Lindyss yawned and turned her head to the side. She noticed a large scowl on Tafel’s face; the demon was using her portals to view everything from a bird’s-eye view. “What’s the matter?” Lindyss asked. “You wanted a residence; Vur’s getting you a residence.”

“He’s better at using phoenix skills than I am,” Tafel said. “And that frustrates me a little.”

“What’s your point? He’s better at non-phoenix skills as well,” Lindyss said, ignoring the faint shouts and screams in the distance. “It’s not like you were imprinted as a baby like Vur was, so you shouldn’t feel bad for having an immature control of your abilities.”

“Yeah, but look at him,” Tafel said, taking a step back and gesturing for Lindyss to come look through the portal. “I haven’t seen Minerva fight much, but I think Vur’s even better than her at moving through fire.”

Lindyss leaned to the side and peeked through the portal. She raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s pretty impressive,” she said. “I’ve never seen him do that before.”

“Exactly,” Tafel said. “Neither have I.”

“Excuse me,” Gaegukja Yeol said, floating over Tafel and Lindyss to look through the portal. “May I watch as well?”

Tafel glanced up at the flaming woman, but Gaegukja Yeol’s eyes were already glued onto the happenings beyond the portal. Tafel couldn’t blame her; it wasn’t every day someone saw a disembodied dragon disappearing and reappearing through a sea of fire. Claws appeared behind elves, snatching them up and reappearing elsewhere. A dragon head appeared and breathed a breath of icicles at a regiment of elves holding tower shields in front of themselves. The shields were enough to block the ice, but the elves didn’t bring anything to stop the dragon tail from slamming into them from behind without warning.

“How is he doing that?” Gaegukja Yeol asked. “Can all dragons do that?”

“It’s a phoenix skill,” Tafel said. “Dragons don’t move through flames like this.”

“Is Vur not a dragon?” Gaegukja Yeol asked. “How is he using a phoenix’s skill?”

“Have you ever heard of a blue mage?” Tafel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gaegukja Yeol blinked, her red eyes dimming and glowing. “Blue mages,” she said and turned towards her brother, who had drifted over to look through the portal as well. “Why does that sound so familiar?”

“Blue mage is the official name of copycat mage,” Deowi said.

“Vur is a copycat mage?” Gaegukja Yeol asked, her eyes widening as she glanced down to look at Tafel. “And he’s a dragon? That’s amazing!” She paused. “Right? Are all dragons blue mages or just Vur?”

“Just Vur,” Tafel said.

“How many skills has Vur copied?” Gaegukja Yeol asked. “I know most blue mages have a limit of four, but I’ve heard talented ones can remember up to eight.”

Tafel furrowed her brow. “I’m actually not sure,” she said. “You’ll have to ask him, but you might not receive the answer you want to hear.”

Gaegukja Yeol’s eyes flickered as she recalled her previous experiences conversing with Vur. “I understand exactly what you mean.”

“Excuse me,” a high-pitched voice said. “Yeol? Am I allowed to call her that? Gaegukja Yeol, hello, yes!”

Gaegukja Yeol blinked at the head-sized, red rock waving at her on the ground with its sticklike arm. “Are you another one of Vur’s elementals? You can call me Yeol if you want but not in public.”

“Oh, I see,” Sheryl said. “Anyway, I’m Sheryl, and Vur told me to bring you to him, so if you’d come with me….”

Gaegukja Yeol raised an eyebrow. “He wants to see me?” A faint smile appeared on her face. “What for?”

“Just her?” Tafel asked before Sheryl could respond.

Sheryl nodded. “He said he had to show her something, but there shouldn’t be a problem if the rest of you come as well.”

“Alright,” Tafel said and nodded. “We’re going too.” She glanced at the portal and frowned. Vur was still bullying the elves; what did he want to show Gaegukja Yeol?

Sheryl led the way, disappearing and reappearing along the trail. The air between the earth and sky was still set ablaze, and the creatures in the region were still panicking despite the fact they hadn’t been burned even after so much time had passed. Tafel stared as Sheryl disappeared into the flames and reappeared a few meters ahead. “Great,” the demon muttered. “Even a fire elemental learned a phoenix’s skill faster than me.”

Sheryl cleared her throat. “It’s all luck,” she said, staring at the ground with her ruby eyes. “If I hadn’t formed a contract with Vur, I’d still be a tiny spirit living in a volcano, and in the first place, it’s easier for me to morph into flames than you.”

“I’m just complaining to myself,” Tafel said. “You don’t have to mind me.” She looked around. “How far is Vur? Should I speed us up?”

“No, that’s quite alright,” Sheryl said. “We’re almost there, just past that archway and into that pit.”

“I’m assuming this pit wasn’t here earlier,” Lindyss said, taking a look at the uprooted trees and dirt surrounding the group.

“How clever,” Erin said. “What helped you figure it out?”

Lindyss rolled her eyes up to look at the fairy queen sitting on her head. “You really want me to stop making extra drinks, huh?”

“No, sorry, forget I said anything,” Erin said, the words nearly blurring as they tumbled out of her mouth. “Vur’s flames even burn underground, huh?”

“Yeah,” Lindyss said. “It’s a bit surreal walking through a tunnel of fire. Noisy too.” She looked behind herself at Kax, who was following the group at the same distance he always had. When Lindyss confirmed the red-haired man wasn’t affected by the fire, she made a small exhalation and raised an eyebrow before turning back around.

“What’s up?” Erin asked. “You thought of something just now.”

“I’m thinking about turning Kax into a mummy. His flesh is—”

“You know what?” Erin interrupted. “Forget I asked.”

Lindyss snorted. “Jerk.”