It was midday, the sun shined through partial clouds. Students of the Academy went through their daily lessons. Even when the clouds soon began to cluster and it threatened to rain. Deep within the scholar's haven a female student, carrying rags and a bucket, made her way to a white room. The window in this room was covered with dull brown drapes. With a smile on her face she opened the drapes and faced a bed. " Looks like it might rain today, mister."  She said with a cheerful tone, and faced a bed.

On the bed lay a singular figure, a male. Though with how long his blue hair was, one could mistake him for a woman. He did not respond to the kindly words of the woman. Instead he was perfectly still. Aside from the gentle rise and fall of his chest.  His form was gaunt, and pale.  Gently the woman began to use the rags she brought in, to clean her patient. Still he did not react. Even when she cleaned the stump where his right shoulder would be.

It was only when she began to clean his forehead, that his eyelids began to flutter open. His golden eyes had a glaze over them, as if he had not been awake in years. The woman took notice of this and gasped. " He's awake, by the gods he is awake." She shouted, and in her rush to get out of the room, knocked over her bucket. The man hardly reacted, his eyes slowly closing again. The world fading back to black.

Within moments of the woman running out of the room, she returned. This time a balding man, with a long white beard, followed her in. Gently he tapped the sleeping man, who in turn opened his eyes slowly once more.  " Can you look up…good." The old man commented as the younger man followed his directions. " I need you to stay calm. You have been asleep for. Two Years." The younger man cocked his head sideways. As the old man kindly explained his situation.

 Then it hit him, he began to violently shake his head. " Not possible, It's not possible!" He sat up rather quickly and began to try to get out of the small bed he was in. Only to be stopped by several other students holding him down. The female student began to cast a spell, that quickly put the blue haired man in a rested state. His eyes once again closing lethargically.

It was only a couple hours before he was woken up once again, by the old man. " Do you remember your name." He questioned, stroking his beard. Looking at the man who was laying down still.

" Hadel, they call me Hadel "  Hadel spoke, the lethargy in his voice still. " Inform Caitlin that I am awake. The Lady of Fire would be overjoyed to know where I am. In fact, where am I." Again he spoke, still tired with his words. His left hand cradled his head in pain. The light hurt his eyes. 

" My boy, I am afraid that we know not of this lady of fire, Caitlin. There are many who share her name here at Wyllmochvar Academy. " The elderly man spoke with a saddened tone. 

" Lies, who would not know of Caitlin, Avatar of Fire, all in Daeluin  know of her brilliance." Hadel spat out venom, and reached for the old man. But, in his weakened state, was barely able to sit up on his own.

The old man, startled,stepped back from the bedside." I know not of this land you speak of, but this is Revaliir. You fell from the sky two years ago. We here at the Academy have looked after your body since then. It is remarkable that you are even still alive. He then turned away and shut the door. Leaving the now weeping Hadel alone.



—–

Later that night, rain was pelting against the windows.  A dimly lit candle  was at his bedside, and Hadel was laying on his side, facing it." Its a lie, isn't  it. You can hear me through the salamander that resides in this weak flame. Caitlin I am here, alive and well. I know you are too, I feel it deep in my soul." He spoke to the candle with all hope that it would speak back to him, but no soothing voice came.

Meanwhile, outside of his door a group of students gathered, and watched." Poor thing, he speaks to flames. The fall must have damaged him. He has not eaten all day, he refuses to, until he sees this Caitlin woman.  The students spoke in whispers about Hadel. Dispersing like flies whenever he would glance in their direction.

" Just let me be." He finally spoke out, to hopefully clear them once and for all.

It had been almost a year since Liam had fallen through a crack in Daeluin and found himself in this world.  It was almost like a twisted mirror, one where he found himself almost completely alone.  Oh, there were familiar names here and there.  But he did not want to bother the great deities of this world with his concerns.  After a month, he had found his way to the Mage Academy, and Liam actually found himself enjoying the learning process.  It was certainly different from what his mother had been teaching him.  Different, but still very useful.  And he was learning to tap into his water magic, what he had gotten from his father.  But in the night, he found himself unable to focus on his studies.  The rain was a pleasant distraction from his troubled mind as he stared at the tiny statue he still carried with him.  It was of two figures dancing, his mother and father at their wedding.  It was the only means that Liam had of knowing what his father looked like.

One of his friends poked her head into Liam's room, excitedly blabbering on about a patient who was awake after two years.  Liam almost ignored her, but for one word.  Daeluin.  That alone was enough to get his attention.  Pocketing the statue, since he never went anywhere without it, he followed Mia back up to the room where this mysterious patient was.  She didn't want to enter, but whispered to Liam "he doesn't want to talk to anyone… just so you know.  Maybe you can get him to eat something?" she said, pressing an apple into Liam's hand before leaving.  The young man shook his head at Mia, she had no idea of why he wanted to see this stranger. 

But when he saw the man's blue hair, he froze.  Liam had long ago stopped believing in fairy tales when his mother had died.  And it seemed utterly impossible now that this stranger before him might be his father.  "Brought you an apple.  I know you don't want to eat… but I don't think you'll ever see Caitlin," he said, then his voice caught in his throat when the man rolled over.  It was the same face as on the statue.  It just did not seem possible, but Liam finally seemed to be facing the father he had never known.  Grabbing a stool from the wall, he sat by the bed.  Placing the apple and the small statue on the nightstand, Liam fell silent.  What did you say to the father you had never known?  "They told me you were asking about Caitlin of Fire, and that you're from Daeluin.  But you won't find my mother here.  She died," he said, the lump returning to his throat.  He finally looked Hadel in the eyes, and they mirrored each other. 

Pulling a necklace out from under his shirt with two rings hanging from it, Liam figured this would prove it, once and for all.  "Her wedding ring… and yours, if I'm right… Dad?" he asked, a tentative note to his voice.  How Hadel would react, he had absolutely no idea.

Of all the places, of all the people, and all of the coincidences. This moment had to be a combination of every devil's luck. But, Hadel was too wrapped up in his own self misery to notice. Only when Liam mentioned Caitlin did he feel his heart drop further into his stomach. How could this young man ever know such a thing, that Hadel would never see his lover again?  Then he saw the statue on the nightstand. A sculpture depicting one of the happiest moments in his life. One dance, one moment where two souls connected, and the world froze. One of the figures resembled Caitlin, the other, himself.  It was easy enough for him to recognize. How did Liam get his hands on such an artifact? Even still the seeing the statue brought him some joy.

But even in a single moment of joy, the pain would not stop. Tears began to flow down his cheeks at the news. Caitlin, dead. He sat up from his position, his golden eyes meeting Liam's. Only then did he noticed that the boy had his mother's hair. A brilliant crimson, that threatened to catch fire. "Dad" The word echoed through his mind, causing more tears to flow from his eyes. Even through the tear filled eyes, he knew the sight of their promise bands. " Yes, I would know those rings anywhere!" His voice was filled with pain and joy. 

Hadel knew he was to have a son, but he died before he could even hold him. A mana poisoning caused his last death. Before it happened he dreamed a wicked dream. The dragon called upon the salamanders under Caitlin's control, and attempted to burn down a town. All in the name of his yet to be born son. " I knew I was to have a son, but I died before I knew his name." He frowned deeper, and tried to wipe the tears away. " I must have been dead longer than my two year sleep. You have grown to be a handsome man." He smiled and reached for the apple. His mind was still swirling from his awakening, and the recent news. 

" I am sorry that I was never there for you. I won't ask to be in your life." He took a large bite from the apple. It was no steak, but it felt good to have something to eat.  His eyes wandered to the entrance, where students were still crowding and watching." He's eating. What did he say to get the patient to do that?" Hadel swallowed his bite and stared at Liam. The more he looked the more he could see her spirit living on within him. 

 In this he found solace.

The look on his face when he saw the rings confirmed Liam's thoughts, though other questions were already beginning to come up in his mind.  If he would get any of those answers, he had absolutely no idea.  "Liam.  Mom named me after her little brother," he said, then a sheepish grin crossed his face.  It was the same look that Caitlin often wore when she had done something that was kind of stupid, but had gone ahead and done it anyway.  "Well… I kind of got into an aging potion.  Mom had always told me that she would tell me more about you when I got older… so I wanted to get older," he said with a chuckle.  Now it was funny to the young man, but when it had happened, Liam had left his mother's side for awhile.  It had been a difficult time, though he was quite grateful they had reconciled when they did. 

He hesitated for a moment when Hadel said that he wouldn't ask to be in his life.  In this world, he still felt alone and a bit lost.  Finding his father was a stroke of luck that seemed impossible.  "Just how did you wind up here anyway?  Mom… she said you died.  Even Nami did," he asked, his voice puzzled.  That was the strangest part of this whole situation, now that he had thought about it.  and even Hadel admitted that he had died.  There was a puzzle here that he wanted to figure out.  Glancing behind him, Liam just shrugged at the people asking questions.  He had been keeping his voice pitched low, since he didn't want to give up the secret.

"Honestly… I'm alone here.  I wouldn't mind you being around.  But… I think we ought to learn about each other first.  Ya know, it sounds weird but maybe try being friends first," he suggested.  Liam figured that was better than trying to force a father and son relationship.  At least once Hadel was out of the hospital, he figured it would take a little while for his father to fully recover.