((Done in collaboration with Doc.))
"Huh, what, what?" The jewel attached itself to Fyrebrand, which startled Lynden as it was so unexpected. He eyed it closely, seeing the female figure on it. He had heard of elementals before, but he didn't connect the two at the moment.
"Why can't you just give me a straight answer?" He said to the jewel not expecting an answer.
What are you talking about? Answer what questions straight?
A woman's voice said, creeping into his mind. Lynden yelped and threw the dagger to the grass.
Well that's just rude.
Lynden looked over to the boy who was laying unconscious He was alive, thankfully, but definitely not in any shape to be speaking in a woman's voice. So Lynden made the assumption that the magical blade, Fyrebrand, and the jewel that was connected were the ones communicating. He walked over to where he threw the dagger and picked it up, looking at the jewel closely.
"Are you some Goddess that I've failed to learn the name of? What are you exactly?"
I told you my name. It's Valia. I am a fire elemental, cursed this miserable plain of existence.
"Oh. Well... damn." Was about all Lynden could say in response. He had heard of elementals in stories and legends, but he dismissed them as myths. It was a bit funny to be proven wrong.
"Who is the kid? And why was there a man burnt to a crisp?" He stuck the dagger in the ground, pommel up so the jewel was unobstructed. After, he started to inspect the map and chart his position relative to the map.
I killed him. He was weak. And annoying. and that needy brat of his... I almost wished he would have died in the fire.
She was so frank that he winced. "And that gave you right to kill him? Harsh. Well, let's try to avoid that, shall we?"
Prove yourself useful and it might be avoided.
"Useful?"
Excite me. This plane of existence is so boring. I've been trapped in this gem, lying on the floor of some dark dreary cave for far too long, only to be found by this boring traveling peddler and his brat of a kid.
"Excite you? How I see it, your the one stuck in a gem. If you got out of line, couldn't I just break it? I think a good rock will do."
She actually laughed at his remarks without a hint of humor. More of a snide piercing mocking.
If that was the case, I might actually have you attempt it in order to free me of this prison.
"Oh. Right. Wouldn't want that. I suppose I could just bury you. Or throw you down a well. Or off the port side of a ship. You thought a cave was boring, right? I wonder how exciting a well could be."
Oh HA HA, very funny.
Lynden smiled and took a few more moments to chart his location. Once he was positive where he was relative to the sun and local moss, he picked up the dagger, and pointed the jewel to the map.
"What's this X?"
You know you dont have to point me to what you want me to see right? I can see through you.
"Through my eyes?"
No, through the goodness of your heart, YES YOUR EYES you dolt!
"Scary. No real privacy there then. Well, whatever, what is a fire ghost going to do from a dagger anyways. What's the X about?"
She audibly sighed.
You really don't know anything about this do you? You have to have the intention of me seeing in order for me to see. Same as if you wish to summon me. You have to hold Fyrebrand and have the intent to summon me.
"Ohhh... Alright. I guess... I'm new to this whole... magical weapon deal. Here... Can you see it?" Lynden said, straining his eyes and hoping she could see the X.
Yes, I can see it. And I also knew what it was since I had the man the man place it. You likely wouldn't care with your little enfeeble mind, but it's the location of my sister.
"Your sister? Another elemental bound to a dagger?"
No...well, she is another elemental... but she is not bound to some weapon... I'm not bound to some weapon! This weapon is mine! It is a part of me! Why do you even care? Oh, let me guess, you want to bring me to her out of the goodness of your heart? I don't need your pity!
"Right, whatever. It's important to you right? Someone died over this ordeal at least, and I don't want that death to be in vain."
You realize I killed him right? There's no in vain. I was just tired of him.
"And the goal was to come here right? So inadvertently he died for this cause."
Okay. Whatever makes you feel better about the situation.
"So what am I to expect at this X?"
I don't know. I just know that's where she is. I can sense her.
"There's something funny about a vague fire ghost that I'm failing to catch. In any case, we'll stop there before I finish this mission."
First off, I'm not a fire ghost, and second, what mission?
"I'm on my final trail to become a knight of Lumina, I have to travel back to my mentors through the woods. A test of my survivability." He said, gathering everything back into the pack, save for a long cloth that he twisted tightly into a rope, which he fashioned the dagger to it. Once he was sure the dagger wouldn't fall with his movements.
Wait, so you're saying that you're not much better than that traveling peddler?
"I know how to wield a dagger. Is that a start? Honestly I don't care if you think of me more or less than a peddler, but I can't imagine many people would put up with a sassy fire element." He said, slightly offended.
Yes yes, whatever. You're just lucky I expended all my strength killing the last man, else you would have the same fate.
"Now now, I thought we were becoming friends. It's not often you meet a fire elemental dagger woman. If you start thinking about killing me in fire, I start thinking of throwing you in wells."
Why would you throw me down a well when you could get a pretty good amount of coin. Peddler.
"Well we all know how you feel about peddlers. And that's an option too, but if you become too much for even me to handle, then it's likely you shouldn't be in the wrong hands anyways."
No matter whose hands I am in, it's the right hands. I'll make them the right hands at the least. Either burning them or using them to burn.
"Yeah yeah, it's mighty exhausting conversing with you. Do you want to see your sister or not?"
She remained silent at that. Lynden smirked and picked up the child who was resting. He fastened the pack on the child's back, and put the child on his back. Carrying him like he had carried his brother many times before. One arm wrapped around his leg, and he leaned forward so his weight was on his back. He was thinner than his brother by a bit, but the extra weight was going to suck.
So, Lynden left to go to the X, following the map closely. He knew it was delaying him, but he wasn't willing to just leave. As messed up as Valia was, she was in need of help. And truth be told, he saw Valia more as a victim to circumstance more than anything. Perhaps that would be a mistake later, but Lynden was one to go with his gut.