Michael watched the fire within the old shed slowly burn on the pile of wood from its own walls. The camp they had made was nothing special, but it was certainly better than lying in a puddle of rain water at four in the morning.
Michael could never understand how people like Chase had always been so enchanted by the sight of flames, calling back to the countless makeshift camps they had set up in the past.
But now, he was sort of able to empathize with him, as it was like the fire spoke its own form of language, dancing and swaying even though it was destined to burn out.
In a way, flames were like humans.
Always destined to one day fade away, and yet they dance and burn bright in the face of that fact.
"You look like a ghost, mate..." Azure whispered, leaning against a broken support beam within the shack.
His arms were folded in some sort of serious way, yet his face wore an even bigger lie. It was like looking at someone who had just been born into this world, and Michael could not dare to get a read on the man.
His white hair was flowing with the wind that crept in through the many cracks in the shed, and yet his face was as still as ice. His eyebrows lazily cocked up once Michael had taken about thirty or so seconds of silently staring at the man.
"You done?" He asked with a chuckle, spinning the pommel of Gabriel's trident in his hand.
Speaking of Gabriel, he sat on the opposite side of Azure in the shack, half asleep as he glared at his trident in another man's possession.
Michael had only noticed it now, but Gabe's black hair had grown three times longer since Phoenix Academy, and had curled up into a sort of mop-like hairstyle that hung over his dark blue eyes.
Michael on the other hand, decided that he should summon a shard of ice in his hand, as it would lay forth a reflection of his own change.
And perhaps show him what he was missing, as he had no doubt that something in his mind had refused to click, even with the knowledge that Leander had given him during their time in Olympia.
As the ice formed, the thought of death had crossed his mind very briefly, and that single thought could have spiraled into the realization that Michael was grieving, but luckily (Or maybe unluckily) the thought had vanished before it was given the chance to bloom.
Once the dagger-sized shard finished forming, Michael was left with an unsatisfied look on his face.
Before the shadowy crack in the ceiling of the shack that let the stars above leak into their shelter: Sat Michael. His textured black hair was ragged and long, although he didn't have curly hair like Gabriel, his hair had a sort of swoosh to it that made it want to stand up on its own.
He didn't really like the look; however, what he disliked more, was the scruff facial hair that had begun to break through all of the skin below his nose and ears.
He felt that it made a noble like him, look unkept and almost savage, which was of course no way for a child of Everfrost to appear out in the world.
Then... As Michael studied his new appearance and occasionally ignored the unserious remarks from their third member.
SNAP!
A loud breaking noise shot out from above, as if part of the shed had been broken in an instant.
Gabriel immediately jolted awake while amidst pulling a dagger from the side of his boot, and just as he did that, Michael had already summoned his Lumen...
Azure on the other hand, had raised an eyebrow in humorous surprise.
"What was that?!" Gabriel shot a violent whisper at Azure, who simply shrugged in response.
Part of Michael simply assumed that the shack was so old that its time to crumble had simply arrived; however, the smirk on Azure's lips decided to warn him otherwise.
Then, Azure simply stood up and outstretched his arms.
"You bastard..." Gabriel growled under his breath, eyeing down the trident that Azure had lazily swung over his shoulder.
"Relax... Is what a dazzling man like me would say if this were a time to relax... It appears that you fellas have yourself some company..." Azure chuckled quietly as he kept his eyes on the support beams above them.
And it was only then that Michael had spotted it...
A slow motion within the shadows that was so large and inhuman that it was so easily mistakeable for the natural shifting of lighting that happened over the course of the night.
"My gods..." Michael whispered...
Then...
All hell broke loose.
The entire shack shattered, and the last thing that Michael spotted... Were six pairs of purple eyes stacked on top of each other...
Michael grit his teeth as his vision slowly returned...
And he was greeted with the bright violet fire that had begun to consume the forest, even the violent downpour around them could not dare to disrupt the blazing fury that had overtaken the surrounding area.
Michael felt ice unlike any other freeze his entire spine, from top to bottom...
He slowly and shakily pushed his body into a kneeling position, as his scythe cracked against the palm of his hand.
"What the hell...?" He muttered, still shaken and dazed by the explosion that had shocked the living hell out of him.
That is when Azure spoke, calm... Yet almost with excitement teetering on the edge of his over the top tone.
"You bastards have yourself one hell of a challenge..." He said simply as his hand fell on top of Michael's shoulder.
For a singular second before the blast, the thought of betrayal had seeded itself among Michael's other thoughts, but something about Azure felt strangely familiar, and somehow strangely human.
It was like Michael could naturally place his trust in Azure's hands, so he didn't dare doubt the man after that singular thought, and instead turned his head towards Azure... Who was not looking at Michael with his ocean colored eyes, but towards the heart of the fire where that same motion took place again... And the violet lighting began to ensnare the creature into the vision of Michael.
Fear...
It had six arms... Eight legs... And twelve purple eyes with skin so mangled and gruesome that he could not even bother naming the beast.
The purple lighting that shrouded the beast did not help the scenery either, but amplified the fear of seeing a four meter tall and lanky abomination such as this.
It was only then, when Michael realized that he could barely hold his own weapon still in the face of this madness, which made him doubt everything that he had faced up to this point in his life.
"Bloody hell... I surely hope you can fight in that state... Noble of Everfrost..." Azure grinned at the end of his oh so very helpful motivation...