Burn (Arsen and Richard)

Richard stood by the edge of the lake, watching small ripples move across it's surface in complete silence. He knew Arsen was coming. He was downwind of the school and could smell everyone that was outside of the main school. Breathing out slightly he dropped his heavy overcoat to the ground, now wearing a black shirt and a pair of muggle jeans.

A series of howls echoed across the peaceful waters of the lake, snapping Richard's attention to the far bank. Four figures stood on the edge of the lake, obviously looking to him for an order. He nodded a little before tilting his head back and howling loudly back to them.

He left the common room at a half run, he couldn't wait to get back to work. He honestly had missed these lessons over the summer. He made his way through the castle ignoring the peoples shouts as he barged through them all.

He heard Rich before he saw him howling across the river at something he couldn't yet see. "What you now ruling over the wolves now Lupo? He smirked as he stopped beside him.

Richard smiled at Arsen a little before shrugging,

"A few of them." he answered truthfully with a chuckle, "Turns out it doesn't matter if you're a werewolf or not. What they care about is strength and a willingness to protect. Seeing as they're three women and a runt, they needed protecting. Apparently, in my effort to live long enough to come home, I saved their lives multiple times."

He shrugged a little,

"To be honest I never really noticed I was saving people or wolves. Whichever they truly think of themselves." he patted Arsen on the back, "So Pup... you been flaming up recently?"

"Hmmm you would have thought killing their kind would have put them off you. They really are weird." He smiled watching them across the field. "So you look after them now?"

"I don't think i would either you don't tend to care too much about what's going on around you when you're fighting for your life." He said turning to look at his master.

"No i haven't used it since that day. Im giving it up im just not strong enough to control it yet." He explained.

"Meh. I guess if you kill the ones trying to kill them they like you. Go figure." he shrugged a little, "I'm not sure what to do with them really. Tried to get Samuel to be their pack leader but he's too much of a follower. So I guess I'll have my own little wolf family if I ever want to visit the forest."

He nodded,

"A wise assessment Pup." he ruffled the boy's hair, "Anything that isn't in a position to hurt you isn't something you focus on in the heat of battle."

Richard sat down on the lakeside and gestured for Arsen to join him. After a few moments silence he spoke,

"Do you feel it bubbling away at the inside of you Arsen?" he asked quietly, not taking his eyes off the peaceful lake, "I imagine it's crying out to be used. But you're right. You can't control it. But I will teach you."

He shrugged. "I suppose but i still wouldn't trust you if i was them. I would know if you were just getting close to me to kill off more of us." He smiled. "But i that's just me." He laughed. "Somehow i can't see you fitting in with a wolf family."

"Thanks i do try." He smirked as he followed Rich over to the lake to sit beside him. "Of course it's always calling me. I can't even look at flames without getting an overpowering urge to touch them." He explained his eyes stuck on the octopus in the middle of the lake. "It speaks to me you know, it knows what im doing and it's doing everything it can to stop me. I haven't been near any kind of fire in weeks. It's waiting for me to slip up so it can jump on me if i ever get close enough." He frowned picking up a rock to play with in his hand.

"Really? But what if i lose control? I can't stop myself in that state."

"You honestly believe they can think that far ahead? Even in their human forms they think ahead only to the next meal. Kind of sad really." he shrugged a little, "I didn't think they'd accept me when I started skinning some of the others for warmth."

"I know you do Pup, that's why I keep you around!" he joked a little before growing serious, "I'm not going to pretend I know what it's like to have something almost living talking to you all of the time, trying to undermine your efforts at control. But I will tell you that I once had something like it..."

He sighed a little and ran a hand through his hair,

"When I was younger I was addicted to morphine." he admitted sadly, "So much so that I stole to feed my habit. It held me in it's ironclad grip for so long that I began to forget what it was like not to have it. Eventually, after meeting my first wife, I decided to quit."

Shaking his head he chuckled a little,

"One of my most prized traits is my strong will Pup and even with it..." he frowned, "I almost failed. On so many occasions I got as far as prepping the needle. But every time I pulled myself back from the brink. Every time I focused on the goal I had set for myself. I promised myself that I would be clean before I ever went through with the marriage."

Shrugging a little he sighed,

"I've been clean for years now but I still get the urge sometimes." he patted Arsen on the shoulder, "I'm not going to delude you into thinking that the urge to use, whatever it is that you're hooked on, will dwindle. It doesn't. It never goes away Arsen. But what does change... is you. Every day you live without it you get stronger. Every day you live without it you prove that no matter how strong the urge is, you can beat it."

He frowned a little,

"How do you react to water Arsen?"

He shrugged. "I don't know i've never met a wolf before. So i have no idea what they do or what they are capable of. My parents... my mother and him! They didn't believe in teaching their children about 'evil creatures'." He frowned making quotations with his fingers.

"They were such idiots."

He smiled. "Thanks so you only like me for my brains?" He smirked sticking his tongue out at him. He listened carefully taking in everything Rich was saying. He had no idea he had been through something like that. "But your clean now and your life couldn't look any better. You have a beautiful wife and daughter... and me, don't forget me." He smiled.

He shook his head. "I don't think this is something i can fight. Not unless i lock myself in a small box room with no windows. The sun energises me. I'm strongest during the day. But since im very claustrophobic there is no way i can lock myself away." He frowned glaring into the water.

He thought for a second. "It depends. If you were to throw me in the lake now..." he thought for a second trying to think of a way to describe it. "Hmm i guess its like dunking me into ice. I run at a higher temperature to everyone else. I need to stay at double normal body temperature just to survive so pushing me in there would be sure to give me pneumonia." He explained throwing his rock into the lake. "I have to shower in water nearing boiling point." He smirked.

"When my whole body is on fire i become fire so if someone would throw me into the lake then i'd go out just like a fire would. So i'd probably die. I haven't really tried it and i don't plan to either. But i do know how it feels. Remember that fight i had with that muggle lover in the entrance hall? Well he threw water at my hand as it was on fire... i've never been in so much pain. I can't even describe how it felt... it was kinda like a cold burn i guess, my whole hand just blackened it was weird." He explained his eyes narrowed. "I had to burn it for an hour before it turned to its normal colour and all that time it burned. Of course the flames soothed it a little but the pain was still there."

"Pfft. Werewolves are usually just people with a problem. Like the caretaker, Sam, for example." he shrugged, "Of course there are those who embrace it. They end up more like animals than anything else."

Richard laughed and ruffled his hair again,

"You didn't think I kept you around for your looks did you?" he joked a little before smiling a little bit more, "I know what I've got Pup. I've got everything I could ever want. I will have a loving wife before long. I have a healthy little girl. I have a wise-ass for an apprentice. I have friends. I have a good job. I have everything I could ever want. Which is why I'm more cautious than ever. I will let nothing ruin this for me."

Looking at Arsen for a moment, Richard spat at the ground between them before standing up and walking to the edge of the lake,

"I thought you had a backbone Arsen." he scowled, "Conviction! Resolve! It is what separates us from the animals Arsen! It is what gives a dying man the strength to kill his killer. It is what gives a man the courage to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal! You must reach inside yourself and find that spark of conviction Arsen!"

He moved out into the lake, walking on top of the water as if he weighed nothing. He gestured for Arsen to follow him as he walked on the water's surface,

"Come over here Arsen. I've made the surface solid so you can walk on it."

He smiled. "You don't need to be a werewolf to become like an animal. Uncle Aspen has that down without the wolf bite."

He smirked. "What now im not good looking enough?" He frowned before smirking. "Char would disagree." He nodded. "Good some people don't know what they have until they nearly lose it all." He smiled taking his jacket off.

"I do have a backbone!" He spat getting to his feet. "Just cause i don't have a death wish. I know how it feels to die, i don't wanna go back there anytime soon." He said his hands clenched by his sides. He glared watching as Rich walked across the water knowing what was coming next.

"That stuff is more trouble than its worth." He spit determined not to look weak, not today. He gritted his teeth sticking one foot over the edge to rest on the water testing it. Once his foot hit something hard and he knew he wasn't going to fall in he moved his over foot and cautiously made his way over to Rich.

"Now what?" He asked his eyes glued on him so he didn't have to look where he was he'd only panic.

Richard chuckled a little,

"I noticed that too." he smirked, "Luckily I know how to fight bezerkers better than any other type of fighter. Comes with being one through choice at times I suppose."

Richard nodded a little,

"I know what I've got Arsen and no one will take it away from me." he chuckled darkly, "And believe me when I tell you that a lot of people would love to try."

His eyes flashed a little as his anger flared,

"Then what are you afraid of?!" he barred his teeth and he began to glow slightly, "Take steps forwards! Find your resolve! When you tell yourself that you will not give in to the fire you don't give in! When you dodge, you don't let them hit you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack, you kill."

He looked out over the expance of the lake,

"You've died Arsen. You have felt the cold embrace of that which all men fear." he cast his apprentice a side-ways glance, "I've felt some of it but I've never actually died. You have. You have felt the soul-crushing feeling of death. The cold of her touch. The longing for her embrace, for the simplicity of it. And that... is why you should not be afraid of it."

Richard turned back to Arsen,

"You don't have to wish for death Arsen. But you can't fear it either. It holds no surprises for you anymore Arsen!" he took a few steps away from Arsen as he drew his wand, "All I can feel from you is fear Arsen. And that's not good. A man cannot live in fear of what will claim all of us, regardless of our actions. You must move past the fear. Past the fear of death. Past the fear of the fire. It is a part of you Arsen, like your magic. Except this part of you has it's own desires. And you know what to do Arsen."

He flicked his wand and a tiny jet of water squirted lazily at Arsen,

"You take control of the fire. You find it's desires and you find your own." he smiled a little, "And you force it to submit to you! You are the one in control! You are the King of your own body! You will not tolerate rebellion of your power! Now find your resolve... find the strength to push it's desires down and seize the power that is rightfully yours! And attack me! Use your power to strike me down!"

He smiled. "Now that would be an interesting fight to see. You vs Uncle Aspen." He smirked. "I wouldn't even know who to bet on."

He gritted his teeth being careful to keep his temperature low. "That's easier said than done. You of all people should know that. This isn't something i can escape from its everywhere. Everywhere i turn it's there." He snarled moving closer to Rich careful not to get too close.

He laughed hysterically. "I'm not afraid of dying. That's the easy bit... i just don't like what comes next. I refuse to be with them again... him just looking at me like im nothing." He spat staring off into space before shaking it off to look at Rich.

He shook his head his eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it. You don't know how it feels." He said stepping back away from Rich thinking her was going to drop him in the water. "It doesn't want me to think it just wants me to act. But the more i act the more i lose myself. I've seen what it wants me to be but i can't do that i wont." He gasped wiping what felt like ice cold water off his skin.

"I know what it wants, it wants to destroy everything in it's path. I don't. It wants you, want's to feel your flesh burning beneath my hands." He smiled before realising what he was doing. He thought for a second before pulling out his wand. "What if i don't want to hurt you? Can't we find someone else? It just wouldn't be right." He asked lowering his wand down to his side.

Richard smiled a little,

"I'd like to think I have a few aces up my sleeve." he shrugged, "But I'm sure he's full of surprises."

He nodded slightly but his body position still spoke only of battle,

"I know what it's like." he agreed, "It feels like it's everywhere you go. It gnaws away at the back of your mind. It feeds on the stray thoughts. You're annoyance over things, even simple things, and it tries to exaggerate them. It preys on the dark corners of your mind. And all the while it's there, all around, to keep you pinned in. Do you know what you do then Arsen? When you are surrounded? YOU ATTACK IT!"

The light began to wrap around Richard's body again, arcing off of his skin like lightening,

"You take that desire to burn the world... and you dominate it!" he gripped his wand tighter, "You force it to bend to your will! It tries to force you to act... and you push it down as savagely as possible! You show it that you are in control! You show it your strength!"

Richard scowled,

"You are afraid of the afterlife?" he shook his head, "It is not the end Arsen. You really think the 'afterlife' is the end? It is the beginning."

He slowly began to circle his apprentice, eyeing him as a predator would it's prey,

"Then don't act as it tells you to." he said simply, harshly, "You are in control are you not? You said you had a backbone Arsen... so start using it! It is power Arsen and only the weak are controlled by their power! You take hold of your power and you use it as you see fit! IT DOES NOT TELL YOU WHAT TO DO!"

Richard stopped a minute before he sighed a little, pointing his wand straight at Arsen,

"I'm disappointed Arsen. You don't seem to have paid attention to what I said before." he shook his head, "When you dodge, you don't let them hit you. You protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack..."

He narrowed his eyes,

"YOU KILL!" he roared, flicking his wrist at Arsen, "Sectumsempra!"

"He really is." He smiled. "No one can predict that he's going to do cause he doesn't know himself till he does it." He smirked.

"No it is everywhere i go. I can't go outside or in any room lit by the sun cause it's there. I can't go in any room that's lit by candles or the fire place cause it's there. It is everywhere i can't escape it if i wanna live." He explained. "How can you attack something that doesn't have a solid form. If i put it out i risk hurting myself, once im close enough it becomes me." He explained.

He raised an eyebrow. "What you doing?" He asked watching the light surrounding him.

"What do you think im doing? I'm holding it back i wont let it take over not after the last time." He said shaking his head. "No i'm not afraid. I just don't want to spend the rest of eternity living with him the first 11 years of my life was enough of a punishment without having it in my afterlife too. e made my life a living hell and i didn't even get to return the favour. Stupid muggles." He spat his hands clenching tighter as they slowly got hotter.

He followed him not allowing him to catch him off guard. "OKAY!! Im trying." He moaned taking a deep breath before freezing as he had a wand pointed at him. "What you doing?" He asked tightening his hand on his wand by his side.

He frowned trying to remember what he said. He listened trying to think of the last line he said and only seconds before Rich said it himself did he remember. He dived out the way and quickly scrambled to his feet as his eyes looked down into nothing but water.

He stood up straight his hands bursting into flames before he managed to put them out but they just sparked back up again. "No!" He cried shaking his hands as the flames began to crawl along his arms slowly burning his skin. "Ow it's actually burning me. I can feel it." He cried rubbing his arms.

Richard frowned,

"You don't attack it's physical manifestation Arsen." he narrowed his eyes, "You fight the desire to use the fire. You fight it and you beat it, beat it so far down that the fire has no choice but to jump at your commands and not the other way around."

He rolled his neck a little,

"It's a show of my resolve Arsen." his neck clicked a little, "My magic is humming with my intent. My intent shapes it. It controls it."

He stopped for a few seconds before nodding,

"You think you can hold it back?" he shook his head, "Not until you can control it. You reach down deep and you use it. Don't let it influence you, you DEMAND that it respond only to your will. It is a part of you Arsen, you don't need to repress it, just to assume control of it."

Flicking his wand at his apprentice a silent cutting curse shot out at his apprentice,

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he scowled, "I'm going to kill you. And you won't be able to stop me. Because you don't have the strength of will to take your own power!"

Richard nodded,

"It doesn't want to be controlled Arsen but it must be!" he told his apprentice, "You must assert your control over the fire Arsen! It is nothing but your power! You control it! Use it! Use it against me!"

"That's what i have been doing but your forcing it out. How am i meant to stop using it if your making me angry to bring it out. It doesn't make sense." He moaned.

He growled looking off to land. "I'm trying." He moaned gritting his teeth. He closed his eyes taking deep breaths before he felt the tear in his shoulder. He gasped turning to look at it before the fire consumed and healed it.

"Well stop i need time. Just give me more time and i'll do it." He said glancing down at the water beneath his feet. "Yes i do! I can't think standing here."

"Okay! I'll let it out." He cried taking a deep breath and letting himself be taken by the force. He growled his eyes glazing over orange as his head tilted to the side with a sadistic smile. "Is this what you wanted? Huh? Well you got it." He snarled his whole body turning to flames. He smiled bringing his hands together to make a fire ball before throwing it straight at Richard's chest.

Richard smiled a little as the fireball arced towards him, batting it away to the side with a metallic hand,

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" he roared loudly as he laughed a little, sending more minor cutting curses at Arsen, "Use your power for a purpose Arsen! Power is not an end unto itself Arsen, merely a means to an end. You choose that end."

He smiled a little more and held his arms open wide,

"Now show me your intent..." he smirked a little, "Burn me alive. Kill me Arsen."

He growled rolling to the side to avoid the cutting curses. He slowly got to his feet his eyes glued on Richard's.

He laughed. "What makes you think Arsen is still here?" He smiled tilting his head to the side. "He was easy to push aside, he left his mind wide open for me to jump into." He smirked turning up the heat until Arsens skin began to burn away then heal then burn again.

He made to move then froze. He'll kill me you know! If you don't let me out. He laughed. He's smarter than you are he wont be beaten by fire you see how easily he batted your fire ball away.

Oh but he has his weakness Arsen he wont kill you you're his apprentice. He wants you alive. Those cutting curses are barely hitting you.

He will and you know it, but... if he doesn't i will. It will take seconds to jump into some water and you know as well as i that i will die. Then who you going to use? You need me so we will do this my way or no way at all.

The flames laughed. What makes you say that? There are plenty of other people out there for me to claim you are just one person.

This time Arsen laughed. Go on then claim someone else but you can't can you? You've been waiting centuries for me to be born. You needed someone who's body would allow you in and most die but i didn't. I was stronger than the rest, strong enough to take your pain. So i'm strong enough to fight you. You have two choices let me live my own life, let me make my own decisions and work alongside me or continue to control me, take away my decisions but don't think i'm going to stand back whilst you destroy everything. I will do everything i can to stop you.

Then stop me.

I already am i might not be able to stop the flames but this is MY body and i control it so try to move cause you wont be able to.

Arsen tried to move but he couldn't all he could do was scream in anger making the water beneath his feet start to evaporate. Fine but don't anger me Arsen otherwise our deal is off.

I don't think you are in any position to be making deals here. He thought taking back full control of his body. He smiled to himself before the pain hit. "What you doing trying to kill me? You need me." He growled out loud on his hands and knees. He gasped turning down the heat to save himself from all the pain. Once he was cool enough he turned off the flames completely.

Now it's my turn to fight he thought as the flames slowly died away. He smiled to himself flicking his wrist so that the warm metal of his knife fell into his hand.

"Tell me master." He smirked. "Does that metal of yours spread through your entire body or just cover it?"

Richard tilted his head to the side a little,

"Well then..." he smirked a little and sent a piercing curse straight through Arsen's left shoulder, leaving a hole through his body the size of a fifty pence piece, "If Arsen's not in then I have no reason not to kill you. Arsen just has to dig his way out of you if he wants to live a long and happy life."

He watched with concealed interest as Arsen's body froze and he seemingly withdrew into himself. A small smile formed as his apprentice fell to his knees and brought the flames under control. He clapped a little,

"Well done Pup." he smirked a little, "The hardest battles are those you wage with yourself."

He thought about it a bit before shrugging,

"I'm sure someone famous said that. But I can't remember their name." he smirked, "Oh well. I said it now and that's what counts."

Tilting his head to the side a little the metal was almost instantly all over his body. He tilted his metallic head back to regard Arsen,

"It is solid." he raised a slow, metallic, eyebrow, "The trick to this is not the changing of the body. It is the manipulation of the matter. By soul and will alone."

"Ouch i felt that." He gasped reaching his hand up to heal it but fire never came. "Stop being immature and heal me." He ordered trying it again.

He growled. "Fine don't help me but don't expect me to use you again because i wont." He smiled turning to Rich. "Heal me plea... never mind." He said looking down as he felt the familiar warmth spread down his arm. "That's better.

"It took killing myself for it to back down. Who would have thought fire being afraid of water." He smirked lowering his hand once his shoulder had healed.

"Will you teach me? It would be amazing to not feel the burning all the time. You don't feel burning right?" He asked turning to look up at the sun.

Richard, in his metallic form, smiled a little and nodded his head,

"Good Arsen. You have found it's weakness and it knows it." he raised a hand, "I believe it is time for a high five."

He chuckled, the sound warped and garbled somehow from his metal body,

"In time Arsen. In time you will learn." he moved forwards and flashed back to flesh and blood again with a smirk, "Walk before you can run kiddo. We'll start off with how to coat your skin in something that blocks light."

He smiled and high fived Richard his heat turned right up as the flames covered his hand. "Does it burn?" He asked shaking his hand to put the flames out.

"Okay i'll wait." He smiled he still couldn't believe he'd done it. "Can we move now please? I don't like standing here." He asked already moving towards land.

"Okay how we going to do that? That will be useful i wont have to run every morning and night." He smiled. "I have far too much energy i hate sitting down for too long it makes me restless." He explained moving to sit on the rock.

He shook his head a little,

"I don't feel anything while made of a different material." he shrugged a little, "But I can still feel touch. It's... hard to explain."

Richard chuckled a little and walked off of the surface of the water, back onto dry land,

"Oh I bet you're a real laugh during water fights." he teased his apprentice, ruffling his hair, "Come to think of it... how do you shower if you're hurt by water?"

He yawned a little,

"We're going to do some potion making." he replied with a small shrug, "We'll make a paste and then we'll use a couple of spells to attach it to your skin. Don't worry, you won't even notice it's there. From there we'll work on spells to make it appear and disappear without the potion paste."

He frowned. "So you wont even know if your on fire? What about fiendfyre that get's really hot. Even i feel that burning my skin."

He smiled. "I've never had a water fight. I've had snow fights but it always melts before it gets to me." He smirked. "I shower in really hot water. Water makes me cold but if i turn the water to just below boiling point it cools me down to round about normal body temperature which i can handle." He explained sorting his hair out.

"Oh i'm not that good at potions so you'll have to make it." He smirked putting his leather jacket back on. "Where were you a few years ago when i needed you?" He smirked. "I'd be all sorted now, i'd have it all under control."

"Take my hand i wanna try something." He smiled holding his hand out for Rich to take.

He thought about it for a moment before nodding,

"I can tell when I should be in pain. I just don't feel the pain. If that makes sense." he smiled a little, "Fiendfyre doesn't harm me if it's maximum temperature is bellow the minimum melting point of the material. So if I made myself out of titanium then it wouldn't harm me in anyway."

Richard laughed,

"Yep, a riot." he teased before winking at the boy, "So no cold showers after some time with Charlotte then?"

Smirking he deliberately messed the kid's hair up again,

"Well you only need this potion for a once and then it's a spell." he chuckled, "As to where I was? Mostly Europe but sometimes in other continents."

Richard raised an eyebrow but trusted his apprentice enough to take the offered hand.