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Doesn't exist?! What-? Ovaan flinched as she dived past him, then turned around and laughed at her pathetic attempts to escape. "The way out," he purred, waiting until she'd turned to him before pointing almost lazily above them. "Is that way." He'd done lots of flying. They were practically miles underground. The exit from this chamber seemed to be that far away. So far above them that it was obscured by darkness. "You going to try to climb out of here, too?" he taunted her, mis-matched eyes glowing softly. "That's going to be kind of hard to do without any light." He gestured to the lantern set on the floor; his lantern, the only source of light aside from his glowing eyes.

She could see in the dark? Dangit. There went that idea. Still, he knew he was stronger than she was. He could still intimidate her other ways. "Ah, good," he said, carelessly. "Then when I leave you down here I won't need to worry about that." His breathing had grown heavier with anger and panic. No matter where he put her, she'd keep trying to escape. No. No, not this time. She wouldn't dare this time. He jumped up into the air. "Go ahead." he taunted her. "Try to get out. You'll be wandering for a long time. I won't look for you if you get lost. It'll be your own fault if you die." He cursed himself for allowing his voice to quaver slightly, as though he actually cared whether or not she died. It wouldn't be on his consience if it was her own stupid fault. Ag'helai wouldn't come down here for her. And if she got her host mad, well, she'd be warned. A few days in this, as she said 'prison', would open her eyes. He hoped. Okay, really, he prayed. Why did he care about her so much?! Forcing his voice to remain horridly mocking, he added, "And An'shek doesn't really appreciate people it doesn't know wandering around its home. Toodles." And with that he summoned his lantern and flew off, leaving her alone in the dark.

Why did he suddenly feel so much colder?

You know she's going to try to climb out of that hole. Why on earth did you leave her in there?!

She had to learn her lesson somehow! Not even burning her worked.

Oh, so now you're going to try leaving a poor innocent girl in An'shek's tunnels and expect her to survive!?

Of course she'll survive! She's tough. It'll just scare her a bit. Then she'll be fine.

Yeah, right!

She doesn't believe me about anything. She thinks Ag'helai's fake, for heaven's sake!

Okay, so she isn't perfect, but-

If I tell her something's dangerous, she goes waltzing right into the middle of it! I thought I was doing some good saving her from Ag'helai, but she isn't worth the trouble! Let it have her, for all I care!

You care.

No, I don't! I don't care about her! Let her die! She isn't worth it!

You do too. You enjoy her every bit as much as-

SHUT UP! I don't! I won't! It's EVIL!

I care.

No you don't! You're just confused! You don't care! We don't care about her! Evil! Evil!

It's not-

It's evil, and you know it is! WE DON'T CARE!!

...According to who?

Ovaan landed hard on the ground, momentarily stunning himself. It had begun to rain. When had it become cloudy? How long had he been flying? He was wasting time. There was stuff to be done. He scrambled weakly to his feet. The voices in his head wouldn't shut up. Go back for her? Leave her to die? She wasn't going to die! Why had he left her down there? He didn't even care! Even if he did, it was bad. Bad bad bad bad BAD!

What was the greater evil? Loving someone or killing them?

Ovaan fell back onto his knees. He'd said...he'd thought the L-word. He buried his face in his hands, moaning.

He'd never been taught that lesson.

An'shek had been minding her own business, hunting for food for her newborn babies, and what should she sense in her tunnel? An intruder. In HER tunnel. Threatening HER children. With a snort, the masive beast turned its head, catching the odd scent, making its way down the tunnels, dropping the carcass it held in its jaws as it moved, through the tunnels of its hole. Getting closer.

It was completely dark in the tunnel, but that had never bothered An'shek. She just followed her nose, the putrid odor of the danger to her kits guiding her right to the tunnel in which Kelala lurked. If she had been in the hole, where Ovaan had placed her, An'shek wouldn't have attacked. But seeing as she was out and wandering, well...

She was toast. The large molebeast trundled down the tunnel towards her with a snuffling growl of warning before it launched itself at the girl.

The scream startled An'shek and just made her more angry than she'd been before. Gargantuan claws ripped through the creature's magic barrier. An'shek gave a scream of her own as the magic coursed through her, but she continued to rip at the barrier, slowly but surely destroying it, intent upon killing the creature within.

His wings were wet. Ovaan realized with horror that he could no longer fly. With a little gasp of horror he ran for all he was worth.

An'shek hissed wickedly, her hot breath nearly suffocating the smaller human as she pawed at the barrier, eyes glittering aggressively. She didn't seem to care at all that Kelala was creating another spell. All she wanted was blood.

An'shek screamed in pain as the magic came in contact with her head, the force throwing her several feet down the tunnel. When she charged back she was even more ticked off than before. This time when she rammed her bloody head into Kelala's barrier it gave a deafening crack as the magic began to collapse under the brute force. An'shek continued her merciless attack on the barrier as though possessed.

"An'shek! Bad!" Whether or not it was a relief to hear Ovaan's voice was up to Kelala. The man dashed forward and threw his arms around the giant monster's neck, drawing its attention away from the girl. With soft, gentle noises and reassurances, he began to calm the beast down. The monster moaned in pain, but obediently laid down as he directed.