Of fire and storms. [Nikodim]

It had been far too long since he was back at Inverness and the air elemental knew he was far overdue. He'd found over his years of studying that making frequent visits to his shrine was good for his senses. It helped him stay balanced and in control of his element and that was important if he wanted to control to hone his skills. He was far ahead of a lot of Typh's his age but he wasn't exactly at genius status yet, not that he'd given up on achieving it. He was training in the ice caves with Indah more often then not and when he wasn't there he was with the love of his life Phridae, who was in fact herself an ice elemental. Memphis didn't know it yet but eventually ice would probably be his second affinity. As he returned from his morphed state Memphis felt refreshed, more so than usual, and it looked good on him.

He checked his appearance in one of the many mirrors that hung in the entry way of the Typh shrine before walking out into the grass. He was curious about the other elements, with the exception of stone which he knew he could never in a million years take as a second. The young elemental was intrigued by the idea of adopting another and getting to study it. He was no where near an expert in his own elemental but his type wasn't exactly known for dreaming small when it came to intellectual pursuits.

As he walked through the grassy main that broke apart the different shrines the Welsh man looked upon the fire shrine and before he had a moment to think about it he was approaching a man who was heading out of it. He was a fellow zealot and though Memphis had learned his name some time ago he couldn't remember more than a few passing words the two had shared. "Excuse me sir, if you have the time I was wondering if I could pick your brain a little?" He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and if allowed Memphis had a hundred questions already lined up.

@Nikodim Balaur

Nikodim had just come from his daily meditation session. He held it at the Incin temple whenever he could, finding the warm air around the central fire soothing. The soft crackle was a nice background noise and it relaxed him. The giant Russian had not morphed, as he preferred doing that in the privacy of his own rooms. He rarely let others be near him when he morphed, mostly out of old habit. When he was young and volatile, he was a danger to other even while morphed as his flame could suddenly flare up and threaten to burn anything nearby into ash. It had been decades since this had happened, but he still took precautions.

The Pureblood wasn't really headed to any particular destination, nor did he have any pressing business, so he was more than happy to stop and chat with the younger Zealot. "Of course," the large man replied in a deep and calm rumble. "Memphis, is it not?" Nikodim didn't need to ask the younger man's affinity, as he could feel the Typh's energy as clearly as anything. He had made a habit of spending as much time with other elementals so as to be able to identify their particular affinities with quick ease. Being almost a hundred also helped. HE had quite a bit of experience. Nikodim's own power lay banked, and he wondered if it registered as more than a slight warmth to the much younger man.

"I was about to take a walk. Care to join me?" Nikodim liked to move, keeping his muscles warm while he talked and thought. "It is remarkably nice day for a Scottish winter and it is a shame to miss it." Nikodim was hardly dressed for the weather, in simple black pants and boot. He neglected to wear a shirt. Incin elementals were rarely ever cold. "What would you like to know?" he inquired, willing to pass the time talking theory with the other man. "I am not as studious as you Typhs, but I will answer any questions I can."

Memphis was glad to hear that the older zealot didn't seem to mind his intrusion at all. The way he said of course made Memphis nod and fall in line. He tried to get past the fact that this man was basically a walking giant with the power of fire. He was pretty sure he could feel the heat coming off of him. "It is in deed Mr. Balaur." He said with a smile before beginning to walk next to the much taller man. The air elemental was tall in his own right but he felt small in the wake of Nikodim. He was pleasantly surprised by how cordial the elemental was. From all that he had read about Incin elementals they were passionate, wild, untamed, but Nikodim was calm and collected. He wondered if that was something he had honed in on over time and if so how long but he felt it rude to ask for his age right away. Maybe he'd wait at least a few minutes into the conversation before delving too deep.

"I would love to." Memphis accepted the offer to take a walk with the other elemental and slipped his hands casually into the pockets of his gray slacks as they began. It was strangely nice out but weather didn't much effect the Typh elemental anymore. He hated when it was humid, stuffy and constricting, but other than that warm or cold wasn't much to him. Though the more time he spent in the caves with Indah the more he preferred the cold.

When Nikodim asked what he would like to know the mental flood gates opened in the former Ravenclaw's mind and a small interested smile flickered onto his face. Silvery eyes looked across the ground as he pondered where to begin and then he spoke. "Well to start off with the basics, if you don't mind, it is about your element." The entire conversation probably would be but Memphis knew better than to assume every elemental was as open with something as personal as the bond they shared with their element as he was. Some of them kept it secret, even toward other elementals in the council. "I believe what I'm sensing is Incin, is that correct sir?" He knew from previous research, or at least he assumed he was correct, that Incin was in fact Nikodim's element but he wanted to be certain. He was a baby in terms of years and he could definitely of gotten it wrong. He followed up quickly with his real question.

"Do Incin elementals create fire or simply manipulate it?"

The huge Incin gave the younger man a wide and easy smile. "Please, call me Niko," he said jovially. "When people say Mr. Balaur I always look around for my grandfather." While not strictly true, Nikodim did prefer a bit of informality in his interactions. He had no delusions about how he looked. He was a mountain of a man, strong and muscled. He knew he looked intimidating so he tried offsetting that as often as possible with a relaxed and easy-going personality.

Nikodim nodded and smiled encouragingly as Memphis correctly named his element. "Incin, yes. I am impressed. My control is best after meditating. I am surprised you felt anything at all." If he wanted, the fire elemental could remove the lid on his control and then there would be no doubt about his affinity. But it was tiring, getting his power back down to a manageable level so he simply remained as he was. "I have cultivated a second affinity. I wonder if you can sense that as well?"

"We can both create and manipulate fire," he responded promptly. "For some, manipulation comes easier than creation but all Incin can do both to a certain proficiency." Focusing on his hand, Nikodim let some of his power surge into it. As his skin temperature increased, steam began to waft off his palm and the back of his hand. "We can also generate heat without flame. We can both feed and quell a fire, although most find it far easier to encourage a flame than to banish one."

Nikodim fell easily into teaching mode. He was often asked by Lario, the Incin Harbinger, to instruct new elementals in the ways of fire since he was far more patient than some of his more hot-headed brethren.

The casual way he noted for Memphis to call him by his first name rather than his full name made Memphis relax a little. One of the upsides to being an air elemental was free travel arrangements and thus the young man had travelled all over the world in his short lifetime. He'd learned about all kinds of customs and ways of respect so he was always very cautious upon meeting someone new. Especially because even though Inverness was in Scotland, elementals came from all over the globe. He nodded with a smile and made a mental node to refer to the older elemental as Niko.

He couldn't help but be a little prideful when Niko said he was surprised he could feel his element. Memphis had always been a bright light, he strove for wisdom and knowledge and it wasn't suprising that he was ahead of most of his peers. He had reached zealot status before most would of and he was maybe a little bit over confident about it. He didn't have much, but he had his intellect. Not to mention Indah had been training him for this for months. She had taught him how to feel the wind, sense its emotion and its color, so much more than he ever knew was even possible about his element. He could literally hear the message on the wind now, discern its meaning and its changes. So much more than just manipulating it and that had helped him sense Niko's element.

His secondary affinity was proving to be more of a challenge. The second was usually a learned skill, not something that was inherent and part of the being of the elemental so it was more difficult to sense. He closed his eyes, momentarily pausing in step to focus his mind. He took a moment, searching the breeze for some clue but coming up short handed. He was smart, but he still had much to learn. "I can't seem to pick up on it." He said, returning to the leisurely pace they had fell into.

Steel grey eyes fluttered down to Niko's hand as he watched the steam begin to rise from it. It was intriguing the way it happened, almost like the older man himself was fire rather than the controller of it, the way his hand was smouldering made Memphis believe he was starting to understand it. "Can you be burnt?" He asked, wondering if they could be harmed by their own element. More than once the Welsh man had accidentally conjured a gust too strong and been blown back by it. Wind was different though he supposed, if he had been paying enough attention during those moments he felt he would of been able to allow the air to move through him rather than block it. "Either by the flames of another or of your own creation, is there such a thing as too hot?" He hoped he wasn't prying too deep, he wasn't searching for a way to hurt another elemental, just for knowledge.

The young elemental was curious and seemed bright but secondary affinities were harder to pick up on. Not every elemental had one, and it was a learned skill rather than an innate one. Holding a hand out, palm-up he said simply and clearly, "Madin." A small pile of dark and rich earth appeared in his hand, which he let sift through his finger. "A counterbalance. Grounding and solid to harmonize with the more fluid and unruly nature of my primary." It was not uncommon for elementals to take their second element which helped build up an area of their own personalities that might be lacking. He gave Memphis an encouraging smile. "That was a rather tough question, but I'm sure you'll get it if you work at it." Nikodim could sense the barest of second elements, like a cool breeze. It felt like the other man might have a Garth affinity, but he was too young to really tell.

Niko moved on, answering the other questions posed to him. "By naturally occurring fires, no. Summoned fire is trickier. If it is simply mundane fire created with the use of a wand, then it is harmless. But fires that are magical, that's different. We take less damage than a normal witch or wizard might but it would still injure us and we would be hard-pressed to control it. And before you ask," Nikodim started with a slightly teasing smile, "Fire Whiskey does still burn on the way down."

Looking at Memphis, Niko cocked his head slightly. "I know I have seen you around council grounds before, but your name seems more familiar to me than that." He turned his face towards the sky, musing. "Memphis, Memphis... Ah!" he snapped his fingers. "Indah! She mentioned she was training someone. It is you, isn't it?"

He wished he had been skilled enough to figure out Niko's second affinity but he hadn't been. Memphis was always pushing himself, trying to know more, trying to do more before it was his time, and sometimes he down right wore himself off but usually it was worth it in the end. As the dirt fell into the man's hand he nodded and smiled, a brief "ahhh" escaping his lips before moving on. He understood the delicate balance and how Madin could even out Incin, it made sense to the elemental.

Next the topic of fire and damage came up and Memphis turned his head to watch the reaction of his fellow zealot as he answered. He wondered if he would be truthful with him or if fire elementals were inherently paranoid. Either way he was satisfied by the amount of information he was given. He had not been expecting a joke from the mountain of a man walking beside him but it was more than welcome. He laughed lightly and continued to smile. "Good to know." He said brightly, he wouldn't of even thought to ask that but it was definitely an interesting bit of information. "What about general heat, like the heat from the sun on a very hot day?"

As they continued to walk he heard the other man repeating his name and wondered what he was trying to remember about him. The fact that he knew his name at all did wonders for the Typh's self esteem. He wanted to be known for his intellectual pursuits more than anything but he'd take any kind of reconignition at this point. "Yes you're quite right." He said with another charming smile. "We have been working together for some time now on things like weather manipulation, gale force, mistral development, and she's really been able to teach me a lot." He said with a bright smile. There was so much more than that and he suddenly had the urge to go into great detail because he really hadn't had any one else to tell about it. Of course he had Phridae and he could talk to her but it was a little different because she was still so new to everything, he didn't want to scare her and bombard her with things.

"Its strange to think that Indah is so developed with her second affinity. She can weave storms and create typhoons, things I can barely do even with the use of runic stones and rituals. She has also been teaching me to understand and translate the chromaticity of zephyr winds, something I didn't even know existed because there are no tomes about it in the shrine." He had gone off on a bit of a tangent but that was the whole point of this conversation. "If I had to decide I suppose that last one would be my favorite. There are many things to be learned, I can track scents, voices carry for miles if I really listen, its more than I could of imagined." Memphis was proud to be able to use this skill and even more so because it seemed like a lost art, like something Indah knew of because of her intense travel and study and the fact that such a sagely elemental would share it with him was an honor.

"Do Incin elementals have a unique form of communication? Can you send fire or heat messages to one another?"

Niko was highly enjoying this impromptu lesson. One of his greatest joys was introducing new elementals into the council's ways. He was often found in the area reserved for council orphans and foundlings. The burly Russian loved kids and he often spent a good chunk of his day as a living jungle gym.

"Heat does not bother us, but our bodies are just as susceptible to things like exhaustion or dehydration." Niko was glad to see the other elemental chuckle at his jest. He knew his size was intimidating, but he liked meeting people and so worked very hard to keep them relaxed and at ease. Long years of practice helped. "What about you typhs? Ever get chapped skin?" He was teasing, but gently and with a wide smile to let the younger man in on the joke.

"I was a student of Indah once, oh before you were even born. I was... restless in my youth and sought guidance from masters of all elements." He chuckled dryly. "She wasn't really taking pupils at that time. Made me wait in that damn ice maze of hers for two weeks. I think she only relented because she was worried I'd melt it all down. From her I learned patience and the irrelevance of time." He laughed out loud as Memphis talked about Indah's proficiency with her second affinity. "Well she has had quite a bit of time to cultivate it. Garths live the longest of us all. I think the cold keeps them fresher longer." Incin were the shortest-lived among elementals. At not-quite-one-hundred, Niko was middle aged for his kind. Lario, the incin Harbinger was nearly two hundred and his time left with them could be measured in a few short decades.

Niko shrugged evasively. "Incin are not so good at the talking, normally. We are an element of action." Truth was that the incin did have a kind of communication, but it was all feelings. It was also something not taught often and kept secret from the other elements as a skilled and aged incin could manipulate the feelings of others. Anger, aggression, lust, passion; these were the emotions of fire.

It made sense that heat wouldn't bother them and Memphis tapped his chin slightly as he absorbed the information like a sponge. It wasn't often that he was given such free reign to ask questions and actually received real answers. Most of the older council elementals were reclusive, stuck in their heads and the memories of ones they'd lost. He wondered if he would become as pensive as the others in his final years. Typh wasn't the longest lived of the elements, but also not the shortest, but he knew he would far out live his peers. Phridae being the exception of course, she would live far longer than he. "Like you would not believe." He laughed for a moment, recalling when he was younger and not yet used to his own element. "Not so much chapped as tiny little scratches from whatever debris might be floating in the wind we conjure. I've learned to avoid it now, but it took some time, and a lot of sand in my hair before I did." He laughed again, low and throaty, enjoying this conversation.

It was more than refreshing to meet someone who could speak so freely about his element and who was willing to share the knowledge. When he offered up the information that he was once a student of Indah Memphis turned to look at him with eager eyes. He wanted more information. Indah seemed to know everything about him but he knew barely anything about her, he wondered if she kept him at a distance on purpose, he knew being Garth tended to be lonely. "This is true..." he said, trailing off in thought about the whole distance of time and length of a Garth's life. He had more to say about the subject than he really sure but he had concerns. He wondered for a moment if he could tell those concerns to Niko. Even after the short few minutes of conversation Memphis already felt like he had made a friend, a peer, someone he could share knowledge with without fear of reprimand.

Elements of action, that made total sense especially as he thought about his friend Motya. The young Incin was very much about applying knowledge than learning it simply for theoretical. Memphis could devour tomes about useless information all day and call it a holiday but it seemed the Fire elementals preferred things they could use. Practicality. That made sense to him, even though it wasn't in his own nature. "Have you known many Garth elements in your life time?" He asked, leading into a conversation he probably shouldn't be having because it was kind of frowned upon but he couldn't help it. "Of the ones I've met they tend to become... guarded, closed off over time. Does that seem true to you?" He chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment before continuing.

"Do you think this is because they out live all of us, because eventually all they have left are the memories and it becomes too painful to let new people in?"

Nikodim laughed, glad to hear the younger man speak easily of his own early learning trials. "Ah well, at least you never burnt your bed to ashes. After three, the Council relented and invested in a mattress that had a cover of dragon's hide." Niko was not afraid to share stories of his own trials and failures. He felt that sometimes older elementals presented themselves as always perfect but the large Russian believed that it helped the children to know that everyone made mistakes and errors. They were all human, after all. He liked this Typh and hoped he would come to him again with questions. Niko had a weakness for helping out the younger elementals he encountered.

At the mention of Garth elementals, Niko thought about the people he had encountered and how they reacted to the world around them. "Well, there was the Garth Harbinger, but Peter Alva disappeared many years ago. I do not think he is dead, but he was getting a little... odd before he disappeared. Then Indah, of course. And she was reclusive when I met her, but she has suffered, I think more than most. She is much more accessible now that she use to be. Like she is learning how to live with others again."

There was one more Garth, but Niko was hesitant to mention him. After all, he had vowed to kill the man if he ever saw him again. But in the interest of full disclosure, he should at least say something about Magnus, Roz's husband and father to Katell and Gaspard. Unconsciously, Niko's temper and temperature had been rising, enough that the younger man might feel the heat rolling off him, but not enough yet to make air steam around him. "There was another. A rogue elemental. He was reasonably well-adjusted besides the fact that he is a murderous madman." Oh, Niko had absolutely no love for Magnus and a dark part of him looked forward to seeing the light leave his eyes.

He shook his head, coming back to the present and calming down quickly as he looked at the other younger elemental. "So many questions. You are the most curious Typh I've met, or at least the most fearless. Most of the other elementals must think I eat full-frown dragons for dinner the way they avoid me." The man was intimidating. Well over six feet tall, huge, and fit he cut an imposing figure. But he was sweet, patient, and funny. Those who took the time to get to know him were rarely disappointed.

Listening closely the welsh born wizard with zero wand related magical abilities soaked up every ounce of information that was afforded to him. He nodded at all the right times and didn't interupt. He knew of the Garth Harbinger, having spent a season working under his perview when he was younger but he hadn't heard about the oddness surrounding him before his disappearance. This intrigued and worried the younger elemental because he thought of Peter Alva as a bit of a role model, he was one of the first elementals Memphis had met besides Justyne who had found him and his own grandmother and he had impacted his life quite a bit. Memphis probably still wouldn't know how to read and write in Zhyadad if not for the ice master. Next was Indah and Memphis was sad to hear that she had suffered, but he had suspected as much. He felt empathy for her even if he knew nothing of the pain she might have encountered. Finally Nikodim brought up a rogue garth that Memphis had never heard of and instantly his ears perked at the mention.

Rogue was something of a mystery to the young man and with good reason. Council elementals rarely spoke about the colours and it was considered rude to ask about them in formal meetings. There were surely factions of the council that were dispatched to handle situations with rogue elementals but since it was none of Memphis' business as a zealot he didn't hear much. He wanted to know more, just based on sheer curiosity, but he was afraid that if he brought it up to the wrong person they might question his loyalties. He couldn't help but let out a throaty chuckle at the way Nikodim described this rogue elemental, the twisting end of the sentence had caught him off guard in an entertaining way. "Really?" He asked before he realized the words were coming out of his mouth. The charming and humorous way that the giant of a man beside him spoke put Memphis at ease and he was asking more questions than he normally would allow himself to. "Why did he go rogue?" He asked, assuming that all elementals joined the council first and then went rogue because of something that happened. Memphis, knowledgeable as he might be, was still a baby in this elemental world. Twenty years was barely out of adolescence for people who lived to be in their hundreds.

"Thank you." He took the older mans next comments with a bit of pride, puffing his chest out ever so slightly. "Baby dragons actually, at least that's what the boys over in Hor shrine say, something about the meat being more tender." He joked back with a bright airy smile playing on his lips. This was the most intellectual and yet casual and funny conversation he had been a part of in longer than he could remember.

Niko allowed himself a small smile as Memphis laughed, his anger easing up a bit. He reminded himself that Magnus wasn't here and so his anger was useless. He let out a soft sigh as Memphis continued to question him about the rogue ice elemental. This was a part of Nikodim's personal past he would much rather not drag up, but he felt inclined to answer and answer truthfully. It was true that some secrets must be kept but not all things had to be hidden. He was not a fan of the lack of discussion among the council elders about the rogues and their reasons and motivations. He could dispel a little mystique with Memphis.

"He and his wife thought they were above council law," the Incin zealot said seriously. "They conceived and hid a Pythia child from the Council. The child was eventually found and taken into custody. She died young, as all Pythia do. When she passed, he and his wife blamed the Council. They attacked several other elementals, nearly killing them. That was when he turned rogue." He was sure Memphis knew of the Pythia, those born with an affinity for all the elements; how they were conceived and that the warring elements in their blood would kill them sooner rather than later. Most Pythias didn't survive a few weeks past their birth. Any that lived were considered holy, capable of speaking true prophesies. "It was an unpleasant affair which could have been easily avoided if not for his stubborn pride."

Niko returned Memphis' teasing back at him. "I season it with cumin and paprika overnight. Let the flavors really seep into the meat," he replied with a straight face before laughing. "Did you know I spent almost a year living among a nomadic tribe of Typh in the middle east? Wonderful people. Ancient wisdom passed down through song and stories. Do you travel much? I know most of your kind have an insatiable wanderlust."

Though Phridae and him were what felt like light years away from thinking about a family the words that Nikodim spoke resounded somewhere deep within Memphis' subconscious. He knew without a doubt that she was the one, even with his fluid nature and tendency to run from anything binding he still knew this to be true. One day they would need to approach this subject and Memphis knew it would be a difficult one to navigate. He'd never really thought of himself having children, he'd never needed to think about details like that because they were so far off in his future. In a future that was now more than doubled of the normal amount. He had wondered what it would be like to have a child that would more than likely perish before him and the possibility seemed daunting. And then he had met Dae and things seemed to change entirely. The thought of having children with her hadn't come up but the fact that both of them were elemental some how made it seem like it was more hopeful.

And then he learned of the Pythia and that thought came crashing down. Children of differing elements often didn't survive and even though Ice and Air were similar in many ways it wasn't enough, the child would still suffer. Memphis nodded, conceding to the points that Nikodim was trying to show him and he was slowing beginning to reconcile with the story. It was a sad and tragic one and the air elemental could understand why Magnus went rogue, even if according to the nuances of Nikodim's recollections the man had placed his blame in the wrong place. "Such a sad story..." he admitted out loud, frown lines tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Did they ever   catch him?" He asked, prying once more for details he probably shouldn't of. It was a natural thing for the curious young man but that didn't make it any more appropriate.

Memphis laughed at the way he treated the rumors about him, it was encouraging to know that he hadn't grown jaded in his old age. It was a valid fear for anyone living to be over a hundred. He took a deep breath, his next question lying in wait on the tip of his tongue as the thin filter he had wondered whether he should ask it. "Is it true that there are some council members that are tasked with killing rogues?" He asked almost at the same time that his counterpart was making inquiries of his own. Chuckling at the verbal misstep on his part he nodded in acknowledgement of the questions. "The middle east you say? Where abouts?" He laughed at the idea of it being cliche, wind blows after all. "I love travelling, especially since its basically free." He winked, it was one of the perks of his element, being able to whisk himself away at a moments notice. Saved on travel arrangements that was for sure. "I've been to many places in the last few years, since I graduate, but Tibet would have to be my favorite. I am planning to go back this spring." He loved the wondrous areas of Nepal and Tibet and he couldn't get enough of the intrigue and deep seated knowledge.

There was something in Mephis' expression that had Niko looking at him a little more closely. Not that he doubted the younger man's loyalties, but he wondered if maybe the story he told hadn't hit some chord with the other man. Of course, it was a moving story. "It is," he replied quietly. "Loving another elemental not of your affinity is a hard road to walk, but many do it with grace and strength." Niko thought of Demeter, the hopeless love he'd had for the last fifty years, and sighed softly. Memphis brought him back to Magnus and he shook his head. "No, mores the pity. He's killed scores of innocent witches and wizards. And more than a few other elementals who happened to get in his way."

An eyebrow quirked up at Memphis' question, asked almost at the same time as his. He chose to answer the younger man's question secondly, continuing on the more safe topics of travel. "Near Petra, what is now called The Lost City. We moved quite a bit, but never very close to any established towns. Always on the outskirts, to avoid too much contact with non-elementals." Niko chuckled as he mentioned the free travel. "It is one thing I envy you. There is not a broom big enough to support me on a long ride and of course apparating is out of the question. I must use either portkeys or the floo network, neither of which is particularly pleasant. Chimney are not built for men of my dimensions." He nodded smiling as he recalled his own travels as s young man. "If you see Indah, tell her Niko says hello."

He moved on, knowing Memphis deserved an answer to his own question. "There are some among the council who are dispatched when rogue factions become dangerous or disruptive and threaten to expose our existence. Non-lethal force is always the preferred method as some rogues have been known to rejoin the council or at least live peaceful lives away from others." Niko sighed heavily, continuing. "If this is not the case, and the elemental continues to pose an active threat to others, then sometimes the unavoidable must occur." He shook his head, his voice quiet. "No one likes it. We are small enough in number as it is, to lose others when they could be brought back from the edge but to let a dangerous elemental continue to inflict catastrophic damage would be even worse."

Chuckling as he imagined the tower of a man fitting into some of the hearths he'd seen Memphis nodded along with the other man. He couldn't help but continue to picture it in his mind though, it was rather comical, not to mention him travelling through the tiny shops of London after flooing into said tiny fireplace. It must of been difficult, not that it seemed to really put a damper on the fire elementals outlook. Memphis appreciated how happy go lucky the other seemed to be, it was a rare find and he had a feeling he was going to seek this particular man's council more and more in the future. The fact that he had noted how difficult it could be to have a relationship with another element made him a bit sad but he hadn't dismissed it out right either so that gave the Welsh man cause for hope.

The continued to walk, nearing the end of their path before the shrine he was headed for and Memphis felt a tiny bit of disappointment that their enlightening conversation would soon be coming to a close. "I understand." He said solemnly after paying close attention to each of the other man's words. It was important to know that boundaries were in place, he couldn't do whatever he wanted and get away with it. As a young man he felt invincible, as a wizard he felt powerful, but as an elemental he felt near unstoppable. His intelligence and ambitions would run rampant if not for the council. He needed both their guidance and their strict rules if he was going to survive and it was good know where the lines were.

As they reached the end of the walkway Memphis held his hand out in respect toward Nikodim. "It has been quite enlightening speaking with you Mr. Balaur." He offered him a smile, pleasant and truthful as he waited to shake the mans hand, half wondering how powerful a shake from a man his size was about to be. Bracing himself for whatever was about to come he spoke once more. "I should like to speak again, if you have the time in the future?" It was open ended but he hoped the other man would accept and wondered if he was being too formal about it. Memphis had forever been half in and half out when it came to proper society but the older he got the less inclined he was to act the way he was 'supposed to'. He had to remind himself how to behave sometimes and it was tiring. "Maybe we can catch a pint sometime?" Less formal, more him, and the cheeky smile proved it before he turned to enter the shrine he'd been heading for. His mind was reeling over the new information, some questions answered but so many more had replaced them. He'd need to write them all down for their next conversation.

[[out]]