It was an unusual, bitterly cold night in early Spring, one seemingly empty, damp, and very dark, all lending to the massive man's current mood. He leaned carefully against a tree, watching the tiny fire flicker in the darkness as the moon crawled slowly across the deep black sky in magical silence. The look on the man's huge face was pure hatred for everything, and yet nothing all at once. His name was T'Ion, a Red Dragon in Human form.
Easily seven feet tall and built like the biggest of Barbarians, he was a quiet man by nature, and a master blacksmith by trade. His young companion, Miyuki, who herself was a young were-cat, stared at him in awe, and not for the first time. After all, he was not only physically huge, strong and very smart, but to most who knew him well, he was a gentle giant of a man, one who hated violence and had a heart of gold. Recent events, though, had changed him and his nature, and he had little on his mind other than pure hatred for the man responsible for his suffering.
T'Ion? Miyuki asked in mindspeak, the only way to communicate in the magical dome of silence he had placed around the meager campsite. The sounds of nature, normally very soothing to both of the travelers, was now an annoyance to the man.
What is it, little one? His reply was a silent growl, strained with a hint of annoyance.
I want to help.
The huge man slowly turned his head, staring coldly through his much younger companion, making her instantly flinch and draw back slightly. As close as they were, she had always been terrified of him.
Miyuki, you can not help me. T'Ion kept his gaze pinned tightly on her lithe little form huddled under her cloak, his eyes glowing slightly as her ears twitched nervously. No one can help me now.
You won't do anything... drastic, will you? Her own eyes began to shine faintly now as well, but only from the moonlight filtering down through the trees high above the campsite. She watched him, her eyes fierce with compassion and friendship.
T'Ion simply stared into the tiny campfire once more, his face a mask of long years of pain, leaving Miyuki alone to hug her tail under her thick cloak. Her ears started twitching as the cold wind whipped around her again, forcing her tiny form to shiver and truly fear the future.
Miyuki had found T'Ion a few days earlier, and was instantly heartbroken. He was kneeling beside the ruined and burned remains of a cabin, one he had built for himself deep in the forest near a quiet lake nearly two months before. He had put a lot of work into that cabin, being a blacksmith, working with wood was a different thing for the man, but with his strength and childlike eagerness to try new things, he managed the task, and had invited her over to see it. A fresh grave was near the smoking ruins of his former home as the were-cat had stalked up, and it was adorned with a simple but beautifully crafted nameplate of gold and silver, etched in a language she couldn't read. After Miyuki had finally made the man notice her presence, he had simply stood and grabbed his huge battle axe and strode into the forest, death in his gaze. She quickly decided to follow him.
He had barely paid any attention to her the whole trip. She had been finding her own food, water and shelter, though he had given her protection as she slept, defending her twice from surprise attacks in the night. Miyuki was determined to try and help her friend if she could, even if he didn't want her around.
Sleep, Miyuki. T'Ion's mental voice was still edged with rage, but his tone was softer toward her, and she felt a slight hint of hope in his voice that matched the one in her heart. Tomorrow we have a long road to travel, and if you insist on coming with me, you will need to rest to keep up.
She watched him as he closed his eyes, then lay down and curled up in her thick winter cloak, her ears pinned back to conserve what little heat she had to spare.
Good night, T'Ion. She managed faintly, exhausted from days of steady travel, strange weather and little sleep or food.
He stared at her as she easily drifted off into a peaceful, innocent slumber, purring softly to keep warm, and shook his head slowly.
You sleep as if you had no cares in the world, little one. T'Ion thought to himself. Perhaps one day I will sleep as you do... Forever.
The next day dawned bright, clear and slightly warmer, though a definite chill filled the crisp morning air as it blew through the trees. T'Ion, as usual, was awake and stood quietly just outside the circle of silence he had placed the night before, talking with another traveler.
Miyuki rose and shivered, huddling in her cloak as she stalked around stiffly to find something to eat, her mind foggy, but wondering what T'Ion had to say to a stranger he couldn't say to her. She knew the wall of silence around the camp prevented her from listening, but it also prevented him from knowing she was awake, and if he couldn't hear her sneak closer...
She was to the edge of the barrier in a few strides, and she leaned against a tree just inside the barrier. Luckily he'd had to draw a line in the dirt to cast the spell, and she knew just how large the effects were. Cautiously, she eased her head outside the barrier, her ears instantly filling with the sounds of nature around her. Birds singing melodies in the sunshine, the wind whistling through the trees, the leaves and plants rustling softly within the breeze, and, happily, two voices.
"T'Ion." The stranger sighed musically from under his hooded cloak of deep forest green, his sword on his side hummed softly as he stood a short distance from the man. "I'm sorry."
"I am sure you are." T'Ion replied, unfeeling. "It changes nothing."
"I know better than most what it means to go through what you're going through right now, and I know how hard a road it is to travel. I also know it helps if you have friends beside you to help you." The man continued softly, making Miyuki's ears twitch with a strange feeling of familiarity.
Come on, pull back that hood, let me see you. Miyuki somehow kept quiet, her eyes narrowed.
"I need no one." T'Ion replied sternly. "The little one followed me on her own accord. It is an open road. If you should follow me, do so at your own risk."
The other man smirked and nodded, but his sword spoke in an odd, foreign accent, one sounding like an arrogant scholar, or an ancient worker of magic.
"Follow you? How kind of you... you Treant! How DARE you even SUGGEST we have nothing better to do than follow YOU on some ridiculous journey where you intend on mindlessly killing people on a whim! Barbarian! I may be a sword, but I'll not take part in a senseless killing!"
A... Wizard? In a sword? Miyuki nearly gasped, staring in awe.
"Do as you wish." T'Ion narrowed his eyes and turned, walking back into the dome of silence as the man shook his head.
"He just lost someone close to him. Don't you have ANY feelings Dionth?"
"Feelings?" The sword replied. "Of COURSE I do, Raevn! I also know a man like him doesn't need US following him like some stray dog in the streets. If he wants to get himself killed, he can do it alone. I'm sure he's most capable."
"Sometimes people don't know what they need until they don't have it anymore." The man said, watching T'Ion put his few belongings in his pack and stomp out the campfire easily under a single, massive, leather boot. "Besides, maybe he'll stumble across some way to break this curse." he added with a grin.
"That I doubt." Dionth replied sourly. "But, since I have no feet, I assume I have little choice in this matter."
"That's right, you don't." The man replied, turning to wave at Miyuki, who blinked and walked over to him slowly.
"Oh happy day." The sword said as she approached. "It's a kitten."
"Hello." She said, and bowed smoothly. "I am Miyuki."
"Yup, I know." He grinned at her, pulling back his hood to reveal Elven features. He had thin pointed ears, long, flowing silver hair pulled back in a braid and almost hypnotic blue eyes. "I'm Raevn, and this rusty old stick on my belt here is Dionth. He's a grumpy one, but he won't bother you... much."
Miyuki stared a long moment, stunned at the man's handsome... no... beautiful features. A strange feeling filled her, and she blushed slightly.
"Do I... know you?" She asked softly, her eyes glittering in the brightening sunshine.
"You used to." He replied easily. "You lost your memory a while ago, didn't you?"
"How did..." She gasped and took a step back, her hand sliding behind her back under her cloak to close around a Japanese long knife, a Wakasashi. Her young form easing into a ready stance, despite the heavy cloak covering her from her shoulders to her ankles.
"Sorry." Raevn closed his eyes and eased his hands carefully to his sides, away from Dionth. "I didn't mean to scare you, but yes, I know you. You and I used to be kinda close, like brother and sister."
Miyuki stared at the Elf a long moment, then stood tall again and eased her hands to her sides, shivering slightly as the adrenaline rush passed.
"Mind if I travel with you?" He asked her. "T'Ion don't seem to want company, but you wanna help, and I wanna help, we can look out for each other while we keep an eye on him."
Her smile was faint, but warm, and she nodded.
"Oh joy." Dionth muttered. "We get to babysit."
"Hey! I'm not a baby!" Miyuki frowned. "I may be young, but I'm not helpless, you know."
"Ignore him." Raevn said with a grin. "He's cranky."
Miyuki blinked a moment, then exploded into a fit of giggles. Raevn chuckled musically along as Dionth muttered harshly in another language.
After a moment, the two turned as T'Ion stepped from the circle and growled a single word, dismissing his spell, before he strode off down the path. His gaze never shifted from the road ahead, not even to acknowledge the two other people's presence. Miyuki frowned again and watched him go, her heart heavy despite the confusion she felt over the new traveler she had just met.
"Well, come on, let's follow him." Raevn said, putting a gentle hand on Miyuki's slim shoulder as he lead her along in a steady walk. His pace was a quick one, but not so fast as to force her to scamper along behind him.
"Will you help me too?" She asked suddenly as she walked, hugging herself under her cloak as she stared at T'Ion's massive form lumbering easily up the road ahead.
"I can sure try." Raevn answered her. He pulled his hood up to cover his face to hide his features, knowing Elves in this area weren't welcome, but he kept a reassuring arm around the girl's shoulders as he easily kept pace with her.
"You... know me." She said uncertainly, still not ready to trust the man fully. "Help me remember?"
Dionth's reply was unexpected, but pleasant.
"That can be done, but it will take time."
"I'm young." Miyuki smiled. "I got lots of time."
T'Ion walked all day and long into the night, the two people behind him still struggled to stay together and keep up with him, but he paid them no mind. He needed no sleep, and it took much to tire a dragon, so he traveled on at a casual pace. His mind on one thing, and one thing alone...
The blizzard was on him almost from nowhere. Biting winds and bone chilling cold had no effect on him as he walked on, wearing a simple, sleeveless tunic and thin breeches in the barrage of skin numbing ice and snow. The snow piled up underfoot quickly, blown in by the strong winds to rise from ankles to knee deep in a few agonizing minutes.
He pondered a moment, and stopped to look back. Far behind and barely visible in the blizzard, the two huddled under cloaks and held each other in a desperate attempt to survive the roaring snowfall. The ice shards blowing through the air were nearly as large as a normal man's finger and sharp as razors. Both of them were covered in numerous cuts, bruises and tiny rips in their clothing as the storm tore at them, literally. Little by little, it was wearing them down and sapping their already weakened strength.
"One last kindness." T'Ion said to no one as he walked to the side of the road, barely visible in the white wall of cold death swirling around him. He murmured the words to a spell he hadn't used in centuries, and a sturdy cabin of straw and wood appeared beside the road. Though it was tiny, it would be more than enough shelter for the two who staggered blind through the storm to try and help him.
T'Ion turned once more to watch the two a moment, then raised his voice slightly, more than enough to be heard over the storm.
"Come. I have given you shelter. You will both be safe here from the storm. Keep walking and you will see it soon."
He heard their faint replies of confusion and determination, then touched the hut with a massive finger, muttering a word and binding his creation to the young one's own energy, so she could summon it when she needed it. Once done, he turned slowly and faded away into the raging storm without another look back.
"Raevn?" Miyuki called out as loud as she could to be sure she was still beside him and they were both walking still.
"I'm here." His reply was faint, but his gentle squeeze was reassuring.
They had been walking all day, trying to keep up with the large man ahead of them, when the blizzard had come from nowhere. It swept down on them with enough force to blow Miyuki off her feet and send the Elf staggering back a few steps. Once they had started traveling again and huddled as close together as they could to conserve precious heat, the ice had blown in on the gusts of wind, tearing at their faces and clothes like a whirling barrage of daggers thrown by the wind.
Miyuki's left ear was torn from one sharp spike of cold, and the one scar she kept hidden under long bangs over the right side of her face was matched now with a a few others across her left cheek, and she knew she had to keep walking. Once she stopped, she would die.
"Miyuki?" Raevn's call was distant, but she knew he was still beside her.
"I'm here!" She called back as loud as she could and nudged against him to let him know she was still with him and walking.
"Come, I have given you shelter. You will both be safe here from the storm. Keep walking and you will see it soon."
"T'Ion?" Miyuki cried, hoping he heard her. "We're here T'Ion! We're coming!"
"Keep walking, Miyuki!" Raevn called from beside her. "I dunno where he's at, but I'm sure he's fine. We have to get to the shelter! Save your strength for walking!"
She nudged against him and winced as another ice blade tore across her shoulder, shredding her cloak and shirt like nothing more than paper.
Raevn silently hoped he wouldn't have to use up his spells to get to the shelter. He didn't know very many, and he wasn't as adept at the art of spellcrafting as most elves were. He also knew he would need them to find T'Ion after the storm blew over... If it blew over.
First thing's first, though. He told himself I have to keep Miyuki safe.
He stumbled blindly on a tree root buried in the snow and fell on his face in a huge snow bank. As he slowly rose to his knees, his entire body numb against the cold, Miyuki's arms went around him like a vice, He knew she was crying, because her face was covered in twinkling ice crystals, and he smiled at her.
"Look!" He called out, pointing just ahead.
Miyuki strained hard to see in the blinding snow. Her eyes glowing as they naturally took in every bit of light around to let her see better. Once she could focus, she nearly sobbed as the shape of a small hut took shape against the blowing winds.
"Shelter!" She cried and tried to pull Raevn up.
Raevn stood stiffly and made his way toward the tiny hut, knowing once they were inside, they would find everything they needed to ride out the storm in comfort and safety. It was a spell he wished he knew, but one he had lost ages ago.
As the two weary travelers staggered, shivering, into the little hut and closed the door, the blizzard roared on around it, unknowing and uncaring to their needs. After all, it was a blizzard, it was supposed to be cold, and it was very good at it's job.
"How's that?" Raevn asked quietly, bandaging Miyuki's ear as carefully as he could despite his shaking hands, still slightly numb from the cold.
"Better." Miyuki frowned. "It stopped hurting... but it feels like it's been torn off."
Very nearly... Raevn's thought went silent.
They had crawled wearily into the tiny doorway of the hut, only to find the inside was much larger than the outside. There was a roaring fire in a stone hearth on the far wall, an unending supply of firewood nearby. They had enough food for an army in an open cupboard along one wall, new clothing hung from racks along the other. There was even water from a spring, flowing gently from the corner. It had everything they could ever need from soft beds to windows looking out on various vistas, each window opened up upon a different place, and all were somewhere else far away from the raging snowstorm they both knew was outside the doorway. They took a few moments to simply stare in wonder at the strange views before realizing they were really hurt, Miyuki slumping to her knees in a sudden and heart wrenching reminder of just how lucky they were to be alive.
Once they had gotten comfortable and seen to the worst of their injuries, they sat together by the fire, both wearing numerous bandages as medals, glad to be alive and out of the storm. Both were proud they were still in this world they loved so much. Miyuki had found a silken black gown among the clothing, and though it was a little big for her young body, she wore it well and very proudly. Raevn had pulled muted brown leggings, soft leather boots and a matching tunic from his pack and put them on, only trading his ruined cloak for another on the rack. After Miyuki had done the same, she had managed to snuggle into the Elf's lap while he had bandaged her ear and face, but he didn't complain. He was glad she was somewhat trusting of him now. It was hard to protect someone who didn't trust you...
"Raevn?" Her voice was tired.
"What is it, Miyuki?"
"Do you think T'Ion caused the blizzard? Maybe to make us stop following him?"
"No." Raevn shook his head solemnly. "The blizzard was created by someone, of that I'm sure, but T'Ion wouldn't, and couldn't if he wanted to. he's a Red Dragon, he's limited to fire spells mostly for attack... besides, if he wanted us to stop following him, why would he have protected you these last few days?"
"I guess he wouldn't have given us shelter if he wanted us hurt in the storm." Miyuki agreed, closing her eyes and leaning against the Elf. "He may be mad, but I know he wouldn't hurt his friends."
Raevn made a face at the blood on Miyuki's ear, slowly seeping through the once clean white bandages and sighed heavily. Carefully reaching for his pack, he silently wondered if he had more than one...
"What's wrong?" She asked, looking around a little, content to just lay against him, much too tired to try and look strong.
"Here. Drink this." He pulled a small crystal vial from his pack, placing it gently in her tiny hands. "It'll make you feel better."
"What is it?" She brought the orange concoction to her nose and took a curious sniff of it as she popped the cork out with a claw. It smelled of blueberries, and she smiled a moment before peering into the open top, carefully turning the container in her nimble fingers, eyeing the liquid cautiously.
"It's a potion to heal you." He replied softly, watching her quietly. His keen eyes intent on her own as she inspected the contents of the bottle. "I made it myself. It won't hurt you."
"Promise?"
He nodded. "If you don't believe me, I'll take a sip first, but I'd be happier if you were to drink it all yourself. It's stronger that way, and you'll heal faster."
The young were-cat turned to stare at him for a long, tense moment, then tilted her head back and drank from the bottle. The contents tasted like strawberries hinted with cream, very sweet and surprisingly light. Miyuki grinned, her energy slowly returning as she extended one of her claws and used it to scrape the inside of the vial, licking it clean several times to be sure she tasted every drop, purring softly.
Raevn watched her for a while, then gently took the bandages off her ear and her cheek. Watching the cuts heal before his eyes with a look of minimal comfort, he nodded approval.
"That was my last one." He said quietly. "I'm glad it worked to it's fullest on you, I'd never tested one on a cat before."
"If I'd known it was your last, I wouldn't have used it." Miyuki frowned. "Now how will you get better?"
"We of the Highblood heal very fast. I was more worried about your ear to be honest, it wasn't looking too good."
She shifted a little in his lap, clutching the vial to her chest as she toyed with her left ear, her eyes closed.
"Thank you." She murmured.
"You're welcome." Raevn replied, waiting.
It didn't take long, and Miyuki yawned, almost on cue. He smiled as she snuggled against him, her warmth easing his troubled soul as he silently tried to plan how he would help her catch T'Ion the next day. His spells were limited, he was out of most of his supplies, his only weapon was Dionth, which meant no daggers and his bow was gone. He needed rope...
"Raevn?" Miyuki's smooth voice snapped him from his thoughts and he touched her cheek on simple reflex.
"What troubles you?" He asked musically, his eyes softening as he watched her breathe.
"Who are you really?" She managed through a deep yawn.
The Elf leaned forward and kissed her softly on her cheek, then pulled a blanket over her, wondering if this is what it felt like to be a father.
"When you're ready, I promise... I'll tell you everything." He brushed her long bangs from her face, touching the scar on her right cheek that went from her forehead, down over one eye and down. It was a scar he remembered well, and he regretted her having it every day he lived. "For now, get some sleep. You can ask all the questions you want tomorrow."
She was far beyond the land of dreams before she could even think to reply, the vial falling from her grasp to the floor beside her with a dull tinkle on the soft rug. Her smile was more then he could ask for, and with one last look around the shelter, he too leaned back and drifted off into slumber.
T'Ion stood quietly as the group of warriors surrounded him, weapons raised.
He had walked through the blinding snowstorm, walked all that night, long after it had ceased and was forgotten, into the next day before coming over a little hill into a town just around Highsun. As he took in a breath, he had headed for a nice, quiet little inn near the edge of town. A man and woman sat in rickety rocking chairs on the creaky front porch. 'Ye Old Folks Home' looked more like just what the sign said, rather than the inn he knew it to be. T'Ion made his way inside carefully, turning sideways and ducking under the doorway to sit at a sturdy table in the corner by the fire, sitting his pack beside him.
Gasps of awe and curious stares had followed him through town, but no one had dared bother him other than a few whispered words about who he might be. Soon he had polished off a huge bowl of stew and was actually relaxed enough to sit back and enjoy his ale as he listened to the traveling Bard and Minstrel duo tell stories and sing songs for the delight of everyone in the Inn, and even some lucky people who listened outside. The Bard was a young man, and T'Ion assumed the Minstrel was his wife. She was partly through a delightful melody about a unicorn and a mage, strumming her harp to accent her beautiful voice when the large group of armored men had rode up in a cloud of dust and a fury of shouts and rude jests among themselves. Instantly T'Ion knew they would be trouble.
The men had tied their horses up outside to let them drink from the watering trough before filing into the inn, still jesting and shouting among themselves. They all wore similar armor, covered in dirt from the trail, but despite their rude tones and lack of manners, they held themselves like warriors.
One of the smaller men had whispered something to the Minstrel, who had moved away from him and back to her husband, unable to finish her song. As T'Ion watched, he realized the two were no older than fifteen, and he shook his head in disgust.
"Hey!" One of the larger men shouted, and a hush fell over the crowded inn. "You, in the corner there!"
T'Ion looked over at the warrior and knew he was the group leader.
"Yeah, you!" The warrior continued. "You got a problem with the way my boy here admires the ladies?"
T'ion looked at the Minstrel as she lay against her husband, obviously shaken up, but unhurt by the man's words.
"I have a problem with men who have no manners in the presence of a lady, and no respect for the bonds of marriage."
That drew a murmur of disagreements and harsh words from the men, but they drew silent as the leader stood, looking offended.
"You have offended me, and my men!"
"Be glad that is all I have done today." T'Ion's grin was an evil one.
"Barbarian!" The man shouted, drawing his sword.
"I am much worse than that." T'Ion sipped his ale.
"If you have any honor, you'll come outside so we can settle this like warriors."
T'Ion drained his mug, placed four gold coins on the table, more than three times the price of the meal, and stood. He made his way over to the duo and knelt, taking the Minstrel's hand in his and flashing a warm smile.
"You two are most talented. You spread joy wherever you go, and your tales and songs are something the world should share more of. I pray this incident does not stop you both from sharing your gifts with the good folk of this world. I wish you both a safe road ahead and a long life together. I hope we can meet again someday."
"Thank you, kind sir." She replied shakily. "May your roads all be downhill."
The Bard could do nothing but stare as the huge man stood once more, turning to whisper something to the tavernkeep before stepping outside sideways through the doorway.
As the soldiers followed and surrounded him, T'Ion stopped in the middle of the street and waited. Letting the crowd of spectators back far enough away so as not to be hurt in the melee he knew was close at hand.
"Are you ready to die?" The leader mocked as the men drew steel.
"You call yourselves honorbound men?" T'Ion stood still. "You would all fight me? A dozen or more on one man?"
"You DID offend us all." The leader grinned evilly. "It's too bad your death won't teach you any lessons."
T'Ion unstrapped his massive battle axe and twirled it once, embedding it into the packed dirt street with ease, then took a step away from it.
"Am I to take this as your surrender?"
"This axe marks the spot where twelve men died attacking a single man." T'Ion's voice was deep, and his eyes flashed.
The leader roared the command to attack, and his men charged forward into battle with a battle cry the small town would never forget for generations... because the larger man's matching war cry was twice as loud, and it shook the ground for a mile in every direction.
Of the charging men who managed to remain standing through T'Ion's mighty roar, only two men managed a swing with a weapon, the leader's blade met T'Ion's neck with a loud clash as his best man swung heartily with his axe and missed by a mile. The impact of steel on the man's skin was staggering in it's own right, and the warrior stared in disbelief as T'Ion simply reached up and grabbed the man's blade in his bare hand, squeezing and shattering the sword into useless shards of steel.
As the men surrounding him regained their footing and saw the leader's blade broken like nothing more than a stick, they stood their ground, and T'Ion simply stared at the leader.
"My turn, is it not?"
"Attack men!" The warrior screamed, tossing his ruined blade to the ground and drawing a shorter sword, this one glowing blue from point to hilt. "If he's a mage, we can't let him start a new spell!"
Instantly, the men leapt, slashing and stabbing the huge man, who simply raised a hand in the air and made a fist. Organized destruction surrounded the man. Meteors the size of large stones fell from the sky, raining death on the man as pillars of flame rose from cracks in the earth, enveloping them in flames of rage.
Men screamed, villagers scattered, and the earth trembled under his feet as T'Ion released the bonds of his rage on these men who called themselves warriors. He let out a mighty roar and lowered his fist in a blinding fast gesture, and the men's flaming bones exploded in showers of blackened smoke as the meteors and flames died off and the spell ended.
T'Ion opened his fist and released the nearby Inn and a few scattered houses from his protective barriers before picking up his axe and strapping it to his back.
The Minstrel leaned against the doorway to the inn, the Bard to whom she was married was just behind her, his arms protective around her.
"What is your name, sir?" She asked quietly, terrified of his power, but knowing she was in no danger.
"I am no one of any importance..."
Before she could say anything more, he began to walk away down the long road even as the blackened dust of his enemies was already being scattered by the wind.
"Such powers." The Bard whispered, watching him go. "Such a lonely man. I hope he finds whatever he is looking for."
His wife nodded and leaned against him, and they watched him disappear over the next hill together as the sun slowly set on the tiny village.
"Miyuki?" Raevn shook the girl gently.
The were-cat's eyes snapped open, as her tail appeared from under her dress and thumped the floor.
"Easy now." The Elf touched her cheek.
Raevn knew as a special were-cat, Miyuki had full control over when her tail and ears appeared, and she usually only let herself have the tail when she was truly relaxed, or upset, as was the case now. Some days she was human, some she reverted almost completely into cat form so far that her eyes changed and she grew whiskers. She could become a black cat of any size at will, or change her age and appearance in human form. Despite all her powers though, regardless of what she looked like, he always seemed to know how she felt inside...
"How long was I asleep?" She sat up and looked around slowly, letting her sleep muddled thoughts clear on their own.
"Two days."
"Two days?" She hopped to her feet. "We have to find T'Ion!"
"Miyuki..."
Her mad dash for her things was intense, her eyes flashed as she tried to mentally ready herself for the long road she knew lay ahead. She tore through the clothes on the racks, looking for things she could wear, then scampered across the room and dug through the foodstuffs, looking for anything that would carry well.
"Miyuki..." Raevn tried again.
Miyuki stuffed things in her newly acquired bag and changed clothes. She slipped into a black tunic, which was longer than usual, and fit her like a dress. Belting her Wakasashi to the small of her back where it would be easily hidden under her new cloak, she pulled on her original black leather boots in haste.
"Miyuki!" Raevn raised his voice slightly this time.
"What?" She blinked.
"We can't follow T'Ion right now."
"Why not?" She asked, sensing the sadness in his voice.
"He's taken Dragon form and is flying."
Miyuki staggered, and Raevn held out his arms.
"Come here."
She dropped her bag with a heavy thump and walked slowly over to him, sinking down to her knees and curling up in Raevn's lap like a kitten, her tail going limp as she leaned her head against his chest.
"I'm using a spell to keep tabs on T'Ion." Raevn began quietly, pulling the shaking young girl close and brushing her sleep tousled hair with his fingers. "While I was at it, I found out he left this shelter for you. You can summon and banish it with your will."
"He always did look out for me..." She murmured, staring off out one of the magic windows to a forest glade full of lightning bugs and fresh flowers.
"There is something we can do, if you really want to help him."
"I wanna help." Her voice was distant as Raevn's final spell took hold, relaxing her and soothing her nerves.
"First, I want you to tell me what you saw when you found him. I need to know everything, Miyuki. Can you do that for me?" He undid her cloak and folded it neatly, laying it by her bag as she closed her eyes and purred in his arms.
"Mmmm... I can do that." She shifted a bit, pressing her head to his chest a bit harder, as if fluffing a pillow.
"Tell me everything, Miyuki." He reached down and tugged her boots off gently, tossing them aside with her other things.
"Where should I start?"
"Start at the beginning. When you first found him, just before that. What were you doing?"
Miyuki began to hum softly, shifting slightly to lay her head on his shoulder before curling up again in his gentle touch.
Raevn carefully unbelted her blade and lay it atop her other cloak, frowning at the rough tunic on her soft skin.
"T'Ion?" Miyuki murmured suddenly, tensing.
"What do you see?" Raevn said quietly.
"Smoke..." She sniffed a little. "Fire!"
Raevn took her hand to be sure the spell had taken hold, then undressed the girl completely. He covered her in the soft blanket she had slept in earlier and cradled her like a child, leaving her shoulders uncovered. Resting her head on his shoulder, he placed the back of his hand to her chest to keep track of the spell's effects on her.
Can't let her in too deep, or I could really do some damage.
"T'Ion?" Miyuki moved a little, sounding very sad.
"Tell me what you see, Miyuki. What happened?" Raevn said softly, carefully moving the blanket to keep her gracefully covered from her unconscious movements.
"It's all destroyed." She managed through a sob. "The cabin he made. The garden. A horse..." She shivered. "There's a grave too, but it. it can't be his, he's beside it. He's... kneeling... praying?"
Raevn placed his hand carefully beneath the blankets to touch Miyuki's bare chest, worried about her already being too deep in the spell's effects as he felt her heart skip a beat.
"It... it's got a nameplate... it's pretty. all gold and silver..." She went quiet as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Can you read it?" Raevn asked softly, curious. He knew about the cabin burning down and everything being destroyed, but a grave?
"It look like chicken scratches... I... I dunno what it says..." She frowned.
"That's not important." Raevn guided her carefully through her memories. "Look around, Miyuki. Is there anything you see? Anything that looks strange?"
Miyuki concentrated for a while, swallowing hard and murmuring as if in a fever dream.
Raevn carefully placed his hand differently on her chest, listening intently to her breathing and her heartbeat. With a slight nod, he eased it down to her side, just under her breast. Again he listened to her breathing and the sounds of her heartbeat.
"Something's...not right..." Miyuki murmured, shifting a little under the Elf's gentle touches.
"What do you see?" He asked, leaving his hand where it was, his mind focused on her and how the spell was affecting her.
"The smoke is blowing... west..." She moved her head a little. "The wind is coming from the north... weird..."
"Magic." Raevn narrowed his eyes a moment, then rubbed her side slightly without realizing it, as if to calm her. "T'Ion knows too."
"Why's it so hot? The fire's all out..." Miyuki's body warmed slightly, and her heartbeat picked up rapidly.
"Look forward now, and remember." Raevn strained to keep the spell active a few moments more. Letting his grip on go too soon with her this deep could be dangerous.
"Forward... remember..." Miyuki's voice slowly regained it's normal, relaxed tone, and her tail twitched lazily.
"Good girl." Raevn leaned back and let the spell go, panting slightly and pulling a soft cloth from his pack.
Miyuki purred loudly, clutching Raevn's hand and pulling it to her chest almost forcefully, hugging it like a favorite stuffed toy.
Using his other hand, Raevn carefully dabbed the sweat from Miyuki's face and neck with the cloth, letting her rest quietly as he tried to think of something other than her. He knew better than bother her while she slept, her feline instincts took over sometimes, and he knew if she wanted to, she could rip him apart as easily as T'Ion could. His hand on her chest quivered slightly as he felt her heartbeat pick up until it was pounding like a drum in her chest. This time, it was much stronger and it wasn't a fearful heartbeat...
If that restored her lost memories, maybe she'll know how to find T'Ion. He thought, folding the cloth and touching it to her forehead once more. If not, well... I guess I'll have to do things the hard way.
"Raevn?" Miyuki shifted again, opening her eyes.
"Right here." He answered quickly,
"I remember..." She looked at him, shivering despite the fire and the blanket around her.
"Everything?" He asked, shaking a little himself.
Miyuki nodded nervously.
Raevn smiled a little and started to pull his hand away to cover her again, but she shook her head and held it tight, shaking hard.
"Don't let go..." She whispered. "I don't want to be alone."
"I won't leave you." He let her have his hand, fussing with the blanket like a Mother holding a sick child.
She is beautiful...
The look in Miyuki's eyes wasn't that of a child, and she shivered again, swallowing hard.
"I'm so thirsty." She whimpered.
Raevn gently slid his hand free from Miyuki's near deathgrip on it. Shaking it hard just out of her view to put some circulation back into it, he pulled his waterskin over and opened it, putting it to her lips with a warm smile.
Miyuki began to drink like she was dying of thirst, grabbing the waterskin like a baby holding a bottle, her tail thrashing like a whip under the blanket.
"Easy there." Raevn held her as she stopped a moment to catch her breath, then drank more, slower this time. Her eyes never leaving his as he held her close. She took in his scent with every breath and slowly, she began to calm down. Raevn let his eyes glaze over as he adjusted the blanket once again around her as she drank her fill.
Putting the waterskin down beside her, she stared into Raevn's eyes.
"What's wrong?" He brushed the long bangs over the right side of her face with soft fingers. Shaky as it was, his touch was always soft and gentle with her.
"I... was going to have a child... before..." She looked away.
Raevn touched his lips to her forehead in a soft kiss.
"It's not fair!" She tried hard to look mad.
"It never is." He replied.
"Raevn?" She reached up to place her hand to his chest.
He leaned back slowly and stared into her eyes, giving her his complete attention.
"What... what can we do now?" Miyuki managed to say. She was barely able to think straight with the feelings she knew deep down they both felt, feelings neither knew how to express very well. The same feelings she felt for only one other long before she knew him...
"There's nothing we can do until T'Ion decides to walk again." Raevn finally replied sullenly. "In the meantime, we can be ready to move again. We'll keep our things packed, and when he hits the ground, we can be on the road instantly."
"I'm scared." Miyuki whimpered, voicing her true feelings for the first time.
"I know. I am too." Raevn closed his eyes, laying down on the soft, thick rug and draping an arm over Miyuki, who snuggled up to him with a faint meow.
Soon, they lay asleep in each other's arms.
"How goes my daughter's quest?" The man in the shadows asked, his voice a dark echo.
His new assistant waved her pale hand, summoning a mirror to float in midair just in front of him. She closed her eyes as it began to glow brightly showing the shadow warrior his daughter.
"She's growing up so fast." His words had little feeling behind them, but the woman knew he only hid his feelings deep within himself.
The Demoness wrapped her wings around herself and kept her eyes closed against the light from the mirror, staying quiet and still. Her face looked young, but the man knew she was not as young as she seemed.
"Nothing to say?" He stared at the woman known as MoonStar.
"Nothing." She replied easily, her voice hauntingly beautiful, but very cold and hollow.
The man turned and walked back into the shadows without another word.
MoonStar ignored him. Waving away the mirror, she untensed her body in the delightful gloom of the cellar in the man's home. Being born a Demoness gave her incredible strength, speed, and the ability to fly with her silken wings. Her Vampiric curse, however, was a cruel fate indeed. Unable to survive long in light of any kind, she spent her time alone. It was a lonely existence indeed, and she dreaded it, until he came along.
Miyuki's father was dark, and he had his evil past, full of regrets and sorrow. Now, he wanted nothing more than to live his life as he wished. He too had once been cursed with the Vampiric needs, but was cured. She wondered if, perhaps, one day, she too could be free of her dark prison. Of course, the Demoness knew better than dwell on the fragmented dreams of the past. MoonStar had been alive for countless centuries, long before most people knew what a Demoness or a Vampire even were, and she had suffered long with her curse even then.
It mattered not to her anymore. She had somewhere to exist. Alone. In darkness for eternity. If payment in return was casting petty viewing spells for the man, so be it. MoonStar lay smoothly on the cool, stone floor of the cellar, closed her eyes, and lay in empty silence. When one couldn't sleep, one could never have nightmares... unless one lived within a nightmare.
T'Ion stretched his mighty wings in his lair, looking around the familiar sights of his true home. His huge stash of treasure was partly depleted, but upon his reclaiming of his first home, he had guaranteed the rest was safe. This was the den his mother had created for him, where he was hatched, and he would fight to the death to be here. He had easily scared off the band of thieves working on carrying his hoard of treasure down the mountain. Luckily, they were cowards, so he hadn't killed any of them.
As he lay his massive head carefully on a pile of gold coins, he closed his eyes, breathing in the musty scent of his cave.
"So many years have passed, and yet I still smell my mother." T'Ion remarked to no one in particular. "This is where I truly belong."
The boy sat up in wide eyed horror in the corner. The dragon's words had awakened him from his nap. He in turn alerted T'Ion unknowingly to his presence with a tinkling of coins and gems as he leapt up and made a fearful dash for the mouth of the cave.
"Hold, boy." He said, his tone curious, but firm.
The boy slowed to a jog, then a walk, then he stood totally still as fear gripped him. His mind racing to brace him for being the dragon's next meal.
T'Ion opened his eyes, looking the boy over carefully.
He was perhaps fourteen, and he wore dusty, much patched clothes made of animal skins and scraps of old armor. His eyes and hair were both an average brown, but the earrings that adorned his ears placed him as Barbarian, and since he had two, T'Ion decided he was considered a man by his tribe, a local tribe the Dragon knew well.
"Tell me your name." T'Ion told the boy.
"I'm Graden Pikewielder." The boy replied proudly, turning to face the Dragon, ready to meet death head on, as was the Barbarian way.
"Pikewielder?" T'Ion moved his head closer and took a curious sniff.
"That's... right." Graden stared hard at the Dragon.
"I have been away too long." T'Ion replied. "When I was last here, your father was but your age, and once saved my life. You need fear nothing from me."
"My Father is in the other world now." Graden said proudly. "He fell saving my Mother from the strange man with the killing fists."
"Why are you here then? Is your mother not worried?"
"I am a man!" Graden thumped his chest once, then lost his defiant glare. "Mother has gone to be beside my Father. I'm alone now."
"So you came here." T'Ion watched the boy before him with a slight grin.
"I have stolen nothing!"
"Sit, boy." T'Ion glared at the boy. "I have accused you of no crimes."
Graden sat on a pile of cloth without much enthusiasm.
"If you wish to stay here in my home, boy..."
"I am NOT a boy!" He interrupted forcefully, pounding his chest once.
T'Ion's growl was short, but the young man decided not to push his luck.
"In my eyes, you are still a boy, as was your Father before you. Is this understood?"
Graden nodded.
"You may stay here, but you will respect my wishes, as you are a guest in my home." T'Ion closed his eyes. "You may come and go as you like, you are not a prisoner, and for payment for your earlier trespass, you will tell me things."
Looking up, the young Barbarian looked confused. "Things?"
"I have been away from my home too long. You have grown up in this area. I wish to know what you have witnessed. How much has changed since I have been away. In return, I will let you stay, give you a weapon... and perhaps teach you some manners."
"I, Graden Pikewielder, Son of Helthor the Lionrunner, accept your offer." Graden stood and put his fist to his chest in the salute of his tribe.
"My name is T'Ion." The Dragon replied with a yawn. "Now, let me sleep."
Graden stood and sprinted off out of the mouth of the cave without looking back.
"Children..."
"Miyuki?" Raevn's voice came from an odd looking tree in her pleasant dream, and she blinked, once.
The Elf gently shook the girl once more, avoiding a sleepy, yet playful swat as she rolled over and curled her tail up under the warm blanket.
"Miyuki, T'Ion's landed."
Her gentle meow was a sign she was still exhausted from his hypnosis spell the day before, and he left her to sleep a while longer, turning to open his spellbook and hopefully re-memorize a few of his meager spells.
"One of these days I'll get good at this magic thing." He grinned, laying a hand on Miyuki's side as he stared wearily over his book of spells.
Graden sprinted up the trail toward his village. Diving past boulders and dodging up the mountain with practiced ease, he couldn't help but smile. He was determined to show that dragon he was a man, and he had an idea on just how to do it.
Tripping on a rock in the path, he rolled and was back on his feet in a dead run as he entered his village. He tore through the people gathered around in the usual groups. Warriors sharing drinks and old battle stories with the younger boys. The older boys practicing with wooden swords or brawling in sparring matches. Most of the women cooking or cleaning animals, some practicing with bows or spears. Most of the girls huddling in groups, giggling and laughing. All in all, a peaceful day, but Graden paid it no attention, his eyes on a weather beaten shack on the edge of the village, where a young girl sat on the porch, her arm in a crude leather sling.
"Graden!" Faara hopped up, delighted to see her younger brother again, thinking him dead.
Since their parents deaths, Graden and Faara were always a bit distant from the rest of the village. Faara herself had always been considered too soft for the village to accept her fully. Of course, they defended her as one of their own, and most of the people were nice enough to her. The elders, however, had always spoken out against the Pikewielder name, Faara especially. Rumor was she had been found when she was young and adopted in after her mother's true child died, or kidnapped in a raid and no one had noticed, or worse perhaps. She did have the brown hair traditional of the family name, but her eyes, unlike her brother's were a deep black. Faara was forgiving though, perhaps one of her faults, and all that was just something she had to deal with. At least now her brother was home, and she had one less thing to worry about.
Graden jogged inside the house and collapsed on a pile of pillows in the corner his father used to sit on. As his older sister strolled in, he took a few seconds to catch his breath.
Faara sat beside him, adjusting her injured arm in the rough leather sling, then looked her brother over carefully.
"He's real." Graden managed through a grin.
"You mean..." Faara blinked.
"Yeah. He's real, and he knew Father."
She leaned back in shock. Father had often told then two stories of the great red dragon he had befriended as a boy. No matter how many times he had repeated the same stories, they both drew in every word with a need to know every detail. Now that their Father had traveled to the next world, and their Mother had followed him, they were alone to fend for themselves. Perhaps now, with the mighty T'Ion's help, perhaps they could find a new life elsewhere. The only problem would be convincing the Dragon to help them.
Faara may not be the strongest warrior, or the fastest runner, or even the best cook, but she was one of the smartest people in the village. Even the elders feared her intellect. Her open mindedness was overwhelming to some. The Elders called her 'The Demon Seed' and 'our undoing'. She just ignored them. Graden often hid out in the cave, hiding from the Thieves who had recently been taking the Dragon's treasure away. He used the time to think mostly. When Faara had seen the Red Dragon fly into the cave, he had thought her brother dead.
"He was amazing, Faara." Graden said finally, now that he had caught his breath, he bent close to his sister to check her arm as he spoke. "He could have easily swallowed me whole, but he never made any move to attack me. He was magnificent, just like Father said he was."
Faara bit her lip. Her arm hurt, and they were out of medicine. It was healing, but she wasn't sure how bad she had damaged it when she fell the day before.
"If only you could see him." Graden continued. Young as he was physically, he was considered a man by his tribe, and his sister was the only family he had left. He would do anything for her.
"Take me to see him, please?" Her eyes were full of tears, not all of which were from the pain.
"He did say if I told him things, I could come and go as I pleased." Graden pondered, carefully wrapping his sisters arm. "Can you make the walk?"
"It's only an hour walk, right?" She tried to smile bravely, wiping her face with the sleeve of her many patched dress. "I can make it if you're with me."
"Then you take it easy. Tomorrow I'll take you to see him."
"I have wash yet to do, and a meal to prepare..."
"Rest, sister."
She leaned back on the pillows and closed her eyes, easing her arm back into the sling, knowing better than question the man of the house.
Graden stood and walked to the doorway, waving to a girl across the way who he knew had a crush on him, then closed the door and went about making dinner for his sister.
"Hey Graden." Faara opened her brown eyes and watched him.
His grunt was unexpected, and she stifled a giggle.
Just like Father. She smiled.
Graden crouched beside the dying campfire, poking it with a carved stick and blowing on it, getting it ready for the last meal he hoped he'd have to have in this house. Graden had grown up in this house. It was safe and full of many fond memories, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the Elders decided to run his family off, or make them unwelcome enough to leave on their own. He preferred to leave before they could get the chance, not only to save his family's name among the tribe, but rob the old fools of their chance to shatter his dreams.
"Graden, do you think T'Ion will help us?"
"I'm not sure." He replied, standing to lay an old rack over the fire. "I hope so. If not, we'll just manage on our own, like we always do."
"You could have just left me." Faara said quietly. "You'd be better off without me. I'll just slow you down."
Graden turned and smiled at his sister knowingly.
"You're a Pikewielder, just like me. The elders may think that because you're a woman, you can't be strong like me. But I think they're wrong. I think women can be just as strong as men, and as a Pikewielder, you're family. I won't leave you."
"Thanks Graden." Faara smiled.
Graden grunted again, and Faara giggled aloud this time. As the fire warmed up, hope filled them both for the first time in months. Maybe they couldn't get the Dragon to help them, but they'd be together, whatever happened.
Miyuki murmured softly in her sleep, and Raevn finally broke his long concentration to check on her.
Raevn had memorized all the spells he could manage with his limited training. He had also taken the time to attempt to figure out some of the spells in his weather beaten, old leather spellbook he didn't yet understand, but luck wasn't with him. Rubbing his eyes, he carefully placed a hand on Miyuki's bare chest and listened intently.
Nice and strong, but slow. Raevn smiled a little. After her nap she'll be back to normal in no time.
Miyuki shivered at his touch, and he took a moment to cover her with the blanket. His smile was faint, but his relief was genuine.
"You know, I was worried for a while." Raevn said softly, speaking to the girl as if she were awake. "When you lost your memories, I wasn't sure you'd ever get them back. On the other hand, now that they're back, it seems like it isn't fair for you to have to bear the weight of them. You could have had a fresh start. A new life... I just hope I did the right thing."
She pawed at something she could only see in her dreams, and he smiled, reaching down to touch her cheek softly.
"Guess now it's not important." He sighed.
"Of course it is important." A familiar voice said from the corner of the room. "A friend who cares is the most important thing a person can have."
"Spell image?" Raevn replied, not turning. He still stared hard at the young girl beside him, stroking her cheek with a gentle hand.
"I have been a fool." T'Ion's spell image flickered. "I have been blind to my friends needs."
"You've been though a lot." Raevn replied. "I told you before, I know what you're going through, and I know it's not an easy thing to face alone."
"You were correct." T'Ion's image looked from the elf to the sleeping Miyuki. "How is she?"
"Sleeping." The Elf sighed. "I put her under a hypnosis spell last night and she's sleeping off the effects. I had her in kinda deep, but I restored her lost memories."
"Yet, instead of being happy, you sound troubled."
"She lost a child in the same accident she lost her memories in."
"A child?" T'Ion looked stunned. "But she is so young yet..."
"She's not as young as she looks." Raevn stopped him. "She prefers to remain like this because it's how she feels. Lonely and full of life... a child. In truth, old friend... she's older then me... maybe even older than you."
"I had no idea." The Dragon replied.
"Nope. She don't tell anyone usually. Think about it, she never has birthdays, she's always looked like this really." Raevn chuckled softly. "She had me fooled for years when we first met."
"How did you find out?" T'Ion asked, curious.
"She got drunk one night and told me everything."
"She drinks?"
"Like a horse sometimes." Raevn grinned.
"Hey!" Miyuki murmured. "Who you calling a horse?"
"Good morning, little one." T'Ion's spell image watched her.
"T'Ion?!" She sat up and stared. "Where are you? We'll come see you!"
"No, little one. Not just yet." T'Ion shook his head. "Soon, but not now."
"Is something wrong?" She clutched the blanket to her and crawled over to kneel in front of T'Ion's magic image, which flickered again.
"Everything is fine, Miyuki." He managed a faint smile. "I have done much thinking, and I want to apologize to you for being such a bad friend these past days we traveled together."
"You weren't bad, you were just sad." Miyuki reached out and tried to touch the flickering image. "We're still friends... I just wanna help, that's all."
Raevn watched in silence as the spell started to wear thin, a bit confused as to how he could see the actual pieces of the spell falling apart. Like watching a blanket come unraveled all at once, he could tell what components T'Ion had needed to cast the spell, how long it took... He silently wondered, if, with a bit of practice, he could maybe use this to duplicate spells other people used...
"I will summon you if I need your help, Miyuki. I promise. For now, you must battle your own demons, as I will continue to battle mine."
"T'Ion..." Miyuki reached out to the fading image of her friend.
"I am safe, Miyuki. Fear not..." And he was gone.
Miyuki slowly pulled her hand to her chest, clutching the blanket to her, trying very hard not to cry.
Raevn blinked, putting aside his thoughts of his new, mysterious abilities to smile faintly.
"Miyuki, come here and lay down. We have a lot to talk about."
Meowing softly, she crawled back over to Raevn and lay on the rug, curling up and closing her eyes.
"Can I sleep a little longer?" She shivered.
"Of course." Raevn replied, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Rest all you like, you're safe here."
Miyuki was asleep before he finished, and a moment later, he lay on his back beside her, staring at the ceiling.
"Of course, now that everyone's all safe and sound and tucked into their beds, it's time for the other shoe to drop."
Raevn was asleep a moment later.
T'Ion awoke to a hushed gasp and a light touch of his side. Opening his eyes just enough to see who was here, he saw Graden, and a young girl with a broken arm wrapped in a crude leather sling. He lay still and listened.
"He's IS magnificent!" She whispered, looking very pale. "Just like the stories!"
"Quiet!" Graden took her hand and led her to a little pile of furs and helped her sit down. "Now you rest, and I'll be right back. When he wakes, we'll ask him."
"Don't be gone long." Her voice was quiet now, and she was scared. "I... I don't want to be alone when he wakes."
"I am not asleep." He opened his eyes and stared at the kids.
"T'Ion!" Graden spun and thumped his chest once in salute.
"That is my name, yes." He replied a bit too harshly, then sighed. "Forgive my tone, I have not slept well."
Faara stood slowly, shaky, but determined.
"T'Ion, my name is Faara. I'm Graden's sister...."
"Your arm is broken. Sit down, you need healing."
Faara was stunned. She had lingering doubts about how injured she was, but how could he know? Could he see into her mind as the Elders had once said Dragons could?
The Dragon rose and stretched, then closed his eyes and took the form of a huge man in red clothing, one who looked very sad.
Graden stared in awe as T'Ion walked over to the girl and knelt. Pulling a few essentials from his little bag he had beneath the furs, he unwrapped the girl's arm with care.
"How long have you been injured, Faara?" He held her arm gently, his face darkened as he concentrated.
"Two... perhaps three days." She whispered, frightened, but trusting.
"Blood poisoning." He shook his head. "Your arm has not bled, and as your body fights to repair he damage, it has nowhere to dispose of the damaged areas, and therefore, they remain within your blood."
"Is this why I'm so weak and in so much pain?" She asked.
"Yes." He looked from her to Graden. "Does your village healer have any Berryroot or thorny bushes?"
"I don't know." He replied. "But I'll go find out!"
"No." T'Ion stopped him "There is no time. Go and find a plant with thorns on it. Nothing poisonous, but with large thorns."
"I'll do my best." Graden nodded and rushed off.
"Your best is all anyone can ask, boy." T'Ion sighed.
"Thank you." Faara said softly, slightly flushed from a building fever and a bit of embarrassment. "You're very kind."
"I owe your Father a debt I intend to repay. He saved my life, and now I will help his children." He gently patted her on the shoulder "Rest now. You must relax, or you will get much worse."
Faara lay back on the furs with T'Ion's help, closing her eyes as he again dug through his pack.
I do wish Shea was here. I am not a healer, but I have to try.
He watched the girl slip into a light, feverish sleep, and he wished for other things for some time.
Graden tore through the forest, madly searching for something with thorns. What T'Ion would do with the plant was beyond him. Heal his sister, surely, but with thorns? Strange magic indeed. He tripped over a stone and rolled easily, standing to gain his bearings.
As he stood, scanning the brush for signs of anything he could use, the man leaned on his sword and stared at him from the top of a boulder.
"Hey, brat!"
Graden turned and glared at this stranger in crimson. Hie eyes looked down at the long sword he leaned on, then met the man's eyes.
"What do you want, traveler?" Graden managed in the calmest voice he could muster.
"I'm looking for a Dragon." He replied. "Big red one. Pointy teeth, wings. Flies around eating cattle? You seen him?"
"I have." Graden never lied. "I saw him not more than an hour ago."
"Where?" The man moved like quicksilver, leaping from the boulder to stand before the boy. "Where was he?"
"I'll show you if you help me find a thorn bush."
"A thorn bush?" The man stared. "I don't have time for games!"
"It will help me save my sister's life." Graden said with a hint sadness. "Find me a thorn bush and I will take you to the Dragon."
"Fair enough." The Warrior replied, then turned and walks down a trail, beginning his hunt for of all things, a thorn bush.
Miyuki awoke with a start.
"T'Ion's in trouble!"
As she looked around, she realized she was being carried. She was safe and warm in a blanket in Raevn's arms as he walked silently through a thick forest.
"I know, Miyuki. I know." Raevn replied. "Can you walk?"
"Yeah." She replied. "I'm fine."
The Elf knelt, laying Miyuki on the ground and helping her up. She was dressed, her sword was belted on, and her cloak was around her shoulders. She had been bathed, her hair brushed, and she felt better than she had in days.
"Raevn, what happened?" She smoothed her tunic-dress and adjusted her cloak slightly.
"You've been asleep for three days, Miyuki. I was worried for a while I'd put you too far under the hypnosis spell I used on you."
Miyuki took a moment to close her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting her memories flood her mind in a rush. Her tail and ears soon appeared as she opened her eyes a moment later, smiling, but with just a touch of loss in her eyes.
"The accident. The trip. I remember everything." She meowed softly. "I was gonna have a baby, and I lost it in a bad accident." She frowned a moment . "I went to T'Ion's to get away from things because he'd invited me to meet his new assistant and see his cabin. When I got there, I found him..."
Raevn nodded slightly.
"That's why I wanted to help him. He was gonna help me."
"Let's help him." The Elf said softly.
"Yeah!" Miyuki picked up the blanket, pulling her bag from it and tossing it over her shoulder. "Let's go help our friend!"
As she scampered ahead, Raevn sighed. Now that Miyuki was whole again, he felt suddenly very empty. He walked after her, silently wondering just why he felt like he'd just lost something important to him.
"She's grown up." Dionth said, buckled to his belt. "She's independent now, and you miss taking care of her like you always have."
"That's gotta be it." Raevn rubbed his stiff neck. "That's why I feel like I do. It makes sense."
"There's someone else who needs you now, and you know who it is."
"There's two people who need me, Dionth." The elf corrected him sadly. "Only one I can help now. I only hope the other is well."
"I'm sure she is." His sword told him. "Now you have to keep your mind on other things. Like the girl."
"Yeah..."
Miyuki scampered back to him with a smile on her face.
"Come on, Raevn. We're close, I know it..." She stopped, thinking that over. "Wait a second... How long did you carry me? Didn't we used to be, like WAY far away? "
"I carried you long enough to make you well." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Think you're fast enough to keep up now?"
She smiled and nodded.
"I hope so." He grinned, and was sprinting soundlessly between the trees before Miyuki realized he was running.
"Hey!" She scampered after him, kicking up leaves as she went. Her heart was full of a happiness, she'd only known once before, one she longed to enjoy every moment of. It was called freedom.
Graden stopped to sit on a boulder for a brief rest as the Dragonslayer stood quietly, waiting patiently to finish the job he'd started at a certain cabin days before.
He called himself Crawford, though no one knew if it was his true name. Most didn't care. Dragonslayers were an oddity these days. With the number of Dragons on the decline, and most of them not bothering more than the average farmer who'd found himself out four or five cattle one morning, normal folk paid no attentions to Dragons or the men who made a living killing them. Crawford liked that just fine. People bothered him anyway. He'd been alone most of his adult life, and he worked well that way. He had his sword and his wits, he'd never needed much else.
"If you're lying to me..." He stared at the boy.
"I'm a Pikewielder!" Graden stood up, insulted. "We don't lie!"
"Sure, whatever." Crawford shook his head.
Graden looked once more at the thorn bush he carried, bundled in a cloth that had once been his sleeve, then turned and walked up the path to the cave where T'Ion resided. He only hoped the Dragon could destroy this man who'd come to slay him, and not kill him for bringing him here.
Crawford followed the boy up the path, his face lit up in childish glee. One less Dragon meant one huge reward. Mages all over the realms would pay good money and favors for the pieces of the oversized lizard's corpse, and he knew Dragons had treasure aplenty. Life was good sometimes.
T'Ion caught the scents of the two coming up the path long before they arrived at the cave. Keeping his human shape, he walked to the entrance and waved down.
"Graden! Quick, bring me the thorns, before the Dragon returns!"
He saw Graden nod just slightly, then sprint up the hillside and into the cave, a second man in crimson strolled up behind, paying the huge man no mind as he stalked into the cave, locking for the perviously mentioned Dragon. T'Ion simply ignored the man, walking over to where Faara lay, delirious with fever.
Graden handed T'Ion the bundle, then knelt to tear free his other sleeve, using it to wipe his sister's forehead. His face was impassive, but his eyes were deeply fearful.
T'Ion unbundled the thorned plant and nodded approval.
"This will not look pretty, but you must trust me."
"If it will save her, do it."
The huge man quickly braided the vine into a crude whip. Leaning back, he drew back and thrashed the girl across the arm with it numerous times, until her arm bled profusely and she snapped her eyes open in pain.
"I understand now! The thorns will pull out the bad blood so she can heal!" Graden leaned close to comfort his sister, his arms slid gently around her as T'Ion began to wipe away the blackened blood and clean the cuts with a salve he'd mixed moments before the boy had returned. Cleaning the wounds as best he could.
Faara looked over her brother's shoulder and shrieked, just as Crawford's long sword impaled through Graden's back, out his chest and into his sister's side. Blood covered her, and she struggled to breathe between sobs of pain.
Chaos erupted. Graden gasped as his sister cried out in pain and tried to somehow comfort her dying brother. He knew his end was near, and he hoped his father would meet him...
T'Ion stood slowly, his eyes blazing with rage he'd tried so hard to push aside.
"Slayer of Dragons. Your death is at hand!"
Crawford stepped back, yanking his sword free and grinning wildly.
"T'ch'ha'ji'ion the Red!" Crawford spoke T'Ion's true name with a sneer. "This day you meet your ancestors in the land beyond!"
T'Ion roared, punching the man square in the jaw, sending him into a roll as he shifted forms, dropping his Human shell for his much more powerful true self. Rearing his head back, T'Ion spewed fire.
Crawford tucked up in a ball, the dragonfire singing his hair, but his magical crimson armor absorbing the worst of it and turning it into pure healing energy.
As T'Ion began a hasty spell, Crawford leapt, swinging his blade in crisp arcs, leaving a bloody trail of cuts up the Dragon's side.
T'Ion howled in pain, but finished his spell, turning to lock his gaze upon the warrior, he roared, sending the man crashing into the far wall of the cave with enough force to break bones at the least.
Crawford slumped to the floor, his ribs shattered, but his armor healing him with residual energy from the fireblast a moment before. He stood, readying his sword.
The Dragon never gave him chance. His next spell took hold, picking the man up and tossing him up into the ceiling, sending a cloud of dust raining down from the spine shattering impact, the man's sword falling from useless hands to bury itself in the mountains of coins below. An instant later, the man known as Crawford shot to the floor and impaled on a spear piled haphazardly within a pile of similar gold coins and gems. Glittering bits sprayed everywhere as he impacted. His blood slowly seeped from his body, covering the treasure in crimson as his eyes glazed over and he knew no more.
Faara knew nothing of the battle. She only knew her brother had gone to see their father, and she wept, ready to make the journey herself soon.
Raevn sprinted into the cave just as a strange man in red armor crashed into the far wall with a sickening crunch. Miyuki slid to a stop behind him, then noticed the two children on a pile of furs, The boy was coughing, and had a gaping hole in his back. The girl was shaking him, trying to keep him alive as her own blood stained her patchwork dress and the furs she lay on.
Miyuki jogged over and knelt as the boy managed one final, ragged breath.
"Save... her..."
"Graden!" Faara cried out as his killer hit square on the spear, ending his existence.
Raevn looked around at the carnage, weeping freely as he threw his head back and screamed. The world stopped. Nothing moved. No one breathed. Raevn took a breath and screamed again.
Such pain. The whole mountain hurt. The land ached within his mind. Nature itself touched him, soothing his pain with a neutrality that silenced him and forced him to look around as he caught his breath through ragged sobs.
"Raevn. Child of the forest." The voice was beautiful, and again he wept.
"Who are you?" He looked around in this non-time, needing a face for the voice. His sanity strained almost to a breaking point.
"Be at ease, my child." The voice touched his mind, releasing the power he'd noticed before in the hut when T'Ion's spell image had faded. He looked in wonder as everything around him glowed with tiny, delicate strands of energy. Many different colors and patterns flowed before his eyes, and he understood the gift he'd been given.
"You have the power, Raevn. Save them."
Raevn walked over to the threads surrounding the boy and the girl. He knelt, and he saw the ones around the boy were already fading. The girl's were bright, but tangled. The Elf reached out and touched one, and it moved.
"You understand, Raevn." The voice touched his mind once more. "Save them. You know what you must do."
He nodded and sat down. Touching a bright blue ribbon within the boy, he relaxed, took a breath, and went to work.
T'Ion staggered. He'd expended much more energy than he intended, and now his injuries would make him unable to shapeshift for a while. The Dragonslayer lay impaled. Dead. T'Ion swore.
Never again will I kill in anger. Revenge is empty. Life is much more than petty disagreements. I must learn.
"T'Ion?" Miyuki's panicked voice filled the cave.
T'Ion turned heavily, wondering just how Miyuki had found him so soon. As he spied her pale face, pinned back ears and fluffed tail, he saw what had caused her alarm.
A glow, one of pure energy, and a moment later, a young girl sat where once the boy and his sister once were. She was naked, but she was calm, happy and completely unharmed. Pure innocence. Raevn sat there too, holding the girl's hand a moment before taking off his cloak and draping it over the girl's shoulders, wrapping her in it to cover her. His face was pale and he looked weak, but he smiled.
She smiled too, her brown hair tangled with youth. She had stunning blue eyes, brighter than a crystal spring. Her smile was soothing, and Miyuki relaxed as she found herself staring.
"You saved me, Raevn. Thank you." her voice was soft, full of curiosity and intelligence. She leaned over and kissed him with the kiss of a lover, not a six year old, the cloak slipping down off her shoulder.
He smiled, just holding her hand, having no strength left to even speak.
Miyuki blinked, her confusion evident. She knew she'd seen two people a moment ago... hadn't she?
"It ends then." T'Ion eased himself down to rest with a groan. "Miyuki, help Raevn to lie down, and see that the little one is comfortable if you would please?"
"My name's Faara." The girl smiled. "I can't stay long, though. I have to go soon. It's really nice that you'd let me stay though. Thank you."
T'Ion nodded and eased his head down on the cool stone floor.
Miyuki helped Raevn lay down, then looked up to say something to the little girl...
She was gone.
"Miyuki, lay down and rest, and when I wake up, I'll tell you all about it." Raevn smiled.
Miyuki turned to say something to him, and found him asleep. Hearing the Dragon's soft snores nearby, she shrugged and lay down on her cloak, curling up to rest as he friends slept.
Maybe when they wake up... Her thoughts went silent, and she simply forgot.
Two days had come and gone, and Raevn stood a few paces down the trail. His pack bundled with treasures, his head full of memories, thoughts, and a new respect for life.
"Miyuki, come on or we'll never make the forest before nightfall." Raevn's voice was intent, but a smile lit up his face.
She adjusted her cloak and walked over to T'Ion, who lay silently, watching with huge golden eyes.
"Thanks for inviting me over, T'Ion! You helped me a lot!" She kissed the huge Dragon on the nose and waved, then scampered down the path to catch up to Raevn.
"You are most welcome, Miyuki. Take care."
He watched them go with a slight grin, his massive fangs bared ever so much. It had been a pleasant week with two of his closest friends, and he was sad to see it end. Perhaps they'd return soon. Yes. Of course they would. Friends did visit after all, and these were good friends. He knew he would see them again soon.
"Perhaps next time we can adventure together." he chuckled at the thought, then closed his eyes and was asleep before the sun fully set on the land he lived in. Night was quiet, and he could use a bit of rest... even if he wasn't sure just why he was so tired lately...