North Chung-Ling; the Fire Fountain City

The bright light of morning filled the small yet homely cave that Aestuo currently occupied. Ashes lay around the floor, scattered remnants of flames that had long since been quelled. All along the walls, burn marks sat, worrying reminders of the night that Aestuo had barely pulled through. His clothes lay burnt around him, simply scraps the only thing remaining upon his body, holding onto the small amount of dignity that he kept.

His eyes opened slowly as the sun warmed his face, soaking up the rays like a sponge to water. The power he had expended on that night seemed to be coming back to him, and he felt his body filling. His mouth shot open with a loud gasp, air filling his lungs for what seemed to be the first time in years. As air filled his lungs, however, memories filled his mind.

Flames licked the night air as Aestuo stood in the street, homes burning around him. He spun his staff above him, heat radiating off his very skin. Feeling an intense pain in his lower back, he yelled out, before throwing off his robe.

The birthmark that rested upon his lower back started to writhe, before moving around his body, leaving deep burns in its path. The dragon's mouth seemed to erupt into a column of flames, leading its way up towards Aestuo's out-stretched arms.

Aestuo's eyes seemed to light aflame as the dragon rose, until it had wrapped itself neatly around his hands. Turning slowly, he stared at one house that had not yet been affected by the flames surrounding it – his old family home.

Spinning his staff more vigorously, he twirled it behind his back, before thrusting it forwards and releasing a torrent of flames from the orb upon it. The flames seemed to form a dragon in their flight, moving towards his old home, jaws gnashing.

Time seemed to freeze as the dragon became detached from the staff, and Aestuo finally realised what he had done. The ancient technique that he had been told about by Fire Sage Arkva, that nobody had been able to do for the past 300 years – he had done it. The only problem – he didn't have the power to control it.

Within seconds, the dragon had devoured the house, before moving onto the other homes in the row. Aestuo's breathing sped up as he tried to control it, resulting in his grasp upon the fiery dragon slipping further away. He felt his power fading, just as his vision started to darken.

Aestuo breathed out heavily as he returned back to the present time, sweat covering his face. Moving his arm slowly, he threw the rags covering his body to the floor. To his surprise, the burns that had covered his body in his flashback had faded almost completely. And they weren't simple burns.

“How long was I out for...” Aestuo muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and gravelly, as if he had not drank anything for a long time. Rolling slowly onto his knees, he managed to pull himself into a standing position, before walking slowly over to the mouth of the cave.

Looking out, he scratched at his head softly, realising that his hair had grown since he had last had consciousness.

“Maybe I was out for a while, then,” Aestuo said to himself, before turning back to his cave, looking for some sort of clothes to wear. To his surprise, he saw his robe sitting on the floor, completely unharmed. Next to it lay the staff that had caused all of the trouble, in a similar condition. “Well, looks like my clothes are sorted...”

Throwing the robe on, he fastened it around him before attaching the staff to his back. Moving it around slowly, he found a comfortable spot for it, and walked slowly out of the cave.

He covered his eyes with his hand as the sun flowed into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. As his eyes adjusted to the change in light, he looked around slowly.

North Chung-Ling lay to his left, seemingly unchanged over however long he had been out for. Even the buildings that he had burnt down where re-built, which caused a vein to boil in his head. All of that had been for nothing?

Breathing out softly, Aestuo remembered what he had been taught by the Fire Sages about controlling his emotions. Closing his eyes, he allowed his anger to pass out through him, before re-opening his eyes and setting off at a brisk pace for the city.

Itou approaches the enterance of the city, the sun shining bright, birds chippering in the distance. On the ground there were still marks left from a horrible fire. He comes to a stop outside the city inhaling the fresh air.

On his back he wore a brownish backpack, only containing the most crucial of supplies. The town had really change since the last time he had been here, over thirty years ago, the architecture, the size, everything. The surrounding area's were so green, although ash still remained between the grass straws.

He steps inside the city, the sounds, the smell hadn't changed at all. The streets were just as busy as any other in the towns he had been in. A flourishing market street, filled with people busy with their sales.
He slowly makes his way towards one of the inns, making sure to take his time, taking inn all the impressions of the surroundings. The city had grown into a decent sized town.

Itou comes to a pause outside one of the flower shops, he was a florist himself. He examined the flowers in great detail, their different shape, colour, smell, and how they mixed together in a perfect harmony.
He soon moves on, the Inn was on the other side of the city, near the root of a mountain.