With the moon once again waxing, Devin could feel his connection to Paola growing. Still only a few days since they had once again undergone the bonding, and it was not yet fixed. And that process of bonding did not seem to grow any easier with repetition. Despite practice, he had not been able to compensate for the sudden influx of the Air?s blood; she had almost been overwhelmed by the Fire. For now their link seemed to waver, occasionally snapping into sharp focus, only to later vanish to barely discernable.

Taking advantage of one of those latter moments, Devin had tacked up a note where Paola would be sure to find it when she surfaced from her books ? Gone to Practice ? and set out towards a place which was most definitely not the practice grounds. In the Fire Realm, the Elementals tended to live far-scattered from each other, with few exceptions. Devin was not one of the exceptions. It took him almost an hour to hike out to Rukiya?s home.

Guardian of Conflagration. It would be as accurate to call Rukiya the Guardian of War. The spark that goes like wildfire and ravages all in its path. That wasn?t the primary thought in Devin?s mind as he approached the simple house, however. He needed to speak with her about Paola, about Faraji, and about the folded piece of paper he had tucked away in a pocket of his shorts.

When he arrived at the front door, however, he could hear a distinctive laugh and the murmur of conversation following it. Rukiya had company already; likely her bonded partner, an Earth with the solid good sense to balance her sometimes brash nature. Devin leaned against the wood for a moment and then turned. Walking back up the path, his bare feet scuffed up dust that hung in the air, and he frowned as he considered his next path.

Fingers brushed over the crackling piece of paper in his pocket, and Devin paused to close his eyes. Finally he took a deep breath and pulled his hand free, giving a sharp nod. He would lock the paper away in the Guardian?s room of the Fire Temple. With a word given to Shawn and later Rukiya on where to find it, if the worst happened Paola would receive his final letter. If she were in a state to receive it. He had no other personal messages to write, no other family or friends so close.

Since the beginning of their experiments with bonding, Devin had kept a careful journal, gradually expanding its scope from dryly clinical observations to include his thoughts and feelings about the matter. Lately it had begun to include a broader scope. With any luck, his successor as Guardian of White Fire would find it of some use. Especially if the conflict with the Chaotics was still ongoing by the time new Guardians were chosen.

With luck, none of these preparations would be needed. But luck hadn?t necessarily been going their way, lately.

From the temple Devin had after all gone to the practice grounds. Restless energy had carried him there, and he had spent hours experimenting with new ways to combine Air with Fire, practicing the methods they had already worked out. When his mental focus started to slip beyond recall, he had turned to sheer physical action. Finally, as the sun started to lower and the sky to turn brilliant red, he felt the pull and draw on his bond with Paola.

Landing from an aerial back-flip in a crouch, Devin was dripping with sweat, coated with the dust raised by his practices, and drained of energy now that he had come out of the half-trance of motion. He was also confronted by the sight of Faraji, standing at the rim of his practice circle. A heartbeat only with Devin?s fingertips splayed lightly on the dirt before he straightened to face the other. His expression remained impassive, but the dance of orange across dark brown in his eyes betrayed that.

?Do you know what you face, Guardian?? Faraji?s voice was rich with what sounded like humor. His red eyes shone the same color as the crimson sky and mimicked by the flame of his hair. He enjoyed letting Devin wonder at the double meanings of his words, or even better ? watching Devin miss the layering of the question. He would throw the younger Fire off balance, disrupt his peace of mind. Then, when the forces moved to face the Chaotics ? to face Xavier (and oh, he reveled in knowing what the so-powerful Guardians didn?t) ? Faraji could make his move.

Devin could see the unholy glee in Faraji?s face, could hear the twisted amusement of voice. The question could be applied to the immediate present, or to the upcoming battle; Devin chose to respond to the former. ?I know who you are, Faraji, and what. You?re eaten by jealousy as you always have been; give it up and stop prodding for more than you?re worth.? Tired as he was, Devin knew he shouldn?t prod at the other man. But there were some things that the joining with Paola had not removed from his personality, and his quick-fire anger, while tempered, was still present.

A stab of apprehension came over Faraji when Devin said he knew what Faraji was. The apprehension turned to rich satisfaction when Devin continued. The pup didn?t have any idea of his true purpose. But still, the words grated. Faraji deliberately stepped over the line of the practice circle, crowded close to Devin, using greater height and bulk in an effort to intimidate. ?More than I?m worth? If I?m not worth much, then you must be worth even less. Second choice, stealing the Guardianship from me with the aid of your Earth friends. You should be careful during this expedition ? who knows if you really have the ability you claim? And it would be a shame if anything happened to your little Air, wouldn?t it??

Bone-weary, drained as he was, Devin hadn?t bothered to step back when Faraji crowded close. Now, as Faraji?s words bit deep and bordered on threat, he released the tight grip on his personal wards. They flared into life, trails of fire that blazed white-hot and now were augmented by the physical force of a thin wall of air. The fire couldn?t hurt Faraji, another Fire Elemental; it was warning more than anything ? but the air knocked him back a step or two.

?I?ve warned you once already to keep away from Paola. I will not make the effort to warn you a third time, Faraji.? Devin?s voice was chilled, level. Satisfied with the effects of his wards, he brushed past Faraji and walked briskly toward his home and the direction of Paola?s presence. Devin didn?t look back; if he had, he would have seen the look of black hatred, jealousy and murder on Faraji?s face ? he might have been warned.

Faraji stood rigid with anger and humiliation. The pup?s wards shouldn?t have had any effect on him; the combination of Elements was more effective than they had thought. Finally, after Devin had passed from sight, Faraji set out through a series of portals to a neutral and much disregarded realm. Drachaven.