Aegin probably could have gotten away with just scaring a few people, so if anyone later told him the fire was probably a bit much, he wouldn’t argue. But the showman in him figured it was a dramatic flare that couldn’t be missed. He smiled to himself as he watched the fire rapidly take the building he’d set alight. One that was unoccupied. He of course gave everyone the chance to run from the hay storage. As it roared up to take the entire building it was housed in, peeling back the roof and jumping unperturbed to the neighbouring buildings.

He smiled to himself. So perhaps the bloodlust had hit him a little hard, he still could not help but enjoy himself. Creating Chaos like this…it had never really occurred to him before why his instincts drove him to hard to escalate a situation, but as the fire spread, and more and more of the Black Sands Tribesman poured out onto the streets to save themselves from the flames, he realised that his instincts had always been pretty darn spot on. Generating Chaos meant that there were more opportunities for him to regenerate the power he would need in the upcoming fight.

Though he was uneasy in the knowledge that Yashi would likely be in the same situation.

Aegin descended from the rooftop of the building he’d been resting on as the heat from below grew more intense. He landed on the street below. Those who had been brave enough to try and ferry buckets of water to the fire now stepped back in horror. The flames were far too high now, too intense. They ran, carrying nothing for Aegin as he whistled to himself, taking himself step by step towards the estate.

It did not take very long for Yashi to appear. The wind around him diminished somewhat as the Djinn landed in the middle of the street about twenty metres in front of Aegin. The Djinn beheld the flames around Aegin.

“I suppose my Master’s next wish will likely be to restore the city to it’s former state,” the Djinn sighed, though his volume just shy of a shout thanks to the roaring of the flames.

Aegin gave a small smile in reply, a fang peaking out from within, “Can you always predict their next wishes?”

The Djinn frowned, “Of course not. Predicting future events is left to the Star Mapping Priests, though I’m not entirely sure they exist anymore”.

“I’ve never heard of them,” Aegin replied.

The Djinn sighed, “Order really did a number on the world, didn’t they?”

Aegin tilted his head, “So there was a war, was there?”

“I heard there was,” Yashi replied.

Aegin frowned, “I thought you were alive back then”.

“I was,” said Yashi, “But Djinn are not nearly as free to do as they wish as you seem to assume. The last Master I served before Gryffyn was stupid enough to encounter a rather powerful Earth Magician. She was fairly adamant in ensuring that the Djinn never see the light of day again. It worked for a good eight and a half thousand years in my case”.

“So, you know nothing of the rest of the world?” asked Aegin, “How the other paths of Chaos faired?”

Yashi shrugged his shoulders, “Whispers in the wind told me only that they had either vanished, fled, or had been decimated, along with any of their businesses, affiliates, cities and products. All of them either confiscated or burned. They were oh so proud of themselves, they didn’t even realise that they’d burned the same technology that could ensure them the passage back to their Holy Land. Righteous Idiots”.

“If you condemn them so much, why are you so adamant in fighting me?” asked Aegin, “Surely you’re aware that as those on paths of Chaos we are of a limited and endangered bunch”.

Yashi sighed, “Did you not here me when I said that Djinn are not free to do as they wish?”

“So, you would leave me be if it were not for your Master’s wish?” asked Aegin.

Yashi smiled, “You seemed relatively useless at first…now, perhaps you could have been an acquaintance”.

“Not a friend?” asked Aegin.

“Djinn are solitary beings,” said Yashi, “There isn’t much room for friends when your happiness lies in desiring what everyone else has”.

“I suppose there isn’t much else to it then, is there?” asked Aegin, “One of us will get out of this, the other one will be ashes, is that right?”

Yashi grinned, “I don’t think it’s a question of which of us will live. I think it’s a question of when you’ll be the ashes you’ve readily proposed”.

Aegin grinned, extending his claws as he crouched slightly and hissed at the Djinn, “You don’t bleed, Djinn, but let’s see if you’ll burn”.

Aegin lunged forward.

***

Sevis watched the gate with Tigin. The Guards…they were still as statues. They had been for several minutes, even with the smoke to the North becoming darker and thicker as a fire spread.

Sevis looked over at Tigin in question. Tigin looked back at him in confusion.

Sevis looked back at the gate. Then he stood, in plain sight of the guards.

“Are you crazy-”

Sevis stepped forward as Tigin lunged towards him.

“Sevis-”

Tigin watched as Sevis approached the guards, fearing for his friend’s life for a tense moment before he realised that the guards weren’t reacting at all. They didn’t even blink let alone move.

Tigin stood slowly as Sevis stepped in front of one, waving a hand in front of his face. Nothing. Tigin approached slowly just as Sevis poked the guard with his long sword. The poor guy toppled over. Tigin stood beside Sevis as they both looked down at the still statue-like guard.

“Well, he did say he’d clear a path,” Tigin stated.

“I don’t even know what this is,” said Sevis, “Could be the Djinn’s work for all we know”.

“Why would the Djinn incapacitate the guards for the Tribe he’s supposed to be protecting?” asked Tigin.

Sevis sighed, “Good point”.

Tigin pointed at the wall just inside the gate, “Look”.

It was a hastily drawn sketch, smeared in blood by the looks of the pale and dead body beneath it. Tigin curled his lip in disgust, “I don’t know how I feel about this”.

Sevis sighed, “Come on, faster we get through this place, the faster we can get to Rima and get out”.

The two followed the arrow three blocks up, then turned down an alley to find the next sketch, all guards and other individuals they may have come across either incapacitated in some form, or dead.