The bells of the harbor still jingled in the wind outside. The night was otherwise quiet save for the soft footsteps of one determined Zaunite. Gisha moved down the corridor stairs and into the dimly lit den of the tavern floor. The room was cast in a flickering orange light of a spacious fireplace. The corners of the chamber were darkened and the furniture cast wild shadows against the walls as the fire popped and crackled.
Gisha descended the last of the staircase with a serious expression, knowing full well what to expect in the room below. Already, she could feel that familiar presence. A deep, throbbing sensation reverberated in her fiery core. She felt as though her flame were sparking wildly, trying to react to this new, alien sensation. Neither Rai nor Hal was here to protect her this time, which was exactly how she wanted it. This was one confrontation Gisha needed to make on her own. She cleared the final step and came to stand on the hard wood floor. The massive fireplace blazed on her left. The circle of couches stretched around her and the dining tables and the bar sat in darkness far to her right. The hunting trophies mounted about the room all loomed with the eerie light. Yet despite all the questionable auras to be seen, Gisha’s full attention was focused on the only other soul in the room.
Kolkai lounged on the nearest couch in a silken night gown. A glass of wine sat on the end table at her side. When the two of them made eye contact, the most elated expression appeared on her face. it was evident that Gisha was expected, but the her appearance still moved Kolkai none the less.
“I was beginning to wonder if you were coming…” the pearly haired woman mused as she sat up.
“I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour!” She rose and moved towards Gisha, raising her arms to meet her as though she were a close friend. Once again, Gisha was overwhelmed with a shrill panic. Her flame recoiled abruptly from the otherworldly presence that approached her. Gisha stepped backwards, as though she might be freed of the sensation. Kolkai took notice and stopped, her expression diminishing momentarily before she smiled with reluctance. “You still shirk from me… I suppose it’s to be suspected.”
Gisha didn’t waste another moment. She was here for answers. “You’re an elemental… just as I am.” Her tone was harsh and cold. With the strange assault on her core, it was hard to feel compassionate or tolerant, yet Kolkai giggled with Gisha’s rebuttal.
“Of course! Have you not considered the existence of other elemental mortals? I’ve known of your existence for years! Often I’ve wondered about the titan of flame and how it must have lived… what kind of personality could be cultivated with fire? What sort of spirit would they have? Could they too seek the same enlightenment that I seek!? These questions have plagued me for a very long time Gisha!” With little warning, but surprising grace, Kolkai took her hand. Gisha was unable to react before the dancer had moved her to the couch. With another welcoming glance, Kolkai reclaimed her seat and attempted to guide Gisha to the cushion next to her.
Gisha refused, instead pulling free from the woman’s grasp. “I’m not here to relax… I have questions!”
Kolkai didn’t seem bothered by the refusal, she simply crossed her legs and clasped her hands over her knees. “Of course… I realize this must all be ver-“
“Why do I feel so strained in your presence? What are you trying to do to me!?” She snapped with a sour tone. Her words were sharp and direct, though it hardly made an impact on Kolkai’s willful body language. However, the woman did appear puzzled.
“…strained?” Her eyes scanned the floor momentarily before returning to Gisha. “I feel no strain, nor do I bare any ill will towards you. Perhaps you’re reacting to a perceived fear… perhaps you fear me?”
“I don’t- I…” Gisha stammered, already flustered. “I have nothing to fear from you. That does not make sense.”
“Have you nothing to fear from me?” Kolkai raised an eyebrow suggestively, once again donning her devious smile. Immediately, Gisha felt taken aback, as though she had made some critical underestimation. The white haired woman tilted her head slightly, still smiling at the Zaunite before her. “Is that not a bold assumption? Not even I know how our powers will interact… we could be two critically opposed forces, destined for destruction… and we may not yet know it.”
The fear had been pinpointed. Gisha felt it in her heart. For some time she had dreaded the devastation she could bring. Perhaps there was nothing more horrifying than knowing that there was another who might be capable of similar destruction. The primordial power that she sensed in this woman was terrifying in an of itself.
Gisha snapped back to reality where she found Kolkai now standing before her, eyes caged on her own. “That’s it… isn’t it? You fear a lack of control… that primal essence in your core. At all times you must be conscious of it or walk with a terrible risk.” Gisha couldn’t respond. Kolkai somehow knew it all and was slowly peeling her insecurity apart. The woman stepped closer to her, Gisha prepared to step back, but found Kolkai’s hand already slipping into the curve of her lower back. With a pounding in her heart and much to her dismay, she found herself in the woman’s grasp once again. Despite her forwardness, Kolkai held her tenderly, bringing her chilled hand to feel Gisha’s cheek as she still peered into her eyes. Kolkai’s tried to speak in comfort.
“Then it should come as a relief to you that I too have been plagued by that fear,” she said serenely, meaning every word of it and attempting to alleviate Gisha’s concerns. “That primal essence exists in me, and focus has been my burden.” Her hand gently brushed Gisha’s bangs aside. “You’re not alone Gisha… I share your concerns, your burden. And based on what I’ve heard, Rai is severely loyal and madly supportive.” Kolkai chuckled slightly at that last statement. Gisha’s eyes remained on her, unsure of what to say. The sentiment was well received and the words were kind, but the opposing feeling in her core was still concerning.
“The reason that I feel this repulsion then is simply due to my ignorance?” Kolkai nodded in confirmation, now holding both of her hands behind Gisha’s upper back. “Indeed! I have yet to feel such a thing in my elemental center, for I accepted you the moment I laid my eyes upon you.”
The woman’s statement begged a further question, once which Gisha was reluctant to ask. This mysterious woman had been so forthcoming and given her nothing but praise. The Zaunite was raised unaccustomed to such behavior and had thus been distrusting. Yet it was the intimate contact that confused her senses. After all, Gisha’s personal space stood like a steel wall. Only Rai ever entered it.
“That is evident…” she squirmed slightly against the woman’s embrace. Kolkai lessened her grip, but still held her. She giggled playfully as the temperature pulsed colder. “I find that touch is a far more liberating sense than most people understand… and, forgive my words Gisha, but touching you… feeling your flame in my arms… It’s perhaps the most liberating. It’s remarkably warm.”
Gisha forced a smile. It was true, she sensed something unusual when they stood this close, but it was strangely cold. It was becoming readily apparent that this woman was not a threat, nor a concern. In fact, Kolkai seemed more at tune with her elemental self than Gisha was. Perhaps she could stand to learn something from this woman, despite the difference in their powers.
“Forgive me… if this is forward. But these gestures seem almost… intimate.” The final word reverberated in her mind. She simply left it at that, hoping for the best. As of now, she couldn’t stand to upset this woman. They were on good terms. But in her heart, she knew she had to address this issue before they could move on.
Kolkai’s smile faded slightly as she sighed deeply, her shoulders rising and descending with one long breath. Gisha’s honesty struck her, so it was only fair that she return the gesture. “I must confess Gisha… I am envious of Rai and that which you’ve shared with him. Your fire… haunts my very thoughts when you are near… I wish nothing more than to witness it. Pure and primal.” Her trembling fingers held Gisha’s chin with a tactful, guiding touch. Her white lips quivered just inches away, so close that Gisha could feel the cold, delicate breath against her own. Though the two of them hovered just inches from each other. Gisha could sense the pain in Kolkai’s heart as she slowly withdrew, carefully leaning away before releasing Gisha altogether.
“But… I can’t ask that of you.” Her tone was weary, perhaps the most pained that Gisha had yet heard from her. “I suppose I’m just overwhelmed to find someone who might share my outlook…”
“Kolkai…” Gisha said, stepping towards the seemingly heartbroken ice elemental. “My flame belongs to Rai… but I won’t deny you the pleasure of my companionship. Even mentorship.”
Kolkai’s eyebrows perked up. “Mentorship?” Gisha nodded as she readjusted her shirt. “I can sense the stability in your core… the balance with which you live. You are considerably more expressive than myself… yet I cannot match the level of control you demonstrate.”
The white haired woman was beaming. The white freckles of her cheeks strained to contain the joyous expression she now wore. “Absolutely! Of course! It would be an honor!”
Gisha was unprepared for the enthusiastic hug she then received. Kolkai squeezed her tightly, nuzzling her cheek with her own as she practically squealed with glee. “There is so much I wish to show you! soon as our situation permits, we shall meditate together!”
Gisha smiled half heartedly as Kolkai once again released her. The ice elemental cleared her throat. “And I... will give you some space, if you so desire.”
