AN OLD FRIEND
I was suddenly sitting;
Grass tickling my skin as my fingers were brushing the light yellow wildflowers,sprouting out in between the green weeds.
The sky was painted in a light blue color,permuting in a gentle pink as the sun was gradually going down,covering itself behind some orange clouds.
“It's soothing,isn't it?”,a soft voice pulled me away from the beautiful scenery,and so I turned to see a man sitting next to me. “I can understand why you always choose this place Persephone” ,he said in a soft smile.
He must have been tall;
Some curls were falling on his forehead,and as he smiled there were faint wrinkled all around his small eyes. He wore a different attire,one I had seen before yet it felt much unfamiliar.
The one suited for a Pyreph Prince,one who had not lived in this world for many,many years.
A dark red tunic,covered by a black,silk cloak. He was muscular,but not too much.
His blades were stuffed on his brown,leather cummerbund; just like mine,two scimitars.
“Kalios”,i exhaled and he smiled once more. “We- we don't have much time”,i said nervously as I grabbed his arm.
“I know”,he exclaimed and I was now a little more at ease.
“Do you remember what we spoke of,the last time I found you at the verge of death?”,he asked and I lowered my gaze.
“Faintly..”,i admitted,holding some shame in my words.
“I said..it is not yet your time to join us,Princess”,he turned at me and our eyes locked; I was holding my breath. “You wish to find some ease in my words”
“I..yes”
“The woman..the one whom frightens you..she had made you distrust yourself Persephone”,he said and I clenched my jaw.
“I...i believe one can exist without the assistance of the mind,Kalios. My people have believed so for many aeons. It is our souls who grant us the power to fight”
“You can not separate the mind from the soul Persephone. To do show would be an act of madness”,he warned me and I couldn't help but feel like an idiot.
“But-”,he said and I lifted my head,some glimpse of hope in my eyes. “You can,for a certain amount of time,choose to solely rely on your soul,momentarily closing off the eye of your mind”
“But..how?”
Kalios let out a faint chuckle and he fell behind,now lying on his back as his eyes were fixed on the vast,colorful sky. I fell right next to him,my neck bent as I didn't want to miss a single thing he said.
“The elder sisters told you so as well,Persephone”,he then said and I flinched. “Trust the fire”
He now turned his head to see me,his eyes burning mine.
“You are still afraid of the flames”,he huffed and I remained silent;
A clench on my chest made me unable to speak. He was...right. I still couldn't trust my fire. I was afraid of them,afraid of their nature.
“You hold the potential to surpass me”,he said and my brows furrowed,as to amplify my surprise.
“I..do?”,my head was tilted.
I had read of Kalios,the Prince Pyreph; many scripts had described him as an awfully powerful man. One who held the power to lead the entire clan to victory,many times in the past.
“But potentials are only realized once the person in question acts upon them”,he continued,dismissing my question. “They are nothing more but faint branches,engraved on your destiny. If you decide to ignore their path,you shall never discover what lies on their end”
Kalios pulled a flower from it's root,holding it on his grip. He brought it close to his nose,as if to smell it.
“You are so afraid of getting burned..”,he spelled it out,his words floating outside his mouth, “..that you end up burning yourself on the inside”
“I...Kalios,i did burn myself”,i showed him my burned palm and my neck. For a moment he remained silent.
“Your fire only attacks those whom you recognize as enemies Persephone. You only see it as a mean. But the fire...”,he smiled, “..It is you. It comes from deep inside your soul, youare the fire”
“I...i don't get it..”,i admitted in a low whisper.
“It is not something to get; it is something to feel. You can chose whom to burn Persephone. So,let it all out”,he then said,his eyes fixed on mine.
“Cease your fear,let the fires burn in you. And,if you truly allow yourself to see them as they are..you will not burn anyone but those you mean to”
“Your fate reeks of fire,my child. It's an uneasy one,chaos will try and take over your heart,it will try and crush it. Your destiny is not a pretty one,and so you will cry. Yet you shall find ease in the flames surrounding you,if only you are wise enough to see them as they are”
So it all comes down to this,huh?
Everything lies on the fires- it is all about this goddamned destiny they all speak of.
Fine-
Have it your way. Let's see how it ends.
“I will be there too Persephone”,he exclaimed and I turned to him surprised. “As always,i will be there to assist you,along your every step. You just need to open up your eyes,and you will see my voice guiding you”
“See your voice you say?”,i asked confused.
“Our people have always existed in between two worlds- the one of the things one can see,and the one of the things one can only feel,yet is always there. You can only see both once you truly accept yourself”,he explained in a calm voice.
“Can I...truly trust you?”,i asked hesitantly. Kalios smiled.
“Persephone..”,he huffed, “ I am not the one you should worry about trusting- your trust on me is certain,i've felt that ever since you first saw me on your anagenesis. I am only one of your three guides; although the fires are intertwined with your soul,it does come in your will,what you will choose as a master element”,he took a small pause,seeing how I was deeply surprised and confused.
“What I mean is,Persephone, you are the one whom felt most close to the fires; you felt a warmth surrounding you,and so you are the one who chose fire as your master element”
“I...I did? Is that how it works?”,i asked baffled.
“Yes. It all resides on one's soul. Had you felt despised by them,you could have been a Gean,or a Seetheerist. But no,you chose to be a Pyreph”
Kalios then stood up,slowly as my eyes followed his each movement. He wiped his knees of some dirt,and spread out a hand,waiting for me to hold it and stand up beside him.
And so I did.
I took his hand and he didn't let go as he spoke again,his eyes fixed on the far off horizon,the one to separate two worlds- the one of the sky,and the one in which we walked.
“Each time you are close to death,you could have seen Ophelianta,or the child,Mariol. But you felt more at ease with me. Whenever you act upon an element,it is your guide whom allows you to harness their power. You must allow me to show you what you can truly do,Persephone. Cease your fear,trust the fire”
He said that in a soft voice,his lips curved upwards in a half smile ad his brown eyes glowed red.
I could feel a wave of warmth coming from his body straight to mine,his hand serving as a conductor of some sort.
The scenery then began to deform,every tree and flower slowly dematerilized to dust.
I felt my chest heavy,as if someone was gradually putting pressure on me.
A wave of adrenaline as I took a few steps back,trying to keep my eyes opened.
“That's your cue I guess”,he said to me from afar. “Your friends are calling to you. Don't worry,i am always there,whether you can see me or not”
His voice was gradually becoming fainter as the world we were in was dissolving.
In a loud gasp I opened my eyes,the light blue ceiling serving as a background for Tony and Steve's heads,standing above me with concerned,worried faces as I was breathing heavily,trying to catch every huff of air.
There was a needle stuck on my chest; I was trembling,water dripping down my skin,all over the floor as I was laid down. I got the needle out of me,still gasping for air and Steve got it for me,putting an arm around me to help me get up.
“I can't believe this actually worked”,Natasha said in a low voice,more like a whisper.
“Did it though?”,Barton asked.
“It...it did”,i huffed out and got up with Steve's assistance,his hands carefully around me.
“So,what are we doing here kid?”
“We attack”,i told with a smirk and Tony did the same.