Mile High Club [Travel| Reim→Kou]

I wonder how long this will take… Ayero sat cross-legged on her carpet, chin in the palm of her hand as she soared above the clouds. Initially she was taken with gorgeous view, but after a few hours of nothing but blue and clouds she was beginning to get bored. It didn’t help that this would be her view for weeks to come as she heads towards Kou.

Kou. Just the thought of the eastern country was enough to make her squirm with nerves. She had conflicted thoughts about going there, but kept telling herself to try and make the best of the situation. Who knows, perhaps things wouldn’t turn out as bad as she thought they would be.

Kabu nudged Ayero’s elbow with his face, looking up at the woman with concerned eyes. The snake knew Ayero well enough to know that something with troubling her. Tomato, on the other hand, sat in Ayero’s lap and was blissfully unaware of her mistresses’ inner conflict.

”It won’t be that bad. We’ll be fine. I hope the food is good…” Ayero muttered to Kabu to reassure him, but it was more of an attempt to reassure herself.

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Azix sat at the front of his magic carpet with his legs dangling over the edge, watching the ocean grow closer in the horizon. As he watched the last bits of land pass beneath him, he spared a glance back towards Reim, wondering if he was making the right decision. With only a few scribbled notes, Azix was leaving Reim behind him with only a few sacks of clothes and his gear. Without Ariella or work to distract him, he felt lost and without a purpose in life. Azix hoped that his journey to Kou would inspire him or at the very least, give him something to occupy his time.

With a sigh, Azix stretched out on his carpet and watched the clouds pass overhead. There was no point watching the rippling waves below, he would see enough of that for the next few weeks. In between two clouds, Azix caught sight of a shadow traveling above him and tensed up. He was instantly reminded of the two assassination attempts and he grabbed his wand as he sat up. He held it at the ready while the carpet ascended higher up in the clouds to catch up with the shadow.

Whoever it was, they were traveling at the same speed so Azix was only able to trail behind them. With a flick of his wand, Azix murmured to the Rukh to get a closer look. Using light magic, Azix created two lens which formed over his eyes. By manipulating the curvature of the lenses, the magician was able to 'zoom' in and get a closer look. Azix was able to determine that the person in front of him had long flowing red hair and was also traveling by flying carpet. Squinting his eyes to see clearer, Azix almost swore that they weren't alone, but accompanied by a snake.

Red hair. A snake. Azix only knew one person who fit that bill, Ayero. It was highly unlikely that she would be traveling out this, at least the orange magician thought so. Still, he couldn't help but call out at the top of his lungs. "AYERO!!!!!!"

Azix waited to see if the figure on the other carpet reacted. Assuming they slowed down, he would use that opportunity to get closer and see if he was correct. If he was, Azix would slide his carpet along hers while shaking his head with a faint smile. "I didn't expect to see you out here." If the figure continued on, ignoring his shout, Azix would keep following them, hoping to get a better look at them.

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Spoiler:

The absolute last thing Ayero expected while traveling alone, above the clouds was to hear someone shouting her name. The Fanalis woman had been peering below the carpet when it happened, leaning over to get a better look at the clouds. Unfortunately this wasn’t the best position to be caught in while being startled, and as such Ayero’s body involuntarily jumped. This caused the woman to lose her balance and fall off of the carpet.

Luckily, the woman was able to grasp a handful of fabric before tumbling to her doom, and after a few tense moments of Holy shit I’m alive she was able to pull herself back up onto the carpet. She whipped around after steadying herself, drawing her sword and looking around frantically for the source of the noise. She knew few others who could travel this way, be it by beast or carpet. Spotting a figure in the distance on another carpet, Ayero began to feed magoi into her blade. But as the figure drew closer, Ayero slowed the carpet down out of curiosity. That’s…Azix?!

Relieved and partially embarrassed, the woman sheathed her blade and flopped down onto the carpet. When Azix pulled up alongside her, she raised her head and gave the magician a tired, half-hearted glare. Rolling over, Ayero groaned. ”Yeah, and I didn’t expect for you to see me like that. What brings you up here?”

---

During a lull in conversation, Ayero decided to take advantage of the silence to ask Azix something that had been on her mind ever since she discovered the fate of her family. Before going to her home village, she had heard reports of a freak blizzard over the mountains. Reports from an investigation of the Fanalis Corps revealed the blizzard to be magical in nature. Given Kou’s presence in the country at the time and Azix’s magical knowledge, Ayero decided to pick his brain.

”Say Azix, would you happen to know anything about the strange blizzard that hit the mountains around the time of the invasion?” Her tone was curious, but not accusatory.

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Seeing Ayero fall from her carpet, Azix willed his carpet to descend in hopes of catching her on the way down. However, the Fanalis' quick reflexes stopped her fall and Azix exhaled a breath of relief to see her clambor up the floating piece of fabric. As she glared at him, the magician wondered if Ayero had learned of Ariella's death. A shudder of longing ran through him from the bitter reminder and he looked away. He was silent for a few moments before he answered, his tone soft.

"I'm returning...home..." The concept of Kou as his home was odd. It had been quite a few years since Azix had been able to say that and even then, he would have compared the eastern country to a prison. "Perhaps there I can find the answers..."

Azix shook his head, scattering the painful thoughts to the far reaches of his mind. Inhaling throuh his nostrils, he fixed the cracks in his social mask and turned back to Ayero with a smile on his face. "Anyway, what about you?"

---

Ayero's question caught the magician off-guard and he furrowed his brows. It was a pointed question with implications that she knew one of Azix's secrets. If she knew that Azix was involved in the invasion, then he imagined that she would have learned it from Octavius. Yet, he didn't get the vibe that she knew. He believed that Ayero would have voiced her unhappiness with his participation in the takeover of her country.

Cautious, Azix nodded and rubbed his chin. "Yes...I am aware of a blizzard during that time period. Why do you ask?"

[600+/600]

Ayero furrowed her brow slightly, noting how the orange magician didn’t seem like himself. Not that she expected him to be, not after the loss of his love. She nodded silently, not wanting to prod him and didn’t ask further.

”I’m on my way to Kou as well. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Emperor requested a military exchange program with Reim. Octavius asked me, and well…here I am.”

---

Ayero watched Azix carefully for his reaction to her question. Her eyes lit up when he affirmed that he did know of the situation, but she fell into silence when he asked why. She stared over the magician’s shoulder for a few moments, eyes hazing over as she recalled her reasons. With a breathy sigh, the Fanalis woman crossed her legs and fixed Azix with a sobering stare.

”Forgive me if this doesn’t come out right, but I…haven’t talked about this with anyone else. To put it shortly, I went to visit my family in the mountains on the eve of the invasion. A few days before I arrived, a freak snowstorm came through the area. Having lived in those parts as a child, cold weather was not unusual…while not unheard of, blizzards of such intensity are abnormal for that time of year. Anyway…” Ayero paused to take in a long breath, preparing her for the more difficult part of her explanation.

”When I got to my family’s home, everything was…gone. The village was burnt, the people slaughtered. I tracked down those responsible and punished them. They used the cover of the storm to sneak into the village...I still don’t understand why…” Ayero unclenched her fists, not realizing that her nails were digging into her skin as she told her story. ”I didn’t give much thought to the snowstorm until I learned that it was investigated. Supposedly it was the work of magic. I know that you are well versed in magic, so I figured that you’d be the one to ask. That and…your affiliation.” Ayero struggled to find the right word to describe Azix’s allegiance. Though she came to trust the light mage, people had their pasts.

She gave Azix a pointed look, containing the simmering rage at the thoughts of her slaughtered family. She was expecting a response from the magician.

[600+/600]

The military exchange program was news to Azix and he arched a brow. Perhaps if he hadn't gone off-the-grid for the past month, the magician would have learned of the program through diplomatic channels. Azix had to wonder what other things he had missed during his period of mourning. At the very least, he would have company on the way to Kou. "Well, since we are both going to the same place. Do you mind if I travel with you? I think I could use the company of a good friend."

---

Azix listened intently to Ayero's story, surprised to hear her opening up. For as long as he had known the Fanalis, Azix had never heard her talk about her past. A frown formed on his face when he learned that her family had been killed during the blizzard. 'Was Zhi involved with that?" The magician remembered that the bastard son of the former Emperor had needed many bodies to power the transfer circle, so it was possible.

When Ayero finished, Azix let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He noticed the strong emotions dancing in the Fanalis' eyes as she waited for him to respond. "I'm sorry to hear about your family. I know the pain of losing those close to you..." His gaze drifted off to the horizon for a moment before he caught himself zoning out. Shaking his head, Azix looked Ayero in the eye. "I think I have the answers you need, but it would take too long to explain."

Azix held out his arm and pulled back the sleeve, exposing the skin. "Do you mind cutting my arm with your sword? Just enough to make it bleed." With his other hand, Azix retrieved his wand and took a deep breath. He waited for her to draw blood before calling to the Rukh to unlock Visions of the Past.

Almost immediately, the environment around them faded away revealing a different scene entirely. Azix, Garret and Rin were stuck in a hidden prison deep in the mountains while they waited for a raging blizzard to pass. Time passed by and they were standing outside the prison surrounded by Kou soldiers led by Zhi. There were too many soldiers for Azix and Garret to do anything, so they were forced to go along with Zhi's crazy invasion plan. After Zhi explained his plan, Azix asked about the magical tool that the bastard wielded. Zhi informed the magician that it was used to control the weather, causing the blizzard that had kept them confined to the prison for a week.

Azix continued playing out the scene, showing how they were transported into Remano as the Brotherhood of Ash caused chaos out on the streets. Ayero would be able to continue to watch, seeing exactly how the events of the invasion played out. She would see how Zhi and the Contractor led Azix, Garret, and Rin to the palace to assassinate the Reim Emperor. The Fanalis would also learn the truth of how Lagi ascended onto the throne. Azix betrayed Zhi's trust at the last second, not wanting the bastard to take over Reim, fearing what Kou would do to the country. Instead, he worked a deal with Lagi which "saved" Reim from Kou's clutches.

Once Ayero saw how the Emperor and Zhi died, Azix released the spell. Their surroundings returned around them and Azix watched Ayero carefully. With one hand, the magician pulled out the Weather-Maker charm from under his shirt. "This is all that is left of the magic tool that Zhi carried. I took it as a souvenir to remind myself of that day."

He took a deep breath, wondering how Ayero felt about him now, knowing that he had a hand in the initial invasion. "So, now you know the truth..."

---

After some time had passed, Azix finally got the courage to tell Ayero about Ariella. Steeling himself from the flood of memories, Azix cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice came out in a hushed whisper. "I don't know if you've heard....but....Ariella died." Azix's voice cracked and he looked away as tears blurred his vision. "That's the real reason I'm heading to Kou. I don't know what to do anymore...What am I supposed to do?"

He slammed his fist against his thigh, as a flutter of black Rukh danced around him. "Fate is a cruel mistress, taking the love of my life..." Azix snarled, hating the emotions roiling throughout his body.

Out of the corner of his eye, Azix saw a giant, flying bird flying towards them. The creature had a hungry look in its eye. Not wanting to deal with a fight in the air, Azix twirled his wand in his hands and called to the Rukh. In order to confuse the bird, the magician thought of a new spell. One that would keep Ayero and him hidden from the bird's sight, while hiding their scents and the sound of their voice at the same time. Using light and sound magic, he combined it with the Amethyst of Laura to create an Ultimate Vanish around the carpets.

The bird's gaze flicked back and forth, wondering where it's prey had gone. After a few moments, the flying creature gave up and searched elsewhere.

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Spoiler:

Ayero nodded in response, all too glad to accept. ”Yeah, sure.” In truth she was relieved, happy to have someone familiar along for the long journey. Hopefully Azix could teach her a thing or two about Kou customs and culture during their trip.

---

Ayero quirked a brow but didn’t protest when Azix asked for her to make him bleed, too caught up in the reality that she would be getting some answers to what had been bothering her for a while. With swift, practiced movements, the Fanalis unsheathed her blade before bringing it parallel to Azix’s bare arm and making a light incision.

She jumped slightly while sheathing her sword, startled by the scene that suddenly appeared before them, but quickly reminded herself that it was simply the effects of the light mage’s spell. She watched the scene play out in front of her with wide eyes, nearly in disbelief at what had really transpired during the invasion.

As the spell faded away, Ayero remained motionless for a few moments as she tried to take everything in. Pieces of the invasion flashed in her mind, the blizzard, the throne room, that crazy man…her worst fears had been confirmed. Kou was responsible for the blizzard, and indirectly responsible for the slaughter of her family. At least, that was how she chose to see it.

Ayero’s eyes shifted to the remains of the magic tool and she reached out to touch it, brushing her fingers along its surface. This…this thing cause so much damage. It took a part of me that I will never get back. And he was there. Her gaze flickered up to Azix, Fanalis-grade rage roaring like a fire behind crimson irises as she fought the urge to shove him from the carpet.

But she blinked and turned away, casting her eyes over the edge of the carpet and watched the fluffy white clouds below them. She reminded herself that while she and Azix were friends, there was a lot she didn’t know about him. He’d always been friendly enough towards her, but now a bit of his past had been revealed. The Fanalis woman also had to remind herself that she had done some not so pure things in the past as well.

”Thank you.” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. ”It hurts to know the truth, but it hurt even more not knowing.”

---

After giving her emotions time to settle out, a pang of panic struck Ayero’s heart when Azix spoke of Ariella’s death. She looked startled, caught off guard as she assumed that Aziz had known that she had known about Ariella’s death.

She offered him a sympathetic look before looking away nervously. She had been too scared to seek out Azix once they returned from the Shrouded Isle, not wanting to confront the light magician and deliver news of the painful loss. It appeared as though Madam Trixie had the honor of doing the dirty work.

Figuring that she owed it to Azix for showing her the events surrounding the blizzard, Ayero exhaled slowly. ”I was…there. It all happened so fast, and I couldn’t defend her…” Ayero bit her lower lip and looked off into the distance, feelings of sadness and guilt welling up in her chest again. ”I’m so sorry…I miss her too, Azix.

[Exit]

Azix's jaw dropped when he learned that Ayero knew Ari had died. In an instant, Azix stood up and pointed his wand at the Fanalis. "You knew?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" He started to draw on his magoi, angry that she would hide such knowledge. Ayero had been there. She had let Ari die and didn't have the decency to tell him.

He managed to calm himself down before he hurt his friend, but it was a struggle. After a few deep breaths, Azix glared at Ayero. "Show me!" The magician waited as Ayero cut herself enough for a trickle of blood to dribble down her arm before casting Visions of the Past again. "Think of the Shrouded Isle." Like before, the surroundings faded around them to reveal the scene from Ayero's memory. Azix watched in horror as the Manticore struck Ariella down. As the scene vanished, the orange magician collapsed back onto the carpet and broke down in tears. For the rest of the journey, Azix would remain silent, not trusting himself to speak.

[exit]