Welcome to Gaia! ::

Jaun sat at the head of the table, head in his hand, finger pushing around a grain of rice. He was so bored! Malik's house was great fun when they were over, but lately it seemed as if he had done everything. Jell was busy digging his way through an entire roasted boar. He pulled out a hunk off meat, taken from the middle of the animal, and handed it to his brother. ?Waf shum??

?No thanks, Jell. Had boar yesterday.?

Jell swallowed what was in his mouth. ?What?s wrong, brother??

?I?m?? Sinister music played in the background, ?bored?.?

Jell gasped loudly. ?Oh my god!? He jumped off the table, tail flapping out behind him, and started running in a small circle. ?Somebody call a doctor, my brother?Jaun?he?s sick!?

Jaun paused. ?What??

Jell stopped what had turned into a peeling scream. He jumped on the table and grabbed a hold of his brother?s shoulders. His eyes were frantic, darting. ?D-don?t you know? Boredom is a HUMAN illness! Imps don?t get bored!?

Jaun?s eyed widened to the size of saucers. ?I-I AM sick! Quick, jell! What do I do?? He had the same panicked look on his own face.

Jell grabbed a fist full of his brother?s shirt and pulled him of his chair. ?We gotta find somebody!? Jell, in a high-pitched voice, started making a loud ?Weeeoooo!? noise, running down the hallway, up the stairs to the Vah?s room. He threw open the door, only to find inside was a larger mess that what he was in. Moonstone and Onyx were having another fight, this on escalating to drawing blood. Jell waved his arms.

?Fellas! I need help! Jaun is?? That waving hand was promptly caught in a passing wing, and Jell as simply sucked into the hailstorm of claws and teeth.
Several minutes later Jell phased into the hallway. He slowly closed the door that he had opened. Disgruntled, beaten, cut, and bitten, Jell looked his brother out of the corner of his eye. ?Not a word,? he held up a finger to Jaun, who?s mouth was still open in the throws of speech. ?Not a word.?

Again pulling his brother by the shirt, Jell skidded through the fortress until he found Malik. Jell threw his brother down, waved his arms. ?Malik, Malik!?
Malik turned to them; hand on Malevolence, a sneer and a growl on his face. Jell paused his frantic jumping around in mid air. He blinked, regarded that cold look on the drow?s face?and looked back at his brother. ?Why do I even bother trying??

With that, he picked Jaun up by the tail and once again went running through the house. He was screaming at the top of his lungs now. ?PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPEEEEEEEEEEEER!? He must have ran by the woman five times, screaming at the top of his lungs, dragging a bouncing Jaun, who was now weeping uncontrollably, behind him. ?He skidded to a halt. ?Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper!? Each word was followed with hand motions. He pointed at Piper, to Jaun, to himself, made a swooning, motion?. and repeated. ?Piper! Piper! Piper! Piper!?

He suddenly found a hand clapped o ver his mouth. He followed the arm, from fingertips to eyes, to find out who exactly was on the end of the hand. ?Oh, Piper! I thought maybe you were a brain slug and was going to try to eat me, which still would have been really cool?? Piper of course, didn?t understand him, since he spoke into her palm.

Piper hushed him, but there was no smile on her face today. ?What?s your problem, Jell??

Jell pointed to his brother, but didn?t make much of any sense. ?Jaun?bored?of boar?chair?dragging?teeth?Malik?. PIIIIPEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR!?

Piper blinked at him, at the crying imp. ?Why don?t you just?oh I don?t know, run your heads into doors. Keep yourselves occupied.? Obviously busy, Piper patted Jell on his little horned head and left. The two imps watched her go silently, and both broke down crying.

?I?m gonna die!?

?I?m gonna need a new brother!?

?What makes you think I?m gonna let you have a new one??

?Well, I just thought that since??

?I don?t think so! You think I?m gonna let you move on??

?But who am I going to??

?With my memory!? Jaun reached over and smacked his brother.

?Oh.? Once more Jell stood and grabbing one of his brother?s horns, dragged him once again through the house until they (literally) ran into Kieran?s legs. Journal in hand, the elf turned to look and smile at them.

?What?s wrong boys? Upending sofas not fun anymore??

The corners of Jaun?s mouth turned downward until he broke out in a fit of crying. ?No!? He cried. ?No, no, no, no, no, no, no!?

Jell was running in a circle again. ?Jaun?s caught a human illness! He?s sick, he?s gonna die! Then I?m going to be alone because Jaun won?t let me re-brother??

?Sick? Are you sure?? Generally interested, Kieran kneeled down and pocked a finder at the crying Jaun. ?What?s wrong with him??

?He?s?? Jell swallowed. ?Bored.? The crying became loud and hysterical

Kieran chuckled and stood. ?I can cure that.?

Jell gasped. ?You can, K-god??

A laughed at the new nickname. ?Yes, yes I can.? He bent down, picked Jaun up by his tail. Twirling the imp around his head like a lasso then letting the creature fly?straight into a shield that adorned the wall. The thing made an awful ?bwong? nose, reverberating through the house. Kieran, hands clasped behind his back, bet at the waist. ?Was that boring, Jaun??

Rubbing his head, Jaun slowly opened his eyes and smiled. ?No?.? He went from hysterically sad to hysterically happy/ ?I?m cured!? He jumped up in the air, pumped his fist, hugged Kieran?s leg. ?I?m cured, I?m cured, I?m cured I?m CURED!?

Kieran patted the happy imps head. ?Good for you.? He sighed. ?Now to go explain why there is going to be loud banging noises for the next three hours.? He sighed, his hands falling limp at his sides. ?Before we repeat this little game of yours a fourth time today.?

BWONG!
BWONG!
Bwong
bwong
bwong
bwong

The nightmare that stalked every waking moment brought forth great energy within Nelphean. Sleep a luxery he could not aford, washed further from his thoughts as he delve deeply into his soul, trying to find that which tormented him most.

The images of futures and pasts he did not know, the faces of people he meet, people he will meet, and many of those he will kill. The songs of souls long to be born, cry deep within Nelphean's mind. The sound of breathing kept his head calm, for nothing else seemed to be present.

The fleeting moments where he could bring forth a happy moment or two within his life exualted his being, but those moments seemed scarce, and fare between. The longing he flet deep within his soul marked him as he droped deeper and deep within his mind. The emotions of others began to trickle into him, and those of himself seemed to petrify at the touch. His eyes began to swell within his head, many things here seemed beyond his comprehension.

Mankah? An elf cat hybrid. Uriel, another one, but more elvish. Elenore, another cat, but half human as well. These faces were yet to be born, yet to take real form, but here they were mocking Nelphean, laughing at his misfortune, laughing at his falseness.

False. SOmething he had been called long ago, yet the name was thin, it could not breach deep within him. How could he be false, how could he be real?

Deeper into his mind, Nelphean droped, searching for that which left him restless, even after all the time that has passed since his torment.

A scar on his soul, a mark that would not fade with time, a voice that he longed for.

Shez'Golith appeared before him, standing her full ten foot hight, mocking the little elf as she tore through his weak body, and ate his heart. This happened many times, yet, he barely cared. Pain, physical pain meant nothing.

After the fires of hell burned one's flesh, the mind seemed less than horrified at the further tortures. The molten metal, the flaying, the rape. None of these thing bothered him now. They were memories, faded, yet totally clear. The sound of his screams were meek, especial when compared to those of Rakka.

Poor sweet dear Rakka. Her life was short, and she had little to look forward too, and her escape was her demise. Rakka, lovely Rakka. Sweet mother, loving daughter, dearest sister. Her voice channeled some hope, her smile brought some desire back to Nelphean, her screams tore his soul assunder as no other tourcher ever could.

Then, she died. Rakka was gone. Nothing was left for Nelphean. Nothing... Was it that nothingness that left Nelphean empty and full of torment? Useless elf?

That seemed to be a very deep pain, but he still could travel deeper, a sound and a voice came to him. Tears fell, and he could no longer tell who or what it was.

He opened his eyes, and felt the sigh of the earth as the trees burned. The passion of his mind simply incinerated many of them. Others, still burned nearby. Nelphean stood, and looked about the glean where he decided to meditate. Nothing was left but ash, and death. The elf fround. His power was growing, and so to was his anger. His regret, his fear. All these thing bothered him greatly. He wished for release from the pain.

A small shuttle landed in the ashes then, similar to Rain's ship. Nelphean looked onto it with some curiosity. A single person exited the craft, wearing strange runeic armour, and a large helm. She carried a spear, and walked slowly towards Nelphean. Her mind reached out to him. I know you pain, come with me and I shall release you.

Nelphean drew back his hands and placed them on his hips, and narrowed his eyes at the intruder.

I am Rain's mother. The Storm Queen.

This only brough an inquistive look from Nelphean, which was less so when several other people stepped off the ship wearing the same armour that Rain donned.

Let us speak to my son, and we shall se what hope we can bring you, Psion.

In a breath of wind, the two entered that lush plane. They were standing over clear blue water, where in some points one could see right to the bottom, no matter the deeps. Those waters teemed with life of all sorts...and the occasional elvish being was spotted every now and then taking chase after some aquatic creature. Surrounding them in the distance once could see quite the number of land masses, all easily distinguishable from the other, be it by mountain, trees, plain, or desert. Warm winds gently swirled around that pair of their own accord, stirring hair and clothes as the high noon sun shone down on them as if in greeting them back to the surface world.

Kieran basked a moment in that sun, eyes closed before he chuckled at Raziel's gasp of excitement as he dropped his hands from his eyes and peered out from under his little cloak, turning his head every which way to try and take it all in at once, climbing up Kieran's hair to stand on top his his head. A few moments more and he slowly dropped his cloak hood, feeling the sun on his blue hued skin and face, feeling that warm breeze on his skin, rustling his cloak and wings alike. It was far greater than he ever dreamed. "Welcome to Andal little friend."

"Kieran! It's beautiful!" Wings fluttered with excitement and anticipation in learning of this new world. He wanted to explore but refrained because it meant leaving Kieran's person. Letting his cloak drop off he spread his wings, letting the warm air tickle through his feather. How he itched to fly on that caressing breeze. Of course he had paid little mind to Nerian starting into motion again and only took to pointing out things excitedly and asking what they were in turn to his companion. There were just so many questions.

And Kieran of course only obliged his little familiar as Nerian casually treaded over the waters, every now and then glancing around at the things going on below him or off into the distance at what seemed at times to be a strong gust of wind or a dark colored ominous wind that was occasional tinted red. Herds of Zephyrs and Zephmares. The Nightmares tended to stay in the dark as opposed to running the lands. "To the west, behind us, is Lucana...my home and kingdom. Mostly mountains for that's how us Ithil'quessir prefer our lands. The southwest land with the desert is Daimos...Drow lay claim to there and their city, Vrist, lurks beneath the grounds. North is the Tidal Pendant isles and Loraste. And to the east, where we are headed is Odaria, Torea, and he underwater city of Selkor....you'll be able to see it when we pass over it."

He soaked the information up like a bone dry sponge soaked up water, storing away names, making note to ask of more on them later. He knew this trip had a purpose to it that was more than just mere sightseeing. But sight seeing along the way wouldn't hurt either. "A city underwater? How do they live underwater? Is it covered with something to keep the water out? And are the Drow just like the ones in Labyrinth? What of those clouds over there? They don't seem normal clouds." Full of questions, not waiting for any answers as they more or less poured from him...this was all so exciting! With a blissful sigh, Raziel flopped down on Kieran's head, lying on his stomach with elbows propped up and holding his chin in his hands. "I'd like to see it all."

"The Ear'quesir are a breed of elves that breath the water itself. It's merely like a sunken city almost and Drow are Drow I suppose. A few little differences maybe, but not many I would guess...I haven't studied the Drow of Labyrinth as I have Andal. And those clouds are the herds of Zephyrs and Zephmares...they roam as they please." The Ithil'quessir ruler laughed as he acquired a pair of angelic like head wings. "When we come back here for a longer time...I'll make sure you see it all RAziel...even if it means scrambling for our lives in Daimos to just get a glimpse of the Vrist Outpost. We'll have ourselves a little adventure. But for now, we head to Odaria and the Taur'quessir city of Rhylia."

"To get Fianna for Piper?"...and Malik but he didn't mention him. That elf was still getting the cold shoulder from the feathered fairy. Which brought on a whole new league of questions. "Do you think she'll like me? Or that she will be annoyed with me?" He always did worry to a point about people...everyone likes to be liked after all. Though he supposed if no one liked him it was fine because Kieran certainly liked him.

"She'll find you as fascinating as I do, I'm sure." Triple colored eyes watched the steadily approaching strip of green on the Horizon that was the Omina Forest that dominated Odaria and held Rhylia in it's branches. They were making quite good time. But another chuckle to Raziel and he reached a hand up, poking at his wing to gain his attention, pointing his finger to the sea below them. "Look, we're over Selkor now." Indeed, sprawled on the ocean floor beneath them was a vast elven city, teeming with day to day life as simply as if they were all walking on land. Elves attending to their lives in almost oblivious fashion to the world above them. "At night when it's only moon and starlight, the whole city lights up much like the moss in the Underdark." Kieran had been there once, in Selkor...a little elvish magic for breathing purposes of course. it was quite the place.

He blushed slightly. "Aw, Kieran but you find everything fascinating." Raziel only wanted to burst with excitement again. It was all so new and strange but of course in no way displeasing to the little familiar. To fathom the idea of such workings underwater was quite the thing for him...and he enjoyed every moment of it, eyes watching as long as they could before that city became distant and they hit a sandy beach that only led into a lush dense forest teeming with it's own life and sounds. So much different from the forests in Labyrinth. The trees looked rough and more lively, held a range of colors and hues to them. "Are we close."

"Very...Rhylia is hidden deep in the southern part of this forest...adn it's not on the ground. Built around the trunks and in the branches of trees, connected with suspension bridges, straight bridges, zip lines. Rather quite the fun place to travel around in." But soon enough, Kieran whispered an elvish word to Nerian and he stopped, sliding off the Zephyr he patted him on the nose and sent him off to do what Zephyr's do. "We'll walk from here." And walk they did, Raziel again looking all around, he couldn't get enough of it. But more fascination came with the elvish wood workings that he started to notice beginning with a spiraling staircase around a tree trunk that lead high up into branches. As Kieran stepped on them they glowed softly a moment before dying down. "What was that?"

"A protection spell. Only friends of elves may pass into elvish cities...others don't make it through the doorway," a small chuckle, "the welcome mat isn't so welcoming if you are a fiend or foe to the Tel'quessir. It was a quiet walk up actually and as they broke the branches a sprawling city was shown to Raziel's eyes. It was nestled almost delicately among the branches, spanning trees as if they were the very ground. All beautiful as any elvish work. "And this is Rhylia." And boy did Kieran look out of place in it. All the elves there had darker tones to their hair, their clothes in mostly browns and greens of the season.

All greeted the pair with smiles, a few polite nods and shallow bows. They all knew Kieran well and often enjoyed his visits. But a few also gave curious looks to his head gear, warm smiled when they noticed it was really Raziel. Well what a fascinating little creature. But he easily walked what could be confusing paths, leading to what seemed to be an intricately crafted building that was off of a tree trunk, climbing high on the plant and weaving into it's branches up to the canopy above. A few elvish guards stood at the doors, but they only nodded to Kieran with smiles as they let him pass without question.

"This is where Fianna is? Some palace that was for sure." And for all that one would expect to be in a royal's home...it lacked. Sure, it had that elvish style and grandeur to it but it was all kept relatively simple in it's ways. No showy clutter and the like, all practical with a recurring nature theme to all the carvings and molding and the like. Kieran moved through the place easily, knowing where he was going and soon he was opening the door to a room softly, walking and and shutting the door, gold flicking in his head as he titled his head some. "Look...that's her. Fianna Swiftfeather."

Raziel turned his head to look, inspecting the elf that was standing there, oblivious to their presence. Though a chuckle as he looked down at Kieran...he had pretty much done a little zoning out on him as he stared. "Psst, it's not nice to stair you know."

He stood there a while...just watching her, taking her in. Fianna Swiftfeather, Queen to the Taur'Quessir, Ruler of Rhylia and Odaria...the love of his life and the mother of his child. Kieran smiled softly as his dual colored eyes focused on her and drowned out the world around her as she stood out on the balcony, honey brown hair shifting softly in the breeze the innocent beams of still morning sun reflecting off her paled elvish skin, intense emerald eyes looking over a city nestled among trees. She always took his breath away. And as Fianna turned to acknowledge him he could swear his heart skipped a beat.

"Kieran Silvercrest...it has been too long..." A soft smile lifted her lips before she went to him, embracing the elf and merely holding fast to him. She let herself drown in the bond between them...it really had been quite the time since they had seen each other. Didn't help that they lived on opposite ends of Andal. Though she pulled back, inspecting him as if searching for wounds...then notices is all too adorable head gear and the fairy whom the wings belonged to. "You've made a new friend I see, or are you just using him to make yourself look good?" A soft melodic laugh from her that was familiar in sound to someone else that Raziel knew.

"My heart sings to see thee, Fianna Swiftfeather." A hand went under her chin, tilting her head up so that he could lay a sweet gentle kiss to her soft lips, holding her a moment before giving to her news that would prove perhaps ill to her mood. Though a smile as she checked him over and then pointed out Raziel. He laughed. "My dear newfound friend, Raziel." And Kieran reached up, Raziel stepping into his palm where Kieran lowered him to chest height.

Raziel gave a little over exuberant bow to her, fluffing his wings slightly. "Nice to meet you Miss Swiftfeather, the pleasure is all mine." Though he turned purple as she more of less scooped him out of Kieran's hold to rest in her own, gentle finger tips apparently inspecting him by touch and he had to keep from laughing as some of it tickled. A look to Kieran as his hands rubbed at his face to try and wipe off the purple. "You said she'd be fascinated, I didn't think that meant hands on." And a look back to Fianna as her hand left him and she apparently offered he fairy back to Kieran.

He laughed. "She always loved to touch, didn't you dear." And his own fingers came to smooth out over Raziel's wings some as the fairy was trying to right his hair and a few misplaced feathers. And he walked over to a shelf that had quite the most interesting objects of which he was sure Raziel had never seen. "You can entertain yourself for a moment's time, can't you? I need to talk to her about...you know what."

Raziel nodded, giving a flap of his wings to hop from Kieran's hand to the shelf, looking over the things. Oh yeah, he could do that with all this neat stuff to poke at. "But of course dear friend, and I wish you luck." Now what did this thing do?

A nod to Raziel. He drew back from the shelf and returned to Fianna, giving her a smile, but Kieran's mood grew somber then and he gently caressed his love's cheek with his thumb, fingers moving to run through he hair. "We need words."

Her own smile fell as her hand came up to grasp to his wrist in newfound worry. "Words about what?"

"Silverfeather."

Eyes that reflected the very tree leaves themselves flicked in pain, those eyes so full of life had gone dead for an instant and Fianna dropped her gaze to the floor a moment. "What of Silverfeather?" Fianna's heart always hurt when it came to talk of her beloved lost daughter.

"I've been lying to you...for far too long my dearest Fianna." It hurt him to see that look in her eyes, even more so as she brought her eyes back to him, a startled, confused, hopeful, yet disheartened and dead look to those green orbs.

"Lying Kieran? What are you speaking of?"

"...She's alive Fianna. Piper has been planes hopping with a Zephyr all these years. The first thirty two on her own, the last twenty in accompaniment." And it tore at his heart as he watched those beautiful emerald eyes fill up with tears...but he pressed onward in his words. "Yes, alive and well...and happy. I have...been in contact with her...scarce but contact none the less. I've seen her, talked to her, she's-"

"Must you torment me so Silvercrest?" Anger, the emotion that was her defense mechanism against things that tried to hurt her, not to mention going back to formalities made the situation seem less personal. And she pushed away from him, trying to dwell in her anger and live in her denial. How could he do that? How could he say things like that.

Kieran sighed in what could be considered defeat, a hand clenching softly at his beloved's denial of it all. Fianna had never come to terms with Piper's leaving and Kieran knew she probably never would. And now he was rippling the waters of her protests to facts. "I do not say these things to torment you...I say them to relieve you of that torment which you wade through. To vanquish the sorrow in your heart with the knowledge that our daughter is alive." He walked over, coming up behind here as he rested his hands lightly on her shoulders, he inclined his head to whisper to her. "I know it hurts you love...but it's all true..."

"If it's all true, then why has she not come forward about it, why has she not come home? What happened to her Kieran?" And her anger flared on him, the elf shrugging off his hold and turning to face him. "And if it's all true then why did you hide everything from me? Why did you let me cry and grieve and think things that mar my soul!"

Her words were powerful...they always had been. And they seared at his soul and their bond...he could feel how upset she was. But she made her point...he deserved her anger for hiding it all. "I didn't want to hide it from you...but she needed to be let go and I didn't think you would let her. And I mean not just from what was expected from her, but from it all. We both knew she was more different than any of us could fathom...you felt it through her bond to her as well, you can't deny that Swiftfeather." He paused a moment, catching himself slipping into formalities. "You know how she is...she's never thought highly of herself, always felt out of place. In Andal she couldn't find herself...and now she has. Remember that letter I sent you? I was with her when I sent it." Another pause, his voice softening toward Fianna. "And now our daughter and her fiancee ask for you."

"Her fiancee? Kaden found her and knows as well and he didn't tell me either?" She had the look of one who had been completely betrayed by those around her. It was unbeliveable...first the father of her child and then the man who was supposed to marry that child.

But Kieran's look grew dark at the mentioning of Kaden. That damnable worm got his and Kieran never wanted to hear the name again. And telling her this would only make things harder. "No, not Kaden. But Kaden...did find her...and he treated her with no love. He took her from the one that does love her...hurt her, broke her spirit, wished death upon your daughter and made her doubt the things her heart has told her to believe."

Now she held a look of disbelief...and even guilt. "Kaden...he..." It was hard to believe, but she knew Kieran wouldn't lie about something so grave as that. After all...they were elves. To torture someone, to treat them in such a matter was more akin to the behavior of a blood lusting drow, nothing a surface born elf would do normally. Fianna seemed to concede slightly, letting down long ago constructed walls. "Where is she?"

And this was probably even harder to tell her. "In the Underdark."

"The Underdark?!"

Yeah typical reaction he was expecting and he stepped to her once more, taking hold of her shoulders. She looked like she was about to go into hysterics over it. "Shh...she's alright. She chooses to be there...it's where she believes she belongs..."

"How can she possibly think that? She's a surface elf. No good comes from the Underdark Kieran."

He begged to differ, but that was him. "In this case it does. In the form of the man she has fallen in love with and given all of herself to. And for this man and from old persecution of her own kind, she chooses to stay in the Underdark. All they want is to see you..."

She was torn between her fears and her desires. Fianna had always held an extreme fear of the Underdark...but to see her daughter...to know she was alive to hear her speak...she felt she could brave anything. But that didn't stop the worrisome look of consideration from the wood elf.

"They ask for you." And he reached out a hand, caressing against her cheek again, giving her the encouragement he knew she needed. "You know...I would never let anything down there hurt you...I'd give my life for you if it meant keeping you safe." Kieran enveloped her in his arms as she leaned into him, seeking comfort from him and their bond. He held her gently, a hand caressing through her hair. "Please Fianna..."

"Who is he?"

This perhaps was the most difficult part. "D'vinn. Malik D'vinn." And he closed his eyes as he felt her tense in his hold, her fingers tightening around the soft fabric of his tunic.

"D'vinn...that's...that's Drow, Kieran." Fianna looked up at him, blinking in her perhaps it could be called confusion. "She's..."

"She's in love with Malik D'vinn, a dark elf." But he cut her off before she could say anything. "Fianna...trust her in what she's doing. Trust her heart as she is trusting it. I've seen them Fianna...they love each other." Now to stand for Malik. "Yes I know...the Drow are harsh in their ways...but Malik is not the typical Drow. He loves her...the things he says and does for her....it reminds me of us Fianna." And she couldn't argue with that.

Quiet for a long moment. Was Piper out of her mind? What had pushed her to the arms of a Drow, made her believe that she was in love with him? What malicious sway did he hold over her daughter...and by elvish Gods he would not hold that sway. He would not call her his own and confine her to darkness by force, that was for sure. "When do we leave?"

He was about to say something before they both jumped at the sound of something breaking and a bit of clatter. Blinking both looked over to the shelf that Raziel was on...and now sitting among a little mess of wood and gears, wrestling out of the hold of a spring. They both smiled, laughing lightly.

He turned purple with blush. "Oh...it's a clock...er...was a clock."

The Bet: Part 1

Tyler stared at Ecara as she sat across the room from him. He'd been watching her all night as he began to make his potions and nasty tasting remedies, as Cara so affecitonately called them. She was reading, though what he wasn't entirely sure, probably that damn dictionary again and he had been sneakign peeks at her the whole time.

Ecara wasnt' stupid, she was well aware that Ty was watching her she just didn't know why. And it really confused her because every time she would look up at him he would look away. He must not want her to know that he was watching her...but why not? She didn't care, he was rather pleasant to sit and stare at sometimes too. 'But then maybe he was thinking about things...like that. Concepts had always eluded her and it was often soemthing she was teased for by her very own Tyler. But she took it all in good fun and let it go. Her ears swiveled a bit and she glanced up at him and finally caught him watching her. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Yes, it's something. You've been watching me all night. What is it?"

"I have not been watching you all night. I've been working on my remedies."

She sniffed and snorted, "I knew you were doing something foul over there. I can smell it all the way over here."

He shook his head, "Cara, I've told you before it's very important that I have all the remedies ready to go. You never know what might happen or when I might need one and I may not have time or the ingredients for that matter to whip it up."

"I know, I know. But do you have to stink up our kitchen? Can't you do it outside?"

He grinned, "You want everyone else to smell it and come banging down our door?"

"No..." Her ears laid back and she went back to her book, curled up in her chair with a blanket. Every once in a while her ear would twitch and those three rings would chime as the metal clinked.

Tyler cringed everytime he heard it. She knew what her ears did to him and it wasn't any different this time. He wanted to go over there pick her up and toss her on the bed, and then show her just why she shouldn't tease him like that, but she probably had no idea she was even doing it. He watched her as she lifted a strand of blue hair and began curling it around her finger as she read. She was so cute.

Ecara felt his eyes on her and she looked up again and shook her head, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Tyler, you want something. Now tell me what it is."

"I don't want anything."

"Yes you do." She nibbled on her bottom lip for a minute.

Tyler watched her teeth catch her decadent lip and when her pink tongue came out his body tightened in response. She had to stop doing that.

"Oh..I know what you want."

He blinked, what? Forcing his mind off her teeth and lip he raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yes. You wnat to play."

Play? He had to be careful here. She could mean bedplay, or god rest his soul, she could mean actual go outside and play or tussle around on the floor. He loved Cara to death but sometimes he just wasn't sure what she meant and he hated to take the wrong meaning and upset her. He never meant to make her feel stupid but sometimes it happened inadvertently. "Play..perhaps."

"Come on Ty, you always want to play. That's why you wanted new sheets."

Okay. She did mean bedplay, though her comment miffed him. "I do not always want to play."

"Yes you do. We played last night and the night before and the night before and the-"

"Okay! Okay...so I like to play. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. But sometimes I don't want to play and you still do."

"We dont' have to play every night."

Her ears flattened. "Yes we do. You'll get upset if we don't."

He was getting upset now. "No I don't. I can go without. I'm not that much of a fiend Cara. Besides if I remember correctly it was your idea to play last night! In fact you want to play almost as often as I do."

A snort met that and her ears stayed pinned back the way they did when she got upset. "I do not."

He crossed his arms, "Cara admit it. You just can't get enough of me. In fact, " he turned back to stirring his pot. "I'll bet I can last longer without playing than you."

She closed her book, keeping her finger in to save her spot and looked at him for a minute. "This is a bet? Okay..I'll take it."

"We need a forfeit...hmm...how about first one to cave has to do whatever the other wants for the rest of the night."

"Cave?" She had to think about that one for a moment. "Oh you mean whoever loses." She was quiet again. Tyler wouldn't hurt her, she knew that and it would be fun to have him at her mercy. She'd make him make those cute little noises he did when he let her do things. "Okay." she nodded and reopened her book, going back to reading.

"Okay." Tyler went back to his potion making. He kept sneaking looks at Cara and wondered if he was going to be able to win this bet or not. He'd be fine...until bedtime.

Ecara snuck her own looks at him, trying to catch him watching her. She thought about everything she'd learned from her mother and then everything she knew drove Tyler insane. A fanged smile appeared for a second and then it was gone. She was going to win this bet and in the end she'd get to play anyway. Very casually she began reading again, twitching her ear a few times so that magical sound carried across the room.

Tyler gritted his teeth and tried to focus on his potions instead of those singing rings, attached to that perfectly shaped fuzzy blue ear that he just loved to nibble, attached to her beautiful face which held her lips and her eyes and....Focus! He had to get her to cave and soon if he had any hopes of winning, so he stood up and moved across teh room over by her using the need to gather more herbs for his potions from his bag. He brushed by her as he went over and brushed by her as he went back.

Ecara caught her breath at the slightest touch shocked by how much she was affected. Already her mind was on those new sheets he'd bought. They were extremely soft. She stood up and wandered over to the window, presenting Tyler with a view of her as she leaned against it sideways, her tail swishing lightly back and forth, more of a teasing than anythign else.

And of course his eyes were drawn directly to that part of her and her shapely backside. By the gods...he was never going to get this done. And she was teasing him! It finally dawned on him that she had figured out what he was doing and was doing the same thing. Little wench. Well two could play this game. He moved over to stand directly behind her, close enough that she could feel the warmth emanating from his body but not touching her. He moved his head forward and whispered in her ear, "What are you doing Cara?"

She closed her eyes as his breath brushed against the senstitive skin of her neck. "Just looking..." Her ears twitched, making that sound again and she almost wished he'd raise his fingers and brush her ear or use his teeth to nibbble. She'd never understood why he did that but hey, whatever he wanted was fine with her. It wasn't unpleasant and if the fur didn't bother him then fine. He could bite her ear all day long.

He lifted his hands to rest lightly on her shoulders and said softly, "Come on sweetheart, it's late. Time for bed."

Bed? Were they sleeping together? But...they weren't playing. Okay she had it now. She slipped into the bathroom and changed into her nightgown then came back out to find Tyler standing with just a pair of pants on, his bare chest reflected in the moonlight. Again her breath caught in her throat, the sight of him always did that to her. She moved over and began to brush her hair.

Tyler glanced over at her and cursed. Damn her sheer nightgowns taht he'd insisted she buy. He watched as her hands rose and fell with the motion of the brush as she did her hair and then he grinned. He moved over behind her, taking the brush from her and began to brush the rest of the tangles out of her hair. Every once in a while he'd move his fingers along her neck or ear, light touches that could be mistaken for impersonal touches done by him during his brushing. They were all deliberate but she didn't know that. He paid particular attention and made sure all teh strands were glossy and smooth as he pulled the brush gently through her hair. "I just love your hair Cara. It flows through my hands so beautifully, like silk. And it's so soft..." his voice was barely above a whisper and his hands came to rest on her shoulders once again.

She felt his hands through the sheer material of her gown and her ears laid back contentedly. She saw his reflection in the mirror and he looked like he was goign to kiss her. Her eyes drifted closed and she felt the lightest brush on her neck. Was that his tongue? No...she was imaginign things. She had to be.

Tyler pulled back immediately. He'd let the moment get away from him and now he was paying for it. That soft kiss on her neck had almost undone him and he gritted his teeth and layed the brush back on the dresser. "Come on." He took her hand and helped her up and they both climbed into bed. It was going to be a very long night...

The blade fell across the air, the yellow glow illuminating the surrounding air, the black penetrated by the glow of the slender blade. Nelphean looked upon his foe, and was shocked by what he saw. Himself.

I am my own worst enemy.

My memory is short, much before Rakka is gone, as though it never existed, but I do remember being born. I remember looking upon my parents, as I fell from the tank they grew me in. I looked upon my father, a fiendish creature, happy indeed, for he successfully created me, from a few skin cells and a strand of hair. I stood before them confused and dazed, and watched as they unleashed horrors upon my frail body. Oh, how I wished for death, how I suffered at those cruel hands, how my skin was torn and replaced. I watched my Queen wear my skin as a coat, and I watched my father grind my bones into a powder, which he made me drink mixed with wine.

I recall watching many horrid things done to my body, my soul never allowed to release my agony, my body kept from eternal sleep by some dark god. I have seen so many numerous deeds done to me in the name of torture, I had forgot everything else in life. My Name was only remembered, because each day, each time my Queen fell upon me, she would call me it. "Nelphean", always, never anything else, she used that name to describe this great evil, me, the one who caused her so much pain and suffering, and I was here, being tortured to feed her hunger, to keep her mind open to how best torture him, or me...

Lost to the years, lost to the pain, lost in the agony of each moment, I had forgotten everything. Then, one day, like magic, a friend was given to me... The most blissful, and most gruesome fate I could ever imagine.

They did it because my screams had dulled, they had lost their potent taste, the lull that had succumbed the Queen's tyranny... They gave her to me, so I could be tormented by her screams, so I could know only the pain that was inflicted because of me, she was there because of me, everything that befell her happened because I could no longer bare the burden of my Queen's hunger. She was taken from the peace that she had always know, and made to suffer because I could no longer scream...

I watched each and every moment of her torment, I watched as beasts as foul as the darkest of monsters fell upon her body, and abused it to it could no longer be abused. I watched as horror after horror was brought upon her, until her screams had ended, because he soul could no longer bare the burden of the evil, and I watched... helpless, broken, and beaten. I watched the evil, and could do nothing, I watched her loves watch her broken, I watched that evil, and have never have been free of it since.

I held her in my arms for the first time when we were tossed back into the cell, we were both forgone beyond any recognition, I held her crying head in my hands, and stared into her broken eyes, and tried in vein to remember how to make her tears stop, but nothing came, I could not speak the words, or make a sound, that was noticeably intelligent... I just held her as she cried, and watched as I could do nothing to comfort her wounds...

A year, they left us alone for a year.

Time was a slow, yet fast presence. When you have no mind, time is meaningless, but when you suddenly awake from that long slumber, the time seems to have become important again, nothing else seems so foul now, not even the whips, but the passage of time. She began to speak suddenly, as though there was nothing wrong, her mind had found her lips, and they worked away. She talked to me, telling me of all the nice things she could remember. She spoke of her great friends, her family, her home... The words entered my mind, and I felt the language take hold, as though I always spoke it... She talked, and I listened...

That year ended with great cruelty, fourteen more passed, and then we escaped...

How long did we suffer those whips, how long did we cry from the pains inflicted upon us, how long did we stay in that pit, that hell, that chasm of death and pain. Oh, the joy of fleeing from that hole, the joy of opening the door, the sorrow of burying your broken body.

I escaped, and you fell, I lived and you died. Together we found freedom, but alone we must face it. I escaped to the mortal coil, the frail body of all living life, and you found that which only the gods truly knows, you found eternal rest, in free earth.

For the longest time, we had been together, my friend, together living under the whips and pains of cruel tormentors, but now we are both free, and I must say good-bye to you.

My friend, forever shall I remember you, and all that you gave me. I abadoned that whole, to help you escape it's touch. I followed you to the doors of that pit, and I opened them for you. If only it was I who had been struck, and you were still free...

Here I stand, awaiting my own end, hoping that I should know true freedom as you have found it, but I find myself unwilling to die just yet. I must live my life a while longer, I must find out why I can do what I can, why I have been given such gifts as the ones I have...

I awoke next to your body, covered in you blood. My mind opened to the world, and I found nothing but fear and hate...

I was lost and alone, and I followed you all the way home... To the manor...

Now I sit by a lake and dream of nothing more than horrid images of our past, and my mind finds itself draw to the abyss, looking for answers to questions I have never asked...

It is the future I see, and it is bleak. Perhaps I can change it, perhaps not. Maybe it is my fault, maybe it is what I will do, maybe its what will happen, maybe its what would happen... Who knows, certainly not I.

Good bye, my friend. May flights of angels guide you to your rest.

When my eyes finally close, and the breath of my life fades in the winds of eternity, shall I be happy or sad?

Watching the winds blow across the fields of honour, my sword and I stand ready to fight any who try to end this bliss I have found. My heart never wants to cease, nor my mind to stop dreaming, but only to endure into the future and ever more.

My soul is swollen with the anticipation of a foe awaiting me at each corner, a shadow or a fiend ready to steal all that I have from me. My life has become no more to these creatures than a prize, or a toy. Living in such dire wonder, should I not be afraid?

Waiting is the greatest pain I have ever endured, not knowing when it shall come to pass that everything that I have worked for should be decided, should be weighed and measured...

Standing here alone is not what I have chosen to do with this life I have been given, but it is all I can do since it is the fate that has befallen me. I could run away and deny this fortune, or I could stand tall and endure what ever pain happens to fall upon me. What am I to do?

I should live my life as I always have, never hiding from that which I cannot control, nor running from that which seeks to hurt me. I shall always find my strength and happiness, no matter how dark the roads and paths may be. My life is but a speck of dust in the un-foretold stream of time, but what a speck of dust I shall be, one that touches many more!

Yearning for that happiness I have found, I stand ready with Caliburn in my hands, hoping that I have the strength that I need...

May my fight be not over until the sound of my voice has faded, may I stand proudly before that which comes to claim me. Each moment I wait, I can stand here and contemplate, or go where I rather be.

Come evil, if you dare, and find me where I shall be. You cannot control me yet, death, but I shall await your call. You can expect that I shall not surrender, you can expect me to fight you with every breath!

Though I stand heavily out powered, know that I shall never flee or give to you. You shall come, and you shall struggle, to take that which you want from me, but knowing that I defy you to the last, marks us with eternal enmity.

Death, you are my enemy.

To play, to sing, to love, to live... None of these belong to me, as I am but a figment in the sands of time that should have never existed. A clone, a copy, a false... But am I not real? Do I not breathe the air, drink the water, live on the earth, and warm the fire?

Walking this lonely road is certainly not my ideal peace, but it is the only one that I have ever know, but I wish there was more for me, as I watch all that I love become entangled in a twisted game, of a Being more malevolent than any other I have ever know, to push me to some undreamt corner, and steal that which was never mine to begin.

When does my life ever recede from the pain and horror that was my past, and my current present? When can I find that which will end my torment, bring hope to my aged bones, and peace to my crippled mind?

To ask so many question in a futile way, never to expect or answer any... Tis the life I live, as I am doomed to be enveloped by my eternal pain, and the suffering I inflict upon myself, for know now do I, that I am not he, nor shall he ever be me, for what makes us one, does not make another whole.

Confused and lost, forlorn and trapped within my despair. Why, to what end? To every end, as there is nothing within my chest that does not beat without pain, to live each moment suffering my quiet wounds, to watch as I bleed to death from my internal injuries...

I spend every moment of my life here, searching for a way to find peace and hold onto it. Sometimes, when I am not alone, and I am among the few whom I truly feel kinship with, I am free from my horrors. But when I am alone, or amongst those that bring me great grief, I feel the destitute loss of my immortal soul, and the crushing defeat I will impose upon my soul, for I feel that I should be subject to the greatest pains that I can endure, for no reason beyond that I lived, and she died.

I did not even wish for freedom, and she paid for mine. I did not even wish to be in a place where I could find happiness, as she sought each day more feverishly...

Looking upon those times, I swear that I can hear the sound of Asrael whispering into her ear, purring the perfect world into her heart, telling her that it was possible, if the prisoners but stand up and try...

I can not believe that, for that would be more fiendish and cruel... A torture within a torture, a way to strike at me...

Me... Why must I be so concerned about me?

Why do I turn all these events in my own personal torture? Why am I at the centre, what did I ever do to deserve such attention, why must it always be me? Can not another stand tall, can not another be responsible for the demise of others? Why is everything about me, or my fault?

Who else is to blame?

My brother, my father, Nelphean. Perhaps he is to be judged with an evil hand for his past indiscretion. He was an evil elf, who did many an evil thing, but as he wandered about this realm, he transformed. He became something other than he was, a good man. So, I cannot blame him, for all he ever did was survive in a land where survival is not guaranteed, he feels guilty for the wrongs, and wrongs committed against those he loves...

Does that make him any less guilty for what happened to me? Was he ever guilty to begin? Alas, I must say, that my horror was indeed not his fault. Nor was it mine, nor can I attribute it to any one cause.

I am sad, because I live. I live, because they want me to be sad. If I were to be happy, would I cease to live? No, or yes... I do not know.

I do not know... I know little more than any other, I know less than I should, for nothing I know is remembered, and knowing nothing is to be nothing, or is to be something else? Questions, many unanswerable questions, all pointing towards the same beginning.

Who am I? The question that spawns all my insecurity, all my lost thoughts, and soul searching...

To be that which I am, and not to be that which I am not. To know with out a doubt, or at least with reasonable doubt, that I am me, and not someone else.

Can I truly be happy, feeling that I am not more than a figment? No.

Can I truly make anyone happy, lost as I am? No.

Am I useful to those around me, in my despondent state? No.

Then what should I do, to know who I am.

Sing. Sing a song never heard by any other, to be a voice that spoke words un-thought, except by me. To be a soul, worthy of love, to be a servant, worthy of praise, to be a hero, worthy of remembrance, to be free, and live, in peace.

A song to be sung that shall reflect my soul into this world, one that can show that I am different, that I am not him, but I am me. To be me without fear of replicating my brother, to be free of the shackles that bind me to my pity, to be free from the horror that dwells in the pits of my mind. To find a home, and to live in bliss...

Can I truly do anything, without confidence in who I am? Yes.

Can I truly be happy, thinking that I am my father? No.

So what am I to do?

I am to learn to be me, without the fear of being him, to be my own being, to have my own light, to be unique in this world of doubt, in this world of pain, in this world where my ears can hear the cries of the many, and heal the wounds of a few.

I wish to bring the greatest joy I can, to give up everything that must be surrendered in order to bring joy to this realm. To sacrifice everything, to honour my life, to honour my soul, to honour my being... To be love incarnate... To be wise, to love and live a life of love, beyond all these shadows...

I have lived too long carrying the weight of my torturers. I have lived too long to give my eternal years to such things as memories of pain. I must live with these, not bury them. I must accept that I am a tragic character, in a play that has no evident happy ending.

Long have I lived now, longer still do I have to go. But for now, I shall endure this realm, and try to be me, the one who is not him, but another, who may have been born from his bones, and wrought of the same flesh as him... But I am not him, as he is not me. I am myself. A being, a light beyond any darkness that might wish to prove other wise.

I am Nelphean, I am The Brightsabre.