Valkun: He appeared at the center of the runic platform within the center of Monse's temple, the water boiling around him as he walked through the main hall. "That woman claimed to know Monse. I need to get answers...MONSE."
Monse: She sat up from her throne, dropping her sewing kit, "Valkun, what are you doing here?!"
Valkun: He crossed his arms, staring her down as she stood atop the stairs leading to her throne, "Someone paid me a visit at the Orb of Origins...Claimed to know you. I need you to tell me if you know someone named Sophi, truthfully."
Monse: She felt her throat tighten up as he spoke her name. She tried not to let her body language speak for her as she opened her mouth, "No, I do not know anyone by that name. What did this person look like?"
Valkun: His eyes narrowed a bit, "Short...wore a weirdly colored dress, long black hair, pink skin...Sparkly eyes. None of that rings a bell to you..."
Monse: She crossed her arms, gripping her skin a bit, "No, it does not. Is this why you invade my land unannounced? To interrogate me? You know full well what we spoke of; nobody can storm into another person's world without letting them know first. You made that rule if I recall correctly..."
Valkun: His claws flexed slightly, the glow from his palms reflecting off the water walls. "Do not twist my words, Monse. I am not here to debate rules. I am here to uncover betrayal. That thing that appeared in my domain carried a strange energy. Something outside our order."
Monse: "Outside…?" She walked down the steps, each step causing the water to ripple perfectly. "And what are you so certain it was attached to me?"
Valkun: "Because she spoke of you like she was defending a friend. And then..." He slammed his fist against a nearby pillar, the entire temple quaking as bubbles spiraled upward from the boiling floor. "A skeletal being appeared beside her. His power froze my flames."
Monse: Her eyes widened for only a heartbeat before she steadied her breathing. A faint shimmer passed through the water as she spoke. "You must be mistaken. Nobody can freeze fire. You've always been dramatic, Valkun."
Valkun: He stepped forward, the steam swirling around his body like a storm. "I felt it, Monse. The energy was cold, yet alive. Not shadow, not void, not light. Something in between. And you expect me to believe you know nothing about this?"
Monse: Her tone sharpened as her patience began to fracture. The waves behind her curled upward, forming a towering arc before crashing back into the pool. "I do not owe you explanations for the unknown!"
Valkun: The fire burned through his eyes as he leaned closer, his heat meeting her rising tide. The air cracked between them, half steam, half flame. "She would not say your name for no reason, she would not come at me for no reason, you are connected in some way..." The water kept boiling around him, not one drop strong enough to extinguish his fire.
Tiffany: The sound of the door creaking echoed through the chamber, followed by a sleepy voice. "Mom? Why is it so loud in here?" She rubbed her eyes, stepping halfway into the hall. "You're shaking the whole temple…"
Monse: Her expression softened immediately, the waves falling flat behind her. "Tiffany, go back to your room. It's nothing, sweetheart."
Tiffany: She leaned to the side, staring at Valkun. "That's not nothing."
Valkun: He stood up a bit, breathing through his nose. The flames engulfing his arms died to embers. "Your daughter needs to know when not to interrupt serious business."
Monse: "And you should learn when to leave." Her eyes flashed with brief irritation, but her voice was calm now, protective. "She's a child, Valkun. She doesn't need to hear your paranoia."
Tiffany: "Paranoia?" She stood with arms closed, staring up at Valkun fearlessly. "You look like a boiling kettle." A piercing silence followed her words, even Valkun stops, then emits a slight grunt, his strain visibly breaking.
Valkun: He tapped his foot a bit, smirking slightly, "Hmph. A bold tongue for someone so young."
Monse: "She gets it from me." She walked down the steps toward her daughter, taking Tiffany's shoulder, leading her away. "Go on now, dear. I'll handle this."
Tiffany: "Fine…" She glanced back once more before walking down the second hall to her room, shutting the door, muttering under her breath, "Always the drama with these old gods."
Valkun: The fires up and down his arms leapt to renewed life, slight cracks appearing under his feet as the heat rippled the water. "Your offspring has spirit. You've raised her well… though I question what else she might know..." His claws flexed ever so slightly, the movement too close to a threat to not be an accident.
Monse: She stepped forward, water frothing up around her in whorls that coiled protectively around her shape. "Do not involve my daughter with this. Whatever this is, she absolutely has nothing to do with your affairs." Her voice assumed a deeper tone with an undertone that shook the temple walls. "Have you ever stopped to consider maybe, just maybe, this person might know of me rather than knowing me? We are the very first Elementals, after all."
Valkun: He stared her down, then turned slightly, pacing toward one of the great coral pillars that sat around the runic gateway. The glow of his fire reflected in the crystal veins running through it. "If that's true, then I expect you to find out why this stranger speaks your name with such certainty. And if you already know…" He looked back at her, eyes burning. "…then your silence will speak louder than any lie."
Monse: "If you want the truth, Valkun," she said, the water calming slowly around her, "try searching for it without burning everything in your path."
Valkun: His expression tightened, unreadable, conflicted, before he finally drew his flames inward. The water sizzled beneath his steps as he began to walk toward the gateway, standing on the platform. "Do not test my patience, Monse. For both our sakes." He vanished in a flash of searing light, leaving behind a thin layer of mist that curled and rose like fading breath.
Monse: She stood for what seemed an age, hunching her shoulders as the glow around her faded. The calm surface ruffled, once, to break the reflection of her worried face. "Why would she have gone to Valkun?...", she whispered to herself.