Elegy: Lost Shadow

   "Calida!.....Calida!.....Calida!" he shouted as he got back to his feet again. He ran to the outside after side-stepping the corpse whose face he couldn't even see. As soon as he made it outside, he looked to the sky only to see the flames revolving around the house. "Calida!" The flames begun gaining form as they were flying around the house. They transformed into an eagle. A Polemaetus bellicosus or martial eagle. Its feathers had patches of blue as well as red. Most of the feathers on its back were red with those on its underbelly as well as tip being shaded in blue.

       It flapped its wings as the air around scattered its heat. As he was looking on, it flew towards the sky regardless of its massive size. It averaged to about 98m in length with a wingspan of about 265m. "Come back!" he shouted before he recalled what just happened. He recalled her being consumed by flames.

      He quickly turned around before firing a water bullet from the water that condensed around his fingertips. Mr. Vito easily smacked the water away. He was busy looking at the sky, watching the eagle as it took off. "Oh…it's just you Mr. Vito. I am sorry but Calida…I mean Calida is…" He was on his knees as he was crying before he was interrupted.

     "You can stop right there. She will be fine. She was consumed by flames right, then you have nothing to worry about. Just wipe your tears. On that note, I am your uncle so just call me uncle." I guess the parents knew their own children well. One will be the flame and the other will be the water.

     "I am sorry but I can't do that. It feels more natural this way," Kano replied as he wiped his tears. He then got back to his feet as he walked back into the house. He went back to look at the corpse that was lying on the ground. It was the body of a woman but her face was still covered by a black fog.

      "Mr. Vito, who is this? When I look at her, I don't know why but my heart aches and I feel like crying. I feel so suffocated."

     Mr. Vito stared at the woman. Her once shimmering aquamarine eyes robed of all life. Her black hair was tainted as it blended in with her own blood. Her hand was spread out as though she was reaching for something. Someone. Her hand was pointing towards another pool of blood. He quickly glanced at Kano and realized that he was drenched in blood. So that was where he was. He knelt down and closed her eyes. I wish you allowed me to interfere.

      "That's only natural," She was your mother after all. Your memories have all disappeared with only a few names remaining and the titles they carried. But for those names you can't even remember, you can't see their faces. Not even a single glance.

      He grabbed a shovel and placed it on his back. He then picked her up as he walked out of the house. "Let's go, Asim!" They walked deeper into Redstar Forest before he asked, "Calida…are you sure she will be fine?"

     "She told you that she would come back, right?"

"She did."

"Then she will." The silence continued as they walked through the forest. From a distance, the sound of water could be heard. When they emerged from the trees, there was a stream there. The water was clear as a lot of fish could be seen swimming.

     You told me that you came fishing with your whole family here on all of your birthdays since they were both born. Then here is where you will lie. He placed her on the ground as he began digging. A ditch that would later become her resting place. As soon as he had finished, he placed her inside. He then begun adding soil, completely covering her.

Goodbye….Sister.

     He told Kano to head back to the house as he had to do a quick sweep of the perimeter. He went around the forest in search of Kano's father's body. Even though I have been searching for over thirteen hours now, I still can't find him. Did his body turn to flame when he died? It is possible, after all, the power he possessed wasn't measured by human standards.

      Seeing that it was the dead of night, he headed back to the house hidden deep in the forest. The place where they used to live. As he was running back, he ran past the place where he had buried Kano's mother earlier. As he was running, he saw a snake falling from a branch of a tree. He dodged it before he noticed that it was dropping blood. He looked up at the trees only to notice red glowing eyes. The eyes of the birds that had become bystier.

      Speaking entirely from the viewpoint of wildlife biologists, Redstar Forest appeared to be divide into two regions. The northern region and the southern region. Due to its heavy predatory bird populous, the southern region had the lowest number of snakes. This could also be credited to other factors but this seems to be the main factor as the northern region has a higher number of snakes on account of their low predatory bird population. The region division is only based on the bird and snake populations.

      As he was running, he sensed the presence of water magic. Who would be foolish enough to be here at this time? He quickly turned heading to where he thought the source of the magic was. As he looked beyond the trunks of the trees, he saw Kano who was seated on some of the roots. His clothes were torn up and he had several cuts all over his body as he was bathed in moonlight. The full moon making its presence felt.

     On the ground were dead birds. He was seated, cuddled against a tree. Mr. Vito let out a sigh as he walked towards him. "Why didn't you return to the house like I told you?"

     "I…I couldn't remember the way back," he replied as he stared at him. His eyes had a blue glow to them.

     "That was my mistake. I shouldn't have expected you to make it back home by yourself seeing that you are only six years old." He wouldn't have been able to make it even with most of his memories still intact. "Anyway, it's time for us…" As he was speaking, Kano fell unconscious.

     Meanwhile;

Anemone run into the wall of trees for cover while the lion could only fire arrows of flames from its mane. Her blades we're keeping it busy as they repeatedly swarmed it. Inflicting cuts throughout its flame-coated body. She took cover behind the wall of roots. As she sat there, two of blades quickly found their way towards her. Before things worsen, I need to stop the bleeding.

      She pulled off the sleeve cutting it at the shoulder with the help of two of her blades. She took off her shirt as she got ready to treat her wound.

     The bystier roared as it tried to shake off the blades that were constantly trying to strike it. While trying to shake them off, it stepped into the hot spring. No sooner had it done that than it quickly jumped out. The flames that were covering its paws were completely extinguished. The hot spring water was infused with magic.

      The formation of the hot spring was a result of the flaming belt under the Redstar forest. The belt was what was responsible for Redstar's identification as a divine spot. As soon as she was done treating her wound, she put her shirt back on before jumping up on top of the coiling of roots. She felt a strong migraine as she clutched her head. I have never had to use my Remnant Chaos for this long in a single day. I am almost at the limit of using it.

       She sensed magic heading her way when she leaped forward, landing on the ground. My left shoulder is already injured. I am probably not going to try using it. I need to buy myself some much needed recovery time. She exhaled as she stared at the beast. She begun running towards it when she saw a volley of flaming arrows heading her way. Temporal overdrive, she thought as she ran towards it.

       She moved left, then right, back to her left again before jumping. She avoided the arrows. As she was falling, she saw more heading her way, it simply adjusted its aim. She aimed her right hand to the sky and released a gust of wind which forced her back to the ground. No sooner had she landed than she stumbled before continuing with her run. She was getting closer and closer to the bystier.

      When she got close to it, she looked up only to see flames gathered at its maw. It then released the flames in form of an arrow. Her eyes widen as she saw the arrow descending. Upon impact, a dust cloud was blown up which covered the whole area.

     Above the dust cloud, she was descending as she was hyperventilating. Three blades gathered and begun rotating around her right arm. At her left, a gale was forming. She aimed her right hand down as she released a gust of wind from her feet propelling her downwards.

      Thanks to the fact that you are like a living and breathing furnace, the ground here dried up. The fact that it rained earlier doesn't even matter. You helped me blow up a nice dust cloud to cover up my tracks at least for the instant I needed to project my non-physical magic. My magic is overflowing right now so you might notice it.

      The bystier roared as it looked up. The flames that had gathered at the tip of its tail were then released in form of an arrow. It projected it at her at close range. I sensed that magic earlier so that won't work.

      The blades that were revolving around her right arm began revolving around it much faster as they moved towards her wrist. Now, Prime Visualization: Distortion. When the arrow was about to make contact with her palm, it begun changing to wind. Not a total inversion but only a partial transformation. The flames will become wind. The blades that were revolving around her wrist released gusts of wind directing the newly formed wind downwards and forcing the dust cloud to scatter.

       That arrow came from your tail so that was the attacking part. I don't know if your whole body can't solidify aura when you attack but that shouldn't matter. The flames from its mane turned to aura as it began solidifying above it. She pulled back her right hand and put forward her left one.

     Your solidified aura is a construct of physical magic. That is how I know it won't matter. Your defense exists on the physical plain while my attack exists on the imaginary one. Both our spirits exist on the imaginary one so my attack will still deal damage.

    "Wind Art: Rampaging blades; " A flew towards her left hand. Her hand made contact with the solidified aura when she exclaimed, "Spirit Zephyr!" A gale was produced from her hand and phased right through the aura. "Our arts just don't exist on the same plain." The gale hit the bystier when the flames from its mane were extinguished. It stumbled before it fell to the ground.

     She too, fell to the ground. Her left hand was twitching when she thought, It worked!  She was grinding her teeth trying to prevent herself from screaming. There was a lot of pain in her left arm. The flow was still too aggressive. But at least I can rest a while now.

      Thunder roared as she noticed that clouds were gathering in the sky. "It looks like Walter is almost done with his preparations too." She got back to her feet as she continued hyperventilating. The four blades that were around her arms reverted to bracelet pieces before joining the bracelet that was forming around her left wrist. It looks like they are also out of magic.

    Meanwhile;

Kano woke up only to find that the house was empty. He was all alone. He felt a strong headache. He could hear noise outside when he descended to go and check it out. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Mr. Vito who was busy chopping fire wood.

     "It looks like you are finally awake. At noon no less." He wiped his sweat on his shirt before he continued. "Its good that you are well rested. In fact, spend the remainder of this week resting. Next week, I am going to personally train you. So hurry and rest."

      I know that it has only been a day since your parents died but I can't let you lead a life of peace. You live in a forest so you should learn to defend yourself. I can't just take you away from here because it is your family home. On the other hand, I can't just stay here because I have a son to go and raise and the village of Ganase to protect.

      I didn't bring attention to you by not having a funeral for your parents but that was all I could do. So for only three more days, rest.