[Story] Sapere Aude - Released Again

"Good day to you all, my brothers and sisters, esteemed elders and youngest apprentices. I've asked you to gather here to day to discuss the growing problems to the Reagere Tribe - both large and small."

The youthful and charismatic male elf was speaking to a large gathered group of twenty-some giant elves. While it was not uncommon for the Reagere Tribe to have such meetings, it was very uncommon to have so many present at once. The chosen speaker for the meeting was Ilon, the son of Sylael and Arihaltril and the two founders of Reagere.

Personally I think he's still just a snot-nosed-wet-behind-the-ears-good-for-nothing-greenhorn who's enjoying the lime-light, Cecaeda thought with a snort of derision. Looking about the gathering, she couldn't help but feel this was going to be another waste of her time when a whole bunch of her 'family' would rant and rave about what they might do to fix a problem.

Ignoring Ilon as he continued with the lengthy and completely unnecessary introductions, Cecaeda looked about her in boredom. They were gathered in the usual spot, what the Reagere Tribe considered the communal grounds. The Tribe had no village, as it would be difficult to support creatures their size living together in that sort of density. The grounds were a large rocky clearing just a short location from the elder's living quarters, and the layout was much like a natural amphitheater.

Three rows of 'seats' were present, uneven and uncomfortable natural formations forming a large arc about a mighty battal oak tree which a circular dais had been constructed about. The platform had a mural carved upon its surface with words written in the ancient tongues, long forgotten by tribes such as themselves. Supposedly it had been brought here by the founders in order to prevent its destruction, but the reasons for such a necessity were never spoken of. Upon the dais is where the speaker would stand, and no doubt the presence of the oak behind them was meant to convey a sense of power and respect.

Not that Cecaeda could feel such a thing for the current speaker. No, not this little brat. Ilon had been a ringleader of the little popularity groups that had beaten her in her youth, due to her unnatural skin tone. And they called me the abomination. Ilon had been quite ruthless, and once would probably have beaten her to death if Aerya had not intervened. Sighing, Cecaeda put her attention back on what Ilon was saying, the necessary formalities having finally been completed.

"As of late we have lost several of our brothers and sisters to these threats. It must have been the work of the Zagaru or the dridder - none others have dared to oppose us in these woods for generations. This week alone Lect and Crete have vanished without a trace, and despite our greatest efforts we cannot find them."

Why oh why did I let Gea talk me into this? I should have abstained like I normally do. Such a pathetic waste of my time. Of course you can't find them. If they don't return on their own, they won't be returning at all. Although, Reya, if that was you, you've been a little glutton. Cecaeda couldn't prevent a small smirk from breaking her facial features at the thought.

"To that end, we are gathered here not to discuss what should be done, but when it shall come to pass. Before Lect and Crete vanished, they revealed the location of the Zagaru's hidden village. With that, we solve but one of our two problems, and to be blunt, the lesser of the two. The nekos may be using the dridder's silk but I say it is safe to assume they are not in league with one another. However, we must ascertain the location of the dridder's nest as well, and soon, lest we be reduced to nothing at all."

Well, that is surprising news indeed. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. A large group like that, even though the individual is little, was bound to draw attention to itself. Especially considering what they chose to hunt. I wonder how they've been using Reya's silk though... she never mentioned anything like that in our conversations.

"You needn't worry about that Ilon!" shouted a familiar voice, drawing Cecaeda away from her own thoughts. Her eyes focused on the new speaker, causing her to do a double-take. Gea? What sort of stupid stunt are you trying to...

To Cecaeda's horror, the dark-skinned elf pointed straight towards her, green eyes flashing with amusement. "Cecaeda here knows where to find her! She saved me just the other day from being one of her meals!"

No no no no no no NO! Not like this! How could I have been such a fool? I should have known better than to think Gea wanted me to come here just to listen in! Has this been her plan the entire time? Did I really underestimate her? No, that's not possible, she's too much of an airhead to be able to put something like this together!

"Really? Well, Cecaeda, do you think you could lead us to her nest?" Ilon's voice rang in her ears, and Cecaeda tried very hard to steady her rapidly increasing heartrate. She didn't need to panic now, she needed to think! Cecaeda could just feel the eyes of those present turning towards her.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Cecaeda answered with "I don't know the location of the dridder's nest. What I do know is what you all know, she never gives chase."

"So you just ran in, grabbed her, and ran out? I find that difficult to believe," spoke Aerya. "What really happened?" She was the most powerful magi of the Reagere, close to an elder in age, and Cecaeda admitted one worthy of respect. Not to mention during the times when it seemed like the entire tribe was out to get her, Aerya had always intervened on her behalf. It was a rather pathetic lie anyway, to be honest.

"Why is it difficult to believe?" asked Gea. "I mean, after all, she is in league with her. Isn't that right, Cecaeda?"

"What... did you say?" Cecaeda could not bring her voice above a whisper for her shock at what Gea was saying. There is no way this bumbling idiot could have...

"That's a rather dangerous accusation to make Gea," stated Aerya flatly. "What proof do you have of that?"

"I heard her, of course. She was talking with the dridder, scheming with her. They sounded like old friends, if you ask me. Even knew her by name."

"That's almost as difficult to believe as Cecaeda just waltzing into the dridder's nest and grabbing you before you could be a meal. I'm not aware of any dridder that would choose to align itself as such, what benefit could it possibly gain from having her as an ally?"

"Enough, Aerya. Gea speaks the truth." Ilon's voice again. It sounded much more smug to her now than it had before. Cecaeda turned slowly to face him, unable to mask her growing rage at the realization of just why she'd been asked to attend. And just who was really behind this. Not Gea. Ilon. You little fiend. Did you set this whole thing up? Were you the one responsible for Gea's intervention that caused me to be bound to her? It made almost chilling sense to her now, but it was far too late to do anything about it.

"Did you really think none of us would notice? Your clothing alone is enough to raise serious question. I was hoping you would at least come up with a better lie, something to give pause. Nyil, Eryr, bind her." Damn. I should have known better. I should have seen this. No doubt that airhead was a perfect little tool for him. Cecaeda didn't try to fight as her legs were knocked from beneath her, as the cold steel of a blade pressed against her neck.

"You're going to help us find her whether you like it or not Cecaeda. I always knew you were an abomination. If it pleases you, we'll leave your body behind with hers. Make no mistake, Cecaeda. For your treason you will die - the extent of your assistance will determine how slow the method. Starting right now."

She could sense Ilon turn around then, back towards the others that had gathered about her. "Come my brothers and sisters, for daybreak tomorrow we shall end these threats to our home once and for all. Every last one of them!"

Cecaeda blocked out the rest of his words, her mind whirling from the shock of it all. Oh Reya... I wish I had never mentioned Gea to you. If you had just eaten her, this would never have come to pass... Consumed by her emotions, she never noticed Aerya's gaze at her hunkered down form as she was bound, an unanswered question resounding in her troubled gray eyes.

************

"Good morning Nyselyn, Ion," spoke Liari as she walked up from the stairs to join them on the allure. She noted that both Ion and Nyselyn were wearing the same clothing as all their previous meetings, something that piqued her curiosity. Don't they have anything else to wear? At least they seemed to maintain good hygiene, even if they did always wear the same things.

The location they had picked to meet today was known as the Keep of Forgotten Knights, a segment of an older interior city wall. The wall was one of the oldest surviving walls in the city, some even believing that it predated the time of the Great Destruction. All along the parapet of the wall were remarkably preserved statues depicting humans, nekos, and elves in fanciful armors.

The reason for the name of the wall was due to the loss of the statue's placards. When the wall had first been constructed, stone placards had been placed at the feet of each statue to name the figure it represented and the story behind their lives. Only one such placard remained, protected in one of the city's more distinguished museums. The rest had been either destroyed or stolen at some point in the past. The problem with the surviving placard was that none could read it - the language upon it had long since been forgotten.

Liari had chosen the location because it was relatively untraveled, and though it was out in the open it was still a suitable meeting location. It presented a wonderful view of the city and the lands beyond. It also provided a special tug at Liari's heartstrings - she would love to know the story behind those stoic figures, and why so many races were presented. It was a rather uncommon element in the city of Negav.

<And to you as well, Liari.> came Ion's thought while Nyselyn merely nodded in greetings, showing Liari little interest. The woman seemed to default to her cold and emotionless ways upon each meeting, but Liari was happy to note that the amount of time she spent in such a manner was becoming less and less each time.

"It is a rather beautiful sight from up here don't you think? You can see quite a bit of Felarya from these walls."

<It is beautiful. But like every rose, this one has its thorns. The more beautiful the rose, the sharper the thorns will be.> Ion waved his hand out over the expanse, continuing with <The thorns of Felarya are as sharp as they come.>

"Waxing poetic on me, Ion? Careful now, you wouldn't want to give your companion a reason to get rowdy." Liari stepped across the allure and up to the parapet, joining Ion and Nyselyn against the ancient battlements. Nyselyn didn't rise to her baiting, which she found a bit odd. The last visit had required hardly any effort to set her off - though she did admit that at times during every meeting Nyselyn would slip back into a much more reserved stance.

"At any rate, I have come to a decision about your request." Liari focused her attention on Ion since she could at least read his expressions well enough. "I'm willing to accept it, provided you allow for a couple conditions."

"What conditions would you seek to place upon us?" asked Nyselyn, her voice quiet but intent.


"The first is the matter of defining my payment. You want a guide to help you through the lands of Felarya to find this settlement of yours because you're tired of waiting for them to show back up in Negav. I understand that, but you realize that Felarya is huge, right? This isn't going to be a quick trip, assuming we do find it."

"Agreed. So, what would do you ask for in terms of payment? We do not exactly have much to offer you unless we are successful in locating what we are looking for. If we are, then we shall have more to offer than you would know what to do with."

"I accept and understand that, given the situation you've described to me. Though I think you might be surprised with just what I could accept given what I've seen. So I offer you a compromise of sorts. During a journey such as this we shall no doubt encounter ruins, and some will be worth investigating for relics. My condition is that I be allowed to do so at my leasure for a period of no more than five days. I get to keep whatever I can carry without becoming a burden. I believe that will suffice for my payment, and if we don't find your settlement I won't be coming back empty handed at least."

"I see. So our payment is to be our wasted time, then?"

Liari couldn't help but growl slightly at Nyselyn's phrasing. Though she was focusing her attention on Ion, Nyselyn was doing all the talking - much like their first meeting. The woman's caustic tongue was really starting to grate on her nerves. She can be such a bitch. I'm not really asking for that much considering how much of my time you want.

"Hmph." Nyselyn flicked her head and tossed her long raven hair, a smile breaching her facade as her eyes flashed with amusement. "I told you that she has no patience, my master. She will get us into trouble, of this I have little doubt."

"What did you say? Did you just call Ion your master?" Liari felt her anger subsiding rapidly, though she was still annoyed. Apparently she had been the one rising for the bait today, and it had caught her off guard. All of that paled in comparison to Nyselyn calling Ion 'master' though, and she allowed herself to break eye contact with Ion to look at Nyselyn in shock. It was not a term she would have thought Nyselyn had in her vocabulary.

<It's her term of endearment. Don't think for an instant she would ever let me call her my slave. I think she would probably break me if she had the slightest notion I might be thinking of her that way.> Ion paused for a moment, sweeping his gaze between the two of them. <At any rate, I do not believe you wanting to stop for treasure hunting will be a problem. We are not expecting to arrive there in a short amount of time. What other conditions did you have in regards to serving as our guide?>

Shaking her head to clear her mind of the oddities these two continued to present her, Liari looked back to Ion. She justified doing so since he was the one who asked the question this time, but really she didn't want to look upon Nyselyn right now. The pale woman had crossed her arms and continued to smirk in satisfaction at having successfully incited her.

"I want to know for certain that those I travel with are capable. I did get to see a piece of what you are capable of during our initial meeting, but I want to have a better understanding of your capabilities before I decide to go on a trek through the forest with you."

"How intriguing. That was to be one of our conditions about hiring you."

Nyselyn's comment made Liari turn to look at her, shuddering slightly at the feral look of anticipation within the woman's multicolored eyes. If she can fight like she can intimidate, we won't have any problems at all.

<Nyselyn is correct. If you had not asked it of us, we would have asked it of you. Is there anything else?>

"I suppose not," said Liari as she turned back to Ion. "From our past meetings I feel secure enough with this proposition, and even if we don't find what you're looking for it's sure to be an interesting journey. So, when and where would you like to meet? I'm not to interested in doing so within the city, as I know I would draw too much attention. If you don't know of any places I'm sure I could suggest some."

"That will not be an issue. We will use our routine sparring grounds. We have made plenty of noise in the past without attracting attention. The only person who has stumbled upon them so far happened to be running away from a small band of mercs," spoke Nyselyn with a slight cough for emphasis. Don't Liari. Just don't. You know she's just intentionally inciting you.

"Very well, if you already have a place I don't mind letting you lead the way. When and where would you propose we meet?"

<It is still quite early in the day. Why not go now, before the heat becomes oppressive?>

"I am not averse to that, but I fear I'm not wearing the appropriate attire for such an outing," spoke Liari, motioning to the sundress and straw hat she currently wore. "Would you mind waiting for me here? My place is not far away, I could change and be back within the hour."

"Would it not be quicker for us to accompany you? Then you would not have to backtrack, and thus the process would be much more efficient."

"As much as I wouldn't mind your companion joining me at my humble abode, I have no interest in showing you where specifically I live. That little innate voice of my subconscious tells me that it would be a bad idea. I'll be returning shortly, if you can deign to wait that long."

Liari spun quickly around, not even waiting for a reply as she stalked off. She couldn't wait to get back home and change. Not when her afternoon was going to be filled with the pleasure of stomping all over that sanctimonious ice maiden.

~~~~~

As Liari spun about on her heels and stalked away, the sundress fluttered about her in a gust of wind that blew over the parapet and threatened to steal away the straw hat concealing her horns. The motion of the dress in the wind revealed the woman's nice curves and any bits of her legs that had been concealed by it, and Ion shook his head as he looked over at Nyselyn. Her face was stoic and emotionless as she too watched Liari walking away, revealing nothing of her thoughts as she turned to look up at Ion.

<You're terrible, you do know that right?>

<How is that? I thought you would like an invitation to her room. She misjudges me greatly if she thinks that I do not know where it is already. Shall I lead you to it? Humans like surprises, right?>

<That, my dear Nyselyn, is why you're so terrible.>

"Tch," the AI intoned, raising one of her hands to rest against Ion's cheek. <You would be misjudging me if you believed I would let someone close to you without being absolutely certain of their ability or intent. I do not believe you to be so foolish my master, so if you were you should keep it to yourself and allow me to assume you the wiser.>

Grasping her hand in his own and squeezing gently, Ion's gaze met Nyselyn's as she stepped up against him and sighed. <I knew that you would. Just promise me you won't get too carried away on her. She has power, but she's never dealt with something like you.>

<It would not be a good evaluation if she were holding back. By my calculations and interpretations of her emotions, I think we shall be treated to a good demonstration of ability.>

<T'was a rather mean way to go about it though, wasn't it?>

<You should know by now I am not adverse to such tactics. While I can emulate human emotion I am not chained by it as you and she are. I believe earlier you intoned that I might be lacking in the area of judging others? Perhaps you are the one that is misjudging the character of others. I have had quite the opportunity to evaluate hers and yours through these exchanges.>

Ion did a double take, actually shocked by Nyselyn's words. <Do you mean to tell me you've been... faking out this entire time with your display of emotion?> The thought had never occurred to Ion, and it hurt somewhat. He had believed that her display of emotion was genuine and a sign of her evolving further.

<Are you displeased with that, my master? You should not think so light of me, for I am not so shallow. I do not mind allowing her to guide us, my evaluation of her character is already complete. I merely wish to see how she handles battle.> Nyselyn's thoughts paused for a moment as she nestled her head against Ion's chest, breaking their eye contact. <If you must know, I did not fake all of it.>

<I see.> Ion sighed, wrapping his free arm around Nyselyn's back and stroking her hair. <I suppose... that I was just hoping for something more.>

<I am not some child to be educated by you, my master. I shall do as I please.> Nyselyn stepped away from him then, resuming their previous eye contact. For a moment her expression was unreadable to even Ion, before her eyes glinted with amusement. <If it pleases you, shall I focus on you in our upcoming session instead of her? Liari can be your naughty little nurse to coax you back to health.>

<That's not funny, Nyselyn.>

<Au contraire, my master, I find it to be a most amusing thought indeed. Do not deny you would enjoy it. What say you of my emotional development now?>

<I think I gave you too much free reign when I told you to simply observe all those years ago.> Ion sighed with exasperation, turning back to look out over the city. Behind him Nyselyn giggled at his own display of emotion before moving to stand beside him, but chose not to speak any further.


Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to her, if I've been getting so distracted as to not notice her actions. Just what is she hiding from me? It has something to do with Liari, but what? And what did she mean by including me as well? She's been acting differently ever since she realized my intentions after sending the Settlement to Felarya... Even more so since meeting Liari... Have I been mistaken all this time as to the manner in which she changed?


His eyes fell to her form in his peripheral vision, his mind mulling over the concerns she had raised within him. For some reason, the words she had spoken to him after forcibly resulting in his arrival in Felarya replayed in his mind, and Ion knew that he would be needing to reevaluate just what she had meant back then.

~~~~~

Liari returned to Ion and Nyselyn within the hour, just as she had promised that she would. Having changed into her more typical explorer garb, she was ready to give the pale woman a demonstration of ability she wouldn't soon forget.

They had proceeded without speaking for most of the way, which was a little surprising to her. Its as if the atmosphere has changed... I wonder if something happened while I was away? As usual, it was impossible to discern what Nyselyn was thinking. Ion's on the other hand was easy to read at the moment, and struck her as deep contemplation. What got you two so quiet anyway? This is boring.

While it was true that talking in the wild was not the safest strategy, they were currently still within the radius of effect from the Isolon Eye. If something did come across them, they would likely be able to handle it without great difficulty. It wasn't like they were walking through the middle of the Fairy Kingdom. Still, Liari opted to not break the silence for the time being. There would certainly be plenty of time to talk on their trip.

Liari didn't recognize the clearing at first when they stepped into it, as all the signs of the previous scuffle had been overcome by the jungle as if nothing had happened. It also seemed to be a bit further than she remembered, as it took them near two hours to reach it. She noted that the clearing itself remained void of life, which intrigued her a bit. The forest had no issues reclaiming the area up to it, but for some reason no life permeated into this particular spot.

"We're here," spoke Nyselyn. She continued to walk into the clearing as Ion stopped near the edge, activating some device and causing the ornate hammer she had seen him with when they first met to materialize into his hands. Taking the hint, Liari unholstered her own pistols, their familiar weight a comfort in her hands.

"You should go stand over there Liari," she spoke again, pointing to the opposite side of the clearing. "This is going to be done like the typical sparring matches that myself and Ion have on a routine basis. Only with an extra person this time, so you will be on Ion's team. Since this is to be a test of ability and is also your first time sparring with us, I will endeavor to not break any bones or maim you."

Do... what? Had she just heard that little mouse of a woman right? No, she must be hearing things... though the idea of being on Ion's team sat well enough with her. "Why, you're certainly full of yourself Nyselyn. It'll be my pleasure to knock you off that high horse."

Nyselyn looked at her for several long moments after her comment, long enough to make her feel awkward. Then she smiled, her eyes glinting with genuine amusement. Wow. She actually makes looking happy be scary. "You are certainly welcome to try, Liari. Try as hard as you can, in fact. That would be the point."

Just what have I gotten myself into? What is she anyway, to be so certain of herself? Liari turned to look upon Ion only to notice that he was holding his hammer at the ready, his hands tensing on the shaft's grips. Why does he look concerned...

<Liari, you would do well not to underestimate her. I would recommend preparing yourself.> Ion's thought-voice pervaded her mind moments before Nyselyn shouted "Begin!" In that instant, Nyselyn completely vanished from her previous location across the clearing, causing Liari to gasp in shock. Damn, she's fast. Just where did she-

Liari was never allowed to finish the thought, as a great force lifted her from the ground and tossed her like a rag-doll across the clearing, catching her off guard and winding her. For several moments the only things Liari was aware of was the hard ground beneath her and the smell of disturbed soil about her. Her skull was still reverberating from the impact with the ground when she looked up to see Nyselyn and Ion battling across from her. Her arm was... a giant blade? What is she? And how was she so damn fast?! To hell with that!

She certainly wasn't about to allow the rest of the fight to continue in such a manner. Rolling to her feet she blasted at the little witch of a girl with the full power of her hand cannons, sending massive bursts of energy down range. It seemed that her aim was a little off though as Ion had to block one of her shots with his hammer, and none of them hit Nyselyn. No doubt from the mild concussion I just received~.

The assault caused Nyselyn to switch her attention to Liari instead, blinking out from next to Ion and reappearing before her twirling about with the massive blade. She dodged and fired, only to scowl in disappointment as Nyselyn easily dodged her blasts and knocked her back to the ground with the back of the massive blade. Before Nyselyn could bring it down atop her head though, a mild explosion detonated above her body and in front of Nyselyn, seeming to momentarily catch her off guard.

Ion was there in the next instant, his hammer meeting her blade and the two of them standing off above her collapsed form. Not to be outdone, Liari twisted and fired her two cannons at Nyselyn beside and above her. There's no way she could have dodged... what?! The lace of Nyselyn's golden dress had seemingly come alive, forming a fan that absorbed the energy of her bolts while her free arm changed into a second, smaller blade and swiped low to catch Liari.

Quickly rolling over and cartwheeling herself out of the way, Liari looked down to notice that the sleeve of her shirt had been sliced clean in half by Nyselyn's swipe, causing a bit of both shock and fear to manifest in her mind. This is... how they normally spar? You've got to be kidding me! If I didn't know any better, I'd say Nyselyn was out for my head! Taking a few moments to adjust her breathing and get her emotions under control, Liari watched as Ion and Nyselyn flung themselves at each other again and again, blade against hammer.

While it looked like a stalemate at first, Liari noticed that each time Nyselyn seemed to be slightly overpowering Ion, even once causing him to skid back with the force of one of her blows. What... is she? No, really?! That's just crazy. She's like, a third smaller than him - in height - and he's definitely got her in mass. How can she be so quick and powerful? Liari couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy watching them, noting to herself that they were obviously well studied on combat. She wouldn't need to worry about traveling with them, to be sure.

I underestimated you, Nyselyn, but that won't happen again, I promise you that! Liari was not about to be outdone in performance, and even if she was fast Liari had the advantage of range. Ion couldn't focus on both using his explosions and the hammer it seemed, but Liari could certainly focus on her two beloved weapons. Taking a deep breath she leapt into action again, blasting at Nyselyn when she and Ion broke apart momentarily. I just need to stay out of her range!

Nyselyn seemed happy to change her targets once again, giving Ion a momentary reprieve to catch his breath after a particularly haranguing assault. Liari alternated the blasts of her cannons, changing between powerful blasts of energy and spreads of ice shards to try and catch Nyselyn off guard for even a moment. The woman was seemingly capable of avoiding her, and Liari had apparently been mistaken about her range - Nyselyn merely altered the the form of her arm from a large blade to that of a long pike, forcing her to continue moving about and not giving her a chance to aim.

Another motion in the peripheral of her vision attracted her attention after another unsuccessful assault on Nyselyn, her body coming to an abrupt halt as she realized that the motion had been the sweep of a giant hand, and that Ion had been captured by said hand. Such a thing wasn't uncommon in Felarya, but Liari had not been expecting such an event this close to Negav. Across from her Nyselyn had also seemingly noticed the new presence, halting her attack to spin around and stare up at the new arrival.

The creature that had just arrived was wearing a set of shimmering silver and blue armor, and brandishing a mean looking giant lance with the arm she wasn't currently using to hold Ion. A pair of long antenna sprouted from between locks of short blond hair and seemed to warble back and forth near Ion. A tauric insect of some sort, she had six legs and a long, slender body that Liari didn't recognize at first.


Her mind informed her through her shock that what she was looking at was a Eurhyssa, though Liari had never had any personal dealings with them. What she did know was that they were supposedly capable warriors... and there was something else too. Something important... though for the moment it was all Liari could do to watch, as if time had stopped for everyone in the clearing. The Eurhyssa was staring down at Ion in her hand with shocked amber eyes, almost as if she recognized him.

At least she doesn't look hungry-

"MASTER!!!"

Nyselyn's fretful cry seemed to break through the reverie and spurred Liari to action. We have to get Ion out of her hands and fast! Even as she was spinning about to bring her pistols to bear on the new threat Nyselyn's body exploded apart, becoming a cloud of silver that sparkled in the light streaming through the trees and soared up at the giant Eurhyssa.

Nyselyn's attack proved ineffective though, as the Eurhyssa caused a massive wind with her smoky-clear wings that blew the fragments of Nyselyn's transformed body apart and scattered them across the clearing. Liari was also blown about by the intense current caused by her wings, and when she regained her bearings Liari found herself facing the business end of the Eurhyssa's spear. The smaller of the two bright-silver spearheads was hanging just above her body and ready to strike as the Eurhyssa's amber eyes focused on her tiny form.

Damn. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Their journey would be rather short lived if Ion got eaten before it even began. Not to mention a real waste of potential, a more primal side of her brain urged causing her to blush.

<STOP. All of you, just stop! There is no need for this!>

While Ion's voice in her mind was a welcome thought, she couldn't really fathom his words. No need for it? Nyselyn's body had reformed next to Liari's in the meantime, her red and green eyes staring up in worry. Apparently his words had not only been aimed at the two of them though, as the Eurhyssa seemed even more shocked than before, with her attention returning to the man held captive in her hand.

"Was that you just now? Speaking, in my mind?" The Eurhyssa's voice was surprisingly calm, a mature and rich voice that reached out whilst still being relatively quiet.

<Yes.> Came the next thought, followed quickly by <Nyselyn, Liari, calm down. She's a Eurhyssa. They don't eat meat, so you don't need to worry about me. I don't suppose you'd be willing to put me down though?>

Of course. That was the other thing about them. Liari felt like smacking herself for her own silliness - she had known that fact already.

"My apologies. It was not my intention to cause alarm. I acted recklessly and on impulse," spoke the Eurhyssa, though she made no movement to set Ion down. She did at least move her lance away so that it wasn't pointed dangerously close to Liari's head.

"If that's truly the case why don't you set him down," asked Liari, feeling emboldened without the lance pointed at her. "Holding him like that makes him your hostage."

"Not quite yet. I have something to ask," she stated, opening up her palm to provide a platform for Ion to stand on. She continued holding him up in the air however, and now that her hands were no longer inhibiting her motions the antenna atop her head actively seeked Ion out, tapping against his body.

<What do you need to ask of me? I cannot recall having ever met you before.>

"Your weapon. Where did you get it and how long have you had it?"

<My weapon? You mean this hammer? I have had it since my discovery of the starship graveyard at C135-B. The same place I acquired Nyselyn's pearl.>

"I have not heard of such a thing. What is a starship graveyard? What does C135-B mean? Could you tell me where to find them?"

<It is not a place accessible to you. C135-B is an astronomical classification dictating a location in the dimension I originated from. A starship graveyard is a reference to forgotten wrecks of spacecraft - you could think of it like a set of ruins in Felarya - in my case it was a fleet of derelict alien craft surrounding a fractured world.>

"Ruins from another dimension, you say? How interesting." The Eurhyssa fell silent, her face contemplative with her eyes appearing distant, as if she were staring off at something that the rest could not see. Her eyes regained focus after several moments of silence, looking back at Ion. "Was it just laying about, or did you acquire it via other means?"

<It was something that just appeared. Whilst exploring one of the larger vessels in the graveyard I entered a large circular room with a high dome structure, and in the middle of the room was a glowing crystal. The more I approached it, the brighter it glowed. When I reached out to touch it, I lost consciousness for several hours. When I came to, the crystal had vanished and instead this hammer and the object I refer to as Nyselyn's pearl were laying beside me. I have carried them with me since that time - for some reason, it felt correct to do so. Most of the foundation for the technology used by the Authority comes from items I discovered in the ruins, but those two items I felt somehow belonged to me alone.>

"That is... most interesting. You felt it belonged to you? As if it had always been yours? I wonder..." While she was talking she moved to set Ion on the ground next to Liari and Nyselyn, seemingly talking to herself and not to any of them.

The instant Ion was on the ground again, Nyselyn moved up beside him and looked up at him, placing one of her hands against his cheek. She wondered whether or not they were speaking to one another mentally, in such a way that she was unable to 'hear' them. I just don't understand those two. I can't figure their relationship out. Liari sighed as she turned about to look up at the Eurhyssa, who was merely watching at this point.

Placing her hands on her hips, Liari decided it was time to make some sense out of what just happened. It looked like Ion and Nyselyn were off in their own little world and the Eurhyssa wasn't talking anymore so it was up to her. Speaking of, she still had no idea what her name was.

"Excuse me, but just what was all that about? What's so special about Ion's hammer? Also, do you have a name, or shall we simply refer to you with third person pronouns?"

The Eurhyssa's head immediately snapped over to look at Liari, her amber eyes burning straight through her. Ok, maybe the direct approach wasn't the best of ideas. The tauric insect-woman stared her down for what felt like an eternity before she smiled, knelt down and laid herself out onto the ground. Her entire body was covered in armor, yet it seemed that both her body and the armor had some flexibility as she curled herself around them in a wide arc.

"Normally, I wouldn't permit such behavior in my presence, yet to speak against it would make me a hypocrite after my own actions earlier. So I shall yield this one to you, little one. I am known as Aidee. What might your names be? I assume one of you is called Nyselyn and another Liari, since he mentioned them earlier, but I do not know which name belongs to which person."

As she spoke she reached to her side to pull off a piece of cloth that had been wrapped around one of her middle insect-like limbs and started wrapping it back around the bladed ends of her lance. Part of Liari couldn't help but to be interested in Aidee's weapons and armor - it was unlike anything she had ever seen or heard of. And Liari had seen and heard of a lot.

"My name is Liari," she said, indicating herself with her hand before pointing over at the other two. Nyselyn was no longer touching Ion's face, instead having moved to stand beside him which made Liari feel a little less awkward about introducing them. "Those two are Nyselyn and Ion - Nyselyn is the woman, and Ion is the guy you-"

"ION?! Your name is Ion? That cannot be coincidence. Do you by chance... remember me? Can you not remember the Insiannestam Guard?"

It sounds like... she knows him? But what is she talking about? I've never heard of this Guard... The instant Liari had mentioned Ion's name though, Aidee had immediately lowered her head right down in front of his body, her voice a whisper of shock and her eyes wide... with hope? Ion looked as lost as Liari felt though.... damn this is all really confusing. None of it was making any sense. At least Nyselyn was maintaining her typical stoic appearance. How nice it must be to have an on/off switch for emotions.

<I'm sorry... but while I know of your kind, I can't say I've ever met you specifically. I only learned of Eurhyssa after Nyselyn dragged me into Negav. I certainly don't recall this Insiannestam Guard you speak of, either. I'm sorry.>

Aidee pulled her head back then, sitting back up and looking down at her reflection in the halfway wrapped blade of her lance. Liari thought she looked as if she were on the verge of breaking down into tears. "How... you have his name... and his weapon... how can you not know... even though you don't look like him, how could you not be him?"

Liari couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Eurhyssa. Aidee looks so crestfallen... So, his hammer and his name are things she recognizes? Or at least, she thinks she does. I wonder how that could be though, as Ion and Nyselyn are not from Felarya...

After staring blankly at her lance for several minutes, Aidee shook herself visibly down the length of her entire body, even buzzing her wings slightly. This time though the wind generated was more like a summer breeze, and Liari professed it felt good against her flushed skin. She had almost forgotten that before Aidee's interruption they had been having a no-holds-barred battle.

Aidee went back to wrapping up her lance, remaining quiet as she did so. Liari couldn't think of anything to say though, and it seemed as if Ion and Nyselyn weren't able to come up with anything either.

So they waited.

When Aidee had finished wrapping up the spearheads of her lance, she gingerly lifted her wings and placed the lance along her long abdomen, lashing it tight to her armor with straps that seemed to have been installed for just that purpose. When she was finished, Aidee turned back to the three of them, her face a mirror of Nyselyn's expressionless self.

"I am... I must apologize for my behavior. It has been most obtuse of me, and is not fitting with how I should behave amongst others. Please accept my most humble apologies." She paused for a moment, but Liari could tell that she wasn't finished speaking yet so she continued to wait.

"I know it might seem even more obtuse of me to ask this, but if I may I would like to request your assistance with a quest of my taking. You said you were from Negav, correct? If you can help me with my duties in completing this quest, I shall repay you in kind with my service as a knight."

"What sort of assistance do you require?" asked Nyselyn, followed quickly by Liari with "And how long would this service of your repayment be?"


Liari did not know what the giant would need in Negav, but to have an escort like her to aide them when they set out to find Nyselyn's pearl would make things much easier. There was something to be said for size, particularly when it was backed with combat experience. Even if she seems a bit addled in the mind... one doesn't simply get armor like hers by chance. That stuff looks custom fitted, and they wouldn't give it to someone who couldn't fight.

"My size prohibits me from entering the city, yet that is where the trail of my information leads. I have for some time been encountering creatures that are being controlled by the use of strange gems. In every encounter, the controlled creatures were used to attack others - so it is safe to say that whomever is behind their use does not have benevolent intentions in mind. I need someone who can enter the city as my liaison, and learn what they can of these gems."


Aidee paused after her reply, turning her head slightly to focus on Liari. "As for how long my service would last, I do not have any quests besides this one. If Negav does not have the answers I seek, I would simply search about for new leads to follow. If you are adventurers, which you appear to be, then you will no doubt be leaving Negav on your own anyway. There is no difference between searching myself and following you. I would then remain in your service until I have learned of another lead to follow, and I would only leave your service at a safe location."

Oh yeah. This isn't looking bad at all! Liari couldn't believe this turn for the better. I mean, how hard could it be to find a gem that a giant was looking for?

"What do you know of these gems, Aidee? You say they are used to control beasts, but what led you to believe they are to be found in the city of Negav?" Uhoh, Nyselyn's in interrogator mode. Liari sighed to herself in remembrance of some of her question and answer sessions from their first meetings. That girl doesn't know when to stop sometimes.

"I know what I've seen of them, as well as the latest information I received from a scholar traveling to the Academy of Sentinels. Given the chance to analyze them, she informed me they were filled with powerful magic and laced with ascarlin, something that she believed only the humans known as the Ps'isol Magicrats would have access to create. I seek to learn if indeed the gems are being manufactured here, or perhaps distributed through here. Those that I have seen would seem quite large, the size of two or three people your sizes standing together."

"The Ps'isol, you say?" Now Liari was interested. Even if that particular bit wasn't true, something that was as large as Aidee described being laced with ascarlin could provide the potential to uncover some individuals with very, very, nice things. Things that she could acquire when the original owners no longer had need of worldly possessions. If those owners were sanctioning actions to catch the attention of a Eurhyssa warrior, then she highly doubted anyone would miss them when they were gone.

When Liari ceased her own line of thought and started paying attention again, she was surprised to note that Nyselyn hadn't asked any more questions. The woman was rather quiet, her eyes flicking between Ion and Aidee. Now I know they're talking again... and leaving me out of the conversation. It was a bit annoying to her, but she had to admit such a communication technique had a spectacular advantage - only those you wanted to listen in could.

<Liari.> Ion's thought brought her out of her sulk before it had a chance to really begin, as he continued with <I think we should help her. We were going to return to Negav anyway before we set out. Delaying a few extra days will be of no major consequence to us, and having her as a bodyguard could be very advantageous. What say you on the matter?>

"You actually have to ask her? The answer is clearly written on her smitten face."


ARGH. She can be such a bitch! Ignoring her baiting was difficult, but with a purposeful cough to clear her throat Liari turned to look at Ion. "I don't have a problem with it. It's not like I was intending on setting out right away if you'd accepted my conditions. At the very least I'd have needed to check my supplies to ensure I'm good for the trip and make sure my apartment was secure anyway."

"Mm. Such restraint. Mayhaps I was mistaken, my master." How was it possible for someone to completely lack emotion and yet come off as incredibly smug at the same time? Argh. To hell with the predators, she's going to be my end.

"Does that mean you are willing to help me then?" Aidee asked, speaking for the first time in several minutes - since she had answered Nyselyn's question, in fact.

<Yes, we will. Or more specifically, they will.>

"They?" "Us?" Nyselyn and Liari both asked simultaneously, their eyes locking onto one another.

<Indeed. I intend to stay here and have a chat with Aidee. You two can go have a girl's night out.>

Oh... wow. If looks could kill.... then Nyselyn just committed genocide, Liari thought, as she shuddered under the gaze the woman swept from her to Ion. Her head turned slow and purposeful - like a gun turret - honing in on its target.

<There's no need to be like that, m'dear.> Liari wondered if that was a reply to Nyselyn's behavior or something she had said to him through the thoughtspeak she couldn't hear. <Consider this a continuation of your evaluation, since the other one was cut short by Aidee here.>

A twitch resounded through Nyselyn's entire body as she turned to look back at Liari. "Very. Well. Master." Nyselyn's short and clipped tones did not bode well for her, and Liari was already starting to like this investigation of Negav for the Eurhyssa much less than she had before. I wonder if they're talking to each other right now too.... If they are I'm kind of glad I can't hear it. Maybe she could learn more about the woman's power - she certainly had a unique one.

"Come Liari," spoke Nyselyn, motioning for her to follow. At least she doesn't seem mad at me in particular... she thought, moving to follow Nyselyn as she walked away. Well, at least this will be a good test of whether or not we can put up with each other in the future... I wonder if that was Ion's intention? The question tugged at her mind as they left Ion and Aidee behind.

~~~~~

"Why did you stay behind?"

Ion turned around to look up at the creature who had asked the question, the only one besides him now in the clearing. Nyselyn and Liari had been gone now for several minutes, well out of earshot.

<I have no recollection of my parents or how I came into being - merely that of being found abandoned on a beach and nearly drowned. Yet you recognize this hammer and my name. I want to know why you think I should know who you are. Perhaps I do and just am not aware of it.>

"I knew someone once named Ion... well, that was his nickname. He wielded a weapon identical to yours - albeit much larger. We served in the same command structure, you could say. Like you, he spoke without speaking - talking through thoughts. Unlike you, he was not human."

<Hmm. Then again, perhaps not. I'm relatively certain I have always been a human. Of sorts. Also, my inability to speak came from an event later in my life - I was able to talk normally like any other human once. Would you still be willing to tell me about the Ion you knew?>

Aidee's amber eyes stared at him for several long moments before she extended one of her palms to him with a sigh. "I suppose I do not have a good reason to withhold the information from you. However, I was in the process of making dinner when I ran across your battle and dropped what I had prepared, and now I find my hunger returning. So I'll tell you whilst recollecting the ingredients."

With Ion centered in her hand, she raised him up and placed him in a dip of the armor between the neck and shoulder joints, pushing herself up from the ground with her insect-like limbs. Using her hands to push her long antennae gently back against and over her head, she turned and started walking into the forest and away from Negav. Ion looked up from his perch when he felt the warmth of her breath wash over him, watching as her amber eyes searched for the correct ingredients for her meal.

"I met him in a city called Etermaren..." Aidee began, and for the rest of the day she continued stopping her story only to eat, Ion listening intently the entire time.

"Papa, what was that all about," questioned a gentle and youthful feminine voice.

The owner of the voice revealed herself to be a small-framed, fine-featured, blue-furred neko as she slipped past the thick fur acting as a door. She was wearing a loose, short-sleeved orange shirt captured by a form-fitting blue and white vest that framed her small but proportionate bosum. The vest overlapped the waist of a pair of loose and flowing culottes that terminated just above her knees, orange in color with white racing stripes down the seams of the sides. Her feet and hands were wrapped tightly but not uncomfortably in white cloth, with only her fingers and toes visible.

Like most of the Zagaru nekos, her body was covered with a thin coat of fur, a soft fuzz that in her case was a deep sky blue in color, such as one might find on a clear day at twilight. Her arms, legs, tail, and hair graduated in hue to be a bluish-white, as though her fur were clothing that had been washed many a time in harsh water and had faded away. Her irises were a bright green that glowed in the dark, reflecting the low light even hidden as they were behind large dilated black discs in the low light of the tree house as they swept about, seeking her father's figure amidst the darkness.

"What would you speak of, Asurette?"

"Do not play coy with me papa. You know of what, no, whom I speak." Asurette tapped her wooden staff against the hard floor, causing the entire room to be bathed in a bright light and revealing the gray-furred neko sprawled out on a nook in the tree serving as a seating surface. He let out a startled yelp of pain when she lit the room, covering his eyes - one of which was swollen and black.

"I made a suggestion to our mistress. That is all. She's currently going out to act upon it."

"Haaaa," she sighed. Asurette leaned forward on her staff, a look of exasperation on her face. "Truly papa, you would do well to watch what you say in her presence. If you're going to insult her the least you could do is stand outside the immediate reach of her arm."

The staff she leaned upon was nearly a head taller than her, a nice stout piece of treated battal oak that seemingly grew about a crystal sphere near its crown. The sphere glowed and suffused with a variety of colors and tones, seemingly mirroring Asurette's own emotions. A heirloom passed down by generations within the Zagaru tribe to those who demonstrated great magical ability over multiple spectrum, the origins of the staff had been long since forgotten.

"Asurette, are you just going to lean on that thing or put it to use? Your father has a rather nasty headache and that bright light isn't helping at all."

"Perhaps I shall leave you with your prize instead, papa. You surely earned it. So what did you ask of our mistress this time?"

"I merely asked of her to be our ambassador. There is trouble coming to us, and soon, Asurette. We will need to have resources beyond our means if we wish to weather the coming storm."

"You believe it will be soon then?" Her eyes had widened at his statement, but they narrowed quickly again as she leaned slightly more forwards. "Oh no you don't papa. You're not getting out of this so easy. What did you send the mistress to do?"

"I sent her to go talk to the dridder."

Asurette nearly fell over at the simple statement - fortunately, she had already been leaning on her staff. "Ahk. Ahhh. Haaaaah. Papa, I think I misheard you. I think I just heard you say that you sent our mistress alone to go talk to the dridder. I cannot believe you would do that."

"Yes, Asurette. That is precisely what I did. Because out of all of us, she is the only one who could stand a chance at getting close enough to the dridder to talk to her without succumbing to her pheromones. Sending too many others would attract attention." He stopped speaking momentarily to let his words sink in. "That is why I have a black eye, and our mistress is leaving as we speak to go find the dridder. For while she might not have liked the suggestion, she does agree with it."

"I'm sorry papa. It is just..."

"I know, Asurette, I know. We have to be ready though. The elves are getting more and more active, and closer and closer with each day. There is even the possibility we've already been found. There is just too much at risk, so this is a chance we will have to take."

"Yes, papa. I understand," she said, having recovered enough from her shock at his admission to stand on her feet without the need of her staff to hold her up. "But I can't say that I like it." Picking up the staff she held it horizontally so that the crystal was above her father's face, emitting pulses of red warmth. Within a few moments her father's black eye had completely vanished, and Asurette withdrew her staff to be by her side.

"Thank you, my dear. At least I can say with certainty that our mistress' left hook still has as much strength as I remember."

"You would know about that, wouldn't you papa? Oh, and if anyone asks, I wasn't the one that healed that. You can keep her wrath all to yourself."

"Why thank you Asurette. You're sooo generous."

"Anything for you, papa."

~~~~~

The human known as S'ryne was lost.

"I canna belief I ley tha' crazy Silv'r telk me inna t'is," she muttered under her breath, looking around at the forest about her.

She didn't really have any clue where the dridder's nest was, and considering the size of both the forest and the dridder the particular object of her search could be just about anywhere. Her plan currently revolved around finding one of the dridder's traps, because they were always well maintained. Which meant they were -probably- tended to on a regular basis.

It was the best thing she could come up with... Of course, the whole plan revolved on her finding the dridder before the dridder found her, otherwise the one advantage she had to play would be useless. Not to mention that her advantage was already known to the dridder, as she had been forced to use her wind magic to disperse the pheromones that the tribe had nearly succumbed to the only time they had tried to hunt her.

Then of course there was the Felaryan jungle itself. S'ryne knew most of the tricks it could bring to bear against her, but if one were to get distracted whilst attempting to avoid one another could simply come along and grab you when you were unprepared. The elves would also be out here somewhere... and there was no chance they'd let her go. They always gave chase - it was one of those nice guarantees that had allowed them to kill a couple and lead several others into the dridder's traps.

And none of that compared to the fact that she had no bloody clue where she was. S'ryne reckoned that she had been walking for at least half a day now, mostly in the same direction away from the village. She didn't have the senses of her companions though, and so it was difficult for her to figure out where she was. "I shuda taken one o' teh o'hers wi'h me, at leas' one," she muttered. Even if she did succeed, she had no idea how she would find her way back.

Then again, being alone was a nice change. In the village, she always had others around her. Ever since the day she had been chosen to be the mistress of the Zagaru tribe. It had been years now... S'ryne had never tried to keep count, so she wasn't sure just how long it really had been. At least thirty years though.... that's about how old Asurette should have been. S'ryne could still remember when the day that Silver's daughter had been born - it was hard to believe that she was all grown up now.

Things had been so confusing to her then as yet another one of Felarya's displaced human residents. She had been but a teenager when she had been whisked away from her world and deposited alone in this one. Things that had seemed so cruel to her back then were now nothing more than a part of her daily life now. The confusion was gone, replaced instead with the troubles of surviving in this deadly and beautiful place.

Back then, she had wanted to never be alone for even a few moments - the Felaryan landscape had made her quite fearful of even her own shadow. The tribe had taken her in and given her a home, and then later made her their leader when her magical ability had manifested. She had to admit though, it was nice to be able to partake of solace occasionally.

Especially as of late, with how things were quickly turning about for them.

The elves were the greatest threat they faced, for unlike the other predators of the forest they typically united together in small bands of up to fifty. S'ryne was not foolish enough to blame herself for the elves hunting them - it was what they did. As of late though, they weren't hunting them for food, they were hunting them for revenge. Should the village ever be found, the elves would happily wipe them out. And that was S'ryne's fault.

After all, S'ryne had been the one to suggest and lead the Zagaru tribe into hunting those that hunted them.

Given how much power Asurette had been showing as of late, maybe S'ryne could turn over the duties to Silver's daughter in the near future. Then she could go back to being just another one of the tribe. She imagined she'd rather like that, going back to the simplicity she knew before. S'ryne had never really fancied herself as a leader, and though she had fallen into it with time she was fairly certain she could walk away from it whenever she wished.

Thump.

S'ryne was forcefully brought out of her daydreaming by toppling over and faceplanting into something soft and clingy. Mentally cursing her carelessness by allowing her mind to wander, she rolled over to see just what she had tripped herself up on to find a line of dridder silk just behind her feet.

"Now ain't t'at jist a thin'." The line of silk was just barely above the ground, and though it would be super thin for most of Felaryan's larger denizens it was nearly as thick as one of her forearms. "One o' teh pwerty one's sens'n' lines... buh whear is teh tra'?" S'ryne recognized it for what it was, but the trap she did not yet see... Looking about the clearing, she could see more sensing lines strewn about, seemingly haphazard - but S'ryne knew better than that. Nothing that dridder did was haphazard.

"Wai' une minue, teh gro'nd ish sof' n' clingee?"

S'ryne turned down to look at what she had fallen upon, testing the ground by bouncing on her knees. The ground gave beneath her, much as one would expect bedding material to do - not the ground. Not even the softest of soil.

"Oh."

S'ryne ran her hands across the 'ground' before her, her eyes and hands revealing to her the truth of what was beneath her. It wasn't the soil - no, it was silk. She was on the trap. But it wasn't a web. A hole in the ground, covered by lines of silk that had leaves and brush and trappings thrown across in a light layer. Just enough to be hidden from sight unless you were right on top of it; but not enough to obstruct whatever was beneath it.

"Wha' in ta' 'ell kinna tra' is t'is suppos' t' be, anywai? Wha' lil' sssheme 'as t'at dastar'ly min' cum u' wit'?" S'ryne asked aloud to herself as she continued moving the clutter serving as camouflage out of the way. Once done, she could see that some sort of shell was held caged by the lines stretched over the hole, and those lines were captured by a few of the nearer sensing lines.

Something as small as her wasn't meant to trip them, but a larger/heavier quarry would most assuredly have triggered the trap had they run across the sensing line as she had. Examining the area again, she smiled and nodded to herself. She didn't need to look any further - if she could trip one of these traps then she could make the dridder come to her. Which was a far more advantageous proposition than continuing to bumble about in the forest.

While her weight was nowhere near enough to trigger this trap, S'ryne had another way to do so. After all, she merely needed to trip a sensing line, not actually understand how the trap worked. And while she didn't weigh enough to trip it, she could cut it. Normally, dridder silk was quite resistant to such attempts, but sensing lines were made to fail.

S'ryne had even seen traps where the dridder had even dabbled in timed sensors, using unraveling silk as timers. This particular trap was not of that type, but it was assuredly quite the devious little thing for her to be unable to figure it out. When some of the tribe had suggested using the silk themselves, stealing it from her traps, S'ryne had been skeptical that it could work.

However, after they had started doing it she enjoyed coming across her traps and disassembling them. It was like a clever game where the outcome was always uncertain - if she failed to gauge correctly, the trap would go off right in their faces. The pretty dridder was certainly a thinker, and an opponent worthy of respect - unlike the other predators that her tribe hunted. The ones that smashed and grabbed with little planning... Though, she thought with a smile, those predators often wind up being -her- dinner too.

Carefully choosing her path, S'ryne walked backwards away from the trap hole, keeping both it and the nearest sensing lines within her sight. Once she felt comfortable, she began to concentrate on the air about her, shifting its temperature like a painter would shift colors on canvas. Within moments a whirlwind of energy had built about her sending leaves and loose material flying like bomb shrapnel as she focused the winds about her into an invisible wedge and slammed it through the nearest sensing line.

The next thing S'ryne knew, she was laying on the ground, her lungs robbed of air, and her body trapped beneath a silken prison.

In her stunned stupor immediately following, she could recall the twang of the silk snapping, followed by the whirr of silk unraveling atop the hole she had discovered earlier. There was a loud thunk sound as a white egg-like capsule shot out of the ground, her eyes wide with awe at the complexity of this particular trap. As her mind was beginning to form a question with regard to the purpose of the capsule, it burst apart into a massive web that spread across the entire clearing and fell down...

"Rite atop o' me!" she said aloud, concluding her thought. Twisting, S'ryne tried to free herself to find that the more she attempted to move, the less she was able to do so. "Cunfoun' 't all!" The web was meant to catch large prey, but that didn't mean it was safe for her - the dridder never used sticky silk to catch prey, instead somehow combing her silk to make it slightly frayed and cling naturally to those trapped within it. One of the silken lines had fallen right atop of her, trapping her just as well as if she had been much larger.

"Well... t'at certinly dinna go kuwite li' I t'was 'spectin' i' 'oo. Nao jist wha' am I suppos' t' do?"

************

"So, ah, Nyselyn... how would you like to go about this search?"

Liari and Nyselyn had been walking for a while now, the city walls within sight. The entire time, Nyselyn had walked just ahead of Liari, refusing to speak or to even acknowledge her presence. After a few minutes of initially trying, Liari had given up and let the ice maiden have her space.

Now though, they were approaching the city and unless Liari wanted to do this by herself, she needed to get Nyselyn talking. How long was the girl going to sulk, anyway?

Actually, why the hell do I want to involve her? I could do this by myself... I certainly don't need the aggravation.

"Tell me, Liari, where would one find very large jewels in Negav? Or the capability to make them? No doubt the city has its secrets, but surely there is someone eccentric enough to desire such things and wealthy enough to acquire them. I propose we start there, for the easiest place to hide things when one does not wish to be found is right in plain sight."

"Um, I... I guess the Dreamstone District would be a good place to start. Where they receive shipments of ascarlin for processing. They take rather large chunks of all types of rock and break it down for various use. Most of it is industrial, but along the outskirts of the district there are jeweler shops as well."

"Sounds like we have ourselves a starting point then. You know this city much better than I, please, lead the way."

Well... at least she's talking to me now. Nyselyn's tone was completely devoid of emotion, and she was acting extremely formal with her, but it wasn't the cold shoulder she had been receiving. It's a start.

"Sooo, what do you plan to do once you get there? Do you have a plan for that?"

"Do they have computers there?"

"How would I know that, Nyselyn? I'm sure that they might. They are rather useful for managing large operations... but I was never really in the mining or industry fields."

"Let us hope that they do. Otherwise this will be a long night. I would hate to postpone the character building my master is due for on the morrow."

"Nyselyn, you make stoic more like disturbing, you know that?"

~~~~~

It didn't take the two of them long to reach the district once they entered Negav. Having originally started as an industrial complex of the city, it had been located near the outer portions to be out of sight. The need for space within the city however had eventually resulted in the complex meshing with and becoming a part of the city proper.

Though, in the long run, I suppose it doesn't really matter - it isn't as if the rest of the city looks much different, Liari thought. The ascarlin that was processed here was a major source of revenue, but it was by no means the only raw material utilized. Due to the presence of the Negav gate, and the access provided by it, the city could export processed goods and material to a number of dimensions that were lacking. Ascarlin would always be a hot item, but simple things that they had aplenty - such as wood - were also in high demand on certain worlds.

And anything that someone else requires, or desires, is worth attempting to sell in this city. The high rising buildings that contained the factories hid the heavy smelters, mills, and assembly lines within and even beneath, space having become such a precious commodity within the city's walls. Can't hide the stench though. While certain areas of the city were rank with filth, the Dreamstone District was rank with the fumes of industry, but Liari didn't see much of a difference between the two.

It was one of the major reasons she never understood the typical human response upon being introduced to Felarya's predator population. Sure, dying would indeed suck, but the humans aren't prey argument was such a silly thing. Didn't they practice just such a lifestyle within the confines of their 'safe' city? Power and wealth meant everything in this place, those without it were just food for the greed of those with it.

Just because they aren't literally eating you doesn't really make it that much different, does it?

Clearing her thoughts, Liari turned her attention back to Nyselyn. She hadn't spoken since earlier when she had asked for her thoughts on where to start, but the woman did at least seem intent now. She wasn't just stalking along with a blank look upon her face - she was looking about, her face thoughtful as she scanned along the street at the various jeweler shops present at the outskirts.

At a glance, the shops weren't much to see, generally situated in the lower floors of the outer district buildings. The first few rows of buildings in the district grid weren't actually the processing facilities, but rather the administrative buildings where the companies and guilds responsible for the processing of the raw materials were housed. Since they were really just the lower floors, their exterior presence didn't have the flavor of the Grand Market District. Or any market district, for that matter.

Which is why Liari didn't understand Nyselyn's apparent fascination with the outside of the buildings. Just what was the woman looking for, anyway? If one wanted to find gem stones, one would need to actually go inside. Why am I still following her, anyway? Oh right, because Ion sort of implied that I should go with her.

Liari said nothing until the third time they passed by the same buildings, her exasperation finally getting the better of her patience. Just as she was about to say something Nyselyn stopped and spun about to face her. "I do not really think this is going to help us Liari. None of these facilities have jewelry items as large as Aidee described on display or within their catalogs."

"Alright, that's enough Nyselyn. Why don't we just go back to the beginning and search each one? We haven't even gone inside any of them, how could you possibly know what they're providing?"

"Sure I do. Searching each one singly is a highly inefficient process, and some of them would invariably close whilst we were doing so."

While Liari watched, Nyselyn held out her hands with palms up, a little smirk on her face as a cloud of silver materialized and danced above them, slowly but surely being assimilated into her body. Just like before when she had changed her arm into a variety of weapons, only on a much smaller scale.

"Why use only two pairs of eyes when I can send several dozen to search each building simultaneously? You think too one-dimensionally," continued Nyselyn, her expression smug.

Damn. I didn't even notice her doing that! No wonder she was trouncing me earlier. "If I think too simply for you, why do you keep asking me for my opinion?"

"You have the ability to understand emotions better than I. You can... 'put yourself in their shoes' ...which is something that I cannot do. You have much more knowledge of this city's... peculiarities... than I do." Nyselyn's smirk went away, replaced instead with an expression that seemed... depressed, Liari decided. "So yes, I asked, and am asking, for your opinion."

Hell, that almost sounded like an apology. Almost.

"Well, these gems are only laced with ascarlin, they're not actually made out of it. Perhaps what we're looking for is not a distributor of large gems but rather someone who can take small ones and combine them. There are some magi and alchemists capable of fusing items... and few within that community could successfully work with ascarlin to produce an artifact with the abilities Aidee described."

"I suppose those you describe would not be available in this particular district?"

"Nooo... but they would get their supplies from this district."

"I see. I suppose then that-" A rather noisy rumbling from Liari's stomach caused Nyselyn to pause, a smile returning to her face as Liari blushed sheepishly. "We should go get something to eat. I can gather information for you to cross-reference whilst we do."

"Um, how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"The same way I explored the shops earlier. This time I will just focus my interest on their shipping manifests." If she payed attention, Liari could see bits and pieces of both her clothing and body falling away in little silver flakes, vanishing as quickly as they appeared. I wonder... is her clothing even real, or just a manifestation of her power? So many unknowns with her...

"Perhaps we could discuss just how you're doing that while we eat?"

"I am afraid not. A girl has to have some secrets, right?" said Nyselyn, tapping Liari's hat. "Surely those are not the only ones you have? So, where should we eat?"

"Well, there's this place not too far away in the river markets district..."

************

"Silver! Silver!"

The cries of the sentry roused him from his sleeping spot in a hammock near the base of one of the greater trees in their village, the urgency contained within it helping him to shake off his sleepiness. Silver preferred to sleep outside, enjoying the evening breezes upon his fur and thus the sentries had known exactly where to find him.

"Yes, what is the problem? What has you drawn for breath?"

"Clin spotted several giant elves headed this way, from the south east. They're moving quietly through the forest but there are too many of them to hide effectively. He sent word by starkala hawk... so we have precious short time before they are upon us."

"I understand. What do we have ready?"

"Everything we can, Silver. Everything we can."

A series of screams announced the commencement of the battle to come, and fortunately they didn't sound like nekos. Yet. Silver knew that before this night was over, he would assuredly be hearing them.

"Sounds like the elves have discovered our pit traps," the sentry stated, a gleam in his eye as he turned away from Silver. "I have to go. I'm with the spear teams. You should be going Silver."

"Yes, but only for a little while. I will join you once I've taken care of something."

The sentry had already run off though, leaving Silver alone with his thoughts. Reaching down into a hidden cubby beneath his hammock, Silver pulled out a sealed potion bottle, swirling it to reveal a murky reddish-brown fluid within. Their mistress had forbid its use some time before, saying that it was for the weak. Tonight, however, their mistress was not here, and he wanted to give the surviving elves a night they would never forget.

Time to go, indeed. He could see the fires through the trees as the other sentries lit their pyres, providing enough light for the Zagaru warriors to see clearly in the night. Good luck.

~~~~~

Asurette had been sleeping soundly until just moments before when loud shouts close by burst through her pleasant dreams. Her groggy mind struggled with understanding the shouts, but the words slipped in and out of her still waking consciousness.

"Asurette! Up! Now!"

Her father's worried and clipped words broke through her sluggishness, reaching her still mind and bringing her to full alertness instantly.

"What is it papa?"

"They're here. You need to be going. Now."

"The elves? Already?" Asurette's green eyes were wide with shock. "How?"

"That doesn't matter. They're here. I won't let you be a part of this. Get dressed. You're leaving. Now."

"But papa-"

"No. You're leaving. Go to the meeting area, and join up with those that make it out. Take them to our mistress. I sincerely hope her luck is better than ours."

"What of our defense? Were we not going to fight them papa?"

"We are fighting them, my daughter. We are. But we will lose. We are losing. I'm surprised you've slept this long. Too long. You must leave, now. Ok? Promise me."

"Ok, papa." Asurette got out of bed, hugging her father and pecking his cheek. She could smell his familiar scent with him so close, so welcoming, probably the last time she would get to smell it. Something tickled the back of her mind, a faint scent on his breath that she should recognize, but she pushed the thought away. "I'll do as you ask. I'll go. You must promise me something though. Don't you dare make it easy for them."

"My daughter, that is a promise I will be most happy to keep. Now go," Silver pleaded of her, grabbing his spear as he broke free of his daughter's embrace and ran out of the house, leaving Asurette to herself.

She wasted no time watching her father leave, turning around to her bed and dressing herself quicker than she could ever remember doing. With a last quick glimpse at their humble home, she grabbed her staff and cast a quick spell to conceal both her body and her scent. Nothing more than a blurry shadow to the observer's eye, Asurette followed in her father's footsteps with no intention of ever returning to this house.

~~~~~

Ilon was pissed. This was not the way this night was supposed to happen. Even though all signs pointed to them wiping out the village before daybreak, he couldn't believe what had already come to pass. Nyil, Simnin, Eryr, and Nuli were dead. The first two had fallen victim to spike pits - large holes dug into the ground reamed with poisoned spikes. The holes were only large enough to capture their feet, but the poison had been more than enough.

Eryr and Nuli had fallen victim to the neko's defense. Ilon had assumed that they would mostly be asleep after nightfall - after all, what non-crazy sentient prey creature went around at night? They could see the crude treehouses of the neko village when a dazzling array of spears had assailed them from the tops of the trees. Those had also been poisoned.

However, things had turned up after that. Not that it was doing Ilon's mood any good. It didn't seem like the Zagaru had any more tricks up their sleeves, and using the trees as they were for vantage points was not a lasting advantage for the nekos. It left them high above the ground where escape was difficult if not impossible, and well within the elves' grabbing range. After they exhausted their number of throwing spears the little creatures were quite helpless.

The problem now was how many of them there were. Ilon had wanted to wipe their tribe out completely, but given how they had already been roused at the time of his attack that was going to be impossible. Several dozen were going to escape no matter what he or the others did. Which meant that one day, they could become a threat again. Since natural death was out of the question in Felarya, he would have to hope that in their haste to run away they would be careless.

Somehow, Ilon doubted that the neko tribe that had hunted giants would be careless. They were supposed to be tasty little morsels, not dangerous threats! The accumulation of it all only helped to further fan the flames of his anger at the entire situation. So by the time he had reached what he perceived to be the center of the village, he was a kettle about to boil over.

~~~~~

Silver had been waiting for just this particular moment. It was bound to happen eventually. And now it had. Right before him walking up to the center cluster of the village treehouses was a youthful male elf, who happened to look extremely pissed off.

Silver smiled to himself. He was going to enjoy this immensely, regardless of the inevitable outcome. His one spear wasn't going to stop the elf, poisoned though it may be. If he could land it in the right place though, it was going to give the elf one hell of a hangover in the morning.


Hopefully, the combined efforts of the tribe would slow the elves down enough to give S'ryne the opportunity to reach the dridder. There would be enough survivors after tonight to restore the tribe eventually - and if the dridder could kill off the rest of the elves, the survivors would have far less to worry about.

Silver held the spear perpendicular to the ground, lining his shot and taking his time. Coiling his body like a spring, every muscle taut and ready. The effects of the potion he consumed earlier were clouding his mind and reducing his effectiveness, but he had all the time in the world. The elf turned and finally took notice of Silver's presence on one of the treehouse platforms, right as the neko released the tension of his body and released the spear in a beautiful arc that terminated in the elf's upper lip.

The elf reached up and plucked the spear from his lip, nothing more than a toothpick to him. He flicked it aside with his forefinger and thumb, just like one would toss away such an item. His eyes were filled with anger, and he actually let out a deep guttural growl from his throat as one of his hands slammed into the tree, knocking Silver off the platform and into the elf's other hand.

"You are nothing but food. Learn your place."

"Food, am I? Well, I say the same to you. You are nothing but food, elf. Everything is food. You're not special because you stand tall."

"There are... were... only two things that could call us food. One of those things is gone now... and the other. Will be gone soon. Enjoy y-y-you..."

The elf stopped speaking, his tongue heavy in his mouth and an expression of shock dawning on his face. Silver's grin widened considerably as the effects of his spear finally took place.

"What's the matter elf? Are you finding it difficult to speak? That spear was special... tipped with poison from a Creeper... and delivered to one of the weakest points of your body," Silver managed to choke out. Like the elf, he too was finding it difficult to speak as well - though for different reasons. He could hear his bones crackling as the elf squeezed his body in his closed fist.

"Y-y-you think y-y-you're s-s-s-so clever, don't chu?" Apparently he was having to really concentrate to make his language comprehensible, and that necessity was pissing the elf off even more from Silver's perspective. The gray neko couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. "Y-y-you will n-n-never b-be an-n-nything b-but f-f-food!"

"Oh?" Silver managed to choke out, his breathing raspy as he continued with "Well... if all... we are... ...is food... then how come... right now you're not... ...eating me? Wouldn't you rather... crush me... ...with your teeth, instead of your... hand?"

~~~~~

Papa... what crazy stunt are you trying to pull?!?

Asurette, still cloaking herself with her magic, had been watching the entire affair from a safe distance, fearing that her father might try some stupid stunt. What is he going to accomplish by getting eaten? She couldn't make sense of it, and her eyes were already wet with the tears that were surely to follow. She knew that she couldn't save him.

Her father's last statement seemed to spurn the elf to action, raising her father up to his face and opening his mouth wide. With a quick and angry toss he threw her father into his open mouth and slammed his teeth down. Asurette shuddered as her tears began to flow, the crunching sounds of what had been her father echoing around as the elf chewed him in his anger.

It took all she had not to collapse on the ground and bawl, but her magic would not conceal her if she did. She had made a promise, and she would keep it. Her father had never promised her that he would live through the night, and she had not asked him for it. She knew deep down that he had no intention of surviving this attack, given how he had roused her earlier. But for what purpose? Did he gain some personal satisfaction in having antagonized their attackers?

Was this my fault? Did you do this because of the promise I asked of you papa? How is this possibly making things harder -

Before she could complete the thought she heard the elf swallow, a loud and angry gulp that seemed to echo all about her. Her father was gone for good now, and there was nothing more that could be gained by staying here. She turned to leave when the ground about her shook mightily, nearly flooring her with the power of the shocks. Her head whipped around just in time to see the elf that had killed her father on his knees, clutching his neck and choking.

Papa... what did you do? Is this something... The scent she had smelled earlier on his breath suddenly came back to her mind, her own breath taken in a gasp of shock. Papa! You didn't! But he had. The proof was right behind her. His death was not because of her promise... he had already been planning this.

The scent she had recognized was that of a concoction made primarily from the dust of sneeze pods. Before the times of her birth and their current mistress, Asurette had heard of tribesmen using the potion to give their brothers and sisters a chance at escape. It only worked when the user was chewed by a predator, allowing the potion that was filling their blood to violently mix with the materials in their bones which served as the chemical catalyst to produce the intended effects.

The intense paralysis and pain that followed lasted several minutes and allowed any others with the sacrifice to scatter, serving to give a sentient predator pause the next time they encountered a Zagaru neko. The tribe had built up a relative immunity to the powder in generations long before, allowing them to consume the potion while suffering limited effects in the form of sluggishness and loss of stamina.

Things that typically didn't matter for someone about to die anyway.

Their mistress had forbidden its use, saying that such tactics were for the weak who ran from predators rather than stand and face them. Some still made it in secret, she knew - and her father must have had some. While it was truly a horrible way to die, Asurette couldn't imagine that getting slowly dissolved in a stomach would particularly feel any better.

You're such a fool, papa. I hope your revenge for mother was truly worth it. There could be no other reason for him doing such a thing. It certainly hadn't been for her sake - he had already committed to this path before sending her away. He hadn't wanted her to see... With a deep breath and a conscious effort to stay her tears, Asurette slowly rose and stalked away, slipping into the forest and making for the rendezvous location.

"Cecaeda. Cecaeda. Cecaeda."

The voice was familiar, quiet, and insistent in her ear. All Cecaeda wanted to do was sleep. For one, her body hurt all over, inside and out. The memories explaining the reasons for such came back in a rush - Nyil, Eryr, and Ilon had tortured her for days, beating her bloody and senseless. Just like old times, she had thought, recalling memories of her childhood. The three of them had been the most violent offenders as she grew up. Not that the beating she had received had done them any good - she had years of conditioning against it now.

When violence alone had failed to provide them with the location to the dridder's nest, her three tormentors had moved on to rape. That had been a new low for the three of them. Just recalling the experience filled her with rage. How dare they! The last thing she wanted was to get pregnant with the seed from one of them. The actual act itself, while disgusting, was nothing more than an extension of the violence they had already inflicted upon her. No, it was the threat of bearing child from one of them that truly infuriated her.

Still, that too hadn't been enough to break her. They had continued to beat and rape her for a couple days on and off, to the point that she hadn't been able to recognize how long they had been at it. Cecaeda had withstood it all though - she wasn't about to betray Reya to them.

The final element, the one that had broken her and given them the knowledge they needed, had been the use of Devil's Thorn and toxic solanaceae. The excruciating pain of the seeds as they entered her bloodstream and 'took root' combined with the hallucinogenic effects of the solanaceae alkaloids had broken her resolve and allowed them to comb her shattered mind for the information they sought. She knew that she had told them, and she had been powerless to prevent it.

The knowledge that she had failed to protect her friend brought forth the tears she had held back for so long. I've failed her. She spared me, gave me my clothes, gave me a life... and I failed her. Cecaeda had no idea how long she had been asleep, but the physical pain and mental anguish that returned with her consciousness proved it had all been real and not part of some horrific dream.


"Cecaeda."

The voice again. She knew the voice. It belonged to... Aerya. The only one amongst the tribe who hadn't shunned her. What does she want? Can't I just sleep? It hurts so much. Despite herself she opened her eyes to see the magi hovering near her, Aerya's hand hovering above her head and glowing with a warm and gentle hue of pink. At first she hadn't noticed it, but now that she was more alert she could feel some of the pain ebbing away.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice raspy with dehydration. "But you shouldn't waste your magic on me."

"Oh, but I must, Cecaeda. You don't realize it, but you're very important."

"Important? I don't... understand."

"I know. I'm afraid it is probably too late for me to save you, the Devil's Thorn has taken root within you and is past the stage that I can safely remove it. They would not let me approach you while they were here, but the tribe has left to assault the Zagaru. It is just the two of us here now, and there are things that you need to know."

"What? What is there to know? My only friend is going to be killed, and it is all my fault. If I just hadn't mentioned Gea to her..."

"I doubt your friend is so helpless. From the talk I've heard from the others she's been doing quite well for herself. Besides, you're going to go help her, aren't you?"

"Help... her?" The thought was disturbingly alien. It shouldn't be so far from her mind. After all, she needed to do just that. Needed to make up for the trouble that would inevitably follow because of her own foolishness.

"Yes. The Cecaeda I know always got back up after she was beaten. Don't tell me that is about to change. That would just be sad," stated Aerya in a matter-of-fact tone as the luminosity of her hand increased several-fold and basked Cecaeda in light and warmth.

"Why? Why are you helping me Aerya? I don't understand. I really just don't understand it."

"I suppose part of it is curiosity. The question of why you survived when all the others have not. In truth though, it isn't about your dridder friend. I'm doing this because of who you are. A descendant of the Infra. Your hair, skin, and eyes are proof of your heritage. It is for your birthright than you are shunned, though none but myself and the elders are aware. You are what they wished to forget, and as such they promoted these... activities."

"A descendant of what? Aerya, you're still not making any sense. I'm grateful for you making the pains of my body go away but you're only making my head hurt more."

Aerya laughed without mirth as the glow of her magic finally subsided, her healing as complete as she could make it. Her gray eyes stared into Cecaeda's own, making her shiver from the expression the magi was presenting.

"When Sylael and Arihaltril left from our old lands to settle here, I was but a child - but I know why they left." Aerya turned to look away from her then, her eyes distant as she recalled events from years past. "Once upon a time, the Infra were the royalty of the elves. Rare, often beautiful and intelligent, and often bestowed with powerful abilities they were always the subject of great envy. That envy grew into hatred, and when the infighting broke out between the tribes they were the primary targets. A campaign of racial purification... none of the Infra were left alive. They were chased down and extinguished, every last one. Of course, once they were gone, those that remained began to fight over who should replace them. Sylael and Arihaltril were amongst those that had hunted the Infra - but they knew that the battle for power that followed would be deadly for all and fled before the fighting consumed them as well. They escaped to this place and created a new tribe with a few others, including your parents, and all within the tribe now are descendants of them."

Aerya turned to look back at Cecaeda then, a ghost of a smile forming on her lips. "So imagine their surprise and horror when one day, a baby would be born to their tribe who carried the genes of the Infra. An abomination... all but your parents wished to kill you on the spot, but we would not allow it. I had been friends with your mother since I was little, and thought of her as an aunt - I couldn't believe what the elders were suggesting should be done to you and what they were saying about your parents. Your mother really didn't die of complications from birth, but rather by foul play. We simply had no proof of it, but it is difficult to die from birthing complications nearly three years after giving birth. Sylael and Arihaltril convinced the others that it was due to your nature as an abomination, that nursing you caused her own health to fail. They must have all been truly mad to believe such a thing."

"Your father left the tribe with you to live alone and away from the rest, hoping that in doing so you would be forgotten. At the time, I was unaware of our elder's dark history, and so I could not understand the senseless fear and rage they had at your existence. I was no elder, but I was much more hotheaded in my youth and I have always been the most powerful of the magi within the Reagere - though if I were the most powerful than your parents were on an equal plane with me. When you were older and could be left alone your father and I crossed paths again and he taught me the truth of our past. I was infuriated. And even more determined to see you survive, if only to make them suffer in the memories of their own barbarianism. Your father returned one day to the village - though without you - to speak with Sylael and Arihaltril... I don't know what they spoke of, but what I do know is that there were heated words and I never saw your father again after he left that day."

"Though your father had tried to keep you separated, it was doomed to fail, especially without him around - eventually you found your way back to the village on your own. At first, they were delighted to have you back it seemed... if for no other reason than to torment you. Most of it was just harsh words, but I knew a few took it much further than that. I intervened when I could, but as I did so the other village members began to disassociate with me for helping you until the influence I had carefully built up for myself was gone. I maintained what influence I had simply due to my magical ability. Eventually though, they grew tired of your presence, so they tried everything they could to get you to leave on your own volition. I imagine they were worried someone would get suspicious if the entire family were to vanish or die under mysterious circumstances. When you finally left, they were ecstatic. They just pretended you didn't exist. That was until tribesmen started to disappear without cause. Without trace. For a long time nothing existed here that could threaten us, but that all changed with the arrival of the dridder and the aggression of the Zagaru."

"So... how do I fit into all..." asked Cecaeda as she swept an arm out about the area "...all of this?"

"Isn't it obvious? They used you as scapegoat. They spread rumors and lies about you being in league with the nekos and the dridder, that you were responsible for the deaths of the tribesmen by inciting them to attack us. Convincing them that they could kill us. They already hated you, so it was easy to pin the blame upon you. Especially when you weren't around. No matter what you had said earlier, they would have found a way to achieve this outcome. The fact that you actually are friends with the dridder was just icing on the cake."

"I see. This is so.... stupid. Ridiculous. How could I not have seen it? Ilon... I'll kill him. Even if its the last thing I do. Where are Sylael and Arihaltril? Did they leave with the others? I think I'll start with them..."

"Calm yourself, Cecaeda. Things will come in due time. For now, you need rest to recover your strength, as much as you can obtain. Time is a luxury we do not have much of. As for the elders, you need not concern yourself with them. I have seen to serving justice for their crimes... if it possible, I would ask you to abstain from killing with your own hands. Please, allow me to carry the burden, for not being strong or brash enough to prevent this."

Cecaeda nodded in agreement, though in truth her emotions and mind were in complete turmoil. It just seemed so farfetched... and she was so very tired, even after Aerya's healing magic. "But we cannot stay here, Aerya. I refuse to stay here any longer."

"I know, Cecaeda. That was why I thought perhaps we could go meet with your dridder friend," stated Aerya, offering her hand to help Cecaeda stand up.

"Her name is Reya. And yes, we should... go to her. Have to warn her... and help her," said Cecaeda, taking the offered hand and shakily getting up on her feet.

Aerya placed her left arm about Cecaeda, pulling her against her body for support due to how weak she had become. "We need to get you some food. You're going to be too weak in this state. I'll see if I can't catch some along the way." They started to walk, very slowly, away from the village that had caused her so many problems over her life. They walked for a while in silence, until they were a good distance from the village and Aerya asked "So, how did you meet this dridder - I mean Reya?"

"She caught me."

"She caught you? And just let you go?"

"Yes, basically. She was younger and smaller back then.... Reya already had enough food at the time, so killing me would have been wasteful to her. And Reya doesn't waste food. She was new to the area apparently, so she asked that I show her around. For letting me go. I showed her places that I knew of for safety, good hunting grounds, dangerous areas, useful herbs, everything really. I showed her the place where she now nests. Over time we developed a friendship... she was my first actual friend. I suppose I turned to her because my own kind wouldn't have me."

"She must have grown up rather fast then..." stated Aerya to herself, musing over Cecaeda's words.

"Reya said that her kind grow up fast. When we first met, she was the same height as me... nowadays, she's much much taller. She hasn't grown any more that I've noticed though since reaching her current size. I think she's as big now as she's going to get."

"Just how big is she, exactly?" asked Aerya, a hint of fear ebbing into her words that caused Cecaeda to smile.

"The portion of her that looks human is about half again my own height. Her actual height changes depending on how she's supporting herself on her legs. I've never really thought about how large the rest of her body is, but I'm fairly certain that I could ride around sitting on her abdomen without any trouble."

"Oh my... and I thought Gea had simply been exaggerating her size because that's all she ever does. Exaggerate."

"Given how large Reya is, I don't even think Gea would have needed to exaggerate. She's big. I think she's probably the one that got Lect and Crete. I doubt the nekos could have taken down the two of them, and they're always inseparable. Reya's traps are immaculate works of art, and she isn't a weakling to boot. I know, I've wrestled with her a couple times. Even before she was so much bigger than me I always lost. I'd hate to try now."

"Well, it seems that you know her rather well. I do find it to be a bit of an odd pairing though."

"Just wait until you see her. She doesn't look like any dridder you have ever heard of."

"Cecaeda, I have heard of many things... though I must admit, an Infra and a dridder is something new."

Cecaeda smiled to herself, as the simple conversing back and forth with Aerya was rather nice. The problem was that in the end, it didn't matter. She was still going to die, thanks to Ilon and the others. Aerya had made the pain subside, but she could feel the itching still... an itch from within her body that she couldn't scratch. Cecaeda put the thought aside for the time being. Saving Reya was the most important thing right now, and soon they would be approaching her hunting grounds. Cecaeda would need to be alert for her friend's traps lest they be caught themselves.

************

"How is it?"

"It is not bad. The texture leaves something to be desired."

"You truly are never satisfied, are you Nyselyn?"

"Satisfaction breeds contempt and complacency. One should not be satisfied with something merely because it is what you are currently offered. Perfection is impossible, and inconsistent with the laws of entropy, yet one must seek it out lest one accept mediocrity instead."

"Wow. Just... wow," Liari said, recovering from having choked on her food at Nyselyn's comment. "That is... certainly an interesting mindset to have."

"It sounds as if you do not approve," said Nyselyn, turning to look up at Liari from her food with a smile. "And that, as they say, would be the point."

Liari's jade eyes glittered with understanding as she continued with her meal, her fork toying with the noodles of her pasta. "That was mighty clever of you," she purred, swirling her fork until it had captured a healthy amount of noodles and slurping them up. The pasta was rather good, she thought, but it could use more spice. Not that it would prevent her from enjoying the meal. If anything, the lack of spice made her enjoy it more, and because of that, she smiled.

"So, what have you been learning with those little seeecrets of yours?" Liari continued, pretending to be captivated by the fluid within her glass as she swirled it, her expression betraying nothing more.

"I have all the data that we should require. Would you prefer I crossreference with you or would the reverse be more efficient?"

"How much data have you gathered? I do have a rather long list..."

"I have the complete shipping manifests and transaction records of roughly four dozen companies and independent merchants for a length of time that varies between two months to ten years. It would... appear... some of these traders have extremely poor recordkeeping practices."

"Hmph," snorted Liari. "You're telling me. I've been dealing with them and their less than laudable practices for decades. We'll have to make do with whatever they have. This is becoming much more of a headache than I bothered to imagine it to be though."

"Such is the nature of those who wish to remain hidden from view. It will not be a problem."

"Oh no?"

"I am both thorough and patient. If my master wishes for this to be done, then I shall achieve it."

"Does he now? Why is it that you two would so quickly aid the Eurhyssa anyway?"

"I do not know why he wishes it, and that is in itself interesting to me. The two of them acted in a most peculiar manner, did they not? She as though she knew him; he as though she knew something of him. My master has his secrets, just as you and I do."

"Well, you two are very interesting, I must say. Unfortunately, all this lovely talk of secrets will have to wait until after our work is complete. When we finish eating I suggest we head back to my place to compare notes. From what you describe, we're going to need both room and privacy."

"My my, I fear my ears may have deceived me. I believe you just invited me to the place earlier you said you would never let me know of."

"I sort of have this depressing deep-down gut-feeling that you already know. One of the few things that never lets me down."

"Does it now. That is good to know; shame it took so long for it to surface though."

Liari struggled really hard to contain and managed to just withhold the word that very nearly slipped off the tip of her tongue.

~~~~~

"Nyselyn, I must say, you're quite the housewrecker."

Liari had her hands on her hips, surveying her living quarters with distaste. The white haired devil in the golden dress sitting in her living chamber was surrounded by stacks of papers. Papers that she was currently still in the process of generating, creating mountain upon mountain of data. Nyselyn had five separate stacks of paper before her, with a pen to each.

It was rather amazing to watch actually. Spooky and erie, but amazing in its own right. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated, controlling each of the pens and replacing and filing the papers as they were filled. All of it looked as though it were floating and flying about her, some form of magic that even Liari had never seen or heard of. Try as she might, she couldn't sense it, but she knew something was there driving it all.

"You would require a house in order for me to wreck it. This place is roughly the size of my master's quarters aboard the Caladbolg, the old flagship of the Authority."

"Hey, I'll have you know that this is a prince's quarters here in Negav."

"Of that at least, I have no doubt. The little room we have been staying in is little more than a closet."

"So, what did Ion do aboard this ship of his? I mean, what were his duties?"

"It was his ship. As well as the rest of the fleet. It was all his once. The Authority's Star Forces were not the first fleet he commanded either. He has seen more war in the centuries of his life than most other men, and the pain of those he has forever left behind will haunt him for the rest of his days. That is just the kind of man that he is. That is the answer to the question you really wished to ask, yes?"

"I suppose. It explains some of his character at least. Still, it doesn't explain his current behavior with that Eurhyssa. What dealings would he have had in Felarya? I thought you said that you two were not from here originally? I'm inclined to believe you as well, for I've never heard of this Authority and I've certainly never seen a fleet. They are things that seem to only exist in other realms."

"I am afraid that is a question I do not have an answer for. I do not know all of my master's secrets. I for one never would have believed him to throw away my pearl as he did. His behavior before our arrival in Felarya has made me question the very concepts of what I believed to once be true."

"It sounds as if he did something you didn't approve of."

"He tried to kill himself. To go out in a blaze of glory and leave me behind, to leave me without him. That action was not one I would have ever expected of the man I once saved from the brink of death."

"He tried to commit suicide? That doesn't really seem to fit him," said Liari musingly, sitting across from Nyselyn and waiting for her to continue.

"Yes, well, it just proves that you will never really know someone, no matter how long you have observed them. Still, I believe that event was merely a moment of weakness... not his true feelings on the matter. If he were truly so weak in character, I would not have acted that day at Brwydr Camlan, and none of this would have ever come to pass."

"It seems like you know him very well, Nyselyn. It also seems he's rather important to you."

"Of course he is important to me. If he were not, I would have no reason to be with him. I would have left him to die." Nyselyn's dual colored eyes opened to stare into Liari's own as she continued. "Once, I would have told you in the past that I knew everything about him, and have completely meant it. I was wrong then. I do not intend to be wrong again."

"You can't really blame yourself for how other people behave, y'know."

"I do not blame myself for how he acts, merely for not knowing it was possible for him to act in those ways. I mistakenly believed my observations had given me all the knowledge that I required. I have learned from this error in judgment protocols, and I know now that observations are never complete. A level of trust is required at a certain point for continued relations, but that does not mean that one should cease having a questioning attitude."

"I see. You're a rather complicated individual, Nyselyn, but I'm beginning to think there is actually something warm underneath all that ice," said Liari dismissively as she picked up a stack of the completed papers and set it in front of her, leafing through the pages and examining their contents. She heard Nyselyn snort at her remark but the woman offered no more commentary for the time being so Liari focused her attention on the papers before her.


They all looked as though they had been made in a printing press, the pages of a book that had not yet been bound. Upon each one were several dozen transactions, with contact information and dates for each sell. Every detail was captured, down to the exact translation of the worth of the item in the transaction. Some were recorded to the skeda. Liari had never known anyone who could dutifully examine and later recount information to such an exacting detail, causing her to rise an eyebrow as she flicked a momentary glance at Nyselyn. Such a mystery you are.

The next time Liari looked up from her stack, the light of the current Felaryan sun was fading from the sky. She sighed, looking around her. So far, the two of them had managed to get through about eight stacks of papers, with the only good news being that Nyselyn wasn't writing any more. It had been obvious that Liari had less information to provide than Nyselyn, so she had told her everything she knew and they had gotten started sorting through it.

Though, honestly, it doesn't even seem like she's reading the papers, she thought as she stole a glance at Nyselyn. She would pick up a paper and hold it for a few moments before setting it down in another stack and moving on. Either she's the fastest reader in the world or she's doing something else. Liari wasn't able to figure out just what though. Given that she was capable of multitasking like she had earlier, there should be no reason for her to examine one page at a time.

"Are you getting hungry Nyselyn?"

"Not really, no."

"Sooo... how come you're only reading one page at a time? You were being so... efficient earlier that I couldn't help but notice the lack thereof now," poked Liari, the hint of a smirk playing out on her face.

"It would be too difficult to explain my methods to someone who has your lack of knowledge in advanced hyper-heuristic capacities and capabilities." Before Liari could even bristle at her reply, the woman quickly continued with "That is not intended as an insult, merely a statement of fact."

"I don't even know what those words mean, Nyselyn, so it is difficult to feel insulted by them," replied Liari, feeling her anger backing off. So, she really does have feelings hidden beneath all that extraneous crap.

Her remark garnered a small smile from Nyselyn, continuing with her routine as if nothing had been said, leaving Liari to her mental questions once more. Excusing herself for the bathroom, she realized that was something else peculiar about her - unlike herself, Nyselyn showed no obvious signs of fatigue nor any biological needs. It was true that she had seen her eat on a few occasions, but Nyselyn had never excused herself for any bio breaks. Liari's digestion process was stronger than any human's could ever hope to be, yet she still needed bio breaks.

Always more questions, never any answers. I wonder if Ion actually knows her himself? He's been with her for quite a while it would seem, yet she speaks of him having secrets. Awfully curious. Washing her hands after concluding her business, Liari's stomach started complaining that it had been quite a while since her last meal and it was time for another. She made her way to the kitchen and pulled out a few pounds of glouteux meat along with some spices and a variety of fruits and vegetables. I have this feeling we'll be dining in tonight, Liari thought with a sigh.

Liari was about halfway through preparing the meat for cooking when she felt a presence behind her, turning to see that Nyselyn had entered the kitchen as well. Wait, when did she... before her were the vegetables she had intended to chop up, but that was apparently already done. I must have really been focused, to not have noticed her for that long...

"Here," Nyselyn said, offering the diced vegetables to her. Her green and red eyes seemed blank, staring right through her as though she wasn't there.

"Thanks, Nyselyn. You don't have to help though, I can make dinner. Shouldn't you be working on getting us some leads?"

"I have already acquired what I believe to be reasonable leads. I will discuss them with you over dinner, if that is acceptable. From my observations, you wish to have a break from our previously pledged activities. For the time being, I believe it to be the proper behavior of a guest to offer assistance to the host."

"As you wish. I certainly won't decline the offer. Thank you."

"It is not a problem, Liari."

Nyselyn stayed true to her word throughout the rest of their preparations, speaking nothing about the leads she had supposedly uncovered. They exchanged few words, only that which was necessary to continue making their dinner. And even that was minimal, thought Liari as she took their plates and set them on the dining table. Nyselyn was already seated, nodding her head to Liari as she set the plate before her.

"So, what did you think you had found," Liari asked as she sampled some of the meat. It was nice and tender, fresh, seemingly melting in her mouth. I love this stuff, and it is so cheap too with how easy it is to catch the stupid things.

"Do you remember that individual who crossed you recently?"

"Sazlg? Yes, I remember him. Distasteful little thing." The word choice was merely by accident, but it made her smile at the memory.

"He was an agent of the Fiefdom Trading Company. Their records have... multiple discrepancies. It is not that I would expect any less of them, given their previous business practices concerning you, just that these discrepancies have interest to us."

"In what way?" Liari asked, leaning in over her plate as she poked and played with her meal.

"The Fiefdom Trading Company has at least four interests in the DreamStone District. One of them, Bora Frontier Mining, deals in both ascarlin and large chunks of raw precious metals and crystals. The part which makes them interesting is that both Bora and Fiefdom share ties to Veles Crafts."

"Veles. I know that name. They specialize in making magical items via powerful enchantments."

"Yes. Now for the part that makes them important to us. All three share the same complex of facilities, and recently they processed a transaction that involved a finished product that is described in very similar terms to what Aidee specified. The delivery timeframe and number of items fits as well to the attack Aidee intercepted."

"Sounds good to me. Let's finish eating and then you can help me clean up and get rid of all those papers. By the time we're finished, it'll be well into nightfall and just perfect for a little stroll through town, wouldn't you agree?"

"As you wish."

************

Kaede's eyes opened at the now-familiar series of beeps that interrupted her sleep. It was a warning to alert her that Journeyman Hath would be along in a little while. So it was time for her to wake up and face the new day. He had been the doctor assigned to her case, responsible for conducting the testing on her.

Which, as it had turned out, was nothing like she had expected. For one, it was absolutely boring. There were no probes, no pain, no devilish torture chambers to slowly break her down and reveal her secrets. They took endless samples of everything, never speaking unless she asked a question, observing her and testing her. Half the time they never even showed her as much as an expression.

Hath was different though. He came by every day in the morning to pick her up, and took her to her room each day when their tests were complete, talking to her the entire time. Sometimes the sun would still be high in the sky, on the rare occasion it would be dark out. Hath was a young and impressionable human, with cute boyish features. Dark eyes like her own, but blond hair and fair skin.

The first time they had met had been the morning after Neare and Anaja had delivered her to the room, and she had answered the summons at the door without even thinking of where she was - and thus completely nude. Journeyman Hath had been greeted to a very sleepy and very naked Kaede, and his reaction had been very loud and amusing to her. As a result, she tended to tease and play with him whenever she got the chance.

Still, he had helped her greatly and for that she was thankful. He would talk to her, answer her questions in regards to the place she was now located, and had showed her how to use all the contraptions in the bathroom. Kaede had to admit that having both a shower and a cozy bed every day was nice, but if she didn't find a way to alleviate her boredom soon she'd go crazy.

This morning was different somehow. She could feel it. She didn't know why, but it was. Getting out of bed and stretching, Kaede made her way over to the storage cabinet and pulled out a food canister. Hath came by every few days to replenish her stock, even offering her different flavored ones to taste-test.

Pulling one of the canisters she sat back down at the edge of her bed, sampling the food pellets. This particular one had a sweet and tangy flavor, sort of like how humans tasted - and thus was one of her favorites. She had left off the particular reasoning to why when Hath had inquired, but he had been happy to provide more of them for her.

As she continued to savor the food pellets, she buzzed her wings in pleasure, humming in satisfaction and... wait. Is it? Did they? In her shock she dropped the canister, reaching up behind her in disbelief, her hands coming into contact with the thin membranes of her wings. She flicked them again, enjoying the motion against her hand... they came back. Finally! It had been nearly two weeks since that day of pain, which was much longer than it usually took for them to regrow.

She hugged herself, laughing in glee. I knew this was going to be a good day! Now to make sure everything else works. With a thought she shrank herself down to the size of one of the pellets that was now scattered about the floor, flittering about and alighting herself atop one of them. The sudden tones ringing again announced Hath's arrival and broke through her excitement, but her surprise quickly turned into genuine happiness. Oh, this is going to be fun.

Looking down beside her, she vanished into an illusion, becoming one of the pellets and creating a second illusion of herself without wings and wearing the suit that allowed her to move about away from her room without suffering pain. Right after her preparations were complete the door whisked open and shut, revealing Hath as he walked in through the short entranceway.

"Excuse me, Miss Kaede, but it's time for us to be going. Are you ready?"

He was completely focused on the illusion of herself, and she fought hard to contain her giggles as she used her false-self to accidentally knock several of the pellets - including the one she was pretending to be - across the floor, pretending surprise at his arrival.

"Oh, yes, I'm ready. But I made a mess of my breakfast. Could you help me pick it up?" her false-self asked as she - still in disguise as a pellet - came to rest behind him, watching as he stepped forward to assist her in picking up the pellets.

"Absolutely, that's not a problem at all. Is something the matter? Was it not to your liking?"

"No no! I just accidentally dropped it, that's all. I can be something of a klutz."

"That's good to hear. I think that's the last of it," he said, looking about on the floor for any more pellets after handing her the last he'd found. While he was distracted, she dropped the illusions and increased her size to normal height as she shrank him down. He didn't notice it until he turned completely around and found himself facing her now very giant feet, whipping his head to look up at her nude form smiling down at him.

"Good morning to you, Hath. My wings came back this morning! Isn't that great?"

"Um, um, K-kaede... y-yeah, that's great news... but w-w-why did you shrink me?"

"Mmm, because ever since meeting you I thought you looked cute enough to just eat right up," she said as she licked her lips enticingly, hinting at her intent.

"Y-y-ou're n-not really t-thinking of eat-t-ting me are you?" he asked, his voice getting more shrill as realization of the situation started to set in.

He didn't even try to run from her as Kaede bent over and picked him up with her hand, cradling him gently between her fingers as she lifted him. His face was constantly changing between fear, surprise, and embarrassment - the latter no doubt because her real-self wasn't wearing any clothing. Bringing him up to her face, she used a subtle touch of size changing magic to cause his own clothing to fall off of his body and onto the floor, back at its original size while keeping him tiny.

"Mmm, I am thinking about it. Is that so wrong? You could be a part of me forever. That wouldn't be so bad, now would it?" she asked in a provocative voice, playing with her hair and posing for him as she held him a little away from her to let him get a good look. That only made him blush more while he also tried to preserve his dignity, which of course fueled her teasing streak all the more.

"I think I like being a part of m-myself m-m-more, Kaede! Please, put me down!"

"Aww, as you wish." Kaede put on her best hurt expression, as she lowered him... right onto her lips. Hath's initial relief at her lowering him became shock she slurped gently and his legs disappeared between her lips. Her tongue tasted him and Kaede murred with pleasure, closing her eyes and enjoying his flavor.

"K-K-KAEDE!" Hath's scream made her sigh around him, all the noise was killing her enjoyment. He should know I'm just teasing him. It's not like they wouldn't notice he went missing when the last place he was seen entering was my room. Fortunately he was small enough that the guards outside her door couldn't hear his cries. He does taste really good though, and it's been so long... since he's already scared witless a little more tasting won't hurt.

With that thought in mind, she slurped him the rest of the way into her mouth, walking over to sit on her bed and rolling him around gently with her tongue. She still didn't want to hurt him, just taste him better. Ooooh, he is delicious though. Kaede could feel him lashing out at her tongue, hitting and kicking it for all he was worth. It really has been such a long time she thought, tilting her head back slowly to feel his body sliding on her tongue towards her throat...

She managed to just stop herself right before the gulp that would normally have followed and sent the cute doctor on a one way journey into the depths of her body. Carefully manipulating Hath's body into the pocket between her teeth and left cheek, she swallowed her built up saliva instead of him. Might have gotten a little too carried away there, she thought, walking into her bathroom and spitting him out into her hands and setting him in the basin of her sink.

"Are you alright there Hath?" she asked, poking him gently as he was no longer making any noise. She knew he wasn't injured because he was standing up without limping, but that said nothing to his emotional state. "C'mon Hath, I was just teasing, don't get all somber on me now. I wasn't really going to eat you," she pleaded.

"But you - and the shrinking - and and..." when he finally started talking again it was a rush of nearly incomprehensible words, but at least he was talking. Kaede tried to smile reassuringly at him but it didn't seem to help. She took a chance and picked him back up, stroking the top of his head with her index finger.

"I'm sorry ok? I was just really happy to wake up and find my wings were back and I wanted to try out my magic, that's all. I wasn't going to hurt you, I promise. Now, would you stop blabbering and help me out before the guards start wondering why you've been in here so long?"

"You're... you're not going to eat me?"

"I already said that!" Kaede declared with a huff, activating the faucet for the sink. "Now hold still so I can rinse you off before I bring you back to full size."

He didn't resist her so Kaede took to cleaning all of her saliva off of his tiny form, making sure not to drown him in her attempts to do so. Satisfied that she had cleaned him off, she placed him on the floor and reversed her magic to restore him to normal size. Hath continued to stare up at her in shock and disbelief, taking several moments to realize that he was nude before making a rush attempt to cover himself.

"Can I have my clothes back please? Its bad enough that you go around naked yourself and... and... tastetested me, I shouldn't have to be nude too!"

"Awww, now what's so wrong with nude? It's mighty comfortable. Besides, your lips say one thing but your body says another with regards to my nudity. There is no shame to be had in liking what you see. But I will go get your clothes. I'm sure we'll be having another glorious round of boring testing to go through and I'd hate for you to be late."

Hath didn't reply to her comments, instead he only blushed brighter and turned away. Such a cute little guy. I'm going to have a lot more fun with him now that my magic is back. The thought caught her by surprise, because Kaede generally hadn't though in this manner for years except on the rare occasion. She found now though that she couldn't wait.

Thinking about why that would be, she realized that even though she was their prisoner, she felt safe here. As long as she didn't hurt anyone they wouldn't hurt her, that had been what Master Anaja had said and so far it was true. Within the walls of this city she was safe from things that would have given her pause in the past, allowing the personality of her youth that she had repressed for so long to fight her pragmatic side and reveal itself once again.

When she left the washroom to collect his clothes, deep in her own thoughts, she also moved to retrieve her own protective suit so that she could dress as well. Returning to Hath, she found him exactly as she left him, sitting on the floor with his knees drawn up to his chest hugging himself and blushing bright red. She sighed and shook her head, placing his clothes at his feet.

"C'mon Hath, we must go. I'm surprised the guards haven't already come looking for you. I suspect the only reason they haven't is because you've taken time to show me things before, but they must be suspicious."

She turned away from him then and started to put on the protective suit, getting it up to her hips before she gasped in realization - the suit was not meant to fit around my wings! She wouldn't be able to put it on without removing them... and she dared not leave the room without it. No, no, anything, please, not my wings, I just got them back! She whirled about to face Hath, who was still in the same position as before but now watching her intently.

"Hath... Hath! I can't.... put it on! Please, you have to help!" Her emotions came forth in waves that seemed to pound her down, an array of thoughts flooding her mind. "Don't... don't take me to the lab today. Please! I don't... I can't! Lose my wings again, they just came back, I don't, I don't..." Kaede fell to her knees in front of him as her eyes began to tear up. She could just imagine them popping off her wings to keep her under control, or worse, letting her walk around without the suit so they could study her reactions. "Please, no pain."

She was looking down so she never noticed when he leaned forward until he wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her gently against him, drawing a gasp of surprise. "It'll be alright Kaede. Master Triela is coming in today. I'm sure she won't put you through pain just for the sake of it."

The warmth of his body as it pressed against hers felt rather nice, but the name he mentioned tugged at her mind, something she should remember... Oh no! "Hath, hath! Triela! She's... she's the one I ate before! She'll kill me!" Kaede began to shake, her near future being trusted to the one she had tried to digest. She couldn't imagine the pain that woman would wish to inflict on her...

"Kaede. Calm down. Master Triela isn't like that. If you could have picked anyone to eat, it would have been her. She was Reya's ambassador before we came here. She understands better than anyone the nature of this realm." He paused, squeezing her tight once more. "How about we make a deal? If you don't eat... or pretend to eat anyone, I'll make certain that you don't experience any pain. Ok? I have to admit, I didn't really enjoy that little game you played with me earlier."

"I'm sorry. It was just a joke. I'll refrain from doing it again, I promise. It's probably better that way anyway, it'll help me resist the temptation of the follow-through."

"Alright. Let me get dressed, and I'll go speak to Master Triela," Hath said, releasing her and picking up his clothes. It took a few moments for her comment to process, but when it did he whirled about in shock. "Wait a minute! Were you... were you about to swallow me?!? I thought it was a joke!"

"Ahhhh... oops?"

~~~~~

The door to Triela's office whisked open, admitting a youthful and flustered human wearing the insignia of a Journeyman in the Health Guild.

<Master Triela? Could I have a word with you?>

Looking up from her desk, Triela recognized the speaker as Journeyman Hath, the one who had been responsible for Kaede's testing. The fairy. At least she could say her name now. They had gotten a fair amount of data in regards to anatomical differences, but that had been it so far. Without her magic, they really couldn't explore the true depth of her abilities. And I know very well just how good her abilities are.

<Certainly, Journeyman Hath. What is it you need to speak of?> Consulting her chronometer, she quirked her head at him curiously. <Shouldn't you be doing testing with her now though?>

<That's what I need to speak to you about. Kaede... needs some help from us.>

<What's the issue?>

Hath stood before her for several moments, deep in thought as he seemingly toiled over how to word what he needed to say. <Her wings are back. She's afraid to leave her room for fear of the pain since she can't put on her suit, and afraid that we'll just take her wings away from her.> His thought came to her in a rush, and she took a moment to ensure she understood it correctly before replying.

<Why would I do that? I wanted her wings to grow back. I'm surprised it took this long, I thought it was an evolution of shorter duration.>

<You... wanted her wings to grow back?>

<Of course I did. Kaede is a fairy, Journeyman. Before now, all we've been able to study is her anatomy. We need to study her magic. I have this suspicion that its her magic that makes her susceptible to this rock formation, and if we can understand the element of why we can protect ourselves from her kind in the future.>

<So what happens to her?>

Triela smiled, understanding dawning on the real reason for this conversation. <You like her. That's understandable I suppose. She has a cute frame. You do realize she eats things like you though, right?>

<If I didn't before, I do now.> he said with a shudder.

<Do you really?> Triela asked, a smile playing on her face. <And why pray tell would your feelings on the subject change now, Journeyman?>

<Ah, well, I... ah...>

His stuttering brought her smile about full force, her eyes glittering with amusement. <Learn she was a fairy the hard way, did you? I take it she decided to try out the return of her magic on you?>

<Maybe... nothing happened though, Master Triela! Nothing of any importance. She didn't do anything to me or coerce me, I swear.>

<Hmm. Perhaps I should remove you from this project. I think you've become a little too attached.>

<I... well...> he shrugged, his face falling as he failed to come up with an appropriate counterpoint. Triela could see it on his face that he knew she was right. <You are probably right. I might have become... more attached than I should. I'll accept whatever disciplinary action you feel is necessary.>

<Excellent. Then your first task will be to get her some clothes that she can wear without impeding her wings, and then figure out exactly where she can walk without suffering pain. Look for any large open areas we can use for testing her magic. If you cannot find any open areas, start cataloging storage areas and I will see about getting them cleared for us.>

<You're... not removing me from the project?>

Triela's smile faded, her expression hardening as she locked in her command presence and answered his question. <Not yet. She's apparently attached to you, a little bit at least. Removing familiarity would be problematic at this stage. It is not my intention to punish her for being what she is. However, I am putting responsibility for her care and her actions solely in your hands. Be certain that I do not regret it, Journeyman.>

<You won't be disappointed, Master Triela!> Hath saluted, then spun about quickly to leave. He was trying his best not to flee from the room, she could tell. Putting his youthful enthusiasm out of her mind, she concentrated back on the matter at hand. So, she has her wings again. I daresay things will get interesting. We might actually be able to get some answers. She's a double-edged sword though. I hope this was the correct choice, and that the risk is worth the potential gains.

Looking out the window of her office, Triela allowed herself to get lost momentarily in the light of the rising sun. She felt it was the right choice though. Perhaps... no. I'll leave Reya out of this for now. I feel I should talk to her soon though. She would know better than anyone how to deal with these feelings I'm having. I will need to go see Kaede eventually... and I could use some words of my own encouragement, Triela thought with a sigh as she sank further down into her chair.

Those of you familiar with the story will note that this ends early. Anyone who decides to read this story as it is will probably notice it has some grammatical errors and issues. Plot continuity, etc. These were mostly fixed in The Werfeirverne Saga, a revised and more completed version of Sapere Aude that also remained incomplete.

After all, the dA version didn't even have the cute scene between Kaede and Hath in it... so sad.

But I do not think I have access to that data, and it was all WP coded anyway for specificity with the theme ( it had extra codes in it that helped create the JS effects of page turning and the like ). It would require a lot of work to get on the forum, even if I did have it.

What I do have is my Scrivener project files, and after I reinstall the applicable programs I will post another addition with some spoilers for those of you who might have wanted to know how the story would have progressed.

The Werfeirverne Saga

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Nifty Ideas and Things

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Proof that I'm still writing... kinda.

Spoiler:

Yeah. I'm on the maps now.

Writer Resources -- most of you probably have a few of your own. What I'm going to talk about is programs. If you do not have Scrivener ( MAC, Windows, Linux - Beta, one future day iOS ), I highly recommend purchasing a copy. That program is amazing. For those still in school you can also use it for plays and research projects. I cannot stress or repeat how highly recommend it.

The picture above is a 'mind map' created with the program SimpleMind. It is available on iOS, Windows, and MAC. For those interested in creating your own planets and star systems using some actual real world numbers, I recommend a program called "AstroSynthesis". For those who would like a good starting point on creating your own realms and rules, while not necessarily a writing resource per se, I would highly recommend the GURPS books.


Edit: Made embedded picture a spoiler because its been a while and I forgot how webboards work. Especially crappy ones like Forumotion.

Sorry for not finishing last night. I found the more specific data planners for ANSA, but they were all in Microsoft Word....! The horror!

Sapere Aude spoiler updated. Text became too long for post length restrictions so split it apart. I think I'm done now.

Oh, right, one more disclosure thing.


For those of you who discover this thread in the late, as in you didn't know the original story and such, don't read too much into the use of Felaryan's Guardians. My employment of the Guardians - specifically Mercreti and Trejal - as well as the Correctors and the war between them, was something I was working on with Karbo. I wouldn't recommend you do the same without some lengthy indepth conversations with Karbo, as their use in stories is limited.

So, I in digging around the old word documents I found a backup copy of the site and the site's SQL. After a few hours of piecing things together, its back up more or less and should work okay for everyone. No need to register, just use the username and password below to access the site. Why a password protected site? Because it's Wordpress from 2011 and is very outdated. I'm not going to bother with trying to maintain it, but it should work just fine regardless ( tested on latest IE, FF, Chrome... no promises about the future though. May not look great on mobile devices but works on my iPad ). This will hopefully keep the script kiddies out of it, since the password protection forms are provided by my WAF.

Restored Sapere Aude Story Site ( link )

• Username: ansareader
  
• Password: TupKTbSLqfzB53Y\Mtbc?VX*JCR_6AxX
  
• Hit Enter on your keyboard / Hit Go on your Mobile device
  

Also included this information on the first post, for those that would prefer to use the site rather than the forums for reading. I *think* the site version is a newer / cleaned up copy ( it doesn't use the old Prologue even though that part of the story is still included ) but I'm not quite sure how far it goes.

Edit: The website version does go farther. One chapter only bit though. It has some of the cute scene in it between Hath and Kaede.

So obv. no access to my old account but just wanted to update this for anyone who wanted it.

Story Site Link

No password / etc. Probably will go offline in February for the updates mentioned here.

It's still using Wordpress, and I want to get away from that, but no idea when I'll be able to afford a commission project to design a website for myself. The url shouldn't change anymore though.