I jolt from my sleep into a sitting position, breathing heavily and holding a hand to my pounding chest. Light is beaming around me, reflecting around the room and illuminating it with a glowing radiance. I stare down at my trembling hands in a sort of half-conscious fascination. My skin is translucent, my entire body igniting in an incandescent blaze. I can hear my pulse in my ears, thumping through me in a panicked drumline. Tossing the thick quilt away from my body, I spring to my feet, sweat coating my face as the brilliance emanating from me fades away. 

[i]I'm alone[/i], I realize, with detached tranquility that's quite unlike me. Oh, there are my monks; but they see me as a god. I can't interact with them, not truly. What would it be like to have the power that Death promised me? Oh, I won't lie. It's tempting. But I know better than that. I may be harebrained at times, but I'm not a fool.

Tossing one of my many identical dresses, (shut up, I like how it looks and feels) I slip my socked feet into my tough footwear. Grabbing my knife from my dresser, I shove it into my right boot before leaving the small house on my "father's" croft. At times like this, fresh air is one of the best solutions. He's not my actual father, of course; the elementals have none. He's the highest-ranking of my priests, who acts as my father to appease the curiosity of others.

Once outside, I take a few deep, shaking breaths, watching the sun slip down towards the horizon.

My ears perk up.

Darkness? 

Yep, that's absolutely Darkness. He's contacting me through the sunset. "Paris, hmm? Alright, Darkness, I'll be there. I'll see if I can find Fire and bring him along, there's still a little while before the sun sets."

With that, I sever the brief connection and stare at the sun for a moment, eyes narrowed, before dematerializing and darting off to the south as a streak of light.

---

By the time I arrive at Mount Vesuvius, the sun is closing in on the horizon. The temple looms in front of me and, with a sound like thunder, I explode into the largest chamber, reforming myself in a brilliant flash. Striding forwards, I look around. So this is Fire's temple, hmm? Not sure I like the whole black stone aesthetic, but I have to admit that it looks pretty nice.

"Hey! Fire! You in here? Message for you, all the way from Scotland!"

Okay, so I've never been the best at stealth. That's more of Darkness' strong suit. Mostly, I just hate waiting.