Fire(side) Chats - [Lario]

Nikodim was meditating inside the Incin shrine like he did whenever he was at the council seat. He sat on the floor in front of the central flame, taking in the heat and simply breathing. He could morph, join the flame already there but he rarely did. He preferred morphing in private, due to some complications he had when he was young and unruly. Of course those days were long behind him. Two years shy of a hundred years old, he was the second-most calm and controlled of the fire elementals. First place in that particular category went to Lario, the Harbinger of their element. He was the most composed Incin Niko had ever met. He was a good leader, although the burly Russian knew some of the younger among them wished he was quicker to face down the council on certain issues.

The massive man trusted Lario completely. He was one of the first people to take Nikodim in when he found out he was an elemental and he had helped shape the man that Nikodim was today. He was a mentor, more of a parent than Niko's own grandfather had ever been. Niko was a loyal man and the other Incin had earned his complete devotion many times over.

It wasn't hard to tell Lario's own unique signature from the other elementals walking through the shrine. For one, the Harbinger was one of the few people who dared approach Niko while he meditated. He had worked hard over the years, learning to control his temper and powers. It had been decades since he had lost control, but elementals have long memories and no one who had seen him angry cared to repeat the experience.

"I know it's you, Lario," Nikodim said without opening his eyes. "I can hear your bones creaking." Few people teased the Harbinger about his age, but since Niko had known him for almost 80 years he could take liberties.

@Lario Sandoval

it was so, so cold now. Lario barely left the shrine during the winter months, but this was one of the rare exceptions. Council business had to be attended to no matter the season, even when the sky was leaden grey with the threat of snow and the only trees that held onto their leaves were the evergreens that surrounded the outer wards of the shrines and buildings of Inverness. Even when in human for though, the harbinger Incin preferred to spend his time as close as possible to the elemental fire, and thus would bring his meals into the shrine rather than eat in the communal halls or his own spartan quarters. The bowl of strongly spiced curry and mug of ginger tea would go some way towards warming his bones.

How unsurprising, then, that another should voice almost what he had been thinking. In this weather he could almost feel himself creak as he moved. "Indeed. I would be most disappointed if you failed to recognise me after all this time, my friend" he acknowledged placidly, though the words belied the smile that spread across his face. Nikodim could truly be counted as one of his oldest friends, for while there were other elementals with whom he had a far longer acquaintance, there were few who he felt as comfortable with as this man.

"Had I known you were here I would have brought another portion" he offered, seating himself on the blackened stone that surrounded the shrine's flames. Medium-sized fires only today, for Lario was in human form, not offering his own self as part of the shrine. He sat mere feet away from the roaring flames, only the knowledge that his robes were made of linen and thus wouldn't withstand catching fire stopped him from moving any closer. As it was, he was just warm enough as he took a good mouthful of the hot tea. "Most refreshing" he said, eyes closed as he savoured the taste. He said no more, but began to eat his meal. Nikodim would speak in his own time, or not at all. Lario would never knowingly disturb someone during their private meditation.

Nikodim fully opened his eyes, twisting out out the kinks in his spine and stretching his long arms up. "Thank you for the offer, but I should show my face in the hall or else the young ones might think the older students have made up stories about a giant who is actually an elemental." At nearly six and a half feet tall and mountain-broad, the Russian man was something most of the new council member had to see to believe. He was a gentle giant now, although a fierce fighter and talented elemental. There was a reason that the council chose him for dangerous and difficult missions.

He let Lario sip his tea, content to listen to the diminished fire crackle at the heart of the temple. The two men could sit together in silence for hours, sometimes not ever speaking and still Niko never felt awkward or unsure around the older Incin. He had known Lario for most of his life, and now that he was an adult their relationship was one of easy peaceful understanding and confidences.

"How goes council business?" he asked, laying down and stretching out along the floor. He took up a bit of space, but he was used to that. He had been big since he was ten. "Any news on when a Typh harbinger will finally be appointed?" Niko kept up with council affairs at the behest of Lario himself. The older man had been dropping hints lately that the Russian was under serious consideration for the position of harbinger once Lario made the final morph. He had no great drive for political power, and secretly hoped Lario would chose one of the older incin to take his place.

The tea was warming and the old man relaxed somewhat. Sitting on bare stone, warmed though it was by the flames, wasn't as uncomfortable as many might imagine, particularly not for one who had been doing it his whole life. He closed his eyes and leaned back, but only for a moment. The smell of curry was enticing and he carefully selected a spoonful of the spicy meal, the combination of flavours doing much to chase away the chill of the late autumn weather, at least while he was inside. He chuckled quietly at the other's comment.

"Indeed, and what should we do then? Tales of a giant to go alongside the tales of someone stealing a pillar of flame from our shrine...people might start to imagine something odd was going on in the Incin shrine" he said agreeably. More than one young discipulus - or even adult on occasion - had been shocked to discover Lario not in his usual elemental form within the shrine and made the erroneous assumption that something terrible had happened.

As for council business... "ah, where to start? We have the usual bickering between elements, as we've grown to expect" and delight in, he added mentally, for Lario knew that there were those on the Council who thoroughly enjoyed a good argument. He had to admit that he counted amongst that number, but only when such disagreements were of a cerebral nature, discussing the philosophy of a subject before they came to an agreeable conclusion. Lately one or two seemed keen to take these disagreements beyond the point of comfort, and he was glad that there was something specific they could discuss for the moment. "No news from the Typh shrine, however. I did have my suspicions that there would be a new Harbinger soon, but it seems not. The one I had in mind has taken up a research post for the moment." Lario didn't like to mention names in such discussions, it felt too much like gossiping. While he had harboured hopes that one Alain St Clare, despite his youth, would grow into the role of Typh Harbinger, it didn't look as thought that was going to happen yet.

"Have you eaten? The curry is particularly good tonight. Must be one of our acolytes on kitchen duty..." he mused cheerfully.

Nikodim gave a quiet bark of laughter. "Too many rumors and we will be invaded by Typhs, trying to figure out the source of these strange happenings," he teased. The air elementals were known for their insatiable thirst for knowledge and the need to figure out absolutely everything. It was an admirable pursuit, but all elements had secrets that were never shared outside of their temples. Some things were best kept secret to keep the peace between everyone. It was a lesson Niko learned early as a Zealot.

The burly Russian shrugged. "Typhs have trouble settling down," he replied. "Whoever you are looking at will hopefully grow into maturity quickly. Unfortunately I have not come across anyone I thought might fill the position adequately." He thought of Memphis, but the boy was far too young and not quite ready for a position like this. "There was one young man I met, but he is at least a decade away from being mature enough for to be considered. But he did impress me." That was quite the feet. Despite looking like a man in his mid-forties, Niko had nine decades under his belt and it took a lot to make an impression on the Incin. Niko gave no names either. If Lario needed the information he would ask for clarification but until such time it was more pleasant to speak in generalities.

"It does smell delicious. I have had a good curry in years," Niko said appreciately. "I will make sure to grab a bowl soon." The big man gestured to his large, muscular frame. "Well, several bowls." Niko had a high metabolism, one of the reasons he could maintain the body of man in his late twenties. Even elementals could get pudgy if they weren't careful of their appearance.

They sat in companionable silence. Niko felt no need to fill the space with words as Lario ate slowly. He let his mind drift to other times, sitting with Lario and talking. Some conversations were simple things but others found Niko baring his soul to the the older Incin. Lario was his confessor and confidant. If the fire elemental was ever in need of guidance, he would ask his harbinger not because of his position but because he was his oldest living friend.

"How is Demeter?" he asked quietly after several silent moments. "I have not seen her recently and I am worried she is pushing herself too hard." This was true, but Lario would know the unspoken reasons behind Niko's inquiry. Of all the people alive, only he knew of Niko's deep and unrequited love for the Madin harbinger. It was Niko's secret shame. Not only was Demeter a married woman, but she was a different elemental affinity from Niko. Even if Demeter felt anything for him besides friendship, their relationship would be all but forbidden.