Irinia parted her eyes slightly to see the deep purples of the pre-dawn sky. She had fallen asleep at the end of bed. She lifted her head and wiped the drool from her mouth. How lady-like. She looked towards the door and saw Croix pulling his shirt over his head. In spite of his small build, he was quite muscular. He reached down beneath the window where he had slept and retrieved his sword. Pulling the blade from its sheath, moved his fingers over the runes on the blade. He noticed she was awake and looked over before snapping the blade back into the sheath without looking away.

  "Good morning. Go ahead and clean up if you would like. Let's meet downstairs when you are ready." He turned and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

  Not a morning person I take it.

  She hopped out of bed and changed her clothes. It was when she was sifting through her small bag that she realized she had only packed two sets. She would need to wash them soon. She put on a dress that stopped just below her knees. After she finished tying the straps on the side that held it closed, she wondered if her attire was suited for travel. She threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out into the hallway. She heard yelling coming from downstairs. She ran down the hall and down the stairs.

  One of the travelers she saw outside was yelling at the attendant. Croix was standing off to the side with his arms crossed.

  "I saw you let him in last night, and you gave him a room! We have been sleeping outside on the cold hard stone for five days! I demand a room." The man yelled.

  "Serend, you don't understand. Croix has done more for this city than anyone..." The attendant protested.

  "I don't care. I want a bed!" Serend shouted.

  "Calm down. Talking to him might be bet-" Croix tried to offer before he was interrupted.

  Serend walked quickly over to Croix and pressed a finger into his shoulder. "Stay out of this, boy." He practically spat the last word.

  Irinia went tense. Croix simply looked down at the finger pressed into his shoulder and said calmly, "Please, don't touch me."

  The man's face twisted in rage. He pulled his arm back and threw a punch to Croix face. Irinia barely saw what happened but the man in blue was across the room sprawled on the floor. He lay there for a moment, very still, covered in the pieces of wood from the chair that had been there a moment ago.

  Croix leaned against the attendant's desk. "What has these people in such a fuss?" He asked the attendant.

  "There was a fire on the edge of the city. It destroyed a lot of the homes there." His eyes flicked to Serend as he groaned. He visibly relaxed after knowing the man was still alive.

  "Hm... Regardless, he was out of control. Thank you for the room." He laid his hand on the desk. "For your troubles and your chair." He pulled his hand away leaving two gold coins and silver.

  He knelt next to the man he had thrown across the room. "It’s nothing serious. Irinia, come here, please."

  She hurried over to the two men. "What do I do?"

  "Do you remember the little boy that fell in Larin?" She nodded. "It’s the same idea, just a little more effort."

  She knelt placed her hand on the man's shoulder and concentrated. She felt a tugging in her chest. She felt as the pull moved from her chest to her shoulder. Then down her arm and into her hand. Serend relaxed and his breathing slowed, sleeping. She suddenly felt tired and dizzy. Croix's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she lost her balance and fell catching to herself with her right hand. Her head swam so she shook it gently.

  Croix leaned close, "Too much. You will learn your limits soon enough. You did well though," he gestured towards the man on the ground. "He's sleeping so I'm guessing you fixed whatever I broke. Which I'm thinking was his arm and maybe a dislocated shoulder." He helped her to her feet.

  After reaching the door the attendant called out, "Croix, the chair is only a few coppers and you..."

  "As I said, it is for your troubles. Have a good day, Brin."

  They walked through the tents until they came across a young girl standing dazed by what Irinia guessed was her tent. Croix walked up to and asked, "Miss, could I ask a favor of you?"

  The girl looked up at him, but Irinia was not sure if she even saw him standing there. Her eyes were so distant. The fires must have taken everything these people had. She did not want to think of what would happen if the castle in Larin would have ever burned.

  "Could you take me to where your home was?" Croix placed his hand gently on her head. "Please?" He wrinkled his brow. The girl nodded slowly and silently. Then she turned away from them. Croix shrugged and began to follow her. They walked out of the town center through one of the alleyways. The children that had been so friendly with Croix when they had first arrived ran past. They giggled and waved and shouted their greetings. He smiled and waved in return but continued to follow the girl. She was a unfazed by the other kids and show no interest. She just walked, staring forward. After walking for the better half of an hour they emerged from the city into a large field. At the edge of the field an enormous mountain range jutted up from the earth. They walked for a few more minutes before they came to several scorched houses. One had completely collapsed. The girl stood in front of the collapsed house silently staring.

  That one must have been her home, she thought to herself.

  Most likely.

  That was going to take her a lot of time to get used to.

  Croix stepped into the wreckage of the fallen building and rummaged through the charred remains. He moved a large wooden beam effortlessly and tossed it aside. He continued moving the beams around as the two girls watched. He had arranged the wooden beams in a circular pattern, each piece laid atop the other. He picked up one last beam, larger than any of the others, and stood it straight up in the center of the remains of the floor. He looked around at the floor for a moment while holding the wood upright. Apparently, not finding what he need he drew his blade and slammed it downward at an angle through the wood and into the ground. He released his hand and the beam stayed upright. He walked back to the grass where the girls stood and smiled to himself.

  Irinia was not sure what he was doing, but she did not like to be standing around doing nothing for long. "Is there anything that I can do?"

  "Not at the moment." Croix responded looking towards the other houses. He tossed his cloak to one side so that his right arm was exposed. The chains and sword on his arm stood out even as he walked away. She had to ask him what the markings mean someday. She was sure she saw them move once.

  He went to the house closest to the area the young girl's house had once stood and leaned close. He narrowed his eyes as though he was looking for some minute detail. A bead of light appeared on his finger, and he drew a pattern on the door. Three diagonal slashes leaning toward the right burned a deep violet, visible even in the rising sun. He drew a similar pattern on each damaged house making the lines larger as he went further away. Once he had reached the last home he turned around and drew a horizontal line through the other three with a smaller line coming out of the end at a small angle. It looked like an arrow with half of the head missing pointing away from the collapsed house.

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  When he returned in front of them, he drew several patterns in the air around the house. Every other sigil was a seven rayed star. This was too much for the dazed girl to ignore. Her eyes came into focus, and she looked around at all the lights. After the wreckage was surrounded by the burning sigils, he stood in front of the collapsed house and the girls. Croix circled around his work looking for something. "Hm... This one? Maybe. This isn't really my thing." He reached out toward a sigil that was shaped as a simple circle with a line cut through it. He grasped the line, squeezing it. It shattered and lightly fell to the ground like glass.

  A sudden gust of wind came from the direction of the last house as the sigil drawn on the door burned brighter and brighter. When the light coming from the sigil was a bright white it exploded in a blinding flash. Irinia looked away for a moment, but noticed the young girl was watching the display unfold with wide eyes. Lines of violet traced the outlines of the damage of the first house, and then it was gone. Irinia blinked several times. The violet light moved the next house and traced the outlines of the fire damage as well. Each house was repaired in turn by the violet light. It was like watching time flow backwards as each house became clean and mended again. The young girl had fallen to her knees while the houses were fixed while continually glancing back to her home. Hoping it would work there as well. The wooden beams Croix and neatly arranged spiraled upright like a blooming flower. Piece by piece the home came together. As each piece came together the smile on the young girl's face grew wider, her eyes brighter.

  The entire house was upright and solid. The sigils burned into nothingness leaving stillness in the field. As Croix approached the house several of the boards separated and the house sagged. Croix stopped taking a step back, grunting in annoyance. "Oh... right." he walked in through the open doorway and pulled his sword out of the center supporting beam and the rest of the pieces came back together. He walked back out and sheathed his blade before turning to observe the result. The girl almost tackled him to the ground in her embrace. "Lilith." She said quietly.

  Croix placed his hand atop her head. "Croix."

  She squeezed tighter, "I know. Thank you."

  He put an arm around her and gave her a quick, but gentle squeeze. "Go tell the others. They'll be glad to hear of it." She nodded and ran off in the direction of the city. Irinia walked over to Croix, and they stood silently for a moment. There was so much more to magic than she had known. Nothing in her lessons covered something like this.

  "A technique that returns an object back to its' original state. It is usually used to repair glass-work or damaged weapons. If you pump enough mana into it the technique can be used on a larger scale." He gestured towards the homes he had repaired furthest out. "The sigils drawn on each door gave the mana direction and amplification. The latter is triggered first so that the strength of the aura can build in the house." He held up clenched fists, "and when it changes direction the energy dissipates and dissolves, restoring the object." He opened his hands in a mock explosion. "A friend taught me how to do it a long time ago."

  Most of Croix's friends seem to be dead so she asked, "Are they...?"

  "She's still around somewhere last I'd checked. Hard to keep track of people in this line of work though."

  That was good to hear. She nodded toward Lilith's house, "Why was that one different from the others?"

  Croix laughed, "Good observation." He waved his hand dismissively to his sword at his lower back, "I had my blade sticking into it. The aura couldn't restore the object because it had extra components."

  She nodded half understanding. It was not the reason that Lilith's home could not be restored that confused her. It was how the mana actually functioned that she could not wrap her mind around. There were so many several sigils that she had seen Croix use, each of them were different. Even amongst those there were smaller variations that she could not even remember. This is getting more complicated by the day...

  "Give it time. There is a lot to remember and a lot to learn. I think you'll start to pick up quickly though, once you have the basics down." Croix began to walk back to the city, taking a different alley from which, they had come.

  Irinia followed slowly behind him while in thought. When they reached the main roads, he slowed for her to catch up. "We will leave in a few hours. Collect whatever supplies you think you will need. Some of the regular merchants may want to give you want you want as a gift. Decline politely and give them coin for it." She caught the small purse, but heavy purse. "I'll meet you at the bakery in three hours."

  She nodded, "Is there anything in particular you think I would need?"

  Croix thought for a moment before rummaging through his cloak. He produced another purse of coins and tossed it to her. "You may want to gather some clothes better suited for travel. You're not a princess anymore. Dresses don't protect much and tend to... lift a lot in a fight." He turned and disappeared around the corner.

  Irinia stood there for several minutes with more money in her hands than she had ever held before. Growing up in royalty she never had any need for money. She looked through the coins for a moment before pulling the drawstring tight on the bags. She stuffed them in her blouse where she would be sure to notice someone trying to take them. Checking her options, she decided to head down the main street first. It would make sense that most of the shops would be located there. She went into the first clothing shop she saw. She stopped short when she saw bright white clothes hanging all over the store. Too fancy for the kind of travelling we will be doing... I think.

  She turned on her heel and stopped in front of the next shop. Looking up the sign read, "Ven Traveler." This must be a Vvindish shop. She went in figuring that the world "traveler" should be some indication as to what is sold inside. She opened the door and everyone in the shop stopped and turned. They stood silently for a moment staring at her, or maybe glaring, she couldn't tell. She cleared her throat and asked, "I'm looking for some clothes. Can anyone help me?"

  All tension broke. One of the men, a tall lanky fellow with a long mustache approached her. "I can assist you, miss. What are you looking for?"

  "I'm looking to travel light. It is only my teacher and I so we do not have much room to carry things between us."

  "Are you on foot or horseback?" The man asked.

  "On foot, sir."

  "Ah, I see." He went over to a rack of clothes and sifted through the clothes. He pulled several items from the rack and set them down on the counter. "You can try them on over there, miss... What was your name?"

  "Irinia." She replied quickly.

  "Ah, beautiful name to match the lady." His grin gave Irinia an unsettling feeling. The others were still looking at her too. Wrong shop...

  "I think I have everything I need actually." She began to back toward the door, but she bumped into somebody. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. The men in the shop crowded around her. She knew it was useless, but she could think of nothing else to do. So, she screamed, "Croix!"

  She felt a warmth on her chest and her a loud sound behind her followed by splintered wood hitting the floor. The hand released her and all the men in the store backed away to the back of the shop. She was beginning to turn to see what was behind her when she saw Croix standing beside her.

  "What is going on here?" His voice was cold and emotionless.

  The room was quiet for a few seconds. Irinia felt a tap on her arm. Oh, he is talking to me.

  "I came in here for some clothes for our journey, and they were..." She began before Croix stepped forward. The men backpedaled further into the shop as he approached.

  Croix looked at the clothes on the counter. He reached over and picked one up. "Not even your size..." She came to the counter. "Find what you need and meet me at our meeting area we discussed earlier. I still have some things to do here before we depart." He turned to walk past her but stopped next to her and leaned close. "Stay on your guard, at all times." He left the shop through the opening where the door used to be.

  None of the men moved when he left, and Croix had not told her to leave so she walked over to the nearest shelf and picked through the clothes. He was probably waiting outside anyway. She found several things that she liked so she set them on the counter next to the other pile of clothes. She proceeded across the shop to another rack on the other side of the store. She could hear their attempt at whispering, they were too nervous to keep their voices too low.

  "Are we going to do this or not?" The short one said.

  "If you so much as breathe at her I will kill you myself. If she is with him then I'd advise you to just give her the shop." The big man who had blocked her exit stated.

  The tall man, the one whom she had figured to be the Vvindish man, spoke next, "He's right. Let her be. I value my life too much to anger Croix."

  The short one sputtered, "The Croix? The Fist of the Gods?"

  She could not hold in the snort of laughter at that name. She could read the situation enough to regain her composure quickly and turned to look at them. The tall shop owner was nodding slowly. She took the clothes she had collected to the counter. Three light blouses and one made of heavier material, three pairs of pants. She figured that would last her for a while.

  She looked at them as asked, "How much?"

  The shop owner threw his arms up. "Just take them and leave!"

  Irinia shrugged and put the clothes in her pack. She reached into her purse and set two silvers down on the counter as she passed through the entryway. "For your door."

  She walked around town collecting food for their journey; bread, dried fruits, and two pouches of water. At each shop she had much better luck than the first. Everyone was kind and helpful. The first shop experience had her more on guard, but luckily the rest of her shopping was uneventful. Her purse was still heavy when she was finished so she had begun to look for a gift for Croix. She wanted to repay him for his help in the clothing shop earlier in the day. The link between them probably communicated the urgency of her situation somehow. Her mind went back to the sound of the door being smashed in from the outside.

  "Kind of a brute, isn't he?"