How the Years Have Changed You (Kendall, Aello)

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall felt himself edging toward anger when he heard another person speak. "Why would I play with fire if I couldn't control it you…" He would have finished his words sharp and angered if he had not looked up to see who was standing before him. He was not sure why, but becoming male had caused his temper to turn quite short. He could not be mad at the girl in front of him though. Or could he? He recognized the girl as Aello, his friend from Zeltiva but wasn't she supposed to be dead? Her house had burned down, along with everything and everyone in it. It couldn't be Aello, could it? The younger girl spoke up again, parroting the woman's question. Before he had a chance to answer she pipped up again, clearing up his confusion. She called the woman Aello. "Aello…" Kendall looked at his old friend with a mix of happiness and surprise. "Oh my Gods! I never thought I would see you again! I thought you died!" For a moment he forgot where he was, who he was. His best friend from Zeltiva was alive! He walked forward slowly, giving a passing glance to the younger girl accompanying Aello. His friend seemed so different. More worn and a bit shorter, although he had gotten taller. "Aello… I don't know to explain any of this to you but…" Kendall bit his lip as he looked at Aello. "We know each other, or better yet, we knew each other back in Zeltiva." He was not sure how to break the news to Aello. He had a terrible habit of being far too blunt when letting out his little secret. "I don't know how to… slowly build up to this… so I am just going to say it." He looked at Aello, praying that she would not react like Markus had. Normally he would hide who he was from anyone and everyone. This was Aello though. She had been his best friend and for ages he thought she was dead. "I'm sure you will not believe me but… I am Kendall. Kendall Saarinen." Looking back at the girl he spoke up again, answering her question. "I am just trying to clear my head. I have a hard time staying calm in the city." Looking back at Aello, Kendall worried about how his friend would react. "I know it seems impossible but you have to believe me."

[Aello]

Aello listened to the sound of a raging fire crackling off in the distance, trying to draw her into its warmth. She shuddered for a moment, more from the feel of Kendall's aura than the words that left her mouth, although both carried a deep, haunting ring. Each caused Aello's heart to skip several beats before it continued to race. The young spiritist was staring intently at his aura, watching it flicker like the light of a candle, swaying lightly back and forth, dancing for her. Mocking her with the secrets it held; the answers to only a small portion of her questions. But how could that be? How could a woman become a man? How could what he is saying be true? the girl wondered, when she realized the aura was supporting everything the blonde boy was saying. As far as she could tell, this man told no lies. "There is no way to clear your head in a place such as this," Aello replied simply, before growing silent for awhile. She was biting her bottom lip uncomfortably as she considered her next set of words. Should she be bold and simply state everything on her mind, or wait for Kendall to reveal whatever she wanted to reveal? Finally, deciding it best to simply wing it, since she had no idea what she was doing anyway, Aello spoke up, "how is it that you came to be a man Kendall?" she asked, giving only a moment for the girl to reply before she continued speaking, her voice containing a cold, hard edge. "And has it truly been so long that you have forgotten?" she asked. "Has it truly been so long that you can no longer recall the nature of me, of my family? The magic we held against the tips of our fingers; just within our grasp?" Aello took a step closer to him, staring all the more intently into Kendall's eyes. Refusing to let any tears fall at the mention of her family. "It grows stronger as we get older; as our bodies and minds mature," Aello went on. "But what would you know of such things? You must only be just beginning, a child still, playing with magic you don't understand." At least, if her parents remained the same, even after the cottage had burned down; there could be no other way. They would never allow her to call fire to her, such as this, Aello thought as she shut her eyes tightly, against the surprisingly painful memory. She held them that way for no more than a few seconds before opening them again. "You have changed a lot Kendall, from the last time our paths crossed," Aello said, in hardly more than a whisper. "You don't seem as cautious as you once were; perhaps just as frightened of the world, although, you seem more willing to go against what your parents once held rather near and dear to their hearts. For that is not the only magic you wield, is it?" she asked, the last of her words sounding harsher than the rest, despite her uncertainty about their validity. It seems she is not the girl we once knew in Zeltiva; that you too, are not the one she once new. The world has changed you both, perhaps for the better, perhaps not, Aello thought, before she added, "perhaps we should thank Dira that they can't see you now. That neither of our parents can see us now." With that, Aello turned her head briefly, so that it may face her bondmate. "Do not raise your fists to this man Alenias, he is an old friend... we grew up together. You may trust him as you trust me," she explained, her tone rather neutral. As soon as the words had left her lips, she turned back to Kendall. And if he does try anything stupid, we can always kill him... easily, she thought, even though she didn't think it in the girl's nature to fight. OOCSorry I switch "his" and "her" around a lot in reference to Kendall. It is just super confusing since the pc knew her/him? as a girl.

[Alenias]

Alenias tensed as the man started to raise his voice at Aello, her lip curling up in preperation to yell at him for being mean to the woman, but then he stopped and changed what he was saying. He knew Aello? The two began to talk back and forth about strange things, becoming men and magic, and Alenias' tension left her body as she stared at the two in wide eyed confusion.

Eventually Aello turned and looked at her, and then said that Kendall could be trusted as much as Aello was. Alenias gave a small nod of her head, "Ok Aello," and then turned a bright smile to the man, all signs of her earlier hostility gone.

If this man grew up with Aello, and Aello said he could be trusted, then he must be almost as good as Aello! It was weird that he didn't have a bow like Aello, but maybe that was what made it so he wasn't as strong as her? He did have that magic fire... which was gone now though. Thinking about the fire drew Alenias' attention to Kendall's hands, slowly moving her closer, and she asked softly, "Didn't it hurt when you were holding the fire? When we make a fire and I get close it starts to hurt, and I don't even touch it," she turned her small dark eyes up to look at Kendall's face with her own expression showing her naiveness and curiosity, "Is it because it's magic fire?"

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall watched Aello's aura for any hint that she remembered him. There was a part of him that wanted to look for the distaste that Markus had found in him but what good would that do? Aello's aura seemed to flush with colors of surprise, although that was expected. If she had not been surprised that would have worried Kendall more. The colors of surprised were skirted by acceptance though. Aello was not going to run. Not right now at least. An awkward smile seemed twitch at Kendall's lips, although a forced smile might have been a better way to put it. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. It's very… chaotic but I suppose it is supposed to be that way." It was clear that the excitable and talkative Kendall that Aello had once know had changed and not just in form. He was shy now and quiet. It was a complete turn around from the girl he had once been in Zeltiva. Mismatched eyes fell to the ground below the threesome when Aello asked her question. There was not an easy way to explain his predicament. Well…, it was a simple explanation but the story itself was hard to tell. It had grown repetitive in it's many tellings. "I was kidnapped in Zeltiva. An animator switched my body with who I think was his apprentice and… yeah. That is why I am… like I am." It seemed like every time he told the story it got shorter and less detailed. He wanted to move past it though. He dreamed of the day where he could just forget about it. The way Aello spoke was so different than how she had back in Zeltiva. There was a different tone to her voice. One that was almost pained and bittersweet. It was true what she said though. He had blocked out so much about Zeltiva. "I'm happy you made it out alive." He was not sure what to say to Aello. "You were always my closest friend." He did not want to admit to Aello how much he had actually forgotten about his life back in Zeltiva. She deserved to know though. "There is a lot I don't remember anymore. It's still in my mind… somewhere. I just… It's easier not to think back on home… Zeltiva anymore. My family wants nothing to do with me and neither does Kay'lan… not that it matters." Kay'lan meant nothing to Kendall now. He had found someone who treated him like he only wished the Vantha had. Kendall looked down at his palms where twin scars ripped through his skin. He was not sure he appreciated to be called a child, especially by someone younger than him. Aello was right though. He had only known the world of magic for a year now. Besides, Aello seemed so much older now. "I suppose so… I don't understand all of it but I do understand my element." By looking at Kendall one would have have been able to tell how in tune he was with his fire. He did not look like a pyromancer. From one brush against his skin one would know the fire the raged through his body. "I would not be playing with fire in a forest if I didn't'." His voice was calm but he could not help the small lick of anger that seemed to make his heart beat just a bit faster. As a girl Kendall might have been able to brush off Aello's words as a the words of a concerned friend but as a male it bothered him slightly. She was doubting his proficiency with fire but fire was all he was. Aello's words hit Kendall a bit harder than perhaps they should have. He knew that he had changed. He had to accept that every time he looked int the mirror or changed his clothing. Even when he was in his simplest and purest moments he had to be reminded that he was not who he once was. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could Aello continued her words. "Of course I changed. There are so many new feelings I have to deal with and of course the obvious…" Kendall felt ashamed in front of his old friend. It seemed like every person that he had once known were starting to see what he had become. "You are right though. I also know shielding and auristics." He did not feel the need to hide his knowledge of the arcane from Aello. They had shared secrets as young girls, why did anything have to change. Her last words stung the most, bringing tears rushing to Kendall's eyes. With a small sigh, Kendall raised a hand to his eye to try and stop the tears. "Yes… thank Ivak for that." It seemed as though the pair had both found their way to the less favorable deities. The dreams that Kendall had been having came rushing to the surface, making the tears only harder to stop. "I'm sure they would hate who I am." When Kendall had finally shooed away the tears he heard Aello talking to the girl at her side, Alenias as she had been called. He was surprised to see that Alenias calmed down so quickly after Aello had told her that he was not a threat. Her question was one that could not be explained easily. Could he trust Aello and her friend with the secret to his connection to fire? "I suppose it is magical fire. I created it through Reimancy." His eyes flicked from Alenias to Aello before he held out his hand and let the Res float out over his palm. He knew Aello did not want him playing with fire in the middle of the forest but if it got out of control he would pull it into his Res. The Res ignited over his palm, turning to fire once more. "See, magic." He did not answer her question about how he did not get burned though. He hoped that his show with the reimancy would be enough to deter the question. "So… how do you two know each other?" Kendall was aware of how odd the question was. Especially after the conversation that he had just had with Aello. He was curious though. The girl did not seem to be any of Aello's siblings. Maybe she was a cousin? He smiled lightly at Alenias. "I'm Kendall by the way."

[Aello]

"Petching animators," Aello commented as she pushed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, producing a sharp, clicking sound. "Ruining everything, much as magic seems to, when given time." There was a slight pause, "any sort of magic, really..." She fell silent for a long time, waiting for Kendall to finish saying everything she needed to say before she spoke again. "Perhaps your parents were right, about magic not being something to study... it does things to people Kendall. I'm not the same, you're not the same. Heck, we can't even remember what we were like. What it was like before magic came into our lives, can we?" Aello asked. "Before it tainted us..." Aello's voice trailed off for several moments, as her eyes settled on Kendall's hands. "All I remember from before the fire, from where we both grew up was what it felt like to stand on the docks and listen to the sailors, what it smells like during low tide. Although, being surrounded by a lake in which several bodies have been deposited makes it slightly easier to recall. I didn't remember it before coming here, when I spent time in Lhavit, and then Avanthal." There was another slight pause, "by the way, it's not everything Kay'lan told you it would be. The snow is lovely, but, you can't go out in it for long unless you intend on freezing. And the Snowsong Hold, probably the most irritating one in the bunch. Always practicing their music, and half of them can't play or sing." Aello growled, deciding to let the subject drop. She doubt Kendall would want to think about him, about their past. "You can do better than him," was all she said before she returned her gaze to Alenias. Aello wondered if she should share how they met, all those moons ago. If Alenias would want her to share the fact that they had bonded. But then again, that part wasn't necessary to the telling of the story. Thus, Aello could keep it out to protect the girl's interests, assuming the Kelvic didn't intend on having her secrets divulged to someone she had just met. "We met here, in Ravok. Not all that long ago actually, but not that recently either. Alenias approached Yune and I while we were out walking, and seemed rather lost to say the very least. We wound up spending the rest of the day in each other's company, and have been traveling with each other ever since," Aello explained, her tone calm, as her gaze returned to Kendall. She hoped her old friend wouldn't notice that she had left out a few details, and if she did, she hoped she wouldn't mind. "It's the only way to stay safe you know, in a city such as this. Perhaps you should consider finding yourself someone to travel with Kendall, if you haven't already." Aello's eyes fell to the flame that hovered above Kendall's palm. It was making her uneasy. Silently, she prayed to Dira that her friend would let it go out soon enough.