Bladewarriors Book 1: Refresh

"Feel free to take whatever you like."

Ivy glanced in at the clothing that filled the blue-haired girl's closet, staring at the variety of outfits contained within.

"We look to be about the same size, so it should all fit you." Myst added, standing behind her, smiling kindly.

"Thank you." Ivy replied, reaching in to pull at a dark blue shirt hanging in front of her, pressing her fingers against it. She frowned as she felt the fabric, staring at the lacey design that covered it. A lot of this girl's clothes seemed to be a tiny bit more feminine than she was usually comfortable with. But, compared to the short green dress and translucent robe she had on, she supposed they were an improvement.

"It's nothing." Myst smiled, turning away from the girl. "I'm going to go make sure those boys are okay. Take your time, though."

"A-alright."

Myst turned from the room as the green-haired girl replied nervously, beaming a small smile to herself as she stepped through the door and out into the hall. It had been a long time since she had had a pleasant conversation with anyone other than her mother, and while she wouldn't say any of these people were 'friendly' with her, she would agree they were treating her like a normal human being – a feeling she had forgotten about. It was rather… nice.

The nymph stepped from the hallway, re-entering the main room of the house. She turned her eyes to the couch she had left the two boys sitting on a moment ago, finding only damp spots where they had been sitting moments before. A sudden clanging sound from the kitchen, though, quickly alerted her to where they had disappeared.

"What are you two doing?" Myst poked her head around the corner, peering into the kitchen to stare at the two males. Flare had perched himself up on a counter and was staring as the other one – Frost – rummaged through the cupboards haphazardly, pushing around pots and pans as he searched through their contents.

"Oh good, you're back!" The white-haired teen exclaimed, pulling his noggin from within one of the cupboards. "Where's your food? I'm starving!"

"Polite people usually ask for food, rather than inviting themselves to it." Myst answered, stepping around the corner.

"I'm asking now." Frost replied, staring back at her blankly.

"Sorry." Flare spoke up, grinning awkwardly. "I mentioned I hadn't eaten in a bit, and he decided to help himself."

"Didn't hear you arguing!" Frost shouted, head plunged into another cupboard as he continued to search for sustenance.

Myst sighed, shaking her head. She found it hard to be annoyed at them, though. She was just too happy they weren't judging her – happy to have people talking to her without thinly veiled or otherwise just blatant insults.

"Get your head out of there." Myst tugged on the back of Frost's still soaked sweater, pulling him from the cupboard. "Go sit down, and I'll get you two something to eat."

"Sweet!" Frost exclaimed, not bothering to resist as he quickly stood and walked back toward the main room of the house. "Food delivered straight to me? I could get used to this!"

"You don't have to do that." Flare added as he slid off the counter.

"It's fine." Myst shrugged, turning to the cupboards on the opposite side of the kitchen. "I don't mind. I could use a snack as well, so I'll just make us all something."

"If you're sure." The redhead replied, shrugging. "Thanks."

"You're eelcome." Myst beamed a smile, then gently pushed on his shoulder. "Go sit. It won't be long."

The Flamian shrugged, and followed orders, turning to head out of the kitchen. Their rag-tag group of quickly assembled warriors seemed to be working out fairly well so far. It was hard to say they were all getting along perfectly – the bickering between Frost and Ivy was definitely a counter-point to that declaration – but they seemed to be coping with each other well enough. The more time that redhead spent with them, the better impression he got. Still, managing to remain friendly with one another meant very little in the grand scheme of their mission. Good feelings alone wouldn't be enough to reach The Dragon King – it might not even be enough to reach The Serpent.

Flare paused as he re-entered the main room of the home, glancing at the boy with disheveled hair as the Arctican lounged back on the couch, his feet perched casually atop the small wooden table in front of him. Gathering on the cushions below the man's ass, as well as on the floor and table, was a quickly growing puddle of water.

"Maybe you should take off those wet clothes." Flare suggested, stopping a few feet away from him. "You're dripping like crazy."

"You're one to talk." The boy countered, nodding to the trail of water that was following behind the redhead, and gathering beneath him as well.

Flare frowned as he stared down. He hadn't experienced rain like the torrent happening outside enough to have the forethought to consider the mess he was now making. But he at least had a means of correcting his mistake.

"Good point."

Flare closed his eyes, concentrating a moment as he tapped into the energy of the sword slung across his back. A few seconds later, a scorching heat burst from the teen, flowing out like a desert wind. He heard the white-haired teen near him holler as he felt his own damp clothes quickly dry, the water in them evaporating instantly as the heat also cleared away the puddle that had collected around him.

"There we go." Flare stated, opening his eyes as he shook his now dry hair. As if through magic, the strands seemed to pop up as the water left them, regaining their fiery shape once more.

"Give a guy a little warning!"

Flare glanced down, staring at Frost. The Arctican had scooted away to the far end of the couch, pulling in his arms and legs as he stared nervously back at Flare.

"Sorry…" Flare replied uncertainly. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I don't do well with heat." The boy replied, letting his body relax now that the warmth had receded.

"Right!" Flare exclaimed suddenly. "You're from the Ice Realm, right? I forgot for a second. Sorry."

"No worries." Frost shrugged indifferently. "You managed to dry me off a little bit at least."

The Flamian stared at the teen's thick clothing. It definitely wasn't dripping wet any longer, but it still looked fairly damp. He considered offering to dry them totally, but opted not to mention it upon picturing the trouble face the boy had just displayed after he had dried himself.

"Where's Myst?"

The two men turned toward the hall as the question was asked, laying eyes on the green-haired girl. While still in braids, Ivy had pulled back the hair into a ponytail behind her, the strands still looking damp from the rain. The short, tight, strapless green dress was gone, though. In its place the girl had on a dark blue blouse that would normally be showing off a little more cleavage than she would be comfortable with. To counter this, the tomboy had thrown on a plain white tee beneath it, covering her breasts from sight. To cover her bottom half, Ivy had found a pair of dark tan pants. The slacks were a little loose on her, but she was managing to deal with it.

"In the kitchen." Flare answered, staring a little too hard at the returning girl.

"No, no. This doesn't work for me." Frost stated, shaking his head as he looked the girl up and down. "What happened to the brave lass who threw caution to the wind and exposed her body for all to see!?"

"She never existed." Ivy sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she glanced about.

"Lies!" Frost shouted in response. "I remember distinctly. She looked much like you, but with breasts!"

"I have breasts still!" Ivy yelled back, her growing irritation apparent.

"Really? I don't see them." Frost scrunched his face, squinting as he stared at the girl's chest. "I think you'll have to show them to me."

"As if!" Ivy exclaimed, turning her gaze away from the man. "Keep dreaming, pervert."

"Oh, I will, don't worry." The Arctican replied, grinning as he continued to stare at Ivy's chest. The girl's face flushed red – a mixture of humiliation and rage – as she quickly raised her crossed arms, trying to bar her chest from the pervert's sight.

"You two sure do argue a lot."

The group turned as Myst spoke, emerging from the kitchen with a small tray of food.

"I can't help that he's a jerk." Ivy spat, turning a glare to the white-haired deviant sitting on the couch.

"And I can't help that you can't take a compliment." Frost sighed, shrugging as he turned his attention to what really mattered: food. "What'd you bring me, blue hair?"

Myst sat the tray down on the table in front of the couch, staring curiously at the white-haired gentleman sitting upon it.

"We don't have much…" Myst replied, ignoring the 'blue hair' comment – unsure what to make of it. "But we did have some tuna and bread, so I made some sandwiches."

"What's tuna?" Flare asked, lifting one of the sandwiches from the try to peer at its innards. He took a quick sniff, scrunching his nose at the smell.

"Derichus!" Frost replied first, one of the quickly made snacks already stuffed entirely into his mouth.

"That's gross." Ivy complained, twisting her face in disgust as she reached out for one of the morsels herself.

"Says the girl with moldy hair." Frost shot back after quickly swallowing the mass of food.

"Moldy!?" Ivy exclaimed, glowering across the short distance that separated her from the pervert. "My hair is not moldy!"

"It's green." Frost rebutted dubiously. "Green is not a normal hair color. It's either moldy, or it's rotten. I prefer to think of it as moldy – makes you seem less repulsive."

Flare was fairly certain those words would have led to Frost's death – his eyes watching as the moldy-headed girl's hand quickly swung down to the hilt of the Thorn Cutter attached at her side – but luckily for the irritating brat beside him, that execution was postponed by the timely opening of the front door. All four of them turned to the moving panel, staring at the doorway as the sound of the pouring rain and entering voices reached their ears.

"Doesn't really matter to me." A gruff voice echoed through the enlarging gap. "Either way, I say good riddance."

The kindness in Myst's eyes seemed to fade away as the grizzled face of the man she once called father entered her view, emerging from behind the open door. He didn't see her at first – he didn't see any of them as he ran a hand through his hair, brushing out the excess water as he grinned. It was the first time she could remember seeing the clod smile in months, if not years. Somehow, the sight sickened her.

"How can you be so cold!?"

The cold glare filling Myst's eyes – sparked by the view of her father – seemed to wane slightly as he mother entered. She calmed herself, forcefully pushing her rage and detest for the man down into the pit of her stomach as the woman's black eyes came into view. The nymph lowered her head, closing her eyes, allowing her loathing to subside.

"That's-"

The women in the doorway paused, staring past the man in front of her at the group gathered in her house. Her eyes quickly flittered from one foreign face to the next until they finally landed on the familiar visage of a young woman with long, blue hair.

"…Myst?"

The question left her throat with an air of disbelief as she continued to stare at the girl. The man in front of her gasped, spinning his head quickly to peer into the room. He glowered at the occupants, but the man's full wrath settled on the same recognizable face.

"Impossible!" he yelled, twisting toward the girl. "What are you…? How are you here!?"

Myst opened her eyes, lifting a curious gaze to the man as she did. She could feel the questioning looks of her new friend's focusing in on her as this clod screamed at her. She hadn't bothered to tell then about this degenerate – when her mother hadn't been home either, she had believed it the best possible situation. She had hoped neither of them would return before they had left – or at the very least that this man wouldn't have.

"What are you talking about?" The nymph replied. "I live here."

The man twisted his face, appearing as if he had something to say but was resisting the urge to shout it out.

"Are you okay, Myst?"

The girl turned her focus to her mother, watching as the tears rolled down the woman's face.

"You are okay, right?"

"O…of course I am…" The nymph replied, taken back by the water streaming from her parent's eyes. It was only as she stared into the woman's eyes – focused on the joy that seemed to fill them despite the tears – that she began to understand. Clenching her teeth as she balled her hands into fists, the blue-haired teen turned a wrathful glare back to that man, uncertain she could keep the rage fully suppressed this time.

"Why is she asking that!?" Myst screamed, rage shaking her voice as it built up within her. "Why would I not be okay!?"

The man was silent, glaring back at her. She could see the answer in the man's eyes, but she wanted him to say it.

"Answer me!" Myst shrieked, causing a wave of her magic to pulse through the room. As it struck the people around her, any water in their hair, or soaked in their clothing was suddenly freed, flying away from her in fear.

"You're not supposed to be here." The man answered, sounding surprisingly calm given the look of hatred that coated his face. "How did you survive?"

"Survive what!?" Myst shouted, demanding a straight answer.

"She was supposed to kill you!" The man screamed back, taking a step forward. "The Serpent was supposed to rid us of you for good!"

A screamed echoed through the room as Myst released her wrath in one mighty bellow. In a flash, the girl rushed forward, pulling the Aqua Saber from the sash around her waist, raising it above her head. Her other hand shot forward, crashing into that bastard's neck as her fingers dug into his flesh. She pushed him back, slamming against the far wall as her anger overflowed.

"You degenerate coward!" The nymph bellowed as her hair began to whip about wildly, as if a tornado were cycling around her. "You tattled on me like a weak little child!?"

A fear like Myst had never seen filled the man's eyes as he stared back at her, his hands clawing at the fingers wrapped around his neck, and at the single arm that held him flat against the wall. She could see panic there – she could see terror.

"You told The Serpent about me!? About my sword!?" Myst screamed, her fist clenching as her sword shook above her, begging her to let it swing the weapon down. "How could you!?"

The man tried to reply, but wasn't able to form words through the hand and the fear that gripped him.

"You're supposed to be my father!" The nymph bellowed. "You're supposed to protect me! And help me! Not beat me, and assassinate me!"

"Myst! Stop it!"

She could hear the panicked screams of her mother, but they seemed small – distant. She barely paid them any heed.

"You heartless cretin!" Myst's fingers tightened around the handle of her blade. "You callous bastard! Just die!"

The nymph swung down, but her blade never struck flesh as another force reached out to stop her. The nymph spun her gaze to the side, seeing the hazy form of fiery red hair and eyes through the fog of her rage. She struggled to pull her arm free of the man's grip, shaking her limb.

"Let go!" Myst shrieked, another pulse of her magic bursting through the room, but it had little effect on the dried off teen holding her arm. "Let me go! I need to do this! He deserves this!"

"No." Flare replied calmly, fingers refusing to budge.

"Don't stop me!" Myst yelled, shaking with rage. "This isn't your problem! Don't involve yourself! You don't even understand!"

"Yes I do."

The words cut through Myst's rage like a razor, coercing her to stop as the forceful phrase echoed out from the man's mouth. Her vision began to clear, revealing the calm, sad expression that covered Flare's face as he stared at her.

"I do understand." He repeated. "But this isn't what that blade is for."

"But he tried to have me killed!" The nymph yelled, frustration building inside of her, the redhead's stare unnerving her with his melancholy gaze.

"I know." The fiery teen turned, his entire expression changing rapidly as he looked at the man pinned against the wall. For a moment, as he looked at that man, Myst could see a reflection of her own anger in the teen's eyes.

"He's a loathsome excuse for a human being." Flare seethed the words as he stared at the man, then turned back to face Myst. His eyes cooled, and his toned settled as their gazes met once more. "But he's a man. And this isn't what these blades are for. We weren't given these swords so that we could enact our own selfish desires for retribution. We weren't given these swords to strike down our fellow man."

"But he's not a man!" Myst felt her rage surge up once more, her hair whipping about wildly again as it did. "He's a beast! A monster! Calling him human is an insult to us all!"

Flare was silent, but still held fast to the girl's arms as he peered into her eyes. He sighed, lowering his head as he gently shook it back and forth.

"I can't really argue with that." He replied before slowly raising his head back up. "But if you do this – if you strike him down… what kind of person are you?"

Myst froze, humbled by the words as she stared into Flare's eyes.

"You fault him for trying to kill his daughter?" Flare asked, frowning. "Well what kind of daughter kills her dad?"

Myst's arm quivered above her as her rage welled and waned, back and forth quickly. Her body began to tremble and her vision began to blur once more while she continued to stare at the redhead holding her. This time it was not rage that blinded her – it was tears. She sobbed, frustration overwhelming her as her hand released the blade, letting it clatter to the ground. Her other hand dropped as well, setting free the man it had held.

"I… just…" Myst tried to form a coherent thought between sobs, but the words simply wouldn't come. She felt Flare's grip loosen, and her arm collapsed down to her side as she continued to cry. She still wanted to hurt the man – part of her still begged to run him through with the blade – but the rest of her was too swayed by the redhead's words to even consider it. She shook her head, unable to do much else – unable to react to what came next.

Blinded by her own tears, deafened by her own sobs, distracted by her own inner turmoil, Myst couldn't even comprehend the strike that slammed into her cheek, throwing her roughly to the floor. She felt a pressure drop down on her just after her body hit the ground, pinning her to the surface before another blow slammed into her eye, twisting her head violently to the side. She screamed out in pain, the tears now forming from the added suffering as she looked up with her unimpaired eye at the being sitting atop her chest, eyes ablaze with fear and rage, first aloft, ready for another attack.

"You filthy witch!" the nymph's father screamed, malevolence gleaming in his eyes. "I'll finish this my self and rid the world of one more disgusting cursed soul!"

The man thrust the fist down, throwing just as much strength into the punch as he had for the last two, but just as an outside force had prevented the girl from ending his life, that same force wouldn't allow him to finish the deed either.

Calder screamed in agony as a hand clamped around his arm like a vice. But it wasn't the pressure of the grip that caused him agony – it was the searing heat that came with it. The man could smell the stink of his own burning flesh as smoke rose from beneath where the hand held him, small flames welling up and then quickly dying around the edge of the palm.

"Don't waste the gift I just gave you."

The degenerate turned his head back, staring at the glowing visage of the redheaded boy that had stopped his daughter. The look of pity and comfort that had filled the teens eyes and words as he had spoke to Myst was gone, replaced by a seething hatred that sent a shiver down the man's spine as he stared up. The fiery youth's eyes seemed to glow and burn, as if an inferno were hidden behind their gaze, and light shining from behind the boy illuminated his hair with a wild shine as it seemed to flail about despite the lack of any wind or gust in the home. As he stared up, a terror grew in Calder's heart – as if he were looking at a demon of the abyss.

"I just saved your worthless life." The redhead seethed, glaring down at the man as he gripped the limb in his clutches tighter. "Don't make me regret it."

The man could form no words as he stared, fixated on the intimidating appearance of this stranger. His mouth opened, but no words came out – his screams of pain ceasing as well.

Flare gave the man's arm one last squeeze before swinging his own to the side, ripping the poor excuse for a father from his new companion and flinging the man against the nearby wall with a loud thud. He turned his eyes to the regrettable profile of the cowering 'human', nearly unable to contain his own abhorrence for the piece of scum.

"Myst!"

Ondine collapsed at her daughter's side, reaching out to lift the girl's head as she examined where Myst had been struck.

"I'm fine." Myst replied – somehow not finding the strength to be angry any more. "It's nothing."

"It's something!" The parent argued, pushing back the girl's hair to look at her eye. "It's already beginning to bruise!"

"Are you okay?" Flare turned from the man, his demonic appearance replaced by the original kind-face he had possessed upon meeting the girl. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting him to…"

"It's fine." Myst replied, shaking her head as she sat up. The nymph raised a hand to her face, gingerly tapping her cheek and her eye, pulling away from both as pain welled up around them. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, Myst…" Ondine lowered her eyes to the floor, shaking her head as sadness welled up in her voice. "I should have done something. I should have stopped him."

"It's fine!" Myst stated loudly, forcing her mother to raise her gaze as a few tears ran down her cheeks. "Everyone stop apologizing. None of you did anything wrong."

"But—"

"It's fine." Myst repeated for the last time, raising a hand to cover her mother's mouth as she tried to protest. The nymph shook her head, forcing a weak smile before she lowered the hand. Ondine said nothing more.

"…out of my house."

Myst turned her head to the side, staring at the quivering mass of flash that was pressed tight against the wall as he mumbled. The monster's eyes were not focused on her as he spoke, but on the red haired boy that stood between them. In those pupils Myst could see that same look of terror he had given her moments before she had tried to end him, only amplified tenfold.

"G-get out of my house." The man repeated, fear causing his voice to shake.

Flare turned his gaze to the man as he noticed the quiet voice as well, staring at him blankly.

"G-get out!" The cretin yelled. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Gladly." Myst replied for Flare. The nymph glanced to the side of her, picking her blade up from where it had fallen, then pushed herself to her feet.

"Let's go." She stated calmly, sliding the sword back beneath the sash around her waist.

"You sure?" Flare questioned, looking away from the pathetic mound on the floor.

"Yeah… we have work to do." Myst answered, already moving toward the door.

"Myst, wait!"

The nymph paused, looking back as her mother shouted, finding the woman climbing to her feet as well.

"Myst, I…" The woman shook her head, turning her eyes to glance at the three strangers in her house. "I need to tell you something before you go. And ask you a favor."

The blue haired girl forced a smile. "I'd love to mother, but I can't stay here anymore."

"Neither can I." The parent replied quickly, cutting off anything more her daughter might have to say. "That's the favor I need to ask you."

Myst turned fully, facing the woman. "What?"

"I know you have an important task to accomplish," the woman smiled as she spoke, "but I must make a small request of you and your friends and ask you to take me to Sentinel Bay – to your aunt's house."

"You… know about our task?"

The group turned, staring at Ivy as the tomboy reminded them all of her presence.

"Yes." Ondine nodded, turning to look back at her daughter. "Can we go to Gilroy's Tavern to talk?"

Flare and Ivy turned to look at Myst, leaving the decision up to the girl despite their own curiosity. The confusion that covered the nymph's face was apparent as they looked to her – all of them awaiting an answer.

"Alright." She nodded after a short moment, turning toward the door. "Let's go, then."

The mother nodded, moving to follow the girl from their home.

"Ondine!"

A shout echoed through the house as Calder pushed himself to his feet, backing as far away from the redheaded demon as he could manage. "Don't you dare leave! Don't you dare!"

"I told you," the woman replied, not bothering to look back as she stood in the still open doorway, her daughter already outside, "if you ever touched her, then it would be over. You're lucky I don't kill you myself."

Flare moved, stepping between the man and his view of his wife, turning only a moment to glare at the pitiful clod before following the two women, Ivy trailing behind him. The man sunk to the floor, collapsing into a heap.

"Thanks for the show."

He lifted his head as the last of the strangers in his house reached the door and called out to him. The strange kid with white hair waved back to him as he walked through the doorway, leaving the portal to the outside ajar as he vanished into the rain.

Frost jogged forward, catching up with the rest of his group as they walked through the town in silence, save for the pitter patter of raindrops.

"So…" Frost started, turning to look at Ivy as they followed behind the others. "Those sandwiches were delicious!"

The Arctican lifted a half-eaten tuna sandwich, waving it back and forth a moment before lifting it to his mouth for another bite as he smiled. The green-haired girl stared at him – disturbed – and simply sighed, shaking her head as she moved quicker to walk with the others.

"What?" Frost called out, mouth still half-full.