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When they got ouside, the biting wind sent immediate shivering into Reia.

"It's frigid. When did it decide to get so cold?" She rubbed her arms. Kayden tossed a blanket at her and continued on.

~Thanks.~ She slung the blanket around her and tried to catch up.

"Wait up, will you?" She called after him. He slowed, putting his hands on his hips.

"Now what?" He said. Reia knew it was a rhetorical question, but couldn't help but want to answer. She bit her lip, looking around at the bustling town.

"It wouldn't really help if I suggested asking for tips, would it?" She finally caught up, panting up a storm. That wound in her side burned like it was on fire. Kayden laughed a little.

"That's my line." He said, turning to smile at her. She shrugged.

"Let's back track. We'll go back to where you woke up." He began walking away from town, with Reia barely able to keep up the pace. His strides were so long, and she was hurt and weak.

~At least we're able to take a good amount of food with us.~ She thought, hustling along. When the pain became overwhelming, she stopped completely. Had she really been this far out from town? She didn't remember it taking this long.

"Kayden! Stop, I can't---" She didn't finish. She panted, trying not to fall over. He abruptly stopped and rushed over to her.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, catching her as she toppled over a little.

~If I was alright I wouldn't be bent over in extreme pain would I? I think I'll let you figure it out.~

"No, not really." She felt dizzy.

"Come on, we're almost there. You can rest when we get there. Do you need me to carry you?" Kayden uprighted her.

"I don't think..." She paused a moment, considering it. "No, I'll walk. It's fine." She limped along after Kayden, who was, graciously, walking slower. When they came to the open span of land where she woke up, there wasn't much to be seen. The bloody imprint of her body was still there. It looked like there had been some sort of struggle. Snow was disturbed and bloody in the opposite direction from whence she remembered moving.

"Whoa. You put up some sort of fight." Kayden commented, looking around. Fresh snow had fallen, but it was evident that some of it had melted...and not just around where her body was. It was like there had been fire...

"I must have." She replied, absently. Something smelled burned as well. She walked around the bloody snow and searched for the source of the smell. There were burned garments laying, half buried, but still fried, under a drift of snow. There had defenately been a fire.

"Kayden!" She called. He hurried over, "Look." She pointed to the garments.

"It's like someone set little fires to someone's clothes." He said. That caught her attention.

~He must not have been thinking about what he was saying.~

"Someone?" She asked. He nodded.

"I'm a Robur. It means strength in Latin. I am insanely strong. I'm not a master as far as the elements go, but this...this was defenantly the work of an Ignis." He said, thoughtfully.

"Ignis? Does that mean fire?" Reia ventured. Kayden nodded,

"You'd be an Ignotus. It means Unknown."

"Unknown." Reia repeated. "Can you use any natural elements?" She asked.

"Yeah, air. I'm a Robur and an Aeris." He looked proud. She smiled.

"Who do you think these clothes belonged to?" Reia changed the subject.

"Whoever it was had the worst luck. The Ignis probably burned him alive...they're so impulsive." He shuddered.

"You know some?" She folded her arms.

"Well, let's just say, I was born and raised with other "gifted" children." He looked uncomfortable with the subject, but that only sparked Reia's curiousity.

"How do you mean?" She asked. He paused a moment, thinking.

"I was born in this Organization type thing...I was trained how to use my powers along with other children with gifts. When the Puritans found us out, we were scattered all around the world. That's how I ended up here. I was only seven when it happened. I didn't know too many Ignis Kind. They're the rarest kind of Diverse there is." He took a moment to explain to Reia what a Diverse was. Basically they were the "gifted" ones. The Puritans called them witches and sorcerers, hell bent on the idea of them doing the devil's work with their magic. He shrugged the last part off.

"They don't really do the devil's work, do they?" She couldn't resist asking. Since he didn't deny it, she thought she had better clear the air.

"No," He looked mourned, "That's just something stupid the Puritans came up with. They're just jealous because they can't use magic. In the beginning of time, everyone used magic. Each individual able to weild a natural element along with whatever gift they happened to have been born with. There was a group that decided to rebel against the Reditus, (The heiarchy of the time) seeking to gain control of its power. They failed miserably, and as a punishment, their powers were taken away. Some nonsense rumor was then spread about the Diverse, and "normal people" or decendants of the Outcast <--(Puritans) sought to hunt every last Diverse and rid the world of them forever." Kayden shook his head. Reia had to admit, that was harsh. She wouldn't be happy if a crazy group of Puritans were after her, either.

"After that, only a select few are born Diverse. It's completely random...it has nothing to do with your parents or their family line. It just happens to be whoever the Magic favors." He walked away.

"I don't mean to upset you...I just--" She didn't finish. She had no excuse for her curiousity. She was only human.

"So, do you think one of the people who attacked me was an Ignis?" She changed the subject back to the burned clothing. Kayden came back over.

"Or maybe the Ignis was defending you." He suggested.

~Hadn't thought of that. But why would a Diverse want to protect me? I'm just an ordinary person...aren't I?~

She gasped. She felt like something had hit her. A painful throbbing began in her head and she dropped to her knees. A memory shot into her mind.

~"Born with the word of Fire resting on your tongue." A man said to her, pacing about some strange room. It was filled with books that smelled old and dusty.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked. The man stopped his frantic pace and stood before her.

"You can weild fire. You're a fire witch." He said plainly. An eyebrow raised.

"How can that be?" Her head spun with questions. Horror was about her.

"Magic lives inside of you, Reialyn." The man turned away and went to his desk, leaning over it. She gasped. She couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Th-that's not possible. My parents...they're perfectly normal...how can I be--?"

"Oh, it has nothing to do with your parents. It's only you. YOU are the problem." He straightened, holding up a obsidion knife. "I must purge the world of your Kind." His face was ferial. She could barely contain herself. He brought the knife down, but she was able to melt it before it touched her. Without her even thinking about it, the entire room burst into flame--blue flame. She dashed out.

"FOLLOW THE WITCH!!!! NOW!!! AFTER HER!!!" The man cried from his office. Horsemen were not far behind as she ran from the building. She just had to keep moving. Her lungs burned, starved of oxygen, but she kept running. Fresh snow was falling all around her. Night fell, and the horsemen lost sight of her, allowing her to rest. She continued on in the morning, finding a small town was coming ahead. She was in the middle of an open field, freshly covered in snow when they came at her. She barely started one fire when the sword sliced her left side, leaving her bloody and dizzy, sprawlled out in the snow. One spat at her as his comrad burned.

"Die Fire witch!" He sneered and left without another word. He commanded his men to leave the other. The rode away, leaving Reia to die, bleeding in the snow.~

Her mind became hers again, and she gasped.

"Oh no." She covered her mouth with her hand. Kayden had an arm around her.

"What it is, Reia?" He asked, softly. Tears fell. She was disgusted with herself. She raised her head to look at him,

"The Ignis...it's me."