Kellen

I was relieved to see Seethe come back in one piece after being gone for four days. He seemed completely fine, which was kind of odd to be honest. Except for the fact that he ate fire? Besides that he seemed fine, just hungry and a bit more energetic than usual, or was it just him happy to be out of his lantern. I didn’t really know, and I didn’t want to pry into his mind too much to find out. I did wish a welcome back when he returned though and did go to the team meeting we had about why he had been gone for so long and what happened. While four days may not seem like a lot, when the point of reference for long is a single day, the fact that he was gone four times is generally worrying. Seethe told us his necklace was a talisman given to him by his father, it is an item that apparently represented their pact. He said it was akin to a holy symbol, he also said that apparently, depending on his father’s whim, he could’ve received a spellbook, a weapon, or a familiar instead. When he said familiar, I imagined something like a burning dog or a burning bird. I accidentally projected this into his mind telepathically and he spit out the water he was drinking. Over the about a month our group has been traveling I have gotten rather close to Seethe, he’s the first friend I made outside of the kids I grew up with in Trensor. I think because of that and because most of my friends are Kalashtar like me I got used to just projecting my thoughts no matter how random. Seethe accidentally experienced that I guess and started laughing after he spit out his water.

Then for some reason, I sensed something over from Gale. I sensed this hostility towards Seethe, she then grabbed her glass of water, stood up and dumped over her brother. All of us were shocked by this, even her siblings.

“OY AIRHEAD I GET YOU MISSED SMOKEY ‘CAUSE HE’S BEEN GONE FOR A BIT, BUT THAT’S A BIT RUDE AIN’T IT?!” Liz shouted at Gale, defending Seethe.

“That’s not Seethe, the movement he came out that door and down the stairs, I knew you weren’t my brother. Who are you?” Gale boldly claimed, as wind started to pulse around her body.

He responded by saying, “Gale what are you even saying? I am See-”.

She then cut him off, saying “You’re not acting like my brother, he isn’t this rambunctious, he isn’t this open, and he for sure as shit is not somebody who acts like nothing happened after someone splashed water on him or something! He’d be angry and confused, he wouldn’t just sit down like nothing happened, he’d question why I did that. If I had to guess who you were, you would be his dad, what was his name again? Uhhhh…Shah Anwar! You’re Shah Anwar aren’t you?!”

The whole room went silent, Quarry and Monsoon started walking up to Gale to calm her down, when a loud laugh came from Seethe, “HAHAHAHAHA OF COURSE YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TO FIGURE IT OUT! Out of all of his siblings Seethe speaks the most about you, you two seem to be very close Gale, almost like twins. Yes I am not Seethe, I am Shah Anwar, Seethe’s father, currently he is still training inside the lantern. He didn’t want any of you to worry though so he lent me his physical form, his body, so I could check up on all of you. I know my son quite well, but I can’t force myself to act like him, he is a lot more meek and humble, with a worse temper to boot.”

All of us were shocked, Liz, who looked like she was gonna burst out in anger before had her mouth left agape. Corrin and NoName who were just quietly sitting down, had this feeling of dumbfoundedness in their heads. While Monsoon and Quarry looked like they were about to faint from shock.

But Gale, Gale looked like she was about to slap him, but then for some reason I spoke up, I asked Shah Anwar, “Why is Seethe still inside the lantern? It’s been nearly 5 days since we’ve last seen him, we’re all worried.”

“Kellen, yes?” , I nodded in response.

“My son is still training, he tried to pull off a technique known as metamagic, an ability innate to sorcerous types.” He explained.

Monsoon then asked him, “That thing he did, against those ‘decayed’, was metamagic right? I thought he could control it.”

He responded “Yes and no. My son with the magic I have given him has access to two types of magic, the magic I give him via our pact and the lantern, and the magic he has inherited from me directly. The magic Seethe has been training with for most of his life has been the magic I’ve given him through our pact. Both of us think, if my lantern is never able to leave him anyways, why does he need to learn how to control the magic he inherited? But because of his desire to learn metamagic, he wants to learn how to control at least a little bit, how to use his inheritance. Does that clear it up for you?”

“That makes sense, but when is my brother coming back?” Quarry said back to Shah Anwar with a stiff tone to his deep rumbling voice.

Shah Anwar, closed his eyes and tilted his head up, thinking, he then replied to Quarry’s question with, “I don’t know, I think he wants to come out when he can do metamagic without straining himself. He’s really stubborn about it too, I told him to leave once he figured out how to use the new talisman I granted him, but you know Seethe-.”

“None of the characteristics of fire besides a determination not to go out.” Gale said in unison with Shah Anwar.

“So he’ll come back when he feels like what? He’s not a burden, or a danger?” I asked him.

“I assume so, yes.” He told me.

Liz growled, “Well that’s bunk, Smokey should just come back, he’s got people that care for him, who cares how strong he thinks he needs to be.”

“He does Liz and that’s the point, he does. So I’m gonna drag him out, whether he wants to or not. Shah Anwar, other people can go inside the lantern right? Let me in. I'm gonna talk to my brother. ” Gale told him.

He replied to Gale saying, “Of course Gale, but like I said, as you know Seethe is very stubborn. He told me he doesn’t want to come out until he fully learns how to control his metamagic. A simple lecture might not suffice.”

Monsoon added, “So Quarry and I should come with you guys then, to help you convince him.”

Then Gale walked towards me, “If other people are coming Kellen should too. You’re close to my brother. You even help him with his nightmares, I think you’ll be able to help us convince our stubborn brother.”

“I-I…uh are you sure? I haven’t even known you guys for that long.” I replied with a shocked tone in my voice.

“You help him with his nightmares, Seethe has had horrible nightmares and night terrors since we were kids, I think you’re qualified to help.”, Gale confirmed with a smile on her face.

Shah Anwar chuckled, it was quiet but when he did we all instinctively looked at him, “All right then children, follow me into my lantern.” He punctuated that sentence with a devilish grin. He then picked up Seethe’s lantern and slammed it into the ground as we all turned into a singular flame and were transported into the lantern.