to try them."

Another enchanting smile adorned her lush ruby lips when he spoke of holding hands, her fingers slowly intertwining with his as they were preparing to depart. "I trust your recommendation would be the safest way to travel for someone like me."

Deliberately prolonging the moment of their thrilling touch Flame explored the texture of his hands when the smoothness of her own eased forth into his, a youthful feminine touch which embraced him in a gentle hold of flesh against flesh without any fabric inbetween. In face of her illogical fear of heights his presence had been comforting beyond words. "For someone like you to travel in such a manner might be nothing new, but I probably would find myself too distracted on my first try to even remotely bring my thoughts in any recognisable order should I fear getting lost somewhere in here and ultimately get stranded someplace else than what I originally had in mind."

Looking into his eyes she had to admit that his City did have a great many distractions, curious as to whether or not her carnal thoughts would transfer them to a section riddled with scriptures of sex and romance, not to mention how awfully embarrassing any explanation on the matter would be. "Next stop, Fire Magic."

“Yup. I think the Retrievers would be lost if they did not have some direction. The spirits of those lesser Genies that they are risen and created from only seem to serve in a similar role from all that I have gathered.” He smiled a bit then looked at the disguised Retriever nearby for a second before he glance back. “We haven't even left here yet and you're making plans on returning. I told you you wouldn't want to leave.”

Of course it was only practical that they did leave at one point and it was a sign of wisdom to prepare for that happening. After all he doubted that she had any desire to disappear as that scholar had for years now.

“I do not need you word Flame, just you silence,” another smile as he looked to her. “It goes without saying that you'd be quiet about this but it would be irresponsible of me not to mention it at all and just assume. Of course, if I were worried
about it I would have mentioned it sooner.

“But I would be glad to accompany you here whenever you wish.”

Approaching the Retriever he asked what floor the books on Elemental Fire magic were kept on and it was floor thirty-third floor. Making their way to the Teleportation Circle with just enough attention on where he was going for the rest of his attention had been on her.

“Surely you jest. My conversations can grow quiet stale,” he added as they went on bypassing stacks of books and various closed doors each with a plague on it indicating what books remained beyond. The script had been an Arcane script she found that even with her memories being suppressed she could automatically make sense out of the words there. Given the impressive nature of the place that was not too surprising seeing that the creator probably was versed in the Arcane arts and if a Divinity reading such a script would be a simple matter after all.

“But you always listen to them so I guess that they can't be that bad. I'm glad I am not the only one that enjoys our talks.”

Without a delay he answered her question. “Oh, yes. A Generalist is what most people are. As a specialist your better at the fire element but barred from water. If you get some retraining, loose that focus and affinity to fire magic you can become a Generalist and since your elemental spells are drawn from this universal source you could then begin learning water effects. Granted an Elementalist of water will be much, much better but can't use fire magic.

“A pioneer, a Generalist isn't an Elementalist but I'm sure the first people that wanted to explore the secrets of fire magic or the like had no affinity to it at first and saw connections and I'm sure you will see connections with both water and fire forming the basis of a new school of study, a new specialty that had both fire and water spells on the list of techniques.

“Your memory of a name gives you something. Something to look into, a lead to the past. From it you can discover who you are or more aptly were. I'm much older so I might be looking at it differently. I can't really imagine what such a loss entails but this is a chance to begin everything from the beginning if you had a not so pleasant life or was a bad bad person but that is simply not the case.

“You are Abdul's predecessor and he had access to the Flame Serpent. Only those pure of heart can summon it. The disjointed memories will return in time I bet and if not an Enchanter could probably unlock them.” He theorized this though he had not know all the particulars with the memory loss. He figured that it was magical in nature and her tid bits of memory had been holes in that spell, what was once known wished to burst through though had not yet.

“Understood about your busy schedule but here's a thought. In this place is everything ever written thing exists as far as I can tell or rather a copy of everything. Some obscure matters will take ages to find even with the Retrievers but if you ever kept a diary, wrote a grocery list or penned a spell it would be here somewhere and I could have a Retriever collect these pieces. Materials never leave the Vault but I can have what is found set aside in a box and ready for when you return.”

Now if she didn't keep a diary then they might not find much then again, it was a bit of an unknown factor that could help out.

“Truthfully I've never used them myself,” that smooth hand nice and warm as their fingers interlocked and they made their way to the circle. It was a simple matter moving from circle to circle just a hair more complicated than normal ones. With those you just walked into one and got transferred to the other but since these were all linked it sent you to the one you thought of. Further, it did not work if two linked people were thinking of separate ones but if two people were unlinked then they would be sent to separate destinations.

Once there they had transferred ti floor 33 and he had kept her away from the railing as if to keep her mind from how far they were up. Whitney had not released her hand though.

Through the plagues on the doors she could read the sorts of materials in each room. Texts on magical theories, fictional pieces written on the elemental mages, doodles by others. It took a few minutes before she came across a room that might be something.

It merely said NEW on the plaque.

"My lips are sealed." Flame smiled softly at the notion of treating the City Within the City and the secrets which laid within as confidential information, almost certain that discretion was expected of everyone involved and the young red head didn't mean to disturb the peace.

They traversed the floor upon inquiering on their chosen destination, his comment coaxing a sweet and innocent laugh from the voluptuous beauty by his side. "No, my dear Whitney. You underestimate yourself when you think I must be joking. I'm interested in what you have to say and try to remember everything I can." Being a good listener entailed gathering the knowledge he had to offer, but on a more personal level staying in his presence and simply listening to his voice had been an indescribable thrill. "Most of what you say is quite informative and I wish to learn as much as I can while I have the opportunity to stay in your City for more than several minutes."

Throughout their previous stay in his residence they didn't have nearly as much time available as they did that night and while she meant no offense, Flame certainly hadn't forgotten about departing from his home rather prematurely after discovering her true nature. None of that mattered anymore, however, and she found herself quite pleased with the circumstances at hand. "I wouldn't mind dropping in for nothing but a pleasant chat either on less busy days."

It was a shame that becoming a Generalist meant an incredible loss of power and required time they didn't truly have, something the nubile sorceress couldn't afford nowadays and perhaps not even in the near future depending on what else they had to take care of aside from the witch and the possessed Dryad they encountered the other day unless settling down with Nicodemus and tending to family matters became her foremost priorities. "Well, the future hasn't been written as of yet and I'm still pondering on what to do with the rest of my life. Naturally the process would take time and there are many things left for me to do with what I currently have."

"Unless I somehow manage to obtain equally pronounced powers in either element as the one I possess now, I honestly wouldn't want to give up on the Flame Serpent in exchange for something which may or may not yield great rewards. Perhaps someday, but not straight away." She paused, mulling over the matter in her mind before looking at the old man with a slightly more radiant expression. "Then again, I heard stories of several people who are quite powerful in their chosen Paraelement, the Forgotten Four. I hope to reach their level of expertise eventually once I successfully combine Fire and Water in a new specialty although naturally I wouldn't wish to attain their despicable reputation as well."

She nodded in acknowledgement of his words. "You might be right." Her uncertain past had been an intolerable hardship which pestered her mind throughout the most recent events although being a bad person turned out to be the most frightening thought initially, waking in a prison without recollection of her talents as though they wouldn't want to risk that Flame could ever cause harm again to another individual. Starting all over when chances were that snippets of her past would contain nightmares of her deeds appeared to be a rather challenging undertaking.

"Not more than a few days ago I had nothing but the clothes around my body which kept me warm in the cold climate of another Shadow I barely knew anything about and a name which I wasn't even certain could be my own. In truth I suspected Flame to be nothing more than a nickname until I realised that wasn't the case." She paused briefly, averting her eyes in a tender smile considering how out of the ordinary her recent experiences were before returning to him. "Throughout the following day I've regained my freedom and travelled here which allowed me to remember Abdul and the full extent of my elemental prowess, fighting demons long before night fell."

"Unfortunately there's more to decades of memories than that and I'm afraid I may not recover them all, at least not in the near future, but I do have a thing or two in mind on how to unlock them for they're sealed away and not exactly gone forever, that much I know. Roc and I were both affected by the same spell, but given the fact that his lifetime encompasses centuries and not decades alone he ultimately retained the majority of his memories whereas I awakened with the smallest puzzle piece imaginable in regards to my former existence." Flame smiled contently. "You needn't worry about me, I'm sure everything will be fine, one way or another."

Back in the day with the Priest and his wife, Cain and Meringue, Flame might've written something down whenever Abdul and his daughter stopped by in her most naive early days, but unfortunately she didn't remember whether or not they might find something. "Great idea! I suppose we could ask one of the Retrievers to search for any written records of mine before we depart. They should tell me more about what I wanted to know ever since that fateful moment several days ago."

Partially perplexed and amused when his comment reached her ears they approached the Teleportation Circle nearby, his warmth quite distracting though the alluring female guided merely a fraction of her attention to the thought of the floor they were headed to.

Upon their arrival Flame hadn't minded the sustained touch of their hands, tightening the slightest bit around him in an appreciative squeeze while liquid temptation pulsed through her veins with every passing moment, wondering whether or not Whitney shared her thoughts on the matter and enjoyed their closeness far too much to simply let go.

With the old man by her side they soon pressed on, skimming through the grand selection of tomes and scriptures for later reference and perhaps anything which caught her eye in their passing, the pace a deliberately slow walk in hopes of making what little intimacy existed between them last a little longer. Something, however, more than stood out from the remainder of the floor they treaded upon, crimson eyes falling on the nearby plaque which merely spelled out the word "New", their steps slowing only to grind them to a halt.

"Now what could be in here?" Flame wondered out loud in growing curiosity, timidly nudging her male companion before long with a radiant shine amidst her pure ruby eyes which settled back on him, her features graced by a jovial mood in newfound desire to explore the unknown. "Follow me, Whitney." Soon the youthful spirit ushered the old man inside with growing enthusiasm, eager and yet gentle in her advances for she didn't wish to accidentally harm someone of his age.

He was getting a feel of the situation a little better though he had not wished to look into things too deeply as he would have had years ago when it would have made more sense to see things in such a light for all thoughts of sexuality had been closed off despite the fact that she had been showing all the signs of interest. Interest in him, in remaining close though all that could have been wishful thinking on the part of an old man too. He had not really gotten to see her interacting with other men, for it might have just been the way she was … then again the absence of such wouldn't prove a whole lot either for he would have been thinking that she saw him as harmless.

And yet there was no denying that he enjoyed this closeness and affection that he had not known for years.

“There is all that later once things have settled down. There's no rush for it either as it will likely take years if not decades.” Unlearning what she knew would probably take the longest and working with those that knew the element of water would help teach her how to learn how to cast those basic water spells.

“Ah the Forgotten Four. Each can summon up their own serpent I am told of their Paraelement. Prior to advancing in their fields there were only the four element specialties. Their predecessors drew from that knowledge and formed additional specialties. In time they grew in experience to summon their own serpents too. Granted, the beginning will be rough. The sudden loss of all that power but the first Elementalists drew upon General spells and shaped that to their wills learning as much as they could from a particular element. The Paraelementalists, the first ones if I remember correctly, had studied one element, grew bored and abandoned it for the challenge of mastering a new element and while they were no longer as good with the old element they did not forget the basics and were still masters of those techniques even if they did not get that little bit extra oomph from a spell.

“They slowly fused the old and the new traits until specializing in something entirely new. It is a slow process but a rewarding on once it is complete but I suppose the journey never reaches an end.”

He had seemed to consider the origins of her name for a moment. “It might be a nickname or a title. I doubt your friends are really named Roc and Typhoon but the former is an actual name so I thought nothing of it. Being able to summon the Flame Serpent might have entailed a name change. After all imagine being named Flame if you could cast any fire magic at all.” He chuckled a little at that. They could find that one out easily enough by asking Abdul or one of her companions as to the origins of their names. Of course who she was prior to this had been somewhat of a mystery though one she could be filled in on such details he supposed.

Whitney found it interesting that the spell that eroded her memories seemed to have a proportional effect. Perhaps it had been designed for humans but used on other life forms in a pinch. Perhaps only a small targeted portion was selected, years for her could be little time of consequence for a Dwarf.

He would help her where he could though . It would all work out in the end though.

Regarding that little problem of her memory they could later broaden that search if her birth name was different too. For now though the Retriever had enough to get started on anything written since her name change or acquired title. He was glad that she thought it was a good idea and it would have been a shame not to look into it even if they found nothing they had the resources and it wasn't as if the Retrievers read what they collected so secrets would remain secrets after all.

Hands still locked together his eyes dashed to the various doors they past. He too could read the Arcane script that had been there albeit at a much slower rate then she. 'New' … hm, that was strange. He let his mind consider what it meant. Was something missing, new what? Or was it so obvious to the creator of this place that such a detail had been a small one.

Ushered along there into the room there was a table beyond and bookshelves adorning the walls of the magically lit room. There were numerous other bookshelves her and the very first scroll she pulled from the book case had been in Arcane script … new … new spells … it was a fire based spell of course though this one was incomplete. These had been the outlines of a spell and what went into it. How the spells were rotated out of here, what classified them as new was beyond the scope of either of them.

Whitney was attempting to read from a selected book when another fell from the book case before her making a bit of a commotion on the floor. Bound in the hide of a red serpent, a Fire Newt the book actually had a lock on the cover of it keeping it sealed for whatever reason.

This place duplicated writing and it seemed to make exact copies of what the object had been written in or one too.

Another laugh had been offered up in response to his own, an amusing thought though nonetheless fitting should anyone regard her appearance in that way. "Well, I've always been acting under rather pressing time constraints these past few days. Besides, Abdul never really seemed within reach outside of meditation and it simply never occured to me to ask him about me personally when I had the chance .. Perhaps after tonight circumstances will be different when I finally meet him in person."

With or without memories Flame regarded her recent experiences highly, having seen many places and meeting an abundance of interesting people she would like to consider her friends upon dealing with the threat which loomed above them all, but most importantly she'd found love in the hellish prison, someone incredibly dear to the young sorceress who she was likely to start a family with once they were all safe and sound. Ultimately regarding life after Carrion with disdain would've been a mistake, whether or not her hopes and dreams would ever come true.

Radiant crimson eyes skimmed over the premises, curious as to what knowledge these walls might contain, perhaps merely the most recent additions to the floor of Fire magic although speculating on the answer alone didn't make for a good answer.

Flame slowly loosened the mildly exhilarating union of their hands and gradually slipped away in order to explore the great many scriptures scattered throughout the more or less nameless section, disentangling her fingers from the charming elderly scholar reluctantly in her ceaseless longing to return. His age mattered little in consideration of his character, how he tended to the garden behind his home which undoubtedly rendered him far fitter than the less active types of his generation, not to mention how much strength resided in his handshake and especially the last sentiment had been incredibly thrilling.

Naughty thoughts were commonly entertained in his presence, unspeakable scenes of seduction unfolding within darker corners of her mind and while her affection went beyond what Whitney regarded as feasible the voluptuous sorceress hadn't been weaving any false tales to be given even the slightest measure of fondness in return. Honest truth had been leaving her lips when referring to their time spent together and even though a relationship between the two seemed out of the question, another night fuelled by youthful passion surely wouldn't be denied.

They wouldn't have enough time to indulge in every single parchment, however, therefore the adventurous red head approached the shelves and simply retrieved one of the nearby documents, revealing another written record in Arcane Script.

Nothing insightful was found within, her understanding of the language clear enough to grasp the overall concept and yet to her knowledge on the matter the outlined spell hadn't been complete as depicted by the scroll. In spite of the inscription outside Flame considered the possibility that generally unfinished studies in the realm of Fire were stored here, waiting to be concluded before they were moved elsewhere, but nothing in her chosen literature hinted at the absolute truth behind the matter.

"Hmm .." She pondered briefly on solving the challenge presented by the piece in her hands, the sudden thump from below startling the red haired beauty ever so slightly seeing how they found themselves in a library of all places, a structure famed for silence.

"Huh?" An intriguing book by appearance alone had fallen from the shelf which urged Flame to return the scroll and retrieve the strange fiery red tome instead. Her fingers dashed over the beautifully crafted binding, instinctively inspecting it for damage despite what Whitney mentioned earlier about them being unable to burn for example, but throughout her analysis the young woman came to realize that a lock had been attached to the cover.

"No key .." She glanced at both shelf and ground, unable to find anything which could help her open the peculiar thing for only the records themselves were replicated in whichever shape and form they were written, not the necessary tools which opened them.

"Do the Retrievers have any way of unlocking the books which end up here?" Flame asked Whitney then, showing him the curious find, wondering whether or not the Skeleton Key they were going to steal might allow for access although it'd be a while until that point in time after which they didn't have time to return in pursuit of their mission. Whatever wisdom lingered on the inside, surely the owner must've thought of it as important enough to keep under lock and key.

Whitney smiled back glad he could be of some help here at least. “Sometimes we get so caught up in finding a solution to a problem that we over think it and miss the obvious answers.”

When they had entered that room it was through sheer reluctance that he had allowed her to pull free. At first he had watched the shapely woman from behind, unseen in what he was doing as he traced over her movements before he himself grew immersed in what was here though none of it could hold the scholar's attention as much as the woman he had been went.

On more than one occasion he had to toss out thoughts of taking her up against one of the bookshelves here. He did think about it though, his cock beginning to stir which hadn't happened like this in quite some time. Despite the fact that he had been trying to ignore the signs in favor of something else he could not ignore them entirely and let his mind wander from time to time with stolen glances at her from time to time.

“What is it?” He heard the thump and had thought that she had dropped something. He came over seeing the locked book that had startled her. He had not known that it fell or why though the key that she was after could open any lock or so it was reasoned and this could be opened with it she theorized it would be some time before she returned here with the key.

He glanced about for a key when she mentioned none looking for one that may have fallen loose though he had not counted on finding one. “Unfortunately they do not … what the -”

The book was glowing though it grew in temperature until she could not hold onto it any longer. It did not burn though the cover tried to open, the latch secured there on the cover as the book trembled violently on the floor before a moment later before they could recover from their surprise the latch burst open and the pages flipped themselves until a jet of fire emerged from them forming the shape of a winged creature … an Imp … no … it was smaller than a child and looked like a fiery Imp though it clearly wasn't an Imp.

“A Fire Memphit?” The creature hovered there about a foot or so above the open book, content to wait for the time being it seemed ...

Liquid lust burned through her veins and while the exotic beauty remained ignorant of his fleeting glances she certainly thought of him in much the same way while seemingly guiding her attention elsewhere. She had considered working toward her objective here, sneaking up on the old man and pinning him against the wall under the purely overwhelming plethora of her charms, ravished in the resulting onslaught of undiluted arousal although Whitney wasn't any ordinary man.

Did he enjoy her attention? Surely, but would he deem any further advances rushed this early on? She didn't wish to come off as someone without standards, without shame considering that someday she sought to return here and spend more time with him, therefore she was bound to restrain her physical urges for the moment, still pondering on the appropriate time to lash out at her chosen prey.

Unfortunately neither Flame nor Whitney discovered the key which led the young red head to surmise that they wouldn't have the chance to peek inside the book anytime soon, not that she minded for coming here served the sole purpose of skimming over the available selection of scriptures though curiosity had the formidable sorceress hunger for an answer regarding the contents of the tome in her hands, lacking any sort of title and inscriptions on the cover itself.

Storing the book for later use had crossed her mind, after all the mayor mentioned something along those lines being a feasible alternative to leaving it here though he alarmed his female companion before long, crimson eyes dipping to the meanwhile glowing object while an intense warmth spread throughout her timid digits until the temperature intensified beyond comfortable limits.

She dropped the damn thing which threatened to sear her, backing off slightly whereupon Flame watched the scene unfold before them, uncertain as to which course of action would be the most prudent before falling into a fighting stance as the latch burst open, protectively positioning herself between him and the book for she doubted that he was capable of containing the spread of the erupting flames should they grow out of control, not wishing to see him in harm's way.

But something unexpected happened when the fire molded something by itself without outer interference, an Imp which the young woman recognised though with the great many differences between the creature and an Imp she figured that her assumption was false.

"Friend or Foe?" Flame seemingly asked the two of them at once for she had never met anything along those lines before while keeping her eyes pinned to their diminutive newcomer, but judging by his more or less surprised reaction they probably weren't too dangerous.

While he had learned patience throughout the years Whitney realized that he wasn't getting any younger either though he had not even imagined that some of his own thoughts were being shared. His attention was drawn to the book though as this creature took shape before them. Often he read about experiences rather than witnessing them himself not that he had been opposed to this.

A Memphit was an Imp in many ways, an Elemental or Paraelemental one. Overall it was dangerous but dangerous to her as much as a scrapped knee was given that the threat that it imposed to one of her skill, even with having to protect Whitney, was mild at best.

They all seemed to be surprised though. The Memphit scratched his head at her question though. Memphits were intelligent, some more so than others but on average they were on par with humans.

“I … I don't know ...” He was confused glancing down at the book he emerged from. It certainly looked like his Master's book though these were not his Master's. This did not seem to be his library.

“You are in possession of the tome so I guess friend ...” He was still a little confused though even if he threw a tantrum it was unlikely that it would go all that well. The materials were fire proof though Flame was uncertain if the library itself shared that quality.

“I am Cinder. What is your bidding Mistress … er Master ...” He looked to Whitney, unsure as to who opened the book and who now had that title.

Flame cocked an eyebrow at his response, uncertain as to what the Fire Memphit implied and now intended to proceed with them even though for the moment he didn't pounce either of the two unfamiliar faces before him, not that she minded the non-hostile attitude when faced with the unknown. The sudden ray of fire had been the most threatening aspect about him thus far, but for the time being she wasn't going to lower her defenses for the sake of keeping Whitney safe.

"Bidding?" Perhaps Cider had been nothing more than a humble servant, either bound to the book or summoned by whoever happened to possess the tome he originated from, devoting himself to the holder fully though when realisation struck the young red head slackened slightly in her stance. "What? No .. no, we're not your-"

She inhaled deeply, collecting herself after the initial tension in the air before assuming a more or less calm posture before the unexpected visitor, first pointing at herself, then the venerable male standing nearby. "I am Flame and my dear friend here goes by the name of Whitney. We're neither Mistress nor Master and I honestly doubt we'd ever seek to control you. We simply chanced upon an unusual book which fell from the shelf behind you and had a look at it, nothing more."

Strangely enough the matter had been hard to explain, an exact copy of the original found within these walls and the true wielder of the peculiar scriptures resided elsewhere. She didn't want him to think they stole the book, let alone strike down his former owner, but disclosing that particular detail might go against her promise to treat their location in the City of Barnes with discretion. "We didn't even know what it was, didn't have the key to open it and yet you just happened to come out when the latch burst open, somehow."

Perhaps that would suffice to clear things up for the time being, but the obvious confusion in regards to their situation had been a given although Flame was struck by a sudden thirst for answers since they happened to come across something quite extraordinary in a section of presumably newer written records. "Out of curiosity, who is or was your most recent Master?"

Cinder looked down to the book again then back at the two wondering where he was exactly as matters were cleared up. How did they get the book then if they did not best his old Master or stole it … perhaps someone sold the book until it came into this collection.

“I see I think ...” he rubbed his chin with a fiery claw. Cinder comprised himself of flame and had been a native to the Shadow of Ignan, an inferno where several Elementals resided.

He was the guardian of the book and had been imparted with a few gifts to deal with it's protection. He had been bound to it and knew a few matters about the book knowing that it had been fire proof though not realizing that this was a copy or that it was fire proof nor that given the link that existed between the copy and the original and the spell that had been set into the vellum pages that bound him to the original he was bound to this one as well.

Interest to know and while Flame may have been concluding this herself the Fire Memphit had not been versed in magic or how matters worked nor that he had been tied to this book as well.

“So not Masters ...” He mulled this over in his mind for a moment longer until questioned about his Master where he seemed to flush with pride. It was hard to determine seeing that he was comprised of flame though.

“Oh, the Esteemed Magma Elementalist Bryne of the Fabulous Forgotten Four.”

Naturally Cinder would make assumptions on the circumstances at hand and the presence of two people he hadn't known even remotely, hence the young woman sought to bestow unto him at least a semblance of clarity before he got the wrong impression of them. She didn't wish to dominate anyone except possibly her most charming companion, but even less than that regard someone else as mere property after stumbling over him accidentally.

His fiery eyes dipped to the book on the floor upon listening to her explanation. Did he not have a sense of time? Bound to the scriptures he might not have been able to discern the passage of time from the moment of his last summoning prior to ending up where he found himself now, an eternity might've passed although in his case she couldn't make more than a few baseless assumptions.

Flame shook her head, denying the claim he thought either of them had on him before observing a slightly deeper coloration in his expression, but his appearance made anything of the sort difficult to establish.

The nubile sorceress, however, seemingly had been taken aback by the notion of his former Master and her crimson eyes widened at the mention of Bryne, one of the Forgotten Four which had her take a moment to rearrange her thoughts.

He served their enemy and could potentially be of service as another valuable ally depending on how much vital knowledge he held and whether or not he was willing to surrender information to them, unknown which role he held in servitude exactly and how limited his interactions with either Bryne or any of the others had been. Nothing about the fiery creature signalled any recognition on his part, but perhaps Cinder never heard of Flame and the others before which would make sense should Tori have failed to inform the Forgotten Four of her prisoners.

"You know the one and only Bryne?" Nothing could've washed away her earlier reaction and utilising the blatant interest she'd shown he might fall for the glimpse of excitement even though Flame had to admit she wasn't much of an actress herself. "I've only heard stories about him, tales of great power your Master possesses, some even say that he is strong enough to be the leader of the Forgotten Four."

She pointed at the tome, wondering whether or not putting a claim to it might potentially renew her status as Mistress and allow her to simply order him to share his experiences with them. "When you're his, then that must be his book, I presume? Do you have any idea what's written down inside?"

He didn't miss the surprise that shone in her eyes. But she may not have been the best actress but he did not have the best skills at detecting rouses either. He had been summoned up as a guardian and thus these interactions were not the norm. Often he had to deal with would be thieves but the change of the premise had implied that the book was already removed.

He also knew that one of them was a spell caster, or both. The lock unsealed only with their touch after all but no novice could open the seal. Thus they had to be at least moderately skilled.

“That I do. He was the one that summoned me forth from the Shadow of Ignan and bound me to the pages of that tome.

“He is indeed powerful and leads the Forgotten Four having first mastered the element of fire then of earth in his studies of the paraelement magma.”

Cinder's attention had been brought back to the book. The spell that bound him to it ensured that he obeyed whoever possessed it but this was an unforeseen circumstance. On the one hand he could not betray his Master or Masters now … he was still working through that one but such a question could do no direct harm. He glanced at the man, who was still silent and surmised that the woman was the spell caster.

When he looked back at Flame a grin fluttered across his face. “Several advanced spells from his personal repertoire though the tome mostly contains his research into two spells in particular. One was from his earlier years, The Flames of Purity … the other Inferno is more his later work. There is also theories and little insights into other spells he was working on at the time but hasn't yet completed ...”

Perhaps that was why the book was filed under New since it was technically complete in regards to those spells but she could see it as volume one in an ongoing series perhaps since there were incomplete matters in the tome … who knew how this place truly organized things.

Of the great many feelings and emotions Flame could possibly feign, the buxom sorceress could exhibit undying admiration to perfection without even batting an eye throughout weaving the blatant lies which were soon leaving her lips, pretending to be merely another youthful spirit driven by an undeniable inspiration derived from his former Master. "Simply incredible .. You must have a great many tales to tell of your time with him."

She clasped her hands together before her lap, smiling warmly at the creature while radiant crimson eyes were beaming at him, emanating pure excitement at his every word considering the one in a million find they chanced upon seeing to the surrounding bookshelves and countless scrolls stored within. "Oh, I just knew that the stories had to be true! He must be quite the natural to lead such an extraordinary assembly."

Perhaps Whitney would think of her poorly in response to her changed attitude on the matter at hand, but being unable to tell him about her intentions without appearing suspicious in the slightest she couldn't alter her chosen path for the time being. "Unfortunately I have only mastered the element of fire, but ever since I've heard of Bryne for the first time I've always sought to hone my skills in order to become more like him."

Slowly the red haired beauty approached with a single, careful step, wary of his reaction for Flame didn't wish to alarm the summoned fiery figure. "But to find one of his actual scriptures .. I've never seen one in my entire life and have often been limited to hearsay."

Naturally she was bound to ease him into the situation, granting him a certain measure of comfort and attention. Strangers more than likely weren't to be trusted and she didn't take Cinder for someone who would ever think of surrendering the knowledge of his owner to anyone except perhaps another owner.

Jumping at the chance to indulge in the wisdom conveyed by Bryne on the other hand might work considering that her charms and friendliness alone wouldn't earn her what they needed the most, valuable intel on the Forgotten Four though she wasn't entirely disinterested in the book itself. He seemed to have a fondness for his Master and Flame decided to draw upon the single weakness she could discern.

He might lend a hand to an aspiring sorceress whose passion for the subject had been more than obvious, something Cinder undoubtedly shared and his female attendee had been more than willing to listen to his every word aong the way, asking for permission rather than proclaim herself Mistress in order to get at the secrets hidden within the tome. "Would you allow me to read it?"

“Sadly no,” he shook his head. “Most of the time I'm sealed up in that tome there but there were many times while he was doing research I was free to observe him. Most of my tales involve spell research though from time to time he would speak. I noted he paid me more attention after having a few drinks though there were a few times where he did come to release me out of the book just to chat.”

A loneliness? Perhaps or it could have been that he was just drunk at the time by the way Cinder presented the facts to her.

“He does have raw talent though. Just between us three he's been dabbling in Air magic and thus the Paraelement of Smoke to get rid of Zephyr from the Forgotten Four. Power struggles ...”

Whitney was a smart man. He was good with reading people and the fact of the matter was that Flame wasn't much of an actress, good enough to fool the Memphit but not good enough to deceive him … well he was still confused about these romantic feelings but that was something totally different.

She would not be able to Conjure the Flame Serpent if she had less then honorable intentions after all.

“And that is why she has come to me. To learn.” Of course Whitney refrained from spelling out the exact truth and let the Memphit infer a few things on his own. If he concluded that she came to learn the element of Magma he had claim that he was only instructing her in another realm.

By joining in he let Flame know that he understood her intentions.

The Memphit had his orders, anything beyond them was a judgment call on his part and like most summoned and bound creatures he preferred to do as little as possible until finally released from service. As she took a cautious step forward he did not stop her advance. His only orders were to stop people from stealing the tome though if a Retriever came for it that would have had been interesting seeing that no one had tried to access the tome, no one capable of opening it any way and since the book had always resided in this room he did not have to do anything. Perhaps the Retrievers could not open the book but as soon as they tried to remove it …

“Master Bryne wrote frequently and you'll find as you go on he's refined the process. By all means.” He gestured her to the tome and sure enough the spells were lengthy, there were notes written in the margins, suggested improvements, notes on the use of those improvements, revisions and the like.

While earlier versions of the spell worked they were not very practical and long in nature. The Flames of Purity held far more interest then Inferno though Inferno was a powerful spell that carpeted an area in flames and opened a portal to the Shadow of Ignan pulling forth numerous Greater Fire Elements or one Elder Fire Elemental at the users whim. The wielder of the spell and those adjacent to him (or her) had been protected from these flames. Even the revised version took time though and it was one of those spells you used when you had some sort of protection in place.

The Flames of Purity scorched multiple targets with but left them unharmed instead incinerating their soul. If they were good in nature then nothing happened to them but if not it caused them to burst into flames from within … it's secondary effect though or was it the primary one which didn't seem to make much sense was cleansing one of evil influences … it could destroy a possessing creature and left the body intact. Why Bryne would research such a spell had been anyone's guess though depending on the strength of the magician using the spell determined the number of targets up to three it seemed.