A Shadow of Gold(Working Title)

Okay! Here's chapter one. This is the only warning you'll get of this from now on. Most of my chapters are like this. Probably all of them are this long or longer. Only a few are short.

"..." = talking
'...' = thoughts
*...* = emphasis
[...] = sub-vocalization
*~*~*~* = INTERMISSION! Go get a drink! Eat something! Play a game! These are good spots to take a break from reading the story.

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Panting heavily, the figure walked into town. Her gold eyes flashed angrily. People glanced at her with skepticism. She wore a pair of worn jeans, a purple-green shirt, and a purple bandana over her hair. Her over large pack was hanging off one shoulder. She stood about five feet tall and looked frustrated. She walked quickly through the streets, looking for something. People watched with growing curiosity as she walked.

Her eyes flickered quickly over the buildings and people, apparently not seeing them. She walked through town in a systematic, grid-like pattern. She scanned many abandoned, empty lots, examining them closely. She moved quickly, as if she were being pursued. Suddenly, her eyes lit on a particular lot. She smiled grimly, and made a bee-line for it. Upon reaching it, she set her heavy pack down and began clearing away dead vegetation and other debris, oblivious of the people watching her.

Once that was done, she returned to her pack. She opened the top and began pulling things out; statues, planks of wood, and even other packs. She went about setting up the things she pulled out around the clearing. Soon, she had an entire living area set up, and was starting on the next thing. In about twenty minutes, she had set up shop. She came and grabbed the remaining packs, and her main pack, and took them into her living quarters and shop.

She began to move around behind the doors of the cart/shop she had set up, apparently getting things in order. A small crowd had gathered to watch her set up, and now they eagerly awaited her return. They wanted to know what she was selling. They began to slowly creep forward toward the new things. Suddenly, the gold-eyed woman came out, smiling warmly.

"Come in, come in! What are you all doing out here?" She smiled again and motioned for the people to follow her into the shop. Skeptically, hesitantly, the crowd filtered into the small shop, finding it to be extremely large. They looked around in shock at the shelves, which were packed with curious bits and ends. Nothing seemed to have any particular order at all.

"Please, feel free to browse if you like." She smiled at them, and sat behind a counter in the corner. Most of the people had business and were not able to browse, but a few stayed, examining the objects on her shelves and pedestals. No one bought anything, however. This didn't bother the woman. She remained seated behind her counter, leaning against a wall.

Soon the shop was empty except for her. When this happened, she smiled brightly, saying, "All right, Aqifer(1), you can show yourself now." As soon as she had spoken, a fireplace-like structure appeared in the middle of the room. A windy voice replied to her comment.

"It's about time you found someplace new to live. Traveling around without you can get pretty boring." Aqifer stated huffily, her voice distant, yet not at the same time. A translucent green swirl appeared in the center of the new structure, giving body to the new voice. Two windswept blue eyes appeared, contrasting greatly with the deep green of the wind demon.

"I'm sorry, Aqifer; I'm being followed. I needed a good place to set up my base. You know that." The gold-eyed woman pulled off her bandana, revealing startlingly purple hair. She looked up as a tall, black-skinned man with flaming red hair walked in. He was dressed all in white, and it was miraculously clean.

Aqifer's blue eyes turned on the stranger. She looked at him, sensing his great capacity for magic. She also sensed that he was very young, about fourteen years old, and desperate for a decent teacher. She snorted at how low he had fallen in order to find them. He was broadcasting widely, and his emotions were obvious.

"Please, M'lady, I felt your magic, and I just had to come. I need your help... Please!" The tall, young man pleaded with her, desperate to be heard. His sky blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He came up to her, and kneeled before her in an imploring manner. On closer inspection, he looked extremely thin and ragged. his clothes, once pure white, now looked grayish-brown, and his hair was unkept.

The woman looked at him with sympathy in her eyes as she spoke. "Get up, child. I shall teach you to use your talent wisely, but you must never, ever bow to me again. It's very disconcerting. Get up, and tell me your name." She smiled kindly at him as he stood up. His tears began to fall then, and his shoulders shook violently. He soon stopped, however.

"Forgive me, M'lady. I did not intend to cry before you. My name is Zyathyr(2), miss. May I ask yours?" He looked at her inquiringly, like a child asking its mother for ice cream. Somehow, though at six-foot seven he towered over her, he felt small in her presence. It was almost comforting, knowing that she could make him feel that way. It soothed him to know that she was as powerful as he had thought.

"My name is Flare(3). It's going to be a pleasure teaching you, Zyathyr. Come, sit with me." She conjured a chair for him so that he could sit by her. He took it gladly, eager to begin his lessons, no matter what they should be. She smiled as he did so, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

He quickly fell asleep where he sat, obviously exhausted. Flare guessed it was from a lack of sleep. She smiled warmly, and remained sitting where she was. Everything would have remained peaceful if Aquifer had not spoken up.

"You're going to teach him? Why?" Her eyes turned toward Flare questioningly, and her confusion was evident. She questioned the motives of her symbiotic partner. The swirling green mass of her body appeared to move faster with her emotions.

"Because he has amazing raw talent, Aqifer, I will teach him. It is part of my duty as a sorceress to do so as well. He could become a danger if he is not watched." Flare's answer was nonchalant and her eyes were beginning to droop as she became tired. She yawned slightly, stood, then went to her room. Aqifer's eyes followed her, then went back to watching Zyathyr with curiosity and just a bit of concern.

*~*~*~*

Early the next morning, Zyathyr awoke with a start. His wide, sky blue eyes were met with Aqifer's skeptical, windswept ones. He jumped slightly and sat up straight, then bowed to her slightly. Aqifer blinked a bit and her eyes bobbed once as she returned the bow. Zyathyr blinked once, and then took a closer look at his surroundings.

The objects that covered the shelves, to his vision, glowed slightly in varying degrees of orange. He noted that the orange was occasionally flecked with a light periwinkle color. These objects in particular caught his interest and included the following: a sword and scabbard with strange markings on them, a pair of black leather boots, a piece of green crystal, three vials of some strange liquid, and a small piece of paper with an excruciatingly detailed dragon on it.

He stood cautiously and approached the last object, his curiosity overcoming his sense of caution. As he walked past, Aqifer called out something that was probably a warning, but he was unable to understand. He slowly reached out to take the paper so he could examine it closer. He heard Aquifer cry out to him in warning, but remained unable to truly understand her. As his fingers touched the paper, a strange sensation shot through his body. He blinked as he caught the last word of what Aquifer was saying.

"... anything!"

"What?" He looked at her, blinking his confusion.

"I said, 'It would be a good idea not to touch anything!'" She scowled at him, her voice exasperated. "Apparently you don't understand simple instructions." She was looking, not at him in general, but at his eyes in particular. She seemed both angry and terrified. She soon looked away, though remained watching him so he wouldn't touch anything else.

Zyathyr sat stunned for a moment, and then blinked again and looked back at the shelf where the paper was, only to find that the intricate dragon drawing was gone. He jumped slightly, and glanced around quickly. He was unable to locate the paper, and began to panic when he could not. Aqifer noticed the onset of his panic, and her gaze returned to him.

"What are you doing?" Aquifer's skeptical gaze pierced him, causing him to freeze. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so considering where he was, he was in the act of jumping when he did so and somehow froze in midair, unmoving. Aqifer's eye sshifted so that she looked even stranger than usual.

"I asked you a question, child. Answer me, please."

"I... I'm trying to find the paper... so I can put it back." He seemed to tense even more, though he was still frozen in midair.

"Interesting. You mean it's gone?" she asked. Zyathyr nodded in response, and Aqifer chuckled airily.

"Then I guess... well, we'll see. It's happened before, but changed then; he would always change his mind. They are finicky that way. Oh... you can land now, Kit." Aqifer gave his back a genuine smile before turning away. She had been speaking in her native tongue, the language of the wind demons, and Zyathyr had unknowingly answered her with the same tongue.

Slowly, Zyathyr's body relaxed and flowed down to the floor. As soon as his feet touched ground again, he began to contemplate what Aqifer had said. He blinked, thinking on it. 'Hmm... what did she mean "he" would always change his mind? And who or what are *they*?' As he was thinking, his hair seemed to flutter a bit, as if a wind were moving about him, though Aqifer was doing nothing.

That was the scene Flare came out to. She blinked in surprise and sub-vocalized to Aqifer, saying, [And what exactly did he touch?]

[The Dragon.] Aqifer's sub-vocalized reply sounded very smug. [And no one else before him has ever been able, consciously or unconsciously, to use the Wind like that afterwards.] Her thin smile seemed even more smug than her voice.

[So he's disappeared again?] Flare and Aqifer continued to sub-vocalize as they spoke, both looking like statues.

[Yes, he has. I wonder if he'll *stay* this time. I think he will.]

[But can we be sure? He's always been a pain. Dragons are so... finicky.]

[I don't know how we can be sure. I know he's been a pain, but a promise is a promise.]

Their conversation carried on in this manner for some time longer before Zyathyr began to move around again. His movements were now more graceful than before, and he seemed somehow both more and less imposing at the same time. He slowly and carefully examined all the objects in the room without touching them. He was curious, but did not realize he was being scrutinized as well as scrutinizing. When Flare chuckled at his still hungry curiosity he tensed, jumping slightly. The act of tensing brought a repeat of his earlier levitation.

"Calm down. I suspect Aquifer didn't tell you everything about that paper you touched, so I will." Her voice sounded rougher than he remembered. He blinked once and then responded.

"What was it?" Or was his voice smoother and more refined?

"It was a cage. It contained the soul of a Dragon. He has been searching, for thousands of years, for the body that could safely harbor his soul and powers. He may believe you are such a one. This is the longest he's remained within someone. He's been sharing your body for three yours." Flare's answer completely answered all of the questions he had not asked but had been about to ask; all except one.

"Are you lying to me?" His eyes narrowed slightly and he hit the floor with a heavy *Thud!* She could sense that, had he been an animal, his tail would be lashing violently right then. For example, he would make a very ferocious Dragon. The thought made Flare smile.

"No, Zyathyr. I am not lying to you. What reason have I to do so?" She did not look away when he made eye contact, and smiled truthfully at him. He slowly relaxed his defenses, the imaginary tail ceasing its lashing. He seemed hesitant to do so, but could not help trusting her anyway, partially because he had no choice.

"No, I can see you would have none. I'm sorry." He bowed subserviently out of habit. This made Flare chuckle again. She smiled, eyes bright with amusement, as he stiffened, then put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, slightly confused. Her smile was warm and friendly.

"You never bow to me, Zyathyr. You should never have had to bow to anyone." She removed her hand as he straightened. The warm smile remained. "Now come. It is time for your training to commence."

He nodded once and they walked out a door that only the two of them and Aqifer were capable of seeing. Flare knew Aqifer would call her if anything was needed. For a wind demon, she was very reliable.

*~*~*~*

After a while, they returned to make themselves a meal. Aqifer was upset because they had taken so long, but other than that, everything was fine. The Dragon, whose name had never been revealed, had remained within Zyathyr, their souls slowly merging. All day, Zyathyr's eyes had slowly changed from sky blue to sun-fire red. They now matched his hair, more or less, except for the occasional purple tint.

Zyathyr looked at Aqifer, who merely smiled. She appeared to be thinking about something. He managed to smile back before an inner voice he'd never heard before told him to let her be and focus on his food. 'Honestly! After a thousand years, the LEAST you could do is feed me.'

Zyathyr jumped slightly, and then realized that the dragon was speaking to him. He then blinked, curious about how to speak back without thinking aloud.

'Just think your response. I'll hear you.'

'All right... I'm not exactly used to this... what's your name?'

'Zyathyr.'

'But that's *my* name...'

'You are the vessel for my soul. I have worked for years to find you. It matters not what my name is. All that matters is that you support me. I will lend you abilities as required.'

Zyathyr blinked. 'All right...' He was a bit skeptical, but willing to try and work with the Dragon residing within himself. So far, it hadn't been so bad, but now he wasn't so sure.

"...thyr, you okay?" The question broke his chain of thought. "Huh?" He looked up, his eyes focusing on them now. He had not realized that he had zoned out. The Dragon's voice had utterly captivated him.

"Zyathyr... are you sure you're all right? I didn't push you too hard in training, did I?" Flare's voice rang heavy with concern. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes intensely focused on Zyathyr's face. He had zoned off, unresponsive to anything, with his eyes wide open.

"I'm fine, I think." He sounded awestruck and a bit confused. His head had begun to ache and there were flashes of light before his eyes, light lightning bolts striking electrical wires.

"I'm fine... just tired." He blinked once, and stretched. Both Aqifer and Flare were staring at him. He looked at them, a bit confused, the lights still flashing. he blinked and attempted to dispel them, but they would not leave. He shook his head slightly, and they intensified. He groaned softly, and gripped his head with both hands. He squeezed his eyes shut, and the flashes became brighter. Then a flash brighter than the rest as his eyes snapped open, and his world went black.

*~*~*~*

Flare watched as his eyes came open, and were unfocused. She grew concerned when he did not respond as her hand went over his eyes. He did look toward her, as if sensing movement. His eyes were now a solid sun-fire to match his hair. He blinked once, but the eyes remained as they were.

"Zyathyr... are you okay?" Flare's voice was loud and soft all at once. Zyathyr looked toward her voice, though he couldn't see her. He blinked at her before responding.

"I... I can't see." He was compelled to tell the truth. He had intended to say he was fine, but the words would not come out. He swallowed hard, and frowned. He could feel himself frown. He also sensed that Flare was frowning as well; Aqifer too. He frowned some more, causing Flare's frown to grow. Aqifer, having lost interest in him for now, was thinking about something else. He could somehow tell all of this.

"You can't see?" Flare's voice carried a note of concern. He could feel it on the air, as if it were tangible. He forced a grin so that she would not worry so much.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's your fault. Though I can't be sure... you did push me hard." He forced his tone to lighten, suddenly more attuned to the feelings of others.

"Oh, sure, blame me!" Flare took the hint. "Just because you have no one else to turn to, it's my fault, is it?"

He grinned. "But of course! Don't you know? That's how it works. The student always blames the teacher." He could feel that she was grinning as well. He looked around and found he was still capable of viewing magic. But there was something else intertwined with it. He blinked a couple times, but the otherness remained. His grin slowly faded, and he could not stop the question that spilled out.

"What's that?"
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(1)This name is pronounced Ah-key-FIR

(2)This name is pronounced Zee-a-thur

(3)This name is pronounced Flah-ray

WHEW! That was tiring! There you go! Chapter two! Have fun. Read multiple times, digest.

Antaris: Thank you for being candid! I have found another monitor! And you aren't supposed to determine anything from the prologue. This story doesn't have pairings because ... Well, it's not really a romantic story. I intend to add warnings, since quite a bit of it is turning out differently than I thought. Thank you for the suggestions.

Much love to those who have read,

More love and cookies to those who review.

PS: If you want to know about updates, leave me your email.

~Sage-Chan