He had awaken at the crack of dawn as usual.  With a stretch and yawn, he shakes the sleep away.  The glow of his eyes illuminated the darkened cavern to reveal his mother and Jack gone.  He thinks it strange for only a moment and then walks towards the entrance to great the day.

The birds were bustling about, chirping their morning songs as he stepped into the grassy plain.  His eyes rove about the area, expecting to see someone, but his search comes up empty.  "Hmmm," he thinks aloud, "strange."  With no more than a roll of his shoulder, he begins to walk to the lake for a refreshing drink. 

There was a bit of a breeze that sent his thick glowing locks dancing along his neck and hindquarters as he walked along.  Soon reaching the water's edge he lowers his masked face to the surface, pursing his lips and sipping until he was satisfied.  

With a rise to his head, he catches the glimpse of fire in his peripheral vision.  Had he been anyone other than who he was it may have startled him, but he knows it is only his fire twin that has finally awaken.

She races happily to his side and dips her own head to the waters.  "Good morning sleeping beauty," he taunts with a devious smile.  Her retort is swift, as expected, and he laughs when she makes a fuss.  She was so easily riled.

"Looks like Mom and Jack left early this morning... What do you want to do today?" He inquires, knowing that they haven't spent much time alone together.  Not after the river incident...

The melodic twittering outside the shelter echoes within the stone confines of the cave.  My eyes pry open slowly, finding I am alone.

Consciousness comes to me quickly as I exit the darkness in a bolt of heightened anxiety.  "Vic? Mom? Jack?" I stop, looking around desperately, searching for a familiar figure.  

My crimson eyes land upon the glowing form of my brother near the lake and I leap into a gallop, closing the space between us quickly; anxious to sooth the ever present dryness in my throat with a quick drink before engaging with my twin.

Good morning sleeping beauty

My dished face rises quickly, flames ablaze along my flesh as I glare at him in annoyance.  I was not one to be messed with in the morning, especially by my younger sibling. "Don't even start with me," I warn with a snort.

The rattle of air irritates my windpipe, forcing a dry cough to choke from my lips.  I lower my face again to take another few gulps of water, finding the cool aqua to sate the scratchiness.

My red tail whips at my hunches and ears twirl when I hear him speak again.  Both mom and Jack being gone wasn't strange.  They went on walks quite often but usually they were back by now.  

At mention of doing something today I lift my head and stare off across the lake in thought.  I longed to be able to fly over the hyaline surface and so with a smile I reply, "How about practicing some control?  I need to figure these wings out sooner rather than later!" 

My view shifts to Vic, finding an agreeing nod to his head and a simple, Very well then.  Let's stay near the lake, just in case this doesn't go well.  He chuckles while turning and leading them off to a nearby sandy area.  I roll my eyes at his comment, "Thanks for your undying faith in me..." The irritation is thick in my words, but a smirk soon finds me, nipping him in the hindquarters as I follow.  Two can play this game!

Her suggestion of practicing control causes his brow to rise in surprise.  Escence has never been one to exhibit such things, so for her to mention it is more shocking than her actually ability to do it.  Still, he jests at her a bit in fun and turns to lead them off towards a sandy spot not far down the lakeshore.

As he leads them off, he feels a nip on his hind end that causes his glowing tail to tuck and his legs to rise in a mock buck.  He grins, knowing his comments have gotten under her flaming skin.  Spinning around he half rears playfully, the flames at his fetlocks swirling skywards.  Snaking his head to her, he aims to nip at her shoulder.  "I thought you wanted to practice control?!"  He says jokingly.  Clearly self-control was lacking this morning.

Again, he turns and begins to gallop towards the lake's eastern shore.  There a peninsula of sand stretching from the shore, making the perfect place for practicing fire traits.

She follows him at a gallop, but then races ahead of him and sending wet sand flying up at his masked face.  He snorts, lowering his face to avoid the spray of sand and water.  Her wake of flames sizzle to tendrils of smoke along the shoreline before she is stopping at the end of the stretch of sand.

His bulky frame slides to a stop where the mainland and shore converge.  The glow of his eyes finds her turning to face him, a smirk on her delicate face.  I call out into the distance between us, "Ok.  Now focus on your flames.  Clear your mind and shape them mentally.  The more you can control your mind, the more you will control your flames."

For him it was as easy as breathing.  The eb and flow of his magics are natural and uncomplicated.  Even now, as he instructs his sister, he pushes his glowing out from him.  Casting a protective aura around him in case things were to go wrong.  They had yet to truly understand the depths of their fire abilities, let alone his healing compacity.  Better safe than sorry. 

When I reach the farthest end of the sandy point, I stop and turn in one fluid movement.  The flames of my flesh, as well as the escaped orbs that float carelessly around me, pull outward as the sudden change of direction.  Lost to the atmosphere they dance and dazzle before evaporating into thin air.

My red eyes focus on my brother now, seated at the landlocked end.  A smirk of determination and spite twists my lips just before he calls out to me with instructions.  A huff of air is my response before I close my eyes and imagine my flames.

Waves of heated fuel sway in my mind.  Spirals of orange, red and yellow, even some white spread across my mental scenery.  It starts out localized, swirling along my flesh and bone.  But then something shifts and it begins to crawl away from me.  Spreading to every corner and consuming every inch.

Outwardly there is a shift in my facial expression, too far for Vic to see.  It is one of confusion, and then of disappointment.  This wasn't control.  This was a dumpster fire.

Within my gut a burning sensation ignites.  I try to remain focused and gain control over the imagery in my mind, but the gut-wrenching pain becomes too much, and my eyes shoot open.  

There is a sudden heat that consumes me.  My mouth waters even though it feels very dry.  I look to Vic, who notices something is wrong and begins to walk towards me.  I protest, telling him to stay back.  My memories go to the meadow and the first time I had met Amenadiel.  He too had been plagued with an internal burning.

Again, my stomach spasms and my back arches in response.  I gag, dry heaving in place.

I catch movement and notice Vic is standing now beside me, but his muted words are indiscernible. "N-no... Vic... Go..." Suddenly I feel a burning rising up my throat and I turn to face the lake, just before flames erupt from my parted jaw.

The jet of fire reaches across the water's surface before extinguishing, having found nothing to ignite along the way.  I stand staring, contemplating what just happened.  Vic is also looking between me and the area in which the flames had vanished.  What was that?!  Still a bit stunned I answer without movement, partially waiting for the sensation to return.  "D-Did I just vomit fire?!  That was not what I was trying for!"  

There wasn't much left to say, and I'd rather not revisit that anytime soon, so I look to my brothers glowing face in disbelief, "Maybe we should take a break..."