"What's London like?"

Kai couldn't help his curiosity surrounding the ginger haired elf. He catalogued the freckles sprinkled on his nose, those long weak limbs, the slight green tint to his skin.

"Sorry what?" Isaac was watching the water warily. He looked as if he were going to faint.

"Are you okay?" Following the sea water monster incident, Isaac had locked himself in his room for several days, only emerging to eat and gaze at the water as if it were going to ensnare him. Kai attempted to engage in conversation but he seemed irritable and cagey. Instead Kai wrote long swirling letters addressed to his brother. He wrote about the sea monster they encountered, the stone faced guards, how horrible and dry the food was, the perpetual ocean, the ginger - haired green eyed elf who pleaded with Kai not to leave him.

He thought about his Father's words to him before he boarded the ship.

"It's very likely you're the only one of your kind when you arrive at Aetherwing."

"What, do you mean Nigerian?"

"No, I mean a dragonborn. People will use you for it, exploit you, it's up to you to discern who your allies are, and who is foe."

Kai dragged a pointed finger across the wooded balcony of the ship. He looked at Isaac again. "Seriously are you okay?"

"I just get a bit sea sick."

"A bit?" Kai noted Isaac got up a time when he thought nobody would notice and would retch nearly every morning. Could someone that weak survive at Aetherwing?

"My immune system isn't that strong. In London I worked at a multitude of different factories. They were packed full of smoke. I used to breath that in everyday. The sea air is very fresh so I think my body isn't used to it and is trying to adjust."

Kai hummed to himself. "I think I could help, if you'd let me?"

"Oh, I think you've done enough. I've certainly made a fool of myself."

"Do you remember what I said to you the other day Isaac?"

"Yeah, that we're going to take on Aetherwing together..."

"Yes." Kai brought a steady hand to Isaac's shoulder. "I've decided you're my ally. So let me help you."

Isaac nodded, darting his eyes to the floor. Kai led him to his room. His last letter to his brother was still sprawled on the tiny desk, the ink still fresh.

Isaac sat down tentatively on the bed, his eyes wove down the pages. "Who are you writing to?"

"My brother Korede." Kai chuckled to himself. "He made me promise that I write to him about everything I'm experiencing, I have no doubt that my mother put him up to it." Kai clapped his hands suddenly. "Anyway, lie down on the bed and take your shirt off." With a swift hand Kai removed his threadbare shirt lazily.

"W-what...I'm not into-"

"It's nothing nefarious." Kai grinned, Isaac's face turned bright red, his ears twitched.

Isaac complied, lying down on the bed facing up, he curled his lips into themselves, he shivered.

"I'm going to lie on top of you." Kai continued. "If you feel uncomfortable I'll stop immediately, but it will be uncomfortable for only a moment." Tentatively Kai laid down on Isaac's body. He was so cold. Up close, Kai could see how thin he was, his hollowed out cheekbones and his eyes ringed in dark circles. He was so thin that Kai could feel his ribs scratching against his stomach.

"I'm going to turn you over now so you're laying on top of me." Kai stretched his hands around Isaac's back, swiftly he flipped them over so Isaac was on top. His face was horribly flushed.

"Okay?" Kai whispered.

"Yeah." Isaac mumbled to himself.

"Close your eyes. Wrap your hands around my back."

Isaac followed Kai's instructions. Kai could feel the sharp point of his elbows digging into his back. He breathed deeply and then roared. Instead of the flame jutting out of his mouth, Kai swallowed the flame so his own skin burned hot like a furnace. He gripped tighter onto Isaac absorbing the flames into his body, locating the source of the deep black smoke that corroded his lungs.

"It hurts." Isaac whimpered.

"Just a little more." Kai swallowed more of his flame, pressing his heat further into the smoke, slowly it began to dissipate. Sweat appeared on his brow, Kai fought the urge to swipe it off. "Okay almost done."

Kai felt tears falling on his shoulder. Isaac had collapsed onto Kai's neck, crying and clenching his teeth. Kai halted his flames, the last of the smoke had disappeared quietly. Still he held onto Isaac tightly, rocking him back and forth until his cries seized.

Isaac detached himself, looking down into Kai's eyes in awe. "What did you do?" He rubbed at his eyes furiously. "I feel like I can breathe."

"I corroded the smoke that lived in your lungs. There was quite a lot of it. I wasn't able to get rid of all it because of how much had been building up over the years, but your immunity should start improving."

"Oh my gosh. I don't even know what to say." Isaac choked as if he was about to cry but stopped himself. "You're incredible. First you save my life and now you've cured me of my long time ailment. I can't repay you."

"You don't have to repay me." Kai dragged at one of Isaac's curls. He watched carefully as it sponged back up to frame his face. His eyelashes were so light. His eyes green and pulsing like they were trying to capture every part of him.

Kai, however was lying. The minute he met Isaac he could tell the type of person he was, skittish, unsure of himself, sarcastic even, weak. But he spied in his room all sorts of curious gadgets, he wouldn't be going to Aetherwing if there wasn't something miraculous about him. If Kai was going to make a name for himself, if he was going to rise up the ranks to become a Lieutenant, and earn enough money so his mother would never have to work again, enough so that Korede could have a future for himself where he could do anything he wanted, he had to have his wits about him. He wanted the ginger- haired elf on his side. He wanted his unbending loyalty.

"Just be my ally. Like I said earlier."

"Is that enough?" Isaac leaned into him, pressing his fragile hands into Kai's shoulders. "I don't think its enough."

"It'll be more than enough. I assure you."

The door to Kai's room creaked open, and a guard stepped in briskly. His eyebrow arched at the sight before him: Isaac, his face still red and raw from crying, sprawled on top of Kai. Both of them were shirtless.

"Sorry to disrupt, whatever this is." Kai almost spotted a smirk creep into the guard's lips. "But we've reached Alaska, the ship is docking in twenty minutes."