Moryssa had decided to stop threatening the locals when she was suddenly hit on the head by a rain of rocks. After that all was fuzzy. A few hours later, her rationale--what little she had--was back. So was her attitude. Moryssa felt her throbbing head and shrieked as she felt a large knot. She spent the rest of the night muttering curses. The next morning she decided to take a walk. As she left the campsite, Moryssa saw the elven girl's spear. I'll just give it back to her.

Moryssa grinned evilly as images of murdering the girl with her own weapon passed through her mind. She took off through the countryside looking for the elf. After walking until the sun was high in the sky, Moryssa finally found her. But as much as she wanted to, she didn't have the heart to kill her.

Toan stepped from behind her asked softly,{Are you really that angry with her?}

{No, you big jerk.} She threw the spear at the girl to wake her up.

Toan layed his hand gently on Moryssa's shoulder and whispered in her ear. {Show some respect. She is our senior and another life. Didn't Morwenna teach you anything?

{Oooh don't you bring up Morwenna. Shame on you! Trying to make me feel guilty.}"Just be glad these two," she gestured at Toan and Kiran," are decent men. I'd just as soon leave you to rot with those swine," she guestured toward the direction the farmers ran.

Toan just shook his head and then reached his hand out to Berry, politely. "Please pardon my sister, she gets a little cranky when the world is about to end. I'm Toan, and you are?" Toan looks at Moryssa defiantly as he does so and she let's out a soft snort of contempt for the whole situation, then busies herself with her nails.

Mostly dark, only brief snatches of dreams... glimpses of fir trees, a mossy waterfall, cold winter night... mumbled voices, aching, voices...

Berry felt something hard bounce off her thighs and was torn her out of sleep. She shot up in a panic, instinctivly reached behind her to grab ahold of a tree branch and promptly tumbled backwards. Sitting there on the ground, dazed, her legs splayed out before her and her hood fallen over her face with her ears comically caught and pointing out from beneath the cloth she heard someone with a silvery voice laughing at her in contempt.

A second voice, a man's voice this time, "Please pardon my sister, she gets a little cranky when the world is about to end. I'm Toan, and you are?"

Berry lifted her hood and peered out from underneath to see the dark elf couple from yesterday. The man, Toan, offered his hand and an apologetic smile. Berry saw her spear laying on the ground a few feet from her. She eyed the couple suspiciously but gingerly accepted the man's hand and was helped back to her feet, and was reminded of the battering her body took last night. She winced as she rose and could feel her cheek was tender and probably bruised.

She looked up at the pair, each at least a full head taller than herself. "Um, Berry. I'm Berry."

"Berry. Well Berry, I want to thank you for what you did last night. My sister will never admit it but if it wasn't for you, she might not be here to torment you."

Berry cocked her head to one side like a bird and regarded the chocolate skinned elf inquisitivly as he stammered and stumbled over his words. Her back and neck were too sore to keep her gaze craned up so she contented herself with just staring at their chests.

Toan looked at the girl for a moment as he thought about what that must have sounded like. He grinned sheepishly at the elf. "Uh, I mean...thanks. Say, what brings you out here all alone. In these times it be best to have a companion, I mean a partner, I mean.. nevermind." Toan was feeling completely embarassed. He didn't dare look at his sister. In fact, with the look she was giving him, it'd be safer to stare at a basilisk.

"My forest is dying. I don't know what's doing it but I have to try and stop it." He seemed harmless enough, except for his sword, height, muscles and such. Weird, she could see his nipples poking through his shirt.

"Well, that's too bad. I won't lie and say it's been a pleasure." Moryssa turned and stalked back off to the campsite.

Toan frowned at his sister's comment. After she left he smiled at Berry shyly. "I'm sorry to hear about your forest. My companions and I are actually on our way to Blade and Raiden to get military assistance. You're welcome to come along if you like. I wouldn't..I mean we wouldn't mind. Who knows, you might find the answer to some of your questions along the way." Toan felt strangely exposed. He kept on thinking that she was staring at his chest. You're fine Toan. You're just being self-concious. It's not like she can see your nipples. Toan grimaced mentally as he thought of how embarassing that would be.

"I dunno." Berry gingerly stooped to pick her spear up from the grass and collect her russack. "Who are Blade and Raiden? Are they friends of yours?" She rubbed her nose with her palm to scratch an itch. Almost as an afterthought she added, "And what are you getting military assistance for?"

Toan couldn't help but chuckle. "Blade and Raiden are two very powerful cities. As you no doubt have noticed, the dead have begun to rise. Well, we think that the dead rising has something to do with a man who calls himself the Chaos Knight. He single-handedly brought down the entire city of Roid. Since Blade has taken Roid's place politically, we're afraid that it might be next. We also need to form alliances between the kingdoms so we'll have a fighting chance." Toan offered Berry his arm as he finished. I've never talked so much in my life. He smiled gently at the half-elf, hoping she didn't think he was just like his sister.

* * *

Moryssa sat down where Kiran was resting, her knot covered by her hair, but not her bloodshot eyes. At first she was going to wake him up, but then decided against it. Stroking a nearby flower, she invoked the fairies living in it. Moryssa sighed and leaned back, enjoying the little dance they performed and the sweet scent they carried. Marfa, I know I'm not exactly a devout follower, but please protect my forest.

Zira was up already, she had been laying in her blankets next to Blaze when Moryssa and Toan left. During the time they were gone, Zira tried not to think how perfect a target sleeping Kiran was. About him breaking her heart in the past, she didn't care about anymore. That was ancient history. Her reasons were for what he had done to Mia in the last year. After Moryssa returned, she got up and walked over to the merchant. "Hey, how are you doing?" she asked as she crouched down next to her. "Did you find the half-elf?"

Moryssa looked up at Zira with an obviously forced smile. "I'm better than I was last night. But I still feel like I went overboard at Happy Hour. Where's that priestess when you need her? You've been a little quiet lately, how are you holding up?" Moryssa frowned at the mentioning of that girl. "Yeah, I found her alright. Toan is with her now. Don't know what he sees in her."

"Well, don't worry about your head, we have Alwyn here," Zira reminded her with a smile. "I'll wake him up in a couple minutes." Zira laid back in the grass, using the hood of her cloak as a pillow. She just wore her dress and boots right now, covered by her cloak. "I'm all right I guess. I'm just not sure about Blaze. It's not that I dont want to be with him. I just dont think I can live up to his expectations. Well, enough of that. We need to get ready to go after breakfast." Zira stood and brushed herself off, then wandered over to Alwyn and woke the priest. "Are you gonna help Mory or not?" she asked, crouching over him.

Alwyn looked up and shook his head clear of exhaustion. "What happened to her?" He inquired as he got up and straightened his robes before walking to Moryssa. "What happened that you require my assistance?"

"Where have you been!?! Did you not see that mob that attacked last night?" Moryssa pulled her hair aside to show the priest a very large knot on her forehead. "And not only this, but I have a large headache."

* * *

The sun was pulling the day towards afternoon and Berry felt herself getting ansy. Sore body, urgent (yet irritatingly ambigous) business to tend too... standing still was testing her patience. Her body was telling her to either walk it off or properly rest, simply fidgiting from one leg to the other wasn't going to help. Her gaze danced, trying to drink in whatever it could. Toan was talking, "Blade and Raiden are two very powerful cities. As you no doubt have noticed, the dead have begun to rise. Well, we think that the dead rising has something to do with a man who calls himself the Chaos Knight. He single-handedly brought down the entire city of Roid. Since Blade has taken Roid's place politically..."

Her attention span ran short. People always thought their own little games were so important, but she never got it. Especially the political game. Cities? Govenrment? Kingdoms? Anyone who seriously believed that cities were anything more than where a bunch of people agreed to live undoubtably suffered from dillusions. The problem, Berry had learned, was that there was a lot of dillusional people out there. People who thought that their games were more important than what was really happening. Toan's sister for example... but that would have to wait. Hopefully the others in the group had a bit more sense.

She drifted off, dreadfully considering what might be happening to her forest now. There was an old grizzled bear that lived in one crag on the far side. She'd given him the name "Old Noah". He'd almost killed her on a couple occasions. Was he even still alive? Did his prey rise up and bring him to the other side? Oh, Noah...

Berry came out of her reverie and saw Toan pointing his arm towards the camp. Berry shrugged and figured this was her best course for now. At least it was a bit safer. Should probably figure out more about this "Chaos Knight" person or thing if nothing else. She took a few steps down the road towards camp but Toan was still standing there, looking slightly shocked or lost or... something. Berry turned, took his hand and akwardly shook it up and down a couple times... she thought she remembered that some people liked that as a greeting or a way to secure an agreement or some sort of custom. Maybe that was what he was expecting? She turned again and started down the road puzzled and musing to herself, "Weird people...I hope I got that right..."

Toan just shook his head and muttered as he followed the girl back towards the camp. She was certainly peculiar. They finally reached the campsite and Toan saw Zira. "This is Berry. She's the girl from last night. Berry, Zira." Toan was always a bit reserved. Maybe because of his sister. Either way, those who knew him would never suspect that he had a crush on a rugid half-elf.

"Must have been asleep, sorry. I'll take care of that knot." He then placed his hands gently on the knot and started casting healing spells on Moryssa. After several minutes of casting spells he nodded to Berry and spoke. "Tis an honor to meet you, Berry."

Zira smiled and nodded to the girl. "Greetings Berry. The rest of our party is Parn, Deedlit, Blaze and Alwyn." she said pointing to each person. Unlike others, she had much respect for half-elves, after all, she took Alni in.

A short walk back down the dusty road and they reached the camp. Names and polite nods flitted back and forth through the air like butterflies. Berry scratched her ear and hoped she could remember who was who. Ugh, people, she thought. Still, they were no worse than some of the other parties that she'd spent time with. Years ago she irritatidly mused why it was just the stupid people who got lost but realized she'd answered her own question. Hopefully spending time with people who didn't get lost would improve her opinion of them.

She settled herself against the trunk of a small tree and, after rummaging for a moment in the folds of her clothes, pulled out an orangish-brown lump of something that looked like an ancient potato and meekly ate her breakfast, trying to stay out of the way of everyone.

Berry finished munching on her tuber breakfast and washing it down with several mouthfuls of water from her waterskin. It seemed to be dripping a bit. Probably damaged it uring the tumble, she thought and resolved to see about patching it up when the time came. After the previous day, it was a relief and a luxury to have such a leisurly morning. The sun was already creeping high and the camp of adventurers were still mulling about, seeing to their own little tasks and needs.

Berry's body still felt achy and bruised up and she could feel a one or two small crusty patches on her neck and forehead where she figured she'd scraped up when she tumbled down the hill. A splash in a stream would be wonderful but her stomach churned in anxiety at the thought of risking another incident like the one that began the entire debacle. She would have to content herself with splashing her face with a couple palmfuls of water from her leaking skin and hope that where ever this group was heading would lead them away from anymore civilization so she'd be able to properly bathe herself.

She'd been wathing the members of the party as they went about their morning business and duties. They seemed tolerable enough. And to think, Dark Elves! Berry was secretly thrilled, this was better than the time she'd seen the giant praying mantis on the South side of the valley. Ok, maybe not a giant mantis, but a really big one at least. She'd been wondering for a few days about queer buzzing sounds and finally tracked it down. It was perched up in a fir tree, gorging itself on what was left of a fox. Breathtaking, she thought. Of course she'd need to be more careful with a really big mantis around but, wow. She didn't see it anymore after a week and, as best as she can guess, it probably got into a scrap and was eaten by Old Noah, the bear.

She still didn't know what to think of the siblings, Toan and Moryssa. They kept looking at her. Berry couldn't figure out what she could have possibly done to offend them to terribly. They seemed rather high class; did Dark Elves even have things like that, classes? Maybe they weren't keen on sharing the road with a scruffy forest urchin? The only other time Berry had dealt with nobility was the couple times she came across lost hunting parties. One of them apologized for intruding in her forest, she didn't quite understand why they thought it was her forest in that sense but she played along to get them the hell out faster.

The other party demanded that she show them the way out of the woods, acting as if it was her duty and privilage. She told them to piss on themselves and left them. They'd killed almost an entire pack of wolves, just for sport. She stopped hearing their calls after a couple nights. Berry never found their bones so they either made it out on their own or were swept away in a river. Maybe old Noah got them? She'd never been in his cave so maybe the bones were there?

But the siblings, Toan especially, kept throwing sidelong glances at her. Hmmm, probably best to just keep out of both of their ways.

* * *

Deedlit looked back at the girl curiously. What were they going to do with her? Perhaps she would decide to go her own way, but she also seemed intrigued by them. Deed fastened her bedroll onto the saddle of her horse and checked her saddle bags as she thought. When she finished with her preparations, she patted her bay mare on the neck and walked to Berry. "Hello," she smiled sweetly as she looked down at the girl. "I'm Deedlit, but Zira told you," Deed knelt down in front of the half-elf. "So what are you planning to do? We're leaving soon."

Moryssa couldn't wait to get going. She wanted a bath desperately but would not leave anywhere with heathens running about. So she packed her things and pouted the whole time. As she hopped onto her horse she pulled looked at Toan's sword again. She just had to solve the mystery of that sword. Speaking of Toan, where is he? Moryssa glanced around the area and saw her brother perched up in a tree. Oh, he's playing ranger, eh? Moryssa's smile faded as she traced her twin's gaze down to the half-elf, Berry. The merchant's eyes changed from the usual deep blue to a fiery red. Her horse screeched as her nails dug into it's neck.

Toan jumped at the sound Moryssa's horse made. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't as agile as he looked. The young dark elf fell off of his perch and landed with a hard thud. It took him a while to stand up at he rubbed hius butt in pain. Could Toan have been more embarassed? Yup. Moving his hand away, he realised that he had split the back open. He swiftly ran to his horse and mounted, all thw hile keeping his back from facing his travelling companions.

The blond elf approached Berry as she was sitting in the grass. "Hello," the elf said, smiling, "I'm Deedlit, but Zira told you. So what are you planning to do? We're leaving soon." Berry stood up and scratched behind her ear and smiled in return. "Um, well, if you don't object, would it be alright if I tagged along? From what...um, Toan?..." Berry waved her hand towards the tree branch, "Toan was saying earlier that, um, you folks might be pretty close to what's been hurting my forest. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll get me closer to some answers." Berry rubbed her nose and turned to feel Moryssa's poisonous gaze burning into the back of her head. Moryssa's horse let out a shriek and Toan ungracefully tumbled from the branches only to jump to his feet and bound onto his own mount. Berry blinked and looked at Deedlit. "You have odd friends" she remarked before shouldering her russack and picking up her spear.

Deedlit smiled, "We'd be glad to have you along," she replied, and oticed Moryssa and Toan behind them. "Well, most of us at least. I have to agree with you about that odd comment."

* * *

Later in the day, Blaze caught a comment in the group's conversations and replied, "I'm not PARTIALLY dragonic. I AM Dragonic. I'm a Dragon with a human body. Where is Ariakan by the way?" Blaze stopped dead for a second, his mind focused. A vison shot into his head, it was too fast to really see it but it was a battle. His hand lept to his sword handles. He drew his twin blades and looked around. Ready your weapons! I'm not sure what, but I feel something...Everyone stay cautious...

Before Blaze had the flash of a vision Alwyn managed to get answer. "Blade, someone sent an assassin after him there. He will be there should we need to find him." Alwyn then got his staff out and in a defensive position just in case they were to fight.

Zira was mounted now, her grey gelding stamped anxiously, almost as if he were channeling her own impatience. After Blaze spoke, Zira swiftly leaned against her horse's neck, stroking his jaw and whispering soothing words in elven. With her mount calm, Zira's hand rested tensly on the hilt of her rapier. "We should hurry on our way then, we need to make as much time as possible before nightfall."

"I'm not PARTIALLY dragonic. I AM Dragonic. I'm a Dragon..."

Berry's ears perked up, the rest of his speech was running off past her attention span. "Dragon? Really?" She nudged her way over to the supposed human and let loose a rapid barrage of questions "You're really a dragon?" she asked with a child-like innocent curiosity and tilted her head, trying to peer past the folds of his clothes and seams on his armor to glimpse anything underneath. "Do you have scales? Or...or wings? Ooo! Can you breath fire? I heard that some dragons can do that! Are you really a dragon?" She resisted the urge to outright poke at him and was all but actually sniffing him out of exuberent curiosity. Startled, she jumped back with a squeak to avoid the dual flashes of massive steel as his blades were whipped from their sheathes. The man/dragon glared down at her with a reproachful eye.

The dragonman's warning of pending aggression hung in the air and the thought of battle swept the entire group as they tensed up to prepare themselves for an attack. Zira's call to move on seemed to be a relief to all, if nothing more than an outlet to their well guarded nervousness. Berry, still spooked by the blades flashing so near her face, was slightly hunched over and anxiously fingering her spear, waiting. The group was right, there was a different... "flavor" to the air. Something seemed to be wanting to happen.

Blaze couldn't help but laugh even through the situation. Berry's question were so innocent that it was refreshing to see a new face with some spunk in them...that was sucked away through the endless combat they were emerced in. "Nay nay clild. I'm as Human as a Dwarf is a Dwarf. I'm human in appearence alone. Here, I'll show you."

Blaze threw off the cloak he was wearing, it looked like he had another cape around him. To Berry's surprise the "cape" pulled away and spread back, showing that they were actually a set of Dragon wings. His glitting golden armor shined with the few dieing lights of the day. He took to the air, floating on the gentle wind. He looked at Berry with an ammused smile. Then he turned and looked at Zira. "Zira, we'll need to hard press. If we were to be attacked in the forest they'd have strung now. But, also, no creature is stupid enough to challenge a dragon without a LARGE force. So let's move fast. Can Berry sit on the horse as well? I can carry the others if I shift. It may be the best way to put some distance bethind us."

The dragonman threw back his cape and, spreading his wings, took alight to the sky. Berry's eyes glinted and a smirk crept into the corner of her mouth. "Oo, fan-TAS-tic" she quietly said to herself in glee.

From his heights, the dragonman, Blaze, urged the group to action and for Berry to join one of the party and share a mount. Horses? Berry had never felt comfortable on a mount and had often fallen off on those rare times that times necessitated, or others goaded, her into a saddle. She openly blanched as she imagined having to speed across the lands borne on a beast more fearsome than her boots. Hmmm, come to think of it, he boots were getting rather fearsome. How long had she been travelling? She wanted a nice cool stream to bathe in, to wash herself in, to soak her feet in until they turned blue as mountain-top ice...

Still, the issues at hand weighed her down. Battles? Cities? Mounts? And, damnit!, why was that Moryssa-person glaring at her all the time???

Zira couldn't help chuckling at Berry. First enthralled by Blaze, then her obvious fear of riding. She edged her horse closer to the half-elf, then grabbed the girl's arm and swung her up on to her saddle behind her. "Just hold on, you'll get used to it," she glanced back with a grin. "Let's go people!" Spurring the grey gelding, she returned to the road at a canter-she didn't want to scare Berry any more by taking off at run.

The dark elf called Zira took Blaze's cue and pulled Berry, flailing limbs and all, up and into the saddle. With a smile, a small laugh, words of comfort, Berry wasn't sure, but the elf spoke out, "Just hold on, you'll get used to it." Berry tried to settle into the saddle, with little luck. She steadied herself, grabbing the back of the saddle with one hand and was trying to figure out what to do with the spear in her other hand when Zira cried, "Let's go people!" and the horse broke off into a near run. With the ground rushing by under them, Berry gasped, clenched her teeth and clutched Zira's waist with a death grip. Initially patient words of comfort from Zira evolved from, "Now, now it's ok... ease up on your hold" to "Will you let go already!?" After a few moments Berry settled and an arrangment was reached where Berry had one arm around Zira's waist to steady herself and the other held her spear.

Deedlit giggled at first when Zira picked up Berry, then scowled. "Zira! Don't scare the poor girl!" Deedlit called after Zira, though it wasn't much over a whisper. She then chased after Zira on her own mount.

What was it about that girl? Everything about her made Moryssa sick. Berry. Just thinking of her made Moryssa angry. She pulled out her rapier at Blaze's warning, a the while pushing thoughts of driving it through Berry's chest. Snapping out of her daze with a slight grin, Moryssa heard Gale's comment about carrying her. "What about our horses? We can't just leave them."

Taking a quick glance at her brother, she noticed he was staring at her hand which was gripping her rapier. She could've sworn he even gave a nervous gulp. The grumpy merchant just mumbled and walked over to Kiran.

"We are taking the horses," Kiran replied with a raised eyebrow. "Mory, forget about the girl, she's just that," he smiled gently and wrapped his arms around her, embracing her close. He kissed her forehead. "Let's just go," he said softly and kissed her forehead again. This was rather amusing. It was obvious Toan was attracted to Berry and now Moryssa was playing the role of jealous/possessive sibling. Grabbing the reins of Moryssa's light grey mare--he choose the near-white horse just for her--and those of his own chestnut mare, he nudged Mory to her horse. He mounted his own after she was up and waited for Toan.

Moryssa smiled lightly back at Kiran and mounted her horse. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she knew the girl. The dark elf checked around her area making sure evrything was in order. Looking at Toan and Kiran, she smiled childishly. "Let's go! We can't let those people beat us!"With a youthful laugh she took off after the others. Toan, who was beating himself up for not offering his mount to Berry-oh the name was so sweet-looked at Kiran and shrugged. Turn his mount around he matched Moryssa's grin and took off after her.

Blaze let out a loud yell and he hurled himself straight up, his form growing larger, twisting into the monsterous Kaiser Dragon. Beating his wings he carried himself higher, but stopped a hundred feet above the forest canopy. His dragon eyes didn't miss much neither did his nose. He let out a deafening roar to warn all Wyrms, Wyverns, Dragons, and generally all evil creatures that attack would not be tollerated. He turned his neck, looking down at the group below and spoke with a deep resonating voice. "Time is of the essence. I'll fly ahead and make a secure camp ground. Zira, you can read my mind. You'll know how far it is. May the speed of dragonwings carry you to safety."

He beat his wings back quickly, launching himself forward with an upward arch. He rose in the air and swooped down, skimming the tree top to accelorate himself faster. Within a minute he put 4 miles between them. He wouldn't be flying for long but he would be clearing a spot soon. With that in mind he started to gather energy within himself. He heard works on his mind, it was Araikan. Why was he able to hear him? Could he hear him if he spoke in his mind? Ariakan, my bretherin', why are you and are you well? I fear we may soon have problems. Gale is enraged again and I am powerless, even with my heritage to do anything about the world's affairs. There seems to be something...something powerful. 4 great being of pure evil... I hope we can face these terrors together.

He landed with that thought, he was some 40 miles from the group. He unleashed his gathered energy in the form of a Gaia flare. It burned a circle of trees, cutting them with diamond like percision when the flare hit. Timber fell in piles and shattered. Shifting back to his humanish form he began to build a quick stable for the horses and a perimater for the area of the camp. Hmmm...hope they came get here with great haste. In about an hour the last rays of light will have sunken into the eastern hills to sleep. I must look in to learning how to use a bow.

After a few hours later Ariakan sent a reply to Blaze. I hear you Blaze, someone has tried to kill me already and I now stand before what I have been warned is an imposter king of flaim. I too sense these beings of evil and one is headed towards Blade, please, hurry here for I fear that something very powerful is on its way. We can win, I know magic that has been lost for close to six hundred years, perhaps the answer to victory lies in powerful spells of the past and the goup gathered today. Fare thee well on thy journey here.

* * *

The dragon-man dramatically unfolded his body into a great winged-lizard and sped off into the distance. Berry after witnessing the spectacle mused to herself, "Hmm, seems rather self-important for a man, or a lizard, even." Still, she'd finally seen a real dragon and was pleased with herself.

The party went off with a cautious urgency. In Berry's mind, this was less than an ideal way of crossing land but it was apparently the quickest. Still, there was so much that you missed choosing speed over travelling properly. The details of the trail blurred into an indecipherable paste. The wind rushed by too fast to really pull any tale from it. And the noise was almost unbearable, the constant pounding and jingling was enough to drown out the falling of even a great tree.

Berry learned to stop looking at the ground, the motion made her dizzy and she almost fell on occasion. She resolved to keep her eyes generally forward and watch the passing land, distant and unfelt.

The party arrived on exhausted horses not long before night fall. Upon entering the camp, Zira noticed the fresh cut stumps and winced. "Blaze, you should be glad Mia didn't accompany us. Dragon or no, you'd be in bad shape when she was done with you," Zira winked to Blaze, but internally felt angry at him for destroying trees needlessly. Sometimes he was too human.

She halted her horse and glanced back at Berry who had clung desperatly to her most of the ride. "You ok back there?" she asked as she unwrapped the half-elf's arms. "It'll take some getting used to yet. It wont be too bad once you get used to it." Zira dropped to the ground and helped Berry down. She stroked Thunder's--a good, simple name for the horse--broad nose affectionately. Thunder nuzzled her golden hair tiredly and Zira led him to the stable to rest. Perhaps a stable wouldn't be too bad afterall....She was sure Thunder was thankful for a warm place to sleep tonight.

They rode until they reached a freshly blasted clearing. The stench of cinders hung in the air. A roughly hewn stable made from the debris was set at one side. Berry's face grew as hard and expressionless as stone. In the middle of the ruin was the dragon-man. Blaze.

After being helped down from Zira's horse, Berry looked over the clearing. Slowly, she bent and picked up a charred fragment of a branch and walked up to Blaze. She stared dead into the beast's eyes. "You did this?" she asked plainly and waved her hand about the clearing. Berry's gaze coldly matched and defied any that Blaze offered. She tossed the cinder at his feet. "Stupid eft. No, an eft would have more sense. Stupid child."

She turned and walked out of the clearing and disappeared among the shadows and brush.

Show off! Moryssa grinned a little at Blaze's show. She still wasn't quite used to dragon yet. She still remembered when he grabbed her back at the inn. He is too much like his lupine friend. If I had the choice I'd make Gale a coat and Blaze a pair of shoes with a matching purse. Her chuckle was lost in the pounding of her mare's hooves. Those who just met her would never suspect that horseback riding was one of her favorite past times. The wind moving through her hair. The sounds of the horse's hooves as they hit the ground. All served as an intoxicating experience, something that filled her with bliss. When they finally reached the campsite, Moryssa's ecstasy left.

"Forget about Mia. I'm about ready to teach you a thing or five." Although she had no intentions of fighting Blaze, she tightened her hand up into a fist.

Toan arrived at the campsite right as Berry was leaving. After surveying the area, he made an expression that could rival his sisters's. He walked up to Blaze and scowled. "How could you be so inconsiderate to lives of this forest?! You are a murderer and you have no remorse! You disgust me." Toan walked away from the clearing into the forest searching for Berry. Although he was angry, most of it was a show, just in case Berry was watching. He just hoped it worked.

Kiran looked at the campsite with obvious disgust, but he looked impassively at Blaze and said simply, " I thought dragons respected life," before turning his horse away. He was tempted to make camp in a tree. What a fool that dragon, acting like that in front of group of mostly elves. And Zira just as much a fool, he thought as he watched her lead her horse to the stable that was not needed. "Moryssa, would you wish to make camp in a true elven way?"

"Sure, did you have anything in mind?" Moryssa touched a fallen branch, then cupped her hands. Slowly, the remaining fairies flittered into her palms. She winced as the light
of one died out. Walking carefully across the clearing, she urged them into a living but scarred tree. After pushing her hair back, Moryssa walked over to Kiran. {Handsome}, she said in elven,{let's just get away for a while. I need to get some distance fom these people. And maybe we'll find a lake or pond so that we can bathe.} A coy smile crossed the merchant's face. She always felt so comfortable around Kiran, despite his dark past. "If only he'd make the first move," she whispered absently.

{I'm tired of sleeping on the ground, it would be nice just to curl up on a thick high branch, hearing and feeling the life pulsing around you,} He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. {Feeling your warmth beside me, hearing your soft breathing.} He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. {How does that sound?} he smiled back and leaned down to kiss her lips this time. He pulled back after a moment and with a playful smirk added, {After we find that pond.}

Moryssa grabbed Kiran's hand and led him swiftly into the forest. That year spent in Roid caused her to forget how wonderful nature could be. Or how romantic. {Kiran, tell me more about yourself. About your travels. Your dreams. Your aspirations. Or is dreaming only something the young do?} She poked at him playfully then wrapped herself facing him in his arms. {Seriously, I want to know more about you. And I want to hear it from you, not the others. Your special to me. Infact, I think I love you.} All playfulness left the young elf as she looked up into Kiran's eyes. The setting sun only enhanced the beauty of the scene as she awaited her love's answer.

* * *

Berry meandered through the young woodlands. She sniffed the air, it smelled drier than she was used to. And just...different. A faint odor of cinders still clung to her boots and fingers as she lightly stepped over the duff covered soil. It had been a long day and it was time to forage. It felt good to be back on her feet, her butt had gotten sore from riding all afternoon. She hear a faint rustle from a ways away.

Berry began to poke around for her meal. Her mind began to roil. "Stupid dragon," she muttered under her breath. She grumbled as she examined a rotting stump. "No, just young... well, maybe stupid but still definitly young." The stump pulled apart in sheafs and gave her only handfuls of powdered wood. Still, she sniffed the dust on her fingers. Wind, rain... the smell of years. Tang, fresh earth, sharpness, the smell of ants wafted up. She brushed her hands off against her thigh. She walked several meters away and found a fallen log. "No, too close..." She continued wandering. A branch broke somewhere behind her.

She found an old tree, it's trunk encrusted with hard knobs of fungus. She tapped it with her knuckles. "Still no." She stooped down and put her face to the duff. Leaves, odors, fallen bark, signs... she found something useful.

A few paces left and up the tree. Winged seed pods. Small but enough to make it worth while. She stuffed a few handfuls into her pouch and dropped back down. Follow the signs... "stupid dragon...destroying the signs like that..." she breathed.

Small tuft of green. She pulled out her knife and dug up a bulb as big as her fist. The shuffle of feet against the duff. She saw a large, rotted log a bit further away. "Hm... that should be far enough away... I guess dragons can be just as blind as other people..."

She grabbed an end and pulled. It's integrity was suprising. A branch rustled. While grunting and pulling at the fallen trunk she said, "Toan, you walk like a human. If you're going to be following me at least help me open the log." A broad plate of wood split off in her hands and she exclaimed with joy, "Oo, grubs!" and began to pick up the small, pale tidbits.

Blaze was finished setting up a secured camp site and had finished casting ancient sealed magic they would halt even the darke in it's path. He sat down next to a pile of broken limbs and twigs that he's collected while breaking down trees to make the site. He outstretched his palm and set the pile ablaze. "A fire...to light the way for my weary friends. Ariakan, I can feel something is wrong...but I know not what. So I will do for you what I have done for no other living thing. I was lend you the strength of my ancestral lineage."

With that he sat next to the fire, letting his ancient tounged prayers lift to the heavens. To the Kaiser Dragon himself, pleeding with him to inbue his power and knowledge with Araikan. He heard a soft voice in his head, a voice he's heard only once. His mother's. -Are you sure you wish to grant a child of the Wyrm the power of the Dragon? The Wyrm were corrupted Dragons that lost their wings to greed and lust for power. Are you sure, my son?-

He may be from the line of the Wyrm, but he is my friend and one of the only people who understands me and I would give my life to protect my friends. I am sure of the choices I make.

-Then so be it. The Great one has seen fit to grant your prayer to aid your friend. May your choice not be wrong. From this point on, he is no longer a childe of the Wyrm, but is reborn to the Dragons once again. May your choice be sound and my you guide him well.-The voice faded as he watched with dragonic eye the aura of the dragon drop from the skies over Flaim, no doubt headed for Ariakan.

* * *

Kiran smiled broadly and stroked her cheek gently. {After all you know already, you love me? I don't understand you Mory.} There was superficial humor in his voice, but underneath was amazement. {I'll tell you all about me if you want to know.} Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her gently. They found a place at the foot of an old tree to sit and talk and Kiran told her all he could. Somethings were hard, telling her what he was like while growing up on Marmo, all the things he'd done. And then what happened to Mia. If she could accept that, he didn't think he'd ever love anyone else again. She'd be perfect. Either that or insane. All the violence of his past and even rape, he told her. It brought back so much pain that he had since forgotten that it brought him to tears. He tried to fight it, but he ended up crying into her soft, ivory hair. It was embarrassing, men dont cry.

There was alot of crying that night. Moryssa's own tears flowed right along with Kiran's. Although a little unnerved about his past, Moryssa couldn't find it in her heart to fear him, or hate him. It would've been different if he hadn't showed remorse, but he truly felt sorry for what he did. {Don't you feel better now that you got that off of your chest? I'll admit that your story is a bit unsettling. But I have to say that I probably love you even more. Whatever you did in the past, leave it there. You saved me when we first met and ever since then you've been their for me. Whatever posessed you to do those things is obviously gone now. Your present is overshadowing your past and maybe Zira and Mia can't see it but I see something special in you.}

Moryssa looked out into the forest and took a deep breath. She gently rubbed her new tears off of her face. Turning back to Kiran, she grabbed his hand supportively. {Maybe I'm a fool to feel the way I do. But Kiran, I would play the fool forevor, so that I could be with you forever. Handsome, I believe in miracles and you're definately a miracle. Kiran your my dream come true. It's like I was lost but with you now I see because I believe in you and me.} Moryssa's eyes overflow with more tears.

Kiran smiled through his tears and stroked his thumb over her damp cheek. "I love you Moryssa, I think you deserve better than me though. I will do all I can for you though," before she could reply, he kissed her deeply and held her close, laying back with her in his arms.

"I probably could, but I guess I'll settle for you." Moryssa smiled and kissed him back. They chatted well into the night until they finally drifted off to sleep.