[b][u]Gilfred Mason[/u][/b]

Gently resting Thema's slumbering body on a bed of withered clovers, Gilfred took a moment to glance around what remained of the Haven. [b]"I am grieved by this... Nature's Haven was an oasis, and now even it's a skeleton."[/b]

He turned to face Will, and with his hands finally free he embraced him. [b]"But I am overjoyed to see you alive, Will."[/b] He pulled back, staring into Will's eyes. [b]"Think before you run off again. I don't care if it's to save a damsel in distress, I was so certain you were lost. We're family, we have to stick together."[/b]

Glancing over the faces staring back at him, Gilfred noted the ones missing. He could assume that if the others hadn't shown up before him and Thema, they probably weren't ever gonna show. Which meant four of the original Elements were missing, and this weighed heavily on his mind. He met the Light Hygron's eyes. [b]"I'm glad to see you made it too, Phil. But you look exhausted, maybe even more than I."[/b]

He looked curiously down at the dragon sniffing his leg, taking a seat on one of the extra log seats by the fire pit. He was a few seats down from Cora who briefly filled in a man Gilfred didn't recognize. 

[i]"I'm Yahtzee,"[/i] Yahzee said. [i]"An honour I'm sure."[/i]

Gilfred smiled back. [b]"Nice to meet you. You would be a..."[/b]

Cora jumped in. [b]"Fire Hygron."[/b]

[b]"Oh yes, of course. I couldn't see it before. So Shida...?"[/b] Gilfred trailed off.

Cora gave a slow nod. Looking disheartened, Gilfred lowered his gaze to the fire dancing in the pit. The dragon from before curled up by his seat, falling asleep in seconds. Yahtzee stared at what Gilfred assumed to be his guardian, his eyes wide. [i]"Wow. He really likes you."[/i]

Gilfred chuckled. Glancing at Cora's expectant look, he leaned forward. [b]"Thema and I were back-up for Aerilyn's storm. No alien could reach her through the sand, thankfully. We had our hands full as it was. I took a couple hard hits myself, but when we eventually retreated I couldn't see any friendly party. I didn't know what to think.

"We didn't get far before I had to stop from my injuries. Thema very kindly healed most of it, but she passed out shortly after. I carried her the rest of the way to Haven. I was hoping there'd be someone here, but I had resigned myself to the thought that only Thema and I survived."[/b]

He took a breath. [b]"Thankfully I was wrong."[/b]

Conversation continued around the circle in murmured voices and soft words. With the combination of all current elements together, the cavernous hole left by the Vygorns only deepened. There was a sense of empowerment too, though. Maybe they could handle Kyra's summons after all. 

Everyone slumbered the last hours of night away, the crack of a smoggy dawn filling the sky sooner than expected. 

[b][u]Cora Rishaw[/u][/b]

Phil was gently rustled awake. Cora hovered over him, a finger to her lips. [b]"Shh. Follow me."[/b]

Quietly standing again, Cora stepped around the multitude of sleeping bodies in the Haven. She tried her best not to wake them, but Salamander snapped an eye open as she tiptoed past. Winking at the guardian, Cora continued making her way to the cave's entrance. The sky outside was just lighting up, dawn on the edge of the horizon. Cora found the wasteland air most refreshing in the morning before the sun had time to bake mountains of junk under its sweltering heat. 

She sat on a stone a few meters from the entrance, removing her hoodie to expose all the ashy burns she received last night. A couple lined her left arm, but she was more concerned about the ones on her face and neck. [i]Hopefully Phil can reduce the scarring too.[/i] She thought, gingerly touching her cheek. After a couple hours on ice they definitely looked better, but they were still raw and blistered. 

[b]"Mind taking a look at these?"[/b]