Pyzis shuddered, thinking about the man that held her captive wasn't something she wanted to do. She supposed that it was an eventuality so why not now in the sun and warmth with someone else her to stave off the fear. He had been a young man when he had inherited her from his father. Most Phoenix's were passed down within one family, but this man had been known as a weakling. He had suffered his entire life from a terminal illness and Pyzis had healed him at his father's behest a few times by then. Instead of keeping her in the Family house he had spirited her away to his lab and kept her underground in a cage. Before she had been allowed to roam the grounds, spread her wings and change between either form at will.

"The Alchemist that held me did not speak to me though I had known him most of his life and spoke to him while in human form multiple times. He trapped me in a cage next to his desk and I was only allowed light when he was in his study. I only had my own thoughts to keep me company for forty years, my prayers to the goddess of Fire and Destruction that were never verbally returned. I know she sent me the strength to keep me from going mad." Pyzis dropped her head into her arms. A small tear trickled down her face, but she tried to focus on the present. 

Next to her sat a beautiful young man with raven hair the air was full of the sounds of bird calls and the water around her thighs was cool. With a cleansing breath, Pyzis shifted the subject and raised her eyes to Hiro's. "My goal is to make up for all the lives that were lost while I was selfishly locked away. There are so many who could have used my tears that didn't get the opportunity to. I know for now that I can't transform, therefore I can't heal. I was planning on finding someone who could teach me about herbs and potions so I can do what I can until I've recovered enough to change." Pyzis looked within herself to the smouldering flame within. It should have been burning with an intensity that was ready to consume her at any moment. It was beginning to worry her that the flame wasn't brighter, this had never happened to her. Perhaps it would only take a few days rest until she was recovered. At least that was what she was hoping.

Hiro listened to Pyzis recall the time she spent with the alchemist.  He was hoping there'd be SOME kind of bright side of it, but there was none.  He felt bad for her, having to go through that for forty years.  She seemed moved to tears about it.  There had to be some way of cheering her up.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up, I was hoping there was a silver lining in there, but apparently not.  The guy was a bastard.  I'm sorry."  He placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, looking into her eyes.  "But you'll never have to go through that again.  I can't imagine spending forty years like that, and I'm only sixteen.  But you must be incredibly strong to survive that.  Stronger than I ever could be.  You need to go out there, and live life to the fullest.  Save people, do good deeds.  Unfortunately, I don't know healing magic, nor alchemy or herbalism for potion brewing.  I wish I could help you with that.  Maybe someone who's part of Church of Earth could help?  Shouldn't they know all about healing using plants and potions?"  He didn't know if that would help or not, but it was the first thing he thought of to say.

Pyzis gave Hiro a small sad smile, he was doing his best to help her stay cheerful and she appreciated it immensly. There wasn't much that she could do about what had happened but she knew she could change what happened from here on out. It was not Hiro that was making her sad, and the memories were something she would have to learn to live with. The touch on her shoulder made her jump. It had been forty years since she had been touched by someone. How strange was it, the gesture of kindness that hiro offered. She felt the warmth radiate from his palm onto her chilled skin. It cut through the sadness and brought her comfort, more so than she would admit outloud. 

"Thank you Hiro, it means a lot to me to have you here. To have someone to talk to and someone to listen mostly. I have never heard of the Church of Earth though. Who are they? Where are they? I just want to learn the trade, I guess I feel resposible for all those lives I could have saved. I know that it wasn't my doing, I wasn't the one trapping a helpless person, but I know what I can do and I know it was wasted. What city are you from? Tell me about your home, I want to hear about all that I've missed. Was it a small place or a large city? Did you grow up at a court where your Father served?" She rambled off questions to him. Pyzis knew she was simply trying to keep her mind away from the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her. There was a shadow that seemed to have crept into her mind, always at the edge of conciousness. It was the madness and she knew that with light and laughter it would slowly ebb away.

Pyzis stood up and walked behind Hiro, hoping he didn't mind, but she was getting a chill from the brisk water. She went to her things and donned her simple travel skirt, blouse and belt. The garments were the same as she had had last time she had turned into a Human. The well worn clothes had been set in the sun so when she finally got them on her skin she felt as if they were radiating warmth. Her sensitive, tingling skin had finally calmed and her long chocolate hair had dried and fell in long curls down her back. She lifted her chin and stared at the blue sky high above the tropical trees. There were clouds gathering and since Pyzis knew this was a rainforest it was only a matter of time before they were both soaked. 

"Do you know where the nearest village is? I have nothing and I don't feel like making a home here in the jungle no matter how beautiful it is. Or do you know where we can take shelter? I think it's going to rain and I just had my bath for the day" Pyzis asked Hiro. She had come here by air and hadn't seen much since she had been wracked with pain. Hiro must  have come on foot and if so he may have seen something nearby. 

He smiled at her, though she seemed surprised that someone touched her on the shoulder.  She started asking a lot of questions about what he said, and about his childhood.

"Well, the other day, I was going through the rain forest, tracking down an ogre I was tasked with killing by a village, and I picked up its trail, it was attacking two women, one a girl younger than me, and one was a little older than me.  I defeated the ogre, and it turns out the young girl was one of the daughters of a Goddess, the Earth Mother Angela.  She's a Goddess of Fertility and things that grow out of the earth.  I imagine she's a goddess of life, and she tasked me with acting as a body guard to her daughter, who had sneaked out of the house to learn about the forest.  She paid me in advance for the task, and also has compensation for the money I would have earned dragging the ogre's head back to the village.  She said my father did tasks for her in the past, though I never got to ask him about it.  I don't know much about her besides that.  But I imagine she could help with learning how to heal or use potions," he said, recalling the story to her.

"As for my past and my father, I lived in a small town with my father and mother.  He said he was always a bit of an errant knight,  only briefly serving a royal family.  The family was dishonest to him, and made him do things he didn't like.  He was called the Phoenix Knight before that though.  He said he trained under a group of magical knights in a faraway land, but a lot of them were killed when they were betrayed by a fellow member.  I don't know much besides that."

He walked over to his belongings, using a cloth to dry himself before getting his clothes back on.  She had gotten dressed too, so he gave her privacy.  He heard a rumbling in the distance, dark clouds were gathering ahead.  It seemed was a storm approaching.  "I came from a small village a little ways east.  We can travel there together, Pyzis."

Pyzis listened intently to what Hiro had to say, it seemed as if there were still as many bad things in the world as when she had last enjoyed it. At least this young man had ridden the land of on monster. His Father really did have a huge reputation and Pyzis could only imagine what it would feel like to live up to something like that. Since she had no family, she knew of she could do as she pleased. With a sigh, Pyzis pulled her long hair over her right shoulder and began playing with it. She waited until Hiro was done dressing before she responded to him. 

"It sounds like you have been very helpful since you made it here to the rain forest. I'm glad to have met you and not someone else who isn't as valiant. I would love to have company while we travel to the village. I don't want to get stuck outside without supplies," she reasoned. Pyzis knelt and laced up her boot while she let Hiro lead the way into the dense undergrowth. She hadn't walked on human legs in forty years, and it was taking some getting used to. As she followed him, she kept tripping on roots and fallen branches. Each time she sighed getting a little more frustrated with the limitations of not having wings. If she had them, she could simply fly above all this mess and make it to the village in minutes. Of course, that wasn't an option, and she would have been hesitant to leave her current companion anyway. He was gentle, and that was what she needed right now.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted back there; I didn't mean to flinch when you touched me. I haven't been touched by another human being in so long I forgot that it is a common gesture. I don't mind it simply surprised me." she explained. The knot of fear in her chest loosened as she told him. Hiro was not her former master, and he would not beat her. "Just be patient with me and tell me if I talk to much or pry too much. If it's quiet, I feel like I am back in my cage."

Pyzis watched her feet as she admitted to him her weakness, she knew she had only just met the man, but he had already saved her and two women since entering the rain forest. She hadn't heard anything though of the Diety he mentioned. Pyzis had never let herself rely on any of them and only recently requested help from the Goddess of fire. If this Angela was as, he said maybe she could help her learn more of the arts of healing humans. Though Rhylana had offered her help too.

"Do you know much of the Goddess Rhylana? I know she is the patron of fire which would be me since I am a creature entirely composed of fire," she inquired. The sky was turning dark and Pyzis could feel the moisture gathering in the air. The low undergrowth seemed to catch at her legs and was bound and determined to keep her on the floor. She found herself mumbling and growling ans she brushed dirt off her knees like a small child who couldn't keep her footing. It was embarrassing, but as she wasn't used to human legs and she was still weak from malnourishment, she didn't would simply have to deal with it.

"Yeah, I've been taking small jobs, and doing stuff to try and make cash, and build a name for myself since I got here," he said, "I've been trying to do good deeds."  He lead her into the forest after she finished dressing.  As they traveled, she seemed to have great difficulty moving about.  She kept tripping over roots and branches, and having a real hard time.  He was confused at first, because he wasn't having troubles, but then he realized, she was a bird for forty years, and didn't have to worry about walking all that time.  "Do you need help over there?  I realize you probably haven't walked much in a long time."

She asked him if he knew much about the Goddess Rhylana, the patron deity of fire.  He thought back about what his father said about deities of fire.  "He kept talking about an older deity of fire before the current one.  He brought up a girl named Caitlin who became a Goddess of Fire.  But then something happened, and a new Deity was chosen to replace her.  The only real thing I know is that she's related to a person Dad HATED.  The God of Darkness, Dimitre Knight.  Dad hated him.  So I don't know what to think of Lady Rhylana."  He reached his hand toward her to help her back onto her feet.  "Are you okay?"  He smiled toward her.

Pyzis blushed as Hiro offered to help her steady herself. It was silly that she was having as hard of a time as she was, but when you never have to look at where you step it's hard to get back into the habit. She took his hand greatfully and thought about his words. Pyzis had never heard of Dimitre, but she had plans to go visit the temple as soon as she was settled. She would have to keep an eye out for the man, if Hiro's noble father had had an issue with him then maybe he had a point. She had no idea that there had been a change in the Deities over the last few decades. In fact the only way she knew that Rhylana exsisted was a scrap of paper she could read from her cage during her captivity. 

"I'm fine, I just forget that I have to watch where I put my feet." Pyzis smiled sheepishly at Hiro. "I'm glad to hear you are trying to make a name for yourself through good deeds. It's hard to find people anymore who aren't obsessed with power or wealth. Hence how I ended up in captivity. I know I have power, but I've never sought to use it for my own uses. I've always found it hard to try and put myself before others." 

Pyzis looked up at the sky and felt drops of warm tropical rain begin to fall. With a sigh she wrapped her slender arms around herself, trying to keep as dry as she could. At least the canopy above was thick enough that few drops made it down to them, though they were usually the large ones that rolled off of huge fronds. She followed Hiro, and wondered what she would do next. If this village had a place for her to employ herself for a few weeks, she may be able to get herself situated enough to travel to a bigger city. The only things she had were the clothes she wore and it was depressing to think about starting over with no possesions at all. Pyzis couldn't complain about any of that because now she finally had freedom. 

"Why did your father hate Dimitre? I know nothing of the Deities as they stand now or as they have been over the last forty years." she asked. If she knew a little more about the world around her she wouldn't stick out as much once she made it to a larger city. It was hard to blend in if one didn't even know what was happening with the Godhead. 

Hiro smiled warmly at Pyzis, helping her catch her balance.  "I think I would have troubles walking if I were just kept in a small cage for years on end, and not let out to walk around.  You were a phoenix, a bird, and used to flying in the sky until you got captured and locked in a cage.  It's quite all right."  She expressed happiness that he wasn't obsessed with power or wealth.  "I need money of course to buy equipment, I need to train to get stronger, but I don't seek power at any cost, or wealth either.  I won't stab someone in the back just to get ahead.  It's not the right thing to do.  Dad would tan my hide if I did something like that.  Not that he's ever struck me before, besides just training with wooden swords and what not."

He felt raindrops coming down from the tree canopy.  They were lucky the trees were sheltering them from the bulk of the rain, but it was still very humid, and still wet, despite that.  Pyzis was trying to keep herself dry as the rain came down on them.  She only had the clothes on her back.  "Do you wish to borrow my cloak?  The first thing you should probably buy when we get to town is a good cloak.  It'll keep you dry in the rain, keep you warm in the cold, give you shade in the sun, and keep you inconspicuous when you wish not to draw attention."  He offered her the cloak off his back to keep her warm and dry.  He didn't mind if she borrowed it.  He wanted to be polite and help the girl.

"He said Dimitre was a horrible, evil man who was more concerned about his own power, than the people he ruled over or his own followers.  He had a city he ruled over with a puppet, and he ruled it with an iron fist.  He also beat his own child, Rhylana, when he found out she became a deity of fire, seeing the elemental powers as she governed as below his own darkness.  That's what he told me.  It does make me feel bad if that's how her own father treated her like."  He scratched his head.  "I've never met either of them, but the way Dad talked, he was on first name basis with a bunch of Deities."

Pyzis took the cloak and sighed as she put it on her shoulders. Hiro's warmth still clung to the cloth and seeped into her skin. With a blush she looked away from him, she had noticed that the cloak smelled rather nice. Not that she should be embarrassed since they had only just met and he had seen her practically naked already. She had forgotten how nice it was to have company and Hiro was so noble she found herself drawn to him. He told her how his motives were pure, and she smiled at him, her yellow eyes taking in the happiness that radiated from him. 

"As I have nothing to my name, one would think money would be my first goal. I can't make myself care about anything other than the fact that I'm free," she admitted as she tied the cloak. The rain was pouring harder, and more than a few drops had made their way to the two of them. She lifted her right hand and summoned a small flame to it, hoping the warmth of it would be enough to reach Hiro. Pyzis found herself feeling guilty that she had taken his cloak.

"Thank you for the cloak and the information. I need to know as much as I can if I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. If I start asking people who passed years ago, everyone will know something is up. I'm betting being inconspicuous is the best move for now. If I fit in, then I will be less likely to be captured." she mused as they continued through the rainforest toward the village.

Py pondered what he told her about the Goddess Rhylana. If she were a victim herself then she would likely understand Pyzis' situation better. Maybe she could offer some insight as to why she couldn't transform. Though perhaps as the Goddess of fire she could re-light the flames inside of her. 

"Hiro, do you think she could help me? I've never attempted to contact any of the Deities, but if they can help, then I will do what I must in order to transform again. I can't let my gift be wasted again." she said while clutching the cloak tighter around her. 

She was so kind, he couldn't help but want to help her.  When they met, he thought she was going to kill her for catching her bathing, but she didn't have any kind of malicious thoughts about that.  She was innocent.  She was pure.  She needed to be protected.  He would help her on her way, and make sure nothing bad happened to her.

"I have some money, I can get you a cloak of your own when you get there.  I guess you can just owe me a little bit, if you don't want to accept a freebie, or something.  When you figure out a way to get money, you can just pay me back whatever it costs.  I can't just let you out into the world with just the clothes on your back, and possibly catch your death of cold and exposure."  Hiro told her, anticipating any reservations she would have against accepting such an offer.  She started channeling some magic through her hand into a warm flame.  His body started to feel warm from the heat of that flame.  "Thank you, that feels good."  He smiled toward her.

"Yes, I would guess staying low would be the best move.  For the rest of the world to know, you're just an ordinary human girl.  People wouldn't try to take you for tears, though I've seen vile people who would kidnap a girl just because.  Some people are just evil.  You have to remember, some people can't be trusted.  But most people I hope aren't that bad.  There's good people, and some who are bad.  It's up to you to find people you can trust to call friends."

Pyris wondered if the Goddess of Fire would help her.  She asked Hiro for aid in finding Lady Rhylana.  Hiro gave a moment of thought.  Maybe it would suit him to find and meet this Goddess as well.  Who knows what he could learn from her.

"Sure, I'll help you out.  I'd like to meet the Goddess as well, so it'd benefit both of us.  I've only learned fire magic, and it came innately through my heritage.  I'd just like to learn more."  He looked toward her, smiling warmly.