<h4>Chapter 51: The Chill of Death and Warmth of Life</h4>


    "What the hell does that mean?" I shouted. How was he even nning to get out of here?


    "What is it that''s keeping us trapped in here, Kai?" He asked as he took a step towards me. For a moment, I could almost feel the cold metal of the ''PORTAL'' devices on my skin.


    "Summon your wings." He said suddenly. I hesitated, my right wing was wounded, I didn''t feel the pain now, but I knew the damage wasn''t little. There was at least one cracked bone. It may even have been broken. After a moment''s hesitation, I exined it to him.


    "So, at least let me heal it, please." I said, choosing my words carefully.


    He nodded, so I slowly stood up and summoned them. As soon as they materialized, a throbbing pain dropped me back on my knees.


    "Definitely broken." Asher said after a moment''s hesitation. "Don''t bother trying to heal it. I''ll take care of it." As soon as his words left his mouth, I felt a warmth envelop both my wings. The throbbing pain lessened until itpletely disappeared.


    "Thanks," I said as I felt the bones and muscles return to normal. I nced at him in confusion. "Didn''t you say you''re a sorcerer? How can you heal better than a priest?"


    He smirked. "With enough effort, you can do almost everything." He circled around me to my back. "If you fight and kill enough monsters in this world, there is little you can''t do." I felt his fingers run through the feathers of my wing. "One of those things is to just sprout a pair of wings like you did."


    "So," I asked hesitantly. "You need me because there''s something else you can''t do that I can?"


    "Precisely." Asher said with a thoughtful tone. His touch followed the muscles on my wing. "This is incredible," He mumbled. "Do you feel it when I do this?" He plucked a feather off.


    "Yes, yes I do!" I shouted and pushed him back with a powerful beat of my wings. "And it hurts!" I red at him. He chuckled. "Good to know. These seem more practical for long distance flying rather thanbat."


    I sighed; he didn''t even care about causing pain. "Normally, yes. But I can''t fly for long yet. I get exhausted after about ten minutes."


    "A few weeks of intense training should solve that issue. Or you could use, what was it... ''Fallen Grace'' to enhance your strength." He shook his head. "No, that wouldn''t solve the underlying issue. Training is what you really need."


    He was on point, and that annoyed me. He had figured out everything about me in a matter of minutes while I still knew nothing about him. "Are you done?" I asked, ncing at my wings. The small cave was barelyrge enough for them. I couldn''t even stretch them outpletely.


    "Yeah." He said with a cold smile. "I learned what I needed to." For some reason, his words struck me as odd. What could he have learned in such a short timeframe?


    "It''s almost dark,e on." He said as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "You''re not strong enough to be useful yet, so we''re going to grind a bit." He dragged me outside, but not before making sure the rope around my wrists was tight enough.


    "You don''t expect me to do anything while bound like this, are you?" I asked lifting my hands up before my face.


    A smile shed across his face. "No, you just need to be there to collect the souls." With those words, he led me to an opening in the woods. We stood at the centre of it as the sun reached the horizon. Under the purple dyed sky, Asher''s magic created a small whirlwind around us.


    His eyes let out a jade shine as he raised his hand. A single sh of light blinded me momentarily. When I could see again, he was calmly waiting for... something. The wind blew my hair back as the first batch of monsters appeared in the darkening sky.


    I could count at least a dozen of them. And in the distance, even more howls and screeches sounded. I nced at the sorcerer, then at my surroundings. Without my weapons and with my hands tied like this, even if I flew off, I wouldn''t stand a chance against all these monsters.


    Asher was clearly aware of that as well. With a wicked smile on his lips, he cast his first spell. Bolts of light leapt from his fingers to the monsters. The sky filled with pained wails as anything that approached us died.


    As soon as the pained wails sounded, the first souls appeared, seeking me. The coldness in my chest grew stronger as more and more souls flew towards me. I felt my power grow as my mind throbbed with a dull, annoying pain. Asher nced at me for only a moment before once again casting that blinding light. More creatures followed, who quickly turned into more soulsing towards me.


    We continued this until a little past midnight. As the whirlwind of magic surrounding us died down, I felt the cool night breeze on my skin.


    "That''s enough for now." He said, as he put something into his inventory. "Let''s go back". He led me through the forest back into the cave. Once we stepped inside, I walked to the back and sat on the ground. It was so cold. It felt as if my heart was freezing over.


    "Hey!" Asher''s voice sounded from afar. "Don''t fall asleep." He shook me awake. I hadn''t even noticed that I was falling asleep. "Use the powers the phoenix gave you." He said as he knelt beside me. "Hurry up."


    "It only gave me my wings." I mumbled. "Nothing more." I just wanted to fall asleep. I was so tired, even though I hadn''t done anything. Even though it was Asher who did all the fighting and killing.


    "No, you idiot." He said as he once again shook me awake. "I''m talking about it''s ember. The warmth that''ll calm the souls you''ve taken in. Stop supressing it."


    I hesitated. What was he talking about? I didn''t have warmth. The phoenix''s soul did.


    Vixia''s words shed through my mind. The phoenix''s and my souls were merged, but how was I supposed to do anything with it? I pictured the scorching mes of the creature as it first attacked Erik. What did that warmth feel like?


    "I think that''s enough." Asher''s voice pulled me away from my thoughts. His face was red, and beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. Only then did I notice the warmth radiating from my body.


    "Ah," As soon as my concentration shattered, the warmth disappeared. "Sorry." I mumbled as he wiped the sweat off.


    "Why?" He asked as if I''d said something really stupid. "You learned how to do something, and no one was harmed in the process." With those words, he raised his hand. Magic gathered in his palm. "I think we both need some sleep. I just cast a spell on the entrance." As those words left his mouth, I felt the magic gathering in his palm lunge towards the entrance.


    "It''s a form of barrier." He said with a cold voice. "You can''t pass through. The spell will persist even if I die, so I suggest you don''t kill me in my sleep."