They invited me inside to talk. Leah's house was being used as a commune for guildmates, so there was plenty of food and drink, like a small tavern for just friends. In spite of the fact that we were no longer guildmates, I could feel that our alliance was one stronger than any guild stone could dictate, and that all of us still walked the path taught by our lost mentor.

"So what's the latest news of Aeolus?" asked Leah. "We have heard reports of unusual behavior, and some major identity changes. People speak of an Aeolus that has unusual colored hair and robes, and I was wondering if that was our same friend."

"Aye," I told her, "'tis he." Leah let out a giggle, because the color they spoke of was so unusual, and to this day she still finds it amusing. "But how he went from the red haired Aeolus to who he is now, is quite a story, Princess," I told her, and then I began the story of Aeolus' metamorphosis.

Aeolus was helping Angel and myself move some of her belongings to another house from the Isle of Fire. In that Angel was a reformed murderer, but her reputation is still one of a witch, we had to make the move in secret. We were almost finished with the move, when we were attacked by a Poison Elemental. Normally a poison elemental resembled a whirlwind, but this one was different. It had horns and wings, and really resembled a greater daemon.

Angel and myself flew into the combat, but her magic and my war ax could do nothing to hurt the beast. Aeolus, being a powerful mage, was our only chance. But even his magic was barely harming the creature. What's worse, the creature appeared to be concentrated on Aeolus, only paralyzing me and Angel. We were frozen for some time, watching helplessly the great battle of magery. The battle raged throughout the island. The last we saw of Aeolus was him being lifted high in the air by the great beast. I was certain my friend was dead.

A week later, I was hearing reports that Aeolus had returned to Yew and that he had gone mad. He looked like a young warrior, not the illustrious mage we all knew. Rumors were that he had lost his power of magery in that tragic battle. These rumors could not be further from the truth. When I did run into him, I did see a much different person from the one that I last saw on the isle. His hair was a bright green, the same color as that of the poison elemental, and he wore robes to match. I know that Lothar's hair turned white after his long campaigns of witch hunting and the powerful magics he put his sword against, but this transformation was a unique one. Aeolus' entire form was changed, he was reborn. His hazel eyes had changed hue to the same green. He then told me of his week-long battle with the beast and how he not only emerged victorious, but that he gained some valuable skills. He had learned how to wield a mace, to protect him when he was low on mana. And when I saw him cast spells, his whole form glowed the green of his hair, and the magics released were more powerful than any I had seen him cast before. Sure, before Aeolus was a powerful mage who could hold his own, but now there were only a handful of mages on the entire planet who could match his new power.

The side effect to this new power of his was the color. Not only did he have hair and eyes of the strange green, his eyes perceive color differently than a normal human. He finds bright and unusual colors pleasing to his eyes. When he asked me to wear robes the same color as he, I politely refused. I was grateful my longtime friend was alive and well; he may look a little strange but none dispute his power.

Later that evening, Lothar and his brother Crackhead arrived. While Leah, Crackhead and myself were sparring . I noted a secret meeting between Aeolus and Lothar. When they adjourned, I could see a sense of fulfillment on Aeolus' face and completeness of Lothar's visage. The best news in a very long time was about to be announced…