Surrounded in darkness the egg floated about unhindered. All over the shell small cracks form, an eye peering out into the darkness from the biggest crack.

• • •

Observing the ash walkers in their camp the Queen of Xyin kept on eying a certain cindari. Already her kind has reached into the hundreads, guided by her she kept their kind strong.

But what she planned to do would not only alert their kind to the Ahi and the King of Ash but also cause some casualties. But it would be worth it if they got what she wanted.

"We strike during the next wave from our lord!"

The xyin around her did a form of salute, beating the long arms into their chests, the noise they made like the beating of war drums.

• • •

The ash covered lands truly became the perfect camp for the ahi. With the roaring flames from the camp fire the ahi soared against each other.

Whenever an ash walker killed it's opponent their flame would be absorbed into theirs, this allowed for rapid growth within his army.

The cindari was the pride of their ahi, it's beauty hard to understand to the weaker of the ahi. But that didn't stop the stronger of their kind from noticing. How the burn lines along their skin shinned with ruby red light, their tentacles keeping them floating through the air.

The cindari mostly kept to themselves, roaming in packs around the ash covered land. The young cindari were the opposite, choosing to play with the ash walkers in games tag with or without them.

The adult cindari moved the the edge of the ash lands sensing an attack leaving the young cindari to play.

As the King of Ash observed the young cindari a figure rose from the ash. It's height doubled even his and it's long arms reaching its knees, at the top of its head long horns curved almost forming a complete circle. All around it more figures like the first appeared but with shorter arms and a verity of weapons.

The herd of young cindari speared out in fear, trying to run away from the creatures that looked nothing like the ahi.

The ash walkers quickly ran towards them to kill them, but those things weren't as weak as they though. With speed none believe possible they slaughtered many ash walkers, their flames drifting in the direction of the camp fire.

The flames that were close to their queen turned black before sinking into the ground. She captured a young cindari before sinking into the ground with it. The others followed suit but during the process a couple died at the hands of the generals, their bodies releasing a black wispy smoke.

As they continued watching the flames those from the ash walkers merged with the camp fire causing the flame to grow. Those from the creatures also entered the flame but didn't merge instead turned into small little orange flames that continued to float around the place.

Cinders, a new type of ahi was born into the world from the black wispy smoke of the xyin. Their kind spreading the power of the fire throughout all of the ash lands.

• • •

The black wispy smoke(souls) of the xyin floated around the Xyin Temple before flying into the well of shadows. As their souls bathed in the purified shadows of the shadow well their souls changed, became more than just smoke. They stayed within the shadow well bathing in the shadows.

Their queen was currently busy with the young cindari. After coming here it tried desperately to flee from the hands of the xyin, almost did too. But in the end it was restrained by chains formed by her general.

Its body was still too big for it to fit in the well of shadows so they chained it just above the well of shadows. From time to time wisps of shadows would rise out from the well and into the body of the young cindari. It's screeches could be heard now and then echoing through the shadow realm.