Who would have thought plain and simple literature could sway her confidence with the slightest movement of their own? It probably had been best to shrug it off and upon learning of their true nature the young red head found herself hardly bothered by their presence anymore. Well, currently they happened to be outside of their reach although there was always the way back outside to worry about later that day.

"I suppose that makes sense." She commented with regards to having them stored in this form, to have them altered for the sake of reaching them in a room without water and yet catching a glimpse of their contents earlier had been beyond the sorceress at the time. Surely other opportunities would arise throughout which they could be studied, but for today Veronica happened to have other plans.

"Alright, I can do that." Once brought to the chair, the young woman sat down and leaned back into a more comfortable posture, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder to observe what Cain had been up to at any moment in time. Ruby red eyes directed themselves forward once he extracted whatever was in the vial and brought it to her temple with some sort of wand, invoking a brief flash of light before the inner eye before bleeding over into something else, something clearer.

---

A plethora of sensations crashed down upon her within the blink of an eye and while Veronica instantaneously picked up on having shorter hair at the time, other events unfolding at the time protruded into prominence far more easily considering information that was relayed to the red haired sorceress earlier.

Fae scattered about, tiny by comparison and yet they, too, hardly held her attention once her focus honed in on the pure white creature below.

She frolicked about the scene, riding on the back of a majestic steed and it had not taken Veronica more than a fraction of a second to discover that it happened to be no ordinary horse, but a Unicorn. It felt strange to her nonetheless, to live what once was desired, but did no longer exist due to her suppressed memories, but now she got to live the moment a second time and deeply regretted having thought little of the experience before actually cherishing the thrill of motion, of how unique of an undertaking it was which had been barred from any future encounters with the same magnificent equine.

Veronica remembered how they had gotten to this point upon spotting Cain in the flow of vivid images, that he had taken her unicorn riding despite having caused damage to his home and property, but also recalled having cheered and laughed once that mishap had been out of mind and the rather juvenile Construct had been treated to such an amazing delight.

She loved the scene for the serenity it brought, for having actual freedom without having to worry about demons, witches and whatever perils awaited on their journey ahead, but even the greatest experiences could last only for so long and thus Veronica soon woke back in her seated position, watching Cain who recoiled with the Thought Thread in hand, returning it to the vial.

Overexcitement must have gotten the better of her since before Cain had the chance to speak, his visitor rushed into action. "Cain, Cain! It was simply amazing! I cannot believe what I just saw! It felt so real .. every single moment of it .. It's almost as if I really lived a part of my past just now! I .. I .."

She slowed, then flushed mildly upon noting that it might have been a tad too overwhelming, not to mention that he must have known what occured in the memory he bestowed unto her by now. Instead of pressing on she listened to what he had to say, trying to get accustomed to the foreign concept of photo albums and some such. "I believe I caught the gist of it, no need to explain all of that right now."

Scarlet eyes turned their attention back to the Thread in the vial. "Why do you keep them around? Are they purely for memory's sake or for some kind of research?" Of course, something else felt far more appealing to the excited woman beside him, eager to spend more time indulging in the uncertain past. "Do you have any more for me to see?"

Cain grinned at her excitement. He figured that she would enjoy that particular memory. It had really happened and was her own. She could recall it even as the Thread was removed. A portion of her missing memory was unlocked, it was as if that sole memory unlocked little ones around it. Recalling associated memories like the fire she caused, some of her other leisurely pursuits like laying out beneath a blanket of stars with Faeries similar to fire flies illuminating portions of the sky …

“There are lots of reasons, Veronica. One being that Fae do not remain virgins for long and that experience would be barred forever. In a sense it seemed appropriate to have a picture of it to use that term so that you could look back on it.

“It is your memory from your perspective. You will note I was there and I even have a Thought Thread taken from that point of view too. It is not as exciting but you would feel my emotions at the time.

“The other reason was that you were still young and this was a means of recording notes. Granted, getting a skilled Enchanter can be challenging at times but I know people. Finding decent Enchanters among the Fae is easier than in most other societies, finding one accomplished enough to make Thought Threads though … well let us just say that your father is even incapable.”

He paused at her question though, his expression blank for a moment then he broke into a smile. “Yes, there are more. A good deal of those on the shelf are my memories or Meringue's. But there are plenty of your memories. See there are ways in restoring your memories and I have plenty here in this form. Most are boring, training or experiences though there may be a few interesting ones. Were you looking for a particular thing I may have? Oh, I know … humans tend to hold onto such memories ...”

He was looking over his vials of Thought Threads, found one and covered the label placing the Unicorn one back and covering the label on this one.

“Your father does not even know about this one. Care to have a look? It is not dangerous or something that you would need to keep from him. My guess was that you were concerned at the time as to his reaction. Youth.”

If anything, to think that not even the grand Abdul aided Cain in the creation of Thought Threads or rather produced them for him, was a truly intriguing statement to make. It might just not be his strong suit, or the profound belief of young children that their father could achieve anything, but Veronica felt the temptation to protest yet reason called her back from that line of thought. Cain himself said it and he happened to be an immortal Fae Priest who breathed a great deal of life like attributes into the sorceress, surely there was truth to what he said.

“Oh?” It got her curious as to what kind of individual had been accomplished enough to do it, not that her perception of Enchantments held any means of setting the bar for crafting such sophisticated objects. “If Abdul wasn’t able to help, then who did?”

Soon, however, Veronica moved on from that sentiment. She was too euphoric seeing how many Thought Threads had been reserved for her own memories and while just a select few might be truly exhilarating to observe, there was no limit to her excitement. Tedious ones, others reserved for training or hell, even chores would do. She wanted to find out everything about her suppressed past there was to be found in this room. “Thank you, Cain.” She smiled warmly upon him from her seated position. “Why you did it doesn’t matter to me as much as the fact that you did it in the first place. I cannot put my gratitude into words.”

She had to wave off checking out his own perspective of the situation for now, however, since their time had been fairly limited today for the number of memories that had to be dealt with. Surely it’d give her a deeper insight into his own emotions at the time, but there was her own life to uncover little by little with what sparse time they had to spend. “I hope to see them all someday when there’s more time to explore, but for now I’d prefer to limit myself to my own experiences.”

A smile stole over her features at the notion of having selected one not even Abdul was privy to. It might not even be anything special, but not even her father knew about it with Cain, maybe even Meringue, being the only ones to know what was inside.

“I’d love to see it.” Instantaneously the red head straightened up in her chair, mentally attempting to prepare for what was to come since Cain told her that by simply putting up no resistance there should be a perfect visualization of the Thought Thread Veronica happened to be viewing at the time. “Feel free to proceed at any time.”

“No one you'd remember any way,” Cain smiled as Veronica showed an interest though the next thread would help with that he had thought. He had looked upon it himself though he did not fully understand it.

Being Fae he had been familiar with the classical six schools of magic, and there were plenty of specialties therein; elemental magic of a particular type, Wild magic that used luck, fate and chaos. Chromancy or time … this struck him as Divination in nature if anything at all but he would allow her to reside as the judge in the event. Perhaps there was something about her life now which made this make more sense, he was unsure. He was unsure that it was anything at all but she would sit as judge of that herself

“You are most welcome. Time forever moves forward, well unless you are a Chromancer were it becomes a bit more fluid but even then there are rules and certain things that cannot be done such as the numerous paradox effects. Few practice such magic and even fewer actually manage to do more than accelerate themselves in moving quickly or slowing enemies so they move at a crawl. Of course, as an immortal yourself you will find exceptions to everything if you live long enough.”

The recent Thought Thread had been applied when she had gotten ready and once again the scene shifted as Cain applied that wand to her forehead … this one was a little different. With the ride on the unicorn there was only nonverbal interactions guiding the steed with her knees, feeling it beneath her … but this was different in that she reacted to what was going on.

Cain had relaid to her that she could change memories a bit though that was by offering up a bit of resistance. Otherwise it was instinct to just let the memory play out. The words and actions she performed were seemless unless she were trying to change things for what they were worth since changes could only be made in minor ways all her actions and even words were stimulated by the Thought Threads themselves and to her it would seem more like an interaction than a recording, at least the first time around.

---

The stage was set. Her hair was a bit longer than last time though not as long as it was now and so she could only guess that this was a later memory as being an immortal there was little change in anything else. She was crafted at this age after all and would never deviate from it as far as she knew but er hair and nails grew so that was the best gauge that she could use to calculate the passage of time.

Her hair was nearly as long as it was today and she had been on a hill practicing fire magic. Birds of flame danced around her indicating that she had a great deal of skill given that their were half a dozen of them fluttering about.

At least until one froze solid suddenly and fell to the ground, followed by another then another in rapid succession. Looking around she would see the Fae about her size with gossamer wings. He had solid blue eyes but pale skin as white as snow. His hair was a deeper white.

A trace of glittering blue light swirled around a finger indicating that he had done something.

He was a Sylph though a variant from the norm it seemed, a different race among the species seemed fairly likely just as their had been humans of different societies.

He must have been affiliated with colder air. “What the blazes!? Are you trying to start a forest fire?” She was in the forest though the hill was fairly isolated from the trees and this was where she had always practiced her fire magic she recalled In fact it had been Cain that had told her and Abdul about it and to practice her fire based magic only there but all others had no such restrictions save for anything destructive in nature.

The man made a gesture and the melted blocks of ice on the ground about here in various puddles rose up the water reshaping itself into icicles about the size of the birds she had created, each pointing at her, clearly he was getting ready for hostile action …

The second time around Veronica felt as though the experience might seem more familiar, but there was no way to expect the unknown and she didn’t plan on altering it in any way. A memory of hers had been just that and whatever secrets happened to be in store for her occurred in exactly the same way.

No doubt Cain had already looked at it and if there was anything too gruesome going on, as might be expected of her journey over the recent days, certainly he would have warned her beforehand. There was nothing to be truly afraid of and the young red head simply relaxed whilst his wand touched upon her forehead.

---

It was different compared to before now that Cain explained a little more in-depth what would happen here. She was living the scene from her own perspective, essentially claiming a memory of her own. If allowed to commence freely, it would not be altered and Veronica intended to let it do just that.

She was alone, closer to today and out in the wilderness for practice. Some might have claimed that Flame was an impressive, but to see her progress with her own eyes was remarkable. She remembered that conjuring and controlling these many flaming birds had been quite a feat, that it was a great achievement. She remembered that every piece of progress made her a little more proud of herself, but there seemed to be no limit to her curiosity thus far. Her own thirst for perfection was great, indeed, if only to make father proud of his daughter, too.

All was well for the moment, however, that was soon bound to change. In an instant the situation turned around, bird by bird the flames fell to the ground with a thud, each turned to solid ice. There was no doubt someone else meddled with her affairs hence she needed little time to try and discover the culprit. He didn’t even try to hide the obvious.

"Why would you do that?" It didn’t matter what he was or what he could do. She snapped and felt the anger boil through her veins, for the shock of having her fiery birds turned to ice and practice interrupted for no evident reason did not sit well with the red head whose ruby eyes fixated on the newcomer at once.

Strangely enough Veronica spent a great many times on the very same hill doing the exact same thing in the past and yet somehow, someone thought that today would be a great opportunity to chime in uninvited. She was told to practice her fire based magic only here and obeyed, hence trying to discern just why anyone would be upset with her happened to be quite a struggle for the sorceress. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions other than his exaggeration of how much could possibly go wrong by spending some time honing her abilities the farthest from plant life one could hope to be in the midst of a lush forest.

She noted from experience, however, that he was a Sylph, but unlike the ones commonly seen in tomes, books or locally, depending on where Abdul decided to let her accompany him. His affiliation with colder air or even ice could not be missed, but Veronica hardly cared about any of that. "What are you talking about? It's the safest place for me to practice fire magic. I'm not hurting anyone up here."

But there appeared to be little point in talking sense. What once were skillfully crafted birds of flame now became ice, then water, solely to be reshaped into icicles, each pointing at her. "I don't want any trouble, but I'm warning you .. You don't want to do this." She never got involved in a fight before and didn’t know what to make of it. Her heart beat harder, faster, virtually pounding against the inside of her chest considering that hostility had been put on display, an experience previously unknown to the young woman.

It was self-defense and the busty maiden would not take the first step toward escalating the situation any further. She wanted to stay out of harm’s way through denying his every attempt to attack, nothing more. Shooting fiery blasts at them could do the trick, possibly engulfing a smaller area in flames as to melt them down before they could strike, but Veronica sought to anticipate and counter him without too much potential damage to neither him nor the environment. What would her father think if anyone came to harm whilst his daughter had been without supervision, even if a rude individual such as the Fae before her now fell victim to her talents?

“It is dangerous,” the Sylph answered here. Though she had never seen him personally she had seen others of his ilk and could determine that it was pretty likely that he was a racial variant that control colder air then the other Sylph.. Being that the nearest mountains were well north of here he was probably new to this region or a dick or both. His mastery over the air was a given due to his species and a mastery of ice at least a command of it as great as her own over flame indicated that his racial variety may have control over cold air, ice and snow or perhaps he had just learned that sort of magic. Suffice it to say he had to be pretty good to negate what she was doing.

“What if you loose control of one of those birds huh? Then I think a whole lot of people will be harmed.” Some seemed to come over his features as she relayed the issues of what he wished to do. It was similar to amusement as if she were at some sort of disadvantage that she may have been unaware of or than he taught that she was a bit full of herself.

The tips of the icicles reshaped. The points were blunted now but that barely halted one from being launched at her suddenly forcing her to counter and incinerate it. Once again it was no more than water though the other five circled about her as he watched her movements.

“Hm … is that all you have? Some fire? As if I haven't seen that trick a thousand times by now.” He launched another icicle at her with similar results to the first and it was like two prize fighters feeling each other out in the first round of a fight.

“What is a human doing here any way?” He stated as the remaining four icicles danced around her. Perhaps he was waiting for something, or genuinely was curious. It was hard to say which for his tone remained neutral and he seemed to regard her movements with a keen interest.

A feint with an icicle dipping but returning to it's original position taking stalk of her timely reactions. Without her counter attacking him though he seemed rather relaxed about the matter hardly expecting her to relax enough to answer his question. It was obvious that she could not drop her guard around him just yet though as he went back to looking and analyzing the situation before him.

She fell into an alert stance, eyeing each icicle carefully, but that was about the extent of her actions. He sought to have a fight or whatever else had been on his mind, but the red head was unwilling to provide one.

Spoiling for a fight, mocking her flames, implying that the human female before him could not control the flames that were conjured up and flying about little more than a minute prior to the clash of their elements. She thought of him as a dick right off the bat and every waking moment seemed to enhance the accuracy of that particular notion. “I won’t lose control of them. I’m well within my limits.” He had to be, too, in order to negate her actions, and for the moment he appeared to be toying with her, confident that his chosen victim had been lacking in magical prowess.

Veronica had been intimated, on edge. She didn’t feel as though he did it for anything other than his own sadistic pleasure or sense of superiority, flinging another two icicles at her. “Ha!” She repelled them, somehow incinerating the correct one among the six shooting at her, but her reflexes might not be enough forever. Whether sharp or blunt, these icicles still hurt if they managed to connect and it took her every sliver of focus to track each and every one of them. They hovered about her, menacing and ready to pounce her at any given time, and all Veronica could do was take the abuse.

“You just barge in, interrupt my exercises and then assault me for no reason whatsoever! You’re a whole new level of rude.” If her affinity and fondness for fire magic had been any less intense, perhaps the young sorceress could have ignored his jab at her talents which countered his own, but there was a rise of anger within her that might have compelled her to do something stupid. She held her cards close to her chest until now and yet sought to convey that her powers entailed more than he had seen thus far. It might offer some room for him to launch an icicle at her while her defenses were down, but taking a risk had been far more worthwhile than doing nothing in the first place hence Veronica drew upon another realm of magic entirely with an elaborate gesture.

A gust of wind hurled at him, kicking up dust and dirt along the way which was meant to relay a message to him. She didn’t want him here and likewise packed more than a single element to remove him from the scene. She didn’t want to call on her father for support either. Heading back to Abdul and Cain due to some lowly troublemaker would make her feel like a coward and with the icicles still animate, there wasn’t a chance in hell Veronica would risk getting hurt whilst backing down from a fight.

“I’m visiting someone.” She grasped his question at the very least, but wasn’t willing to go any further. Instead Veronica lashed out at him verbally, keeping an eye on her assailant’s weapons. “Why won’t you just leave me be? I’ve done nothing to you.” Surely an apology would not suffice, nor would the promise to be more careful even though Veronica saw no point in even bringing it up. She practiced here for years on end and had never gotten in any sort of trouble out here. Safe for that one incident with Cain she never set anything on fire by accident either hence her worries of that happening had been fairly slim.

“As if I believe you.” He studied her movements as he moved about casually as if searching for an opening in this display of fire and ice. Either his particular race of Sylph had given hm some command over ice and frost, cold winds … or he was a Water Elemenalist. She would assume the later seeing that most Fae had incidental use of magic and he was obviously practiced to match her skill level … or old for as an immortal if one picked up a little of this and that over the centuries t was easy to find that you had mastered something without trying, of course it took centuries longer but there was no rush unlike the shorter lived species.

At the melting of his latest attack an her exclamation her jubilance had been met with a smile as if that had been expected or calculated. He had seen enough and the remaining icicles lifted a little higher and shrunk in towards her just a little, the idea may have been to get her to keep her head up to remain focused on them but not fully on him so if he launched a totally different attack she would barely have time to act. He kept circling around her though he never closed the distance with her. At least there was that, he was not intending on attacking her physically at least not yet.

He was about to launch his attack though she launched her own. At once the icicles fell from the heavens as he ceased concentrating on them. It was sheer instinct, like protecting your face if something came at it. His concentration could not be in two places and only most masters could not maintain concentration on two effects. True, there were spells that required no concentration and just lasted a set length of time but that was not the case with this control.

Before the wind struck him though it had transformed into a gentle breeze. “Visiting?” He laughed and shook his head. “You are Veronica then?” He was just too amused to continue, he had a plan and everything though after a moment he shared in his humor.

“Wind against a Sylph? We can control and generate the air as an innate ability. Though most are unable to do much more than generate a strong breeze or diminish one unless they sharpen their skills a bit, which I have.”

“My apologies … I have been told about you,” whether that was her origins or the fact that she was visiting had been unclear before it had suddenly come together. Cain … his abilities over the air had to be innate but all this ice stuff reeked of water magic. Was he a student of Cain, not likely, Cain was a Priest though Zephyr may have been one too it was hard to say.

Somehow Veronica figured that showing off two elements for him to oppose might compel him to back off, but unfortunately the young woman happened to draw upon the one element a Sylph had been severely unimpressed by for obvious reasons. However, he dropped his icicles and had them shatter upon impact which was a plus since she was out of harm’s way for the moment although part of her figured that it wouldn’t be that way for long. She didn’t trust him and would be a fool to believe that he’d change his stance permanently after finding out who the woman before him truly was.

“Yes, yes I am.” She could not tell how much had been relayed to him, or what source informed him of her existence in these parts. Earlier he’d wondered how he came across a human all the way out here which probably meant that, at least initially, he didn’t recognize her. If his recent revelation on the matter changed anything, how he regarded her true nature for one, Veronica didn’t know, but at least the absence of an imminent threat allowed her to relax some.

“It seems I’m the one at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.” Not that Veronica actually held an interest over his name and titles, but it was best to know one’s assailant for the sake of reporting them. Cain was sure to hear of these events, whether the Sylph actually had any relation with her kind host or not for he might be aware as to whom the fiery girl had been dealing with. She could practically make assumptions all day, but figured that her time was better invested in confronting him on the spot.

“Who told you what about me anyway? And what are you pestering strangers for?” Since he’d laughed Veronica wasn’t exactly the most casual conversationalist at the time, but tried to retain at least a minor semblance of civility, not that it amounted to much.

Somehow she doubted that his apology had been sincere, but something had caught her interest nevertheless. She sought to know who told him about herself and which details these talks entailed. It proved difficult to decipher the truth of the matter all on her own so he might be willing to provide an answer of sorts, whether truthful or not Veronica might never know, but at the very least he wasn’t trying to hurt her any longer.

Wind circled and danced about him causing his clothes and hair to bellow in the wind. His control resumed on it since he had to concentrate, albeit mildly on the winds that he added a touch of cold too. He drew near, at least in comfortable range though she was still distant enough away where the wind was calm and unaltered. He was still smiling, amused by her last attack though his demeanor had seemed to change.

However, Fae were experts at trickery she had learned and thus she remained on her guard as he answered. “I am called Zephyr … I am no from around these parts and had it been anyone here wielding fire I would have come.”

Being curious was both a Fae trait as well as a human one though a young Fae may be reckless in their first century an older Fae was more reserved. It seemed as if he were an enigma, an attack against a stranger seemed impulsive and pointed to a young Fae but whether learned or picked up through incidental exposure he would be an older one.

There was another theory … if he was associated with Cain he would be a Priest and use Divine magic even though the innate magic he was born with was Arcane. Divine magic had been imparted by the Gods though one dedicated themselves with Faith rather than learning it or simply having the magic in their blood. Faith was tied to actual power though as she understood it even one with great faith was gradually given power rather than having it all imparted at once.

“Cain told me he had a human visitor, I had assumed that he may have had a convert though and clearly your mastery over flame makes his pale … as a Nereid he has an affinity to water based magic though as a Divine caster he isn't forbidden to use flame. I see no religious symbols on you and have concluded that your magic is of Arcane origins but given the nature of it it I unlikely that any Fae would have thought you that, at least.

“I saw red, in this case fire and jumped to action. In such a circumstance the usual Fae patience could have been costly.” He smiled, tried to shake off his mirth from earlier. “May I have your arm? I am curious, he casually held out an arm to take hers though there was obviously too much space between them. At any sign of hesitance he would continue figuring if she had been here then she would have picked up a thing or two about Fae

“I give you my word, this is not a trick and will not hurt in the least, save for feeling some cold air and even that can be suppressed for the time.”

Both childlike innocence and flat out naivety might have factored into the current situation for when he changed his demeanor Veronica didn’t seek to exploit any unfolding gaps in his defense. She listened yet remained alert for the Fae tended to play pranks and tricks regularly as her time near Cain’s home revealed more often than not. She still couldn’t read Zephyr to any greater extent, simple matters such as his age for one, but one of the greater questions had been with regards to Cain himself.

“Are you a Priest, too? Just like Cain?” She wondered what kind of relationship they might have for Cain was kind and welcoming of her presence whereas Zephyr hardly behaved like a gentleman unless it was implied that his company had been involved with some of his own acquaintances. At least Veronica gathered that much so far. It remained to be seen what else the stranger had hidden away behind his deceptively amused smile.

“I’ve practiced on this very hill countless days on end. Nothing bad has ever happened and no one implied they feared a mishap on my part might occur.” She hoped that’d explain why he found her here in the first place, not that he seemed to care a few minutes back. Veronica cocked an eyebrow when confronted with his curiosity and the conversation dragged on, uncertain as to what her arm would be required for, but at the very least he expressed his wish in a more civilized fashion.

She was pleased to find that Zephyr abruptly turned over a new leaf in their short lived acquaintanceship, but certainly hadn’t forgotten about those few moments throughout which he threatened to deliberately inflict harm unto the well-endowed sorceress before him. “If I have your word, I don’t see why not.” Solely due to his word had Veronica been willing to offer her arm although her knowledge on his kind got her thinking whether a true promise and giving someone their word had been the same to them or if some sort of loophole existed therein which allowed them to bypass their words entirely and still do whatever they pleased. If he had given anything less, however, she would not have been so kind as to step forward.

A cool shudder crept over her once the red head drew near, a slight remnant of the cold air about him which diminished over the passage of time. He stated it could be suppressed earlier and before long he found himself faced with her offered arm although Veronica could not shake the feeling that giving any ground to him solely fuelled his sense of superiority. At the same time she figured that once they wrapped things up, her time would be better spent indulging in her training than keeping him here any longer than he had to be.

“What do you want to see it for, anyway?” She, too, was curious in certain ways and approached even though a more suspect mind might have declined or walked away with their hostilities gone. She was young and just about neared the age her outer image relayed. There was far more to learn from a Fae than her mind could even comprehend at this stage. However, it was probably a moot point to ask considering that he pretty much had her within reach, but just seeing it wouldn’t allow Veronica to know what his intentions were or what exactly happened until much later.

“That is somewhat complicated ...” Zephyr rubbed his chin as if considering how best to answer that question. He had not paused for long though. “I suppose the easiest way to explain it is that I am his mentor though as you know the Divine arts are not really taught … you are shown tricks to make channeling such power easier Basically you have a hierarchy and the Gods determine just how much power you can channel.” So, essentially he held a higher position in the church it seemed though if it were that straight forward he would have probably said so in the first place. ”But no, I am not a Priest in the typical sense ...”

His demeanor seemed to change and their conversation moved on though he never exactly stated what he wished her arm for he seemed more open know as far as letting his guard down unless this was some sort of t rick. It did not seem so, however, given his apparent calmness over the ordeal.

The air that circled about him was chilly though those winds died down given that there would be a lapse in his concentration. He could see the effects on her from that chilly air as he gently reached out to size her arm. His touch was a little cold against the warmth of her arm. He let his fingers trace against the arm and smiled. He may have seemed unusual but like most Fae there was no mistake that he was handsome.

“Curiosity. I just wished to touch you,” he responded to her question. His fingers slid against her arm a few times going up and down unless she drew away. ”I suppose that if it is alright with Cain then practicing here shouldn't worry me much, Veronica.

“I am picking up that you are very unusual ...” He held up a hand as if any explanation was unnecessary. ”But from what I can determine your future will bring you back here for something only I can do … for a fee of course … I am uncertain ...” Had he used some sort of Divination? Without words or components? Unlikely.

“An old soldier … a wound that normally cannot be healed ...” He gazed at her as his touch melted away. His eyes locked with her own, clearly ready to answer what questions she had that he could answer that was.

Zephyr holding a higher position in the church than Cain? She honestly doubted that one of his temperament could have achieved anything like it, how he showed up out of nowhere and threatened her, but his powers and relationship to Cain spoke for themselves. No Priest in the typical sense? She had no idea what he was insinuating, but figured that Cain might have an answer for her once they wrapped things up out here since the young woman did not wish to pry too much into his affairs, particularly someone she had just met for the first time.

Her anger had diminished some as they talked, but Veronica remained upset about recent events nonetheless yet decided to put these thoughts on hold for the moment. They might have just had a poor start and she didn’t wish to make a bad impression on him which would then be carried on to Cain and eventually Abdul himself.

She had not peeled away despite feeling him dash along her arm with his fingers for something told the young sorceress that it was not a mere caress, neither romantic or entirely pointless hence curiosity had spurned her on to allow him to continue. Goosebumps formed upon her tender skin nevertheless, his colder touch infusing with her warmth that had a shudder course through her being. Thus far she never truly experienced whatever Zephyr had been up to and her drive to study certainly prolonged her exposure to him whereas a more hot blooded Veronica might have pulled away in an instant.

However, as much as Zephyr implied that he just wanted to touch her, he foreshadowed the future, or rather one of their future encounters in a vague fashion for there was no one in her life that could possibly be associated with an old soldier. Still, the situation had her mildly perplexed. She hadn’t heard him speak, nor seen him utilize any components which made Divinations possible, thus could not comprehend how he supposedly achieved foretelling the future on the spot. Was it a sixth sense? Some sort of inherited talents? A school of magic the red haired woman wasn’t quite privy to?

Scarlet eyes flickered to her arm when he finished, then back up to meet his own once she lowered it, left to ponder on the matter for a moment before speaking. She figured that by unusual he might have picked up on her true nature, but decided not to address the matter, but rather what had just occurred. “Do you have visions? Is that what that was?” She was genuinely interested in hearing more. For all Veronica knew he might just be playing tricks on her, but part of her ascertained that with Cain in mind he would not bother. “But .. How did you do it? As far as I’m aware you haven’t used any sort of Divination.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what to make of what you just said, either.” She cupped her chin in thought, averting her gaze momentarily. No one in particular came to mind either and since Veronica had not known a great deal of people he described, surely it had to be fairly distant if she was willing to pay some sort of fee to help out unless he referred to a near complete stranger. “I’m not familiar with any soldiers, let alone old ones in need of healing.”

“What kind of wound would that be anyway? What kind of fee? Does what you saw not tell you more than that?” Him being higher up in the hierarchy and experienced enough to quell her own elemental powers, Zephyr had to be powerful indeed. She did not doubt his ability to heal, but wondered how whatever he saw could only be done by him. It might just have been her lack of acquaintances, but whatever it was, it sounded as if she was determined enough to seek him out for the sake of the soldier he spoke of.

It was a good sign that she had not pulled away from him. As a Fae he was probably much older than her though the jury was still out on that … such power though an impulsiveness seemed to contradict each other. About the only thing that seemed to make sense was that he was older and deliberately attacked her to see how she handled herself. A test? It was hard to say though that made the most sense even if that probably wasn't the case.

In any event that touch probably wasn't part of it. He was Fae after all though that touch was not overt against her arm, not in a lust driven sense I had seemed at least but to her it was all new, all different.

“Visions?” He seemed to ponder that word. “No but I suppose that is the easiest means of explaining them You have lived among the Fae. Several have innate magical qualities that they can draw on, most of an Arcane nature though they simply will the task. Sylphs can control the winds to a degree. Nereids have some minor control over magic and so forth. Not many have inherited gifts that draw on Blessings though. Dryads, are one. You could say I have Blessings too that I can will but I have probably said too much.”

He grinned though he had supplied her with an answer there was still some mystery here. Dryads about the only Fae she could think of that were born with ties to the Divine rather than the Arcane. All others had to walk the path of a Priest or Druid.

“Well, obviously it does not refer to anyone just this second,” He grinned as she looked back to him. “I have gotten good at seeing things though and interpreting what they mean. When it is time you will know. You will come here to this very spot. In the near future, distant future I cannot say ...” Either he did not know or did not wish to tell her seeing how she might figure out the identity of the soldier or be the cause of his wounds or some such, she could not say. He did grin though when she asked of payment.

The cool breeze encircled her as he stepped closer and the chill of fingers lifted her chin so that he was peering into her eyes. He only had to incline her head a little though he was taller than her the largest Fae usually shorter than her (with only Abdul being taller), Zephyr proved to be among the tallest. Either naturally or with a magical enhancement to make him appear larger at the time.

“As for payment I shall give you a hint.” His lips touched upon her own and the feel of them was both warm and cold at the same time. It seemed to last forever, the air that encircled them seemed charged with a heat that ate away that initial chill though it a the clearing of a throat that brought an end to that kiss and not a need to breath. It was as if in that moment her lungs needed no air drawing in breath from him.

There, nearby was Cain who had probably come to relay a message from Abdul as he had been known to do from time to time or otherwise check up on her if he was passing by on his way back from running an errand. He did not look made or flustered in any way seeing that this was a Fae community and kissing was rather tame. He did say a word though. It was in the Sylvan tongue though she had not heard it uttered before.

Zephyr merely chuckled and backed away from Veronica, a grin upon his features. “To you perhaps.” And here the memory of the incident would fade leaving her sitting at a desk.

There was a lot to discover, but Zephyr appeared to be less inclined to just reveal everything straight away. She had enough to ponder on anyway and figured that time itself provided more satisfying answers. Still, his advance on her had been fairly unexpected, if not a little intimidating.

Standing in his presence alone had been somewhat unsettling though those irate feelings ebbed away over time they soon wound up replaced by an atmosphere of uncertainty once Zephyr stepped closer. A cooler breeze licked away at the inviting warmth her own body emanated, followed by his touch bestowed unto her chin which had the meanwhile wide eyed marvel of nature look deeply into his own eyes. She felt how her breathing had practically vanished by the time any notion of personal space reached her mind thanks to how greatly he amplified the tension in the air, how close the two of them truly were to the point their bodies almost flushed together.

She wanted to speak up, to ask what he was doing, what his intentions were for it was one of the few things Veronica hadn’t been privy to in the slightest. If anything, his unusual height happened to be the only matter her mind had picked up on in that instant, right before he closed what tiny gap remained between them. She was about to experience a profound unknown for the first time; intimacy.

“Mmm!” Indescribable passions intertwined with these lithe lush lips once he’d masked them with his own for they tingled in a never before experienced kind of excitement which continued to escalate with every waking moment. She never kissed anyone before, but knew all too well what they were doing. In the midst of a Fae community, not even Veronica missed out on certain matters and those less inclined to conceal their affection tended to live them in front of everyone else. However, while initially the nubile young red head tensed up and felt blood rush to her lightly flushed cheeks, there was no measure of resistance.

It felt good. They might have had a short lived scuffle earlier, but the sensation was too intriguing, too pleasant to steal away from it. She felt how it unfolded through her entirety and had mistaken it for weakness, similar to how some creatures sapped the life from another being, yet in truth their physical contact infected her every limb with a pleasant onrush of tranquility. Abdul tended to keep men away from her for a long time and now Veronica tasted such blessings for the first time, her eyelids folding shut as the seconds dragged on and tense muscles began to relax.

She never even cared to entertain a thought in regards to how long they stood there, how the need to breathe basically evaporated as if Zephyr fed her any oxygen that was required, let alone how warmth and cold intermingled about them, but there was certainly enough disruption to be found in a newcomer for the two to fall apart at once. He might have withdrawn, but the tingling sensations remained for a good while.

Veronica hardly understood what Cain relayed to Zephyr, but figured it had something to do with what had just transpired. She would have continued watching the scene, but in the same instant it all faded away.

---

She couldn’t believe that one of the Forgotten Four encountered her in person, less even that he happened to be the first to ever grace her with any form of intimacy. In addition Veronica could solely venture a guess as to Zephyr’s true nature, perhaps a Half Breed or just well versed enough in magic to make himself appear taller than he actually was, but with everything Cinder and the most recent Thought Thread relayed, the young sorceress was left with plenty to think about.

The future became all the more grim at the same time. An old soldier or two happened to be close to her, depending on the exact meaning of soldier in this case, and the notion of payment had her in shudders. Thus far none of her companions appeared to be in any sort of peril, but the price for Zephyr’s services, whatever the latter may be, had to be either fairly tame or an extension of what he’d already taken back in the day. She learned a great deal nevertheless, piece by piece uncovering her suppressed past, and every little bit helped in her recovery.

Veronica shook her head and found herself sitting at a desk now, wondering how long these Thought Threads took to live out. “Cain?” Cain did not seem to be around any longer. She wished to ask what he last said to Zephyr in her memory and what else there was to know about him. She had a great deal to think about now, but other than wait for these dire circumstances to arise, there was little else she could do save for attempt to prevent them from occurring.