The Last Fire Weilder

Two kinds of maps

Cheyanne looked at me expectantly, "Is there something you want?" Her arms were crossed over her chest in a rather threatening manner. 

Don't be afraid. Follow Phoenix's words, make a wall and only let it down when required. 

"Valkaias told me to find you, I'm looking to help and he told me to find you." I said, my stance unyielding to the faint scent of hostility within the smell of fresh cut grass. That must be her. 

"From the looks of the tattoo, you're the one everyone's been talking about." She looked me up and down mockingly. My shield didn't falter,

"I'm interested in offering help to cure the blight, not discuss rumors." Cold but necessary.

Cheyanne smirked and her disapproving aura lost just a bit of aggression, "So Lord Valkaias sent you here? This must be business then, spit it out- What do you want?"  

"Valkaias sent Sylphki out to find more people descended from Elements like me. He told me to find you and you would take me to her." She smiled this time and looked to the elderly man,

"It looks like another visit to Shane tomorrow." She told him. "I'm sure he won't be happy to house two people, if Sylphki is even still there." The man licked his too thin lips before smiling at her fondly,

"Well you give him my regards and tell the boy I ought to see him again soon." He rasped. "Be careful Cheyanne, the wilds are not a forgiving place."

"Yes Elder, I will have Tatamii with me."

"As you should. On the morrow two hours before sunrise, I will be there to see you off." The Elder said. Who is Tatamii?

"Until then, you can help us here for the beginning of your payment."

"What is it exactly that you offer here?"

"A question for a question, an answer for an answer." I sighed. 

She's not going to make this easy is she...

"What do you want to know?" I said in intentionally poorly hidden exasperation.

"What's your name, boy?" I scowled at the mockery; I would be an adult in two moons.

"Keegan Black." I responded flatly. 

"True to my word- We are the Court of Night's oldest family of Cartographers. We sell, collect, trade and even make maps." Cheyanne explained, gesturing to the map on the table which looked to be something of the world- Only it wasn't the one I previously knew. 

"This is Álfheimr, the world you now call home." She gestured to the whole map. It looked nothing like the continents human science named. "We are here." She poked the side of the map that was in the upper northwest portion of the flattened globe. The continents were rather large and set in many different colors, the brightest being white, orange, light green and a brighter yellow. All of the map was a faded coffee color. 

"That's the Court of Night's land. A bit above us is the Court of Winter, we are on their continent. Aways next to us on this continent," Cheyanne pointed to a piece of land to our right, "-is the Court of Summer which shares land with the Court of Spring and a bit of the Court of Autumn which reaches off to this continent." She gestured to a larger island with many smaller ones around it. "The Court of Day is nestled right here between the top of the Court of Spring's land and the middle of the Court of Summer's land." 

I studied the map, This is so strange, to think I have to memorize this and the fact that I have to travel all the way to who knows where...

"Where is Sylphki?" I asked her. She brushed her hair out of her face and pointed to a large plot of uncolored land above Spring and Summer bordering the ocean. "What is that place?" 

"That's unclaimed land. The exiled reside there, or in any unclaimed land, which there are slivers of here and there. Most are populated by outside tribes."

"How exactly are we going to get all the way over there?" The land was in the center of the map, no matter which way we went it would take the same amount of time. 

"Tatamii." She answered simply. I gave her a strange look, "You'll stay with us for today and we'll get going when the Elder suggested; two hours before sunrise." I nodded in finality. 

-Shane's View-

I sighed and rubbed my temples, 

I'm so tired of harboring stupid journey persons in my home. Don't get me wrong the pay is amazing, but it's very draining having to keep things down-low for people to do whatever it is they're here for. If it wasn't for Cheyanne and Elder, I wouldn't be doing this at all.

The sun was setting on the Purgadair and the Rejected were slithering about for scraps to turn in to Nathraichean which are essentially collectors who gave gold to those who brought them wares for their hoard, occasionally making bargains to those who need what they have. 

Power goes to those who have what others want. Unless you're me, I am Huntsman, one of the more feared rather than respected in Purgadair. 

My trade is being a paid mercenary, hired all throughout Álfheimr. I may be exiled but there are many that still call upon my services from all of the Courts. I am not known personally by anyone but family. Very few people know my birth-name, and those that do that aren't blood know better than to disrespect it. 

Almost all of the gold I make I give to those who need it in any Court I visit since the few that can pay for my services are nobles that want me to do their dirty work. 

Though I may be Rejected by the Elements, I still pray and give offerings to those I seek strength from. 

I am the only one that knows why I was exiled minus the Court of Winter, and to them, I was just another scoundrel despite what I had done was truly out of honor. 

Cheyanne came by two days ago to deliver Sylphki who is on a journey to seek out more of those like the 'Fire Wielder', as she had referred to him as. All throughout the Courts word of a spawn of Phoenix has spread quickly, gaining more disdain than favor among the people. I myself am not fond of the idea, but I can feel what's coming. Water is of clarity, 

And I can see it.