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The storm raged outside. It was mid-summer... and pretty shocking to see one so powerful. But... that was okay. Elf loved storms. It was dinner time, though, and she had everything set up at the table.

Her Mysterian child, Arrakis, sat with her at the table and had already dug in to her dish of lasagna and beans. Elf watched the girl with a smile on her face. She was happy right now.... a storm was waging outside and she was safe inside. Later, she would go to the porch to watch. Arrakis was with her to enjoy this moment, as well. The pets were scattered around... mostly to attack any piece of food that might fall from table.

Elf's smile froze, and started to fall. While she was inside... there were others that must be caught outside... what if that Herald, Mackerel, was out there? Would it be alright....?

She shook her head, clearing it of such thoughts. No, it was such a good night, she needn't concern herself about others right now. Sticking her fork into her lasagna, Elf tried to pry a piece away. It stuck, a thin piece of noodle refusing to break. With a growl of her own, the woman threw the fork down. "Fine, what do I care!?" She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her.

Arrakis looked up at her guardian. It was unlike Elf to throw such a tantrum... even a small one. Maybe it was the weather? "What's wrong, Elf? It was just a little lasagna. I can help you cut it if you like."

The human glared at the dragon child in front of her. "Just? No, thank you, I'll be fine!" Elf seemed to pout.

Arrakis tsked, as if she were the adult and Elf the child. She got out of her chair and walked to Elf. "There, there... lemme help you," The dragon's head barely could be seen over the ledge. But, she managed to reach over and cut the noodle strand with a knife. "All better!"

Elf looked down at the lasagna and then down at Arrakis. A smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help but think the situation a little funny. "Thank you...." The mood didn't last long.

The house shuddered with a nearby lightning strike and thunder sounded. The lights flickered, and when they settled on again, Elf was looking out the window. "Do you think it is alright out there? Alone? Wet?"

Arrakis followed Elf's gaze, "Who?" Of course, she knew exactly who Elf meant. The human's face was like an open book. There were no mysteries there.

"The Herald..." Elf whispered. "...Mackerel." She turned her head to look at Arrakis again. "Do you think it is alright?"

The child shrugged, "I don't know. Why do you go check it out! I'll stay here and watch the house."

Elf took in a deep breath, "I dont think I could... I'd get lost. Last time, I got there by plane. There's no way I can fly through this storm... How would I know if I found it or not?"

Arrakis was beginning to get aggitated, "You won't know if you do try, Elf!"

"You're right..." she paused again. Then, she got up. "Fine, fine... I'll go." Elf put on her shoes and then walked out the front door.

With a sigh and shake of her head, beads jangling, Arrakis tapped her foot to count. "One.... two...." she knew Elf would be back.

As if on cue, the human opened the door and walked back in, "Need my coat!" She announced it as if someone cared. Already her mood was better.... she was going out to find the Herald!

Elf caught Arrakis's goodbye wave before she ducked out into the rain. She would have to make a pit-stop at the plane hangar. It took her awhile to cross the backyard and then the small runway. Finally, she was there, and pulled out her emergency bag. It was always packed... but this time she forgot food. Usually, she packed food from that day. This time however, she had forgotten.

With a sad sigh, Elf swung the bag over her head and walked to the hangar door. She looked in the direction of the house with it's light illuminating it. "No point in going back now..."

Tugging her cap on more, she took a step out. Her coat kept her realitively dry. She turned around the hangar and towards the forest. How long would it take her to reach that clearing? Would she even make it? Elf wasn't sure, but she had to try...

Hours later, she was still searching. By then, she was soaked. Her coat was only water-resistant... and it was a hard lesson learned. Her boots were also invaded by gallons of water and nearly impassable mud. Her pack was probably in the same boat, or Elf would have tried the dry clothes that rested inside.

"This was a bad idea..." she mumbled. The lightning and thunder that sounded seem to agree with her. Elf looked around, completely lost. She should have known... she has a hard time finding the way to the bathroom in the morning. What made her think she could find a Herald in the woods while a storm was going on?

Movement flashed in the corner of her eye. The woman twirled to catch a glimpse, but it was gone.... only to appear out of the corner of her other eye. As she twirled again, her stomach growled. Elf's eyes were wide as she gripped at her stomach. She should have eaten.... so many should've's for one night!

A twig snapped behind her. Even among the pounding rain, Elf could hear it. The sound worried her, and the woman was too afraid to turn around. What could she do, though? It was obvious... RUN!

Elf took off as fast as she could. Her sodden clothes and heavy boots slowed her progress. Was that running she heard behind her? It had to be... she was being persued!

With unseen tears running down her cheeks, Elf ran in desperation. A turn around a tree; hop over a log; try not to trip over that vine. She was trying to hard to get away, and not fall, that she just found herself getting more and more lost. No longer was she trying to remember a sight she may have seen. Her heart pounded with only one longing; to get away.

*fweeeep fliop*

Elf's toe finally caught on a vine, and she went down. Leaves and mud splattered around her face and in her hair. The woman curled up into a fetal position, wating for the worst. She was hungry, lost, and now extremely exhausted. After waiting for what seemed to be a lifetime, she slowly uncurled, shivering in the rain. Nothing came.

But she was so cold... so tired. Shaking like a leaf, Elf curled up again, this time to try to warm up instead of protect herself. In no time, her eyes had closed and her breathing slowed. It was probably the worst time to fall asleep!

Something white appeared. It seemed to give off a kind of green-ish glow, but that wasn't even for certain. No one was there to see it... the one witness was curled up in a ball and dreaming of better days.

The figure approached and knelt near the human. It smoothed away a strand of wet, blue hair. Leaning forward, the glow that it gave off -from the raindrops evorating and misting perhaps?- seemed to spread and touch the surface of Elf's paling face.

The woman stirred, and when her eyes fluttered open, she was alone. Elf felt warmer, though, and her heart had settled. Surely the Herald was okay.... it wouldn't let itself be caught in the rain like this!

Getting to her feet, Elf brushed off some leaves. With a smiled, she turned 100 degrees and started walking. She was sure this was the way back!

When Elf returned home, the rain had all but stopped. Before entering, she took her boots and socks off and left them on the porch. They were a mess.... and she didn't want to have to clean it up later.

She was still leaning, trying to take off a sock that was plastered to her foot. It refused. Elf tugged harder.

The doorknob twisted, and Arrakis opened the door only to see....a monster! With a high-pitched scream, the dragon slammed the door shut and ran to the couch to grab the fish net that she had hidden back there. Returning to the front door, and opened it again, net brandished threateningly. The figure was in the same, dazed position. "Alright monster... leave RIGHT now and I won't hurt you!"

Elf could only stare, and was frozen in place when Arrakis screamed. Finally, she was threatened by the child with... was that a fishnet? "Arrakis... what are you doing?"

Arrakis stared, her mouth dropped and the net with it, "Elf? Is that you?" Without another word, the child flung herself into her Guardian's arms. Only, Elf didn't have her arms out, so instead she body-slammed her and they both landed on the hard porch.

Elf landed first, and then Arrakis right into her hip. Not only that, a boot was lodged in the back of her thigh. "Ow...." she groaned, "get off! There's a boot...." The woman twisted and pulled the boot out from under her. Then, she wrapped the dragon in her tired arms. "What were you going to do with that net?"

Arrakis clung to the human and giggled, "Oh... nothing...."

"Yeah, right... nothing," Elf chuckled. She peered at the sky. What time was it? How long had she been gone? Was it just her imagination or... was the sun really about to rise?

Candleshop

Link: PRP
Heralds: Guinevere
Non-Heralds: Kotatsu & Elf

Overview:
Mackerel tried to get away from Elf, and ended up sneaking into a candleshop. There, she met Guinevere (and Kotatsu), who ended up chastising her about the direspecting and harming candles.

Status: Finished

Manners

Link: PRP
Heralds: Lind
Non-Heralds: Hateya & Arrakis

Overview:
Subo left a gift at the House, and Arrakis made the little Herald to go give proper thanks. So, they went. There was Hateya and Lind, though... so they were a little side-tracked.

Status: In Progress

She was rarely home, what with school, work and flights. So, when Elf was home, it was always a treat….for the massive number of pets; Mackerel, however, enjoyed her independence, even at her age. After the grocery store fiasco, the young herald hadn't seen much of her Guardian.

That night, Elf brought home some sweets and a rentable movie. About once a week or so, she did this. It wasn't so much for trying to get on the Herald's good side; it was just beginning to be tradition. That, and it was one of the few times they all sat together as much as a family that they were. Arrakis swirled in, her jewelry twinkling. With her, she brought blankets for of them to curl up in.

Mackerel immediately snatched her favorite black patch of fabric, the milk duds her Guardian brought, and the best spot on the couch. While Elf fiddled with the crazy movie, the girl on the couch growled across the room, "Hurry up already!"

The dragon teen lounged nearby, choosing a place on the floor, and snickered at the child's impatience. "Yes, Elf, hurry," Arrakis mocked, "before the little Mackerel is all grown up with gray hair and everything!"

Glowing green, phantom wings flared with the glare Mackerel sent her 'sister'. "You'll get gray hair before me, Arra!"

The young woman leaned back, looking behind herself at the herald, "On the contrary, haven't you heard? Dragons are immortal. I shall never grow old and get those dreaded gray hairs."

"I'll give you gray hair!" Mackerel got to her feet while still on the couch and put her little fists to her hips.

"Enough you two," grumbled an Elf, kneeling at the DVD player and trying to get the TV to work. Finally, the movie was in, the sound and audio worked, and the woman went to claim her own spot next to Mackerel. She pulled the little herald down just as the movie started playing.

They had a rule, no commentating during the movie. They laughed, they almost cried, but yelling at the screen and complaining about inaccuracies would have to wait until the credits.

This night, however, the movie was a little longer, and everyone had fallen asleep where they were. The dragons were curled around Arrakis, while the others were scattered along the couch and rest of the room.

None of them were prepared when Mackerel awoke to screaming and painful grunts.

Elf jerked awake, cracking the top of her head on Mackerel's chin where the girl was frantically scratching her back. The herald didn't seem to notice, for she was already in so much pain. The woman cowered, holding her head while stars formed in her vision. The girl was scratching her back again!? This time, it seemed more demanding.

Mackerel squeaked suddenly. She refused to cry, but her eyes rebelled and watered as her vision blurred; but, no tear fell.

Arrakis groggily got up, only to see Elf trying to get away from the flailing elbows of the girl. "What's going on...?"

The woman was safe, for now. From her vantage point, she noticed what Mackerel was doing; she was scratching. Little white fleck were peaking out of the torn night shift, smears of blood showing. It was then that Elf noticed Mackerel's phantom glow was gone. She stared a little longer until the herald gasped. "I... I think her wings are growing in..."

Arra jumped to her feet, dislodging some disgruntled dragons, "Oh…" Her eyes were slightly concerned. That had to be painful! It looked like Mackerel was fighting the tears as well as the pain. The dragon teen carefully ran to the kitchen. She grabbed a towel and wrapped some ice. Taking the ice and fabric, Arrakis went back to Mackerel.

Elf looked over, "Good idea!" Springing to action, she went to the bathroom, looking for more stuff.

Arrakis grabbed Mackerel.

The herald flinched, turning her head she hissed at the dragon. "No, you'll make it worse!"

The teen shook her head, "This will help." Unceremoniously, Arrakis reached for Mackerel who tried to squirm away to no avail. Grabbing the herald by the arm, she tackled her to the ground. Sitting on the girl's legs, the dragon Mysterian pulled the back of the shift down and put the ice Mackerel's back.

Almost immediately, Mackerel's nerves focused on the freezing power of the ice. While it wasn't comfortable, it numbed the pain. The herald took a deep breath. "That feels better," she murmured, relaxing.

Elf returned, with some salve and aloe vera. "I have… some…" she saw her two charges on the floor and stopped to take it in. "Well, I guess that should work too…" Kneeling next to them, the woman held out of her offerings.

Arrakis took a look at them and smiled. "Ah!" She took off the towel and ice, and took up the salve. Slathering her hands, she replaced her hands on Mackerel's cold back and began to hum. Her Songs only affected other Mysterians, but they offered her comfort and maybe they would help the Herald as well.

Giggling could be heard, Mackerel squirmed with a squeal, "That tickles!" Even without the ice, the cool effects of the salves felt funny.

The teen moved her hands around, massaging the herald's back. She didn't say anything, but she and Elf could see the results. As Arrakis moved her hands around the wing sprouts, more emerged. It appeared that her massaging and Singing encouraged the wings out. Slowly and surely, the wings came. It had taken Mackerel a long time to even get to this point; her wings were mostly formed and were overdue.

Arrakis continued. The sun was beginning to rise and color the sky when the dragon felt she was finished. Elf was sprawled on the ground, and Mackerel was also asleep. She ended her Song, and got up to throw away the empty bottles. Looking back, the teen could see her work. Mackerel's miniscule wings were flopped on her back, about as exhausted at the dragon felt. They seemed hollow, with a bit of moisture sloshing around. As she watched, it swelled and a bit of it gathered on the herald's back before it dribbled down. It evaporated before it hit the carpet.

Winer Carnival

Link: Shop Event
Heralds: Many
Non-Heralds: Many

Overview:
Mackerel held a booth at the Carnival, and also walked around to participate in ones that other Heralds were hosting.

Status: Finished

Puddle Jumping

Link: PRP
Heralds: Anya + Erellyn
Non-Heralds: Non

Overview:
Mackerel went out and met two delightful heralds - one who hated getting her wings wet too!

Status: Finished