Lucifer was still fuming when Gust caught up to him. He wasn’t difficult to follow, and likely wasn’t trying very hard to go missing. The air around him was stifling.

Gust frowned. “So, that happen often?”

Lucifer turned, tears in his eyes and hugged Gust. “I love him, but he’s so protective of me. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“Oh, I...uhh,” Gust hesitantly returned the hug. “I think that just means he loves you too.”

Lucifer let go. “We’ve been together for 13 years. We’ve been everywhere together. He and Seraph saved me. I get it.”

Gust did the math. “He was interested in you 13 years ago?”

“No, Gust.” His voice was serious. Gust flinched. “He’s like my brother. We’re not so distant to be like father and son, but he is all I have right now.” 

After saying that, Lucifer flashed his smile. They began walking along the outer ring. “So we’re here now. Do you like going on walks? I do.”

The shift in mood threw Gust off, but he was relieved to switch topics. “Yes. I usually walk on my own, but I go on runs with my sister. We always run along this outer path of the city, so I’m familiar with this path.”

“Your….sister.”

“Ya. I mean, I’ve only just met her, but when Quinn says you’re related, you trust her.” Gust shrugged. “It makes sense too. I grew up in Perth, but never had an affinity. It makes sense I’m Faver.” 

“Perth?”

“You’re an Eruli. You don’t….you’re not from Perth?”

“I’m from across the mountains in Amostarri.”

Gust wanted to facepalm. Why else would Lucifer be traveling with a Horimir?  The questions, how and why stayed at the tip of his tongue. Lucifer’s affinity, lack of knowledge about his own affinity, his accent, how close he stood all started linking together and making sense. 

“You’re the first person who doesn’t act strange with me, ya know. Thanks.” Lucifer eyed Gust. It seemed he had no sense of shyness or holding back his feelings.

“You don’t know why, do you?”

“Not at all. People on this side of the mountains are strange, and I’ve met some weird people. Once, someone tried putting me in the ocean to see if I could freeze the whole thing.”

Gust twitched. “Ocean?”

“Gust, don’t tell me. You’ve never seen the ocean?”

“What’s an ‘ocean?’”

Gust learned quickly that Lucifer could talk. A lot. He explained the ocean as a giant lake that surrounded both this side of the mountain and their side on Amostarri. It was big and salty, and no, he couldn’t freeze the whole thing. Gust did wonder what the extend of Lucifer’s affinity was. From how he talked, it seemed like he could make everything around him cooler or warmer. 

“Even on my way to….I think the city is Roanoak...It was snowing and I had to…”

“Snow?” Gust felt embarrassed, he had so many questions. Perth’s climate rarely changed. At worst, a light storm may occur. Lucifer talked about frozen water falling, which sounded painful to Gust, but it was soft. There were things called tornados, sand devils, earthquakes, and lightning storms which lasted for days. 

“Honestly Lucy, Amostarri sounds terrifying.” Gust replied after Lucifer explained how the world split open and their third companion, Seraph, had to rescue them.

“It’s not so bad. The people are nice.”

“The Horimir are? I’ve only heard scary things, like how they manipulate people’s blood, and are constantly fighting, and have no respect for anyone at all.”

Lucifer pondered for a moment. “Well, all that’s about half true. Ferek will tell you.”

Gust sighed. They were almost back to Quinn’s shack. Home. By now, it was near mid-afternoon. Lucifer walked slow and still seemed winded compared to Gust. In truth, Gust had no idea what to do with Lucifer. Bringing a wayward boy back home

“Is that it?”

The shack appeared small on the outside, but it was built into and extended into the inner wall of Berkan.The ‘backyard,’ hid between the shack, the wall, and surrounding architecture.  It was deceptively quaint and homey.

When Gust opened the door, the smell of baking and a flowering tea mixed and flowed freely. He smiled involuntarily, used to the results of Quinn’s hobby.

Lucifer, however, was new to the experience. “Oh mein gut. What is this, and the smell of roses too. They were pulled recently, no?”

“No. Dried. Preserved, and then brewed. You know the flower, but seem characteristically unaware of the local. Roses don’t grow here.” Quinn chuckled. “Who is your friend, Gust?”

Lucifer stood next to Gust with his wickedly wide smile. “I am called Lucifer or Lucy. To whom am I speaking?”

“Oh dear, oh dear, the tea is ready. Just needs to cool.”

“Do not worry so. Please prepare a mug if you do not mind me joining you, meine altesten.” Lucifer bowed slightly. Quinn huffed in delight and poured a piping hot mug. As she found a cup holder, Lucifer grabbed the mug by its side and began drinking.

Gust gasped. “Lucifer, wait! You’ll,” then remembered. “Oh, you probably don’t even feel that.” As if in response, the kitchen room felt slightly hotter than moments before.

Gust noticed that Quinn stopped what she was doing and stared intently at Lucifer. He  cursed his own lack of foresight. Her eyes widened. She licked her lips, but her eyebrows curled in confusion, then raised, brought back down. They wiggled a little. Her brow danced as she hypothesized rapidly. Gust sat down and placed his forehead squarely onto the table, awaiting the inevitable lecture. 

“This is magnificent!” Quinn exclaimed. “Your affinity clearly has to do with what we commonly know as fire affinities, but instead of heating, you are rapidly cooling, but are also following the laws of exchange; Gust, listen will you, this is what we’re studying right now.” Gust turned to the side, avoiding Lucifer’s eyes. “This means that instead of your body heating up and burning, you rapidly transfer the heat elsewhere as self-preservation, but clearly you have no tattoos, so that means you’re an Eruli without any tattoos and performing this feat, instantaneously, no less. Ahh yes, I haven’t experienced this since Crystal first came upon her affinities, but to this level, you’ve been without your tattoos for a long time. She could never do this so easily and effortlessly. Absolutely amazing. I must bring you to our next lesson. You will be the perfect example of exactly what we’re talking about. I bet if we even doused you in flames, you would be able to evenly distribute the heat so as to not burn anyone.”

“Oh. You’re Quinn! I’ve heard of you before.” Somehow, Lucifer held onto his smile even after Quinn’s mental assault. “And not absolutely. I’ve once had to walk in a burning desert with no cover and eventually I began to go cold. I don’t remember how many days it took to recover.”

“Ahh, so someone with as masterful a control over his affinity still bleeds the energy. You’ll go hypothermic eventually. This is further proof of the rune friction hypothesis as a fundamental concept. The implication is massive. We don’t have many fire, no, heat would be more appropriate. We don’t have many if any heat affinities in Berkan at the moment. Please, if I could just…”

“Ma, can you not.”

“LIL’ BRO,, LETS GO!” The door to the shack was kicked open and slammed into a heavily abused door stopper. Vera entered in her full Guide gear, ready to go on their mid-day training run. Gust sank in his seat.

“Oh, hello. I’m Lucifer. He didn’t skip a beat. “So you’re Gust’s sister?”

“That’s right, pretty boy.”

“Thank you.”

Vera scoffed. “I like him. Who brought blondie?”

“He’s Gust’s friend.” Quinn said.

“Gusty! I’m so proud. You’ve stuck by Heron’s side like ants to syrup and you’re branching out. Doesn’t get you out of running.”

Gust locked eyes with Lucifer as he gulped the remainder of his tea. “Lucy, can you do me a favor and kill me.” 

“Your family seems lively. I like it here.” He stood up. Considering Vera was taller than Gust, Lucifer looked tiny next to her. “Don’t mind me. Please take him for a run. I don’t mind, though I don’t know how he’ll do it. I’m so tired from the walk and waking up early.”

Lucifer decided for them both. 

-

Gust practically sprinted for their run. With her gear, Vera could not keep pace. He knew without her treated leather, utility axe and pack. The only piece of gear missing was her specialized lance. Once back at the shack, he checked behind him; Vera was not in sight. He opened the door. 

No one. The dishes were washed. The door to the Backyard was left ajar. 

“Oh shi…” A booming sound interrupted Gust’s thoughts. He threw the door open and a wash of hot steam flowed through. 

“Absolutely incredible.” said Quinn, over the sound of rushing air. 

Lucifer panted. “Can...we...be done...yet.”

“Lucy!” Gust ran over to him. His skin felt hot and sweaty. His skin felt hot. “What did you do?”

“We were stress testing his affinity. From what we know of heat affinities, their stamina is incredibly low, but Lucifer’s transfer of heat is incredibly efficient.”

“Quinn, he’s…”

“I’m...fine...Gust. There’s a few tubs of ice nearby.”

Gust turned to the back corner of the backyard where tubs and crates were still steaming. “We’re out of ice. Ma, please.”

She shook her head, as if oblivious to Lucifer’s burning skin. “Yes, yes, one moment.” She fished through her robes pockets and picked out a card. She walked to a kneeling Lucifer, placed her hands on his and the card under both. She pushed and an arm sized indent in the ground formed.

“You may not have thought of this, but the ground absorbs heat. Push in quickly.” 

“Okay.” He placed his arm in the whole. A few moments later, his skin felt normal. He flashed a wide smile. “Whoa, there’s a lot of room down there.”

“Yes, yes. That should help even in the most strenuating circumstances.”

Gust grunted. “Are you ok, what do you need now?”

“Stick around and look at the ceiling with me.” Lucifer rolled over, arms spread, and stared.

“Ok.” He laid down.

“Closer please.” 

“Uhh, ok.” Gust inched closer and lay on Lucifer’s arm. 

“I’m balancing my body temperature with yours. I don’t really know what it should be. I just do it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know the words for what I mean. The ceiling is so pretty.”

The ‘ceiling’ of the Backyard was not a regular ceiling. It was a web of connected runes that formed a powerful barrier to the outside. It was translucent and shimmering. The sky was warped, but the light scattered into various rainbows and auras, creating the ‘ceiling.’ It was one of Quinn’s secret inventions. She wouldn’t even tell Gust about how she made it. Gust never sat and admired the handiwork before.

“Your family is like when Ferek, Seraph, and I were together. It is familiar.”

“We’re barely a family. Vera and I just met each other a few months ago, and she’s the adoptive daughter of Quinn, so it’s really all just conjecture if we even are family.” Lucifer sat up, aware of something Gust wasn’t. “Who is Seraph?” Gust asked.

“She is…” The door to the Backyard opened. His voice sombered. “Silver hair.”